Time Off

Focus - The Ampora's

Cronus likes to check on Eridan when he hasn't seen him in a few hours. Usually he doesn't have anything to say but Eridan has noticed him come around more times than once.


This was the third time Cronus had passed by his door. Eridan could smell the slight musk pouring from the older trolls' form whenever he paused in the entrance and stared inside. Cronus was usually the one to speak to Eridan whenever something needed to be done because Dualscar only spoke to him. The idea of his ancestor not taking a liking to him hurt him on another level, but Cronus was an all right substitute. He wasn't close to being as tall as Dualscar since he was younger and when it came to muscles Cronus wasn't the type to work out as often as he should; leaving only muscle he had from the excessive swimming he did. What Eridan liked most about his older… whatever…was the fact that he took the time to visit him and though he wouldn't admit it he liked being around Cronus. They would strife or talk about the military—which was usually one sided on Eridan's part since it wasn't Cronus' thing—or just go swimming together and have fun.

But this time Eridan needed to finish reading this book over historical strategies, which battle plans worked and which ones didn't and why. Whenever Dualscar had decided to acknowledge his youngest descendant he would give him tasks to do through Cronus and expect them done. He hadn't let the adult down yet and didn't plan to. This was what he wanted since he first heard of the other troll, to be taken under wing and raised side-by-side until his Lusus decided he had other plans. Cronus was still a problem though, slumped against the wall in the study, flipping his unlit cigarette between his teeth and balancing it on his tongue. Eridan rolled his eyes, "What is it, Cronus?" When a short silence passed he turned in his chair and held out his hands, "Well?"

"I think you should take a break, kiddo." He said curtly, stepping closer to press his hip against the desk in the room. "You've had your nub in that book all night."

Eridan was about to snap at him, tell him that this was what Dualscar wanted from him, all that he ever wanted, and that one day he might actually speak to him instead of going to a middleman if he was obedient. He caught something in the violet eyes and bit his lip. "Can it wait a bit longer? I've gotten far and I know how this plan will turn out."

Cronus' fins gave a little flap, "Okay. But just this…" he gestured to the page. "This. Then meet me on the deck." He took a single step before glancing over his shoulder, "Don't know how you read that stuff anyway. Books are borin' as hell." He gave Eridan a gentle smack to the back of the head with a broad grin and fled before he could get hit. Eridan resumed reading and took notes on the tactics and escape plans that turned into attacking whenever the opportunity arose. He marked his place and moved to the upper deck of the ship, eyes skimming over the other trolls that lounged about, waiting for the sun to rise so they would sleep. Eridan found their laziness disgusting; if they were on his ship they would all be working until the sun rose and threatened to scorch their hides. But this wasn't his ship and he wasn't old enough to dish out any kind of demands so most of the crew acted as though he wasn't even there. Near the prow, Cronus was waving away a younger adult troll as he tried to hide a smile. Eridan weaved his way around him when he approached and hefted himself onto the railing, "Good chapter?"

He shrugged, "I was wrong, but whatever. What did you want to talk about?"

Cronus pressed his back against the railing and chewed on the end of his cigarette, thinking about a response. Eridan allowed the tie to past by trying to sort out the slackers from the trolls who were actually trying to find something to do. It was an uneven match, out of the twenty he could see on deck six were making use of their time by cleaning, checking the ropes, or yelling at others to do something while they still had the chance. He would reprimand the lazy bums by taking their ranks down a notch. He would be a no nonsense captain. He would earn a reputation just like his ancestor and landdwellers would learn to fear his name just as they did Orphaner Dualscar. He would have to think of a better name for himself. Eridan was a grand name but an alternate title wouldn't hurt. He remembered talking to one of his internet friends, Vriska, and she had planned on taking Mindfang's name whenever they met in person and decided to role play. The Dualscar wouldn't miss him while he was gone and knew that his break from training would have to come up soon. He was greatly interested in meeting the landdweller despite her being lower on the hemospectrum.

"You okay there?" Cronus didn't try to hide the laughter in his voice.

Eridan blinked, "What?" he scowled. "I thought you wanted to talk not waste my time, Cronus."

The older troll managed to bring his happiness down to a smile, "Just wanted to talk about quadrants." When Eridan stiffened he held up his hands. "No, I'm not going to give you the 'flushed talk', that's between you and your lusus. I could always give you tips if you ever need any though." He gave the younger an eyebrow wiggle. "No, I wanted to talk about me. My flushed quadrant is now filled and I thought you should know."

"By who and why should I care?"

Cronus shifted this time, "Cause I might not be there with you after we dock. I didn't want you to think I suddenly left you. You…you don't know him, I don't really know him either, but he's stolen the spot. I saw him when we first came to the sea and he's been on my thinkpan since then. I'm gonna go find him."

Eridan gave an absent nod, "He a seadweller?" Cronus was lacking in speech this night. He snapped his fingers, "Cronus!"

"No. He's a landwveller. I'm not even sure what blood color he is—but it doesn't matter 'cause the bloodpusher knows what it wants." He grinned madly and his cigarette fell from his mouth. "He's got a motormouth on him and these ridiculously high pants that go, like—" he made a cutting motion just below his armpits. "All the way up to here and, and his horns, Eridan they're these little nubby things that are so small and cute and I know he gets teased about them but that's when I show up and save the day cause no one will mess with a violetblood. Even though I won't do nothin'. Then he'll fall for me and we'll become matesprit's and then comes the fun part…"

Eridan stared at the love-struck troll and shook his head, "You're fuckin' crazy."

Conus pursed his lips in a thin line, "Way to make me feel better, chief. A real pick-me-up that's what you are." He threw his hands out before him. "I don't know what else to do, Eridan, Dualscar is going to make me go right back into training when we get on his ship again and wanna find this guy again and get to know him before we head back out to sea." He cast a sad look in Eridan's direction. "I don't want to leave you alone—"

"I'll be fine." He bit as he pushed himself forward and landed with a soft thud. "I have friends to meet anyway. It's not like I'll be by myself."

Cronus' expression changed instantly, "Great! So you'll head out with your little friends and I'll go get my flush on." His shark-like teeth glimmered in the light and he began to head below deck. Eridan wasn't entirely sure if he was being trolled or not and Cronus was just trying to get rid of him while trying to be polite about it. Well, as polite as Cronus could be. "What are your plans for the time off?"

"I've been speaking to another troll and we share common interests. We're going to meet somewhere and do this thing she calls 'role-playing' which sounds like it'll be exciting."

"I think you need to lose the way you talk, and act your age. Dualscar isn't here to crack a whip and tell you to shape up." He offered a friendly smile and removed a cigarette from his sylladex. "You're still a wriggler, no one will get mad at you for acting like it. Save the adult speak for when you're an adult."

"Adult speak?" The smaller troll echoed. "Pardon me for trying to get on Dualscar's good side. Work my fuckin' ass off and he doesn't even look at me. "

Cronus moved silently around three half-asleep trolls and entered the sleeping quarters. "Dualscar doesn't have a good side. He's kind of an asshole."

"But we're here aren't we? Didn't you want to meet your ancestor when you were a grub?"

The violetblood lit the cigarette and took a puff, giving a shrug when he inhaled again. "The effects kind of wear off. I wasn't into meeting him in the beginning 'cause I knew I wouldn't be what he wanted so that took the appeal down a bit. But then one day he shows up with this big scowl on his face and he's like 'get your shit' and away we go. He wasn't happy about it. I mean, I wasn't happy either, he had these two other trolls with him who looked scared out of their mind and they jumped at his every word. They barged in my hive and just started taking whatever looked important." Eridan allowed the information to waft about the room like Cronus' cigarette smoke and took his place back in front of his nearly forgotten book. "But I think you'll do find, chief. You've got potential." Eridan's fins gave a small wave as he tried to hold back a smile. "He's got you reading those books because they're important for captains and history is important. I never read 'em—just skimmed through the pages. Pissed him off to no end. So we would strife and after he beat me down a few times he would act like we never argued about it and went on with our lives. I never held it against him. I should've been listenin' to him."

Cronus lost himself in his memories and Eridan smoothly went back to reading. He was able to finish another section before Cronus hummed and tossed the butt into the trash. "I went looking for him." Eridan spoke slowly. "I heard all about him and I wanted to be just like him."

"You will be. Got the smarts for it." He tapped his skull and held out his hand expectantly. A sandwich fell into his open palm and he gave it a curious sniff. "Still fresh, want one?" Eridan didn't get the chance to reply, a perfect copy of the food fell into his lap and Cronus stretched himself out on the plush chair. "Caught and made by yours truly." The two ate in silence and Eridan eventually finished reading. He was going to ask Cronus for tips on close-combat but found his friend asleep in the chair. He frowned and placed the book back into his sylladex, shuffling over to the door to lock it shut. He stared at Cronus for the duration of an internal battle and stormed over to him, squeezing his way against the other and what little space there was left of the chair. After he nudged the older troll to give him more space he yawned and stared into the porthole that allowed him a view of the rising sun.

"Sure you don't want to sleep in your 'coon?" Cronus mumbled, eyes remaining shut.

"I'll be fine for one day." He muttered and buried his face into Cronus' shoulder. "I'm not a wriggler."

"I know you're not, chief." Eridan felt a gentle ruffle of his hair before sleep demanded his attention. Their relationship didn't belong in a quadrant which was fine for Eridan; he wasn't interested in filling out his relationships just yet. He still had some time for that. But if he allowed his mind to twist things out of proportion, he wouldn't know what to do without the troll beside him. He would miss the stupid ear waves and eyebrow waggles and he might even miss the way his cigarettes burned his nose that signaled he was nearby. Cronus could be annoying, or foolish, or a waste of space, but he would be glad he was still there. It reminded him of his heads-up of how Cronus would be looking for his flush-crush when they docked and his bloodpusher gave a small twist. He wouldn't be alone though. He had Vriska and things to do. Besides, Cronus would be there when he returned. He wouldn't leave him. Still, Eridan curled closer to the violetblood and drifted away, holding onto the smell of the slight musk that came from the older trolls' body.