Eridan was still sitting on the sofa on Dirk's lap, singing quietly. Dirk didn't actually seem to react to this, sitting still and still running a hand through Eridan's hair, but after watching him for a minute Karkat could see him shaking a bit. This probably reminded him of Roxy, really, even if Eridan seemed happy enough sat there. Dirk looked up from what he was doing to look in Karkat's direction with a hint of a smile.
"You gonna tell Cronus then?" he asked, casually, eyes barely discernible behind those god-awful shades of his, and Karkat shuddered. Eridan's dancestor wasn't exactly his favourite person, and talking to him had never been very high on Karkat's List Of Happy Things He Liked To Do. It was probably in the same freefalling place as Letting Jake Pick A Movie.
Dirk pulled his shades down a little so that Karkat could see he was rolling his eyes. "Aw, come off it, he can't be that bad…"
"The fucker hits on everyone, and thinks that Kankri is the Troll Sandy to his Troll Danny Zuko. I don't want to talk to him more than I have to." He sat down next to Dirk, looking at Eridan. "It sucks. This totally sucks, and…."
"There isn't a thing you can do, Vantas. Rose can, maybe—" Eridan stirred at the name, burrowing into Dirk's shoulder.
The room flickered slightly and Dirk turned his attention upwards, frowning. "Man, your lights are shitty! You need these replacing…." He looked down slowly, lips twitching. "I mean, can't you reach? I'll change them for you if you're completely helpless…." He grinned at Karkat. "Or, you know. If you really can't reach, I'll lift you up on my shoulders so you can."
Karkat gritted his teeth. "I do own such a fucking thing as a stepladder! And they aren't that shitty, you piece of pulsating douchefuckery. They're good quality!" He hissed the last part, threatening.
Eridan twitched at the noise, and stopped singing, instead flicking his fins up and down a little. Dirk sighed, petting his hair to calm the seadweller down.
"Least you're good for getting him to stop singing, but exactly how much good is frightening him going to do?" He moved Eridan so he was no longer on his lap but leaning against his side, starting to talk to him quietly with the same toning. "He isn't going to hurt you, I won't let him, I promise." Karkat looked sharply away, rubbing at his eyes. Fucking hell, why did Eridan have to like Dirk in this state? Why didn't he realise that Karkat wouldn't have hurt him? The most horrible bit was that it made sense to Karkat that Eridan would think he might. He'd threatened him before, and Eridan had always been ever so slightly scared, sometimes.
Eridan sat up more, and patted Dirk's face gently, fingers skittering over the glasses and humming the tune again, before stopping. "Missed you…" he said gently, almost quietly as he then settled down again, and Dirk sighed, hugging him tightly. This kid didn't deserve to have this happen, and he pulled up Pesterchum on his portable computer (It was an outdated piece of shit, but it worked). If Karkat wasn't going to try it, he would.
timaeusTestified [TT] began pestering corneredAlluring [CA]
TT: Hey.
CA: vwhat brings you around here chief?
CA: havwe you got that second movwie you vwere talking about? or you after something from me?
TT: Shut up and sit down. This is serious. This is all kinds of serious and I'm pretty damn sure you aren't going to like it due to personal reasons and the fact that everyone would think it was bad news. It sounds like good news.
TT: But it isn't.
CA: i havwe honestly no idea vwhat you're talking about.
TT: We found Eridan.
CA: holy shit.
CA: is he okay?
CA: can i talk to him? Is he evwen alivwe? i'm going to kill you if he's dead!
CA: fuck, ansvwer me! vwhere did you find him?
TT: I found him on the little rock thing near my sweet as shit house. I thought he was dead at first, but he was just letting me drag him ashore.
TT: And then he sung like a fucking horrorterror, Cronus. We're at Karkat's place, and I think you really need to see this for yourself.
CA: a horrorterror
CA: vwhat do you mean like a horrorterror vwhat the hell
TT: I mean that he's been with them somehow. He's been with them for fuck knows how long, and he's now afraid of Karkat, so fuck knows what they told him while he was there, but anyone who is actually from his group aside from Karkat might want to really kill him while he's in this state. Kanaya aside.
CA: are you telling me those fucking monstrosities screwved him up?
CA: FOR FUCKS SAKES
TT: Are you coming over or not?
CA: of fucking COURSE i'm coming ovwer
corneredAlluring [CA] stopped pestering timaeusTestified [TT]
Dirk looked over to Karkat. "Hey. Vantas. Incoming Cronus." Eridan frowned and blinked a few times, while the lights flickered again. Karkat turned to them with a horrified look on his face.
"Are you telling me he's coming here?" he hissed, before looking at Eridan with an odd look on his face as the room flickered again. "Hey, looks like he recognised the name that time."
Eridan seemed to be flicking his fins a little, and looked around, before Dirk patted his shoulder. "Yeah, he ain't here yet. He'll be here soon, alright?" he said softly, and Eridan burrowed his head back into his shoulder with an unhappy whine.
Karkat huffed and hunched up. "Why the fuck does he not think Cronus will kill him?" he grumbled, and Dirk shrugged, handing his little computer to Eridan, who pulled up a few programs while Dirk was talking with Karkat.
"Maybe because Cronus wouldn't kill anything he had the slightest chance with, maybe because Cronus was nice to him after Eridan was dead because of murderous shenanigans? Who knows. He might freak out once he sees Cronus, after all." He glanced down, and stared at the screen of the computer.
"Eridan. What are you doing?" he asked, quietly, and Karkat frowned.
"What is he doing?" he asked, and Dirk shrugged carefully.
"Writing, it looks like. Might as well let him, he's got little else safe for him to do, after all." He looked down again and blinked.
"It's….Okay, that looks good. Can't deny it." He started reading over Eridan's shoulder and Karkat threw his hands up in the air.
"You're both idiots!" he growled, and Eridan wobbled upwards, and handed Dirk the computer vaguely before growling low at Karkat, ear fins flared out. Karkat swore very softly, backing up to bump against the table.
"Strider, make yourself at least one iota of the usefulness Fate in all her mistaken glory decided to put you on your Earth before booting you here, and tell him to calm down!" he hissed, and Eridan began to growl loudly again before Dirk lifted him up bodily, patting his fins gently until Eridan curled up in his arms again, contentedly.
"I think Fate just saved your ass, Crabby." He smirked and Karkat flipped him off, moving around to sit at his husktop again, glaring over at him as Eridan began to purr to Dirk.
carcinoGeneticist [CG] re-opened memo FUCKING FOUND HIM!
turntechGodhead [TG] responded to memo!
TG: is everything alright in horroterror seatroll world
CG: NOTE TO ALMOST FUCKING EVERYONE WHO MIGHT DO THIS.
CG: DO NOT, I REPEAT NOT, ANTAGONISE ERIDAN OR THREATEN DIRK IN HIS PRESENCE, BECAUSE IT COULD END BADLY FOR EVERYONE. UNLESS YOU WANT TO BE GROWLED AT, CLAWED AT, AND TURNED INTO A WOEFULLY FLESHY HEAP OF CORPSE, ROTTING GENTLY IN MY HIVE AND BECOMING A VISUAL REMINDER TO ALL FUCKING IDIOTS AFTERWARDS.
CG: OF COURSE, IF THAT IS YOUR FUCKED UP DESIRE, DO THAT, AND I WILL ENSURE YOUR MORONITY IS PREACHED TO THE WIDE AND ENDLESS SKIES AT YOUR FUNERAL, AND WATCH AS KANAYA AND DIRK STRIFE IN AN ATTEMPT TO WEIGHT THEIR VIEWS UPON ERIDAN'S FATE.
TG: why are you telling me this
CG: WHY THE FUCK DO YOU THINK. YOU LEFT….RECEPTACLES ALL OVER THE PLACE ON THE METEOR AND NEARLY CAUSED KANAYA A SMALL CATATONIC STATE AS WELL AS INCITING MY WELL DESERVED RAGE. FUCK YOU AND YOUR FOOD COLOURING.
CG: ALSO ESPECIALLY YOU, BECAUSE WHETHER YOU TWO ADMIT IT OR NOT YOU AND DIRK CARE FOR EACH OTHER, AND IF HE THROWS HIMSELF BETWEEN ERIDAN AND YOU HE WILL BE CONFLICTED.
CG: ERIDAN WOULD BE HORRIFIED IF HE HURT HIM, FROM WHAT I CAN TELL, AND THEN IF DIRK'S DEAD THERE IS NO ONE ERIDAN TRUSTS. I'M PRETTY SURE HE ISN'T GOING TO TRUST ROSE AFTER THE WHOLE EXPLODING LAPTOP SHIT.
TG: man, that sucks so much
TG: here i was planning to bait the fishtroll
TG: top of my list of things to do
TG: right below fuck over karkat as much as possible
TG: wow this glowing characterisation is blinding me so glad i have a pair of unironic shades
TG: i didn't know you cared for me so much kitkat i'm touched
TG: dont you have to buy me dinner first though ooh mr vantas
Karkat shut his husktop screen carefully, trying not to scream aloud. Why was Dave such an asshole? That glittering fuck needed to stop antagonising him before he snapped, because snapping involved growling and somebody wasn't good around growling. He almost wept from rage when the doorbell (he had truly never realised that piece of shit was this level of annoying) began to ring continuously, and marched forward, flinging the door open.
"WHAT? WHAT THE FUCK IS IT NOW, O UNIVERSE, YOU BITCH IN LEAGUE WITH THAT MALICIOUS FUCKER THAT IS KARMA?" he screamed, before he was shoved out of the way, and a blur in a white t-shirt rushed into his hive.
"Eridan? Eridan!" Cronus sat next to Dirk, flicking his fins at Eridan, who blinked and tilted his head before flicking his fins back, as Cronus crushed him into a hug.
"Oh, fuck, it's gonna be okay, alright?" the older troll said, and Karkat blinked. He hadn't really realised it….but it looked a hell of a lot like Cronus actually was worried for Eridan. Eridan snuggled into him like a wriggler with its lusus, and Dirk looked over at Cronus with a little nod, letting go of Eridan's shoulder to let him hug Cronus close.
At least now there was someone else Eridan trusted.