Sollux and Karkat continued walking along as Karkat finished off his smoke he flicked it to the side and blew out the remainder of the smoke from his lungs as he peered over at Sollux again.
"Do you want to come hang out at mine for a bit?" He questioned as he noticed that they had been walking toward his house for the past ten minutes. Sollux continued to stare down at his feet and gave a little grunt in response though he lifted his head in thought.
"Oh yeah, Eridan you don't mind if—Eridan?" Sollux froze as he peered behind him and around slightly as Karkat too, stopped and stared at the empty slot behind the two.
"Looks like he left" Karkat smirked out as Sollux felt his stomach drop as he gulped, he said he would watch Eridan and if he didn't have him with him when he returned Mituna was going to get mad, really mad.
"Thit THIT THIT THIT" Sollux panicked out slightly as he started to re-trace his and Karkats steps as Karkat was quick to catch him.
"Hey there's no need to panic, his just some ignorant hipster" Karkat assured Sollux as he frowned and shook his head.
"No KK if thomething happen'th to him I'm going to get the thit kicked out of me" Sollux huffed out as he quickened his pace while Karkat was sure to stay by his friends side as he sighed.
"Don't you have his number?" Karkat questioned as Sollux froze and whipped out his phone with a frown as he tapped on it frantically. He was quick to select the contact "Eridan [hiip2ter]" in which was written in his trademark typing style as he brought the phone to his face.
Pick up.
Eridan had made his way back to the small shopping centre and began to have a quick look about, he had entered the main building it was a really horrid centre. There was a supermarket and a couple of trashy clothes and accessory stores but they all lacked the general shopping centre feel as it wasn't too welcoming. The workers looked stern and clearly didn't want to be there, the stores were dark and quite frightening though one store stood out as the creepiest. It was a purple themed store in which had various pictures of grey face-painted people on it, it was a store for juggalo's in which Eridan knew was some kind of cult. Though as he passed it the smell wafting from the store was even more off putting, it smelt like smoke, and strange plants and soda. He brushed it off though as he came to the end of the shopping centre and exited the small building, he began to sigh but instead gave a cough as he inhaled the smoke from a few men that were chuckling to themselves as they turned to Eridan. Eridan hurried away, not wanting to cause any trouble like he had done with Karkat, instead he began to re-trace his steps to where he thought Cronus's house was.
He was However unsuccessful in this as he walked around the streets but only found himself near a park in which he read the sign out the front.
"Topkains ParK" He mumbled to himself as he entered the large open space of the park, nothing to special, playground for kids a few benches but mostly open dry grass areas. Eridan decided he would look directions up on his phone as he headed to the benches and took a seat. Though as he reached for his phone, it began to vibrate and he quickly fumbled with his tight pockets and retrieved his phone. The caller ID was set as "2ollux" as Eridan rolled his eyes and contemplated answering it, but the longer he waited the more lost he began to feel.
"Hello Eridan Ampora spe—"
"ERIDAN where the fuck are you?" Eridan peered down at his feet as he sat on the bench and fiddled with his scarf.
"I'm at some park"
"Wait, what park…" Sollux sounded concerned, Eridan sunk into his scarf slightly as he cleared his throat.
"Uh, Topkains Park"
"Oh thit get out of there!" Sollux warned as Eridan stood from the bench quickly though as he stood a piercing sound hit his ears.
"HAHAHA what have we here?" It was a women's voice it was quite loud and annoying, Eridan closed his eyes and didn't move. He could hear Sollux mumbling to Karkat something to do with a "Vriska" as Eridan pulled the phone from his ear and hung up before turning to where the girls voice had come from. A young girl was standing in a prideful stance, she had long black wavy hair and circle glasses over her piercing blue eyes and a slick smirk on her blue lip sticked lips. She wore a casual green over shirt and a white one below and baggy blue jeans with classic sneakers. Eridan guessed she was the ring leader as he peered at the two girls at her sides, one with similar black hair though she had brown eyes and red lipstick. She wore a black shirt and dress and seemed kind of not as interested as the middle girl as she glanced over at the last girl. She instead had short brown hair and wore red shades over her eyes and had a large grin over her face, she wore a causal black tee and blue jeans.
"Whose this hipster?" the middle girl questioned as her grin continued to grow as Eridan gulped and sunk into his scarf as he gripped the end tightly. She began to approach him and smirked as she inspected the boy as Eridan froze.
"I said who is this hipster?!" she now threatened out as Eridan flinched and placed his hands in his pockets.
"I'm Eridan, Eridan Ampora" He informed the girl glanced back at each of her friends who shook their heads as if they had never heard of him.
"New kid huh? Well then let me introduce you to us, I'm Vriska this is Aradia and Terezi" She smirked out as Eridan nodded at each of them but then stood stern.
"Nice to meet you gi-"
"HAHAHA Eridan, don't act so innocent" She scoffed loudly as the others grinned slightly.
"Eridan do you know where you are? You in our park" she informed the boy who now stepped away from the bench he had been sitting on and hid in his scarf.
"Oh sorry I'll just leav-ve now-w" He stuttered out as he turned to leave but was quickly caught as Vriska grabbed his arm.
"now now Eridan you can't leave now, you have to learn your lesson for coming into our park." She said with a wide grin as Terezi practically jumped in joy.
"Time to serve some justice ehehhe!" She beamed out as Eridan shook his head as he tried to pry himself away from Vriska but her grip was tight.
"Look, Vriska I didn't kno—"
"Too bad the case has been opened, Terezi what do you think would be a suitable punishment for this self-proclaimed victim!?" Vriska smirked out as Terezi sat in thought for a moment before grinning.
"Mud pile" She grinned out as vriska nodded and pulled the younger male back slightly as Eridan struggled to remove her arm from him.
"Looks like his not going to come quietly" Vriska smirked as Terezi and Aradia approached him and grabbed onto his arms and began to forcefully pull him backwards as he struggled.
"GIRLS PLEASE I REALLY DIDN'T KNOW-W" Eridan whimpered out as he struggled against the three girls who dragged him towards a section of the park in which the grass was more green and slightly wet. The girls ignored him as he struggled and tried to pull away as he dared to peer back at where exactly the girls were dragging him. There was a small dip in the grass in which was more moist than the other parts, as if it used to be a small river but now was a wet mud pile as Eridans eyes widened.
"Stop please, or at least take my scarf off!" Eridan begged again as he pulled against the three girls.
"Get a load of this one haaha" Vriska smirked as they reached the start of the dip, Terezi chuckled again as they tilted him forward towards the gross mud.
"One" Terezi chuckled out as Eridan gripped onto the girls arms now as they swung him towards it again.
"Two" Eridan closed his eyes now as he bit his lip, he hadn't known that a public park was off limits, he groaned as he was tilted towards the mud again and felt them pull him back more violently this time as he heard them chuckle.
"THREE" Then he tumbled downward into the ditch, he felt the mud and water instantly soak his pants and some of his shirt as he reached the bottom facing the ground as he pulled his face from the mud and immediately noticed his glasses were missing as he heard the girls chuckle from above.
"Watch yourself next time Hipster!" they called down at him as he sat up on his knees and wiped his face with mud covered hands as he heard their voices fading as they seemed to be leaving.
Though Eridan simply sat and waited for the voices to fade completely before bringing his muddy hands to his face as he trembled slightly. A hot tear streamed from his face into his hands as he began to shake and cry remaining in the cool mud. This was the cherry on top of his shit day and soon to be his life, everyone around here hated him, they hadn't even given him a chance.
Bzzt He moved his hands away from his eyes as he peered at his muddy pocket that shook, he reached into it and stared at his clean iphone with a frown as he couldn't read the caller ID and swept his muddy finger across the blurry green bar.
"Hello Eridan Ampo—"
"Why did you hang up on me, I thaid I wath coming to get you!" Sollux almost yelled at him as Eridan sniffled slightly as he gripped his phone and frowned as he growled.
" W-WHY? MAYBE BECAUSE I GOT THROWN INTO THE MUD, NO THANKS TO YOU, ASSHOLE." Eridan violently tapped his phone to hang up as he threw it into the mud, and continued to cry as he returned his hands to his eyes and silently shook.
"uh sir do these glasses belong to you, maybe?" a softer voice called as Eridan froze in the mud and peered up at the top of the mound as a sitting blurred figure came into view, Eridan squinted up at the figure.
"W-well I can't really see so I guess… Eridan sniffled and wiped his eyes as the man's figure nodded.
"Uhh hang on… Gam!" the boy called as Eridan continued to stare at the sitting figure as another figure joined his side.
"What's up tav bro?" the boys croaky voice called as Eridan looked away and grabbed his phone and pocketed it quickly before returning his attention to the figures.
"These glasses belong to him and without them he can't see so would you mind hopping down the ditch and giving them to him?" the smaller figure questioned as the taller one gave a nod.
"Sure thing" and with that said the bigger figure made its way safely down the side and now stood in front of Eridan as he lent down and placed the glasses over Eridans squinting eyes. Eridans surroundings became clear as the tall man in front of him was revealed as Eridans eyes widened.