JADE: -She's banging on Eridan's room door, and if he's not answering that, she's trying the bridge door down the hall.- ERIDAN: *he's not answering the door, but she can definitely find him sitting pretty defeatedly on his chair in the bridge* JADE: -she swoops in pretty quickly, moving right over to him and standing next to his chair- JADE: eridan ERIDAN: *looks up at her, glancing at her hands, and feeling surprised she doesn't have a weapon with her. His eyes are back on her face though* im ready for it ERIDAN: just get it ovver with JADE: what are you talking about? JADE: -the lines in her face don't look angry as much as they do concerned. what the heck was going on? why did he say all of that?- ERIDAN: youre here to tell me wwhat a shitty captain i am an howw i should be ashamed a all the secrets wwe kept an im just gunna take it an make no excuses JADE: no... eridan JADE: i just want to know whats going on ERIDAN: im the reason evveryone got taken awway from us im the reason evveryone left hates themselvves JADE: eridan JADE: that JADE: just doesnt make sense JADE: the golden prongs had us on their hit list forever JADE: and youre not responsible for how everyone feels ERIDAN: i cant fix evverythin ivve done i cant keep defendin somethin thats not wworth defendin JADE: you dont have to fix everything eridan JADE: -she's moving closer, oddly compelled to rest her hand on the arm of his chair.- you dont have to fix everything ERIDAN: *he feels tears start to sting his eyes as he lifts one of his arms to his face to pull his glasses off and cover his eyes* but thats my job its wwhat evveryone expects me to do JADE: -she's quiet for a moment, just watching him; it's clear enough the responsibility mixed with his fear are tearing him up, and she found herself wishing she had done something sooner. talked to him. she's reaching carefully for that arm, just resting her hand delicately on it at first, but her other hand slides around his shoulders and she's trying to pull him closer to her chest.- ERIDAN: *he winced at the first feeling of her touch, but he didn't recoil. He didn't deserve what she was doing, but he felt too weak to fight it, and just let her pull him close. It was then he couldnt control his tears anymore and just let them fall, soaking into her shirt between choked sobs. He was expecting a mutiny, not this. He was too weak to be their captain* JADE: -when he finally relented, she pulled him in tighter; she hoped he didn't mind that she was lowering herself to sit in his lap because it was already happening, and she wasn't about to go anywhere, not yet. the hand on his arm pulls it away carefully, not that she imagines he's resisting much anymore, and she guides it around her, instead, encouraging him to hold onto her as she mutters softly into his hair.- its alright ERIDAN: *he doesn't try to respond to her, knowing if he did it'd come out as a load of gibberish. He clings to her now, his fingers tightly grasping her shirt, as he just lets it all out. After what seems like an age to him, but was probably more like ten minutes or so, he finally starts to pull himself together, his sobbing quieting* JADE: -she waits it out with him, not bothered by the purple soaking her shirt but feeling his sounds aching in her chest, all too familiar. she's rubbing comforting fingertips against his scalp in little circles, trying to keep her breathing steady, though she couldn't quite help tears of her own welling her eyes after a while, even if she manages to hold it together. once he's quieter, though, her hand slides from his head to his shoulder, squeezing it gently.- JADE: im sorry eridan JADE: im so sorry this is happening to you and everyone JADE: its not you JADE: i promise its not JADE: i know you want to handle all of this JADE: and.... you want to know whats right JADE: but it feels like nothing is working JADE: but listen ok JADE: youre doing what you can JADE: and i know it doesnt always work JADE: but its ok JADE: its hard to see but we still have chances to make things work JADE: even if theyre messy or they dont go like we plan JADE: and even if JADE: ... JADE: -fuck. this is harder to say than it should be. she can't bring herself to say it.- JADE: we can still give it everything weve got JADE: as long as we keep trying JADE: that means something to us JADE: i get so mad at you sometimes but what you do means JADE: a lot to me JADE: please dont stop believing that JADE: -she's reaching for his face, now, cupping it gently.- ok? ERIDAN: ... *he nods quietly, sniffling* thank you jade *her words meant a lot to him, and his fins were not nearly as droopy as they could have been* that really means a lot to me JADE: -she's hoping he's not looking at her, because for some reason, hearing that has the tears that welled in her eyes rolling out, and she bites down hard on her lip to keep any sounds in, her fingers curling into whatever fabric covers his back.- good -she finally says, just a little raspy.- ERIDAN: um ERIDAN: i feel wweird askin this an you can say no but uh ERIDAN: can i stay in your block in the mornin an bring a cot or somethin ERIDAN: stayin in my rooms been uh ERIDAN: rough JADE: -She's confused for a moment, but once he asks, she feels oddly... relieved. There's not much hesitation in her reply.- JADE: yeah JADE: we can do that ERIDAN: thanks *nodding again with another sniffle* *gives her a squeeze of gratitude* JADE: -she's half smiling, nudging her head against his in an affectionately doggy sort of way out of habit- JADE: i think JADE: maybe there should be another announcement ERIDAN: *blinks* wwhat wwould i evven say JADE: maybe just JADE: ... tell them youre not giving up JADE: and if you dont want to talk to anyone right now you can tell them to talk to me first ERIDAN: okay i think i can handle that JADE: -she nods herself, encouragingly- JADE: we can straighten all this out ERIDAN: *reaches for the intercom* i hope youre right JADE: -after his announcement is done, she's smiling a little- there we go JADE: i think thats ok for now ERIDAN: that wwasnt as hard as i thought itd be JADE: -she nods again, idly, her arms still seemingly stuck around him, and she's starting to realize that she's definitely still in his lap. she's not sure whether to be embarrassed about that now, but the thought at least does have her standing up slowly, arms reluctantly pulling away from him. she's realizing how comforting that was for her, now.- JADE: do you want to stay in here for a while ERIDAN: i dont knoww i think i oughta leavve just in case anyone else comes through JADE: whens the last time you slept? ERIDAN: a couple days ago JADE: -FROWNING- JADE: why dont you get some rest now JADE: come on ERIDAN: *SWEATS* yeah okay i can do that ERIDAN: theres no point in fightin noww JADE: -she's reaching for his arm just to make sure he gets up, that he's steady, and she can't help relating. she hasn't been sleeping well, either; even with others watching Dove for her, the worry and her condition don't make sleep so easy. but maybe that's why the thought of having him there is oddly comforting to her, too.- ERIDAN: *with her help, he's able to get up and on his feet, and then begins walking with her, planning on making a pit stop at his room to feed the cats and grab his cot. Despite not wanting to sleep at all lately, he was kinda looking forward to actually resting this time, knowing he wouldn't be alone with her there* JADE: -she's happy enough to make the quick detour to his room, mostly waiting outside to respect his privacy and make certain no one else is wandering by to bug them, but once he's ready, she guides him down the stairs to the common area and, inevitably, her room. Unsurprisingly, there's an assortment of hers and Dave's things; Dove isn't there right now, of course, but right now, it's for the better. There's thankfully quite a bit of space in the floor, since Jade tends to keep things neat, though she may have been leaving her clothes lying around a little more than usual, so she kicks them out of the way.- JADE: you can set up wherever you want JADE: -not that there are a lot of options, but you know- ERIDAN: *he decides to set it up RIGHT SMACK INT HE MIDDLE OF THE FLOOR* ill put it here then JADE: -eridan pls- hehehe JADE: that works ERIDAN: *decaptchas a bunch of blankets too. A WHOLE PILE* *glances around the room* wwheres your grub JADE: shes with her grandpa JADE: -idly helps him arrange blankets a little- ERIDAN: wwait grandpa i thought that wwas a name ERIDAN: is it a human position too JADE: yeah! JADE: hahaha JADE: did you think my grandpas name was grandpa....? ERIDAN: *SWEATS* yeah i mean thats wwhat evveryone seems to call him JADE: -okay, it's not nice, but she can't help cracking up- JADE: i guess that makes sense JADE: his name is jamison though! JADE: -man... imagining eridan calling her grandpa grandpa....- ERIDAN: oh right i forgot all about that er i mean ERIDAN: i kneww that i wwas just seein if YOU kneww ERIDAN: this wwhole thing wwas just a ruse JADE: pffffff JADE: youre lying ERIDAN: wwell ANYWWAY ERIDAN: you got any good snacks JADE: um JADE: ... JADE: -she has to think about it for a second. Dave probably left some doritos laying around somewhere, but she doesn't feel right offering those. instead, she searches her desk, pulling out some packages of fruit snacks.- how about these? ERIDAN: what the fuck are those *walks over and EYES the package* are those tiny fruits JADE: no theyre little gummies! JADE: made with fruit juice ERIDAN: oh ERIDAN: that sounds cheap as fuck but itll do JADE: -ROLLS EYES but offers them over- theyre good! ERIDAN: *takes the package and starts ripping them open* if you say- *OOPS. He just ripped too hard, and now gummies are flying all over the place* SHIT JADE: -OH SHIT. she's trying to catch some but, expectedly, it fails. RIP gummies.- omg JADE: well JADE: uh JADE: are there any still left in there? ERIDAN: ... *looks in the package* theres three in here JADE: ... JADE: oh well JADE: -hands him another package- ERIDAN: your rooms so fuckin clean though im sure the other ones are fine *eyes the ones on the floor as he accepts the second package* JADE: .... JADE: i... guess so JADE: -man, she doesn't even care if he wants to eat floor gummies- JADE: -JUST LIVE YOUR LIFE, ERIDAN- ERIDAN: *DO YOU REALLY, JADE?* *opens the package more carefully this time before popping a couple in his mouth and reaching down to pick some of the ones off the floor* JADE: -she's just gonna shake her head a little, smiling, before she moves for her closet- ERIDAN: *GOT ANY SKELETONS IN YOUR CLOSET, JADE??* *he decides to take a seat on his cot as he enjoys these gummies* ... okay i suppose they really are pretty good JADE: -only the incredibly fake halloween decorations she made with aradia!!! like the skeleton squiddles...- JADE: hehe i told you JADE: -she's actually changing behind her closet door now... this situation suddenly feels very familiar- ERIDAN: *he's so busy with his gummies he is NONE THE WISER* you humans sure havve a lot a swweets although i suppose fruits that wwerent swweet wwould be dowwnright wwrong JADE: ... did you know tomatos are a fruit? JADE: -peeks around the door just to :o at him- ERIDAN: tomatos arent fruit *scrunches his nose* JADE: they are though! JADE: i used to grow a lot of fruits and vegetables back home JADE: like the trees we have but a whole garden ERIDAN: but youre wwrong howw can a tomato possibly be a fuckin fruit JADE: because of how its classified! theyre the same part of the plant JADE: fruits are the seedy structures of flowering plants JADE: vegetables are made of all the other parts of a plant JADE: -finally emerges, changed into pjs- ERIDAN: *squints her way* are you sure thats wwhat makes a goddamned fruit JADE: yes im sure! JADE: -plops down on his cot to steal a gummy from him- ERIDAN: *THEIFF* i dont think i believve you especially noww that youre stealin the fruit in my vvery hand JADE: hey who grows plants around here? :p ERIDAN: wwell ERIDAN: you do JADE: thats right ERIDAN: fine next thing youre gunna try tellin me is that shit like carrots an potatos are fruit too JADE: no theyre the roots! so they count as vegetables JADE: but cucumbers are fruits ERIDAN: *STARES HARD AT HER* JADE: :) ERIDAN: i cant evven believve the lies youre inflictin on my eats right noww JADE: hahahaha!! im serious its true!! JADE: you can grooble it ERIDAN: maybe i WWILL ERIDAN: *pulls out his communicator and starts entering in cucumbers* ERIDAN: *FROWNS* JADE: :) :) :) ERIDAN: there is NO FUCKIN WWAY this is REAL it says fuckin GRAIN IS TOO ERIDAN: bread is NOT a FRUIT BYPRODUCT ERIDAN: i REFUSE to believve this JADE: hehehehe im sorry eridan JADE: but thats the truth! ERIDAN: *SIIGHS LOUDLY* im disappointed wwith the goddamned univverse JADE: im sorry :p JADE: -not sorry- ERIDAN: *HUFFS and adjusts his legs so they're up on the cot too* youre gunna make me regret comin in here i just knoww it JADE: pfff!! JADE: youre gonna love it JADE: -until she starts talking in her sleep.... just wait...- ERIDAN: *if she says anything crazy enough he may have to write it down* as if *starts getting settled down, laying down as best he can with her sitting with him on the cot* JADE: hehe -okay, she's ollying off his cot and turning off the light before crawling into her own bed- get some good sleep eridan ERIDAN: *gets under them covers* yeah uh ERIDAN: you too ERIDAN: thanks again ERIDAN: youi knoww for lettin me stay in here JADE: yeah JADE: of course JADE: goodnight ERIDAN: goodmornin JADE: -NERD!!!! she doesn't comment on that, though, and instead attempts to get some sleep. it's a little tough, but... it does help having someone else there, if only knowing.- ERIDAN: *he helps him too, as he's almost immediately asleep after that, soon snoring away, all bundled up and cozy in his cot*