Chapter Text
Your name is Kankri Vantas and you're not sure what's happening. You are, however, sure you're going to find out.
It's much too late to ask for advice. At this hour, everyone will be in their recuperacoons, and the last thing you want to do is deprive someone of their well-deserved sleep.
all of you deserve sleep, after winning the game.
Now here you are, in your chair near your window, reading,
wishing you could talk to Porrim, even though her lusus-like qualities can make her a little overbearing
though you're not going to try to bother anyone.
Lord knows
#TW #m9n9theism #deism #Christianity #religi9us undert9nes #taking names in vain
the last thing you need is Porrim babying you. Much too late in the night to be trying to fend her off.
With a sigh, you close Fahrenheit 451, and set it down on the nearby table. Your eyes are starting to water from all the reading you've been doing. Blinking hard, you look over to the window.
Your jaw proceeds to go slack when you register what it is you're seeing.
You watch as a figure stumbles past your window, a hand trailing on the glass. You go to step back, decaptchalogue your scythes, do something to protect yourself. Well, at least, that was the plan, until the figure suddenly slips down out of sight.
Curiosity drives you to the window to unlatch the heavy glass pane and slide it open. With a grunt, you carefully push it open and peek your head out, eyes searching the road for signs of life. You lean out and yell out to the figure, though you can’t see them.
“Hell9? Are y9u alright?”
The figure suddenly pops back into sight, but starts running. Well then.
There’s a deafening silence. You stop, look around, a hand above your eyes to guard against the light.
this environment is not safe. your neighbors aren’t safe. this isn’t safe.
You swing one leg over and maneuver yourself out of the room, landing with a muted thump.
Crouching, you look around. Is someone….crying? Is that it? You squint and try to determine if that was indeed what you heard. The crying gets louder, more desperate.
You follow it, hugging the wall. Something about this entire situation strikes you as odd. Thinking back to that hand, eyes sliding closed, you picture it again. Purple tint. Long nails on slim fingers. Your brow furrows.
It couldn’t have been Cronus. You’d seen him go home, walking from the beta troll’s neighborhood, tired, back hunched, hands buried in his pockets, fins drooped.
Not that you’d noticed.
You remember his gill had looked almost like it had been sewed up. You do remember that you were going to ask, but Porrim had pulled you away, and you had forgotten.
So, if it wasn’t Cronus…
You grimace. Those poor souls,
#TW #souls #buddhism undertones
having to live their lives taught that violence made one strong. You’d heard a little about what they had to do. It made you sick. Cronus had told you
in a very vague way
about what the younger Ampora had done, but now, now that you know the poor boy is obviously hurt,
or at least hurting
you think it was a little worse than ‘some bad things, chief, but he...apologized. he got better. he is better. he’s a good kid, aight? lay off.’
Whoever it is, if it is indeed Eridan, stops in front of a very familiar hive.
#TW #6ragging #assumpti9ns #specifically a69ut #pale quadrants #quadrants #t9tally knew it th9ugh #it was s9 96vi9us #every9ne knew
You knew it. You totally knew it. You knew those two were pale, or at least approaching something pale. You knew it.
You watch from a few yards away, still leaning against the wall as he knocks desperately. something in your chest burns, hot and angry, when he slides down the wall defeated.
You’re not sure what to call the surge of feelings you get when Cronus
FINALLY
opens the door and pulls Eridan inside.
In fact, you spend a little while trying to put a name to it, long enough that the weak sun dips under and the world goes darker, just dark enough that you can see without too much trouble, but not so dark that you’re reaching for your scythes.
You huff and pull your arms to your chest. That’s enough thinking. You’re cold. And concerned.
Really cold. Really concerned. Really concerned.
Concerned
and cold
enough that you consider knocking on the hive’s tall door.
Mostly, you’re concerned about Eridan
ridiculously so
and his state of mind. A panic attack like that could kill.
With that lovely, warm thought in mind, you do drag yourself to the door and knock.
A few times.
For a moment, no one opens. You wonder if this was a good idea.
“‘s open.” A rough, tired voice calls, and you glance at the doorknob. Slowly, you open the door.
You sigh quietly
in relief
as your eyes readjust, now able to see the two Amporas on the couch.
“I just-” You suddenly feel really stupid. Obviously he’s fine. He has his dancestor. You don’t need to be here.
This was a bad idea.
“I just wanted t9 make sure Eridan was 9kay. That’s all.” You finally say after a long while, glancing at your shoes before looking back up at the older Aquarius, rocking back and forth on your heels.
“he’s fine.” Cronus replies, and you don’t miss the way his shoulders tense and the arm tightens around Eridan.
You’ve overstepped your bounds and offended him. Again.
“I’m s9rry, I wasn’t trying t9 imply-”
He raises an eyebrow, and you trail off.
“ya wveren’t?” He says sharply, and you wince.
“I-”
You don’t even finish the first word when Eridan shifts, groaning softly. Cronus shoots you a look before shooshing and papping Eridan. The boy yawns and snuggles back up to the eldest’s chest, and you have to fight to hide your blush.
this isn’t, you shouldn’t, you should leave
no of course you don’t have pale feelings for Cronus
don’t be ridiculous.
…maybe a few feelings
it’s just a little tiny crush that’s all
He glances at you, and you swallow.
“chief. siddowvn.” He motions to the couch, pulling himself up so he’s upright, shifting his moirail
his moirail, he has a moirail, you are so out of line
to lie with his back to Cronus’ chest.
You swallow and slowly
ever so slowly
position yourself onto the couch.
The room is quiet, and you focus on the sound of the two sea-trolls’ breathing, one steady and even, the other ragged, pausing every so often as if to speak, before exhaling again.
You look at him. He looks at you.
“so.”
“This is a 6it awkward.”
“just a bit.”
You glance at the younger violet. “He seems 9kay.”
“mhmm.” You don’t miss the way he almost smiles before stopping, looking at you again. You’re not sure what the look in his eyes mean.
“S9mething wr9ng?”
He makes a vague gesture.
You roll your eyes.
Just like that, the spell is broken when you both notice Eridan flinch and whine.
is he waking up-
His eyes stay closed, so that shuts down that thought rather quickly. Cronus keeps one arm crossed over the young sea-troll’s chest, moving the other to brace himself on the couch to keep the two steady. Eridan whines again, and your eyes widen in alarm as he starts keening, saying things you don’t understand, occasionally in Alternian, other words in a language you assume is seadweller, marked by its musical, flowing sounds.
If the situation wasn’t...well, what it is, you’d probably ask them to teach you whatever that language is. It’s rather pretty.
Even when it’s being used during a panic attack.
Focus Kankri. Priorities.
Cronus is trilling in concern when you do snap out of your thoughts, shooting you desperate looks as the smaller troll turns so his face is concealed in Cronus’ neck, still crying out in fear.
“What-”
“i don’t knowv, i don’t knowv!” Cronus hisses, cutting you off hurriedly, trying to calm the other Aquarius down.
He’s failing, and it scares you.
You watch in numb shock as the violet starts to bawl and wail harder, louder. Eridan is panicking, Cronus is panicking, you’re panicking, so you do what Porrim does when you’re panicking.
You lean forward, carefully pull the panicking fishtroll to you so he’s still facing the elder violet, wrap your arms around his chest, and start to whisper into his ear, gentle things you hope will calm him down.
#TW #presumption #assumptions #thinking one knows what to do in situations #can get one in a lot of trouble
“Shh, shh, y9u’re 9kay, everything is 9kay, 6reathe, deep 6reaths, shh…” At first, he fights against you in fright, but you hold him steady, shooshing and mumbling, rubbing his chest in slow circles. Eventually, he goes limp and just leans back, sobbing quietly. You can hear him better now, and what you hear sends chills down your spine.
“im sorry, im sorry, please, no, please dont, oh god, oh god…”
Then incomprehensible words, and more whimpering.
Cronus gives you an incredulous look before bending forward and putting his hands on the other’s shoulders gently. You swallow and hold Eridan tighter, watching Cronus and still muttering reassuring things into the boy’s fins.
“eri.”
Whining.
“chief.”
Sobbing.
“eridan.”
Flinch, lean away.
“eri. look at me.”
“nooo…”
“eri.”
Eridan opens one eye and moans.
The older Aquarius chirrs soothingly and moves his hands up so they’re cupping the beta troll’s face, lightly, sluggishly
he’s probably just as tired as Eridan, Amporas aren’t very lucky are they
what is it about them that has you waxing pale?
He tilts forward so his forehead touches the youngest of you three.
“eri. chief. you’re okay.”
Whimper.
“shhh.”
You bend forward too, tilting your chin so the younger’s head is below yours. Carefully, cautiously, you lean down and press a slow, chaste kiss to the base of his right horn. He shivers and groans. Taking a deep breath, you lean over and kiss his right fin, speaking softly into his temple.
“It’s 9kay. We’ve g9t y9u.”
The elder seatroll trills in agreement and murmurs something quietly.
Eridan’s sobs quiet until his strength is completely sapped and he relaxes against you, eyes sliding closed in exhaustion. Cronus shoots you a grateful look, and you chirp at him.
It’s just now you realize where you are, what you’re doing. You let go of the youngest
now calm, thank everything
Ampora, leaning back in horror and shame.
“I am s9 s9rry, that was c9mpletely 9ut 9f line, I’m s9rry, I sh9uld leave, 9h g9ds…”
Cronus shooshes you, eyes gentle and drained.
he looks like he’s about to drop, and you can’t help but want to
no stop. stop that.
“N9, n9, y9u d9n’t understand, this is wr9ng, s9 wr9ng, y9u have a m9irail-”
“so?”
You stare. He falters, swallows, and regains his composure.
“wvhy can’t wve all be moirails?”
You gawk at him. You suppose the look on your face must have given away your confusion, because he immediately
“i mean, it’s a part a human culture. to havwe, um, more than one moirail. i mean. um. it’s okay.” He coughs, awkwardly. You’re about to speak when he starts spluttering hastily, desperate to finish.
"i mean, youre..."
You raise an eyebrow.
"youre...good for him. ya seem like ya knowv wvhat ya doin."
You glance at Eridan. He's turned around so he's sitting properly against the back rest, eyes down, hands on his knees and shoulders tense. His breathing is slow, almost like he's trying to appear invisible, like he wants to listen to the conversation-
oh.
Your fingers twitch.
You want to reach over and rub his back, make him feel better
Cronus blinks and you glance at him, concerned all over again. He looks worn-out. Eridan turns to him, raising a hand to Cronus' and lacing their fingers together, thumb running over the older Ampora's, lethargically. Eridan turns to you now, an unreadable look on his face
but his eyes are sparkling and hopeful
"im okay wwith it, if ya wwere wwonderin." Cronus stifles a yawn and rubs his eyes, moving his hand to rest on his neck.
You swallow again, and raise a nervous
slightly shaking
hand. Eridan's other hand rises to meet yours, letting you entwine your red-tinted, thin, warm fingers through his callused, elegant ones.
Your trance is broken by Cronus yawning and stretching, purring quietly.
You and Eridan smile at each other before laughing quietly. Cronus chirps indignantly
but you can see the hint of a smirk on his face.
You reach forward at the same time he does, knitting together your hand with his.
He winces suddenly, and you notice his gills
especially the ragged one
are spread out, one sewn up. He hisses quietly as Eridan lets go of his hand to rest on his shoulder, chirring in concern.
"it's nothin'. 'm fine."
Eridan frowns. "ya dont seem fine."
"wvell i am." Cronus tries to retort, but his voice breaks as he suddenly bends over and whines, a low and pained sound.
"ya seem marvvelous, i can see." Even through his alarm, Eridan tries to keep his voice light
but he's frantic, eyes widening and fins fluttering wildly
Cronus just moans in response, his grip tightening on your hand. You squeeze back.
Eridan has apparently decided he’s had enough, because he lets go of your hand
and you find yourself aching to have that icy cold palm resting against yours again
to pull Cronus down. Cronus squeaks but doesn’t fight as Eridan leans him back, grabbing his shoulder and turning so he’s lying on his back, his head on your lap.
You’re going to protest when Cronus sighs and lets his eyelids flutter shut. It’s getting darker, you notice, watching the window awkwardly. The sun has almost completely set by this point
wow you’ve been here quite some time
Soon it’s dark, and you think to yourself in morbid amusement that you’ve been awake much longer than you should have been, for a whole day and night.
Well. Nothing you can do about it now.
You blink and realize you have your hand in Cronus’ hair, rubbing the base of his horns. He’s become a purring mess, arching his head back into your hand. Eridan reaches forward and brushes a lock of hair off your forehead, gently. As you eye him, he drops his hand to Cronus’ forehead, twining a lock of jet black hair around his fingers and twirling it.
wait, how are you seeing that, shouldn’t it be dark
are they...glowing?
You swear the Ampora’s freckles and fins are glowing an ethereal, bright violet glow that sends strange shadows dancing across their faces.
“ya should close ya mouth, somethin might fly in.” Eridan drawls, and you do just that. Cronus giggles sleepily, reaching up out of nowhere.
You grab the offending hand and say nothing as he pulls it down to his face, purring deeper into your palm.
Dimly, you notice Eridan lean to the side and let his head droop onto your shoulder.
Both the seadwellers are cold on your skin.
A good cold, you decide.
A good cold.