[Locked]

[caligulas_aquarium]

Date & Time: Forward-dated to July 26th, sometime in the middle of the night.
Location: One of the many streets of the city, somewhere, sometime.
Characters: Eridan & Bariyan.
Summary: A Seadweller and a Zombie walk into...each other. Naturally this will go super well and they aren't gonna fight or anything spoiler alert no they are
Warnings: Violence. Swearing. The usual.

If there was one thing he'd never adapt to, it was remaining active during the day. The night was comfortable, familiar, yet the days were hot and the light unyielding. Granted, the sudden rainfall was a respite from the usual unfavorable weather conditions, but no matter how bleak it was, it was still something he wanted no part of. It couldn't compare to a total lack of light.

Despite this however, it wasn't like he actually did anything during the night. Much of the city's populace was absent, so it was mostly a period he spent alone with his thoughts, exploring the streets and giving passing glances towards the scenery. He didn't pay enough attention to remember, but...it was something. It was a distraction from interacting with everyone back in the hold that he enjoyed nonetheless.

Perhaps surprisingly, even he got tired of all the arguing sometimes.

Comments

[caligulas_aquarium]

He's taken aback by the fact the guy's still alive, but he's not not about to let someone walking around with a fatal hole in their torso freak him out this time around, oh no. Especially since they're fleeing from the looks of things.

So he takes yet another shot but aims for one of Bariyan's legs this time below the knee, hoping to slow him down or stop him entirely.

[stonefaith]

Bariyan makes an incredibly undignified jump in order to avoid getting hit by the second blast. It causes him to nearly crash into a lamppost but it does get him out of the way with both legs still intact, at least. Good. He still needs both of them.

He takes the brief pause in order to dodge around a corner and down an alley, vanishing into the shadows. Hoping that Eridan'll follow.

[caligulas_aquarium]

Naturally, he follows; picking up off of the ground and levitating Eridan follows the same path he'd seen Bariyan run off to, going straight into the alleyway. He'd do so even if he thought of his opponent as dangerous, but he's been lulled into a false sense of security by Bariyan's unwillingness to fight back.

"...so you're a cowward on top of bein' wweak? Figures. Fuckin'. Figures."

Said to no direction in particular.

[stonefaith]

As soon as Eridan's done talking and around the corner, Bariyan's suddenly in front of him -- having come to a halt as soon as he'd vanished from Eridan's line of sight, choosing to wait in ambush instead.

Unfortunately for Bariyan, he hadn't expected Eridan to round the corner floating a couple feet off the ground.

He slams his palms forwards anyway, though his aim -- originally meant for Eridan's face -- is off. Doesn't matter. All he needs is a handhold. Preferably before Eridan blasts his arms off.

[caligulas_aquarium]

Interrupted by something suddenly taking a hold of him, he lurches back out of reflex, though not enough to get out of it or anything. Once he sees it's Bariyan Eridan holds his arm up and points the wand towards one of Bariyan's shoulders, scowling.

"Let go a' me!"

Hasn't taken a shot yet, but he will soon. MAKE YOUR MOVE UNDEEEEEEAD.

[stonefaith]

He makes it. There's no visual cues, just a sudden quiet and a tightening of his grip as Bariyan focuses.

He's having trouble channeling his magic straightaway, what with having a giant hole blasted through his torso, but he tires his damndest anyway to put Eridan to sleep. Still, if the boy doesn't want to, really doesn't want to, if he puts up enough of a fight -- it won't do anything. It's a battle of wills, at this point.

Which is worrying. Eridan seems very willful.

[caligulas_aquarium]

Maybe on a better day he'd get through this no problem, maybe even if he was genuinely angry at Bariyan rather than taking his frustration out on him and lacking any real killing intent aside Eridan's preference for stress relief through violence he'd be focused enough to resist.

But he hasn't slept much at all for the past eight months, and the rare times he does it does nothing for him aside cause horrible, horrible nightmares plagued by eldritch monstrosities and disturbing visions, ultimately leading to accomplish nothing but freak him the fuck out. He doesn't actually benefit from it at all.

So the exhaustion from months of sleepless nights gets to him once he feels himself become a little weary, maybe even aiding Bariyan's magic in putting him out. At first he just kind of staggers for a moment before ultimately succumbing to it and passing out, dropping to the floor in a heap.

[stonefaith]

Bariyan lets go as soon as Eridan starts to go slack. That surprises him; he'd been bracing for the worst. So he winds up simply standing and staring as Eridan drops to the floor, not even thinking about whether or not he ought to at least catch the boy. In fact, he stares at Eridan's unconscious form for a full minute before he realizes that he at least ought to do something.

He goes with nudging Eridan with a foot.

"Hey."

Frown.

"You..."

Bariyan looks down, and frowns harder.

"You blew a hole through me...."

No response. Now what?

Well, Bariyan supposes that -- tempted as he is -- he can't simply just leave Eridan in the middle of the street. With some difficulty, he manages to pick Eridan up and sling him over a shoulder.

The trek back to the apartments is long and full of, somewhat surprisingly, shame. Bariyan e Kodhi, thirty-four years old at time of death, came back to life, dragged into a different universe to... get into a fight with a thirteen-year-old boy, apparently. Gods, his own son had been older than that when he'd died.

Bariyan sighs as he pushes the doors open.

He hasn't a clue where Eridan's room is, or any of the other trolls', so he settles for dumping Eridan on the entrance floor. At least that's indoors. Perhaps someone will find him later. That done, Bariyan considers his next move. Leave a note? A message? An apology? Something? What could he even say? No, better to get out of here as fast as he can, before Eridan wakes up.

Bariyan makes for the doors again. He casts one last look back at Eridan, then at the gaping hole that Eridan had blasted through him, and leaves with a scowl on his face.

At least there's one thing learned from all of this. Roslyn had been right. Eridan can certainly fend for himself.