Chapter Text
Oh don't you worry.
Eriso—Eridan is already freaking the fuck out maximum input here.
ERIDAN: wwhat the fuck wwhat the fuck wwhat the fuck wwhat the fuck
The seadweller was pretty much hyperventilating right now, clutching his clothes, shakily feeling himself and feeling wrong for feeling like- well, himself.
ERIDAN: no nonono no thiis cant be happeniin no nononono not noww not after evverthiin
ERIDAN: please please please please no
???: fuck fuck fuck fuck
Eridan doesn't even notices the strange, translucent figure curled in the corner. Too busy feeling himself before a thought occurred in his head and he's rushing out of the room towards his respiteblock.
???: fuck fuck fu— wwaiit! WWAIIT! ED WWAIIT!
The transparent figure follows after the seadweller. Both in varying amounts of distress, though as soon as Eridan arrived at his desk husktop, he's frantic as he opens trollian and clicks on a familiar mustard yellow name. Typing into it quickly just as a transparent troll came barreling into the room.
???: FOR FUCK2 2AKE ED WWAIIT A FUCKIIN MIINUTE DIID YOU NOT HEAR ME?!
ERIDAN:
ERIDAN: sol?
SOLLUX(?): *huff* wwho el2e diip2hiit?
A ping sounded from his husktop as Eridan stared at the see-through troll standing before him. Disheveled but undeniably Sollux Captor. Only see-through, which means he has to be a ghost, a doomed Sollux or whatever but something deep, deep in Eridan's very soul knows that it was his Sollux.
The Sollux that he'd been fused with, thrown into the kernalsprite with, the sol part of fucking Erisolsprite.
ERIDAN: sol
SOLLUX: yeah
ERIDAN: sol
SOLLUX: yeah
ERIDAN: ii dont
ERIDAN: ii dont knoww wwhats goiin on— ii dont—
He tries to reach out, and on instinct Sollux does as well.
Their hands pass through each other and Eridan keens. Sollux grimaces, a pained look on his face.
ERIDAN: wwhat iis happeniin
SOLLUX: ii dont knoww
ERIDAN: wwhy am ii aliivve? wwhy are you a bloody fuckiin ghost?!
SOLLUX: ii dont fucking knoww ed
SOLLUX: all ii knoww ii2 that wwe wwere meetiing up wwiith arquiiu2 and
SOLLUX: 2hiit
ERIDAN: nothiin afterwwards
ERIDAN:
ERIDAN: wwere not eriisol anymore
SOLLUX: no wwere not
ERIDAN: no
ERIDAN: NO!!!
ERIDAN: wwe wwere FIINALLY GETIIN 2OMEWWHERE WIITH OUR LIIFE! ACTUALLY BEIIN HAPPY AND 2HIIT THEY CANT DO THII2 TO U2!!!!
Eridan screams, enraged, slamming his fists on the desk with enough force that the wood cracked and splintered apart. His computer taking some damage but miraculously still working, it was still pinging at least. Despite how similarly angry he was as well, Sollux couldn't help but look at the broken screen, seeing trollian open before him.
SOLLUX: ah 2hiit
-- caligulasAquarium [CA] began trolling twinArmageddons [TA] --
CA: fuck sol
CA: sol
CA: please tell me youre okay
CA: sol please
-- twinArmageddons [TA] is offline! --
CA: please
-- twinArmageddons [TA] is online! --
TA: what the fuck do you want
TA: what the fuck ii2 thii2??
TA: hey
TA: douchebag
TA: a22hole
SOLLUX: uh ed??
SOLLUX: we miight havve a problem
Eridan glared at the screen, feeling an odd sense of betrayal and hurt from seeing the color of mustard yellow on trollian. It was clear that Sollux didn't remember, at least the Sollux that was on the other side of Trollian. It meant that the weird, ghost Sollux really was his Sollux. The Sollux he had been fused with. This Sollux had a body, yet knew nothing of the strife that he and his Sollux was experiencing. It just didn't seem fair to him, to Sollux. It just wasn't fair.
ERIDAN: fuck
ERIDAN: ii dont wwant to talk to hiim
SOLLUX: youre the one wwho trolled hiim!
ERIDAN: because ii thought he wwas you! and clearly hes not so ii dont wwant to talk to hiim!!
SOLLUX: you cant leavve hiim hangiing liike that, he2 already 2u2piiciiou2 a2 iit ii2
ERIDAN: WWELL HE CAN JU2T DEAL WWIITH IIT AND FUCK OFF!!
Something sparked within Eridan as he screamed again in rage, in a literal sense.
Red and blue crackled around his horns and both trolls jumped back when the husktop abruptly exploded. It was a small explosion thankfully, only scorching the desk but computer was just fucking destroyed. Just a smoldering mess of sparking and scorched metal on his already broken desk.
They gaped at the destruction.
SOLLUX: ...
ERIDAN: ...
ERIDAN: diid ii do that or diid you?
SOLLUX: holy 2hiit ii thiink you diid that ed
ERIDAN:
ERIDAN: fuck
-- caligulusAquarius [CA] is idle! --
TA: oii a22hole!!!
TA: eridan fuckiing an2wer me dammiit!!
Sollux scowled at his monitor, fingers tapping on his desk impatiently for a reply. Honestly, he shouldn't even be replying to that shithead but with the messages he left, he couldn't not ask what the fuck was happening. He scrolled back up to see the messages, the initial disgust he had at seeing the horrid violet color was receding into curiosity at why the fuck Eridan of all people would be sending messages of what seemed to be... genuine concern? Like seriously, what the fuck?
SOLLUX: weiird a22 fuckiing—
Trollian pinged, letting him know there was a new message and he instantly scrolled down to check it. Only to straighten and stare at it bewilderingly.
SOLLUX: what the fuck??
-- caligulusAquarius [CA]'s computer has blown up! --
-- caligulusAquarius [CA] is now offline!] --
Now, it'd be a cold day in hell for Sollux to actually admit aloud that he was worried over someone like the snob, fishface Eridan Ampora but even he had to admit that seeing the abrupt notification of his computer blowing up was concerning. It wasn't everyday that that happened and Sollux hadn't even shared a virus to make it blow up himself! So, something else must have happened? But what?
Was he okay? No wait, Eridan was a fucking violetblood. For as snobby and assholey those shits were, Eridan especially, they were tough motherfuckers so of course Eridan would be okay. He wouldn't let himself just die to some random explosion.
... Right?
-- twinArmageddons [TA] began trolling cuttlefishCuller [CC] --
TA: hey ff
TA: thii2 ii2 gonna 2ound very weiird comiing from me and out of fuckiing character but
TA: got any iidea on what ii2 up wiith eriidan?
TA: ii dont really care but the a22hole trolled me then fucked off wiithout telliing me why he trolled me iin the fir2t fuckiing place
CC: 38D S)(OALLUX! )(I!!!
CC: O)(? 380
CC: T)(at is rat)(er strange! But nope!
CC: I don't know w)(at -Eridan's been up to lately!
CC: I )(aven't even talked to )(im at all today eit)(er 38/
CC: W)(at did )(e send you anyway? Was )(e being mean again 38//
TA: he2 an a22hole ff, that2 par for the fuckiing cour2e
TA: but actually no
TA: he wa2 2trangely concerned or 2omethiing, not typiical douchebaggery behaviior that iim 2tartiing two thiink wa2nt hiim at all
CC: 38? Water you mean?
TA: iit2 nothiing ff but look, the fucker2 computer blew up 2o i dont know what2 goiing on wiith him
TA: 2o ii thought iid go to you for liike 2ome iinfo or 2omethiing
CC: W)(AT?!?!
CC: --ERIDAN'S COMPUTER BLEW UP?!?!
TA: yeah trolliian 2aiid 2o and you know how accurate iit ii2 to that 2hiit
CC: OH MY GOS)(!!!! I )(AVE TO C)(ECK UP ON )(IM!!! I )(OPE )(E'S OKAY
CC: )(OLD ON
Sollux scratched his cheek. Okay, maybe he should've lead with the fact that Eridan's computer blew up first before asking her shit. While he wasn't that worried about the seadweller, Feferi was Eridan's moirail and had the right to be concerned and worried. Though, Feferi was frankly too good for Eridan. Hemospectrum be damned. He shrugged and typed.
TA: he2 a 2eadweller, he can tank a computer explo2iion
TA: he2 probably fiine ff, dont worry 2o much
-- cuttlefishCuller [CC] is idle! --
Feferi doesn't reply for a few minutes, probably preoccupied with Eridan's situation. He checks trollian and yup, Eridan was back online again. The seadweller's computer may have blown up but the guy still had his palmhusk, not to mention the asshole could just order a new computer because of his undeserved fucking funds. Rich douchebag.
SOLLUX: yeah 2ee? he2 fiine, back onliine and back two beiing a douche
SOLLUX: ...
SOLLUX: 2tiill, what even the fuck wa2 that?
What was with the messages in the first place? Not to mention the cause for the explosion. Maybe Eridan downloaded some virus from somewhere else? Amusing but not really likely, for as much as a douche Eridan was, he was smart enough not to download anything suspicious from online. Unless it was something that was sent by one of their friends and Sollux, who would trick him into downloading viruses for the hell of it.
The thought of Eridan downloading a virus from someone else who wasn't him seemed less and less amusing and more annoying.
He doesn't pay attention to that thought any more as trollian pinged him. Feferi had come back.
-- cuttlefishCuller [CC] is no longer idle! --
CC: -Eridan is A-OCRAY! 38D
CC: )(e said )(e'd been mis)(andling some explosive in )(is block and accidentally triggered it on )(is desk!
CC: )(e's fine t)(oug)(! Not )(urt at all 38))
TA: 2ee, told ya 2o
TA: what about the weiird me22age2?
CC: )(old on...
CC: )(e doesn't remember sending any to ya S)(aollux. 38/
TA: i call hoofbea2t2hiit
TA: then who diid then?
TA: iif ii trace the me22age2 iip iim pretty 2ure theyll end up back to hiim
Sollux scowled at the screen but another ping got his attention.
Ah, it was the caped douchebag himself!
-- caligulasAquarius [CA] began trolling twinArmageddons [TA] --
CA: ii dont remember sendin shiit to you
TA: really now
TA: 2o iif ii retraced the me22age2 diigiital priint iit wont end up at your iip addre22
TA: aka iit wont be from you?
CA: beliieve me or not ii diidnt send shiit to you
CA: trace iit ii dont care but iit wwasnt me wwho send that
TA: uh huh
TA: al2o
TA: why the fuck are you doubliing your 'ii'2 a22hole that2 MY 2htiick
TA: liiterally my fuckiing quiirk!
CA: fuck off, iim doubliin wwhatevver the fuck ii wwant peasantblood
CA: iif ii wwant to double my iis then fuckiing DEAL WWIITH IIT
Sollux seethed, oh now he was gonna get it. He was going to trace the fucking messages and rag on that son of a bi-
SOLLUX: ...
SOLLUX: what the fuck?
SOLLUX: what the fuck?
How was this possible? How in the fuck did this happen?
Eridan leaned back, smiling toothily at the screen before him. A mustard yellow husktop was open on the table in front of him while Sollux snickered into his ear from where he floated. While he was back into his full, six sweeps old body unscathed and mostly untouched by SGRUB, tidbits of Sollux as well as Sollux's sylladex from SGRUB had seemed to come back with him. Thus where the yellow husktop came from. Not to mention the new element to his typing quirk. Something he could barely hold back, so he figured, he wouldn't.
SOLLUX: that 2hould 2end hiim iinto spiiral for a bit
SOLLUX: iim a biit hurt though ed, pea2antblood? you wwound me
ERIDAN: ii knoww ii knoww hemospectrum is bullshit our blood was liiterally fucking briight green liime at one poiint but
ERIDAN: gotta stay SOMEWWHAT iin character
ERIDAN: you an ii both knoww wwhat they expect and knoww of me riight noww sol
ERIDAN: iits bad enough ii piicked up part of your quiirk liike thiis
ERIDAN: better not let them see anythiin else untiil the game starts
ERIDAN: also knowwiin thiis nerdy shiit iin my head noww hurts
ERIDAN: howw the fuck can you deal wwiith iit?
SOLLUX: you dont have ALL of it dumba22, you forgot a few liine2 of code and ii had to remiind you two put iit iin
SOLLUX: al2o, pretty hypocriitiical for calliing me a nerd
SOLLUX: ii havve 2o much u2ele22 hii2toriical and weapon knowledge iin my head noww
SOLLUX: wwell the wweapon2 are cool but the hii2tory? no thank2!
ERIDAN: howw dare you
They shared a short laugh, feeling more at ease and far better than the panic and worry from earlier. It's not perfect and they were clearly stalling a lot of things but, this was nice while it lasted. But all good things come to an end eventually, they knew that but hopefully, they'd be somewhat ready.
For as frustrating and confusing that day was, Sollux had stubbornly put it behind him for the moment. Deciding it was too much effort to deal with the troubling situation and decided to focus on something else.
Miraculously, he doesn't hear from Eridan for almost a solid week. It's fucking suspicious but he's been enjoying his days cape douchebag-free and just doing his own shit.
It all come down to almost two solid weeks when shit hit the breeze blender.
-- carcinoGeneticist [CG] began trolling twinArmageddons [TA] --
CG: SOLLUX.
CG: HOLY SHIT.
CG: YOU WOULD NOT ***BELIEVE*** THE INFORMATION I JUST FOUND OUT RIGHT NOW.
-- twinArmageddons [TA] is idle! --
CG: ASSHOLE I KNOW YOU'RE ONLINE NOOKMUNCH!!
CG: YOU KNOW WHAT? NEVER MIND I'M STILL GOING TO SAY IT BECAUSE HOLY FUCK, I CANNOT EXPRESS THE CHRONIC, SHOCKING, DISBELIEF THAT I AM EXPERIENCING RIGHT NOW.
CG: ERIDAN BROKE UP WITH FEFERI.
CG: ***ERIDAN***
-- twinArmageddons [TA] is no longer idle! --
TA: what
CG: I KNOW RIGHT????
TA: are you 2ure you diidnt get iit miixed up?? ff wa2 the one two break up wiith hiim riight
CG: NO!! I DID NOT GET IT FUCKING MIXED UP!
CG: ERIDAN AMPORA ACTUALLY BROKE OFF THEIR MOIRALLEGIANCE!!!! BY HIMSELF!!
CG: HE TOLD ME ABOUT IT! AND BEFORE YOU SAY SHIT, I ALSO TROLLED FEFERI AND YEAH, SHE CONFIRMED IT! ERIDAN WAS THE ONE WHO BROKE IT OFF.
TA: what the actual fuck
TA: why
TA: waiit ii know why
TA: he broke iit up to try and get flu2h wiith ff diidnt he
TA: fuckiing 2hiithead, but ii diidnt thiink hed actually do iit
TA: haha how bad diid ff reject hiim?
CG: THAT'S THE THING SOLLUX; ERIDAN BROKE UP WITH HER AND DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT HIS FLUSHED FEELINGS ABOUT HER!
TA: huh????
CG: FROM WHAT I GOT FROM THE BOTH OF THEM, ERIDAN JUST BROKE UP WITH HER, APOLOGIZED FOR THAT AND SOME OTHER SHIT AND ASKED IF THEY WERE STILL FRIENDS????
CG: NO MENTION OF RED ROMANCE WHATSOEVER!
CG: AND GET THIS?
CG: ERIDAN TOLD ME HE'S NOT INTERESTED IN FEFERI LIKE THAT ANYMORE!!
TA: that ii2 complete hoofbea2t 2hiit
TA: thii2 ii2 eriidan were talkiing about here
TA: he2 been flu2hed for her 2iince we were WIIGGLERS
CG: I KNOW RIGHT?!!
TA: iit2 a ru2e, he ju2t want2 two pretend he2 not iintere2ted two. ii dont know, lower her guard or 2omethiing!
TA: he cannot he over her liike that!
CG: I ACTUALLY AGREE WITH YOU ON THAT!
CG: ERIDAN ISN'T THE TYPE TO JUST GIVE UP LIKE THAT, HE WAS FLUSHED FOR HER EVER SINCE I KNEW HIM!
CG: BUT I DON'T KNOW WHY HE'S DOING THIS AT ALL. HE'S ACTUALLY BEEN KIND OF WEIRD LATELY.
TA: weiird how?
TA: hold on, wa2 he doubliing hiis 'ii'2?
CG: UH YEAH, HE WAS.
CG: GOT ANYTHING TO DO WITH THAT?
TA: fuck no!
TA: a22hole deciided two do that on hii2 own
TA: iit2 fuckiing creepy
CG: HMM
TA: whatever youre thiinkiing, 2hove iit away kk. or el2e
CG: I WASN'T THINKING ABOUT ANYTHING.
TA: 2ure you werent
TA: 2o, how el2e wa2 he weiird?
CG: HE WAS ASKING ABOUT SOME GAME OR SOMETHING.
CG: SGRUB, HE CALLED IT SGRUB.
TA: the fuck i2 that?
CG: I ASKED HIM THAT MYSELF AND HE ASKED ME IF I WAS JOKING- WHICH I CLEARLY WAS FUCKING NOT JOKING. I HAVE NO DAMN IDEA WHAT THE GAME IS.
CG: DO YOU?
TA: no, ii cant even fiind iit on the iinternet
CG: YEAH, SAME! SO LIKE, AFTER THAT HE WAS BEING FUCKING SHIFTY AND SAID "nevvermiind kar dont wworry about iit" LIKE BITCH?? YOU?? ASKED?? ME?? ABOUT IT???
TA: ugh hi2 oriigiinal quiirk wa2 already 2o lame but now iit2 downriight abomiinable seeiing hiim double hi2 ii2 liike that liike me
TA: iim really not 2eeiing anythiing about thii2 '2grub' thiing
CG: MAYBE IT'S A FLARP GAME?
TA: iif iit wa2 thered 2tiill be troll2 talkiing about iit
TA: 2o far ii found nothiing
CG: FUCKING WEIRD.
TA: youre telliing me
Eridan stared at the information laid out before him. He'd written down everything he knew so far of what was happening and above him Sollux was taking deep breaths, trying to keep calm and not freak the fuck out.
• spliit iin wwhole half after mysteriious iinciident (eriisolsprite iis no more)
• sol iis noww a braiin ghost troll (???? (refer to memoriies of human jake engliish talkiin about a 'braiin ghost diirk' sometiimes))
• other sollux iis pre-game sollux?
• so far no one else remembers the game
• detaiiled iinformatiion diifferent somehoww???
• some neww memoriies iin my head but not from sol my owwn memoriies that ii do not remember haviin before
• HAVVE 2OL2 P2IIONIIC POWER2 NOWW MU2T TE2T CAPABIILIITY
• havve some memoriies from sol as wwell as part of hiis typiin quiirk and abilities (i.e. FUCKIING P2IIONIIC2)
• game has been delayed? CHANGED THERE II2 NO GAME WWHAT THE FUCK
• tavvros stiill has hiis legs (i.e. vvriiska diid not throww hiim off a cliiff?)
• aradiia iis stiill aliivve (i.e. no need for revenge from vvriiska bc of tavvros)
• terezii iis not bliind (i.e. diid not blow up vvriiska bc of tavvros)
• broke up wwiith fef bc iit felt wweiird and compliicated beiin moiiraiils wwiith her after evverythiin she doesnt evven knoww dont de2erve her anywway
• NO GAME NO 2GRUB NO 2BURB NOTHIIN EVVERYTHIIN II2 DIIFFERENT
ERIDAN: wwhat the fuck iis happeniin
SOLLUX: ii dont knoww ed
SOLLUX: i dont fuckiing knoww
Eridan groaned, sounding close to a sob. He grabs the piece of paper, holding it tightly before letting it go when blue and red sparks started to dance along his fingers, threatening to burn the paper.
SOLLUX: careful! ii told you p2iioniic2 are fiiniicky 2hiit!
ERIDAN: ii knoww!! ii just ii
ERIDAN: FUCK!!
ERIDAN: I HATE THII2!! JU2T WWHAT II2 GOIING ON HERE?!
SOLLUX: ED!
Sollux snapped as Eridan snarled, clawing at the air with his psionics-covered hands. The trail of blue and red was somewhat beautiful but ultimately deadly. Thankfully, Eridan had somehow not managed to destroy anything this time. Eridan huffed, taking in deep breaths and hugged himself, clutching at his shirt as he glared at the now wrinkled paper.
ERIDAN: ... iim sorry
ERIDAN: ii hate that nothiin iis makiin sense riight now
ERIDAN: ii hate that iim just ME agaiin
ERIDAN: ii hate feeliin liike thiis
ERIDAN: wwe wwere doiin so good they made 2O MUCH progress an wwe wwere gonna be happy as ourselvves as THEM an noww iits GONE!
SOLLUX: ...
ERIDAN: they wwere about to piick a name for themselvves remember?
ERIDAN: wwanted to go by somethiin else asiide from eriisolspriite
ERIDAN: they nevver got to piick theiir name
ERIDAN: wwe nevver got to piick our name
ERIDAN: an noww iim back to beiin douchebag hated eriidan ampora
ERIDAN: an you dont evven havve your owwn body
ERIDAN: THAT iis NOT FAIIR TO YOU!! wwhy do I get my owwn body back but you stay as a ghost or somethiin!?!
ERIDAN: that other sollux iisnt you not completely he doesnt GET IIT
ERIDAN: ii dont evven wwant to talk to hiim any more
ERIDAN: none of our friiends
ERIDAN: hah iif ii can evven call them friiends liike thiis
ERIDAN: they dont get iit
ERIDAN: and noww they nevver wwiill
ERIDAN: sol ii just
ERIDAN: ii hate thiis
SOLLUX: yeah ed me two
SOLLUX: me two
Around this time, a comforting gesture would be made. And Sollux did try, but the best he could do was just, awkwardly try to pat Eridan's shoulder. Unfortunately for them both, Sollux's hand merely phased through him. Again. Sollux was a ghost. Possibly a brain ghost like Jake's supposed 'brain ghost Dirk' was. The only reason they both remembered that was because Jake had been ranting about it to them one time and they had been forced to listen. Plus, it felt somewhat accurate to describe Sollux as such? Since so far as they could tell, only Eridan could see Sollux.
But at the same time, it felt a bit disingenous, untrue. Because 'Brain Ghost' meant that Eridan was making Sollux up. But he wasn't. He wouldn't have Sollux's sylladex and items with him. Wouldn't have his quirk or even his fucking psionics, memories and knowledge as well.
But they couldn't exactly call him anything else so the term would have to stay at least.
Their quiet brooding and silent lamentations were swiftly interrupted by the ping of trollian from Eridan's palmhusk.
ERIDAN: ugh wwho iis iit noww?
ERIDAN: ii swwear iif iits kar agaiin for more gossiip ii
ERIDAN: uh
ERIDAN: sol?
SOLLUX: wwhat?
SOLLUX: oh
SOLLUX: wwoah
-- arsenicCatnip [AC] is trolling caligulusAquarius [CA] --
AC: B33 < *ac cooly pawnters up to the fish man, shades glinting purriously at him before pawing at her shades so they rest on her head*
AC: B:) < sup eridan
AC: B33 < i heard mew wanted to hear about sgrub
AC: B33 < nice to see another sprite here too!!
ERIDAN: ...
SOLLUX: ...