fiddlestick | IC Contact

[ even when cut off, it’s still important, and comforting to hear, perhaps even more than he felt he deserved at the moment. eren pulls himself back a little, his arms slipping away from elliot to their sides to look at him with swollen eyes. the sound isn’t coming from behind elliot, now it’s lower, at. their sides. ]

Sizzling? [ silence again, and he gives it an ear. that’s definitely like, something letting off steam? that’s what it sounds like.

but, actually, there actually is the tiniest strip of steam coming from— the couch? elliot’s pocket? oh god not the galaxy. it’s the closest thing to eren’s hands, and once he pulls them back to his lap to help them look for the source . . . the source is him. ]

[Elliot pulls back at the same time, pulling his phone out of his pocket to check on it. It seems fine, fortunately. So he looks back at Eren confused-

Just in time to see him steaming]

U-Uh- Eren?

[THATS NEW]

Edited 2017-12-19 02:25 (UTC)

[ eren doesn’t seem that confused at first, even if elliot does, because hey this has happened before, because of elliot’s food, he thought. but looking between his hands, the steaming open wounds and the other gives him one of the biggest doubts. ]

That’s . . . Not you?

[ he didn’t eat any magic food and elliot didn’t do anything . . . manually. ]

[This is a very prominent headshake]

N-No.

But, your cooking . . .

[ he ate it on that day and it did this, he thought . . . it couldn’t be him, you know? that’s how he’s been side stepping the mention of self harm until today. he didn’t have the past life for that sort of power. but, dave reminds him of that right that instant: elliot’s magic doesn’t make people steam. even if it was the most logical explanation for eren, that’s why he’s gone with it this whole time.

lo’ and behold, the broken, open skin is closing right back up before their eyes. everything from earlier makes a lot more sense now, but at the same time . . . it also doesn’t. ]

I can actually— that’s the power?

[ HE’S SO CONFUSED ]

I-It doesn't make people steam-

[His eyes widen as he sees Eren's skin healing up. Elliot's seen regeneration numerous times now, thanks to his own power. He knows what it looks like. But this? He knows he didn't cast it, so to see it happening right now is-]

Wh-what?! H-How-?

[HE IS SO CONFUSED TOO]

I don’t know–?!

[ he’s never seen himself heal in his memories, or even have injuries that needed that— well, there was one, but he doesn’t know which point in time it had taken place in. he doesnt remember himself as an amputee, yet. but even then, it’d be impossible to just grow them back. and what’s . . . weirder? ]

I went all day like this . . . [ so why didn’t he start healing up sooner? ] And— this happened a few days ago too, but I thought it was those crackers you made me.

T-That's- It shouldn't work like that. My magic starts working instantly. [Though a thought crosses his mind]

Th-Then again, I can give people regeneration for short periods. Wh-What if this is a side effect from long term exposure?

[DID I GIVE PEOPLE POWERS ACCIDENTALLY? SHOOT]

[ did eren get wizard cooties ]

it’s . . . Temporary, you think? [ honestly, though— it actually makes him feel better, thinking that he got this from elliot rather than coming from him, directly. he doesn’t seem . . . too distressed. in fact. ] Is there anyone else we can keep an eye on?

I d-dunno.

[Meanwhile Elliot definitely has Concerns about this theory. It was true his magic's been getting stronger the past few months. It's been bleeding into his cooking, his singing-- but now this? How much further could this go?]

I could ask my roommates. And maybe a couple people I've healed...

It’s not . . . Bad, though.

[ once the open flesh seems to have closed, it stops steaming, but the rest continues to mend and smooth out. it doesn’t hurt anymore. flexing his fingers, it looks . . . wow. he’s a little hot, but. nice and smooth again. eren begins rolling up one of his sleeves. ]

That’s why this disappeared, too?

[ oh wait that’s his tattoo arm— where’s the tattoo . . . ]

[!!!!!!!!!]

What?! Your tattoo's gone?!

[NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO]

. . . Yeah. [ geez, from the reaction, he really did enjoy it. don’t worry, eren heavily disliked the disappearance as well, that thing was his pride and joy. ]

It started fading out when I got that fever. I went back to the shop and thought it was something wrong with their ink. [ because that could happen, but only if it’s a lot more than shitty, and eren was the only case. he presses a finger into his skin and runs over it, brows creasing. ] If it heals scars, then it can heal this.

[Honey he totally stared and felt it up every time he saw it of course he enjoyed it.

But man, this power is intense. First scars, and now the tattoo? Having something that can heal you up is handy, but losing a tattoo was a bit much. And if Eren did somehow get it from him.......]

...I'm sorry.

[ when ya boy too good for this world, much too good. eren’s eyes narrow off as he looks at his own lap, taking in a deep breath and pinching the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes while he exhales. when he looks back to elliot, he looks— completely rueful. maybe the steaming sidetracked them a bit, but . . . he didn’t forget one bit what they were talking about. ]

You’re not the one who should be saying sorry, Elliot.

[ it’s just— a dumb tattoo. a nice asthetic, but what’s that compared to complete regeneration? if it truly came from eren, it brought on some questionable . . . things. but if it came from elliot, that apology would make him feel worse, now. ]

Look at this, [ he holds his hands out to him, palms up, smooth and clean from any sort of blemish. ] And look at what I did.

[Sorry Eren, it's just still very easy for him to fall onto the guilt train. But Eren reminding him of that much brings him back down a little. He sucks in a little air]

R-Right...Sorry. Got sidetracked...

[He'll ask his roommates later if they noticed anything off about themselves. No need to jump to conclusions and guilt until then. Not when they were dealing with a bigger issue at hand right now.

Which the first step of trying to figure out how to better control this stuff? Is to try to understand it. ]

You said...i-in that memory...you were biting yourself to try to use your power...?

[ he shakes his head, because— it was hard not to get a little sidetracked when you’re steaming. he just . . . didn’t want to be the one to get an apology from all this. it wasn’t deserved or the place for it.

he’s already feeling bad for dumping that information on elliot earlier, and now, since he’s already got it out there, makes an effort to keep the finer details at a minimum. if he didn’t want to know about it, he can imagine other people. his gaze turns a little stoney when he looks for the words to pick. ]

Yeah. But nothing happened. [ . . . ] I’ve had ones where it’s worked though, so I know they’re real.

I believe you.

[That they're real, anyway. Outside dreams of freedom, Eren was far from the whimsical type. He wouldn't think to use powers that weren't there. ]

I...I think next time you try to figure out what the power is, you should have someone with you. It'd be safer that way, especially when you don't know what it is...

And...they can make sure you don't get carried away again.

[ the fact that he isn’t hearing this the first time makes his chest sink a little and gaze look away, almost in shame. eren, why didn’t you listen to your friends the first time? dave and john told him. they even offered themselves. and he just had to go and be stubborn, even if he didn’t have full intention of doing what he did— he still got caught up in a memory, alone, and james only got there when most damage was done. ]

. . . I’ll have to plan this out more than I thought.

[ even the right type of people— he wouldn’t ask for elliot to come alone with him, for example. ]

It’ll be worse if someone gets hurt because they’re there.

That's why you should pick people who would be careful, and know the risks. And I can always go too, I mean, might not be a bad idea to have a healer...

[Yeah, that's not going to fly as a reason to let him do it alone. Not after this.]

And you should do it somewhere secluded. Somewhere where we don't have to worry about people passing by...

[Though that, admittedly, is a challenge in a city the size of this one]

I thought about you. Dave and John, too.

[ and then he’d feel more comfortable than either of them alone. hah— elliot was an asset to a team, and that wasn’t because he was biased! as for a place . . . since people walk around the woods, and that’s the only place secluded enough . . . ]

Recollé Woods, but— deeper. A lot of people go there to practice their things, so . . . It’s the farthest I could think of.

Oh, Dave and John would be good choices! They like you a lot, and they're strong!

[He's not even sure of all of their powers, but it seems like a Lot]

Good thinking. I had a lot of people come upon me when I was practicing magic in there, so deeper than where I was would be better.

[ sometimes eren gets the feeling that what he knows is like, 1%. what is homestuck.

but, this seems like the better plan. dave with time stirring and swordplay, john with the windy thing, and elliot with his magic. there’s worry, inevitable worry, but the trust here seems to grow much taller than that. he could count on those three to keep things under control far more than he could. that was enough of a given with his own failure.

which leads to eren’s reflecting silence, hunching over to lean his elbows against his legs and take a deep breath in, motioning to take elliot’s hand. ]

. . . I don’t know what I’d do right now if you weren’t around.

[ the presence to calm him, the care to comfort him, the honesty to put him back in his place, without disrespect from either of them— he’s never had something like it and he can’t imagine himself without it now. ]

[And like always, he takes that hand. This time he'll hold onto it in a supportive grip. ]

You don't have to know. I'm here for you, just like you're there for me.

[Was he shaken and upset by the way things have turned out? Yeah, and it'll take time for things to fade. But there was no doubt he still wanted to stay by Eren's side, to help him work through this.]

[ it’ll probably take just as long for this guilt to pass, if it’ll even pass. doesn’t feel like it. he fucked the whole day up, and between the dim and warm lighting of the apartment, the smell of food gentle on the senses (thank god its the sort of thing to take a while to bake), everything else was there. what was he waiting for? ]

I’ll match up to it. [ and just to leave this air on the couch, or preferably, out the door, eren retreats a hand to . . . smack himself. yes, smack himself. not enough to beat himself up, even if he’s capable, but just— to leave his cheek a little red, for the clap and sting to bring him back. bring eren back. he takes elliot’s hand in a better hold and gets up, grumbling. ]

We got better things to do than give this miserable bastard attention.

[ yes he’s mumble grumbling at himself— he won’t let it take away the rest of the night. he called elliot over earlier for a reason, and everything that had to be said was said. everything that needed to be understood was understood, but wallowing in it was starting to piss him off. the kitchen awaits delights. nothing would be in vain. ]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject