acanthous-gramary

[acanthous-gramary]

its not a good thin or a bad thin i guess. but you an i should be a little more careful noww considerin wwere squishier than usual. then again it might be a good time to infiltrate the human cities wwhile wwe look like this. maybe wwe can set charges or somethin if wwe cant directly engage people in battle. 

acanthous-gramary :

i see you wwere hit too

::::I

[acanthous-gramary]

M!A: Why do you hate the humans so so much? Why don't you walk in their shoes for a little while? How does two weeks sound? Bad? Deal with it. Be a human dude and stop being a dick.

well excuse you too. ill havve you knoww i havvent fuckin killed a human for evven a feww wweeks noww. mostly because ivve been healin but still. doin somethin like this is just a sign a your ignorance because humans if left unchecked are just gonna ruin the planet but apparently youre too stupid to understand that so thanks. thanks for this. ill make sure to be extra vviolent once i get my powwers back. 

[acanthous-gramary]

I was trying to 8e cute and Eridan said something dum8 and it made me laugh and this. I can’t deal. I can’t 8e cute anymore.

[acanthous-gramary]

Eridan took pictures of me in the clothes he 8ought me and I wasn’t ready in the first one.

[acanthous-gramary]

Quietly, Eridan listened to Vriska talk about what it had been like before for her, raiding stores, having nothing that great to choose from. Yeah, he supposed this was like an entirely different world compared to that one. Well, it was an entirely different world. Here, for all Eridan hated on the humans, they really did have plenty. There was plenty to go around, plenty to enjoy. 

But, they could never forget Vriska's Earth. Whether it was in the same timeline as his or not, the humans in his timeline had left their Earth ruined and destroyed and they could easily do the same here if left unchecked. Which was a major part of the reason why Eridan wanted them all dead. 

Right now he didn't really want to think about somber things like humans or genocide so, he dropped that. After all, there was something else far more important to discuss, and that was the matter of whether or not that clerk had been wrong to call them matesprits. 

Vriska seemed a bit nervous about the suggestion but Eridan smiled and opened his hands so that he could see hers without his in the way. "I suppose that's up to you, but... if you don't object to it, then I wwouldn't mind bein your matesprit. In fact, I'd really like it," he blushed and continued staring down at their hands. Talking about feelings and shit like that was not how he normally rolled but... well Sollux had taught him that he couldn't act like an ass all the time and Vriska really did mean a lot to him... 

=> Get outside for once

[acanthous-gramary]

im surprised you didnt needlessly act like an asshole an say vwvwris. shes a lot a things an most a them are amazin so im sure youll lovve her an cherish her. shes also a great fuckin murderess. 

an wwell a vvariety a people an animals an all kinds a wweird shit wwere in your coon.

as for your closet i just like destroyin all a your human lovvin clothes. an also i kind a had a hatemate mess up the entire fuckin house so theres that. 

yours and vwho? vwho the fuck is vwris?

vwho the fuck vwas in my coon?

vwhy must you get in my closet?

[acanthous-gramary]

Normally, there was a noticeable temperature difference between trolls, but Vriska, being of his caste, was the same temperature as him and because of that, her hand felt exactly like it belonged in his, natural. Maybe not quite as hot and exciting as a lowblood's hand but, when he was with her he felt calm and happy and this was a nice feeling to go along with it. Still, he wasn't sure if that meant he felt more pale than red, but... just looking at her... yeah, he definitely was interested in supporting her but he wasn't so sure he could bring himself to do it platonically only. 

Even though this was the first time they'd held hands, it felt so natural and he found that he wasn't even getting nervous. Thank god because he didn't want to disgust her with clammy hands right now, especially when hers were so perfect, smooth, and soft. 

So, when they sat down, he was happy to receive her hand back in his and he cupped it between both of his larger ones, gazing down at the backs of their hands fondly, listening to Vriska as she talked about the shopping they just did.

"I nevver really cared about clothes in the past but noww I can understand wwhy people do. That actually wwas a lot a fun so thanks," he said, before cracking a smile when she mentioned that employee. 

"Yeah, that wwas presumptuous a her but, you knoww, she doesn't havve to be wwrong," Eridan said, glancing up at Vriska to see if she understood what he was getting at. 

=> Get outside for once

[acanthous-gramary]

When she demanded to know what reason there even was for her to look cute, Eridan just laughed and shrugged. "You havve a point there. I'm the only one wwho sees you most a the time an you don't havve to try an impress me," he said. If she wanted, of course, she could start going to the city more often, although admittedly the idea of her getting more friends kind of scared him. Of course he wanted her to be happy, but he was a little afraid that she'd leave him behind and being alone again was the last thing he wanted. Hopefully whatever she ended up doing, she wouldn't forget about him. 

Taking a couple bags so Vriska didn't have to carry it all by herself, heading out of the store with her as she talked about what they should do next. Yeah, grabbing something to eat before they continued shopping seemed like a good enough idea.

Glancing down, Eridan noticed her outstretched hand and he blushed slightly but reached down to wrap his hand around hers, smiling some and leading the way down the busy street toward some outdoor restaurants. One of them was a simple cafe with a few clean looking white painted chairs and tables standing out front and Eridan selected a vacant one and set the bags on the ground under the table before taking his seat. 

Leaning over the small table, Eridan held out his hand if Vriska wanted to take it again and smiled at the waitress when she came over, ordering a coffee and a pastry for himself and inviting Vriska to get whatever she'd like. 

=> Get outside for once

[acanthous-gramary]

As dark as Vriska's face was, it wasn't exactly hiding anything and even Eridan wasn't oblivious enough to miss it, but he did wonder at the reasoning for it. Was it because she was embarrassed, angry, or did she like the idea? She was pretty outspoken, so Eridan figured if being called his matesprit pissed her off that much, she'd comment on it. 

Either way, she seemed perfectly happy still so he figured it wasn't a big deal and while she was off changing back into her original clothes, he did as she asked and picked out a few items that he thought she should really keep, including the striped sweater the clerk had picked out, the crop top that he'd found, and the lacy black one. Those ones he liked for sure, although he was perfectly content if she wanted to buy more than just that. He also put the skirt on the pile since she probably needed more than just shirts all the time. 

When she finally rejoined him, Eridan handed her the things he'd chosen and smiled when she said he didn't need to spoil her. "You should havve enough clothes so that you can havve some vvariety an its not like I don't havve more money than I knoww wwhat to do wwith anywway," he said, following her over to the counter and watching as the salestroll rung up their items. Once she was done, Eridan paid her in some gold coins, which was probably unconventional but she didn't argue and stuck them in the drawer happily enough, wishing them a good day and thanking them for coming.

"Hm, so, I guess if you wwant to find stuff for me we should still look for a guy's clothing shop. Otherwwise, do you wwant to go to a cafe or somethin?" Sitting around drinking coffee wasn't something he ever did but... it would be nice to draw this day out a little longer. 

=> Get outside for once

[acanthous-gramary]

Taking a seat outside the dressing room, Eridan waited while Vriska changed. He hadn't even thought of picking out shorts or pants, so he was glad that Vriska had started in a different section of the boutique than he had. Meanwhile, the clerk had found way more items than either of them for her to try, although he supposed that wasn't exactly surprising since she did this every single day. 

Still, once Vriska actually started coming out and showing off all of the things they'd all picked out, he found himself liking them quite a bit. There was definitely something different about the way the clothing looked on the shelf, just a piece of fabric, from the way it came to life on Vriska. 

Normally, when fighting, it wasn't a good idea to wear clothes that didn't cover as much skin as possible so Eridan wasn't too used to seeing bare stomachs, arms, and legs, that all of these clothes revealed and he found that he was blushing lightly but Vriska looked good, really good. 

The clothes that the stylist has picked out had a completely different flavor than the ones that Eridan and Vriska had selected, being in more pastel and lighter colors, but those looked pretty good too for the most part, especially the last one which looked more like undergarments than an actual outfit. 

While Vriska had been modeling the clothes, the saleswoman had been standing by watching as well and once she was done, that chipper voice spoke up and drew Eridan's attention. Matesprit, huh? It... well, he supposed it wasn't too far-fetched for her to assume that they were matesprits. They certainly weren't acting like kismeses and they probably didn't give off much of a pale vibe either. Flushed his own shade of blue, Eridan didn't bother to correct her and instead nodded. "Yeah, it looks good on her. Vvris, pick wwhatevver you wwant to keep. They all look good on you an I'm goin to covver it obvviously so don't wworry about that." 

=> Get outside for once

[acanthous-gramary]

When Vriska first starting talking, Eridan resisted the urge to face-palm as she tripped over her words, nearly referring to the place as 'Elysium' like she usually did when it was just them. But the sales associate didn't seem to care and she happily flounced off to go find a few items for Vriska to try on. 

After the salesperson had vanished, Eridan just smirked down at Vriska, but he didn't say anything, nodding when Vriska said he could look for things for her to try on too and moving off toward the racks to start searching through the items. Of course, he didn't know anything about what was fashionable or popular, so he just decided to look for things that he thought looked interesting. 

Hm... there were a surprising amount of styles here and while they didn't have a huge variety of sizes, Vriska seemed like she was a pretty normal size so they probably had stuff that fit her pretty easily. So, Eridan began pulling a few items, not sure how many was too many. 

Eventually, he made his way back over to her, a few blouses and things hanging from his arms. "Uh, if any a these look alright to you I thought they might look good on you," he said, blushing and feeling completely out of his element. Who was he to pick out clothes for someone else? But Vriska had said it was okay that he do that.

So, Eridan handed over the clothes he'd picked out for her to try. On top of the pile was a short, shoulder cropped shirt, one that would leave her midriff bare. Beneath that was another short top with a bit of pleading around the belly, though it still wasn't long enough to cover her stomach completely... maybe he just liked seeing her skin? Or maybe he was just underestimating how short she really was. But short shirts weren't the only things that he'd found and he also had a long shirt in there that was... kind of a mix between a light robe or a jacket. He'd also picked out a normal length, dark shirt with long sleeves, though the shirt was lacy, with transparent sections. 

That was all that he'd picked out for now and he looked a bit embarrassed, running a hand through his long black hair. "Hope that's okay," he mumbled. 

=> Get outside for once

[acanthous-gramary]

As Vriska spoke, Eridan was quiet, just listening to her supportive words. She really knew the right thing to say and he found himself feeling a bit more optimistic. He didn't know if he would end up having fatherly feelings or not, especially since fathers were things that didn't really exist around here in troll culture, but he hoped that would be the case. He wanted to do right by them in the end. A lot of troll grubs ended up dying if they weren't selected by a lusus and Eridan kind of wanted to see what kinds of people his own offspring would grow into so he wanted to make sure they had that chance. 

Having Vriska to help would make things that much easier and he smiled at her when she said she didn't mind being around them. He might have said something, but Vriska seemed in a hurry to move onto the next subject, so he let it go. For now, this was all he needed to know anyway. 

By this time, they were starting to get into the main part of the city anyway and seeing more and more trolls. On Alternia, humans and trolls did live together but mostly they lived in their separate places and there weren't really many humans at all to be seen which Eridan was quite alright with. 

Eventually, they started passing stores and Vriska pointed one out. The outfits in the windows were mostly for women, but they looked cute and Eridan thought that if Vriska wanted to model for him, clothes like that might nice. "Yeah, sure, let's go," he said, smiling back at her and leading the way into the store.

Within, they were greeted by a cute olive blood female who was dressed up in a girly way that trolls years ago probably wouldn't even have considered. But these days, he supposed, less trolls actually fought and more impractical clothing was becoming commonplace. 

"Hi there!" the woman greeted excitedly. "Can I help you today?" 

Eridan just looked over at Vriska quietly. This was her show now, unless she wanted him to look around and pick out specific things for her. 

=> Get outside for once

[acanthous-gramary]

wwhy exactly do people need to hide their kids an their wwivves? or are you talkin about humans because i guess in that case they should probably hide evveryone they knoww.

not that ivve been killin for a feww wweeks noww. maybe they think im dead or somethin. 

you knoww you like it

[acanthous-gramary]

you knoww you like it

oh my god.

[acanthous-gramary]

As Vriska spoke, Eridan nodded. He hadn't heard too much about the people from Vriska's past, but he knew a little about it and about Karkat. So, it had irritated her being close to but not quite in a relationship, huh? Eridan couldn't help but wonder if she felt that way about their relationship too. They were definitely friends, but did she have any deeper thoughts? He almost didn't want to know, afraid that the answer could be no, but also afraid that it could be yes. 

Still, when she said she wouldn't mind touches as long as they were coming from him, Eridan found himself blushing and he looked away a little, tilting his warm face away from her. Maybe the answer was yes then... he just hoped that if it was, he didn't fuck it up like he tended to do with everything important. 

Thankfully, the conversation moved on to fashion and Eridan let it go, glad for the switch since he'd never been a master of articulating any kind of feeling shit. If he was going to muck around with their relationship, he'd rather do it at the end of the day than at the beginning anyway. 

"Alright. I'm not sure if the trolls around here are that much into fashion or wwhat but a lot a them havve adopted more a the human fashions. I guess wwe'll just havve to see wwhat they havve," he said. Even if human stuff wasn't his favorite... if Vriska liked any of their stuff, he could deal with it. 

Eridan laughed when Vriska said that she hoped the kids weren't lame like Sollux. "You can say that again. Maybe if I do most a the wwork raisin them they'll turn out cool. I don't knoww if I really havve the ability to take care a grubs but I guess trolls are pretty fuckin hardy so evven if I fuck up they'll probably be fine." He shrugged. But he knew that Sollux already had his hands full with grubs from his matespritship so... if either of them were going to raise their grubs, it should probably be Eridan. 

"Uh... I guess I should ask you though, since you're livvin wwith me. You don't mind if I wwas goin to raise them at my hivve right? Not like you couldn't movve out but I like havvin you around," Eridan said, feeling totally awkward but it wasn't like he would force Vriska to stay around while he took care of grubs from another quad if she didn't want to.

=> Get outside for once

[acanthous-gramary]

your hivve? excuse you. this is my hivve youvve been awway wway too long. or should i say its me an vvris' hivve. 

an yes ivve been in your closet. people havve evven slept in your coon. wwhat noww cro wwhat noww. 

ill be there evwentually. im still gathering the remains of my crewv for pay and vwhatnot and then ill be on my vway. i hope you havwent trashed my hivwe too badly. and i really hope you havwent gotten into my shit.

or my closet.

stay out of my closet.

yes i got stabbed, no biggy there. ill livwe about as vwell as the next guy. vwhat happened to you this time?

[acanthous-gramary]

swweet i cant wwait to see wwhat you found. do you havve any idea wwhen youll be comin back to the hivve. since youre talkin to me noww im assumin its on your mind. 

so you got stabbed huh is that wwhy you were mia for so long. its ok dont hide your shame. i probably got it wworse than you unless you lost an arm or somethin. 

vwell normally you are too but then again. i vwas being chased halfway across the damn ocean. youll see vwhen i get hivwe. the shit i got is totally vworth getting stabbed.