vatheon | ♊ + ♋ + ♒

Who: Sollux, Karkat, and Eridan
When: March 16th
Where: The cave for The Trial of Three
Style: Action
Status: Closed
Warnings: Cursing and quest-related stuff. So possible violence, etc.

[Having spoken with the overly excited Archaeologist, and all parties in agreement, they've set off towards the cave in question. Of course, after it took a bit for him to even get over Sollux's newly muscular body. Sure, he saw it on video, but thatg is WAY different than seeing the flexing herculean mass of muscles before him. Though, once he was able to swallow that and deal, he's been able to focus more on thinking over the quest.]

[Honestly, Eridan thinks this will be no big deal. They've got a good party, a healer, a tank, and a mage, so there's no reason why this won't be cleared with ease--okay, well other than the fact they are them. And while Eridan does have faith in both of their abilities, Karkat being his matesprit and for all his pity, he knows he's capable of himself, and Sollux his kismesis and he wouldn't be that if he didn't respect the power he does have... And then Eridan, which he knows he's awesome, so this is hardly even going to be a challenge. He's probably faced harder challenges during FLARP, he figures.]

[Once they approach the cave, he glances to the other two, looking smug and confident.]

So are you two ready to hand this quest its horns, you better be, because I'm gonna dominate this thing like you wouldn't ewen beliewe, with or without you.

[He says that last bit, more so looking at Sollux, than Karkat. Eridan's main handicap ever: his ego.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Sollux is equally confident. Though he doesn't have his amazing psychic powers, he is well aware of Eridan's power with that stupid wand of his. He's also had enough time to get used to his own muscular power.

Plus he trusts Karkat at his back. Eridan won't %% him in front of his own matesprit, and if they fuck up, Karkat can heal them. It's a good party.

Except for the fact that they didn't sew Eridan's mouth shut first thing.]

Yeah, sure, leave a few for me, okay, mage? [He rolls his eyes]

[Karkat agrees: Sollux's muscles are even weirder in person. But how would they not be? He's used to his friend looking like a bundle of loosely bound twigs, not some freaky beefcake ready to smack heads together. It's bizarre. But for this quest, he can put up with it if it means less chance he and Eridan will be killed.]

Eridan, stop boasting. I will tell the both of you right now: if you let your rivalry lead you into something stupid or showoff-y just to prove how great or badass or whatever you are, I will leave you both to die and flee my ass out of this cave. But if you keep your mind on the objectives set before us, don't make me waste my MP, and I'll keep you as well-healed as I'm able. I have a skill to restore it if I have to, but it's a once-every-three-days thing that I don't want to use if I can avoid it. Understand?

[Grumpiest little cleric, it's him.]

I'll try to be generous, Sol.

[But then his attention goes to Karkat and he frowns. God, Karkat, stop being a killjoy! He crosses his arms over his chest and stares at him flatly.]

Kar you would not leawe me to die, and you know it. But it's fine, alright? I'm more focused on winnin' than teachin' this sandsucker a thing or two about what it means to be my riwal, alright?

[But with that said, he's just going to stride on into the cave. No fear here, nothing but immutable confidence.]

[Sollux watches Eridan stride forward confidently, then turns to Karkat and says - quite loudly] Hey, kk, think we should let him be the one to spring that trap there?

Just because I pity you doesn't mean I will suffer a fool needlessly, so don't be so sure what I won't do.

[He's stubborn about that, because really, he's irritable enough without offensive magic. He'll get there soon enough, though.]

[As he follows into the cave, he shoots an irritable look back at Sollux.]

We will deal with traps as we come to them, and you know damn well that if we decide it's on him then he's going to complain. Do not even make me pick sides on this. I am neutral. I am non-fucking-partisan. Do your rivalry thing on your own and don't pull me into it.

[Eridan's fin perks at the mention of a trap, and he stops, glancing over his shoulder. He's half writing it off as Sollux just trying to get his bleetbeast, but who knows, maybe there is a trap...]

Well, Sol, if you're so knowledgeable of the traps here, how about you go first. I'm sure if you make a miscalculation and set one off, your freakish muscles will protect you just fine. You are the meatshield, after all.

[With that says, he definitely does an "After you" gesture.]

Kar and I will hang safely behind you're hulkin' mass of a body, I'm sure you understand.

[What was that about not dragging you into their rivalry?]

[The whole reason Sollux had said that was to draw attention to the fact that a skinny mage was barrelling into the cave and leaving his meat shield in the dust.]

Excuse me for trying to save your skinny ass, ED. [He catches up, taking the lead again, but tries to give Eridan a swat to the back of the head as he passes] You're so damned focused on trying to impress everyone that you're being stupid. My whole purpose for being here is to be the meatshield, but I'm no fucking good to either of you if I'm back there with our healer.

[... So that's why. Karkat mutters a why-didn't-I-think-of-that under his breath, aiming to keep it too indistinct to hear.]

You could have said that in the first place, genius, instead of turning it around the other way. Eridan, get back here with me.

[Eridan grumbles, making his way over to Karkat, leveling a glare at Sollux the whole way there.]

Well you should hawe gotten goin' faster! We don't need to be burnin' time needlessly.

[Not that they are timed or anything, but fuck if Eridan isn't in a hurry to get as many points as possible.]

I did say. Not my fault you were too dumb to understand from the beginning. [He rolls his eyes and grins at both of them, then steps forward to enter the cave. Of course there wasn't a trap there at all, though there might be some up ahead. He has no clue if there are or not, but he hopes his tough body will be able to withstand it]

No, you didn't. You patently used the chance to annoy him and only waited until after to acknowledge that you're the meatshield. Time does not work backwards when none of us are time players, and you know it.

[Pointless pedantry blah blah. He glances to Eridan as he falls into step with him, but mostly keeps his gaze forward.]

When we do get to the monsters, I'll stick to the back behind you too. You both have some means of self-defense, whereas I'd be stuck flailing my staff as blindly as Terezi with a sniff node stuffed full of chalk. Keep your healer alive and I keep you alive, and we all get out of this okay.

If Sol does his job proper, you won't need to use me as a secondary meatshield!

[There's a distinct pout on Eridan's features, and he's maybe questioning why he decided to do ANYTHING with Sollux, but whatever. He needed a meatshield for this, and Sollux so happened to fit.]

But chances are I'll kill 'em all before they can ewen make back to you. So don't worry, Kar, I'll protect you.

[Stroking his own ego while being somewhat sappy? Yeah, Eridan is a troll of many talents.]

Eridan went flying off and I needed to get his attention before he got himself ki--

[Whoops. A blade's just sprung out of the wall at neck-level, and Sollux has to backpedal to avoid getting decapitated]

Shit, maybe we should have brought a rogue.

It's a backup and one I want to avoid, because you're about as squishy as me in the defense department. And if you're going to protect me, you can do it without masturbating your ego.

[Sorry, he's not in the mood for that kind of sap. Wouldn't be anyway! He knows he needs protection, but he'd rather not getting treated like some ~~damsel~~ healer in distress.]

[Then Sollux nearly gets decapitated.]

--Oh my god, that is exactly the kind of thing we need to avoid. We don't have a rogue, we can't go get a rogue, and this is about when I wish you had given a better rundown of the quest beforehand. It didn't get you, did it?

But look, maybe we can... [Hmm.] Maybe if we throw rocks ahead of us, at the walls and floor and shit, it'll spring the traps before we get there. But be careful anyway! If you end up dead before we even hit a monster, I swear to the natives' fake ass coral god I will turn this party around.

♊ + ♋ + ♒

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