The Town Park

*Eridan summons the Crosshairs but quickly realizes he won't be able to get off a shot in time, and instead lifts it up in an attempt to catch Nepeta's attack*

*Nep's claws scratch against the crosshairs, making an awful sound that sounds like nails on a chalkboard. She ducks and goes for his stomach with both claws.

*Eridan winces, first from the godawful noise, then from the claws tearing up his shirt and drawing blood, though he just barely manages to avoid a serious injury. Short on options at this point, he swings the stock of the rifle towards her face*

*Nep squeaks as the rifle smacks her in the face and she sprawls to the ground. Feferi stares in shock, then her eyes grow fiery with anger

-ENOUG)(!!!

*Fef strides forwards, closing the gap between the two in a few steps. She draws her 2x3dent and points it first at Eridan

-Eridan! Put t)(at gun away before I make you!

*Fef whirls on Nepeta, who is climbing to her feet

Nepeta! Put your claws away! T)(is is no time to be fig)(ting!

*Nepeta looks sheepishly at Feferi, then puts her claws away, looking ashamed

Are you proud of yourself now, Ampora? )(ave you redeemed yourself by smacking )(er in the face? Did )(er words wound you so muc)( you )(ad to escalate it to a fig)(t?

*Having re-captchalogued the Crosshairs and still breathing heavily, Eridan takes a moment to touch this wound. Ow. Ok, could be worse. But fuck those things are sharp. Then at Fef's lecture he looks up*

wwhat hey dont look at me
she dreww her clawws on me wwhat wwas i supposed to do

*Then, a little quieter*

an ok ill admit hittin her in the face wwas pretty damn satisfyin

*Fef smiles, but there is no kindness in the smile

I'm sorry w)(at was t)(at, could you repeat it for me?

nothin i just

*He pauses*

ok fine i said hittin her wwas pretty damn satisfyin
an dont evven start givven me shit ovver that this (*He points at his scratches*) isnt there cause she found my wwardrobe disagreeable

*Fef frowns

Let me guess. You aren't going to accept responsibility for at least escalating the situation and you feel like t)(e victim )(ere.

fef come on ivve been goin on a full honesty principle here
so yeah course i escalated this no point wwastin my breath on excuses
an yeah i definitely still feel like the vvictim
cause if you recall your MATESPRIT  planned to make a mockery a my emotions then INSULTED me wwhen i had the NERVVE to be upset about it

*He indignantly crosses his arms*

*Fef smirks

Are you so immature that )(aving your emotions insulted makes you t)(reaten people? Last I c)(ecked I )(ad to keep you from assaulting )(er w)(en s)(e kissed me, so is it really surprising s)(e's mad at you?

*Eridan makes a few uncertain hand gestures*

thats not
i didnt KNOWW

*He goes back to crossing his arms, almost pouting*

i guess not

but youre not seriously excusin her are you

*Fef glances at Nep, who looks away sullenly

I t)(ink s)(e knows w)(at s)(e did.

*Fef looks back to Eridan, her gaze softening

Can we talk alone, -Eridan?

*Fef gestures to a bench aways away. Nep opens her mouth to object, but Fef gives her a stern glare

*Eridan sighs, one hand rubbing his eyes underneath his glasses*

wwere not exactly setting the best track record wwith these

*He drops his arms back down, now looking more forlorn than anything*

yeah
course wwe can

*Fef walks over to the bench and sits down. As Eridan walks over she smiles nervously

T)(anks.

*Eridan sits down besides her, trying not to bleed on his pants. Lousy goddamn stupid rich violet blood. Lousy goddamn stupid cat girl spilling it. The whole meeting would have been going swimmingly if it wasn't for her. And, uh, Fef having a mental breakdown. That was also pretty bad.
He glances over at her. Despite the sun just barely making it trough the eternal layer of smog covering the city, it still manages to cast a shadow of the leaves above over the both of them. It reminds him of the lighting underwater, and Feferi's hair dancing in the current.

He should have gone swimming with her more often. There's no current in the oasis.

It occurs to him that without Nepeta there probably wouldn't have been a meeting at all, but he decides to keep his gratitude for someone more deserving of it. Bitch.
Wait, that's a dog insult. Would that make it more hurtful or less? He decides to scratch that one from the list just to be safe*

you eh
doin okay

*Feferi doesn't answer, staring into the distance of the city, where the fog bank has begun to envelop the western skyscrapers

Sorry you )(ad to see t)(at earlier. I t)(oug)(t I was in control but I guess I need more practice!

*Feferi smiled for the last part, but it wasn't very sincere

*Eridan frowns*

fef that looked really bad i dont think this is a jokin matter

*Fef winces

Don't worry about it, -Eridan. It's just a pu is)(ment for failing my duty as )(eiress. I'll get control of it sooner or later.

*Nepeta paces impatiently around the tree. Stupid Ampurra and his bad taste in clothes and his stupid gun and- ((this list will go on for a very long time))

*Eridan leans back, eyes skyward (or treeward at least) as he thinks for a moment*

you really need a moirail fef

*He sighs*

an i could use one too honestly
sure seems like theres an insultingly obvvious solution

too bad i had to be an idiot an get my eyes set on somethin redder

*Fef looks at Eridan

W)(y do you even like me? I'm not exactly t)(e prettiest troll around.

*Fef looks at Nep while saying this, smiling slightly

*Noticing this, Eridan is tempted to stick out his tongue and make a "bleh" face, but decides that would be immature and stupid.
...Also, Nep actually doesn't look half bad.

ok first of all howw dare you tell such a hideous lie
(not that theres much competition left, he adds mentally)

second of all
*He pauses, slightly flustered*
uh wwas that question rhetorical or do you actually wwanna hear me praise you
cause im perfectly wwillin to do that an frankly you seem like you could use the boost

*Fef smiles

T)(at was r)(etorical, Ampora.

*Feferi sighs deeply

A moirail wouldn't work out very well for me. I'd just snap again and maybe even )(urt t)(em. The only troll I can trust is Nepeta, and I still worry about )(er safety every moment s)(e's wit)( me. I worry I mig)(t lose control and )(urt )(er. I can't inflict that on anyone else.

*Eridan kicks himself. Dammit, why did he even ask. Of course she'd refuse, modest as she is*

fef keepin vviolent tendencies under control is pretty much wwhat the quadrants all about thats the wworst possible reason to avvoid it
an i dont think you evven need to wworry about that cause for a fuchsia blood youre so pacifistic its actually caused me some genuine concern
youre just not someone wwho hurts people

*He rubs his cheek*

wwell aside from that slap i guess but lets not make a bigger deal out of it than it has to be

*Fef smiles weakly

Not very many candidates for t)(at, -Eridan.

*Eridan shrugs*

you dont need a lot a choices you just need the right one
really you should talk to miss kittycat cause much as i loathe to admit it shes far more qualified than i wwhen it comes to this kinda thing