Most of a lead, the middle of a better in pronoun ownership.

[enigmaestro]

WHO: Some jerky family.
WHERE: NOHoPE.
WHEN: September 3rd, 2011. After hours.
WARNINGS: It's a heartwarming reunion.
SUMMARY: The best way to confront Eddie is to corner him in a mental hospital and tag-team.
FORMAT: Probably paragraph, but it may transform.

Comments

[swwag]

Eridan, to his credit, tried his hardest to make a quiet entrance.

Still, quiet was remarkably difficult when crammed into an air duct, whiny and tired and with a scarf (the one Eddie had given him, fittingly enough) bunching up and blinding him every once in a while. When he'd bragged to Felicia about being able to break in, he'd imagined having Gamzee as backup, flashing them through the complex - not Felicia cramming him into a vent.

She would certainly hear his opinion on her methods later. And so would Eddie. Because it was Eddie's fault in the first place.

But eventually he did find the grate to Eddie's room, and somehow summoned the self-control not to just kick it in. With a few short flashes of his wand the screws gave easily enough; he pushed his way through and dropped in, smoothing out his clothes and fixing his scarf for the hundredth time. Getting out would be an absolute bitch, no doubt. Also Eddie's fault.

"Hi."

It bordered on a growl.

[acrossyourpath]

Smirking to herself a little as Eridan dropped from the grate to the floor, Felicia rolled her eyes and dipped her head into the room. She swung herself down, popping the claws on her gloves to catch the security camera's wires on her way to the floor.

She looked at Eddie, not saying anything for a moment; she adjusted the harness around her waist that would help them leave once the visit was done.

"Evening," she said finally, casually. Her eyes gazed at him through her domino mask, half-lidded in apparent apathy or annoyance. Her claws went back into her gloves with a click that was audible.

[enigmaestro]

Eddie's book slowly slid from his face, in a motion that would be almost comical if not for the stifling tension that so quickly flooded the room. He quirked an eyebrow, glancing first at Eridan and then Felicia, his eyes drifting to the clawed camera wires last.

"I'm going to get in trouble for that," he mused. Spider-Man had already cut those wires a few weeks earlier, and Eddie's keepers had not been pleased. He glanced at his current company, aware that they'd shed no sympathy for his plight. Sitting up, he shrugged and offered his bed and a sole chair to sit.

"And to what to I owe the pleasure?" He asked with a tone that was not effortlessly casual. "Because I must say, this is quite the surprise. I know Felicia isn't in the habit of making reservations, but Eridan. Falling out of vents? I am shocked."

[swwag]

"Can it, Riddler."

Eridan strolled over to the offered chair, throwing himself in it with unabashed irritation. Unlike Felicia, he couldn't maintain even the illusion of being casual; the most he could do was cross his legs and shoot Eddie a dirty look, rather than end up on a tirade.

"Fel, you lead this off. I don't particularly got the patience for it."

[acrossyourpath]

"This was what you wanted," Felicia said, rolling her eyes, but she walked over to Eddie, nearly plopping herself into his lap for closeness. But she stood her ground.

"I can patch those up on my way out. Easy enough," she said. "I think you know what I want."

[enigmaestro]

"I think you know what I'll say," he retorted. He kept a stony gaze on her, aware of the movements that nearly were. The distance between her body and his spoke volumes.

He showed no sign of care.

"Believe it or not, my silence is protecting you. Protecting you both," he snarled as he hurled a glance at Eridan. The boy was inevitably included, a variable Eddie had long considered. It seemed almost natural now. "So as charming as your little theatrical coup is, there's nothing of substance either of you can really do."

[swwag]

"I don't recall askin' for protection," Eridan sneered, but whatever he was going to say after that died in his throat. He paused, pressed a hand to his temple, and exhaled heavily. Diplomacy. He had to try diplomacy, no matter how useless he thought diplomacy was.

Well, try it, at least.

"With the three a us and our own personal powers, we're practically fuckin' untouchable put together. You don't got any real reason to go martyrin' yourself in suchlike fashion, and we all fuckin' know it."

[acrossyourpath]

"He's right," Felicia said. Or at least, sort of right. She crossed her arms. "I don't know why you have this weird hero complex that you think we need protecting from your twisted stalkers -- by the way, maybe you should stop encouraging them."

She narrowed her eyes. "You don't have to say who put you here. But why can't you say why or how? No. Why won't you?"

[enigmaestro]

"Please," he spat the word. The accusation forced him to his feet. "Martyr? Hero complex? You're flattering yourselves." He strode to Felicia, finger extended. Accusing.

"If I say the circumstance merits secrecy, then you'd do best to assume the very same. If this threatens me, you can sure as hell bet it'll traumatize you. This isn't martyrdom, this is necessity." He ended with a snarl. The demand of explanation invoked a crueler sensibility, a selfish compassion. He stood tall, alone, and seethed at the two people who cared enough to ask for answers.

"You lot can't let it be because you simply hate being kept in the dark. Dislocated from me."

[swwag]

"I orphan and Fel's your matesprit. I think me and her are past the point a traumatizin', Ed."

He didn't stand when Eddie moved to Felicia, but sat up in his seat, primed to do so.

"And," Eridan went on, a touch more harshly, "assumin' we can't go about our fuckin' business just 'cos you're keepin' secrets is upright insultin' to us. And a heapin' helpin' a hoofbeast shit. Right, Fel?"

[acrossyourpath]

"That's exactly what it is," Felicia snapped, idly popping her claws again. "You're trying to protect us from things we can handle on our own. You aren't our keeper, and how are we supposed to help you -- or trust you -- if you can't bring it upon yourself to let us. Besides--"

She looked up at Eddie when he neared and met him, standing up straighter. "Isn't being armed with knowledge a better protection?"

[enigmaestro]

"When you damn well know how to use it, yes!" Eddie's voice broke its polite veneer. He screamed out, throwing his hands upward and outward, a physical cry of frustration.

"You two, coming here like this? Bravo. You've managed to prove yourselves crucially incapable of trusting me. Me! I am your provider!" His voice clipped higher. "If you're not going to trust me, how the hell can I trust you?"

His emotion was crawling in his voice, something Edward Nygma rarely ever let happen. His voice bounced off the walls.

[swwag]

"I been trustin' you this entire span a our moirallegiance, despite us agreein' early on newer to do such, and you fuckin' know it."

Eridan was out of his seat now, puffed up and loud and indignant, heading right in Eddie's direction. The emotion in Eddie's voice didn't discourage him; quite the opposite, actually, because his and Felicia's tactic was getting to him. Maybe even working.

"I'we gone along with all the shit you ewer put me up to, ewen if I think it's fuckin' stupid as fuck, 'cos I trust you." His voice dropped to a hiss. "Now you gotta trust me back."

Pause.

"Fel too."

[acrossyourpath]

It took Felicia a lot of effort not to bare her teeth; she bit her inner cheek to focus and sat herself casually on his bed.

"We're going in circles," she said, flatly. "And you refuse to even tell us if you did something to deserve getting put here or not."