video;

[amoray]

[the feed is underwater, and not immediately focused on eridan (though his cape does drift slightly into view here and there). few, if any, will recognize the atlantean palace or its throne room, but the architecture and the being underwater thing might tip them off.]

Considerin' it's been about a week or so now, and I hawen't seen skin nor scale a her, it's pretty safe to say that Namora a Atlantis ain't roamin' these waters no more.

[a pause.]

That bein' said, as the last sea dweller and the only indiwidual who ain't got garbage slippin' through their weins around here, it's only natural that I take ower their palace and assorted territories in their absence. Maintain 'em and such.

Aforementioned territories bein' all sewen seas and ewerythin' in between, for the record.

[he flips the camera away from a meandering lionfish (his name is xerxes the sewenth) and to himself, comfortably sprawled in namor's throne. and being smug as a motherfucker. like literally, he's been super smug about shit before but at the moment his smugness may be mutating surrounding sealife just by how goddamn potent it is.

the lay of his cape obscures the slight bulges under his clothing at his shoulder and leg, for the most part, but his left fin is visibly torn, and still an angry purple.]

As fair and generous warnin', I'm allowin' the humans continued usage a my oceans not outta goodwill, but outta necessity. Mostly since you lungbreathers would probably start whinin' your tailfins off about widespread starwation or some shit if I didn't. But if I start seein' anythin' I don't necessarily like happenin' in my waters, I won't hesitate to fuck some a your laughable tin can ships all manner a up 'til the message starts comin' through clearer-like.

I ain't currently acceptin' wirgin sacrifices or tributes a precious metals and stones, but be watchin' for that in the future.

[he gives a little wave of his ringed fingers at the comm.]

Ewenin', dirtscrapers. And long liwe the Prince.

[end feed.]

Comments

private

[enigmaestro]

Glad to see the damage healed.

private

[amoray]

Sorta. I'm still a little slower than usual, but I got a personal rule a newer stayin' down for more than a couple days with a injury that ain't gonna kill me right off.

Not that that little booby trap a yours helped any.

private

[enigmaestro]

Did you just invent this personal rule, just now? [The nonchalant talk is a bit awkward, a bit forced. It's easy to get along when they're both faced with mortal peril.

Peacetime was difficult.]

Well. What did I tell you about keeping to the left wall?

private

[amoray]

Technically, I did. You're the one who fuckin' set it off, if I remember right.

[awkward!! he messes with the end of his cape, searching for a distraction.

things aren't as clearly cut as they were before this whole debacle, and now he doesn't know if he should be angry or distant or... well, anything else.]

private

[enigmaestro]

You pushed me! You pushed me.

[Definitely the most important detail of this conversation, who pushed whom. He clears his throat.]

Did you ever find your "science" wand again?

private

[amoray]

Went out there a couple days later and found it in the shoal. No harm done.

[slinging his legs over the arm of the throne and laying all lazy teenager on it. businesslike, though in a way that pushes eddie to bring up the trunkbeast in the room:]

So.

private

[enigmaestro]

So.

[Awkward beat ensues.]

Where does that put us?


[Aw yeah spinning the brunt of it back to Eridan.]

private

[amoray]

[UGH DAMMIT]

Not tryin' to kill me after... you know. Was a good start.

private

[enigmaestro]

I meant it, when I said I was proud of you. Your trap was -- inspired.

private

[amoray]

Was it.

[a beat.]

You're goin' to hawe to go into detail on that.

private 1/2

[enigmaestro]

Oh, am I?

private

[enigmaestro]

Nope.

private

[amoray]

Throw me a fuckin' bone, Riddler. It ain't like I regularly dewote hours a my precious time just to ruinin' somebody's day or anythin'.

[and by hours he means a whole lot of them but whatever!!]

private

[enigmaestro]

[He says nothing for a moment. Then sighs. Then sighs really loud, in case you mistook the prior sigh for something that wasn't massive discontent.]

I liked when you came up from behind, in tandem with the riddle. Ominous.

private

[amoray]

A course you did.

[no he didn't actually answer the question.]

private

[enigmaestro]

Satisfied now?

private

[amoray]

I'm newer satisfied.

So what kinda grounds are you hopin' we're on now, exactly?

private

[enigmaestro]

Let's negotiate, perhaps? Start with a basis of something not necessarily antagonistic.

How is that, for a base level?

private

[amoray]

Alright.

You start.

private

[enigmaestro]

Not actively trying to kill the other?

private

[amoray]

Potentially workable.

Mostly dependin' on how much of a thorn in my fuckin' side you plan to keep bein', Ed.

private

[enigmaestro]

I could say the same, Eridan.

[Tension rising. He notes it, takes a deep breath.

And tries. To reel. It in.]

Perhaps we should consider engaging a third party.

private

[amoray]

[quickly:]

No auspistice.

private

[enigmaestro]

Why not?

[I knew it, I knew it, he thinks.]

private

[amoray]

Because we're not kismesal.

[beat. he remembers that I'm proud of you, he remembers why he wanted this so badly.]

And auspisticism ain't intended for makin' you play nice. It's just for keepin' you from turnin' black.

If we're goin' to work this out, I don't... we don't need anybody else. We did it before, we can do it again.