Eridan was wandering in the streets. He had sneaked out of the palace to take a little walk. He wonder why he even do that... He consider to return to the moon, but it was too late now. He was on Derse, now. He putted on a cloak and a hood so he can go unnoticed, since most of the people on Derse hate him just for being the new prince, so, without knowing, Eridan does the same than Fef. He goes there to have a little idea of what happen after the Condesce took over it.

And also to try to understand Fef better, since she always worries for the lowbloods and the carapaces… In contrast with Eridan, who hates them. Or does he? Wasn’t that an idea given to him by the members of the ancient clan of sea dwellers? He doesn’t know anymore... In fact, does he ever know? He was always talking to Fef that he plan to kill all of them, but did he really want it? When he thinks about it, the Condesce takes him more things than she gives to him. Without her, that conflict with Feferi wouldn’t have happened... Probably...

But he can only wonder about it, and hope Fef can forgive him. And wander there, trying not to be seen, not to be recognized, especially by carapaces. If they do, Eridan will have no choice but to flee, since he did not bring any weapon, and were never very good using his bare hand. In the castle, he learned fencing, even if the trainers weren’t that enthusiastic since he were the prince (and a troll), but the Condesce agreed so they didn’t have a choice if they want to keep their head. He is pretty good, and learned pretty fast. The organization of the army interested him too, but a little less.

Since it were the night and that Derse was pretty dark, there was nearly nobody outside except him. So when he saw another troll, Eridan was pretty surprised. At least it weren’t an agent... But Eridan did not talk to him, since he looked distraught, and the sea dweller wait that the other troll notice him. Anyway, he did not know what to say, for now... He was always troubled with what happen to him...

It had been a while since this had happened to him. The voices woke him up in the night, screaming their chants between his ears. In a spur of panic he had run out of the HQ, into the cold, dark streets of the sleeping city. He was curled up in a corner, clutching his head and grunting with pain. It burnt, it hurt, it was like nails on a blackboard doubled with a raging migraine. He couldn't take it anymore, the voices needed to stop or he would just lose it.

He had lost it in the past before and he knew for a fact he didn't want to get there ever again. He glanced around to spot someone who could help him. What could they even do anyway? pat his back? Call an agent to have him enslaved?

He didn't care if that's what they did, he would certainly go berserk if anyone dared sending someone to harm him. He was trembling, cold sweat pearling on his forehead and little sparks of blue and red escaped his shades. He needed to do something and fast.

That's when he spotted him. He looked like he was another troll. Sollux looked at him for a bit, his face twisted with pain...

The other troll was very special. On his head were two pair of little horn, and was wearing shades... Shades, in the night, on Derse? Eridan could hardly believe that is to protect the eyes of the troll... There were almost no light, the night, on Derse... And also, he catch blue and red sparks near them. A psionic, maybe? The sea dweller wondered what is that troll blood color. He is certainly a lowblood, to be outside in the night. Especially if he has psychic powers. Very few highbloods have some, it were almost an exclusivity to the lowbloods.

And this was making Eridan disgusted... land dweller... lowblood... Not a recommendable person, but the prince shrug it off. He needed to talk to someone... But he hadn't the conviction to brutalize the other troll...

Finally, Eridan were able to talk to him, but he only said, unsure:

-Hello, wwho are you? And, hum, wwhat are you doing here in the night?

His voice was missing the habitual harsh tone he used when talking to a land dweller. He is lost, and this appear in his voice. And he also lost most of what he had... Not physically, but the more important thing: convictions.

Eridan was hoping that talking with someone will make him forget his problems for a while. And maybe show to him the path to take, but this was only a faint hope...

It startled Sollux when the other troll got close to him. The pain in his head kept him from being able to focus and identify his face properly, but he seemed pretty tall, a little bit taller than him. He spotted a few glimmers of jewellery on the troll's fingers. A highblood maybe? He didn't really care at this moment.

It took Sollux a little while to get it together and realize the other troll was talking to him. He looked at him, frowning a bit from the pulse of his pounding headache.

"W-what? Are you talking to me? Who are YOU just coming up to me and asking me questions like that."

He sounded irritated and he was. He was in no mood to deal with that sort of conversation right now. He noticed the stranger had quite an odd accent to his speech. Definitely a highblood, he thought.

"Anyway, I'm out here because I couldn't stand to be indoor anymore. I have this throbbing pain in my thinkpan tonight, I needed some fresh air." he finally replied, massaging his temples with the tip of his fingers. He took a deep breath to calm himself down a little bit. The other troll didn't seem like he meant any harm and probably didn't deserve his shitty attitude at all.

"Can I help you with anything? Are you lost?"

Eridan was surprised at the other troll answer. Some time ago, he would have reacted brutally to that kind of answer, but now, it doesn't anger him so much. It was only surprising him...

*Maybe that if he wwas knowwin me, he wwouldn't talk like that... But I'm findin myself doubtin it...*

After, he answered, hesitations perceptible in his voice:

-Wwell, for noww, let's say I'm nobody please... As I'm not sure of wwho I am myself...

Where was his pride? Has he really changed that much? Instead of fulfilling his desires, the Condesce coup just made his despair bigger... Feferi rejecting him, and he was ready to abandon all that make him "him" to please her...

-And I'm out to try to understand a friend of mine better... Wwhat is somethin I find hard, but yet it is so important to me...

Yes, this is truly why he was here... To try to understand Feferi. It seemed impossible to the new prince, yet he didn't lost hope. What if that lowblood could help him? Even if it was highly improbable...

Sollux could somewhat relate to the stranger's worries. After all, he had never been gifted with a good understanding of the few friends he had. He sighed as he remembered the conversations he recently had with his two friends back at the HQ. He wanted to understand them and deep down he also wished they both understood him as well.

His headache was pounding. He was in no shape to give anyone advice and couldn't think straight. He was alright with the stranger's vague answer. He couldn't actually bring himself to care about what he was rambling about, he just needed to calm down.

He took a deep breath, still massaging his temple with one hand.

“I don’t know if I can actually help you with anything man. Social interaction and relationships have never been my forte.”

He took another brief look at the stranger. Maybe listening to this troll’s problem would make him forget about his own for a second.

“If you need an ear though, knock yourself out. It’s not like I have anywhere else to be or anything else to do.”

The troll answered Eridan in a way he could understand. It's not like he was thinking that a lowblood could help him. But his proposition of talking of his trouble was pretty tempting. And so he went, however he was very careful not to reveal his identity.

"Wwell, wwe could say that I wwanted to impress my friend, but she doesn't liked the wway I took for it, so she rejected me, and I began to doubt if I wwere right to take this wway... And, for noww, I'm strivvin to find a wway that she acknowwledge me. And that's pretty much it."

That went pretty well... He didn't say anything that would let someone know of his identity, isn't it? At least he hoped that the other will not guess it, that could bring him some serious trouble... He verified if his hood was well adjusted. We're never too sure, even more in these conditions. He was increasingly uneasy here, talking with a lowblood when he should stay at the castle so he would be sure not to anger the Condesce. But even then... a little part of the prince was enjoying defying her authority.