The Capitol Docks

The Ocean Docks are located on the shores of Hemopolis. They serve as a vital connection to Centaurium, without which the entire fortress city would starve and die, losing valuable resources.

Arrtuo stands ready after only recently returning from a trip aboard a fishing vessel, prepared to take on the world, to advance his standing.

Haha! These fabled heΓoes be the key to making it big! All o' these otheΓ tΓolls aΓΓΓΓn't neaΓly ambitious enough! In aΓΓΓΓdeΓ to advance the way aye do, aye just just need to find the Γight one!

*Feferi strides out to the end of the pier, passing two open mouthed trolls who start whispering fiercely as soon as she passes. Feferi sits down at the edge, her legs hanging over the drop, arms holding her up as she leans backwards. She sighs and looks out at the edge of the sea, the sun just cresting her northern horizon*

Arrtuo sees one of the heroes, and an Empress no less, he decides to attempt conversation.

He coughs so as not to alarm the Empress with his presence

Ain't she pΓetty youΓ highness; the sea I mean. The way she just goes on foΓeveΓ and eveΓ with heΓ gentle Γocking waves.

*Feferi glares at the troll with all the loathing she can muster*

I suppos-E it was too muc)( to -Exp-Ect t)(at trolls would )(av-E t)(-E common d-Ec-Ency to und-Erstand w)(-En a girl wants to b-E l-Eft alon-E

*Feferi looks back out at the sea, frowning*

W)(at t)(-E glub do you want?

I'm mighty saΓΓΓy youΓ Γoyalness, I didn't Γealize that that was you who was sitting at the edge of the dock. It was nevaΓΓΓ my intention to upset you. I hoped only to talk to you, paΓΓΓhaps console you if possible.

*Fef's eyes reflect the sun as she turns to look at the young troll, her face emotionless*

L-Eav-E

Arrtuo hesitates, but decides leaving is the better course of action

*Eridan returns to the docks, happy to breathe in the fresh, salty air once again. He looks out onto the ocean. It's just a beautiful and vast, if not more so, than the one on Alternia. And just like back there he has every intention of conquering it.
He stops in his tracks when he spots Feferi sitting at the pier.

Fuck.

What's she doing here? Is she here to monitor him?
Her hair is caught in the breeze, and the rising sun reflecting on the water casts the scene in a light as if from a fairy tale. One of the nice ones though, not those about bloodshed and stuff.
There's that damned feeling again. That strange mix of longing and regret. Of two voices, one shouting 'Go to her! Go to her!', while the other screams at him to run to the other side of the planet, and bury himself under a mountain's worth of stones just so he can't cause any more harm.
He can't afford to listen to that second voice. He has work to do.

He walks down the pier -was that guy talking to her just now?- and stops a little distance behind her*

so eh
wwould your majesty be better or is that too much

*Feferi turns her head and snaps at him*

I t)(oug)(t I told you to-
-ERIDAN!!!

*Feferi leans back in shock, then lets out a yelp as she falls 30 feet into the ocean below. She lands with a loud splash, and the water stills until she breaks the surface with a gasp, spluttering and coughing. She was definitely not ready to start breathing water again. She grumbles and digs her 2x3dent into the pier, using it as leverage to launch herself up to the platform, reaching just short. She flashes out her hand and grabs the side, holding on with one hand*

oh FUCK

*Eridan tries to catch Feferi before she falls but grabs nothing but air. He drops down and peers over the edge, but she's already flying back up to him*

shit fef im sorry are you alright
here

*He holds out a hand for her to grab*

*Feferi stares at that hand and her mind flashes with panic. Her face turns stricken and she looks like she's about to faint, before she bites down so hard a resounding crack echoes in her ears. A bit of blood leaks out the corner of her mouth, and with shaking determination, Feferi grabs Eridan's extended hand and lets him pull her up*

*Eridan takes a step back to give her some space. He stands there for a moment, not sure what to do, before awkwardly pointing at her lips*

theres a little
um
youre bleedin

*Feferi stumbles onto the dock and stands there with her hands on her knees, panting. She starts at Eridan's words, then whips the blood away with her hand. She frowns, looking at the blood stain on her hand, before clenching her fist. Her entire body is shaking with fear. Coward. She was Empress Feferi! She changed the meaning of culling, and yet here she was, scared stiff of a troll who didn't even deserve to be addressed by name? Feferi draws her lips taught, gaze still locked on the ground, before dragging her eyes up to acknowledge the existence of the troll in front of her. She laughs at herself mockingly*

Good glub I'm a m-Ess ar-En't I?

*Feferi smirks and straightens her back, blowing a few strands of hair out of her face*

NOT w)(at I m-Eant, -Eridan

oh

*But there is no understanding in his voice, as its not until two seconds later that a realization begins to form. With pained expression he takes another step back*

its really that bad then

*Feferi looks down and wraps her hands around her shoulders*

You can't b-E surpris-Ed by t)(at can you?

i dont knoww i guess not
its just

*He sighs and runs a hand trough his purple streak*

i GET that youre scared a me fef i really do
ivve got some vvery potent wweaponry up my sleavve an ivve been the opposite a reliable wwhen it comes to not turnin into a traiterous piece a shit
but at the end a the day im just some douche wwith a gun an a lot a mistakes under his belt that he doesnt evver wwanna repeat
im not fuckin death incarnate wwalkin the streets
im not

*He makes a vague gesture at her, somewhere between frustrated and pleading*

wwhatevver the hell it is youre seein

*Feferi shudders, Eridan's murderous look flashing through her mind as she felt her life drain from her body. She glances at Eridan, about to say something, when a lightning bolt flashes in the distance. The Eridan in front of her is replaced with the darkened murderer on the meteor, her ex matesprit on the ground behind him, unconscious. The weathered boards of the pier give way to the hard, metallic tiles of the lab, and she reaches down to her stomach to find a gaping hole. She gasps and coughs up blood, falling to her knees. Glancing around, she spots Kanaya with an equally large hole in her chest, unmoving on the floor. The remains of the matriorb are strewn across the lab, their last hope for saving their race. Shaking, she brings her head up to lock eyes with the man she used to consider a friend. Another flash of light and she's back to the present. She closes her mouth and climbs to her feet*

I will always s-Ea you for w)(at you ar-E, -Eridan
Not)(ing you can do will c)(ang-E t)(at

*Eridan clenches his teeth and doesn't respond right away. The finality of her words stings like ice, but it does little to shake his resolve*

then ill make sure that wwhat i am is wworth somethin

*Feferi winces, his words reminding her of how Eridan wanted to make his worth apparent to Jack*

Just try not to kill anyon-E and I wont )(ang you as a traitor

*She starts to walk past Eridan coming very close to his right arm*

*Eridan almost instinctively reaches out, but at the last moment pulls back and balls his fist*

you wwere goin to kill me fef
i hope you didnt forget that

*Feferi turns to Eridan, a fire in her eyes*

If I was going to kill you, I would )(av-E
I )(-Esitat-Ed and it almost cost us -Ev-Eryt)(ing
I wont mak-E t)(-E sam-E mistak-E n-Ext tim-E

*Eridan seems less that impressed*

if thats wwhat you wwant to tell yourself fine
wwhat does it evven matter at this point
there wwont be a next time an if you cant believve that then take wwhatevver precautions you need to soothe your paranoia
just let me do my damn job

*He turns his back on Feferi, looking out onto the sea*