Fishnet

Chapter 4 - Cronus

"So... wwhat noww?" Eridan glanced at me. He no longer had pupils, due to the fact that we were now ghosts.
"I dunno. At least we can hop through dream bubbles, right? Also, you're not hated anymore."
"True," he nodded. "And at least I'm wwith the one bein' wwho actually cares wwhen no one else did."
I hugged him tight, smiling against his blue striped scarf. "They just couldn't handle the heat."
We looked around to figure out our location. We were in my bubble - the Land of Sweets and Magma. I dragged Eridan to the house that was perched atop a hill. He began to take it all in, then finally spoke up. "Your hivve is beautiful! But... not as beautiful as you."
I blushed a bright red, using my hood to veil my face. My ears and horns easily poked through the designed cavities of the hood so they wouldn't be trapped under a piece of enchanted cloth. Unfortunately, my pupils were still there so it was easy for others to look directly into my soul and tell what I've been thinking. I was the Maid of Blood and Eridan was the Prince of Hope - one beneficial, one parasitic. However I could not help being around him, even if he was a douche. He retained his good looks, to say the least.

There was a long period of silence. "Wwell, are ya gonna invvite me in or are you wwaitin for your lusus to come out?!"
I snapped back to reality. "Oh! I'm sorry, I'll let you in."
Stupid, stupid, stupid! I opened the door to my house and scooted to the side so the seadweller could enter. "The afterlife is not so bad..." he mumbled, walking around the red marble floor. "I wwanted to talk to you about somethin', Lee."
"Wwhat is it, Eri?" I asked, imitating his wavy accent.
"First a all, don't... Just don't. Second, i-it's about you... an I..." He was stumbling over his words. Cute little Eridork.
"Just cut to the chase, Eridan! Tell me!"
He sputtered and was about to say it when there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see a taller version of Eridan. I've never seen another Aquarius troll besides Eridan. He was indeed different. A wave-like scar was tattooed on the right side of his forehead. His hair was slicked back as if he were a greaser. The same Aquarius sign was printed to his white shirt, but he didn't have the entire hipster look like Eridan. A cigarette hung loosely from his lips. He looked down at me and smirked creepily. "Vwhy hello there, doll. This must be your dream bubble...."
"Who wants to know?" I glared at him. That flirtatious tone was gonna make me vomit.
"Cronus Ampora, and I must say... I'wve newver seen such a beautiful babe like you," he replied, wiggling his eyebrows at me. I cringed and used every muscle in my mouth to frown.
Eridan gently tugged me towards his side. "Fuck off, you arrogant prick! Wwho said she wwas yours?" Wow, Eri, you're so protective!
"Hello to you too, Chief." His smirk was gone, and his words were spat out like fire. He then turned to me. "Is this hipster you matesprit?"
I was mortified. "N-no! He's just a f-friend!" I blushed furiously.
"Then he must not be flushed for you; he hasn't made the first mowve. Perhaps you prefer someone on the... cooler side~?" He leaned closer to me.
I pushed him away. "Hands off the merchandise, greaser..."
"Ooh a feisty one! I like that." A split second later, he picked me up bridal-style. "Don't bother struggling, doll. Lowve has its strength benefits." The cigarette in his mouth tipped with every movement of his lips.
My tail wrapped around his legs tightly, tipping him over. I fell to the icy ground with a thud and ran to Eridan. I quickly got into the house and locked it good. He didn't seem like he wanted to give chase, so I walked further into my house. Eridan hugging me tightly. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I guess being half demon cat pays off," I laughed. "So what were you gonna tell me?"
"Wwell, I...." He paused and took a deep breath. "IthinkI'mflushedforyou!"
I looked at him. My face never burned such a bright red before. He looked like he was about to cry when I pulled him into a tight hug. "Why didn't you say so!? I'm flushed for you too, Eri!"
He smiled, his facial features relaxed. His fins perked up. I was about to dive in for a kiss, but then I saw Cronus tapping at the glass of one of the windows. Does this perverted greaser EVER give up!? I flicked him off. He looked like he wanted to tell me something. Reluctantly, I opened the door and he fell in. "Thanks, doll."
"Don't come to me with that bullshit. Stop sugarcoating and tell me why you're bothering us."
"Fine. I vwas just bubble hopping and vwhen I noticed howv it vwas cowvered in sugar and burning lawva, I vwanted to sea vwhose land it vwas."
I nodded. "Well now you know, so piss off."
"Can't I at least sea about my little Ampora here?" He gestured towards Eridan.
"Fiiine," I sighed.
He padded to Eri in attempt to give him a bro hug, but Eridan flinched away. "Tread carefully, Cro... I don't trust you being around Leah..."
"So Leah is her name, eh?" He turned back to me. "Sexy name, doll."
"Stop fucking calling me that," I rasped. "You're stepping on chords that will get you killed."
"Ok, ok, I'll stop." He put his hands up defensively. "So vwat nowv? You guys are dead?"
"Yeah," we both answered.
"Howv?"
"A chainsaww to the wwaist," Eridan replied.
Cronus turned his attention to me. "Vwat about you? You don't look dead."
"I'm god-tier, but yes I'm dead. The same way as Eridan."
"Seems legit." He turned to go. "I should get going nowv. Meenah has me strapped dowvn tight about being in a dream bubble too long. I havwe other bubbles to hop to."
Just before he closed the door behind him, he peeked his head in. "Message me sometime, doll. Vwe'll meet again soon enough~" Then he was gone.
Eww...


A/N: (sorry if I got Cronus's quirk fucked up. Don't judge me plz :<
Also, sorry for any typos in the previous chapters. Wattpad is being a bitch and won't let me correct them once I've posted them.)