run baby run, dont ever look back - intro/open

[turntechgodhead]

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[shadow=purple,left]they'll tear us apart if[/shadow][sup]✧･ﾟ: *________[/sup]you give them the chance

[justify]

[sub]Eridans arms ached as he rowed the boat. his limbs were on fire and he could barely count how long he'd been going for. Sweat rolled down his face as lungs heaved in and out, they burned with a heavy fire yet at the same time it was freezing. he had no idea where he was going, he just needed to get away from it all. the mid-day sun burned down on his skin, just increasing the heat he felt all over. maybe he would find an abandoned island to rot away on, that would be nice. he stopped rowing for only a moment, to make a feeble attempt at wiping the sweat from his brow. it was everything and nothing all at once. he picked up once again, pushing through despite all else. he hoped maybe today would be the day he found something. he hated being in this forsaken boat at night, he shivered, not from the cold but at the thought of boating for another night. he was so tired, hadn't slept in who knows how long.he dragged his arms like dead weights, the oars cutting through the water like a butter knife to a piece of ice. maybe he would just give up, leave it all behind. he thought about this for a while, just waiting for a wave and letting it take him with it. that would be the cowards way out, he'd been going for this long, might as well continue. he moved forward at a steady pace,he almost zoned out at the rhythm of moving his arms back and forth. he almost forgot how much it hurt. however, he soon saw a blur out in the distance. his tired eyes could barely make it out, it could have been a mirage but he only cared to keep going. he rowed with a fire until he got closer and closer to it. an island, it was an island. he would cry if he was hydrated enough to do so. he rowed to the very edge of the shore and practically threw himself out of the boat. the sweet feel of land beneath him. he laid out on the grainy sand and let out a long sigh. he sat there, stretched out on the ground and let himself relax for the first time in years. he had no idea what this place was but hopefully he could stay for a while. [/sub]

[/justify]

[shadow=purple,left]don't sell your heart[/shadow][sup]✧･ﾟ: *________[/sup]dont say we're not meant to be
[shadow=purple,left]run baby run, forever we'll be
you and me[/shadow]

[Nikolai Sokolov.]

[justify]Over the course of the day, a small speck on the horizon had caught his attention as he walked along the beach, haven't originally gone out to look for seaweed that had washed up on the shoreline.  While he didn't often converse with others, and more or less avoided them, it wasn't every day that he saw something that looked even remotely human out on the water.  He would be lying if he said he didn't know what boats were, but it was very unlikely for a stranger to row up in one.  The journey was far too long to just set out and paddle your way across the sea, especially when there was no point in leaving the land, to begin with.  He didn't even want to imagine how dangerous it would be if perhaps the boat capsized while out at sea.  He knew eventually, this stranger would find his way here.  It only made sense that upon discovering civilization, any sound human would flock to it with hopes of joining.  That being said, Nikolai wasn't sure if this human was sound.  There had to be some sort of reason why they would even come here to begin with.  If anything, it almost seemed as though the lone sailor was fleeing from something.

Night had fallen by the time the lone sailor had made any progress, and it seemed in part due to how tired they probably were, paddling their ship all alone.  Niko himself had stuck around to watch the boat come in, albeit from a distance, as he was intrigued by this stranger's presence.
He had long forgotten about the seaweed he had once gone out to collect, however, at this point, there was no use in caring.  It was hardly useful to collect seaweed with hours of darkness following his schedule.  He needed the powerful sun to draw out any moisture, and unfortunately, the brightness of the moon just wasn't powerful enough to do that.

Resting quietly just within the undergrowth that lay further up the embankment of the shore, Nikolai calmly watched as the male finally reached the shore himself, flopping quickly onto the sand before him.  It was likely that the man had thought he'd never see the ground again, and for that, Niko wondered just how long he had been lost at sea.  Pushing himself off the ground, the late teenager decided he would be the first to greet the stranger, as no one else was around, and he doubted this man had any energy to do anything bad to him.  If anything, it might be reassuring to see another human alive in all this mess.

"Welcome ashore, buddy!" he would greet, casually walking across the cool sand, trying his best not to look awkward.  He had no idea what he was doing, but he hoped the stranger before him was too tired to realize that.[/justify]

[turntechgodhead]

Eridan looked up and squinted to see who was addressing him. his only senses at the moment were saltwater and... saltwater. he heaved for a moment, rubbing his eyes before responding. "salutations", it came out much more meek than he had hoped but at the particular moment he was just worried about not dying on the shore. his throat was dry and words felt foreign on his tongue. when was the last time he'd talked to someone, he didn't even know how long he was on the water, it was a blur. he forced himself to his feet that hadn't stood in days and wobbled over to his company. he probably looked a wreck, "Eridan, Eridan Ampora", he held a hand out to shake. at least he'd ended up somewhere with human civilization. the man before him looked rather nervous, Eridan tried his best to crack a smile, a slight one at least.