Eddie blanched, his fingers clenched as his eyes cut wildly around the materials in the room. He saw what Eridan wanted him to see, he caught the connotations that Eridan wanted him to catch. Blood had such symbolic, agonizing meaning between the two of them. The pain it promised. The secrets it kept.

Edward remembered what he had done to Eridan's blood, all those months ago.

A short, broken laugh crawled out between his teeth.

"Falsehood," said Edward. "You didn't do this to yourself. You've never had full autonomy of your own life, Eridan, you've reactive."

He grinned up from the ground, his limbs tied and helpless.