(A/N): Trigger warning for self-harming thoughts and mention of a suicide attempt.
Ah ,and the first signs of a plot. How delightful!
Please enjoy!
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At four A.M., Ink woke up. Without turning on any lights or making any noticeable sounds, he got dressed and headed to the kitchen to make some pancakes; he wanted his initial introduction with the children to go well, and that involved making their favorite food.
At seven o'clock, the twins began to stir. Nightmare was the first to get out of bed. He wandered sleepily into the kitchen, expecting to find his daddy making breakfast given the tasty smells.
He froze midstep when he saw the stranger in the kitchen.
Ink had just finished his fifth dozen pancakes when the little one entered. He smiled at the little one, kneeling down so as to not seem too intimidating.
"Good morning!" Ink greeted. "My name's Ink, and I'll be staying here for..however long I stay here. Your dad took me in, so there's no need to worry. I made pancakes. Your dad said you like fruit in your pancakes, but I didn't remember whatkindof fruit, so I went a bit wild and just made a bunch of pancakes with different fruits so I could be sure that there would be something you like!"
Nightmare leaned away from the strange adult with a wide eye. "Daaaddy!"
He ran out of the kitchen and towards Fresh's room. Fresh was pulling a clean shirt on when the child ran in. He looked down and blinked.
He grabbed his glasses off the night stand and kneeled down. "Yo, Nighty bro. What's the matter?"
"There's a stranger in the kitchen!" Nightmare scrambled into Fresh's arms and glanced back at the door.
"Tall fellow, got a black spot on his cheek?"
"Mhm..."
"Dat's Ink. He'll be staying wit us from now on, aight?"
"What? That's Ink?" Nightmare asked; he didn't realize the older monster would be so tall.
"Yep. Now, come on. Let's go meet him again." Fresh picked the child up and returned to the kitchen. "Morning, Ink. Looks like ya were busy."
Ink was a bit surprised by the child's reaction..perhaps he had been a bit too eager. He would have to tone that down in the future. Good slaves did not scare their masters' children.
"Good morning!" Ink nodded, gesturing to the five dozen pancakes he had made. "I made breakfast!"
"Dey look good, Ink." Frsh complimented with a smile.
Nightmare tucked his head under his daddy's chin and stared at Ink distrustfully.
"Thank you!" Ink smiled, grabbing some plates. "What type do you want? I made plain pancakes, but I also made pancakes with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and chocolate! There are also a few with all of that together!"
Fresh briefly wondered where Ink had found the chocolate. He simply smiled and said, "I'll have some strawberry and raspberry, broski." He looked down at Nightmare and asked, "What 'bout you, kiddo? Whatcha feelin' up ta?"
Nightmare glanced up at him and back at Ink. After a moment, he whispered, "Strawberry..."
"All right!" Ink nodded, plating the requested pancakes. "Would either of you like syrup?"
Fresh sat down with Nightmare still in his lap. "Dat would be good. Thanks, Ink."
"Of course!" He grinned, putting the plates on the table. "I'm here to serve, after all!"
Fresh's smile remained, but internally he was sighing. Nightmare looked between them as he started nibbling his pancakes.
"Thanks Ink. I really appreciate it." Fresh settled on saying; he knew Ink was just doing what he knew.
"You're welcome!" Ink nodded. "Shall I wake up Dream, or should I let him sleep?"
"Yeah, probs best ta. Else he won' sleep tonight an'll be up an' cranky." Fresh nodded as he started eating his own pancakes.
"All right!" Ink smiled, going to the children's bedroom.
When he got there, he walked to the bunk bed and laid a gentle finger on the child's shoulder, shaking him ever so softly.
"Dream, it is time to wake up." He whispered, trying to be as gentle as possible while also being rough enough to wake the child up.
Dream groaned and rolled over. "Don' wanna..." He mumbled sleepily.
"I madepancakes."Ink tempted.
Dream perked up at that. "Pancakes?" He threw the blankets off of himself and jumped off the bed; he smiled up at the adult, unbothered by the fact he didn't know him. "What kind?!"
"All kinds." Ink smiled. "Shall I help you get dressed?"
"Okay!" Dream smiled; he had no issues with this.
"All right, then!" Ink nodded, going to the child's closet. "What would you like to wear?"
"I want to wear that!" Dream pointed to a yellow striped shirt and some some brown shorts.
"Okay."
Ink grabbed the requested clothing along with some socks and brought the outfit over to Dream. Without hesitation, Ink replaced the child's current clothing with the shirt, shorts, and socks, making sure the child looked neat and tidy.
Dream wasn't used to being dressed by someone else, but he didn't mind. "Thank you, mister! What's your name?"
"Ink." Ink informed. "I'm a slave, which means that I'll do whatever you want me to do! You only have to ask."
Dream tilted his head and asked. "Like the noblemen's slaves?"
"Yes, like that." Ink nodded.
"Does that mean Daddy is a nobleman?" Dream concluded.
"In a sense, yes." Ink nodded. "He owns me, and I must do as he asks. Since you are his son, you can order me to do things, too, and so can your brother."
"Oh." Dream blinked and looked down to think about that; he wasn't surewhatto think about that. "Okay. Um, where is Daddy right now?"
"He's in the dining room with your brother." Ink informed. "Breakfast is on the table."
"Okay, thank you." Dream nodded and walked out of the room, glancing back at Ink as he went to the dining room.
"Of course." Ink nodded, taking a moment to tidy up the children's closet before starting towards the dining room.
The father and his two children were sitting at the table with their food. Dream was talking about what he had just learned and asking if that meant they were nobles now. Were they going to move to a bigger house? Were they going to live in a castle? Did Dream and Nightmare have to go to a fancy school now? Could he have a horse?
Fresh listened patiently to his son's questions and answered them to the best of his abilities.
No, they weren't moving. They were staying at the same school. Where would they even keep a horse?
Ink came out about a minute after Dream, standing by the table when he noticed that there was a conversation going on. Fresh looked up at Ink and gave him a slight smile. He wasn't happy Ink had told Dream about the arrangement, but it would have come out sooner or later. He only hoped he would be able to explain to the kids why slavery was bad, while'owning'a slave.
When had his life become so complicated?
"Get yer self a plate, Ink. Join us fer breakfast." Fresh nodded to the free seat next to Dream; the child in question had a plate of plain pancakes.
"Yes, Fresh." Ink nodded, grabbing a couple pancakes and drizzing a fair amount of syrup on them before sitting down.
Dream smiled at Ink and asked, "What kind of pancakes do you like? I don't like fruit, so I eat them by themselves. Lots, and lots, and lots of syrup makes it taste good though."
"Nottoomuch syrup, Dream. Ya'll giv yerself a stomach ache." Fresh said as he ate his own.
"But I don't have a stomach!" Dream protested; he pulled up his shirt to demonstrate. "See?"
"Ya kno' wha' mean." Fresh huffed in amusement.
Nightmare was just calmly eating his strawberry pancakes and watching the conversation around him.
"I like any type." Ink shrugged. "I'm not picky."
"Okay. Daddy?" Dream turned back to Fresh. "Am I a prince now?"
"If ya wanna be, Dream. Ya can be a prince. Dat what ya wanna play later?" Fresh asked.
"No. I mean, are me and Nighty princes now that we have servants and stuff?" Dream clarified; his mind was still on the new development.
"...I thought we were nobles." Fresh commented lightly as he calmly ate.
"Nobles can be princes too. Or do we have a different title?"
"We don' got titles, kiddo. We ain't dat sort." Fresh explained patiently.
"Should I have not told him..?" Ink had a feeling that he had made a mistake..
Fresh glanced at Ink with a patient expression. "I would have preferred ya didn', but it would hav' come up eventually."
"I apologize..I should have known it was a sensitive subject." Ink sighed. "I should have known better."
"Well, ya didn'. So don' worry 'bout it." Fresh waved off his concerns.
"I should be drowned." Ink buried his face in his hands.
"No, you don' deserved to be drowned." Fresh sighed.
"Whipped, then." Ink sighed.
"Yer not getting whipped." Fresh said tiredly.
Fresh set Nightmare down and handed the child his plate. "You kids go to da livin' room an' finish yer food."
"Why can't we stay here?" Dream asked.
"'Cause dis is grown up talk, aight?" Fresh stood up and gently pushed the two out of the room.
The children left the room, uncertain. Once they were out of the room, Fresh turned back to Ink.
"Are you going to punish me?" Ink questioned, assuming that was why Fresh had asked the children to leave. "Should I create a weapon for you to use?"
Fresh held back a sigh and sat down next to Ink and laid a hand on the other's shoulder. "Answer me dis. Did I tell you not to tell my kids about the slave arrangement?"
"Um..no?" Ink shrank. "At least..I don't remember you doing that..you might have..I'm sorry.."
"I can confirm I did not. Dat means ya didn't break any rules or orders." Fresh informed. "An' dat means ya don' get punished. Ya understand?"
"..Yes, Fresh." Ink nodded. "I understand."
Fresh tilted his head. "Is somethin' wrong, Ink?"
"..Any other master would have punished me." Ink enlightened. "The fact that they didn't specificallysaysomething wouldn't have made a difference. It only matters whether they're satisfied or not."
"Well, I'm satisfied with this." Fresh told him, rubbing Ink's shoulder comfortingly. "I ain't gonna punish ya fer somethin' dat ya didn' kno'. Ta you, dis is da norm. I'm still gettin' used ta it an' jus' wanted a bit o' time ta find a way ta explain it da kiddos. Dey were gonna kno' eventually."
"Oh..okay." Ink replied. "Do you..want me to teach you? About what I'm used to?"
"...While I think dat could be helpful, so I kno' wat ta expect, I hope ya realize I still ain't gonna do things da same way."
"..It will be difficult for me to remember that." Ink admitted. "But I'll try."
"Aight. Dat's all I ask. Is fer ya ta make an effort." Fresh smiled gently.
"I'll do my best!" Ink assured. "Now, is there anything I can do for you right now?"
"How's 'bout we get started on dat stuff ya were talkin' 'bout. What yer used ta." Fresh leaned his elbows on the table, looking up at Ink. "I think it best not ta put it off fer long."
"All right." Ink nodded. "I'm used to..being treated like an object. I'm typically yelled at when I don't act immediately, and I have no choice in what I do. I was trained to enjoy the things that I enjoy, including torture, and I've lived that way for so long that I don't know if I can actually physically stop. I..I'm used to strict beatings when I mess up, and..I'm used to torture. I've been a victim far more than a torturer. I..I've been taught what right and wrong are; I'm just not sure if they're the accepted definitions. I'm used to eating little to nothing and going for weeks without sleep. I'm used to being ruthless when I fight, and I'm used to fighting alot.I'm probably..very messed up..in the standards you may hold. I'm sorry."
...
"..."
...You might need to invest in a therapist.
Fresh minutely nodded and said, "I see. Well...dat's gonna be an adjustment den, 'cause I ain't 'bout dat torture life." He hummed and frowned lightly. "Doe, dat does remind me. How are yer urges? It's been a couple days since ya played da video game. Do ya need ta play it sum more?"
"Um.." Ink hadn't wanted to talk about that. "I'm fine."
Why was he lying? Didn't he know his master would pick up on it? He was so stupid.
Fresh frowned and gave Ink a look. "Please don' lie ta me, Ink. Dis is a serious thing. I don' wan' it ta get out of control."
He brought out the game player and handed it to Ink.
"..I don't have any urges right now." Ink stated. "I found a different coping mechanism."
Ink hoped with every fiber of his being that Fresh would not ask what it was; he wished he weren't bound to tell the truth to his master..
Fresh studied Ink's body language carefully, taking note of the nervousness and reluctance.
HM-MM
"You don' wan'ta tell me, do ya? Hmm... Aight." Fresh put the game player away. "Jus' let me kno' if things change an' ya need help wit da urges. Alright?"
"I will." Ink assured. "But I'll keep it under control."
"Aight. But if it ever becomes too much, just let me kno'." Fresh repeated. "Fer now, let's go see if da kiddos are done eatin'."
"All right." Ink nodded. "I'll wash the dishes; you can clear up everything with them..I'm sorry again for ruining it."
"Like I said, dey would have found out eventually." Fresh sighed, standing up. "An' sounds good. Be sure ta put the rest o'da pancakes in freezer bags ta store dem fer another day. Ya can find da bags under da cabinet by da fridge."
"Got it." Ink nodded, grabbing the dishes off the table.
"Thanks, Ink." Fresh said, with a slight smile.
Fresh went to the living room and sat down on the couch. The twins were sitting on the floor, quietly finishing their pancakes at the coffee table.
"Is everything okay, Daddy?" Dream asked, a small frown on his face. "Is Ink in trouble?"
"Ink ain't in trouble. Daddy jus' forgot ta tell him somethin' an' so Ink didn' kno' not ta do it." Fresh assured him. "I gotta be clearer next time, is all."
"What didn't you tell him?" Dream asked; his brother listened closely to the conversation, staring intently at his dad.
"I didn' want him ta tell ya what he was yet until I was certain I could explain it properly." Fresh replied honestly. "It's a complicated sitch, but Ink is used ta dis way o' life. I'm trying ta help him so he won' hav'ta relie on someone like dis forever, but its gonna take time."
"What's that mean?" Dream asked confused.
"It means, dat one day Ink won' wan' ta be a slave. Which is good, because slavery is bad. It's not good ta own other people."
"But nobles own people all the time."
"Perhaps, but dat don' make it right. Jus' 'cause a lot of people do somethin', don' make it right."
Dream looked down to think about that. He still wasn't sure what was wrong. Nobles in Dreamtale all had slaves and even offered some to the young Guardians as payment for the apples. They always refused, since the apples weren't for sale. They couldn't give those away.
"Does he have to do what we say?" Nightmare spoke up hesitantly.
"Unfortunately, yes. Which is why ya gotta be careful with what ya say or do, okay?" Fresh told them seriously; he took off his glasses to look them both in the eye. "I don't want you two bossing Ink around just because he has to listen to you. He is a person and deserves the respect everyone else does. Do you understand?"
Dream nodded his head rapidly. He would be nice to Ink! They could be best friends! Nightmare was still unsure, but he was relieved Fresh wasn't happy about owning a person.
Meanwhile, Ink was finishing up in the kitchen. He put the last of the pancakes into the freezer, arranging them neatly to ensure that they didn't take up too much room. Once he finished that, he washed the dishes and put them away. The entire time, he was becoming increasingly relieved; he had dodged a bullet earlier with Fresh.
Ink wouldn't admit it to his master, but..the game didn't help as much as it could have. It helped, yes, but it wasn't as effective as other things would have been to combat his urges; it would have failed him in the end, and he might have seriously injured Fresh or his family! He couldn't do that. There were few methods of satiating the urges that Ink knew of: hurting someone, hurting himself, and imagining vividly that he was hurting someone. The last one was less effective than the first two, and Ink didn't want to hurt anyone else - that left himself. Ink had initially hoped that Fresh would just punish him as any other master would have; that would have provided enough torture for him to be able to handle the urges, since he had been trained in that way. Unfortunately, it didn't seem as if Fresh was going to do that, and..no offense to his master, but the one punishment hehadinstituted..well, it hardly phased Ink's pain tolerance; it wasn't going to work.
Ink had to take matters into his own hands, and that meant torturing himself when no one needed him. Due to his coding powers, that was easier done than said; all he had to do was lower his pain tolerance and go about his usual activities. He was clumsy enough that he could hurt himself without anyone suspecting him! And, if that wasn't enough..he always had the nighttime to effect an end to any lingering urges he might have had. He didn't think Fresh would walk in on him in the middle of the night unless there was an emergency, and even if he did, he would probably understand if Ink told him..
Ink just didn't want to tell him yet.
Fresh finished explaining the situation to the children and making sure they understood how their actions would affect Ink. While the children picked a game to play, Fresh took the plates and brought them to the kitchen. He nodded approvingly at the clean kitchen and started washing the two plates he brought in.
"Yer doin' good, Ink. Thank you fer takin' care o' dat." Fresh said. "How ya feelin'?"
"Of course." Ink nodded. "I'm feeling well, thank you. Do you want me to wash those for you?"
"Nah, I got 'em." Fresh assured, putting the now-clean plates and silverware away. "Kids are picking out a game ta play, ya wanna join us? Knowin' Dream, it's probs gonna be Chutes an' Ladders or Candy Land."
"Are you sure Ishould..?"Ink wondered. "I mean..I haven't really done anything todeserveit.."
"Ya don' need ta need ta do somethin' ta deserve ta play Candy Land, Ink." Fresh told him. "An' ya been doin' plenty. Don' worry 'bou it."
"..You'resure?"Ink wanted Fresh to be absolutely certain.
"I'm sure." Fresh assured him.
"All right.." Ink replied; if his master was sure, he had no choice. "Where are we going to play?"
"Probs in da living room. Come on." Fresh led them to the living room, where the kids were setting up Candy Land.
"Okay." Ink followed his master to the living room, but he didn't sit down; he didn't want to take anyone's seat.
Fresh sat down on the couch, and Dream scrambled into his lap. Nightmare stayed on the other side of the coffee table. He eyed Ink uncertainly as he picked the blue piece for himself.
Fresh pat the seat next him for Ink. "Take a seat, broski. Which color do ya wanna be?"
"Um..I don't care?" Ink shrugged. "I'll just pick whatever you don't want."
"You can be the yellow piece!" Dream announced, handing him the piece that was in his hand. "I'll be the red one, and Daddy can be green."
"I'm always green." Fresh chuckled.
"Because you're green." Dream told him, as if that explained everything.
"Okay." Ink took the yellow piece.
Everyone set their pieces down and prepared to take their turns. The twins each took theirs, somehow landing on the same blue square. Fresh took his and landed one square ahead of them. Ink took his turn, landing behind the group, and The family all took their turns, Dream gaining the lead.
He looked up at Ink and asked, "Have you ever played Candy Land before?"
"Yes, I have." Ink nodded, taking his turn.
"What's your favorite game?" Dream asked as he took his turn.
The other two took theirs, the game moving along steadily.
"Risk." Ink replied, taking his turn as well.
"What's that?" Dream asked.
"It's a game where ya gotta try ta conquer da world." Fresh answered, as he took his turn.
"Do you become king of everything?" Dream asked, intrigued by the idea.
"Yep. Ya become king o' da map."
"I can show you how to play sometime, if you'd like me to." Ink offered.
"Yeah! Nighty, do you hear that? Ink is going to show us how to play Risk." Dream grinned, needing to be prompted to take his turn.
Nightmare nodded and took his turn; he wouldn't have minded learning a new game. Fresh smiled and took his turn; this was going very well. Nightmare seemed to still be getting used to Ink, but he hadn't hidden since this morning, so that was a good sign. Ink hummed, taking his own turn; he was going to try not to win, since defeating one's master in a board game was improper.
Dream moved his piece. He was about halfway to the end. "What other games do you like?"
"Just about everything." Ink replied. "I'm not picky."
"Do you like tag? And hide and go seek?"
"Yes, I do."
"Cool! I like those games too!" Dream exclaimed. "I'm super fast and a really good hider. I hide on the roof once. Daddy got scared because he couldn't find me, because I was so good at hiding."
"Wow, you must bereallygood!" Ink chuckled.
"Kiddo apparently was jumpin' from tree ta tree and changin' his hidin' spot." Fresh huffed lightly, rubbing the child's skull. "Nearly gave me a heart attack."
Dream giggled and ducked his head; he was also a great climber.
"I'll have to stay alert if I ever play with you, then!" Ink chuckled.
"Yep! I'm super good hide and seek." Dream replied.
"I'll keep that in mind."
Dream giggled as they continued the game. In the end, Nightmare won and was declared king of Candy Land.
"Good job, kiddo." Fresh reached over and pat his head.
Nightmare gave a small smile.
"Good job!" Ink congratulated. "You played well!"
"Thank you." Nightmare said, glancing at Ink.
"Sure thing!" Ink nodded. "Now, uh, does anyone need anything to be done?"
"Mmm... I have homework from school I need to do." Dream informed.
Nightmare nodded his head; he did, too.
"Do you want me to help?" Ink offered.
"If you want to, okay." Dream appreciated the offer.
"All right, where do we go?" Ink stood, ready to help!
"I have it in my inventory. Inventories make it easier to store stuff." Dream claimed, pulling out the homework in question. It was mostly spelling and basic math.
Nightmare pulled his out as well; it was the same as Dream's.
"How's 'bout ya three do dat at da table while I clean up da game." Fresh suggested, already picking up the pieces.
"Okay, Daddy." Dream nodded, getting up to go to the kitchen; Nightmare followed his lead.
Ink followed the children, sitting down at the table and preparing to help them with their homework.
"So, what are we doing?" He wondered. "Math, science, reading?"
"I have math and spelling. And Nighty does, too." Dream replied, sitting down next to Ink. Nightmare sat across from his brother, setting his papers in front of himself.
"All right, just let me know when you need help!" Ink smiled.
"Okay!"
The children started on their math homework. It was basic addiction and subtraction. One plus one and so on...
Dream was running into the issue of remembering what six plus six was. He knew it was a double number, but he couldn't remember which one! He didn't have enough fingers either!
"Can you help me with this one?" Dream turned his paper around and pointed at the problem.
"Of course!" Ink nodded. "Six plus six. Well do you know that six of something is referred to as a half-dozen?"
"Yeah...hmm...eggs come in a dozen. And that's twelve-" Dream's face lit up, and he pulled the paper back to write down the answer. "Thank you!"
"Of course!" Ink smiled, nodding; he was glad he could help!
Dream ran into another problem he couldn't solve easily, this one subtraction. "What is nine minus seven?"
"Well, when you add to seven, what number gives you nine?"
"Um...eight, nine...two!" Dream held up his fingers after counting it out.
"Right!" Ink confirmed. "Very good!"
"Thank you!" Dream wrote down the answer and continued with his homework.
Nightmare glanced over Dream before looking back at his own paper. He had already finished his math and was working on his spelling homework. Since he was good at spelling, though, this wasn't hard for him. Ink waited patiently for one of the children to need his help again; he hoped he could be of good use to them! Dream soon moved onto his spelling homework. He hummed and pointed at one of the words. He didn't recognize it.
"What's this word?" He pointed to the word 'ocean'.
"Ocean - it's a difficult word because the 'c' makes an 's' sound." Ink informed.
"Ohhh... that's a tricky word." Dream commented, copying the word five times on his paper to practice it.
"Yes, it is!" Ink nodded. "But once you get it, it'll be easy!"
"Okay."
Dream nodded and moved on to the next word on his list. The rest were pretty easy, and he didn't need help with those. Nightmare had already finished and was waiting for his brother to finish.
"Anything else?" Ink asked, after a while.
"No, that's it. We only had the two papers." Dream informed him, looking up with a smile. "Thank you again for helping."
"Of course!" Ink smiled. "Is there anything else you'd like me to do?"
"Ummm...we're done with our homework now. Usually, we just go play now. Do you want to play with us?"
"I am yours to command." Ink shrugged.
"Daddy says we're not supposed to boss you around." Nightmare piped up, looking down at the table as he played with his pencil. "He says we have to treat you with respect still."
"Oh..well, I'm still yours to command..if you see fit to give me any orders. I really won't mind."
Nightmare's grip around his pencil tightened and loosened. He glanced at Dream and the other frowned lightly.
"What's wrong, Nighty?" He asked.
"..." Nightmare looked back at Ink with a light frown. He lowered his hands below the table and moved them around.
Dream watched as his brother signed his concerns. Nightmare didn't like the idea of having a slave. He knew how the nobles back home treated their slaves. It wasn't with kindness. Dream nodded and signed in agreement. He didn't think it was right either, but what could they do?
They looked back up at Ink after sharing one last look.
"Um, do you like tag or hide and seek better?" Dream asked.
"I don't prefer one over the other." Ink replied. "Which would you two like to play?"
"I like hide and seek. Do you want to play that, Nighty?"
"Yeah. That sounds like fun." Nightmare nodded his head.
The two got out of their chairs and looked up at the adult.
"Are you going to count first?" Dream asked.
"If you'd like me to, yes." Ink nodded.
"Okay! Come on, Nighty!" Dream took his twin's hand and dragged him out the door.
It seemed they were going to hide outside, where there were loads of trees to choose from.
"One, two, three.." Ink counted.
He made sure to count slowly, to give the children enough time to hide. Nightmare and Dream were quick to climb the trees around the cabin, Nightmare using his dark coloring to blend in with the shadows.
"Twenty!" Ink shouted, opening his eyesockets. "Ready or not, here I come!"
Ink began his search inside the house, looking for the little ones everywhere, but no matter where he looked in the house, the children were no where to be found. Fresh glanced up from some papers he had on the coffee table and chuckled as he watched Ink go by. He was reviewing the rules Ink had written down for him while the other three played. Ink hummed, going outside; they had mentioned hiding outdoors earlier! He looked up high in the trees first, since he remembered that part of the conversation.
From his position, Nightmare could clearly see Ink. He sunk deeper into the shadows, fully concealed among the foliage. Dream was crouched on a large branch laden with snow.; the snow kept his lighter bones from being spotted so easily. He couldn't see Ink from behind the tree trunk, but he could hear the crunch of snow as the adult walked outside.
"Dream?" Ink called out. "Nightmare? Where are you?"
Faint giggling could be heard further ahead down the path, high up in the trees. Ink smirked, running forward and looking up; he would find the little ones soon enough! Through a pile of snow on the thickest branch, the gleam of a certain golden crown could be seen, and Ink chuckled, tiptoeing over to the shining object. The little skeleton didn't notice the adult getting closer, content in his ability to hide. Once Ink was close enough, he smiled widely, and he began to climb the tree, making sure not to make too much noise. With the other ambient noises of the forest, Dream didn't notice the light scraping of the bark as the adult climbed. When Ink finally reached the branch Dream was on, he smiled, prepped his magic (he was about eighty percent sure that Dream was going to fall after this), and grinned.
"Boo." He said, next to Dream's nonexistent ear.
"Ahhh!"Dream startled with a shriek of laughter. He stood up abruptly and stuck his arms out for balance; the slippery snow had caused him to slip.
Ink smiled, using a bit of code magic to help the child keep upright; he was glad that he had prepped it.
"Found you!" He chuckled.
Dream giggled and walked along the brach to hug the tree trunk. "Yeah, you did! You're really good at this game!"
"Thanks!" Ink grinned. "Well, let's find your brother!"
"Okay! He likes to hide in dark places, so we have to look there." Dream started climbing down, carefully yet expertly sliding down the trunk.
"All right." Ink nodded, hopping off the branch and landing in a snow bank; he only took a couple seconds to gain his bearings before he was ready to go.
Dream looked up and scanned the trees for any dark patches his brother could be hiding in. He pointed to a spot where the branches were thicker and the pine needles kept the light out.
"Let's look there." He suggested.
"Okay." Ink began to walk towards the spot in question.
The pine needles rustled in a light breeze. The light still didn't penetrate their thick cover or reveal any children hiding. Ink hummed, moving closer; he idly wondered how far the children would hide. From a higher branch in a neighboring tree, Nightmare watched as the adult went to investigate the other branch; only his cyan eyelight was visible. Ink tapped his foot, searching the trees; finding a goopy child in a dark leaf cover was going to be difficult..
Nightmare was a master of staying still. He was much more subtle than his brother. He liked to use these games to learn about people and observe them. Ink continued to scan the leaves, hoping a cyan eyelight would make itself known soon..he was going to start climbing trees if it didn't. Nightmare closed his eye when Ink turned in his direction, and he kept listening for the adult's movements. He was ready to move places if needed. Ink sighed after a couple more moments; it was time to climb. He walked over to the nearest tree and began ascent. He just so happened to find the correct tree. Nightmare listened closely to the small sounds the adult made as he climbed - the scrape of the bark and the rustle of leaves as he used the branches to pull himself higher.
Ink began to feel tired about halfway up the tree; he shouldnothave been climbing trees while still recovering from an injury! However, he was a slave, and it was his duty to do this; he could get through it. The scraping sounds slowed down, and Nightmare took note of that. He opened his eye slowly and peeked out at the adult. He was still hidden, but now he could get a better look at Ink's behavior and study his body language. The child tilted his head as he recalled what his daddy had told him about Ink. About what the other had gone through before coming here.
He made a decision and opened his eye further, still watching the adult.
When Ink reached a branch that could support his weight, he sat down, taking a brief moment to relax before he had to resume his climb; hereallyshould have waited before climbing trees. The fact that he had lowered his pain tolerance didn't help, either..
Nightmare left his hiding spot and climbed down to the branch next to Ink's. He gave the adult a critical look and said, "You're hurt still."
Ink shook his skull at the child..where had he come from?
"No, I'm fine." He assured. "Just needed to take a breather. I'm fine now. Found you, by the way!"
Nightmare nodded his skull. Yes, he had been found. And he knew a lie when he heard one. "You're hurt." He repeated.
He pulled out some monster candies from his pocket and handed them to Ink with one of his tentacles.
"I'm really fine." Ink repeated. "I'm just exerting myself a little bit too much while I'm still recovering. My HP is fine; you don't ned to waste those on me."
"Its not wasting." Nightmare extended his tentacle further.
"..I can't argue with you." Ink sighed; he wouldn't go against the rules, even if it would have been for the greater good. "But my personal opinion is that, if you make me take them, it will be a waste. The same result could be found if I just sat down for a couple minutes."
"People aren't a waste." Nightmare mumbled, his other tentacles wrapping around a thin branch over his head.
"..I am." Ink informed, sighing. "I'm feeling a lot better now."
Nightmare huffed lightly and sat down, crossing his arms. "No. People aren't a waste."
Ink sighed. "If you insist. What shall we do now? Your brother is probably getting a bit worried.."
"He'll be fine. He knows where I was hiding anyway." Nightmare informed him, swinging his legs lightly. "We'll just wait until you feel better."
Ink rolled his eyelights. "But I feel better already!"
Nightmare gave the adult a disbelieving look.
"Really, I do!" Ink defended.
Nightmare narrowed his eye and hummed. He still didn't believe Ink, but he started climbing down the tree anyway. Ink followed behind, ready to use his magic in case Nightmare fell; he wouldn't let the children get hurt on his watch! With all eight of his limbs to keep him steady, Nightmare had no trouble getting down without help. Dream was at the bottom waiting for them.
"Nighty! Did he find you?"
Nightmare nodded and retracted his tentacles. He looked over at Ink to see how he was doing after climbing down. Ink was all right, but it was obvious that he needed to sit down.
"Wanna play another round?" He offered, despite his condition.
"...I wanna go inside." Nightmare announced.
"But we just got out here!" Dream protested with a wine.
"We're going inside." Nightmare informed him firmly. He looked up at Ink and said, "Come on."
"..Okay." Ink nodded; he wasn't getting out of this.
Nightmare led their group inside, where Fresh was still going over the papers. He looked up to see a serious-looking Nightmare and a pouting Dream.
"Whatcha doin' inside so soon?" He asked.
"Ink is tired." Nightmare said bluntly. He pointed to the couch and ordered Ink to sit down.
Fresh blinked at the behavior, unsure how to respond to this one. The child was doing what he told them not to, but he was doing it to make Ink rest. Did he scold him or praise him?
Ink sighed, sitting down; he would need to hide his tiredness better in the future. Nightmare went off to find something, and Dream watched him go with a confused look. He glanced at Ink and frowned.
He walked over and looked up at Ink. "You're tired? Do you need something to drink? Are you hungry?"
"I'm fine." Ink assured. "I feel much better than I did a minute ago."
"Okay...um, I'm going to see what Nighty is doing." Dream ran off to follow where his brother went.
Fresh hummed and started piling the papers back up; he didn't want the kids to see them. He glanced over at Ink. "Having fun out there?"
"Yes, thank you." Ink nodded. "Although, I'm sorry it had to end early because of me. I'll hide my exhaustion better in the future - don't worry."
Fresh chuckled and shook his head. "Nightmare da one who caught ya, yeah? Ya ain't gonna be able ta hide it from 'im."
"..I cantry."Ink shrugged. "I'm not supposed to be the cause of my owners' sadness. Dream is sad. I've failed."
"Nah, Dream ain't sad. Kiddo don't quite understand da emotion." Fresh explained, leaning back on the couch. "Ya familiar wit wat happened ta Dreamtale?"
"Only in my multiverse; this one could be different." Ink informed. "In mine, Dream was adored by the villagers, and he was also taken advantage of by them, but I don't really care about him. Nightmare was bullied for most of his life, and after many, many years of bullying, he finally couldn't take it anymore, and he decided to try to kill himself by eating the fruits of the Tree of Feelings. Dream tried to stop him, but he was turned to stone..somehow. I'm not sure about that part. I broke him out several years after that. Is that the same story as here?"
"Hmm... dat first part def happened. Wit Dream and Nightmare an' how's dey were treated." Fresh nodded, taking note of Ink's opinion of his Dream. "I showed up 'bout in da middle o' da event. Nightmare was double in size an' he wasn' in control. Little Dream hadn't been stonified yet. Turns out, at least here, dat dere was some sort o' Hate entity livin' in da dark apples. It took over Nightmare and made 'im kill."
Fresh closed his sockets as he remembered the event, clear as day. That was the day he met a certain someone whom he wasn't quite sure how to feel about. More importantly, the day he met his kids.
"Da reason I bring dis up, is Dream don' stay sad, if he even feels it. He's described the feelings as fleeting. Even more so since he ate da golden apple."
"I see.." Ink nodded. "But..why do I need to know this? Do you want me to try to fix him? Or..is it just because you can tell me? Is there another purpose?"
"Da reason I'm telling you is, even if he had been sad, den he wouldn't stay sad. And I've known da kiddos long enough ta know Dream wasn't upset." Fresh opened his sockets and looked at Ink. "Dream cares 'bout just 'bout anyone, but 'e don' get upset easy. Ya didn' make 'im sad." Fresh frowned lightly and looked away for a moment. "Bit o' a long winded way ta get ta dat point, wasn' it?" He shook his head at himself and sat up. "I got's ta learn ta summarize."
"Oh." Ink blinked. "All right..do you need any help with anything?"
"Nah, just wan' ya ta get ta kno' da kiddos an' rest. An'yes,I wan' ya ta rest." Fresh gave Ink a look, leaning on his knees. "If only 'cause Nightmare is gonna tell ya ta."
"..All right." Ink nodded. "Shall I sleep here or in my room?"
"Which ever ya prefer."
"All right." Ink stood up to go to his room; when he got there, he lay down and fell asleep promptly.
Dream and Nightmare returned to the living room and looked around for the other adult.
"Where's Ink?" Nightmare asked, holding some blankets and a pillow.
"He went ta his room ta sleep." Fresh answered, patting the couch next to him.
The twins scrambled up on either side of him, and Fresh wrapped an arm around each.
"Why don' ya kids tell me 'bout what I missed when ya's were wit Mr. Gaster an' TK?"
The twins happily filled their dad in while Ink slept. Fresh made sure they were quiet and didn't disturb the other adult's rest.
As Ink slept, his mind was..racing.A pleasant dream about bouncing around in a fluffy cloud landscape quickly transformed into something..darker,as Ink slipped and fell. He whimpered in his sleep as he found himself in a dark room, with a shadowy figure overhead.
"You'refree,Creator..." It said, its voice partially obscured by incoherent whispers.
"Wh-where am I..?" Ink questioned, looking around; the room looked like..his old basement?
"That matters not. Whatmattersis that you are free..are you shouldnotbe."
"I-I'm-" Ink was cut off.
"Youare a servant. Aslave.The fact that you have been freed once does not dictate the rest of your life, Creator."
"Wh-what..?" Ink backed away from the figure, trembling lightly.
"You swore yourlifeto us, Creator..one does not escape that soeasily."
"D-don't..d-don't touch me.."
"Who willprotectyou, hm? That idiot in neon? Oh, I think not. You will be ours once again, Creator..and youwillobey."
The ̶d̶e̶m̶o̶n̶ creature knelt down, holding Ink by his skull.
"You had better start preparing..we will discard of whomever we must to get to you..just as soon as we cross this pesky barrier." It chuckled. "And don't worry about trying to fight us.."
Ink's vision began to fade to black, his strength dissipating rapidly.
"We've taken care ofeverything."