Freshreallyregretted his extreme response. He sucked in a startled breath through his teeth. His eyelights had returned to their normal glow and he stared down at Ink with wide sockets, trying to decide the best course of action. He never did learn how to handle this sort of situation..
"Please! Don't hurt me! I'll do whatever you want- ... ̶F̶æ̶þ̶̶ə̶ř̶."
Fresh released Ink's wrists and moved off him slowly. He sat on his knees next to Ink and took a small breath before he said softly, "Sit up please. I need ya ta look at me."
Ink obeyed hastily, sitting up and facing Fresh with a fearful expression; he just knew he was going to be punished..Fresh might have been a kind master, but even the nicer ones knew the value of punishments. Ink folded his hands in his lap and bowed his skull, a silent sign that he wasn't going to make any more trouble..
Fresh's face softened; he reached over and lifted Ink's chin and looked him in the eyelights. "I'm not going to hurt you. But I need to explain some things. First: You are a person. Do you know what that means? That meansno oneowns you. Especially notme."
Ink bowed his skull lower, understanding; Fresh was setting ground rules for the ownership. Ink had already pegged him as the type of master to make his slaves believe they had free will; self-esteem was sometimes good. Ink hadn't been that type of person before, but he had tried the self-esteem route before..it was interesting.
"I-I understand.." He nodded, understanding that he wasn't supposed to act as if Fresh was his master; he knew the rules well enough by now.
Fresh studied Ink's face and posture before he shook his head. "I don't think you do. What I'm trying to say is,I am not your master.No one is your master anymore,except you.I'm not playing mind games here. I intend my words as plainly as the mark on your cheek." He said the next sentence slowly."You are free."
Ink stared at Fresh, looking for any signs of deception, but..he couldn't find any.
He actuallymeantit.
Ink..wasfree.
No more owner..no more master. No more orders to mindlessly follow. No more punishments. No more possession. No more..
No moreguarantees..
Ink was free now..he had no one to tell him what to do. He didn't have a leader; he didn't have stability. Whose idea was it to givehim,of all people, afree will?!His hands began to tremble at the thought, and he began to tear up.
"N-no, no, no, no, no.." Ink begged, beginning to hyperventilate. "Don't..pleasedon't make me! I don'twantto be free! I'm notready!I-I'll serve you well. Iwill!Please give me a chance...just one.."
Fresh took Ink's hands and gently rubbed his thumbs over Ink's knuckles. "Hey, hey...shhh...I ain't throwin' ya out to fend fer yerself. I know ya need someone dere fer ya. Dat ya need guidance in yer new life. I'll be 'ere fer ya, okay? I just ain't gonna be yer master."
Ink curled up into himself, tears seeping from his eyesockets. He wasn't ready..heneededa master..
"I d-don't wanna.." He pleaded. "Please..j-just for a little while...I-I won't be u-unmanageable.."
Fresh frowned and pulled Ink into his lap, hugging him securely, but if Ink felt the need to escape, he could. "I won't be yer master, but...I can be yerguide.How's dat sound?"
"..." Ink wasn't comfortable with it - not atall.
He didn't know how to live without someone giving him orders. He needed someone to tell him what to do and keep him in line when he didn't do it. If...
IfFreshwouldn't..
He would find someone else.
He knew how to find masters, although he doubted any of them would be as friendly as Fresh was. He would have been quite the possession for some of them; he wouldn't have any trouble finding someone to serve.
But he would give Fresh one more chance.
Hedesperatelyhoped he would accept..
"Please.."He asked, with a fearful tone in his voice."Pleasetake control.."
Fresh looked down at the skeleton in his arms. "Why ya want me to be yer master so badly? What are you scared of?"
"I..I just.." Ink trembled in Fresh's arms. "I can'tfunction..without someone in c-control..I-I don't knowhow.."
Fresh took a moment to consider. Depending on how he approached this, it would have either helped or hindered Ink's recovery.
He took a deep breath before speaking.
"Ink...I'll- I'll tell you what to do. Fer yer sake. I'll be..." He swallowed past a bitter taste in his mouth. "I'll be what ya need me ta be."
Ink felt relieved; he had a master. Life would be simpler now.
"Th-thank you..master." Ink smiled up at Fresh. "I won't l-let you down..Ip-promise."
"That's great, bro..." Fresh said, with a strained smile. "Can I still go by 'Fresh' though? I don' kno' if I feel comfortable wit bein' called'master.'"
"O-oh..sorry." Ink nodded; he would have to remember that. "Um..what do you want to do now, then, um, Fresh?"
"Yer good. Uh, well...are ya hungry?"
"I can get you something, if you'd like, Fresh!" Ink suddenly seemed eager to serve, even though he probably couldn't walk yet.
"How's 'bout we make somethin' together?" Fresh suggested with a smile. "It's late, but I feel like pancakes. Whatcha say?"
"Okay." Ink nodded, sliding off the bed and onto the floor without hesitation.
He promptly fell onto his face, since he wasn't ready to walk by any means.
Fresh bent down and scooped Ink up. "How's 'bout I carry ya instead?"
He made his way to the kitchen; it was small and cozy. He set Ink down on the counter and started pulling out what they needed to make pancakes.
He handed Ink a bowl. "Can ya hold dis, please?"
Fresh planned to phrase as much of what he said as kindly as possible; he wanted to wean Ink off his dependency on others little by little.
"Uh-huh." Ink nodded, holding the bowl firmly; he wouldn't let his master down!
"Thanks, Ink!" Fresh smiled as he worked, and he gathered all the basic ingredients next to Ink on the counter. "Do you like fruit in your pancakes?"
"Um..do you?" Ink returned the question; he wanted to prefer whatever his new master preferred.
"I asked first." Fresh grinned.
"Um.." Ink looked down, thinking; Fresh was pretty..colorful. Maybe his preferences matched his style choices? "Okay, fruit sounds good."
"Yep. Now which one's yer favorite." Fresh chuckled, amused.
"Um.." Ink didn't think it mattered..he hoped it didn't matter. "Strawberries?"
"Those are good."
Fresh nodded, going to the fridge and grabbing a box of strawberries. It wasn't long until the ingredients were ready to be stirred.
Fresh asked Ink, "Can ya stir the bowl, please?"
"Yes, mas-" Ink caught himself, beginning to stir the bowl. "Fresh."
He hoped that little slip didn't warrant a punishment..
"Thanks, broski." Fresh smiled kindly, before going to warm the pan so it was ready for the pancakes.
Ink smiled, continuing to stir; he was glad that Fresh was so kind; a crueler master wouldn't have let something like that slip past him. Once Ink was finished with the bowl, Fresh added the strawberries. He had chopped them while Ink stirred and the pan heated, and he showed Ink how to fold the fruit in.
"Like dis, see?" Fresh demonstrated. "Now you try it."
"Okay.." Ink understood, copying the movements carefully; he wouldn't be a disappointment -especiallynot on his first day!
"Yer doin' good, Ink! Yer a natural at dis!" Fresh praised. Ink really was, too; he only needed to be shown once.
"Thank you, Fresh!" Ink grinned, continuing to stir. "I'm glad I'm up to par!"
"Yer better than I was when I started." Fresh snorted. "When my dad first taught me, I somehow got batter on da ceiling. And da roof dat one time..." He looked confused by that one.
Ink snickered softly, finishing the stirring; when he was done, he looked to Fresh for further instruction.
"Good job, bro. Now we just gotta cook it. Ya wanna help me measure it out into da pan?"
"Yes, Fresh." Ink nodded, looking for a measuring cup.
There was a cup right next to him on the counter. Ink picked it up and poured the batter into it; his hands shook a bit from the weight (he really should have rested more, but he had insisted on doingthis).The bowl hit the table with a small bang when he put it down, but, to his relief, it wasn't cracked from the impact.
"S-sorry, Fresh; I'm done." Ink informed.
Fresh nodded and took the measuring cup."Yer all good, Ink. Ya did good." He poured the batter into the pan and said, "If it makes it easier, ya can dip da cup inta da bowl instead. Might be messier, but we can jus' clean dat up."
He handed the cup back to Ink as he watched the first pancake for any bubbles.
"Th-this way is easier." Ink assured. "It's fine."
He poured some more batter into the measuring cup, his hands still shaking.
"If you're sure..." Fresh flipped the first pancake and made room for the second. He gently took the full cup from Ink and helped him set the bowl down; he then added the batter to the pan. "These are lookin' good, Ink. Good job."
"Th-thank you." Ink smiled, pouring some more batter into the cup.
"Yer welcome, bro."
About half an hour later, the pancakes were cooked a golden brown and smelled of sweet strawberry. Fresh helped Ink down from the counter and set him at the kitchen table. He placed two plates of pancakes down and sat down across from Ink. Ink looked at his plate, before looking at Fresh; he waited for his new master to start eating, remembering proper conduct for people like him. Since Fresh didn't notice that Ink was waiting for him, he didn't think to remind Ink he didn't have to wait for him. But, fortunately for Ink, he didn't have to wait long, because Fresh only took a second to pour his syrup and start eating. Ink followed suit, beginning to eat after his master.
The pancakes..weredelicious!He had to stop himself from expressing such strong emotion, however; that was unbecoming.
Fresh had no such qualms. "Dude! Dee's are da bomb diggety! Ya didawesomeon dee's super fly cakes."
Ink chuckled in embarrassment; he wasn't used to such compliments. "Th-thanks.."
"Yer welcome, broski." Fresh held up the bottle of syrup. "Ya want any fer ya cakes?"
"Um..o-okay.." Ink accepted the bottle of syrup, pouring a small amount of syrup on his pancakes; he didn't want to seem selfish to his new master. "Thank you."
"No prob." Fresh replied, returning to his own meal. These really were good pancakes; he'd have to remember to pick up some more strawberries.
Ink finished eating his meal soon enough, and when he did, he began to use his magic to clean his plate; he would have used the sink, but winced he couldn't walk at the moment, this would do.
Fresh finished soon after and got up to clean his own plate, setting it in the drying rack. He went back to the table and asked Ink, "Ya finished wit dat?"
"Mhm." Ink nodded. "It's clean, so you don't have to wash it!"
"Ah, thanks, Ink. That was real nice 'o ya." Fresh said as he took the plate and put it away; he then got a damp cloth and hands it to Ink. "Ya mind wipin' da table down fer me? Imma clean da rest. Don' wanna leave a mess now, ya kno'?"
"Yes, Fresh." Ink complied, wiping off the table thoroughly; he hoped that he would be allowed to do more for his master in the future, when he was healed.
Fresh got another cloth and paused. The way Ink responded to him when he asked something. Fresh was gonna have to work with him on that. But not right now. Right now... Ink needed to heal. He had been through more than any person should ever haveevergone through. Fresh would help him in every way he could. He wiped off the counter and cleaned the mixing bowl and pan. Once the kitchen was clean and the leftover pancakes put away for later, Fresh went back to the table.
"Good job, Ink. Yer a real big help around here, ya kno'?" Fresh complimented. "Do ya wanna go watch a movie 'er somethin'? Or...we could go visit yer friends. Dey were real worried 'bout ya, ya kno'?"
"Whatever you'd like to do." Ink left the decision up to Fresh; slaves didn't make decisions for their masters, after all!
If hehadhad the choice, though..he would have wanted to see Inky..he missed the little one, and he wanted to let him know that he was all right..and apologize for everything.
Fresh hummed and held a hand up to his chin. "I'm not sure...I need 'elp decidin'. Think ya could give me an idea?"
Ink wrung his hands together;hehad to make the decision? Well..he thought about that Fresh would have wanted to do. Fresh probably would have wanted to..
He didn't know. He didn't know Fresh well enough to know what he would have wanted to do. Ink began to tremble a bit in indecision; he wasn't ready to make decisions like this for his master! He didn't know what to say! He only knew whathewanted to do, and that was irrelevant because the desires of slaves werealwaysirrelevant unless the desire was to please their masters. That was one thing he knew; that had been drilled into his skull alongtime ago.
Fresh sat next to Ink and rubbed his back. "Easy there, Ink my dude. Yer all good...ya don' gotta decide nothin' if ya don' wanna. Would ya prefer I made the choice dis time?"
Maybe he was pushing Ink too hard. The artist had admitted to him heneededsomeone to control his life. It seemed even decions like this, which seemed small to Fresh, would require clearer direction.
"Y-yes, please.." Ink begged, not trying to hide his feelings..masters liked to see vulnerability and dependence.
"Alright. I'll choose den. Don' worry 'bout. Yer alright..." Fresh pulled Ink into a side hug and thought for a moment. "How's 'bout...we go visit yer friendos back in yer multiverse? After dat..." Fresh paused and glanced at Ink. "After dat...well, we'll see how it goes."
Ink smiled, glad that he hadn't been forced to make a decision. "That sounds good..thank you, Fresh."
"No prob, Ink." Fresh gave him one last squeeze before asking, "All right, ya ready ta go den?"
"I'm ready." Ink confirmed, standing up and promptly falling on his face again.
Fresh helped him up and healed any damage Ink had gained. "Ya alright, Ink?" He winced as he adjusted Ink into a bridal style carry.
"Uh-huh!" Ink assured, holding onto Fresh.
Getting hurt was all right; slaves were harmed regularly, and they needed to prove that they could handle the pain. That was part of helping masters decide on punishments; he was being helpful by proving that he could take a fall. Some masters liked to see their slaves in pain, too..even if they didn't say it outright.
"...If yer sure." Something about Ink's expression made Fresh question that.
He let it go for now, instead opening a portal to Underswap in the other multiverse. He stepped through and walked up to the skeleton brother residence, where he knocked on the door.
"One second!" A call came from inside: Blue.
Ink was sort of excited to see his..well, he wouldn't have really considered Blue afriend.He didn't know how many times he had tortured the little skeleton in private before erasing his memories of the events. The little one was sensitive to emotional manipulation, too..Ink had taken advantage of that many times in the past, even using it to subtly cause Blue misery when he wasn't around. He wouldn't have called Blue a friend..he was just one of Ink's old toys.
Maybe that would change, someday.
When Blue answered the door, his eyelights went straight to the bandaged Ink.
"Oh, my goodness!" He smiled at the sight of his not-dead friend. "Ink, I've been soworriedabout you! Come in! Would you two like anything to drink? I have food, too!"
Fresh walked in the house and set Ink on the couch, sitting next to him. He glanced at Ink and said, "Some water would be swell, broski. Whatcha want, Ink?"
"I'm, um, fine." Ink shook his skull; he had just eaten..he didn't need to be greedy.
"All right, water it is!" Blue smiled, popping into the kitchen to grab a glass for his guest; he continued the conversation, however. "Papy's out for the day, but I'm sure he'd like to know how you're doing! Is Ink all right?"
"Thanks, Blue." Fresh accepted the water when Blue returned and took a sip. "His injuries are looking better. But he's still a long way's 'way from fully recoverin', ya dig?"
"Yeah. Is there anything we can help with? You must have your hands full.."
Ink stayed silent while his master spoke; it was improper to disturb one's master in conversation, and Ink really didn't want to be punished in front of Blue.
Fresh sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "I still gotta check on da kiddos back home. 'Dere probs wonderin' what's up. But..." He looked over at Ink. "I think it'd be alright fer Ink ta come wit. Whatcha think, broski? Think ya'd be alright seein' 'em again?"
"Uh-huh!" Ink nodded eagerly, smiling, before realizing that he was showing too much emotion..he shrank a bit at that, folding his hands; he would need to work on suppressing his emotions. "I-I mean..um..yes?"
"Well, it seems likesomeone'seager." Blue chuckled. "Well, if you need to leave now, I don't mind (honestly, my hands are pretty full at the moment), but if there's anything you need, just let me know!"
Fresh had honestly been expecting a longer visit, but these two seemed willing to part almost immediately. He turned to Blue with a grateful smile. "Heh, thanks, brolio. Dat's real cool 'o ya."
"I have to go to a meeting in fifteen minutes, anyway; it's not really the best time - sorry.." Blue sensed Fresh's surprise. "So, uh, you two have fun!"
"Goodbye." Ink said, politely, before looking to Fresh; he didn't want to embarrass his master in public by trying to stand again.
"Alright then... How's 'bout I giv ya my number? We can find a better time ta visit." Fresh handed Blue a piece of paper with his number.
"Thanks." Blue nodded, accepting the number. "I, uh, have to do something right now..sorry!"
Blue ran upstairs, presumably to do housework.
Fresh raised a brow at the odd behavior, but he shrugged it off. He stood up and scooped Ink up again. "Guess we're headin' back. I'll giv my friend a call an' hav' 'em and TK bring da kiddos over. Which one's ya feel da most comfortable 'round?"
"Yes, Fresh." Ink smiled; he was excited to see the children again!
"Not quite da answer I was lookin' fer, but alright." Fresh opened a portal and walked back to the house, where he set Ink down on the couch and took out his phone.
Ink sat quietly on the couch, not wanting to disturb his new master. After a fifteen minute call, a clock shaped portal opened up, and two kids came out of it.
Inky ran into the room and went straight for Ink. "INK!!!" He tackled the adult in a big hug.
TK follower at a more cautious pace, and Fresh took a moment to speak to a Gaster on the other side of the portal and greet a couple of familiar twins. Their voices were kept low; Gaster frowned at the information he received, but he nodded.
The portal then closed, leaving only Inky and TK in the cabin with Fresh and Ink.
"Hey, Inky." Ink hugged the child close. "How have you been?"
"I'm okay! Are you okay?" Inky looked up at Ink with wide sockets. "You got really scary, and then he said you had to go home. But now you're back!" Inky smiled at that last part.
"Yeah, I.." Ink looked down. "I was sick, but I'm getting better, now."
"Oh. I'm glad you feel better though!" Inky gave him abighug.
"Thanks." Ink chuckled. "I'm sorry I had to leave.."
"That's okay! As long as you're back now!" Inky crawled up onto the couch and cuddled next to Ink.
"Yeah..I'm back." Ink nodded, before speaking a bit loudly. "And I won't be leaving any time soon, since Fresh has taken ownership of me!"
Freah resisted the urge to facepalm and sighed lightly.
"What's that mean?" Ink asked, head tilted.
TK was staring at Fresh, seeing the adult in a different light. He was young, but not stupid; he knew what that meant. He stepped back from Fresh and smiled tightly. "Yeah, Fresh. What's that mean?"
Fresh gave TK a hard look and said calmly, answering Inky, "It means I'm in charge of him. Like a...parent."
Inky accepted this answer and looked up at Ink again. "Does that mean Fresh is your daddy now?"
Fresh looked uncertain about that assumption, but he didn't correct Inky. TK was still staring at Fresh, glancing at Ink every now and then.
"No, that's not quite it." Ink shook his skull, oblivious to the fact that slavery wasn't as widespread as his former master had made it out to be..and the villain conferences..and everything else about his life for the past few decades. "It's like..do you know what slavery is? If you do, it's that!"
Inky shook his head. "No. What's that?"
"That! Is something you'll learn when yer older." Fresh said, giving Ink a look; he shook his head.
"Yeah, Inky...it's grown up stuff." TK agreed, looking uncomfortable.
"But I'm grown up!" Inky pouted.
"Was I not supposed to say that?" Ink realized, suddenly gaining a look of confusion. "Isn't that normal? I thought it was..I'm sorry, master- I mean Fresh!"
Fresh sighed and pinched the space between his eyes. "Mistakes happen, yer fine. But no. Slavery isn't normal."
"Oh." Ink shrank a little. "Sorry, Fresh.."
"It's alright." Fresh waved him off, looking tired; he clapped his hands and smiled brightly. "Who wants ice cream?"
"Me!" Inky immediately perked up; he hadn't understood the previous conversation, and he didn't like how it had made Ink sad.
"I'll pass." TK said, having relocated himself against the wall.
"Ice cream sounds nice." Ink smiled a little.
Fresh left the living room to scoop some bowls for the those who wanted it, and he returned a couple moments later with three bowls of vanilla ice cream
He passed the bowls to Inky and Ink. "Here ya go."
"Thank you." Ink smiled, waiting for Fresh to start eating once again. "Do you want anything on your ice cream, Inky?"
He glanced over at TK as he waited, wondering if he had upset the child..he hoped he hadn't.
"Uh-huh! Can I have sprinkles?" Inky asked.
TK stared at the floor, watching the others through the corner of his sockets. He seemed to be mulling over what was revealed, if the frown on his face was anything to go by.
"Sure." Ink nodded, creating some sprinkles to put on Inky's ice cream. "There we go."
He hummed when he saw TK; he seemed sad. Ink knew how that felt. If Fresh hadn't taken ownership of him, he wasn't sure how willing he would have been to help, but he had the confidence that everything would be all right now, and he wanted to make sure that his friends were happy!
"TK, are you all right?" He asked, before thinking of a possibility for why the child could be sad. "Was it something I said?"
TK looked up at Ink with an uncertain look. His brows were pinched, and he hesitated to speak. Even Inky noticed the older child's silence and asked, "Are you okay, TK?"
TK put a smile on his face for the little kid. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just have some things to think about." He looked up at Fresh with calculating eyelights.
SR-RY
Fresh smiled kindly, but there was an uncomfortable edge to it. He nodded to TK, silently communicating he would talk to him later. That didn't put TK at ease. He remained tense by the wall, watching Inky and the adults carefully. Other than Inky, he didn't know these people...
"Um..okay." Ink knew that there was something tense going on..and he had probably been the cause; he hoped he wasn't, but..he knew he was.
He always was.
Ink decided not to say anything more, looking down at his ice cream..by this point, he wasn't even sure if he wanted to eat it atall.Fresh sighed and took a spoonful of his ice cream. He wasn't really feeling it, either. Inky looked around, confused about why everyone looked so sad. Shouldn't they be happy? Ink was back! And he was going to stay!
Inky frowned and looked Ink. "Aren't you going to eat your ice-cream? It'sreallygood!"
"I'm suddenly..not feeling very hungry." Ink admitted honestly; he wondered what had made the little one so upset..what had he said? "You can have mine, if you want it."
Normally, Inky would jump at the opportunity to have more sweets. But right now... "What's wrong?"
"I made your friend sad." Ink sighed. "I always make people sad, even when I'm not trying to; I'm good at that. I just..wish I knew what I said.."
Inky frowns deeper and looks at TK. "Why are you sad?"
TK glanced between the two Inks and considered his words. "He just gave me something to think about. That's all."
"What are you thinking about?"
"Stuff."
"Whatkindof stuff?" Inky huffed in frustration.
TK shook his head. "It's grown up stuff, okay, kid?"
"But you're not a grown-up!"
Fresh watched the interaction, but he decided not to interfere. He just sat back on the far end of the couch and let it play out; he'd jump in if things start to get out of hand.
"I'm old enough." TK argued, eyelights hard - old enough and with a responsibility no child should have been entrusted with. "I'll explain it when you're older, okay?"
"Why notnow?Ink is sad becauseyou'resad. You need to tell us." Inky put his bowl down and crossed his arms, a stubborn look on his face.
Ink opened his mouth to say something, before choosing to simply curl up; nothing he could say would make anything better. He was a failure, and he always would be. He couldn't even stand up for himself without the knowledge that someone would be right behind him..and he didn't have that knowledge right now.
He wondered how he had even survived this long as a failure.
TK blinked in surprise when Ink curled up.
Fresh moved the ice cream bowls to the coffee table and scooted over to Ink and Inky. Inky was hugging Ink, trying to make him feel better. Fresh scooped them both up and pulled them into his lap. "Hey, now...it's alright..." He said as he rubbed Ink's back.
Inky hummed an agreement and hugged his friend as tight as he could. "You're going to be okay, Ink."
TK shifted on his feet, wondering if he should do something.
Ink was being..irresponsible. He was being a nuisance. He was interrupting his master's visit. He deserved to be punished, but he was almost certain that his master wouldn't punish him in front of others; he would wait until they were alone. Ink needed to stop being the center of attention; his master deserved that spot, or Inky deserved it, or TK, even..not Ink. Ink wiped his tears away and forced himself to hide his pain; slaves didn't get to show their troubles. He took a deep breath before looking up at Fresh and Inky.
"I'm fine." He assured, using everything in him to hold back his tears and smile. "It was only a lapse in judgment; it won't happen again. I'm sorry for the trouble I caused. I'll hold back more in the future."
Fresh creased his brows in worry. "Ink, its okay ta be upset. Ya've had a long day an' a tough life. Ya ain't causin' trouble, alright?"
Inky wondered what Fresh meant and looked up at them; he looked back at TK when he didn't get an answer, hoping he knew what was going on.
TK had been listening and sighed; he shuffled closer and looked at Ink. "Hey, uh...sorry for making you upset. This is just, uh...kind of confusing, you know?"
"It's fine." Ink assured TK, his expression retaining no traces of his former sorrow. "I understand, truly; I wasn't experienced with the concept at first, either, but now I am, and it makes much more sense once you've been exposed to it long enough."
TK tilted his head, face contemplating; he wasn't sure how to respond to that. He glanced at Inky and decided to save his questions for later before glancing at Fresh and started walking to the kitchen. "I'm going to get some ice cream."
Fresh nodded. "Alright. Help yer self."
Ink looked down, before glancing up at Fresh with an unsure expression.
"Why is he uncomfortable?" He asked, not bothering to use different words around Inky. "Isn't itnormalfor people to own slaves?"
Fresh sighed and rested his head back on the couch; he knew this would raise questions in the little one listening in, but... "No. Not 'round 'ere. In dis place it ain't acceptable ta own another person."
"What's a slave?" Inky asked. "What are you talking about?"
"A slave is a person owned by another. That's called slavery." Fresh explained. "In a lot 'o situations and places its a bad thing."
"Oh." Inky looked down and thought about that; that didn't sound like a nice thing.
Ink blinked, now realizing why TK was uncomfortable.
"Oh." Ink sighed. "I'm sorry..I shouldn't have said anything. I'll just..not say anything else about it..from now on..sorry."
Fresh hummed and creased his brow. "Jus' not 'round da kiddos, alright? We'll talk more 'bout dis later do', alright? Ya ain't in trouble." He looked over at Ink with a calm look and tried to reassure him. "I want you to know dat. Ya didn' kno'. It was an accident."
"..All right." Ink nodded, understanding; he didn't want to say anything more, in case his master changed his mind about not punishing him.
Fresh nodded. He'd accept that. He knew this would be a long road. This was just another sign of that. Ink had alotof things to unlearn.
Inky looked up and at Ink and Fresh with a frown. "But why was TK sad about that? What does that have to do with us?"
Fresh sighed again. He should have expected that. "Its complicated, kiddo."
"How?"
"Just is. Why don' you eat your ice cream?"
Inky frowned. He wanted answers, but could sense no one wanted to talk about it. He settled for giving Ink another hug. Ink hugged the child close, feeling slightly comforted by Inky's hug. He wished he could understand everything about this new world, but, unfortunately, he could not. He had to settle with what he had. TK reentered the room and sat down on the woven rug. He only had a small bowl of ice cream. He didn't actually want to be around the adults, but he couldn't leave Inky alone. Fresh leaned back on the couch, the other two still in his lap. He had no idea how to proceed from here, but he hoped the rest of the day would be easier. Ink sat in his master's lap quietly, not making a sound; slaves weren't supposed to start conversations,especiallywhen their masters were around.
Inky looked up at Ink and asked, "Do you feel better now, Ink?"
"Yes, I do." Ink confirmed. "Do you?"
Inky nodded, giving him a smile. "Can we play now?"
"Sure, as long as it doesn't involve walking..or heavy lifting.."
Inky hummed, thinking of a game they could play.
Fresh reached into his inventory and pulled out a some string. "Have either of ya played cat's cradle?"
Inky shook his head.
"No, what's that?" Ink wondered; he didn't believe he had ever heard of it before.
Fresh held his hands in front of both of them and demonstrated by twisting the string in his hand. He started simple, and now there was a hole in the thread. "Hold yer hands in da hole."
Inky stuck his hand through, waiting to see what would happen, and Ink put his hand through, too, wondering what the point was. Fresh seperated his hands and both hands were free of the string. Unknotted or tied.
Inky blinked. "Is that it?"
"Is that it?" Fresh said in mock offense. "Dat is...don' ya find dat fun?"
Inky shook his head. "No."
Fresh pouted. Ink looked at his master sadly; Fresh had been made sad by the fact that his game wasn't fun..well, Ink would have to fix that! Slaves were meant to make their masters happy, and that was what he would do!
"U-um, I liked it!" Ink lied; the game hadn't been fun atall,but he needed to make his master happy! "It was really exhilarating! How'd you do it?"
Fresh chuckled and rubbed a hand over Ink's skull. "Thanks, broski, but ya don' gotta do dat. Cat's cradle ain't everyone's jam. How's 'bout a game 'o checkers instead?"
Inky nodded; that sounded much more fun than the string game.
Ink grinned; he had made his master happy! "Sure!"
Fresh set the two back on the couch and stood up. "I'll be right back wit da game."
He stepped out of the room to retrieve the game, leaving Ink and the kids alone for a moment. Ink looked at TK and Inky, still smiling.
"So, how are you two doing?" He asked. "I know I spoke out of line earlier..I'm really sorry about that."
"You're fine." TK shrugged, feigning indifference.
Inky smiled brightly and hugged Ink. "I'm better now that you're back!"
"Good to hear." Ink smiled, hugging Inky back. "I hope I didn't worry you too much.."
"I missed you..." Inky said, quietly; he had been scared Ink was going to leave him alone again.
"I..I missed you, too..alot.I didn't think I'd ever see you again.."
"You're going to stay now, right?"
TK was uncertain if that was a good idea. But he had the feeling Ink would remain a part of their lives for a long time to come.
"..I don't know." Ink answered, honestly. "It entirely depends on what the people who live here want. I'll stay as long as I belong to Fresh, but if that ever ends..I'll probably leave, if someone obviously doesn't want me here. I don't want to be a nuisance."
"You're not a 'new sense'!" Inky protested. "You're my friend! And friends can't leave."
"..Sometimes, friends have to leave when nobody wants them around." Ink shrugged. "I know your other friends don't like me, and I wouldn't expect them to; I'll try to get on good terms with them, but if I can't, the only thing keeping me here is Fresh. I'm sorry, Inky..but I'm not a good person. I won't force myself on your friends if they don't want me here."
Inky's face fell, and he opened his mouth to protest.
Fresh walked in then and set a stack of board games down; he didn't look at the two on the couch as he spoke. "Don' worry, Inky. Ink bro ain't goin' anywhere any time soon."
"But..." Inky looked worried. "But he says he'll leave because the others don't like him!"
"I'll talk to them." Fresh said. "We'll get dis straightened out. Don' worry."
TK looked between them, still uncertain about this.
"Do you want to do a 2v2?" Ink asked, setting up the checkerboard.
"Okay! What's that?" Inky asked.
"Dat's when ya play two against two." Fresh explained.
"Do you want to be on my team or play against me, Inky?" Ink asked, open to anything.
Fresh hummed and asked Inky. "Wat do ya wanna do, kiddo?"
"I wanna play with Ink!"
"Dat's settled den. TK, ya wanna be on my team?"
TK shrugged.
Fresh pushed the table closer to the couch and sat on the other side with TK. "Ya get first turn, ya twos."
"Do you want to move first?" Ink offered. "I could take the first turn, too, if you'd like."
Inky hummed and looked down. "I wanna go first!"
He reached down at moved the first piece.
"All right!" Ink smiled, looking over to Fresh and TK to see what their move would be.
Fresh let TK take this turn, and the child made his move before leaning on the table.
"Hmm.." Ink made a strategical move, sure that he and Inky would win.
Fresh considered his options and moved a second piece, planning to counter Ink's when the opportunity arose, and Ink glanced down at Inky, waiting for the undoubtedly-genius child to make his brilliant move. Inky took his time to decide his next move. He moved his first piece to a seemingly innocent spot. TK took his turn and moved his own piece away from the the others, having a feeling there was a plan at play. Ink made an offensive move, picking up on Inky's plans. Fresh leaned over and whispered to TK. The child nodded and whispered back. Fresh then moved their first piece further away from the others.
"They'rescheming."Ink informed, before whispering to Inky. "Let's make them think we're scheming, too."
Inky giggled and whispered back. "Okay! What are we scheming?"
"We're obviously scheming to win!" Ink chuckled. "I think if we move that one for a king, we can get in a good position to win, all right?"
Inky nodded and moved the piece into place; Ink had a feeling that he and Inky were going to decimate the competition. TK took his turn and moved another piece. He had a challenging look in his eyelights. Inky stuck his tongue out at him, making TK laugh while Ink moved a piece to divert attention from the soon-to-be king. The diversion worked, and Fresh moved a piece without realizing the trap they were falling into. Inky grinned and moved his piece into position. Ink's expression did not give any indication that they had planned anything. TK moved his piece, eyeing the two Inks. He knew they were up to something, but Ink moved the same piece to divert attention again. Fresh narrowed his sockets and leaned over to whisper to TK. The child nodded as he glanced over at Ink; he scanned the board and whispered back to Fresh, who moved his piece in just the right spot to block Inky's piece from advancing.
Inky pouted, but refused to give up. He moved his piece to go around.
TK promptly jumped it.
Ink grinned; his deceptive plan was working! He moved the checker he had been focusing on closer, and now there was no more resistance to its rise to the throne. Ink leaned over to whisper to Inky.
"We're gonna win this!" He giggled.
Inky giggled and wiggled in anticipation.
Fresh chuckled and took his turn. He had a plan in mind to counter what the other two were planning. He could see the pieces coming together. Inky stuck his tongue out and took his turn, moving a new piece. Ink scanned the board, looking for counters to his brilliant plan; he would need to be stealthy about countering the counters, however. TK leaned over and whispered to Fresh, and the adult nodded in response; TK moved a piece to block Inky's piece from advancing. Ink moved a different piece to use as backup for his main one. Fresh noticed this and wondered if the first pieces had been red herrings; he moved a piece and jumped Ink's. Inky grinned and moved his piece closer to the other side of the board, and TK moved another piece to block him. Ink showed absolutely no indication that his piece had been part of a plan, simply moving the backup into place. Fresh and the children took their turns, leaving the way open for Ink to complete his plans, and Ink promptly got a king, looking to Inky with a grin.
"Yes!" Inky cheered, throwing his arms up in the air.
"Sneaky..." Fresh smirked. "Well done ya two."
TK hummed and jumped one of their pieces used as a distraction. "Not bad."
Inky giggled and jumped one of Fresh's pieces. One the adult hadn't realized was left open. "Thank you!" He said, cheekily.
Fresh blinked, starting to realize just what they were up against. Ink grinned, leaving the king in place for now and deciding to move a different checker up; when he and Inky needed the king, they would use it, and, hopefully, they would have more than one. The game continued in much the same fashion, with both sides coming up with strategies to counter the other, extending the game for nearly an hour. Inky and Ink now possessed three kings and the others only one. Fresh used their king to double jump backwards. Ink hummed, whispering to Inky about two solid plans for their next moves, and Inky nodded; those sounded good. If one failed, then the other would without a doubt win the game. He moved a piece into place. Ink waited to see what TK would do in response. TK pondered his next move and reacted accordingly to Inky's, before Ink performed a strategical offensive move, setting himself up for a shielded triple jump. Fresh moved to counter, unwittingly falling right into Ink's trap. The children made their moves, Inky setting TK into position for the attack. Ink performed the triple jump, taking out a good amount of Fresh and TK's remaining checkers.
Fresh fake pouted. He was losing to a toddler and an artist. TK couldn't help but snicker at the adult's face; he didn't mind losing. This was fun either way. Fresh huffed, but there was a smile on his face, and he made his next move. Inky quickly stole his piece and grinned at his dismay.
"Not ma king! My kingdom is in shambles, yo!" Fresh joked, his grin giving his true feelings away.
"I will avenge you." TK claimed, moving one of their remaining pieces into place to jump the other side.
Ink began to move to his next attack point; if he was lucky, he would get a quadruple jump, and it seemed the game was in Ink's favor. Despite all their planning, the other team fell right into their trap. Again. Ink's expert board game skills allowed him and Inky to win soon enough; Ink allowed the child to make the final jump.
Inky jumped up and cheered. "We won! We won!"
TK chuckled lightly. He held out a fist and said, "Good job, kid."
Inky fist bumped TK and did a little dance in victory.
"Great job!" Ink smiled, feeling happy that Inky was happy. "You did really well!"
"You too! You have good plans!" Inky said, wanting Ink to join him in celebration.
"Thanks." Ink chuckled, not really believing that; slaves weren't meant to have high self-esteem unless their masters ordered them to, and Fresh hadn't, from what Ink remembered.
Fresh noticed Ink's muted response and his brows creased in thought. He wondered...he might have to do more research into this whole slave/master thing, to better understand Ink's thought process. He wondered if Ink would be comfortable answering some questions...that might have been too personal though, and he didn't want to bring up any unwanted memories by asking the wrong thing.
Still, to better understand why Ink behaved the way he did, he would need to do his research.
"Ya three wanna play another round?" He asked.
TK shrugged. "Sure, why not?"
Inky nodded excitedly. He loved this game! And he loved winning!
"Sure." Ink confirmed; he would havelovedto play more, really! Even though he couldn't show it, he was excited!
Fresh reset the board and looked between the two sides. "Alright, who wants to go first this time?"
"I think we should just do the same as we did last time." TK said. "To keep things simple."
Inky nodded; he was okay with that.
The next game played out in much the same way, except for the different strategies that were utilized. Ink didn't want to let Inky lose, after all! He had to play at the top of his game! Considering the fact that he had only ever lost to one person when playing at the top of his game..that was saying a lot. They played a few other games after that, having fun well into the day. When it was dark outside, there was a beeping sound.
TK rolled up his sleeve and looked at his watch. "Lag is calling. He says Error is asking about you, Inky dude."
Inky perked up and leaned forward. "Tell him I'm okay!"
"Sure thing, bro."
Beep!
"He says he wants us to come back." TK told him. "Sounds like he's getting worried."
Inky pouted; he didn't want to go back.
"You should get back." Ink recommended. "You need to get some sleep, and you can have some great dreams about games and toys while you do!"
Inky taps his chin in thought. That did sound fun...
"Ya can come back tomorrow, if ya want." Fresh told him.
Inky brightened at that. "Yeah! Can I?!"
Fresh chuckled. "Of course. I think Ink bro would like dat."
Ink smiled, but he held back a grin; that would have been too much emotion.
"I would." Ink nodded, confirming Fresh's statement.
"Okay! I'll come back tomorrow!" Inky hugged Ink tightly.
"I'll see you then." Ink hugged Inky back, before letting him go; he would miss the child.
Inky stood up and ran over to TK. The older child rubbed his skull fondly and opened a portal back to the the regular hideout.
"Bye!" Inky called out before jumping through the portal; TK followed close behind and closed it behind them.
Fresh cleaned up the games and hummed. "Didja have fun, Ink?"
"Yes, Fresh." Ink confirmed, helping Fresh clean up.
"Thanks, bro." Fresh smiled, grateful for the help; he put the games away and came back to the living room. "Are you hungry, broski?"
"Only a little." Ink shook his skull; slaves shouldn't have needed to eat more than once every few days, and he wasn't going to be greedy by asking for more than one meal in a singleday!"I'll be fine."
"Well..." Fresh looked out the window and whistled lowly. "Wow...I didn't realize it was that late already. Guess we missed lunch...hm...how about take out? I don' really feel like cookin'."
"I-if you want, I can just make some food.." Ink offered.
Fresh shook his head. "Nah, thanks fer da offer tho'. I'm thinkin' pizza. What da ya think? Ya got a favorite topping?"
"No." Ink didn't have a preference.
Fresh nodded and pulled out his phone to order a simple pepperoni pizza.
While they waited for it to arrive, Fresh sat next to Ink and asked, "How ya feelin'? Things got a bit stressful ther', bu' I think they turned out alright."
"I'm fine." Ink assured; slaves were always supposed to be fine, unless their masters didn't want them to be. "Are you all right?"
"I'm doin' good." Fresh said, watching Ink from behind his glasses; he hummed, considering if he should ask his questions or not.
"Okay." Ink sat still, hands folded; if Fresh was going to ask his questions, now was a good time.
"Ink...I can't help but notice ya ain't very expressive lately." Fresh pointed out; he looked over at Ink and continued. "When I first met ya, yer were lot's more open. What changed?"
"..Slaves aren't meant to show too much positive emotion unless their masters allow it." Ink informed. "It's a sign of too much free will, and it implies that masters aren't capable of keeping them in line. I don't want to cast a bad light on you."
Fresh hums in consideration. "I see. But what if I wanna kno' how yer feelin'? An' don' wan' ya ta hide it?"
"Then..just order me to show my emotions." Ink shrugged. "If youwantme to show my emotions, you need only ask - Ihaveto obey, mast- Fresh."
Fresh frowned briefly, but realized this is what he needed to do if he wanted Ink to be honest with his emotions; he ignored the slip up and said, "Aight. Ink, I order you to show your true feelin's from now on. Don' hide how ya feel. Understood?"
"I understand, Fresh." Ink nodded; he would be more expressive from now on. "Is there anything else you want to ask about?"
"I'm still new ta dis, so imma need ya ta fill me in on some things." Fresh admitted. "What other rules do...slaves usually follow. I'm tellin' ya now, I doubt I'd make ya follow all 'o dem, but I need ta kno' wat do's are."
"Oh, all right, um.." Ink wondered where to start..there were somany.."No speaking unless spoken to in formal settings or depending on the master's preferences; make the master happy; set a good example for other slaves; be obedient; keep secrets; deprive oneself of luxuries, if the master desires it; don't be greedy; lower oneself to the lowest possible position one can think of; don't be prideful; always eat after the master starts; serve the master whenever he requires it; never say anything bad about the master; always put oneself down; never complain; conform oneself to the master's desires; conform new masters to the life of slave ownership; accept degrading nicknames; be hurt when the master wants one hurt; be happy when the master wants one happy; be everything the master wants one to be; never hide anything from the master; never lie to the master; reprimand oneself if necessary for offenses; don't let the master go easy on oneself, but never directly disobey the master's wishes; always try to give good advice when the master requests it; submit oneself to even the most degrading circumstances when the master demands it; never go easy on oneself; never take the easy way out when carrying out orders; always force oneself to do the very best one can do; adjust one's personality to fit the master's needs; learn to respond in the right ways to the right things at the right times; always tell the master of anything he needs to know, even if it leads to punishment; take punishments seriously, unless the master desires something different; always ask questions if one is unsure of what the master desires; make sure to tell the master if a punishment has not taught one a lesson; make do with what the master gives one; never beg the master for anything but mercy, and even then, only beg for mercy if he allows it; never take advantage of the master; always let the master take advantage of one; and never be discontent in one's work."
...
"That's only a little, of course.." Ink added on, at the end.
Ding-dong!
The pizza had arrived during that looooong explanation.
Fresh blinked and stood up slowly to answer the door. "I'm think I'm gonna need that in writing..."
"I can do that!" Ink assured, creating a piece of paper and beginning to write down what he had just said..and then some.
"Thanks, Ink." Fresh said as he answered the door. He took the pizzas and told the delivery man to put it on his tab.
He set them down on the coffee table, and he goes to the kitchen to retrieve a couple plates before returning to the couch. He placed two slices on each and handed one to Ink. "Here ya go, bro."
"Um, thank you." Ink was on the third page of the rules, writing quickly.
Fresh set the plate next to Ink and leanwd back to enjoy his own slices. He picked up the first page with his clean hand and looked it over while he ate. The page was titled "Slave Rules," and it listed many different rules and restrictions for how slaves should act. The rules also implied that there were rules for slaveowners,too. Fresh got the feeling he'd be breaking a lot of rules...purposely.This was ridiculous! Ink was on the sixth page by the time Fresh finished reading the first, and the sixth page was titled "Master Rules." Ink hoped Fresh would try to follow at least a few of them, if not most of them..Ink wasn't sure anyone could followallof them. Fresh sighed, wondering not for the first time what he had gotten himself into. He looked over at the steadily growing pile.
"Looks like I'll be doin' some light readin' tonight." He joked.
"It's a lot at first.." Ink admitted. "You don't have to go over all of it if you don't want to, of course; it's your choice."
"It's all good." Fresh told him. "Had mor' dan dis ta read when I's in school. Da sooner I read dis, da sooner I'll understand wher' ya comin' from wit how ya behaves an' all. Ya dig?"
"All right." Ink smiled, nodding as he continued to write the list of rules.
Fresh picked up the second page to scan it over. He would read these more thoroughly later; for now, he would just skim them. The second page involved more rules for slaves; these ones were based more on personality traits and how to adapt to one's circumstances. It involved a lot of suppression of free will. Fresh was starting to get a sick feeling in his nonexistent gut. He picked the other pages as Ink finished and looked them over as well. The rest of the slave rules were more etiquette; there were rules for wearing collars, how to handle oneself in public, and several other scenarios and their various requirements. As for the master rules..the four pages of rules instructed masters to essentially brainwash their slaves for the best results. They involved testing the strength of potential punishments for various infractions and taught to despise mercy. In addition, they instructed masters to never be content until their slaves wereexactlyhow they wanted them to be. There were several tips on how to achieve the desired results, as well.
Unless Ink decides he want to go through a punk phase, I'm skipping the collar.Fresh thought to himself as he took another bite of pizza.Not gonna brainwash him either. And I'm going to be the most merciful person I can be, thanks very much!
Fresh kept his expression calm as he read, but inside he was fuming. Who came up with this sick list? Was this really how Ink had been living for all these decades? Ink ate his food slowly after he finished writing up the rules. He had only written down the basics and some etiquette for now..if Fresh wanted to know more, he would just create a copy of the rulebook for him - it hadeverything,all the way down to learning mannerisms. Fresh got himself a couple more slices of pizza and ate them while he considered which rules he could ditch right away and which ones he'd have to...take into consideration until he can wean Ink off of this lifestyle, while Ink sat quietly after finishing his food, staring forward and waiting to be spoken to or to receive an order. Some of the rules for certain..scenariosprobably didn't need to be considered, but some, such as forming a stable relationship and gaining trust would have been good to take into account. Fresh considered the ones on trust. He was planning on gaining Ink's trust from the beginning. That would have been beneficial, no matter the unusual situation. He rearead those ones, believing those would a good start.
Be sure to tell your slave what's on your mind; trust them with secrets; let them know that your trust is something they will have to gain; show no mercy if they betray your trust; never betray their trust unless they do so to you; if trust is betrayed, wait until the slave desires to reform a bond - do not initiate this yourself, as the slave mustwantit: make them beg before you agree to rebuild trust; ask what is on their mind occasionally, and if they do not answer, appear to be hurt - this will stimulate guilt and potentially cause them to reveal whatever they are hiding, but if it does not, do not push them until they are ready (this rule does not apply when you are using force to extract information).
There were several other rules on the subject, but those stood out the most.
Some of this was good advice for any relationship. Trust took time and couldn't be rushed. One couldn't push if another didn't want to share their feelings; that was just rude. And not betraying trust. The crazy parts were the blatant manipulation. That...didn't sit right with Fresh. He wouldn't be doing that. What hewoulddo, was ask Ink how he was doing; that seemed like a safe place to start.
"Thanks for writin' dis down, Ink." Fresh said with a light smile.
"Of course." Ink smiled, happy that he could help. "That's not everything, but..if you want, I can create a copy of the official rulebook..it has everything.."
"...I think I can make do wit dis, thanks. Anyways, it's been a long day. How'd ya feel 'bout it?"
"Um, in all honesty, I'm kind of tired." Ink admitted. "And my hand hurts..." He began to mumble. "Shouldn't have written all that with an injured hand.."
Fresh reached over and took Ink's hand. "Sorry. I should have thought 'bout dat. Is still hurtin' den? Here, I can 'elp ya wit dat."
Green energy pulsed from Fresh's hand to help the injury along.
"You don't have to do that." Ink insisted, although he didn't mind the pain's leaving. "It'll heal on its own."
"And now, dey'll heal faster." Fresh said softly. "At da moment der's only da two bedrooms. Ya can sleep in ma room 'til I can add a room to da house."
"All right." Ink nodded, smiling; he supposed that Freshwasgoing to follow some of the rules! Thesharingroomrule was one that Ink hadn't expected him to follow.
Freshhadconsidered sleeping on the couch, but the memory of when the twins had a sleep over and commandeered his room was quick to remind him of why it wasn't made for naps. He just hoped there wouldn't be a repeat of last time. But with the rules he read...and the new arrangement they have...he didn't believe that would be an issue.
When he was finished and Ink's hands were healed, Fresh hummed and asked, "Yer legs still givin' ya troubles?"
"I'm afraid so.." Ink didn't try to hide it. "I should be able to walk on my own in a few days, though."
Fresh raised a brow and considered.. "I could heal 'em right now. Would make things easier on ya."
"..If you want to, that's your decision." Ink nodded, open to anything; if his master wanted to heal him, he wouldn't question it.
Fresh nodded and reached out to heal Ink's legs; he would have done this this morning, but code manipulation always left him drained. Especially ever since he'd lost his other half. Ink thanked his master as the healing began; he didn't want to seem ungrateful.
"Sure thing, bro." Fresh smiled. He finished with Ink's legs and moved on to heal the rest of him he was going to need alongsleep after this.
Ink continued to thank Fresh periodically, while also reminding him at certain points that he didn't have to do this. Fresh would then remind him this was his choice. Hewantedto heal Ink.
Once he was finished, he stood up and smiled. "Ya ready fer bed, broski?" He held out a hand for Ink to help him up.
"Mhm." Ink confirmed, grabbing Fresh's hand and standing up.
Fresh led the way to his room pulled out two sets of pajamas from his dresser and handed a set to Ink. "Imma go change in da other room. Ya can change 'ere if ya like."
"Okay, thank you." Ink smiled, accepting the pajamas and beginning to put them on.
Fresh stepped out of the room and change in the twins' room. It wasn't long before he was done and returned.
He went straight to the bed and pulled back the covers and asked, "Do ya have a preference fer which side ya sleep on?"
The bed was more than big enough for two; he had bought it with the twins in mind. The kiddos were real cuddle bugs. Dream in particular.
"Whatever you'd like, Fresh." Ink shrugged. "I can sleep on the floor, too, if you don't want me to interrupt your sleep schedule."
Fresh chuckled and shook his head. "Nah, yer good. I got two six year olds, so a sleep schedule be a dream long since gone fer me." He got into the bed on one side and patted the other. "Come on, Ink. I don't mind, and da floor just ain't a radical place ta sleep."
"If you insist." Ink nodded, getting into the bed. "I'll cuddle you, if you want; I'll do anything you want me to - it's my purpose in life, now."
Fresh didn't mind cuddles, but he really wished Ink hadn't phrased it like that. He remained calm and smiled; he knew things would be different until they got through this...phase."I wouldn't mind cuddles."
"Okay!" Ink began to cuddle Fresh, making sure he wasverycomfortable; Ink was a surprisingly good cuddler, it seemed.
Fresh chuckled lightly and hugged Ink as they cuddled. He supposed this bit wasn't so bad. Good things were still good. No reason to confuse Ink more than he already was.
Ink cuddled Fresh until his master fell asleep, and only then did he evenconsidergetting any rest for himself. He considered it for all of five seconds before silently slipping out of bed after he was sure Fresh was asleep, ensuring that he didn't disturb his master's rest. After escaping bed, he began to do what any loyal slave would do: housework. Inkquietlywashed and dried dishes, mended clothes, tidied up the house, dusted, mopped, and did just about everything he could think of to make the house look clean as a whistle!
Ink subtly returned to bed right as the sun was rising, falling asleep in an instant.
