The tailor and the vampire lord

11.5 : a few nice days

"ooh yeah! We know our names! we're Nolan" Nolan excitedly piped as he abandoned the toy on the ground and jumped to Berts side as he pointed to himself, then to his sibling still on the ground "and Vesper! those are our names!"

"And what fine names those are! Great names for some fine boys" Bert chuckled and laid a fuzzy hand on Nolan's skull and rubbed it affectionately, who puffed himself up proudly. Bert looked up to Error with a toothy grin. "And you?" 

"My n4me?"

he knew this should be simple, just say Error. But...when he gave the kids their names, something Nolan had said really stuck with him...why should his name be Error? he had no real personal attachment to it and it was never really a name to begin with was it?

Error was the god of destruction, Error was a destroyer of worlds, Error was a mistake or whatever title people forced on him...among many things forced onto him.

But he didn't have to be that anymore. He could make his own choices now coun't he?

But then, if not Error...who was he?

"that's alright too" Bert's voice suddenly broke through his thoughts. realising he'd been frozen and silent for too long over a basic question. "You don't have to tell anyone anything...when you are ready, i'll be here...whatever your name turns out to be"

"I d0n't underst4nd" and he didn't, he didn't understand many things it seemed.

"look" Bert just sighed and leant back in his chair.

 "I'm an old monster, i've seen many things, people who have been through something terrible..who want to make a new life for themselves and leave that awfulness behind"

"And that is what you want too, isn't it?"

Bert was indeed an old monster, and it was never so clear than this moment right now. His worn wrinkled face and graying fur never looked so aged until now. Error almost couldn't look him in the eye, those eyes that while they could never understand the horror Error's seen, or what he'd done...but knew enough that it was all Bert needed to know. But he still cared for such a broken monster that really needed a break.

Bert stood up from his chair and went to hold Errors shaking hands into his own.

 "take care of yourself because there are people out there who really care for you" Bert looked to the kids, who had gotten back to playing with the doll, Vesper clearly not distracted enough and clearly listening to every word said.

Bert made his way to the door, but turned to say one last thing as he held the door.

"I'll be seeing you around, friend"

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-2- Error heads into the market for the first time-

-"There wasn't much left and he knew he'd have to head to market" line in chapter 10. But when i went to chapter 11 I realized i hadn't included this happening in my plan but couldn't find a way to write it in. So it ended up cut.

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This was the day...he would finally go to the market.