Showtime (A Sanscest Story)

The Metal Fray

Killer moved quickly. He brought Lust to the Gadget Tent first. Blue looked up, his eyes wide. He seemed confused before his eyes trailed down to Lust's frayed leg and he stopped dead in his tracks. "HOW?" Lust gave a weak smile. Blue instructed Killer to help Lust onto the platform in the center of the tent. Once he did, he turned and disappeared out of the tent, going to fetch Dream.

He entered the Costume Tent and moved to the back. Dream was twitching as his tentacles curled around a chest. Killer blinked. That was the chest Dream's Ringmaster uniform was in. He went over and knelt down next to him. Dream had it open and was staring down at the golden fabric. He furrowed his brow.

His tentacles slowly fell limp and began to dissipate. He was nothing more than a cracked, black-stained skeleton. No more goop. He stared down at the uniform. "That... that's mine...?" He reached out towards it with a shaking hand. He seemed upset, ducking his head. "That's mine..." He didn't seem to dare touch it. He pulled his hand back and dug his bony fingers into the side of his head with a weak whimper.

Killer blinked and reached out, gently holding his hand so Dream didn't end up hurting himself more. Dream twitched, golden tears running down his face. Killer hushed him and shut the chest, tucking it back against the wall. "It'll be yours again... Don't worry..." He murmured. Dream still seemed distressed. He twitched and shrieked as the tentacles reformed, ripping their way out of his back.

They lashed around before falling limp again. Dream was panting. Killer moved so that he was in front of Dream. He cupped his cheek, getting the deranged skeleton to look at him. "S'okay, Dream..." The other twitched and tackled Killer in a hug, almost knocking him over. He trembled against him. He sighed and rubbed Dream's shoulder.

Dream cried quietly against him, his fingers curled into Killer's shoulder. Killer waited quietly, pressing his teeth to Dream's head. Dream finally seemed to calm down after several minutes, frantically apologizing as Killer assured him that it was okay and he hadn't done anything wrong. He rubbed Dream's cheek. The other tipped his head into Killer's hand, twitching and nuzzling his palm almost desperately.

"I'm gonna pick ya up now... We're gonna get ya fixed up, okay?" He asked softly. He turned and offered his back to Dream. He felt tentacles curl over his shoulders as the other climbed onto his back, hugging him tightly. His tentacles wrapped around Killer's chest. He stood up and moved back to the front of the tent. He waited a few moments before slipping outside and teleporting straight to the entrance of the Gadget Tent.

He ducked inside and immediately shut the flap. Blue seemed startled and confused as Killer gently set Dream on the ground. Dream seemed to tire suddenly, twitching as his tentacles dissipated once again. He slumped against Killer's leg, twitching. "Uh... is this a new person?" Blue asked, tipping his head. Killer mumbled that it wasn't, seeming to confuse Blue. Lust's prosthetic leg was propped in front of him.

He rolled Lust's pants up and disconnected the prosthetic from the knee. He carried it over to the work table. He began removing all the wires inside. Killer watched quietly. Dream was shivering against him. "Hey, where are the blankets ya usually keep?" He asked, referring to the ones Blue would have Lust sit on when he was going to be there a while.

"They're folded to your left!" Blue answered cheerfully. He was working closely on the leg now. Killer went and fetched one, draping it over Dream's shoulders. The other twitched, not seeming to know what to do at first before pulling it up over his head and hugging it. He flopped over on his side.

Killer watched him quietly. In a way, he felt sad. He was saddened to see the once powerful Ringmaster reduced to this. He knelt down and rubbed Dream's shoulder, making the other's flicking tentacles relax. In a way, he was also enraged. He was enraged to the point where his rage was no longer burning, but instead it was a creeping coldness that was felt inside of him. He was angry at Nightmare. He was beyond angry.

He snapped back to reality as one of Dream's tentacles gently curled up his arm and the other peeked out at him with that one wide, golden eye. Oh, right. He'd forgotten that Dream could sense his negativity. He blinked as the tentacle squeezed his arm and Dream's hand slowly appeared from under the blanket to shakily hold Killer's.

Killer felt his SOUL change shape. He could feel it becoming SOUL-shaped instead of its target default. He could practically feel his eyelights returning. He felt warmth again. The good kind. He gently squeezed Dream's hand. He blinked as he realized he didn't hear Blue tinkering into the leg anymore and turned.

Blue was watching him. He seemed both startled and in awe. He jumped. "Sorry! I... I've just never seen you happy like that..." He went back to working on the leg as Killer felt heat pass over his face. He ducked his head. He felt Dream's hand leave his and blinked as he felt the shaking bony finger poke his glowing cheek. There was a soft giggle from under the blanket.

He risked a glance over at Lust and immediately regretted it. The designer was watching them with a weary, yet warm look. There was sadness in his gaze as well. Killer looked down. Lust wouldn't get this second-chance like he had with Dream. He felt his SOUL waver. That made him feel awful.

He almost didn't feel like he deserved it. He looked down at Dream. Dream blinked at him from under the blanket before giving a twitchy grin. "Hi, Killsy..." He murmured, ducking his head. The nickname sent more warmth through him. Killer blinked and reached out, slipping his hand into the blanket so he would rub Dream's cheek.

The deranged Ringmaster twitched and nuzzled his palm again. After a few more minutes, Blue was heard finishing up. He chuckled and Killer watched as he brought the leg back over to Lust. Lust looked up before giving a grin as Blue reattached it. He patted it before turning to look at Killer. "Can I meet your lover??" He asked excitedly.

At the bluntness of the statement, Killer felt his cheeks go red and he looked down. Lust snorted a little and covered his mouth, barely hiding a smile. Blue seemed oblivious. He jumped and seemed nervous. "Was I wrong? He is your lover, right?" He asked in a slightly panicked tone.

Killer was quiet before he mumbled that it was. He had Dream sit up. He tugged the blanket down to rest around Dream's shoulders. Blue knelt in front of Dream, sitting on his knees. "Greetings! I'm Blue!" He said cheerfully. He held out his hand before seeming to catch himself. "Oh... sorry... I-"

He yelped as Dream's hand whipped out and took his, shaking it. Dream was leaned against Killer. Blue seemed startled for a moment before grinning. He pulled his hand back. "So, I'm guessing you want me to make some prosthetics for him?" He asked Killer. Killer nodded.

Blue giggled. "Excellent! I get to do something else! I've already prepared everything for the show, so I've been bored out of my skull!!" He got up and turned. "Lust, can..." He trailed off before turning back to them sheepishly. "Sorry, what's your name??"

Killer was about to answer for him, but Dream spoke. "D-Dream... name's Dream..." He managed to say shakily. Blue lit up. He turned back to Lust again.

"Can Dream sit on the platform?" He asked politely. Lust nodded and moved himself off, stumbling for a moment. Killer scooped Dream up and brought him over, placing him down on the platform. Dream trembled ever so slightly, keeping the blanket firmly wrapped around him. His tentacles had disappeared again, but a quiet cracking and movement under the blanket suggested they were back.

Dream twitched. Killer stood next to him and Dream leaned against him. Blue hummed and began to study him. "Needs the bottom half of the left leg... and second half of the right arm..." He murmured, scribbling down notes in a notepad. His goggles swung around his neck.

He placed the notepad down and went over to the desk, returning with a tape measurer. "Can I measure your leg and arm?" He asked Dream. The golden skeleton seemed unfocused, staring dully at a point on the wall. Killer sighed and told Blue to go ahead. He held Dream's remaining leg out for him and did the same with his arm.

Blue took the measurements, moving back to the table and writing them down in the notepad. He began to move around the tent, shifting through the various scrap piles that were strewn about. He was murmuring to himself as he dug through them, keeping his notepad suspended in the air with magic.

He finally came back with a smile and Dream seemed to snap back to reality, focusing on him as the tips of his tentacles poked out from under the blanket. "Alright! Let's get started!" Blue said cheerfully.