This was inspired by my writer's block for literally everything right now.
This is probably going to be less plot and more weird, since I'm just going with what my brain feels like doing. Probably no long paragraphs or anything, just getting straight to the point of things. And some small comedy bits, because my brain likes comedy.
Comments are welcomed and appreciated!
Please enjoy!
~~~~~
"I can't think of anything!" Ink whined, collapsing on Dream's legs.
"Why don't you just watch TV?" Dream offered, reclining further on the couch.
"Because that's boring! I want to draw a picture! Tell me what to do!"
"Draw a flower."
"I don't wanna.."
"A penguin?"
"No.."
"A city?"
"I've drawn millions of cities!" Ink increased the volume of his whining.
"Take a walk or something!"
"Maybe.." Ink hummed. "Maybe a walk would give me inspiration! Get ready, nature! I'm coming for ya!"
Ink cannonballed into a portal, and Dream sighed in relief, going back to watching his favorite show. Ink found himself in a surface forest with trees that looked like..well..
"Come on, creativity!" Ink pouted. "Make the trees into something other than trees! Like bunnies!"
The trees did not turn into bunnies.
"Ugh.." Ink fell backwards, lying on the ground boredly. "Nonexistent brain, think!"
"What are you doing?" A familiar voice came from behind Ink, who was quick to don a defensive stance.
"What are you doing?" Ink returned.
"I asked first."
"No, you didn't!"
"..Yes, I did."
"Nuh-uh!"
"I did."
"You didn't!"
"..Fine, whatever."
"Yay! What do I win?"
"..You get to win the right to answer my question."
"What is it?"
"What are you doing?"
"I'm trying to make my mind turn the trees into something cool!"
"..I'm sorry I asked."
"What are you doing, then?"
"Taking a walk."
"Why?"
"..No reason."
"That's boring! There has to be some reason you've decided to go for a walk!"
"Perhaps, but I am not interested in sharing that reason with you."
"Aw, come on, please tell me? I'm so bored!"
"How are you bored? You have the entire world at your fingertips."
"That's what's so boring! I have nothing to do!"
"..."
"Are you in the process of attacking an AU, Nightmare?"
"No." Nightmare responded, blankly.
"What about your gang?"
"No."
"How about Error?"
"No."
"What are you doing?"
"I am still, unexplicably, taking a walk."
"Do you have hobbies?"
"Why are you interested in that?"
"Because!" Ink flopped back down to the ground, whining. "I'm bored!"
"Don't you have a universe to create, or something?"
"No!" Ink stood again, holding the dark king's shoulders. "I'm too bored! My mind won't work!"
"Aren't you supposed to be the embodiment of creativity?"
"That's the problem!" Ink yelled desperately. "I can't think of anything! I can't make anything!"
"..Does this have a cause which I may be able to manipulate for my own personal gain?"
"Hmm.." Ink contemplated the words more than he really should have. "Do you think being manipulated would make me creative again?"
"..It might."
"Ooh! Try it, try it!" Ink jumped giddily, clapping his hands.
"Ah, before we begin, you need to sign this." Nightmare held out a piece of paper, providing a pen.
"Okay!" Ink signed it. "What is it?"
"Just a form stating that you are legally allowing me to manipulate you for my own personal gain, and that I am not liable for anything relating to this."
"..How long have you had that?"
"Since before I met you; I carry a few around, just in case."
"Wowie!"
"Indeed. Now, come along; I can only do this inside my castle."
Nightmare opened a portal, and Ink hopped through without thinking one bit about his personal safety. They came out in Nightmare's bedroom, where Ink was plopped in a chair.
"When do we start?" Ink questioned.
"After I inform the others about your situation; this is the only room I can trust them to not invade forcefully before I tell them." Nightmare answered.
"Okay!"
Nightmare left his room, and he went to the living room, where his gang were sitting on the multiple couches. He addressed them promptly.
"Boys, I have an announcement to make." He started.
"It's National Killing Day?" Killer was interested.
"No."
"Aw.." Killer was no longer interested.
"The artist has signed my contract."
"What?!" Nightmare's gang members were shocked.
"He's in the middle of a case of artist's block, and he sincerely thinks that my manipulating him will make him creative again. I want all of you on your best behavior, all right?"
"Yes, Boss!" The members saluted.
"Good. I shall bring him out here, and-" Nightmsre was cut off.
"Whatcha up to?" Ink appeared behind Nightmare.
"I told you to wait in my room."
"I got bored. I'm still bored. I haven't felt boredom like this since forever!" Ink began to shake Nightmare vigorously, gripping his shoulders tightly. "Can you understand what this feels like?!"
"Yes." Nightmare sighed, detaching the artist from him. "But don't worry; I can manipulate you and possibly make you not bored anymore."
"Yay!" Ink cheered. "When do we start?"
"I've never seen someone that excited for this.." Cross snickered.
"We can begin now." Nightmare set Ink on a couch, and his boys stood. "Now, Ink, manipulation is a very important part of this process, and you absolutely must open your mind to doing anything I tell you to do, okay?"
"Okay!" Ink nodded eagerly.
"Raise your hands."
"Uh-huh!" Ink raised his hands.
"Now, tell me about your base."
"Oh, that's easy! It's yellow with a white border, and the door has a Christmas wreath on it, even though it isn't Christmas! The attic is full of Dream and Blue's stuff, while I get the basement and-" Ink was interrupted.
"What is in the basement?"
"My art studio! I have paints, brushes, easels, palettes, pencils-"
"Enough. Do you have any dark secrets, by any chance?"
"Um..nope! Unless I forgot..I don't think I do.."
"All right. Have you ever killed someone?"
"Mhm!"
"Who?"
"Oh, lots of people! Dream says I should really stop, but it's kinda a habit at this point! It's a bit hard not to value life when you can just make more!"
"..." Nightmare was a bit unsettled by this revelation. "Do you do this..often?"
"Uh-huh."
"...Why do you fight us, then?"
"Because Dream asked me to. He says that he needs me, even though I'm not so sure about that; he can do a lot on his own!"
"..So if it weren't for him, you wouldn't care about us?"
"I probably wouldn't even know you existed!" Ink giggled. "I mean, really, you aren't even a low-level threat to the multiverse!"
"..." Nightmare's dignity was visibly harmed by that statement, but he persisted. "Since you're so..carefree..and since you don't seem too interested in being good..why don't you just join us?"
"Because there's no reason." Ink shrugged. "Besides, Dream's my friend!"
"Hm.." Nightmare thought for a while. "But..I can guarantee that things will be interesting here. The boys are absolute maniacs sometimes."
"Interesting things aren't things to put friendships away for."
"Who told you that?"
"Dream." Ink smiled. "He tells me a lot of stuff!"
"Ink, do you remember what I told you I would do?"
"Uh-huh! You're gonna manipulate me!"
"You know, you have to help. One good thing about being manipulated is that you don't have to worry about your friendships; your friends will forgive you for anything as long as they know that you're being manipulated."
"They will?" Ink tilted his skull.
"Of course. If you join my gang, and if I say that I'm manipulating you, your friends will definitely forgive you, since they'll understand. It's basically..a 'get out of jail free card.'"
"Oh, boy!" Ink grinned.
"So, will you join us?"
"Will I!" Ink accepted the offer. "This is the best thing that's happened to me since Error!"
"Indeed. As a member of my gang now, you get to help us attack AUs and kill people, but remember: you are by no means responsible for your actions, and neither am I."
"Got it!"
"Now, we're going to go out and attack an AU, and you're going to come and help us, all right?"
"Okay!"
"Good, now come."
Nightmare opened a portal, and his gang, including its new member, entered. The group began to cause chaos, and several inhabitants died horrible deaths before the two remaining Star Sanses, Dream and Blue, entered the scene. Immediately, they noticed what was different.
"Ink!" Dream yelled. "What are you doing?!"
"Nightmare's manipulating me to help me get over my artist's block!" Ink grinned happily, ending the existence of another inhabitant.
"Brother! How could you do such a thing?!"
"He signed my contract." Nightmare pointed at Ink.
"Ink, why would you do that?!"
"He told me to!" Ink shrugged.
"Why would you take advantage of poor Ink?"
"Because he said I could." Nightmare chuckled.
"Why would you give him permission?!"
"Because he said he could help!" Ink giggled.
"..." Dream sighed slightly. "Brother, I'm blaming you for this!"
"You can't!" Nightmare cackled. "My contract was also a liability waver!"
"No!" Dream gasped. "Ink, how could you sign a liability waver?!"
"I didn't read it!" Ink saw nothing wrong with this, proceeding to kill another innocent.
Dream facepalmed. "Ink, you're coming home with us, now."
"Aww.." Ink frowned, walking over to his friends, who grabbed him promptly.
"And you're spending the rest of the day in the corner!"
"No.." Ink pouted. "At least lemme say bye.."
Dream rolled his eyelights, before turning Ink around.
"Bye, guys, it was fun!" Ink waved. "And, Nightmare, if you ever need a return favor, look me up!"
"I doubt I will." Nightmare deadpanned.
Ink was hauled off back to the Star Sanses' base, and Nightmare's gang went home. The incident was forgotten, until five years later. Nightmare had taken up writing as a hobby, and today, he was having a particularly difficult time thinking of a scene.
"He flies..no.." Nightmare contemplated his choices. "His friend...no. Sirens..do nothing. Ugh..maybe I should take a break.."
Nightmare closed his writing station up, and he opened a portal to a peaceful AU, where he decided to stargaze. Without warning, a portal opened up behind him, and a crazed artist stepped through.
"What are you doing, Ink?" He asked, without turning around.
"Nothin.'" Ink smiled, hopping in front of the king of darkness. "I just came to deliver a message!"
"What message?"
"Um.." Ink scoured his scarf, looking for a note. "I know it's here somewhere.."
"Just forget it."
"Forget what?"
"...You were late for a picnic with my brother."
"I was?!" Ink panicked. "I-" Ink paused. "No, that was yesterday..I guess you have memory problems, too! Lemme write that down.." Ink began to write a note on his scarf. "Nightmare..has..memory..problems. Done!"
"..." Nightmare sighed.
"You seem sad. Are you sad? Can I help you?"
"No."
"Dream's been teaching me how to make sad people feel happy! Can I try it with you?"
"No."
"Great!" Okay, first thing's first; I have to ask you what would make you feel better. What would make you feel better?"
"Anything but you."
"Do you have any problems? Dilemmas? Situations? Life-threatening choices? How about-" Ink was cut off.
"Will you leave if I tell you?" Nightmare hoped.
"Uh-huh!" Ink nodded.
"Fine. I am experiencing writer's block. Are you happy now?"
"..." Ink paused, before growing a large smile. "I can totally help you!"
"How could you possibly help me?"
"By doing what you did!"
"What I did..?"
"Well, yeah, don't you remember?"
"..No?"
"Oh, yeah, I forgot; you have memory problems, too!" Ink chuckled, looking down at his scarf. "I once had artist's block, and you helped me by manipulating me! Remember now?"
"Oh. That." Nightmare remembered.
"Come on, I can manipulate you this time, and then you'll get inspiration!"
"You'd better not kill me.."
"I won't! Probably!"
Ink violently dragged Nightmare through a portal that led to the Star Sanses' base, which was, luckily, empty. Dream and Blue were both out doing whatever they did. Nightmare was set on a couch, and Ink happily began to rant about something unrelated before Nightmare cut him off.
"What did you want to do?" He inquired.
"Oh, right!" Ink recalled. "One thing that always gives me inspiration is the unexpected! I'm gonna do things you'd never expect, and then you'll be inspired!"
"I'm fairly sure I can expect anything by this point." Nightmare deadpanned; after the incident involving his boys, death, and cupcake icing, he hadn't been surprised by anything.
"I'm a horse!" Ink created a horse costume around himself and began to trot around the room.
"I stand corrected." Nightmare had not expected that. "This has been interesting, but I think I'm going to leave now."
"But don't you want to see me eat an entire inflated balloon in one bite?" Ink wondered, holding a balloon.
"..Do it."
Nightmare stayed for three hours, being entertained by Ink's wackiness. By the time he reached his writing station, he was full of inspiration. He wouldn't do that again, though..
Never again.