=True Lab Something Different #0=
Geno looks up from working on the portal generator and nudges Classic and nods to Nightmare as he drags QuantumTale Gaster away. "Looks like someone tried to skip nap time again."
Classic shakes his head and chuckles. The council had been alarmed the first time this had happened until Red came back yawning and announced that Nightmare had set up a nap room. The mandatory naps and regular meats that commenced after that had been confusing until Dream laughingly started rationing the coffee. That had nearly started a rebellion among the Gasters on the project. Fortunately Nightmare had made Dream give their coffee back.
Red watches the nap time drama and walks over to Geno and Classic with mugs of soup. "I really never figured Nightmare for the mother hen type."
"I don't know why not he has been parenting to Bad Sanses for years or did anyone ever think about the fact that they were all traumatized teens when he first dragged them out of their screwed up AUs?" Geno takes the mug of soup with a grin. "Not only is he used to parenting chaotic Sanses but he doesn't want any mistakes because we are overworked or over tired. He needs this to work even more than the rest of us."
Classic nodded, taking his mug of soup and giving Red a kiss on the cheek. "I think Dream is worried about him, he has been keeping a close socket on Nightmare."
Geno snorts, "of course he is everyone who cares about him is. Error may have never been free to do anything about it but they are soulmates. DreamTale was one of the first AU and was only around for a decade before the apple incident. Error and Nightmare met shortly after that. They have been in each other's lives almost from the beginning of the multiverse. If he wasn't immortal the last six years probably would have killed Nightmare. Monsters who lose their soulmate fall down. Nightmare is immortal but it doesn't stop him from hurting."
"Damn how pissed is he at Error for jumping then?" Red watches Nightmare throw Reaper into a wall again.
Classic chuckles, "so other than being your brother-in-law kind of why is Nightmare so mean to Reaper?"
Geno shrugs, "you do realize Error was the original AfterTale Sans right? Reaper used to pester him just as much. It is why I would never give him a chance. I am no one's convenient replacement. Error and I have completely different souls. Nightmare understands that, he also gets Reaper's complete lack of respect for us both as people."
Red actually winces, "Fox that is like thinking that FlowerFell Sans and I are interchangeable."
Classic shoots Reaper a thoughtful look, "I don't know what is wrong with him, he wasn't always like that you know he used to be friends with Error and stand up to Ink back when it was only a few of us at meetings before Red and Dream joined. I have always wondered what made him change so much between one meeting and the next but the meetings could be years apart back then."
Geno gives Reaper a puzzled look and sighs. "Error once said something similar. That Reaper used to be someone he would have introduced me to but something got screwed up in his AU and he changed into someone he didn't even know anymore."
"Maybe it was a reset gone bad you know the AU that aren't supposed to reset get funked up when something happens and they do." Red glares at Fresh who is across the room going over some kind of chart with Chaos. "If you want to know what happened in ReaperTale well your source of gossip is close at hand."
Geno curses softly and even sensored the absolute venom is unmistakable, "now we are going to have to find out what happened and if he needs help. That ashhat will use it as an excuse to be even more of a pest."
Classic just blinks at Geno, "I know why I have to but why do you have to?"
"Because if someone had bothered to look into things instead of just accepting the idea that Error didn't have a reason for what he was doing it could have saved him a lot of pain." Geno glares as Reaper pulls himself out of the wall.
"Even if he has a good reason for acting like an ash hole no is still no and he doesn't have the right to harass you just because most of us can't touch him directly to smack him for it." Red glares at Reaper then sighs. "I'll help you investigate after we get Error back."
Classic nods, "we both will he used to be a friend I should have done something a long time ago rather than shrug the changes off. I don't know why any Sans that isn't a swap is a judge. We are all too damn apathetic to do a good job until it comes back to kick us in the teeth."
Blue hurries past with a crate bigger than he is full of mettle parts and sets it down next to LittleTale Gaster. "I am going on break. I will be back in an hour. Remember your kids need a nap time story in fifteen minutes."
After watching Blue rush off through a portal Red shakes his head. "Never thought anyone would get Blue to take a break most swaps and Papyruses think breaks and sleep are for the weak."
Geno chuckles, "oh he isn't going to rest. Dust is brewing and Blue takes every break and rest period to go share magic with him and make sure he ate something nutritious, got some rest, and didn't lift anything heavier than a book. Dust is currently very grateful for this project keeping Blue from fussing over him constantly."
"So Dust is the carrier? I really thought Blue would be with his high HP and low LV." Classic grins at the mental image of Dust waddling around with a big pregnant belly.
Red eyes Classic contemplating a very similar image with a few significant differences. "I have to admit I am surprised too, high LV usually makes conception more difficult, at least when the carrier has the LV."
"You are forgetting Blue is one of the smallest adult Sanses that isn't a Bitty. Dust wasn't about to risk his soulmate with pregnancy and delivery. They had quite the shouting match while deciding who got to carry. In the end Dust won by pointing out that he can't cook worth anything and Blue would probably be too nauseous to cook if he was carrying. It was the weirdest most polite argument I have ever seen and turned into making out in the garden much to Nightmare's annoyance. He then ordered them not to make babies in public or he was taking his grandkids and kicking them out for being a bad influence. That left Dust a blushing stuttering mass, Blue just laughed." Geno grins at the memory. "It actually made Nightmare smile for a moment."
"You sound really fond of Nightmare?" Classic gave Geno a quizzical look. Sure they were all seeing Nightmare a little differently lately but Geno knew him much better than anyone on the council.
"Of course I am fond of him. He is my brother's soulmate. He is family and we agree that nothing matters more than family, unless they betray or abandon you." Geno shrugs, glancing at Dream. "I am amazed how tolerant Nightmare is of Dream all things considered."
Red frowns as Nightmare ignores yet another cup of coffee and sandwich brought to him by Dream only to accept a coffee from Ccino and an extra sandwich from Horror who took away the sandwich Dream made and passed it off to Stretch.
"I mean he doesn't trust him at all, he is only trusting in the council's self interest to keep Dream from screwing him over." Geno sipped his soup. "Only Nightmare, Error and Dream know the details, not even sure Dream is fully aware of some of it. Basically back in their AU they were created to protect the tree that regulated their balance but they were kids of about five. Nightmare took the big brother role and made sure they had food, shelter, medicine. Then people came wanting the golden apples. Of course they refused so the people left and came back with children asking to build a village nearby. Nightmare tried to refuse not trusting them but Dream overruled him, excited to have "friends" so the people built a village and were very nice to Dream. The children led Dream away to play farther away every day. Before long Dream wouldn't hear an ill word about his friends. Meanwhile the abuse towards Nightmare who was a vigilant guardian started, small cruel words, the occasional little shove. Not the best situation but Nightmare was tough even if he was only eight. I think if it had stayed like that, Nightmare would still be there standing faithful guard while his brother played. But the abuse only escalated and Dream never questioned Nightmare's physical and emotional state. The apple incident was not initiated by Nightmare, he was attacked and injured while protecting the tree while Dream was once again away. He ate the first apple for the strength to survive and deliberately left apples from Dream. Turning Dream to stone when he came back and attacked was the safest way to end the fight without hurting him. When Dream was freed from the stone by the restoration of their balance Ink happened to be around and rather than seeking out his brother who had worked so hard to free him. Dream swallows Ink's lies whole and follows after him like a love sick puppy. Calling himself guardian of positivity while never paying attention to the balance and abusing his position to please Ink. He literally ripped out Error's ability to feel positive emotions not to mention all the physical damage. Or his fights with Nightmare. I don't know if Nightmare hates his brother but he sure as hell doesn't trust him. Not as a brother, a person, or a guardian but, he will endure anything, even Dream if it means getting Error back."
Red shakes his head, "that doesn't make sense. Dream isn't the type to turn on his brother like that hell he pretty much told the council he doesn't care about the rest of the multiverse, he is in this for Nightmare."
Geno meets Classic's eyelights then Red's, "you assume any of it was Dream's idea. He is by nature positivite, cheerful, excitable, and naïve, a perfect little follower and keeper of positivity. Nightmare is cynical, paranoid, and mistrustful, as well as protective, and caring, a leader. They were created to balance each other but separate them and Dream is easily manipulated. This disaster was started long ago by the villagers and was fostered and nurtured by Ink. It will take a lot for Nightmare to ever trust Dream because he is so easy to influence."