It's been three days.
It's been three days since Ink met Muffet. It's been three days since Dream was treating him so carefully. It's been three days and he still can't find any clue of how to get past any of them or what to do.
It's been three days since these stupid emotions won't disappear.
It kept clinging onto him like some kind of glue and no matter how he clawed and scratch it with hateful words he heard from Error, nothing worked. If anything, it only powered his sadness and Ink was getting frustrated. He couldn't think straight like this.
Addition to this was the strange behavior coming from Dream. He wasn't pushing Ink around in fact, he was gentle and care for him. Ink has doubts that it was a simple caring attitudes. He won't take him away if there's no reason.
Did Dream took him away or Error doesn't need him anymore?
What was the point of giving him the orb if Error would go back alone?
Or did he loved the way he lives here?
Would he really choose that over Ink?
Ink's not that valuable anyways... Who was he to Error before this? Nothing but a nuisance...
If Error doesn't want to go home anymore, then he have to go alone but... he promised to go home together. It doesn't matter anymore. Error chose this and Ink would live up to that decision.
I hate him anyway...
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"Don't get distracted!" Dream scolded as Martial stopped for a moment to pick up a wrapped up caramel that fell down the floor.
'You almost stepped on it.' Martial wasn't happy.
Dream gulped but answered. "I did not mean to."
First called it cheating everytime Martial would stall like this and suddenly thrust his katana like it was nothing. Dream immediately blocked but the surprise was enough for Seventh to attack him relentlessly. He was swept out of his feet and Martial already pointing a sword to his neck. The older one glared at the tip before looking at those forest green eye lights.
"You cheated..." This wasn't the first time he had said it but he felt like he should.
Martial only smiled and retracted the blade. Dream knew that there's a reason for the smile and lack of response. He wasn't much of an enthusiast to what the other has to offer. It usually ended up a bad thing.
He remembered one similar like this and it was always a blackmail. He ended up wearing Seventh's uniforms for his guards. Everyone was looking at him funnily and he received a good talk from his brother for letting himself be ridiculed.
The other time was another blackmail and that was to call Martial 'The Great Successor' everytime he would see the younger one. The lower one said he didn't like the title at all but he just like ridiculing Dream infront of everyone in attempt to 'throw him out his little word'. He couldn't understand the other at all.
Right now, training was over and now that he was being dragged out the castle to Seventh's tower meant that it was another blackmail. First knew he should flail like there was no tomorrow but in truth, the other would start spilling the embarrassing blackmail out in the open.
But it was never dangerous. It was never something that would land him in real trouble with the King.
He was pulled to the third floor where it was only an open space with couches and shown a good view of the outside and the palace on the other window. The windows were currently covered with dark green curtains with gold trim lines and Martial would only open them when it was nighttime.
"What another embarrassing actions must I do this time?" Dream asked without care.
'Does a mountain of caramels would look wonderful there? I am sure precious things as such always glisten wherever they were.' Martial pointed at a corner after that.
"Do you want me to snuck caramels in? For how long?" Dream knew he won't win against this if he even tried to rebel.
'Oh? An interesting offer but that's not it.' Martial quipped at Dream's words.
Dream raised a brow. That's... not it?
"Then what is it then?" Dream impatiently asked.
That smile spreading on Martial's face already screamed out danger and rang alarm bells within First but he already asked and he didn't know what to do.
'I've heard interesting things.'
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Horror wasn't the type to worry about others. Why should he care about them? All of them has had hardships in many ways than one. He won't mind wrappinng himself in his blanket after his training and hearing Lust's voice tell story of olds he never heard. He really won't mind others nor any request from someone unimportant.
But if it came from Lust...
Before he knew it, he was infront Fourth General's quarters in the early morning. He could never resist the assassin he had kept under his roof.
"See Ink in Fourth's tower?" Horror asked at the strange request.
"Yes... I owe him my life that's why... I felt there is something wrong? Would you do me a favor and see for yourself?" Lust asked and worry was evident in his voice.
"I will of course. Anything for you..." Horror smiled as he looked out the star-filled, night sky.
Now, he found himself knocking and someone opening the door. He was greeted by Error who looked... devastated? Like his mind was out of the current happenings. His eye lights were dully fixed at Sixth.
"It's been so long, Fourth." He casually addressed.
Error left the door open as he sat down the bed. It was a silent invitation for Horror to enter. The Sixth General stepped foot for the second time and immediately caught no sign of Ink inside the room. The beautiful drawing on the desk was gone but there was a handful of drawings by the fireplace. The room was a lot messier and lost its previous shine to it. Even if Ink was away back then, the room was light and inhabitable but now, it radiated off bad vibes and depressing atmosphere.
Horror winced as it reminded him of his own room right before Lust came in his life. A room with nothing but depressive aura and evident hunger. He didn't have political knowledge to know what most likely to do unlike most of the Generals. He was only serving the King because he owed him the day he was saved from starving to death. If Horror had to think back to it, it was rather intentional to get him, he displayed violent attacks back then just to quell his hunger and Nightmare must have seen it as destructive yet powerful so he kept him. Lust gave more cheer in his own little room and help in getting the tower function better.
After a while of reminiscing, he caught up to his current situation.
Horror knew that he suffered badly in the hands of Dream during a training. That day, all other scheduled training inside there was cancelled. Something bad happened and Error came out bloody and battered. That much damage and broken bones would almost cost a month but when he scanned his superior, he could only see a perfectly fine body.
No one knew what happened inside. Why it happened was more out of the question but no one dared to ask. He decided to admit the reason of his visit in a very smooth manner.
"I see that... Ink is nowehere in here." He pretended to crane his neck in a mock of searching.
He got silence instead and Horor doesn't know what to say anymore. He couldn't decipher the look given by his ally.
"It seems you are still recovering, I would gladly come back when you're better. For now, I will take my leave." Horror retreated and was about to open the door.
"It's for the best..."
Horror looked over his shoulder with a questionable gaze at the vague answer. He couldn't understand what he meant by it. Error was completely out of it. Lazily looking at his fingers with a defeated gaze and smile. He didn't bother trying to exchange any words and decided to leave right then and there.
Lust won't like the result of his investigation.
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Ink reviewed the half-baked plan in his mind of how to find the orb, how to get to it and how to make sure he has back up plans. He was unprepared of what to do in truth. His mind was plagued with matters unrelated and just kept on hurting him.
Regarding his emotions, it wasn't doing him any good. It had been far too long for it to dwell. It was taking up his thoughts but he couldn't help it even if he wanted to. He wanted to stop feeling them but he couldn't. It was making him too quiet because his mind was trying to understand what he was actually feeling. He couldn't cry because despite the sadness, he couldn't bring forth his emotions. Like when you wanted to scream in frustration but you can't and something was holding you back. He wanted to cry but it was like contained inside of him with no way out.
He can become emotionless, that was true. Then he would have built up emotions but they never bothered him in a point of extreme. If he was emotionless, he could recognize the building emotions but they never intervened. Right now, he was emotionless but it was like he was still wearing his sash of how much he was feeling. He couldn't express it but it was definitely there and gnawing in his mind, burning the worry more and more that it had taken upon his subconscious.
Another to this was the added emotions. It was his because he was the one feeling it inside his body but at the same time he didn't understand why he was feeling it to the point that he wondered if it was even his to begin with. Was it an emotion from the original one? Why would he be feeling that? Maybe he'd just grown too close to Error and he shouldn't fret like this because he hated Error for abandoning him.
He was shook out his thoughts just in time when the door slammed open and a very frustrated General walked in.
Dream was seething in anger as the words rang in his head. He supported himself as he leaned on the study table, still standing as he couldn't believe the words that came from the boy's mouth earlier. The threat and the demand he had put on Dream's head was high that the First General couldn't do anything but nod uselessly at the offer presented to him.
He knew he couldn't do that. He couldn't do what the other wanted because everything will be wasted if he'd only get the words and not a thoroughly guided ways. He never thought Martial would do something like that. The brat just flat out laid a blackmail equal to his own life and Nightmare's acknowledgement to him.
He never knew Martial's blackmails would be dangerous.
He couldn't get out of this one and he knew that like second nature. Either he flat out refuse and have his dusts serve on a silver platter or agree and blindlessly try himself. There's no such thing as other way in this thing. There's no way out of this.
'A shame really... for you to be disposed off by dear brother.'
He couldn't let that happen. He swore that he would never be a disappointment to his brother. He still have time and he needed patience not panic in this. He needed to stay calm and get what he wanted from Ink. He do have answers he was sure.
He looked at Ink and saw the other was looking at him cautiously, still not speaking. He needed to be back in condition soon. He have to or else all he had worked for would crash down. He would give the other a few days before finally bringing up the reason of his attempt of keeping him lock here.
He just needed to wait for it.