Ink stood looking at the cast list, a grieved look on his face when his name was next to "Tweedledum". Saying he was upset would be a understatement, maybe Error was a fortune-teller. Though he was a bit excited for the feather duster battle, but would obviously much rather be back stage then up with big hoop pants doing a fight with cleaning supplies. Maybe he should have just kept with what he was organizing assigned as.
"Wow, heh, fits well." A familiar voice from behind him chirped, Ink could practically see the smug look on his face without even having his eye lights on him. "Shut up," he felt his blood marrow boil under his thicc bone. It took no more then a comment to set him off, if being possibly the worst character in a play wasn't enough. "Shut it."
"What? Ohhh you still man from last night?" He chuckled, spinning around and around on his heel before continuing. "Sorry babe, but that's.. that's because your a bitch! Haha." No more then a second after that he tripped on some wires that slithered their way up to the lights, making a dim flicker and a loud cackle. Ink looked at him in disgust; he was probably high or some form of drunk, and the nickname had to be the worst of the bunch. 'Babe'? What was he, gay?
Well on second thought, Ink is some form of gay so he didn't really mind, but still. The question of how he even got the alcohol was still in hand, but more noticeably was the fact that he still had to practice for the show. Getting on the cast itself was a miracle, and he knew that so he wasn't just about to mess it up.
In the middle of the night all three brothers were oblivious to the small skeleton rehearsal in the living room, flicking a wooden spoon around like it was a feather duster. He would have been using a real one if he could find it, but by the looks of it there were none that were there. Maybe it would have been easier to do this in the day as well, considering that he couldn't see anything and kept stubbing his pinky toe on the same table at least 6 times already.
Time was even worse, every time he checked his half broken phone for the time it seemed like hours past in seconds. He was tired and knew he had a big exam tomorrow, but even with all of those conditions he still went with his lines that he looked at every so often. Who wants to learn about history anyways?
5:00 am.
5:00 am, only a hour away from having to wake up as he was still swinging the wooden spoon around while talking with bromide, who unsurprisingly didn't talk back. Ink knew that if he could bromide would have told him that he was tired too.
6:02 am
He heard the lights upstairs flicker on, echoing down the halls if it were a sound. The sounds of foot steps aching their way down the hall alarmed ink, he moved quickly to avoid being seen acting like a chicken. He went to duck on the couch but realized a figure was already there sleeping, had it been there the whole night? Just by the little bits of lights ink could make out the figure of geno hunched over on the couch.
Oh yeah, he slept there.
Ink, with no where to run, defeatedly stood for the figure who was making their way down the hall to see. Upon ink catching the gaze of error he froze, but error flatly acted as if he hadn't existed and pasted him, reaching from the plant filled sink to turn the knob. Error cupped the water in his hands taking a swing.
Ink didn't see a real problem with this, knowing that error was never really the type to care about ink, but it was odd. There was no bulling, no pushing, no snappy remark, just plan old slump.
At school was no different, they gotten there slightly early because error was up at normal time. Error exchanged a few words with cross along with nightmare but that was it, ink was sure that man didn't even blink. He could arguably judge error for the mood swings, but knew he wasn't any better.
Ink was snapped from his thoughts and somewhat worried when a gentle hand was placed upon his shoulder, he flinched but seeing Dream's face made it calm again. He smiled and meekly waved. "So how was the apology talk?"
Ink's face set upon a disturbed one, he glanced away and shrugged not knowing what the appropriate answer would be in this situation. "Fine, we had another yelling fight but in the end he gave me my vials and shoed me off, I don't know what his deal is."
Dream shrugged. "At least that's somewhat of a conclusion? Hmm." He paused, but continued after a minute or so, "maybe talk with him during study hall?"
"I don't know if I want to, he's moody."
"Try?"
"Dream I already have, he doesn't listen then gets all butt hurt."
When ink gazed back at Dream he could see, hear, taste, smell, and even feel those puppy dog eyes that were directed at him like a bazoka. "I hate you..." Ink said blankly but agreed.
Each class just gotten worse and worse too, knowing that study hall was coming closer made each one of his classes zoom. He wasn't even excited to eat, he would get only thirty minutes to talk with his friends before he would be shoved into the destroyer's arms to have a 'chat' that would end up in a argument. He just knew it.
His hand shook upon grabbing his tray, sliding it across the row almost bumming into people and not listening to the lunch lady when she had asked him a question. "Corn?" Her boggy voice crooked but because of his haze and the line pressuring him to move forward he didn't catch a word. 'Porn'? Was the only thing he could make out of her words before inverting it to a more appropriate answer and quickly nodded. "Yes please."
What was wrong with him? For all hell he lived with the guy and was to afraid to talk to him like he was a crush or something. His friend could notice it too when he sat down in his chair, he was frantic and slowly ate his sand which like a sloth. "He's scared." Cross sighed stabbing his fork into the meshed up glob that was somehow edible. "W-what?" Ink stammered glancing out of his trance and jolting his head to look towards the monochrome skeleton in-front of him.
"I'm not I'm just," "— just what?" Ink looked down shoving a piece of merely edible corn into his mouth so he couldn't speak. It took a once minute for him to chew, shallow, then catch the breath to talk. "Just tired of arguments with him." "So your just gotta flunk out on a amazing pal?"
Cross laugh making ink send a glare. "You're one to talk, so how was your meet up with nightmare huh?" Cross merely choked. "That's not fair, we had no time to plan anything yet and—" "mhm," ink rolled his eyes throwing his mushy lunch into the trash that wasn't fair from their table. Instead, under the table he pulled out a small vial taking a quick sip before stuffing it back down in his pocket.
"What color?" Dream cocked his head gazing at ink. "Yellow" he muttered stuffing face into his hands. "You sure?"
"No,"
"Then What was it?"
"I don't know"
"I think he just wants to cry again so he doesn't have to see or talk with error." Cross coced "your sooooo smart," ink rolled his eyes after rubbing them.
"Ink.." Dream whined pulling on his sleeve, but then out of no where his mood went flop side, dream snatched a yellow vial from ink's ridiculous sized scarf and popped the top off forcing the golden vial into his mouth. "Stop it." He snapped glancing across the room at error. Ink was almost grieving as he turned from sad to happy with a bit of sickness in his stomach. He caught the glance of someone staring at him, a human of course, who glared at him or seemingly no other reason then that he was a monster.
Why did the world hate him so much? Dream slightly smiled at him patting his back. "It's going to be fine." "Yeah right—" "—Ink? You need to go to the office." A hand was placed on his shoulder as a woman spoke in a smooth voice, ink knew that he had to be in trouble yet again for something he didn't even do. He sighed, stood up bidding his friends goodbye before going to the principles office in a somewhat cheerful mood.
He gazed at the door, taking a breath that he didn't even need and opened the door gazing at what was infront of him.
There he stood taking notice of the principle standing next to what use to be his 'pa'. Words couldn't describe it, even if he couldn't feel he could still process that he should be feeling scared, helpless and mad,but he didn't. Even though he was right there standing infront of him he didn't want to tell or run, he just wanted to sit down like a good little boy and face what he deserved. Even if he didn't deserve it at all...
His 'pa' looked different, no, he didn't have that crack head and drunken vibe and look that he always wore when they were at the junkyard of a house but more of a normal professional look. He was dressed in a simple dad like plated shirt, jeans that reached down to oddly clean shoes and his fur was neat and smelt nicer than it ever had before hand.
He didn't under anything that was going on, where did his dad get the money to even spend on clothing like this? Why was he here? Why wasn't ink doing anything? At this point he would much rather be talking to Error than standing in front of this beast.
"Ink take a seat." Upon slowly taking his seat, sweat pouring from his skull even if physics doesn't allow that. The chair made a sound squeak when he sat in it too, almost like it was about to break. "I heard that you are—" The priceable looked away coughing into his curled up fist before continuing "—doing things with other students at our school and possibly at another too. Is this true?"
Ink was flabbergasted, eyes wide and staring like a blissful child that knew they were in trouble. "No, I was just spending time at a friends house...that's all."
"Uh huh.. and have these people been offering you anything?" Ink shook his head again know that he was now talking about the odd thing that's been going on with cross.
"Great this schools going to hell.." he muttered under his breath standing up and nodding ink and his 'pa' a goodbye. "Well that's all I needed to know, bye then." His voice was twitch to a pitch that was so friendly it was just unsettling and embarrassing how much he was trying not to burst into flames.
Ink didn't want to go though, he didn't know why s was going home early or eat it was with his lazy guardian in the first place, but again the vial did not allow him to feel such stress. A firm hand was placed in his shoulder as the pair walked out, the older giving fake smiles and waves just to add more foundation to what was actually underneath.
The car was worse, silence had never felt so dry and loud screeching into his ear like a toddler. It was cold, the key was in the engine but it was never turn to start the old hag. Though 'pa's' hands were firmly on the stirring wheel, and the look on his face was one of a complete broken man.
Ten minutes. Ten solid minutes they sat in complete udder silence with no word forming ether of their mouths. So ink wouldn't have been in the wrong place when he flinched at the sudden movement of pa's hand, but it wasn't coming for ink, it was just simply turning the rusted key.
When ink looked in the mirror he could see millions of bees bottles stacked behind him in the back seat, not even with seat belts on. Each sharp turn would cause them to roll and clash into one another.
Left, right, right, no no that's not right. That's not their roads that they take to get to their house nor was the place even remotely familiar. Lakes, trees, almost never even seen before. What was he planing? Was he gotta murder ink and hide the body in the lake or trees? Panic set in, well it would have if it could, but it couldn't.
Maybe he lost track of time or where they were going, because when he was snapped out of his own mind he could see houses. Rich houses at that. Nice white royal houses that had look to sweet for his taste. His gaze was far, so far that he practically fell out of the car when they stopped. No longer did he want to smell that alcohol recking.
He was lead firmly up the steps to the house where the door was opened, no knocking needed.
Ink was suddenly attacked with a middle aged woman who cupped his 'cheeks' and started flustering over him like he was a toy on Christmas Eve. "Oh look at my little sun ray~!" She hummed making him double take on what she just had said. 'His'? He didn't belong to anyone.
"He's all yours." His use to be pa said, hands in pocket with the sound of relief and anger mixed into his happily plastic tone. "What going on?" Inks muffled voice chimed in as best as it could from his cheeks that were squeezed together, even if he already knew the answer.
"Your going to a new home kid, you know I can't take care of you anymore..." his voice sounded almost threatening as if ink was to play a part. Was he really getting sold off to a new family? What about the brothers? He will no longer even be close to any of them and- and he had no idea what this house was even like!
When ink was rushed inside he stumbled on the steps almost angry but couldn't muster it when his eyes landed on the place. The ceilings were high, there were stairs leading up to the second floor that were padded with carpet. To his right he could see a large opening which lead to the kitchen, the table was neat and looked untouched. To his left was a living room fireplace and a large window that let you look outside. It was outdated and looked fancy for his taste in and out, but it was greater than anything he's ever been in before.
"You're rooms upstairs, I have it all ready for you and you can put you belonging in the— say, dear, where is your stuff?" The woman rambled looking at ink as if he was crazy. "Oh, they are... at my friends house, I mistakenly left them there heh..." Ink rubbed the side of his skull hoping to see his friends again.
"Of course we'll get them later, come I'll show you to your room." Her hand was firm, everyone's hand seem to be that way. She lead him up the stairs and to the left where there was a long hallway, wide and narrow with four doors crisscross down the hall. She continued and stopped at the second to last door where she grabbed a key from her pocket, well, more of a key chain that had at least five keys on it. She unlocked the door and ink felt as if he was gotta tear up, he didn't though, not like he could. There was a full sized bed, a T.V, desk, closet, everything that was so broken in his old house, but so new in this one.
Ink swung his backpack on the floor and gazed at the room, spinning in circles to get the full view. There was little decor, only a few cross' and a picture with a odd woman that looked to be painted. He, to say the least, didn't like it very much, but he was being to picky. Just because one painting didn't prick his entrance doesn't mean it was terrible, after all this was something out of a fairytale, did he get his happy ending? It sure felt like it.
"You can look around our house all you want, there's plenty to explore." She grinned, hands behind her back with the keys still jingling. Ink nodded and decided to except her offer.
He soon found out the place had many, many rooms. Only four doors were locked, but his curiosity rolled all over the place. Walk in closet, nick pick shelves, the bathrooms, geeze even the basement seemed to be perfect. He was satisfied, happy, a strange feeling that he was allowing himself to like for sure. For once he wished it would never end.
"You'll make friends very quickly, I know that our friends down the street also has a monster living with them. She'll find you just as eye pleasing as I do I'm sure!" The woman called from behind him, that's the catch he's been waiting to hear. He knew this couldn't be perfect. "Will I see my friends again?" She nodded, bit her knuckle and looked to the side. "I'm sure you will, I'm not fully sure about that school that you learn at though..."
"It's better than you think," Ink tried to convince her not ready to let go on his only supplies of feeling something. "A-and I have theater, I, I think theater... heh" the artist voice hitch wanting desperately for her to let him. "Oh well I can't rip you away for that, of course."
***
"I told you he would get cold feet, I haven't seen him like at all since lunch."
"Maybe he's just, I don't know, using the bathroom?"
"Dream, he left, you know that."
"Shhh..."
"Don't shush me—!" Cross's mouth was covered, dreams eyes dead set on staring at Error who was simply getting book out of his locker.
"What was that for?" He hissed.
"I thought he was looking at us!"
"No, but the whole hall is now that you did that!" Indeed, people were staring at the pair who were creepily staring around the corner at Error for seemingly no reason at all.
"Come on the bells about to ring, legs just go..." both skeletons were mildly disappointed they didn't get to see the drama between the black and stupid skeleton, but they were preparing for disappointment long before that.
Oddly, Error used his time wisely enough to study in the library, or at least try too. Thoughts speaker louder than a book ever could, even when his mind was reader he focused not his thoughts. Most of them were about ink, worries about Geno, cross is gotta drown all the money he had etc. etc.
"Damnit." He muttered quickly realizing he lost his place a while ago in the sea of his never ending madness. His glitches had been acting worse today than usual, part of the reason why he woke up so early. His emotions weren't under control like they use to be and he couldn't form any real sympathy for anyone.
His body never ceased to make noises ether, always static and glitches, time to time even a random shriek from one of his pop ups. That was honestly the only reason he didn't come to the library, everyone would be annoyed on him even if he loved the bean bags and the slight silence that was always lingering apart from him.
Lucky for him there was little to no one, partly because there were no test, all test were canceled from the theater that most people actually enjoyed. Because it was part of the school teachers were force to let their students get off easy because of the event.
That's were error ha the most trouble though, he know he had to attend but then he also had to see ink all up on stage. He didn't want to go, but knowing that ink came back home with them that was no convincing Geno to let him stay home. Error didn't even want to watch some stupid skeleton make a fool of himself!
Life was so unfair sometimes.
His notes were, well, they weren't even notes, they were simply his 'journal' half of the pages were filled, each one of them mentioning inks name somewhere on the page. "Ink a total dumbass." Or "Ink could be taught by Benjamin Franklin himself and still have no more than a atom of a brain cell." Mostly insults that he never mustered the courage to say up to his face.
Sometimes, he would scribble doodles, or more like rats, swirling rats? They were just mindless things, that were supposed to be his family but turned out worse than anything else. Sometimes he even wrote compliments to himself in his journal like "you look handsome today" and "damn you sexy"
Maybe he was just lonely.
Creepy even.
***
Ink was dropped off at the theater pretty quickly, when he turned around the woman who dropped him off couldn't be seen. Ink couldn't help to think that was rude but didn't mind it too much, after all she was rich and better than any other.
He walked in with no problem, the suits where on a rack all nice and neat for them to take and get into. Ink found himself in hesitation though, did he really want to take this weird costume and embarrass himself even though he was already a huge laughing stock? Yes, yes he did.
Not like he had a choice in the matter ether.
He took the costume, checking the time in his cracked phone, then squeezing into the fitting room. The only problem was that he was a skeleton, and the part he was playing was a short chubby little man... as you could think he didn't fully fit the role but he had to do with what he got.
He silently walked out of the fitting room sitting in the usual undulated seat where him and Error always sat, even if he was mad he couldn't help but waddle his way back to where he belonged.
Two minutes, two minutes before it started and error was still not even there. Was he hiding? Was he late? It's not like he had to be here yet Ink sort of wish he would be, Ink knew Error would only make him more of a laughing stock than he already is but it didn't really matter to him.
Of course, when the show did start he wasn't the first one up, that was always later, but just seeing all the customs and claps from one scene to the next made him feel a bit excited. Ink never had stage fright, well at least not of what he could remember, he was just always prone to the light and wanted to be seen at the top. He was widdy and loved attention, he was starved from it and just wanted to be remembered. He wanted to be known, like a golden plate with his name on it so no one could ever forget him.
That's probably why he didn't mind the rumors to much, to him, fame was fame no matter if it was good or bad.
The show surprisingly carried out fine, sure he was a big laughing stock but it wasn't to him in general, it was to his actions his movement, to his part in the play. And having a skeleton play and fat guy was hilarious to the crowd. Even his partner he was playing with was smiling a little. He was big and round and a lot taller than ink which was contradicting the play in a perfect way, to ink at least.
No, the real problem began after his play, when he went back stage to change out of the clothing, he stepped out side the clothing room and was flung to a wall in a rather rough fashion.
"Where were you?!" To no surprise, Error was all flustered up and mad. His gaze burnt through ink's eyes as he questioned which part error was mad at.
"Where you standing out side of the dressing room the whole time?"
"...yes"
"Why?"
"Answer my question. Where. Were. You."
"My... I have a new family now, your welcome."
"What!?"
"Oh, by the way I still need to get my stuff from you house, also can I keep your hoodie? It's warm."
Error almost looked like he was about to cry, but it was hard to see in the dark. "Your going to a new house?" Ink clicked his tongue. "That's what I said did I not?"
Error didn't say a word for a good long minute as if he was processing it, but when he spoke up again his voice was a tad glitched and sounded broken.
"Where's tH3 Honse?" Ink shrugged, not like he's ever been to that street before.
Error look deranged, sad even if you could explain his puppy eyes. It was a little weird to see Error pent up when he was always mean and dominated, quiet and rude even, but he truly looked hurt. "How about a goodbye this time?"
"You want me to say goodbye?"
"Yeah.."
Ink was a bit confused, he was gotta say goodbye and didn't expect it to be demand like that. A goodbye in the first place is a weird thing for error to even be asking, it's not like ink will never see Error again. Quickly his question was answered though when he felt hot breath stream inches away from his face then a pair of oddly soft 'lip' pressed against his.
He could feel Error press against him, glitches were soft and now soothing, his soulbeat could be heard pounding faster and faster when their chest touched.
He hesitated for a moment, than kissed back swinging his arms around error's neck carelessly dropping the costume onto the floor.
Ah high school, where you can never keep your virginity for long.
Before they knew it they had stumbled there way into the back closet, locking the door.
Who said a soulless couldn't have any fun~?
—————————————————————
Hey! I've been gone for a really long time...I'm sorry, this is why you can't tell me to take my time, I'll say that to myself till I get lazy, VERY LAZY.
I wanted to make this chapter longer but I figured this was the perfect place to stop, and I still need cross and nightmares get along party for the next chapter!
Happy late Thanksgiving! DRINK YOUR WATER.
I should really do one shots..
Here's your sneak peek on the next book~
—————
It was mesmerizing how the neighborhood woke up, like the sun was their alarm. Error heard little faded sounds of opening doors, roosters screeching, and village folks waking, or as much as he could hear with most sounds being blocked out by his over imaginative mind.
It didn't keep him from writing tough. What did stop his writing though was the screams of terror from his companion, or more like lethargic roommate.
"Ow OW! Okay I'm up I'm up damnit!"
Reaper was getting cased out by an owl like monster, mostly an owl just bigger. She had a news papers in hand running after reaper who was still in his night wear, rubbing as chickens squealed, dogging away from the threat.