The Stage is Set

Chapter 3: Ready or not, it's time to play

Song used: Like it or Not by Cg5. Let's start this shizz! Most of what happens to Ink comes from the headcannon that Ink is actually made of ink. He can die and has multiple times, but due to being soulless, he really only lost his form and became ink. However, now, he edited his code so then now when he dies as long as he keeps his soul away from his body, he'll come back.

"Ugh." Ink slowly picks himself up from the black floor. Was the floor black? Or was it covered with his ink? His blood? He shakes his skull, it's just the black floor. Let's not think of the idea that it could be his blood. He looks to the right and then the left. How weird, he's never been caught off guard this badly before. It makes him nervous about what's going on. "H-hello? Is anyone there?"

He coughs up ink as his body's form warbles a little before grunting in the effort. He needs to keep his form, he can't destabilize now, the others need him. He needs to get back to Blue, Dream, and Cross. He wants to go home to Error, Killer, and Nightmare. He puts his hand to his rib cage as his form destabilizes and becomes a puddle of ink. Fear shoots through him as he tries to reform. Something is wrong, and he can feel it. Why did he destabilize? Why did he... well, in lack of a better term, die? He can't dust, but he can still die. The puddle offers him safety before he reforms. It's warm and comforting.

Safe, he knows he's safe for a moment.

He doesn't want to get out of the safety of being a puddle but he has to. He needs to get back. If he can't get out for himself, he'll get out for his loves. His family and friends. It takes a few moments before his body becomes stable and he rises from the puddle disoriented. He raises a hand to his skull as he sways. Something is wrong here, he hasn't been a puddle since...

Since the last time he died.

"Ruru?" Focus on the task at hand, Ink. Find Error, Killer, or Nightmare. Anyone he knows. Anything familiar in this... Blank area. Someone or Something, it's got to be nearby, right? "Night? Kills? Anyone?"

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"Kiki!" Error struggles against the binds as he tries to keep Ink's soul safe in his hands. He tries to wiggle his shoulders, just to free an arm. Just one arm would be okay with him. Nothing works.

"Inky!"

"Ink!"

Cross starts struggling against his bindings as well. The rest watch in worry as the artist stumbles and sways. It's almost as if he's drunk, yet he's sober. Or if he was seeing through a kaleidoscope and trying to run away. Dream winces as Ink hits the ground a little too hard, but smiles when he sees Ink get back up. He's glad that Ink got up, knowing that he's okay. He knows Ink can handle whatever's going on. He has hope that Ink knows what to do. Ink's the leader after all. He should have a plan, right? Ink's always prepared.

Leo finally wakes up and Green fills him in quietly as they keep their eyes on the screen. Leo's eyes soften in worry as he watches the artist. Dream and Blue try to use their magic, but it won't work. The fact of magic suppressors in the chairs sink in, and anxiety sets in. If they can't use magic to get out, how can they get out to help Ink? Their arms and legs are bound too tightly to try and contort out of. Dream softly whines, only loud enough for Blue to hear, as panic starts to grip him hard. Blue reaches for Dream's hand, gently squeezing it to calm his friend. Unaware of the smallest sparks emitting from each other as their hands' touch. Nightmare reaches out for Error's lower arm. He reaches it and softly grips it to help calm him. Error turns to him and then to Killer. He takes a deep breath in before focusing on keeping Ink's soul safe. The two share looks with Error, wordless conversations to keep them all calm enough to think.

"He seems stable right now."

Blue lets out a sigh of relief as he watches Ink kneel and look around. His comment calms Dream enough to breathe a little better. Dream hates when he panics, it makes it hard for him to breathe. Sage looks over at Error as Dust watches the screen. She notices from the corner of her socket that Ink grabs where his soul would be before shifting her gaze back to Ink's soul. Her sockets widen in worry at the soft cracks making themselves known to them. She kicks out her leg to get Error's attention.