The Stars and Us [ by Midnight-Drawz ]

Chapter Nine: Haunting Past-Times

[ Posted June 22nd, 2021 ]

Error questioned why he somehow never said no when it came to Ink. First he stayed by his side until he woke up, to the point he fell out of the habit of eating- Despite the fact Ink had only recently taught him about the concept of eating actual food not too long before this- The memories were blurry at this point.

Yet at the same time oh so familiar.

Currently, the duo were stationed (or, more accurately, Ink dragged Error) into the DoodleSphere. Ink was shuffling through the drawings, muttering to himself about how he really should organize the area rather then leave it like this, though he soon smiled when he plucked a portrait out of the mess.

The glitch was staring off, gazing at the bean bag, the mini-dump, the AU's above them, and others. His hands were rested over the scarf around his neck, though they weren't moving or clinging to it. In fact, his grip was loose with the soft cloth under his touch. It was so familiar to him to the point the owner, who stood nearby, was all he needed in order to be calm. Even his glitching was fairly quiet today.

" Aha!" The artist exclaimed successfully, catching Error's attention as he was brushing off the extra paper from the canvas, going over to the taller skeleton and handing it to him, " I wanted to show this to you... maybe help you out with helping me...?" Ink said. His words would be confusing to anyone else, but the glitch himself knew what he meant.

He always seemed to.

Error took the canvas carefully as the artist stepped to his side, glancing at it with him. His being so close made Error's soul heat up lightly in his chest, though he reminded himself not to show it, despite the dusted yellow in his cheeks betraying him. " And a painting of us is going to help me how...?"

" The scene-... That's not OuterTale, or here... It's..blank...?" The artist noted, pointing at the area behind the two skeletons.

See, the portrait was moreso a drawing. If it weren't on a canvas, one could call it a photograph of them- Ink's art style. In it were the two skeletons; The squid and the glitch, standing together. Error was looking away, a relaxed look in his face, while his eyelights were soft on the item in his hand. He seemed to be attempting to make shapes with his strings yet again- since knitting had failed him- and he had a neutral look in his face.

The artist, however, was sitting on the other side of the beanbag, glancing over at the glitch with a bit of a smile, his eyelights a star and an exclamation mark; The former a soft yellow while the other was a normal, pumpkin colored orange, a sketchbook abandoned in his lap.

Error furrowed his nonexistent eyebrows, frowning a bit and narrowing his eyesockets, his eyelights focusing on the painting to try and remember where they were, " Ah... That would be the anti-void..." He said, " You stayed there for a while after I added the beanbag and the tv and other things... it helped you relax, and your anxiety didn't pick up after doing so..." Error thought aloud, remembering the moment.