Avid Adopter

36 - Jail

Question: (The comment was long and didn't really come in question format, but it brings up a good point referring to the events in the previous chapter).

Answer: Nightmare would have been upset about the bookcase, legos across the floor, and strings around the hallways, but there's a simple explanation for why Error received no reprimand for those actions: he cleaned up! Near the beginning of the chapter, Error mentions expressly that the others would be gone for at least five hours, which gave him enough time to clean up what he had done to catch Ink and Dream - Matrix is also strong enough to pick up the bookcase, so no worries there! Thanks for your encouragement!

Comments are hoped for and welcomed :3

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Ink and Dream had been our prisoners for about four days at this time, and my boys were (mostly) excited about having someone to guard; they enjoyed playing games while watching the prisoners, and they were the best little guards I could have ever asked for. Of course, not all of them had gotten into the spirit, but Dust, although he hadn't set foot into the dungeon, had assisted in making food for the prisoners, which meant that he was likely still excited. At the moment, he was helping me make some lunch for our "guests," since he didn't want them to go hungry. We were making some chicken noodle soup, and we were making a lot of it; we had to feed eight people, after all! We had actually made so much that we were probably going to have soup for dinner, as well; we weren't going to waste perfectly good soup! After filling eight bowls and placing seven on a tray, Dust sat down at the counter to eat his lunch alone.

"Are you sure you don't want to come?" I didn't want my middle child to be more cut off than he already was..it was bad enough that he refused to even think of the basement..

"I'll be fine." He assured, nodding. "I just don't want to get in the way.."

"You won't be in the way, you know." I laid a hand on his shoulder. "If you need to get something out, I'll be happy to listen to you."

"I know..just not yet."

"All right. I'll wait for you, then."

"Thanks.."

"Of course."

I didn't enjoy leaving Dust alone, but I knew that he needed it..all of my children needed it, sometimes, but he needed it more often. They had all faced trials and been through things that normal children simply didn't experience..there was no guide book or manual for those things; they each had to decide what was right and when it was right. I wished I could help them more, but doing anything other than waiting for them could send them into dangerous situations..I didn't want them to feel forced to tell me all their problems, but..I would know if enough was enough. I hoped Dust would come around before that happened. When I reached the dungeon, I found the rest of my boys playing in the hallway, laughing and having the time of their lives, but they stopped immediately when they smelled food.

"Dad!" Error ran up to me, but he didn't jump up to hug me, since there was soup in the way; instead, he took a bowl and sat down before eating some. "Thank you!"

I chuckled. "You're welcome, Error."

The rest of my boys took their soup in like fashion, and each thanked me happily. When my sons had their food, I moved on to the prisoners, taking a bowl for myself before sliding the tray and the final two bowls under the door into their cell. 

"Thank you, brother." Dream was kind enough to thank me; Ink..was not, only glaring at me.

"Why feed us so often?" Ink was more..judgmental. "Afraid we'll starve? Or are you trying to content us? You think we'll really stay here? Why feed us the same food as yourself? Or is ours poisoned?"