How to Establish Your Gang and Take Care of the Children in It (On Hiatus)

Rule 5: Make Sure Your Cannibal is Fed Before 3 AM

Horror was struggling to get comfortable on the hard floor of X-tale when Cross came back. He'd taken off his jacket and rolled it up into a ball to use as a makeshift pillow. But X-tale was anything but comfortable, especially to someone already injured, so all the red-eyed skeleton succeeded in doing was a light half-doze, rather than actual sleep. The darker skeleton was clearly in too deep a level of unconsciousness to care about anything, let alone his surroundings.

Horror's eyes snapped open as he heard Cross approach, but he relaxed as soon as he recognized him. "Oh. Well, hi again," The red-eyed skeleton said with a grin (Cross was beginning to realize Horror rarely if ever stopped smiling). "Didn't realize you'd be back so soon. Just couldn't stay away, could you? Uh... I really didn't ever catch your name. Now, if you don't tell me your name," he added, "I can make all sorts of shitty jokes about calling you mine. But I'll probably just do that anyway, plus Mare might literally throw me into another tree if I do too many of them, so you might as well throw me your name either way."

"Uh... Cross..." Cross said, shifting uncertainly on his feet. Why was Horror acting so damn friendly? Wasn't he worried about Cross attacking his friend?

"Across? Across from where? Are you saying I have to go on a scavenger hunt just to learn your name?" Horror asked with mock horror.

"My name is Cross," Cross said, this time more clearly.

Horror grinned. "I know. I just couldn't help making a joke about it. Y'see, I can't make jokes about my friend here-" He nodded to the darker skeleton. "-Because his name is really bad pun material, and I've been having a nightmare of a time trying to think of any good ones."

Cross paused. "That... was actually fucking terrible," He said at length.

"I know," Horror gave a long-suffering sigh. "I guess you could call it... horrible."

Cross snorted. "You're going to give me nightmares if you keep up these shitty puns," He said, then stopped. It was like a light had gone off in his expression.

"That is your outfit I liked the most out of all the other timelines... My dear x-friend with legs..."

"We did make a lot of puns... I think I have an idea. When this AU has been overwritten... I could start calling you like that... Cross sounds like a nice name for you..."

"Ah shit, I've made you sad," Horror said, cutting through Cross' train of thought like a knife. "Is it the puns? 'Cause I can stop if you want, pal, I-"

"No!" It came out more forcefully than he intended, and Cross took a calming breath before continuing. "No, you don't have to. I just- It's been a long day."

"Yeah, I bet. Uh... what happened to this place anyway?" Horror asked, tilting his head inquisitively. "It looks... kind of the opposite of a mess, but also kind of a mess if I'm being honest."

Cross screwed his eyes shut, trying not to think about X-tale. Trying not to think about his family. Trying not to think about murdering his family.

What, you aren't going to tell him what you did? Chara asked with fake incredulity. Oh right. I forgot. Your plan is to pretend nothing ever happened and act normal so they'll accept you. I hope you don't ever slip up on that act, though. Who knows what they'll do?

"Okay... touchy subject?" Horror asked. "That's alright. I have a few of those as well." Unconsciously, he rubbed his left eye.

"Why does your eye glow like that?" Cross asked, tilting his head. "You aren't constantly using magic, are you?"