Aconitum

breakfast

On a cold morning, a few weeks later Nightmare woke in a cold sweat. His hair stuck to his face and head and he felt disgusting. When he had went to bed his room had been warm and he wore loose cool clothes. Now he regretted that. His skin stuck to itself as he stretched. It didn't hurt even a little, but it was unpleasant.

He had planned on a shower. That's how people got rid of that feeling right? Yeah. He'd take a shower.

When he got out he avoided looking at the mirror. It had become a bit of a game since his and Dreams recent interaction. Victim be damned, when he looked in a mirror what stood there was a murderer.

Dreams reaction was unpleasant but it made Nightmare revalue his view of the village. The people there were awful, they had done horrible things and deserved what had happened. At the same time those horrible people were people Dream cared about.

If Dream killed Dust, or Killer, or Horror for anything they had done in the past that wouldn't be fair. Nightmare knew that, and he got it. In his brain it didn't quite click though. Yeah they had killed and hurt people but it wasn't for Fun it was for necessity. They had no choice in it. They wouldn't have stopped hurting Nightmare if given the chance, but Killer? Dust? They would have stopped at a heartbeat, and they did.

When Nightmare offered them an out they accepted.

Nightmares hair was dry enough he took it out of the towel. That morning he braided it himself. Horror was probably busy.

'if Dream can't understand the difference then I'll continue my life as if he was still stone,' Nightmare thought, as if he himself could keep his own opinion on his actions in one lane. He was a mess.

That didn't seem to transfer to the breakfast table however. He was right Horror was busy, back in his own au. Dust and Killer were still there though. Fighting over a box of cereal.

"Come on man! You changed to rock!" Dust accused as Night stepped into the kitchen. It seemed the two were having an intense session of rock paper scissors.

"You just don't accept defeat," Killer retorted back, making Dust scoff.

"Really Killer? Over cereal?"

"You don't. Every time I win in Monopoly you insist I cheated,"

"Because you cheat!"

"Tell that to my lawyer," they did another round. This time Dust won, destroying Killer with paper.

"I can just get another box of cereal." Nightmare suggested, much to the dismay of his friends.

"You don't get it-"

"It's about honor not cereal!"

"What he said!"

"Oh-kay then," Nightmare crossed the kitchen and got into the pantry, "you guys completely sure I shouldn't get more cereal?"

Killer caved first, obviously since he lost.

"Yea boss. I think imma starve over here," he dramatically sprawled down on the table from his seat.

"That might be a bit much," Dust said while munching on his cereal.

"I will violently end you."

"Boys." Nightmare warned

"What did I do?"

"Your agonizing him,"

"Yeah Dust! Your agonizing me!"

"Shut up Killer." Nightmare was not choosing favorites that day.

"Yes boss."

"So like, what are you? Our mother?" Dust hadn't been told to shut up.

"I am not your mother. I am a mediator."

"I dunno. That sounds like a fancy way to say your our mother,"

"Mommy Nightmare," Killer suggested to Dust from across the table.

"That's perfect!" Dust said through snorts, "Mommy Nightmare."

"You two are insufferable," Night grabbed his food and left the room.

It didn't last long though. He wasn't truly mad, annoyed? Perhaps, but that was the goal of the teasing in the first place. So he did retrieve the two when Dusts favorite show came on the tv.

It was a human show, something Dust didn't have much access to within his own world but he loved it now. It was a show about a bunch of human women forced to put up with each other despite most of them hating each other. Why? Nightmare still hadn't figured out that part.

It was entertaining. Dramatic, but Nightmare didn't think it was real. Dust seemed to know it was fake as well, but Killer? Killer clearly thought all of it was real. None of the others had the heart to tell him that reality tv was in fact, not reality.

Nightmare was convinced it would genuinely break his heart.

~~~

Some fluff! Cuz things are about to go downhill!

Also the show is either keeping up with the Kardashians or one of those real housewives shows