Aconitum

Limerence

There's a emptiness in everyone. Something they lost or missed. Something that was taken from them. Whatever the missing thing was it tended to haunt people. Always there in the background, causing misery.

That misery lingered. That hollowness rarely faded, most of the time if someone lost something they couldn't get it back.

Nightmare had a lot of empty spots. Things that haunted him in the same way. How being hated so long and viscously made him more vengeful, taking away his mercy for those who hurt him. The way his only family turned a blind eye stole a lot of his trust.

He wasn't sure what Inks reset took from him.

It wasn't like Nightmare didn't have other friends. He had friends he could trust. Plenty of people to be around, ones who wouldn't hurt him. He would despair over one of their disappearances just as much as Inks.

It wasn't completely Inks personality. Hearing Core tell the type of joke Ink would, or seeing Cross' similar antics didn't make Nightmare feel better. In fact in made him feel worse.

It wasn't the attention Ink paid him. Horror had barely let up since the reset. Nightmare would have probably benefited from less attention.

Ink also had the attention span of a child at times.

It may have been jealousy. Knowing Dream was Inks new friend didn't make Night feel good.

That was more because Dream always got everything Nightmare ever wanted and he never even would realize it.

Nightmare would have been less hurt if Ink had abandoned him for his brother. At least then Dream would understand how valuable Ink was to Nightmare.

Maybe Dream would feel a little sorry then. Though Nightmare wasn't even sure if he wanted Dreams guilt, or if what he wanted was something entirely different.

Nightmare mostly tried not to think about the missing part. He also tried to not think about what he wanted.

But that was the issue with things like wants and hollows. They would hover over you. Whatever you lost would always be out of reach, impossible to get back. Whatever you want would be demanding you try to get it.

Another issue with things like that is that they will look you in the face from time to time.

Ink visited Night. It felt nice for a moment even.

"I wanted to ask you about something. For Dream, I get that you guy are fighting but it was Dreams birthday recently," There was no recognition in Inks eyes. Just like the first time when Nightmare tried to talk to him, "I want your help if you'll give it,"

Ink was scared. He didn't show it, and there was other emotions burying it. Yet it was there all the same and it hurt.

"He's your brother. Please,"

"I'll help you," Numbness was creeping into Night from toes upwards. The only thing he could physically feel was his blood pumping through his body, "What do you need Ink?"

Emotionally Nightmare was mixed like a several finely mixed powders.

"I want you to tell me about Dreamtale," Ink was relieved. Nightmare might have been as well. Getting to see him, no matter the circumstances it was under, was a weight lifted off of Nights chest.

"What about Dreamtale?" The name of Nightmares home still was a festering grudge. That he wasn't mentioned in the name at all. That it's story wasn't about him.

The fact that Ink wasn't here for him, but instead his brother didn't help that matter.

"What did you guys do for your birthday? I get that it was a whole celebration but I don't know the different parts of that celebration," Nightmare thinks he feels happy, somewhere under everything else. A part of him is like a puppy, excited to tell Ink all about how they know each other. A part of him wants to dig out the drawings, the mp3 player, everything that proved that Ink was once his friend.