Aconitum

Colloquy

Christmas was tough. Nightmare never really cared for the holiday while Dream cared for it greatly. Combining Christmas with his birthday, another 'holiday' he hated.

Neither were ever really about him. Everything was about Dream before. Nightmares friends really wanted Christmas/Dreams birthday to be about Nightmare. It was exhausting. Nightmare appreciated their efforts, but around the time Killer put a bat in his hands and blindfolded him he realized he was exhausted. Socially, emotionally, physically, you name it.

He couldn't exactly leave, but staying was wearing him out. He briefly worried that perhaps his magic had grown strong enough he couldn't stand the positivity anymore. After more consideration he decided it must just be the expectation of both holidays, as well as his lack of much patience for people.

It was one thing to host a expectation less 'hangout' with Core and Cross. It was another to have the weight of 'something important ' like Christmas or a birthday.

After the birthday part was finished, Nightmare ended up ducking outside.

It was dark out, and the breeze was cold. Not cold enough to need a scarf, but enough to make him shiver. There were a few clouds dispersed far apart from one another, leaving a clear view of the sky. The moon was bright and yellow. It didn't feel much like how Nightmare imagined this time of the year.

He didn't expect snow. It would never snow in this au. There were still some of Dusts winter flowers to prove that it had rarely even frosted over.

Nightmare ended up stopping near the stream to pull himself up into a tree. A willow. Normally a willow wouldn't be able to support Nightmares weight, but something about flora around his home made them more resilient. He rested his head against the trunk of the tree once he found a good spot to sit, overlooking the water with a clear view of the sky.

He sat there for a long while, thinking of nothing. Uncoiling.

Eventually one of the others must have gotten worried. More likely several got worried and sent only one. When Nightmare heard footsteps he assumed it would be Dust.

It just felt like the type of night where Nightmare and Dust would chat.

"There you are, ya know if you played hide and seek you'd be pretty good at it,"

"I'm a little old for hide and seek don't you think,"

"More than a little," Horror grinned, "How old did ya turning anyways?"

"I don't know. Dream always kept track. I stopped counting a long time ago," Nightmare had asked Dream to stop telling him how old they were before.

"So I should ask him then?"

"I wouldn't. He's probably wouldn't respond kindly to one of my friends bothering him,"

"Don't sound so sure. You never know,"

"Trust me, I know," Nightmare snapped.

"I trust you. I won't actually go bothering your brother. You don't have to worry about that,"

They stayed silent for a long moment after that.

"It was crazy in there huh?" Horror was the one who broke the silence.

"It was tiring,"

"I can tell. You seem moments from passing out," a pause, "don't actually pass out. I don't want to have to carry ya inside."

"I don't think you could stop me if I was going to,"

"You don't know that. Maybe I'd toss you in the creek,"