The Stage is Set

What a painful, playful start pt.6

Play Date - Melanie MartinezSo sorry for the late update, I got my ass kicked by school, had a few breakdowns, and such. I'm back though! So here are the next few updates

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"Get what?" Dream's voice startles the two of them.

"Stars above! Don't do that Dream!" Cross's voice comes out like a whine as he places a hand over his soul.

Dream snorts before sitting down with Lust not far behind. "Anyways," he turns to Blue. "You don't get what?"

Blue sighs, "I don't get why Ink thinks this is important for us to see. I mean, I'm just being a spoiled little kid." He leans against Dream, giving him a little shock.

Dream's sockets widen, "Holy stars-" He blinks as the memories flood his system of that rewrite before accidentally passing them to Lust as well.

"Void below-" Lust pulls away while shaking his skull, "That's something to fuck your mind."

Blue and Cross stare at the two before making eye contact. Cross turns to Dream, "Did you...?"

Dream shakes out his feathers before nodding. "Do I remember this? Now I do." He huffs as his feathers lay flat again, "Woof, that was... blah." He scrunches his face, "Never thought I would be a caretaker." He pauses, "Or continued to smoke for so long."

Lust nods, "Stars, Cross. That was bad." He rubs his face, what a rewrite. What a dreadful ending to one. One where the little ones died? He doesn't know how Ink ever lets them out of his sight.

Cross shrugs, "It wasn't like that-"

"Oh, little Save Star," Blue feels his soul pull at the long nickname the figure calls out—little Save Star. Ink's never called him that before, but why does it sound so familiar?

"Ink?"

Blue's voice is soft. Quiet as if he's nervous to scare away Ink from him. He turns around to see the figure staring right at him. For once, all he can see is Ink. Sitting there, his lap is empty of the child was just there. He sits there, legs folded, staring at him with such a loving stare. Blue feels himself start to fill with doubt and anger. Why is Ink staring at him with such love? Such care? Even after all the awful stuff he's said to him with and without apologizing. He's sure he's said worse too. Ink's shoulders shake with a huff as if he knows what Blue is thinking and thinks it's funny.

Blue doesn't think it is.

"I never seem to know what I am doing with you." The confession leaves a sense of settlement in Blue's soul. It makes him realize that Ink has always been learning with him, and eases away some anger and guilt, but not all. Ink looks him up and down, "I never seem to stop learning more about you. So full of feelings." Blue ducks his skull as he hears his friends laugh at him. They draw the attention away from Blue, and the figure turns to them in surprise.

Ink then turns to the rest of the stars. "My darling stars..." He stares at the four of them, seeing them only since they now share the memories of this rewrite. He takes in all of their differences, all of their features. His already soft gaze softens further, "Look at how much you've grown..."

Ink gets off the floor. He dusts himself off, unable to hear the questions this version of his star children are asking. All of the tiny kids Dream and him are looking after and will look after. They've all grown up. Is this a vision? A dream? Another rewrite? He doesn't know. What he does know is that they look healthy. They look close. They look strong.

That's all he's ever asked for.

Ink leans down to where his newest star child is, where Cross sits. He cups Cross's face in his hands. "My, look at how big you've gotten." He turns Cross's head from side to side slowly. "So much older now. Very handsome, I'm sure you draw many people toward you." He watches Cross's face grow into a deep purple before chuckling. Something burns in his chest, burns with pride. It changes the glow his magic gives off. "I'm sure your personality shines as brightly as you do when you smile." Ink's smile falters and he acknowledges the mark on Cross's face, "At least, you'll be safe with my mark on you. Don't ever hide it away, okay?" Cross understands in that moment why he sometimes feels like a kid with Ink. Ink had probably raised him some rewrites... Or at least he might've been there when he grew up. Maybe he is the youngest sibling.

He presses a kiss against Cross's skull before turning to Blue. His darling Blue. The beacon in the dark. They both are trying their best. He wonders if they now have a better relationship than they do now. Does Blue ever forgive him? Blue grabs Ink's hand, and they converse in their silence. The two say nothing at all, yet say everything they need to.

Ink smiles at Blue, when did he get so tall? "I wanna tell you everything. I want to give you what you want."

Blue stares at the figure, now glowing with a warm rose gold. They can all feel the pride and love Ink has for them. Dream feels his cheeks flush as he starts to gain more strength. The feeling of joy, of sheer love that Ink holds for all of them. It's enough to make him feel embarrassed. Ink's never verbally said it, but to feel it hit him. It makes him feel strong enough to lift an island of an AU in the DoodleSphere and want to hide his face in his wings. He looks over at his brother in the doorway before giving a thumbs up. They are safe, and he thinks they may be on the edge of figuring this out. Nightmare smiles and nods back, and the sight warms his soul. Dream smiles, a hidden weight now lifted with the return of his memory. He and his brother had had some good lifetimes, not all of them were bad. He turns back around to the Stars.

Lust and Cross both lean on each other. Lust links their fingers together, wanting to comfort Cross as well as for himself. He hasn't been here long, but he can understand how messed up the situation is. Cross smiles back at him before giving Lust's hand a quick squeeze. Blue nods at Ink, slowly kneeling in front of the memory. He hangs his head low, he feels all the shame in him grow. If this is just one rewrite; then, how bad was he in others? He feels a soft touch on his chin. He lets gentle fingers lift his skull to meet those loving sockets. Even without eye pips, Blue knows that Ink's stare is soft. Does he even deserve it?

"Little star?" Ink's hand gently wipes the tears from Blue's sockets. "It's okay," that knowing smile comes back, "You don't have to apologize-"

"I do!" Blue's shout startles everyone before he looks away. "Ink... You can't just take everything thrown and yelled at you. What I did was wrong, even as a little kid. You didn't have to-"

"Blue," the call of his name makes Blue freeze. "Look at how you've grown." That gentle hand guides his gaze back to Ink, "You grew into a wonderful person. I don't remember everything you may scream or do, but I know who you grew into being." He smiles down at Blue, "Look at you. You're wonderful. So thoughtful, kind... I don't need an apology because you grew. You learned." He cups Blue's face as he falls onto his knees. Tears fill those empty sockets as he smiles up at Blue. "You lived."

Blue jolts as Ink pulls him into a hug. It's an awkward pose with his skull against Ink's ribcage. "I-"

"You live and that is more than enough."

Blue hears more than feels the being start to fracture and crack. "Ink?"