Truce (error x ink)

Chapter 3: Learning and Recruiting

(Ink's Pov)

"Hey Ink? What's it like, not having a soul?" asked the human-whose-name-I-can't-remember.

"hmmm..." I hummed thoughtfully, pausing in my work, plucking the strings of the cello I was tuning. "well, Bravery, th-"

"It's Danny, you know its rude to call humans only by their trait." The human, whose name was apparently Danny, huffed. Pausing, I put my hands up in a placating manner.

"Sorry, sorry," I say, trying to keep a mental grip on what I was about to say. "Think of it like being unable to wear clothes of any kind. Sure, it's kind of nice that you dry faster if you get caught in the rain, and things are lighter in general without the weight of your clothes. However you feel strange and out of place around others who can wear clothes, they look at you with pity as you struggle to hold all your things without having pockets. You drop your memories constantly, and sure you can bend down and pick it up again but you drop something else in doing so.

Trying to feel is like trying to hold sand or water in your cupped hands, while trying to keep hold of memories in your arms, no matter how much you try it slips through your fingers." I fiddle with my vials as I spoke, "the fake emotions I carry with me are quick and intense, but lack complexity, if I try for more than three at a time I puke the excess." Settling back into cleaning and tuning the next cello I say, "being a nudist in a multiverse where clothes make the monster, metaphorically, can get rather... difficult."

"Oh..." a tense silence settled over the two of us as we cleaned the instruments in the shop.

"I didn't really have much free time to dwell on it, with trying to protect the AUs from Error." I mused, "Now that there is a truce, well..." I trailed off.

"Is that why you've been jumping around the worlds? Trying to distract yourself?" he asked.

"Yeah, kinda, I also wanted to know what people do in their spare time, but everyone is busy with something or other so I just figured I'd try out some things." I shrugged, putting away another cello.

"So this stuff helps?" they ask, gesturing at the instruments around us.

"This specifically? No, but no one in UnderMusic will teach me to play an instrument until I've learned how to take care of it first." I grumble. "I would hang with Dream, but since he found out about my lack of soul he has been avoiding me."

"Well, it was a bit of a shock to hear, but it makes sense how you were the only foil to Error for a long time." they shrugged.

"True, but now the knowledge seems to push people away or make them look at me like I'm a kicked puppy." I grumbled, "I'm sick of it." Finally I finished the last cello. "Now, I'm gonna go pester Flute to teach me the cello!" as I jump to my feet I hear the human (bravery?) call out.

"Don't forget, everyone sucks at first!"

--

(Error's Pov)

We had been sitting here in companionable silence for a while as he buzzed about his work, wearing his usual tunic and trousers on, sleeves rolled up as he picked through the fabrics he brought out.

"So," I began, pausing in my knitting to sip at the tea this world's Sans had made me, "I have a project in the works that you may be interested in." The Sans, though I call him Thimble, peeked out from behind the manikin he was currently pinning cloth to. "I can offer you house and board, materials and gold if you desire it."

Thimble's button-shaped eye-lights shined with curiosity as he took the pins from his mouth to reply.

"Well? Enough beating around the bush, dear sir, what are you proposing?" he raised an eyebrow in mock annoyance, humor dripping from his voice as he smirked. I looked over my new friend, once again marveling again that the absence of resets in this universe really made this Sans quirky compared to the lazy depression I was used to.

"I'm going to need a lot of clothes made, in that 'odd modern style' you've taken a fancy to." I handed him some sketches to look through, "Since, you've been banished from the kingdom after that prank you pulled on the king, no one will take note of your absence so you wouldn't be putting your world in a tough spot by leaving." Leaning back in my chair I watch Thimble's eye-lights flit across the page, "I figured you could use the distraction... and company. Isolation can drive any monster insane after a while."

My tone seemed to have caught the other's attention as he finally looked at me, eyes narrowing for a moment before a smile broke over his face once again.

"Bed, food, company, and gold? Dear sir, surely it is not as simple as it sounds."

"Yeah, there is a catch, mostly the sheer number of things I'll need made..." I trail off, not looking at him, "You may have some help from a few others and myself when I can spare the time... I've got several projects in the works so I need the help."

"How many?" he crosses his arms with a neutral expression as I try to think of what to say. His world was still in the middle ages so they wouldn't have used such big numbers before.

"Uh, think of the largest number you can... then multiply it by itself and that may give you an idea." By the shocked expression on his face that seemed the right thing to say, "I won't need it all at once, but you may be chipping away at it for years before it's done."

"What help do you have so far?"

"Fifteen give or take, similar worlds to yours, or happen to have the skills needed. You... will meet some alternates of your brother, and your doubles will probably make a lot of assumptions about you that hold no water." I sigh, "Something will be said that will rattle you, it's inevitable, these boneheads can be really bad at being civil, if you can handle being around that then I'd really like your help."

The other skeleton had begun pacing as I spoke, chewing on his finger worryingly.

"Will," he pauses, "Will the other versions of Papyrus be as..."

"Most are great, a few that are a bit rough around the edges, but not bad." I continue knitting, "You live in, what we like to call, an odd world, all the variables are changed. No humans, no resets, no barrier, but a backstabbing twin brother in your case." He grimaces and continues pacing, "Odd worlds were a good marker for the beginning and end of themed worlds, Ink had a lot of phases he went through, it's why I tried hard to keep them around. It helped bookend sections of the multiverse."

I continue to ramble about the topic as Thimble paced, clearly not listening to me. The only reason I continued speaking anyway is that I knew he could organize his thoughts quicker with background noise. My words came to a halt when he did, turning around to give me a solemn look.

"I accept, I will help you, not like I'm doing much here." He smirks, a determined light dancing in his eyes, "I'm eager for the challenge my dear sir."