A couple lovely friends and I have a new pal for you to meet! Meet Error, here to terrorize both you and your desktop with his buddy(?) Blue! You can interact with both Error and Blue in different ways, and they can chat with both you and each other!
It also looks like Error’s brought a few of his puppets to show you! —-If you prove yourself to him, that is.
he can be a bit prickly but maybe eventually he’ll warm up to you?
who knows!
this ghost is a collaboration project for ghost jam!
@vicen-non , @robanilla , @hazerun3 and @onlyplatonicirl helped me bring this silly guy to you!
(Click image for better quality) (Reblogs > Likes)
It's been a bit since my last post about my Multiverse... Well... Technically since january... But yeah I made another design for the multiverse.
This is to be the Swap of my multiverse. They are a DID system. I don't have the most information on them yet since I'm still researching DID, however I can say that they like flowers!
What the fweak man (click image for better quality)
I low-key forgot I drew this and never posted it. Well I'm posting it now
I've never really talked about this OC now that I think about it. Her name is Pendant. She's a Nightberry ship kid who was raised by wolves cuz her parents aren't aware of her existence
Genres: High School AU, Human AU, Teenage AU, DND, Characters play DND, Pining, Mutual Pining, Almost Kiss, Story Within a Story, Family Dynamics
Characters: King Nightmare, Blue, Dream, Ink, Cross, & Error
Character Human Names (in the same order as above): Nikora 'Niko' Nomura, Briar Cárdenas, Donovan Daniels, Isidoro Bonheur, Cain Ximenez, & Emmanuel Balcom
Pairings: Nightmare/Blue, Implied Error/Cross
CW/TW - Implied Neglect
Word Count - 3684
Read it on ao3 instead!
Our heroes were expecting an army. Hordes upon hordes of undead knights and creatures known only to the darkest depths of the Shadowfell should've been lined upon the walls and borders of the village. An army should've been defending the castle. The king.
And yet, nothing.
The entire kingdom was quiet. The only sound was the sound of the party's feet against the cobblestone ground. Villagers glanced out their windows and doors, watching them with bated breath.
There were a few open shops that the party could stop in if need be, but most places were closed indefinitely.
The heroes didn't need to stop. Not this time. They were ready. Their entire adventure they had been preparing for this battle since the start.
As they made their way through the village, the centerpiece of the kingdom slowly showed itself.
The Mareridt Castle.
A large, skyscraper-esque castle sat in the center of the village. It had towers that could touch the clouds, and dark gothic architecture with details that could only be made by hand.
The Mareridt castle was always visible on their adventure, able to be seen from miles away. It was like it was watching them, waiting for their arrival.
It loomed over them, a sense of doom and dread filling the party's senses. When they reached the front gates, they opened all on their own. They would be going to their deaths of their own accord. They would die knowing they could've turned back at any point.
There was a duty to be done, though, and the party entered the castle.
Blue, the half-orc Druid went in first, his staff, the Deathshaper, in his hands. He could feel the amount of death and decay here, there would be no shortage of bones for him to use. Although, the world was stifling, the darkness and shadows clawed at his heart. Connecting to the earth to use his Druid abilities would be difficult.
Error, a human sorcerer, stayed on Blue's left. Her hand gripped on her dagger, Lolth's Kiss; she hoped she wouldn't be in close enough combat to use it. Her crossbow felt heavy on her back, and yet, her magic felt stronger than ever. Her shadow magic felt all consuming, threatening to snuff her out if she allowed it.
The party's barbarian, Cross, flanked Blue and Error. His tiefling tail flicked back and forth, his eyes scanning the area. His glowing greatsword was strapped to his back, it had a name, once, but it had been forgotten to time. His body tensed, everything about the castle was making him uneasy. Being back was terrifying.
At the back was Dream and Ink, the party's rogue and bard.
Dream unsheathed her twin scimitars, which she had oh-so lovingly named Pleasure and Pain, her fingers tensing and relaxing as he walked. She hadn't seen much in her time, being a Kalashtar, but the Mareridt castle was something else. The spirits here were tormented and in constant agony. Whatever was causing their pain had to be destroyed.
Ink's rapier was tucked neatly into the sheath on their hip, their hands flitting up and down their flute. This was probably the worst idea the party had ever come up with. Being a changeling, Ink would've preferred a stealthy approach, but noooo, instead they had to waltz right on in.
And that was the party. The five of them walked through Mareridt castle, seeing...nothing. No guards, no servants. Not a single person was there. The castle was entirely empty. Eerie.
The group soon made it to the throne room, and there he was. The king. The one who was to blame for all of the troubles across the land. The one who had sent his closest guards to stop them on their journey. The one at the head of it all.
King Nightmare. Ruler of the Mareridt castle.
Nightmare was lounging against his throne, made of a dark marble. His legs spread wide and the side of his face resting against his knuckles.
Power radiated from him, his teal eyes looking down at the group. He's a drow with hard skin and long, jet black hair. And, by the gods, was he gorgeous.
He pushed himself up from the throne, hips swaying as he took a few steps forward. His cape billowed behind him, his heels clicking against the stairs as he approached. His lips twisted into a cruel, saccharine smile; eyes looking down at the party like a wolf looks at a deer.
Then, he-
"I flirt with him."
Wait, what?
Nikora looked over the DM screen at the group of his boys at his table in utter shock. He had been in the zone, setting up his friends for the final battle against the BBEG of the campaign.
"Come again?"
"I flirt. With him." Briar, sitting on Nikora's left, leaned in closer and tapped his pointer finger on the table as he spoke.
Laughter erupted from across the table as Nikora continued to stare in disbelief.
"You know, I had expected this behavior from our resident bard," Nikora said, gesturing at Isodoro who only grinned at him. "Or, fuck, even Don would pull this shit!"
A glance was enough to send him into a fit of laughter. Emmanuel face palmed, being squished in between the cackling Donovan and Isodoro. Cain put a hand to his mouth, trying to suppress his laughter.
"But you, Briar?" Nikora said, "You? It's an unwanted surprise."
"Can I flirt with him?"
In all four years of playing dnd and being dungeon master, Nikora should've expected this. Flirting with the BBEG or powerful creatures wasn't unheard of, but from Briar? Sweet, kind, not-openly-horny, Briar?
Even now, his blue eyes were full of adoration and excitement. This wasn't out of malice, just a genuine want to flirt with Nightmare.
"...Fffffffine." Nikora hissed out, gritting his teeth together. He couldn't say no to Briar's cute face.
"Roll," Nikora glanced at his screen, "Charisma."
For a moment, he was going to make it at disadvantage, but decided against it. Briar's half-orc would need all the help he could get, considering Blue got a minus one on every charisma check. Besides, Nightmare didn't hate the party, at least not Blue.
Briar took in a deep breath, grabbing his d20, slowly rolling it in his palm. The table held its breath, if this was successful, it'd be one of the funniest things to happen during the campaign, plus they'd get a powerful warlock as an ally.
"Wait, B, don't roll yet." Isodoro held up his hand and glanced at Nikora. "I want to cast bardic inspiration first."
"Go ahead."
"Oh! Can I cast guidance on myself?"
"No."
"Aw man."
"But first, Iso, how does Ink cast bardic inspiration in this moment?"
There's a pause as Isodoro thinks for a moment, snapping his fingers and leaning against the table.
"Well, Ink's probably been playing tunes this whole time, it's who they are. They...probably paused for a second when the party saw Nightmare. But when Blue goes to approach Nightmare, they'll play a short measure or two of Blue's favorite song."
"Perfect. Briar, add a d6 to your roll."
With a nod, Briar scanned the dice by his character sheet before grabbing his d6. Once more, he inhaled deeply, and begun to shake the two dice in his hand. After a moment, he tossed the dice down on the small dice mat in front of him.
The dice clicked together as they landed before separating. All five boys were on the edge of their seats: Cain leaned into Briar's side, the other three leaning across the table to see what the dice said.
Nikora could only hope it wasn't a natural 20.
"That's a..." Brair paused, scanning the dice, "17 on the d20, aaaand a 5 on the d6!"
"So a twenty two." Nikora hummed. He glanced down at his board with Nightmare's information on it. "Go ahead."
"What? Did I pass the DC?"
"I haven't decided yet. I want you to tell me how Blue flirts with him. Words and everything."
The look on Briar's face told Nikora that he wasn't expecting to have to actually flirt.
"I make Don actually flirt with every NPC he wants to flirt with too. It's only fair."
"No no, I know! I'm thinking, give me a second."
"Sure."
And a second was all he really needed. Briar took a deep breath and sat his hands on the table.
"Nightmare's throne has steps up to it right? Is he a few steps up still?"
"Uhh," Nikora paused, looking up at his board to check the interior map of the throne room, "yeah."
"Okay so, Blue is going to sheath the Deathshaper onto his back, and he's going to approach Nightmare." Briar said as he pushed the half-orc figurine closer to the drow figure.
"Blue doesn't move his eyes from Nightmare, completely and utterly enamored by him. He's wide-eyed, in awe. He's never seen someone radiating with such...power and control.
"He fidgets with his breastplate before taking another step forward, until they're about...a foot apart."
Nikora made a mental note of that, they were a third of a meter way from each other.
"Quickly, Blue grasps Nightmare's hands with his own, holding them to his chest. He inhales sharply, before speaking. He looks up into Nightmare's eyes with the most earnest, genuine expression he could possibly have."
It took Briar a moment to get into his 'Blue voice,' but he got there eventually.
"You're beautiful."
So Nikora would have to roll first, an insight check, and then an intelligence saving throw. He preferred to use the dice when it came to this sort of thing. Sure, he knew how his characters and creations would respond in theory, but he liked to keep himself on his toes.
In a different campaign hosted by Emmanuel, Nightmare played a drow woman (what? He loved drow!) who ended up falling head over heels for a Lich Queen by using that strategy.
But that was another story for another time.
The insight check would be used to see how exactly Nightmare would view this flirting. Rolling low would be best here, as rolling high would show Nightmare that Blue was, in fact, being genuine.
Behind the board, Nikora's dice clattered, and Briar held his breath. When the DM rolls without a saying a word, it causes panic throughout the table.
And that's an eighteen.
Plus two for Nightmare's wisdom stat and...
Great.
Nikora didn't really have a DC set in his mind, but an eighteen was high enough to let Nightmare know that Blue wasn't lying. Twenty was more than enough.
Now, for the intelligence throw...
Before the campaign even started, Nightmare's stats had been predetermined. Since he was the big bad end character, Nikora could really do whatever he wanted with his stats and be okay.
Every stat was at a sixteen, meaning Nightmare would get a plus three on each dice roll. With the exception of wisdom and constitution, which were both at fourteen, which gave a plus two instead.
Once more Nikora wasn't sure how high he needed to roll here, but he was willing to roll and see what would happen.
The d20 clattered against the table and Nikora slammed his head in his hands.
That was a three.
Plus the three for intelligence made the saving throw a six.
Lady Luck was not on his side today.
A six wasn't high enough to do much of anything. Like, ever.
"So."
"...So?"
What was he supposed to do now?
The big bad he's spent so much time setting up just fell for a half-orc!
"Nightmare..." Nikora took in a deep breath. He'll roll with it. It's what he always did. There was that backup plan just in case something happened...
"Nightmare's eyes widen slightly, his gaze quickly scanning up and down Blue's body, borderline undressing him with his gaze. His lips pulling back into a smirk, his fangs peeking through.
"After freeing his hands from Blue's grasp, he holds Blue's chin gently, making him look downward. His thumb runs over Blue's lip, a satisfactory hum coming from him.
"'You're awfully handsome, you know.' Nightmare says, 'Stay right here for me, hm? Give me a moment to wipe your friends off of the face of Toril, and then I'll see what I'll do with you.'"
"Jesus," Briar nearly choked on the air he was breathing, his cheeks completely flushed.
"Can I have Dream throw a knife at Nightmare while he's distracted?"
"WHAT?! Donovan if you kill my drow husband I swear to god-!"
Nikora put a finger against Briar's lips before nodding.
"Roll a stealth check first."
Donovan's d20 rolled against the table and, upon seeing the number given, the table burst into a collection of laughter.
"That's," Donovan held his head in his hands, "That's a natural one..."
"Haha!" Nikora clasped his hands together, cackling evilly behind the board. "So, Dream attempts to throw a dagger at Nightmare, but she ends up stumbling, an action that echoes throughout the throne room. The knife only grazes Nightmare's coat, slamming into the bottom of the stone throne."
"Oh thank god."
"Shi- Wait, wh- Briar! Whose side are you on?!"
Briar playfully stuck his tongue out at Donovan, who flipped him off with similar lightheartedness.
"Nightmare turns around," Nikora said, clearing his throat to get the table's attention. "A flash of anger goes through his teal eyes, a cruel smirk growing upon his face as he takes a step forward toward the rest of the party."
"Damnit Don!" Cain slammed his hands into his face, "If we have to fight this guy, we're fucking dead."
"Ohh, fuck you asshole, I didn't see Cross try anything!"
"That's because Cross knows how powerful Nightmare is! We're in deep shit!"
"He hasn't attacked yet though guys." Isodoro cut in, stopping the two before it turned into a full-fledged argument, "I roll advantage on persuasion checks thanks to my flute. If it comes down to it, I could try to talk him out of it?"
Cain sat back in his seat, nodding, dropping it. Donovan did the same, brown eyes glancing back at Nikora.
"...Can I continue dungeon master-ing please?"
"Yeah, sorry."
"It's chill." Nikora shifted in his seat, closing his eyes for a moment, getting into character.
"'Well well well,' Nightmare says, eyeing up each party member before landing into Cross. 'Looks like my little hellion has come home. We both knew you'd be crawling back before long. The world doesn't tolerate monsters like you, Cross.'"
Nikora takes a breath. The party is engaged, he has his notes and character motivations all planned out. He's ready. They're all ready.
Cross stiffened at the words, his body tending. The horrors he committed under Nightmare's rule...unforgivable.
But someone did forgive him. Error, despite her distaste for touch, took a step towards Cross, squeezing his hand.
"You're a fool if you think your little friends will end me. They'll die, and it will be your fault, Cross." Nightmare's piercing eyes bore through the party. "Like lambs to the slaughter."
Panic surged through Blue as he watched Nightmare slowly approach his friends like a panther, stalking, ready to pounce. He stepped forward, attempting to stop the warlock.
With a flick of Nightmare's wrist, a blast of eldritch magic shooting out at Blue. It knocked him back into the throne, taking the wind out of him. It was, in Nightmare's own way, keeping him away from the danger, even if it hurt.
"Wait, wait." Ink stepped forward, hands sweating and eyes flitting around. Gods, they hated this. They had so many plan ideas, so many unused schemes because the group had decided to rush in! They could make this work though. They had no choice. "I think you're confused. Uh. Sire."
"Am I?" A scoff left Nightmare as he shook his head. "Bold words from a changeling."
"Rest assured, your highness, I know who I am." Ink flipped their platinum blonde hair to the side, pure white eyes boring into Nightmare's face. "And I know what I'm here to do, and that is, in fact, not to kill you."
Nightmare raised an eyebrow, stopping on the steps to his throne.
"The...The magic cursing my village," Error stepped forward, dropping Cross' hand, much to his dismay. She glanced towards Ink, who only nodded in encouragement. "It's yours. Or, more accurately, your patron's. If you could just undo the shit that you did, we'll get out of your hair, and we'll stop beating your men half to death."
"A magic user like yourself should know a warlock's curse is not so easily broken. For it's not a curse of my making."
"Then," Blue sputtered as he stood up, holding onto his side from the eldritch blast strike. "Then take us to your patron! To the Underdark, the Shadowfell, wherever it resides. Don't...Don't make us fight you. Please."
To Blue, he was too beautiful to die.
"Awh." Nightmare cooed, running the back of his fingers across Blue's jaw. "You're adorable. But, I don't think that's your decision."
Cross and Nightmare locked eyes, "It should be his. Make your choice, my hellion. Fight me, or die by my patron."
Silence echoed in the room, Cross' heart slamming in his chest.
"...I don't want to fight you, either." He mumbled, "I want to, um, work with you. Again."
There was a pause. The gears in Nightmare's mind turned, debating if he should even humor the party. Was it even worth it letting them take the issue to his patron? Ohhh, she wouldn't be happy with that.
...That's exactly what Nightmare's been wanting, though. To finally get back at that she-devil was something that kept him up at night. Fantasizing about finally taking over and having power to himself.
"Deal."
A sigh of relief went through the party, Dream sheathing her weapons, but still eyeing Nightmare with suspicion. She didn't trust him, even if Blue did.
"Yes!" Blue cheered softly, grasping Nightmare's hand and bringing it up to his chest. "We have experience dealing with nasty patrons; wherever she is, we'll find here."
"There won't be any searching necessary, my dear. For she is right here in this castle." A slow cackle left Nightmare. "My patron...is my little sister."
"NIIIKORRRAAAAA!!"
Oh for the love of-!
"Whaaaaaaat?!" Nikora pushed his chair away from the table as he glanced up at the basement staircase. Standing at the top was his older sister, Mona, arms cross and hip popped to the side. That wench.
"Parents are here to pick your friends nerd. Times up."
Nikora glanced at the clock on the wall before realizing the three hours had already passed.
"Jeez. Okay, uh, same time next week?"
"Sounds good." Donovan nodded as the other started packing up their stuff, chatting about various events in the campaign. Mona disappeared from the staircase, avoiding the traffic that was teenage boys.
"...Nikora?"
"Huh-? Oh, hey." Nikora turned to the side. Briar had stayed behind. He hasn't even noticed. "What's up?"
Briar fidgeted with his messenger bag, not meeting Nikora's gaze. "I was just wondering if you needed help, um, cleaning up?"
"Nah, I've got it. Thanks though." He closed the dm screen, placing it face-down on the table. "C'mon."
"Okay!"
The two walked up the stairs, following closely behind the others. Nikora leaned against the column on the porch, waving goodbye to each of his friends as their parents cars' pulled into the street.
Per usual, Donovan's stepmom was first to come, the black sports car not even bothering to pull into the driveway.
Isodoro went home with Cain and his dad, and Emmanuel's sister was soon to follow.
"And then there was one."
The playfulness of the comment was soon lost, the silence filling the air as Briar and Nikora waited. After who knows how long, the two sat on the stairs of the front porch, Briair's bag leaning against the wall.
"...You don't think your brother forgot again, do you?"
"I don't know." Briar mumbled, putting his face into his knees. "I told him. I even put it on the calendar and the fridge! He shouldn't've forgotten..."
"Well...if he doesn't show, you could always stay overnight if you want."
Briar's eyes lit up, "Really??"
"Well, sure, yeah. It's not a school day tomorrow and if we're quiet, Mona won't care."
"I would love that, i-if you'd let me."
"You're my friend, of course I would." Nikora gently smacked Briar on his shoulder.
At that moment, the rickety orange truck pulled up to Nikora's house. Briar's brother was smoking a cigarette as he parked along the road. He waved, smiling slightly.
"Aw. I kinda wish he forgot about me now."
"Don't say that, oh my god. We can hang out another time."
"Yeah..." Briar stood up, slinging his bag over his shoulder. He turned towards Nikora, smiling. "Thanks for indulging me today. You didn't have to but...you did. And I appreciate that."
Nikora shrugged, "It's no big deal. You have good taste, drow are always hot, so-"
And he's cut off. Briar's lips, surprisingly soft, connect with his cheek. For a split second, he thought it was some sort of Spaniard custom he was unfamiliar with, before realizing that it was something else completely.
Flushed cheeks. Aloof expression. Averted eyes.
"Bye!"
Before Nikora could say anything, Briar rushed off, getting into his brother's truck before they drive away. He doesn't move, watching as the truck drives off. He slowly put his hand against his cheek, his own cheeks beginning to blush.
Briar kissed him.
On the cheek, sure, but it was still a kiss!
Did Briar like him? Like, like-like him?
Nikora put a hand to his chest, his heart thumping vigorously in his chest.
Did he like-like Briar???
Had he fallen for his seduction as Nightmare had?
With a sigh, he leaned against the column on the porch. That wouldn't be too bad.
"Get back in her before you catch a cold, gay boy."
Genres: Human AU, normal multiverse, homoerotic chess game, flirting or threats? who knows!
Characters: King Nightmare, Blue, Dream (mentioned), Ink (mentioned)
Pairing(s): Nightmare/Blue
CW/TW: Threats, Nightmare vaguely taking about his Evil Plans™️
Word Count: 1434
Read it on ao3!
"Have a seat."
Nightmare sat on the opposite side of the large living room from the main entrance. The room was large, and if Blue was there for any other reason, it would've felt homey.
The living room contained a multitude of different activities scattered around the place. There was a large fireplace on the far wall, large and ornate, no fire burning in it at the moment. The floor was a dark wood, but there was a variety of teal and black carpets around the room, specifically around the couches and chairs.
The walls were filled to the brim with tall, wooden bookshelves. On most of them, there were rows and rows of books, as to be expected. Large books with damaged spines and withering covers were located at the top, out of reach, and out of danger. On the lower shelves were magazines and books clearly deemed less important by Nightmare.
On others were rows and rows of video game cartridges, as well as music CDs and cassettes. If Blue had to guess, there were also VHS tapes and recordings of TV shows and movies, but he wasn't close enough to see the exact filmography Nightmare had.
Wherever there weren't book shelves, there were small tables with unfinished projects and board games on them. There were some whittling projects scattered about, as well as a board game with an obvious loser who wasn't willing to throw in the towel.
All of that pales in comparison to, truly, what was the star of the show. On the left side of the room was a beautiful and ornate chess table, built from a dark marble with silver accents.
The pieces were likely hand carved, no two pawns looked the same despite the similar shaping to them. One side was made from a dark metal of some kind, decorated with teal and blue gemstones, the other set being a light silver with orange and white gems.
"Pretty, isn't it?" Nightmare said as Blue stared down at the chess set.
For a moment, Blue forgot where he was, what the stakes were. He nodded, fidgeting with his scarf.
"Shall we play, then?"
"What?"
Nightmare gestured for Blue to sit on the opposing side of the chess table: the side with the silver pieces. He obliged, although his body tensing as he sits down, the bottom half of his face hidden in his scarf.
"Have you ever played chess before, Blue?"
There was some hesitation; Blue's eyes darted to the board, the beautiful chess pieces, before back up at Nightmare. "...Yes. Not recently, but I have. I know the rules."
"Oh wonderful, I was worried that I'd have to teach you. That'd be a lot less fun," Nightmare hummed as he ran his thumb across his nails. "I get to skip to why you're here, which is preferable."
"I'm here to negotiate Dream and Ink's freedom." Blue said, his teeth grinding together. He knew a diplomatic conversation was the only way to succeed. Fighting Nightmare and his gang on his own was out of the question, and he couldn't rely on stealth to free his friends.
Not when Nightmare could hear the quickening of his heartbeat.
"But that's so boring, don't you think?" Nightmare fidgeted with the rook on the far left of the chess board. "We could have an intellectual back and forth, and with you I always do adore it, but this will just be a whole lot more fun."
"I- I mean...I guess so."
"So glad we're on the same page. Now, let me tell you about the stakes of the little game we are about to play."
Fidgeting with his rook, Nightmare allowed the suspense to build for a moment. "It's simple, really. We're playing for Dream and Ink's freedom.
"You win, and you all get to go home! No fights, no stakes, you just get to leave this castle untouched." He sat back in his chair, a sly smile on his face. "We end in a draw, and you take their place. Dream and Ink will be forced out of this universe, and you stay with me."
Nightmare leaned against the table, getting as close to Blue as physics allowed him. "If I win, on the other hand, then you'll never see them again."
"What? What do you mean?" Blue's hand gripped the arms of the chair, his fingers twitching, ready to summon his sword. "You'll kill me?"
"Oh, no no no, you misunderstand. I have uses, for the both of them, you see. And they cannot fulfill those roles until I've got all of you in the palm of my hand."
"And what about me?"
"What about you?"
"They have..." Blue ground his teeth, "uses. I don't?"
"No." Nightmare answered simply, smiling at him. "You're incredibly handsome though and that alone makes me want to keep you."
A shiver of discomfort shot through Blue's spine.
"So, shall we play then? I'll let you make the first move."
"Okay."
Blue looked down at the pieces, there were only a few options for what he could choose as a first move. All of the pawns; he could start with a queen's gambit, and the two knights.
What was Nightmare expecting him to do? Do something classic? Something unexpected? Was something truly unexpected if someone was expecting that was what you're going to do?
"Take as much time as you need."
The knight on the left side of the board reached his hand and he placed it down in front of his pawns.
"Oh, I knew you would make this fun."
Each and every turn was agony. Barely any actual words were spoken, just small hums and the occasional curse word. Blue's heart was pounding the entire time, trying desperately to get into Nightmare's head, and to play unpredictable enough that Nightmare couldn't get into his.
Nightmare's poker face never changed, even as Blue would capture his pieces. Just the softest, saccharine smile on his lips.
"Checkmate."
With ringing in his ears and his heart threatening to leap right out of his chest, Blue glanced down at the board. His throat was dry and he gripped down on his thighs.
"What?" Nightmare looked genuinely shocked. His eyes widened slightly as he scanned the chess board, working through each and every possible move with the remaining pieces on the board. "...Would you look at that. It appears that you've mated me. Congratulations."
Suddenly, Blue felt like his life was on the line. Nightmare stood up, slowly walking to the other side of the board. His nails tapping against the edge of the board.
A shutter left Blue's body as Nightmare got closer, his eyes squeezing shut. He was expecting pain, a fight, something, but it never came. Instead, Nightmare placed a small, shiny key in his hands, his lips close to Blue's ear.
"This was fun. We should do it again sometime." Nightmare said softly, his hand gently caressing Blue's reddening cheeks. He paused after taking a few steps. "Go get your friends. No one will stop you."
"Wait-!" Blue staggered to his feet, clutching the key to his chest. "You were going easy on me, weren't you?"
"Was I?" Nightmare glanced back, a smirk on his face. "Come to me again some time. We'll play again, and maybe you'll know."
Blue watched as Nightmare sauntered away, heart fluttering in his chest. As terrifying as it was, knowing Dream and Ink, and his own livelihood were on the line, it was thrilling.
Thrilling. Exhilarating. No one had ever looked at him the way Nightmare had during their game. Even though Nightmare often referred to him as "mortal," Blue felt as if they were on equal footing.
Is this what Sherlock felt like when he came across foes who could keep up with him?
Nightmare's thought process was a mystery to him, and something deep within Blue's mind wanted to solve it. Nightmare had such power, such control over his magic, his abilities. Blue was almost jealous.
To know Nightmare's mind, every square inch of how his brain works, every part of Nightmare's body-
With a shake of his head, Blue turned on his heel and sprinted to the dungeon. He couldn't be thinking about Nightmare, not when Dream was his best friend.
But...perhaps...in the middle of the night, when Ink and Dream were fast asleep, he could escape to the castle, and play once more. Challenge Nightmare's wits with his own.
As his hands placed the key into the lock of the cell, he knew that he had to come back.
Genres: Past/Established character death, established relationship, grief/mourning, Nightmare is going Through It
Characters: King Nightmare, Blue (UTMV), Cross (UTMV), Lonan (OC), various npc characters
Pairings: Nightmare/Blue
CW/TW - Death, grief, idk LOL
Word Count: 1457
Ao3 Link
Blue was gorgeous.
A known fact, really.
Nightmare had yet to meet a person who disagreed with him.
Not like anyone would. Who would tell the King of Negativity that his beloved wasn't the most perfect man in the Multiverse?
Exactly, no one.
People flocked to him; he was beautiful, and sweet, and kind. He was so passionate about his interests and it was infectious. He wasn't perfect, but he was really damn close.
Nightmare didn't think that he would ever get over the fact that out of everyone in the multiverse, Blue had chosen him. Blue had wanted him.
The day their lips, their bodies, first connected was forever melded into his memory. It would never leave him be, and he would never want it too.
The kingdom, every resident: man, woman, and child, adored him as well. That made making him the crown prince a rather easy transition.
That was how the monarchy worked, had Nightmare married a woman (or even been remotely attracted to women), she would've become a princess, not the queen. Had Nightmare passed while Blue was prince, only then would he become a king.
That's how it worked. Nightmare had made the system himself.
"My king?"
Nightmare looked up from his desk, he was getting nowhere with his work. He needed to distract himself from the current event at hand. It was hard, and he needed any distraction he could get.
"Yes, Cross?"
"The welder's finished his work, sir. Would you like me to go get it?"
"No. I will retrieve it myself, thank you, Cross." Nightmare said, sitting up and stretching his back as he stood. He walked past Cross, hands neatly folded behind his back.
"Sir, I-"
"Don't." Nightmare held up a hand, stopping Cross in his tracks. "Please."
"Right. Of course."
The leaves on the trees shook on their branches as he exited the castle, crossing the courtyard before heading into town. Everything was quiet, as if the world has stood still.
It hadn't, though, and Nightmare knew that better than anyone.
Life would continue on, no matter what.
The town itself was also quiet, no sound of merchants or children playing. He wished it wasn't though. He needed things to be normal. To pretend to be normal.
His shoes tapped against the bricks, announcing his presence to his people.
Any other day, people would've cheered for him, adorned him with flowers, and whatever else they did to treat him like the royal he was. He never did care for it, but he found himself longing for it now more than ever.
The welder's shop was located near the center of town, a few buildings down from the uptown fountain. He wandered down the street, ignoring the occasional looks at him through someone's window.
"Ah, my king." The welder, an older gentleman by the name of Lonan, opened the door before Nightmare could even touch the handle. "Welcome in, please. Make yourself at home."
Nightmare gave him a kind, passing glance, before stepping into the shop, needing to duck his head down to avoid bumping into the door frame. His gaze followed Lonan as he trotted through his shop, fidgeting with his leather vest.
"Allow me to retrieve the crown. It was an honor being able to work for you, my king. Never have I worked with such a metal, it was such a privilege!"
Before Lonan could continue, Nightmare raised his hand, stopping him.
"Right! Of course, I shall get it for you now."
The soft patter of Lonan hobbling away grew quieter, and Nightmare was left with his thoughts once more. He never thought that it would happen so soon, he had prepared for it, of course. And yet he still couldn't believe it had happened.
"The crown, my lord."
The shiny box was opened, displaying a beautifully carved and elegant crown. It was more adjacent to a tiara, but it was utterly perfect for the man who wore it.
It was made with a fine, glimmering silver, and adorned with blue gems collected from all over the world. Nightmare picked them out specifically, meant to match his beloved's eyes. And they did their job perfectly, accenting those gorgeous, blue eyes, and yet never overshadowing them.
The crown looked good as new, thanks to Lonan's expert talent. It had broke, not utterly shattered, thank god, but the silver had been scratched and one of the gems had been cracked.
However, it looked as if nothing had happened. Even the sapphire looked good as new. How did he do that?
Nightmare took the box from Lonan, holding it close to his chest. "It's perfect, thank you."
"Anything for you, my king!"
"Your payment will be delivered by my guard. My apologies for not having it on me."
"Ah, do not apologize your majesty! It is no issue." Lonan opened the door for Nightmare, he stepped outside, leaning against it. His face fell for a moment, eyes glancing towards the brick road before slowly gazing back up at Nightmare. "My king, I...I am so-"
"Please. Do not. You've done more than enough for me."
"I...Of course, your highness."
Nightmare wasn't sure how much more he could take. He needed to get home. Now.
If one more person came up to him and tried to say anything, he might have an aneurism.
"My king, sir?"
Fuck.
A small girl with large brown eyes looked up at him, her black hair long and in a neat bun situated at the base of her neck. She had tan skin and many freckles dotting her body. She wore normal townsfolk garb: a dark colored skirt with a light shirt underneath, and a deep purple bodice on top.
Purple was a color found nearly everywhere in Nightmare's kingdom. It wasn't just for royalty, it was the color of the kingdom, not just him.
In her arms was a bouquet of small blue flowers, wrapped neatly in fabric and a ribbon bow.
Nightmare got down on one knee, making sure they were eye level with each other. He smiled softly at her, "Yes, my dear?"
"I got these for you." She said, as she handed him the flowers. Her voice stayed soft and monotone and she looked up at him as he stood up. "I'm sorry about your loss."
"...Thank you."
"He was a good man."
"Indeed. He was." Nightmare smiled because if he didn't, he worried that he might break.
The girl's mother pulled her away and he nodded at the family, a silent thanks. The walk back to the castle was agony, his eyes constantly darting down to the flowers in his hand.
Forget-me-not's.
A beautiful flower, small, blue.
Perfect.
"...My lord." Cross approached Nightmare when he entered the castle. "We have to, um, move him. Soon."
Cross couldn't finish his sentence, but he didn't have to.
To preserve the body.
"Understood. I will be a moment." Nightmare nodded, trying to keep his voice as monotone and calm as he could.
"Uh. Nice flowers?"
Nightmare couldn't help but smile. "Thank you, Cross."
The casket was open, completely unsealed, his body still open against the elements. He was nestled into white, silk cushions, with a soft outfit that wouldn't bother his sensory needs.
Not like it would matter, considering he was dead, but Nightmare wouldn't do anything but honor him in death.
Even in death, he smiled. Nightmare leaned against the casket, brushing his brown curls off of his cold forehead. His eyes, gorgeous eyes, were closed, his face pulled into a relaxed smile.
"You are so beautiful, my dear." Nightmare choked on his words as he kneeled beside the casket. His fingers played with Blue's curls, his breathing beginning to quiver.
With the small bouquet in his hands, he slowly began to pluck the flower from the rest of the plant, gently putting them in his hair.
The remains of the bouquet gently landed on the tiles beside the casket. All of the flowers had been plucked from their stems and placed in Blue's hair.
A stifled sob came from Nightmare as he stood up, hands clamped on the edge of the casket. The box containing Blue's crown had been placed on a nearby stand, and Nightmare pried it open, situating it on his forehead.
Gorgeous.
It didn't compare to Blue's, of course. And yet, it suited him perfectly.
"My king..." Cross said softly, approaching as silently as he could. "We...really need to move him. The casket."
Nightmare nodded, wordless as he stood up, rubbing his eyes with his fingers. He took a final look at his love, gently caressing his cheek.
"The next time we meet, my beloved, you'll be alive, and you'll never leave my side again."
CW/TW: Kidnapping, stabbing, blood, blood drinking, breaking bones, toxic behavior, threats of violence, just...read with caution lol
Word Count: 5450
“Get. Out.” Blue spun around, the knife pointed straight at Nightmare’s chest, right where his heart was. Or, more accurately, where it should be. He would be surprised if Nightmare had a heart in that cold chest of his. Nightmare held his hands up defensively, not yet moving.
“Blue, sweetheart. Let’s put down the knife, yeah?”
“No! Get out of my house and never come back! I’m sick and tired of this. I’m done!” Blue shouted, body trembling as he did so, his glare never faltering. “I’m done being your blood bag, and I’m done feeding into your sadistic nature.”
“Come on now. Let’s not be like that.” Nightmare grabbed onto Blue’s shoulders, pushing him into his side dresser.
Despite his shaking, Blue held the knife to Nightmare’s chest anyway, ready to stab it into it at a moment's notice. Nightmare’s nostrils flared, Blue’s blood flowing right beneath his skin, practically begging to be drunk from. Even from here he could practically taste it, it’s savory flavor, it’s utter perfection. His tongue ran over his lips as his teal eyes met Blue’s gaze, eyeing him like a plate of freshly cooked meat. Blue shuttered, suddenly acutely aware of his heart pounding in his chest.
“Go away.” It was wavering, more of a plea than an order.
“I can’t do that. You know I can’t.” The grip on the knife tightened, Nightmare stayed calm, watching every moment carefully. Every twitch and subtle movement was analyzed, studied carefully with precision. Questions flying through both of their minds as Blue’s breath quickened, and as Nightmare didn’t breathe at all. Only adding to Blue’s horror.
Blue swallowed hard, eyes darting back from Nightmare’s hypnotizing eyes to the floor to the knife back to Nightmare. How quickly could he attack, how quickly could he get away? How quickly could Nightmare recover and how quickly could he sink his teeth into his skin?
“I said, get out. Before I make you.”
“We both know you won’t do it.” Nightmare leaned in closer, whispering in Blue’s ear, making him shutter. “You don’t have the heart. You’re too sweet, too kind,” Nightmare smiled, “Now put the knife down, stop this silly little act of rebellion of yours and give me what I want.” Nightmare licked his lips and kissed Blue’s cheek, and moved all the way down to his neck. Blue’s lip quivered and Nightmare nipped gently at his neck. Not biting. Not yet.
“You taste so good, you know.”
“Leave me alone!”
Nightmare sucked on Blue’s neck for a moment, “Mmm…I hope you beg like you did last time. It was adorable.”
Blue shivered as Nightmare ran his tongue up his neck, “Though, I don’t think you can outdo last time's performance, ‘twas incredible, haha.” Nightmare’s hand squeezed his hip, gently rubbing it with his hand. “But don’t feel required to live up to your, beautifully intoxicating, standards. Your desperation excites me regardless.”
Sobs threatened to come out of Blue as Nightmare continued to play with his neck. Leaving saliva and small hickeys all over, forcing his blood to the surface. His grip on the knife wavered, and he felt like he might drop it. Then, Nightmare let out a low hiss, a signal that he was about to bite. Blue had heard that noise time and time again never connecting the two things up until recently, it was now or never.
Nightmare cried out, in pain? Surprise? Horror? Blue didn’t know. He had shoved that knife so far into Nightmare’s chest, only the handle was outside. It must’ve dug through his organs, and, if Blue was lucky, pierced his spine. He shoved Nightmare out of the way and onto his bed before running out of the room. That should give him enough time to at least get to Error’s house, or at least to some place in public. And maybe, he could get a plane and travel to Dream, who was currently in Transylvania visiting family. Dream could help him, he was strong and his family is so large, no one would allow Nightmare to slip in to get him. He would be safe.
Moving faster than he ever had before, Blue rushed down the stairs, slamming the door to his room behind him. He beelined to the front door, shoving aside his coffee table as he moved; he didn’t have the luxury to walk around furniture. He threw open the door, and carefully prattled down the steps to the sidewalk before sprinting down it, towards the moon. It was still rising, and bright as hell. His mind focused on Error’s apartment building. It was a five minute walk when he wasn’t being chased by a vampiric madman, so getting there should take no time at all.
The street lights flickered as he ran, the moonlight shining down on him. He could see Error’s house from here, he was so close. Then memories flashed as he glanced to his left. There was the same alley he had met Nightmare on the day his life was ruined forever. He took a pause. Nightmare wouldn’t be so cruel to remind him of that night…would he? He stopped running, his heart pounding in his chest. He spun around, no sight of him. Blue didn’t even want to look down the alleyway. He patted himself down, maybe he could come back home and Error could pick him up?
Shit shit shit!
All of his pockets were empty. He left his phone at home. Of course he did. Just his luck. He took a step back, listening. His ears started ringing with silence and the pounding of his blood. His blood…he felt disgusted at the sound of it. That’s exactly what Nightmare was after, exactly what got him into this mess. He glanced at the other side of the street, nothing. Not even an alleyway for him to get jumped. He ran across the street, making sure no cars were coming. Despite his legs screaming at him, he began his sprint again as soon as he reached the other side.
A scream escaped his mouth, and within a moment, his head was slammed into the building next to him. Nightmare had a tight grip around his head, eyes and body shaking with anger. Knife still lodged in his chest, a few drops of his blood oozing out of the wound and onto his bare chest. Nightmare had most of his shirt unbuttoned, only having the bottom two still together, the top part of his chest completely bare.
“Did you really think you could get away from me?” Nightmare yanked his head back, fingers tightly holding his hair. “Especially after that stunt you pulled?” Nightmare laughed, it was vile and unsettling.
Nightmare shoved Blue into his chest, on the opposite side of the knife, “The mere idea of that is adorable.”
“Are you going to monologue now that you’ve caught me?” Blue hissed out, trying to pull away. Nightmare’s eye twitched, and he slammed his foot down on Blue’s, a large crack ringing out. Blue shrieked, his struggling ceasing immediately.
“Y’know, I don’t mind your spunk, Blue. I don’t mind the sass, and I don’t mind the blatant fucking disobedience. But you know what I do mind?” Nightmare yanked the knife out of his chest, placing it against Blue’s cheek. Despite it being lodged in Nightmare’s chest for at least ten minutes, it was freezing against his cheek, still seeping with vampiric blood.
“This bullshit. It’s cold, isn’t it? I know you think I'm an unfeeling monster, but it still hurts, you little cunt. You need correction. And now, my dear, you have set up the perfect way to do that.”
“You broke my foot!” Blue shrieked, “Is that not enough for you?!”
“No. I cannot trust that you won’t pull something like this again. You need something…permanent.” Nightmare didn’t stop speaking, not allowing Blue time to comprehend the horror of what he just heard. “I have clearly been far too lenient with you. That is my fault, allowing you to live your life just as you always had been. Do not worry, unlike your foot, this will not hurt a bit.”
“NO!” Blue yelled, pushing himself away from Nightmare. However, he didn’t get all that far, due to the arm gripping his waste. “I don’t want to be like you!”
Nightmare paused, his face falling for just a moment as his eyes narrowed. Blue opened one of his eyes, looking at Nightmare who laughed. Cackling in astonishment. “You naïve fool, I will not be turning you. Your mortal blood is far too valuable at the moment. Maybe someday though, if you bring me enough entertainment.”
“Then wh-”
“You’re clever, obnoxiously so. Do you know what a thrall is, my dear?”
Blue’s eyes widened and his mind was taken off of the throbbing pain in his foot for a moment, “No…No Nightmare please you can’t do this, I don’t-”
The knife was put up to his lips, silencing him, “Shh. Your begging won’t save you this time, and most likely, never again. You fucked it up, and now, I get to make you mine.”
Clearing his throat, Nightmare began to speak, oddly calm. He slipped the knife into his belt, freeing up his other hand. “Now, I know you mortals think of a vampire turning someone into a thrall by taking control of their mind, or whatever. You’re all stupid though, because that’s not how that works. If we could just mind control anyone we wanted, then we wouldn’t need thralls, we wouldn’t need to hide, and we most certainly wouldn’t put up with mortals who think they’re able to take us down.
“Mortals like you, babe!” Nightmare’s finger flicked Blue’s nose, his voice high pitched as he mocked him. Then, without warning, his tone went dark once more. “Blue.”
“What?”
“Define ‘thrall’ for me.”
Swallowing hard, Blue wracked his mind, trying to ignore the pain overwhelming all of his senses. “A thrall is…a noun.”
“Mhm.”
“And it means…being in someone’s power?” He hesitated, glancing up at Nightmare whose face gave him nothing to work with. “In the terms of vampires, it’s a human, usually, who serves a vampire.”
“That’s right. I wonder how you can be so smart, but so utterly stupid at the same time.”
“Wh- Hey!”
“Quiet.” Nightmare hissed, shifting their position so he was leaning against the wall, taking some of the strain off of being forced to hold Blue up. “None of that actually means mind control, now does it?”
“...I guess not, but what does that have to-”
“I can make you my thrall, a handsome thing to serve me, and you’ll be aware of it the whole time. You’ll hate it, but you’ll have no other choice!” Nightmare laughed, voice unhinged as he chuckled, his face burying itself into Blue’s shoulder. “You’ll belong to me, body and soul, and you’ll have no choice but to follow my every word.”
Through gritted teeth, Blue made one last attempt to call Nightmare’s bluff. “Yeah? And how will you go about that?”
With a saccharine smile, Nightmare flashed his sharp teeth at him. “By drinking my blood, of course. A bit of a role reversal, but it’s quite effective.”
“What?! No! I’m not going to-”
“You don’t have a choice there, babe. Drink up.”
Blue’s face was shoved into the wound, blood going up his nose and into his mouth. He coughed and hacked up Nightmare’s blood, but Nightmare didn’t loosen his grip. Blue shuttered, defeat washing over him. He was going to suffocate if he didn’t do what Nightmare wanted, and despite the fact that death might be the better option here, he wasn’t going to let this bastard kill him. He wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction. Not now, not ever. Blue swallowed the blood that entered his mouth, as well as apprehensively licking the wound to get more. He gagged, but kept going. Absolutely abhorrent.
After Nightmare deemed that Blue had taken enough of his blood, he pulled Blue away from his chest, allowing him some time to breathe. Blue was heaving, a drop of blood dripping down his chin. Nightmare wiped the blood with his thumb, smiling as he helped Blue to his feet. Er…foot.
“That should be enough for now.” Nightmare hummed in approval as Blue clung to him. “It would be mean to make you walk all the way back to my castle, wouldn’t it? I don’t think we would make it by daylight if that happened.” Nightmare chuckled, scooping Blue into his arms. The wound in his chest still oozed blood, but he wasn’t in a hurry to deal with it. His body would heal it within a matter of time, maybe in two hours or so. Being a vampire did have its perks, after all. Blue was quivering in his arms, his body shaking, desperate to fix itself. Nightmare felt a slight twinge of regret, not for hurting him, of course, it was well deserved, but for the fact that it would take a few months for his foot to fully heal.
Mortals were so easily damaged and it was so difficult to heal them, he always forgot about that. Perhaps that was for the best. His grin turned twisted, he would have to pay extra attention to the news and social media for the next few days. He wondered how Blue’s friends would react to his disappearance. He wondered how the media would explain it. That was his favorite part, to watch mortals try and explain the supernatural. It was adorable to watch them try. And he especially wondered how that bastard, Dream don Dalezya, would react. It had been so long since he had last stolen a mortal away, he forgot how trilling it was. He had brought humans into the manor before, of course. He wasn’t a newbie at this sort of thing. They’d last a decade, maybe two, before he either killed them or sickness caught up to them. Keeping humans hostage was fun, at first. When the poor things were terrified and still full of hope. Then it got boring. They’d get used to it, used to him. Sometimes they’d even fall in love with him. He didn’t need a mortal’s love. His nose scrunched up at the thought. Besides, hunting and tracking down humans was half of the fun. He’d prefer it to not be a twice a century thing.
None of them had been a thrall. Perhaps this time would be different. Blue was already a fantastic toy. He hadn’t met a lot of mortals before this, but considering he had managed to get the attention of Dream and befriend him, then perhaps he was a little different. Blue never bargained, never tried to offer Nightmare anything to get him to stop. He would only fight back, and when that proved fruitless, he would beg Nightmare to leave him alone. That is what Nightmare adored. He’d also never had a human stab him before. And while it pissed him off, that Blue even thought that he could get away with such a thing, he couldn’t stay mad. Not forever, anyway. Such a bold move from someone mortal? That was something to note. It wasn’t enough for Nightmare to respect Blue, of course. Him? Respect a mortal? He would never allow himself to fall that low.
Maybe Blue would keep him entertained for longer than a few decades. And maybe…just maybe…Nightmare would curse him with vampirism. Not now, but later. If Blue proved to be astoundingly enthralling (haha, he found himself hilarious), then maybe he would put Blue on the same field as him. Keeping Blue as a mortal kept the power dynamic between him and Nightmare stable. Static. Vampires were inherently stronger, faster, and simply more powerful than humans. Not to mention that Nightmare was tall, muscular, intimidating, and Blue was like a small rabbit, or newborn puppy, to him. Blue could be crushed within a matter of moments. Despite his best attempt to stop Nightmare, he had to rely on stunning him to get away. He was probably hoping that he could get help of some kind, maybe from Dream or his friend…Error? Yes, Error sounded right. Either way, he was prey. And he was acting like it. The power dynamic between him and Nightmare would stay that way unless Nightmare decided to up Blue’s chances.
The forest was getting thicker. The canopy above him was shielding him from the moonlight, which would soon become blazing sunlight. Blue had ceased his whimpering, thank god, and his eyes were squeezed shut, trying to ease his pain. The wind was howling, and Blue shivered in his arms. Nightmare rolled his eyes, nearly rolling them into his own head. He would have to make sure his log supply was decent. His manor wasn’t heated, it was built in the 11th century and he hadn’t bothered to update it to modern technology since his body heat was irrelevant to his survival. Oh, how he loved his manor. It was large, gothic, and had a massive library. What more could a man ask for? His manor wasn’t equipped with much modern technology, but Blue would survive.
Humans these days were so pampered, with their air conditioning and internet and whatever. The only thing Nightmare didn’t mind was the advances in medicine. What was the point in keeping a mortal if the thing got sick and had no choice but to succumb to it?
The forest grew thinner, and Nightmare’s manor soon came into view. It was towering, and Blue opened his eyes briefly to look at it. It was large, probably one of the largest buildings he had ever seen, and had a massive fence around it. The fence had to be over ten feet (or three meters) and was made of a thick metal. It had intricate designs, but not a single pattern large enough for him to fit through. The gate itself had two large spires, and was made of metal and black basalt. It looked to be in incredible condition, even though Blue expected it to be at least somewhat rusted. On the gate, which caused his anxiety to spike, was a massive latch, keeping it locked. It was nothing that he had ever seen before. He squirmed in Nightmare’s grip, trying to get out of his arms. There wasn’t much of a plan, panic was setting in. He didn’t have his phone, he was going to be separated from Error, and Dream, and everyone he loved, and his heart started racing.
Blue couldn’t believe that he had allowed Nightmare to carry him all the way through the forest with little issue. He didn’t get the chance to squirm as Nightmare took him from everything he ever knew. Before he could do anything, he was set down onto his knees as Nightmare approached the gate to unlock it. He shifted onto his good leg, and despite his ever growing despair, he made an attempt to crawl. He wouldn’t get far, he knew that, but he wasn’t going to be a passive player as Nightmare took him. The gates swung open, and Nightmare scooped him up right again. He was slung over Nightmare’s right shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He fought in Nightmare’s arm, trying to free himself. If he could just stay outside till daylight, then maybe he could hobble his way home. The gates slammed behind them, and Blue flinched. He glanced at it, squinting, was it locked?
“It locks by itself, don’t get your hopes up. Unless you feel like climbing up that fence with that poor foot of yours, you won’t get far.” Nightmare opened one of the doors to the manor with his left hand and entered the large building. It was like a castle. Blue pulled his scarf up his face, the manor was even darker on the inside. Dark bricks lined every wall, the ceilings high and towering, with fancy chandeliers draping from them. Along the walls were sconces holding dim, flickering candles. All of the doors were large and wooden, with designs meticulously carved into them. The only sound that Blue could hear was his own breathing, and the sound of Nightmare’s footsteps against the wooden ground. It was quiet. Eerily so.
A shiver sent itself down Blue’s spine, goosebumps appearing up and down his arms and legs. It was cold, both the castle, and Nightmare’s arms. He clutched onto Nightmare’s shirt, burying his face into the cold skin of his chest. The pain came in waves, and Blue felt his foot begin to throb, ache, and burn through his veins like an awful poison.
“It hurts.” Blue croaked, his voice threatening to break.
“I know.” Nightmare murmured. He kept Blue close, his stride never faltering. “I will take care of it.”
The walk to…wherever Nightmare was taking him wasn’t long. Blue kept his eyes open, observing all of the manor that he could. It was beautiful, and he wondered how Nightmare got such a place. As they passed through certain rooms, Blue could’ve sworn he heard the sounds of hushed voices and laughter. There was movement that he caught out of the corner of his eye, and despite the fact he knew better than to believe what he couldn’t truly see, he felt a pit in his stomach grow. Who else was in here? Monsters like Nightmare? Or humans like him?
“You're a cruel bastard, you know that?”
“Is that so?” Nightmare spoke, his voice flat as he adjusted his grip on Blue’s body. “What did I do this time? I haven’t said a word in the last few minutes.”
“Who else are you keeping here?” Blue spat, “I saw- I heard them. How many others are here against their will?”
An exasperated, yet malicious grin grew on Nightmare’s face, a snicker forcing its way out of him. “There are many things about this world that you don’t yet know, Blue. The others, there are four of them, if you’re curious, are not quite human, not quite vampire. When the time is right, I’ll introduce you to them.”
“Why not now?”
“Why? Hah!” Nightmare laughed, pushing open a door with his shoulder, “Because they’ll tear you limb from limb!”
The room that Nightmare had taken him to was a bedroom, but it wasn’t Nightmare’s. Not only were all of the surfaces covered in a fine layer of dust, Nightmare would never allow that in his room, but the furniture in the room itself was much less Victorian, and much more Rococo for Nightmare’s tastes. With a hum, Nightmare carefully adjusted how Blue was sitting in his arms, now carrying him one would a toddler. He approached the bed (that Blue couldn’t see, due to his face being over Nightmare’s shoulder) and sneered.
“Bastards. I give them one job…!” Nightmare muttered to himself, whipping around and gently placing Blue on a chair that was tucked underneath the vanity. It was beautiful, if not for all of the dust coating all of its crevices. Hesitantly, Blue touched the mirror with his finger tips, dust coating his fingers. He coughed, waving away the dust. Hesitantly, he touched his face, leaning in closer to the mirror.
Holy shit.
“I look like a mess…” Blue muttered to himself, pulling at his eyebags and touching his sickly cheeks. Is this what he always looked like after an encounter with Nightmare? He hadn’t gotten his blood sucked this time…was this a result of drinking Nightmare’s blood? His thoughts were cut short as a hand that didn’t exist in the mirror grabbed him by his chin, forcing his face to the left.
“You look utterly ravishing,” Nightmare ran his thumb against Blue’s lips as he cooed to him softly, resisting the urge to run his teeth against his neck. “I’m going to be right back, okay? Don’t be stupid, and if you need anything, just shout.”
With a quick ruffling of Blue’s curly hair, Nightmare exited the room. Blue watched him, his heart pittering against his ribcage. He gripped onto the seat of his chair until his knuckles began to turn white. There was a clawing in his mind and chest, his own brain nearly forcing him up and out of the chair. To his horror, there was a part of his mind that panicked when Nightmare left his vision. There was a legitimate sense of longing, of wanting, the urge to stumble after him, to make sure they weren’t too far apart.
Blue shook his head, physically trying to get rid of the foreign feelings. He twisted his body away from the door, taking slow breaths to try and ease his racing heart. His hands shook as he began to snoop through the drawers, needing anything to distract him. To his disappointment, he found nothing except dust and dead bugs within. He pushed back against the desk to scoot his chair backwards, giving himself room to open the large, middle drawer. IT squealed as he pried it open. The dresser hadn’t been used in what seemed like years.
And…! Nothing.
Disappointment washed over him and he groaned, looking up at the tall ceiling. Even though the drawers proved fruitless, the high ceiling was beautiful. It curved inwards, intricate patterns carved into the brick, and at the very top was a painting of the night sky. He wondered who painted it. Not Nightmare, surely? Whoever it was, was likely dead now, considering how old the mansion was.
“I can’t believe you brought me fresh meat, boss.”
“Stop it.”
With a yelp, Blue lurched backwards in his chair, a stifled shriek coming out of him as he slammed his broken foot onto the bottom of the dresser. He bit down harshly on his lip, tears forcing their way out of his eyes. He glanced up at the person who appeared on his left without a sound, taking in their appearance.
The first thing Blue noticed was their eyes. They were more like eye sockets, being completely and utterly blank, like two blackholes on their face. What Blue could only assume to be dried blood stained their cheeks, rolling down from the corners of their ‘eyes’ and forming beads at the bottom of their face. Blue couldn’t look away from their black eyes, desperately trying to search for pupils.
It was almost hypnotizing.
“Shh, it’s okay. Relax, cariño.” They spoke, leaning in closer, and Blue could feel his heart pounding in his chest. The stranger held his hand, as if he was about to kiss the top of it. He could barely move, his mind whirling and growing foggy. “I’m just going to take a little piece of you, ‘kay?”
“Don’t you-”
“AGH?!”
The moment the hunting knife touched his knuckle, instinct kicked in, and Blue’s fist landed in between the person’s eyes. They shot back, knife clattering to the ground as they staggered backwards, holding onto their face. Blood dribbled from their Greek nose, eyes (eyeholes?) widening in shock. Nightmare cackled, lifting Blue from the chair he was sitting on.
“Cabrón…!”
Even through his pain, Blue managed to flip the person off, “Coño.”
“I see that the two of you will get along splendidly.” Nightmare smiled, making sure he supported Blue’s bad leg. “Killer, this is Blue, my newest thrall, and Blue, meet Killer, he is, alas, my right hand man.”
Killer, an uncomfortable name for someone who was just mere inches from his face, picked up the knife, twirling it in his hand. After standing up straight, he slipped his hunting knife back into the sheath on his thigh, eyes narrowed at Blue. His skin was a light brown, and his black hair was asymmetrical and choppy. He wore baggy cargo pants, which were also black, with the sheath on the outside of his right leg. His blue sweatshirt drooped from his shoulders, revealing a compression turtleneck underneath. The hood of it had beige faux fur; it looked soft to the touch.
“A thrall? Been a while since you last had one of those, boss.”
“Yes, I am aware. And since you decided to break his poor foot further, you get the honor of making sure his room is adequately set up! Isn’t that nice?”
“Wh- Hey! Nightmare!” Killer shouted, “Do I look like a janitor to you?!”
“You look like someone who’s going to be utterly fucking walloped if you don’t get to work!” Nightmare called back, sauntering out of the room, keeping Blue close to his chest.
The door slammed behind them, a low growl coming from Nightmare’s throat as he hissed. It was rather quiet as he walked down the hall, Killer’s grumblings slowly consumed by the sound-eating walls of the manor. Blue gasped for air, his breath hitching over and over as he clung to Nightmare, pain searing through his body.
“That bad, huh?”
“I-It hurts.” Blue choked, “Fuck, I can’t-”
“I know.” It was likely his adrenaline-filled brain misconstruing Nightmare’s body language, but he could’ve sworn that Nightmare looked down at him with love, sincerity. That couldn’t be right. “I know.”
“You’re a bastard.”
“So you’ve said.”
“This is your fault. Make it stop.” He croaked, his trembling hands feeling the folds of his scarf for a moment of comfort.
“Rest assured, I will.”
Sharp teeth punctured Blue’s neck, his scream lost in the labyrinth that was the manor’s hallways. Not much would be taken, despite Nightmare’s thirst. He had yet to get what he initially came for: Blue’s delectable blood. Blood was blood, no matter who it came from. However, Nightmare did have his preferences. The taste of Blue’s skin intermingling with the metallic liquid, his arms being able to wrap around his waist to hold him close, his pretty cries when teeth sunk into him all made Blue the perfect meal. After all, the actual taste was only half of what made a meal good. Presentation was, arguably, more important. And, oh, did Blue present.
With a desperate gasp, Nightmare released Blue’s neck, blood dribbling down his chin, the two piercing wounds bubbling up slightly. His tongue pressed against them, an ecstasy-filled shiver tearing up his spine.
Like fucking ambrosia.
It had been too much for Blue’s brain to handle, finally deciding to shut down, leaving him unconscious in Nightmare’s arms. For the first time in a few hours, he looked at peace, his head rolled into Nightmare’s arm, and hands neatly placed on his chest. Nightmare didn’t, couldn’t look away, a foreign feeling of fondness flowing through him. His lips connected with Blue’s forehead, leaving a rather blood kiss mark behind.
Cute.
Nightmare began to walk once more, towards his own bedroom this time. He had wanted Blue to settle in a place apart from him. Can’t have the mortal thinking he was too special, now could he? He wasn’t going to force Blue in a room that was covered in dust and who knows what else. He swore that he assigned someone to have an extra room clean at all times, but perhaps he didn’t give that command. …Or he did, and someone ignored it. There would be hell to pay if that was the case.
It’d be easier to care for Blue if they were staying in the same room, though, so Nightmare would let it slide. This time.
Nightmare’s face pulled into a sneer. Blue’s foot had only gotten worse from his initial break, and Nightmare no longer had any idea the state of the bones in his ankle. The last thing he wanted was to set the bones incorrectly, and have them heal in a way that would make Blue’s life a living Hell. That was his job!
That meant he’d have to call up the doctor, whose actual name Nightmare didn’t know, referring to him only as “the doctor” or, when he was feeling more casual, “Sci.” He’d contact the doctor using his phone, which everyone called “old-fashioned” (Dust got a hearty smack for that comment). It wasn’t his fault that phones had simply gone downhill in quality since the rotary phone! Sci would come over and fix Blue right up, likely better than Nightmare would. His area of expertise was blood, not bones.
Immediately, Nightmare relaxed when he entered his room, the non-crypt one, of course. He set Blue down on his massive bed, which rarely went used, and Blue turned onto his side, getting comfortable on the fluffy blankets. His hand ran through his curls, the other mindlessly touching where the knife had been pressed into his chest.
He couldn’t even be mad anymore.
To have Blue, to have Blue be his, was so incredibly worth it.
