Chapter Text
It's been a day or two since Sans was added onto the team. Ink, him, and Dream are playing a board game in their hideout. Sans is currently winning by a long shot, and Ink and Dream are fighting for second place.
Ink appears deep in thought, and when his turn arrives, his attention isn't placed on the board.
Sans attempts to get his attention. "Ink?"
Nothing.
"Ink?"
Still nothing.
Sans nudges him. "Ink, it's your turn."
"Oh! Oh yeah, it is, isn't it?"
"Yes! It is."
He begins to make his move on the board, but Dream asks him, "Is something on your mind?"
"Y- Yeah. It's just weird."
Both of the other skeleton's attention is on Ink. "What's weird?" They ask in unison.
Sans knocks over Ink's piece. "I guess the thing is, there's already multiple sanses in the multiverse. Why are we calling him just Sans?"
"Because that's his name?" Dream replies.
Ink sighs. "But it could get confusing! What if there's another sans around when we're in a fight!"
"I mean, if he wants to go by a different name with us…"
The blue scarfed skeleton looks between the both of them. "If you let me pick it out, then I'm ok with it!"
"Okay! So… whatcha gonna pick?" Ink asks.
Sans thinks. And thinks. And thinks. "I… uh… hm… This might seem silly, but how about 'Blue'?"
Dream makes his move on the board, knocking over Ink's final piece. "I think that's a fine name. If it were silly, then Ink's name would be silly too."
"Ye- Wait… hey! My piece!!!"
The two other skeletons erupt into laughter.
"So…" Blue continues, taking some of Dream's money due to the other landing on his space, "If we're talking about serious stuff, then our team… does it have a name yet?"
Dream tilts his head at him. "A name?"
"Yeah! Every cool team needs an even cooler name. It's the rules."
Ink does the skeleton equivalent of raising an eyebrow. Bone-brow? Bone-brow. "The rules you made up now?" He teases. Dream nudges him playfully.
"No, it was in a rule book I read about how to make a good team."
"Ahhh…"
"Uh…" Dream starts, "How about… The Hopebringers!"
"That's too cheesy… I'd rather go with something like Bar Baneb!"
"What?"
"Bar Baneb."
"What???"
"Bar. Baneb."
Blue interrupts their exchange. "C'mon Ink, I'm being serious here!"
"I'm being serious. Bar Baneb should totally be our team name."
"No!" Dream and Blue exclaim in unison.
"B- But I lost, so…"
"Ink. Ink, we are not naming our super- awesome team something as nonsensical as Bar Baneb. "
"Fineee… You got any better ideas? Dream?"
Dream shakes his head.
"Blue?"
"How about… about… about… The Stars?"
Dream and Ink stare at each other, and then to Blue.
"That's a good name!"
"I think mine's better…"
Dream glares at Ink. "Ink. I care about you a whole lot, even though we haven't lived together that long, but we aren't naming our team Bare Banana."
"Bar Baneb."
"...Sorry."
"It's fine, I'm not mad."
Blue butts in. "So it's decided then?"
The other two nod.
"Also…" He knocks over one of Dream's few remaining pieces. Nervousness fills his voice. He's already requested a lot today, and he just met these people a few days ago. And… he's beating them very hard at the board game they're currently in the middle of. But it's better asking than not. "Could we get cool costumes, too?"
Dream rubs the back of his head. "I would like that, but wouldn't that be a bit much work?"
"Yeah… I guess i-"
"I could make em'." Ink interrupts.
"Really?!" The two of them exclaim. "But, that would be hard, wouldn't it?" Dream asks.
"Not reeallly? I mean, you'd haveta give me the designs, but I've made clothes before! …Even though I already made these," He fiddles at his pants leg, "a few years back…"
"You can always keep your current clothes!" Blue tells him.
"Nah… I'm never against trying somethin' new. Plus, no matter how sick my current threads are, doing somethin' with my new besties is always better."
Dream looks away, uncertainty filling him. "Now that I think of it… I- I don't think that I'd be able to make my own new clothes…"
"What's wrong with it?"
"It's just… I've had these clothes forever. I wouldn't be against changing them, but… I don't think I'd be capable of doing it."
"You're saying it'd be weird?"
"Yeah…"
"Well how about I do it then? A gift from me to you. I wouldn't make it ridiculous, I promise."
Dream looks at Ink, his eyes teary. "You sure?"
"Yeah? I don't see why not."
"Why are you doing all of this for me?"
Ink stares at Dream. He scoots over to him, and puts an arm around his shoulder. "Cuz we're friends. You, specifically, are my first ever actual friend. Y'know that, yeah?"
He nods, and leans closer to Ink.
Blue stares at the two of them, feeling really like a third wheel right about now. Not taking it anymore, he speaks up.
"Can you do mine too?"
"Huh? Wait, Blue, come over here! Didn't realize you were left out." Ink requests, gesturing him over.
He gets up from his spot on the couch, and sits right next to Ink. Ink wraps his other arm around him, and smiles.
"Guess what? Both of you."
"Huh?"
"We're gonna make an amazing team. The Stars. I like it. And I like both of you guys, too."
Ink sits at his desk in his room, his floor a mess scattered with papers and his desk splattered with paint. He's currently sketching out the outfit designs for the team, because he can't just go in and blindly create these without base, can he?
No, because these are gifts. Duh.
He's currently drawing Dream's new outfit, something more chill compared to what he already has. Still using the same colors, of course. Dream's colors are perfect…
Pretty fitting, considering who's wearing em'.
"How long are you going to keep this up?" A voice asks, interrupting his sketching.
Ink sighs. Not now, please. "How long are you going to be stubborn, oh glorious creators above?"
" You are the stubborn one. We are only doing what we think is right." Of course, it's the ruder creator.
He pushes himself up from his seat. "We're going to talk somewhere else. I don't want them knowing about you guys."
"Because you don't wan-"
Ink peeks out of his door and shouts out to the others, "Dream! Blue! I'm going out!"
"Alright! Come back soon though, I'm making dinner to celebrate our new team!"
"M'kay!"
Dream stirs the beef in the pan he's cooking for Ink and Blue. He would have Blue help, but he'd rather do this on his own right now.
He didn't have these kinds of electric ovens in his universe, but he's learnt how to use them. Mostly, that is. Sometimes he forgets how to do certain things.
Stuck in his own thoughts, he doesn't notice a greyscale child behind him.
"Greetings, Dream."
Dream jolts up and looks behind him, nearly knocking over his pan.
"Oh, sorry. I didn't see you cooking." They apologize.
He stares at the child. They seem not that threatening, so he doesn't try to attack them. "I- It's okay. Who are you, and uh… How and why are you here?"
"Sorry again, I didn't seem to introduce myself. My name is Frisk."
Dream nods.
"I'm here to show you something, if you'll let me."
He stares from the pan to Frisk, and back to the pan again. "Alright. Just- Just give me a sec." Dream tilts his head up and shouts, "Blue?!"
"Yeah?!" The other skeleton responds.
"Can you come watch the pan for me?!"
Blue rushes over to the kitchen. "Yes! I can." He replies. "Wait." He looks over at Frisk. "Who's that?"
"My name is Frisk. I'm here to show Dream something."
Dream looks back at Blue. "Don't worry. I'll be fine."
"...Alright."
Frisk begins leading Dream to a door, but before they can leave, Dream says back to Blue, "Oh yeah! Make sure not to add anything to it. I don't want anything to happen to it."
"I won't!"
They open the door up for Dream, and the both of them enter the unfamiliar area.
The area that the two enter is bright and colorful, but small nonetheless. Dream looks around at the grassy ground and the small houses covering it. Some houses are still being built by the few inhabitants of the area.
But the main thing that Dream notices, is the white colorless sky.
"Welcome to the Omega Timeline, Dream. A safe haven for all."
"This is nice, Frisk. I love it. But… why not tell Ink? He seems… more fit than me, to say the least." Dream rubs the back of his head. "I mean, I'm not, y'know, unfit… I think. But Ink seems more suited to know about this place."
Frisk looks away from Dream. "I would, but something about him gives me unease. I'd rather you know, for now."
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know. But I don't want to risk anything." They look back at him. "I'm sorry, Dream."
"...Can we tell him eventually, at least?"
"I can't say for certain, but we'll see."
"Alright. This place, it's for those who have been hurt, right?"
"Mostly. Others who just want to relax can enter, too. As long as they don't bring any harm, I'm okay with it."
Dream nods. "Thank you for showing me this place."
Frisk nods back to him.
Ink opens a portal to another universe, and finds a more private place to talk. Specifically, in the room past the piano in Waterfall.
"There. Now, what are you gonna scold me about?"
"Ink…" The Creator starts, "...let's just get to the damn point. Why do all this?
Ink raises a bone-brow, "Hm?"
"You're creating this team to fight against an issue of your creation. Is this some kind of sick game to you?"
He looks up at the ceiling, contemplating things. This isn't a game. What this is, is something necessary. Soon they'll see and finally give him what he wants. The ability to create what he actually wants. He deserves it.
He's the main character in the story, being the first ever being created. The main character is important. Their opinions, are important. Their desires, are important.
Those who are against them, are not as important.
"They don't even know your actual intentions, Ink."
That doesn't matter. They don't need to know. Besides, surely… surely they'd understand, would they not?
Would they? Error didn't, The Creators didn't.
It's best kept hidden for now. He doesn't want them to disagree and leave him. He's realized throughout the time he's lived with Dream, and now Blue, that loneliness sucks.
"It's not a game. Is it a game to you? Is it fun to hate me like this?"
"We don't hate you."
"Then let me."
"No, be reasonable. You aren't getting what you want. Besides, you have friends now. Isn't that enough of a distraction from your goals?"
Liquid black drips from Ink's eye sockets. Sockets, that are now hollow. "They aren't 'distractions'. Don't you dare call them 'distractions'." He laughs. "You just despise me, don't you. Despise them for being with me. At least I have people who actually like me."
"They don't know the true you, and you know it."
"Shut up." Ink wipes the ink from his face. "This conversation is over. Go talk to Error, it's not like you've got anybody else but yourselves."
Saying this, Ink finishes cleaning off his face and opens a portal back to his universe.
