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"Do you ever think you could love someone someday?" Template asks, looking over at Ink. They were laying in a field on the surface, looking at the stars of some AU both had forgotten the name to. It at least didn't matter so much, for they had mostly spaced out, barely focusing on much around themselves."I don't think I'll ever get the ability to do that." Ink responds after a bit, looking over at the other. In all honesty, Ink almost forgot his friend was there."Even with all your emotions? I'd think you'd be able to." Template mumbles, looking back at the stars. They were pretty tonight, a good distraction from things."Nah. I don't know what love feels like well enough to know if I even can." Ink answers, looking up at the stars again. "I doubt it's needed anyways. I'm busy usually, can only talk to outcomes, and most don't like me anyways!" He chuckles, basically just laughing off the matter.Template meanwhile just nervously smiled, trying to use the stars to distract himself. It worked until he suddenly lurched up and forward into a coughing fit. As he covered his mouth with his hand, he could feel a liquid get onto it. Blood. When he pulls his hand away to look at it, he begins to cough again and watches as a petal, unable to flutter from having soaked in something, fell out of his mouth. Ink at first was watching him cough in a perplexed manner, but started to laugh at seeing the petal that was soaked red."Who are you chasing after?" Ink asks, chuckling. "That has to suck, and another reason I don't want to deal with love." That definitely hurt Template. What should he say to that? Be vague? He sure didn't want Ink to laugh at him again, trembling already."U-uh... Some guy I met is all..." Template mumbles. He was surprised Ink would laugh at this in all honesty, but maybe Ink didn't realize how big of a deal it was?"It better not be me then! I'm not one anyone should fall in love with." Ink responds, looking up again. His words seemed to have stroked a cord in Template, making him trying a bit and hesitate."Yeah... It's not you... I promise..." Template mumbles. He opens a small portal and reaches in, grabbing a rag to clean his mouth and hand."Well that's good. Just don't go dying on me now. You're pretty entertaining around here." Ink says, making Template look over. He made himself smile, putting his doubts to the side."Hopefully I'll keep being entertaining for you then." Template mumbles to Ink, watching as the other moves to get up."Mhm." Ink makes the noise before opening a portal to leave. "I should get going though." Template ends up moving to get up at that, fighting back a few thoughts. "Make sure you get that problem sorted soon, Tempo! I better not find you having lied on the promise. Then again, maybe that's just an interesting turn of events!" Ink puts his hand in the shape of an 'L' on his chin before walking away with a wave.As Template watched him walk into the portal, tears came to the corner of his eyesockets and soon after he started coughing more crimison petals. Each one fell to the ground on the crushed grass where Template once laid by Ink's side. A tiny pile of maybe ten to fifteen petals soon formed before Template decided to go back to his "sphere", even if his bones rattled with each step and cough when he walked into the portal he made.
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Dream sat in the darkness of his room, eyelights dim with his gaze down. Things didn't turn out as he would hope, even if it was good, he wished it would've changed Ink like he wanted. Doesn't he realize his "entertainment" doesn't even talk to him anymore? Doesn't look up to him? Doesn't he realize who's fault it is?He talked to him yesterday, but Ink didn't seem to care when Dream was there, but he could now feel a bitter despair slowly coming off of Ink and growing each day. There was nothing he could do about it either. Ink wouldn't listen. It takes a soul to change and Dream knew that. There was nothing he could do.He looked up though when he heard the door open, slightly creaky but not as much as you'd find in horror stuff, seeing Pale in the doorway. The other wore a frown, but not one as grave as Dream's. One of failure. Either way, Pale walked over and moved into Dream's lap to wrap the other in his arms."It's okay..." He tried to comfort, just as Dream use to have to do to him. Especially when he woke up from nightmares full of guilt. He obviously wasn't the best at it, but it's clear he was trying by rubbing Dream's skull in a soothing manner. The guardian had to admit it helped a bit, even if not all."I guess I was just hoping Ink would change, for the better..." Dream mumbled into the silent room, closing his eyes and letting a few tears that built up fall. Pale pulled away a bit to rub them away, before kissing his forehead and muttering the same phrase.Eventually, Pale spoke again. "The hug needs more... More hugs..." He mutters to himself, making Dream look up at Pale. His English was slightly broken even with the attempt to rephrase what he meant, but he least had the idea down. "Do you know anyone you'd like hugs from...?" This time Pale was asking Dream, who took a moment to think on it. He never really expected the question, or to think an answer for it, but he came up with one."Well... There's my brothers..." Dream looks up, a small smile from the thought of them. Pale seemed confused, looking back at the door then at Dream."He's already here though." Pale states, pointing at the door. "Do you want me to bring him over?" Dream shook his head, wiping his face a bit. As much as Nightmare seemed to be getting better, he still hasn't fulfilled a promise to the others to feel like confronting him. He still needed to get Nightmare back to how he was before."No, I have more than just him as a brother. An 'S' at the end means plural usually." Dream says, attempting to teach Pale. The other thought for a moment before nodding. He seemed more excited now to hear that."Well I wanna see them, and so do you! Let's go then!" Pale always looked cute to Dream when he got excited, a bit of the bouncy type with a smile of pure happiness one would love to watch be there for hours. It made Dream space out usually on just watching Pale be happy and himself, not a worry in the world."Yeah. If those hugs aren't enough, I know a tribe that will work too, even after all that's happened." Dream says, before gesturing for Pale to get off. He gets up and takes the other's hand, gripping tight like his life depends on it. He had to admit he's anxious, for he hasn't seen his other brothers in years. Nor his tribe. He knew some may have passed on while some were still alive since he left, for skeletons could last until their bones grew brittle and weak while not many diseases could kill them off, but that didn't really help much."Let's get going." Dream mumbles, giving Pale's cheek a kiss before disappearing out of the room that laid undisturbed until the next few days.