#dintis dark

cracks knuckles

One day Dark, through means i've yet to figure out exactly, realizes that he needs to get the frick out of his current situation. It takes him a while to actually do it, because he really doesn't want to leave Jet, but it quickly becomes clear that there's not really anything else he can do, and he dips.

He manages to find himself in a weird new MV, though he doesn't realize it for a while, and spends some time just wandering and trying to find a place to stay. This is made very difficult by a group of people in white uniforms with golden logos who apparently think he's some kind of dangerous criminal??? he hasn't done anything???? And none of them will listen to a word he says. great. just what he needs right now.

After a few weeks, he runs into a little gremlin of a man in a hoodie who's totally not stealing a few armloads of food from the dollar general what why would he be doing that that's nuts hahahaha the fuck are you, the police??

"...do you like. need help"

"man you have NO idea"

"i- no, i mean like, help carrying stuff."

"Yeah, yeah, I know what you meant. Look, I appreciate the offer, but I don't know you and I don't really-"

and then he sees something behind Dark, swears, shoves some stuff in his arms, and goes "Fuck it, fine, but we gotta run, like, now."

those soldiers are baaaaaaaack

It's a pretty close call but the guy does a really good job of shaking them off their tail, and brings Dark to a tiny run-down house on the edge of...some town, somewhere. Dark's new 'friend' is not thrilled about this, but he thanks Dark for his help and ask if he'd mind helping him put stuff away, too, since he's here. he'll make some food in exchange??

Dark's like "...you don't have to do that, but that would be great if you really don't mind."

guy shrugs and pulls off his hood. "i mean, you're in my house now. you helped me run from JR goons and get all the stuff back. seems fair."

"Thank you, uh...?"

the guy takes a second to realize that dark actually doesn't know his name nad he just. blinks at him.

"...Nightmare. ...You... you are really not from around here, are you?"

Dark: Uh... I don't think so. Why?

Nightmare: Because, like, 99% of people would've recognized me the second they saw my face. I'm kind of the multiverse's most wanted.

Dark:

Dark: w. why

Nightmare, with a fake smile: Because I exist!

Nightmare: and i really wish that was a joke but no. How long have you been here and how much backstory do you need

Dark: ...i... don't know? But i've been seeing those white uniformed guys for a couple of weeks, so...?

Nightmare: You've been here for weeks and you don't know about JR's 'no negativity' bullshit????

Dark: I've been kind of busy, trying to hide from-

Dark: ...From a former friend.

Nightmare: Ain't that the mood of the fucking century. Alright, well, lets get stuff put away and we can talk over food? You're, uh, going to need to know what's going on if you're going to be staying here--in the multiverse, i mean--for a while.

dark is a little distracted during the conversation because it's been a while since he's had a full meal, and nightmare's cooking is amazing. but he gets the idea. JR Bad. Thinks negativity evil. Trying to get rid of negative guardians. Their ceo being the former guardian of positivity and nightmare's former childhood friend. not counting kevin the chicken who is out back.

"I'm surprised you managed to survive for literal weeks, completely clueless, and without getting caught. That's really impressive."

"I was just running from some guys who seemed to think i was a danger to society for no reason. it wasn't that hard."

"Yeah, but your aura is a lot stronger than mine, which would make you way easier to track. And trust me, they are very good at tracking people. particularly people with ‘guardian’ in their title"

"yeah..."

"So, whats your story?"

Dark doesn't really want to talk about it but he gives Nightmare the basics; he'd been staying with his childhood best friend for a while, after going their seperate ways for a while, and he recently found out that Jet had been lying to him about a few too many things and didn't seem to see any problem with it, and kept lying so Dark wouldn't leave. and he finally had enough and left! But he's pretty sure Jet's going to come looking for him. The only thing Dark still believes is that Jet wants him to stay with him, though he's...not really confident on why exactly Jet wants him around anymore. And he's afraid to look into it!

He still talks more than he meant to. He hasn't had a chance to talk to anyone about it and its.... still pretty recent.

After a while Nightmare asks if Dark would like to stay with him.

"I mean...It'd be more dangerous in some ways. Everyone who's looking for us will have an even easier time finding us if we stick together. But I know how to hide from people, and this is only one of a dozen or so safe houses I have hidden around. And you could help me keep an eye out, and get supplies like food and stuff."

"You didn't even want me to help you carry stuff an hour ago."

"You just kinda walked up and asked if I needed help, and usually when people do that they want something from me. And it usually snowballs pretty fast. But you seem cool, and you, uh... well, you couldn't pull some of that shit even if you wanted."

"...Sure, what the hell. Not like I have anywhere else to go."

"...ah. I should probably mention that most of my hideouts are only supposed to be big enough for one person. There'd technically be enough room for you to stay, but there's only one bed and not all of them have options aside from the floor for sleeping."

"As long as I can sleep I don't really care all that much. We can work something out."

"cool. Wanna come meet your other new roommate then? I need to feed Kevin anyway"

and thus they begin their adventure as roommates. They have some pretty close calls here and there, but they make it out without getting arrested, and they don't even ever see Jet. They also slowly tell each other more about their pasts and nightmare quickly decides that he's going to kick jet in the nuts if he ever does meet him. dark discourages this but nightmare promises he'll wait until jet tries to screw with them. dark kinda has to accept this compromise because he knows nightmare well enough by now to know that he's kind of a reckless dumbass and is more than willing to throw hands for people he cares about.

Nightmare eventually runs into this pale lady on his own. they do not hit it off. he shows her how to make portals bc she wants to get tf out of her empty au tho and then leaves and tells Dark about it. they both agree that that was pretty weird, aside from girlfam wanting to leave. they continue on with their lives.

gay shit is happening slowly in the background but they're kind of busy running from the cops so they don't pay attention to it. also they are oblivious as hell

Then one day dark manages to get caught, and nightmare breaks into JR to get him out. They run into Cross on their way out, and they all escape together. nightmare and cross start bickering pretty quick but dark, who was convinced he and Nightmare (and then Cross when they ran into her) were going to die until they actually made it out, is not putting up with this right now and gets them to be civil for a minute. yes nightmare i KNOW you warned her about JR but please. my heart is still going like 500mph and y'all arguing is NOT helping!!!!!

which results in them sharing their reasons for being in JR in the first place. nightmare, who'd broken in to rescue a friend, decides he can't talk when cross reveals that she had also broken in to rescue a friend (even if it turned out that friend had gone willingly, was totally fine, and did not want to leave).

they both bond over former friends turning on them and dark's just glad they're not arguing anymore. then cross turns to him and asks him what his story is and he just ",,,,,,,i plead the fifth"

Nightmare: he got caught and they arrested him.

Cross: ...for what???

Nightmare: He's also a negative spirit.

Dark: So they want me dead. because I exist.

Cross: ah.

Cross: And ink joined those fuckers. unbelievable.

Nightmare: I mean. judging by your story i suspect she didn't really. know. maybe she'll change her mind??

Cross: ...i mean dream offered her housing, a paycheck, and getting to go places outside of the empty AU I live in.

Dark: ...did you...not let her leave

Cross: ...she didn't ask?

Dark: ...Cross.

Cross, sighing: I know, I just... I was alone for ages. The only other person aside from Ink who ever showed up was your friend here, and I didn't really want to hang out with him

Cross: I didn't... i didn't want her to leave.

Cross: but i didn't actually lie to her about anything. i just didn't offer unless she asked. which she didn't.

this is not entirely true but dark believes her. She doesn't seem to be like Jet. fortunately for him she really isn't and does not intend to lie to them again. at least not about important stuff. she will be lying about where she keeps her chocolate stash though, once its established.

Nightmare meanwhile is very much relating to being lonely. he asks if cross would want to like hang out with them for a little while, and if Dark would be okay with that. and then a bit later, when they're alone, nightmare and dark have a much more in-depth conversation about whether or not they should offer to let Cross stay with them for good. which they decided they would be okay with, but... well none of the safe houses have room for three people. so that might be a problem.

They bring it up to Cross still, because Nightmare's pretty sure it wouldn't be too hard to find some bigger places. and Cross is just like "...do you know anywhere that JR would have a really hard time finding?"

"Not really, why?"

"damn. i was going to say i could just like steal a house and we could go there-"

"how the fuck do you steal a house"

"Quite easily actually. But I'd need a place to put it."

"This just raises more questions???"

CORE however hears their pleas (which are pretty much 'man imagine if there was somewhere jr couldnt get to. that would be dope.'), and pops up like "hey i know a place"

A 'plot' in the omega timeline is found, a suitable house is picked out, and Nightmare and Dark get to watch Cross work her literal magic. nightmare immediately asks if she could move a whole castle because he'd really like to just put jr on a remote mountain top just to fuck with them all, and Dark is like "that might be the worst idea i've heard from you yet, lets not do that"

cross and nightmare call him a killjoy

dark can already see them becoming very good friends and he's afraid (not really. he's glad nightmare's got a new friend and cross seems cool)

They don’t get into quite as much trouble as Nightmare and Cross normally do at this point because Dark usually reels them in when they get really crazy ideas, but sometimes they manage to do it anyway. Occasionally they even rope him into it.

now the thing about Error is that i'm pretty sure the part of her story where she meets Nightmare has changed since the last time I heard it. which was back when they were all still skeletons and Blue was a little bastard. And I don’t think those changes have officially been shared yet so i dont know WHAT the fuck happens with her yet. but she does join the gang at some point and dark is 'relieved' to have someone else with some sense in the house (he's poking fun at cross and nightmare)

dark and error probably get along pretty well. they're the most chill of everyone in that goddamn house they probably just vibe on the couch when the other two are being too chaotic. which isn't really that often anymore probably; error's not that much better and Dark's pretty used to it at this point.

Unorganized rambling time !

Dark met Nightmare met a few years before before Cross joined the party. By the time Error joins, Nightmare has rubbed off on Dark a lot. He’s still the least chaotic of the group but he’s come up with plenty of ideas that everyone immediately agreed was a great idea and nearly got them in deep shit, so yeah he’s fitting in well.

It takes him a while to open up to Cross or Error about why he’s in their MV. He’s had an opportunity to vent a little, and it’s been a while, but it’s still too painful for him to talk about. Nightmare knew the thing with Jet had fucked Dark up but he only realizes just how deep it is well after Error joins. He will probably tell them eventually, but it’s going to be a while. In the meantime he’s still looking over his shoulder for Jet constantly.

And Jet is looking for him. By the time the whole Squad is together he’s probably come close enough that they could sense each other on a couple of occasions, though they’ve yet to establish visual contact. Jet’s starting to wonder just how badly he fucked up but he currently believes he can fix it with more lies so nothing’s really going to change

Also due to being even more negative than Nightmare, Dark has probably surpassed him and become the MV’s #1 most wanted. a very prestigious position if nightmare does say so himself (dark elbows him and tells him to be quiet)

The house Cross steals for them has three bedrooms. Prior to Error joining, Dark and Nightmare could’ve had their own beds. Dark and Nightmare do not get their own beds and continue sharing and Cross is the only one who thinks there’s something gay about it. She’s willing to accept for a while that she might be wrong but she starts noticing more and more, and the fucking yearning looks they get when they have to stop cuddling or one of them is going out or whatever is so painfully Not Platonic that she is convinced they’re just oblivious morons. and she’s right they are

Dark probably does talk about Jet a little still, even if he doesn’t go into a lot of detail, but he probably mentions Jet calling Dark his partner once and not really knowing why, and also tells them about some stuff they’d do together, and Nightmare and Cross are both like “…dude that’s all like typical datemate stuff. textbook dating stuff even. he 1000% should’ve talked to you about it before making assumptions but if I was in his position I would probably think the exact same thing.”

dark’s brain just stutters as he processes this and realizes that he perhaps. would’ve. been okay with that. before his rose-tinted glasses finally broke. Now it just hurts to think about.

Horror dreamswap belongs to @/moonfurthetemmie

Jmv belongs to @/freyfall

ha frenemies to lovers,, , just kidding!

unless….😳