#I have COVID so I have days off work

[topazshadowwolf]

GoopTales: Part 10

In which Nightmare knows he's in over his head and makes a call. As I think I warned before, there will be FuzzyNight, and it's now starting to pop up. Balance (Lyra) is a Toriel guardian.

Parts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10(you are here)

AO3: Ch 1 (1-4), Ch 2 (4-8)

---

He gave all the boys a snack of crackers (cheesy crackers and saltines mixed together) and cut-up pears. This they had in the entertainment room while watching one of the animated movies they had brought home at one point or another. He made sure to check the rating of the movie. 

Looking over the box, he remembered when the boys brought it home. At the time, they had laughed about it being for kids and expected to mock it the entire time. To them, it sounded cheesy.

It was about some giant metal creature from space that made friends with a tiny human boy. He remembered finding all four in tears by the time the movie finished. Nightmare should try watching movies more often. They were good stories; some were even adapted from books he read. But he’d just instead read.

Thankfully Dust was handling the snack well. The flavors were mellow, especially since he gave him more saltines than cheesy crackers. Nightmare offered them all small amounts at a time, preventing him from getting excited about the flavors and overwhelming his magic. Since they all got the same treat with needing to ask for more, Dust wasn’t singled out. Though Nightmare did need to ask him not to share so much with Ferrous. 

The dog was lying beside Dust, letting the child lean on him. It was nice to see the animals accept their smaller owners, like Bill, who was again lying like an oversized rag doll over Killer’s lap.

Once done with the snack, he stood and left the room with the excuse of needing to clean up. The truth was, he needed help, and he wasn’t above admitting it to himself, at least.

While they were watching the movie, Nightmare made a phone call.

“Hello, Nightmare! How are you?” Asked a kind and feminine voice.

“Hello, Lyra, I…,” He looked in at the boys who were fixated on their movie. Each in shirts that fit them more like nightgowns… Horror’s, in particular, was down to his ankles. “... I have a small problem. It is something I will try not to bother you with too often, but I could use some help for a moment. And yes, there was a pun intended before… you will understand once you see what I am talking about. That is, if you can come here?”

“I… can. Nightmare, is everything alright?” Lyra inquired. “You say it is a small problem, but your voice contradicts that.”

With a sigh, Nightmare closed his socket, and his tentacles drooped. “I trust you, so I will be honest… no… everything is not alright. But… I will make do.”

“I do not like the sound of that. I am finishing baking a treat for your boys,” She said. Before, he knew she would have been teasing him to say, ‘your boys.’ It has reached the point, now, that she calls them that without even meaning to.

Well, she will soon see. 

“I will be there soon,” She said, finishing her statement.

“Thank you, goodbye until then,” Nightmare said.

“You are welcome, and likewise,” with that said, she hung up.

Now, he should warn the boys. Lyra tended to look for them first when she visited. He wasn’t sure why, but he didn’t mind. She seemed to enjoy finding them and giving them a pie or something else that they happily came to share with him.

Walking into the room, he paused the movie, and all but Dust looked up at him. Dust looked confused and glanced around before looking up at Nightmare.

“I am sorry to pause your movie, boys, but a friend is coming over. She will be helping me out, and so I want you four to be nice to her. Alright?” Nightmare asked, and all four nodded. “Thank you.”

“what’s her name?” Horror asked.

“Her name is Lyra, or Balance, for she is the guardian of balance and order,” Nightmare explained.

“is she your wife?” Killer blurted out.

“My wi-” Nightmare felt his magic rush to his face, his tendrils lashing with a sudden burst of nervous energy. “No, no, she is not my wife.”

“Oh…, girlfriend!” Killer announced, pleased with himself.

“If by that you mean a friend who happens to be a female, then yes. But that is all we are, friends. Is that understood?” Nightmare clarified, and Killer nodded with a smile. 

What was he to do with that one?

He then resumed the movie and returned to the kitchen. By the time he finished cleaning up from the snack, he had heard the soft footsteps of Lyra walking into the kitchen. “I now see what you mean by ‘small’ problem.”

“You saw them then…,” Nightmare sighed without looking back at her. He pulled the plug in the sink to allow the water to drain. “Did they see you?”

“No, I had been considering surprising them. It is safe to say they surprised me, so I stepped away from the doorway to find you,” Lyra said as she moved closer. He glanced over as she set a tray of brownies down. Steam was rising off of them; they were fresh from the oven. She looked at him with a tilted head. “What happened?”

Nightmare waved a hand to the table before he remembered the tablecloth. She looked at it as well and giggled. “What is this construction?” She inquired.

“A cave… a small cave dragon hatchling lives there with his three guards. Here, let me fold the tablecloth, and you can take a seat…,” He said as he picked up the tablecloth and started folding it while walking over to the drawer it belonged in. 

Once she was sitting and the tablecloth was put away, he joined her and started telling the story of what had occurred. He didn’t hold back either, telling her everything he had learned about his henchmen. As he spoke of their Gasters, she covered her face when he got to Dust’s memories.

“Oh my… that…,” Her words failed her, and she shook her head. 

“Anyway, I need supplies for them… but I can not leave them alone in the castle when they do not even remember this is their home.”

“I can stay here for as long as you need me,” Lyra said.

“Actually… do you mind making the shopping trip? I will confess my knowledge of child care is limited,” Nightmare frowned. “They mainly need appropriately fitting clothing. Then anything you might feel they need.”

“And after the shopping trip?” Lyra pried

“You may go home,” Nightmare said with a tired smile.

“Nightmare… they are children.” Lyra pushed.

“I am aware of that,” he replied flatly.

“And with the same injuries and changes that occurred in adulthood. Nightmare… they will… be a challenge for just one person,” Lyra explained.

“They are my b-… my idiots,” he stated. “They are always a challenge, and I will make due as usual.”

She sighed and shook her head. “Alright, but know that I am just a phone call away. You need not do this on your own.”

She then stood and walked into the entertainment room. Just in time, too, the closing credits for the movie were starting. “Greetings, boys! Nightmare told me about you four and asked me to run an errand. Before I leave, I wanted to talk to the four of you.”

He stood there and watched as she knelt on the floor and spoke with them. Asking about favorite colors, animals, foods, and other things. Three of the four were excitedly answering. Dust, though, sat quietly and shrugged. The others would offer up answers for him. He then noticed Nightmare and walked over to him, Ferrous trailing behind.

“can i stay by you?” He looked about ready to cry, and Lyra offered an apologetic smile.

“You may,” Nightmare replied, and Dust moved beside his leg. He stood there quietly, watching the others. Nightmare glanced down again as he felt something touch his leg and saw Dust place a hand on his fibula. 

The others asked Lyra questions and pointed out how much she looked like Queen Toriel. Though, with some black fur, one gold horn, and one silver one. They were very curious, though Horror soon tired and made his way over to the other side of Nightmare.

As the children stood beside him, he moved a tendril around Dust’s and Horror’s shoulders to offer comfort. Horror smiled up at him but then sighed and closed his sockets. His head must still be bothering him. Dust, Of course, flinched at first when the tentacle Nightmare used for him made contact. Much to the Guardian’s surprise, though, he looked up at Nightmare with a smile.

“Alright, I will be back,” Lyra said as she stood.

“Thank you,” Nightmare said.

“You are very welcome,” she replied with a smile.

---

next

[foldingfittedsheets]

So I just got my brakes done for my car, Hades. My wife’s car needs new brakes and had a sputtering moment the other day. They also have to commute way farther for work than I do, and remembered they were low on gas.

My commute is like. Seven minutes. So I said to take my car and I’d give their car very gentle use for the day.

Which is why it was distressing to get a call from them in the midst of picking blackberries for their birthday cheesecake informing me that my cars tire light popped on. They checked it and found one tire basically flat. It turned out there was a screw in it. Their boss helped them put on my spare and took it to his guy to see if it could be patched- alas, no, it’s too close to the rim.

So now they had all that to deal with. Instead of a drama free car day it was Car Stress Galore.

[toddfoxglove]

TFW you're coming up on 5 years together but in that time, your partner came out as pansexual and you transitioned and now you're both faggots into forcemasc.

(he/him for both)

[lemongogo]

college … wasted on the youth (me)

[kumakuma-circus]

compilation of dumb shit from my various incomplete p4 fanfics that i will probably maybe actually finish and post on ao3 at somepoint-

[cator99]

I always get detained at da border because PROFUNC never ended but basically I'm like if a targeted individual didn't even care

[curiosity-killed]

i love my sister and for the most part, we are very close and genuinely like each other a lot but the one place where i'd just really, really, really like to see inside her brain is the part where she is still incredibly comfortable and cheerful—and even thinks it's really funny—talking about how much she didn't like me as a child while I'm like. yes. I am and was aware. and it sucked so so so much

[felis-insomnis]

I very much enjoy booping, but tumblr is running like ass today and I'm already low on spoons so I'm not returning boops as well as I'd like :(

[tj-crochets]

Crafting/vaccine side effects update: I am still not up for crafting but oh my gosh I feel so much better than I expected to! I did have a POTS flareup but my blood pressure never got below 100/60, so like it barely counts. I mean, the tachycardia was worse, but even that was nowhere near what it's been previous times I got the booster shots, and it's mostly resolved itself within like 24 hours of getting the shot instead of like three days. I'm still operating at a deficit of water and salt but I'm working on it bit by bit, and I was skeptical when my doc said I wouldn't need an extra dose of my salt-go-up pills* but he was right! Anyway point is no crafting updates today but there might actually be crafting updates tomorrow, which I did not expect to be saying *fludrocortisone! It helps me retain salt in a way almost approaching the normal human way of processing salt

[bahoreal]

i took the day off work (slept awfully cause of a fever and my lungs feel just awful) is anyone proud of me

[aurorashard]

.

[palms-upturned]

.

[grub-s]

nameless anxiety. misplaced anxiety. reasonable anxiety about real potential issues in the future. I'm experiencing all of them right now and i think i have to vacuum my bedroom about it

[adelaidedrubman]

also i think i am having a bad allergic reaction to the mold in my office. there’s mold in my office btw

[carcarrot]

ive got to start being more of a bastard at work

[felidthing]

i was trying to use that age post to try an gauge how old an alter is but due to not being a literal child in the meat world shes kinda contradictory. the youngest on that post is 4 anyway where they can understand language but she cant. so idk. she has very limited speech but i dont think its linked to her age i think thats just a limitation she has but she also cant understand language most of the time either. so idk. anyways thats my late night tjoughts