Feeling Reborn

T - Week 7

Tidbit for anyone who doesn't really understand these titles:

T minus [number], countdown for a rocket launch, the launch being the start of the school year.

My motivation and creativity have bitten through their leashes and won't respond to my calls. Help?

Credit to artist: https://skumhuu.tumblr.com/image/190519103193

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Erratum supposes that this was inevitable; living close to each other, he could not avoid an eventual face-to-face talk. Still, he had hoped to put this off till the start of the incoming school year.

He and Nightmare sat on a park bench, kids beside Erratum, cinnamon rolls in hand. They listened to the mass of brats flock around the jungle gym behind them as Erratum took slow bites of pastry, giving Nil and Deviate chocolatines of their own. Lucky. Today, not a single cent of his was spent on these treats: it was all on this Nightmare. Who was he if he didn't profit from another's kindness?

And that was the only reason why he chose to sit with the other skeleton. Really. There were no feelings involved.

"Sorry for pretty much ramming you into the wall," the Nightmare copy swallowed a second bite of pastry. "What do you plan to do this week? The weather forecast says to expect sunny days."

If this Nightmare was still trying to make up for his accidental tripping, Erratum would smash his head into another hard surface. Although he did enjoy the breakfast, being close to a namesake of his old partner was rather painful.

(He couldn't help but overlap Nightmare's profile with this substitute, and know that he will never see the world - and Erratum - like they have.)

Erratum decided to humor him. "STay In tHe aPartMent. It'S a PerFectLy cOmfOrtAbLe pLace."

Nightmare only took another bite out of the cinnamon bun. "It's good for you and your kids to get some fresh air once in a while, you know?" Hypocrite.

At the mention of them, Nil and Deviate perked up, eyes shining at the prospect of exploration. Erratum huffed lightly, patting the two on the head. "And WHEre ExacTLy WOuLd wE do THat?"

"Well, this is a park." No wonder there were so many... gremlins running about. "And there are paths. You can get a stroller to push your living luggage in if you get tired of carrying them."

He wasn't too sure that he enjoyed this Nightmare referring to Nil and Deviate as 'luggage', but nevertheless, he replied without any extra bite to his tone. "ArE The PeopLE hEre TRusTwoRThy?" The Nightmare copy hesitated.

Slowly, while Erratum finished off his small breakfast, he said, "Here, it seems like everyone's fine. I've only recently moved in, so I couldn't tell you." Vague and sparse enough to plant caution into Erratum's mind.

They sat together in silence for a while, the sounds of screaming and laughing children fading into the background along with a few happy babbles.

-----

Of course, the universe demands that these two Monsters cannot have a long period of rest, no matter where they are or which form they take, and the passive moments left dwindled.

This universe's Nightmare brushed a few crumbs off his jeans, bid Erratum a nice day, and made his not-so-merry way to his twin's flat: there was a favor in need of asking, but that's a story for another time, under different circumstances than the usual friendly 'hello' and check-up. Today, the spotlight shines on Erratum - or Error, depending on where you come from - and his way of dealing with structures meant for toddlers and kids.