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"I can't believe you stole his machine."
"Nice to see you as well."
Nightmare walked around his brother and into the 'Dream Palace', or whatever he was calling it nowadays. It was the new moon, the evening when they had planned to meet, and already tensions were high.
"...And what's he doing here? I thought we agreed on no backup." Nightmare sneered as he motioned over to the Swap Sans by the name of Blue. He had some reading glasses on and was hunched over some machinery near the door.
"DON'T MIND ME. I'LL BE OUTSIDE SOON. SCI WAS OBVIOUSLY DISTRACTED FROM THE INCIDENT AND COULDN'T DO IT HIMSELF." he tightened the last screw on the protection alarm mechanism. "THERE WERE GO-" he stood up and popped his back; the brothers winced.
Dream threw on his pleasantries and cheerfully led Blue out the door as the machine was set, ready to alert Blue of any injury on Dream so backup could arrive.
"I don't understand why you do that around me. It's not like I've ever attacked you with intent." Nightmare spoke, trying his best to cover the hurt in his voice.
Dream's cheery facade faded into a moment of guilt. "... It's more to reassure my team than it is to protect me… you HAVE attacked them, afterall." He stepped forward and motioned for his brother to follow him into the dining room up ahead.
"You and I both know they absolutely deserve it " The goopy brother grumbled as he followed behind.
Dream placed his yellow gloved hand on top of a regal chair before spinning around to his guest in disgust. "And did the universe from our last meet up deserve to have half of it destroyed??"
Nightmare blinked. "Uh…. Yes??" He pulled out his own chair and sat down while looking at his brother like he grew two heads. "They were ENSLAVING the other half! You felt the positivity that resulted from that!" He snached the white and gold cloth napkin off the table before laying it on his lap.
Dream angrily poured water into the two crystal goblets at each placemat. "Legislation was going to pass the next quarter freeing them!"
"... Yes, because a law is going to change everything." His voice deadpan as he grabbed the loaf of warm bread before tearing off a chunk and applying butter heavily.
"..." Dream didn't have a good response for that and sat down before continuing to sulk. "... You don't have to act so high and mighty about killing people, brother."
"I'm sorry, I forgot that was your thing." Nightmare crunched into the bread after rolling his teal eyelight.
"You know I-!! UGH. Nevermind. Whatever."
The golden brother reached over and served the meal from a nearby serving platter that was just a glorified casserole dish. A bed of red lentils with roasted fennel and cauliflower steak. Served with a side of arugula greens topped with blue cheese and balsamic vinaigrette. And an additional side of macaroni and cheese in a cast iron pan as though it wasn't made from a blue box just ten minutes earlier.
After a few minutes of eating in bitter silence, the mood began to lighten. It was possible their previous sour mood could have been categorized as being hangry. After most of their plates were cleared, Dream gently set down his fork before nervously shifting in his seat. "...So…"
Nightmare sighed before leaning back and reaching into his inventory for a medium sized gift before handing it to his brother. ".... Yeah, yeah. Happy birthday."
Dream's shy mood suddenly perked up as he lightly clapped his hands before pulling out a small, lavish box in purple ribbons from his own inventory and trading the boxes with his brother.
Excitedly, Dream opened the flat, rectangle box wrapped in brown craft paper and white bows, revealing a silk jacket covered in hand stitched koi fish. The amber in his eyes sparkled as he held the coat up to admire the front, back, and even rubbed the sleeves against his cheek. It was high quality and he gently set it back in the box. They were eating dinner now and didn't want to risk it getting covered in food. "I love it! Now open yours-!"
Nightmare sighed at his brother's high energy, but pulled the purple ribbon and took the lid off the ivory box. Inside were tiny carvings of forest animals and mythical creatures made of smooth, dark wood. He picked each one up individually and admired the skill that went into each one.
A bright smile beamed from the sunny skeleton as he set his gift aside. "I can tell you like it~ Happy Birthday, brother~"
Nightmare quickly dropped any sign of enjoyment from his face before waving off his brother. "Ugh, stop being so positive, it's literally making me sick."
How emotions affected the brothers was usually misunderstood. They both could easily sense any emotion, which made reading a room very easy. How these emotions impacted them and those around them varied.
Nightmare, for example, couldn't gain energy from all negativity. If that were the case he would hunker down in the most negative AU he could find and feast. No, he had to create that negativity himself. But pain and suffering can take many forms. Maybe it's as difficult as making someone address their own hardships directly, or as silly as eating a slice of pizza with pineapple on it in front of someone who considers it blasphemy.
How emotions could hurt them wasn't as sensitive as those that helped them. Dream, for example, could easily withstand a group of monsters filled with anger and murderous intent, (Those same monster's attitude would actually fuel his brother), but he does avoid the horror dimensions where hope is low and suffering is thick in the air. Despite his sunny composure, Dream can't help those at their worst when their misery would actually hurt him, even if he didn't cause their grief.
It's why they targeted other universes. They needed to invoke these emotions for energy and if they helped shape the world, so be it. Their allies had the same goals and fed them in a way that only pitted the brothers against each other. They didn't intend for things to get so extreme, they were still siblings after all, but that's just how things played out.
Eventually the table was cleared and the twins finished with tea and biscuits in the lavish great room. The soft white rug on teal carpet centered the room with two armchairs so large even Nightmare could sit without trouble from his extra appendages. Before them was a fireplace and shelves of gifts and photos from various universes Dream and his team had saved.
Setting down his gold trimmed tea cup, Dream walked over to the wall of treasures and held a pristine wooden photo frame in his hands fondly. "You know… we can work together, again, brother…."
".... Not this again…." The darker twin mumbled while setting his own cup down in disgust.
"I'm just saying!" Dream turned around, gently placing the photo back on the shelf. "We can be a team, again! We can make it work in a perfect flow!"
"You mean when you reap the benefits of my actions and I have to clean up your mess?" He replied, deadpan.
"You know it doesn't work that way! You like misery!"
His fists clenched. "I don't LIKE misery, I FEED off of it."
"But it's a benefit, right? It's what we can do! Helping guide other worlds and universes and we get that added bonus of energy. It's basically what we were made for." Dream clasped his hands together below his chin as if in blessing.
Nightmare stood up and marched over to where his brother stood; his tentacles flicking aggressively. "Stop trying to sugarcoat this. I'm not supporting your God complex to us being parasites to these worlds."
Dream stomped his feet and aggressively pointed at his brother "I am NOT! If anyone's a parasite, it's YOU by destroying universes!"
That made him angry. He stood as close as he possibly could to his brother and his free eye locked on to his. "Do you think Axe felt anguish when I destroyed his universe? Do you think his brother or anyone else that survived would have wanted to keep that wretched world?"
"Don't you twist my words!"
"Don't make up LIES." His face contorted to slime and a narrow pupil.
In response, Dream shoved him back. He wasn't going to have his own brother try to intimidate him!
Negativity radiated. "Did. you. just. push. me."
Dream innocently held a hand to his chest and spoke sweetly. "Oh, I'm sorry, I should have done it for my own benefit~!" And in turn, his angelic composure dropped as he reached out in a 'hug' around his brother's arms while digging his fingertips into the back of Nightmare's spine where the ribs started.
Nightmare's stoic face quickly left as he slowly failed at holding in a smile. "What are…. You doing…" he gritted out between his teeth.
The golden gloves slipped under his brother's jacket and wormed their way in-between ribs while trying his best to keep the other's arms down. "I'm just a parasite, right?" And he smiled into the corner of the dark coat. "And I can feel that this is actually making you happy, huh~?"
Nightmare's face burned with closed eyes. His gloating was only making it harder for him to fight his brother off. Despite his tiny frame, Dream was rather strong. The only problem was that if he fought back, that dumb alarm would go off!
Dream continued his actions, both watching and sensing his brother's change in aura. "Aww~ does brother have happy memories with some tickles? That's so cute!"
Nightmare clenched his fists and his body shook slightly as the laughter filled his non-existent lungs. Truthfully, he was really proud when his team stood up to him. But if he knew that it would have rewritten his reaction to tickling, maybe he would have thrown them a little harder! "....SNK-...!"
"There we go! Just let it out! You deserve to be a little happy!" The golden gloves traced the bottom rows of ribs.
"Nnnnnyehehe-FUCK Y- auHA- DreheEEEEM!!" He shook his head back and forth as he failed to escape. Another bought of giggles escaped as he weakly tried to wedge his arm or tentacle between them.
"Haha! Not so high and mighty now! This is why positivity is so much stronger!" He was beaming so much it was actually making his brother a little nauseous. "Just admit you like my idea!"
"Nyehe-nyhahA-NOEUGHEH!" He weakly giggled. This can't continue! This is extortion! But he can't hurt his brother without setting off the alarm which would have Blue bounding in top attack him. Or even worse, see him getting attacked this way!
But.
Maybe he didn't have to use violence.
"Nghahehe- givemeaminute- snkkk!!" His gloopy slippers stomped lightly. He had to get his brother further back. "Hokayokay- just h-h-hold on…"
Dream pulled his arms back but held them posed and threatened to attack again. "Yes, brother? Did you want me to keep going or did you change your mind?" His smile mischievous.
"Hoo… auheh… I don't have a lot of negativity left… let me catch my breath… " he was tired and leaned forward, resting his hand on his brother's shoulder. Nightmare coughed, and continued to huff and fight the smile on his mouth.
The golden brother felt a little bad, there was a power imbalance, afterall. The least he could do was give him a breather before going another round. After a few moments where he seemed to calm down, Dream's hands slowly closed back around his brother gently. "Are you ready to go again, or did you have something else you wanted to say?" The manipulative bastard.
"Yeah… if you wanted to work together… " The darker brother huffed and took another breath before lifting his skull to pierce eyeslights. "-Then you shouldn't let your guard down."
Before Dream could tighten his grip, slime covered tentacles grasped his hands, locking them into space. From the hand held around his brother's shoulder, darkness oozed across his chest and arm like a blight on the land.
"Which… euhuh….m-?" The brighter brother was stunned as he failed to move his arms. His eyelights quickly glanced at the machine that powered the protection alarm.
"Don't worry, Brother, dearest. I won't hurt you…. "
Tingling sensations moved along each of Dream's ribs, forcing a smile across his face and squinting his sockets closed. The darkness weaved into the segments of his spine and what little movement he had left was tensed in response. "Phhh….mmmwmm.. mwmwmhhHHI!" His eyes shot open.
"What was that?"
"MMWEHEHIHATETHISHEHEHE!!!" His feet and neck, which were the few areas not covered in goop, stomped and flailed back and forth in rage. "MWEHEHEAAIII!!! Getoffgetoff!!!! I don't waHAHANT to play AHAHNY MWHORORORRR!!!"
Nightmare feigned surprise. "My, angry aren't we? That's not very positive of you? I thought you were stronger than that?" Angry giggles responded.
Despite his predicament, Dream began to gain control of his strength once more. He slowly pulled back, breaking the paralyzing hold from the dark appendages near his hands.
"AUEHE-QqqquIT ITTTT!! MWEHE!! MWE-HEH-EAAIII!!" The prince of positivity was positively not having a fun time. HE was supposed to have the upper hand! A pulse of emotions and he finally broke the darkness away that lingered on his chest.
Thinking he was safe, Dream kept his distance while taking a breath and reaching for the alarm.
"Nope." No dark magic this time, Nightmare simply reached out with his tentacles and pulled out one of his legs to steal one of those dumb marigold boots.
In panic, Dream fell on the floor and tried to claw away before erupting into a fit of giggles. "MwehahAHAH! AHAHAAAA!! GEHET OFFFFFUUEEEEI!! UMWEAHUHAH-ohnOAHEHE!!" His hands slapped the floor as he failed to pull back his foot that his brother now held in his darker appendages. One held a death grip while the other playfully flicked between his toes. His voice became unintelligible.
Unlike Nightmare, Dream did not have any positive memories of being tickled. He only had this event right here where he was losing against his brother in his own home! So negativity came from him and only fueled his brother more. They really were made to work together.
Downstairs, a stomping could be heard quickly coming up the marble stairway and blasting into the great room. Blue had heard the alarm go off, and was prepared to fight. But he couldn't say he was prepared for what he would see.
On the floor, his boss was wearing one boot while laying in the floor. Nearby, this brother stood plainly with his hands in his pockets but not keeping to himself entirely. Two tentacles reached out and very lightly poked at Dream's hips, causing him to roll back and both with maddening giggles.
"M-mwhe-he-he-he- SNK-eh-he-he!!"
Blue didn't know what was going on. "UH … DREAM, ARE YOU OKAY?"
A small darkness creeped from the appendage and held onto the hip bone, letting Dream only release airy laughter now riddled with hiccups.
"I'm sure he's told you it's an important occasion between us." Spoke Nightmare casually, as though he wasn't actively destroying his brother. "This is just regular brotherly love… sometimes he gets a little testy and just needs a reminder…" he looked up at Blue. "I'm sure you're close as well. This could be useful information."
Blue watched as Dream appeared to be happy and having a fun brotherly giggle fit. He could do that! Rough-housing was his favorite activity! Now that he knew Dream likes it, that would make their relationship easier. But wait. "I… HEARD THE ALARM?"
"Oh." The tentacles stopped and one lightly patted his brother's shoulder. "Must of been when he fell on the floor. His HP should be full." His conversation was nonchalant.
"MWEHE… eheh .. mheh… wehh.. " even though Dream was drained and had golden tears in the corners of his eyes, his HP was full at a quick check by his subordinate. He seemed too tired to speak but appeared to still have a full smile.
"Anyway. I'll take my leave. I hope I won't see you anytime soon." Talking to Blue directly, he then turned to his sibling and gave a cold smile. "Hopefully you won't have to see me for a while either…"
A dark shadow quickly formed at the door where Nightmare made his exit.
Slowly, Dream was able to calm down, although his smile remained. Blue moved around and turned off the alarm before coming to his aid.
Well. It depends on what your consider aid.
"OH NO, WHO'S AFRAID OF THE TICKLE MONSTER~? HE'S COMING BACK~!" Blue wanted to play, too!
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Check out the amazing art by thecomfortable! Brotherly attacks.