Error is tired and FATE is not helping matters

——

S̷̲͗ṯ̶̇̅ringVerse

A̶͕͒n̴̤͌ṯ̵̒i̴̮̕V̷̹̎o̷̗̔i̵̛͕d̷̟́

Error hardly spent any time in the AntiVoid for the following few days and he was barely able to track time, with how busy he was. He knew the AntiVoid had numerous detrimental effects, depending on the monster and was so thankful the babybones could survive it.

That was one less worry on his mind, even with FATE cackling in his mind at his failure to keep things alive, as if that wasn't her fault in the first place. There was a reason he was so resistant to making friends and he was suspicious why she allowed it in the first place. He knew he wouldn't like the answer so tried to ignore it, just like the rest of his life.

He was even thankful for the voices for once, as the majority seemed interested in the new guest, acting as very weird babysitters. He hadn't been here when the babybones was awake but he assumed they did so, from the slight movement they did.

He was just coming back from another tiring 'fight' with the Creator when he was bombarded with noise.

TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH. FIX THIS NOW!

I'm pretty sure children don't sleep that long..?

Poor baby. They are shivering!

What are you waiting for, Thread? Do something!

Error winced at the noise but finally managed to parse through the words. Staggering over to the child his hand hovered over them and he cursed at the heat he could feel coming off them. He tried to shake them awake and grew alarmed at how little they reacted.

" Do not do this to me, babybones! Wake up, wake up wake up wake up! "

He almost cried in relief at seeing their sockets open but froze at their next words.

"Yo-u h-ave a tw-in?"

Error looked at their Strings again and paled at how they were all starting to grey. Quickly going through their Code he wanted to scream at how useless it was but was thankful he finally found the main issue. Their SOUL was barely hanging on and even the basic care bond that had formed between them was starting to glitch out. That was not a good sign!

He nearly heaved when he felt more burning from his chest and scowled at the 'ceiling', knowing she was doing this on purpose. He was sure if he was truly alone the child would fade but he thankfully wasn't.

" SHIT, you don't look good! I need help now! I am not equipped for this. Hang on. Ok? "

"Go a-way. N-ap ti-me"

Ignoring the nonsensical words he braced himself for pain from contact and lifted them up, making a portal straight for Nightmares place. He might not have time to look after them but thankfully the other was much more 'free' in their actions.

S̷̲͗ṯ̶̇̅ringVerse Multiverse

Location: Nightmares Castle

Error made sure to hold tight to the babybones and flinched as they put their skull near his neck. This was too much contact and he could feel himself wanting to Crash but he refused!

"T-oo br-ight. Curta-ins exits. St-upid light. Tu-rn off, pl-se"

Error chucked but hissed as the pain grew in intensity. He gently put them on the floor and sent a message to Nightmare to update them on the situation. He really couldn't stay any longer.

" Be safe babybones "

He soon left to deal with an AU that was getting dangerously close to the original AU's. He would rather the multiverse not collapse so soon, especially with the monsters he had grown to care for in it.

UnderFell AU Copy 1982

"Give up now, Thread! You will never win"

Error ignored the Creator and spread his magic to start the collapse of this place. He had gotten much more subtle in his destruction but of course his luck would never hold. He leaned back as positivity arrow flew by and made sure to throw it back at the source.

The yelp was amusing and he sighed as blue bones started to rain down upon him.

"NEVER FEAR. THE MAGNIFICENT BLUE IS HERE!"

How did Ink even find these monsters? They were so weird. He threw a black bone wide but the Star Sans still jumped back, allowing him some breathing room. He started to gather his magical strings and cursed as his phone went off. Summoning some Gaster Blasters he ran towards Hotland to get some distance, before answering the phone. This better be important.

" What? I'm kind of busy righ no- "

"What do I do?! They called me brother "

It took him a second to realise this was Nightmare and he felt himself sigh in stress. How were there problems already?

" ..look. If its too much trouble i'm sure i can find someone else- "

"No, Error. I can do it. I didn't mean to imply...how should I help?"

Well that was good as they were pretty much his only option at the moment. He didn't want to burden his friend with what he found out but felt slightly guilty at what he was about to say, even if it had to be said.

" You might not like it but go along with it. No need to add more stress to the situation...I've got to go, Ink is being an idiot again "

He just managed to put his phone away when an ink bone stabbed where he had been standing. Had they already dealt with his Gaster Blasters? He had been more distracted than he thought.

"THREAD! What are you doing now?!"

God he hated the Creator. Why couldn't things be simple.

-

A̶͕͒n̴̤͌ṯ̵̒i̴̮̕V̷̹̎o̷̗̔i̵̛͕d̷̟́

Weeks passed and Error was drained. He had no time to contact Nightmare, to see how things were going and barely had time to rest in his AntiVoid but he did get some amusing messages.

When he looked at his phone he chuckled at the picture Nightmare sent of his subordinates running from the babybones room in fear. His amusement fled at the black mist he could see around the door though. He groaned as he knew he would have to check what it was, as he didn't want Nightmare's friends to be killed and they were also his .

He created a window to the babyones location and frowned at their complexion. He shivered as he saw the black magic and tugged the care bond connecting them, pleased it settled down their magic. So they had Death magic? That made this situation much more dangerous for those around the child but Nightmare did mention they didn't react to them, so what was different?

Looking through the texts from Nightmare again he paused as he saw them mention the child talk about their 'role'....Did they perhaps not react to him as he was a Balancer? What was their role exactly? This would be much easier if their Code was working but their crumbling SOUL did not lead to a stable existence. He was sure Nightmare would keep the idiots away, at least until they woke up.

..that did remind him, he should probably alert Nightmare to the issues they might have when they woke up. Emotionally they would be a mess but he hoped the Negativity Guardians power would be a useful aid in this.

GET GET GET UP! TIME TO WORK, LAZY

How is the babybones, Thread?~

He has nothing to do! Chill out for once in your life

AT LEAST I AM DOING MY JOB!

An AU is about to crash! Time to go

Error wanted to scream at the voices but knew that led to nowhere. It would only exhaust himself and he would most likely Crash in irritation. Getting up he closed the window and created a portal to the next AU.

One day, he swore he would get to punch Ink in the face. One day

-

Error grinned at finally being free. He had no idea if it was mercy on FATES part doubtful or Ink being bored, but he could finally visit the babybones in person. He was grateful Nightmare had taken them for so long but he knew his friend could use a break. Creating a portal to their castle he walked straight for the library and spotted his friend brooding, not that they would ever admit to that.

" Sorry I'm a tad early. Where is Karma? "

He was confused why they startled at his voice but seeing the dark marks under their sockets he could understand. They had also been busy and he had briefly passed them by when travelling through the AU's, while they were doing their role. Dream was an idiot and he at times felt his rage grow at their ignorance, even if he logically knew FATE was to blame.

Looking up he smirked at seeing the babyones awake and discreetly checked them over. They would need more clothes and their bones looked a tad too thin for his liking. They were most likely leaking too much magic but he was sure he would find a solution to it soon.

" Hi Karma. You are looking much better now. Do you need to grab anything before we go? "

"..i'm good"

Their name felt odd in his mouth but he knew he couldn't avoid the truth. They were a child who he was now responsible for, no matter how hard he tried to avoid the terrifying thought. Humming he walked closer to the child, happy they looked more relaxed in his presence, even if he hadn't known them long.

" See you, Night "

He picked up the babybones and frowned at how light they were but it did give him a better chance to look at their magic. Waving good bye he headed straight for the AntiVoid, feeling much too paranoid of others finding him out in the open.

-

A̶͕͒n̴̤͌ṯ̵̒i̴̮̕V̷̹̎o̷̗̔i̵̛͕d̷̟́

Error had struggled to think what to do with a child but remembering them cooing at his puppets when they first arrived, gave him a wonderful idea. Obtaining a smaller set of knitting needles and wool was easy, before he started to show Karma how to knit. It was a relaxing hobby and the voices seemed to enjoy watching, as they were usually quiet during it.

"Now loop again and put in under. Very good. Now you will need to do that until you finish the row"

Their work looked very neat and he wouldn't be surprised if someone had taught them before. He leaned back into his beanbag and continued his own project, making another puppet. This was of a Fresh Sans that he was very fond of, not that anyone else noticed. He knew others believed he hated the Parasite but it was rather the opposite. They were one of the few that knew the truth and also had no Strings connecting them to FATE.

Their antics were also amusing and they had helped him get out of a few battles unscathed, by their 'accidental' appearance. In return he made sure to 'pretend' he never noticed them change bodies while he was deleting an AU. It was an odd friendship but it worked out for them.

When he heard the clacking of kneedles stop he looked up, puzzled by Karma's frustration.

" What's wrong? "

"The voices are being too loud. How do you tune them out?"

Error jerked in shock and stared at the babybones in fear. No one else had ever heard the voices and he knew that while Nightmare sympathised with him, they still had a lingering thought he had gone crazy. It hurt but he was unsurprised. FATE was conniving like that.

He was so glad he was prepared for most situations! He grabbed the clothes he had made for them earlier and threw them at them. They would need to leave as soon as they could but he thankfully had a monster in mind for help.

" Change quickly! "

It was pure luck FATE wasn't currently here and he did not want to put any more attention on Karma. He knew they were only kept alive, so FATE could see him suffering at their weak condition, knowing he could help but was forbidden to do so. He feared what she would do if she realised just how unusual the babybones was.

He was relieved they quickly changed and looking at them he knew at first glance they would be mistaken as a Fell monster but there was still one thing missing. Tugging their scarf off he tried to soothe the upset he spotted.

" Sorry. You need to put this away as well. I have a substitute "

Karma's scarf was rather charming but the many magical signatures on it was distracting and more importantly a blazing sign that something was off about them. His scarf on the other hand was the perfect addition to their outfit and had the benefit of being soaked in his magic. Perfect protection for where they were going.

" Step in the portal, Karma. I'm sure you will like the monster we will meet "

S̷̲͗ṯ̶̇̅ringVerse

Errors hand shot out to pull out Karma from the snow, making him feel slightly guilty at forgetting how small they truly were. He had started to keep his gloves on all the time now and he was getting used to the restricting feeling. He was still able to access his magic with no issue and it let him physically touch others again. He hadn't realised how much he had missed it until he had held Karma in his arms.

He frowned at all the dust scattered around and picked up Karma, pushing their face into his neck. His glitches acted up but he felt no need to traumatise a child further. He made sure to place his hand on their skull to keep it hidden, before summoning some bones to dust the monsters that were trying to surround them.

Idiots. Thinking he was weakened due to holding a child. If anything he was more dangerous, with far less mercy. Heading straight for Grillby's Bar he opened the door, before wiping off the snow that had landed on them both. Feeling his charge start to tense he looked up and growled in warning at the monsters looking their way. Smirking at seeing them look away he leaned against the bar, waiting for Grillby to notice him.

"L̽̀̒e̐̾̀a̽̒̕v͒̒͝è́͝.̈́̒ W̔̀̚e̒̐͛ a̐͠͝r̿̀͠e̔͌ f̐́̚u͛̈́͠l͐̀͠l̓̈́̈́"

" That is a tad harsh, Grilbs. Not even your best customer can stay? "

His smirk widened at seeing their flames still but felt slightly guilty at the relief they showed. He knew it had been a while since he contacted them but he had just been so busy.

"L̒͒i͒͐s͐̔͠t͋͌̐ë́͊͌n͊͐́ u͑͐̾ṕ͊͆.̈́͆̔ I̚͠'̒͊͝m̐̾ c͛͒̀l̒͑͘ö́̒͘s̾͒͑i͘͠͠n͋̈́̕g̒̾͑, s͘͠o̿͋͝ g͒̽͛e͌͠t͐̿ o̓̈́͌u̐͋́t́̒͝"

He hid a snort at the sinister undertone they spoke in, enjoying the way many of the patrons bolted out the door.

"Aww don't be so stingy. It's not even lunch yet!"

"One more drink!"

"What did you say?!"

..of course there were still a few idiots who just didn't get the hint.

"O͆͐̕h̽̈́?́͋ D́͐̔i͆̽͘d̈́͝ ý͛͠o̓͑͌u̐̒̔ s̈́͝ä́̽ý̿͛ y̓͘͝o͑̓͝u͐͒͌ w͑͆͠ä́́̕ń̓͠t̒̔͝e̓͒̓d̀͆͊ m͐̈́e͊͝ t̿̾̿o͌̚͠ c̀̈́̽h̓̀́a͊̾r̀̾̕g̔̓͝e͆̿̈́ y͛̒͠o͐̚͘u̿͝͝ d̽́͆o͌̐͘u͒̓́b͛͐͝l̈́̓̓è̈́͋?͒͛̀ W̓͐͋h̽̒͝ỳ͝ d̐̓͑i̔͌d͆̀͌n̿̓͛'̒̚͠t̽͆͝ y͛̓͝o̓̈́͠u͊̈́̈́ s͛̓͝á͘͝y͒̒͠ s͛̀͑ó͋̈́"

He sat on a stool and placed Karma in his lap, watching his friend in amusement, as they threw out the remaining patrons.

It was pure luck that he had bumped into them at all and became friends. It was after another tiresome fight with Ink, who had thrown him through a portal, that took him to this AU. He had been a tad blinded at the time and it was only thanks to being able to read Code, he hadn't dusted Grillby when they offered assistance.

He truly didn't need it but seeing their Strings he relaxed at the non hostile intentions towards him. Most had a bond of hatred connected to him, so this was a surprising change. How this developed into friendship was a mystery, which he fully blamed on Nightmare. He grumbled at the way they pushed him to visit UnderFell more, after hearing what had happened, but in the end he was glad he listened.

Grillby was reliable and a great place to relax. He shifted when Grillby sat beside him and waited for them to speak.

"B̓̐̿a̐͋b͛͊͘y̾͊̕ s̔̕͝p̓͘͝a̽͌͘r̈́͋̀k͆͆̚.̕̕ W̓͛͠a̒̓̔n͋̚ẗ́̓̾ t͊͊͝o̐̚͝ p͊̕͠l̿̔a̓͒͌y͘͝͝ w̕͝i͋͑̕t̔̔̕h̔͋͘ t͆͐͊h͛̽͝ë́̐̽ t̐̓̈́o̽́͠y̾͐̕s̀̈́͝ ḯ̚͝ h͑̈́̕a̽̽͝v͆̈́͝e̓͛̿?̐̒͆"

Karma looked up at him and chirped in question and he rumbled in approval. He had noticed they relaxed more with obvious gestures or noises, that were hard to misinterpret. Placing them on the floor he pointed to the corner where the items were.

" I'll be right here, Karma. Go have fun "

Error was eagle eyed as he watched them walk, taking in the stumbling and hissed frustration. He would need to make sure their SOUL hadn't gotten worse, if it was affecting their balance already and he already knew their eyesight wasn't their best but he had a solution to that.

"S̅o̅ a̅ k̅i̅d̅,̅ h̅u̅h̅?̅"

" He's not mine, asshole. Things just..happened "

"U͆̔h͐͘̚ǘ̓͠h̾̒͘"

He made a face at his friend's disbelief but let it be. He might have told Grillby a lot but he never mentioned FATE and had zero plans to do so. Making that mistake with Nightmare was enough, as he soon saw the changes FATE had made upon them. He was sure Nightmare never noticed how vicious or cruel they acted when against their brother but he sure did.

It was just another way to hurt him and he was so tired of having to constantly make sure they didn't accidentally kill Dream in their battles. He did not want the Multiverse to collapse, no matter how amused FATE was by the thought.

The worst thing was that they never noticed and thought they were holding back. Even Killer and the rest had similar issues but he was digressing.

Resting his arms on the counter he accepted a drink and stared at it blankly.

"I'm stuck with a kid and I have no idea what to do. Squid for brains has been even worse lately and I barely have time to feed the kid, let alone do anything else. The AntiVoid was perfect but complications arose, so now that is out"

Speaking out loud helped but he was still feeling the underlying terror for the babybones. Just watching their Strings made him want to latch on closer to fix them, due to his real job but the restrictions he was under were stifling. FATE truly loved her mind games.

"Ḯ̈́̀ d̾͋͝o͑͐̈́n͋͠͝'͒̒t͒͆̕ m̓̀i͐̈́͆n͊̓͛d͋͑͒ b͐̈́̔a͘͝͠b̔͋̐y͆͑͑s̓͝i̔̕͝t͛̈́̿t̽̿̒i̒́̈́n͋́͋g̓̐͠"

"..you would do that?"

"S͒̈́͝u͆̔̈́r͆̽͐ë́̔͒.̒͝͝ J͋͐͘u͛̀̀s͊͒t́͘̚ m͌͠͝a͛̔̕k̈́̽̐e͋̓͛ s̒͆͠u͑̒́r̓̕͠e̕͘͝ t̓͠o͒̓ k͆́̀e̿̾̐e͛͠p̽̀ i̐͒͘n͑̔ c̈́͒͠o͒̚n̓͆͌t͑͒̓a͛͋͋c͊͛͑t̓̓͝ m̈́͌o͋͋̔r͒͘͝e̚͠.͌̈́̒ I͛̽̀ t͑͌͘h͒̾͠o͌͒͝u͆̓͝g͐͊͝h͛̓͝t̾́ ý̀͌o͛̔̚u͒̾̚ d̿̚u͑̽s͛̒͛t͑̕͝e͑͑̚d̒͐͘,̔͋͝ E͛̽̐r͆̐̚r̀̐̔o͆̽́r̔̈́͐"

That took a massive weight off his shoulders. He had been prepared to beg Nightmare for help again and while he knew his friend would accept, he still felt guilty for the added stress. Having two monsters to have Karma stay with was a life saver. About to thank Grillby he hissed at the familiar pain in his chest.

" Of course he does it now...i know you just made the offer but would you mind..? "

"J́͆u͆͐̓s͐͛͘t͒̽̿ g̓͊͝o̔͛.̓̓͋ I̓́͝ h̓̚a͠͝͠v̽͊̽è̓̕ à͘̕ s͑̐̈́p̒͝͝a̓̓͑ŕ́͝e̾͋̿ r̓̈́o͒̐͌o͊́m̿̓͝ i̐̿͠f̈́̿͝ y̐̈́͋o̓͐͠ù͆ t͒̈́a̓͋k̒̈́̕e͛͠ t͆̐͘o̓͆̚o̾́̀ l͒̾̕ò̐͘n̽͆͝g͆̈́͘"

He gave a thankful look and crouched beside Karma.

" I need to go but I promise I will be back. I trust Grillby to look out for you but if you need to you can call me. Do you understand, little glitch? "

"Yes Error..be safe?"

" I will try my best. Have fun "

~~~~~

Error: *Close to tears* Please! I want a break

FATE: No ❤️
-
Error: There are very few monsters I hate

*Ink exists*

Error: But that one. That one i despise!
-
Error: Attached? Of course I'm not attached to the babybones!

Also Error: *Using all their resources to look after Karma*