"Wait. So Ink and the council knew what condition your AU was in, even before you knew about the Multiverse, and they did nothing?" Soul asks with a frown. "That can't be right. It shouldn't be like that."

"Scared. Or ap-....... ap-thet-ic," Horror has to really think to get the word out. He was surprised when Soul didn't seem to mind the extra time that Horror needs for some words.

"Apathetic," Soul kindly pronounces the word before continuing. "There's no way everyone just wouldn't care! How could they let an entire AU starve?"

"Ink. Can't inter-....... inter.... fear," Horror tries to explain.

"Good job," Soul praises in a brighter tone before he returns to sulking. "Ink doesn't want people changing the story........." In a quieter voice, Soul mumbles, "It's just your fate."

The two of them have been preoccupied in the kitchen for a couple hours now. Soul is a little bummed out that he can't touch anything or help, but Horror has been keeping him involved. Soul loves learning about new places and people. In a slightly creepy way, he likes learning about why people have certain behaviors and act the way that they do. This is the first time that Soul really feels like himself. If he's not looking for it, Soul can't even feel or remember anything that doesn't belong to him.

Horror is an interesting person to get to know. He's rough around the edges and generally intimidating, but he's not a real monster like some of Soul's previous hosts would say. Horror isn't very good at expressing himself in words. His actions are much clearer. Horror may have failed has brother, but now he has an almost compulsory need to look after the few left around him. Horror makes sure that there is always something in the fridge and cupboards, even if it's only mildly edible. He won't let anyone go hungry and secretly delights in watching meals disappear from the fridge.

Horror tries, but he's not a very good cook. His AU didn't offer many chances to experiment with ingredients. Even now, Horror swipes whatever random food he can find from AUs that Nightmare has decided to terrorize. Practice makes........ better.

Fortunately, Soul is a bit of an encyclopedia at the moment. He can come up with half a dozen ways to cook almost anything that Horror pulls out of the fridge or cupboards. After a couple of hours, all three of the ovens are going, multiple pots are dubiously bubbling on the stove, and there's even some sort of strange salad on the counter. Horror has never cooked with anyone before. He takes to Soul ideas readily and tries to write them down.

Cross is eventually lured in by the smell of warm chocolate. The last thing he wants to do is get involved in conversation when there are sweet treats to be had. Cross carefully scans the battlefield from the shadows in the hallway. Soul is sitting the on the kitchen counter, swinging his feet while chatting. Horror looks back at Soul every other minute while dutifully following instructions to manage the last few cooking dishes.

Two trays of cookies are cooling on the counter. The last time that Cross ate a cookie was quite a few months ago when Nightmare was convinced to raid a Candytale AU. Horror isn't a big fan of sweets, and doesn't usually bother trying to find the ingredients to make them. Cross's senses zero in on the rare treat. His eyes seem to gleam in the darkness. While Soul and Horror seem to be distracted, Cross makes his move. He  slowly and silently creeps into the room. He stays low to the ground makes sure that his clothing doesn't brush up against anything. Cross used to be a member of the royal guard in his AU. He's been trained for missions like this, and his skills have only improved under Nightmare's supervision. He should have been undetectable. Right under the counter now, Cross slowly reaches up to snag a cookie off the tray.

"You could've just asked," Soul hums, his voice abruptly appearing right in Cross's ear. Cross yelps in surprise. He jerks upward and slams his head into the edge of the counter. Horror isn't able to completely stifle the growl that slips from his mouth, surprised at Cross's sudden appearance.

"How did you know I was here?" Cross asks once he's recovered. He doesn't bother getting up off the floor quite yet.

Soul just shrugs. "I guess I just looked over at the right time....."

Cross doesn't believe it. Soul and Horror were both completely preoccupied. Neither of them should have noticed. With his pride taken down a notch, Cross stands back up and tries to leave, sulking a bit.

"Where are you going? Didn't you want a cookie?" Soul asks. He turns and trots after Cross, following him out of the kitchen. Horror pauses to look around the now empty kitchen. After a moment, he picks up a pan of cookies and follows behind the other two. The kitchen probably won't start on fire in their absence. Probably.

"I don't want any," Cross lies, "Horror would cook just about anything that you told him to. I doubt they're edible."

"Rude! That's a homemade recipe. I'm not sure from where, but I do know that they're delicious," Soul pouts.

"They're probably poisoned."

"Is that what Nightmare told you?"

Nightmare didn't say that exactly, but he did tell Cross not to get involved in whatever's going on between Error and Soul. Nightmare's suspiciousness nature is riled up from the strange interactions he's seen between the two. Error never tolerates behavior such as Soul's actions. Something more is going on, and Nightmare doesn't want himself or those under his protection to be caught in it.

After Cross doesn't respond, Soul speaks again, this time in a happier tone. "Didn't you want to ask me some questions earlier? I'd be happy to answer all- or, um, that ones that I can. I don't know much about myself, but I've been to more AUs than I can count."

That open invitation is almost enough steal Cross's focus. He might have even worked up the nerve to disregard Nightmare's extreme suspicion if a stary bone attack hadn't whizzed past his face and buried itself in the wall. Unconsciously, Cross has wandered over to the training room. It's usually where he goes to sulk after being embarrassed. What Cross forgot to remember is that Dust and Killer both headed in this direction earlier. The two of them are engaged in a slightly bitter rivalry. They both have similar fighting methods and weapons of choice. Even as the three stand in the doorway, Killer tackles Dust to the ground, and they both go down clawing and biting. Stray bone attacks manifest only to miss their target in the tangle of limbs.

"Play?" Horror asks, a creepy smile appearing on his face. He drops the cookies and charges past Cross and Soul. Dust and and Killer both shriek when the much larger monster pounces on them both and tries to pin them.

"They play rough like siblings!" Soul laughs. There's something familiar to him in the competitive yet good-natured game. Soul briefly wonders if there's any way that he could have had real siblings. Soul stops laughing as a stray bone attack fires off in his direction. He's a little slow, and the attack grazes his arm. Cross jumps and hisses in confused pain. At the same time, Soul's HP drops, but he feels no pain. The strange reaction has the other three turning their head to figure out what happened.

Anything physical seems to pass right through Soul. Magic attacks work a little differently. Chara would be unaffected by such a thing even if Cross made them visible. The two share a soul and stats. Soul has his own distinct magic source separate from them. Soul usually takes over a monster's entire being when he appears, including stats. The barrier that Cross is able to keep between them prevents that. Soul is left with stats that are glitchy and incomplete. What's left of his being can take damage, but the physical body that he's attached to will feel the pain. Similar to when Fresh nearly killed him in Candytale, Soul is vulnerable in this state. He himself takes damage instead of his host.

"Did that hit Cross?" Killer cackles. Cross is a bit prideful when it comes to sparring. He's rarely been hit in serious sessions. The fact that he was just hit so easily is hilarious.

"Actually, I think I just felt-," Cross starts.

At the same time Soul says, "The damage hit m-"

Both are interrupted when Dust hurls a bone their way to test the theory. Cross moves away, but Soul doesn't react in time. The attach hits his shoulder and makes him stumble back a step. Cross grunts in pain and annoyance. Since his HP isn't dropping, he mistakenly assumes that Soul's isn't, either.

Killer and Dust both start jeering at Cross, excited for the opportunity to finally one-up him. Soul zones out and doesn't hear the words. He could try and stop this right now. That would be the smart thing to do, but Soul finds that he doesn't want to ruin this moment. It's just as Horror said: this is how these monsters play. Combat, friendly or otherwise, is how the bad guys have come to express themselves and even interact with each other. Soul has been incredibly lonely for most of his existence. He won't pass up the opportunity to become friends with the few people that Error..... tolerates? Soul will play this game, however, he's not above cheating. A cheeky smirk lights up his face.

After seemingly getting bored with teasing Cross, Killer and Dust switch back to targeting Soul. It's impossible for Soul to replicate magic from a past host, but he can remember what it was like to be them; move like them. When Dust fires off another attack, Soul charges straight at it. He takes a running jump at it and flips around in air, preforming a front handspring and landing in a crouch on his toes with all the flexibility and grace of a DanceTale Sans.

"I'm gonna get you!" Soul cackles. He charges at the others with a maniac grin. No one expected Soul to play along. Despite the fact that Soul can't actually touch anyone, they scatter. The room devolves into chaotic movement and stray magic attacks.

**************

Error had lost track of time. Once he really gets in the mood, it's easy to lay waste to a dozen AUs at a time. One more now means a longer break without. Error only meant to destroy a few worlds before retrieving Soul. One thing lead to another, and Error finds his myself back at the base six hours after leaving. He's half expecting to find Soul hiding under a couch somewhere. Nightmare wouldn't give a stranger a warm welcome. Error wanders through quite a few rooms before he gets to the training hall. He stops in the doorway and takes in the curious scene.

Soul is sitting on the floor with his back to the door. Dust, Killer, Horror, and Cross are all scattered in front of him and listening intently. A half-empty tray of cookies sits between them. Error has to listen closely to understanding the words, but eventually figures out that Soul is describing one of the AUs that he's lived through. Error only vaguely finds it familiar. That AU no longer exists, though Error has no idea when it might have met it's demise. Movement catches the Destroyer's eyes. He looks up and notices Nightmare lurking in a shadowy doorway on the other side of the room, also quietly listening.

Bone attacks that have yet to dissolve litter the floors and walls of the training room. A few char marks suggest that gaster blasters had gone off. With a start, Error realizes that Soul must have fought with the others. It's the only way that he would have been able to earn enough respect to keep all their attention like this. Soul continues to surprise Error again and again.

A sudden bang on the manor door snap Error out of his thoughts, and he turns to meet Soul's worried expression.