"What a beautiful day it is today, don't you agree?" Cross froze as the cold, negative aura hit him along with the smooth voice. A tentacle landed on his shoulder.

"It's raining.." Cross mumbled as the water droplets turned his clothes even wetter with each one. The tentacle wrapped around his waist and pulled him against the body behind him. His breath hitched when he felt his back press against the Ringmaster. That's when he noticed the umbrella that now shielded them both from the rain.

"But rain is such a nice weather still. As if the skies were crying," the Ringmaster spoke right into his ear hole. The smooth, poisonous voice sent shivers down his spine. "Don't you agree with me?" That question didn't have more answers than just one.

"Yes," Cross whispered, still a bit shocked by the really close contact. They had been close before, but now they were pressed right against each other underneath one umbrella. They weren't even safe from the other performers eyes, they were in the middle of the circus. Anyone could walk in and see it. Cross wasn't a fan of that, he didn't want to know how people would see him if they found out that he's letting himself slip under the Ringmaster's spell. He would be seen as a betrayer, and that could ruin his entire life. The other performers were the only friends he could have, he couldn't lose them.

"Your negativity tastes good," Nightmare commented, making Cross snap out of his spiralling thoughts. "Do you really fear me that much?" Another tentacle wrapped around him, pressing them even closer together. His face flushed purple. Cross wasn't a fan of getting dominated like this, it was kinda humiliating for him. He was used to being the one making someone flush, not the other way around.

"You're leaking so much negativity. Or perhaps you're doing it just for me!" Nightmare asked him, leaning his skull closer to Cross', almost against his shoulder. "I appreciate it, so delicious." He licked his teeth with his cyan tongue. Cross could see it from the corner of his eye socket. It was so close to his face.

"Did the cat get your tongue?" Nightmare taunted as Cross hadn't said anything. "Show me that it didn't~," he whispered. It was an order. For Cross to stick out his tongue..

Slowly he pushed his purpled tongue out of his mouth. Before he could reach, the Ringmaster's cyan one wrapped around it and he was pulled into a deep kiss.

The taste of apples filled his mouth. Unlike the one he was used to, this one was a bit more bitter. The cyan tongue pushed deep into his mouth, brushing over everything it could reach.

Nightmare pulled away from the kiss, leaving Cross with his teeth parted, out of breath. A line of purple and cyan saliva connected them for a short while before Nightmare pulled his skull further from Cross, moving back behind him. Cross was frozen on his tracks, teeth still parted, breath catching up.

"I have work to do, and you won't keep me from it." Nightmare stopped, tipping his head, grin spreading on his teeth, "Unless you want to take this to my tent."

"I–, I won't k-keep you.. f-from your w-work.. Just– keep g-going.." Cross hated the fact that he couldn't make it through one simple sentence without stuttering so much. His skull was burning with embarrassment, and Chara's disturbed expression didn't help him at all.

"What a shame," Nightmare shrugged. "Then, don't get in my way while I'm working and you will be just fine," he whispered, grinning. And with that he pulled his body away from Cross, letting him get exposed to the rain, and disappeared into the darkness of the rainy day.

-----

     "Error, I'm back~!" Ink sang, pushing open the flap of the Big Top. He glanced around, looking for the DJ. He was a bit surprised to find Lust walking towards him.

"Hello there Ink. Are you here to paint the props?" Lust asked, a soft smile on his teeth, one hand resting against his hip.

"Yeah, but let me ask you: what brings you here?" Ink's eye lights turned to different coloured questions marks, he tilted his head. He hadn't expected to see Lust there as the designer usually spent most of his time in the costume tent.

"Oh, I just stopped by to see what you and Blue have brought here. I need to know what kind of theme are you going for to be able to make costumes that match them," Lust explained, holding up a notebook that Ink recognised to be his design book.

"I see," Ink hummed, "If you need something from us, come ask!" He smiled before rushing deeper into the tent to go find Error, completely oblivious to the fact that the DJ was staring after the designer from his soundbooth.

-----

     "Have you met Crossy yet?" Ink asked from Error. He was sitting on the soundbooths floor, painting a target. The floor was already filled with old paint stains, which he had left on his previous visits.

"YoU sEnT hIm HeRe To SeE mE," Error snarled, not quite happy about that. He was glaring at the artist, quite annoyed by the visit and new paint stains. He would have preferred to have his floor clean.

The artists stopped, tipping his head, "Did I? I don't remember doing that."

Error let out a glitchy groan, "yOu DiD! iT wAs AnNoYiNg! AnD i HaVe ToLd YoU tO nOt SeNd PeOpLe To SeE mE, oR tO cOmE sEe Me By YoUrSeLf! I hAtE hAvInG vIsItOrS!"

"But then you'll be all alone. I don't want you to be lonely! You're my friend," Ink insisted, raising his gaze from the painting.

"i Am NoT yOuR fRiEnD!" Error snapped, pulling his scarf to cover his face. "aNd I dOn'T lIkE yOuR cOmPaNy! gEt LoSt aNd NeVeR cOmE bAcK!"

"Aww, I know you care about me!" Ink cooed, completely ignoring everything Error had said. He wasn't about to let the DJ be lonely. "And what about Lust? He was here, did you sent him away too?" he inquired, tilting his head. From what he remembered, Error didn't have any kind of relationship with Lust. He wasn't sure if the two of them had ever even had a proper conversation.

"lUsT dIdN't CoMe BoThEr Me. He lEft Me AlOnE, uNlIkE yOu," Error answered, annoyed. He pulled his scarf up even higher to cover up his neck that told a different story.

"When was the last time you left the Big Top?" Ink changed the subject. Error couldn't tell if it was intentional or if Ink had just forgotten the previous one.

"WhY dOeS tHaT mAtTeR? i HaVe NeVeR lEfT iT. oUtSiDe ArE oThEr PeOpLe, AnD i DoN't LiKe OtHeR pEoPlE. i DoN't LiKe AnYoNe! AnD tHeReFoRe I wOuLd ApPrEcIaTe It If YoU wOuLd ReSpEcT mE aNd JuSt FuCkInG lEaVe Me AlOnE!"

"You can't get rid of me that easily," Ink hummed and turned back to his painting project.

Error let out a frustrated sigh and turned the music in his headphones louder, trying to ignore the whole existence of the artist next to him. Instead he wished that Lust would have stayed a bit longer.

-----

     "Dust absolutely hates me..." Killer whined, sinking his skull against the table. "What am I supposed to do with him..?" he wondered out loud.

"I don't think that he hates you," Ccino tried to assure him. He didn't exactly know Dust, nor did he know what was going on.

"Did you do something to piss him off?" Blue inquired, leaning against the table on the opposite side of Killer. The three of them were in the food tent hiding from the rain.

"It's a bit personal.." Killer mumbled. Dust and Ink's relationship wasn't exactly hidden, but whatever Killer and Ink had going on had only been more public years ago when they had joined the circus. Only the old performers knew of it, but no one exactly knew what it was. Now it had sunk into oblivion from everyone else. They had other things to think than who was dating whom.

"I've been doin' somethin' that he doesn't quite approve, even though he doesn't know the full context behind it.. 'N I might have even lied to him 'bout it, makin' him think it's even worse than it actually 's.." he explained, staining the table with the black goop leaking from his eye sockets. Ccino winced when he noticed the mess, it would be hard to clean up.

"I didn't know Dust could speak," Blue whispered to the barista. Killer heard it too, it didn't surprise him. Dust rathered to keep quiet. He knew that one word thing could get him killed.

"Maybe you should try confronting him about it?" Ccino suggested to Killer. "If there's a misunderstanding, you should clear it up."

"'S not that easy.. Our relationship is kinda complicated nowadays," Killer admitted. If this had happened over two years ago, he would have gone straight to Dust instead of venting to others, but things weren't the same anymore as they were back then.

"Would apologising work?" Blue asked. It was hard to help when he didn't know what exactly was going on.

Killer shook his skull, "Already tried. He won't listen, 's useless.." He could fell on his knees and beg Dust to forgive him, but that wouldn't change a thing. "I just don't wanna lose him.." he mumbled, too quiet for the other two to understand.

"Well, uh, do you want to talk about it more? We could listen," Blue suggested, giving Ccino a look to ask for help. He didn't know what to do in a situation like this, he was just a child by himself.

"I'll consider that.. But I think I'll go now." Killer stood up and headed towards the door. Ccino and Blue shared a helpless look. They wanted to help, but didn't know how.

As he reached for the flap, it was opened from the outside. Dust and Killer looked each other into the eye sockets. In a blink of an eye they both turned away. Killer rushed outside, disappearing into the rain. Dust didn't spare another look after him as the flap shut.

Words: 1725

[31.10.2022]

Naming chapters is always the hardest part– Anyways, happy Halloween everyone! It's also my birthday, now I'm 17 :D