The Big Top was empty, apart from Error who never left the sound booth, by the time Cross finished practicing for the weekends show. He placed the knives back to the supply closet.

The tent was filled with a familiar tune – as per usual. Cross had memorised the song's lyrics years ago and was now humming along quietly.

He headed towards the flap, but stopped as it was opened by someone else from the outside. The skeleton who stepped in was one who Cross could recognise immediately despite having never met him before. After the first skeleton walked another one. Cross felt his blood run cold.

The latter skeleton was one who Cross had met before, but he looked nothing like he used to. All the light had drained from his eye lights. He looked more like a doll than a person. It made Cross feel sick to his nonexistent stomach.

"Hello there! I don't think we have met before, so you must be a new performer!" the first skeleton said, a cocky smirk on his lips. "My name is Swad, and this is Mare," he introduced them, offering his hand out.

"Cross," Cross answered, shaking his hand. Unlike Swad, Cross didn't fail to notice how Mare stiffed at his name.

"Ah, Cross, nice to meet you! My brother and I are here for a visit. We just wanted to come see how this circus is doing," Swad explained, snaking an arm around Mare's waist, pulling him close. "Tell me, what kind of a performer are you? Can you give us a little show?" he asked, tipping his skull, smirk never dying from his face.

"I'm a knife thrower," Cross answered, ignoring the last question.

"How lovely! Why don't you show us what you've got?" Swad suggested, raising a browbone. Cross didn't fail to notice how close his fingers were sneaking to Mare's crotch.

"I was actually about to head out, the curfew is coming soon.." Cross tried to excuse himself out of the situations. He already knew that Swad was bad news.

"Tell me, what would the Ringmaster say if he found out that you had declined a request from his most important guest?" Swad wondered out loud, "Guess will have to find out!"

Cross gritted his teeth, "Fine.. I'll do it.." he decided. His previous punishment had already been way too humiliating, he didn't want to find out what other ones Nightmare had up his sleeve.

"Perfect! We'll sit down and watch!" Swad hummed, taking a seat and pulling Mare onto his lap. The way his hand moved to massage his thighs made Cross want to vomit. Mare didn't even flinch at the touch. He just sat there, emotionless and in that moment Cross knew that Swad had broken him.

-----

     Cross watched as the 19-year-old washed the dishes, humming to himself. He felt bad for not being able to help, but getting up would most likely result with him throwing up.

"Hey, you don't need to do that," he told the younger, leaning his side against the back of the sofa to look over into the kitchen.

"Someone needs to do it, and I doubt that you'll be able to," Mare answered. He didn't seem to be at all bothered.

"But–"

"And this gives me an excuse to stay away from home," Mare added, cutting Cross off, "I don't feel like dealing with Swad on the moment. He's started acting more and more weird.." he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

"What do you mean?" Cross asked, furrowing his browbones. He had heard a lot of Mare's brother, but had never met him. (Apparently it was better that way.)

"He's been a lot more touchy lately.. It's making me a bit uncomfortable.." the younger explained, avoiding eye contact.

"He's what?" Cross snapped. Mare flinched at his angry tone, making Cross wince, giving him an apologising look.

"I–" Mare started, but cut off when a cry echoes through the house. He was quick to wipe his hands and rush down the hallway before Cross could say anything.

He sighed, laying down the sofa, listening as the younger cooed something in the other room. Cross frowned. He wanted to go see what was wrong, but he knew his body would turn against him if he moved too much.

"Is he okay?" he asked as Chara floated into the room.

"Nothing out of ordinary," they answered, looking towards the room down the hallway.

Cross nodded. A wave of nausea hit him, making him wince and turn towards the bucket on the floor.

A few seconds went by and he pulled himself back on the sofa, deciding that it was a false alert.

"I don't understand how he managed to go through this twice.. This is an absolute nightmare.." he groaned, resting a hand on his stomach.

"I might be the problem here," Chara reckoned. "Your magic doesn't like me and now it's acting up even more," they assumed, shrugging.

"I miss him.." Cross whined, internally cursing his hormones as he felt tears burning his eye sockets.

"Oh shit, here we go again.."

-----

     Cross threw the last knife onto the target, a clearly fake smile on his teeth as he turned to face Swad.

"What a lovely show!" Swad exclaimed, getting up without giving Mare a single warning, making the smaller twin fall on his ass with a wince. Swad seemed to be devoid of care towards him at the moment. "You seem to know how to control knives," he hummed, pulling one out of the target on his way to Cross, who was looking at Mare from the corner of his eye socket while trying to also keep an eye socket out for the approaching threat.

Cross had no time to react before Swad's arm was on his waist, pulling him close. The knife scraped his neck, forcing him to leaned back as Swad dove over him.

"What the fuck?" Cross exclaimed, shocked.

"You seem interesting! Mind giving me a taste?" Swad ignored his exclaim and leaned in to click their teeth together.

Cross tried to pull back, but Swad didn't budge and only pulled him close despite his squirming. He tried to open his mouth to get a words out. A mistake. It gave Swad the chance to push his tongue in.

Cross gasped as the knife sunk into his neck, drawing a thin red line. Crimson marrow leaked down warm and wet.

Suddenly everything went wet. Swad stumbled back with a shocked yelp as a spurt of water hit him in the face. His arms pulled away, dropping Cross to his freedom.

"tHaT's EnOugH, gEt OuT oF mY tEnT." Cross turned around to see Error standing behind him with a hose in his hands.

Swad was drawn speechless, shock colouring his face as water dripper down his bones, clothes all wet. Oh, and he was furious.

"What the actual hell do you think you are doing?" he snapped, stepping closer to Error, who backed away, narrowing his eye lights.

"yOuR vIsItInG tImE iN mY tEnT iS oVeR.. gEt OuT bEfOrE i ShOoT yOu AgAiNg!" the DJ warned, raising the hose dangerously towards the approaching skeleton.

Swad scoffing dryly, turning around. "I don't have the time for this. Cross," – he flashed a smile towards him – "It was a real pleasure to meet you! I will be looking forward to seeing you again!" he hummed, running his finger on Cross' cheek on his way to his brother.

Cross backed away to Error, gritting his teeth as Swad leaned down to Mare, whispering something to his twin before clicking their teeth together. Error scoffed, seeming uncomfortable with the situation as well, but he didn't dare to use the hose again.

Swad got up, pulling Mare with him. He flashed Cross one last cocky smirk before walking out of the tent in the darkness.

"AnD nOw YoU'rE sTuCk HeRe.." Error groaned, tossing the hose to the side. "BuT aT lEaSt We GoT rId Of ThE tRaSh.." he added with a shrug, glaring toward the flap.

"I already hate him," Cross announced. (As if he hadn't hated him before even having met him.)

"ThEy'Re ThE rInGmAsTeR's CoUsIns," Error explained, crossing his arms.

"I know," Cross hummed.

Error raised a browbone, but didn't ask any questions. He just turned around and started walking towards his sound booth, leaving Cross behind.

The knife thrower decided to leave him alone and took a seat on the lowest row of seating. Well, at least he was used to sleeping on uncomfortable surfaces, he had been doing that most of his life after all.

-----

     Nightmare stopped, snapping his head towards the person marching towards him in the darkness. He didn't need to see them to tell who they were, the way-too-noticeable footsteps were enough – the performers could never be that loud after the curfew.

"In my opinion the DJ deserves to die!" his cousin announced immediately, teeth gritted in anger.

Nightmare raised a browbone. "Why the hell are you wet?" he asked, slightly amused, yet confused.

"Your DJ shot me with a hose. It was very unprofessional and he should be punished!" Swad snapped, wiping his hands on Mare's shirt.

"I don't believe you," Nightmare hummed, hiding his amusement. "Error never leaves the Big Top, and you surely didn't have a reason to go there. You're just making things up," he answered coldly, glaring at the wet skeleton.

Swad scoffed, not feeling like arguing. "We'll be in your guest tent," he announced, matching away.

Nightmare didn't look after him. Instead he focused on the glowing dot floating past him. It was a nightmare, headed for a performer. He tipped his head, smirking.

"Ah, more negativity!" he hummed, crossing his arms behind his back. "Oh, and Ink, don't think that you've gotten away. I can see you," he added, turning to face the darkness where the said artist stood, eye lights blown wide open. He looked like a deer caught in headlights.

-----

     Chara stared intensely at the cards in their hands. They were all absolutely shit..

"Bingo!" Asy exclaimed, placing an eight of hearts on top of the joker Chara had placed on their turn.

"You still have seven cards left, and were playing UNO!" they answered, slamming a queen of spades on top of the eight.

"But no more cards!" Asy chimed happily before tossing his remain cards in the air and raising his now empty hands for Chara to see.

"Alright, you won!" Chara raised their hands, admitting their defeat. A smile tugged its way on their lips.

Asy tilted his skull, staring at Chara's wrist. Carefully he reached for it, turning the it around for him to see better. Chara raised an eyebrow curiously.

"Hurt!" he pointed out, staring at the crimson line in their skin.

"Oh, right. I hit my hand on something while stopping by the gadget tent earlier," they remembered.

Asy frowned before pulling out a pack of band-aids from his pocket. Chara watched curiously as he went through them one by one before deciding on a green one with white flowers and a small puppy on it. He carefully grabbed Chara's wrist again and placed the band-aid over it ere patting their head with the brightest smile on his teeth.

Chara was left speechless, staring at the band-aid. No, they weren't crying, it was just some dust that got in their eye.

"Again!" Asy exclaimed, picking up the cards from the floor, smiling excitedly.

Chara snorted, "Sure!"

Words: 1924

[3.4.2023]

The dove is dead by now, don't eat it–

This is the chapter that in my notes starts with the words: Error shoots Swad with a hose. Which is the sentence that distracted me from last minute reading for my English exam today–

So, Swad and Mare, which is what I decided to call Swapdream!Nightmare. I asked myself, how fucked up I can make Swad? The answer was yes.