Whoo. Joy. Emma's POV. I just realized that I forgot to transfer a few paragraphs to Nightmare's chapter from a Google Doc. That's coming up next :D

Hopefully. I have terrible planning skills and time management.

I'm also changing the fonts for the deities, it's just easier for everyone lol.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CPolX--ALLw/?utm_medium=copy_link

----

Logic seated themselves next to Destiny, and sighed. "You really don't get it, do you?"

Still no response from the younger. Logic sighed again, and stretched their legs out in front of them.

"You can't keep him sheltered in my Universe forever. The Higher Order will come after you eventually to take away what you have left, and that includes your precious Error - or does he go by Erratum, now?"

"They won't," Destiny whispered.

Logic laughed a bitter laugh, "They will. They will do to you what they did to me, only this time, they'll take it all. Your child. Your canvas. Your magic. All of it."

Destiny bit her lip. "I believe in my child."

"How long is he going to last in this world? With the way he is now, he won't survive half a year. I can feel it. Even if I can no longer meddle in mortal affairs as I used to, I still have that magical connection with the Universe. I can feel the anomalies, their magic, and how it's-"

"Don't. Please, Logic. I must cling to this final shred of hope, or all is lost."

"For you. All is lost for you. We know that Erratum here wouldn't mind dying," Logic sneered. "If you want to survive, fix that first."

"I don't know how," Destiny said. "Things were not supposed to end like this; yet, with Fate's treason, nothing good has happened since." At last, her molten gold irises met their white ones with a resigned sort of confidence. Logic stood, cocking their head to the side like a sparrow.

"You never change, do you, dear cousin?"

"No, I suppose not. But you still bear a grudge, despite your title, don't you?"

"I suppose so," they mirrored. "But don't blame this silly little grudge of mine when you bring yourself and I down with your plans."

----

Emma didn't know what to do. Erratum just seemed so lost, so not there, that she had the urge to shake him back to reality. It was a bad idea for sure, but maybe one of the only ones she had. The best choice would probably be to act normal.

So, she climbed onto the chair as his unfocused gaze unnervingly swept over her face for the tenth time that day, and opened the computer.

Computers were personal, she'd like to think. If she logged on to a stranger's computer, she could learn many things about their personality and hobbies in a short span of time. Open browser tabs, recent downloads, purposeless projects, downloaded apps, undeleted search history- anything could indicate certain traits that made up a human - or Monster's - quirks and traits.

Of course, new computers would not have these traces, such as Erratum's.

It was a blank slate, ready for personalization- not that he would try to customize it, anyway. He just didn't seem like that type of Monster.

He didn't seem like the type to live in an empty, expressionless house, either. She couldn't quite pin down his character, but it radiated wrong in so many ways, she thought as she filled in his address. Like his apartment. Like his scars.

Emma didn't judge, didn't pick up this daunting fact and ask. Maybe it was her hypocrisy; maybe not. Maybe it was something deeper, beyond her understanding that beckoned ignorance and wait. At the end of the day, Erratum was still Erratum, and she wouldn't - couldn't - pry.

By the time the first form was two thirds of the way filled, he had regained some light in his pupils.

"What's your highest level of education?" She asked.

He responded after a few seconds of thinking. "BacHeloR's DegReE in EdUcaTioN."

"Cool." She entered the information.

Erratum's presence was nothing short of motherly once you looked past his harsh exterior and blunt words, although the parental side needed much polishing and a better understanding of emotions.

"HoW mAny QueStioNs LeFT?" He seemed tired.

"I'd say about one. The last one's easy, which I should fill in with... Information and Computer Technology, right? I didn't do them in order."

"AlRiGhT," he sighed, leaning back and stretching his arms. His fingers twitched at some unknown feeling, whether it was physical torment or mental backlash, Emma would never know.

Then, she heard a short clatter. She shot a quick glance at Erratum, since the sound seemed to have come from him, and he seemed to be staring wide-eyed at his chest.

-----

Erratum decided that online forms were part of his 'Top 10 Most Annoying Things' list. Divulging and fabricating personal information was definitely not a comfortable task, and definitely something he wasn't used to yet.

Although he did live a life of crime and death, rarely did he have to lie or tell a believable story on the spot; for a rookie, he thought, he was doing quite well. There were no slip-ups as of yet.

Hopefully, he wouldn't let himself down today. His SOUL still pounded with the remnants of adrenaline and panic, and he still felt ghost pains littering his body, but he's handled this before, so he could do so again.

He could try to unwind after the form was filled out. For now, concentrating on the screen before them was probably the next best thing. Plus, the blue light emitted by the monitor seemed rather welcoming.

One by one, the blanks started carrying words and numbers, accompanied by taps and clicks which sealed the miles of silence between Emma and Erratum. Almost there, five questions left.

Erratum took the time between questions to take inventory of his back's wellbeing: his spine felt sore. Maybe it was a combination of barely-healed fractures and cuts and the chronic slouch in the office chair, or maybe it was an invisible weight pinning his vertebrae to aches. Either way, it could bear to lose some tension. However, an extensive movement could jostle any injuries worsened by his panicked attempt at escaping a non-existent danger.

But the temptation was too sweet. Against his better judgement, he threw his arms behind him, curling his phalanges into fists and giving his body a well-deserved stretch.

He leaned back into the chair, tilting the backrest ever so slightly to make his position more comfortable. Then, like a cat, he extended his midsection to the fullest and-

He felt something crack and fall. Judging by the location of the stinging split, it was one of his floating ribs. The bone clattered against his pelvis before nestling comfortably in his pants.

This was quite the awkward situation.

On one hand, reattaching the bone right away was better than waiting for Emma to leave; on the other, taking it out now in front of a human who has no experience with such injuries would probably lead to medical services being involved.

Or, he could wait until Emma was distracted and teleport the rib to a cupboard or a safe spot somewhere in the apartment. Sure, it would be uncomfortable, but that was always better than having her look at his mangled body.

At the same time, maybe letting her in wouldn't be such a bad idea. It could completely backfire on him, though, and he really didn't feel like dealing with the consequences.

He looked up from his black sweater to say: "ShiT." Shit indeed. How to explain this?

"What was that?" She asked, and had every right to do so.

"SpARe KeYChaiN?" Not the best excuse ever, but it might throw her off his scent for a while.

Emma finished up the last line, pushed herself from the table, and gave him a deadpan stare. Never mind.

Erratum shrugged in response. "It ShouLDn'T be ANyTHing ToO seRiouS." Right after his attempt at reassurance, something else dropped with a neat shatter in the next room. "NoW  THat," he tilted his skull towards the source of the sound, "SHouLD be TaKen CaRe OF FiRsT."

"This isn't over," Emma warned before hopping off the stool to go check on the kids.

The room was silent. No more clicking, tapping or huffs of breath. The door was firmly shut behind her, and Erratum, to escape the confines of the limited space, stood up shakily, teleported the rib to the unused medicine cabinet, and followed in her steps.

His SOUL clenched uncomfortably in his chest. Today was fine, and nothing had changed: the walls were still colored in their muted shades, the floor was cold and the children were being children.

All he had to do now was to make sure this peace lasted for his precious ones.

----

Erratum was not going to mourn the loss of a glass of chocolate milk. It wasn't a living organism, he could always pour himself another cup, and it was just a cup of chocolate milk. The cup was destroyed, sure, and the preciously guarded lifeblood had been spilt; but destruction might as well be his middle name. He shouldn't mourn its death.

That being said, he was completely allowed to sulk on the couch, alone, and eat a whole bar of milk chocolate as compensation.

Of course, he wasn't mad at Nil and Deviate: not in the slightest. Disappointed, yes. If they were to pour themselves some milk, they should be supervised and have more tact so as to not produce any unwanted mishaps.

They sat on the opposite side of the couch, looking thoroughly chastised and guilty without Erratum even speaking a word.

This did worry him. Normally, he should comfort them in a soft, soothing voice, and embrace them ever so gently in his arms to relax; but Erratum had none of the gentleness to perform the act.

Kindness was rarely needed in his Multiverse, and thus, it wasn't in his main arsenal of abilities.

Here's what was in that arsenal:

His stamina, the ability to dodge in almost any situation, shutting up, choosing fight or flight in a split second, a ridiculously high pain tolerance, practically unlimited HP, and a flexible source of magic.

Here's what he lacked:

The ability to form a full parental connection, social tact, cunning, a stable mindset, peace of mind, to be a constant support to be leaned on- the list could go on forever.

And then again, although he began to lament the lack of those things, he didn't really need them three weeks ago. No use mulling over things that had no use.

In his present situation, though, maybe trying to develop those traits would be to his advantage, and he had a feeling that it was going to be a long ride.

"FuCkiNg inTerDimEnSioNAl TRavEl..." He muttered between bites.

(At the end of the day, Erratum had long since forgiven Nil and Deviate- not like he really minded the spill anyway. It was too small a trifle to be upset over, so perhaps he was indulging himself too much in his liberty of expression. As a peace offering, he handed over a sizable portion of chocolate to the tentative hands of the skeleton brothers.)

(A small sliver of trust was added to the shaky foundations of the Miscalculation family.)

-----

Happy Pride Month!!!

Remember to take care of yourselves! Be yourselves, and love the way you want to love!

Whoooooooooo :DDD

(08/06/2021)

Stay safe!