"1+1" Nightmare pointed at the paper, trying to keep Fable's attention on her lesson, but she seemed interested in anything but mathematics, even as he used his tendrils to hold her in place. "smoooooth!" Her cheek was plopped onto the goop appendage. "an' squish!" She nuzzled down and snorted in quiet amusement. This child was certainly something else. He was starting to recognize that despite his efforts, he was starting to have something of a fondness for her. She was so very pure and innocent. She was curious about everything... but math, it seemed. "now, now, little one. it is only to ten. then we can be done with mathematics." Nightmare offered, and Fable looked up at him with bright and innocent eyelights. Something deep within him told him that she couldn't suffer the same fate he and his brother did. He had to protect her. "one, two, three, four, five-" Fable was cut off as Nightmare started to laugh, his shoulders shaking as he tried to control himself. "this is not quite counting, young one -" He snickered. "it is addition. here. allow me to demonstrate." Nightmare held up his pointers from either hand. "count them now..." Fable pointed at one finger, "one," then the other, "two!" Nightmare smiled wide. "yes! that is right!"

🟡🟣

After lessons, they ate. Fable was getting the hang of eating with silverware. It was still messy, but Nightmare didn't mind so much, and if Nightmare didn't mind, the other two didn't mind. It was quieter without Dust, but nobody said a word about it... until someone did. "no dusty?" Fable looked around the table again. "no dust for the next few weeks." Horror replied to Fable. "why?" She asked curiously. "because." Killer replied monotonously. Fable blinked in confusion and turned to her big brother. "bu why?" Error glitched in annoyance. ("shut up.") "sh-ut-t it u-up." Nightmare sighed patiently and started to clean her up. "because dusty was naughty. so now he is in timeout." He explained. "he will be back once he is being good again." Fable frowned as she sorted through the new information. "can i help?" She asked, but Nightmare was already shaking his head. "certainly not. he won't hesitate to kill you at a moments notice, and you can not control your thrall yet. we will wait, fable. is that understood?" Fable nodded quickly.

🟡🟣

They went through their spear lessons and allowed for Fable to have dinner with their brother. He couldn't upset her balance, after all. The true Guardian of Emotions. The very thing he and Dream were supposed to protect and failed to do so long ago when it was the tree. It was this realization that led to him leaving their door unlocked to free roam, though it wasn't like he told Dream. Even if he accepted that this was something they had to do together, that didn't mean he and Dream were buddy buddy. Fable didn't know either, not yet, anyway. But with that ever-growing curiosity of hers, it wouldn't be long. Even now, as he checked in on the two in the shadows, it seemed that she was learning what a bubble bath was, Dream was just inside the door, just in case. Water was getting all over the floor as Fable sloshed around in the water, giggling as she tried to make faces out of the bubbles. He would have to get her bath toys. Nightmare went back to his office to work. It felt weird... to care again. And this time, he would not get it wrong.