I Really Hate When Fics Try To Demonize Dream Just To Make Nightmare Look Better. If We're Talking Actual

I really hate when fics try to demonize Dream just to make Nightmare look better. If we're talking actual corrupted Nightmare, he really ain't someone to uplift over him. The opposite trope where Dream is perfect and can do no wrong irks me too

What I do like is when neither of them are strictly good or bad. I like when they're flawed. In Dream's case, he has good intentions in wanting to bring his brother back, and he's not necessarily wrong for that, but I can see him having a tendency not to listen

Nightmare KNOWS he isn't the same version of himself he was as a child and he'd try to tell Dream that but he wouldn't listen, he'd try to blame it on the corruption and run himself ragged trying to bring passive back

Dream would do what HE thinks is best for people, again he'd have good intentions but he'd never stop and listen to what others have to say because "he knows best" and I can see this rubbing the Stars the wrong way too

He can grow from it, and I can see him learning. Swap FOR SURE would be able to get through his thick skull eventually, but just because he's the Gaurdian of Positivity doesn't mean he's perfect, but he's not a purposely manipulative mastermind, he's just hard headed and has a savior complex

Nightmare is hard headed too, it definitely runs in the family

I'll admit, i think i have trouble with the way i interpret Nightmare because i know canonically hes fucking awful but since I never read the source material and have no interest to I make up my own shit

Which can tend to paint Nightmare in a kinder light. I have a bias and because of that I think it clouds my way of seeing him, because I like seeing him as caring to the others and having a softer side, but he's still not perfect

Hed still be vengeful, even if the fierce fire for it he had before had dulled. He'd still be a bad guy, he'd take over AUs and he'd still feed off negativity and conflict. I think he'd have too much fun using the "for the balance" excuse

Hed still be manipulative too. If he needs something from someone he'll twist their arm till they surrender it over. I guess my main difference is he's less sadistic and he doesn't hurt the other Bad Sanses?

He can still have a habit of pushing people away too. He and Dream both are TERRIBLE at communicating shit and with Nightmare he closes himself off from the others sometimes without a word

Nightmare can have bad mental health days too. He can't feed off his own negative energy so it effects him like anybody else. This is when he closes himself off, he doesn't try to communicate his issues or his feelings and instead locks his room off and sits with himself. Killer would try to get a word out of him and it'd end up irritating Nightmare. Killer's been around long enough to not be pushed away by it but I can see Nightmare still getting self conscious after the fact

Hes afraid of being alone too, wether he'd ever admit it or not

Also, another thing, he's vengeful, yes, but by the time he's faded he doesn't try to seek out fights with Dream. I think the whole "send the boys after Dream to get him" thing is so silly, he's like a Saturday morning cartoon villain lmao

I can moreso see DREAM seeking HIM out to try and "save" him and Nightmare just wanting to be left alone and only fighting to get him off their backs. Get off his lawn ffs