aylish91

[aylish91]

Title: The Five Senses of Love

Chapters: 1/?

Summary:

Stella never imagined she would suddenly be dropped into the world of Undertale. How could she? She lives in the real world indulging in fanfics of her favorite skeletons! Then again, Stella didn't think she would be captured on her first day either. Facing this as her new reality, Stella will have to work on developing a good connection with the Bad Sans, especially King Nightmare. What Stella won't expect, however, is the slight pull she has with each skeleton. What kind of mess has she gotten herself into?

Tags: Slight Sans/Reader, Slight Papyrus/Reader, Only at the Beginning Though, Alternate Universe - Underfell, Alternate Universe - Underswap, Alternate Universe - Fellswap, The first three AU Skeletons only make a brief appearance in the first chapter, Alternate Universe - Dreamtale, Dreamtale Nightmare Sans, Bad Sans (Nightmare's Gang), Dusttale Sans, Alternate Universe - Dusttale, Alternate Universe - Horrortale, Horrortale Sans, Something New Sans (Killer), XTale Sans (Cross), Kidnapping, (More Tags to be added on later)

First chapter is up! ♥ I cannot wait to add more chapters to this story, so I hope you guys also enjoy! ♥

[aylish91]

I don't think I've ever been to an actual aquarium before? Oh well, I tried my best at least.

@scrambledmeggys

First, Previous, & Next Day

Day 18 - Aquarium

A Project Zomboid x Underfell Crossover

Word Count: 1,321

Looking up at the giant wall mural, you could not help but smile. It depicted a wave with various swirls of blues, purples, and occasional bursts of white. Interspersed throughout the piece were various tropical fish and other ocean denizens like sea turtles. It had been years since you had seen the mural, but it looked no less beautiful than it did back when you first saw it on a middle school field trip.

"Hey Firefly."

Your heart skipped a beat at the sound of Papyrus' voice, and when you turned around, saw him approaching from the direction of the admission desk. He smiled, holding out his hand when he reached you.

"Shall We Explore A Little?" he asked.

You grinned and accepted his hand, marvelling at the sheer difference between it and your own. Even through his leather gloves, you could distinctly feel his metacarpals and phalanges through the material since he did not have any skin or tissue to cushion his bones.

"Well, it's not like there are any crowds to deal with today." With a giggle, you began pulling him along to explore the aquarium.

At first neither of you were sure where to start, but ultimately decided to check out the underwater tunnel. As you walked through, the sound of your footsteps echoed off the concave acrylic glass, and more than once, you spoke a little too loudly, only for your own voice to bounce back. Papyrus seemed to find your embarrassment hilarious, but went for the opposite approach and actually raised his voice. This ended with you laughing so hard, you were doubled over while he continued shouting random things.

The tunnel was otherwise beautiful. Without crowds of people in the way, you could go as fast or as slow as you pleased, and you took full advantage of this. Schools of silvery fish reflected a rainbow of colours as they swarmed in and out of the overhead lights. You wished you knew the names of the various species, but at least they were pretty. When a shark lazily glided over the tunnel, your jaw dropped at the sheer majesty, and you had to stop to stare at it.

"Look At It," Papyrus breathed. "The Perfect Predator."

"Yeah…" You glanced up at him and grinned. "It reminds me of you actually."

He chuckled softly, although a soft scarlet glow began to take over his skull.

After that, you walked through the tank displays, admiring the various coral, anemones, and other types of sea fauna and flora. The jellyfish aquariums were especially fascinating, and you lingered in front of the mushroom jellyfish tank for several minutes just watching them undulate lazily. Their pale, translucent bells looked so soft and feathery, making you almost want to touch them, almost.

Papyrus leaned in close to your ear. "That One Reminds Me Of You," he whispered, while pointing to a particularly ethereal jelly. "Beautiful And Deadly."

You covered your face in an attempt to hide your blush. "Stop… I'm not a jellyfish."

"No, You Are Much Cuter~"

You could only groan, much to his amusement. Even if the compliments had flustered you this much, they also made you feel light and happy. No one had ever talked to you like Papyrus did, and you never knew what to do with yourself when he was around.

"L-let's keep going!" you stammered, hurrying away from the jellies. "I remember there's a ray pettin' pool up ahead, and I reckon we might even be able to feed them if we want."

He laughed and soon caught up with you, taking your hand again. "Cheeky Thing~ You Just Want To Distract Me, However The Rays Do Sound Interesting So I Will Play Along For Now~"

The stingrays were even cuter than you remembered them being as a child. The moment you placed your hands in the pool a whole fever of rays made a beeline for you. They flapped the tips of their fins against the surface of the water, as if they were excited to get attention. Being extra careful not to startle them, you carefully ran your fingers over their back and wing-like fins. Their slime coat felt cool and soft to the touch, but in an almost alien way.

Papyrus placed a hand on your shoulder to get your attention and held out a small cup with stingray food when you looked up at him. You accepted it with a smile, and as tempting as it was to see if you could get them to eat out of your hand, you elected to drop little pieces into the water instead. The thought of getting bit was not something you fancied, even if you knew the rays would not do it on purpose. The food itself looked to be some kind of small shrimp and seemed to be a favourite of the small creatures, if the way they gobbled it up was any indication.

Papyrus was a bit hesitant to actually pet the stingrays at first, but with some gentle coaxing, you managed to persuade him to try. After taking off his gloves, he knelt down and gently stroked their wings with the back of his phalanges. He seemed to be trying to mimic your earlier approach, while still being mindful to not hurt the little creatures. The joy in his scarlet eyelights was honestly precious, and you wished you had a camera so you could capture the moment, but alas, your memory would have to do.

When the ray food was gone, you looked over at Papyrus. "Shall we go see what else there is to do?"

He nodded and stood up again. "Sure, I Noticed A Gift Shop Earlier That Might Be Interesting." He smirked, adding in a lower tone, "I Can Think Of Some Other Fun Things To Do If You Want~"

"Like what..?" you asked tentatively.

He stepped closer until you were nearly touching. "Hm~ What Do You Want To Do?"

Your cheeks burned at the titillating implications of this conversation. "Um… I don't know…" you stammered. "Maybe let's check out the gift shop before anything?"

"Suit Yourself. As Long As We Are Spending Time Together, I Will Not Complain."

The gift shop proved to have a lot of the usual trinkets. There were posters, fact books, toys, and even little fish themed knick knacks. You picked out a shark tooth necklace for Papyrus, and he seemed to have similar thoughts, since he produced a little jellyfish plush when you showed him what you had found.

The day had turned out wonderful, and as you both left the gift shop with bags in hand, you found yourself wishing it had lasted longer. It felt like it had been so long since you had done anything fun to relax. You let out a sigh and glanced down at your hands, only just noticing how blurry they looked. Were you crying?

"I Am Glad We Did This Together," Papyrus said. He leaned in, letting one of his hands rest against the small of your back. "Although, There Was One Last Thing I Wanted To Do, Firefly~"

"Paps…"

He smiled affectionately at you. "Come Here, Sweetheart…" Cupping the side of your face, he gently tugged you closer, and you responded by wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

Just before your lips met his own teeth, you found yourself staring up at the ceiling in the dark. For a moment, you did not know where you were since nothing looked familiar. Your body felt hot and your throat was as dry as a desert. Slowly, you sat up and looked around the room, confused as you had just been at the aquarium in Louisville moments ago. As you began to pick out familiar items - your school backpack, your spiked bat, your mended jacket - memories from the past two weeks came rushing back like a flood.

It had all been just a dream…?

[aylish91]

Hey! I have my commissions open! They’ll be open for a while!

If you’re a first time commissioner you’ll receive a 20% discount!

Check out my Commission Page for more examples, my terms of service and more information

[aylish91]

I'm happy to write Frisk again since I get to include my little headcanons for them. Not sure how much I'll get to include in this fic since they aren't the main character, but we'll see I suppose

@scrambledmeggys

First, Previous, & Next Day

Day 17 - Roadtrip

A Project Zomboid x Underfell Crossover

Word Count: 1,473

July 25 - We found a small community yesterday and ran into Papyrus' brother, Sans, as well as Frisk the Monster Ambassador (who is actually a human). The brothers seem really close with them, but I can't tell what their relationship is like. Maybe they see each other like siblings or cousins? It's pretty cute either way. I'm admittedly worried that Papyrus will want to part ways now that he's found the people he was searching for. I originally decided to stick with him to help find them, but I've really come to treasure our friendship. I think I want more, but I don't know if he would ever feel the same.

With a sigh, you set down your pen and ran your hands through your hair. You had woken up rather early today, and when you could not seem to get back to sleep, decided to write about your thoughts. It felt peaceful being up before everyone else, and with the CD you had previously found playing on low volume, the mental turmoil did not seem so bad.

Just then, a soft knock sounded on the door.

"Come in," you called, not bothering to get up from your place on the bed.

Frisk opened the door slowly and gave you a friendly smile. Their eyes flicked from you to your radio on the bedside table and back again.

"Sorry, did the music wake you up? I didn't realize the sound would travel through the walls so easily."

The teenager shook their head vigorously and stepped into the spare bedroom. They gestured to the radio and made a few deliberate hand signs, although you could not follow what they were trying to say.

You shook your head. "I'm sorry, but I only know a few signs. I can turn the music off if it is botherin' you though?"

They shook their head once more before pointing at the radio again and giving you a thumbs-up.

"Ah, you like it then?" When Frisk nodded, you could not help but smile. "Oh that's good. I like this song too."

After a few seconds, they pointed to the window and made a questioning motion with their arms.

"You want to go outside?"

They shook their head and tried again, but when you still could not understand, they seemed to get an idea. Grabbing your hand, they gently tugged until you stood up and allowed them to lead you to the bedroom they had been using. As soon as you entered, you noticed various wrappers and crumpled paper on the carpet. The desk was layered with various finished drawings and some random comic books. Overall, the room had a very lived in appearance.

"You've been in here a while, huh?" you commented. As soon as you had spoken, you realized what Frisk had been trying to communicate. "Oh. You wanted to know what it's like outside, didn't you?"

They nodded.

You exhaled heavily as you considered whether you should answer truthfully or not. Frisk was just a kid, and you really did not want to make them upset; they deserved to be happy and not stress about circumstances outside of their control. However, they were the Monster Ambassador, which while being a mostly symbolic position, did come with a level of responsibility that most kids their age did not have. The world had irreparably changed for the worse, and these changes had already been affecting Monsters, so Frisk probably deserved to know the truth.

"Well… I'm goin' to level with you, it's pretty bad out there," you started to say. "I don't really want to get into the details, but you're the only human I've seen since the outbreak started."

Their shoulders drooped, and with a dejected sigh, they sat down on the edge of their bed.

"I'm sorry, I wish I could say that things are gettin' better, but I don't think they can."

Frisk gave you a small smile, as if trying to reassure you that they were not upset with you for telling them. Oddly enough, they did not seem too surprised by the news, just sad. It made you feel pretty bad, even though you had tried to be gentle, but lying to them would have been pointless. Anyone with eyes could tell that things were messed up out there.

cxxx{}:::::::::::::::::::::::::::>

"Sans And I Have Been Talking."

You looked up sharply from the magazine you had been reading during breakfast. "About what?" you asked, trying to hide your concern.

Papyrus glanced at Sans, who gave a subtle nod from his chair across from you. "We Have Decided That Returning To The Mountain Should Be Our Next Course Of Action. Monsters Are Used To Fighting, And The King Most Likely Reinstated The Royal Guard As Soon As The Outbreak Began, So It Is The Safest Place We Can Think Of."

"really sucks that we can't contact alphys or anyone else over there," Sans muttered. "i hate not knowin' if they're okay or not."

You nodded as you returned to your reading, although you could not seem to focus on any of the words on the page. Their plan seemed solid, but it was hard to be enthusiastic about it. Were you really welcome to continue travelling with them? Black Mountain was all the way on the other side of Kentucky and would take at least several days to get there, not considering if there were obstructions in the way. Should you leave Knox County and any chance of seeing your missing family again? Your brother and father could still be out there somewhere, and they would not know where you had gone if you left.

Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed Frisk seemed excited about the trip and they quickly finished eating before pushing back from the table. After bringing their dishes to the sink, they scurried upstairs, presumably to start getting packed. You did not see much reason in sticking around now that the conversation was over and got up to leave as well.

"Firefly?"

You froze, one foot out of the kitchen at the sound of Papyrus' voice.

"Is Something Wrong?" he asked, gently touching your shoulder.

You slowly shook your head. "No, not exactly…" The moment the words left your mouth, you knew you had made a mistake. The room seemed to turn icy under Papyrus' scrutinizing gaze, and you swallowed nervously.

"Brother, Give Us A Moment Of Privacy," Papyrus requested, simultaneously nudging you away from the kitchen. Sans only responded with a grunt, not moving from his spot at the table, and you were essentially walked into the living room and made to sit down on the couch.

Papyrus remained standing, planting himself in front of you and crossing his arms. "I Can Tell When You Are Lying, So Do Not Start With Me," he muttered, giving you a stern look. "You Have Been Acting Strange Ever Since Yesterday. What Is Bothering You?"

You stared at your hands, fiddling with your nails silently. As the seconds stretched on, you began to realize that he was fully prepared to stare you down until you gave in. "Are you leavin' now that you found them?" you finally asked.

He did not actually respond for a long moment. In fact, he was so quiet that you jumped when he abruptly placed his hands on your shoulders. "Look At Me." He waited until you forced yourself to make eye contact. "I Do Not Know Why You Thought I Would Abandon You After Everything We Have Been Through Together, But I Assure You It Was The Furthest Thing From My Mind."

"I'm sorry, I know it was silly-"

"No, It Is Not," he said firmly, cutting you off. "I Care A Lot About You, And The Last Thing I Want Is To Make You Upset."

You swallowed thickly and nodded.

"If You Want To Come With, And I Hope You Will, Then You Are Welcome. However, I Understand If You Have Places To Be."

Truthfully, you did not have much reason to stay here. While you wanted to hold onto the hope that your father was still alive somewhere, or your brother decided to travel the span of the country to find you, the reality was that they had likely been infected along with everyone else. Even if you were to find what remained of them, as astronomically low as that was, what then? You would have to bury more family and somehow cope with even more grief. During the past week, Papyrus had been a lifeline, and without him, you knew you would have spiralled into despair and been unable to continue on.

"I'll come," you whispered, wiping at the tears already gathering in your eyes. "I care a lot about you too, and I really, really don't want to be alone."

[aylish91]

"why did you stop writing your story!!! never stop writing!!!!!!!!!!!" well you see the character had to drive one mile to a new location and the sentence "she got into the car" was quite simply my undoing

[aylish91]

I have nothing to say for myself honestly

This is more fanart for @bonesgalore and @teasnarker92 ‘s fic- Sins Aplenty on Ao3

[aylish91]

posting anywhere near consistently is so hard for no reason at all except the ‘drawing regularly’ thing

Doodle page I did a bit ago for @stwbwwychan’s Dust!Sans Corpse, normal about him as usual

[aylish91]

Just a quick update. I'm on vacation, but I am still working on the next, Gaurdian's of the Deep, kofi event peice as well as other peices!

[aylish91]

nightmare au doodle from a magma yesterday

[aylish91]

I was really looking forward to writing this one. Maybe you'll see why when you read it? :3

@scrambledmeggys

First, Previous, & Next Day

Day 7 - Camping

A Project Zomboid x Underfell Crossover

Word Count: 2,014

July 14 - I didn't have time to write with everything going on in the past two days. The short of it is Papyrus and I left town since there were a lot of infected in the area, and we didn't feel safe. We ended up going through the woods to lose a horde and spent most of yesterday catching up on lost sleep. I've been listening on and off to the radio I swiped from the laundry mat and just learned this morning that there's been violence in the refugee camps outside the exclusion zone. There's apparently been two casualties; I feel awful for everyone involved. We're just going to keep putting one foot in front of the other for now.

When you finished writing in your journal, you slipped it back into your bag and stretched your arms above your head. There was some lingering soreness from sleeping on hard surfaces lately, but you otherwise felt pretty okay.

Spotting movement out of the corner of your eye, you crawled to the edge of the shipping container you had been sitting on, only to realize it was just Papyrus patrolling the area again. Watching him march around the clearing with his axe resting on his shoulder was actually rather interesting. Despite not wearing any sort of uniform or wielding a military-issued weapon, he looked the spitting image of a soldier. Just as he rounded a trailer, you realized you were now in his direct line of sight and quickly ducked your head, hoping he didn't catch you staring like a fool.

You were not sure what to think of him. His personality tended to be icy but occasionally steered towards lukewarm, leaving you often trying to predict his reactions before breaking any sort of news. Still, there was something magnetic about him that kept drawing you in, to the point where you could not consider even leaving his side anymore. Maybe it was unhealthy to stay around someone like him, but where else would you go? It was not a friendly world out there at this point.

"Are You Ready To Get Moving?"

"Hm?" You glanced over the edge of the container to find Papyrus had stopped marching. "Yeah, I'm done writin' for today."

He nodded as you swung your legs over the metal panelling and dropped onto a wooden crate. "I Have Been Meaning To Ask You Something, Human."

"What's that?" you asked, clambering to the ground and wiping some dust off your pants.

"You Would Not Happen To Know Where We Are, Would You?"

You frowned and shook your head. " 'fraid not. If we hadn't gotten all turned around in the woods, I may have had some idea, but as it stands I think we're pretty much lost."

He sighed and shook his head. "Well, We Cannot Just Stay Here; What Little Food And Water We Have Will Run Out Before Long."

"We can follow the road over there," you suggested, pointing towards a gravel road on one side of the clearing. "Worst case scenario, we can use the sun as a reference point so we don't end up walkin' in circles."

Papyrus considered your suggestions for a moment before giving a curt nod. "I Suppose It Is Better Than Standing Around."

cxxx{}:::::::::::::::::::::::::::>

After following the road for a few hours, you were starting to wonder how lost you really were. It would surely join up with a major thorough-way at some point, right? Well, so long as that happened before you ran out of food, everything would be fine. Although you did not relish the thought of having to sleep outside and exposed in the open again. Last night on top of the shipping container had already been rough, but you had taken comfort in knowing that you were too high up for any wandering infected to reach. The thought of trying to perch up in a tree or risk sleeping on the ground itself was just not something you were looking forward to experiencing.

"We Should Keep An Eye Out For Water."

Your tall companion's comment shook you from your current train of thought. "How come?" you asked, glancing up at him curiously

Papyrus tapped the shoulder strap on his duffel bag. "Well, I Grabbed One Of The Tarps Laying Around Back There. I Could Set Up A Tent If We Found A Good Spot To Make Camp."

"You really think we won't find a buildin' before then?"

He glanced at you out of the corner of his eye socket and smirked. "What? Too Rough For Your Fragile Human Body To Handle?"

You wrinkled your noise at his obvious taunting. "Well excuse me for having normal preferences," you retorted. "My pops used to take us campin' every summer, so I think I can handle at least one more night under the stars."

"We Will See About That."

Thankfully, he did not make any more snarky remarks for the rest of the day, and other than the occasional animal call or songbird, the walk was oddly peaceful. You kept thinking a whole horde of infected would come stumbling out of the trees, but even after several hours you hadn't so much as seen hide nor hair of one. It was almost enough to make you forget there was an outbreak at all.

Just as your stomach had started complaining about you not having eaten since morning, you both came across a small pond and decided it was as good a spot as any. Papyrus spent a few minutes patrolling the area, making a bit of noise to hopefully draw out any hidden infected, while you chose to cut down some pine boughs to make sleeping on the ground slightly less uncomfortable.

When Papyrus returned, he brought back a large armful of branches. You had not even considered the possibility of having a fire tonight since you had no way to light it. You supposed he knew what he was doing though, or maybe he had just picked up some matches when you were not looking. While he started arranging the branches in a teepee shape, you decided to gather more wood since you knew from experience that the fire would quickly eat through what Papyrus had found, especially if either of you wanted to heat up something for dinner. By the time you managed to gather another armful, Papyrus had started a small blaze and had moved on to trimming a few longer branches into makeshift tent poles.

"Wow, I didn't think you would get the fire goin' so fast," you commented as you deposited the wood nearby.

"It Is Not Exactly Hard To Start Fires."

You frowned as you took a seat. "I guess? It's not easy though if you don't have the right tools or conditions."

He didn't say anything in response and just continued putting up the tent.

Once there were plenty of coals, you decided to open a can of vegetable soup, intending to set it on a flat rock near the fire to heat through, however Papyrus took it from your hand when you went to fish the can opener out of your backpack.

"Really?" You gave him an unimpressed look and tried to reach for the can.

"Let Me Cook, Human," he growled, holding the soup just out of reach.

With a frustrated huff, you pouted and crossed your arms. "Why does it matter so much to you? If you still don't trust me, we can eat separate food so this isn't a fight every time."

"I Have Not Even Known You For A Week, Of Course I Would Not Completely Trust You." He started to reach for the can opener, but you quickly moved it away, choosing to sit on it in a spur of the moment decision. If he really wanted to take the gadget, he would have to physically move you to do so.

"This Is Childish. Why Do You Continue Fighting When I Am Clearly The More Capable Cook?"

"No."

For a split second, he seemed surprised you had not immediately given in, but his expression soon hardened once more. "This Is Not A Discussion, Human. Give Me The Can Opener."

"No, I will not," you responded. "We fought the infected side by side, and I navigated us through Muldraugh. This isn't about trust anymore, and I'm tired of you claimin' otherwise."

He clenched his fists. "If You Are Insinuating That I Ever Needed Your Help, Then You Are Sorely Mistaken. I Have Survived Much Worse Odds Than Any Fights We Had With Those Corpses, And I Can Follow Roads Just Fine On My Own." He paused to take a breath. "No, Human, You Are Here Because I Pitied You. Nothing More!"

You winced at his sudden outburst but refused to be intimidated. He had yet to back up any of his threats, and you were sick of letting him trample all over you. "It certainly looks like you need my help now," you remarked, glancing at the soup can he was still holding. "If you can't answer a simple question, then I would say you're the childish one. So again, why does it matter so much?"

If looks could kill, you would be dead a thousand times over. At first, you thought Papyrus was going to throw the can at you, that was how furious he looked, but instead he just dropped it in the grass by your feet. Standing up, he kicked some small stones at the fire before stomping over to where he had left his duffel bag earlier. Warily, you watched his movements for a bit, trying to determine if he was going to get more upset if you said anything else.

"With the way the world is goin', I may end up bein' the last human left. Would you continue actin' so stubborn even then?" you asked quietly. No sooner had the question left your lips did it occur to you that this might be a more complicated situation than you had first assumed. "Look," you started to say, "You don't have to tell me if it's somethin' personal. I just don't understand why you're so hung up over my cookin'."

Papyrus glanced at you before abruptly zipping his duffel bag back up. "It Is Personal To Me," he muttered. Coming back to the fire, he sat down cross-legged across from you and threaded his phalanges together.

"I'm sorry for pryin'-"

He held up a hand, cutting off your apology before you could finish. "No, You Have A Point. I Will Briefly Explain," he conceded. "As A Monster, My Body Is Mostly Made Of Magic, And To Restore My Mana I Need To Eat Magic-Based Food. However, Since Humans Do Not Make Any, I Have To Do It Myself."

To be honest you did not know how to respond to this new information. He clearly did not want to discuss the topic, so you would have to save your questions for another time.

"I guess you could say you're…magical?" you asked in a tongue in cheek sort of way.

He did not seem to get the double meaning, instead giving you a blank look. "Yes, That Is What I Said. Do You Seriously Know Nothing About Monsters?"

You made a so-so gesture. "To be fair, your rulers were pretty tight-lipped with the media, and as a result it caused a lot of speculation on our part. I really have no clue what's real and what's not."

"For Good Reason," he huffed. "When The Barrier Broke, We Discovered That Humans Outnumbered Us A Thousand To One. Old Wounds Run Deep, So We Chose To Be Cautious Lest Humans Decide To Lock Us Away Again."

"Well, I don't think that's goin' to be much of a worry anymore." With a heavy sigh, you finally offered him the can opener. "Here, I guess you'll need this. I won't fight you over who cooks anymore, but I would like to help where I can, okay?"

He nodded as he accepted the gadget. "Alright, I Think I Can Manage That."

[aylish91]

every day i struggle between the choice of writing or ao3-ing or tumblr-ing before i inevitably have to sleep and it's a terrible terrible struggle

[aylish91]

OK I have a hard time telling who does and doesn’t like it so reblog this if you’re a selfshipper who is ok with getting anonymous f/o messages, notes, letters, greetings, etc in your inbox

(and to anyone who likes writing them, you can use this post to find people who enjoy accepting them)

[aylish91]

I like writing characters who are happy to sass each other. :3

@scrambledmeggys

First, Previous, & Next Day

Day 3 - Jealousy

A Project Zomboid x Underfell Crossover

Word Count: 1,640

July 10 - I'm still alive somehow so I guess that counts for something since everyone outside is infected. I met a Monster yesterday named Papyrus. He's an ornery type but seems like a decent person so I suppose we'll be sticking together for a bit. I woke up early to check the news, and they're now calling this outbreak "The Knox Event". The folks in charge are insisting everything is under control, but it's clear that no one's really buying it. Apparently, there's protesters in Washington D.C., and people are panic buying supplies. There's also a rumour that this whole mess started from bad meat; like feeding it to animals and messing up something in their heads. I'm not smart enough to really understand, but we'll probably be avoiding meat for a while just in case.

  The last of the milk and eggs were used to make breakfast, although you opted for scrambled eggs this time rather than another omelette. While it tasted the same, the different texture was a nice change of pace. The problem now was that you would need to gather more food, and you knew for a fact that there wasn't another store within easy walking distance. This left one other option: looting nearby homes.

  "I Do Not Understand Why You Are Afraid."

  You frowned and crossed your arms. "I am not afraid, I'm cautious. I have a feelin' those houses have a lot of infected nearby, and I'm not confident I could handle killin' very many."

  Papyrus let out a quiet hum and tapped his mandible thoughtfully. "Maybe You Just Need The Right Motivation." He held up a phalanx, motioning for you to wait before striding out the back door towards the shed.

  You didn't have to sit in suspense for long before he returned with a box of nails and a hammer. "How are those supposed to help?" you asked, semi-seriously. "I don't believe my subpar diy skills would be of any use fightin' the infected."

  "They Would Not," he remarked dryly. "No, I Have A Much Better Idea. May I See Your Weapon?"

  You glanced at the bat leaning against the wall next to your backpack. You had a feeling Papyrus was going to do something to alter it, which was fine if it made defending yourself easier, but it had sentimental value.

  "It's not actually mine; my brother left it behind when he left for college." You rubbed the back of your neck sheepishly. "Maybe this is silly, but it's special to me."

  At the mention of your brother, Papyrus stilled, and his expression grew serious for a moment before relaxing again. "Well, If You Would Prefer Using A Frying Pan As A Weapon, Be My Guest." There was a sense of irony to his tone, as if he was not being entirely serious about downgrading your choice of weapon.

  You vehemently shook your head. "Mom received those pans as a weddin' gift, and I'll be damned if I ruin 'em by bashin' some infected over the head with one."

  "I Thought Not," he remarked, a smile threatening the corners of his mouth.

  You hesitated for a moment before retrieving the bat. If it had truly mattered to James, he would have taken it with when he was packing last year. It was just a basic wooden baseball bat, in fact you were pretty sure it had been made at the factory in Louisville, so it was pretty common all things considered. James would probably prefer if you used it to stay alive anyways.

  "I Can Think Of Something Else If You Are So Attached To It."

  "No, it's fine." You handed the bat to Papyrus before adding, "It's just a bat, and I would prefer havin' a good weapon than not."

  He nodded in agreement, seeming pleased that you had agreed without much convincing, and quickly hammered several of the nails into the bat, transforming it into a rather vicious looking weapon.

  "I reckon I'm more likely to lose an eye while usin' this thing than actually kill anyone," you quipped as you examined it.

  Papyrus scoffed and rolled his eyelights. "It May Be A Crude Weapon, But You Will Have An Easier Time Fighting. Now, Shall We Go? Time Is Only Wasting Away The Longer We Stand Here."

  "Yeah..."

  While you were still nervous, Papyrus' confidence was beginning to rub off on you. He seemed to be completely unafraid of the hordes of infected outside, which you didn't understand but sort of admired. At the very least, you supposed having another person to cover your blind spots would prevent you getting surrounded and overwhelmed.

  No sooner had you left the house when you noticed the small group of infected that had been milling about yesterday. Since they were a lot closer than before, you knew they would probably cause problems if not dealt with. Before you could figure out the best approach, Papyrus suddenly charged at the group, brandishing his fire axe in both hands, leaving you with no choice but to hurry after him, lest you be left behind.

  With one swing, Papyrus decimated the first infected and immediately engaged a second before the first's body had even hit the ground. The second dropped a few seconds later, making you realize Papyrus was going to slaughter the whole group before you had even taken on one.

  As he moved on to the third infected, you noticed another individual shambling towards him, evidently attracted from one of the homes nearby by the noise of the fight. Despite your lingering hesitation to kill something that had once been human, you knew you had no choice but to fight. Papyrus was the only other person you had met, and if he died, you would never forgive yourself. You moved to intercept the stray shambler, raising your new weapon until you were within striking range. You had never liked baseball, but these recent events sure meant you were getting quite a bit of swinging practice.

  Your first swing seemed to stun the shambler, which gave you enough time to line up a second and even a third. It tried to attack you, but a final swing sent it crumpling to the asphalt. With blood still dripping from your spiked bat, you turned to check on Papyrus, except to find another infected had snuck up on you. Seeing red, you shoved them away, causing them to lose their balance and fall backwards. You continued attacking until the road beneath them was splattered with visceral.

  Scanning the area, you breathed a heavy sigh of relief when no more infected seemed to have been drawn in. While killing hadn't gotten any easier, at least mentally, the addition of a better weapon meant you could kill faster. You doubted you could handle more than two or three at a time, but the small amount of progress you had made in a day was encouraging.

  Just then, Papyrus let out a frustrated growl, pulling his axe from the skull of one of the bodies. "Completely Mindless..." he grumbled.

  Assuming he wasn't referring to your undignified method of fighting and was in fact annoyed with the infected themselves, you still didn't understand why he would make such a comment. You counted five bodies sprawled out on the ground at his feet and nearly had to pick up your jaw from shock. Had none of them been a challenge for him to defeat? He wasn't even breathing hard, although you doubted he had lungs to begin with considering he was a skeleton. Even you had to take a moment to catch your breath, because mindless or not, the infected were still people, and it was pretty hard to take down a whole person. How was he actually disappointed about killing five whole people?

  "How?" you blurted out. "You were like a machine! How are you so strong?"

  Papyrus glanced at you briefly before looking around for any more threats. "I Grew Up Fighting," he said simply. "I Also Worked My Way Up To Lieutenant In The Royal Guard."

  "You were military?"

  "Something Like That." When you gave him a confused look, he sighed and shook his head. "The First Law Of The Underground Is 'Kill Or Be Killed', Meaning All Monsters Learn To Fight From A Young Age. The Guards Are The Strongest Monsters And Handpicked By The King Himself."

  "I see..." you murmured.

  Maybe it was wrong, but you couldn't help feeling somewhat jealous of Papyrus. He was so strong, almost unnaturally so, and it made you feel completely pathetic in comparison. Unlike you, he also didn't seem to be bothered by the moral implications of killing what had once been a person. The idea of being unaffected by the morality issues of this situation was appealing, although you knew deep down that it wouldn't be good to become so detached.

  "I Am Used To Fighting And Being Outnumbered," Papyrus started to say. "But I Wish I Had A Better Choice Of Weapon Than This Clunky Thing."

  "What do you usually use?" you asked, eyeing the bloody fire axe in his hands.

  Your innocent question seemed to trigger something in him, and he gave you a suspicious look. "Not One You Would Know," he finally stated. You opened your mouth to protest, but he cut you off with a harsh glare. "Standing In The Street Like This Is Foolish, So I Am Going To Continue Looking For Supplies. Keep Up Or Go Back To The House, Human."

  You clicked your tongue as he started to walk away. It seemed like he was hiding a lot more than you initially thought. While leaving him and going back was tempting, you also needed to eat. With a huff, you hurried to catch up, hoping his mood would improve over time.

[aylish91]

If you know any meals that can be made primarily with milk and/or eggs, let me know because I couldn't really think of any lol.

@scrambledmeggys

First & Next Chapter

Day 2 - Secret

A Project Zomboid x Underfell Crossover

Word Count: 2,039

Unfortunately, the convenience store didn't have much else beyond prepackaged snacks and soft drinks. There were some milk and egg cartons in the refrigerators, which you carefully stored in your backpack, hoping you could get back home without smashing anything. You also found a few packages of beef jerky, some dehydrated meat sticks, and two bags of tortilla chips. Papyrus had expressed doubt about the dried meat being any good and seemed disgusted when you explained that it was good to have because it wouldn't go bad. You had to admit that they weren't exactly healthy sources of protein, considering they were loaded with salt and preservatives, but you felt better having them than not.

You picked up a map of the town since it would be helpful planning your next move and slid a couple of magazines into your bag so you would have something to read later. There was also a few shelves with some basic tools like a screwdriver and a gas can, but you left them alone for the time being since you couldn't carry everything even remotely useful out of the store. You still needed to be able to run and fight after all.

Papyrus hadn't said much of anything as you packed your bag. He seemed to have already grabbed what he wanted before you arrived and didn't protest when you took the remaining dairy products. He just waited until you were done and then went to leave the store. You hesitated before calling after him and asking if he had anywhere to go.

Evidently he did not, which is how you now found yourself standing in the living room with a skeleton looking around your home. You decided to just let him acclimate himself like some sort of feral cat while you put away the groceries in the fridge.

"Is This Your Place?" he asked, coming into the kitchen where you were.

You shook your head and turned to face him. "It's actually my parents', but I grew up here."

"I See." Papyrus hummed, glancing around the kitchen with a slightly more critical eye than before.

You sighed and removed your jacket, setting it on the back of a chair. After washing your hands in the sink, you glanced over your shoulder at your impromptu guest. "Are you hungry? My hostin' skills are a touch rusty, but I'm sure I could whip up somethin' edible if you would like."

"Unbelievable!" he scoffed, startling you with his abrupt change in tone. "As If You Could Make Anything Up To My Standards." He moved closer until you had to look up to maintain eye contact. "No, I Will Do The Cooking. You Can Do... Whatever It Is That Humans Do When They Are Not Needed Somewhere."

Oh he did not just insult your cooking abilities. You felt a wave of anger well up in your chest, and it took everything in you to remain cool. He was a guest, a rude one, but a guest nonetheless, and your mother had always drilled into you that making your guests happy was of utmost importance. Besides, you really didn't want to try kicking him out.

"Who says I can't?" you asked, unable to keep from sounding annoyed despite your best efforts.

Papyrus crossed his arms and stooped down until he was at eye level. "I Do, Because I Do Not Trust Anyone's Cooking Capabilities If They Are Still Reliant On Dear Mummy And Daddy For Everything," he answered in a deadly tone.

"Ugh! How dare you!" you snarled, poking him in the chest right below one of his lapels. "I'll have you know that Ma had me learnin' as soon as I could pick up a spoon!"

His previously smug grin faltered at your outburst, but he otherwise looked completely unfazed.

With a huff, you backed away and crossed your arms. "How can I even trust that you won't do somethin' weird to the food? I know what food poisonin' is like, and I'm not goin' through that again, you hear me?"

He actually had the audacity to look offended. "As If I Would Tamper With My Own Cooking," he grumbled. When you still refused to back down, he let out a heavy sigh. "Fine. You May Help...But Only A Little."

Well, you would take what you could get. It seemed like everything would be a fight with Papyrus, so you would have to make the best of things. Sometimes it was better just to give in to keep the peace, but you would have to get used to standing up for yourself if he was planning to stick around.

Papyrus ended up making omelettes, which was probably the best thing possible considering you only had milk and eggs to work with. Normally you would have included some additional ingredients like cheese or some vegetables, but at least you had some salt and pepper, so the food wouldn't be entirely boring.

You still didn't trust that Papyrus had your best interests in mind, so you waited until he had eaten before trying the omelettes. Other than giving you an odd look, he made no comments on your behavior and seemed to actually understand your reasoning behind it. Maybe that was more because he clearly didn't trust you either rather than anything else.

The omelettes somehow managed to be the best you had ever tasted. They were fluffy and seemed to all but melt in your mouth with each bite. The flavour wasn't anything mind-blowing, but the meal left you feeling contented in a way that you hadn't felt in days. You couldn't help but compliment Papyrus' skill, which clearly pleased him if the way his permanent sneer lifted ever so slightly was any indication.

After cleaning up the kitchen, you figured it would be a good idea to show your guest where he could sleep. With his height, you recognized that Papyrus would not be very comfortable on the couch which meant the bedrooms upstairs were the only reasonable option.

"The spare room is the first door on the left, and the bathroom is right next to it. Don't go into the room at the end of the hall," you called out as he started for the stairs.

Papyrus paused part way up the steps, giving you a curious look. "Why? Is That Where Your Room Is?" he asked. You thought you detected a bit of sarcasm in his tone, but it was hard to tell.

Moving to the foot of the stairs, you crossed your arms and fixed the skeleton with an unimpressed look. "No, but it shouldn't matter because I don't want you in there."

"So You Trust Me Enough To Let Me Stay The Night, But Not Enough That I Might Try Poisoning You." He cocked his skull to one side before remarking, "Your Priorities Are Confusing, Human."

"If you keep testin' my patience like this, you won't be allowed to sleep upstairs at all," you hissed, gritting your teeth in an attempt to keep yourself from yelling.

Papyrus narrowed his eye sockets. "As If You Could Make Good On That Threat," he retorted before starting up the stairs again.

You felt your heart skip a beat and hurried to follow him for fear that he was actually just going to barge into the master bedroom. "Papyrus! You gotta listen to me-"

He paused at the top of the stairs, giving you time to catch up, only to realize he hadn't stopped because of you. Rather, it was because of the large brownish red stain on the floorboards that you hadn't actually gotten around to cleaning yet.

To your surprise, Papyrus didn't immediately react or even demand an explanation for what was clearly dried blood. He moved closer, as if to examine the immediate area around it, before looking down the hallway towards the master bedroom. Slowly, he turned to back to you, his eye sockets narrowed slightly with suspicion.

"I Thought The Scent Of Blood Seemed Stronger In Here Than Outside," he murmured. "Is There Something I Should Know About You, Human?"

You really hadn't wanted to tell him. With a heavy sigh, you moved to stand next to him, purposely putting yourself between him and the door down the hall.

"I... I know this looks bad...but I had no choice." You hesitated before continuing, "My mom was like the ones outside, infected, and I... I had to defend myself." You could feel your eyes growing damp at the memory of the previous day, and you wrapped your arms around yourself in a vain attempt to comfort yourself.

"Where Is Your Father?"

"I don't know. He left almost three days ago to get medicine, and I've not heard from him since."

Papyrus stepped closer. You noticed his hand twitched, but when he didn't reach out, you looked up at him again. "Then, You Are Alone?" he asked in a calm tone.

You nodded silently and wiped your eyes on your sleeve. You really didn't want to cry now, not in front of him.

He touched your shoulder causing you to jump slightly from the unexpected contact. "I Understand."

"I was goin' to take care of her eventually," you said. "It's just been a hard day..."

Papyrus nodded ever so slightly. "Would You Like Some Help? I Am Not Familiar With Human Funeral Rites, But Leaving A Loved One Alone Like That Seems Improper."

You stared at him in shock. "You...really needn't trouble yourself."

"And Leave You To Take Care Of It By Yourself? I Think Not, Human." He snorted and rolled his eyelights before adding, "At Least Let Me Try."

It felt wrong to accept his offer. This had been your burden to bear, your punishment for taking a life, even if you were beginning to realize there had never been another option. This was a personal matter, yet a complete stranger had noticed your pain, and offered to do what he could to help. He hadn't even demanded payment, although you supposed he could still change his mind if he so chose.

"There should be a shovel in the shed out back," you murmured, looking down at the floor so he wouldn't see the tears trailing down your cheeks.

Papyrus gave your shoulder a subtle pat before moving past you. "I Will Find You If I Have Trouble."

To your shame, you had to retire downstairs while Papyrus moved your mother's body, but he didn't complain. He chose to wrap her up in some of the bed sheets which you appreciated since seeing her at this point would have been really hard to handle.

You ended up turning on the television in an effort to distract yourself, finding it still tuned to the Life & Living channel from earlier. An episode of Exposure Survival happened to be airing, and the laid-back mannerisms of the host, a veteran named Dean, helped calm your nerves a little. You remembered your pops being an avid fan, and you had good memories watching the show in the evenings after coming home from school. Their personalities were similar too; both being calm, stoic types with a passion for the great outdoors. You didn't know what had happened to your pops, but unless he was unable to return to the house, you knew he was a fighter and likely would manage to survive if he hadn't been infected like your mom was.

By the time the show ended, Papyrus had finished digging a grave in the side yard near the shed. You pulled yourself together long enough to go pay your respects before he covered your mom's body with soil. She wasn't suffering anymore, and you would heal in time. You would never forget her as long as you lived, and if you could, you would do your best to make her proud.

"I should make some sort of grave marker," you murmured, clutching yourself amid the evening breeze. "In case anyone wonders who she was."

Papyrus put the shovel away in the shed and dusted off his gloves. "She Will Always Remain Alive In Your Memory," he said plainly.

You nodded quietly before turning to follow him back to the house. "Thank you, Papyrus."

[aylish91]

Special thanks to @scrambledmeggys for the prompt list! Go check out her art if you haven't already!

CW: This is a zombie apocalypse story and there will be death, themes of death, and plenty of guilt. I will not be mad if you choose to skip this fic. Stay safe!

Next Chapter

Day 1 - Fluster

A Project Zomboid x Underfell Crossover

Word Count: 3,205

July 5, 1993 - Well, telephone lines and the internet are still down, so Mom and Pops ended up inviting the neighbors to our bbq yesterday since we couldn't get hold of the cousins. I think Mom is still sad James couldn't make it, but at least he didn't nearly blow himself up with fireworks this time. The slaw she made was real good, although I'm regretting eating as much as I did. We're sicker than dogs and can hardly keep anything down before it comes back up. Mom is mad at Pops for leaving the hamburger out too long. I'm gonna go back to sleep, but Pops mentioned the news was reporting on multiple bouts of food poisoning in town. I guess we weren't the only ones.

...

July 6 - Pops said he feels better today, but Mom and I are still sick. He's going to get some medicine from the pharmacy; I reckon he feels real bad about Mom since she can't even get out of bed. The good news is that I'm starting to get better I think? The nausea has mostly passed at least, but I'm too weak to be up for long. Even writing this is hard, but I can at least watch tv so I won't die of boredom. I heard the military set up an "exclusion zone" around our town and a few others. I believe they evacuated some people, but I have no clue why. I wonder if it's related to that hazardous waste spill by West Pointe a few days ago? It could also explain the weird smell we've had for a few weeks, but I can't say for sure.

...

July 7 - Pops has not come home since yesterday, and I'm beyond worried because he was only supposed to go to Cortman's down the street. It's not even five minutes away even if he hadn't taken his car. Maybe they were closed? There were quite a few sick people in town so maybe they ran out of supplies, and he had to drive to another clinic? I can't call him, and I can't even call the police to look for him. I'd go out myself, but I don't feel right about leaving Mom alone. She's still pretty sick, and thanks to the six p.m. curfew, I can't even sneak out if she falls asleep.

...

July 8 - There's still no word from Pops. I can't imagine what could have happened. Maybe he was detained by the military? It's been real noisy outside today, and I think the neighbors aren't taking too kindly to the curfew. I'm going to make sure the windows are all locked, and see if I can at least barricade the ones downstairs. We've never had issues with them, but I don't want to take my chances with an intruder. Mom's been in her and Pops' room all day, and I can't say if she even knows he's been gone so long. I should check on her soon.

...

July 9 - This can't be food poisoning. I guess I woke Mom up while moving stuff around cause she was banging on the door. I went to check and

  You paused and tried to blink away the tears that formed as you had been writing.

  she came at me.

  Your vision only continued to blur, and with a sob, you dropped the pen, burying your face in your hands. The tears kept coming no matter how much you tried to wipe them away until all you could do was sit there and bawl your eyes out.

  This wasn't real, it couldn't be real! You knew you weren't dreaming, but oh how you wished you were. If only you could wake up tomorrow and find out this was all a nightmare your feverish brain had dreamed up! You just didn't understand what was going on.

  Your mother had become delirious two days ago, something you had chalked up to her fever, but nothing you did seemed to help bring it down. When you heard her banging on the bedroom door, your first thought had been that it had jammed as the knob had been finicky lately. However, it hadn't been stuck, but your mom wouldn't move away when you got it open. You had tried to ask what was wrong and if she was alright, but she was completely incoherent and couldn't answer. It was like your mother had completely lost her mind with all the snarling and moaning sounds she was making.

  In your confusion, you had stepped away from the door to do...something. You weren't even sure why you thought there was anything you could have grabbed that would somehow calm her down. The medicine cabinet had been emptied out days ago, and there wasn't anyone you could have called for help. The next thing you remembered was the guttural roar she made as she charged at you. Her arms were outstretched, grasping with nails that seemed longer than they had been just a day ago, and spit flecked from her open mouth.

  You narrowly managed to avoid her initial lunge, although her nails still grazed your right arm. You pushed her back and desperately called out to her, trying to snap her out of whatever stupor she was in. Unfortunately, she showed no signs of recognizing who you were and only continued trying to attack you. You remembered your back hitting the accent table where the hallway curved towards the steps. Your hand fell on the handle of a baseball bat, and you grabbed onto it.

  You had only meant to defend yourself.

  Your first strike barely phased your mother, but your second sent her down. She was still snarling and growling, although it took a few seconds for her to haul herself upright. She came at you again, this time with only one arm reaching out to grab you, and you panicked.

  You brought the bat down as hard as you could. With a sickening crunch, she fell and this time stayed down. You were breathing hard then, mostly from the fright and adrenaline still coursing through your veins. You half expected her to get back up, but when she didn't so much as make a peep, you cautiously poked her with the bat.

  Maybe it was the scent of blood seeping into the floorboards, or how it was rapidly staining her nightgown, but you were suddenly hit with the horrible realization of what you had done. You attempted to find her pulse, but no matter how much you poked and prodded at her neck, there was nothing.

  Your mother was dead, and you were responsible.

  You couldn't sleep that night, not with the immense guilt from what you did, what you had to do. Screams and occasional gunfire echoed outside, only serving to make you increasingly anxious as well. In a few short hours, everything you had ever known had been completely turned upside down.

  Not feeling up to trying to journal any longer, you closed the notebook and set it aside, lest you ruin the paper with your tears. You all but tore apart the tissue box on the coffee table before you felt like you had some semblance of control over your emotions again. Maybe distracting yourself with some more television would help get your mind off of things.

cxxx{}:::::::::::::::::::::::::::>

  With a heavy sigh, you hit the power button on the remote, leaving you staring at your own reflection in the tv screen. Your hair was a rat's nest, and your hollow expression had you looking away in shame. How were you supposed to live knowing you had your mother's blood on your hands?

  The news hadn't helped distract you from the reality of the situation as you had hoped, instead leaving you confused and anxious about an outbreak officials were calling the Knox Virus. It wasn't food poisoning like your family had originally thought, even though it shared similar flu-like symptoms. There had been a speech by General John McGrew, the commander of military personnel in your area, appealing for calm amid the outbreak and claiming there had been no evidence of fatalities.

  That would change when the authorities found you.

  You couldn't stomach the news any longer and switched channels to a carpentry show, but when that ended, you had to face reality again. You hadn't eaten in hours, and there wasn't much in the pantry besides some condiments and stale crackers. It seemed like you would have no choice but to brave the outside world if you wanted to eat tonight.

  A peek out the living room windows revealed a group of at least four people milling about in the middle of the street. The longer you watched them, the more uneasy you began to feel. Their movements were jerky, looking all sorts of wrong, and when they stood still, their bodies swayed back and forth as if they were inebriated. Their clothing was torn, obviously bloody, and one even had a garden trowel protruding from their abdomen. Whatever had happened to them had clearly not been good, and you hated how similar their appearances were to your mother's, even if they looked much worse for wear than she had.

  The group was far enough away that you wondered if they would even notice if you tried to sneak out of the house. There was a convenience store on South Main Street past the park next door that may have some snacks and dairy products. If there weren't more infected people in the area, you might be able to find enough food to tie you over until you could figure out what to do next.

  After brushing out the knots, you put your long red hair up in a ponytail so it wouldn't get in the way, and despite the sunny weather, put on a long sleeved orange shirt for some level of protection. You didn't want to risk getting infected if one of them managed to scratch you like your mother had. For that reason, you also put on a pair of jeans and long socks.

  You had to step over your mother's corpse as you went to grab a jacket from the downstairs closet, although you paused at the top of the stairs before turning back. It seemed wrong to just leave her in the middle of the hallway, but it was already past noon and you really didn't have the time to properly deal with her body.

  You ended up just dragging her into the master bedroom by her ankles for the time being so she wouldn't be the first thing you saw when you came upstairs. As an after thought, you removed her gold wristwatch and slipped it on your own wrist, mostly to have something to remember her by, but also because you needed a way to tell the time. She wouldn't be needing it anymore anyways.

  For now, you retrieved the baseball bat, and your old backpack so you could actually tote some food back. After tying your shoes and slipping on the jacket for additional protection, you took a deep breath and opened the front door, stepping outside for the first time since the world turned upside down.

cxxx{}:::::::::::::::::::::::::::>

  You were not as sneaky as you had hoped. While you successfully avoided the group of infected in the street, two individuals wandering around the park somehow managed to spot you. It was all you could do to fend them off with your bat before killing each of them in turn. You didn't know either of the infected persons, which helped you not feel as guilty, but it still lingered in the back of your mind. You had killed three times, and you didn't know how many more infected you would have to put down before this nightmare ended. You really didn't want to think about all the ways that could happen though.

  The convenience store and the small adjoining parking lot appeared abandoned upon first glance. The interior was dark, but looking in the windows, you noticed the refrigerators were still on, so there was a good chance the food hadn't gone bad yet. Unfortunately, the front door was locked so you decided to circle around the building to check the back.

  There was a tall wooden fence blocking off public access to the dumpster and employee entrance. While the gate proved to be locked, you weren't detered so easily. After securing your weapon to your backpack to free your hands, you took a deep breath and got a running start, grabbing the top of the fence and hauling yourself up until you could drop down on the other side. Even though it been a few years since graduating high school, it felt good knowing you hadn't lost your upper body strength or athleticism just yet.

  Gripping the handle of your bat tightly, you tried the door, finding it surprisingly unlocked, and proceeded inside with caution. From the shelves and boxes scattered around, you figured this was the store room, although a cursory search revealed little more than coke and various types of candy. If you were a decade younger, you might be overjoyed at the prospect of free soft drinks and junk food, but you really needed more substantial food to keep your energy levels up. Hopefully the fridges contained something better.

  Before you could open the door to the store, it abruptly swung open, and you came face to face with a pair of glowing red eyes. You panicked, letting out an undignified yelp and fumbling the bat. The figure had no face, just bone and sharp teeth, and it felt like those eyes could see through to your very soul. Could he be another of the infected? He had at least half a foot on you, and you weren't short by any means, but it was enough to make you hesitant to attack. For a second, he just stared at you, seeming to be as flustered as you were to see another person, but his expression sharpened when you stepped back, raising your bat to strike.

  "Stand Down, Human," he growled, holding out his hands in a placating gesture and slowly moving towards you. "I Am Not One Of Them."

  "Stay back! Don't come any closer!" You gripped the handle more firmly until your knuckles began to turn white. "I won't hesitate to defend myself, you hear?"

  His scarlet eyelights flicked to the wooden bat in your hands and then back to your face. "Your Form Is Too Stiff. You Could Not Kill Me If You Tried, But Luckily For You I Am Not In The Mood For A Fight." You thought you saw the corners of his mouth twitch as if this situation was amusing to him. "As I Was Saying, I Am A Monster, Like The Ones From The Mountain."

  You went from being afraid of him to angry that he thought you were weak so fast that it gave you mental whiplash. Although, he wasn't wrong since you had been bluffing in an attempt to scare him off. However, the mention of Monsters coming from a mountain was enough to jog your memory, reminding you of how crazy the nation went when a whole race appeared out of nowhere a year ago.

  You really didn't know much about Monsters. Sure, they had been interesting, but when some news stations began speculating about whether they deserved the same rights as humans did, you stopped listening. You simply weren't interested in hearing the opinions of people who were clearly out of touch with reality. As far as you were concerned, Monsters just wanted to be free to live, and since they had been trapped underground for such a long time, it seemed to you like a perfectly reasonable desire. They had mostly kept to the area around Black Mountain though, so until now you hadn't had the opportunity to actually meet one.

  You studied the Monster in front of you for a moment. While you could only discern so much in the dimly lit room, he appeared to be a skeleton, but his entire body was covered by clothing so you couldn't be sure. Aside from his glowing eyelights, you noted there were two long cracks passing through his left socket, and the structure of his face was completely different from a human skull. He seemed to have a scowl permanently set into his facial features, and his teeth looked sharp enough to be classified as deadly weapons. He was wearing a black leather jacket with gold spikes that reminded you of something a biker might wear, a red scarf with tattered edges, leather gloves, gray skinny jeans, and black combat boots with matching gold buckles. Overall, you thought he looked like a stereotypical tough guy straight out of an action movie.

  Slowly, you lowered your weapon, resting the butt of the bat on the tiled floor. "I believe you're a long way from home aren't you?"

  He narrowed his eye sockets suspiciously and crossed his arms. "So It Would Seem," he answered slowly. "I Was In The Middle Of Investigating This Establishment When I Sensed Your Soul. Considering The State Of Things Outside, I Suspect We Are Both Here For The Same Reason."

  "You can sense my soul?" you asked, ignoring the second part of his statement for the moment.

  He gave you an odd look before slowly nodding. "Yes, Humans Have A Soul Like All Living Beings, And With All Those Walking Corpses Outside, Yours Sticks Out Like A Ball Of Fire."

  "Oh." You were a little taken aback by his matter-of-fact tone and didn't really know what to say. "Sorry, I've not heard that before."

  He let out a quiet huff and turned to head back into the rest of the store. "Humans..."

  You clicked your tongue and followed after him. "Excuse me? What's that supposed to mean?"

  The skeleton stooped to pick up a plastic bag containing some items. He didn't say anything at first, choosing to also grab a fire axe that was leaning against a shelf before letting out a sigh. "Sometimes I Forget That None Of You Know Anything About Magic And Souls. It Just Gets Exhausting To Hear The Same Questions All The Time." He turned to face you and added, "Regardless, It Is A Relief To Meet Someone Who Is Actually Alive."

  You found yourself agreeing with him on that, even if begrudgingly. He may be ornery, but after the events of the past several days, you were grateful to meet another person.

  You sighed and rubbed the back of your neck sheepishly. "I'm awful sorry for freakin' out and nearly hittin' you. It's just been a rough day..."

  "I Can Imagine," he responded with a quiet hum. You noticed his eyelights briefly flick to the splatters of blood on your clothes, although he didn't make any further comments.

  In an effort to make the situation less awkward, you introduced yourself. "While I wish these were more pleasant circumstances, it's still nice to meet you. What's your name if I may ask?"

  The skeleton hesitated for a moment before giving you a slight nod. "I Am Papyrus."

[aylish91]

non-writers will never understand the mental illness of writing an entire conversation in your head while doing dishes and then forgetting every word the second you open a blank doc

[aylish91]

made a papyrus animatic 'cause he's not in deltarune yet and i miss him

(also on youtube)