#but if papyrus is gone he is DONE. what else does he have to lose? might as well do everything to take advantage of the situation

[patchwork-crow-writes]

On the topic of 'other secret bosses', have I told you my Rouxls Kaard theory yet? Specifically that I think halfway through the game, he's going to disappear and become a Secret Boss.

My reasons for thinking this firstly, because like the Joker Card, his real-world form is another item that always gets discarded: the Rules Card. His similarity to Gaster and Papyrus also help(since they're also both very affiliated with the idea of being 'Forgettable', and I suspect one of them may be the 'Strange Someone'. (Maybe both? I will NEVER give up on the Gaster is Papyrus theory.)) Anyways, those things, but there's also how Rouxls' theme has spoken words in it, and Jevil and Spamton have spoken words in their fights (Jevil's 'I can do anything', the lyrics to Big Shot), and there's ALSO something very important--

Rouxls is very important and no one really likes him. He's always running around, trying to find a boss to suck up to, but the Fun Gang treats him as 'eurgh, that guy again,' and neither King nor Queen really LIKES him. Much like Jevil, only one person(Lancer) really seems to appreciate him, but much like Spamton, he's not very good at all at what he does.

So I think that, in some future Dark World, Rouxls will meet someone he's not supposed to. And he's eagerly offer to be their lackey. And that will cause him to disappear. Stopping him from disappearing is out of your control. But what IS in your control is if you just give him up for lost, or go looking for him, even knowing that you can't ever undo the damage done by his having gone missing, even if he's radically changed by what happened, even if you don't think you'll be able to really bring him back...

Maybe Noelle felt similarly after losing Dess. No one seems to talk about them anymore. Life continues on perfectly fine without them. Even those who knew them and miss them still have a life to live. Maybe this was always going to happen. But still...

I've heard about the idea of Rouxls being a secret boss at some point, but this is a really cool take on that idea! I really like this for a couple of reasons - the first being that in a way this has already happened in-game! When we first enter the Cyber World, Rouxls slips out of our pocket in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment, and I'm willing to bet most people didn't even notice he was gone from our inventory until the next confrontation with him... myself included.

The other reason I really like this idea is because it would give Rouxls something else in common with other secret bosses - which is that we as players would have to really go out of our way to discover and fight him, and it's entirely likely that our efforts in that regard could cause many more problems than it might solve - see Kris's mental state after the whole Spamton ordeal. It's kind of like an extension of the philosophy behind the Sans fight in Undertale - we do it because of our morbid curiosity, because we want to see what happens, and because we can, we "have to"... no matter the cost in-game.

Quite aside from that, Rouxls fascinates me because it's entirely possible that his abilities could be literally game-breaking... if he only knew how to use them properly. As the Rules Card, he literally defines the terms of a game of cards - imagine what he could be capable of if he suddenly decided "you can't hurt me anymore" or "I win if I so much as graze you". I think that potential power may be largely curtailed by his need to be subordinate to a "higher power", because you cannot play a rules card in the same way you can play a face card... so maybe becoming subordinate to "something he wasn't supposed to meet" will allow him to use that power to its fullest extent.

To further hammer this point home, look at his appearances between Chapters 1 and 2. Under King, who is a incredibly myopic and cruel ruler whose subordinates either hate him or are completely indifferent to him... Rouxls' puzzles are equally rubbish. Then in Chapter 2, Queen does a slightly better job of "ruling" her domain, and actually commands loyalty from the Swatchlings, and suddenly Rouxls is able to construct a pretty elaborate house-capturing game in his fight. So there's a correlation between how powerful and competent a ruler is, and Rouxls' ability to craft puzzles and games.

So imagine what he might be capable of if he ever came into the employ of somebody with very intimate knowledge of Deltarune's game mechanics... somebody like that person who drove both Jevil and Spamton to insanity. And your theory here would be the perfect way that could happen. And then it's up to us whether we care enough - or are morbidly curious enough - to actually find him once he disappears. And what exactly such a search would entail, for Kris and the other main characters of Deltarune, the game's themes and motifs, and the nature of the nested worlds (e.g. Real(Light(Dark(Something else?))))

Thanks so much for sharing this with me! Rest assured it'll eat away at my grey matter for some time to come, which trust me, is the highest compliment I can give something here :D

[shatterflowerdemon]

I found

Words: 1,517

Reader & UT Sans & UT Paps & Error & Ink & Gaster

Notes:

This came to me as I was cleaning. Please note that I am not very familiar with Error and Ink. I just see pretty designs and write. I haven't abandoned my other reader inserts, but the big wheel in my brain has been landing on 'oneshot' for days. I also post on mobile so I can't chop this.

"Oh fuck. Am I dead? I knew I shouldn't have had that pasta!" Everything that surrounds you is white. "Holy shit? Did I make it to heaven? Unexpected."

"Ahem."

You scream and jerk, managing to scuttle back where you rest on the...floor? It's hard to tell in all this one shade of white. Then you look up. "Oh my fucking god, I am in heaven!" you yell before slapping yourself on the mouth. A skeleton that looks a lot like Ink- from that one AU on Tumblr- looks at you like you've grown a second head.

"Right, okay, back you go," he says, bringing his paintbrush down as if to strike you.

"What the fuck?" you roll out of the way. "Uh, watch where you point that thing!" He sighs and twirls it in this direction.

"Don't make this difficult."

You decide that you would prefer to, not liking the idea of the easy route. Hitting your elbow on the floor hurt. Isn't heaven supposed to be fun and painless? You can feel your heart thumping from adrenaline, too. Regardless of whether or not you're having a fever dream, you are very alive.

Ink attempts to slather or catch you in what looks like his namesake. You scramble and dodge, but the routine is tiring you out quickly. Then, right as you're cornered (in an invisible corner, of fucking course,) a hole opens.

"Dude, you left your- Uh." Error looks between you and Ink, clearly not understanding. "Scarf..."

Ink swings his paintbrush (Broom? Roomie? You forgot) down to rest at his side. "Oh, thanks! I didn't even notice. Just lay it somewhere. Gotta fix this first." You avoid another splatter, feeling like you're on the other end of mickey in that one Wii game with the paintbrush.

"Why's it so empty?" Error asks, glancing around.

"Just did a mass wipe. Decided a fresh canvas was in order."

"Oh. Okay."

You groan, dodging another splatter. "Why the fuck am I even in the doodle sphere?!"

Ink frowns. Error whistles, low and long. "Wow, you accidentally drug a creator here?"

"Shut up." Ink shoots again but misses widely.

Error snickers. "Let me handle this, squid." You watch his hands raise and remember what Error does for a living.

"Fuck no!" You scream, flailing and losing your balance. One minute, you're standing in a white room, and the next, you're nowhere.

It feels like you're falling for eternity. Darkness swims in your vision, making your brain try to fill in the gaps by tricking you with false images. If you scream, you sure can't hear it. Numbness creeps in.

A white oval emerges. Then it stays. Its not a false image? A form takes shape as if your eyes had to adjust. Half circle eyes, two cracks, and a thin smile. The body of spilled ink.

"Gaster." He makes a series of strange noises. Wingdings? "I'm sorry, I can't understand. I- I'm in the void, aren't I?" He nods, and two ghostly hands form before your very eyes. He holds them out to you. "Do you know the way out of here?" Another nod. You take his hands. His figure appears as if it's dissolving, then when you look down, you look the same, like a ghost. The hot iron of fear strikes you. "Wai-"

Your sound is cut out. Once again, for the umpteenth time today, your mind blanks out. An uncomfortable trend.

The first thing you register is cold. It's on your back, arms, head, everywhere. The next is something wet. You groan and shift. Why can't you be left to sleep in peace? WAIT A FUCKING MINUTE. You sit up quickly, disturbing the snow that had been blanketing you before. Something white and fluffy yelps. Your vision clears. Oh! It's a dog.

"Hey there, little guy. Thanks for the wake-up call." The dog barks cutely. You pet it, encouraged by the furious wagging of its tail.

A figure emerges in the distance, but it's hard to see through the snowfall. Whoever they are, they must be tall. Maybe someone on a rescue team? That'd explain the dog. You must have been drugged or passed out somewhere. It couldn't have been a long time since you're still alive in this weather. All your limbs have circulation, and you can't smell rotting flesh.

"DOG! UGH, I KNEW THE RED LEASH WAS SUPERIOR!" An odd sentence for someone on a rescue team, but you let it slide. Any help is better than no help. "OH. A HUMAN." Well, what else would you be? A bear?

"Hello? Do you know where this is? I think I hit my head or something." That would explain the hallucination.

"OH NO! A HURT HUMAN!"

It's like your heart stops and speeds up all at once. Papyrus is tall and a little foreboding at this angle. His scarf flaps in the wind that is currently picking up. He makes quick work of helping you up. The dog stays close by, tail wagging furiously.

"THIS IS NO SORT OF WEATHER FOR A HURT HUMAN! I'LL TAKE YOU HOME AND FEED YOU. MY SPAGHETTI IS WORLD-CLASS."

There's no other option than to agree. If this is a hallucination, you won't fight it. Maybe you're lucid dreaming? Intense focus does nothing to change your situation. Not a lucid dream, then. Papyrus carries you and the dog through the storm, who happily snuggles close to you. At least Papyrus blocks the wind blowing towards the two of you. He chatters the entire way to his house. Instead of the familiar house you were expecting, he brings you to a different one. It's a large log cabin with no porch. It looks like they bought more string lights.

"REST HERE, AND I'LL MAKE YOU SOME WARM FOOD." Papyrus sets you down on a kitchen chair, swiping a quilt and tossing it over you. The dog (presumably annoying dog) settles on your lap as if he owns it. You say nothing. Papyrus returns with a plate of steaming spaghetti and water. "I MUST APOLOGIZE. THE FOOD IS REHEATED SINCE I DIDN'T EXPECT YOU. PLEASE DO NOT MAKE IT A HABIT TO NAP IN SNOW POFFS." The spaghetti is great.

"Thank you, this is great. Uhm, weird question, but where are we?"

"MY HOUSE, OF COURSE!" he replies with a warm smile.

"I think they meant geographic location, paps."

And as if Tumblr hadn't already whooped your ass, here arrives Sans Undertale. Where's a dramatic cue of Megalovania à la trumpet when you need it? Honestly, the very last skeleton you wanted to see. It's like your Sans phase is coming to haunt you. Maybe today is just 'the attack of 2010's fandom.' The switch port could not have possibly done less to prepare you for this.

"Uhm, hi," you say. Sans plops himself down across from you at the kitchen table.

"hey. what's up?"

You make an awkward face. "I have no idea where I'm at or how I got here."

Sans takes it all in stride, pulling up your location on google maps and letting you take it all in. It's a country you've never heard of in your life. You rub your hands over your face and feel like crying. Papyrus, out of the goodness of his heart, offers you their couch for the night.

"hey, paps, why don't you get the human some bed stuff?"

"GASP. YOU'RE RIGHT, BROTHER." Aaaaand Papyrus is gone, taking the stairs two at a time.

"so, I couldn't help but notice you had a lot on your mind. penny for your thoughts?" He holds up said coinage, and it earns him a chuckle from you. Sans laughs himself and sets it on the coffee table.

"I promise I'm not insane, but I'm not from here, and I have no memory of this country. At all." Sans' expression betrays nothing. He closes an eye socket.

"eeh, figured that was the case." He sees your startled expression and shrugs. "I'm good at reading people. what do ya remember?" You close your eyes. The memories roll through, starting with a field of white.

"Black. A lot of it. Something...white?" You gasp, and the name flies between your lips before you can stop it. "Gaster."

Sans jerks, and your eyes fly open. He stares at you like he's seen a ghost. Sweat rolls down his skull. "how-" You can feel the frustration from your day boil over, forming tears that roll down your cheeks in thick globs. You sob into your hands, trying to hide it.

"there there," Sans says, patting you on the back. You finish crying quicker than you expected.

"Sorry. It's been a day." Sans nods and drops his hand. It lays limply at his side. "Guess I gotta fess up now. There's no easy way to say this, but I think you of anyone in this universe would understand." Sans watches with bated breath, apprehension bleeding through his sole eye light.

"I'm not from this universe."

"sheesh. and here I was thinking you were a mage or something. what a relief."

[hahanoiwont]

1. What kind of relationship does WT Frisk have with Nightmare & co? Is it family-like or is it friendship-like? Does WT Frisk get along with all the bad sanses?

2. What if WT Frisk met Ink and Dream first? What would their relationship with Frisk be like?

3. I know that in your fanfic Whither then, Frisk has some kinda nonchalant attitude about dying again and again. What kinda of reactions would the skeleton bros have when finding out that Frisk has died so many times to point of Frisk becoming numb to dying?

4. I know I’m asking a lot of questions, so sorry about. But I love your fanfics and they make me happy and sad when reading them. If Frisk agreed with Red to stay immortal and stop aging, would all the multiverse sanses and Papyruses be happy about that?

Thank you so much for answering my long winded questions. 😆

oh no this was buried in my askbox, I am sorry for losing it for so long! So without further ado:

1. Does WT Frisk get along with all the bad sanses?

Yeah! I'd say in the bad sanses au (mostly readable here) Frisk gets on well with mostly everyone--those of them with specifically Frisk/Chara-related trauma might take a while to adjust, but most of them have already met Frisk before they even get to Nightmare's place. This is after Frisk and Dust have been traveling together for a while, so of course they get along. They actually have to work more on the idea of being separated sometimes, when Dust goes on missions and Frisk isn't constantly with him. They've been traveling together for several universes, and while Frisk is an independent kid, Dust has been about 3 feet from them, max, for much of that time. Mostly because he doesn't actually have any means of traveling through the multiverse himself, besides just catching on Frisk's shoulder as they go. If they'd happened to go and leave him behind, he'd be stranded. Thus, the two of them were more or less attached at the hip, especially towards the end of any given run. I think that habit would be hard to break, even when they're rooming with several new people and Dust has a sorta-kinda real job.

Likely, this starts out with Frisk just hanging out with Horror, and Dust coming with them as a matter of course while they do things he's not particularly interested in. So, Dust and Horror reach a comfortable mutual tolerance fairly quickly, mostly because Dust is apathetic and Horror is busy enjoying the reunion. But I imagine the first mission they go on is a whole stressfest for everyone involved, given Horror's abandonment issues, Frisk's abandonment issues, and Dust's discomfort with addressing social situations without Frisk to run interference. So, that would be a Time.

2. What if WT Frisk met Ink and Dream first?

Hmm. Let's say it's maybe a sort of Outertale situation, where Ink and Dream happen to be in a world that they're monitoring for Shenanigans when, lo and behold, a Shenanigan drops in their laps!

This is never covered in Outertale bc Comet doesn't know about it, but the general outcode community deals with people not being where they belong by trying to find some place they can belong in. Being as it's pretty unsustainable to try sending Frisk back to UF, they'd likely try to set them up with an AU that's expressly for homeless universe-wanderers. That way, Frisk isn't wandering through AUs that aren't supposed to have an outcode presence in them, and there's a minimum of interference. So...I think that lands Frisk in some place like the omega timeline, or haventale?

I think somewhere like that would be pretty good for them, actually--they're surrounded by people who have all also lost their homes, and loved ones, and who are also trying to build a new life after all of that. Somehow, I see them making friends with a post-genocide version of one of the swap bros? Or. actually. Disbelief!Papyrus. To my understanding that's Classic Papyrus as the survivor of a genocide run in which Sans was killed before the Judgement Hall, so Papyrus is the one to wait in the Hall and confront the human for murdering his brother. I think that Papyrus would have a lot to say about Sans as a flawed but beloved individual who is now gone forever, which Frisk would be able to empathize with after their experience with Red. I think after some initial wariness, they could be dear friends to one another.

3. What kinda of reactions would the skeleton bros have when finding out that Frisk has died so many times to point of Frisk becoming numb to dying?

Well! Not best pleased, of course--learning that a loved one has died, even if they're back to being alive now, can't be easy. Of course, the Sanses generally know, or suspect--Red absolutely knows they've died, and has some specific deaths that he deduced in fairly accurate detail from Frisk's reactions and his own nightmares/deja vu moments. Ironically, he also has some nightmares about deaths that didn't happen, and assumes that those are also real. Blue, if you recall, thought he'd killed them in a past genocide run; Black and Slim were both aware of the possibility that they could time travel but ultimately dismissed their suspicions when Frisk proved to be able to REFUSE instead. US!Papyrus has learned that they can time travel and has done his best to take it in stride, but has avoided thinking too hard about the implications of that. Shy was also intellectually aware of the possibility, but he decided he didn't want to know.

However, in terms of new information, I think Fell would take it the hardest. He would see it as an absolutely crushing failure--not only did he not keep them safe from their own brother, he didn't keep them safe at all. He would seriously start to question whether he's of any use to them at all--which, given his ideas about attachment, would lead him to feel he doesn't have a place in their life. He would definitely take it personally that they died so much when he was purportedly protecting them.

I think his ultimate decision, reached without discussing the matter with anyone else, would be that he's Definitely Failed as a brother, both to Red and to Frisk, and he's just not capable of keeping anyone safe. Clearly he is simply not meant to experience love. He can save his world from itself but he can never keep a single person from suffering. I think at this point US!Papyrus would step in, because clearly someone has to, and remind Fell that he's still extremely violent and paranoid. If it came down to a duel to the death to keep their respective siblings safe, Fell would win by a landslide. This would actually make Fell feel better. Surely, if US!Papyrus is worthy of love despite being totally unable to kill a dozen people in an afternoon, Fell must be fine. He will just do Better from now on. No One Will Ever Die Again. Which is good, considering that murder is illegal now due to Fell's extensive efforts.

4. If Frisk agreed with Red to stay immortal and stop aging, would all the multiverse sanses and Papyruses be happy about that?

Well, I think that depends on exactly how they come to be immortal...I think the easy answer would be to absorb a boss monster's soul, since boss monsters don't naturally age, and go from there. Which would be an unpopular plan, generally. Especially since Frisk is quite young currently, and not at immediate risk of dying, barring unusual circumstances. It would just seem like a drastic move for a time that's so far away.

I think it would also depend on Frisk's attitude on it--if it's something that they're relieved about, or something they were pushed into, or even something they approached Red about in the first place.

Exceptions exist--Red would be both smug (he did a Good Thing. no one else even thought of it but he did) and quietly relieved; Fell would disapprove of Red being a bad influence on Frisk if the method were particularly violent but would notably not obstruct the process and not let anyone else stop it, either; Slim would be all for as long as Frisk was alright with it; and Black would insist that it's their choice and his approval or disapproval isn't what's important here. Though he would be likely to corner Red later and convey his gratitude through terrifying and questionable means.

Sfrisks would think that all of these people are insane.

Hoo boy this got long, but,, thank you for sending in these asks! I love answering these questions, even if it takes me a while to actually get to the answering bit. I appreciate it!

[msmkcreates]

A Second Chance at a First Impression Ch. 9: The One With the Croissant

Boss may be taking care of Stretch, but he still has therapy of his own to attend, and therapy always digs up the root of the problem.

-------------

I know it's been a while, but I've had so much going on these last few weeks, some very good (like a promotion) and some very bad,, including dealing with a death of a family member recently so all of my works have been inching along slowly in my documents.

I hope everyone is having a Happy New Year

Warnings: therapy, imposter syndrome, anxiety, working out Boss' issues, discussion of consent and power imbalances

Read on Ao3 with the above link

-or-

Read here on Tumblr

----------------

The clinic was always empty this time of day, the sun sinking down beneath the surrounding buildings, but Boss quite prefers it when there's less people cluttering the lobby and the waiting room.

His therapist was an aging man named John, with kind eyes and a weathered wedding ring polished by worrying fingers over the years. His office was decorated simply with a handful of pictures of his wife and nephews. No children, he had told Boss once, though the why had never quite come to him. In Boss' opinion it was really none of his business, but he did wonder what could stop someone with so much kindness from passing it on.

"How are things with your new job?" John asked, looking over his glasses at him. "I know you've been struggling with your inability to join the workforce, has this helped the negative thoughts go away?"

"It helps to have another income," Boss agreed, his hands folded neatly in his lap. "And it helps that it's family, and so close to home. It isn't what I expected, though."

John hummed, leaning back in his own chair. "How so?"

"Well, to be frank, I expected it to be a nightmare," he chuckled. "Stretch and I get along like baking soda and vinegar on the best of days. Or at least, we used to...it seems like we get along better than he and his own brother now. He's kind, and thoughtful, a little naive but also startlingly wise at times."

"A good change, then?"

Boss hummed, looking down at his hands. "...I'm not sure. It's nice that he usually does what I ask, and it's nice that we don't fight all the time. But I worry that maybe...he still feels the same, deep down."

"As if maybe, he is keeping it to himself out of a sense of duty and gratitude?" John asked. "You worry that he is only this way because you're caring for him."

"...right on the money, as always," he chuckled.

It was something they'd discussed before, the fear that any kindness shown to him was out of a sense of duty, fear, or propriety. When he'd begun his sessions with John, he'd resisted the idea that he treated Red badly, only to find that was exactly what he had done and Red had only gone along with every horrid word because Boss provided protection, safety, and home. With Red's HP he had always just taken it on the chin for the sake of surviving, something they have been parsing out in small quantities and group sessions over the years, limited by Red's stubborn insistence that Boss has nothing to apologize for.

The fear was there, that Stretch was only pretending to like him because of the inherent power Boss holds being his caregiver. He worries that fear rules their relationship, that Stretch is only being kind because Boss is helping him.

"Is it wrong of me to assume that you might hold feelings for Stretch?"

Boss felt his face flush as he looked up swiftly, bristling slightly in embarrassment. "I, well, that is...I don't know what you mean."

"Correct me if I'm wrong,but every time we talk about Stretch recently, it's all very positive. Your posture changes, and you smile more. Before the accident, any time we spoke of him it was as if you'd eaten something sour, but now it's like I've just offered you your favorite candy." John leaned back in his chair, his eyes twinkling knowingly. "Is it fear of your power in the relationship that keeps you from recognizing these feelings?"

Boss hummed, looking out the minnow over the nearby park. Stretch sat there, on a bench where he had left him to wait, and he got up to walk over to the window and pulled the sheer curtain aside to look at him more properly.

He'd bought him a croissant, in the hopes he'd eat it, but looked like the soft-hearted man had felt bad for the birds with little food, as he was tearing pieces off it to feed to the growing number of cardinals and winter wrens surrounding him. They pecked at the snowy ground and hopped around his feet, and Boss could almost hear him talking to them, telling them to wait their turn as if they understood English, and he chuckled.

"Feelings are irrelevant. I only want him to get better. I want to see him smile more, to see him happy." Boss let the curtain fall back into place. "I'm his friend now, but I'm also his caregiver. If I made a move on him, wouldn't that put pressure on him to say yes, even if he didn't want to? Would he feel as if he owed me? As much as I may want him, I don't want that."

"Consent is very important, and being on unequal footing can compromise it," John agreed. "Have you spoken with him about these thoughts? Being clear in your motives and your wish for consent?"

"Heavens no," Boss chuckled, grasping his hands together as he turned back to the couch. "I think I'd much rather eat a cactus than talk about my feelings. As you know."

"Do you think that's very fair?"

"To him?" Boss asked.

"To yourself."

Boss paused, squeezing his hands together as he thought on that. "...I'm not sure. I'm not even sure what I feel for him is romantic or platonic. I can't tell if it's happiness at finding a true friend or...something more. Or if it's just the amount of time together, or just guilt. I think it'd be a disservice to tell him how I feel if it turns out I'm wrong."

"That seems sound," John said, leaning back in his chair. "Perhaps you should explore your feelings deeper?"

Boss shook his head. "I'm not so sure I want to."

"And why is that?"

"I...I'm not good for him. I'm dangerous, my LV is... so high, and only one hit from me, even with higher HP that he has now, would destroy him. What if I lose myself one day?"

"Do you think knowing you cared for him would increase the chance of that happening?" John asked. "Currently you are spending about as much time together as any married couple. Do you still thinks he is in danger from your presence?"

"Well...I guess you have a point." Boss fidgeted with his fingertips. "Maybe I was the wrong person to look after him."

"That isn't what I meant," John chuckled, standing from his chair. "I think all feelings are worth exploring, Papyrus. If you understand yourself, you can begin to make the changes you want to see. It's worked thus far with your brother, hasn't it?"

Boss smiled wryly. It was true, his relationship with Red was leagues better now than it had ever been, just from understanding and changing his behavior.

"...I will think on it." He reached out to shake John's outstretched hand. "Thank you again, John. Have a lovely weekend and say hello to the missus."

"I gave you that croissant to feed yourself, not the birds."

"I always do," John promised.

--------

Stretch looked up at Boss with bright eyelights, smiling wide from beneath the many birds perched on his outstretched arms. And legs. And head. And any semi-flat surface they could sit on.

"but it's so cold! where are they gonna get their food?"

Boss chuckled, the puffy jacket he was wearing rising and falling with his shoulders in a shrug. "They're winter birds. They eat nuts and berries and whatever else. They know how to get what they need, unless people keep feeding them so they never learn how to do it themselves."

Stretch smiled sheepishly. "...oops?"

Boss stepped closer, and in a flurry of wings, all his new bird friends took off into the chilly winter air. He watched them flutter off, scattering into the sparse park trees.

"I suppose I'm too scary for your birds," he sighed, sitting beside him on the bench. "And you? Am I too scary?"

"too scary? no, you're the best!" Stretch answered, and Boss noted the lack of hesitation with faint pride before he even registered the compliment. "who else is gonna buy me croissants to feed the birds with? blue just says i can't live off bread and gives me something lame, like a salad or green beans."

"Hmm, so I shouldn't make shepherd's pie for dinner tonight?" Boss asked, smirking over at him as he gave a look of disbelief. "Well, since you've decided to live off croissants…"

"noooo! i want the pie!" Stretch whined, leaning on him and tugging on his sleeve. "please! you cook so much better than blue!"

"Don't let him hear you say that," Boss laughed, gently removing his hands from his arm. "If we want shepherd's pie, we need to go to the grocery store. Are you up for it?"

"...can we also get some more honey?" Stretch asked, standing with him and trying his best to look cute. Looking cute seemed to get him what he wanted with Boss, and to his delight he got an amused smirk.

Boss turned, jerking his head so he would follow. "If you're good, we can get whatever you want. Come on, then."

[tyranttortoise]

TT, how would you rank skelebros in "who's the best kisser"? Starting from the absolute mind-blowing?

*I’m honestly surprised I’ve never done this.

Mutt

Red

Stretch

Edge

Blueberry

Axe 

Sans

Papyrus

Blackberry

Crooks

Okay, hear me out while I break these down under the cut and show that I’m only slightly biased.

Let’s face it.  You want Crooks to be an amazing kiss, but he’s never done it before.  He’s excited; he doesn’t how it’s supposed to go since he doesn’t have lips, but he knows it involves mashing your mouths together.  His teeth are jagged, some of them sharp.  He becomes over-enthusiastic and grabs you, quite literally sweeping you off your feet.  Your heart’s pounding in anticipation, but his grip… It’s too tight.  You inhale in a wheeze just as he mashes his mouth against yours.  His teeth unintentionally bite into your lips, and you make a sound of discontent, pressing your hands against his chest.  One of the broken edges feels like it’s drawn blood.  “Too rough,” you manage, pushing against him harder.  For a moment, he doesn’t respond; no, instead, he pushes closer, and you feel the electric tingle of his tongue as it slides across your bottom lip, tasting your blood.  

“Papyrus!”

Finally, he seems to snap back to his senses, and his hold relaxes enough that your feet touch the ground again.  He doesn’t realize what he did that you didn’t like, so you have to instruct him on being gentle and not over-eager.  The next kiss is better, but he needs practice.  

Speaking of over-eager, that’s why Blackberry is only one slot above Crooks.  Blackberry also doesn’t know what he’s doing, and that combined with his fangs, isn’t a pleasurable experience.  He’s shaking when he goes in for the kiss, a combination of excitement and nerves that’s virtually unheard of for someone with as much confidence as the tiny tyrant.  To cover this up, he tries to make his movements deliberate instead of unsure, but it really just comes across as rough.  His teeth mash against your lips, and his grip on your shoulders is bruising (he doesn’t even notice he’s holding onto you, but you’ve become an anchor for his nerves).  He’s grinding his teeth into your lips a little, and it’s painful, but when you open your mouth to try to tell him, his tongue abruptly pushes past.  The electric charge of his magic makes the kiss feel better, but his exploration is too fast and too clumsy.  It’s only when you gag and tap your palms against his chest that he finally breaks the kiss, his face flushed with a bright blush.  

“HOW WAS THAT?  THE BEST KISS OF YOUR LIFE, CORRECT?  WHAT ELSE DID YOU EXPECT FROM THE MALEVOLENT SANS!”

…. Yeah, teaching him without hurting him is a delicate process, but don’t worry.  Once his nerves calm and he slows down, he’s a much better kisser.

That brings us to Papyrus.  He’s similar to Crooks in the way that he doesn’t know how kissing works without lips, but WOWIE, he’s willing to try.  Paps has the advantage of teeth that won’t hurt you, but let’s face it.  His kiss is chaste, and involves just holding his teeth against your lips for a moment, then pulling back with a bright pink blush and telling you that was nice.  It’s a sweet kiss!  There’s nothing bad about it.  But, if you want something more, you just have to teach him.  Watch some rom-coms, or just sit him down on his racecar bed and explain how tongues work in kisses.  This is one where you probably need to take charge and show him what you like.  

……. Have I written this before?  I can’t remember.  If I haven’t, I need to.  

Sans is just above his brother because he knows how, but his kisses are gentle and lingering, the kind that always leave your lips tingling and you wanting more.  He has much more control than most of the skeletons, and he holds onto it through the first several kisses.  There’s no tongue, but you could almost swear that you feel some sort of magic almost mimic lips.  It feels nice, but if you’re wanting a proper make-out session, you’re going to have to be the one to press things further.  

You climb onto his lap, and his fingers ghost your hips.  He chuckles, but the joke he was about to make dies in his throat as you kiss him.  You feel his fingers flex against your hips, his touch more firm, and your tongue traces his teeth.  His body feels more tense than usual, his careful control beginning to slip, and when your hand cradles the back of his neck, fingering the spinous process of a vertebrae, his teeth part as he sucks in a sharp breath.  

You take the initiative and slide your tongue between those teeth to meet the magical tongue he’s already manifested.  He makes a sound in the back of his throat, and your tongue traces the length of his.  

In the next moment, he’s flipped positions on the couch so you’re lying down, and he’s on top of you.  

So, Sans has the potential for a phenomenal kiss, but I think it would take a few kisses – or a determined partner on the first one – to get him to really go HAM.  

Axe is just a step above Sans because he’s someone that has much less control.  He goes for it, he isn’t afraid to bust out the swoon-inducing moves (such as dipping you back ;D ), and when the moods strikes, he can really bring the passion.  His only downfall is that his kiss can be a little sloppy, but once he slows down for a breath, you find that you just can’t get enough.  

Yeah, Blueberry’s pretty high on the list, and that’s because he’s such a motivated datemate.  He’s one of the most passionate and eager of the skeles, but he’s studied for this moment.  He’s ready.  

He’s also someone that can easily read the way you respond.  He knows when you likes something – and he also wants you to tell him how you like to be kissed.  Is there enough tongue?  Too much teeth?  Well, there’s not much he can do about that one, but he’ll certainly try!  He’s been daydreaming about this, studying the way humans kiss, and he can’t wait to knock your socks off.  

Just make sure you pick them up afterward!

Edge is surprisingly high on the list, but you know that skeleman is just waiting to sweep you in a passionate embrace.  He’s the dominant one in the kiss, definitely, and you’re going to find your back pressed into a wall, his body trapping yours.  It’s easy to lose yourself in the kiss.  His fangs don’t hurt; he has careful control, though you can definitely expect to see his teeth grazing your neck as soon as you breathlessly break the kiss.  

His draw-back is that although he’s confident and telling himself that YES, HE’S THE BEST KISSER and you CAN’T GET ENOUGH, he’s still new to it and isn’t overcompensates with more tongue than you’d like.  It wrestles with yours, sweeping across your mouth, and he doesn’t take your cue right away to ease up.  But once he sees that he’s doing a decent job, and you like it, he’ll be less in his head and more apt to ease up.  

Stretch is way up there because c’mon, you guys have read the way he kisses.  I’m going to copy/paste it and then fan myself over this one:

This time, he responds in earnest, his other hand molding to the curve of your hip, and his long legs unfolding so he can draw you onto his lap. Your knees spread on either side of his hips, and the arm around his neck grips the back of it, the spinous processes of his cervical spine protruding between your fingers.

His teeth part, and you take the initiative and slip your tongue between them to meet his magical one. It feels different from Red’s; it’s longer and thinner, not as wet, and the magic doesn’t seem to be quite as concentrated. It doesn’t make your mouth feel numb. You massage your tongue against his, and he proves that his tongue is rather dexterous by curling the tip around yours. A tiny, contented sigh escapes you, and you rake your fingernails against the protruding bone of his neck, causing him to groan and pull your body tighter against his.

He kisses you breathless, taking his time languidly– yet thoroughly – exploring your mouth, while the fingers of one of his hands tangles within your hair. Neither of you are in a rush to pull away, but you finally break the kiss to properly swallow and catch your breath. Despite the fact that he doesn’t have lungs, Stretch’s ribcage is expanding rather rapidly, too.

You don’t know what to say, so you just say the first thing that comes to mind.

“Wow.”

I think that speaks for itself.  ;D

And you also know I’ve written enough Red kisses to know why he’s got the next spot.  I’m going to link you guys to this imagine where you make-out with Red at a party because it perfectly encompasses what it’s like to kiss Red.  

I’m also going to leave this here:

This time, there aren’t any physical fireworks going off in the distance, but there may as well be. You find yourself clinging to him, your fingers curling around the backs of his ribs and your palms skimming the cracks within them.

There’s a familiar tingle as his magical tongue traces the line of your lips, urging them to part. As soon as you comply, you feel a rumble build in his chest. In the next moment, you’re falling backward, onto the couch –

–but then you land on something much softer, your back bouncing upon impact. The music is completely gone. You break the kiss just long enough to check your surroundings and find that you’re back in the hotel room. Red’s clothes are in his fist; he was mindful enough to grab them from the couch mid-teleportation. He demands your attention again by resuming the kiss, his tongue automatically invading your mouth. It feels electric, tingling against your tongue with the faint taste of whiskey.

Hot damn, am I right?

So how does Mutt top that?  His kiss is basically Stretch and Red’s rolled into one.  He can bring the passion, the fangs, the electricity of his magic, but he also has that long, dexterous tongue and all the patience in the world. He knows how to make your toes curl, how to get you grasping at his jacket, your heart pounding in your chest.  He alternates between languid, thorough exploration and a passionate heat that has his phalanges pulling your head back to deepen the kiss.  He leaves you feeling light-headed, holding onto him as if he’s your anchor to reality, and when he finally pulls back, he’s smirking.  

“mmm, not bad.”

That doesn’t even begin to describe it, Mutt.

[kimtanathegeek]

Two Brothers, Many Paths - Ch 25 & Undertale 5yr Anniversary

Two brothers, many paths

Hand in hand, they mourn their past

 -

Torn from home,

trapped underground

Hiding, fleeing,

scared to be found

 -

Two brothers, many paths

Side by side, they grew up fast

 -

The eldest grins.

“We’ll be fine, brother.

No matter what,

we have each other.”

 -

Two brothers, many paths

Hand in hand, they’ll always last

---

To commemorate Undertale's 5th year anniversary and the 25th chapter of "Two Brothers, Many Paths", I drew and wrote this. Art and poetry are not my strong suit, and I wish I could have done that picture justice, but I hope you guys like it! :)

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, UNDERTALE! Here's to another 5 awesome years!

Guys, thank you so much for reading "Two Brothers, Many Paths"! I can't believe we're at 25 chapters already!!!

Thank you for reading, for your likes, for your comments, and for your reblogs! It means so much to me to know that you guys are enjoying my story, because I absolutely adore writing it.

There's still so much more to go for Sans and Papyrus, so don't worry, we're not even CLOSE to coming to the end!

Thanks again, I appreciate you all! :)

—

Undertale copyright Toby Fox

Story and original characters by me, Kimtana

Please do not use without both permission and credit.  

Read below, or read it on AO3 here.  

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The thin hen shopkeeper was sitting behind the counter, knitting and humming as Sans approached. When she saw him from the corner of her eye, she laid her work on the counter and smiled at him.

“Good afternoon,” she said warmly, then furrowed her brow, raising her index primary feather to the side of her beak as she looked up into space. “Or is it ‘good evening’? Hmm....” She shook her head, then gave a shudder, ruffling her sooty grey feathers. “I don’t know, it’s so hard to tell time anymore without the sun.... Anywho—Good day!”

Sans grinned, nodding to her. “Good day, miss.”

“Is there anything I can help you find?” she asked, cocking her head to the side.

“Oh, no,” he answered. “I’m just looking to see what you have.”

She gave a gentle smile. “Ok, then. Please let me know if there’s anything I can help you with.”

Sans nodded politely again, and looked up at the shelves on the left of the shop.

There were so many different kinds of things—some items similar to those found in the other shops, and other products he had not seen sold elsewhere in the market. There were beautifully crafted pottery cups, vases, bowls, plates, and teacups, medicinal salves and bandages, candles of various heights and thicknesses, aprons for different needs, tin boxes with and without illustrations on them, gloves for work and for warmth, and so many other items in between. He picked out a small pot holder—they’d need one now that they finally had a pot—and a bar of glycerin soap that smelled of cherries.

In front of the counter were four crates sitting on two large chests. The crates were filled with old books, sheets of parchment made of wood pulp, fabric fibers, or flower petals, and scrolls with useful information such as measurement conversions for cooking, identification of edible and poisonous plants, and even lists of difficult words with their definitions.

Seeing the paper reminded Sans of the bits of parchment he had been aching to use.

“Excuse me, miss,” he said, standing up straight to look over the counter.

The hen stood up, her knitting still in her wings. “Yes, dear?”

Sans saw that she was making a multicolored sock. “Ooh, that’s really good!”

She smiled. “Aww, thank you. I knit things for the orphans, the poor, and the wounded soldiers.”

Sans’ mouth dropped in awe. “That’s really nice of you to do that. I’m sure they love them.”

“I hope they do,” she said, her smile waning as she looked down at the half-finished sock. “It’s not much, and they’ve already gone through such incredible hardships.” The grip on her needles tightened, and she gave another shudder that fluffed her feathers. “I just try to help where I can, make things useful like socks and gloves for those who don’t have any. It can’t make up for their pain, but hopefully it brightens their moment. Even if it’s just a little bit.”

Sans smiled reassuringly. “I’m sure it does, miss. It lets them know that someone really cares about them.”

The thin hen smiled at the sock, then at Sans. “Thank you, that’s really kind of you to say. Sorry, you had a question?”

“Oh, yeah,” Sans answered, blinking. “I was wondering, do you have any pens or writing utensils?”

She frowned sadly. “I’m afraid not.... They go rather quickly, and they’re hard to get. All of my stock comes from other monsters who are selling me items they’ve made, no longer need, or need gold for more important things, like food. So I never know what I’ll get or when I’ll get new things. I’m sorry.”

Sans’ mouth twitched with disappointment, but he understood. “It’s all right. I’ll keep checking each time I come by.”

“I’ll certainly keep an eye out for you, and I’ll hold any aside I come across.”

Sans nodded in gratitude. “Thank you, miss, that’s so kind of you. I really appreciate that.”

“Let me know if there’s anything else you need help with, dear,” she said, smiling as she sat back down, resuming her knitting.

“Actually,” Sans said as he watched her count stitches. “This is a strange question, but.... The hare next door mentioned that there were monsters who collected food for the poor. If I had some food to give them, where would I find them?”

The hen smiled, her heart warming. “Well, aren’t you a dear. You’ll find the monsters who work on the food collections in the domed building in the northeast quadrant of the city.”

Sans looked at her blankly. “Northeast wha?”

She covered her beak with her wing as she laughed softly. “It’s the only domed building in the city.”

Sans looked relieved. “Ah! Yes, miss, I’ve seen it. I should be able to find it now, thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” she nodded. “I know that they will appreciate anything you can give them.”

Sans smiled sadly. “I know what it’s like to not have enough to eat, so if I can help anyone, I really want to try.”

The hen’s face fell, her heart breaking for the little skeleton at his admission.

“You’re an absolute sweetheart, you know that?” the hen said softly.

Sans felt the embarrassment burning his cheekbones. “Nah, I just...hate seeing anyone hurting.”

He pretended to be extremely interested in the hand towels folded up in a crate on the floor, as the hen beamed at him, then returned to her knitting, humming happily.

Once her gaze was off him, Sans started looking through the rest of the items, making his way towards the right side of the shop. There were clothes on shelves and tables starting near the entryway for adults, and children clothes towards the middle. He found a couple sets for himself and Papyrus in their sizes, ecstatic that he and his brother could finally change out of the clothes they had been wearing since they fled to the mountain.

At the end of the children’s clothes were toys. There were wooden blocks, plush monsters of different species, puzzles, balls, and other various playthings. Sans was looking at a small, red toy cart with working wheels, wondering if Papyrus would like it when he noticed the basket at the end of the toy shelves. The toy cart fell out of his hand onto the table as he gasped.

The basket was filled with teddy bears—all identical. They had soft, plush, brown “fur” and shiny black eyes. Their little smiles were stitched into their faces with dark brown thread, and their arms and legs were floppy, perfect for hugging.

Sans staggered to the basket, tears rolling down his face, his mouth hung open.

“I-it can’t be...,” he whispered in shock.

The hen heard him, and raised her eyes from her work to look over at him.

Sans pulled out one of the bears and looked at it, turning it this way and that in his hands.

“Are...are you all right...?” the hen asked gently, seeing Sans’ tear-soaked face.

Sans stared at the bear in his hands, looking into its eyes as he spoke, his voice shaking with emotion.

“M-my brother.... He had a teddy bear just like this...back home.... He loved that bear, couldn’t sleep without him in his crib.... When...when I packed food to leave...I-I should have...I should have gone upstairs and gotten him.... But I didn’t.... I was too scared, I only grabbed food, I didn’t even think about his bear.... We left him behind, and now.... My brother never complained or mentions him, but I know he misses him a lot.... My brother lost so much that day.... Our home...his teddy bear...Mommy....”

Sans hugged the bear and wept bitterly into it. The hen tossed her knitting on the counter and rushed over to him. He clutched her, weeping into her dress as she enfolded him in her wings. She held him as he cried his eyes out, telling her how he watched their mother fighting the humans, and how he watched her die. How she might still be alive if she hadn’t seen him and run to him. How it was his fault his brother didn’t have their mother any more.

She let him speak until his words were exhausted, then shushed him soothingly, rocking him gently as he cried loudly from his broken soul. It had been too long since Sans had been comforted like this by an adult, too long since he had taken on the adult role for his brother’s sake while still only being a child himself. Being embraced by the caring hen allowed him to drop the walls of false strength and competence he had built up over time, and to grieve like the hurting child he truly was.

After a while, he calmed down, sniffling and stammering out apologies for breaking down like that.

“No, no,” she whispered, wiping his eyes with her pinion feathers. “Don’t apologize. I know how hard it is to lose someone you love so very much.”

“R-really...?” he whimpered, his lower lip still quivering. “Did...did you...?”

He didn’t finish, regretting even asking such an invasive, personal question.

The hen shut her eyes and nodded.

“I was with my best friend at the market buying food for dinner. The Royal Guard came—tried to get everyone to leave quickly. There had been a horde of humans spotted in the area, and it was unsafe. Someone shouted and soon everyone was looking into the sky. Plumes of smoke, rising in different directions—multiple fires all around the area. I panicked—one of the columns of smoke was coming from where my house was. My friend and I, we rushed to my house with a few of the Guards, and....”

She choked back her tears, her body shuddering as her feathers bristled. Then her tears fell freely.

“My house was in flames.... My friend had to hold me back because I tried to run inside to save my family. The Guards—they went in. They went in to try to find my dear husband and my four precious children.... Wh-when they came out, I-I saw their faces, and I knew.... The next day, the evacuation order came out. My friend—she let me stay with her that terrible night, and then we left together for this mountain.... And now, we’re here....”

Sans looked up at her, his face broken with sympathy for the poor hen. When she finished her story, he hugged her tightly.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “I’m so, so sorry....”

She patted him with her wingtips, then dried her eyes on her feathers.

“Thank you,” she said, straining to steady her voice. “This war...this conflict...it has cost us all so much....”

They hugged each other tightly once more. Then the hen pulled back and put on a warm smile. She nudged the teddy bear, still in Sans’ hands.

“The important thing is to rebuild and comfort those who are still with us.”

Sans looked down at the teddy bear and nodded sadly.

With a deep sigh, the hen ruffled Sans’ hooded head and went back behind the counter. Sans placed the teddy bear and the other items—still sitting on the clothes table—onto the counter.

She totaled the items, and gave Sans the amount. He blinked at her.

“But, wait, miss,” he said, confused. “It should be much more than that.”

“I’m not charging you for the teddy bear,” she smiled warmly.

Sans gasped, his eyebrows raised pleadingly. “No, wait! You don’t have to—”

She reached over the counter and ruffled the top of his head again. “My dear, I don’t run this shop to make a profit. I started this shop to help others out. There is no way I could accept gold for your brother’s bear.”

“Th-thank you, miss,” he stammered, stunned. “I-I don’t know what to say....”

“You’re so welcome,” she smiled as he placed the items in his bag. “And, please, call me Ashen.”

Sans smiled back, shouldering the bulging haversack. “Thank you, Ashen. And my name is Sans.”

“Well, Sans,” she said, giving a shudder that sent her sooty grey feathers rippling. “It was so nice to meet you, and I really do hope you come back to see me again soon.”

“I will, Ashen,” he nodded. “I’m so happy to have met you. Thank you for...for everything.”

The two new friends waved goodbye, and Sans left the shop.

 -

 Sans hurried down the road, looking left and right frantically for an empty alleyway. The city was filled with monsters, so finding somewhere unoccupied was difficult. Eventually he found a small path between two buildings that appeared empty, and slipped down it. Making sure no one was in sight, he shut his eyes, then stepped forward.

He felt the frigid air as he opened his eyes, arriving in front of the shelter. He wasted no time in digging out the entrance, calling to his brother so he wouldn’t be afraid someone was invading the shelter.

Sans panicked for a moment when he heard no response, but as soon as he came into the main room, he saw Papyrus, fast asleep on the bed under several fabric scraps.

Poor thing, Sans thought as he unshouldered the bag and put it on the bed.

He nudged his brother gently. “Pap? Wake up, Pap.”

The little skeleton moaned as he was roused, then snapped awake. He gasped and threw himself against his brother, hugging him so tight, Sans’ bones popped.

“I’m so, so sorry that took so long, Pap,” Sans apologized, returning the hug.

“Pa scared mosters take Sas,” Papyrus whimpered, nestling his face in his brother’s chest. “But Pa did what Sas said, waited here, waited for Sas. Sas okay?”

Sans rubbed the top of his brother’s head gently. “Yeah, I’m ok. I’m sorry I scared you. But...well...I have something I’ve got to tell you.”

Papyrus sat back on the bed, a look of utter terror on his face, fearing bad news.

“No, no,” Sans grinned, waggling his hands and shaking his head. “It’s nothing bad or anything. But, well, you see....”

Sans sat on the bed, rubbing the back of his skull as he dreaded his upcoming confession. He couldn’t even look his brother in the eyes.

“I, uh...went...into...the...cavern...,” he murmured, each word getting lower and more mumbled.

Papyrus’ jaw nearly fell off his skull as his eyes grew wider than apples.

“Now, wait, hang on,” Sans said, his eyebrows raised pleadingly. “Before you get upset, let me explain.”

“Sas gonna leave Pa...?” The little skeleton’s whisper was barely audible.

“No! Of course not, Papyrus! I’d never leave you. I snuck in there to get some food!”

Papyrus blinked, his mouth still hanging open.

“Listen,” Sans urged. He then started partially explaining everything—leaving out the part where he planned this trip for the last month and how he had put himself at serious risk of getting caught. “I saw the carts going into the cavern, and I saw them growing the trees with magic, so I thought ‘huh, maybe they’re growing food in there,’ so I jumped on the cart and found out that they have a huge city in there now, with a market, and I got a whole bunch of great food, and now that I’ve been there, I can just use my magic to go back in there anytime we need more!”

Sans grinned winningly at his brother while he panted after spouting out his explanation in a single breath.

Papyrus slowly closed his mouth and narrowed his eyes. An eyebrow soon started to rise as the little skeleton frowned. He gave an exasperated sigh that sounded more like a huff.

“Sas go in cav, coulda been taken by mosters! What if Sas caught?!”

Sans shut his eyes, grinning wider. “Then I would have used my magic and come right back here.”

Papyrus grumbled as his expression softened. “Sas really get food?”

Sans opened his eyes, then gave his brother a wink. “Yup. A lot of food.”

The little skeleton’s face brightened more, the risky adventure being forgiven.

Sans jumped up off the bed and went to the foot of the bed where the haversack was. He showed his brother the purchases he made and told him how he used his own gems to buy them. Papyrus gasped at each loaf, vegetable, fruit, and item that emerged from the bag. Sans withheld the cookie as an after-dinner-surprise, but saved the best for last.

“And...,” Sans said, drawing the syllable out as long as he could. “You will never guess who I found looking for you in the cavern!”

Papyrus sat on the bed, looking up at him, curiously.

Sans slowly pulled out the teddy bear.

The little skeleton gasped so sharply, Sans thought his lungs would tear. Papyrus held his hands to his cheekbones as his mouth remained open, his eyes brimming with tears.

“Teddy...?” Papyrus spoke his teddy bear’s name in a high-pitched, breathy gasp that cut Sans right to his soul.

Sans nodded, holding him out to his brother. Papyrus couldn’t believe his eyes, slowly moving closer, as if he was dreaming and afraid to wake up. He reached out with a trembling hand and grabbed the bear by the tummy, pulling him into a tight embrace.

“Teddy! Teddy!” Papyrus wept happily, his eyes shut tight as tears spilled out.

Sans wiped his own tears on his sleeves, the smile on his face unable to wane.

 -

 The two skeleton brothers just stared at it, neither of them able to utter a single word or make the slightest of sounds. They couldn’t move, let alone blink, as they sat, dumbfounded.

It was just too unbelievable.

Their dinner was laid out on their little snow “dining table.” They had prepared it together, cutting, chopping, toasting, combining—enjoying every second of their time making their meal perfect.

Their new wooden bowls were filled with fresh salad, comprised of baby spinach, sliced mouseshroom nightlights, chopped reed stalks, diced tomatoes, pine nuts, and crumbled parmesan cheese, all drizzled with an oil dressing infused with herbs and garlic.

On their new little plates were a couple slices of warmed crusty wheat bread, a small hunk of smoked gouda, a few nuts, and several carrot slices.

Their new wooden cups were filled with ice cold water—Sans had melted some snow in their new pot by the fire, poured the water into the cups, and put chunks of snow in them to chill the water back up. While they didn’t need water to survive—being skeletons, it was impossible for them to suffer thirst or dehydration—it was certainly nice to have something to wash their food down with again.

Sans had set down burlap pieces for placemats, folding up some smaller scraps for napkins and placing their new wooden cutlery on top. Nestled under their bowls and plates were the little parchment pastry bags—Sans insisting that Papyrus not peek inside until after he finished his dinner.

They continued staring in silence, the only sounds in the little shelter being the crackling of the magical flame and the occasional growl of a skeleton stomach.

“This looks amazing,” Sans whispered at last.

“Yeah,” Papyrus breathed in agreement.

Sans gave a small laugh of disbelief, glancing up at his brother. “No more hungry nights, Pap.”

“Yeah,” Papyrus looked up at his brother and smiled.

Sans looked back at their meal and sighed happily. “We should start eating, or we will be going to bed hungry again.”

“Yeah,” Papyrus giggled.

They slowly picked up their utensils and started their salads. The two brothers looked at each other, joyous groans emitting from their chewing mouths at the delicious tastes they were experiencing. Then they went at the food with gusto, savoring every single bite.

 -

 Sans was wiping the last remnant of dressing from his empty bowl with his final bite of wheat bread, as Papyrus had picked up his bowl to his mouth, pushing the last fragments into his open mouth.

Sans finished just before his brother, and couldn’t help but grin as he watched Papyrus, his face hidden behind the tilted bowl. His soul felt fuller than his stomach, knowing that his little brother finally had a proper, healthy meal after so long.

Papyrus licked his bowl clean, then set it back down on the burlap placemat with a satisfied “ahh!” He then looked up at his brother expectantly.

“Can Pa open now?”

Sans grinned and nodded. “Yes, you can open it now. I hope you like it.”

Papyrus cautiously opened the bag, as if a fragile treasure might be within. He peered into it and gasped, looking up at Sans. “Cookie!”

Sans smiled as his brother pulled out the large cookie and gave a huge chomp into it. He took out his own and bit into it, relishing its sweet, chocolaty goodness. They both ate their cookies with the occasional “mmm,” the crunching and munching overpowering the crackling of the fire in the other room.

Not a single piece of snow was consumed that night, for their stomachs were entirely satisfied.

 -

 After dinner, they washed their new dishes in one of the buckets with melted snow water and the glycerin soap. They dried them with burlap, then Sans created another bone shelf in the pantry side boulder, placing the clean wooden dishes up on it.

Sans emptied out the dishwater several feet away from their shelter entrance, scrubbing it out with clean snow, then came back inside to fill it back up with clean water. They changed into their fresh new clothes, and Sans washed their old clothes in the bucket with the soap, rinsed it in another bucket, and, after wringing them out, hung them up on the warming rack bones to dry overnight. The feel of clean, soft, new fabrics felt so comfortable and cozy to both of them. Sans then emptied the dirty water from both buckets outside in a different spot, scrubbed them clean with another handful of snow, then dried them with a scrap of rough cloth.

Sans took the little pot that was melting snow and poured it into the clean water bucket next to the “bowl” dug out of snow, which was filled to overflowing with fruits and vegetables. He stuffed the little pot to the brim with snow from the pile for making snow treats, then placed it back on the bones he had made to dry out the pine cones at the left edge of the fire basin to melt overnight.

Once they were done cleaning up and putting things away, they played together a bit before bedtime. Then they climbed into bed, Papyrus making his blue bones disappear to darken the room. Sans pulled up the fabrics over them as Papyrus snuggled up to his brother, clutching his beloved Teddy in the crook of his arm.

Sans told Papyrus all about the shopkeepers he had met and the things he had seen. He noticed that his brother had fallen asleep somewhere during the part where he was returning home. He nuzzled into his brother’s forehead and followed him into slumber.

The two brothers slept soundly with full bellies and happy souls as the gentle winds outside blew swirls of snowflakes around their hidden shelter.  

[argentdandelion]

The True Power of NEO (Part 3 of 4)

To see previous entries in the series, check out “The True Power of NEO” tag on the ArgentDandelion blog. Made with help from CinnamonAzzy and Ihasafandom.

Tactic 1 (Explode the Exit) and Tactic 2 (Offense Over Defense) Responses

Using his NEO form as a block of explosives to seal the exit was a good idea, and exploding the exit while the human was in the room was, while riskier, still pretty good. Even using his box mode as a living wall to delay the Human’s progress was better than switching to his Mettaton NEO form to fight the human.

If his NEO form is anything like his EX form, Mettaton should logically be able to attack with it. As mentioned, Mettaton EX has strong attacks, numerous bullets, and a variable bullet pattern with a unique SOUL Mode mechanic. Assuming Mettaton NEO is even more effective at attacking and has some way to dodge or endure strong attacks (e.g., by flipping into his supposedly invulnerable original mode), attacking the human is a pretty reasonable option.

Indeed, he would, theoretically, have more time to prepare to fight the human in the Genocide Route than in other Routes, since he doesn't engage the human in TV segments. However, during that time, Alphys would be busy evacuating others, and so couldn't work on his body. (This assumes she both works quickly and the body was nearly done anyway)

Yet, this tactic depends on him being able to attack. He doesn’t attack, bringing up the question of whether he even can.

Can He Emit Bullets?

If the combat systems for his EX/NEO form were the last feature to be added, without Alphys' fine-tuning, he might enter combat with no attack capability. Mettaton, out of faith for Alphys' work or sheer haste, may have assumed Alphys installed some combat capabilities in his NEO form before he changed into it. It is also possible Mettaton finished the body himself while Alphys was doing something else, which might explain the missing eye and silly leg-shaped pauldrons (possibly made from spare parts). In this case, his lack of combat capabilities comes from his lack of skill in building robots.

It’s possible that, as soon as ghosts merge with their bodies, they can’t attack, or that there’s some learning curve or dormancy period before re-accessing offensive magic. Mad Dummy/Glad Dummy might support this: though many monsters keep fighting once spareable, as soon as Mad Dummy fuses with their body, they stop attacking. Mad Mew Mew, on the other hand, hadn’t actually fused with her body at the time of the battle. Assuming this hypothesis is true, Mettaton unexpectedly fused with his body and didn’t have enough time to re-learn how to make magical attacks.

The “dormancy period” supposition is a little weakened, though, by the observation Mettaton fuses with his body in his Mettaton EX battle and has no problem with bullet patterns. (Although many of his attack patterns are unusual objects or not projectiles.)

Death Explosions

One might argue that Mettaton is hoping the human will trigger his death explosion, and he would survive it if he hadn’t fused, or the explosion would kill both himself and the human if he had fused. However, this idea of a lethal explosion is weakened by one of his lines in the near-Genocide Route:“Yes, Asgore will fall easily to you”. This suggests he thinks the human will survive the explosion. Perhaps he, knowing the sheer power of even a whiffed strike, extrapolates that the human’s defenses are also very high.

Oddly, Mettaton’s explosion does not do any damage, in either the Genocide Route or Neutral Route. Mettaton wouldn’t have reason to deliberately explode his body in the Neutral Route. It’s possible his body exploding is a side effect of him reaching 0 HP, and Alphys hastily upgraded that to be useful in combat. However, given Alphys was evacuating Hotland, even with her super-fast working (assuming she doesn’t simply swap Frisk’s phone with a new one and re-adds two phone numbers), she probably didn’t have time to run simulations on whether Mettaton’s explosion would block the exit.

“You Wouldn’t Kill a Human, Would You?” Response

Turning into Mettaton NEO may have been a tactic to break the human’s will for killing, thus protecting humanity. (and perhaps monsters) If a human absorbing a monster’s SOUL gains great power, the genocidal Human would have a lot more power to kill humanity with Asgore’s SOUL. If Mettaton believes he can’t kill the Human, for whatever reason, then removing their will to harm humanity and kill anyone but Asgore is the next best thing.

Undyne believes the genocidal Human intends to destroy all of humanity, and Mettaton himself believes the Human is a threat to humanity. The genocidal Human would surely be a threat to humanity when they’re willing to kill a human. By that logic, changing into a more humanoid form wouldn’t give Mettaton “psychological armor” at all.

Perhaps he planned on doing the “you were holding back” speech after the human beat him up or “killed” him, thereby breaking the Human’s will to exterminate by showing they weren’t “entirely evil”. From an out-of-universe perspective, this makes sense. Papyrus often stops players from progressing on the Genocide Route, not because he’s no threat, or doesn’t attack, but because of the sheer guilt of killing him. Even in his dying words, he shows faith that the human can do better.

So Why Does He Act Like a Threat?

One might ask, “Surely Mettaton realized he can’t fight back? Why, then, does he act so tough?”

Mettaton seems to have good acting skills (in certain contexts, at least) and there’s evidence he’s good at improvising, acting like nothing is wrong, and hiding his discomfort.

Mettaton seems good at improvisation: when the Human doesn’t behave as expected in the Hotland TV segments, he seems to improvise lines. Mettaton apparently thinks ahead for the possibility the Human completes the tile puzzle, and says: "I only deactivated the flames knowing that Alphys would have anyway." If the Human fails the cooking show puzzle, Mettaton acts as if that time is when his show has a commercial break, and he's not going to destroy the human without a live television audience. Outside the Genocide Route, he knows Alphys plans to come to Frisk’s “rescue” and “deactivate” him, but he blocks the door. He also re-arranges the CORE, hires mercenaries to kill Frisk in the CORE, and offers a lot of money for Frisk’s SOUL to entice Muffet to kill them. He figures Alphys will tell Frisk to flip Mettaton’s switch, but that’s what he wants: to premiere his new body. However, when the human doesn't even step on a green tile, he's clearly stalling for time saying "well well well".

On hiding his pain, up until his arms fall off, his pained expressions are very subtle: it's impossible to notice he's in pain at all without lining up his expressions. (above) When his arms fall off, he looks shocked or pained, but then regains composure. If hit after that point, his pained grimaces are pretty subtle. He still attacks without arms, though he stops dancing. When he loses his legs, he’s shocked for the whole turn, but then closes his eyes (as if hiding a grimace) and still smiles. He also still attacks...faster, even.

However, his skill in hiding his pain isn’t perfect. Mettaton’s text shakes when the final blow is dealt in the Neutral fight, suggesting a quaver in his voice. (possibly of pain) He's clearly saddened when the final blow is dealt, although that's probably emotional, rather than physical, pain. Near the end of his death speech, he says: "I might seem like I'm dying now, but...Dr. Alphys can always repair me." He says the second part with a sad grin, making it not very persuasive, but the very fact he’s considering that and trying to act like everything is fine when he’s dying says something about his impression-management.

If one assumes he’s good at hiding his discomfort and acting as if nothing is wrong, he could plausibly act like everything’s fine even when his plan has gone off the rails. After all, it’s likely he fused with his body prior to or during the fight with the Human, and he surely felt this. It’s possible he’s hoping he can intimidate the human into fleeing or use some variant of Tactic 3 (“You Wouldn’t Kill a Human, Would You?”) to guilt-trip the human into losing the will to kill human beings and any monsters but Asgore. Even if that fails, he might still be going for Tactic 1 (exploding the exit and, ideally, taking the human with him) but he knows he’ll die in the process.

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[lover-of-skellies]

A Way Out

((An OC insert where my girl Adrienne loses everyone she's ever cared for and has to face off with Chara. She would've lost too, if it wasn't for the guardian of negativity himself, deciding to intervene and save her ass. She's healed up and taken back to the castle, and when she wakes up, he has what seems like the best offer she's ever been given. Does she shake his hand and accept the offer, or does she refuse and die?))

***CONTAINS FIGHTING, BLOOD, VIOLENCE, KNIVES, CHARA, AND TEMPORARY EYE LOSS***

Adrienne had felt her heart sink at the unfortunate discovery she'd made; the dust scattered over the snow, pieces of armor, and an all too familiar tattered red scarf. Tears pricked at her eyes and a lump formed in her throat as she reached out, her shaky hands delicately plucking the scarf from the snow. She gently brushed the snow and loose dust off of it, then wrapped the item around her slender neck in the same fashion she'd always seen Papyrus wearing it, briefly glancing down at the ground. At the sight of tracks clearly left by sneakers, her eyes widened, tears now freely rolling down her face.

She knew exactly whose sneakers left the trail, and her heart sank even further. Not wanting to waste another moment, she began to race toward judgement hall; from having visited a few times before, it was fairly easy to find. As she reached the hall, she sucked in a deep breath, placing a hand on the large wooden door and pushing it open.

And she immediately wished she hadn't. 

Aside from leftover bone attacks made by Sans and the fallen human's blood, she let out a choked sob; at the far end of the hall, there was an unmistakable pile of dust, and what was clearly her best friend's favorite jacket. Grey eyes widening again, she ran to where the jacket laid, falling to her knees and gently running her fingertips over the fur lined hood. Her heart broke as the realization finally sunk in; she'd lost two of the only people she had ever truly cared for.

It began with Queen Toriel, and was followed later by King Asgore, Undyne, Alphys, Mettaton, Grillby, and even Flowey. Not even the innocent monster children had been spared, and the fallen human had left everything in ruin. Not a single monster remained.

Scooping up the jacket and hugging it close to her chest, she let out a loud, broken sob, her voice echoing fainting in the vastness of the corridor. Wailing in agony as she mourned her lost friends, she failed to notice the figure approaching behind her.

Hearing the absolutely deep sigh, she found herself scooting away from its source, clinging to Sans' jacket as if it were a lifeline. The figure peered at her through glowing crimson eyes that were partially shrouded by a brown fringe. Once a normal child, it's lips were now curled upward into an amused grin, "And then there was one. Hold still, girlie, and I'll make this quick." 

This wasn't a child anymore... whatever it was, it was the physical embodiment of evil itself.

Adrienne loosened her grip on the jacket, her body trembling as she slowly slid the item on and zipped it up, careful not to snag Papyrus' scarf. Rearranging her look of complete brokenness into a weak attempt at defiance, she growled softly, teeth bared, "You.... What have you done?" 

Casually shrugging and holding up a knife, the figure smiled again, tilting its head, "I killed them, you dummy. With all the blood and dust, what else could I have done?" 

She could hardly believe how casual and relaxed this being was; they admitted to murdering everyone she'd ever loved, and they spoke of it as if it was nothing more than a mundane task. Her stomach churned, and she hissed, "You're the worst... How could you do something like this? What did they ever do to you?.... All... all my friends are gone now, because of you." 

Humming softly in confirmation, the figure only grinned proudly, completely devoid of remorse and regret, "I know. I did it because I wanted to... didn't think I really needed a reason." 

The teen rose to her feet, balling her hands into fists, "If you keep talking like that, I'm gonna kill you. Unless you have something constructive to say, shut the fuck up." Still totally at ease, the figure raised an eyebrow, "Wow, that wasn't very nice, y'know." It took a step closer to her, and in response, she took a step back, her attention focused entirely on the entity before her. Sighing, the figure made a face, seeming to be contemplating something before speaking, "Something constructive, let's see... well, our buddy Papyrus, for starters. You wouldn't believe how much of a fight he put up. If I was even a little bit careless, he would've had me. And then Sans... well. We know how Sans can be. He saw what was left of his baby brother, and he came at me with all he had. It didn't take long for him to run out of magic. If it helps you feel better though, he was thinking about you when he was turning to dust. He called out to Papyrus, and then he called out to you... you must be pretty special to him, huh?" 

Adrienne felt her bottom lip tremble as she stared at the figure, her disbelief fading and giving way to grief. She allowed herself another moment of silence, more tears rolling down her cheeks, before her left eye suddenly flared up, igniting with her magic as her look of sadness shifted into a scowl, her voice calm and unexpectedly even, "...You have until the count of three to get out of my sight. If I reach three, you're dead." 

The figure, visibly intrigued by her now glowing eye hummed, lips curling into a devious grin, "Well well, that's a pretty eye you've got there. When I kill you, maybe I'll take it for myself." Adrienne scoffed, choosing not to respond as she began her countdown.

"One."

The figure remained where they stood, still wearing the same stupid, smug, evil grin. Totally unphased by the situation. 

"Two."

As a multitude of bone attacks and icicles began to form, the figures grin started to falter and they unconsciously took a step back away from her, suddenly appearing much less confident than before, "Hey... What the hell is all this about?"

Their question went unanswered, and her eye began glowing much brighter, "Three." 

All of the attacks shot at the figure at once, several of them managing to impale their small, deceptively fragile form.

Adrienne flipped the hood of the jacket up over her face, her voice shaking as she approached the figure, stuffing her hands into her pockets, "I warned you, brat... don't you ever come back here again." Her moment of silence didn't last, interrupted by the faint sound of buzzing, resembling the whir of a machine somewhere. Summoning more bone shaped ice attacks, she slowly turned to look around, surveying her surroundings. 

What she wasn't prepared for though was the figure she'd just killed, standing several meters away and grinning at her, in perfectly good condition again. It must've seen the confusion and disbelief written on her face, laughing softly, "Resetting is such a wonderful little skill I have... sure, you can kill me if you want, but no matter how many times you cut me down, I'll always come back. That's something Sans had to learn the hard way too." She launched her ice attack, but this time, the figure dodged and darted at her with an unforeseeable amount of speed, her eyes widening in fear as she sidestepped the first attack, grabbing the figure by its wrist and trying to turn the blade against it instead of herself. Then to her horror, multiple other knives, all glowing a vibrant shade of red, began to materialize in the air around her. She tried to release her grip on the figures wrist, but to no avail. No matter what she did, she couldn't make her hand let go of the figure. 

As the blades all slowly turned to aim at her, the figure grinned, their facial features contorting into what she could only describe as a demonic expression. Her heart began to race, and the figure tilted its head, amused as the first knife came sailing downward and plunging into one of her arms, earning a shrill scream from her. The blade had pierced her arm, and she screamed again as it ripped through the opposite side of her arm as well, blood immediately beginning to seep out of the injury. A second knife flew at her as well, sheathing itself in her back, dangerously close to her spine. Another scream tore out of her again and she sobbed brokenly, in too much shock to move her body.

The figure grinned maliciously, moving closer and resting a hand on her face, gently shushing her. When she became louder instead, she felt a sharp pain in her left eye; the figure scowled at her, their thumb now almost fully lodged in her socket, "I asked you nicely to shut up. No one wants to hear your pathetic whining." Screaming again as they scraped a nail against the back of her socket, a familiar warm, red substance ran down her face, she felt her body twitch, all of her partially materialized ice attacks dropping to the floor.

The figure watched her quietly for a moment before almost purring, refusing to remove their thumb from her socket, "And here I thought you might actually be a challenge. Tch. Shame... I'm disappointed in you. I'm sure your beloved skeletons would be pretty let down too." Squeezing her good eye shut, she whimpered, her tears seeming to multiply as she weakly whispered, her voice trembling, "If you're gonna kill me, then do it already, damnit." 

A third knife came sailing down, sinking its blade into one of her thighs and earning another pained scream. The figure scoffed at her, raising an eyebrow, "Since when were you the one in control here?" 

Before she was able to form a reply, a black mass appeared, phasing out of the shadows and watching the two of them with a single cyan eye, clearly interested in what was happening. A tendril coated by what looked to be tar shot out from the mass, wrapping tightly around the figures neck and roughly yanking them backward, causing Adrienne to collapse on the ground, yelping in pain and pressing a hand over her empty socket. Hearing the sounds of another battle, she turned her attention away from the figure and the odd black mass, looking toward the pile of dust that used to be her best friend.

She blinked, silently weeping as his form appeared. Though ghostly in appearance, he offered her a warm, sharp-toothed grin, his single gold tooth glinting under the light of the hall. Letting out a soft sigh, the apparition offered her a hand, his gruff voice low, "C'mon kiddo... Let's get your ass back to bed. It's late, y'know."

Her voice shook, only coming out as a whisper as she raised a hand and reached out to the apparition of Sans, "I know, Sans... 'm sorry I left..." As her vision became blurry, the apparition solidified, but she could've sworn she watched it turn black.

Feeling each of the knives be removed from her body, she could only whimper, too weak to fight as the black mass moved closer, the warmth of healing magic surrounding her wounds and sealing them up. Her eye had even been restored, much to her pleasant surprise. She was lifted up by an inky tendril, drifting in and out of consciousness as she was carried out of the hall.

Beginning to awaken later on, she slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes, squinting as she took in her surroundings; she was in a luxurious black and deep purple bed with satin and silk covers, and there was so little lighting that it was nearly impossible to see. Goosebumps prickled at her skin and her heart stopped as she looked down at herself, seeing that her scarf and jacket had vanished. Eyes wide as she began to panic, she pulled the covers back and slid out of bed, taking a single step and yelping as the muscles in her legs convulsed, giving out beneath her. Before she had a chance to hit the thinly carpeted floor, some unknown object looped around her waist, easily catching her.

Though she was relieved, she was also unnerved; who could've caught her? The room was so dark, so how could this mystery person have been able to see where she was?

A deep chuckle could be heard from in front of her and a chill ran down her spine. As a single cyan eye opened and cast it's eerie glow down on her, she froze, immediately remembering the battle in judgement hall. At a loss for words, she could only stare, watching as the goop covered skeleton cocked his head to the side, "If you wanted these so badly, you could've just asked, little one." A tendril snaked out from behind him, her jacket and scarf held loosely in its grasp. Despite the feeling of another tendril still around her waist, she acted on impulse, reaching out to the items of clothing, desperation crossing her expression. The black mass simply tsked and moved her closer to himself with the first tendril, lifting her again so they could be eye level with each other, "Ah ah, not yet. I'll return them to you, but you have to answer some questions first. Do you think you could do that?" Adrienne swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded slowly. Pleased with her compliance, he hummed, "Good... That'll only make things easier. You're in no shape to fight anytime soon, and I really wouldn't want to have to hurt you." Her eyes widened and her pulse quickened, earning another chuckle from him, "You're adorable this way... maybe I'll keep you around. Who knows. Either way, do you have a name?" 

The teen nodded again, her voice barely audible, "...Adrienne. My name is Adrienne." "'Dark one', huh?... That's interesting. Now tell me, what were you doing when I found you in that hall?" Memories flickered in her mind and she cleared her throat, hesitating a brief moment, "I was trying to avenge my friends. That human... the one I was fighting. They killed everyone, everyone I had ever cared for. I was alone and upset, and I wanted to make the fallen human pay." The mass made a soft sound of understanding, listening intently before posing another question, "The people you lost... what were they to you? Just friends and acquaintances? No mate, by any chance?" Cheeks flushing a faint shade of pink, she shook her head, "No, I didn't have a mate... they were all my friends, and some of them were even like family to me, though. They cared for me when no one else would."

Tugging her closer to himself, he lowered his voice slightly, "I see. If you could get them back, how much would you be willing to sacrifice?" The teen furrowed her brow, "I'd give anything. If it meant I could get them back and that I wouldn't lose any of them again, I'd even give up parts of myself." A clearly interested, satisfied purr rumbled in his chest as he pressed further, "Would you be willing to sacrifice your humanity?... All your morals and concerns, all your logic and your fear? Your soul, perhaps?" Frown deepening, she nodded slowly, her voice a whisper, "Yes. If I could have back the monsters I love, then I'd give all of it away. I'm nothing without them." 

The black mass grinned widely, offering her a bony hand, "My name is Nightmare, and I can make that happen. All you have to do is shake my hand, Adrienne." She stared at his hand for a moment, clearly hesitant to do as he'd asked. Grin faltering, he sighed, "I can feel how sad and lonely you are without them, and I know you're scared. In order to get them back though, you must trust me. As of right now, I mean you no harm. I'm your ally here, and I protect my own. You'll be safe, and you'll be with me, along with others that can understand the pain you're feeling. You won't be alone anymore." Hope blossomed in her chest and she looked back at him, meeting his gaze, "If I agree, you promise you'll get back my friends?" The goop covered skeleton hummed in confirmation, "Of course, little one. It's a promise." Sucking in a deep breath, she reached out and shook his hand.

Tightening his grip on her hand, he pulled her closer, delicately pushing her hair back out of her face to examine her eye, "I'm so glad you agreed... You won't regret this, Adrienne. I'll need to change the mark on your eye though. It'll be my mark instead of the old one, and even though it'll be different, your magic will remain totally unaffected." She hummed softly in understanding, trying her best to hold still as he continued observing her eye. Then to her surprise, his pointer finger and thumb shifted, holding her eye wide open as a third tendril appeared, drifting closer to her face. Feeling her anxiety spike, Nightmare smiled slightly, "Don't move, alright? It may sting and cause your eye to water up, but that's normal and the stinging will eventually go away." 

She took a deep breath, doing her best to relax again as she listened quietly, hearing Nightmare begin to chant something unintelligible under his breath. As the tendril moved closer, the very tip of the appendage pressed into her eye just over her iris and pupil, and she hissed, balling her hands into fists. The appendage receded, vanishing behind Nightmare's back, and that's when the stinging began. At first it was tolerable, but as it grew more intense, her eye watered up and she squirmed, whining softly in discomfort. She raised a hand to rub her eye, but a dark, skeletal hand firmly grabbed her wrist, stopping her, "Not a good idea, little one. If you do that, you may just go blind." She whined again and he chuckled, placing his free hand on her head, "It'll be over soon... until then, I think some more rest would benefit you." A wave of sleepiness washed over Adrienne and her body went limp, her eyes slowly drifting shut. Once he was sure that she was fully asleep, Nightmare delicately placed her back down on her bed, laying the scarf and jacket beside her.

Leaning over her, he carefully opened her left eye again, his grin becoming darker and much more malicious as he took note of her eye's condition; the white of her eye was now black, her iris had vanished, and all that remained of her pupil was a small, white crescent moon shape. 

It'd be interesting when she woke up again, and he almost couldn't wait to see what would happen.

As she began to stir a while later, she took notice of the scarf and jacket beside her, slowly sitting up in bed and slipping them on. She tried her hardest to remember the events that took place in judgement hall, but all she could think of was finding the ashes of the skeletons brothers scattered everywhere. She remembered fighting, blood, and getting her eye gouged out, and she remembered the apparition of Sans.

Her lips curled into a wide, manic smile, and despite the tears running down her face, she began to laugh. 

She laughed and laughed, until her sides ached and her face was stained red from tears, and as she got out of bed, her heart leapt in her chest as the sight of the apparition of Sans passed by her open doorway. Eagerly bounding after him, she called out his name, eyes wide and full of excitement and curiosity. Reaching the end of the corridor and seeing that he was nowhere in sight, she made a face, pausing to glance at herself in a mirror.

Seeing her eye, she burst into another fit of laughter, and her entire world went black.

[proxylynn]

Underfell: File Name not Edgy Enough #23

Chapter 23: Recompense

WARNING: I WANT NO RESPONSIBILITY OVER SPOILING THINGS FOR OTHERS. THAT BEING SAID, THIS IS HOW FILE NAME NOT FOUND WOULD FUNCTION IN THE AU OF UNDERFELL. BEFORE YOU READ THIS, UNLIKE THE NICE TIME OF UNDERTALE, THIS WORLD IS KILL OR BE KILLED. THIS STORY WILL BE GRAPHIC, GORY, USE SWEARS LIKE NOBODY'S BUSINESS, AND DEAL WITH SENSITIVE SUBJECT MATTERS. FOR EXAMPLE, THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE READ THE FILE NAME RELOCATED SPOOF WILL KNOW HOW I PICTURE THIS VERSION OF LYNSIE COMING TO THE UNDERGROUND. IT IS NOT AN ACCIDENT. IT IS NOT BECAUSE OF SOMETHING DUMB. IT IS BECAUSE SHE CHOOSES TO END HER LIFE. SO TAKE THIS WITH A GRAIN OF SALT. I MADE IT BECAUSE I NEEDED TO LET SOME OF THIS EDGINESS OUT OF MYSELF. WHICH I GUESS MAKES UNDERFELL LYNSIE EVEN MORE TRUE TO WHO I REALLY AM. ANYWAY, ENJOY. ^_^

So after being a massive bitch and retreating to his "in case of bullshit, go here" place, Sans finds himself doing the one thing he'd been avoiding to do by drinking himself numb...Reflecting on his life. This place is hard to get to and not a known area one wouldn't think even was there. A small room with nothing more than a mere bench and lonesome echo flower to fill it's void. While there is a dock to this area, it doesn't get any use. He found this spot during a really bad night of heavy drinking. He had no idea how he got here, but since it's so hidden, he keeps it as a safe place. That used to be his lab. But Papyrus converted that into his torture room like an asshole.

A small reflective tin dully catches his eye from under his seat. A reminder of his last effort to try to do something nice and embodies his state at that time. An abandoned quiche. A psychologically damaged spinach egg pie. Tastes delicious, but it has some serious trust issues. He thought about throwing away the abandoned quiche. A tremor of shame runs through his body. He can't do it. He isn't ready for the responsibility. The quiche was left all alone...Like he is now.

No. No, he needed to not think like that. His loathing and negativity are what got him here in the first place. Well, that and pushing everyone away by being a massive fuck! His attitude made him say shit you never want to say to family. He then hides at the one person that would dare call him a friend's house. And then someone that should be his enemy wanted to help him yet he may have just seriously hurt them. Yeah. He had no excuse for this. It doesn't matter how he's had to drink or the lack of sleep. He made those choices. He has to live with them now. So with that being acknowledged...How was he to fix it all?

"argh! fuck my life!"

If anything, it was probably a safe bet to begin with the ones that would be willing to listen to him before kicking his bony ass. Taking a few moments to slap some sense into himself, he gets enough courage to teleport back to Grillby's bar.

Inside it's dark and shutdown. The result of his dumbassery. Snoring gets his attention and the memory of the sleeping flower comes to him. It's a dirty move, but having a minor hostage never hurt to prevent instant attacks. He collects the slumbering flora's pack and nervously approaches the door to Grillby's home. Nervousness has him staring at it for quite some time before his hand knocks on its own. The time before the door opens is painfully tense. Though not as painful as when it does open and Grillby, understandably, hurls the skeleton inside with anger. Causing the bonehead to crash into a few things.

"You have a lot of nerve for a skeleton."

The fire of Grillby crackles harshly. His body casting an immense glow due to the exposed nature of his shirtless torso. Probably he removed the clothing due to all the blood on it. Not wanting to point out something so awkward or wanting his marrow boiled, Sans quickly recovers and holds the pack up.

"ease off for a bit. ya don't want to burn her bro, do ya?"

Grillby glares.

"Dirt move, Sans. But well played."

No! That's not the way he meant.

"i'm not trying...*sigh* i just want ya to hear me out first. then you can do whatever it is ya want. just...let me say my peace. please?"

Grillby eyes him before seemingly relenting, lessening the strength of his flames.

"Fine. You can speak. But not to me. You beg her for mercy before I'll think about giving you any."

He figured as much. However, looking around showed little sign of her apart from a few stains on the floor.

"um...where is...?"

"Follow me."

Not like he was given much of choice when the fire elemental grabs his coat and drags him down the stairs. This was new territory for him. He'd never been down here before. Though it's not like he'll be able to memorize how many doors or which was what room. All he knows is that Grillby pulls him into one where the lights are dimmed and there's a bed. Forced inside, Grillby lets Sans go to walk over to the bed and nudge the one on it.

"Lynsie? Dear, wake up. Did you take the medicine I gave you?"

Some soft tired groans were her return to consciousness.

"*weak* I did...tasted bad."

"Do you need more water?"

"*weak* Please?"

He pets her head.

"Of course, dear."

He leers over his shoulder at the skeleton.

"You have a visitor."

"*weak* Visitor?"

"I can make him leave if you're not up for it?"

"*weak* I'm okay."

"Are you sure?"

She does something Sans couldn't see from behind Grillby but whatever it was it has the bartender stand up.

"I'll be back with your drink. Just stay awake, okay?"

"*weak* I'll try."

Grillby heads towards him and takes the pack from his shaking hands. How long was that happening?

"I won't be gone long. Don't make either of us regret this."

Grillby leaves and Sans hesitates to move.

"*weak* To be honest...I wasn't expecting you to show up so early, Sans."

This gets his head working again and he steps closer to see her.

"early? it's been like an hour or something since then."

"*weak* Really? Damn. My sense of time sucks even more than I thought."

She looked so tired. Like it was taking everything to be this awake. Her shoulder is bandaged and she's in a tank-top that probably belongs to Grillby. Thank god she was changed out of that outfit.

"kid..."

She pats the spot beside her.

"*weak* You look like you have a lot to say. Sit. Talk to me, friend."

Why did that feel so weird?

"why are ya doing this?"

She tilts her head softly.

"*weak* What?"

"you're still being nice to me. even after this. why? why aren't you mad at me? why won't act like a normal person and be upset when you should?!"

It was happening again. He was losing control of himself. He had to get a grip before...

"*weak* Cute."

She stunned him. Very easily too. And with very little effort. All it took was a dumb word and her hand lightly touching his.

"*weak* Please...Sit with me, silly bones."

For his sanity's sake, he prayed this was due to Grillby giving her pain killers. He gives in and sits.

"fine. ya got me."

"*weak* No I don't. I don't have the energy to hug you again."

He eyed her funny.

"how high are you?"

She giggles and he is pretty sure that's a maybe to her being a bit loopy.

"*weak* You said it wrong...It's 'hi, how are you'."

It takes him a moment to register that, but when it finally clicks, it becomes the most hilarious thing he's heard in ages.

"*laughter* oh my fucking god..."

"*weak* There we go. That's much better. I don't like seeing you sad. Your smile is so cute."

Wait, what did she say?

"*weak* Now that you're you again..."

She tries to scoot herself into a sitting position but can't get past a lounging pose.

"*weak* Why don't you tell me what's on your mind."

Her calm not pissed off attitude was both relieving and bugging him.

"seriously, why aren't ya tearing into me right now?"

"*weak* Easy...I can barely move, numskull."

The humor, while funny, wasn't helping.

"no. i mean it. you should be the one wanting to kick my ass. yet grillz is the one just waiting for you to say the word and burn me to ash."

She shakes her head.

"*weak* Sans, buddy, we've been over this. I don't want to hurt anyone. Especially you. Not over something so dumb."

"dumb? look at ya! you nearly die from blood loss and for what? because ya hugged me? don't let me get away with that!"

She looks at him funny.

"*weak* You want me to be mad at you over an accident?"

"yes! maybe? i don't know. just...do something than just automatically forgive me."

"*weak* You know, for a guy that shouted he wasn't my friend, you sure do care a lot about how I should feel about you right now."

That caught him off guard. Why did this bother him if he didn't care? This line of thought is broken by the entering of Grillby and his approach.

"All is well I hope."

For a guy made of fire, he can sound and be downright cold when the moment is right.

"*weak* Be nice."

"I am being nice. If I wasn't, he'd be dead right now."

She scoffs.

"*weak*And I thought women were over-reactive."

The barkeep comes over and glares at Sans while handing her the glass of water.

"*weak* Thank you, sweetie."

"Anytime, dear."

Their seemingly happy relationship made the skeleton uncomfortable. They were sweet, loving, and uncaring about anything that was done in the sight of others. Other than them being of warring sides, they were the definition of an odd couple by Underground standards. She drinks slowly as her eyes droop a bit.

"maybe i should come back later. you're not looking too good."

She grabs his sleeve with a quickness neither guy was expecting.

"*weak* Not yet. We still have things to say."

Sans wants to retreat but that feeling only pisses him off. He hated this. This cowardice. Didn't he come here to prove that he was done running from his problems?

"yeah...we do."

Grillby clears his throat to make his presence in the room still apparent.

"Is there anything else I can do for you, dear?"

She's quiet for a moment.

"*weak* Can you make sure my brother is okay? I need to speak with Sans...alone...please?"

"If you think I'll leave you alone with him..."

"*weak* Would you speak of hard to talk about stuff if others were around?"

"Well, no, but..."

"*weak* Then please..."

Grillby is visibly against this. Her persistent grip on the skeleton's sleeve wasn't helping either.

"*weak* Ten minutes. That's all I ask."

Grillby sneers and she stares hard at him. The intensely awkward standoff ends with him heading towards the exit.

"I'll be right outside this door."

"*weak* I know you will."

Grillby parts from them and she lets Sans go.

"well, that was uncomfortable."

"*weak* Yeah...So you wanna fuck?"

Before a reaction beyond blushing comes to Sans, the door flings open and slams into the wall, yet she laughs.

"*weak giggles* Wow...I knew you were hot under the collar, but I didn't think you'd be that ready to blow up."

He points threatening.

"Do not test me! I am not in the mood!"

"*weak* Heh...Love you too, sweetie."

The utterance of the L-word has the fuming fire-man burning up for different reasons. His hue shifts and he slowly backs away in a state of shock, shutting the door behind him.

"*weak* Adorable."

"you said the l word."

She looks at him funny.

"monsters don't use that word. not unless it's truly meant."

"*weak* What? Love? But monsters say it all the time for Level of Violence."

"that's different."

"*weak* Please, let's not waste time splitting hairs. We'll be at it for hours."

"fine. but don't mess with him like that."

"*weak* I wasn't trying to...*sigh* Fine."

He rubs the back of his skull.

"so...where to start...?"

"*weak* How about the easy one?"

He chuckles nervously for a moment.

"easy you say...heh...alright. i...i'm sorry. ya know i didn't mean to do all this crap."

She nods.

"*weak* Dude, I know. You've told me a lot that you're not into being hugged. And I knew you would probably wig out. But I needed you to stay and hear what I had to say. I wanted you to know that Pap isn't Pap without you. He misses his bro. A hard thing to imagine, yet true."

He shifts his gaze to the floor.

"i...i don't know if i can face him."

"*weak* Probably no point in asking...But what happened?"

He sighs heavily and rubs his face a few times.

"i wasn't in the best mood when it went down. some messed up stuff was going through my head. then pap comes over and starts his dumb shit. it got to me...and i snapped. he made that always good for a laugh remark that if i wasn't his brother he would've dusted my ass ages go and ya know what i said...can ya guess? i said do it. if i was that much of a fucking burden and if he hated me that much, then to just go ahead and kill me. that way i wouldn't have to deal with his shit anymore."

Her face is full of concern and for good reason. He's smiling. He's smiling and yet tears are trickling.

"ain't that fucked up? he's all i got and i told him to kill me so i wouldn't be with him anymore. how? how can he miss me after that?"

For once, she didn't have an answer to follow up with. So letting his emotions take hold, he keeps going.

"i mean...what am i to do? how can go to him and explain to him that it was a mistake? how can i take it back something like that?"

"*weak* You can't."

"then what do i do?"

She looks up at the ceiling.

"*weak* There isn't one simple fix for things like this. The answer mostly comes from the one you're trying to apologize to. Knowing them and how they are, you can get a scope on how to make amends. And if anyone knows Papyrus...It's you. So, what can you think of that will surprise him and make him feel better?"

That made him pause. She drinks while the room remains silent for a time.

"*weak* If I can make a small suggestion...Don't spend money. Making something yourself means so much more than store-bought."

"yeah, like that narrows it down."

"*weak* Whoa. You monsters really aren't used to the whole 'nice' thing. Well...most of you."

"like i've been telling ya...being nice or kind isn't normal down here."

"*weak* Publicly at least. Behind closed doors...?"

"depends on the monster. you've seen me and pap at home. we aren't nice there either."

"*weak* Hard to say really. I was there, yes. But seeing you guys as you truly are as if I wasn't? No clue."

"heh. hate to break it to ya, but it's basically the same."

"*weak* Then...There are good times when I'm not around."

Now he was the confused one.

"what?"

She shifts and makes herself sit up straight, her strength coming back.

"*weak* I remember a lot of beatings, that's true. But there were times when things were nice. Like when we'd sit down to watch TV and eat. We'd make a few dumb jokes and talk like...like good friends. I..."

She cuts herself off, getting his attention. A soft smile is on her face but her eyes look a little sad.

"kid?"

She fiddles with her hands.

"*weak* I'd be a terrible liar if I said I didn't miss that. Sure, Toriel acts the mom role and it feels good to play the daughter. But being around you guys...You don't play a part. You don't fake anything around me. And those moments, when we're not at each other's throats...It felt real. You know? Like, the rest of the world didn't matter and time was meaningless because it just felt so good. And..."

This time it was his hand on her's that made things stop. Before she can speak as to why the answer comes in the form of liquid landing on her arm. The realization of her own crying gets her to chuckle.

"*weak* Heh heh...I can't even remember the last time I wasn't crying. No wonder you hate me so much. Not only am I a human that can RESET and that troubles your life so much. But I'm a pathetic broken crybaby too. *sniffle*"

She doesn't wipe her tears away. She lets herself soak in her sadness. This sight...This sight he's seen so many times before. It mirrored himself. Each time a good ending happened only to wake up back in the Underground. Each time a bad ending happened and he died only to wake up alive again. Each time he failed to keep his brother safe and was allowed to live. Each time a piece of himself was taken away and it left him more hallow than the last. Now he could see it himself. And it wasn't something he liked.

"you're not pathetic..."

She looks at him.

"a crybaby? meh. who isn't when feeling so down? but pathetic? nah. that ain't you."

"*weak* Don't lie to make me feel better."

"i ain't lying. no one in this bitch ass hellhole has the balls to do what you do. you fall down here and find monsters. so what do ya do? you try to be friends. you refuse to fight. you refuse to gain power in pain. and you're brave enough to be yourself when my dumbass tells you to stop. you're more badass than you realize."

She gives him a small but indifferent smile.

"*weak* The attempt is nice. Thanks."

Something about her tone got to him. That falseness. It's a slippery slope and he could see her falling deeper into her darkness. That's when he did something they both didn't expect. He swallowed his pride and embraced her, making her flinch in puzzlement.

"*weak* S-Sans?"

"i don't hate you. sometimes i say things i don't mean. but that's 'cause i hate myself. don't be like me. take care of yourself, kid. 'cause someone really cares about you. don't do anything to lose that."

He hides his face in her neck and could feel her form tremble. The sniffling came back louder as the tears were being fought.

"*weak sob* Can...C-Can I...?"

He nods against her and she hesitantly puts her arms around him.

"*weak* T-Thank you."

He wasn't exactly sure what the reason for the thanks was. But if it helped her than he'd go along with it. It's not like this bugged him. Her hugs, while unwanted most times, always felt warm and caring. Something this world they live in severely lacked.

"no problem...friend."

Her arms tightened a little bit for a comforting squeeze and an old fuzzy memory of his mother began to come to his mind. However, the opening of the door took that away and Grillby's throat clearing made the pair let go. The appearance of a seemingly sentimental intimate moment didn't sit well with Grillby. His limit was reached.

"I think I've been rather generous with the time. Even gave you a bit extra. But now she should really get some rest."

Not wanting to press his luck any further, Sans takes this as his cue to skedaddle.

"thanks for listening to me, kid."

"*weak* Thank you for making me feel better."

"it's the least i can do. we boneheads gotta make sure we don't crack. right?"

"*weak* Heh...right. See you later, numskull. And think about what I said."

He nods, standing up and moving slowly towards Grillby.

"i'm gonna go, but i have something to say to you."

Grillby leers but listens.

"nothing i say can let you know just how much of a fuck-tard i feel like. and there's nothing i can do to even begin to repay you for everything you've ever done for me. but know this...i'm gonna try."

Grillby's expression lessens but doesn't change much. That being said, Sans teleports out and leaves the pair alone. His new mission now was to think of a way he was going to handle Papyrus.

[Meanwhile: Grillby's house]

I smile at Grillby as he sighs to himself.

"Don't say it. I already know."

"*weak* You don't have to act like you're mad at him. You know as well as I that he didn't mean to do this."

He comes over to me.

"As much as I find your kindness charming, you need to give it a limit. Sometimes you need to be assertive and not dismissive of things."

"*weak* This wasn't one of those times and you know it."

"I didn't say it was. I just want you to keep that in mind."

Something Sans said comes back to me.

"*weak* Grillz..."

"Hmmm?"

"*weak* Did I...Did I go too far saying the 'love' word earlier?"

He blushes and looks away. This makes me feel bad.

"*weak* I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."

"I know what you meant. I just...wasn't expecting it is all."

I pout and open my arms to him.

"*weak* Hugs?"

He gives me a small warm smile and crawls onto the bed with me, moving to lay in my embrace.

"Like you even need to ask."

Warm. He's so very warm. It's nice. Gentle and soothing. So nice. I nuzzle into his flaming hair.

"Awww...Are you in a sweet mood?"

"*weak* For you? Always."

He shifts up against me, kissing his way up to my ear where he nibbles the lobe.

"I know you need to heal, but I'd be lying if I didn't say I'm tempted to have a little fun with you."

I smirk and nestle in against him.

"*weak* You have fun if you want. I'm just going to cuddle you, you snuggly heating pad. Just don't..."

"No worries. I won't cross any lines."

"*weak* I was gonna say don't let me sleep very long as Toriel expects me home by 9 pm."

"Oh."

"*weak giggles* Naughty flamer."

He takes his glasses off and puts them by my water.

"*weak* What are you doing?"

"Shhhhh...Rest now, dear. Everything is okay."

I look at him funny before his bite makes me moan.

"*weak* G-Grillby?"

He grins into my neck and starts sucking on the skin. This has me fidgeting and moaning more which only pleases him more.

"*weak* Grillby, please...I don't think I can get away with another hickey."

His fire crackles a groan, his hands grip my body, and his actions get more heated.

"*growl* Mine..."

Okay, that's new.

"*weak* Grillby?"

"*deep growl* Mine."

His tone doesn't sound so good.

"*weak* Are you okay?"

"*harsh growl* Mine!"

His sudden possessiveness makes me tremble. And soon what once started out as something playful turns into something I don't know how to handle.

"*weak* Grillby stop."

"*burning* Mine. You are mine. They know it. He knows it. You know it. So why? Why do you get so close to him and not me?!"

"*weak* That's not true."

"Don't lie to me!"

His heat flares. The smell of singed hair tickles my nose. He pulls back from me to glare at me with hate, confusion, and...pain?

"Why do you help him? Why do you let him get away with hurting you? Why do you let him touch you? Why would you allow all that if you didn't like him? Please...Tell me."

At this point, he's scaring me. This is a side I've never seen before. This must be him when threatened or jealous or...wait. Is he actually jealous?

"*weak* Are you...Are you worried I'm going to leave you?"

The anger in his eyes falters and I sigh.

"*weak* Sweetie, how did such a thought come to you? Sure, Sans is a dear friend and I let him get away with things because he needs someone to be patient with his problems. But that doesn't mean I like him more than you."

His intensity turns down.

"It doesn't?"

"*weak* No, silly."

I hold his face in my hands.

"*weak* If I liked him, then why am I with you?"

He sighs.

"Because you don't like him that way. And I'm being a dumbass."

"*weak* Why would I give you my first kiss if I liked Sans?"

He smiles a little.

"Because you care for me more."

"*weak* And if I liked Sans more than you, why would I..."

Die to turn back time and bring you back to me.

"*weak* Why would I share my soul with you?"

His eyes widen in a state of absolute dumbfoundedness.

"...What did you say?"

I can't fight the blush coming to me or the goofy smirk.

"*weak* You heard me. I know you don't have ears, but that's never stopped you from doing so before. Come to think of it, how do your glasses stay in place when you wear them? For that matter, you don't even have a nose. I have so many questions..."

He doesn't bother to answer anything. Instead, he smothers me in a smoldering hot kiss that burns my lips. When he finishes, he presses his forehead to mine in nuzzling affection and I snicker at his return to the guy I care for.

"Lynsie, dear, you make my soul burn."

I'm starting to think that's his way of saying 'I love you' without actually saying it. Such a dork.

"*weak* Love you too, Grillby."

He smiles and returns to holding me. We stay like this for a while. All snuggled in each other's arms. His warmth slowly undoing all the activity in my brain that's been keeping me awake. And in no time at all, I'm fast asleep.

He waited till her breathing became steady before moving off of her. She looked so peaceful like this. He was surprised he didn't blow it when he overheated like an idiot. Lucky for him she was not like the women down here. They wouldn't put up with something like that. Honestly, his behavior made him sick. Him, jealous of Sans. The idea was laughable. She cares for Grillby. She gave him her all. So why did he still feel weird? Why did he still feel uneasy about the San's closeness to her? He needed a drink.

[Sometime later in Snowdin Town]

Papyrus dragged his feet while heading home. The pride in his stride not there. Why get to an empty house with any sort of exertion? Just to sit in the dark with a hot meal that will grow cold from a lack of wanting to even bother. In all honesty, he hadn't eaten in a few days. His system pained with a need for nourishment but he just couldn't bring himself to feed. He hadn't even cooked anything. And the closer the house got, the more he dreaded opening the front door to a dead home. Though something caught his attention along the way. Grillby's bar was closed. An unusual sight knowing that it didn't close till much later at night. Did something happen? Was Sans involved? The blackout building did little to provide any clues and forced him to keep heading home. Yet again, something got his attention. Only this time it was the opposite of the last thing. There was light...coming from his home.

Two possibilities came to him as the cause of this light. One, some soon to be dead fucker made the mistake of breaking in. Or two, his brother was there. Hoping for the latter but still unsure of danger, Papyrus approached with caution. Taking note of anything as he came closer. Footprints? There were none. Broken glass? There was none. Tampering with the door? It was untouched. Carefully and quietly, he unlocked the door before slowly opening it to a surprise. A warm familiar scent made his mouth water and some low snores coming from the couch. Shutting the door with a soft touch not expected from him, he found him smaller older brother passed out with a paper in one hand a pen that seemed to escape the other.

While relieved to see him once more, Papyrus still felt the sting that came from his last interaction with Sans. Forgiveness would not come so easily. Still...The attempt is a good start. He reheated some food to be ready for his return and wrote something before falling asleep like the log that he is. Strange. He's never known Sans to write anything that wasn't something profoundly stupid. Probably nothing more than a list of jokes that will be used to piss him off later. Best be rid of such a thing before the other woke. So Papyrus grabbed the paper and gave it a look, to see just how bad the puns truly were. Yet...that's not what he found. Instead, it is a letter.

"pap, you know i ain't one to say shit like this out loud so i hope you can accept this because i honestly mean it. every single thing i've done has made me who i am today. i've done things, fucked up things. i've seen things and gone through hell. burning bridges in my wake all for one goal. the only thing i would take back is hurting the one reason my life has meaning. hurting you. you're my brother pap. the closet family i got. no matter how messed up i am, i have no right to take my crap out on you. i know i'm always the best bro. i piss you off and make you look bad. but damn it, i try. not for the others. because fuck them! i don't need to apologize to them. i don't need to impress them or give a shit about they think. my life doesn't have anything to do with the rest of the world. i do it all for you, papyrus. so knowing that i've disappointed you...well...i'm disappointed in myself for making you put up with a schmuck like me. if i could go back in time, i'd do it all over the right way. maybe then i could be a brother you're proud of. a brother worthy of the great papyrus."

Many things have struck Papyrus. But none wounded him more than these words. Emotions began to swell in his chest. It compelled him to react before his mind came up with any thought. Without warning, he grabs his slumbering brother into his arms. Naturally, this spooks the sleeping skeleton to the point he nearly punches his brother until recognition kicks in. That's when the panic of attack turns to the panic of a different kind.

"uh...h-hey bro."

Papyrus didn't respond. This is worrisome.

"you okay?"

"DID YOU MEAN IT?"

Papyrus pulls away and points to the message.

"DID YOU REALLY MEAN EVERYTHING ON THIS?"

Sans rubs the back of his skull nervously.

"yeah."

Anger comes to Papyrus and Sans braces for the worst, punishment for being weak.

"YOU IDIOT! WHAT MAKES YOU THINK..."

At this point, something in Sans's head blocks out Papyrus's shouting. A building feeling has his hearing ringing and something inside comes to a boiling point that can't take this shit any longer. He snaps.

"papyrus...will you stop being a prick for five minutes?"

"WHA...?"

"shut your yap and listen for once!"

Papyrus glares with his right socket slightly twitching.

"you have no idea what i do or what i've done and gone through for you. and i'm not talking about the human either. i got a list a mile long. day after day, i work my bony ass off and the only thing i want out of it...the only fucking thing...is an acknowledgment of approval. and not just from any schmo. no. i would expect it from the guy that i helped raise. the guy that looks down on me even though i'm older. but no! that's not what i get. i get looked on like trash. not good enough, you say! work harder, you say! hit harder, you say! make harder puzzles, you say! nothing i do is ever good enough for you, the great and terrible papyrus! mister fucking perfect right here and can do no wrong!"

Now Sans is standing lividly. Papyrus opens his mouth but doesn't get to say a word as Sans continues.

"oh, but you're always there. waiting right there when i've had enough to tear me down even further. why do i even try anymore?! i'll never be good enough for you! then again, why would you want me to be better? you look better by comparison if i'm a fuck up. yet you know the more fucked up part...i still have this sickly twisted hope that somehow, someday, we can go back to how we used to be and finally act like real brothers!"

The fire in Sans fizzles as his sockets moisten and Papyrus holds his arm sheepishly.

"but...i guess that's just a dumb dream. right? because if it was possible, it would've happened. i've tried everything already. so many times...so many resets...just trying to find the right answer...to make you proud of me."

Papyrus seems to remember how to talk.

"I AM PROUD OF YOU, SANS. I...I'M ONLY HARD ON YOU BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO MAKE YOU THE BEST THAT YOU CAN BE. I KNOW YOU CAN DO SO MUCH MORE. YOU HAVE AMAZING POTENTIAL FOR GREATNESS. YET WE BOTH KNOW THIS WORLD IS INSANELY TOUGH AND I DON'T WANT IT TO GET TO YOU. I...I JUST WANT TO TOUGHEN YOU UP SO THAT OTHERS WON'T MESS WITH YOU. AND NOT JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE MY BROTHER. YOUR POWER IN FIGHTING..."

"is that what you think? ya wanna talk about power...i can dust you, undyne, the king, and every other asshole in the underground with the same amount of energy it takes to snap my finger. you have no clue, no one does, just how powerful i am. i hold all this in because i don't want to be a fucking psychopath like everyone else in this hellhole! and you what all that does to me? i'm losing my god damn mind! with each passing day, i feel less and less like a real person anymore."

Sans begins trembling.

"i...i'm scared, pap. not of dying. that's happened so many times i'm numb to it by now. i'm scared that one day...i'll fucking snap. i'll have had enough and just start offing people. and the sad thing is, the one person i want to understand my pain is the one that's hurting me. even more pathetic part is that the human, the damn girl we all need dead and she knows it, is the shoulder i lean on to vent all this heavy shit to which she is just as messed up as i am. but maybe that's what i need. someone just as broken as me to not drive me into lashing out at everything. because that's what's gonna happen one day. i'm gonna wake up and just not care anymore. slaughtering all in my sight. even you. then i have to live with that. damn it, pap, you're my brother! my only brother! my only family! but you're hurting me and i don't want to hurt you back!"

"I...SANS, I..."

Papyrus reaches out for Sans. But Sans smacks his hand. Yet Papyrus grabs the smacking hand and Sans's left eye sparks in surprise due to all the emotional stress.

"I DIDN'T KNOW...I THOUGHT...I WAS JUST TRYING TO HELP...PREPARING YOU SO THAT YOU WOULDN'T GET HURT..."

Papyrus pulls Sans close and puts his free arm around his back.

"BUT I WAS WRONG. I'M SORRY, BROTHER."

Sans, overwhelmed, clings desperately to his brother and rattles his bones trying not to weep. This wasn't the lashing Sans was expecting when he returned home. But this was a fairly better outcome. They stay like this for some time. Papyrus lightly patting Sans's back in comfort and Sans slowly recovering from unloading so much at one time.

"YOU OKAY?"

"...i guess."

"ANYTHING I CAN DO TO MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER?"

"...actually...while i appreciate what you're doing, it just feels awkward."

"AGREED. I THINK SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY, WE FORGOT HOW TO DO THIS."

"so...baby steps then?"

"HOW SO?"

"we ease off each other but still, ya know...act normal."

"...VERY WELL."

Papyrus clears his throat and seamlessly reverts to being a douchebag.

"DON'T EVER THINK THESE STUPID THOUGHTS AGAIN. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?"

Sans knew this was what he wanted but his brain still had one dumb question left.

"but...don't i piss you off?"

It takes a moment for Papyrus to register his brother's question.

"OF COURSE YOU PISS ME OFF. EVERYTHING PISSES ME OFF. BUT THAT'S JUST HOW FAMILY IS. PISSING EACH OTHER OFF. BUT LESS THAN OTHER PEOPLE."

"what about all those times where you tell me if i wasn't your bro that you'd have killed me by now?"

"BECAUSE IF YOU WERE JUST SOME ASSHOLE THEN I WOULDN'T GIVE A SHIT! BUT YOU'RE MY BROTHER AND I DO."

"do...what?"

This flustered the terrible Papyrus. A rare and unexpected reaction. Though it made Sans more curious.

"pap?"

"YOU."

"huh?"

"I GIVE A SHIT ABOUT YOU, SANS! THERE! I SAID IT. ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?"

An almost wounded look comes to Sans from the amount of confused he is.

"YOU'RE A LAZY COWARDLY UNFUNNY BAG OF SOCKS, BUT DAMN IT ALL, YOU'RE MY BROTHER. YOU'RE ALL I HAVE AND I CARE ABOUT YOU."

Sans's eyes cast their gaze to the floor in shame.

"DO YOU EVEN UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU DID? HOW MUCH YOU HURT ME? LOOK AT ME, DAMN IT!"

The slight crack in Papyrus's demand made Sans look up. His sockets widening to the sight of his brother, the great and terrible Papyrus, softly tearing up. Guess this was Papyrus's turn to vent.

"p-papyrus..."

"DO YOU KNOW HOW PAINFUL THAT WAS? FOR YOU, OF ALL PEOPLE, TO TELL ME TO KILL YOU? MY OWN BROTHER. WHY NOT STAB A KNIFE IN MY CHEST? THE EFFECT WOULD'VE BEEN JUST AS EFFECTIVE."

"pap...i..."

His tears were falling freely at this point.

"AND THEN YOU WOULDN'T COME HOME. INSTEAD, YOU HID AWAY LIKE A FOOL. DID YOU NOT SEE ME AT ALL? DO YOU KNOW HOW OFTEN I JUST WANTED TO DRAG YOUR SORRY ASS OUT OF THERE?"

"w-why didn't you?"

"BECAUSE I WANTED YOU TO DO IT ON YOUR OWN! I WANTED YOU TO FACE ME LIKE A MAN AND OWN UP TO YOUR PROBLEM. I JUST DIDN'T THINK IT WOULD TAKE YOU SO LONG TO DO SO."

Now it was Sans's turn to shock his brother. Increasing his hug tally for the day greater as he clings to his sibling.

"i'm so sorry, pap. i...i was a huge bastard. can you ever forgive me?"

Papyrus slowly returns the hold.

"I FORGIVE YOU, SANS...CAN YOU FORGIVE ME?"

"of course, pap."

"OKAY THEN."

Papyrus then shoves Sans back onto the couch.

"IF YOU EVER DO SOMETHING SO MORONIC AGAIN, I'LL HURT YOU BACK TILL YOUR BONES ARE BLACK AND BLUE."

His tough words had less bite due to him wiping the tears away. Yet Sans took this as a good sign. Big bad bro was back to his normal self. Which meant things were good. At least he hoped as much. Papyrus made his way into the kitchen as Sans relaxed. Removing his jacket and shoes, feeling at home again.

"SANS! WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?"

A sigh leaves him, a strange sense of familiarity in this that just feels right warms his bones as he gets up and strolls over to his confused brother who is eyeing a funny looking glass baking dish.

"yes?"

"WHAT AM I LOOKING AT?"

"oh, that?"

Sans smirks embarrassed.

"i wanted to treat ya to something as a surprise by cooking. and i know i've watched ya cook for so long, but i'll be damned if said i knew what the hell i was doing when it came to making lasagna. so...i made spaghetti."

Papyrus cocked his brow.

"IN THE OVEN?"

"i made it on the stove like normal. i'm not that slow. but i didn't know when you'd get here. so to keep it warm, i baked it on low."

Inquisitively, Papyrus gets a fork and strings himself a sample.

"HMMM..."

"i tried to make it like you used to. probably won't be as good as when you cook."

"DON'T FALL ON YOUR SWORD YET."

"sorry."

"SO FAR...IT LOOKS DECENT. NO NOODLE STIFFNESS AND THE SAUCE IS THICK BUT NOT TOO THICK."

Papyrus takes a deep whiff.

"NO SPICES USED?"

"i didn't want to screw it up by adding too much. 'cause once it's in there ya can't exactly take it back out."

A grunt of understanding was his reply before biting into the amount on his fork. Papyrus mulls the food for a bit and follows it with a long slow swallow.

"well? is it bad?"

There's a long pause.

"COMPARED TO MINE? THIS DOESN'T HOLD A CANDLE."

Sans's heart sinks.

"BUT..."

Oh?

"COMPARED TO EXAMPLES YOU HAVE MADE BEFORE? THIS...THIS IS DELICIOUS."

A strange warmth comes to Sans.

"r-really?"

Papyrus doesn't say a word. He merely makes himself a very large plate and doesn't wait to reach his seat in the living room to begin eating. Following his brother's lead, Sans too gets a plate full of food and joins him on the couch. The pasta brings a sense of nostalgia. Like a past moment softly being revisited again in each bite. Who knew something as basic as spaghetti could bring out such strong feelings?

"SO..."

Papyrus breaks the eating silence.

"I TAKE IT YOU SPOKE WITH THE HUMAN BEFORE COMING HERE."

Not so much a question than a statement. One that Sans rolls his shoulders at.

"yeah. kid said she saw ya earlier."

Papyrus pauses for a slight second before continuing to eat.

"she said that you missed me."

"THAT WOMAN TALKS TOO MUCH."

"but you did...right?"

"YOU KNOW I DID. WHY BOTHER ASKING ME WHAT YOU ALREADY KNOW?"

"no reason. i just like hearing you say it."

Papyrus scoffs.

"I SEE YOU'RE STILL AN ASS."

Sans merely snickers.

"SHE GETS TO YOU LIKE NO ONE ELSE, DOESN'T SHE?"

This ends Sans snickering.

"huh?"

Papyrus stops eating.

"THE HUMAN. SHE TOLD ME SHE WOULD SPEAK WITH YOU AND HERE YOU ARE. BACK HOME AFTER DAYS OF HIDING. EITHER SHE SAYS WHAT IS NEEDED TO BE SAID OR SHE HAS SOME WAY OF SWAYING YOU."

Sans ignored the latter implication.

"she just...she's a good kid is all."

Papyrus cocks a socket his brother's way.

"RIGHT...AND IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE TWO OF YOU BEING 'SECRET BUDDIES'."

He knew that was coming to bite him in the ass someday.

"it's not what you think."

"THEN WHAT IS IT? BECAUSE IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THE BOTH OF YOU ARE UNUSUALLY CLOSE. *GASP* DON'T TELL ME THAT SO-CALLED 'FRIEND' OF YOURS THAT LIKES SOMEONE THEY SHOULDN'T IS ACTUALLY YOU AND THE HUMAN!"

Sans nearly chokes on a forkful of noddles. His skull as red as the sauce and sockets painfully wide in shock.

"the fuck?! no! fuck no! i just said it's not what you think it is!"

"THEN BY ALL MEANS, DO ELABORATE."

"she's just..."

"YES?"

"she's just...a nice kid. that's all."

"OH? AND THE OTHER HUMANS WEREN'T NICE ENOUGH FOR YOUR LIKING? IS THAT WHY YOU DEALT WITH THEM SO QUICKLY?"

"why are ya busting my hump on this? i thought we agreed to go easy on each other."

"I AM GOING EASY ON YOU. I'M NOT MAKING YOU TELL ME ANYTHING. OTHERWISE, I'D BE ASKING A HELL OF A LOT MORE."

"then i ain't saying shit."

"WHY ARE YOU BEING SO DEFENSIVE?"

"because i fucked up!"

There is a tense pause.

"all she wanted to do was help me like she always does. and my dumb ass nearly kills her."

Papyrus is intrigued to say the least.

"*SIGH* WHAT HAPPENED?"

Sans gulps down an obscenely large forkful of pasta to join the lump in his throat.

"she nearly bled out after i bit her."

Papyrus rubs the space between his eyes.

"WHY DID YOU BITE HER?"

"in my defense...i was annoyed, i told her to stop hugging me, and i didn't mean to sink my teeth in that deep."

That only made Papyrus more confused.

"SHE WAS HUGGING YOU?"

"*sigh* i was gonna leave before hearing her out and she grabbed me so i couldn't."

"THAT...MAKES SENSE I GUESS. DID YOU...?"

"i already apologized. if you can imagine..."

"SHE FORGAVE YOU WITH NO EFFORT."

"yep."

"SHE TRULY IS AN ODD ONE."

"true that."

A few slurps are made.

"...not like it's a bad thing."

Papyrus shrugs.

"I SUPPOSE...SOMETIMES...WHEN SHE'S NOT BEING A CUNT."

Sans chuckles and they continue to eat. This tranquil normalcy, it made Sans think about what the human said. How these small moments make things feel better even when the world is a ruined hell.

"*weak* Then...There are good times when I'm not around. I remember a lot of beatings, that's true. But there were times when things were nice. Like when we'd sit down to watch TV and eat. We'd make a few dumb jokes and talk like...like good friends. I'd be a terrible liar if I said I didn't miss that. And those moments, when we're not at each other's throats...It felt real. You know? Like, the rest of the world didn't matter and time was meaningless because it just felt so good."

Yeah. These little moments were the windows into a peace that needed to be peered in more often. This was something that they could get used to.

[Hours pass by]

"...wake up."

The voice is soft and wispy.

"...you hear me?"

Warmth nudges my shoulder.

"...cat?"

Cat? Oh...heh...Pussycat. It must be time to go. Thanks, Grillby.

"...fooling around. You don't want to keep..."

The yawn I let out muffles the rest of his speech as my eyes take their time to open and adjust.

"*groggy* Sorry, Grillz...Your bed is so comfy."

Grillby playfully ruffles my hair.

"Silly, pussycat. How are you feeling?"

I rub my eyes and sit up. Noticing he's in some more casual attire. Part of me is disappointed he's not still shirtless. Mmmmmm...topless Grillby.

"Naps are amazing. I feel much better."

"Good. It's getting to be that time you told me to wake you."

"Has Flowey woke up too?"

He shakes his head.

"Your brother is even more of a lightweight than you."

"He is a flower. It's not like he has a system made for dealing with booze."

He helps me out of his bed and motions to the end of the bed where the clothes I came here in now lay.

"We can't have your mother seeing you come home like this."

"Yet the second hickey was a good idea?"

His flames flicker a moment in nervous embarrassment.

"Yeah...Not my brightest move."

"No worries. I forgive you, hot stuff."

"You do?"

"Sure. You were a little upset and got a bit carried away. I'm not gonna hold it against you..."

I surprise him with a hug.

"Not when I can hold you against me."

He smirks and snakes his arms around me.

"My, someone's being affectionate. Not sure if it's because of the blood loss, meds, or you actually find me genuinely worth it."

I nuzzle his shoulder.

"Kindness given gains kindness in return. You've been good to me, Grillby. Why wouldn't I be affectionate to a warm soul such as yourself?"

"*sigh* What did I ever do to deserve you?"

I have no words to answer him with. I simply lean into him with a soft kiss. He, on the other hand, decides to reciprocate by sending warmth throughout my system with an overly hot kiss and a grip that's strong but not like the possessive one from before. He breaks the kiss, leaving me stolen of breath.

"You know...There's still some free time before you need to get back home."

A sly smirk plays on his charming face.

"What say we have a little fun till time's up~?"

His hands knead a trail to my hips where they rub tender circles. The naughty flamer sees a rare opportunity and is willing to take it. However, I know how Toriel is and how she'd react if I'm late. Still, it's not like I don't see an opportunity myself. I wrap my arms around his neck and give him a sultry look.

"Fun huh? What kind of fun do you have in mind, hot stuff~?"

"Hmmm...I was thinking..."

He leans into my ear and nibbles the lob a bit.

"Maybe I can cross off a few more of those things you've never experienced..."

Knowing how sensitive my nape is, he moves his nibbling to there and I bite my lip to keep it together.

"Perhaps we kick this heat up a notch and make things a bit spicier...How do you feel about that?"

Even like this Grillby is patient soul. Though part of me is curious to test his limits and mine.

"I guess we could try. There is something I've never done that's pretty simple."

His eyes widen a bit.

"R-Really?"

"Yeah, and since I'm in the Underground, it's kinda a bit more thrilling."

I feel his fire intense.

"You...You're not just teasing me are you, pussycat?"

I shake my head.

"No tease."

A slight highlight in color touches his face to match the goofy excited look coming to him.

"A-And...um...W-What is it you'd like to try?"

"Well...promise not to laugh?"

"Dear, I'd never..."

"I want to hold hands as I walk home with you."

His mouth remains open as I stole his ability to speak. I see the gears of "what the fuck" turn behind his eyes so I try to explain in a not stupid way.

"I know, it's not what you wanted to hear. But...I dunno...You make me feel special. And as childish as it sounds, I've always just wanted to hold the hand of someone that cared for me. Plus, you escorting me home will give you major good guy points with mom."

I try to sell this with an embarrassed smile.

"But you don't have to if you don't want to. I understand that..."

He shuts me up with his laughter. This doesn't make me feel good for sharing and after a moment or two, he sees my dower expression then quickly attempts to fix this.

"No no, pussycat, I didn't mean...*sigh* I laughed because you're innocence never stops to amaze me. After our game earlier, this caught me off guard."

I rub my arm shyly.

"Sorry."

"Don't be sorry. I adore this about you. It's precious."

I fight weakly to stop the blush coming to me.

"Thanks."

He cups my chin and kisses my forehead.

"God, you're cute. Go get dressed. I'll be waiting with your brother."

My eyes light up.

"Wait...Does that mean...?"

He merely nods and my heart flutters with giddy delight. I collect my clothes and head for the bathroom to change. Ah to be back in my real clothing. Not to knock on the outfit Grillby got me because it fits like a glove and wasn't as messed up as it could've been, but nothing beats something you're used to wearing. The bandage on my shoulder slightly shows under the shirt collar, so I have to tear part of it though now it feels weird. I guess I'm dealing with it now. I leave the other garments in the bathroom and go to find Grillby, whose humming I follow out into the bar. He's donned his thick coat and coolly has my backpack over his shoulder, a casual smirk gracing him.

"Ready to go, pussycat?"

"Are you sure you wanna do this? I won't make you go into the cold."

A small chuckle leaves him.

"It's fine. Besides...If it starts to bother me I'll just have to hold you close."

"Cheeky boy."

He holds out his free hand.

"Milady, shall I walk you home?"

I smile and slide my hand into his.

"I would be honored, kind sir."

I open the door and he fakes a swoon.

"A lady opening the door for a man? You're definitely a keeper."

"Heh. Lovable dork."

And like that, we begin our stroll to the Ruins. Whether he knows it or not, I'm very grateful Grillby decided to walk with me. I know not how much more the Underground mimics the surface, but I'd rather not risk walking home alone at a late hour when a target is already marked on me labeled "free EXP, please kill me". The air is still and no snowfall. There is a faint feeling of hidden onlookers yet nothing makes a move.

"You know...I've never been out this far."

Grillby breaks the silence.

"Really? So you've never seen the guard posts?"

"Nope. Are they odd?"

"Most look vaguely like doghouses that you'd be sold lemonade at. But there are two exceptions."

"...The brothers?"

"Bingo."

"Care to give me any hints?"

"And spoil the surprise? I think not."

"Oh, now you're building up my curiosity."

"Trust me. You shall not be disappointed."

Indeed he is not. The dog guard posts are the same basic wooden house design and have a mean dog head decorating the top. But when I show him Papyrus's post...The look on his face is priceless at the sight of the dark metal and even has Gothic-styled torches that make it look very spooky.

"This...This is Papyrus's station?"

"I know right? So cool."

"Is that...a plaque?"

"Go on. Read it."

[YOU OBSERVE THE WELL-CRAFTED SENTRY STATION. WHO COULD HAVE BUILT THIS, YOU PONDER...I BET IT WAS THAT VERY FAMOUS ROYAL GUARDSMAN! TREMBLE WITH TERROR BEFORE IT'S GREATNESS!]

He's holding in so much laughter even though some of it is slipping out.

"Oh my god..."

"Best let it out now. You won't be laughing when you see Sans's."

The confusion gets to him a moment before taking another look at the structure and laughing. Seeing him like this is a relief. I don't like seeing him grumpy or jealous.

"*chuckling* Oh man...I needed that."

"The ego of the great and terrible Papyrus is always worth a giggle or two."

"And Sans's post isn't?"

"You'll see."

Our journey continues. Along the short way between Papyrus and Sans's stations, we encounter the Snowman who seemed to be taking a leisurely stroll of its own in the relative safety of the evening hours. See us, it waves "hi" as if nothing out of the norm is happening. I wave back at and resist any temptation to bust out a "Frosty the Snowman" tune but Grillby is baffled that the snowman is alive. I teasingly remind him that he's literally living fire and he becomes slightly bashful. So damn cute. We come upon Sans's station and, as I figured, Grillby's reaction is not of amusement...more like pity. Sans's post is made of wood like the dogs' stations are but it's open from so many places and lacks real fortification. There is no back to it or true sides, it's mostly a hollowed-out dresser with a beam on each corner connecting to the roof yet only just enough so that all the weight in front doesn't have it tipping backward.

"This is a joke, right?"

"If you ever wondered why he hated his job, this is a good starting point."

"It's got nothing. How do they expect the first line of defense to be ready if they're not even properly protected, and from the freaking snow no less?"

Is this really the same man? Earlier he was ready to kill Sans, now he's upset over how Sans is treated at work. And here I thought I was the emotional flip-flopper.

"It's not all bad. He's made it useful to his needs. Come here."

I guide him behind the station and here I show him Sans's stash. Mustard bottles kept chilled in the snow, car magazines, and assorted hotdog stuff.

"See? Not completely shit."

"...How do you know about this stuff?"

"When I first left the Ruins, Sans hid me from Papyrus so I wouldn't be killed on sight. Saved my butt."

He looks a little dejected.

"Sweetie?"

That snaps him out of it.

"You okay?"

"Oh...Yeah. Just got distracted by a random thought."

I pat his back.

"Want to see something else funny?"

Curiosity gets to him, so I lead him to the "gate" thing that Papyrus made and that Toriel made useless.

"What am I looking at?"

"This was once the bane of coming out here. To keep people, mainly humans, from getting to town and the rest of the Underground, Papyrus made a gate over this unbelievably deep pit. It was very effective due to the tight spacing making it very difficult and time-consuming to bother with squeezing through the bars. The option of the surrounding forest is also a hard choice due to the tress being so close together. However, the gate stood no chance against a mad goat woman with fire powers."

That has him snickering. We cross the bridge and at long last, we arrive at the door that keeps us apart.

"So...This is my place."

"Heh. Feels a little cheesy. You know? Walking a lady home."

"Good cheesy like nachos or bad cheesy like Limburger?"

He just smiles and pats my head.

"You are too cute somethings."

I giggle and there's a bang on the other side of the door, making Grillby jump. I sigh and knock on the door.

"Is that you, Nanny?"

"*muffled* Indeed, my child. Do you need help with the door?"

"Yes, please."

The door rumbles. Pushed outward and showing Toriel, who is delighted to see me and puzzled by Grillby being here.

"Oh...Hello there."

Grillby, who has been holding my hand this entire time, tightens his grip.

"Evening, Mrs. Dreemurr. I hope we are on time."

Toriel is blank for a moment, then she smiles.

"My, such a gentleman. Walking a young woman home. Perhaps good men still exist."

I so called it on her thinking this!

"Here, dear."

Grillby hands me my pack back and I kiss him quickly much to his cheeky surprise.

"Call me later, hot stuff?"

"Heh...Oh, you know it, pussycat."

We share a moment of contented gazing into each other's eyes till Toriel coughs.

"I have to go now."

"I know."

"Be careful on the way back."

He merely smiles, turns on his heel, and heads back the way to town with a cool wave.

"Come along, child."

"Yes, Nanny."

I follow her inside and upon the doors being shut, I take notice of the difference in temperature. Sure, I'm not in the cold anymore. But the warmth of home is nothing compared to Grillby's natural heat. My hand, the one that held his, feels cold and empty. I miss him. We've only just parted and I already long to be with him again.

"Child? Is everything alright?"

Toriel notices my distraction. I'm not about to tell her my feelings about him so I play normal.

"Yeah. Just some stuff on my mind."

"Anything you wish to speak about?"

I shake my head.

"Nah. It's nothing."

She pouts a bit.

"You care about him a lot, do you not?"

I say nothing.

"It is not shameful if you do. He appears to be a fine man. And he seems to have the same feelings."

"Mom, I really don't feel comfortable talking about my feelings."

"Why not? It is not as if feelings are a foreign concept to us monsters. We just do not express them so freely."

"It's just...*groan* I'm just..."

[RING-RING]

Of course, my phone goes off. Like some sort of contrived plot convenience. My heartbeat increases at the thought of it being Grillby, yet it is a very short-lived feeling. It's not his number. It's not even Blooky's. It's Mettaton. Fuck my life.

"Child?"

"No worries, mom. I'm gonna take this call and follow you. Only slower."

She nods and keeps walking. I answer the call and slowly follow.

"Long time no ring, Mettaton. What's up?"

I'm given amused robotic giggles.

"OH DARLING, IT HAS BEEN TOO LONG, HASN'T IT? SEEMS LIKE ONLY YESTERDAY WE WERE MAKING PLANS TO MEET."

"After you threatened to off a guy on TV in hopes I'd stop you."

"TRUE. HAD YOU NOT BEEN WATCHING, THAT WOULD'VE BACKFIRED ON ME AND THEN I'D HAVE ONE LESS SCUMBAG ON MY PAYROLL."

"Not to sound rude, but why are you calling? Surely it's not to get all cutesy. It's late and people should be eating before becoming mindless bed zombies that must feed on dreams to survive."

He's silent for a few seconds.

"...ARE YOU OKAY WITH LETTING ME TAKE THAT FOR A BOOK IDEA?"

"Sure. Whatever. Don't avoid answering the question."

"HARSH. I WASN'T AVOIDING ANYTHING. I WAS MERELY STRIKING UP CONVERSATION. YOU KNOW? BASIC INTERACTION AND ALL THAT JAZZ."

I pause in my following of Toriel to casually smack my head into a wall, feeling dumb for my attitude.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to come off as a cunt. It's been a long day and I have no right to take it out on you."

"OH? CARE TO SHARE?"

"I'd rather not."

"WOULD IT HAPPEN TO INVOLVE THOSE SKELETONS? OR THAT FIREY MAN THAT WALKED YOU HOME?"

Toriel must be rubbing off on me because my grip on the phone tightens harshly at hearing something I don't like.

"...You really need a better pastime than to watch me."

"BUT DARLING, YOU ARE SO INTERESTING."

"Please refrain from further viewing me like you're watching some cartoon character."

"BUT DO TELL...ARE YOU SLEEPING WITH THAT BURNING MAN?"

The crunching my phone is making is loud. It's at this point I've stopped following Toriel due to anger. And the pack holding Flowey is on the floor.

"Who the flying fuck do you think you are?!"

"I'M METTATON. AND YOU ARE CLEARLY NOT IN A PLAYFUL MOOD. SO YOU PROBABLY DIDN'T HAVE SEX. OTHERWISE, YOU'D BE LESS AGITATED."

"You have no right to just blurt out a personal question like that."

"ON THE CONTRARY. I THINK I SHOULD KNOW."

"Why?"

"BECAUSE I NEED TO KNOW IF I SHOULD KILL HIM OR NOT."

My rage simultaneously grows and dies.

"If you do anything to him..."

"AH, POOR DARLING. YOU ARE A UNIQUE FIND DOWN HERE. BUT THAT IS ALSO YOU'RE BIGGEST WEAKNESS. YOU CARE ABOUT THE SAFETY OF OTHERS."

"Don't mistake that as a weakness. For I'll pull terrible power from knowing of someone else's pain."

"OH I'M SURE YOU CAN."

"Don't play games with me!"

"YET GAMES ARE SO MUCH FUN. SPEAKING OF WHICH...I WANT TO PLAY A GAME WITH YOU, HUMAN."

I don't like this.

"THE GAME IS A SIMPLE ONE. ALL YOU MUST DO IS FOLLOW A SERIES OF INSTRUCTIONS. ANY ATTEMPT TO NOT PLAY OR DOING SOMETHING WRONG WILL RESULT IN A PENALTY. THE MORE PENALTIES YOU HAVE, THE WORSE PUNISHMENT WILL HAPPEN FOR SOMEONE YOU KNOW. AND I'M SURE YOU DON'T NEED CONVINCING ON A SOMEONE OF MY FAME BEING ABLE TO DO SUCH THINGS."

I growl.

"I'M SURE A SMART GIRL LIKE YOU CAN FOLLOW SIMPLE DIRECTIONS AND UNDERSTAND THAT PLAYING THE GAME WILL RESULT IN NO HARM BEING DONE. WITH THAT SAID...ARE YOU READY TO PLAY?"

My growling lessens.

"Fine. But make the game short. A smart guy like you knows the furry of a pissed off Toriel."

"Lynsie...?"

Speaking of which. She calls out into the echoing hall.

"Are you okay?"

I cover the phone.

"Yeah. The phone call is running longer than I thought. I'll be up there soon."

She doesn't respond and I assume she's going back to her own business, so I continue the call.

"See what I mean?"

"VERY WELL...THE GAME BEGINS. YOUR FIRST INSTRUCTION, LEAVE THE RUINS."

I pause.

"...You're going to get me in trouble for your own amusement, aren't you?"

"PLEASE STEP OUTSIDE OR YOU WILL BE GIVEN A PENALTY."

I grumble in annoyance but walk back to the door.

"You're lucky you said please."

I shove one of the doors with some shoulder effort and get hit with that frigid cold I hate so much. I poke my head outside before creeping out.

"GOOD GIRL."

"There's a camera right outside the door, isn't it?"

"MAYBE~...EITHER WAY, YOU'VE EARNED ONE POINT. COLLECT THREE AND WIN."

"Okay, thanks for making it short."

"I DO AIM TO PLEASE. NOW THEN...YOUR SECOND TASK, TAKE YOUR SHIRT OFF."

"Whoa, I am not doing that!"

"PLEASE, DON'T THINK THAT WAY. I'M A ROBOT. IT'S NOT LIKE IT DOES ANYTHING FOR ME TO SEE YOU TOPLESS."

I snicker.

"No, dingus, I meant I ain't taking my top off because it's fucking freezing. What the hell are you thinking, ghost-bot?"

I don't think I know what a flustered/embarrassed robot sounds like, but it's quite possibly the weird electronic sounds that are currently scrambling my eardrum.

"But, no. I refuse this task of yours."

He calms down.

"*AHEM* UH...LET'S SKIP THIS ONE. UM...NEW TASK, SPIN AROUND AND AROUND TILL YOU FALL DOWN."

"...Can I question why?"

"NO REASON. MOSTLY FOR SEEING HOW LONG YOU CAN."

"*sigh* Just promise not to record this."

I clutch the phone and feel dumb even before taking that first spin. My eyes keep sight to the ground so my mind won't lose itself too quickly. Though the fluid swirling around my brain is not making things feel as lucid as I know things are. I twirl, dip, nearly smack the door twice, but ultimately trip over a small stick that was hidden in the snow, and I smash into the magical frozen powder with a large poof. My eyes spin in my skull as the sound of digital laughter eventually is recognized by my senses. My strength in direction is a bit off, though I still drag my phone to my ear after first poking it into my eye.

"*dizzy* Did I do the thing?"

Fuck trying to make cognitive sentences while my brain is sloshing.

"*SNICKERING* YES, DARLING. YOU DID THE THING AND DID IT WELL. YOU HAVE TWO POINTS NOW."

"Yay!"

The most unenthusiastic yay ever.

"NOW, DARLING, YOU NEED ONLY DO ONE LAST THING TO WIN THE GAME. ARE YOU READY?"

"*dizzy* Okily dokily."

"GOOD...GOOD...ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS...DON'T LOOK BEHIND YOU."

If my mind wasn't so messed up, I wouldn't have fallen for such a dumb thing. But dumb dizzy me gets worried about if something is there because of random monster attack paranoia...So I end up turning to look back...and see douche cat holding a bat.

"Uh..."

He smirks and readies his bat.

"You should've listened to the rules."

Processing the incoming strike takes longer than I need to actually do anything. The crack against the side of my head has enough force to roll me over. I might have rolled more but I blacked out during that initial spin my neck did on impact.

[In Hotland, Laboratory]

Mettaton continues to watch the monitor, seeing Burgerpants snatch the discarded cellphone out of the snow and answer it.

"Hey, Boss."

"YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO BE THAT ROUGH. SHE WAS ALREADY DISORIENTED."

"Be happy I didn't get her in the face. Can I go now?"

"YOU KNOW THE DEAL. DELIVER THE PACKAGE AND YOU WILL BE PAID HANDSOMELY."

"*groan* Fine. What do want me to do about that bartender?"

"LEAVE HIM BE. HE ISN'T OF ANY IMPORTANCE. JUST DON'T LET HIM SEE YOU. I GET THE FEELING HE WON'T LET YOU GET AWAY WITH HER."

"No kidding. That reminds me...I'm getting an extra day-off for putting my ass on the line like this."

"IF YOU CAN BRING HER BACK AND SHE ISN'T DEAD OR BLOODY, I'LL GIVE YOU TWO."

"Score!"

Burgerpants pockets the phone, sheathes the bat on his belt, picks the human up and proceeds to flee the area before the Boss Monster within is any the wiser.

"So..."

Alphys slithers towards the pleased automaton.

"You finally did it. You went and 'collected' the human."

Mettaton shrugs.

"IT WAS SHOCKINGLY EASY TOO. I ALMOST FEEL BAD ABOUT IT."

"You probably could've just asked her over and save some of the trouble."

"TRUE. BUT THEN WHERE WOULD THE MOTIVATION BE?"

Alphys tilts her head.

"MY DEAR ALPHYS...FOR ALL THE STORIES YOU WATCH AND READ, YET YOU CAN'T SEE THE PLOT I'M WEAVING RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU."

"Don't patronize me, asshole."

"FINE. I'LL PUT IT AS SIMPLY AS I CAN. SURE, INVITING HER WOULD GET HER HERE BUT IT WOULDN'T MAKE HER PERFORM AS NEEDED. BUT NOW SHE HAS BEEN ATTACKED. ABDUCTED. AND WILL SOON WAKE IN AN UNKNOWN LOCATION. THE CONFUSION AND ANGER WILL DRIVE HER TO SEEK ME OUT, THE ONE THAT ORCHESTRATED THE INCIDENT. YET LITTLE DOES SHE KNOW THAT IT'S WHAT I WANT HER TO DO. I NEED HER TO PLAY THE PART OF THE WRONGED HUMAN SEEKING REVENGE. SHE WILL BE TESTED AND, OVER THE COURSE OF INTENSE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS, LEARN OF THE HARDSHIPS THAT HAVE LEAD UP TO THIS. ALONG THE WAY, WE SHALL MEET. FIRST AS ENEMIES. BUT OVER TIME, A BOND OF RESPECT WILL FORM. AND MAYBE...SOMETHING MORE. YET AT THE END, WE SHALL FIGHT, FOR IT IS THE WAY OF THINGS AND THE LAW MUST BE FOLLOWED. SHE WILL RESIST. I WILL 'UNWILLING' INSIST ON FIGHTING. OVER A LONG AND HEROING BATTLE, THE GRANDEST DISPLAY OF REMORSE WILL HAPPEN, ENDING THE FIGHT WITH EITHER A DISPLAY OF GRAND FRIENDSHIP OR A LOVE CONQUERS ALL TWIST. I'M NOT ENTIRELY SURE WHICH THE AUDIENCE WILL ENJOY MORE SO THAT PART IS AMBIGUOUS FOR NOW. WHAT DO YOU THINK?"

Alphys just stares at Mettaton, mouth agape in utter shock.

"ALPHYS?"

She resets her composure by adjusting her glasses.

"Usually your ideas aren't so well thought out. They tend to be glamourizing drama pulls that crash due to shitty writing and poor taste. But this? ...You've surprised me."

A flash of random pixels appear on his screen from disbelief.

"REALLY?"

Alphys turns and slithers off towards her private workroom.

"I look forward to this show of yours. Hope you don't disappoint."

Mettaton, for once, was at a loss for words. Alphys never was supportive of his ideas, at least, not lately anyway. This was the kind of confidence boost he needed. He was going to put on the show of a lifetime for all the Underground to see. But there were still loose ends that needed tying up. For this was merely stage one of his brilliant plan. Stage two will be somewhat more challenging. For one, he'll need to keep Toriel from going on a homicidal rampage. And two, a means to buy off the Snowdin guards. The second part is simple enough. The dogs don't give a shit. The skeletons however...those two might become a problem if they find any clues. Yet any good actor worth their soul knows how to plan and improvise on the fly. This was the part he was grateful for having a staff of underpaid teens that were desperate for any hope of something more, they'll do anything. With the click of a button, he enacts the next phase.

"ATTENTION, ALL YOU HAPPY HELPERS OF MINE. IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO SHINE. CLEAN UP BURGERPANTS'S MESS AND DO IT RIGHT. OR YOU CAN KISS THAT 5G INCREASE AND YOUR JOBS GOODBYE. THANK YOU!"

It's showtime.

[crysta-cub]

Caught in A Blind

Edge and Stretch get into yet another fight during a get together and Stretch storms out. The only problem with that is that they are in Underfell. Edge chases after him before something happens.

Unfortunately it does.

These two must work together to get back to safety. Stretch learns a few things along the way. Pre Spicyhoney relationship type story. 

AO3 Next chapter  So, I have been struggling with this one for a while, I’m sure someone else could have done it better, but I don’t care, I’m writing it to the best of my abilities and that is what you get. Though I’d happily eat up a better version of this story. Cause its my jam and butter.  Originally not suppose to be a ship story, but I couldn’t help myself. 

“GET OUT OF MY KITCHEN YOU USELESS ASHTRAY!”

Two pops of a shortcut.

The sound of someone scrambling to the sink and heaving.

Then the stomping of feet heading to the door and…

SLAM!

No one flinched as Stretch stormed out of the house, using the action over shortcutting to emphasizing his abrupt exit, finally ending the fiery argument. Pans and dishes clattered in the kitchen, replacing the sound of raised voices.

Comic glanced at his cards before looking at Blue. “hit me”

Blue slid him a six of diamonds before glancing at Red.

Red looked at his cards with disinterest. Raising his right hand, Red counted down from three, two, one before pointing at the kitchen door.

The door swings open as Edge storms into the living room, gloves roughly pulled back on as he passed by. Apron, still tied around his midsection, torn off in haste and tossed haphazardly to the ground. “Fucking Idiot Ashtray Forgot He’s In Underfell.” He growled, swaying a little as he slid on his boots and stormed out of the house.

A collected sigh resounded within the group as tension melted from the room. Red tapped his cards, earning him a seven of clubs.

Lowering the Advance Puzzling Guild to Traps, a book Edge had loaned him, Rus looked over to the front door as Doomfanger shifted slightly in his lap to encourage more petting. Rus was more than happy to oblige. “RED, IS YOUR MEDKIT FULLY STOCKED?”

Red grunted, taking a moment to ponder Rus’ question as he munched on a cookie Edge had made earlier that morning. “should be,” Red began, crumbs flying as he spoke. “boss usually keeps it well supplied.” Red swallowed, whipping his mouth with his sleeve, causing Blue to roll his eyelights. “i wouldn’t worry, Boss ain’t gonna harm Stretch. just drag his ass back here.”

“IT’S NOT LAZY-ME I’M WORRIED ABOUT.” Blue and Red glance at each other with raised brow bones before looking back at the taller monster. Rus’ attention is suddenly drawn away from the front door to the kitchen. Putting the book down, he begins to sit up, much to Doomfanger’s rather vocal displeasure. “I SHOULD FINISH UP EDGY-ME’S MEAL. I HAVE A FEELING WE’RE GOING TO NEED IT.”

Sharing another worried glance back at each other, Red and Blue both turn their concerned looks over to Comic, who only offered an unhelpful shrug before showing his cards. “That’s 21, go fish Red.”

“that’s not even the right game!” Red shouts, giving Comic’s shoulder a shove before tossing his cards into the air.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“fucking dustpan for brains.”

Puffs of air escaped Stretch’s mouth as he stormed through Snowden Forest. His hands dug into his sweater pocket, searching for a cigarette and lighter through the mess of honey packets and random scraps of paper. He grumbled to himself, kicking at the untouched snow, while pulling the found cigarette to his teeth as he leaned against one of the many trees in the area.

“fucking asshole.” Stretch muttered to himself as he lit the cigarette, pulling in the nicotine filled smoke into his chest cavity, soothing his agitated magic. Edge irritated the shit out of Stretch. That monster definitely had a way to keep him on (heh) edge.

“who is he to tell me what to do. he’s the one who came late to the gathering, the one he was suppose to be hosting, smelling of fucking dust, of all things. not even a hello. fuckin’ rude. just went upstairs, changed and barricaded himself in the kitchen. brushing off Blue’s offer to help like that, what fucking nerve.” Stretch sagged against the tree, realizing he was venting to no one, as he exhaled smoke from his nasal aperture.

“FuCK YoU, PapYRus!”

Stretch turned to look towards the offending voice, curious of who would be yelling at him with such venom. Suddenly he got a face full of some dark, slimy muck, causing him to lose his cigarette in the snow.

“the fuck…” Suddenly the substance began to burn at his sockets. Crying out, Stretch’s hands fly to his face to try to remove the muck as he sinks to his knees. The viscous matter stuck stubbornly to his face as he tried to dig it out of his sockets.

Dark chuckles alerted Stretch to the danger he suddenly found himself in. Right, this is Underfell, he should have been more aware of his surrounding. How stupid could he be? His soul began to race in his chest, realization hitting hard. For the moment, he was totally blind and surrounded by an unknown amount of hostile, EXP-thirsty monsters. And on top of it all, he was all alone.

Or was he?

A familiar growl came from somewhere to his left. That direction confirmed as he felt the rush of air as someone ran by him. He could hear two bodies collide, a snapping of a stick, followed by the beginning of a struggle between two monsters.

There was an eruption of yells to his right, causing Stretch to flinch before he scrambled and pushed himself closer to the tree, the only thing he was certain would protect him from any attacks from behind.

“BACK OFF, HE’S MINE!” Stretch heard Edge shout, growls and grunts moving from one area of the clearing to another. A whizzing sound past by his skull, Stretch could only assume was an attack. Stretch couldn’t contain the whimper as he brought his hands up to cover his skull.

“ShoulDa KilleD Meh When yA Had Da ChanCe.” The voice of the attacker called out, sounding further unhinged.

Magic and intent hung threateningly in the air. Suddenly, the scent of spice overwhelmed him as Stretch was all too keenly aware of a large body standing over him, shielding him as he heard bullets rain onto the tree trunk. He could feel Edge’s panting breaths against his temple, hear every slight grunt he made as he was hit by bullet after bullet, before his looming body pushed off of the tree trunk to once again face the attackers.

He could hear each of Edge’s grunts and growls, unable to distinguish if they were from fury or pain. Stretch curled in on himself, wondering if this fight would ever end.

Without warning there was a snap, crunch and a few howls of pain, causing Stretch to flinch from the unseen force, followed swiftly by eerie silence and stillness. The scent of dust hit him like a ton of bricks, making Stretch want to gag.

Seconds, minutes and hours seem to pass at that moment as Stretch sat where he was, listening for any possibility of life. His magic felt frozen in his mana lines as he waited, quickly flooding with relief when he finally heard Edge groan.

When he heard nothing else after, Stretch swallowed down his nervous magic before beginning to cautiously crawl forward where he figured he heard Edge before. “Edge?”

The stars must have granted him luck, for it didn’t take long for Stretch’s hand to land on an arm, a bony arm. He followed it down, first finding the edge of one of those trademarked gloves before reversing and following it up to Edge’s sleeved shoulder. A reminder that Edge had gone out without his normal armor.

“hey, Edge?” Stretch regretted the tremor in his voice as he shifted closer to Edge’s body. He tried to hold down his panic when no response came back, giving the shoulder his hand rested on a firm shake. “Edge, come on lazybones, wake-up.”

A hissing gasp finally came from Edge, followed by a groan as Stretch felt him lean up. “Stretch?” the other sounded off, a little disoriented and a bit too quiet. He felt as Edge’s frame shook as he lowered himself back on the snowy ground. “You’re a fucking idiot.”

“yea, kinda agree ya there, wasn’t my brightest of ideas. you ok? you sound terrible.” Stretch rearranged himself into a sitting position, relief flooding through him.

“I’ve dealt with worse than this. What is that on your face?” Stretch can feel Edge leaning up again, probably to get a closer look at the goop. A gloved hand gently touched his face, thumb wiping against the gunk on his cheekbone, sending an unfamiliar, but pleasant, jolt through Stretch’s core.

That was odd.

“fuck if i know.” Stretch began to touch the goop himself, feeling that it was starting to dry. “they threw it on my face when they attacked. it doesn’t burn anymore.”

“It was burning?” There was a hint of concerned alarm in Edge’s voice. “How’s your visibility?”

“honestly, I can’t see a thing.” He doesn’t sound nervous, not at all. Stars, this was seriously not Stretch’s day.

“Shit, we need to get that off of you.” Edge’s shoulder trembled slightly under his hand as the other monster lowered himself back down.Stretch reached up to pick at the gunk only to have his hand snachted and pulled away from his face.

“Don’t pick at it.” Edge warned. “It won’t help.”

And so Stretch waited. There was a sense of hesitation from Edge. After what felt like forever, he heard the resigned sigh, Stretch tilting his head in question towards Edge. “I need you to shortcut us back to the house.”

He was taken aback by the request. Right before storming out like a moron, Stretch had shortcut Edge from one spot of the kitchen to another, just to make the guy puke his soul out. All in the name of spite. And he was willingly asking for another joy ride home. “you sure about that?”

There was a pause, maybe a hint of movement from the others head, before Edge replied. “Yes, it’ll be the safest and quickest way we can get back home. I can handle it.”

Well, that was a lie.

“yea, sure.” Stretch began imagining the Fell brother’s living room, the open spot by the door. Something yanked at his soul suddenly, shocking him out of the shortcut. He felt momentarily dizzy, laying his free hand back behind him, cursing as it landed back in the snow.

“Stretch?” Edge’s sounded impatient, yet concerned, “The shortcut, we have to get home.”

Stretch was bewildered, a shortcut had never failed him before. “i’m sorry, Edge, i… i can’t.” He suck in a deep breath as he finally admitted it. “my magic’s not working”

Stretch felt himself being checked. Edge groaned in what sounded like disappointment, silence lapsed between them once again. Not being a patient monster, Stretch began getting back to his feet, moving his hand down Edge’s arm to his hand, grasping it as he stood. “guess we’re hoofing it, Edgy.”

“WAIT! Stretch, I… ARGH!!!” Edge cried out suddenly as Stretch tried to pull him up, feeling a shift coming from somewhere along the arm causing him to drop Edge’s hand. Edge hissed as he fell back onto the ground and growled through his teeth.

“oh shit! I’m sorry Edge. I didn’t realize…” Stretch returned to his knees, reaching around until his hand rested on the other’s shoulder. Edge was curled in on himself, frame shaking beneath his touch.

“Strrretch.” Edge growled out, taking a few deep breaths, slowly relaxing from the tight curl. “I… I can’t get up.” Stretch barely caught what Edge said, surprised by the lower volume he previously thought would be impossible. A hint of resignation came with the bit of information.

“what?!” Stretch was hoping his had misheard him. “what do you mean you can’t get up?”

“It’s exactly what it sounds like, Stretch.” Edge was beginning to get irritated. “I can’t get up, I can’t… walk.” There was a pause as Stretch let the weight of the situation sink in.

“You’re right though.” Edge’s voice shook him from his thoughts. “We really need to get walking. It’s not safe to stay here.”

Stretch shook his head, “how do you suggest we do that, Edgelord. I’m blind and you can’t walk.”

“Carry me.”

“what?!”

“Don’t make this difficult.” Edge barked, “You’re going to have to carry me back. I'll be your eyes and tell you where to go. However, we are going to have to take the long route around. We can’t go straight through town.”

“niiiiiiiice, the scenic route.” Stretch gave Edge a clever smirk, amused with himself.

Edge only gave him an annoyed grumble. “Stretch, I’m going to need you to trust me here.”

“like I have a choice.” Stretch replied jokingly.

“Stretch…” Seems Edge didn’t take it as such, did his body just tense? “Please, if we’re both going to make it home, you’re going to have to trust me.”

“alright, alright, i got it. i trust you with my life. don’t get your panties in a bunch.” Stretch could feel Edge relax as he reached with his free hand towards where Edge’s legs would be, finding snow at first. Feeling around a bit, he finally comes in contact with the other’s boot. Stretch brow crinkled in concern. He’s a scientist, not a doctor, and even Stretch could tell that one’s ankle shouldn’t be going in that direction. “uh, Edge?”

“Ignore that, Just concentrate on picking me up.” There definitely was a hint of pain in his voice. It was getting easier to pick up on these nuances of the normally unreadable skeleton. Either his sense’s where becoming heighten from being blind or Edge was having a harder time trying to cover how he was feeling. Neither of those options made him all that comfortable.

“what the fuck happened? i know you were fighting but these injuries are a bit extreme.” He glided his hand upwards, finding tears in the infamous boots Edge always wore. Finally finding his knee, Stretch reached under, easing his arm under both legs with Edge’s help.

“I’ll tell you when we get going.” Edge groaned, shifting his uninjured leg to get comfortable.

Stretch carefully began to move the hand resting on Edge’ shoulder towards his back, feeling Edge adjust into a better position. Once his arm was secure around Edge’s back, Stretch shifted his legs to brace himself for the weight he was about to lift. Stretch’s brow crinkled in confusion. “i thought you weren’t wearing armor?”

“Light under armor, hides well under clothes, it’s best to always be prepared.” Edge informed him. Stretch could feel Edge tucking his injured arm against his chest, potentially to prevent Stretch from pressing against it. It was soon followed by a hand of Edge’s uninjured arm grasping onto Stretch’s sweater, making it feel as if Edge would be more secure in his hold.

“huh, even during our get togethers?” He felt Edge shrugged in response. “alright mister prepared, ready?” He could feel the rise of Edge’s chest as he sucked in a deep breath.

“Yes, Just...arrr.” Stretch could feel the air leaving Edge in a groan as he stood, followed by a few breaths coming in pained gasps as Edge trembled in his arms.

“you ok?” Stretch adjusted his hold carefully.

“I’m fine. Just be careful” Edge ground out. “Now, turn to the left a bit. Right there. Now walk forward, take careful steps. And now angle yourself to the right to avoid the tree.”

Stretch followed Edge’s directions, finding very quickly how accurate he was. He hated not being able to see but Edge was quickly proving to be a good guide. Even still, his soul flared with sympathy as he felt every cringe or tremor from the monster in his arms.

Stretch just prepared himself for a long walk.

[keelywolfe]

FIC: Pillars of Creation ch. 3 (baon)

Summary: It’s not a date, thank you. Edge only agreed to take Stretch to the planetarium, that was all. That doesn’t make it a date.

Prequel to the series, set after “Seeing Stars Through Clouds’

If you were ever curious how these two got together, well, here you go, their first date outing together! It’s super!

Note: Everyone’s been enjoying the fluff, right? Excellent! Hold that thought, read the tags! It’s not THAT bad but I don’t like to surprise people.

Tags: Spicyhoney, First Time, Pre-Relationship, Some Angst Regarding Past Memories, Implications of Depression, Brothers Can Be Pains, Underfell Was Not a Nice Place, Neither was Underswap Really, They Were Both In a Not Good Place, But Never Fear, Good Ending!

part of the ‘by any other name’ series.

Read it on AO3

or

Read it here!

~~*~~

The trip back to New New Home seemed to be much shorter with Stretch chattering next to him. The pause at the security gate only took as long as swiping their ID’s and in no time, he was pulling up to the Swap brother’s house again.

There was a light on downstairs, Blue was probably downstairs watching the new Mettaton special. It was a little too early yet to say he was waiting up for his brother, even if there was likely some truth to it.

Stretch didn’t open his door immediately when they came to a stop. He fiddled with the strap of his bag and his smile was hesitant, “hope you didn't have too awful a time. deb’s a sales shark, but it’s worth it, they have damn good coffee and—"

“Why do you do that?" Edge broke in. He kept his voice low, even, using the same care that worked on his group at the Y.

Stretch only blinked in startled confusion, “do what?"

Edge turned off the car and the quiet was stark. Coupled with the darkness, it was an illusion of privacy even with the top down. “Belittle things like that. I didn't have an awful time, at all, so why would you suggest I did?"

Had he always done that, disparaged himself? Edge couldn’t remember.

"i...uh…" Stretch shrugged. His lighter was in his bag, along with his cigarettes, but that strap was wound haphazardly around his fingers, clenched briefly tight. "better to get it out there before anyone else does, right? cast the first bone and all that.”

Edge sighed. “Stop.”

“sorry, sorry,” Stretch chuckled, “had to get it out of my system.”

He still didn’t get out of car and Edge…found that he didn’t want to ask. He hadn’t wanted to admit it the whole night but now—

“Is this supposed to be a date?” Edge asked aloud. It sounded strange, not wrong exactly, but almost forbidden, nothing he’d ever expected to say.

Stretch’s eye lights went wide, and a flood of color filled his cheekbones, tinting them ruddy orange. There were no cracks or divots in his skull, no visible injuries. Much like Papyrus and perhaps they’d all shared a name once but to Edge’s gaze, they didn’t really look that much alike.

The curves of Stretch’s skull were slightly softer, less angular and a touch slimmer, and he was—

“hey, you asked me out,” Stretch said lightly. And before Edge could revert to the childish retort of ‘you did it first’, Stretch added with hesitant care. “but. only if you want it to be? if not, it’s only two guys who could maybe be friends. i could do friends. what do you want this to be?”

Part of him wanted to push back against that, protest the unfairness of putting that choice on him.

But.

Friends. None of their previous interactions could ever be called ‘friendly’.

It brought to mind an argument they’d had some months ago. Everyone had been there, all of the skeletons in their group; Edge no longer remembered the context, but he recalled that much. They had only just arrived at the surface, everything was still in turmoil, yet Papyrus and Blue were determined to build relationships between them, and Edge agreed. Allies were necessary in this new world and he would do what needed to be done to get them.

Red and Sans were simply uncaring; they followed where their brothers led without protest, offering laconic comments and puns and little else. Stretch often did the same, but somehow, he always grated in a way that the Sanses did not. Any pointed comments about laziness beaded off Red and Sans like water from a particularly lethargic duck.

Stretch would return any insult with one of his own and his retribution was swift. He and Edge been sniping at each other all day despite Blue and Papyrus’s increasingly exhausted and pleading attempts to interfere, and the tension between them was poised to snap when Stretch waited until the others were out of earshot to murmur.

“tell you what, why don’t you wash the dust from your hands before you get back to me on what a piece of shit i am. better scrub hard, killer.”

They could joke about idiocy all they wanted but in truth Stretch was exceptionally clever; no warrior but he knew how to make words a weapon, finding chinks in armor and using them with brutal efficiency.

The others never made references to Edge’s LV; they knew, of course they knew, and past any fumbling attempts at consolation, they let it be. To have it so pointedly dragged out, a reminder of something he didn’t, couldn’t, forget, but he tried—

Crimson had washed over his vision, coupled with something very close to hate, and Stretch knew, he knew. He’d smiled lazily, not even glancing at where their brothers had yet to notice them, a lit cigarette dangling from his fingers. “go ahead,” he said, softly, singsong sweet. “what’s a little murder between friends?”

He’d thought at the time Stretch knew he wouldn’t hurt him. Looking back, he wondered if Stretch hadn’t cared if he did.

In the end, Edge walked away from him and never had he been more grateful for his iron control. They hadn’t spoken much after that, not really, certainly never alone, nothing past a little sneering at movie nights and dinners, but even that had dulled, their insults eventually losing their sharpened points, and Edge never questioned why. They simply stayed away from each other and Edge hadn’t thought anything of it.

Until Stretch walked into his office last week. Tonight was the longest they’d ever been alone together, much less managed to be civil to each other and Edge was having a difficult time reconciling how this Stretch fit on top of the one he’d known before, trying to line up those edges and failing.

But he also remembered a few children from his group at the Y, the way they sometimes snarled and slapped away any kindness offered them at the beginning. Their jibes had been less unerringly accurate, but they’d been meant to wound in the same fashion.

And Edge had sent more than his share of verbal barbs back then as well.

i wasn't exactly at my best when we first got here. i'm kind of hoping people don't hold me to that first impression for the rest of my life.

Stretch was looking at him, waiting patiently, and only the way he was clutching his bag gave away any of his anxiety.

“I don’t know,” Edge said finally, the words coming slowly. The Stretch he’d seen tonight was far different than his previous experiences, but it didn’t nullify them.

Stretch nodded. “that’s fair. think about it and let me know what you decide?” He finally opened the door and slid out, and he was waving even as it swung shut, “‘night.”

He was gone in a flash and pop of teleportation.

Edge sat a moment longer, waiting. The upstairs window opened and there was a brief flicker of flame from a lighter, the tiny glow of a cigarette. Convenient to be able to bypass the questions his brother would surely have.

Blue had been less than amused when he’d discovered Edge managed to get around him to talk to Stretch by sneaking into his room. It was disconcerting how much he could suddenly appreciate Stretch’s exasperation with the way his brother tried to interfere with his life; he’d never given it a thought before, always thought Blue was in the right when he dealt with his brother—

He couldn’t tell if Stretch was looking at him and he turned the car back on, backing out of the driveway to head home.

His headlights flashed over the porch as he pulled into the drive of his own house, giving him a glimpse of Red sitting on the steps, like a sudden prophecy come true concerning controlling brothers.

Edge sighed. It was still early but he was tired, and this night out left plenty for him to think about. Dealing with Red could be exhausting when he was at his best.

There was nothing for it. Edge climbed out of the car and walked up to where Red was sprawling against the stairs. He was smoking one of the foul little cigars he’d discovered on the surface; the smell was reminiscent of a burning trash dump and Edge wondered at times if he’d chosen them specifically for that trait. Smoking had been an unaffordable luxury in Underfell, but here he could happily annoy others with passive revulsion if he wanted to.

“What do you want?” Edge asked in resignation, stepping past him to open the door.

"nothin’.” Red crushed the cigar out on the cement step, leaving a mark that Edge would be scrubbing away tomorrow.

“I don’t understand why you won’t simply move in if you’re only going to stop by to harass me daily.” Edge held open the door to allow Red inside, waiting with exaggerated patience as he shuffled through the door.

“nah,” Red said lazily. He must have been in a decent enough mood, toeing off his shoes on the front mat without being reminded. “we’re all grown up now, ain’t we, boss, we need our space. and like i want to end up like those other codependent fuckers?” Red shook his head as he wandered into the kitchen. “papyrus and his shitheel brother have that covered. you should be grateful you have me as a bro and not that piece of shit.”

Edge never quite understood the problem his brother had with Sans, but watching his brother paw through his refrigerator didn’t give him confidence in that assessment.

“bet you like having your own place.” Red took out a container and held it to the light, studying the contents.

“I might if it was ever simply mine.” Edge took the container away, pulling out a plate and dumping the contents on it, sticking it in the microwave. His brother was the only reason he even owned one and Edge leaned back against the counter to watch the plate turning within it.

Since they’d come to the surface, Edge was slowly experimenting more with cooking, moving past the simple pasta meals he’d made in Underfell, utilizing the wonder that was YouTube with mixed results. At least with his brother constantly devouring the leftovers he didn’t have to worry about his cooking attempts going to waste.

Red climbed up on a stool, propping his chin on a hand, and his grin was too wide to be comforting. “heard about your date with the honey bun, came by to see how it went."

"It wasn't…" Edge started automatically, then hesitated and shook his head.

A mistake. Red’s grin widened into something vicious. "well, come on, do we have to hide a pile of dust or not?"

"That isn't funny." The microwave beeped and Edge yanked open the door, dropping the plate in front of his brother hard enough that a little spilled off onto the counter.

Red only wiped it up with his fingers, licking them clean. "oh, it ain’t, that right? you had a good time.” It sounded like an accusation.

"He managed to not be completely unbearable for a handful of hours." Edge pointedly set a fork next to the plate.

"you had a good time!" Red crowed, plate and fork rattling as he pounded on the counter. "i knew it! why the fuck do you think i gave him that flyer?"

Thinking of that soured some of Edge’s already tumultuous mood. “Yes, I’m sure you only had my best interests at heart.”

“not very friendly, bro,” Red sighed, shaking his head sadly even as he finally gave up trying to eat curry with his bare hands and picked up the fork. “i raised you, clothed you—“

“Left me alone for days at a time. Beat me when I disobeyed you.”

That got him a hint of a glare, tainted with sardonic amusement. “i slapped you one time and you were about to get your ass in a dustpan sassing off to a guard. you call that a beating?”

“When it was the best you could have mustered, yes. And I never said I didn’t deserve it.”

“bet I could mustard something a little better now.”

Edge closed his sockets, pained. "Enough. What do you mean you ‘knew it’? Knew what?"

"oh, come on, bro, no one hates on someone the way you two do without wanting to fuck them." Red leered at him. With his mouth full, the effect was more grotesque than normal. "did you nail him in the back seat of that cockmobile of yours, or did he invite you in like a ‘civilized person’." His fork trailed sauce on the counter as he made finger quotes.

"We went to the planetarium and had coffee," Edge snapped. "There was no fucking, in the car or otherwise. I dropped him off at his own house and came home after an acceptable evening. That’s all."

"uh huh," Red studied him. "when you going out again?"

"We aren’t."

"you mean you haven't asked him yet?"

"No, I mean we aren't.” Edge wet a cloth, wiping up some of his brother’s mess. “I have enough to do without spending my time babysitting an emotional toddler."

Red snorted loudly. “you’re one to talk.”

That gave him a pause. He gave his brother a narrow look. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“nothin’ i want to explain. look.” There were few things quite as unnerving as Red looking at him seriously. "he'd be a liability, you know that. but he'd be a pretty one. you think you can protect what's yours? then i say go for it. or what's the fucking point of being up here?" That seriousness faded and his brother licked his teeth, winking, “ever seen him without that sweatshirt?”

“And he asks me these things as if I could possibly be interested,” Edge said to no one in particular. He took away his brother’s empty plate and turned on the hot water, scrubbing it harder than necessary.

“paps.”

That was enough to make him still, leaning against the side of the sink, the running water a low gurgle. Red had readily set aside their previous names when they’d come to this universe and these days, they used them only rarely.

Behind him, Red sighed. "never thought i'd get the chance to say this, bro, but you're allowed to be happy, if you want. otherwise, why the fuck am i even doing all this?"

"I am perfectly happy,” Edge said, calmly. He returned to washing the dish, cleaning away any lingering sauce. “I have a job I enjoy, I no longer live with you, and I have my volunteer work. I don't need anything else."

"you probably don't. but it's okay to want something else,” he hopped down from the chair, his grubby socks scuffling against the floor. Deliberately, Edge knew, Red was only heard when he wanted to be. “now if you’ll excuse me, i'm gonna go puke. a little tip? make up your mind over the honey bun. stretch is an okay guy, but he's got issues, don't jerk him around. besides, he might not kill you over it, but i wouldn't put bets on blue."

There didn’t seem to be anything he could say to that, no protest that his brother would hear. Instead, Edge asked, “Are you staying to watch Mettaton or not?”

That got him a snort and a truly amused one at that. “you still watching that shit? c’mon, i’ll add my netflix account to your tv. they’ve got some real cooking shows.”

The door swung on its hinges as Red walked out and left Edge alone. Slowly, he set the plate into the drainer, not really meaning to think of Stretch. But he couldn’t stop remembered his hands, those slim, delicate fingers, the way he gestured when he was excited, describing the heavenly bodies above them. The soft flush in his cheekbones, the sparkle in his eye lights while he watched Edge sampling coffee, and that strange warmth rose in his soul again with the memory, lingering in his chest.

It was late after a long day. Stretch was probably asleep. One thing he’d learned since coming to the surface was that low HP Monsters weren’t necessarily lazy, they needed their sleep, although he wasn’t completely convinced where his brother was concerned.

A liability, Red called him. But a pretty one.

The Stretch of tonight was not the same as the one he’d first met. Which one was the truth?

There was only one way to find out.

Before he could think too much about it, Edge took out his phone, pulling up a contact that was only there in case of an emergency, and sent a text.

Would you like to go out again?

Almost immediately a smileyface emoticon came back in reply, followed with, yeah, i'd like that. where we going?

Edge hesitated, then sent back. I'll let you know

sounds good, i like a surprise!

He probably would like a surprise. Edge needed to think about it. Someplace else that would draw out that excitement, bring the sparkle back to those eye lights. Let him see all that bright enthusiasm again, to make sure it wasn’t a fluke.

For now, he shook that thought away and went to join his brother, reluctantly curious about these cooking shows. He supposed they couldn’t be too terrible, and it was possible he’d learn something new.

It was worth a try.

~~*~~

Read Chapter Two

Read Chapter Four

[rainoverthemountains]

So I wrote a Twist-story

I absolutely adore @itsladykit ‘s boy Twist from her Twistfell AU. Actually, I adore all of her boys from all of her AUs, so much so that I wanted to write a story about them. Unfortunately, the more I love a tough and cool character, the more I love hurt/comfort involving that character. Fortunately, Lady Kit is fantastic at providing that. Unfortunately, I wanted even more, and I was also sad that Twist is so hopeless about his LV problem, so this story came to mind. It sprang from Lady Kit’s story Bucket List (the AO3 version), so it makes more sense if you read that first (although if you’re considering reading this and haven’t already read Lady Kit’s stuff, what are you doing here? Go read her stories, she’s incredibly awesome).

I’m hesitant to write it because it seems strange to write hurt/comfort with someone else’s characters (ignoring the fact that all fanfiction uses someone else’s characters) but Lady Kit does like hurt/comfort and has stated that people are free to write in her worlds, and it doesn’t get into any subject that she has stated she wants to avoid, so I decided to give it a try. I also don’t know what I’m doing with writing a story and posting it to the internet, but we’ll see how it goes. Lady Kit please don’t hate me if you see this and don’t like it.  I’ll take it down or change it if you want. I’m sorry I’m awkward. 

So now I will post this and go hide.

Summary: There’s a cure for LV (probably). It’s completely safe (probably). It’s a highly unpleasant experience (definitely). Twist only cares about that first statement. He probably should have paid a little more attention to the other two. But what does it matter? He’s getting what he wants, and he has the best friends and family in any universe to help along the way.

Chapter 1

“Gah! What the hell is their problem? Don’t they realize what I have here?” Iggy snarls at the review panel’s response to her official report, slamming her bowl of ramen on the desk before sheepishly wiping up the noodles that spill over the side. After the sudden increase in funding from an anonymous donor, the LV reduction project has progressed beyond her wildest dreams. She’d honestly been losing hope just a few months ago, but access to any resources she can imagine has changed things. Well, access to resources and a little creative bending of surface laws on ethical treatment of research subjects. 

“Those damn laws,” she growls. She’d looked into them at the urging of her Taleverse counterparts, and, fine, maybe some of her methods are just a little bit illegal here. But those laws just don’t take into account the importance of her work! Following all of the required procedures could delay the project for years, maybe decades. Monsters don’t want to wait decades to get rid of LV, and that includes her research subjects. A few might have melted in the process, but that was only in the beginning and those monsters were too far gone into their LV to care anyway. Besides, that problem is long since solved. While her more recent subjects didn’t particularly enjoy the treatment, they all came out of it alive and with lower LV. They got what they wanted, however much they might have complained along the way. The point is, she’d created the impossible, a drug that can dissolve LV without dissolving the rest of the monster. 

“It doesn’t even do any permanent damage to the subject’s soul anymore! What can they possibly have to complain about now?” she mutters, reading further into the report.

“‘Promising, but requires further testing,’ my ass.” She’s done the testing. She’s shown that it works. The subject pool is a little limited, but the trends are consistent and easily extrapolated. Of course, ‘Extrapolation outside the range of available data is not sufficiently reliable to support approval for mass production,’ according to several reviewers. 

“Well, maybe they have a point there,” she allows. “A slight one.” Extrapolating from an LV of 9, the highest of her successful test subjects so far, to the full range of monsters who need the treatment might be going a little too far. 

“Well what am I supposed to do about it?” She throws up her hands in exasperation. They want all research participation to be voluntary, but they also want the treatment tested on high LV monsters. “Have they ever met a monster with high LV!?” Not exactly the most cooperative research subjects. Some of them might say they want to get rid of their LV, but just try sticking a needle in their soul and see how long they keep cooperating. An uncooperative high LV monster can cause a lot of trouble. She shudders. There’s no way she’s dealing with that again. Then there’s the subjective data. Monsters on the edge of losing their minds are terrible at answering questions about the experience during treatment, and the panel refuses to accept her results without some form of patient report.

Ugh. Those self-righteous assholes want to deny her brilliant, revolutionary cure to all of monster-kind on the basis of a few technicalities. She taps her claws against the desk, fuming. “There has to be a way around this.” If she can just find someone, anyone, with high LV who is reasonably sane and would be motivated enough or have little enough sense of self-preservation to be a cooperative research subject…

Oh. Well of course there’s Papyrus. Well, a Papyrus, the one from her universe. The crazy one who goes by Twist now. That bastard has been on the edge of losing it for years but has never quite tipped over the edge. She nearly had him a few years ago, back when she first started her work underground, but his brother talked him out of it. Undyne kept trying to convince the little fluff ball for her, but eventually they’d given up. But now… Things are different now. Not with the fluff ball, but if she can just go around the fluff ball…

Twist is losing his mind. Anyone even tangentially acquainted with that multi-universal pack of skeletons knows that. Anyone with any basic understanding of LV should know that. The fact that he’s kept it mostly together this long suggests a level of determination or attachment or stubbornness or something that most monsters don’t have. Maybe enough of it to actually go through with the treatment? And based on some of the stunts she’s heard of, a high sense of self-preservation won’t be a problem. So, highly motivated, unlikely to be scared away by any necessary unpleasantness, really not much to lose given the deadline he has to know he’s living under, and LV high enough that no one can say she’s extrapolating outside the range of her data. He’s perfect. Now she just has to get to him where no one else will have a chance to talk him out of it, at least until it’s too late to change his mind.

***

All that being said, it seems best to approach Twist at work, away from all the others. Undyne still keeps track of all possible troublemakers from their universe so it’s easy to find out where he works. That’s how she finds herself greeting a pair of skeletal legs sticking out from underneath a car.

“Twist? Is that you under the car?” she calls.

“Yep, I’m the only skeleton workin’ here so if yer talkin’ to a skeleton under a car it’s prob’ly me.” He rolls out from under the car and waves. “Hey, Iggy. Whatcha doin’ ‘round here? Havin’ car trouble? We’ll getcha fixed up in no time.”

“No, no car trouble. Actually, I have a proposal for you.”

“A proposal?” Twist teases with raised browbones, “well now ya got my interest. Does yer girl know ‘bout this proposal? I’m up fer anythin’, but I’m not so sure she is.”

“Not that kind of proposal!” Fellverse monsters shouldn’t blush this easily.

“What kind of proposal it is, then? Does everyone have ta be dressed, or is that negotiable?”

“It’s not that kind of proposal! Forget that I said the word proposal. It has nothing to do with a proposal. Can you please try to be serious for one minute?”

“Proposals can be very serious.” Iggy glares and Twist grins. “Fine, fine, what’s this not-proposal ya got fer me?”

“You know what I’ve been working on since Asriel’s coronation, don’t you?” Twist abruptly loses his teasing air.

“I do. Think I’ve told ya before that I’m not really in’erested in meltin’, though.”

“Oh, no, the research is way past that point. No one’s melted in months, well, I mean a little bit, but not melted, melted, and I’ve got that part worked out too. Actually, that’s what I came here to tell you. I’ve found a cure!” Twist’s jaw drops.

“What? Ya found… what?”

“A cure for LV! Money from a new major donor gave me access to equipment and materials that I never dreamed of, which let me break through a few major obstacles that had stumped me for years, and now the treatment is already in clinical trials and it works! It really works!” Twist stumbles against the car and decides to sit down before he falls down as his legs give out in shock.

“Are, are ya serious?” Iggy nods enthusiastically. “Yer not exaggeratin’, or brushin’ over some technicalities, or playin’ some sick practical joke ‘cause I swear if you are ya won’ leave this place alive, or…”

“No, no, no, none of that. It’s not an easy cure like ‘take a pill, then get all better right away’ easy, and like I said, it’s still in clinical trials so it’s not approved for the mass market yet, but it’s real and it works.”

“When can I have it?”

“Once it makes it through clinical trials it will have to be approved by a review board and the sovereigns, so whenever all that is done is when it will be available to the general public.” She’s got him. She’s definitely got him. Now is the time to reel him in.

“An’ when’ll that be?

“I don’t know. The real holdup is the clinical trials. I need to show that it’s safe and effective in monsters across the whole range of possible LV, and volunteers with high LV are hard to find. The highest I’ve had so far is 9.” Twist’s sockets narrow. He’s clearly caught on to what she’s doing.

“An’ I suppose ya came here today hopin’ ta find a volunteer.”

“Well, yes. I didn’t think you’d mind. It would give you access to the treatment months or even years earlier than you’d have it otherwise and I know LV is a particularly time-sensitive issue for you.” 

“Mhmm. Can’t deny ya’ve got a point there. An’ can ya guarantee I won’t melt?”

“Absolutely no melting. I’m not saying the treatment will be fun. It’s actually pretty painful and can go on for days, even weeks to get rid of as much LV as you have. You’ll probably want to come up with something to tell your friends and family unless you want them worrying about you the whole time. But won’t it be worth it to come home free of LV and having paved the way for everyone else to be free of LV too?”

“So that’s the whole story, huh? I come with you, get this ‘treatment,’ be miserable for a few weeks an’ then I‘m cured? Why do I suspect yer leavin’ somethin’ out?”

“I’m really not. I mean, I haven’t explained every detail, but I will if you come back to the lab with me. I’ll explain the whole process and you can back out at any time before we start, but I know you’re not going to want to because I know you want this. Come on, do you really want to wait around until you hurt someone or lose your mind? I’ve worked with plenty of monsters who lost themselves to their LV-”

“An’ melted quite a few of ‘em.”

“-and that’s not something you want to go through, or put your little brother through. I know you two are close. Just imagine what it would be like for him if one day you attack him, or if he finds out you just went crazy one day and you’re never coming back, or if you kill yourself to keep that from happening.”

“Ok, yes, I get it! I don’ need ta hear it, I already know all that shit!”

“Now imagine coming home to him and telling him truthfully that none of that is ever going to happen, that all of your LV is gone and you can live the rest of your lives without ever worrying about it again. Imagine the same for your friends, each of them losing the LV that’s been weighing on them or their loved ones for years. Imagine what it’ll do for monster-human relations when humans can no longer point to high LV monsters to prove that all monsters are dangerous and shouldn’t have any rights. Imagine-”

“That’s enough! Ya think I don’ know what gettin’ rid of LV would mean? Think I don’ think about it every fuckin’ day?”

“I know you do. That’s why I know you want this. If you want to eliminate LV, and I know you do, then come help me get rid of it. We have the power to do something completely, unequivocally good, here. Just come to my lab and we can do it. We can do it today!”

“Ok.”

“You know you want to-”

“I said ok!” Twist snaps. “You can stop yer grand speech. ‘M convinced. Let’s go cure LV. Jus’ lemme finish with this car an’ I’ll go take off work an’ tell my bro that ‘m going on vacation fer awhile. He’ll be annoyed I didn’t warn him but he won’ be that surprised that I went off on some random trip.”

chapter 2

[mundieoriley]

Megalomania | Sans x Reader

Author's Note: Hey guys! This is the first thing I ever wrote for Undertale and also the first reader insert style story I've written. I wrote this thing by hand in a notebook two or three years ago. So, I decided to type it up, with minor fixes, and share it with you guys!

Enjoy!

Mundie

(Fan art image is not mine and credit goes to the original artist)

A short statured figure standing in the shadow of the many pillars lining the Hall of Judgment stirs as a small child enters the hall, the grey dust coating their body swirling around them as they move. The other figure detaches itself from the pillar and steps into the light, a sight the child is tired of seeing. Sans the skeleton can clearly see this in the child's face. Sans' eye begins to gleam ominously as the child in the striped shirt and carrying a knife stops in front of him.

"let's just get to the point," Sans says dryly.

He raises his arm and rips the murder's Soul from their body, initiating the fight. Sans throws their Soul down brutally as bones and Gaster Blaster beams swirl around the room, the child's little Soul dodging the attacks nimbly, like they had done it many times before and they have. Over and over and over. But every time, Sans always bested them and they were forced to Reset. Sans just wanted the little monster to give up for good so he and you could just go home and get on with your lives. He is tired of all the Resets, tired of being stuck in this endless loop, and tired of being away from you.

Sans delivers the final, brutal blow and the Soul shatters.

Reset.

Sans finds himself leaning against the same pillar again, with his bony hands stuck into his pockets and a hole in his chest from the lack of contact with you. He sees a figure enter the hall again, but this figure, this person, is the one that he would recognize anytime, anywhere. Sans immediately peels himself from the pillar and moves toward you, grinning happily at you as the distance between you closes.

"Sans," you say as he hugs you tightly, his face pressed to your collarbone.

"(y/n), what are you doing here? it's dangerous," Sans says to you as he gently presses you away from him, gripping your shoulders. You hadn't been here in any of the other timelines, So why the hell are you here now?

"I was worried about you," you respond, with that tone in your voice telling Sans that there was nothing he could have done to make you stay behind in safety while he went into danger without you. "I couldn't just sit around and hide with everyone else."

Sans begins to formulate a response, but Chara suddenly entering the hall silences him. Sans' grip on your shoulders tightens as he pushes you back several yards and behind a pillar.

As he retreats to face Chara again, he says to you over his shoulder, "no matter what, stay right where you are."

When Sans squares off with Chara, the little monster's eyes slide coolly over you with malice.

"eyes on me, Chara," Sans says coolly, refusing to let Chara see how much he hates them looking at you. "or you're going to have a really bad time."

Sans starts the battle yet again, your presence in the hall making him even more cautious. He wants this timeline to Reset so you would be out of danger, even though you'll lose the memory of seeing Sans again.The fight goes the way it usually does, but for the first time in a long time, Chara is beginning to tire Sans out. They clearly see this as they attack him and he dodges their strike. Sans is acutely aware of your eyes on him and knowing you are rooting for him fills him with DETERMINATION.

In a flurry of bones and rotating Gaster Blasters, Chara manages to evade it all and this is beginning to concern Sans. Chara should have long been dead by now, so Sans switches the game. His eye flares bright blue and he proceeds to slam Chara's Soul into the floor, walls and ceiling as bones and Gaster Blasters continuously fill the area with noise and beams of highly concentrated energy. Sans feels himself wearing out even more, but Chara is looking as bad as Sans is feeling. Their breathing is ragged and they are down to a measly 10 HP.

Sans continues to slam Chara around as much as he can, but the combined effort of using the bones, Blasters, and all the slamming is taking its toll on him. His slamming around slows, as do the bones and the Gaster Blasters. Sans becomes heavy with exhaustion and finally finds himself unable to continue attacking, his breaths coming out in short gasps.

"guess... i've had enough," Sans says as Chara advances on him, their knife gleaming.

Sans' final thought is of you as Chara stabs out at him....

But the blow never lands.

Sans' eye sockets widen in horror as he lays eyes on you standing directly in front of him, you arms spread wide, protecting him and taking Chara's killing blow.

The horrible shink of blade retracting from flesh echos through the hall and you begin to slide to the floor. Sans, feeling as if he is watching this happen to someone else, wraps his arms around you, his back to Chara, as if to shield you from them like you did for him. Chara merely watches silently, blood dripping from their blade.

There's already far too much blood blooming like a crimson flower from your chest and staining Sans' clothes as he holds you tightly, feeling tears springing from his sockets. Coming partially to his senses, Sans quickly strips off his hoodie and presses it down over the stab wound in your chest.

"(y/n)," Sans says, his voice cracking as he stares down at you, his tears dripping onto your face. "(y/n)! stay with me, open your eyes."

Slowly, your eyes do open and lock with his. Your eyes have always been one of Sans' favorite things about you, but now they are beginning to dull, signifying just how much blood you've lost already.

"Sans," you whisper weakly as you raise a hand and touch his cheek bone. He leans into your touch, his tears staining your fingers.

"why," he chokes out, his jacket already soaked through with your blood. "why did you do that?"

Your eyes begin to dull even further and Sans takes your hand that is touching his face and laces his blood stained phalanges with your fingers.

"Cuz' I love you," you manage to say as your beautiful eyes slip shut entirely.

Hopelessly, Sans gathers you in his arms and holds you tight. "god, i love you too," he whispers, his face buried in the crook of your neck.

He holds you as you breathe your final breaths and he feels your chest cease to rise and fall. His mind takes a few seconds to process this and when it clicks into place, Sans' heart shatters. You were his sunshine, his happiness. You were his will to keep on moving forward. You were the reason the Resets became bearable because he knew he would see you again. But now, the last person he cares deeply for is ripped away from him.

Slowly, his shoulders and hands shaking, Sans lowers you gently to the blood stained marble. If it wasn't for all the blood, he would have thought you were just sleeping. Sans stands to his feet and looks over his shoulder at Chara, who has a wide and disgusting smile on their face.

"y o u." Sans' eye gleams blue, illuminating the tears still flowing freely. "you have gone too far, d i r t y l i t t l e m o n s t e r."

Chara is not leaving this hall alive, nor are they ever coming back. As Sans faces Chara, Gaster Blasters and bones whirl chaotically around them, leaving no room for dodging or escape. With an almighty roar, the bones and Blasters attack Chara as one and as they try to Reset, the sheer power fueled by Sans' rage destroys the Save File and Chara along with it.

The child's body drops to the ground and, for just a moment, Frisk is back, mouthing something at Sans. Then, their Soul shatters and the life leaves them.

The bones and Gaster Blasters fade and Sans turns back to your body, unable to bring himself to feel remorse about Frisk just yet. He drops to his knees beside you and as he holds your cold and lifeless form, Sans' horrible and choked sobs fill the hall.

Why?

Why did it have to take losing you, the only thing besides Papyrus he has ever loved, forever to defeat Chara and make sure they never come back? But deep down, Sans knew the Underground was safe, because of the sacrifice you made......

Then everything Reset.

[hahanoiwont]

i was hit by a headcanon at the speed of a truck and since i’m apparently an undertale fanblog in the year of our lord 20 goddamned 20, I’m making a post about it. fuck it. I think Sans Undertale used to be able to reset and here’s why.

so. Papyrus’s belief that genocidal maniacs can change, despite him knowing how likely it is to kill him, is pretty strong! It’s strong in a way that, to me, seems to point to either personal experience or knowledge of resets. or both.

add to this: Sans adores Papyrus. They do regular sibling stuff (making snowmen/lumps, post it battles) and especially-close sibling stuff (Papyrus has a cardboard station just down the road from Sans’s, bedtime stories, picking up each others’ bits and running with them like some kind of improv professionals) literally all the time. Sans seems to think that Papyrus’s belief in people will inevitably get him hurt, but he admires him for it in any case.

Papyrus and Sans both imply time travel, and Sans knows the mechanics well (refers to saving, is aware of whether or not the protagonist has made a save and will comment on it if they don’t, knows how many times his battle has occurred). Sans can also stop time (talking flower conversation at Grillby’s) and retcon things (if he gives you his key, it’s already on the chain).

Add to this the “if someone has a special power, don’t they have a responsibility to do the right thing?” and Sans’s Judgement thing (I have seen a lot of cool theories where “Judge” is a literal job, and I think it’s rad as hell and possibly correct, but why does Sans feel a responsibility to offer his opinion? Why in Judgement is he so certain that the protagonist will reset and try again? Why behave like he’s handing out a quest in neutral runs?) and we see a theory start to form.

My thought is this: Sans used to hold the save/reset power for reasons unknown (comes from an alternate universe? something something science? not a skeleton monster but a literal reanimated skeleton? who’s to say). He, as most time-travelers in Undertale canon, began to feel as if he was immune to consequences, or like doing wrong things didn’t really matter because [it’s for the greater good/it’s not permanent/no one has to know/etc]. Now, I doubt he went on a genocide run, but maybe he killed somebody. Maybe he was trying to save Gaster and did some messed up stuff in that pursuit (a la those fics where Frisk does a Genocide run trying to save Asriel). Maybe he just went a little crazy. And I think that, as he was beginning to spiral downwards, Papyrus put himself in Sans’s path and said, no, I think you’re better than this, or you can be if you try.

Papyrus is already one of the hardest kills of the genocide run because it feels terrible to kill him. So imagine Sans blinks back to his senses when he realizes that he’s put himself in a situation where murdering an innocent person is a genuine possibility. Not only that, but an almost expected possibility. “Am I going to kill my brother in cold blood” is a real question he has to confront. And for Sans, the answer is “what the fuck, no” and he puts down the proverbial knife.

Now, Sans isn’t so far gone as to run around on a mindless killing spree, consequences or not. But he does make a change. Who’s to say he can’t lose his determination, in the wake of such a huge reevaluation of his world? Or set it down deliberately? Maybe Sans does a last reset and says, you know what, I’m done. no more fucking with time. Or maybe he’s so shaken from his goal that he can’t reset, and whatever he’s done can’t be undone (“i gave up trying to go back a long time ago”).

No matter what, Sans has to live with the knowledge of what he was capable of in the absence of consequences, and Papyrus has very good motivation to believe that, even if it looks like someone is totally cracked and probably a murderer, they can come back from the brink with love and care and a whole lot of faith. Even Sans’s depression can be in part ascribed to a sudden loss of determination--he’s lost control over the timeline, making him as helpless as anyone else to affect the outcome of events on someone who’s immune to consequences, and depression itself can be connected to losing a driving force or the will to live--and this leaves Sans in a perfect position to understand and feel wary of the protagonist. After all, they’re not Papyrus’s brother, so what’s going to stop them from doing whatever they want? Not Sans, and not anyone else, probably, either. Which leaves Sans watching from afar, unwilling to step in except to offer his opinion that this isn’t the best run, and the protagonist should try and do better next time.

Now, there are other things that are explained/supported by this theory (Sans’s desire to befriend the protagonist bc he’s sure no one would reset time that much unless they were very unhappy speaks to personal experience to me, Papyrus’s ambivalence to his own death, Sans not trying to step in during the Papyrus battle, the theory that Sans’s battle in the geno run is him giving up on a reset and trying to force the protagonist to quit altogether even if it means everyone is still dead, Sans’s general empathy but lack of trust for the protagonist contrasted by Papyrus’s endless faith); but this post is already too long, so I’ll cut it here. Thoughts, anyone? Could Sans have once been able to save/reset?

[icefir-windbreaker]

All-Stars -Story Mode- [CHAPTER 2]

I know, it’s a bit too early and I had wrote this second chapter on Google Docs but I had thought about it recently hours later after I had posted til I decided: What the hell? I’ll post the second one. ;3

Enjoy

                                                    -Chapter 2-

After Boris locked the door, they were surrounded in darkness, no sight to see but they are able to hear their own breathes and knowing it’s their own and someone else’s. There’s nothing to do but wait…

Then, they heard the light switch flicked on and the lights gone on with a dim and saw the bunker in the light.

It does looked like an ordinary home for a normal family to stay in, it had a couch, a wooden wire spool for a table, oven, sink, a fridge and a room with bunk beds. Even a bathroom.

Boris walked over to the wire spool table and placed down his backpack on it as Bendy ran eagerly to look at what Boris had brought.

‘’So so so??’’ Bendy asked so very eagerly, ‘’What did you got with you? What did you go with you?’’

Boris held up his finger and got out a can that read ‘’Bacon Soup’’ on it, then showed Bendy that he had got 7 cans of Bacon Soup. 7 cans of soup means it can last 7 days of food.

Bendy clapped his hands happily as he looked at the cans, ‘’Woo! Good more soup!’’ the greedy Ink Demon said with glee and then he looked over at the two cups and the human child as he asked ‘’Did you have something for them as well Boris?’’

Boris had yet again held his finger out as he rummaging through the backpack and he got out a blue metal kettle and 8 cups of metal cups and 3 metal mugs along with the ingredients needed to make coffee.

The two brothers smiled at each other as they looked at the set of kettle and cups with mugs along with the ingredients had reminded them of home back in Inkwell.

Frisk looked at the Cup brothers and smiled with comfort as they reminded the human child of the two Skele brothers as well.

*Even though this isn’t like home.

*But watching the smile on the brothers’ faces,

*it fills you with DETERMINATION.

*And comfort.

Frisk walked over to the table as they took off their backpack and placed it on the table and rummaged through to get out their own food they had got from the convent store earlier.

Bendy looked over to Frisk and said ‘’Well, since you meet my friend Boris and know my name already, I guess it’s time to tell me your name, So what is it?’’

*You gave Bendy the Dancing Demon your name.

‘’Frisk huh? Nice to meet you. Do you know what is happening here?’’ Bendy asked. Frisk shook their head, implying that they don’t know.

‘’I see. We were trying to figure that out since we got here. But…’’ Bendy said before his sentence had faded as he looked at the ceiling. The look he had on his face was wonder as the two brothers noticed this.

‘’What is it?’’ Mugman asked to Bendy, who looked at him. ‘’Before you guys came along, I think we were the first ones here on the day before you came. We found ourselves with a tree with pinkish white flowers, what is it called?’’

>[Cherry Blossom Tree]                                                                [Apple Blossom Tree]

                                            >[Cherry Blossom Tree]<

‘’Cherry blossom tree, never heard of it before but okay, it was near sunset but even through me and Boris never saw one before, it’d felt peaceful just seeing it. But it gotten even something more… What is that word again?’’

‘’Wonderful?’’ Cuphead said as Bendy looked at him, ‘’Wonderful! That’s it! Wonderful!’’ he said as Mugman and Frisk looked at Bendy like he was a child, as if the child is a Ink Demon. Bendy lowered and uppered his head like a bird swooping down to catch its prey.

‘’When night time came, the blossoms… They began to glow white while the wind breeze by, petals flying away like shooting stars. The light of those simples as them too.’’ Bendy continued with his story.

‘It’d must’ve been very beautiful.’’ Mugman commented on Bendy’s story as he could already imaged what if him and his brother were there to see the trees glow then Cuphead said ‘’But, we never thought of the trees would do something like this before. How is that possible?’’

Then that’s when Frisk raised their hand if they had a suggestion, winch caught Bendy’s attention. ‘’Yes Frisk?’’ Bendy asked.

*You told Bendy that the glowing cherry blossom trees at night time had reminded them of Echo Flowers from the Underground.

*Others had noticed you said

Underground.

‘’You been into an underground? Was it a cave or a…’’ Cuphead said before Frisk shook their head as they decided to tell this tale.

Long time ago, two races ruled over earth:

Humans and Monsters.

They had been in peace for years until one day, war broke out between the two races.

In the end, it was the race of men achieved victory in the war against the monsters and sealed them in the underground caverns with a spell.

Then years later, a child climbed up Mount Ebott with an unhappy reason till they tipped and fell into the Underground, the prince named Asriel had found the injured human child and took them back home.

The prince’s parents decided to the adopt the human and hope had reigned in the Underground, they knew this would bring the two worlds together again.

Until one horrible day, the human had fallen ill to an unknown disease and dying.

The human’s life was withering away as they requested that they want to see the flowers in their village just one last time but with the barrier up, there’s nothing that they could do.

Then a day came and the human gave in to the illness and died in their bed.

Asriel, overcome with grief of the lost of their sibling, absorbed their soul and his soul became fused with the human’s, turning into his powerful form.

He then took the human’s cold lifeless body and actually crossed the barrier to carry the human back to their village.

As he reached the village, he laid the body down the bed of flowers and stood in the silence of the night until he heard a scream ringed out. The villagers looked at the prince and the child and began to attack Asriel because they all thought he had killed his friend.

The prince had the power to destroy all with just a tip of a finger but he refused to fight back and instead took a blow after blow from the humans.

They all severely damaged him after they gave it all they could throw at him but he smiled and walked away with the human’s body still in his arms.

Asriel crossed the barrier and came back to the Underground, lethally wounded, his body fell down on top of the garden of flowers and died with the human child next to him. Once deceased, his body turned to dust and scattered across the garden.

The Underground’s ruler, Asgore, angered out of grief, declared that the war will begin and every human who falls down will die.

And over the years, 6 humans had met the same fate…

Well… All but one.

Frisk, the human of DETERMINATION fell down to the Underground and befriended the whole Monster race and broke the barrier with the help of Flowey who turned out be Asriel, resurrected as a flower.

Peace has reigned once more for the two races…

‘’Whoa…’’ Mugman said, ‘’You have befriended every monster in the underground kingdom? Even after they tried to kill you?’’

Frisk nodded yes as an answer.

Bendy smiled and said ‘’That’s quite a tale, came from the underground.’’

‘’Undertale?’’ Cuphead said as Frisk giggled at the name for the tale. ‘’That sounds very brave of you Frisk!’’ Mugman said.

Boris nodded as he too agreed with Mugman, Bendy smiled a little bit as he looked at Cuphead and said ‘’Do you two have a story of your own?’’

‘’Well, it’s not much like Frisk’s but we do.’’ Cuphead answered as Boris opened the can of soup and pours it into a pot so he can make dinner.

He tells them a story of him and his brother had wandered away under Elder Kettle’s nose while he was asleep and gone to the casino in Inkwell despite their caretaker’s warning to play craps that lead them a winning streak till the Devil himself came and raises the stakes by offering Cuphead a deal if they win the bet but ultimately lose when he rolled snake eyes.

He continues on with their story as they ate their dinner and laughed at their mistakes, Frisk smiled as they were reminded of Papyrus’s cooking with their friends.

*Cuphead and Mugman’s story is fascinating to listen.

*You can tell they like to get into troubles till they got into a big one with the Devil.

*Hearing them triumph against the Devil and saved Inkwell Isles fills you with DETERMINATION.

When they all started yawning as they went somewhere in 12 o’clock at midnight, they all decided to hit the hay as they went for the bunk beds but Boris stayed in the living room with a tommy gun to stand guard while they all get some sleep for tomorrow.

Cuphead and Frisk got top while Bendy and Mugman got the low bunk as they tucked themselves into the blankets, trying to fend off the cold till Cuphead and Bendy fell asleep first as Mugman and Frisk stayed awake.

There was silence for moment until Mugman said ‘’Frisk?’’, Frisk looked looked down at Mugman after they had heard their name been called with a confused look on their face.

‘’C-can the Devil be here in… Where ever we are?’’ Mugman asked at the human child, who just shrugged their shoulders as this add to Mugman’s worry. ‘’F-frisk, we do remember that the whole isles had been taken with us after that attack from the Devilings. I-if they were here, t-they would…’’ he continued with the fear toned his voice.

*Mugman is worried that the Devil may be back for revenge.

*You knew this by the tone in his voice,

*You assured Mugman that him and his brother, Cuphead

*had beaten the Devil and his lackeys before so if he is here,

*they can do it again.

Mugman smiled as Frisk gave him a comforting smile, he known that smile when he was a kid, it’s the same one that Elder Kettle gave him and his brother whenever they’re feel scared. That made feel better thanks to Frisk.

‘’A-alright, you’re right Frisk. We done it before and we can do it again if the Devil really is back, anyway, we better get some sleep or else, we’ll just be tired as sloths!’’ Mugman said as Frisk giggled at his reply.

‘’Anyway, good night Frisk. See you in the morning.’’ Mugman said as he went to sleep.

*Despite being away from your family,

*Mugman reminded you of Asriel Dreemurr before he turned back into Flowey the Flower.

*You still do wished if there’s a way to bring Asriel back.

*You are DETERMINED to figure out what’s happening.

*But you need to get some rest first.

Frisk rolled over as they pulled the blanket over them as they finally fell into a deep slumber…

Then fell into a dream...

[specialmindz]

“huh?”

“Hey Snas, how you spell yo’ name? Is with an S or a Z?”

“what are you talking about?”

“Is S-N-A-S or S-N-A-Z? It sound like da’ latter, but I’s a baby, so I don’t spell good.”

“what exactly are you putting my name on?” asked Sans, eyeing the piece of paper in his brother’s hand.

“Is a flyer.”

“what’s on the flyer?”

“Letters.”

“bro-”

“Letters and a picture of you that I taked. Lookin’ fine in dat lab coat big Buther...”

“seriously pap, what are you putting my name on?”

“Is a job wanted flyer! I knows you doesn’t like working for Daddy for no monies, so I’m gonna get you a new one!”

Sans took the paper from his brother and began to read it out loud. “big-ass baby looking for work. cute butt, cute head, cute everything. has experience in being daddy’s slave-bro you’re not posting this.”

“Why not?!”

“many reasons.”

“You like being Daddy’s slave?”

“no, but if we’re starting with the obvious, this picture is inappropriate.”

“It’s yo’ butt!”

“i can see that-”

“I took the picture so they knows I’s not lying. There be a picture of your head and your feets underneath like a flippybook-”

“what is it with you and butts lately papyrus? you keep bringing them up and it’s weird!”

“Pooburty.”

“babies don’t go through puberty.”

“Oh.”

“...”

“...”

“...I needs a doctor big Buther...”

Sans ignored him and continued to read the book he was holding, crumbling the paper Papyrus had made into a ball and shoving it into his coat pocket. He had hoped the act would make his brother get the message and go away, but the baby didn’t seem to care that his hard work had been destroyed. Instead, Papyrus merely pulled out another sheet and began to scribble on it with a pen.

“Okay, how’s dis? Big-ass baby looking for work, lossa experience being Daddy’s slave. No butt stuff.”

“papyrus, no. i appreciate what you’re trying to do, but no. it sucks that i don’t get paid, but i enjoy my job, so it’s fine.”

“*Tch* Lazybones! Work not supposed to be fun!” Grumbling, the infant angrily scribbled out what he wrote and started again. “Kay’...big-ass baby looking for fun. Lossa experience being Daddy’s slave, but still needs to be punished. He’s been real bad-”

“what?”

“He’s use to abuse and likes to abuse others-”

“i’m abusive? i’m abusive because i don’t want another job?”

“He be very obee-di-ant and likes to act like animals when he play. He go ‘WOOF WOOF! ARRROOOOO!”

“gimme that freaking paper.”

“Dis be Snas’s number, call if you gots any kestions or weequests.”

“don’t put down my number.”

“No number...? Kay’, I go change it to yo’ email.”

Sans paused. “’go?’ what do you mean ‘go?’ where are you go-ING?”

“Undernet.”

“the undernet?”

“Yep!”

“you put my cell number on the undernet?”

“I putted the job thingy and yo’ cell number. Now I gots to copy dis stuff and then post da’ flyers so ERYBODY knows about you. ”

“...”

“Also I didn’t know how to spell Snas, so I put Sans kay’?”

Sans’ sockets went dark.

RING RING!

“LOOK SNAS! An employer...”

RING RING RING!”

“Isn’t you gonna answer your phone big Buther? They might has a fun job for you...”

RING RING RING!

Looking at his pocket warily, the comedian reached inside and took out his phone, looking at the number.

“*sigh*”

It’s just Dad.

“hello? hey dad, sup?”

“You know what’s ‘sup’ child...”

“nooo, can’t say that i do actually. you realize i’m in the next room right? you can just come talk to me.”

“Well yes, I suppose I COULD do that, but there’s a slight problem.”

“you’re busy?”

“I’M DETAINED!”

Sans pulled the receiver away from his head. “what?”

“SOMEONE FOUND YOUR POST ON THE UNDERNET AND NOW I’M BEING QUESTIONED BY THE ROYAL GUARD!”

“wh-heh heh ha ha ha ha ha ha!”

“IT’S NOT FUNNY SANS, THEY THINK I’M SELLING MY CHILDREN! WHY WOULD YOU PUT SOMETHING LIKE THAT ON THE WEB?”

“did you actually read the post or...?”

“OF COURSE NO-it was your brother wasn’t it?”

“NYEH HEE HEE HEE HEE!”

“Put that little shit on the phone.”

“alrighty,” turning around, Sans held out his cell phone to his little brother who grabbed it with both hands.

“Hellwoe? What you want?”

“TAKE THAT POST DOWN RIGHT NOW PAPYRUS!”

“Nyeh? Papyrus? I’s not Papyrus, dis be da’ pizza shop...”

“PAPYRUS!”

“We gots da’ cheesy pizza, da’ peppy-roni pizza, and we gots pizza with widdle fishies on them. They look like dis,” Papyrus widened his eyes and opened his mouth, imitating a dead anchovy.

“heh heh heh...”

“You want dat pizza? Is good...”

“I WANT YOU TO TAKE DOWN THAT POST!”

“What post?”

“YOU KNOW WHAT POST!”

“No I doesn’t. Look sir, if you doesn’t want a pizza, don’t call here kay’? Cause’ dis be the pizza pace.”

BEEP!

Papyrus hung up.

“I think he bought it big Buther...”

“...why?”

BE-CUN!

“PAPYRUS GET THAT GODDAMN POST OFF THE UNDERNET!!!” screamed Gaster from the intercom.

“uh. oh! heh heh heh!”

“Uh oh Snas!”

“what are you gonna do bro?”

“There’s only one thing to do,” said the baby bones reaching into his toy chest. “I gots to run away.” He pulled out a little plastic Mickey Mouse purse he had found at the Dump and began stuffing it with crayons.

“you’re gonna run away...?”

“Yep, but don’t worry Snas, though fate tears us apart dis day, I’s certain we shall meet again!”

“heh heh ha ha ha! where you gonna go bro? you gonna go live with flowey?”

He’s been gone an awful long time...maybe he’s really NOT coming back...

“No, baby already tried that,” said Papyrus thinking back to last week.

“NO. No no no no, you get the HELL out of here-”

“Hellwoe Dirt-butt! I’s come to visit you! Nyeh heh heh!”

“Did you not hear me? GT...FO.”

“Why you staring at da’ ground Dirt-butt? Didja lose something?”

“YEAH I LOST PEACE AND QUIET! WHAT PART OF ‘LEAVE’ DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND?”

Continuing to ignore the plant, Papyrus crawled around and patted the ground with a smile.

“What are you doing?”

“What’s it look like I’s doing?”

“Not leaving.”

“I’s looking for the quiet...”

“...”

“I know it be around here somewhere, don’t chu worry. The Gweat Papyrus gonna find it real good-”

“I know you’re not stupid Papyrus,” said Flowey frowning. “You may have everyone ELSE fooled, but I KNOW better-”

“SHHH! You’ll scare away da’ quiet Dirt-butt!”

“Knock it off.”

“What the quiet look like? Is it small? Like, really REALLY small?”

“Yeah it’s small, SMALL LIKE YOUR BR-” the plant stopped short. ”You know what? Forget it,” he said, smiling slyly. “Forget looking for the quiet. We’ll make our OWN quiet, how’s that sound?”

The infant’s eyes immediately lit up. “Ooooh! We doing da’ arts and crafts?”

He loved arts and crafts, but Flowey NEVER joined in with him and Sans. He instead preferred to watch from the air vent whilst occasionally shouting down insults centered around their creations.

Not that it bothered Papyrus per say.

Flowey was obviously just upset that he couldn’t use the glue without getting his petals and/or roots stuck together, which would’ve been sad if he didn’t handle it in such a pathetic manner like all his other problems.

“No, we’re gonna play a game. The QUIET game...”

“Ki-et game...?” Papyrus looked disappointed.

“Yep, the quiet game; it’s where we sit still and make no noise whatsoever. Whoever talks first loses, okay?”

“Kay’.”

“...”

“...”

“...”

“...We’s playing right now?”

“Yeah, isn’t this fun?”

“Yep! I really like sitting around in a field doing nothing like an asshole!”

“YOU CAN LEAVE!”

“No really; doing nothing is a baby’s favorite thing to do, cause’ we doesn’t know how to be pro-duc-tive members of so-ci-et-y...” said Papyrus before lazily rolling onto his back and sticking his foot in his mouth.

“...”

“Also I can’t leave until I beats you in round two, then I’ll be da’ game master!”

Flowey snorted. “You didn’t beat me in round one, so how do you suppose you’re going to do that?” he asked, placing his leaves where his hips would be.

“Easily,” replied the infant. “And I did too beat you. You’s just a sore loser, like always.”

“I AM NOT!”

“Perhaps you should get on baby’s level Dirt-butt?”

“I DIDN’T LOSE! All i did was tell you that the game started and that doesn’t count!”

“Git good scrub flower, nyeh heh heh!”

“Whatever. Even if I DID lose, YOU’RE being a sore winner!” said Flowey turning away.

This made Papyrus sit up and scratch his skull in confusion. “...Dat don’t make sense dough. How can baby be sore if baby won? You’s making stuff up-”

“NO I’M NOT!”

“You wants an apo-lo-gy?”

“YES!!”

“Kay’.”

“...”

“...”

“...Well?”

“I’m sorry you suck.”

“GET OUT OF MY FIELD!!”

“...And dat’s what happened.”

“what?”

“What?”

RING RING!

“...You want some pizza Snas?”

“go take down that post,” said Sans turning off his phone.

“If I takes it down will you pay wit me?”

“uhh...” he looked at his book and then back at Papyrus. He was in the middle of it, nowhere near the end, but he doubted he’d get much studying done if Gaster managed to convince the guards to step aside.

Dad and Pap will be at each other’s throats all day if the guards leave, and dogs don’t have the greatest attention span to begin with...

“uhhh, yeah sure, i suppose i could spend some time with ya’ if you want...depends on what we’re playing though.”

I’m not playing Hide and Seek with this cheater again, THAT’S for sure. Last time he used the security cameras to find me, the little brat.

“We pay House!”

“heh heh heh, house huh? and lemme guess, you wanna be the baby right?”

Papyrus ignored him and crawled back to his toy box shifting loudly through the multitude of broken toys.

“whatcha’ looking for baby bro?”

“Nyeh heh heh!” the infant laughed happily as he raised a fairly large stick in the air triumphantly, his brother watching him in confusion.

Why does he have a stick in his toy box?

CLACK CLACK CLACK!

Hobbling around on the stick, Papyrus grabbed a clipboard with one tiny hand and looked at it disapprovingly. “Wrong, wrong, wrong. Dis be all wrong. Don’t chu know anything besides food? You went to doctor school didn’t you? Sometimes I thinks you’s just here to clean out da’ vending machines...”

“wh-what?”

“Where da’ patient at? You didn’t eat them did you? You know we need those things for monies-”

“what the hell is your problem?”

“Well I gots a whale in my staff room, so PETA’s bound to give me a call sooner or later, other than that though it’s just my leg...oh, and the fact that you suck at yo’ job.”

“your...leg hurts...?”

What?

“The patient OB-VI-OUS-LY gots da’ heatstroke, so we needs to put them in the feezer or they no get better. I doesn’t know why you thought it be a good idea to put em’ in a hospital bed.”

“put em’ in the freezer huh? heh, iii don’t think that’s a good idea lil’ bro.”

“I stopped paying you to think when I re-ah-lized you’s bad at it. Now you follow orders. INTO DA’ FEEZER!” exclaimed the baby pointing to the ceiling dramatically. He then dropped the clipboard and plopped down on the floor, waiting for his older brother to respond.

“okayyy...?”

Papyrus stared right through him and waited silently; a smile plastered on his face. Apparently he had no intention of giving Sans any more instruction, despite never mentioning where, or more importantly, who the patient was supposed to be.

Am I supposed to go find one of his dolls or something?

Knowing his brother, that probably wasn’t the case, but Sans went to the toy box anyway in hopes that the baby Horror would be as happy with a non-living patient as he would a live one.

He was immediately stopped in his tracks.

“Where you going Dr. Snas? We gots to save the patient or they’s gonna die! Leave the toys alone, those be for sick babies...”

“where do i go then pap? where’s the sick guy?”

“Nyeh?” Papyrus looked around. “*GASP!* SNAS!”

“what?”

“THE PATIENT’S ASCAPED!”

“they escaped huh? and why would anyone wanna escape a hospital? that’s where people get healthy bro!”

“They must be hippies Snas!”

“really pap?”

“Quick! We gots to catch em’ before they go online and convince peoples to use natural home re-me-dies and herbs instead of medicines!”

“herbs ARE medicine.”

“...”

“...what?”

“You’s fired.”

“i’m fired...?”

“You’s fired. I can’t and won’t have druggies working under my stupervision. No wonder you’s bad at yo’ job!”

“i’m not a hippie, and that’s very offensive.”

“I doesn’t wanna hear your excuses. Have your desk cweened out by dis afternoon,” said Papyrus. He crawled away, exiting the lab door that led to Waterfall, and leaving his older sibling alone. He was sad that he couldn’t have Sans be his employee anymore, but at least Undyne had gotten home from daycare by now; he could play House with her. She wasn’t very smart, but at least she wasn’t a drug user...

His brother could be REALLY disappointing sometimes.

“psh, whatever,” muttered Sans picking up his book. “i didn’t wanna play with you any-”

Wait a minute.

“PAPYRUS TAKE DOWN THAT POST!!”

“NYEH!”

PUMP!

Papyrus kicked the glass door to the lab with his foot and continued on angrily.

Go munch a tree, hippie baby.

The artist contacted me before making the image, so I know who they are this time. The artist’s name is Rammorn, also known as Passing_Note on AO3.