#somehow i still draw papyrus better than sans

[socksandbuttons]

stares at my papyrus’ i love them so much

[jamisonwritestf2trash]

YOU GUYS JAMISON LIKES UNDERTALE!!!

TELL ME EVERYTHING PLEASE /nf

I LOVE THIS GAME SO MUCH

I do! I've actually liked it for years. Um, I'm going to be kinda cringe for a minute before I get into the actual game it's self. Spoilers?? Do I need to warn that?

I actually fell into the game when I was in 5th grade, I couldn't even play the game and it still managed to get a grip on me. I watched every video I could find about it, mainly getting sucked into videos reading comics about the game. Me and my friend at the time both loved the game so we would talk about it for hours and real fanfics on Quotev and Wattpad. I actually remember seeing "Down To The Bone." When/ around the time dropped, I listened to it on repeat. I also watched the "Undertale If It Was Realistic." A lot too. ALSO, the undertale parody of "Stronger Than You" was quoted a lot. My friend was a huge fan of Temmie and they used to talk like her and I remember always thinking that was cool. I was always a huge fan of Papyrus, Mettaton, and Sans. Mettaton specifically (more on that later). And I guess I just remember, wanting so bad to be able to be apart of the fandom, but not being able to. I begged my mom to get me merch for the game while trying to hide how I knew so much about the game. (I wasn't allowed on YouTube or social media so I had to tell her I loved it bc my friend did.) I did not get the merch I wanted btw, but um, I guess it's just, it's my childhood in a way. I also used to try and draw the characters but I couldn't draw so I ended up just imagining scenarios in my head. I used to swing on the swing set at recess and just imagine stuff about the game.

Okay so the fun not cringe stuff but still cringe in a way.

So, when I finally played undertale for the first time, oh my god??? It fixed something in me, what it fixed, I don't know. I remember being super confused and trying to look at a guide for everything. I also felt so bad because I killed a few monsters in my first run and when Undyne told me I was killing them I cried. I also cried at her fight because I was dying over and over and I didn't know what to do. And also at the time I thought there were two endings, Pacifist and Genocide, and I cried when I couldn't save Asgore because I thought did something wrong (because at this point I had reset the game and killed no one). Fun fact, I have never played the Genocide route because I can't kill Papyrus. I can't do it man. I'd rather die. I love the sound track, and I love all the characters. And I love the game. I want to get an undertale tattoo at some point I love it that much.

I guess the last thing I want to say is that the game probably made me realize I was queer, in some way. Like it might not have been an instant thing, but it definitely opened my mind to queer ideas when all I had been fed was gay people bad, trans people evil. I think Mettaton was a huge thing to me, I wanted to be like him, I thought he was so cool. I didn't know men could be feminine and be cool, that it wasn't some joke. I just, I think it made me realize something some how. Also seeing a lesbian couple made a little switch in my brain flip, like oh, I like them, and they're gay, so why don't I like other gay people? (I had a LOT of internalized homophobia and transphobia and it was somehow fixed by undertale go figure 😭)

I don't know, maybe this isn't the best breakdown or what you were looking for, and to be fair it's probably unintelligible rambling. But it did give me a chance to look back on my past and how much this game really changed me and made my life better. So thanks! Um and sorry I suppose.

Also! Shocker, and probably insane to admit, but... I never thought I'd find a game that made me feel like Undertale did and then I found TF2. TF2 is my new Undertale and that's horrific </3

[benibevan]

UNDERTALE SANS AND PAPYRUS COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS (TUMBLR POST VERSION) POST NUMBER 2

video

(this is the second part of a tumblr post version of a video i made click here to see the first post)

and with that lets move on

SCIENCE

sans has many ties to science

i dont have much to say about this he just kind of does

here are some examples

another great example is his fight but that would be way too long

now to papyrus once again

despite what he may seem like papyrus has many ties to science too which most people dont notice

now lets continue to one of many reasons why this is important

TIMELINES

its a suprisingly common misconception that sans remembers timelines but that is false

he seems to guess many things from "your expression" which the human's sprite doesnt show

he also seems to get some info from "reports"

papyrus also probably knows atleast something about timelines

if they do or do not know what is going on is up for depate

some may say that papyrus doesnt realize the implications of what he says sometimes and to those people i say go away please

lets move on to a very intresting topic

SHORTCUTS

its more than well known that sans can use something called "shortcuts" which seems to be some form of teleportation

its very noticable to the players and many characters acknowledge it aswell

and yet some people think that papyrus doesnt know about it

papyrus very clearly knows about it and probably might be able to do it too

here was supposed to be something but i couldnt find it in my folder when i made the video and i still cant find it so nevermind

anyway sans is often depicted as extremly powerfull and papyrus as very weak which is not true

let me tell you a fun fact

papyrus is the only enemy who no matter how hard you try will not kill you

toriel can kill you by accident but papyrus refuses to for some reason

he is so good that he can even do 0 damage when you get hit at 1 hp (or atleast it is coded that way)

most of you probably already knew this but i just wanted to put this in the video and posts just in case someone somehow did not

now lets move on

"EYE"

in many fan works sans is drawn with a constant blue "eye" that makes a fire for some reason

however in the game his "eye" is not constant and only appears sometimes like when he controls gravity to smash you against the walls

also its not only blue instead its blue and yellow and flickers between those two colors

it also doesnt make a fire lol

this seems way more cool than a fire in my opinion but whatever

it is not known if papyrus has an "eye" like that

but many people draw him with an orange one becus of a popular theory

the theory being that the traits described in the ball game are not only connected to the souls but other things too

such as sans' "eye" which would make it blue for patience and yellow for justice

this theory makes sense and is mostly good

however orange is for bravery and while papyrus is brave there is a trait that fits him better

that trait is integrity

becus he is a good friend stands by his morals and many other reasons

but most significantly integrity is dark blue which is the color he turns your soul to

another thing is that sans has two colors which means papyrus could have both blue and orange and yet people do only orange

and he is also commonly depicted with orange bones which he never used and probably cant use

thats enough of this topic

there is more that i wanted to talk about but editing the video was taking too much time and i needed to go do some other things

i want to make more videos (and posts) on this but right now i think this is enough considering its one of my first right now

so this is where i ended the video and right now am also ending the post

bye

[elderemorune]

Despite Everything, It's Still You

Who would have thought that a nine year old indie game would punch me in the gut again, long after I originally played it? Undertale was incredibly important to me when it first came out. I was so lost, having just jumped into adulthood, and Frisk et al. helped me to understand that I had a choice in who I became.

I loved Papyrus so much that I picked up drawing again just to draw fanart of him. It's hard not to think of him as my friend still, that's how much I love him. I can't ever go back and play the game again either. After the ending I got, what right do I have to disturb their lives? They get their happily ever after, and I want Sans and Papyrus to have that. I want them all to have that.

But that's not the purpose of this post.

I looked in the mirror for real for the first time in a long time this morning, and echoing through my head was the phrase "Despite everything, it's still you."

There's a mirror near the start of the game, if you look into it you get a text box that says "It's you." and if you gaze into a similar mirror near the end of the game it says "Despite everything, it's still you."

I smiled when looking my my reflection for the first time in a very long time today. I've found my feet. I know the kind of person I want to be. And thanks to that, I'm more me than I've ever been. Despite the people I've hurt and those who hurt me, despite the people around me, despite attempts to control who I became, I'm still me.

Despite everything, it's still me.

And I know that's not a promise that things will get better. I still have a fight in front of me to get where I want to go, but it's important to take a moment and reflect. I know the hardest parts are ahead of me, but somehow just seeing myself and hearing that thought steeled my resolve to keep striding forward.

You could even say that I'm full of determination!

Truly though, I'm not sure what happened. I'd been stuck in this mire of doubt and low self-worth for months, my mind and heart both feeling like they were bleeding out as my body carried on without me, and then suddenly, I'm alive again, reminded that no matter what, I can't give up.

For what it's worth, I did already know I can't give up yet. I'm not in that dark of a place yet! I've sought a therapist, but first I need a general practitioner and a fucking referral because my insurance's search on their website sucks ass. I'm seeking aid, and trying to get out of the house more.

I was even honest with my wife about how I've been feeling insecure lately. About how I feel like I pissed away the best (and maybe only) chance I had to go to school for a long time. How I feel stuck in my job because I'm just not qualified for it but my boss keeps encouraging me to learn. How my social circle is so incredibly small and my introverted ass needs more people than her and our best friend.

I'm trying to grow and be better.

Because dammit

Despite Everything, It's Still Me.

[anime-grimmy-art]

What do you do when there’s not much to an AU? You make up your own stuff, ofc. And as is per usual when I make Character Designs, I make up a shit ton of lore too.

The ramblings under the cut, but what I’m really interested in, is what you guys think. Do you guys have any headcanons/ideas for this AU? Let me hear them! Also, if you don’t wanna read on tumblr, here’s the Google Docs link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/151yshHxnb_--P6eMKkwkI2dee9xC_Llb/view?usp=sharing

Before I get into the characters’ roles, here’s some general facts and backstory of their town:

- Basically, it’s Undertale meets Harvest Moon / Stardew Valley. Well, kinda. I at least used that approach for coming up for the jobs for the characters. You know, how there’s always a general store, a doctor, a smithy, etc.

- The usual story of a HM game is that you come to a town that’s way past its glory days and you, as the player/farmer, help them get back to that. The “backstory” of the town is that that already kinda happened. I’ll get into it more in the character description, but basically when Asgore was still mayor, the town got really popular. Then yadda yadda, a certain tragedy happened, two kids died, and the town suddenly got very bad publicity. There was a lot of stuff going on back then, bad reputation being spread and also a lot of law stuff, cos, you know, supposed child murder ‘n all, so Asgore made the decision to shut off the town to ppl from outside. This was in the interest of most monsters living there, because as fun as it is to have a lot of people coming there, most just wanted to live a quiet life. Not everyone was happy with that though, so many moved away from town and some others are trying to get the town back on its feet. But more on that later.

On to the characters:

I’m just gonna start with the skelebros, cos it’s their fault in the first place I got so invested.

Basically, they are what the player is in hm/sdv. They just showed up one day, took over the abandoned farmhouse and began their life there. The two came to town way after it was “closed” and since then a new mayor has opened the possibility for new residents to move in. Their farm helps the economy of the town a lot and the mayor, like usually in hm games, is trying to use that to make the town more known again. The skelebros aren’t really working towards that goal however.

So, now a bit more detail on them individually.

Papyrus:

- The design is mostly based on what’s “canon” in this au.

- He works mostly on the fields and is in charge of the crops. Their fields aren’t spectacularly big, but still big enough to plant a few dozen rows of veggies. 

- Paps also helps out a lot in town when he has the time. He helps Asgore with his plants, he goes fishing with Undyne, helps Toriel carry crates around and so on. This is inspired by the part-time job mechanic in HM ToT.

- Unbelievably, in this AU Pap is not an absolutely awful cook. Since he helps out at Muffet’s and Grillby’s a lot, they tend to show him some tricks to cooking. Even though Pap’s not a big fan of the greasy or overly sweet cooking those two do, he picks up a lot.

Sans:

- Again, design mostly based on the “canon” look. Maybe a bit more baggy.

- This is finally an AU this dude gets to rest. Since there are no resets and he doesn’t have to see his bro die again and again, for once in his life, he’s not a sad ball of depression. He’s just a chill and lazy dude that loves to make puns. Though, since he’s not too experienced with the feelings of loss, helplessness or grieving, he still tends to hide behind puns and fakes smiles if he does feel bad.

- Sans is in charge of the animals on the farm. Papyrus begrudgingly gave him that role since Pap’s loud demeanour and hectic movements usually scare the animals. Sans’ relaxed attitude draws the animals to him naturally and even if Pap mostly finds him sleep against a tree, in a stack of hay or on one of the sheep, the animals are always fed, healthy and relaxed, so Sans seems to be doing his job.

- Sans always has a small chic sit inside his hoodie or hat. Is it always the same one? Who knows, maybe.

- Sans also, somehow, can produce eggs out of thin air. Grab into his hoodie pocket, in his pants pocket, in his hat, in his slipper, there’s suddenly always an egg there. On good days he can even make butter or cheese appear. 

Gaster:

- He’s literally just a scarecrow in this. Though, if you ask any of the bros why they designed their scarecrow that way, they won’t have an answer.

Frisk&Toriel:

- Frisk is mostly based on what I wore myself as a kid in summer. Just a loose shirt with a cappy. Toriel basically has her ut gown, just with an apron on top.

- Frisk just appeared outside the “magical” forest one day. Napstablook and his cousin found them and brought them to Toriel, who has been taking care of them since.

- Toriel runs the general store in town, but also often takes care of the few kids that still live there.

- Frisk usually helps out in Toriels store, plays with the other kids or sits around at Asgore’s. They’re notorious for nabbing small snacks, mostly from Asgore’s plants. You’ll always find them munching on something. 

- Frisk was in town before the skelebros. Since they’d moved in, Frisk often went to spy on their farm. After a small incident with angry chicken, Frisk got to know the two better and now they see them as something between brothers and uncles.

- But Frisk honestly gets along with everyone. Just like in UT, they’ve not only been adopted by Toriel but literally everyone.

- Toriel and Asgore’s relationship is not as bad as in the main game, since, you know, Asgore didn’t kill literal children, but there’s still tension between them. Back when Asriel and Chara died and the whole thing with the bad rep for the town began, Toriel felt betrayed by Asgore focusing more on the town than giving their deceased kids the grieving they deserved. They’re not divorced, but Toriel still moved out and said needed space to think. Now that Frisk is in the picture though, the both of them are slowly coming to even ground and may even be able to talk things out and clear up the uncertainty of their decisions.

Asgore:

-Asgore has his UT Ending / Deltarune clothes, just with a gardener’s belt.

- He’s the previous mayor of the town, but after all the crap that happened, he stepped down from the position. Now he has his own little shop and sells seeds, saplings, homegrown veggies and fertilizer. So, basically what e.g. the Marimba Farm is in HM AP

- His main customer is Papyrus and they’re on friendly terms. Asgore is worried about how much and how hard Pap works, so he often gives him a discount. 

- Since his family’s past tragedy, Asgore is kind of nervous around kids. So, when he first met Frisk, he hoped they’d not visit him too often. But to his chagrin, Frisk took an instant liking to him and spends a lot of time at his shop (and steals eats the fresh grown veggies). Now, he’s really grateful for that, because for one, he loves Frisk as dearly as he had his own children, and also because now the tension and mistrust between him and Toriel seem to grow smaller day by day.

Undyne&Alphys:

- I gave Undyne a pretty basic fisher’s outfit. Alphys basically has Elli from HM’s outfit, just a bit more doctory stuff added. She still has her canon lab coat too.

- In essence, Undyne and Alphys have 2 completely different jobs. Alphys is the resident doctor and Undyne runs the fish market.

Two things. Yes, I know Alphys is more a mechanic than a doctor, she fits the aesthetic though, so she’s the doc now. And no, Undyne being a fisherwoman is not cannibalism, think of it more as a shark hunting smaller fish.

- The reason I lump them together is because they act as the local “smithy”. Alphys is still really tech savvy in this (I mean, Mettaton is still part of this AU), so she takes on most problems with electronics and stuff. For Undyne, I didn’t want to lose her Royal Guard’s Captain image, so she’s really good at handling tools (and weapons, but Al doesn’t let her make them anymore). So basically, if there’s a broken tool, you can be sure that either Undyne or Alphys can fix it.

- As for relationships, those two are still an item. Alphys is still really shy and a shut-off, but since Undyne and Pap become best friends, she gets to know the skelebros better. She and Sans especially get along well, since most of the time Undyne and Papyrus are let loose, they sit back and talk about science-y stuff. (no, Sans doesn’t have a background in science but he’s still into sci-fi)

- Alphys has a bit of a strained relationship with both Asgore and Mettaton.

Back when Chara and Asriel died, it was because of “illness” (maybe poisoning?). Alphys feels awful because with her back then limited knowledge on medicine she couldn’t help the two. Asgore doesn’t hold anything against her but Alphys can’t help but feel guilty.

Alphys still built Mettaton’s body in this one. The two had a really big disagreement, because Mettaton hated the fact the town was going to close, and he couldn’t understand how Alphys could feel otherwise, even more so endorse the idea.

Mettaton, Napstablook, Mad Dummy/Mew Mew:

- Napsta and Dummy are pretty self-explanatory, they got straw hats. Mettaton’s outfit is a bit of a joke cos it’s a play on “work at the top and party at the bottom”. The tie has two different sides, one with the yellow red pattern, the other completely red. His “top part” is the business part, because when he’s on tv or in the mayors’ office, you don’t usually see his feet. The bottom is his party/dance part, cos his dancing/entertainment channels mostly feature his legs. 

- Mettaton, still a robot, Napstablook and Mad Dummy are all still cousins in this AU.

- Originally, they all lived and worked at the Blook Farm, the Animal Farm of this AU. Mettaton, however, despised that simple live and after befriending Alphys and her building him a body, he left the Farm to pursue bigger things. 

- Mettaton runs the local tv network. From weather to game shows, he does it all. He also runs the tailor shop in town that sells his designer clothes and merchandise. After Asgore stepped down, Mettaton also took over the role of town’s mayor and now works towards making the place more known again. Not everybody is happy with him doing that though.

- One of those people is the Mad Dummy. He can’t stand people anyways and he always claims that history would just repeat itself.

- Since the whole family is made of ghosts, they have different dummies and scarecrows they can use to take care of the animals. To mock Mettaton and kinda get back at Alphys for giving MTT such an opportunity, Mad Dummy found the blueprints for the Mew Mew robot and now modelled one of their scarecrows after it. 

- Napstablook isn’t fond of taking over obejcts like his cousins do, so he mostly takes care of the snails. Somehow, he can interact with them even when incorporeal. 

Muffet&Grillby:

- The two of them run the Inn together. Muffet cooks in the daytime and makes desserts, Grillby manages the bar in the evening. 

- The two still can’t really stand each other but working together like this benefits them both because their rivalry just spurs them on more.

- Even though Grillby is a patient person, somehow Muffet is the only person who riles him up enough to retaliate. (Well, maybe except for Sans, he’s a strong second).

So, basically everything between those two is a challenge in some way. Even if Papyrus doesn’t notice, even his cooking lessons are a challenge for them. 

- Even though they’re constantly bickering, after working together for so many years, there’s a strange level of respect and trust between them. Even if back when they first started this business, they’d pour salt into an already open wound, nowadays they’d know better and just take a step back from the other or even comfort the other (on very rare occasions only). 

Asriel&Chara:

- They be dead. Kinda.

Some Characters that’d live in that town too but that I haven’t made designs for:

- Gerson is the original smithy of the town. He’d grown up in a family of smiths, but he’d always had an appreciation for the sea. That’s why, when the town became more deserted and Undyne had a good enough skill level as smith, he took up the Captains hat and now mostly spends his days out on sea. He also ferries people to places if they need him to. Oh, and just like in canon, Undyne learned most of her skills from him.

- Burgerpants is a poor dude Mettaton basically kidnapped when he was trying to get fame in the city. Now Burgerpants works wherever MTT needs him to, be that as cameraman for the tv shows, cashier in his tailor shop or his slave secretary in the mayor’s office.

- MK is Frisk’s best kid friend. MK’s parents are in charge of shipping the goods out of town and paying the individual people. MK’s the one that usually collects the goods at the end of the day.

- Other than that, there are only a few people in town. I’d imagine the older folks or the really young families stayed in town after it was closed. I think the librarby dude would still run the library. Some Snowdin residents like the stone family or the dogs also might still live there. 

[haveyouseenthisskeleton]

I gotta ask for the tiny bois since they all sound adorable, how do they try to show off to a parent/teacher? I remember as a kid showing off to get praised even over dumb stuff

Yeah, first ask using the baby bones ! Let’s do this !

Tiny Undertale Sans - Well, since he is a chaotic little skeleton, being praise is not that hard. All he has to do is literally clean his room. Since he’s never doing it, their adoptive parents are so proud they can cry. Though, he’s doing it only when he really really want something and knows that with his actual behavior, his parents will say no. Sans is very very clever and knows how to manipulate adults.

Tiny Undertale Papyrus - No one asked him to, but Papyrus decided he is the official protector of all younger school children. He’s watching very seriously over everyone during breaks and make sure to report anything unusual to the teachers. The teachers are praising him, but they are also doing this to, you know, get rid of him a little since he is always glue to their shoes. But this, Papyrus is not aware of (or do like he’s not seeing this).

Tiny Underswap Sans - He knows he is a bit too much sometimes, so when it takes him, he suddenly become a sweet SILENT angel for one day. But just like Sans, Blue is doing this only if he has something to ask and knows that his parents will say no. But it’s also happening more often. When he wants to really impress his parents, he doesn’t run off at the mall and actually listens to them. Well... At least for the first 15 minutes or until he sees a toy, or a clown, or a butterfly, or free chocolate, or...

Tiny Underswap Papyrus - He’s usually very calm and gentle, but when he wants to impress his parents and/or teacher, nothing better than a nice drawing. He’s pretty good for his age and everyone is telling him, so he continue to show his skills. 

Tiny Underfell Sans - This kid is so tiring, saying no to everything and being mean to everyone. But when he is asked to calm down, he will accept a bath. Red HATES baths. He hates water, he hates soap and he hates being forced to wash. But if he had been too mean, he will accept his sentence without a word and a very resigned expression. It’s a gift to say “Ok, I know I went too far.” But that won’t last very long, so enjoy that moment of calm :’)

Tiny Underfell Papyrus - So, one day, you made a mistake. You said that if he was doing the chores, you would give him some money. He did, and you congratulate him very warmly. Now he is doing everything in the house and gets angry when you are not giving him his money. If you don’t stop this madness, you’re going to bankrupt. Please send help.

Tiny Horrortale Sans - He doesn’t need to show off, he is already an angel. He can still help you when you needs it or bake a cake. He’s that child everyone want to have, polite, nice, calm and cute.

Tiny Horrortale Papyrus - He reads a lot of books. When he wants to show off, he will recite a random dictionary page to show how clever he is. Actually, that is quite creepy. Did this child learned the dictionary ? You can ask everything. He KNOWS the answer, somehow.

Tiny Swapfell Sans - Well, if he want something, he can just stop opening illegal selling activities for one day. Just to give a break to his parents, tired of getting him out of the police station every two days.

Tiny Swapfell Papyrus - If he really wants to show off, he will eat vegetables at the exact moment you are saying to someone else all he’s doing is eating chicken mcnuggets. Well, by eating I mean he keeps it in his mouth then spit it out when no one is watching him. 

[selkiesbittybonanza]

500 Followers Appreciation Bitty Profiles! (+ Bonus bitty!) (ALL FREE TO ADOPT)

Fellswap Gold Lamia Bittys

Merlot

Snake: Taipan

Venomous?: Yes

Size (Bitty): Length - 0.5-1m (1.6-3.3 ft.), Standing - 0.25-0.5m (0.8-1.6 ft)

Size (Full Sized): Length - 1.5-2m (5-6 ft), Standing 1-1.25m (3-5 ft)

Merlots are very calm and soothing bittys, they always seem to have it together. It can be easy to let them take control of things – you always feel like they have your best interests at heart. Merlots are very distinguished, they don’t appreciate looking disheveled, it gives them an almost “old man” quality. A Merlot’s nest is impeccably clean – you may even find a doily or two! And they somehow have a bowl of no-name candy to offer guests like a strange satire on how seniors live everywhere. However he had an eye for quality and doesn’t accept poor quality furnishings. While a Merlot doesn’t mind taking charge, he appreciates an adopter who takes initiative. A Merlot isn’t above using intimidation to get his way, but he’s so smooth about it you have a hard time noticing! He prides himself in being unflappable, to demand respect without screaming for it. He certainly has a devious side – he didn’t get this far without knowing how to “play the game” and isn’t above a few white lies for the sake of it. He can be quite paternal as well, he enjoys taking younger bittys under his “wing” and helping raising them. While he can seem rather stiff he’s actually a warm-hearted bitty who enjoys cuddles and being needed.

Espresso

Snake: Black-tailed Criibo

Venomous?: No

Size (Bitty): Length - 0.75-1m (2.4-3.3 ft), Standing - 0.25-0.5m (0.8-1.6 ft)

Size (Full Sized): Length - 2-2.5m (7-8.5 ft), Standing - 1-1.5m (3-5 ft)

Despite the name: Espressos aren’t very active bittys. They mostly prefer the quiet – gaming and drawing are their favourite hobbies. They tend to be shy and soft spoken – loud people can startle them into muteness and a lot of the time they prefer to communicate in non-verbal ways. If you want a gaming companion an Espresso is your perfect bitty match: but be warned – gaming is a fixation for them. If you ask them to not continue a game until you can play it together later it’s almost unfair to them, they’ll become obsessed with what’s next. Games with both single player and co-op content is more ideal – he can work on the single player campaign while he waits for you to come back to the co-op campaign. His shyness makes multi-player gaming a bit hit or miss – he doesn’t like gaming where a lot of communication and strategy is necessary – he prefers staying quiet and working towards objective without any instruction given or taken. His exception is co-op, he loves playing games together with you and feels his most accomplished when you both complete a challenging level together. He isn’t super competitive but takes pride in his skills so be careful setting up play-dates with bittys that may not appreciate losing to a quiet, seemingly submissive bitty. Despite his quiet and gentle nature he isn’t one to allow people to take advantage of him  or disrespect him – he will stand up for himself, usually by exiting the situation instead of getting into an argument, and when pushed, he WILL fight back. He is surprisingly skilled and controls his magic well.

G!Siblings Ampitheres 

So I decided to give my ampitheres the same human-like intelligence of all my other lamia bittys, but restrict them to a one-size bitty like my Harpys. Honestly a full size ampithere’s wingspan would make them pretty tough to house indoors… 

Suave

Snake: Bolen’s Python

Venomous?: No

Size: 1-1.5m long (3-5ft), 0.5m (2ft) standing

Suaves pride themselves on being, well, suave and flirtatious – it helps them stay in control of the conversation and relationship so you don’t discover how much of a dork they really are. Suaves inherited Gaster’s love or building important monuments – like the Core. He’s interested in work that will stand the test of time, with the added benefit of being practical. He’s not interested in building, say: the Pyramids for vainglory. But, if that Pyramid was covered in solar panels that provided electricity for the nearby citizens – that’s up his alley. He also has an interest in motorized vehicles like cars, trucks and motorcycles – but he admits he’d have a difficult time using one without a lot of modifications. Which could be fun. Suaves love flashy experiments and inventions that leave an impact on his audience: however, when he’s working on his next big thing he ends up working at all hours of the night in his pajamas. His inspirations are flashes of brilliance and a flurry of work, after which, he collapses into a deep sleep for up to 36 hours. Despite appearances Suaves are huge nerds who love to share their work with interested listeners and isn’t above goofy shenanigans. They share a Sans’ sense of humour and laid back attitude – but it’s a mask to cover the whirling chaos of the mind within. Suaves can be surprisingly immature and will get a kick out of pranks and childish humour. A Suave can summon up to four disembodied “hands” to help him work on projects that require dexterity but doesn’t often use constructs in offensive magic. He’s more of a behind-the-scenes guy – but he can certainly manage bone attacks.

Savvy

Snake: Amazon Tree Boa

Venomous?: No

Size: 1.25-1.75m long (4-6ft), 0.75m (2.5ft) standing

While Suaves are the rock star scientists, the Savvys end up being in the babysitter role more times than they’d like. Savvys inherited Gaster’s interest in the soul and physical health of monsters and humans; since Savvys are on the autistic spectrum it helps them understand others better because, although they have trouble empathizing with others, it does not mean they don’t CARE. I head-cannon that smoking is a Gaster-trait and a Savvy’s Papyrus half REFUSES to participate in such a disgusting habit! Therefore Savvy’s tend to have an oral fixation to make up for the lack of smoking: chewing on the end of pencils, pens, their own tails… and rely far too much on caffeine. A Savvy works hard, but on a schedule and his experiments are always tightly controlled as opposed to a Suave’s scientific method. Savvys are polite, distinguished and a bit absent minded when it comes to personal relationships. If you’re looking for a bitty that will faun over you – look elsewhere. While Savvy’s certainly care about their adopters and family they are independent and self sufficient. They can seem humourless but the right touch can send them into giggles, they are very passionate about their interests and appreciate an interested audience (or at least captive). Savvys enjoy being needed and do well in situations where they can work as doctor’s, biologists or psychologists. They’re not judgmental and they like to look at the world with endless curiosity and enthusiasm! Savvys can summon up to four disembodied “hands” to help him work on projects that require dexterity but prefers to use his magical energies in his studies and use of healing magic. His offensive magic abilities are rather stunted because of this.

Bonus Lamia Bitty - Blueberror

Blue Ribbon

Snake: Blue striped Ribbon Snake

Venomous?: No

Size (Bitty): 0.5-1m (1.6-3ft), 0.3m standing

Size (Full Sized):1-1.5m (3-5ft) 0.5m standing

Ribbons are afraid of being alone (autophobic), they know that being alone in the anti-void is what caused their transformations from Blueberries to Blueberrors. They thrive in large families and want to be seen as a friend and protector by the group. Do not adopt one of these guys if you spend a lot of time out of the home and can’t provide them attention. A bitty family is a good stop-gap but they really need validation and one-on-one time with their adopters. Ribbons retain most of their personality traits from their Blueberry days but they’re a little… off. A little, too intense. Ribbons can get caught up in an emotion or situation and can spiral out of control whether the emotion is: joy, anger, frustration, or fear. They need a patient friend who can help them “reset” their emotional clock. Of course, being an Error, it sometimes causes a hard crash that they need to restart from. Depending on the situation they can forget completely what had set them off and will continue along like nothing happened. Other times, they remember what happened but the restart gave them enough time to reprocess so they can move on and get past what set them off. They can get depressed easily especially is someone is afraid or intimidated by him – he knows he’s different now, but he’s still a good guy at heart! A Ribbons magic is star-based – they create star-shaped attacks and can even summon a star to ride around on like Kirby.

Creators

Blueberror created by @loverofpiggies​

Fellswap Gold AU created by @blackggggum​

G!Sans created by @bouru​

Art

Fellswap Gold Sans & Papyrus + Blueberror Lamias commissioned from @calmchapsart​

G!Siblings Ampitheres commissioned from @me-and-my-gaster​

all art commissioned by me: @sealpointselkie​ / @selkiesbittybonanza​

[missholoska]

Idk how long ago you said this but I think you said something about having some ideas for MH Swapfell??? I would love to hear them if you're still willing to share :D

context for everyone else: this was sent last week while I just so happened to already be drawing Swapfell MH for the first time, so anon your timing with this ask was impeccable

my ideas for Swapfell MH are based on issues I have with Swapfell in general, so to recap those: 1) I dislike the overly dark tone most Underfell, Fellswap and Swapfell takes go for where everyone's abusive to each other, and 2) the combination of Underswap and Underfell makes the characters feel too far divided from the Undertale cast to me, in that I can't see any of their original counterparts' personality traits or charms in the Swapfell (or Fellswap) casts.

the first one's easily fixed with my headcanon tone for Underfell, where everyone's edgy but still goofy and have the capacity to be kind, but the second problem is a lot more complicated, and it's the main reason why Swapfell is generally not appealing to me (Fellswap even less so).

...that is, until last year my brain went 'hey what if the Swapfell characters were to lack traits from the Swap MH cast due to being a Fell universe, which in turn bring back similarities to their UT selves', and somehow that fixed my entire problem and threw me in too deep. so I'm not gonna be making full character sheets for the entire cast but I will get them designed and post all my ideas for them eventually, and for now I'll share a few things to give a basic overview:

(also, I already say this about Underswap MH but it goes double for Swapfell MH: I know Swapfell is popular the way it is for a reason, so if my ideas for it don't appeal to anyone else, that's fine. this is all for my own fun o/ )

Swapfell MH Toriel:

unlike Orchid, she shares UT Toriel's adamant refusal to take another's life to let others free, and as such has never killed a human. instead she banished Asgore to the Ruins for declaring war and turned her back on her revenge-hungry people, stating if they wanted to gather human souls they'd have to do it themselves. her inactive leadership caused monsters to become crueler, as they began to value the strength to kill humans above all else.

her anger towards her people has since dulled with time, though she still thinks little of those who want to kill humans and blames Asgore for it all (not that she's innocent - her disinterest in what her people do has caused Many Problems)

while Asriel isn't her biological nephew, she’s still very close to him as he remained in New Home after Asgore's exile and the two were the only family each other had left.

Swapfell MH Asgore:

still has UT Asgore's trident, as he brought it with him to the Ruins and wields it for a reminder of what his decision cost him.

his regrets consume his life, but it is a Fell universe and part of him can't deny that he still wants vengeance for his adoptive children. this results in him being a sorta off-putting father figure as he struggles with his conflicting views when each human falls down.

only offers golden flower tea, and will be offended if it is refused.

Swapfell MH Papyrus:

has worse anxiety and lacks Noodle's ability to appear chill in public, resulting in him lacking popularity in town, not unlike UT Papyrus. and yet despite distrusting others, deep down he still tries to believe people can do better.

his greatest joy in life is making the most dramatic and dangerous puzzles; he considers The Gauntlet of Deadly Terror his finest work, and as such won't deactivate it for Chara.

will throw a cup of his awful burnt spaghetti at you if you insult his puzzles.

Swapfell MH Sans:

lacks Neptune's ambitiousness; like UT Sans, he doesn't care about getting any further in his job than a sentry and just does what he wants regardless.

while most monsters like to pretend they don't care, he's not afraid to be someone who openly does care for others. but he's picky about who's worth respecting, if you're not one of those few, he only values your life depending on how entertaining you are.

still tells bad puns, but mostly just to get annoyed reactions out of people. though, he's grown to appreciate a certain goat lady's genuine laughter in response too.

Swapfell MH Alphys:

still has a poor opinion of herself, but doesn't try to power through or even hide it like Axe - she actually weaponises her own self-dislike to catch foes off-guard.

the injury that scarred Axe's right eye was far worse in this universe, resulting in her being blind in one eye and having limited vision in the other. however, underestimating her because of this would be a fatal mistake.

she and Undyne are already dating, and she often gifts Undyne weapons stolen from defeated foes as if they're romantic flower bouquets.

Swapfell MH Undyne:

was far more lacking in scientific knowledge than Sci-Fi when she built Napstabot's body and became Royal Scientist. she's since learnt more with experience, but generally views science as "nerdy crap", although it's cool nerdy crap that makes stuff explode and impresses girls.

not afraid to use herself as a guinea pig for experiments, resulting in her having numerous scars and a few accidental poisonings. she also didn't bother making a fake left eye, and instead equipped her empty socket with a laser.

hates humans as much as UT Undyne and tries to pursue Chara throughout Hotland in a similar fashion to the original game, but like a cartoon supervillain her attempts usually fail and even accidentally help them at times.

Swapfell MH Napstabot:

their lack of self-confidence is so severe that they've never made a single public appearance, and even use subliminal messaging in their music to compel people to enjoy it. monsters only know what their box form looks like due to merchandise.

gets roped into assisting Undyne's attempts to stop Chara throughout Hotland, but as it's their first time being on camera for their shows, they're extremely nervous and mess up most of their parts.

their magic tears deal serious damage when they feel depressed, which like UT Napstablook, is most of the time.

Swapfell MH Happstablook:

can still be a little nervous at times like Glamour, but UT Mettaton’s charming performances are natural to him and he's a master at building a brand.

re-branded the Snail Farm as the Blook Family Snail Jail, which features a Thundersnail Gladiator Arena and live snails for monster children to take home and practice killing humans with.

constantly starts discourse on Undernet.

Swapfell MH Asriel:

loves causing mischief, and unlike Sage still wears a striped shirt to trick people into thinking he's an innocent child who doesn't know better. if his puppy-dog-eyes expression doesn't get him out of trouble, the reminder of his status as a Dreemurr usually does.

gave himself a very cool God of Hyperdeath-like nickname, 'The Blazing Thief of Chaos'.

never moved to Snowdin Town, but visits the area often enough to fill UT Monster Kid's role.

Swapfell MH Monster Kid/Temmie:

in life, they often did the talking for Frisk but usually followed them around like the younger sibling of the two. UT Monster Kid's "say something mean so I can hate you" line to UT Frisk was one of their favourite games to play.

as a plushie, after waking up in a world much darker than the one they used to live in, they were too afraid of monsters to become bored and twisted like Tem-K. she may not be able to feel love or compassion, but she's a genuine ally to Chara.

Swapfell MH Chara:

still hates humanity, thinks very little of themself, and is much more wary of monsters than Charity and less inclined to sass people they just met. despite all that, they're still inclined to show mercy and start to come out of their shell as they make friends in the Underground.

speaks quite formally like UT Chara, but uses slightly different vocabulary as they picked up the habit long before meeting Toriel.

likes white chocolate only. especially with raisins.

Swapfell MH Frisk:

while alive they were seemingly unfazed by anything, much like Canon UT Frisk. they often quietly performed good deeds, and sacrificed themself via buttercups as they thought trying to break the barrier was the best way to fulfill the role of 'the future of humans and monsters' Asgore referred to them as.

as a ghost, they're heartbroken to see how their family has changed since their death, and their narration is quite blunt and hopeless for most of Chara's journey, though they become more optimistic throughout the pacifist route.

getting their expression to change from the usual -_- face is truly an achievement.

I have more than double this amount of info on every character, but I don’t wanna spoil everything :’> but I hugely appreciate the opportunity to ramble about this, so thank you anon!! and I appreciate anyone who bothered to read all of this too ahah

also I have the basic ideas for all the character designs in mind but nothing drawn yet other than this tiny messy concept for Sans, so here’s that:

(I’ll reveal everyone else’s nicknames another time, but the edgy star boy’s nickname is Mercury ✨)

[septic-skele]

UF - Out of Reach

Summary: Classic and Blue have it good with their brothers. They make displays of love and affection look so easy. Red can’t help but feel bitter about it. He stands no chance of ever having anything like that with his boss.

Well, not with that attitude about it, Blue says.

Red couldn’t understand it. Logically he figured it was because Classic and Blue came from drastically different backgrounds. They weren’t living with eye sockets in the back of their heads or half-formed, sharpened bones under their pillows like he and Boss did. They were probably just as baffled about him and his behavior, but there was something Blue had said once that wouldn’t leave his mind.

Red had walked in on a private moment and for reasons beyond him, he hadn’t taken a hasty shortcut back out. He stopped and stared and couldn’t help being taken aback when he saw Blue cradling his Papyrus’ skull against his shoulder, murmuring comforts to him. Red had never seen that casual, laidback Papyrus so drunk, weak and vulnerable, much less Blue so solemn.

“I love you, Papy,” he soothed. “I’d love you no matter the ‘reset’, whatever that may be—no matter the world, no matter the universe. A good, proper Sans would never give up on his brother, and I am just that.”

Good, proper. Red had no illusions of propriety but the idea of it nagged and frustrated him. Any time he had tried to console Papyrus in recent memory, it had ended with all the wrong things being said and door hinges buckling under the strain of being slammed.

Red already knew what Blue would say if he heard of this. “You can always try again! I believe in you, pal! You simply need to persevere! You’ll get through to him, I know it!” Disgusting.

The worst part of it, however, was that even Classic did it better than he could. Classic—depressed, cynical, apathetic, a liar to Papyrus’ face more often than not—still loved his brother better.

Somehow the six of them had survived a night in together, though the argument over the TV remote had almost come to blows and the throw pillows may have sacrificed some of their stuffing. Now that they were all retiring, Red wandered down the hall to hear strains of Classic’s voice from one of the nearby bedrooms. He didn’t sound anything like the blasé character Red usually knew; he was lighter, actually putting effort into this.

“…Peekaboo had become a game of hide-and-seek! Where could her friends have gone? Fluffy Bunny wondered, bounding across the green, green field to look for them. She searched high! She searched low!”

“She searched near and far,” Papyrus chimed in.

“You bet she did. She searched east and west, under rocks and up in trees. But Fluffy Bunny couldn’t find her friends anywhere! Wherever could they be?”

Maybe they ditched her for wantin’ to play such stupid games, Red mused with a snort, although as Classic continued he was distracted by an old, old memory fluttering forth.

He had spent hours poring over the dump, fishing out as many old, damaged books as he could find. Drained and shivering, he’d lugged them back to the nook where he’d left Papyrus, safely out of sight. Before he could find sleep, Papyrus had thrown himself over Red’s back and pitched a fit about learning how to read.

“Show me, brother! I want to do it like you do, I want to try! It doesn’t have to be the long one! Just show me how, please! Please, please, please, plea-a-a-ase!”

Red had capitulated only because he didn’t want the tantrum to draw unwanted attention, but that wasn’t the part that stuck with him. Papyrus had curled up against him, half-tucked under his coat, watching him trace letters with intent focus. As he haltingly sounded out the words, every small success made him light up like a star, clutching eagerly at Red’s ribs for his approval.

“Did you see that, Sans?! Did you hear me?! I did it!”

“Yeah, yeah. Pipe down, kid, I saw. Nice one.”

Red’s opinion and praise had still meant something to Papyrus back then. Stars, he was still willing to cuddle with him, despite the filth and the damp clinging to his clothes from the river.

Had Boss ever really been that hopeful, clingy little baby bones or was Red trying to convince himself that was how it had happened? It was so long ago. Pap could have just fished those books out and taught himself while Sans was away, trying to find work. That sounded far more likely.

“G’night, bro,” Classic concluded, sliding the book onto the nightstand and giving his Papyrus an affectionate squeeze of the hand.

Balking, Red ducked back toward the stairs before he could be found snooping, all too well aware of what Boss might do if he ever dared reach out that way. He’d probably end up losing a few fingers.

It wasn’t fair, something small and spiteful in the back of his mind huffed. The idea nearly made him miss one of the steps, torn between shock and scornful amusement. Since when had fairness ever been part of the equation? If things were fair…

If things were fair, they would probably look a lot like the scene he had just left, as well as the scene he was walking into now. Blue perched prim and proper on the end of the couch, surfing idly through channels. His brother was stretched across the rest of the cushions, head propped against Blue’s lap, swaddled up in blankets, the whole nine yards.

Jerks. They were intent on showing off now; they knew exactly how good they had it. Sparks of irrational anger crackled along Red's jaw and spine. If he had something immediately on hand to hurl at them, he would have, but he had already shucked off his boots and summoning a bone would be a waste of magic.

“Edgy me?” Blue called in a faux whisper, making him tense. “I would have thought you’d be asleep already.”

“Yeah, well, it’s kinda hard to rest easy with Classic jabbering on about fluffy bunnies through the wall!” Red snarked, louder and sharper than necessary. He took little satisfaction in the way Blue winced, resting a hand on Papy’s skull as if to muffle the noise.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” So genteel, so polite, he still offered an inviting smile. “If you’d care to come and join us, any of the chairs from the dinner table are free! Mweheh, I honestly have no idea how Papy sleeps like this; the side I sit on is the only one without mangled, broken springs. It’s probably all of his tossing and turning that’s done it. I’ve been meaning to get them repaired, but he hardly ever leaves the couch to let me at it! He really ought to—”

“Shut up already, would’ja? I don’t care! Besides—Tch, wouldn’t want to interrupt your cute little ‘brother bonding’ time.”

“Oh, no, y-you’re not interrupting anything! Did I imply that somehow? I’m sorry! If you want part of the couch, I can wake him and ask him to scoot over—”

“How d’you make it look so easy?” It broke free before Red could fully comprehend how irrational it would be to ask. Jaw clenching so tightly that his teeth squeaked, he drew back from his own brash demand. Blue tilted his head.

“I’m sorry?” That counted three times in this conversation that he’d apologized for nothing. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

He should have retreated. He should have spat, “Never mind!” and transported to his room to seethe in privacy. Instead his foolish, fat mouth blundered on. “How d’you get him to do that?” He threw an irritated gesture at the sleeping lump on his lap. “How d’you make him…relax, with you there? It’s as if he likes having you around!”

Even that was saying too much and yet just enough. Realization dawned in Blue’s eyes, followed by—oh, stars, there was pity.

“Well, I…I’m not really sure. If there are no other comfortable surfaces around for him while he sleeps, I’m happy to help! The last thing he needs is a cramp in his neck. Heh, I’m not tall enough to fix that for him so why not try to prevent it entirely? We’ve huddled up ever since we were baby bones; it’s always been this way.”

Of course. Cheekbones flaming, Red ducked his head. They never had raging fights that lasted until dawn (or until they started losing their voices, whichever came first.) Blue and Stretch had it all sorted out from birth, cozy and coddled.

“…Papy always caught cold too easily. I’d make up some rather impressive beds for him with grass and water sausages so he wouldn’t have to sleep on the rock, but the dew would leave him shivering all night! I couldn’t let that stand! Those chattering teeth of his kept me awake too so I made the noble sacrifice and slept on the damp side while he nestled up to me.” Blue chuckled, an uncharacteristic note of something laced through it. “With our two shirts tucked together, we could almost imagine a full hoodie like he has now!”

“Wh—You? That’s rich.” That was decidedly not what Red had been picturing as a life that could spit out someone as sickeningly sweet as Blue. “You’re not tellin’ me you two were homeless.”

“I preferred to think of us as explorers!” Blue corrected. “I told Papy that we were on an adventure to find the perfect place for a new start. We experienced all that the Underground had to offer a couple of wandering baby bones: scavenging, hide-and-seek, games of chase with older monsters, who were rather poor sports when they couldn’t catch us. I grew strong and magnificent thanks to all of that exercise and my brother…well, he tried very hard!”

Red shuffled uncomfortably in place. Funny, how familiar all of those experiences sounded—but from someone else’s mouth?

“Then Papy fell terribly ill. He was poisoned, in fact. It was the first time I really wondered if I’d lose him.” Ignoring how Red startled, Blue glanced pensively down at his snoring brother, smoothing his fingers more gently over his skull. “It may have been an accident, but I was responsible for his safety; I should have been paying closer attention. In part it was my fault.”

“And he…forgave you for that?” An accident like that, caused by a slip in Sans’ attention, could probably get him disowned.

“On the contrary, he blamed himself! He blames himself for a great many things and he thinks most of them can’t be helped. I try, I always try to help. What’s infuriating is that he acts as if he doesn’t deserve it. Despite what you may think, there are plenty of times he doesn’t want me around. He shuts down, he pushes me away, he tells me I’m wasting my time.”

Red’s eyelights flicked off.

“Shut up, Sans. I don’t want to discuss it.”

“You idiot! Get away from me!”

“Useless. What a waste of time.”

“I think he’s scared of what might happen if he lets his guard down…Perhaps he thinks I’m not strong enough to face whatever is underneath,” Blue continued. “Perhaps he thinks that if he lets me too close, it will be the thing to drive me away for good. Nevertheless! With time and patience, I know I’ll convince him.”

“But how?! How am I supposed to—I mean, how do you keep trying when it never does any good?”

“It does do some good, I’m sure of it! I keep pushing to help him so he knows beyond the shadow of a doubt that I won’t be driven away so easily. Maybe Papy just isn’t ready to show me the good it’s done yet. He has to learn to trust himself before he can trust me, but he can never say that I don’t care about him. I’ll show love to every part of him, even the bad, and it will be an influence for the better. I will break down those barriers!” Blue concluded with a fiercer grin.

A good Sans would never give up on his brother.

“Doesn’t it…suck?” Red ground out, hoping it wouldn’t be interpreted as an admission of weakness. Doesn’t it hurt? “When he shuts you out all the time?”

“Of course. I never said it was an easy task but it’s not within me to accept defeat!” Blue stopped up short then, holding his breath as Papyrus shifted against him. Neither Red nor Blue had been particularly careful about their volume.

After a few moments of adjustment, Stretch settled deeper into his blankets with a sleepy hum of contentment. Blue softened, eyelights aglow with such fondness that Red could almost feel a ripple of it in the air between them. It made his soul turn.

“He’s my only brother. We only have each other in the end. Isn’t that worth the effort?”

_____________________________________

If Red hadn’t been passing his boss’s room at precisely the right moment, he never would have heard it: a string of low, ragged gasps, followed by a rumble that could have been a groan or a growl. Sans grimaced at the sound, already aware of what was happening. Boss never made noise in his sleep unless he was injured, pain slipping through the cracks of his subconscious, or he was fighting a nightmare. Seeing as the last few days had been highly uneventful, it would be the latter.

Welp, that’s his problem. I’m not about to get impaled ’cause he mistakes me for his sleep paralysis demon.

That was habit speaking. Better reasoning caught him a few steps later, slowing him to a halt.

It would be easy to swan off, mind his own business and let Papyrus suffer on his own. It would have been easy to do it years ago too, when Pap was nothing but a scrawny baby bones who couldn’t have done anything about it.

If he hadn’t then, why should he now? It was Boss’s shouts in the morning that often woke him from dark dreams…He could return the favor and feel less indebted to him for it.

It was only fair.

Cursing his newly planted seed of a conscience, Sans pivoted with great difficulty and kicked a foot at the door with a small thump. No answer. He kicked again. The gruff breaths from within quickened.

“…Boss?” he ventured, clearing his throat roughly. “Hey. Boss.” Belatedly he realized that he had no proper excuse ready if Papyrus awoke and asked what he wanted. That might not go over well, but the circumstances were making it hard to focus. Those strangled groans were slowly but surely chipping away his first instinct of self-preservation.

He was definitely going to get impaled. One shot, -9999 damage and his life would be over, all for an attempt to be considerate, but he could hear it now in Papyrus’ voice. There was a scared little brat trapped inside the intimidating commander and that brat clearly still needed a big brother to drag him out of trouble.

Steeled for his impending doom, Sans jostled open the door. “Boss,” he began again as he poked his head in. “You’re makin’ noise, alright? You gotta—Whoa, whoa, whoa, that’s not good—”

Papyrus was a writhing, tangled mess in his blankets, some already torn where his claws had caught. Sweat and magic bled down his face, eye sockets sputtering and smoking in a flurry of colors as he choked for traction to cry out.

“Ngnnh—No, no—stop!”

“Boss?!” Sans stammered, surging forward. Of their own volition his hands got busy, dragging at the blankets to rend them free of Papyrus’ kicking legs. “Bro, hey! It’s okay, it’s just a dream!”

From there it must have only been a few seconds but to Sans it felt like an eternity before Papyrus lurched upright, already scrambling. He didn’t lunge to attack as Sans had expected but recoiled; it was only when he smacked his skull against the wall behind him that he came to a lurching stop.

“I-It’s just me, Pap,” Sans stated cautiously. He wouldn’t have dared use the old nickname under any other circumstances, but it seemed to clear some of the wild haze in his brother’s eyes. It took a beat for him to formulate an appropriate response.

“Get out,” he rasped. It didn’t hold a candle to its usual bite. He was still panting, disoriented. “What are you doing here?”

Which d’you want, an answer or me getting out? “I heard you…Well, I didn’t know if somethin’ was up. Maybe someone…broke in or somethin’, trying to get to you.”

“Oh?” Shoulders shuddering in what could barely be masked as a laugh, Papyrus shook his head minutely. “And what could you do to save me? L-Look at you. You’re not even armed.”

“And look who didn’t even wake up when I barged in here! The big, bad boss could’ve gotten killed in his sleep because he was too busy cryin’ like a—” By the greatest restraint he cut himself off, foreseeing how that would be received, but he’d said enough already.

“Get. Out,” Papyrus snarled, rediscovering vitriol enough for Sans to cringe.

“Sorry, I’m sorry.”

“Get out, you fool, this instant, or I’ll—!”

“I’m sorry, okay? I was worried!” That word felt taboo aloud. “I just wanted to make sure you were alright and you weren’t so I stayed to help.”

“There’s nothing you can do here, Sans; as always, you—you prove to be utterly inadequate! Your best course of action will be to close the door behind you.” Judging by the way his chin jutted out, he was clearly expecting that to be the last word.

“…No.” Tossing the blanket’s edge back to the floor, Sans squared up. “I’m not goin’ anywhere.” The incredulity that flashed in Pap’s eyes should have cowed him but he had resigned himself to that already at the door. “I’m not just gonna leave you here, all jittery and crunched up against the wall. I can’t leave you like this. You’re not fine and I know if I try to say somethin’ to make it better, I’ll screw it up. Like you said, I always do. So let’s just skip that part where I do it wrong and get to the bit where you tell me what you need. What d’you need to feel better and get back to sleep okay?”

The following silence caught him off guard. Papyrus was never at a loss for further scathing remarks so why was he just staring at him? Moreover, where had his anger gone? He looked smaller without it, less like the Great and Terrible Papyrus and more like…

Papyrus. Red’s only brother. Hunched down, hands fisted into the mattress, micro-tremors trailing down his ribs as he breathed, he looked exhausted.

A minute passed. Maybe it was two.

Sans fidgeted, his nerve failing. “Boss, listen, I—”

“Tea,” he muttered, hooded eyes darting away. “If you really want to make yourself useful.” Sans hadn’t expected his soul to fill his throat at that response; something must have shown in his face, as Papyrus’ next grumble was even quieter. “You’re acting uncharacteristically generous with your work ethic. Why would I pass up this opportunity to make you work in the kitchen for once?”

Sans felt oddly light at the words as he nodded, turning for the door. “Gotcha.” He had never thought this day would come. For once in his life, he saw doing more work as a victory.

If it did some small modicum of good, if it made one miniscule chip in those walls between them, it would be worth the effort.

[undertalethingems]

(about the bad ending) Are you going to be posting more bad endings in the future? Its just because you said it was bad ending 1, so does that mean there will be a bad ending 2?

I hadn’t written any additional bad endings at the time I’d posted the first, but, I have a tendency to start new ficlets as ideas come to me--and i knew that if i wrote one bad ending, there was a chance i’d write another... which was correct. Here it is, playing with what may have happened had Papyrus taken Undyne’s final attack instead.

Unexpected Guests: Bad Ending 2

1.5k; once again, warning for major character death.

In the hesitation between Undyne's spears falling and Sans taking action, someone else acted instead. Too many spears connected, but not with their intended target.

Papyrus let his brother down the last few inches to the ground roughly. Sans caught himself on his elbows and stared up, his eyes sharp and breathing fast. Papyrus drew back up to his full height, turning to hide the shredded state of the back of his shirt. His attack, staring with empty sockets, staggered a few steps before vanishing with a soft fizzle.

"Wowie! There's no doubt! You're very strong, Undyne!" he blustered, and Undyne pulled a nervous smile. "It was... even more than I expected, which is very impressive!"

Sans saw something drip from his ribs.

"I'm... going to... go do a thing now..." Papyrus continued, "but don't wait up! I'll be a while! See you guys later!"

He turned away, took a few faltering steps... and dissolved.

Undyne shrieked. Frisk felt like they were going to be sick and sat down hard; they briefly caught Sans' darkened expression, but the next time they looked up he was gone. It was a while before they felt like they could stand, but as soon as they did they staggered over to Undyne. She'd dug her claws into the soil, and was shaking with grief and rage. For a moment, Frisk hesitated--then carefully put their hand on her shoulder. She startled, and for a moment the two just looked at each other.

What could either of them say?

Frisk couldn't hold back their tears any longer, and lunged into Undyne's side to hug her. She went stiff, and didn't return it--the most she managed was placing a hand on Frisk's head as they sobbed into her shirt. And they stayed like that for a while.

"hey."

They looked up to see Sans standing a few yards away.

"Sans, I'm--" Undyne started, her voice rough, but he held up his hand.

"gonna stop you there. already have a pretty good idea of what you were gonna say... apologies aren't really your thing. and i don't wanna listen anyway, so i'm doing us both a favor."

"Sans..." Undyne said, but didn't seem to have any plans on what to follow with.

Sans looked to the spot Papyrus had last stood. "my brother... was really cool, huh? he always was looking out for me. he knew if i got hit by any of those spears... well... that'd be my dust on the ground."

Undyne grimaced.

"hey, it was an accident, right? you just got mad, and..." Sans trailed, his eyes blinking out briefly before he continued. "well. let me give you some advice. next time you're in a friendly battle... take a cue from my brother, and use some restraint. no matter how hard or easy the fight was... he'd always hold back. because he knew not everyone was as tough as he was."

Undyne grunted, but didn't seem to have anything to say for herself. Sans' words had struck just as deep as any of her spears.

"anyway. just something to think about."

Sans turned away, and there was a long span of quiet before he looked over his shoulder at them, eyes darkened.

"... you should leave, undyne. i, uh... can't say you're welcome here anymore."

"... I get it," Undyne replied tersely, standing. "You want me to take Frisk?"

Sans shrugged. "don't know why they'd wanna stay. but they can if they want."

Frisk frowned. "I'll stay. At least for a while."

"Okay. Uh... just call if anything comes up. Uh... see ya, I guess."

She gave Frisk one last look, then jogged off. A dense silence settled on the yard, and Frisk turned their attention to Sans, who was still standing some distance off. They got up and began to slowly walk over, but stopped as Sans glanced over his shoulder at them.

"... sorry this happened, bud. you really ok staying here?"

Frisk nodded. "I didn't want to leave you by yourself."

At this, Sans turned to face them properly, his gaze warm. "heh... thanks kid. that means a lot."

Frisk closed the remaining gap to hug him, and he ruffled their hair loosely. But he pulled away to shuffle to the fine pale gray powder that now dusted part of the lawn, and folded his legs under him to contemplate it. Frisk joined him, and waited awkwardly--wondering if he would speak, or if they should ask their question.

"never thought it'd be like this, y'know?" Sans started, his already muted voice even softer. "always thought he'd... well... i guess he's the kind of guy you can't picture dustin' 'cause he got old, y'know?"

Frisk managed a smile as they shook their head.

"nah... thought it'd... thought it'd be..." he trailed. Frisk caught his eyes vanishing. "To be honest, I thought it'd be you."

Frisk went still, breath catching in their throat.

"... was it?"

Frisk shook their head quickly. "He beat me way more times than I ever beat him. He was really strong."

Sans managed a short laugh. "yeah. he was... he was so cool..."

Frisk fidgeted with the end of their shirt. Now seemed like a good time... "Do you want me to reset?"

It was Sans' turn to go still. It was a while before he answered. "... that's up to you."

"But... it's not fair. I worked so hard to make sure everyone made it up here, so they could be happy and together. If Papyrus is gone... then that's not true anymore."

Sans made an odd sort of sighing sound, and Frisk realized the tenseness around his eyes was him trying not to cry. They leaned over, resting their head on his shoulder, and he wrapped his arm weakly around theirs. It took him a while to gather his thoughts.

"kid... you're... it's up to you. pa... papyrus had some good times up here, and, we'll... we'll get through this. i... it'll be ok, bud, if you decide not to." He paused to draw a shuddering breath. "but... knowing there's a way to undo it... don't think you can blame me for wanting him back more than anything right now."

Frisk shook their head. "I don't blame you, I miss him too. We all will, and Undyne... I don't think she'll ever forgive herself. They were such good friends... Like I said... It's not fair."

Sans sighed. "sounds like you've made your mind up, huh?"

They nodded again. "I don't want it to be like this."

"guess you better get on it, huh?" Sans joked mildly, and Frisk managed a smile.

"I'll do everything exactly the same, I promise," they said softly, then added with a bittersweet smile, "except for this."

"heh. that's real considerate of ya, kid."

They smiled at him, then closed their eyes and reached within.

They woke up in a bed of flowers.

They reached Snowdin, and noted the brothers had changed just a little from the runs they'd done before. They didn't say or do anything different, but it seemed like they were never far from one another, and Sans seemed to put just the slightest bit more enthusiasm into gushing about how cool and tough his brother was. They made it through the cozy town, battled--and then "dated"--like usual, and carried on to Waterfall.

Frustrated, Undyne roared. Frisk winced, and braced themself--they were almost to Hotland, if they could just last a few turns longer they'd be able to run. But they could only take a few more hits before they'd have to do all this again--oh, ow, one more hit. Even if they could reset, dying never felt good. They checked their pockets--yep, they were out of food. This was it.

Sensing she was close to victory, Undyne raised her hand aloft as she summoned a huge array of spears and spoke. "No escape this time. You're finished."

She dropped her hand, the spears fell, and Frisk whimpered as they closed their eyes.

Nothing happened. Frisk waited, then took a chance and opened their eyes. They winced--a spear hovered mere inches from their face, and the rest were only just behind it. But they looked past the glowing magic, and saw Undyne staring at them.

She looked... perplexed. Like even she didn't know why she'd stopped the attack. She grimaced, and flexed her hand to call the spears off. They shimmered out of existence, and Undyne assumed a rigid pose before summoning a spear back to her hand.

"... Sorry. I got... carried away. But you know I have to finish this."

Frisk realized their soul was back to being red, and they flashed Undyne a weak smile before taking the chance to run. They'd be friends again soon. For now, they needed to get away.

It was clear Undyne didn't remember what she'd done, but somehow, Sans' words had stuck with her anyway. Maybe what she'd done was something even a reset couldn't erase completely.

Frisk couldn't help but be a little grateful.

[taglegend]

Tag Fact #3 -  I’ve come to realize I’ve always been a fan artist more than I thought. so here is a timeline of influences that shaped my childhood to now. from nostalgic times, to sad changes, to great loss, to strange rises to fame and phases, to stepping stones and finally a laughing place. all the things that make up your favorite fan artist Tag.

1. Rayman (bumped into this in the year of 1999) was actually the first fandom (with crossovers) I bumped into when I was 9. although the internet wasn’t available at the time it was still fun to dwell in home amusements. I remember the storylines and the OC’s I made but they’re kind of embarrassing and it’s probably a good thing there was no internet. I’ve done fanart and comic crossovers of Rayman with Calvin and Hobbs and Nights Into Dreams, spinoffs of Sonic the Hedgehog OC’s, Yoshi with Pikachu, and the Pokemon/Digimon craze with OC’s and other Nintendo comic shorts. but the drawings and comics are long gone and disappeared in the garage in a backpack due to suspecting my sister’s dad accidentally throwing them away. years later towards the year 2018 (now 28), we decided to move to North Carolina and it was my chance to find them again. unfortunately the backpack was gone just like I suspected (my main stuff), but for some reason I found my Pokemon/Digimon fanart, a good batch of Super Mario drawings (vaguely remember doing these), my sister’s drawings and some other neighborhood kids’ drawings in a dirty box. I was partially happy I found something at least but it was the backpack I wanted the most. sometimes I regret not looking for the backpack (’cause I was too busy being a kid) but it’s alright, noone needs to see that shit anyway, ha ha. anyways, I recall being a fan of Rayman from 1999 ‘til 2002.

2. Sonic Adventure 2 Battle (bumped into this in the year of 2003) my second fandom I bumped into when I was 12 going on 13. at the time, my sister and I both liked the Sonic The Hedgehog Franchise based on the Battle remake and ended up making our own secret fanart club that consisted of only us two members. she liked Sonic (and that was her boyfriend, ha ha) and I liked Knuckles (and he was my boyfriend, ha ha) and we were crazy in love about Shadow’s backstory. we listened to the game’s soundtracks as we drew fanart and comics after school and man, those were good times. however, as we grew older towards the year of 2005, we ended up having separate rooms and I believe it played a part in disconnecting on the same interest. then one day, I asked her why she wasn’t into Sonic anymore and she replied, “Because I grew up.” I was sad after that and slowly observed that she was influenced by the emo culture and the new friends she’s made. I was the only member of our little club for a little longer...but eventually I moved on too. I still have some surviving fanart we did together but it doesn’t mean shit anymore since she turned out to be an abusive mother from the last I’ve heard of her. 

3. Gorillaz (bumped into this in the year of 2006). as the Sonic years were at its end, I first heard the song “Feel Good Inc” on Music Choice and seeing the first image of them as displayed on this post (except the fan-made background doesn’t count since I can’t find the original artwork). this was my third fandom and later had proper access to the internet to the website I still currently use called DeviantArt. at first I liked 2D but eventually fell for Murdoc and developed a spiritual connection towards the character as obviously seen in my old fanart and rare photos of my devotion shrines on Valentine’s Day and his birthday every year. for the longest time since being a permanent fan from 2006-2017 (11 1/2 years) I had no knowledge that it was a political propaganda band and other realizations I don’t want to talk about. I only followed them because it was a cartoon and not the bullshit behind the musical project. the world I’ve built and support for them for all those 11 1/2 years shattered the fuck out of me and I just wanted to be left alone to find myself again, somehow. activity stopped on all my profiles, the flow of fanart stopped since I now cringe from the fan service and felt I was used for my talent. I didn’t want to be reminded of it all so I took down all my Gorillaz fanart and archived them for old followers’ nostalgia but also in the hopes they’ll be forgotten in my timeline. I ceased to exist in the fandom for huge personal reasons but it’s best to not say why. I know for sure that the fandom wonders what happened but it’s none of their business. THE END.

4. Waluigi (although I knew he’s been around since 2000 during childhood, I took deep interest once I revisited the character again in the year of December 2013). as silly as this sounds, when I revisited him again, the character was so bizarre that I ended up staying up 3 nights and 3 days in a row just looking all over the internet on everything about him and the questionable “hush-hush” absence of a backstory. despite there being no backstory he slowly gained a cult following and in many ways it’s a good thing. however, since the early 2010′s tension has been building up between Nintendo and its fans about him starring in a main game but everyone hasn’t fully gotten it in their heads that it’s not gonna happen. as long as Nintendo is in control of that, the fandom will not win, I’m sorry to say. on the other hand, if it’s going to be this way, then that’s what fanart and comic projects are for. as for me, I am doing my very best to get my comic project “Waluigi Land” going. again, I apologize if it’s taking very long to get Chapter 2 going if you’ve been keeping track but aha moments need to develop before I start permanent drawing (since concepts, character design and storyline needed improvement badly). as of right now I am still a Waluigi fan and I will not quit on him.

5. Turbo from Wreck-It-Ralph (although it debuted in 2012, I watched the movie two years later into the year 2014). for some bizarro reason, I had an unhealthy obsession with this character to the point where I dressed up as him for Halloween 2014. only 2 fanarts of him and the Turbo Twins exist on my profiles, mainly because my mind was more focused on just ‘thinking about him’ or ‘being him’ rather than drawing physical drawings. luckily, this supposed alleged fandom didn’t last long a little after Halloween so I chalk it up as a very short phase. to this day I don’t know what has gotten over me about him. the only thing I can think of now is that I think it’s because the character had yellow eyes and teeth but I don’t know. now that I think of it, that little fucker was ugly as hell and I STILL don’t know what had gotten over me. one day, my brother mentioned what that was about, and I said to him, “I don’t wanna talk about it.”

6. Undertale (although it debuted in 2015, I later took interest in it in 2016). It was all about Sans and Papyrus. I couldn’t get enough of the skeleton bros. eventually Toriel and Mettaton EX became my favorites but it took a long time to draw more of all 4 of them because I had other important things to do in my life plus I was still waiting for the next Gorillaz album to revive my imaginative juices (or so I thought). I really want to have this as one of my frequent fandoms but I just don’t have time for it anymore. it’s still in the back of my head to want to draw them but at this point I still have other better interests to be in. and besides, I’m lazy just like Sans.

7. Cuphead (June 28th, 2017 was the official day I called quits on the British-based band Gorillaz due to the bullshit behind it. since that date I was lost, had no inspiration to look forward to and no cartoon guy to make me smile...but lo and behold of the same year, I took an interest in playing the game Cuphead and man...that shit was a frightening exaggerated metaphor for being on that one drug (forgot the name though) and having sex at the same time but man that was the best fun I’ve had in years. I mean, it’s like, enemies are just so happy to murder you and that scared the shit outta me. and the facial exaggeration?....I think I should stop, ha ha. anyways, the Moldenhauers saved my ass from spiraling down, they have no clue. anyways, eventually I became a permanent fan of their work so to ease the hurt and erase my past from the G-fandom I had to re-wire my brain into a different cartoon category that’s a rather more American, so anything Toon related like Roger Rabbit, Felix the Cat or another favorite that’s a western-based cartoon makes me feel better, especially my new man .......King Dice <3 <3<3<3. however, there was something about this new fandom category I still didn’t quite understand until the date March 14th, 2020. I finally understood what it was but I feel I shouldn’t bring it up. anyways, Cuphead and anything western or rubber hose is my last stop in inspiration for the remaining years of my life. many say never say never but I believe I’ve found my laughing place and that’s all that matters.

[tdoompoet]

Keep You: Preservation of Papyrus

Sans had snapped from the humans endless genocide routes, and so took the option away from them by killing everyone himself first. After so many times doing it on his own, he grew tired (and desparate) from the loneliness. He can't keep it up, but he can't stop, either.

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

(Full story under Keep Reading, with alt link to Ao3 in notes)

(Potentially triggering drawing at end of story)

(CW: injury, violence, genocide, decapitation, body horror)

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

Keep You:

Preservation of Papyrus

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

Not again.

He couldn't do it again.

Yet here he was, covered in dusty remains once more, the population under the mountain made silent.

It had become routine:

Wake up.

(was he really awake?)

Recognize the world had Reset.

(again. he had to do it all again. and again. and again--)

Spend an hour staring at the ceiling, bracing himself for the day's work ahead.

(--again. and again. and again. he had to--)

Slip by Papyrus, busy preparing a fresh batch for his spaghetti trap.

("Today I, The Great Papyrus, WILL capture a human! Nyeh-heh-heh!! --Brother! Don't forget to Calibrate! Your! Puzzles" --yet again--)

Murder Everyone.

After so many repeats (thousands? tens of thousands? how many by the kid's hand, how many by his own?), he was able to go about his self-appointed duty on auto-pilot. Easy enough to slip on his smile, walking alongside the townsfolk and make them laugh or groan at corny jokes as though it were any other day, until they were out of sight of anyone else. Then they couldn't react to anything anymore.

Easy enough for the first dozen or so, as he built up his first few levels of LoVe (don't think about how with his single ATK lousy damage that the only ones he could take down swiftly and quietly at first still being in stars damned stripes--). Even easier once the LoVe trickled into his Soul and what little guilt he could still feel was replaced with adrenaline and the growing reinforcement of the knowledge that he would soon be completely alone in this world once more.

But things would be different this time.

He dusted his way through Snowdin, then Waterfall, and Hotland along with the Core, and finally on his way to the Capitol, careful to keep a good distance between his brother and himself even as the population dwindled to be replaced by gusts of dust, and his growing LoVe became more and more obvious to the point that others went on the defensive as soon as they laid eyes on his on imbalanced red-tinted gaze.

No one would be allowed to stop him. He must complete this before the human arrived and destroyed everyone themself. (was he really any better than the kid, or even that damned flower?)

An encounter with the King would have been likely to end in Sans' favor even before he gained any LoVe, what with the King's own LoVe and guilt making him weak to the mercies of the Judge. This, it couldn't even be counted as a fight. Sans couldn't afford to stop and think of why, if it was because the King believed he deserved the Judgement for all his own sins when there was nothing left to lose, or if it was the shock of grief and betrayal from one of his most trusted-- No, can't think about that. There was a goal to complete.

One last task. And then..

The trip to the Room of Souls was quick. Anyone who earned a Royal title was made aware of its exact location, and given a general knowledge of how the Soul containers functioned. No point in limiting the information to the King alone if his death would also result in the loss of the six souls the Underground had managed to collect so far. No point in denying them what little HoPe was left to cling to.

Now, they were Sans' only means of preserving his own last HoPe.

Soul container collected and stashed in his inventory, a detour through New Home where he quickly found and claimed that damned knife (so many Resets since the kid was last able to hit him, and that scar-that-never-happened still fucking BURNED), and a shortcut later found him blinking a gust of dust mixed snow out of his sockets. And ahead of him on the path, same spot as every other time it had come to this point--

Deep breath. Don't get distracted yet. He was so close to finishing this.

So close to saving Papyrus from the non-existent mercies of the creature masquerading as a human.

Papyrus stood there, seemingly expecting him (as he did every time it came to this point of the timeline), the small remainder of hope being replaced with that soul wrenching mix of grief, disappointment, and ever-present Mercy once he took in the changes to his brother. Once he saw the effects of the LoVe he'd earned.

"Brother."

Sans said nothing. Time was of the essence. The human would be through the ruins soon. But--

"All the Dogi are gone. And all of our neighbors."

"..yea." There was no denying the evidence, he fully knew and accepted what he'd done, but somehow it was still a struggle to get the admission out past the sudden tightness in his non-existent throat at admitting it to his brother.

"Undyne isn't answering her phone."

Sans said nothing. The reason why was obvious. He can't think of how his actions hurt his brother just yet. He'll accept everything Papyrus has to throw at him once this is over. He deserves nothing less.

"She's never going to, is she. Nor any of our other friends." A statement. Not a question.

Every other timeline, he ended it immediately upon shortcutting here before his brother had the chance to talk him down. To allow his guilt and grief to overwhelm him before he could finish and result in his brother being left to the tender (non) mercies of the kid. But if this worked (it WOULD work) Papyrus would be able to say anything he wanted to his Soul's content. He'd be ALIVE to do so.

"..i'm sorry, Papyrus. i have to do this." He was cracking. He needed to get his shit together. He needed to finish before that door opened and everything was ruined.

"Brother, this isn't the way to solve any problem! You KNOW this! Talk to me, I don't underst--"

His barely-wavering appeal, a tangled mess of bravery, belief in his brother, and wet with tears of grief finally released when the truth could no longer be denied, was cut off by a wave of bones surging up behind him. Familiarity from years of training with his brother had him dodging forward into Sans' space without a thought. It was playing dirty, but right now that didn't matter.

Sans took advantage of the familiar routine, manipulating Papyrus into position to move under his outstretched arm, yank him down by the scarf, and within a blink the cursed knife was out of his inventory and through Papyrus' neck.

Everything stopped as quickly as it started, Papyrus never even having a chance to recover from the shock before his body started dusting away beneath him.

"W-well, that's not what I expected," Papyrus managed to say. Sans' soul damn near broke right then from hearing the familiar words usually spoken to the human all those genocide runs ago now directed at himself. But he couldn't let it affect him. Not now. No time.

With speed few would believe he possessed, the knife was dropped, the Soul container was out of his inventory, on the ground, opened, and the orange soul of Bravery tossed aside without a thought. With hands starting to shake, Papyrus' head was reverently lowered inside in its place.

The lid was quickly sealed. Sans remained crouched, staring into the jar and shaking with anticipation as the rest of Papyrus dissolved to dust beside him. The scarf caught up in a sudden gust of wind, fluttering down to catch around himself and the container holding what (HoPefully) remained of his brother. It was hard to tell whether it felt more like a threatening noose or a comforting embrace.

(It was his brothers. Of course there was only ever one option it could be, regardless of what Sans thought he deserved.)

The silence stretched on, Sans refusing to break eye contact for a moment even as a stinging mix of magic and dust dripped into his straining sockets. He couldn't look away, not even to blink. Not until he was sure it worked. Not until--

"Brother, I believe we need to have a talk. There are much better ways to solve problems than shoving people into jars! Well, parts of people! That was very rude! I was very attached to my body! And where did you even find a jar that already seemed to have people parts in it?? They--!!!"

Sans couldn't help it. The tension melted out of him, body falling into a heap between the jar containing his ranting (LIVING!) brother and the dissolving human soul. Tremors wracked him as dreaded anticipation of failure switched too quickly into hysterical laughter, the disbelief of success overwhelming.

Alive. Papyrus was still alive, and still very much himself. Well, until the shock wore off, at least. He was well aware he had a lot to make up to Papyrus for, not that he could ever make up for everything he had done. But Papyrus was safe, ALIVE. With him, and unable to needlessly sacrifice himself to the human yet again.

Sans managed to save him, and he would never have to be alone with his ghosts again.

.

.

.

At the far end of the path, through the woods and over the bridge, a stone door creaked open. The human child stepped out into the snow.

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

A.N. Wasn't sure how to do it, but had the idea of the human coming out of the ruins and being horrified out of their genocidal stupor at the image of Sans gleefully hugging the jar containing his brother's decapitated head, evidence that he'd willfully done it surrounding him. Who knows, maybe it would be enough of a shock to get them to reconsider their choices up to now.

Alternatively, there was the idea that Sans would manage to evade the human while keeping the Papyrus jar close to him at all times (perhaps he even did this early on before killing everyone else), and.. just enjoying what he can of his brother's company before using him as a last resort EXP boost, even going so far as to break the jar and finish dusting his brother in front of the human for the extra shock factor.

But I couldn't bring myself to go that route. With Papyrus having the chance to natter on and chip away at his brother's mental walls while trapped in the soul container, I don't think Sans could have brought himself to murder Papyrus a second time in one run.

[ask-the-riders]

Not Unlovable

In this, you get to see a bit of Famine's past - part of his childhood, then part of his adulthood before he died and became a rider. Unfortunately, the boy's haunted by ghosts of his past mistakes, however, and it's up to Retribution to provide him the comfort he needs

Because of the contents of this, I'm gonna offer a bit of a trigger warning for implied character death, as well as the actual depiction of character death. It's not super gory or anything, but hey, better safe than sorry, am I right?

"Sans... Take your brothers and go home. I'll meet you there shortly and we can make dinner together, alright?"

The skeleton child stared up at the human woman with wide sockets, another skeleton child standing beside him and holding onto his coat while a babybones was in his arms, smooshed against his chest. He glanced around, noting the look on the adult monsters' faces; Their eyes were sunken, they were thin from starvation, and among the group, the ones with fur looked as though they'd somehow contracted mange. Sans met his step mother's gaze again and frowned, not wanting to leave her side, "Mom, I can't. I don't wanna leave without you." The woman sighed, lowering herself to her knees in the snow and reaching out to gently cup the child's face, offering him a small smile, "Sans, please. This won't take long, I promise. Just be a good boy and take your brothers home. I'll be back in time for supper, I promise." Sans' frown deepened and he leaned into her touch almost desperately, his voice a fearful whine as another adult monster stepped closer to her, a sound similar to a growl escaping its maw.

Lila gently stroked the skeleton child's cheek with her thumb in an effort to soothe him, a pleading look in her eyes as she murmured, "Sans... please. Just... please just do this for me. Can you get your brothers home?" The fear the bubbled in his stomach became too much, causing a blue tinted tear to run down his face as he nodded and sniffled. Lila's expression softened as she wiped away the tear, sighing as she pulled him into a hug, careful not to crush the toddler in Sans' arms. Holding him close, she pressed a soft kiss to his forehead and murmured against his bone, "I love you, Sans... Look after your brothers for me, ok?"

Sans nodded again, trying to bury his face in the crook of her neck and muttering, his voice shaking now, "I love you too, Mom." Gently tugging a tiny Papyrus closer, Lila pulled him into a hug, also kissing his forehead as well before mumbling, "And Papy... You're such a brave boy. Do you think you can help Sans look after Toby for me while I'm away?" Papyrus eagerly nodded his head, "OF COURSE, MAMA. WHEN WILL YOU BE COMING HOME?" Her smile became one of sadness as she hummed, "I'm not sure yet, but hopefully soon... I love you, ok? Don't forget that." The skeleton child beamed at her, his grin wide, "I LOVE YOU TOO, MAMA!" Lila released him, her attention settling on the youngest of the children.

As the toddler peered up at her with wide sockets and innocent confusion, she fought to choke back a sob, kissing his head and whispering, "My baby... Stay safe, Tobias...ok? I love you so much." The toddler reached out to grip the sleeve of her coat, his voice soft, "Love you, Mama." As the small circle of monsters began to close in on the tiny family, Lila slowly rose to her feet, gently nudging Sans and trying to usher him away. As Papyrus latched onto his elder brother's coat again, Sans held his step mother's gaze, a mutual understanding passing between them. As a realization clicked into place, his eyes widened further in horror, and more tears pricked at his sockets. He took a few steps back away from the human, then turned, using a shortcut to whisk himself and his two younger brothers away. Lila's chest began to heave as she turned to face the small gathering of monsters around her.

Offering them a saddened smile as a tear finally ran down her face, she sniffled, "I... I know you're starving. I know you're doing this because you're hungry. So please... if you really plan to eat me, promise me that my kids will be safe, and that they'll be cared for. Promise me you won't leave them to die." Her bottom lip quivered, and she cried out as she felt someone's teeth sink into her shoulder. She let out a much louder sob; her final thoughts circling in her mind, "I'm sorry, boys... I won't be home in time for supper..."

~

Tilting his head and grinning widely, Sans curled his fingers into his empty socket, watching as Toby weakly attempted to crawl through the snow, dragging himself away from his eldest brother with wide, fearful eyes. Sans chuckled softly, his pace casual as he stalked toward the child, his voice now a baritone growl, "Sorry, little bro... I wish it didn't have ta be this way. Really. I love you, and I did my best ta keep ya safe like Mom wanted, but y'know... we're all starvin'. There's no food and rations are startin' ta run out. There's barely enough food for Paps and I, let alone you too. We tried ta make it work, we really did." He paused, roughly stomping on one of Toby's legs and appearing unphased as the child screamed in pain. As he began to sob and plead with his eldest brother to stop, his small body began to tremble, and Sans sighed, continuing, "But it didn't go the way we wanted. We can barely feed two mouths, and with you here... it's makin' gettin' enough food even harder. 'Sides, you're sick and weak anyway. By gettin' rid a' ya, I'm actually helpin' you. Puttin' ya out of your misery, y'know?"

Tobias whimpered, "S-Sans, brother, please! Please don't do this!" Sans hummed, leaning over his kid brother to reach around him, his stained fingers tracing along his jaw. As his grip suddenly tightened, his smile faded, now a frustrated frown, "Toby, I been thinkin' about this whole thing nonstop for a while now. I've exhausted myself from it, and we've already run out of other options. This is the only thing left that we can do." The child sobbed, attempting to turn his head and look up at Sans over his shoulder, "Sans, come on... I love you, brother! You're really smart, there has to be another way! Maybe something you haven't thought of yet!" The eldest of the two growled softly in irritation, shaking his head, "I'm sorry, but there's not. If it makes this any easier on ya, I love ya too, and I so wish I didn't have ta do this." Processing Sans' words, Tobias began to thrash in the snow, screaming and calling out for their other brother to come help him. Sans grunted, roughly jerking his little brother's head to the side. There was a loud crack, and just like that... silence.

Sans let out a deep sigh, releasing Toby's head and stepping away from the body, hanging his head in shame as he began to tug at the edge of his head injury, mumbling to himself, "I tried ta protect him and Paps, Ma. I really did. I couldn't do it though, and I... I let you down, didn't I? I'm a disappointment, a failure, a disgrace. Ya shouldn't have gone and left us alone like ya did. If you were still here right now, we wouldn't be-" "SANS? BROTHER, WHERE HAVE YOU GONE OFF TO NOW?"

Upon being interrupted by Papyrus, Sans blinked, taking notice of something wet on his face. He gently touched the wetness then pulled his hand back, noticing the blue tinted tears on his fingertips; Huh. So he'd been crying, it seemed. Papyrus appeared at the end of the path and called out to Sans again, snapping his older brother out of his hazy train of thought. When the two finally left, an apparition appeared, standing beside Toby's body. It became the shape of a human woman, frowning as she looked down at the child who laid in the snow. As a single tear ran down her face, she knelt, reaching out to gently run a hand over his skull. One of his eye lights reappeared, now resembling a snowflake as it flickered in his socket. He lifted his gaze, his tears now crimson as he whimpered brokenly, his voice barely audible, "M-Mom?..."

~~

Thunder clapped loudly, causing the walls of the house to shake. Famine could hear War nearly shrieking through their thin, shared wall, and he sighed, slowly sitting up in bed. Moving over to his window, he pushed the curtains aside, peering outside and watching the sky as he listened to the sound of the pouring rain. He hated and loved thunderstorms at the same time; It was always cool to watch the lightning that came with it, but the noise from the thunder and the way the rain made everything wet? He could live without those. Along the edge of the nearby forest, he could've sworn he'd seen a figure moving. Squinting his sockets as he tried to get a better look, lightning flickered across the sky, illuminating the figure again.

It was a woman.

That hair, those clothes, the way she held herself... It was familiar, somehow. Through his fractured mind, he attempted to put the pieces together and make sense of it, his memories not quite aligning with one another. Lightning flickered again, and a second figure appeared, smaller than the first. The way they stood together made it appear as though they were holding hands. Just as Famine thought he'd figured out why the first figure seemed familiar, both of them vanished. A moment passed before he spotted the next flash of lightning, and the childlike apparition that now stood much closer to his window. Tilting its head up to lock gazes with him, the apparition stared, crimson tears running down his face. Famine also stared in a mix of confusion and shock, his sockets widening. There... There was no way. That wouldn't make sense. There was no way in hell that could be Toby... right?

The temperature of his room dropped by a noticeable degree and the rider let out a shaky breath. As he began to hear a woman crying, he slowly turned around, his soul pounding in his rib cage. A ghostly figure now stood in the room with him, tears running down her face as she watched him. Drawing in a sharp, trembling breath of her own, she sobbed, as if completely heartbroken, "Sans... Why did you do it? Sans, why?..." Famine began to tremble, frozen in place as he stared at her. She reached out to him, her touch chilling him to his very core as she continued sobbing, "Please tell me why, Sans... Why did you do it?..." Blue tinted tears began to drip down his face and he shook his head, his rough voice cracking, "...I... I'm sorry, Mom. I'm so... so sorry." Chest heaving, he used a shortcut, vanishing from the room.

Reappearing in his partner's room, he practically dove into bed with him, shoving the curtains that surrounded the bed out of the way. Visibly startled, Retribution stared up at him, his brow bones becoming knit in confusion, "Famine? What are you-" He yelped as Famine lunged forward, wrapping his arms around him and hugging him tightly. As he pressed his face into his boyfriends chest, attempting to hide in the fabric of his pajama shirt, his body shook and he began to cry. Feeling sadness, fear, and guilt practically rolling off of him in waves, Retribution frowned, gently wrapping his arms around Famine and holding him close, gently petting his head. Clinging to him, Famine sniffled, his voice soft, "Ret, 'm sorry... I didn't mean ta just... appear like this. I needed ta get away from her though. I can't face her, not after what I did." The former prince sighed softly, his normally sharp tone now soothing, "Hush, hush... It's alright, Famine. It's alright, I don't mind you coming here... Who did you need to get away from, though? What happened?"

Famine reluctantly pulled back just enough to meet Ret's concerned gaze, pointing in the direction of his room with a shaky hand, "M-My mom... and Toby. They're supposed to be dead, but they came back. Mom was... she was cryin' and she kept askin' me why I did it. She was askin' me why I killed my brother, why I killed Toby. I couldn't... I couldn't deal with that, and I had ta get away from 'er." Sensing nothing but truth coming from his partner, Retribution hummed, continuing to delicately run a hand over Famine's head, being mindful of his head injury. Without a second thought, he asked, "Would you like to stay here tonight? I'll be up for a while yet, so I can keep an eye on you, if that'd make you feel any better."

Famine seemed to immediately perk up, his single eye light growing brighter as he stared at his partner hopefully, another tear dripping down his face as he nodded, "Y-Yeah, I'd like that... Are ya really ok with that though?... I could ruin your bedding with my claws and spikes. Then you'd also be close ta somebody that used to eat people, somebody who kills kids, somebody who murdered his own baby bro, somebody who-" Retribution sighed deeply, narrowing his sockets as he cut off Famine, "Famine, do us both a favor and shut it. I know what I'm getting into, ok?" The taller rider trailed off into silence and as his eye light dimmed the slightest bit, the former prince's expression softened. Gently wiping away the stray tear, he continued, his voice softer than before, "I know what I'm getting into... I've known since I started feeling things for you. Hell, I've known since I became your friend. I know what you've done. While those things can't be undone, you've learned from them. You have no desire to repeat those mistakes, so you're a different guy now. I never thought I could've learned to love someone who could so readily kill their own family... their own marrow and magical essence. But..."

The smaller of the two paused again, hesitating a moment before he delicately traced his thumb over Famine's teeth, his own cheekbones flushing cyan. Sheepishly meeting the taller's gaze and holding it, he offered him a small, yet genuine smile and murmured, "But I did. I learned to love you, regardless of the things you've done, and I don't intend to let anything change that, either. Also, Famine, I couldn't care less if your claws and spikes ruined my bedding. I have money. If we need to buy more, then we will. It's not a problem to me. If you'd feel better here with me, then I'd be happy to have you." Famine continued staring at Retribution, a blue blush slowly spreading across his face as he processed everything the other had just said to him. When he spoke, his voice was no more than a low mumble, "You... Ya really mean all that, Ret?... Ya really... love me?" Sensing the embarrassment and confusion coming from his partner, Retribution smiled softly, his blush visibly darkening, "I apologize if the words are too strong or sudden, but yes. I really do love you, Famine."

The taller rider was silent, his eye light becoming brighter again. More tears pricked at his sockets and he whispered, "Why though?... Look at me, Firefly. 'M a child killer, a former human eater, I scare everyone who looks at me, and I'm hideous. I got so much baggage, and I'm... I'm unlovable. Why would ya love someone like me?..." Retribution sighed softly again, gently cupping the other's face with both hands, "I love you because I can see all the guilt and pain you carry, and how despite that, you press on. You keep going, and I think that's admirable, and so, so strong. You don't let your past define you anymore, and that's beautiful. Also," he paused, his tone growing stern, "Don't ever call yourself hideous or unlovable again, understand? I don't want you saying such things about yourself. Not when you're so full of love to give, and so very handsome."

Famine's blush darkened several shades and he nodded, still clinging to his smaller partner. At his silence, one of Ret's ghostly tendrils appeared, hooking itself around the covers beside Retribution and pulling them down. Pointing to the open space with his tentacle, the former prince murmured, "There you go, you big oaf. I hope the bed is comfortable enough, and that you're able to sleep well tonight." Famine smiled sheepishly, and as he began to loosen his grip on Ret and move away from him, the same tendril from before stopped him, gently wrapping around his arm. He glanced at it curiously, then shifted his attention to Ret, who merely lifted a hand to lightly tap on his teeth, playfully arching a brow bone at him, "What, no kiss goodnight?" Famine felt more heat rush to his face and let out a deep breath, smiling slightly, "Damn, I shoulda figured ya might want that."

Retribution chuckled softly in amusement, the sound dying down as his partner kissed him. The kiss, though soft, lingered a moment, and as the two began to part from it, Famine breathed out, "I love you too, Ret. Ya dunno what you mean ta me..." Ret's cheekbones became dusted cyan again and he smiled softly, watching as Famine laid down beside him, curling into a ball on his side and trying to muffle a soft yawn. It didn't take long for Famine to doze off, still curled into a ball as he snored softly. Retribution's gaze was full of affection as he kept watch over his sleeping form, occasionally caressing the top of his skull or touching his face. As he decided to finally call it a night, he made himself comfortable beside Famine, feeling vaguely embarrassed as he cuddled closer to his partner.

He'd felt himself beginning to doze off as well, but then he snapped to full awareness again as he began to sense the emotions of someone who'd just appeared in the room with them. As the first of two figures began to make their way around the bed, Ret's cyan eye lights locked onto them, watching closely as they drew nearer and nearer to Famine. The ghostly apparition of a human woman passed partially through the curtains that hung down around Ret's bed, her cheeks stained by tears as she looked down at Famine. As one of her hands reached out to gently touch his face, he shivered, but otherwise remained asleep. Tapping into the woman's emotions, Retribution felt her sadness and a sense of betrayal, he felt her disappointment and anger, but above all else, he felt her immense love for Famine. Turning her head, the woman met the former prince's gaze, offering him a small smile. Although it was very faint, she murmured, "My son... You love my son... Thank you..."

Retribution blinked in surprise, while the spirit shifted her attention, watching as a smaller figure moved around to Famine's side of the bed to stand with her. The former prince stared as a child pushed aside the curtains, appearing much more solid than who he'd assumed was his mother. With his good arm, the child reached out to delicately pat his elder brother's arm through the blankets, radiating not a single ounce of hesitation or fear. The child wrapped his arm around his brother in a half hug, momentarily lying his head on his back despite his spiked spine. Famine grumbled something under his breath, but showed no signs of waking up.

Then almost as soon as they'd appeared, the two figures were gone again. Though they were strange and slightly spooky, Retribution squeezed his eyes shut, deciding to brush them off. Cuddling close to Famine again, he felt heat rush to his face as Famine shifted, wrapping an arm loosely around him. This was precisely what Retribution had meant when he'd said his partner had a lot of love to give, and he wished Famine knew what he was doing right now so he could make his point. When the next morning arrived, the taller rider stirred first, groaning faintly as he opened his sockets and yawned. He absentmindedly stretched his arms and legs, but then he paused, feeling someone clinging to him. He blinked; Oh yeah... this wasn't his room, was it?

Looking down at his shorter partner, he sighed, smiling softly. The former prince was still asleep, cuddled as close to him as possible and tightly clutching his shirt. He gently placed a hand on Ret's face, and despite his aching back, he leaned down a bit, pressing a soft kiss to his head and murmuring lowly, "Good mornin', Beautiful..." Retribution yawned, releasing Famine's shirt to rub his sockets. As he began to wake up and register the other's presence, he hummed, his otherwise sleep-laced tone holding a hint of playfulness, "Good morning, Handsome." Famine snorted softly in amusement, arching a brow bone, "I dunno if 'handsome' is the word for it, but yeah, I guess maybe I have a certain charm, huh?" Retribution hummed again, his tendrils suddenly emerging and capturing his partner. While Ret scooted back away from him, two tentacles gripped his arms and pulled him up into a sitting position, while the other two wriggled behind him. The first two pushed him back down onto his back, his spiked spine cushioned between the second pair of tendrils.

As they widened and grew in size, the first pair released Famine's arms in favor of joining then, adding to the cushioning beneath him. Famine's sockets widened in surprise as Retribution climbed on top of him, straddling his hips and trying to look stern as he crossed his arms over his chest, ignoring the cyan heat that rushed to his cheekbones. Famine's hands instinctively moved to hold the other's hips, his entire face immediately flushing a deep shade of his signature faded denim blue as he stared up at Ret. In turn, the former prince huffed, his eyes narrowed in false irritation, "Famine, don't try to say otherwise. I'm attracted to you, and I think you're handsome... Very handsome. Do you really wish to contradict me?"

Famine nervously swallowed, shaking his head, "Nah... 'm not tryna contradict ya, firefly. S'just that I don't see what you do, I guess." Retribution let out a deep breath, rolling his eye lights. A brief moment passed before his expression softened and he tilted his head, looking down at the taller of the two and murmuring, "Firstly... you should see yourself when you're in the kitchen. When you're in your element and cooking for everyone, your movement becomes graceful and knowing. Everything is done with purpose, and is deliberate. Secondly, although your sense of humor is questionable at times, it's unique and it's part of what makes you... You. And then next up, there's your eye..."

He paused, slowly leaning down over his partner and gently cupping his face with both hands, lowering his voice further, "You might've lost one of your eyes a while ago due to a series of rather unfortunate events, but the one you still have is utterly captivating. When our gazes become locked, it's like I'm mesmerized. I can't bring myself to look away. That eye of yours ignites this flame in my soul, and I can't describe the way it feels." Famine felt as though he couldn't breathe, still staring up at his partner with widened sockets, flushed blue all the way down to his shoulders. Noticing the rush of surprise, embarrassment, disbelief, and elation that the other was feeling, Retribution smiled to himself; He wasn't lying when he'd told Famine that he found him handsome, but at this particular moment, there was nothing cuter than that look he was wearing. So surprised, so flustered... Ret loved it.

[1-800-roflmao]

Wash Day Delight Pt. 6

Rating:  General Audiences

WARNINGS:  None

Fandom:  Undertale (Video Game)

Relationships:  (Papyri Harem) Papyrus (Undertale)/Reader, Papyrus (Undertale) & Reader,  Papyrus (Underfell) & Reader

Characters:  Papyrus (Undertale), Reader, Blue (US Sans), and Mentions of Other AU Skeletons

Additional Tags:  Reader Is Not Frisk (Undertale), Reader Is Not Chara (Undertale), reader is poc, Reader has curly hair,  Undertale Monsters on the Surface, Friendship, Wholesome, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, I'm Bad At Summaries, Not Beta Read, Romance if you squint, Subtext, Let Papyrus be Sassy, Edge Is The Unwilling Dad Friend, Idiots in Love, Fluff and Humor, Slice of Life, Blue Is A Little Shit, I Love Him For It

If you prefer, you can read this fic on AO3.

*Reader, it's time to learn how to be spoiled!

PREVIOUS || FIRST || NEXT

It had been a mad rush after confirming she would be going to the skeleton household today.  Or at least she rushed as much as she could and thankfully her muscles were loosening up the more she moved.  While she was going over to bathe and do her hair, she refused to not at least freshen up a bit.  She did just that best she could with a damp rag, some soap, and deodorant.  A quick splash of water on her face and she deemed herself fresh enough for now.  Grabbing a towel, she patted herself dry before she began her multitasking adventure to get dressed and pack her “overnight” bag.  

Eyes raking over her counter, taking in all her products, she found herself blanking on just what products she should go with today.  Usually, she had more time to choose at her leisure.  She couldn’t realistically drag everything with her.  Okay, maybe that wasn’t so true anymore considering the things she has seen the skeletons store in their inventory decks.  Just how that worked she still had no clue.  Monster tech and magic was amazing.  

“I’ll just go with what my hair needs,” she decided and looking into her mirror, she scrutinized her locks and looked for any obvious damage.  Next, she reached a hand up to feel at her curls and pulled one to see how well it sprung back.  Last, she checked her scalp and found some build up, but thankfully no dandruff patches on the skin she could see.  “Moisture and clarify it is,” she stated her final decision and quickly plucked the needed items and product.  She added her body soap, butter, and scrub as well.  

With the toiletries out the way, she dashed back out to her room and placed the bag on her bed.  Her legs burned each time she had to bend over to collect strewn clothes and her arms twinged as she chucked said garments into her hamper.  Floor cleared, she picked out her change of clothes for later--just something comfy to lounge in--and threw on something quick for now.  It didn’t match, but oh well.  Not like she’d be wearing it for long. 

She’d skipped wearing a bra.  She had no plans to wear a bra period today and that was not changing!  Running around her apartment and completing little chores, she found herself reneging on the decision.  She was going over to someone’s house.  Why did it feel rude to skip an undergarment?  Papyrus was her best friend and she was cool with the rest.  Some little voice reminded her that it was a house full of men she was going to.  Skeleton men mind you, but men nonetheless.  Foot tapping as she put away her last cleaned dish, she huffed with a little stomp of her foot before marching back into her room.

“A bralette should do,” she sighed as she dug out an acceptable compromise.  It would be enough to appease the surprising prude in her.  No sense in torturing herself when she was supposed to be relaxing.  The girls now contained, she slipped her shirt back on, and checked her phone for the time.  Time had really flown and she only had a few more minutes.  She spent those last few minutes stripping her bed and replacing the sheets, pillow covers, and comforter with a new set.  She would start a load of laundry, but horror stories of fires starting or soapy flooding from unattended machines held her back.  She’d just have to do it tomorrow.

Smoothing out the sheets and arranging her pillows one last time, she nodded in satisfaction before checking her phone once again.  Time was up.  Grabbing her bag, she left her room to wait in the living room.  Blue and Pap were quite proud of their punctuality and the two would be here any minute surely.  Minutes ticked by while she busied herself on her phone.  She’d even gotten a text back from Coffee confirming he was fine drawing a better reference for her, so long as she modeled for him.  Well, she was going over anyway, why not?  She agreed and all he sent back was a smiley face emoji.  It was somehow intimidating.  How? She had no clue.   Maybe she should have asked for details.

Her eyes wandered to the clock on her screen.  Sighing, she pushed her irritation and worry aside.  She wondered if this would become a trend.  The reasonable part of her knew the two could not always be expected to be perfect all the time.  No one is perfect.  Consistent, but not perfect.  “But would it kill them to send a text at least,” she griped as she stretched out on the couch so as to avoid pacing and working nerves.  Placing her phone down face down on the floor beside her, she settled and closed her eyes.  She focused on the sound of her house settling around her and nature just past her walls.  

She stayed like that, nearly dozing off, until a knock at her balcony door had her jolting awake and gasping as a shock of pain shot through her stiffened body.  Sitting up, she peeked over the back of the couch with squinting eyes.  She was sure she very much resembled a gremlin poking its head up at that moment.  Chuckling at the amusing image that painted, she let her expression relax as she saw her two escorts waiting to be let in. 

It took a minute to get up and open the door for them with her muscles having stiffened up.  From the look the two were giving her, she guessed it was obvious how much she was struggling.

“PAPYRUS, WHAT DID YOU AND EDGE DO TO HER?!” Blue fretted, gloved hands reaching out to steady her and take some of her weight.  His big, round eyelights were a bit wobbly as they flitted from her face to down her body.  Did she look that bad?  

“I’m fine, Blue,” she assured with a little laugh, “Just a little stiff and sore.”  He didn’t look convinced and Papyrus was looking worried now as well.  Oh no.  “Seriously, guys!  I’m fine!  Or I will be, humans just take time to recover from a hard workout like those two gave me last night,” she elaborated, hoping she wouldn’t have to go into the details about human muscles and how they work.  She just wanted her spa day to start.  Silence greeted her and she looked between the two as they shared a long look before nodding.  “Guys-!!!?”  Her question was cut off with a surprised yelp as large skeletal hands gripped her under her armpits and lifted her off the ground.  

“IT HAS BEEN DECIDED!” Papyrus declared as he carried back over to the couch and deposited her on the cushions.  “TO MAKE UP FOR AND REWARD YOU FOR LAST NIGHT, YOU WILL NOT LIFT A FINGER TODAY,” he stated it with such confidence.  She swore she saw sparkles around him.  

Dumbfounded, she could only stare as Blue piped in with just as much enthusiasm.  “YUP! WE’LL TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING!” he was already moving and she could hear him rifling in her kitchen, “AND WE’LL START WITH THE CHORES THAT YOU WERE PLANNING TO DO BEFORE HEADING TO THE HOUSE.”  Chores?  They were actually going to do them for her? Seriously?  Her lips parted to assure them they really didn’t have to, but a warm mug filled with chocolatey goodness and marshmallows shoved into her hands stunned her into silence again.

“YES.  SO, JUST RELAX,” Papyrus had knelt down to be on eye level with her after taking the throw blanket from off the back of her couch and wrapping it loosely around her shoulders.  “LET US TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING.”  The words were a request, but the tone was a command.  Breaking away from his eyelights, she stared down into her mug as she thought it over.  She wasn’t used to having things done for her.  More specific, she wasn’t used to being spoiled.  She knew how to take care of herself by the time she was eight and even take care of her siblings in some cases.  

Naked phalanges entered her vision before the digits gently tipped her head back up by her chin.  Forced to look into Papyrus’s imploring sockets, she worried at her lip.  “Let Me Take Care Of You, Please?”  Oh.  Oh no.  That should be illegal.  She could feel warmth blooming in her chest and she hoped the gods would be merciful enough to not let her fluster show.   

A deep breath in and slowly let out, she offered an unsteady smile, “Okay, Papi.”  Papyrus practically lit up the room with his pleased smile.  She was doing good until someone cleared their throat and suddenly she remembered that they were not alone.  There went any hopes that she wasn’t a blushing mess.  She regretted peaking at Blue from the corner of her eye as he had quite possibly the biggest shit eating grin on his skull as he sent her waggled his brows teasingly.  She drowned her embarrassment in hot chocolate in hopes the mug was big enough to hide away her burning cheeks.

Blue must have felt merciful today as he asked for a quick rundown of what needed to be done and she filled them in.  He hummed, eyelights rolling to the ceiling, “SHOULDN’T TAKE MORE THAN AN HOUR THEN.  MAYBE LESS!”  He waved to Papyrus, urging him to get up and get started, “LET’S GET STARTED!”  Blue’s sockets seemed to curve as that teasing lilt returned, “PAPI~!” She about choked on her hot chocolate.  That little sh-!  Hiding her pout behind the mug, she sent a little glare the gremlin’s way and he just beamed innocently like he had done nothing wrong.  

The nickname had started as a play on his usual nickname “Papy” and it stuck after she found she couldn’t stop herself from pronouncing that way after one too times.  Whether Papyrus was even aware of the word play was unknown, but Blue, Cash, Mal, and Wine had made it obvious they knew what she was saying.  And all of them loved teasing her for it.  

Papyrus patting her knee brought her out of her brooding as he agreed they should get started and gave her one more firm reminder to stay put and if she needs anything, to call for them.  With that, she was left to nurse her hot chocolate as the two bustled around her home and every now and then they would ask where something was or went.  Comfortable chatter filled her small home.  At some point, Papyrus traded her empty mug  with a simple breakfast of steamed rice and a fried egg.  Something so simple somehow tasted so much better in that moment.  She ended up dozing off after that and they didn’t wake her until it was time to go.  

○●○●○●○●○

Blue had been the one to gently nudge her awake, “We’re All Done, Sleeping Beauty,” he teased.  An amused laugh burst past his teeth as the sleeping human swatted at his hand and tried to turn away.  All she accomplished was smooshing her face into the fabric of the couch she laid on and right in the little wet spot that had formed from her drool.  Edge had once told them that cats sometimes drool when they are very content.  If humans are anything like felines, then he was flattered she felt so comfortable around them, but he needed her to wake up.  He’d rather not move her in her sleep and have her disoriented and confused at the drastic change in scenery.

He poked a gloved phalange into her cheek firmly, “YOUR SPA DAY IS WAITING,” he urged.  She only made a disgruntled little noise, brows pinching and eyelashes twitching.  “PAPYRUS CAN’T SPOIL YOU IF YOU DON’T WAKE UP~” he goaded, voice low so his fellow skeleton didn’t hear.  Papyrus was currently finishing up folding the dressings for her bed.  She mumbled something incoherent and he blew a raspberry before finally just pinching her cheek and pulling.  That did it as her eyes flew open and she jerked to an upright position with a noticeable cringe.  Whoops.  He just offered an apologetic smile as she leveled an irritated glare his way.  

Soon enough, her glare eased and she looked around curiously, “Y’all are done already?” There was disbelief in her voice.  

“YUP,” Blue just shrugged and grinned as he straightened up.  A little magic goes a long way.  Normally, Papyrus would have been against using magic to speed through chores, but he was just as eager to start their human’s spa day.  It was honestly adorable seeing the two interact and he felt a little bad for his brother.   He had some stiff competition.  Heh… “stiff.”  He snorted at his little inside joke and found herself snorting again at the confused and concerned expression she was currently wearing.  He waved off her concern, “SO, ARE YOU READY TO GO?”

Her eyes narrowed as she lifted a brow, but didn’t dig or push him to explain.  Instead, she sighed and gestured to her abandoned bag on the floor next to her sofa.  “As ready I think,” she answered, voice a little unsure.

“DO YOU THINK YOU FORGOT SOMETHING?  I COULD GET IT FOR YOU,” he offered as he picked up her bag and set it on the couch just beside her.  He watched as she took a moment to think.  She was worrying her lip again and he clicked his teeth to get her attention.  As soon she was looking, he gestured to his mouth and she reluctantly released her abused lip.  

“Thanks, Blue,” she laughed as he just gave her a thumbs up, “but I’m honestly not sure.  I tried to cover all my bases and packed as much as I could without taking my whole house with me…”  He could feel that the bag was heavy.  Did humans need so much to take care of their hygiene?  Or was it simply because it was a special occasion?

“WHAT HAVE YOU PACKED SO FAR?” he questioned, nudging the bag curiously.

“Shampoo and conditioner obviously.  But my hair was looking a little dry so I included a hair mask.  Then I have my leave-ins, oils… stuff for bathing…” she trailed off as she listed what she could remember throwing in the bag, squinting at said object as she spoke like it could tell her what it contained.   

Meanwhile, he could feel his eyelights swelling as she continued, “GOLLIE!  AND YOU’RE STILL UNSURE IF YOU HAVE EVERYTHING?” He found himself thankful he didn’t have hair or skin.  It sounded like a lot of maintenance.  

“Well… I just didn’t want to be rude and bring too much,” she started and his sockets widened in realization as she elaborated, “Like I wouldn’t mind doing a body scrub or bringing a bath bomb.  Y’know, pamper myself a bit?”  There was a moment of silence before his eyelights formed into stars as she sent her a brilliant smile.  

“WE INVITED YOU OVER TO PAMPER YOURSELF, SILLY!” he laughed.  She was pouting as he reprimanded her goodnaturedly.  “NOW!  TELL ME WHAT ELSE YOU NEED AND I’LL GET IT,” he demanded.  A few more assurances that it was fine and she was giving him directions to said items.  Back and forth, he would retrieve an item and show it to her for approval before adding it to her bag.  On his last trip back, he nearly ran right into Papyrus who had finished putting up her now clean bed linens.  

“OOF! SORRY PAPYRUS!” he apologized as he dodged the taller skeleton and kept going.

“WHAT’S THE RUSH?” Papyrus questioned as he closed her bedroom door once they were both through and followed after the blue bolt.  

“OH! AM I RUSHING?! SORRY,” Blue gasped, forcing himself to slow down and move at a more reasonable pace.  Stopping by the couch, he showed her the last item and she nodded.  He deposited it into the bag and zipped it closed.  Lifting the bag experimentally, he found it not too heavy to carry.  At least for him, it wouldn’t be difficult. 

“Blue was helping me pack a few last minute things, Papi,” she explained after the curious look Papyrus had given them, “and that was the last one.” 

Blue laughed as Papyrus went to pick up the bag and while he seemed to lift it easily, he still made a noise in surprise at the heft.  “WOWIE! ALL OF THIS IS FOR YOUR HAIR?!” he exclaimed in amazement and soon enough, their human friend was laughing along with Blue.  In between laughs, she managed to explain that not all of it was.   Papyrus seemed to be vibrating in excitement by the end and it had the other two occupants of the room curious what had him so excited.  “HOW THOUGHTFUL OF YOU TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE EVERYTHING TO PROPERLY TAKE CARE AND PAMPER YOU THIS EVENING!” his proud  words seemed to burst from him.  

Blue could only blink at his companion before looking over to the human who was once again in a stupor.  Finally, an intelligent “Huh?” dropped from her lips.  She had looked to him for some explanation, but he just shrugged.  He wanted to see where this went.  Not getting an answer from him, she looked back to their towering, practically glowing companion.  “What do you mean, Papi?” she pressed gently, leaning towards the skeleton in question.

Without hesitation, Papyrus did not disappoint, “GOODNESS, YOU MUST BE IN WORSE SHAPE THAN I THOUGHT IF YOU FORGOT ALREADY.” His words held genuine concern and Blue managed to smother a little snort, determined to hear this out.  “I TOLD YOU THAT WE WOULD TAKE CARE OF YOU.  AND YOU AGREED TO LET US DO JUST THAT!”  

Blue’s eyelights were widening as listened and he could see the human was reacting in much the same fashion as she came to the same realization.  Making eye contact with her, he grinned and his sockets curved with how wide his smile was.  He could see the betrayal in her eyes as he chirped in, “THAT’S RIGHT.  YOU’RE NOT LIFTING A FINGER IF WE CAN HELP IT.”  She looked so overwhelmed and lost.  “GET READY TO SPOILED ROTTEN!” he finished, pointing dramatically at her and Papyrus joined in.  

For a while, she was doing a very impressive impression of a fish out of water before snapping out of it and finding her voice.  “Wait!” she held her hands up, palms out to signal mercy.  He could see the gears in head turning and once glance between the two, he could see her giving in as she slumped.  “I know better than to try and change your minds,” she laughed, lips quirked to one side in resigned amusement, “BUT.”  She held up a single finger as her lips pressed into a determined line, “I have to set boundaries.”  Her brows lifted as her head tilted, signaling them to respond.

“UNDERSTANDABLE,” Blue chimed in, placing his hands on his hips.

Papyrus nodded along, “OFCOURSE, WE WOULDN’T WANT YOU UNCOMFORTABLE.”

Their human sucked in a deep breath before letting it slowly.  “I can bathe myself,” she stated simply.  Blue wanted to laugh, but he understood why she would be worried they might take it too far.  While he was sure Papyrus wouldn’t have tried, he couldn’t say the same for some of their housemates.  Both nodded and she sighed, relaxing back against the couch.  

Papyrus was worrying his hands and Blue looked from his fidgeting hands up to his face, “SOMETHING ON YOUR MIND, PAPYRUS?”  He was ready to get going and had already shouldered her bag as he felt out a shortcut.  

“WELL, I WAS JUST WONDERING IF WE COULD STILL HELP WITH HER HAIR…” he braided his fingers to stop them from fidgeting.  How had it skipped Blue’s mind that most of the Papyri were borderline obsessed with her hair.  Sadly, they had stopped trying to get their hands in it after Cash had told them she and humans like her with curly hair don’t like their hair touched by others.  He’d said she had told him last he tried and he had heard it in gossip as well.  But all that aside, this was the opportunity of a lifetime for Papyrus he realized.  No wonder he was so hyped up.  Looking at their curly haired friend, he was surprised at the soft smile she was sending Papyrus.

“Of course, you can help me with my hair, Papi,” she assured gently and lifted a hand to play with the curl at the end of one of her braids, “What’s a spa day without a trip to the salon?” she winked.  She took a moment to click her tongue as something else occurred to her, “Plus, I don’t think my arms are to the task anyway…” she admitted.  

Blue didn’t have to look at Papyrus to know he was practically shining in joy and soon enough his companion was sweeping their human into a twirling hug.  He could hear laughter turn into a groan and Papyrus was quick to adjust his hold so he wasn’t crushing her.  Once the two had settled, Blue approached and wrapped his fingers around Papyrus’s humerus.  “TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND CLOSE YOUR EYES, BEAUTY” he instructed, chuckling as she stuck her tongue out at him before doing as told.  He would have teased her for pressing her face into Papyrus’s chest, but he needed to focus.  “HERE WE GO!” he warned, mainly for their human companion before the living room was left abandoned as they made one more trip through the void.   

NEXT

[the-river-person]

Goner Kid’s Fun

He’d not intended to run into Sans at the door. Papyrus was on his way out, planning to visit Gaster again. It had been a little while since he’d last gone because everything had been so busy with all the new changes. Sans, on the other hand, was on his way in looking extremely tired. Sometimes Papyrus wondered what exactly his brother did these days to make him so tired. Sure he’d seen Sans helping here and there are the Queen’s school, the pair of them  had obviously been friends for some time, even if this might be a rough patch. But no, now that the sentry jobs had been disbanded as they were no longer needed, there was really no reason for him to be so exhausted all the time. It was worrying. For his part, Sans gaped up at Papyrus in surprise. This might have been for the bomber jacket, t-shirt, and jeans that Papyrus was wearing instead of the battle body. Or maybe it was something on his face? Had he combed his hair? Oh wait.... he didn’t have hair. “IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG, SANS?” Shaking himself, Sans grinned. “Nah, Bro. I was just a bit surprised. I thought you’d never take the Battle Body off again. You seemed pretty attached. This look is good too though.” Papyrus struck a pose so that Sans could better admire his alternate attire. “WHY THANK YOU! I DO LOOK AMAZING EVEN IN CASUAL WEAR, DON’T I? THOUGH NATURALLY I CAN MAKE ANYTHING LOOK GOOD.” For a moment Papyrus was sure Sans was going to make a pun. The timing was perfect for it. Then he would shout and rail about bad puns and Sans would laugh. There was a moment of silence, expectation lingering in the air as Sans blinked at him. Finally, after what seemed to Papyrus to be a very long time, but was really only a few short seconds, Sans grinned. “Absolutely fibula-ous,” he said with an infuriating combination of sincerity and mischievousness in his voice. “SANS!!!” shouted Papyrus. Secretly though he was a little disappointed. He’d been expecting something a little more spectacular. A lot of Sans’ jokes had been somewhat lackluster lately. Shrugging, Sans gave Papyrus the most innocent expression he could muster, looking for all the world as if he’d never done anything wrong in his life. “Whoops. Hehehehehe. So where you going Bro?” Gaster had asked Papyrus to wait until people started remembering him before telling anyone of the little cave in Waterfall. But Sans had already remembered some things, and Alphys had too, though she hadn’t recalled enough to realize anything was wrong yet. Yet Sans was starting to piece together old memories of their Uncle, and of their parents, though most of it was still fragmented or gone, and didn’t seem like it was coming back anytime soon. Maybe it was enough, maybe Gaster wouldn’t mind. It would be good for Sans. “I’M OFF TO VISIT A FRIEND IN WATERFALL! YOU SHOULD COME WITH ME! I THINK YOU’D LIKE THEM! THEY DON’T GET OUT MUCH, BUT THEY’RE VERY GOOD CONVERSATIONALISTS!” Sans agreed easily enough and they set off. As they trudged through the snow a bunch of kids ran past them, singing bits of the old Angel’s Prayer as a song for whatever game they were playing, jumping or skipping in time to the rhythm. “Soon the darkness will draw near, and all light disappear!” It was a little dark to be using for a game in Papyrus’ opinion. But the song was popular enough, so he supposed it didn’t matter. Sans was lost in thought, so they walked in silence through much of Waterfall, listening only to the roar of the waterfalls echoing through the damp rocky tunnels. Once Papyrus thought they were being followed, though he couldn’t see or hear anyone when he’d turned to look. But afterward he listened closely and every so often he thought he could hear the soft pattering of feet on stone or the tiniest splash of someone treading through water. When he reached the corridor where the door to Gaster’s cave was, it was gone. Just a bare stone wall. Sans looked at him in confusion but said nothing, waiting as Papyrus stared at the wall and tried to figure out what to do. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of feet once more and he turned just in time to see a little grey monster try to duck out of sight. It was a young monster, similar to MK with the scales down the back of his head and tail, and the striped sweater. But other than the details of their shape, the similarities ended. This child was all in shades of grey, as if the color had been leeched away from them. Even the sweater was grey. Their eyes were a pale white color and flat, devoid of any expression. “I SAW YOU, YOU CAN COME OUT.” said Papyrus gently, hoping they weren’t frightened of him. But they didn’t seem to have any emotion at all that he could see when they poked their head back out and then walked calmly over to them. Sans looked deeply unsettled at the sight of the kid. With a tilt of his head, considering them carefully, the monster child spoke. “Have you ever thought about a world where everything is exactly the same... except you don’t exist? Everything functions perfectly without you. As if you weren’t needed at all.” This child was weird. “AHEM,” said Papyrus uncomfortably, not really knowing what to say to the question. Instead he opted to change the subject. “DO YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THE DOOR? I’M TRYING TO SEE HIM, BUT THE ENTRANCE MOVED AWAY SOMEHOW.” No answer, the little grey kid just stared at him with those horrible empty eyes. Just as Papyrus was about to suggest to Sans that they go away and try another day,  his phone rang and both he and Sans jumped. “HELLO?” he said, answering it. A quiet voice on the other end answered him back. “Oh dear, it seems you’ve got the wrong number. Here’s the Wrong Number Song!” An electronic sounding jingle played through the phone, loud enough that Papyrus had to move the device away from his head. Then just as suddenly as it had begun, the call ended, the person had hung up. “WHAT ON EARTH?” said Papyrus looking round to Sans and the grey monster child. Sans shrugged, but the child had vanished. “OH, HE’S GONE NOW. OH WELL. MAYBE WE SHOULD JUST TRY ANO- OH!!! SANS! THE DOOR!” Though moments before there had only been the dark stone of Waterfall’s tunnels, a grey door had been inserted into the wall, as if it had always been there. Sans had still said nothing, which was beginning to worry Papyrus, but he certainly looked freaked out by this point. The trip had certainly been more eventful than usual, hopefully meeting Gaster himself wouldn’t be too much to handle.

[msmkcreates]

“so it’s a date?” “nope. not a date” for Slim/Reader? not from any specific fic, i dont think, though what ive read has been *chefs kiss*

I went with Mutt, since I'm not exactly sure what you meant by Slim? And also, this is absolutely not what you had in mind, most likely, so very sorry about that. On the bright side, it sets up for something else and I kinda like that.

Tags/Warnings: Eating Disorders, insults, not much fluff here, fat-phobia (?), reader has body issues and Mutt is an asshole, seriously an asshole

"Re-Hate-tionship" (SF!Papyrus/reader, platonic SF!Sans&Reader)

Was it bad, how much you hated Mutt? Was it wrong of you, as Black's best friend, to so completely despise his shit-talking older brother?

It can't be wrong, you reason, because he hates you just as much. He makes snide remarks at you, about your clothes, your hair, your anything really as long as it's something to pick at. He mocks you when you're trying to be serious, he pulls faces at the back of your head when he thinks you aren't looking, and you're pretty sure you could draw his middle finger from memory.

So, a mutual hate. A re-hate-tionship, if you will. You said that once, and he laughed, and then he looked so upset with himself for at least three days. Black has begged you both to get along, but honestly he's given up at this point--as long as nobody is throwing anything he lets you dance your dance of disapproval.

You'd asked him once, what you ever did to him, and he replied that you were a human of unknown intentions hanging around his brother...and you assumed that your retaliation had lit the flames to you being a bitch, which fed the hate. It isn't like you didn't try to be civil (okay it was rare but sometimes you tried) but it's hard to stay nice when three seconds after entering the house you're being insulted.

Today was no different, of course, you weren't sure what you'd expected when you'd come over for dinner. He hurled his usual insults at you, but this time he somehow hit a sensitive spot.

"why the fuck're we feeding you, too, again? honestly you could probably fit t'skip a meal, flesh-bag."

You stiffened immediately, and Black noticed. His face was full of fury, ready to tell Mutt off, but he didn't say anything when you sharply shook your head.

But it was too late, he'd noticed your lack of response. He didn't make another stab at your weight, at least not right away, but he smirked like he'd won something as you stabbed at your salad, perforating it over and over but ultimately pushing it away.

You weren't very hungry anymore.

It was halfway through the night, the movie still barely ramping up through the action, when he broke from his usual game of begrudging silence to take another crack at you.

"yer movie picker is shit," he said simply.

"It's a classic, everybody likes this movie," you huffed. "At least, anyone who isn't a complete degenerate. Guess I can't expect you to have any sort of taste, not like me and Black."

That earned a snicker from Black, almost a stamp of approval, and Mutt scowled. You only smiled back sweetly.

"i dunno if you can talk 'bout taste, do y'even taste the snacks you shove in yer face? or are y'just hooverin' them down?"

You pressed your lips into a thin line of displeasure, your free hand not holding the popcorn moving to Black's knee, squeezing as you felt him tense beside you. You don't respond, glaring at the TV in front of you, but you do put the popcorn aside, instead crossing your arms and wholly ignoring his presence.

It's fine. It wasn't as if you hadn't been horrible to him on other nights. You insulted him just as much for things he might be sensitive about--his scars, his golden tooth, other appearance based insults you'd be ashamed to repeat to your mother. Maybe if he didn't get a reaction, he'd poke at something else and leave your eating habits alone.

At the very least his little victory kept him in smug silence until the credits rolled.

"PERHAPS WE SHOULD SEND THE LEFTOVERS HOME WITH YOU, MY DEAR," Black said, bundling the last of it into a Tupperware. "DON'T THINK I DIDN'T NOTICE YOUR LACK OF APPETITE TONIGHT."

"M'fine," you said, waving away his thinly veiled concern. "You guys keep it."

"a shocking twist of generosity," Mutt added in a bored tone from the living room.

"I'm sorry, did I ask you? Or in some way imply that I was talking to you at all?" You huffed, glaring at him as Black rolled his eyelights, packing the Tupperware into your bag. "You know, you'd be a lot more fun to be around if you didn't spend every waking moment being an asshole."

"i don't spend every moment being an asshole," he chuckled, leaning over the half-wall that separated the kitchen and the living room. "it's somethin' i can turn off, so if that's my worst trait at least m'pretty."

"Gag me," you spat.

"now there's an image."

"Ew!" You scoffed, turning away from him to look at Black with exasperation.

"it's a date, then?" He laughed.

You looked back at him, horrified. "No, no, not a date, definitely not a fucking date. If you think you're coming anywhere close to my mouth with any filthy fucking part of your body--"

"what, i thought you liked a little sausage?" He practically purred. "y'certainly eat like ya'd suck a mean dick."

"MUTT! THAT IS ENOUGH!" Black said swiftly, but the damage was done.

It seemed he had found his new Favorite Thing to poke at about you. The unbothered look on his face as Black raised his voice at him was enough to make that blindingly clear, and you set your jaw, fists clenching as you glared at him.

"I eat like everybody else!" You said finally, hands shaking in your rage. "I'm not fat!"

"OF COURSE, HE DIDN'T MEAN IT THAT WAY--" Black tried, and you shook his hand off your arm.

"He did mean it that way!" You flipped Mutt off, with gusto. "Fuck you, and that isn't an invitation."

With that, you took off, storming out and onto the terrace. You would have left completely but your stuff wasn't all together yet and you didn't fancy coming back for it in twenty minutes. You slammed the sliding glass door as good as you could and dragged a deck chair to the edge of the balcony, plopping down and leaning on your crossed arms, staring down into the trees and foliage behind the building.

You could hear Black blowing up on Mutt inside, though the soundproofing was good enough that you couldn't hear exactly what he was saying, only the tone of it. He knows all about your history with your eating disorder, you'd broken down and cried to him after he'd asked you one too many times if you'd gotten enough to eat.

You understand that underground, resources were scarce, and that's why he always makes sure you've eaten enough. He's been good about his wording since then, carefully asking if you have everything you need, with heavy implications that he means food. It's worked thus far, and sending leftovers home was kind of his way of saying he loved you.

You assume, then, as you calmed down a bit, that Mutt really meant no offense when he said you eat well. It was probably a compliment, even, as veiled as it was. And it wasn't like you'd ever opened up to him about your strained relationship with food and your weight. He probably thought it was funny that a small compliment made you clam up in a way his insults never had.

The door slid open behind you and you sighed, closing your eyes. "It's fine, Black, I'll get over it."

"good, here i thought i'd hafta apologize."

You huffed and turned a glare on Mutt as he closed the door behind him. That was not your best friend as you had expected. "What, did he make you come out here to say sorry? Well, you can save it, I don't take insincere apologies."

"actually, he told me he's fed up with how i treat you and that he didn't want to see me within a mile of ya again." Mutt pulled up the second terrace chair and took a seat. "but i don't think i can do that."

"What, come to make fun of me, then?" You hissed, leaning back and glaring over at him. "Maybe call me names? Make pig noises?"

"i wouldn't do that," he said, seriously. "i pick my words pretty carefully, you know, if i'd'a known you had a thing about food i woulda picked 'em even more carefully."

"Since when do you give a shit about my feelings?"

"always," he said, and you snorted, disbelieving. "we may not get along, but yer important t'sans, that makes you important t'me. an' you ain't nothin' but beautiful, so i guess i didn't think that you'd take it as me callin' you fat."

"First you insult me, and now you lie to me." You stood up, and he looked right up at you as you loomed over him the best you could. "Anything else? Maybe poke fun at my dead mom, or fake-ask-me-out?"

"why would anyone fake asking someone out?" He asked, genuinely surprised. "i'm a mean bitch at heart, so is sans, but we'd never do that."

You huffed. "Well then congrats, you're better than the kids I went to school with. Barely."

He hummed thoughtful and you were about to turn and leave him behind--

"wanna fuck?"

Slowly, you turned around, looking at him in disbelief. "I'm sorry?"

"i said," he stood, crowding you against the balcony fencing, his hands on either side of you. "wanna fuck? you an' i might not get along, but you're fine as fuck, i'm not so bad, and i gotta bed we can work out our aggressions on. so, wanna fuck?"

You inhaled, hands on his chest and ready to push him away...but you're due for some stress relief and if anything you can trust him not to get attached, and despite being the opposite of friends you trust he'd never do anything to hurt you, if only for his brother's sake.

"You know what?" You breathed, straightening your posture. Your hands went from pushing to gripping his shirt. "Yeah. Let's fuck. You've had worse ideas."