Wordcount: 6,613
* Once upon a time, two races ruled over Earth. HUMANS and MONSTERS.
* One day, war broke out between the two races. Eventually, the humans were victorious.
* They sealed the monsters underground with a magic spell.
* Many years later... MT. Ebott, 201X.
* Legends say that those who climb the mountain never return...
Frisk woke up in a bed of golden flowers. To say their head hurt was a gross understatement. It felt like all the hangovers in the world were currently staging a rave party behind their eyes. They could barely understand where they were, or even why they were.
Worse than the headache was the inescapable thought that they had broken nearly all of their bones. When they tried to move, burning hot pain shot up their spine, forcing them back to the ground. Though they could not see it, they felt that they had broken a few of their ribs and perhaps a few bits of their spine too.
After the headache lessened, Frisk made another attempt to drag themselves to their feet. They took it easy, biting their lip in order to distract themselves from the lava-like pain crawling on their back. There was an unpleasant, soft pop as they straightened up, vertebrae clicking back into place. The pain still remained, but it was less savage than before, save for their ribs, which felt as though someone had taken a hammer to them.
They briefly took in their surroundings. Sunlight was dripping from a huge opening in the ceiling above. The walls were made of some kind of grey brick. The air was cold and musty. There was a huge, arched doorway at the end of the hall.
They reached into their pockets, withdrawing a fresh cigarette and used gauze. It was slightly sticky. Disgusted, they put the items back in their pocket. Smoothing out their purple and blue striped shirt, they headed towards the doorway. It was embellished with a strange emblem. A circle with wings. Below it, three triangles, the one in the middle pointing downwards.
Strange... thought Frisk. I've never seen that one before... Without another thought, they walked through the doorway.
The room they were in now was round, like a dome. There was another arched doorway at the end of the room. A lone golden flower sat in a small patch of dirt in the centre of the room.
"Howdy!"
Frisk stared around the room, trying to find the source of the voice. A short cough echoed throughout the room.
"Down here, friend."
Frisk looked down at the flower, who was smiling.
"As I was saying..." said the flower, "Howdy! I'm Flowey! Flowey the flower!"
"Plants can't talk..." said Frisk, more surprised by the sound of their voice than the talking flower before them.
"Well, this one sure can!" replied Flowey, poking his tongue out. "You're new to the Underground, aren'tcha?"
"We're underground?" asked Frisk.
Flowey looked a little annoyed. "We sure are, pal. We're in a mountain. Ebott Mountain, to be precise."
"Are there more like you?"
Flowey's look of annoyance grew further. "Not that I'm aware of."
"Hmm..."
Flowey coughed, obviously eager to get back to what he had been saying. "Anyway, you're new here. Someone'll have to teach you how things work around here! So, I guess little ol' me'll have to do."
Frisk felt a strange feeling of foreboding. "Ready? Let's do this, pal!"
They felt a sickening tug in their chest as a red heart was forced out of their chest. "See that thing right there?" Frisk nodded. "That is your SOUL. The very culmination of your being!"
"My SOUL's heart-shaped?" asked Frisk curiously. Flowey chuckled.
"'Course it is! All human SOULs are heart-shaped. Monster SOULs are the same, but upside-down."
"Monsters?" asked Frisk. Flowey acted as though he didn't hear them.
"Your SOUL starts off weak, but if you grow stronger, your LV increases!
"What's LV stand for? Why, LOVE of course!"
LOVE? thought Frisk. This sure is confusing.
"Down here, LOVE is shared through..." Five spinning white pellets appeared above his head. "Little white 'friendliness pellets'.
"You want some LOVE, don't you?" He winked. "Don't worry, I'll share some with you! On one condition..."
"What's that?"
Flowey cleared his throat. "Empty your pockets."
Frisk's heart (or... SOUL?) skipped a beat. "S-sorry, what?"
Flowey, losing all pretence of politeness, turned on them, his face twisted into an expression of pure hatred. "EMPTY YOUR POCKETS!" He shrieked. A stream of friendliness pellets shot at Frisk, who quickly dodged them. "I know you've got it on you!"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"The fertiliser! I've been trying to find some ALL WEEK! I need that high!" The flower screamed. "Did she send you? Did she find out I've been taking it?" He sent more friendliness pellets at Frisk, who dodged most of them, but felt one skim their arm. They dropped to the ground, gasping. The pellet had been laced with some kind of poison, and they could feel their HP drop drastically.
HP: 4/20
"I don't have any," Frisk coughed. Flowey's face contorted horribly.
"LIAR!" A vine erupted from the ground, ensnaring the human. He lifted them upside-down, shaking them relentlessly, though this only exacerbated the injuries sustained by their fall. They cried out weakly as they heard the sound of something snapping. Eventually, the cigarette and gauze fell out of their pockets, which prompted Flowey to stop.
"What's this?" asked Flowey, a smaller vine holding up the cigarette. He was practically panting.
"I-it's... a cigarette."
He looked disgusted. "My father— I mean... King Asgore used to smoke these." He looked greedily at Frisk. "Are they made of some kind of plant root or something?"
"I... I think? It really depends on what kind of—"
Flowey dropped them. Frisk fell to the ground, coughing. Their entire body was on fire.
A circle of pellets surrounded them.
"It's not fertiliser, but it'll do," He said, beginning to laugh. The pellets drew closer. There was no point struggling. They were cornered.
Frisk shut their eyes, bracing for the end.
Suddenly, a comforting sensation of warmth washed over them. Miraculously, the pellets had disappeared, and Frisk's HP was fully restored!
HP: 20/20
Flowey looked furious. "What the... how did you...?"
Before he could continue, he was uprooted by someone's well-aimed kick.
Frisk sighed in relief. Thank God. Actually, whoever you are, you are my God.
Their God resembled a bipedal goat with beautiful white fur. Frisk couldn't help but notice that its robe had an image of that same emblem from before on it. Must be some kind of religious symbol or something.
"What a miserable creature... torturing such a poor, innocent child..." Its voice was feminine. Her eyes found Frisk's, which must've been terrified, considering their response. "Ah, dooo not beeee afraid, my child. I am Toriel, caretaker of the Ruinssss. I come here every day to ssssee if anyone hasssss fallen down."
Frisk backed away a little, wincing as the pain flared up again. "I hope you'll forgive me, but the first thing I met tried to kill me. Surely you don't expect me to trust you?"
Toriel's eyes drifted to the flower which was currently mumbling curses under his breath. "I hope you will not judge all of ussss by hissss actions. I promise you, I am trustworthyyyy."
Frisk backed away further. They felt that her intentions were good, but they were suspicious. And her speech pattern, too...
Still, they were probably the only person worth placing their trust in at the moment.
Frisk opened their mouth to speak, but then stopped when they remembered the cigarette and gauze Flowey had taken from them. They reached out, scooping up their only possessions, putting them back into their pocket. They stood back up, and spoke.
"I... trust you," Frisk said hesitantly.
Toriel gave a sigh of relief. "Thank yooou," she said, her expression quickly turning concerned. "You are not ill, aaare you?"
"No, nothing like that," Frisk replied, trying their best to ignore the pain. "I just broke a few bones when I fell down here."
Toriel gave a surprised gasp and started towards them. Frisk felt like they should back away, but the concern in her eyes seemed real. "Let meee see..." she mumbled, placing a paw on Frisk's back. She closed her eyes. Frisk could almost feel their broken bones being knitted back together.
She released her paw. "I haave put them right," she explained, "but theey will still huurt."
Frisk nodded cautiously. "T-thank you, miss Toriel."
She giggled. "Please... just call meee Torieelll." Frisk nodded. "Now, shaall we go?" Another nod.
Abandoning the flower, the two made their way into the next room. There was a doorway at the end. The room was built of beautiful purple bricks. There were two stairways that lead to the doorway. A large pile of autumn leaves sat between the stairs. A small, twinkling yellow star sat in front of the leaf pile. It felt only instinctual that Frisk should walk up to it.
The moment they laid their hands on it, they heard a voice inside their head.
* The shadow of the Ruins looms above, filling you with determination. HP fully restored.
* File saved.
So, is this like a video game or something?
"The Ruinsss are full of puzzlesss. Ancient fusionssss between diversions and doorkeysss. One must ssssolve them to mooove from room to room. Please adjust yourself to the sssight of them," Toriel was saying. Frisk watched as she walked up to a set of buttons, stepping on four of them. Then, she pulled a lever on the wall. The door opened.
"I ssshall be waaaiting in the next roooom," She bowed, before leaving.
There was a sign on the wall. It read: Only the fearless may proceed. Brave ones, foolish ones. Both not walk the middle road.
The next room had two wooden bridges crossing small rivers. There were weeds snaking up the walls. There were three switches, two labelled with a somewhat excessive amount of arrows.
"I have labelled the ssswitches you need to presssss," Toriel said. Frisk followed her as she walked to the end of the room, the doorway being blocked by spikes. Frisk pressed the two switches, and the spikes retreated into their hiding place.
Toriel seemed pleased. "Sssplendid! I am proud of you, little one. Let us proceeeed to the next roooom."
The next room was small, shaped like a backwards L. A training dummy stood resolutely before them. "Assss a human living in theee Underground," said Toriel. "Monsterssss may attack youuu. You will neeeed to be prepared for this ssssituation."
Frisk didn't say anything.
"However, worry not! The process is ssssimple," Toriel gestured to the training dummy. "When youuu encounter a monsterrr, you will enter a fight. While you are in a fight, ssstrike up a friendly conversationnn."
Frisk stared at Toriel. Was she insane? Strike up a friendly conversation in the middle of a fight?
"Ssstall for time. I will come and resssolve the conflict," She continued. I'd be more worried about how she resolves it, thought Frisk. Toriel was swaying slightly on the spot.
"Practice talkinnng to theee dummy."
Frisk was a little confused. Talk? Would there not be any training on what to do if the enemy refused to stop fighting?
Toriel apparently sensed they were hesitant. "Do not worryyyy, you may say anythiiing you like tooo it. After all, it is onlyyy a dummy."
Frisk approached the dummy.
* You encountered the Dummy.
* FIGHT | ACT | ITEM | MERCY
* Check | Talk
* DUMMY - 0 ATK 0 DEF
* A cotton heart and a button eye, you are the apple of my eye.
* Dummy stares around absentmindedly.
Frisk decided to try MERCY. After all, that seemed to be what Toriel was trying to teach them. To never fight back, even if you were being beaten to within an inch of your life. As you do.
* FIGHT | ACT | ITEM | MERCY
* Spare | Flee
Nothing happened.
So, naturally, they did it again. And again. And again. And again. And again.
* Dummy tires of your aimless shenanigans.
Then, it promptly floated away.
* You won! You earned 0 EXP and 0 GOLD.
And just like that, it was over.
Toriel was staring in shock at what had just happened. All she said before leaving was: "The next puzzle awaits."
"There is anotherrrr puzzle in this room. I wonder if you can sssolve it...?"
As they followed Toriel down the hall, they felt the familiar tug of their SOUL leaving their body. A battle initiated.
* Froggit hopped close!
Frisk chose ACT.
* Check | Offer | Talk
* FROGGIT - 4 ATK 1 DEF
* Life is difficult for this enemy.
A few flies scattered around the room. Frisk dodged them easily.
* Froggit hops to and fro.
* Check | Offer | Talk
* You offer Froggit a puff of your cigarette...
* It didn't understand what you said, but agrees anyway.
Unfortunately for Froggit, it never got that puff, because Toriel edged closer, looking disapprovingly at the monster, which shamefully fled.
* You won! You earned 0 EXP and 2 GOLD.
Frisk bent down to pick up the two circle-shaped pieces of gold. Guess this is like their currency or something, thought Frisk. They wondered if they could buy anything with it around here. Toriel stopped in front of what appeared to be a sea of spikes.
"This is the puzzle, buuut..." Toriel trailed off. She seemed deep in thought for a moment, before saying: "Here, take myyy hand."
Frisk did so. For a moment, they thought they were actually going to walk on the spikes, but were relieved when the spikes in their path deactivated as they walked. After they got to the other side, Toriel scratched her chin for a moment.
"Puzzles ssseeeem a little too dangerousss for nowww," She said, before entering into the next room. Frisk was a little worried that she'd hurt herself. After all, she'd stumbled and slurred her way through the Ruins. And this was the person they were supposed to be entrusting their safety to?
On any other day, Frisk would've just said, "Nope!" and quit right then and there. But, there wasn't much of a choice. Between a psychotic flower and a drunken goat lady, they knew which one they'd pick. Sighing, they trudged onward.
"Youuu have done excellently thusss far, my chiilld... Howeeeveeer..." She blinked. Her eyes were a little glazed, but Frisk didn't think she noticed it. "I have a... difficult... requessst to asskk of youuu..."
Frisk stared cautiously at her. Her cheeks were rosy and she seemed to be having more trouble than usual speaking. "I would like youuu to walk tooo the end of theee room by yourseeelllf...
"Forgive me for this."
She spun around, and seemed to be getting ready to run away. But, in her haste, she tripped and fell. She landed face-first on the ground and didn't try to get up again.
"T-Toriel!" Frisk cried, rushing to her aid. She offered no resistance as Frisk lifted her up, albeit with much difficulty. She mumbled a near-incoherent "thank you". She was still wobbling quite a lot. Frisk wrapped an arm around her, supporting her as they walked down the unnecessarily long hallway. She leaned against the wall, mumbling to herself for a few minutes.
Eventually, she spoke to Frisk: "I've got... business to attend tooo..." She slurred, her eyes shut tight. "It's... dangerousss to explooorre by yourseeellf... I hate to leeaave you heere, so... here's an idea... I will give youuu a cell phone... if you..." She looked as if she would throw up for a moment. "need anything, do not hesitate to caaalll me..." She pressed a flip phone into Frisk's hands, before hugging them. "Be good, won't you?" They could smell alcohol on her breath.
Then, she stumbled out of the room, leaving Frisk alone. They were practically rooted to the spot.
After a few minutes, they decided to open the phone. They called Toriel's number. It rang once, twice, three times—
"Hellooo? Thisss is Toriel..."
* Say Hello
* About Yourself
* Call Her "Mom"
* Flirt
"Youuu... wanted to say hello?" She cleared her throat. "'Hello!' I hope that... sufficesss. Hee hee..."
She hung up.
Frisk called again. "You wanted... to say hello again? 'Salutations!'. Isss that enough?"
She hung up again.
* Say Hello
* About Yourself
* Call Her "Mom"
* Flirt
"Hmmm...? Youuu... wanted to know more about meee? Well... I'm afraid there is not much to sssay..." She giggled. "I am just a sssilly old ladyyy who worriesss too much!"
* Say Hello
* About Yourself
* Call Her "Mom"
* Flirt
"Thisss is Toriel... Huh...?" Toriel sounded genuinely surprised. "Did... you just call meee... 'Mom'?" She sounded deep in thought for a minute. "Well... would that make you happy...? To call me... 'mother'? Well then... call me whatever you like!"
There was a silence between the two for a few seconds, before she giggled again.
"Weellll... if that is what makes youuu happy, my chiilld..."
* Say Hello
* About Yourself
* Call Her "Mom"
* Flirt
Toriel made a noise of surprise. Frisk was disgusted with themselves. "Oh, heh.. heh... Ha ha ha!" Frisk was a little relieved. "How adooorable... I could pinch your cheek...! You can certainly find better than an old woman like me..."
* Say Hello
* About Yourself
* Call Her "Mom"
* Flirt
"Oh dear... are you seriousss...? And to think... you wanted to caaall mee... mother." Frisk waited for the inevitable nuclear fallout. "You are an... 'interesting' child..."
They supposed it was time to stop messing around. If Toriel really was intoxicated (and Frisk had no doubt she was) then she was endangering herself. Someone had to stay with her to make sure she was alright...
I guess that 'somebody' will have to be me...
No sooner had they stepped foot outside of the room, their phone rang. They answered it.
"Helllooo... This is Toriel... youuu... have not left the room, have you? There are a few puzzlessss I have yet to explainnn... It would be.. dangerousss to try to sssolve them yourself... Be good... alright?"
Then she hung up.
Despite feeling obligated to obey her, Frisk felt that they needed to protect Toriel. After all, she had saved them. What if she was lying passed out in a river? What if she fell over and didn't get up again?
I guess I'm just going to have to disobey her for once, thought Frisk.
As they entered the room, they noticed a Froggit sitting there. It just sat there, watching them. Deciding it was friendly, Frisk knelt down and spoke to it.
"Excuse me, have you seen—"
"Ribbit, ribbit," The Froggit said, cutting them off. Frisk was about to scold them, but the Froggit continued speaking.
"(Excuse me, human. I have some advice for you about battling monsters.)"
"Alright, what is it?"
"(If you ACT a certain way or FIGHT until you almost defeat them... They might not want to battle you anymore.)"
So, in other words, manipulate them or beat them into submission. Good advice.
"(If a monster does not want to fight you, please...)
"(Use some MERCY, human.)
"Ribbit."
Frisk backed away a little. The monster's voice had sounded so desperate. Their plea... Use some mercy, human...
It didn't seem like much, but Frisk did have morals. They weren't a murderer. They promised to themselves right then and there that they'd use mercy as often as they could. After they had finished practically showering the Froggit in praise for their wisdom, they set off again...
Or would have if they hadn't been distracted by a mysterious doorway. They entered the room. Two small streams on both sides, and in the middle of the room, a pedestal full of brightly-coloured candies.
* It says 'Please take one'.
* Take a piece of candy?
Frisk reached into the bowl, thinking, Eh, why not? Their hand emerged from the acid trip that was the candy bowl, probably about eleven candies there.
* Unfortunately, you are a bad boy, and it's plain to see.
* Eleven Monster Candies acquired. Truly despicable.
Frisk snickered, popping one of the candies in their mouth. It had the texture of liquorice, but it tasted more like a sherbet lemon. At least it was a cheap pleasure for the moment.
Alright, I really need to get going, thought Frisk. Who knows how far Toriel's already gotten?
They returned to the room with the Froggit. Another yellow star they hadn't noticed before was sparkling in a pile of leaves. Approaching it, they heard the voice again:
* Playfully crinkling through the leaves fills you with determination. HP fully restored.
* File saved.
Continuing down the path, they suddenly stopped, feeling their SOUL wrench itself from their body.
* Whimsun approaches meekly.
* FIGHT | ACT | ITEM | MERCY
* Check | Console | Terrorise
* WHIMSUN - 5 ATK 0 DEF
* This monster is too sensitive to fight...
"I have no choice..." Whimsun whispered. A ring of moths surrounded Frisk, sizing in and out. It seemed like an impressive attack, except for the fact Whimsun hadn't a hope in hell of damaging Frisk that way. They would've had to run right into it. And of course, they didn't do that.
* It's starting to smell like lavender and mothballs.
* FIGHT | ACT | ITEM | MERCY
* Check | Console | Terrorise
* Halfway through your first word, Whimsun bursts into tears and runs away.
* You won! You earned 0 EXP and 2 GOLD.
So, if I keep doing this... I can get some gold each time? It was a dirty thing, profiting off of Whimsun's depression, but times were tough. They needed the gold. They encountered Whimsuns over and over until their pocket had 12G in it. Then they decided that was enough, and left the room. A hallway lay before them. There was a cracked tile floor in the middle between two chutes. The floor looked as if it'd give way if someone stepped on it.
So, of course Frisk stepped on them. And of course they fell down, although the fall was not too far, and it was cushioned by a leaf pile. Thank God for the convenience of these leaf piles...
They climbed into the rightmost chute, finding a ladder inside. They climbed up the ladder, emerging on the other side. They quickly left that room.
The next room held a rock, button, and sign. The sign read: Three out of four grey rocks recommend you push them.
Frisk pushed the heavy rock onto the button, the spikes blocking their path deactivating. An easy puzzle, thought Frisk. However, the next room was not so.
It was a large, cracked tile floor section. Thankfully, they received a helpful hint when the floor gave way. Leaf piles marked out the correct path to take. Despite knowing this, they still failed at this many, many times.
After this, Frisk was nearly at their limit. They didn't want to solve any more puzzles. They just wanted to take a break.
In the next room, there were three rocks, each needing to be pushed onto buttons. Frisk pushed the first two onto them, but was surprised when the third rock stubbornly refused to move.
"Hey, who do you think you are, pushin' me around?" It said indignantly.
"Sorry," apologised Frisk. "Could you please move over?"
"Huh? Move over? Well, okay. Just for you, pumpkin."
The rock moved a little. "A little more."
The rock moved again. "A little more."
He moved off the path. "No, no! Back on the path!" said Frisk, exasperated.
"Okay, I think I've got it."
He moved onto the button, and the spikes deactivated. Just as Frisk was about to step past the spikes, they shot back up. They stumbled back, surprised. Then, seething, they went to give the rock a piece of their mind.
"Hey! What's the big idea, trying to kill me like that?" shouted Frisk. "Stay on the button until I get past the spikes!"
"You're givin' me a real workout, kiddo," The rock said, moving onto the button again. That was the end of their interaction.
The next room was a hallway with a table on it. It had some cheese on it. There was a mouse hole opposite the table. A SAVE point was twinkling near the table.
* Knowing that the mouse will one day leave the hole and retrieve the cheese fills you with determination. HP fully restored.
* File saved.
Frisk rolled their eyes. How does that fill me with determination? They approached the table, attempting to take the cheese. It wouldn't budge.
* After being there for so long, the cheese is stuck to the table.
Frisk sighed. Well, they already had the Monster Candies they'd taken earlier. They didn't want that disgusting cheese anyway...
As they were walking, they stopped. Right there, in a leaf pile, was something that looked like a child's Halloween costume. It was blocking the path.
"ZzzZzzZzzZzzZ... ZzzZzzZzzZzzZ... (are they gone yet...) ZzzZzzZzzZzzZ..."
* This ghost keeps saying 'z' out loud repeatedly, pretending to sleep.
* Move it with force?
You know it! thought Frisk, attempting to shove their way past the 'ghost'. Naturally, they were surprised when their hands phased through it. Even more surprised they were when their SOUL left their body.
* Here comes Napstablook.
Frisk narrowed their eyes. So he really was a ghost...
* FIGHT | ACT | ITEM | MERCY
* Check | Flirt | Threat | Cheer
* NAPSTABLOOK - 10 ATK 10 DEF
* This monster doesn't seem to have a sense of humour...
"Oh, I'm REAL funny," He said. His voice was quiet and repressed. Tears fell from his eyes, wriggling all over the place. The attack's intensity came as a complete surprise to Frisk. All the other monsters didn't want to fight. They could tell by the hesitancy in their voices and the easy-to-miss attacks. But Napstablook was obviously not afraid to attack.
Despite their best attempts, they could not avoid the attack well enough. The tears were made of some kind of acid, and burned like fire on contact. They gasped, dropping to their knees.
HP: 14/20
Was that... regret on Napstablook's face? He shrank away from Frisk, who was gritting their teeth as the burns continued stinging. He didn't say a word, instead choosing to stare at the ground.
Getting up again, Frisk decided Napstablook needed to cheer up.
* Check | Flirt | Threat | Cheer
"Hey, cheer up Napstablook."
The ghost looked at them, a pained expression on their face. He forced a laugh. "Heh..."
Some words appeared out of thin air, as if written by an invisible oversized pencil. REALLY NOT FEELIN' UP TO IT RIGHT NOW. SORRY. They did nothing asides from sit there, before disappearing when it was Frisk's turn.
* Check | Flirt | Threat | Cheer
Frisk continued. "You'll be alright, Napstablook." They weren't sure where these words were coming from, but it seemed to be working.
"Heh... heh..."
More tears, although these were easy to avoid. He seemed less willing to fight then before.
* Cheering seems to have improved Napstablook's mood again.
* Check | Flirt | Threat | Cheer
* Napstablook wants to show you something.
"Let me try..." Tears floated up from his eyes, forming a top hat that floated above his head. "I call it 'dapper blook'... do you like it..."
* Check | Flirt | Threat | Cheer
Frisk gave him the thumbs up. "Looking good, Napstablook!"
"Oh gee..." Two tears fell from his eyes, wriggling away from them. The battle was over. Frisk's SOUL returned to their body.
"I usually come to the Ruins because there's nobody around..." Napstablook was explaining. "but today I met somebody nice..." Frisk smiled. "... oh, I'm rambling again. I'll get out of your way." And then he disappeared.
Frisk waved at nothing. "Bye, Napstablook."
The path ahead was where they went first. There were two spiderwebs, one small and one large. The sign in front of them read: Spider Bake Sale. All proceeds go to real spiders.
Frisk approached the smaller spiderweb.
* Leave 7G in the web?
Frisk raised an eyebrow. Do I get food? It is a bake sale, after all...
They deposited the gold in the web. They waited for a moment. Then, some spiders descended from a crack in the roof and handed Frisk a doughnut. Frisk stared at the thing. There was something... off about it. It felt stickier than it should have, and appeared to be coated in a thick black icing.
* You got the Spider Doughnut.
* Spider Doughnut - Heals 12 HP - A doughnut made with Spider Cider in the batter.
Frisk blanched, despising themselves for their generosity. Well, won't be eating that any time soon... But they pocketed the doughnut anyway.
They headed back to the room Napstablook had been in, choosing instead to go through the other doorway now. This seemed like the correct choice because there were more Froggits that seemed peaceful, and there was another doorway at the end of the hall.
The first Froggit said: "Ribbit, ribbit. (I heard you can skip over an enemy's dialogue by pressing X.)"
Frisk's eyes widened a little. "That's a little... meta, isn't it?"
"(You are wiser.)"
The next one seemed to be having an existential crisis about the meaning of a button. "Ribbit, ribbit. (I heard that you can go full-screen if you press F4. But what does F4 stand for?)"
"It stands for—"
"(Four frogs? Although I have only seen a maximum of three frogs in here. This is most troubling...) Ribbit."
Frisk shook their head. Mad. As they continued walking, the third Froggit stopped them.
"Ribbit, ribbit. (Hello human. Thank you for showing mercy to our fellow monsters.)" It said.
"Uh... thanks, I guess?"
"(If a monster's name is highlighted yellow, it means you can SPARE them. Was that helpful?)"
"Yeah, it sure was. Thanks, Froggit."
"(Simply sparing means that you do not want to fight anymore. One day, you may have to spare even when the monster's name is not yellow.) Ribbit."
Huh. That's... interesting. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind," said Frisk.
They kept going, not noticing the ant-sized fourth frog's eyes watching them from a crack in the wall.
There were some cracks in the floor and spikes blocking the doorway in the next room. Frisk used the cracked floor, because, in their experience, whoever designed the Ruins puzzles really liked people having to fall to complete the puzzle.
The room had a small root sticking out of a pile of leaves. They tugged on it, and needless to say, was surprised when the vegetable came out of the ground, opening its eyes and smiling widely. Their SOUL was pulled out of their chest. Oh boy, here we go again.
* Vegetoid came out of the Earth!
* Check | Talk | Devour | Dinner
* VEGETOID - 6 ATK 6 DEF
* Serving Size: 1 Monster. Not monitored by the USDA.
"Farmed Locally, Very Locally," drawled Vegetoid. Vegetables came flying out of nowhere. Frisk was incredibly lucky to have avoided any of it in a room that small.
* Vegetoid's here for your health.
* Check | Talk | Devour | Dinner
Before Frisk could even open their mouth to speak, Vegetoid cut them off with a snide "Plants Can't Talk, Dummy."
Carrots that could've doubled up as knives descended from the ceiling. While sidestepping one, Frisk felt one jab them in an aggressive sort of way.
HP: 12/20
Here for my health, are you? thought Frisk, selecting ACT again.
* Check | Talk | Devour | Dinner
* You pat your stomach. Vegetoid offers a healthy meal.
"Eat Your Greens," said Vegetoid.
Various vegetables began falling again. A green carrot hit them on the head, and they felt their HP rise.
HP: 13/20
* Vegetoid cackles softly.
Its name was yellow. Frisk quickly chose MERCY. Vegetoid descended back into the Earth again. Frisk sat down, resting against a wall. They were so worn out... They just wanted to rest. But the thought of Toriel kept them going. Now they didn't even know whether getting beaten up by a bunch of monsters was worth it. And what did Toriel care? She was probably just off somewhere getting more drunk...
Frisk tried to direct their thoughts away from this. There was no use getting worked up about it. And Toriel was the only person who could guide them. So, they had to at least find her and make sure she was safe.
Frisk took a Monster Candy out of their pocket. They ate it quickly, before going up a small set of stairs.
HP: 20/20
They tried stepping on a different piece of cracked floor. This time, they fell into a room that Napstablook had obviously taken refuge in.
"Help... I've fallen and can't get up... go on without me..." He groaned. "Wait, I'm a ghost aren't I... I can just float..." Then he disappeared again.
The next room they fell into held nothing but a small black necklace with a skull on it.
* Skull Necklace (+5 Defence)
* The perfect emo accessory! Something of a rarity these days.
Frisk scowled at it. Wear that thing? Don't be ridiculous... Still... if gold is their currency, and this is rare, I could probably sell this for some serious cash. So, they took the necklace, stowing it away in their pocket.
The next piece of broken floor was more successful. Lo and behold, this room had a switch in it. They pressed it, and heard the spikes retract. I could really use a break from these damn puzzles...
The plaque in the next room said that: The far door is not an exit. It simply marks a rotation in perspective. There didn't seem to be any puzzle though. They just walked right past where the spikes should've been. The plaque here read: If you can read this, press the blue switch.
Frisk checked behind some of the pillars for the blue switch. After finding and pressing it, some more spikes deactivated. The next plaque urged them to press the red switch. The third told them to press the green switch. After pressing that one, it seemed that the puzzle was over.
The next room had two doorways, one north, one east. They decided to take the eastern path first. Inside the room was another doorway, and a Froggit.
"Hey, Froggit," said Frisk. "Have you seen Toriel around here at all?"
"Ribbit, ribbit," replied the Froggit. "(Keep it quiet, but I saw Toriel come staggering through here a few minutes ago. She was carrying some bags. I didn't ask what was in them. We're all too intimidated to talk to her.)"
"Huh... do you know anything about her?" asked Frisk.
"(I've heard that she used to be the Queen, and that she also drinks a lot.) Ribbit."
Frisk stood there for a moment. Toriel used to be the Queen... was that why she drank a lot? Or did Froggit mean something else?
Frisk sighed to themselves. No. It meant exactly what I thought it did. Toriel was an alcoholic. Was that why she quit ruling? Or was she just overthrown?
They promised to ask Toriel these things when they saw her. The next doorway showed a beautiful view of what Frisk assumed to be the rest of the Ruins. A razor lay on the ground near them. They picked it up, examining it. It had dried blood on the blade.
* Bloody Razor (+3 Attack)
* The perfect emo must-have! Appears to have been used...
Despite their inner voice suggesting they leave it, they took it anyway. Somebody will buy this crap, surely... Frisk was thinking as they pocketed the razor. They left to try the northern doorway.
This lead to a house. There was a large, leafless tree at the entrance to it. The house was made of the same purple bricks around the Ruins.
"My goodness... that ssssurely took a lot looonger than expected," Somebody was saying. Frisk knew who it was right away.
"Toriel!"
She looked up, blinking. "Huh? My child, is that you?"
"Yes."
She sighed, dropping to her knees. Frisk approached her. "Are youuu okay?" She asked.
Frisk felt that they should be the ones asking that, but did not voice this thought. "I'm alr—"
"Not a ssscratch... Impressive! But still..." She was mumbling.
"It wasss... irresponsible to try to surprise you like thisss..."
Frisk raised an eyebrow. "Surprise?"
She blushed, although it was hard to tell as her cheeks were already incredibly rosy. "Err... well, I suppose I cannot hide it from you anymore... come with meee..." She stumbled off into the house. This is Toriel's house? thought Frisk. I hope it's not as messy as her alcoholic status suggests...
There was another SAVE point in the leaves near the door.
* Seeing such a cute, tidy house in the Ruins gives you determination. HP fully restored.
* File saved.
They entered the house, where Toriel was waiting. "Do you sssmell that?" She asked.
Frisk could smell it, and it smelled... very strange. Buttery and bitter at the same time.
"Surprise!" Toriel said, smiling. "It is a butterscotch and cinnamon pie!" Frisk narrowed an eye.
"It doesn't smell like butterscotch or cinnamon," they said.
Toriel rolled her eyes. "Sssure it does! I put in butter... and I put in scotch..." She trailed off. Frisk hoped she was joking.
"I thought we might celebrate your... arrival." Toriel said, clearly struggling to speak. "I want you tooo... have a nice time living here..."
Nice time? It sounds like I'll have a bad time.
"So, I will hold off on sssnaail pie for tonight..."
Frisk didn't bother to hide their look of disgust. Snail pie? I'd rather eat a Spider Doughnut...
"Heeree, I have... another surprise for youu..." Before Frisk could protest, she grabbed their arm and lead them down a corridor, stopping in front of a door.
"A room of your own!" She said, practically gushing. "I hope you... like it!"
Like it? How can I if I haven't even been inside yet?
Toriel ruffled Frisk's hair. She seemed so... happy to have them here, despite barely knowing them. And she was so generous and nice...
"Is that something burning...?" Toriel wondered in a faraway voice. She flinched all of a sudden. "Uh... make yourself at home!" She then quickly raced off into what Frisk assumed was the kitchen.
They entered their new room. There was a bed in the right corner, a desk, a cupboard, and various other items you'd expect to find. They peered inside a small box filled with children's toys.
* Look at these cool toys! They don't interest you at all.
Ironic, considering the voice in their head was right. They weren't interested by them at all. They didn't feel like exploring the house at all. All they wanted to do was sleep.
They took off their boots and climbed into bed. In a few minutes, they were fast asleep. As a result, they didn't notice when Toriel drunkenly staggered into their room, placing a slice of "butterscotch-cinnamon" pie on a plate near their bed. She smiled at the sleeping human, before quietly closing the door.
And there we are! The first chapter of Undersnort!
Time for the obligatory Facts-About-This-Chapter segment!
1. The cigarette replaces the Stick, and the Gauze replaces the Bandage.
2. Yes, Frisk's HP dropping to 4/20 is a weed reference.
3. The "butterscotch-cinnamon" pie is basically just a cinnamon pie with butter and scotch in it. You know... the alcoholic drink.
4. More about Toriel's past and other stuff will be revealed in the next chapter.
5. The lore, backstory, and other important stuff will be altered in this. It's not just Undertale where everyone's on some kind of drug, it's also got different story, and some characters are related even if they aren't in the original game. In other words, things will be very different.
6. All I will reveal about Frisk's backstory is that no, they were not abused. Their backstory will come much later.
7. [edit] Yeah. A "bad guys" reference. I'm not sorry.
Well, I think that's all for now. A reminder: The wordcount at the top does not count the author's note here, also the next chapter will be done when it's done.
Toodles!
- offbrandbiscuit
EDIT: Changed Toy Knife to Bloody Razor and Faded Ribbon to Skull Necklace. SOUL items will be changed in the future. Just a last-minute idea I had that I forgot to implement.