A/N: So there's nowhere near enough edgeberry. I plan to change that. Buckle up for some serious plot, some slow burn, and "plot" (hopefully).
This is mostly story driven. If that makes sense?
Papyrus holds back a groan as he gets up. It's too damn early, and he hasn't had nearly enough sleep. He lets the alarm continue ringing until he no longer felt bleary; it's not like it would wake his brother up anyways. His bones ache and creak painfully when he finally gets up. Stars, he's so damned tired. Even his soul feels heavier and emptier than usual.
He hisses in pain as the weight of his armor jostles some of his injuries. He'd gotten into a squabble with Undyne after she let some petty thief from Snowdin enter her domain and take refuge just to piss him off. He'd come out victorious, of course, but that didn't mean he came out unscathed.
Tightening his armor enough so that it sat pressed against his injuries, he tests whether it would move. Satisfied that it wouldn't constantly be bumping and aggravating the bruises and scratches, he set off to continue his morning routine.
"Sans!" Papyrus shouts banging on the door. "Get up!"
He could hear the muffled sound of blankets rustling on the other side of the door. "m' day off fuck u" Came the half-asleep reply.
He growls at the lack of care in his brother's speech. It was always awful when he woke up. Papyrus lets it slide, only on account of his own slip-ups in the mornings. "From Sentry Duty!" He snaps. "You still have your filthy fucking drug business to handle." Papyrus waits impatiently as Sans gets up to open the door.
The door flies open to show Sans standing there in boxers, a dirty black shirt, and an angry look on his face. His eyelights are still fuzzy around the edges from having just woken up, but he manages to glare all the same. A lesser monster might even think twice about giving him shit. "A business you know nothing about," he growls, "right, Boss."
Papyrus rolls his eyes. "Yes, yes. Now hurry and get your damn lazy ass ready," he demands already turning to leave.
"'S not like I gotta do shit this fucking early!" Sans yells after him.
Papyrus pauses midway down the stairs, his hand clenching the banister. Sans keeps getting up later and later every day. If left alone, he would probably sleep straight into tomorrow. "Be glad I even let you sleep in at all!" Papyrus hisses instead. He hears the beginning of a rebuttal and then nothing.
Taking a deep breath and drawing his shoulders back, he leaves the house to start his day.
0000
Papyrus glares down at the trembling rabbit and her current prey. "Well?" He snaps.
"He was going to burn the store down!" She spits giving the slightly larger monster a dirty look.
"That's 'cause you broke my arm last week, you dumb bitch!" The other monster yelled back bearing his teeth.
Papyrus let out an aggravated breath. "That's not what I fucking meant, and you both know it," he growls.
"But−," the two begin.
"No buts! You know the rules," he yells looming over them. "If you want dust each other, keep it outside the town limits, you cretins."
The two monsters start grumbling and growling at him.
"Next time this happens, I'll dust you myself," he threats in a low tone. The bunny's ears instantly drop and flatten against her head in fear. The color drains from the other monster's body, leaving him to look as white as the snow.
Papyrus continues to glare at them as they tremble in fear. It sickens him how young the two monsters are, both barely out of stripes. He swears the bunny still had them less than a month ago. "It seems we're on the same page now," he says backing off. "Now scram!" The two don't waste time fleeing the scene.
He scowls at the specks of blood and dust they leave behind. Most of it was drawn by him when he stopped their petty squabble. At least he managed to stop it before they damaged too much property. Without the landowners themselves to pay for the damages, it was impossible for anything to get fixed. Not to mention the fact that there's technically no law that requires the one responsible to pay for the damage, that's entirely at the landowner's discretion. Unfortunately, that meant if the damage was bad enough, they just dusted the monster responsible. That was one of Papyrus' least favorite outcomes. It left his town looking like an absolute shithole.
"Digging through the trash now, are we?" Came a snide remark.
"(How pathetic.)" Added an equally snide voice.
"That's stealing." The first voice sneered. "Maybe we should take him in for it. What do you think, Dogamy?"
Dogamy's laugh is disgusting, somewhere between a growl and a hacking cough. "(We should let him off with a warning.)"
Dogressa laughs— equally as disgusting as Dogamy— and agrees. They were harassing MK again.
Papyrus lets out a long breath. This was going to be a long day.
0000
Hotland is the worst. The heat is disgusting. The brightness of the lava is headache inducing. The near lawlessness is appalling.
"No no! You can't take me back!" The astigmatism practically begs.
Papyrus growled through clenched teeth, disgusted at the monster's pathetic behavior.
"Let me go! She'll eat me!"
Papyrus finally snaps. "Still your tongue or I shall remove it, cur!" The astigmatism whimpers but diligently shuts its mouth.
This day has been too fucking long, he decides as he steps into one of the elevators. Normally he wouldn't even consider it, but he wasn't about to take some random gutter slug through the private service tunnels. They were locked and carefully hidden for a reason. It didn't matter that this monster would be dust in a few minutes, it's the principle of the idea!
There are four spiderlings waiting for him the moment the elevator doors open. He has no doubt there's one on the outer roof of the elevator too. "I have something for Muffet," he spits holding up the astigmatism.
The spiderlings scurry back and forth for a few minutes while a fifth one hiding in the shadows slips away from the group. Papyrus is left to wait impatiently with only the whimpering of the monster and the scuttling of the spiderlings to keep him company. After a few minutes, the fifth one returns and the other four let him through.
Papyrus makes sure to make eye contact with the fifth one in the shadows before taking a single step. The other four follow him as he makes his way further into Muffet's (unofficial) territory. He snorts at their noisy scampering. If they really think they're enough of a distraction or cover for the spiders trailing and watching him from the shadows, then they're even dumber than he thought.
"Uhuhu," the laughter sends chills through Papyrus' bones. "Yer quite a ways from home, dearie." Muffet sits comfortably at a table decorated with pastries. Her fine silk dress betrays the conditions of the area she lives in.
Papyrus resisted the urge to correct her. She seems to be in a good mood and he didn't want to ruin that. "I found something that belongs to you," he says holding up the crying monster. He can't quite hold back his look of disgust at its tears. How could something so pathetic manage to live for so long?
Muffet laughs again. "Oh, dearie," she cooes. "I know yer eyesight's bad, but surely I don' look nothin' like our dear ol' Doctah Alphys," she pauses to take a sip of her tea, voice taking a much colder and threatening tone. "Unless yer tryin' ta call me fat."
He scoffs at her despite the chill her tone sends through him. "Please, she may be in charge of this area, but you're what's holding it together," he says plainly. "It may as well be yours, all things considered."
Her laugh sounds more genuine this time as she covers her mouth with a hand. "Oh, dearie, you flatter me," she says between giggles. She uses one set of hands to snap her fingers. Spiderlings emerge from the shadows and converge on Papyrus. They take the now sobbing astigmatism from him and drag it into the shadows. "I mus'thank you fer returnin' this vermin ta me. I dreaded goin' through that smelly fish's territory just ta retrieve it m'self." She motions to the chair across from herself. "Come take a seat,"
Papyrus begrudgingly takes a seat. He did what he came for and would very much rather get out. Unfortunately, if Muffet doesn't want someone to leave, they don't leave.
Muffet leans forward, two elbows on the table and her hand come together to support her chin. "Don't gimme that look, dearie," she cooes reaching with a different hand to trail a finger over the side of his face.
Papyrus slaps her hand away. "Just get on with it," he growls.
She brings her hand back to push her hair over her shoulder with an affronted huff. "Well as repayment, I'm goin' ta tell you somethin' nice," she says smiling smugly at him. "Emperor Asgore's goin' ta be callin' ya, that smelly fish, 'n that stupid doctah ta the castle in the next couple days."
He narrows his eyes at her. While the three of them are used to being summoned to the castle, they never get a warning beforehand. There's clearly more to this. And whatever that more is, Muffet wants something out of it. "What are you after?" He asks carefully.
Muffet laughs again, cold and calculating. "I knew you were smart dearie," she cooes. "Rumor has it, Asgore plans ta give the three of yous yer own territory."
"We already have our own territory."
She tsk-tsked. "I may 'ave spoken too soon," she says shaking her head slightly. "You'd be Lords 'n 'ave full control. What goes in, what comes out. Who comes in 'n who leaves. You'd be able ta make yer own laws."
"You're lying," Papyrus accuses trying to hide his surprise.
"Why would I lie 'bout somethin' like this, dearie?" She asks slowly. "Eve'thin' I've been workin' for'd be wasted if he gives that stupid doctah full control of this place."
"Then what do you want?" He asks suspiciously. "Why tell me this?"
Muffet leans back and lifts her four arms slightly. "S'quite simple, dearie," she says cheerfully. "When the time comes, I want ya t'object the stupid doctah's rule 'n tell the Emperor I'd be a much betta fit."
Papyrus doesn't reply right away. He knows she's right in that respect. Giving Muffet this territory could bring this area the much-needed stability its missing. "What would I get in return?"
"I'll allow yer runt of a brother to sell his hideous drugs in my territory," she replies easily.
"You assume the Emperor will agree," he muses.
Muffet brings a hand to cover up her giggles. "An'one with eyes can see I'm already doin' a much betta job than her," she smiles coldly.
"I suppose that's true," he says dryly. "Even if he were to say no, you could always go through Alphys herself."
Her smile loses its cold edge. "I'm glad we agree, dearie. Now, I do hope you remember our deal when the time comes."
Seeing her words for what they are, he stands with a single nod.
If what she's saying is true, then he needs to start creating a plan for Snowdin.