A/N: In which I shamelessly abuse the fact that I have so many headcanons about holidays in the underground from after the war but before Frisk fell. During the playable epilogue, a monster mentions the fact that he thinks humans will find the monster tradition of putting presents under a tree weird, which clearly means they don't celebrate Christmas or any other human holiday down there. My solution? They have a happy little Festival instead! Of course, I also headcanon a lot of them take up Christmas once they head to the surface, as a way of "bonding with the humans over similar holidays".
I made a post about it, I'll link it on the profile for anybody who wants to see it. But really, that's all you need to know. It's my headcanon for the underground's old holiday.
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Day 1
19 days left
It was three days until the start of the Undertree Festival and the tree was a pile of ashes, barely any gifts were bought and ready, and Undyne was officially and temporarily homeless.
She's still not completely sure about how it happened. It had hardly been the first time she'd gone overboard with the decorations, and after going through five years and at least seventeen trees you'd think things would have gone down sooner if it went down at all. She was no stranger to her house getting wrecked either; music lessons, anime sessions, beginner cooking lessons, training regimes and whatever else she would cram into her schedule meant the poor fish house had seen more than its fair share of destruction and mishaps.
But although her home had been wrecked before, and although she had lit her tree on fire in the past, those two things had never come together to leave her with a barely standing pile of smoldering and smoking logs before. This sheer level of destruction was new to her, and what glorious destruction it was.
That was, if one completely ignored the fact that she needed to find housing ASAP until it was fixed, and the fact that her house wouldn't be done until at least after the holidays were over. One of the Royal Guards in the area shuffled away from the others examining the aftermath and moved towards her, slamming their foot and weapon on the ground as they gave her a salute.
"Most of your belongings should be salvageable, ma'am." Knight Knight rumbled, nodding at the wreckage. "The natural Waterfall humidity keeps this from being much worse; most of the damage is because whatever started the fire was close to some vital support beams, and since the Festival is so close by there's no chance we'll be able to get it rebuilt before it's over."
"Yeeaah, I figured as much." Undyne clapped a hand on their armoured shoulder and grinned. "Get all this junk moved outta here and put what you can into storage then; no point in keeping it wherever it is I'll be going until this is all fixed up. I'll handle the rest."
"Should I be telling Asgore and the others about this being reason you will not be in the capital very much for the holidays this year, Captain?"
"You know me too well, Knight! Nah, I'll drop by and do it myself. Heh, who knows, maybe a change in scenery will be good for me. Fuhuhuhuhu!"
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Day 2
18 days left
She'd stopped by the capital to tell Asgore about what had happened. He'd been sympathetic, but as king was unable to offer more than gold for the repairs and the Royal Guard barracks for sleeping.
New Home was a good option if it was only for a few days, but way too crowded to stay for a full two weeks. There was a reason she lived in Waterfall, where her closest (and only) neighbours were a determined little duck and three ghosts with their snail farm. Alphys' place was out of the question, considering it was in Hotland and Undyne could barely ever stand the place for one day. Plenty of Royal Guards lived in other places across the underground outside of the capital though; maybe there was someone in Waterfall or something she could bunk with…?
"UNDYNE! I HEARD THE NEWS AND CAME AS SOON AS I COULD TO OFFER WHATEVER ASSISTANCE I CAN!"
Stage left, enter Papyrus. She'd been wondering how long it would take him to get there.
The tall skeleton slid into place next to her, his scarf dramatically waving behind him as he finally came to a stop. He gave her a sharp salute, sticking his spine straight and planting his foot firmly to the ground for a moment before relaxing and looking over the soggy logs himself.
"WOWIE, IT'S EVEN WORSE THAN I THOUGHT. YOUR HOUSE IS PRACTICALLY GONE!"
"No need to tell me twice." Undyne gave a good-natured huff, putting her hands on her hips before grinning over at him, "Sorry Papyrus, but I think you can tell we won't be having training sessions any time soon. I've got one heck of a mess to deal with!" She laughed and shrugged, wildly gesturing to the ruins. "I could probably stay at the capital but the barracks are uncomfortable as hell, and I'm pretty sure most of my neighbours are too scared of me to let me hang with them."
"WOULDN'T DOCTOR ALPHYS LET YOU STAY WITH HER? SHE SEEMS TO ENJOY YOUR COMPANY A LOT, YOU KNOW." He gave her a cheeky grin, and she playfully slugged his shoulder in response. He pretended not to wince.
"Ha, of course she does, who wouldn't like hanging out with me?! But Hotland suucks! There's no way I'm ever gonna willingly spend my whole holiday there! Uh, no offense to everybody living there at least."
"THAT'S RIGHT, I ALMOST FORGOT. HOT FIRE AND FISH DON'T MIX. HMM, JUST WAIT, I THINK I CAN COME UP WITH A SOLUTION FOR THIS!" Papyrus rubbed his shoulder a moment before bringing the hand to his chin, thinking. They stood there for some time, and Undyne was about to tell him to go home when he seemed to jerk back to life, his bones rattling with the sharp movement. "I'VE GOT IT! NYEH HEH HEH"
He whirled around, grabbing her by the shoulders with a bright grin on his face.
"THERE'S MORE THAN ENOUGH SPACE WITH US, SO WHY DON'T YOU STAY WITH ME AND SANS IN SNOWDIN UNTIL YOUR HOUSE IS FIXED?"
Undyne blinked, startled by his sudden exclamation and what was possibly the biggest and most eager smile she'd ever seen on anyone's face. She opened her mouth, about to tell him that wasn't the greatest option when she paused, shut her mouth, thought about it, and realized that it actually was. She gave him a sharkish grin instead.
"Y'know what, Papyrus? That's a great idea!" Undyne slung her arm around his neck, dragging his head down to her level and lightly digging the knuckles of her other hand into the top of his skull, much to his protests. "I hope you're ready for it, because it's going to be three whole weeks of just you, me, and your lazy brother!"
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Day 3
17 days left
The beginning of the Undertree Festival was tomorrow, and Undyne had front row seats to watching the people of Snowdin bustle around in their element, from the quiet Grillby to the whole Canine Royal Guard Unit as they prepared for the beginning of the biggest holiday of the Underground. Actually, somehow they'd all managed to rope her into helping out too, sending her back and forth across town and up the multitude of ladders leaning against every building meant to be decorated.
She'd never seen the little town so alive before; the bulbs and stars and frames not saved for the empty tree in the middle of town were being placed on rooftops and tied to strings of tinsel as makeshift wreaths; the houses without lights hanging year-round were finally putting them up, bathing everything in varying shades of blue, red, and green; snow was being painstakingly brushed off the pine in the middle of town to leave it bare for the next day and shovelled off roofs to make space for more lights and ornaments; people bustled to and from stores with arms full of bags of gifts to be wrapped and even more decorations for the inside of their homes.
As what could be considered a foreigner in the tiny community, it was quite a sight to see the generally calm and practically lethargic town bustle with such energy. Undyne had been somewhat skeptical about staying with the brothers for the holidays, but it seemed like she'd made the right choice.
She set the box of ornaments in her arms down in front of Grillby's, the fire man in question giving her a nod in thanks. She nodded back, looking around at the others. Papyrus rushed to and fro, carting boxes and bags and strings of light from one end to another, eagerly helping every household and child decorate. Sans was standing on the roof of one house, seemingly fast asleep and yet somehow still hanging the tinsel onto the eaves of the home he was in charge of, more of it being strung every time she looked back at him. The Canine Unit was doing the same, scaling ladders and dashing from place to place.
She snagged another box of bulbs and jogged towards the shops, passing Papyrus who was headed in the opposite direction, dashing off with his signature cackle. The shopkeeper, who had been waiting in front of the store, took the box from her with a grateful nod and stacked it with several others sitting outside. The woman stepped inside for a moment and Undyne used the moment to catch her breath from running about with the surprisingly heavy boxes, gazing out over the rest of the houses. Very few places in Waterfall could ever compare to the amount of life that filled the town right now, and it was refreshing in its own way. Even if it was usually way too cold for her.
"It's quite a sight during this time of year, ain't it Captain?"
The shopkeeper piped up from beside her, something in her hands. Undyne nodded in response, placing a hand on her hip.
"Yeah, it sure is. You Snowdin guys clean up pretty well for the holidays. I'm impressed!"
The lady next to her gave a chuckle, offering a cinnamon bunny still fresh from the oven. She took in gratefully, devouring half of it in one bite.
"Well, this is the season everyone from the capital and back waits for every year. We're hardly the exceptions to that," The woman said, tucking into her own cinnamon bun with much smaller bites. "Those skeleton boys told me about why you'll be hangin' around this year already. I think you'll enjoy the Festival 'round here, god knows you and those two are gonna make things plenty exciting for the rest of us."
"You bet we will!" Undyne laughed, popping the rest of the cinnamon snack into her mouth. "Thanks for the bun, you've got to show me the recipe for it sometime! Anyway, I've got more stuff to deliver. See ya later!"
She dashed off, the laughter of the shopkeeper echoing behind her.
The bunny woman shook her head, stepping back into the warmth of the store.
"You three are gonna be the life of the Festival this year, I can just feel it."
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Day 4
16 days left
On the first morning of the Festival Undyne softly woke to the crisp and clear sound of a bow over strings. She lay for a moment, letting the muffled sounds wash over her as the sleep faded from her mind. The melodies drifted down through the doors upstairs, speeding up and slowing down in familiar holiday tunes and occasionally being joined by the brass of a trombone, seamlessly blending together for only moments at a time before separating again. The music was really something, never running off-key or at the wrong pace, and for a moment it almost reminded her of home.
It had been a while since she heard Papyrus on the violin, and she didn't even know Sans knew how to play an instrument at all. It made her fingers ache to hit the piano, but her grand was in for repairs just like her house, and also wouldn't be done until after the holidays. Besides, it was too big to take with her to places… someone should fix that.
Maybe the other half of that tiny broken piano I found is buried under some trash heap. I bet Alphys can rig it together for me if I find it.
Now wide awake, Undyne tossed the blankets aside and stood up, shuffling into the kitchen to find something edible. The music barely faltered as she searched the cabinets and pulled out a mug, her teabags, a kettle and a bowl of cereal, Papyrus transitioning from song to song with practiced ease. She wondered how long he'd been playing; probably as long as she'd been playing the piano, which was a pretty long time.
The muffled violin continued, filling the house with the homey music, and it wasn't until after Undyne had tossed the bowls into the sink and gotten halfway through her tea that it stopped, Papyrus walking into the kitchen a few minutes later with his instrument in hand.
"OH, GOOD MORNING UNDYNE! I HOPE YOU SLEPT WELL LAST NIGHT." He greeted cheerily, setting the violin and it's bow on the table before moving to heat some spaghetti.
"Your couch is still too lumpy, but not bad. You ever thought about replacing it or something?" She asked, leaning over the chair nearest the instrument and looking curiously at it. It was in perfect condition, the wood polished and strings immaculate, and Undyne counted herself impressed by it. "Hey, I haven't heard you play the violin in a while. I didn't even know you were that good until you started cranking out the carols! Where the heck do you keep that thing, anyway? I don't remember ever seeing a case lying around."
Papyrus shuffled from his place in front of the microwave. "WELL, THAT'S BECAUSE I KEEP IT IN THE STORAGE OR WITH MY ACTION FIGURES," He said, glancing at her before pulling his breakfast from the microwave and sitting himself down across from her. She mimicked the action, taking a sip of tea before placing the mug on the table. "COLD WEATHER ISN'T GOOD FOR THE WOOD OF SUCH A DELICATE INSTRUMENT, BUT AROUND THIS SEASON, THERE'S NOTHING MORE FESTIVE THAN A BIT OF MUSIC! THE SCHOOL ALWAYS HOLDS A PERFORMANCE AT THIS TIME OF YEAR, AND THEY USUALLY ASK ME TO PLAY AT THE RECITAL AFTER THAT. I GO OUT AND PLAY FOR EVERYONE ON OTHER DAYS, SO I KEEP IT OUT FOR PRACTICE AND PERFORMANCES! NO ONE PLAYS THE VIOLIN LIKE THE GREAT PAPYRUS DOES, AFTER ALL. NYEH HEH HEH!"
"Woah, seriously?" Undyne blinked, then grinned. "I guess that makes sense! I don't go poking around your action figures because they're nerd things like Alphys' figurines!"
"THEY'RE NOT NERDY, THEY'RE COOL!" Papyrus protested. "I GET ONE EVERY YEAR FROM SANTA HIMSELF! IF THAT ISN'T COOL, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS."
"i think the fact that you go out and volunteer as the music crew every year is pretty cool, bro." Sans said from the side, leaning back in his chair and propping his slippered feet on top of the table. Neither of them were phased by his seemingly sudden appearance. "the holidays wouldn't be the same without it."
"Yeah, it is pretty cool of you to do that stuff, Papyrus. Concerts are the best! But they're exhausting as hell. And playing in public is totally different from sitting in your house or something." She laughed, chugging the rest of her tea in one gulp. "Man, I wish my piano wasn't broken or I had one of those portable ones like in Alphys' human history shows, I'd LOVE to liven this place up a little bit!"
Sans blinked at her, almost seeming interested. "you play the piano?"
"WE SHOULD PLAY TOGETHER SOMETIME THEN, UNDYNE! WITH MY VIOLIN MASTERY AND YOUR PIANO PROWESS, I BET WE'D SOUND GREAT!" Papyrus shouted.
"Heh, you think you and your violin can keep up with ME, PUNK?" Undyne jabbed her thumb at herself, giving him a sharp smile. "That sounds awesome! We'll add it to your training. But, uh, not until next year. Not until I get a new piano, since my old one was kind of trashed. And probably a new house."
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Day 6
14 days left
Three days into the Festival, and Undyne still didn't have gifts for everyone. Hell, she didn't have gifts for anyone, period.
It certainly wasn't for lack of trying, either. No, it wasn't because she'd spent hours texting Alphys and watching anime from her phone with her through streams, nor was it because she'd been using her huge amount of free-time to continue her special training with Papyrus (they didn't even light anything on fire at all, which she counted as a success), and it definitely wasn't because she spent whatever time wasn't spent helping with decorations doing nothing but watch TV or read books or listen to Papyrus play and rehearse, noooo siirreee. Absolutely not.
Maybe if she told herself that enough she'd actually start to believe it.
Undyne sighed, reminding herself to actually put some effort into finding gifts for everyone, especially Sans. She never realized how grateful she would be for his uncanny ability to find shortcuts and his extreme range of jobs across the underground.
"Seriously, who the hell keeps hiring that guy?" She muttered, shoving her hands into her jacket and marching down past the storefronts. She was glad the presents didn't have to be under the tree until the day before the end of the festival.
Papyrus would probably appreciate a cookbook, or maybe some dumb shirt that looked cool from some fancy-looking brand. Sans… All she knew about him was that he slept a lot, always had hot dogs and ketchup on his person, and worked way too many jobs for such a lazy guy. And made a lot of puns. A joke book? Probably her best bet. Asgore she could always buy more golden flower tea for, maybe a cute little teacup to go with it. Napstablook looked like they needed some new headphones, the dogs always just wanted simple things like collars and bones and dog treats, and the rest of the Royal Guard would easily be satisfied by generic store-cards or a passing 'happy holidays' on the street. Alphys, Alphys was easy. Anime and science-y nerd stuff all the way. Say, didn't Papyrus once mention Sans liking science and nerd stuff too? Science joke books were always a thing that existed. Now that she thought about it, she saw him hanging around Waterfall staring at the ceiling sometimes. Did he like the stars?
Undyne looked down the street at the stalls and the stores lined up around the street, monsters bustling in and out like crazy. Surely one of those stores had to have something she could buy for someone, right? The holidays were always a strain on both the stores and the monsters buying things, but shopping wasn't that bad.
A trio of monsters collapsed on the ground in a pile of flailing limbs, attempting to tear the last of some hot designer handbag from MTT away from each other. The few others who hadn't skittered out of the way in time found themselves knocked to the ground in their wake, dazedly lying on the pavement.
…Well then.
It wasn't always that bad.
She rolled her eyes and sidestepped the fighting group, walking into the first store she saw. Might as well try to get something done.
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Day 8
12 days left
The gifts were bought, half of them were wrapped, and the rest were hidden strategically in the pile of blankets and shopping bags on the floor next to the couch so no one could see them. Now that she had presents for everyone, she was left with a pressing dilemma;
What the hell was she supposed to do for the rest of the holidays?!
Watching TV got boring, Alphys had work and couldn't always stream, and no new anime had fallen into the dump, leaving Undyne with nothing to do at home. Sans and Papyrus were both currently out, doing… whatever it was they usually did. At first she stayed behind to finish wrapping gifts, but her hands and wrists were sore from hours of it. The house was too tidy to do something as menial and equally boring as clean; the banisters were already wrapped in tinsel and snowflakes already hung on the wall, which ruled out decorating; the only two other rooms were boring or locked; the rock was already fed, and she was almost completely out of things to do.
Really, there was only one option left.
Undyne rolled off the couch, grabbing her jacket and scarf from the table. She pulled on her shoes and threw the door open, taking a deep breath before stepping outside. A chill of wind and magic swept through the town, making her shiver. Grillby's was the best restaurant and probably the warmest building in Snowdin, might as well get some decent food before the brothers got home.
The snow gave way with soft crunches beneath her feet, sticking to the bottom of her pants. She shoved her hands into her pockets to save them from the cold, hunching into her scarf and looking around. Snowmen and fake sleighs and winter props stood around her, scattered with no rhyme or reason across the white yards of the town. Normally Snowdin was one of the darker places in the underground, with far fewer people and even less natural light sources like New Home and Hotland, but the strings of holiday lights across every conceivable surface bathed the small city in a homey and joyful glow. Children scurried about, chasing each other with snowballs and laughter falling in their wake. It made her think of when she was a kid, chasing in the heels of her hero Gerson and demanding Asgore fight her so she could prove her worth as a knight.
The memories made her snicker as she pulled open the door to the restaurant, tugging off her scarf as the warmth rolled out from inside. The regulars send up a chorus of her name in greeting and Undyne waved, grinning at them all as she made her way to the bar. Grillby nodded to her in greeting as she sat down, setting down the glass he'd been cleaning.
"I'll take a burger and some water." She said and he nodded again, moving off into the kitchen. Her fingers tapped absently on the counter in rhythm with the music blaring from the jukebox and she looked around the bar, watching the people chatter and eat. Absently she hummed a few notes from the carols playing, and not for the first time she wished that she'd picked up that broken down portable piano she'd seen at the dump last time she was there.
"fancy seein' you here about now, isn't it?"
Undyne jumped, whipping around to look at the skeleton who had suddenly appeared in the seat next to her. She glared at him.
"Hey Sans," She huffed, turning back to the bar. Grillby, who had apparently noticed his regular pop in when she hadn't, set her meal in front of her then slid a matching one to Sans, who grinned wider and nodded.
"thanks a ton, grillby."
He said nothing in response beyond a quiet pop of his flames, taking up his glass and cloth again as he looked over the rest of the bar. Undyne turned to her burger, taking a bite as Sans snatched one of the ketchup bottles in front of him, practically drowning his in the condiment before eating. They sat in silence, basking in the white noise of the warm bar. She took another huge bite before downing half the water; Grillby made the best food, always perfectly cooked and quick to come out.
Sans was looking at her again, waiting patiently for her to finish drinking before speaking up. "so, what brings you here? thought you were planning on staying home today," He said, casually taking a swig of ketchup. She grimaced at the sight.
"I got bored," She said, "So I figured Grillby's was as good a place to head as any. Where else am I supposed to find food like this anyway? It's the best restaurant in the Snowdin-Waterfall area. Hear that? You're the best, Grillby!" The man in question crackled gratefully in response, his flames flickering blue in a faint blush for a moment.
"fair enough, i can buy that." Sans chuckled, "'m kind of surprised you haven't wrecked anything in boredom yet though. what, no training dummies? no weapons, energy spears, magic, nothing?"
"Nah, it's not very festive." Undyne leaned back, balancing the chair on its back legs for a moment before bringing it back down with a dull thunk. "Believe me, I would have brought something, but anything worth taking is either too big or too trashed."
"really?" He blinked. "nothing small and interesting comes up from all the hours hanging out at the dump?"
Undyne snorted. "Hell no. It's a garbage dump, remember? The things we get half the time are garbage not even worth looking at." She downed more water, then eyed the skeleton. "And don't think I'm distracted by your questions. What the heck are you doing here? You've still got a job to do, and just because I'm staying at your house and it's the holidays doesn't mean you get a free pass to slack off any more than you already do, Sans."
"heh, relax boss. i'm on my break - they are legally required." He winked at her, "but if it's really rattling your bones so much, i'll get back to work, and i'll even put some extra effort into it too, how about that?" He took another gulp of ketchup. "you're a smart lady, captain. chill a little, you'll find something to do around here eventually."
"Yeah yeah, whatever." But she said nothing more as she finished her meal, and he said nothing when she left enough gold to cover both his meal and her own before stepping back outside.
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Day 10
10 days left
Her heart thrummed in her chest, the snow numbing her hands and the wind stinging her cheeks. She shuffled the ammo in her hands, packing it in tighter in order to throw it better; the shelter would only last so much longer under fire as it was, but there was no way she, Undyne, Captain of the Royal Guard itself was going down without a fight!
Peering out from behind the makeshift barricade, she took stock of the enemy's positions. Two forward, one to the left, and three to the right. Her allies signalled from a larger shelter nearby, the other smaller forts distracting the rest in order to win her group free passage. She signalled to the four behind her and they readied themselves, preparing for a sprint.
"Wait for it… NOW, GO GO GO! LET'S MOVE IT!"
They dashed off at her roar, pelting the opposition as they dove for the cover of their team's home base. Several fell to her team's onslaught, most too shocked by her shout to react to the vulnerable group. The shots of the few who weren't mostly fell wide, one striking her own teammate down. The others quickly pulled them to safety and returned fire, practically obliterating one of the opposing forts under their harsh onslaught. She and the unscathed three caught their breaths from behind the snowy wall, letting the others hold the ground.
There was tag and snowball fights and other kid games, where little balls of sunshine could run around and ditz in the snow to their heart's content in peace and happiness.
And then there was this. The Annual Snowdin Snow Wars, in which the best of the best in snow-warfare across the underground gathered to decide who was the ultimate champion. Funded by the capital, it was the only time of year the people of Snowdin could run about and create anything with snow without running the risk of being taxed for it, and so it wasn't much of a surprise that the people loved it.
Undyne looked over the top of the fort and locked eyes with the captain of the opposing team, the only other team still standing between hers and victory. Papyrus' eyes narrowed at her gaze and she gave him a sharp wolfish smile, lifting her head in order to draw a finger across her neck. He took the challenge with a nod and matching grin, both of them turning to their allies and chattering excitedly.
For a moment there was silence on the field, no snowballs flying or people shouting. The audience composed of eliminated members sat far from the battle with bated breath as the wind whistled past, hearts hammering in all their ears as they waited for either side to make the next move.
Snow shifted, and fell onto the ground from several treetops with a soft but clearly audible whump.
Suddenly the opposition's fort seemed to explode as Papyrus rose to his full height and charged forward with a battle cry, arms full of ammo and his team aligned with arms similarly full and hands primed to attack. Undyne immediately plowed through and destroyed her own base, ignoring the way the cold snow bit into her hands as she scooped as much of it up as she could and screamed in retaliation to his war call.
"OPEN FIRE!"
"CHARGE!"
"RRRRAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHHH!"
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Day 11
9 days left
"Maaan, I'm so bored."
Undyne groaned, letting her head thump against the back of the couch. She let out a frustrated sniffle and hiked the blankets further up. Papyrus nodded, setting the plate of spaghetti in his hands onto the table he'd moved in front of the couch.
"WELL, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU TAKE PART IN THE BIGGEST POSSIBLE SNOWBALL WAR WEARING NOTHING BUT THAT JACKET OF YOURS AND A SCARF," He said, standing up. "I THINK WE STILL HAVE SOME TEA IN THE KITCHEN, DO YOU WANT SOME?"
"Yeah sure, whatever." She grumbled as he waltzed off to prepare the tea, swearing to herself at his lack of bones and practical inability to get sick at all. At least all that milk he'd claimed to drink when he was younger did something for him other than give him height.
"hey, pap, undyne. just thought i'd drop by and say hi." Sans pushed the door open with a click, something long and wrapped in cloth tucked under his arm. Undyne gave another groan and buried her head into the cushions at his entrance and he raised an eyebrow at her, a fake-affronted expression on his face. "wow, good to know you're so glad to see me. and after i went to all the trouble of picking a little something up for you, too."
"Yeah? What is it, a pile of terrible jokes?" She muttered under her breath, grudgingly sitting up.
"i'm sure you'll be shocked to hear this, but no. see, part of one of my jobs means i go down to the garbage piles down in waterfall a lot," He said, setting his parcel down on the table and unwinding the long white piece of fabric around it. "and while i was there i found something pretty interesting that i figured you'd wanna see, since you've been so down in the dumps trying to keep yourself entertained lately." Sans gave the cloth a yank as Papyrus came back in with a steaming mug in hand. They both looked curiously at the object sitting on the table.
"SAY, IS THAT A KEYBOARD?"
Undyne stared at the instrument in front of her, looking over the pristine white keys, several buttons set on the body and a plug attached to the back. Sans nodded, snatching the cord up and waving it around.
"sure is, bro. checked it myself, and it's actually in pretty good condition for something that turned up in the trash heap. 'course, i could've completely off-key, but i had a hunch it'd work after a bit of charging and i was right, it's just fine." He winked at Undyne, his grin growing. "i told you you'd be glad to see me. all you gotta do is plug it in. the keys might stick and i couldn't find the fancy pedal thing they come with and who knows why the humans tossed it out, but somethin's better than nothing, right?"
"WOWIE, BROTHER, THAT WAS... EXTREMELY CONSIDERATE OF YOU!" Papyrus set the mug down next to the small piano and swept the smaller skeleton into a hug. The cord that had been in Sans' hand clunked against the floor as Papyrus twirled and set him back down excitedly, rocking on his heels. "THIS IS GREAT NEWS! NOW YOU WON'T HAVE NOTHING TO DO WHILE YOU'RE.….. UM, UNDYNE?"
Undyne hadn't moved at all, her eyes locked to the piano on the table and shadows blocking her expression. The two watched her, Papyrus' own face changing to concern and Sans' grin becoming slightly worried.
"uh… anybody home in there?"
He waved his hand in front of her face, trying to tilt his head to see better. Her lips twitched and slowly broke into a huge grin, arms shaking as she seemed to restrain herself.
"Heheheheheheheh… HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" She broke down in laugher, wrapping arms around her stomach as she howled and rolled on the green cushions. Sans and Papyrus gave sighs of relief, watching her hysterics with a sense of confusion.
Undyne stood, plowing into the brothers with all the force she could muster and bringing them both into a bonebreaking hug.
"Man, you're such a bro, Sans! You both are, you dumb nerds!" She shouts, shifting an arm to dig her knuckles into Papyrus's skull while keeping a grip on Sans. Sans can't handle as much roughhousing as Papyrus can, she knows. "I need to up my game. Now I'm gonna have to play EXTRA GREAT for all you guys!"
"aw, i'm touched."
"O-ONLY IF THAT MEANS NO MORE NOOGIES FOR THE SKELETONS!"
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Day 13
7 days left
Undyne knocked on the steel doors, shifting uncomfortably in the dense heat. Hotland was even worse now, considering how she'd started to get used to the chill of the wintery town on the other side of the underground. Absently she glanced around, peering behind her and catching the eye of Sans who, for once, wasn't napping at his sentry station and was instead watching her. He gave her a thumbs up and she grinned back, turning to face the lab entrance again. She could hear shuffling and mumbling and she waited patiently for the person on the other side. The doors slid open.
"O-oh! Undyne! You made it!" Alphys beamed, moving to the side to allow the taller woman inside. Undyne returned her smile, shifting her cargo from under her arm to in her hands as she stepped in. The door slid shut behind her.
"Of course I did! There's no way I'm gonna miss anime night, holiday or not and house or not! And, since it's Festival season I brought you something. Here!" She laughed, practically shoving the neatly wrapped box into the scientist's hands before walking past to the pile of blankets and pillows she'd set up in front of the large screen on the wall and plopping down.
"Oh, my gosh, thank you so much! You didn't have to, Undyne!" Alphys said, looking from the gift in her hands to Undyne. She quickly dashed to her table, setting it with several other presents next to a small decorated tree on her desk.
"Don't worry about it, Alphys! So, what are we watching tonight? The new episodes of that Mew Mew Kissy Cutie Reboot?"
"No, I-I found something new last time I went to the dump a-and I figured it looked like something good to watch!" Her yellow tail began to swing in excitement as she picked up the case and tossed it towards Undyne on her way to the fridge. "It's called 'Princess Tutu', and it's about a man who has the ability to bring stories to life, but before he could complete his last story he died, leaving it incomplete! So the two main characters fought for years until one of them managed to seal the other away, but it was at the cost of his own heart…."
Alphys eagerly rambled, pulling a can of soda and cups of instant noodles from her fridge and boiling water as she went. Undyne listened, one eye on the yellow lizard and the other examining the DVD case in her hands. It did look like a pretty interesting anime…
"O-oh! Here, I got you some ramen… and, I have a gift for you too." She looked up, heart fluttering and face stretching into a grin at the two objects being offered to her. The case was set aside and Undyne took the two objects, shaking the box in one hand and trying to listen in.
No dice. She had no clue what was inside, but it didn't matter.
"Aw man, thanks Alphys! You rock!" She laughed, setting the hot cup down and tossing the anime case over. "C'mon, let's get this night started! We gotta start early if we're gonna finish this by tomorrow, right?!"
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Day 16
4 days left
Undyne woke once more to the muffled sound of carols and a violin drifting through Papyrus' door and she grinned, shooting up and letting the blanket pool on the other end of the couch and the ground. She dashed for the stairs, snagging the black and white instrument on the table as she went. The plug thudded on every step but she didn't slow as she barrelled into the room, the door cracking against the wall. Papyrus didn't falter in his playing, only spinning to grin at her as she rushed to plug her keyboard in.
Despite the energy she'd showed in joining him, their playing session was as calm as the songs they played. No words were ever exchanged, not even when she'd slammed the door open; instead all their focus was on the music they were creating. Sometimes Papyrus took charge in leading them seamlessly from tune to tune, sometimes it was Undyne, both only giving the other a moment to the song change before moving forward, almost like a game. They never wrest control from each other, only allowed their actions and thoughts to blend together. Occasionally the sound of Sans' trombone would join them from his room down the hall, creating a quick solo or a quiet flowing harmony.
This was the morning of the Skeleton Household, and what had been ever since Sans had walked in with the beat-up instrument in his arms. Some of the keyboard's sound functions didn't work, the plug and cord had to always be held in a specific position and it always either made no sound at all or blasted at it's highest volume, but they managed. Papyrus was always beyond happy when Undyne joined him with the half-broken piano, and as long as his brother was happy so was Sans. Undyne herself didn't care that the sound would only play through both speakers only sometimes or that a key would be a little sticky sometimes, only that she had a piano and could finally do something.
Her soul thrummed peacefully in time with the music, the type of adrenaline and happiness you could only get from being able to share something loved with a friend rushing through her veins. She took a deep calming breath, moving the chipper tune into something more tame but no less joyful. Papyrus looked over with a bright grin and she returned it, both of them basking in the sound they were creating.
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Day 18
2 days left
The gaggle of proud parents and other miscellaneous audience members applauded as the last of the children dashed off stage, the whir of the mobile spotlights dying down. The lights hung on the tree and the houses, which had been dimmed for the performance, began to glow in their full glory again, illuminating the greater area once more. Shops and stalls were set up along the streets, the smell of desserts drifting about. People quietly chattered, the children free from the performance eager to begin dashing about. A group of monsters was already putting away the chairs that had been hastily set up just a few hours prior.
Undyne glanced at the crowds and decorations as she stepped up to the grand the school had brought in for the performance, Papyrus already stationed next to it with his own instrument in hand. The people who unofficially organized the events during the Festival had been ecstatic when she offered to play alongside the skeleton, and although the people of Snowdin had gotten used to Papyrus spontaneously dashing about with his violin and the muffled playings of Undyne from within the warmth of either Grillby's or the house this was the first official performance she'd been part of in years.
She couldn't wait to get started.
Papyrus exchanged a look with her before lifting his bow to the strings, letting the first notes of the night drift into the open. They seemed to slice through the lingering silence and, like a dam breaking, the people of Snowdin sprung to life with chatter and play and shouts. Any visitors who'd been nervous about coming to the small town relaxed quickly with the comforting atmosphere that filled the air. The notes of the piano quickly joined the sound of strings and melded into the background of the lively square.
Several kids gathered around them as they played, watching with fascination as they went from song to song with a practiced ease. Undyne looked over at them and gave a wink and they scrambled off again, giggling and laughing. Letting her hands move according to instinct and memory she looked over the transformed square, taking in the glowing white heart atop the tree and the different last-minute gifts available for buying at the dozens of Festival stands. A flash of blue caught her vision and she spotted Sans, who was slipping off through the crowd and out of sight.
Where the hell is that damn skeleton going?
The music shifted and brought her attention back. Monsters were tossing gold into Papyrus' violin case and on top of the piano, making it a game to try and land the tips in the hat she'd left there. She snickered at every shot that missed, using one of her spears to deflect the ones about to fall into the body of the piano. The ones who missed at least had the decency to look sheepish about it.
They played until their fingers ached, and both of them decided to take a quick break. They let the last notes of the song peter off into silence rather than moving to the next piece like they had earlier. Papyrus set his violin on top of the money, Undyne standing and stretching her arms with a few harsh pops and cracks. There was a quiet splatter of applause and they gave a little wave at the small crowd as they dispersed.
"W-wow, you guys sounded amazing!"
Undyne jumped at the quiet voice behind her, whirling around to see the royal scientist herself. Alphys was bundled up from head to toe in a massive yellow jacket that looked far too thick to move around in, a large hat pulled over her head, a scarf around her neck and gloves on her hands. Despite her face being obscured by the scarf it was obvious she was beaming, and Undyne couldn't help but blush a little.
"Heheh, thanks Alphys," She said, stepping away from the piano. "But what the heck are you doing in Snowdin? I thought you couldn't handle the cold."
"O-oh, I can't. Even all bundled up l-like this it's way too cold for me, I can't stay long." Alphys chattered, glancing around at the crowds of people nervously. "B-but! I heard that y-you were performing with Papyrus in Snowdin and I wanted to come see it myself."
"Aw, thanks Alphys." Undyne smiled, giving her a hug. "C'mon, lets go grab a snack before you head back to Hotland!"
"A-alright!"
Sans grinned at the two, watching as they made their way through the throngs of people. Alphys caught a glimpse of him through the crowd and he winked at her before vanishing, leaving her to turn bright red and get pulled along by her enthusiastic companion.
.
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Day 20
Festival's End
"Happy Holidays, everybody!"
The people gathered around the tree cheered, slaps on the back and vigorous hugs being shared all around. Several of the regulars at Grillby's came along and gave Undyne a greeting and a friendly nudge as the people went home, their hands full of the gifts that had rested beneath the tree. Most went home to their families, in order to reveal the glory of their presents while gathered around their own trees; others tore their gifts open right then and there, cheering with each unveiled toy. She herself had a few gifts in hand, the rest already sitting beneath the tree at Sans' and Papyrus' house.
She stood around for only another minute before heading back, leaving Sans and Papyrus to greet their neighbours. It was apparently tradition in Snowdin to hand out gifts first thing in the morning, and Undyne was starving for something to eat. Anything at all.
The gifts were slid beneath the tree before she stepped into the kitchen, downing half a box of cereal dry in record time. She was busy guzzling a carton of milk when the brothers walked through the door, eyebrow ridges raising at the sight in the kitchen.
"…YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M NOT GOING TO ASK."
"good idea bro."
Eventually they gathered in the living room, gifts sorted into three piles for each of them. Papyrus's pile was the largest, many of which were addressed as being "from Santa". Undyne's pile was almost just as big, with the smallest of the three being Sans'.
Gifts were unveiled and unwrapped in a mess of tape and paper, Undyne and Papyrus cheering with each one. Papyrus found his lap buried beneath a pile action figures, interspersed with several cookbooks and car magazines (from Undyne and Sans respectively), Undyne ended up with several new weapon repair kits, a pile of human history books, and a cute blue teacup in the shape of a fish (she made note to thank Asgore later), and Sans unveiled what was a veritable mountain of joke books and a chemistry kit, along with a brand new telescope from his brother that left him undeniably emotional.
The three spent the day in front of the TV, all the blankets draped across their shoulders and pillows stacked around them as they marathoned movies and holiday specials. Sans had slipped out at some point under the excuse of 'needing to buy more food for his rock' since they'd apparently run out. He was gone for half a movie and by the time he got back Undyne and Papyrus were both seemingly passed out in the pile of pillows, the blankets strewn about in a messy nest. Movies continued to play in the background, providing the only light in the room.
Sans chuckled, grabbing one of the sheets not wedged beneath the two and draping it over them. Then he burrowed beneath the sheets himself and plopped onto one of the stacks of bedding not already claimed by the other two. He left the TV to play, providing a stream of white noise that lulled him to sleep.
"g'night, you guys."
"…g'night, you two."