Hello! This is a side fic to I'm Still Here, so if you haven't read it, please do read through that story first!
My good friend and I have been planning on writing this for quite some time! So here it is! Any kind of feedback would be very much appreciated! Lynn belongs to me. Marcus belongs to Barely Meeting Expectations.
"I AM SO EXCITED TO SHOW YOU WHERE WE USED TO LIVE, BIG HUMAN!"
Lynn chuckled lightly as she trudged along behind Papyrus. Ever since the skeleton mentioned his life down in the Underground, Lynn had been curious to see what it was like down there. When the woman felt well enough—and comfortable enough—she'd asked him if he could show her around. Of course Papyrus agreed and now he and Sans were trudging down the long, well worn, paths from a place they called Hotland and into another called Waterfall.
"I am too, Pap," she agreed, looking around curiously. Bold red lettering slowly scrolled past them and she took the time to read 'WELCOME TO HOTLAND'. A small smile lifted the corners of her lips, amused yet not entirely surprised.
"I COULD EVEN SHOW YOU THE OUTPOSTS SANS AND I USED TO GUARD!" Papyrus continued, "I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAD THE BEST OUTPOST YOU COULD HAVE!"
"you sure did," Sans agreed from beside Lynn. "you could say it was outstanding."
Lynn snorted in laughter as Papyrus groaned in disgust. Lynn paused as she heard their sounds echo back to them, curiosity mounting in her chest. Sans paused beside her and tilted his head slightly, listening to the same things she was.
"welcome to waterfall," Sans said, strolling on. Lynn quickly caught up to him.
"Are the walls closer in here?" she asked, blinking to hasten her eyes' adjustment to the dimmer lighting.
"naw. that's the echo flowers."
"Echo flowers?"
"THEY ARE FLOWERS THAT REPEAT ANYTHING THEY HEAR!" Papyrus informed her, pointing to a glowing blue flower sprouting up beside the road.
Lynn stared at it, struggling to wrap her mind around it. "Anything?"
She jumped as the flower parroted the word back to her in a higher, softer pitch. She could feel her companions' amusement as she turned back to them.
"yeah. useful, innit?" Sans gave her a wide grin and she huffed in reply.
Before anyone else could say another word, a soft scritch scritch made its way to their ears. Lynn tensed, glancing around to try and find the source of the sound. Papyrus seemed unphased by it, in fact he seemed to be a bit more excited.
"IS THAT..?" To her surprise the skeleton tilted his head back and examined the upper walls for something.
"Wha-?" Lynn started before a sharp, panicked screech cut her off.
"WATCH OUT SANS!" Papyrus yelped. Sans's gaze shot up, his eye flared to life and a hand shot forward. The screech ended abruptly as whatever it was halted in its tracks and the skeleton carefully lowered his hand and the person that was still bound to the magic. All Lynn could make out was a jumbled pile of limbs—was that a wing?!—and brownish colouring as they were set on the ground in front of them. Sans released his grip on the monster—that much she could tell—and the figure in front of them exhaled a shuddering sigh of relief. They sat up and grinned sheepishly at the trio, a shock of bright red hair falling in between their eyes like a forelock, and clambered to his feet.
"Oh. Em. Gee! I am so sorry about that guys!" He exclaimed, brown eyes swimming in apology. He strutted towards them and grabbed Sans's hand in between two of his own. The smaller skeleton suddenly looked very uncomfortable and he tried to tug his hand out of the other's grasp but to no avail.
"Thank you for savin' me, you handsome pile of bones! I don't know what I would've done if you weren't here!"
"ummmmm..."
"Oh!" The strange monster yelped, finally seeing Lynn standing off to the side awkwardly, "A human! It's nice to meet you! I'm Marcus, by the way!"
"Err... Hi?" Lynn yelped as Marcus grabbed her hand and shook it vigorously.
"What's your name?" His eyes shone with newfound curiosity and Lynn scratched at the back of her neck nervously.
"I'm Lynn." Despite herself, her eyes flickered down to his rather prominent defining feature. "Err, I didn't know monsters could have-
"An extra set of arms?" A broad, mischievous grin crossed his lips, exposing two rather sharp looking fangs. "Yeah, they sure come in handy! I can carry more shopping bags, you know?
Both Sans and Lynn chuckled at the pun as Papyrus groaned in exasperation. This monster's energy reminded her of one of her old friends from the military and she allowed a small smile to stretch her lips. "It's nice to meet you too, Marcus."
"WELL," Papyrus cut in and Lynn jumped slightly, totally forgetting where they were. "NOW THAT EVERYONE HAS MET, WE SHALL CONTINUE ONWARD TO SNOWDIN!"
"Why are we going there, my skelly friend?" Marcus asked, letting go of Lynn's hand and bouncing up to the taller skeleton.
"TO SHOW LYNN WHERE WE USED TO PATROL! SHE'S FROM THE SURFACE!"
"The surface, you say?" Marcus gave her an inquisitive look and she shrugged in response. "I heard that it's open now but I really didn't believe it."
"YEAH! IT'S SUPER COOL UP THERE! YOU NEED TO GO SEE IT FOR YOURSELF!"
"I totes will! Hey, where do you live, Short Stuff?"
Lynn glanced over at him to see who he was talking to and lifted an eyebrow when he was staring at her in expectation. "...What did you call me?"
His smile widened teasingly. "'Short Stuff', Short Stuff. It fits."
Sans snorted from beside her and she gave the skeleton a short glare. Lynn focused her attention back on the tall monster and gave him a small smile. "I suppose I can live with that."
"Great!" Marcus slung one of his many arms around her and she let out a rather dog-like yelp. His other three gestured as he talked. "You still haven't answered my quest-ion~!"
"Um, with Toriel for right now. Up in New Ebott, the monster town that's forming up there."
"Toriel! Oh, that sweet thing, I miss her!" Marcus laughed and the arm around Lynn's neck tightened slightly. "Never was the same after she left. Wait, don't you have your own place, Shorty?"
Lynn bit her lip as memories surfaced. "Err... Long story."
"HEY GUYS! WE'RE ALMOST TO SNOWDIN! MY TOWN!"
The woman blinked and looked around, only now noticing the colder atmosphere. Disappointment bloomed in her chest when she thought of all the scenery she missed on the way there. She squashed it down after a moment, consoling herself with the fact that they have to pass through there on the way back.
"ey kid, you cold?" Sans asked from beside her. Lynn frowned at the skeleton's favoured nickname for her—and Frisk, but she's actually a kid still—but nodded as the temperature dropped. Up ahead she could start making out the bright glimmer of snow.
"here," Sans tossed his jacket at her and she barely caught it. Lynn gave him a confused stare and he shrugged in his white turtleneck. "ey, just thought you'd need it, being fleshy an' all."
"Are you," Lynn started slowly, glancing at the jacket and back to him, "tryin' to snow me Sans?"
Sans grinned. "givin' me the cold shoulder, buddy? that's rather icy of you."
Lynn fought to keep a straight face as Papyrus groaned loudly from up ahead and Marcus started cackling beside her. "I know, I know, I have a frozen heart. I get rather bitter in situations like these."
They couldn't take it anymore and they doubled over with laughter. Marcus was supporting himself against the cave wall, howling and Papyrus stood up ahead, glaring at the three.
"THAT WAS THE WORST CONVERSATION I HAVE EVER HEARD FROM YOU TWO! YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES!"
"Aw, come on Papy," Lynn gasped between fits of giggles, "don't be so icy!"
The three monsters laughed even harder and the skeleton stomped his foot in indignation.
"HOW DARE YOU USE ME FOR YOUR IRRESPONSABLE PUNNING! COME ON, WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO!"
They eventually calmed down after that and they continued forward, a companionable atmosphere between the four.
"I like you, Short Stuff!" Marcus proclaimed as they headed into the snows of Snowdin. Lynn grinned. "I think I'll come take a look-see at your little town after this!"
"Oohrah!"