Strider notes: So, chapters are going to be updated as we get them done. SOme might be cranked out in days- some might take a week or more. Also from the 26 to September 3rd, we wont be posting any updates. I've got a friend from out of state coming, and i'll be spending a lot of my time with her. If we think of it, we'll save a chapter for Silverwing to post while I'm gone.
Silverwing Notes: So far i love how this is turning out, but to clear up any confusion you may gain while reading
Caeruleus is the name of the Sans in this story, though it's his middle name used as a first, so 'Sans' may occasionally end up being used instead throughout the story. Chapter 2 in particular, 'Sans' starts being used about halfway in, but rest assured, it's the same character.
Same with Aliquam being used for Papyrus
Strider Editing Notes (6-10-18): We're going through slowly and editing the story. Caeruleus is going to stay as Sans' middle name, so eventually the whole story will just have Sans written as the first. Same with Papyrus- with Aliquam as his middle name. It's going to be a process though, because there's a lot of chapters, and only two of us to edit it. Anyway, Enjoy reading. Don't be confused if you see Caeruleus somewhere though, or a Quinn or an Ali- I'm trying to get them all, but it's not feasible for one person.
Papyrus had managed to stay for dinner that night, which she had mildly demanded after his sweet self had helped her move the bee hives and get them damn near spotless in nearly half the time it usually took, but had had to leave shortly after. She'd sent him out with his crate of honey, and seen the caravan off when he'd had to go, before retreating inside to handle some more legal stuff over the phone. She was also thrilled that she did, indeed, manage to keep from him the lack of good reactions her body had to some tomato-based products.
The following week went smoothly enough- they only had two hiccups. One had been an incident with a worker who reported some less than stellar wood that had been delivered. She'd handled that swiftly over the phone, giving the company CEO the ass chewing of a lifetime, and switched to ordering the stuff they couldn't get local from over seas. More pricey, but some of the foreign companies were eager to interact with monsters. Some even offered deals on bulk supplies. The second had been a nasty phone call from some people from the Humans Against Monsters, warning her against accepting more monsters. She'd told them where to stuff it, and then hung up.
And at the end of that first week, the first sector of actual housing was up. It was nearest the compound, and the first families that had come there got first pick of the houses. The next sector was scheduled to be finished in a few more weeks- but Toki was enthusiastic. Winter was three or four months away- and the summer nights were pretty chilly. Having heating and proper housing for everyone would be better.
Everything was on a roll, and going well enough that she only had minimal stress. To her disgruntlement, the dark bags under her eyes continued to grow and grow, until she looked damn near bruised.
Naps didn't seem to help, either. Though the naps were usually amazing, and she did feel more rested after. Toki sorely needed the rest- she was supposed to baby-sit tonight. The adults- monsters and some of the human workers who were building- were gathering in one of the houses tonight to play some card games.
Naturally, Toki had offered to watch the kids for the night. It was a nickelodeon show marathon night anyways, so they would all be engrossed in seeing the new episodes coming out.
So it was little surprise when she woke up, face down at her kitchen table, with some billing papers stuck to her face, and her dark hair spread over the table. She had only closed her eyes for a second… But with a Nara, a second was all it could take.
"Heheh... S'Bout time you woke up, Doll." Came a voice from nearby, before an empty pair of eye sockets came into sight, accompanied by a wide, fixed grin on the monster's face.
The noise that comes from her throat is nothing short of a deflating whoopee cushion- because half-asleep Toki is not a fully aware Toki. The stool she's been seated on dumps her out as she flails backwards, sending papers flying.
She lands with a thump, and a muffled curse as the eye sockets and grinning skull disappear over the top of her table.
"That's even better than the whoopee cushion in the hand trick!" The skeleton laughed as he came around the counter top, kneeling beside her to check on her condition. "Hey, you okay?" He asked next, speaking clearly despite his teeth not moving from their closed position.
That was… weird. But magic was strange- how he talked without opening his jaw was beyond her. Toki pressed a dainty hand to her chest to calm her pattering heart, the other bracing on the ground. "You probably scared a couple years off my lifespan, but other than that, I'm good." Dark eyes peered up at the kneeling skeleton, making the dark circles under them stand out more. Other than being bone tired, she wasn't harmed. Startled and spooked, yes. But sometimes skeletons could be spooky and scary when they were unexpected. "Maybe a bruised tailbone too. And… uh, I think you're standing on one of my billing papers." They were, she had to admit, a great instant-wakeup though. Better even than a cup of coffee.
The empty eye sockets were filled with light as pupils appeared in the skeleton's eyes, and he gave a chuckle, the grin growing on his face. He slowly then stood up and peeled the paper from his foot. "This looks complicated."
"Sans Caeruleus Gaster, I swear to everything that is holy, you are going to be the death of me if you keep scaring me. And then you have to deal with Papyrus when you do." She huffed, and shifted onto her knees. Still, the smile on her lips takes the sting from her words. Agh. Her ass. The wooden floors were unforgiving to human flesh. Toki doesn't bother getting up- she hides a wave of dizziness by picking up the scattered papers. "Ah, bills aren't really that hard. At the start yeah, but it's all about how you balance your money to make it stretch. These are bills for the lumber I've had to import."
"Oh yeah, I'm so scared." he chuckled, watching her to make sure she wasn't too badly hurt. Other than the dark bags under her eyes and pale tinge to her skin, she's relatively healthy looking.
Once they're all collected, the pale woman plants a hand on her table and hauls herself up with a tired groan. She steadies herself on the surface, and then sets her papers down. "What prompted this visit?" She'd officially met him once, but he had only popped up on occasion to scare the bejeebus out of her, or to let Papyrus know he needed to be back sooner. "Oh! Did the crate of honey I sent with Papyrus make it to the Underground alright?"
Upon being given the questions, Sans grinned.
"Just thought I'd come deliver some supplies for you." He told her. "As for the honey, yeah. Al made sure to share it well enough with everyone."
She fixes her seat and takes the bill back from Sans with a tired smile. She nudges another over for him to take a seat upon, and then wanders to the fridge to collect a drink for herself. "Would you like anything to drink? I bet your mouth is bone dry if you were waiting for me to wake up. I'm glad the honey got there though. It was awfully sweet of you to deliver news and supplies." She'd need to prepare another crate to send to everyone. But it could wait for now; she had an unexpected guest to entertain after all. "Did you get to try any of it? If not, I could make up some honey tarts for you to try." She could whip him up some honey tarts if he wanted- she needed to make some for the kids anyways.
Monster kids were enamored with the honey tarts- though apparently they weren't as energizing or rejuvenating as the magic infused 'monster food'. Toki hadn't actually tried any of that yet- she wasn't sure it was good for human consumption, and would rather the kids get the meals better suited for their own nutrition.
He chuckled at that, "Sure, why not. Love that you've been practicin' your puns, by the way. " He said, sitting down with a grin. "Got any ketchup?"
"I've been trying, but I'm not very good at them yet." She admits shyly. She putters around the kitchen, and collects a few tarts, slathering a good helping of honey on top. She doesn't bother making any for herself- she's too run down to really benefit from the sugar at this point. She does, in fact, have ketchup. She fetches her bottle from the fridge once the tarts are finished- including the extra ones for the hoards of little ones that she's going to be watching later- and sets in front of him his tarts, his ketchup, and a glass for him to pour the ketchup into. Toki settles across from him, a glass of water in hand, and casually scrubs her fingers across her eyes tiredly. "It's probably not as good as the type you've got in the underground, but store-bought ketchup isn't bad."
"Well I'm proud of you, regardless, sounds like you're really putting your funny bone to good use." He purred, taking the ketchup and poking the nozzle into his mouth. "Mmh."
"Well aren't you just humorous, sugar." A smile tugs at her mouth and she can't help the snort that leaves her. "Guess you didn't need the glass." She laughs softly, and turns back to her papers so he can eat without her ogling him. It was rude to stare, after all- and she hadn't seen him open his mouth since they met.
She purses her lips, finding another company who would have liked to jack up the price. She scanned down the price, comparing the quality of goods with where she was getting from in other places, and frowned. Ugh. She must have missed this one earlier. She was only recently teaching herself what was good lumber and what wasn't- she was a beekeeper, not a forestry nerd after all. A drawn out sigh leaves her, and she sips her water as she scans the page, frown growing. She'd need to make the call to them shortly.
He chuckled softly, enjoying his ketchup for a little longer before he lowered it to the table. "Is everything okay?" He asked after noticing her upset aura.
"Nothing's ever fully okay." She sighs. Idly, she waves the paper. "I'm a beekeeper by trade, so I've had to do research on the types of wood and materials I've been buying to build houses for everyone. All of this stuff is pretty new to me. I'm finding out that some of the places I've made orders to be less truthful about the quality of the wood. I managed to cancel those orders and gotten them switched to a better supplier. Well, except this one, apparently. I'm going to have to call and have a word with whoever runs the business. This sort of wood here isn't something that would survive the winters here. First time a branch slams into it, we'd have a hole in the house." She groans, head thudding down onto the table. She was pretty run down, doing all of this on her own, and it showed in her posture and energies. "I'll work on it though. I'm going to have to double check all of my orders and keep an eye on them."
"I could see about makin' a couple o' deliveries for you." He offered. "Plus I could ask around for some hints or advice. I happen to know a few things about buildin' and keepin' a house."
Toki blinks up at him slowly for a minute, before she nods hesitantly. "The deliveries of goods would be helpful. Any advice you hear along the way would be infinitely helpful too, really." She does motion a finger out the window though, pointing at the large number of builders skillfully putting together houses in a plethora of sizes. There were some massive monsters, after all. "I think we've got the building bits down though. The only thing I need to actually schedule to be remodeled is my doors- because I swear to god your brother is going to brain himself one of these days."
She props her elbow on the table and her chin into her palm. Dark, tired eyes gaze at his eye sockets and she hums a small thoughtful sound. "Sorry about any grumbling you might hear- I'm just a bit run down. Keeping up with everything and keeping it all in order on your own is exhausting."
He laughed at that. "Hey, don't worry about it!" He assured her. "Also, if you think it's bad with Pap, you should see how my old man suffers." He snickered as he remembered how much his father would abhor going through doorways before they fixed the house.
A fond smile crosses her face, and she chuffs a soft laugh. "I haven't met your dad yet, but I imagine he's probably in the same boat as King Asgore was. We had to have lunch on the lawn- he nearly got stuck in the door." She had never seen a goat-monster blush before, and it was a sight ingrained deeply into her brain. Toki hums, and gives Sans a more serious look. "Hey. I want you to be careful while you're out and about making deliveries or getting information. Spread the word to Pap, and the other caravans. I got a call a few days ago- from some anti-monster group. I told them where to shove it, but humans can be terrible creatures. I just want you all to be careful, okay?"
"Hey of course, Doll." He winked at her. "Humans are scary and all, but they can't do shit against a Boss Monster like me!" He laughed.
"You haven't seen some of the advanced weapons." She smiles dryly, pale cheeks dusting a light pink at his wink, but keeps a serious look on her face. She idly points a finger to the honey treats that he had yet to consume, reminding him in passing that he did have treats to nibble. "Guns for one. They're probably faster than you can move. But anyways, not all of you are boss monsters, you know? It's the monsters that can't defend themselves well that should be warned. The guard's here know- they're keeping an eye out for me but we're keeping it quiet so as not to scare the children and parents. Still… You guys have been underground for a long, long time. I don't think you understand the capacity for cruelty that humanity can have."
He glanced at them with a soft 'oh yeah...' and took one. He listened to her as he started to consume the sweet treat. By the end of her speech, he shook his head. "Oh, trust me, doll... You'd be surprised just how well I do when it comes to dodgin' blows." The assurance came easy from him. "Well, once we get more residents up here, I may just take up role as a guard." He told her cheerfully.
"You'd be welcome here as a guard." She nods with a hesitant smile. "We're growing larger here every day." Eventually they'd probably become a legitimized city in their own, if the population kept growing. Or at least considered a small town- and would probably need to name it if it came to that. Still, she frowns at him. "If you'll be here long today, I'll show you my rifle. Bullets are hard to see, and even harder to dodge if the one wielding the gun has good aim."
"I've gone up against a knife before," he shrugged loosely, "a gun cant be that bad." He chuckled, before he patted her shoulder. "Well, don't worry about not-so-little old me," He purred, "I'll make sure to come out on top if it means protectin' everyone, especially you."
The large, bony fingers that patted her shoulder did nothing to ease her nerves. He really didn't understand the concept of guns, did he? She would definitely need to teach him about them- and all of the monsters as well, come to think of it. They needed to be prepared for what they would come up against. It took her a moment to register the charming purr that accented his last words- and the brilliant flush that blossomed over her face embarrassed her. She wasn't anyone worth protecting, really.
Toki didn't get the chance to expand upon the importance of gun-knowledge and his lack of it. The back door opened, and the quick pitter-patter of paws announced the arrival of a little houseguest.
Thumper was one of the monster children she habitually babysat. The little boy was as sweet as he was fluffy- but he had a stubborn streak a mile wide. Thumper was clad in a pair of overalls, his gray fur standing out against the dark denim. His feet were bare- and she was glad of it as he barreled into her middle with almost enough force to bruise her skin.
She hid a pained grunt, and instead stroked a hand over his head as he whimpered in her lap. She smoothed his ears down, blinking at purple eyes as his soft nose twitched in distress.
"Miss Nara, I was bad. I dared Twitch," Who was another bunny monster she babysat, "to climb one of the trees…"
"The ones I told you not to climb?" She gave him a firm look, eyes briefly glancing to Sans to let him know that their little gun-safety talk was not over. She didn't hesitate, standing up and propping the heavy child onto her hip. He settled easily- she'd gotten wide hips from her dad's side of the family- and nodded into her neck.
There were some trees in her 'back yard' area of sorts that were ones that had been there for centuries. They were 'family heirlooms' of sorts, and were impossibly tall and hard to climb. They also offered the best view of the little village that was sprouting up- so naturally it had several children wanting to climb them.
"Yeah… Twitch is stuck. She's afraid to climb down now."
"You did good in coming to get me, Thumper. Lets go get Twitch, okay? I'll be right back, Sans." And then she's heading out the door, mind shifting gears onto getting Twitch down.
"If this is a rescue mission, then I don't see why I have to stay behind." he chuckled as he followed her, knowing his magic would make this job a lot easier.
"It's not so much a rescue mission as a retrieval one. Again." She didn't particularly care if he followed- but it was presumptuous to assume he would in the long run, hence giving him the option to opt out. Toki hefts Thumper slightly higher, and her long legs make the trek through the house and out to the family trees easily. There's a small gathering of bunny monsters at the base, and they're looking upwards.
She spots Twitch near the top, her light pink fur a sharp contrast to the bland green leaves of the tree. Pursing her lips, she sets Thumper with the rest of the little ones and makes her way to the trunk.
The young rabbit monster didn't linger with the others- he latched onto the nearest other adult he could cling to. Which happened to be Sans' leg, as the little rabbit watched the top of the tree nervously.
"Twitch, sugarplum? You stuck up there, baby girl?"
"Uhuh… 's far down."
And it was. Toki had grown up getting into similar such situations, until she got tired of watching her dad get the ladder every time she had climbed up. She hadn't climbed it in years- but honestly, how hard could it be? "Alright, Twitch. You stay put, all right? I'm coming up for you."
Toki cracked the knuckles of her fingers loudly, discarded her house slippers at the base of the trunk, and then began to work her way up the tree through long familiar handholds.
How hard can it be… Sans rolled his non-existent eyes and then chuckled and reached to ruffle Thumper's fur. "Be careful, Toki."
"Ha! I've only fallen out of here twice! I'll be fine, Sans."
Toki made her way up swiftly, slipping a couple times when the old bark gave below her bare feet. She squirmed up until she could reach Twitch- but was unprepared when the terrified rabbit monster leapt into her chest with an upset sound when the wind rattled the branches roughly. She didn't even need to coax her- the rabbit wanted down, obviously.
Sharp claws caught on her ribs as the young monster latched onto her chest, driving the air out of her lungs with the force of her grasp. Toki braced herself with one hand, the other coming around the trembling bunny. She managed to snag a thin dangling branch, but otherwise would have gone over backwards out of the tree.
"Hey now," She smiled, "I've got you. You, ah, you're going to be alright, Twitch."
"Not comin' up again…" The sulky words were muffled by Toki's chest, but she got the gist of them easily enough anyways.
"See to it that you don't," She chuckles softly, tugging on the branch to try and pull herself upright again.
There is an ominous crack as the branch breaks, and then a shrill noise of Twitch's cry, which is mirrored by the bunnies tittering down below. Toki doesn't scream- but she does curl her arms around the child and hold on because OW those are branches whipping across her back and sides, and that is the ground rapidly approaching.
There might have been a startled noise that came from between his teeth. With the realization of the danger, Sans' eye socket lit up bright blue and he lashed a hand out, power whirling outwards and turning both Toki's and Twitch's souls blue as he caught them in his magic.
The sudden stop from their fall was jarring- but it was more so the sheer burning that overtook her soul that hurt the most. Whatever Sans was doing- whatever it was that was making his eye glow like that- it burned to high hell, like something was shoving a hot spear through the very center of her person. She shivered, gooseflesh pebbling up across her pale hide, pain flashing briefly across her face.
Her arms tightened around Twitch as a thin sheen of sweat broke out across her forehead. She was upside down, but she shot Sans a shaky but grateful look as she was lowered down.
"That… WAS SO AWESOME!" Thumper all but bounced next to Sans, watching the skeleton save Twitch and his babysitter with the blue magic.
He slowly lowered them to the ground and let them go once they were close enough to the ground. "Are you alright?"
Toki landed with a soft thud on the grass, and her breath whooshed out of her lungs. She sat up, taking deep breaths as the burning sensation lingered. The little rabbit's claws had scratched her through her shirt, but she hurt more inside than she did outside. Her arms trembled faintly, and she stroked a hand down Twitch's back with a soft croon. "We're alright." She nods shakily to Sans. "Thank you. Twitch? Sugar? You alright?"
"U-u-uhuh."
Ah. Tears. Toki gives a fondly bemused smile, and simply strokes a hand down the little one's back. She makes a vaguely aborted motion to get up, but instead just stays sitting until her limbs stop feeling like overcooked noodles.
"That was AWESOME! How did you do that? Is that blue magic? That's SO COOL. Can you lift anyone? Can you lift me? Is it FUN?" Thumper has pulled the gaggle of little ones into bouncing around near Sans- all of them mirroring his excited cheers. Now that the danger had passed and no one had splattered on the ground, the trauma was out of sight and out of mind.
"Hang on there kiddos, lemme check on Toki real fast, then I'll answer your questions." He moved for her, slightly faster than his usual lumbering gait.
The kids pouted, but did stay put. They knew better than to crowd around a monster that had gotten scared- bunnies could be ferocious when they felt cornered.
Toki focused firstly on Twitch, soothing the bunny until she let her go. Once the pale pink bunny had settled back in her lap, Toki smoothed her hands over her cheeks and looked her over firmly. "You look like you're alright. Are you going to do it again?"
"N-no, Toki…"
"Then I'm not going to scold you. That scare was punishment enough. But if I find you guys climbing them again, I will tell your parents." And it wasn't an idle threat either- Toki was a notorious 'tattler' when it came to misbehaving little ones. When Twitch simply sniffed, Toki gently patted her head, and let the bunny up. "Go play, okay? I'm going to lay here and let my heart catch up with the rest of me."
Twitch got up, hugged Toki roughly around the neck for a moment, and then hopped to her friends. The children were sufficiently distracted from the adults as they began to grill Twitch on what it felt like to be levitated, and what it was like up that high, and the like.
Toki lay back in the grass with a grimace, hair and clothes askew, and peered up at the tall skeleton. "Looks like you've got fans."
Sans sat besides her, his ever-present grin revealing nothing. "Very true by the looks of it. But first I'm gonna at least make sure you're okay."
"I'm alright," She smiles at him wryly. "I'm laying down- nothing can be bad when you're laying down. I have some scratches from Twitch, but scratches heal. Besides that… Is your magic supposed to burn? Blue doesn't make me think fire- but that was sure warmer than I expected it to be."
"No... That shouldn't have hurt a bit." The tilt to his smile changes, and it takes her a moment to translate that to meaning that he was worried. "Any idea why you'd have some sort of reaction to it?"
"No? Besides me being under the weather… Maybe magic just isn't supposed to be used on humans like that?" She shifts and sits up slowly, face flushing lightly as her vision wavers. Alright, that's not normal. What the hell. "I am mildly dizzy."
The silence is alarming. Sans looked at her, pupils small and faint. Planting his hand on her shoulder, he guided her down onto the lawn again. "Easy... easy..."
"Sans, really," She gave him a dry look. "Humans get light headed at random. I did spend several seconds upside down and floating- that does odd things to the human body. I'm not going to break if I sit upright." Still, she closes her eyes with a sigh, air rolling from her nostrils as she remains flopped in the grass. It's summer, and the patch of shade they're in is practically chilly.
He looked down at her, and then he sighed. "I'm going to get you somethin' to drink, alright?" though he didn't really wait as he stood up to go back.
"Make sure it's not Ketchup, and I'll take it." Of course Toki isn't likely to remain laying there while he's gone- but as he heads back for the house, she contemplates not moving. Still, laying there like a lout wasn't going to make her any better. She rolled over and clamored onto all fours, waving at the kids lightly. "Go play, you guys. Sans and I need to talk- and you lot need to stay away from the trees."
"Alright, Toki!" The mob of children bounced from the yard, and she had an inkling that they probably were not done with Sans.
She watches them go, and then wobbles up onto her feet.
He came out after a little with some lemonade, a worried frown now on his face rather than his trademark grin.
She hadn't technically moved from that spot, though she was upright now. Ish- more like bent at the waist staring intently at some grass, and wishing it would stop doing strange things in her vision. The door opening and closing draws her gaze, and she waves faintly. "Lemonade? Good choice."
He came over and sat beside her, holding the straw out to her, "Here, thought you may need this..." He didn't know much about this kind of feeling, but he had some knowledge about this... plus a straw was always helpful.
Toki stayed standing when he sat- she was wobbly and had a feeling she probably should sit somewhere that she didn't have to get up from any time soon. The lemonade is appreciated, and she leans to take a sip from it. She's not dumb enough to take the glass- she'd probably drop it with as unsteady as her limbs feel. "The sugar always helps," Toki agrees lightly. It was sweet and tangy and delicious. "Thanks, Sans. For catching me, and for the lemonade. I've fallen out of that tree before- the landing sucks."
He nodded gently. "You're doing monsterkind a great service, I'd hate to let anything happen to ya'." He assured her warmly.
She swallows another mouthful, and then makes to straighten up. "Eh, something's bound to happen sooner or later. I am only human, after all. Trouble tends to follow us in spades. Thanks for your concern though- you're sweeter than you let on, y'know?"
Toki grimaces lightly as she straightens, and then offers a wobbly hand to help him up. "C'mon, lets go inside before the kids remember their questions and mob you."
He laughed and nodded, declining her hand before moving to get up by himself. "I'm admittedly a bit of a softie." he smirked, following her inside. "Heh, but uh, don't worry about the kids, doll."
She makes it to the kitchen, and collapses down onto the stool. She shivers, goose bumps running rapidly up and down her bare arms as she watches him shut the door behind them. "I'm softer than you still- in more ways than one. Hence why I'm usually volunteering to watch the kids, monster and human alike." She takes the lemonade glass from him, setting it carefully down on the table, and lets her head thud onto the cool wood. She groans quietly.
"Careful now," He hums. "You know, my old man is a doctor, I could see if he'd be alright with making the journey to come see you."
"Isn't he usually busy though?" She lifts her head to give him a tiredly curious smile, hair spilling over her shoulders in messy loops. "I mean, if he doesn't mind, sure. If not, it's no bother. I have to get another doctor in the city anyways." The one she'd had since she had become an adult had proved to be horrifically monster-phobic, and she wasn't going to support such bigotry. "It's probably easier for me to drive to town than it is for him to make a several-day trip here." Though with the dizzy spells, it was probably not nearly as safe.
"He can shortcut like I can. It'd only be a day at the longest."
"Shortcut- Oh! Your instant-Toki-scaring trick." She snorts lightly and laughs. "Again, if he's busy, it's not a problem. Would he know how to treat a human patient? Monsters and humans are similar, but we've got our differences." Like them being composed of magic- and humans being fleshy, meaty squish bags that bruised easily.
"I'm sure he would." He nodded once more. "Yeah."
"Then if he's got a free moment when you head home, I wouldn't mind you asking." She smiles wryly. "Having a magical teleporting doctor would be nifty. No more three hour drives to the city, yeah?" They were a long ways out from most civilization. The fire department was an hours drive away, and the police just a little farther- but she did have neighbors between there and her estate.
Smiling, Sans made a mental note as he nodded a few times. "Of course. And my old man is a good doctor. A damn good one, really. I'm sure you'll like him."
"I'm sure I will. Think he'll like me?" A smile is given to him, and she shifts in her seat, finishing her lemonade and then going to put the glass in the sink. To her credit, she doesn't wobble, though her legs feel weak and unstable. Taking a deep breath, she steels herself, and turns to him with a wry smile. "Now back to our previous conversation. If I was feeling better, I'd take you out back right now and show you just what guns are, and why they should not be placed anywhere near the same category as a knife fight. Right now, I'm more likely to probably shoot myself in the foot again, so for safety's sake, we'll have to postpone that."
She leans over to instead turn on the kitchen television, which is tuned to the news station. This particular channel is mostly about the monsters and some monster named Mettaton- who was apparently a rapidly growing celebrity among the humans- so it's no surprise when it clicks over and general talk about monsters happens. She puts it on mostly for background sound- to drown out the loud sound of someone using a jackhammer to break up some rocks.
The volume is low- but Sans is closer to it than Toki was, so she doesn't bother turning it up. She's not sure how hearing works for skeletons, but she doesn't want to deafen him.
The news caster looks perturbed by something, and she strains her ears to hear what he's saying. "-been cases of humans coming down with what looks to be like radiation poisoning in the area around Mt. Ebott. The doctors say that some of the earliest cases seem to be… I don't even know how to describe it."
A picture of a little girl flashes on the screen- sickly, pale, with dark circles under her eyes- and then it's the same girl obviously sometime later, but with scales blossoming across her cheeks. She looks healthier, like whatever happening is healing her.
He noticed and cocked an eyebrow that seemed to just linger over his face. "... Magical mutation?" He questioned quietly. He then realized something suddenly, and he looked over his shoulder to look to Toki... This... this was definitely a plausible variable.
Toki looks befuddled. "If there was some actual radiation happening, it would be happening to everyone within range of the mountain. Radiation isn't selective." Her bees would have rapidly died off, a sure sign that something was wrong. She leans over to turn it up slightly.
"Akitoki Akizawa is the brilliant MD who began to notice the changes. He's unable to be here with us today, but he did send us a few bits of information. It says here, that they don't actually have any detectable radiation. He also says that those afflicted with monster mutation have a genetic difference from those not afflicted. Akitoki has yet to release information concerning what this difference is, but he thinks he might be able to pinpoint the exact genetic anomaly if he can get a base test from what he hypothesizes is the cause of the mutations."
The lady next to the man clears her throat, and shakes her head. "No word on if King Asgore has been made aware of this, or of Akitoki's desire for a sample of monster DNA."
"There was a request of a monster doctor sent to the king, and he has answered that he indeed has a doctor he can offer to give advice, however, there has been no word from said 'Doctor'."
Sans clenched his fists slightly and he sighed, turning away from the TV.
Toki grimaces and turns it off. It's not hard to see that it's upsetting him- and she'd rather not deal with an angry skeleton. Papyrus she isn't sure is capable of ever getting angry, but Sans… Well, the ones that smile are the ones to watch out for.
She hesitates, wobbling in place, and then steps forward to place her hand on his shoulder. "He's probably busy, Sans. Humans don't do well with… radiation poisoning. Or poisoning of any type, now that I think about it. I imagine he's swamped trying to keep all of those poor children alive." It all seemed sort of unreal- and she was obviously confused, despite her attempts to soothe the larger monster.
"They're talking about my dad... I can tell..." he growled quietly.
"Well… They're probably concerned for a good reason. The sort of symptoms those people are dealing with are sorta… scary, to be honest." She recalls the sharp burn of his magic in her body, and the hand on his shoulder trembles slightly. "I don't see what's bad about them mentioning your dad though. They didn't say anything bad about him."
"By mentioning he's given only silence could easily be twisted to say he doesn't care about humanity."
"Technically they said they had no word yet- which means that Akitoki hasn't released everything to them yet. They had only a few notes- which means they're very vague at best." The room seems darker to her, and it takes her a minute to figure out why. She steadfast ignores it, and gently bumps his shoulder with her fingers to distract herself away from it. "Why don't you pop home and let King Asgore know about the news broadcast?"
Sans blinked once, and then he nodded. "R-Right... I'll tell Pops to stop by when he gets the chance." He then turned and gave her a gentle hug, smiling in a softer way. "You be careful, Toki" he told her firmly.
As he looped his arms around her- even with his plush jacket, she could feel the hard bone and magic what was his body below- she shivered faintly and returned the hug warmly. She never really noticed- but like how humans radiated warmth, the monsters seemed to radiate a type of heat too. "I'll be alright, Sans. I know my limits." She gives him a wide smile. "Tell Papyrus I said hello, and to not be a stranger. It's awfully bonely without you guys around sometimes."
He chuckled at that and pressed his closed grin to her forehead. The smooth bones left a small dent in her soft skin where he left his kiss, before he took a step back away from her.
"See ya, Doll~"
He didn't move, but the next time she blinked, he was there no longer.
Toki lasted a few more minutes in the kitchen, before her stomach clenched and she had to scurry to the bathroom as it rebelled.
