Notes:
Wooooo, sorry. That took a while to post the second chapter haha. As you can see in this title this scene is for the flaming man in the hour. Our main protagonist getting to talk one on one with our dear friend Grillby. Sans would be getting an introduction soon, I am hyped for it! He'll show up in chapter 4 not to worry. We'll meet the undertale cast slowly, but keeping the main focus between Grillby and Sans.
Answered Reviews:
From: LostDragonRider (Guest) - I'm from dA but I read here just for kicks sometimes. I really like this story and I think you should keep going. :)
Awe thank you! I have not done such work like this in a rather long time. Undertale really inspired me to do something because I really love the cast and ideas just keep pinballing in my head. I have a dA account too which I will post the works over there sometime soon. My username over there is A-Vale, check out my works sometime 3
From: ReaderMay (Guest) - Nice start, keep it up:)
Thank you! I will!
From: Gearbox (Guest) - Will you mention Fuku Fire? She's often considered to be his daughter.
Ah yes, Fuku Fire is still up to debate on making her Grillby's daughter or not. I know she will be related to him in some form/way and will be introduced in the future chapters ahead.
"Have you ever thought with a name like that you were destined to own a pub?"
"It hasn't crossed my mind in all these years but i believe you humans would think of my situation rather ironic."
Of course the irony of it all for this man. His name was just far too perfect not to mention he is literally made of flames, well as far as she knows he is somewhat flammable.
There was that awkward silence again. They both didn't say anything for the past 5 minutes and it was getting to Samara. Grillby just stood there, the wisps of his fire twirling around, it was such a puzzle seeing all this fire concentrated together. He crackled lightly in the silence while standing perfectly still. What was a girl to do in this situation she just wasn't prepared for this?
"Get a grip." she thought to herself, wondering if he was studying her.
It was hard to tell since you cannot see his eyes behind those glasses. Again how does he have that on without ears?
"But seriously I should probably go now." she grimaced with a dull ache in her head.
Hangovers are the worst and she can feel one rearing in its ugly face.
"Do you have water or something? I just need something for this headache of mine." she looked at the owner of the bar then realized her mistake quickly. "Oh… of course you probably wouldn't have water. What am I saying? You probably can't even touch the stuff."
She would face palm herself, oh the heck why not. She feels stupid enough already.
Grillby shook his head as he gestured the other to wait right there, his shoes clicked as he quickly went behind the counter top through the back. Samara blinked as she swayed lightly still feeling the effects of the alcohol. Feeling unsure that she'll won't keep herself from falling flat on the floor she sat back down again on the stool waiting for the man. She could hear the clutters of pots n pans wondering what he is doing over there since she cannot see where she is from. A warm glow of light shined near her, looking up at the light as the flame flickered.
Was that Grillby's magic she wondered? Most likely that was the case since fire can't combust out of nowhere like that right? Well she hoped so. Or else she would be sad to say this place is haunted and being spooked by ghosts is not in her plan at all. Samara heard Grillby's quick footsteps again, turning around to see the man of the hour.
He placed a glass of water and freshly made basket of fries with a bottle of ketchup accompanied.
"Oh that is too much Grillby-"
"I insist."
Straight to the point he will not take no for an answer. She sighed in defeat but accepted it full heartily the fries. He probably knew that having something in would settle all the alcohol in her system. He was after all the owner of the bar and picked up a few remedies here and there. She said her thank yous to the man, drowning her fries in ketchup by accident.
She still ate them of course.
"So, do you usually have ladies with you this late out all alone?" she teased the man, picking up a fry to much on.
"I don't." Grillby answered a short quick response.
Samara snorted seeing how he is the too serious kind… or he just that ignorant. Could be one or both who knows. She never really did socialize with monsters so she has no idea how they are like up close.
A light patter noise sounded on the glass outside of the bar. It was raining now, didn't sound it was a downpour so it was mild showers. Probably would end in an hour or so perhaps.
"Well it's a first time for anything." she spoke, her thoughts getting preoccupied again.
Did he leave her apartment? It would be hell if he still stuck around. How would she get back home anyways? She had no idea where she is at the moment.
"Oh Grillby, where is this place? I… am rather lost when I stumbled in here." she smiled cheesily at him.
He simply stared at her. For all she knew he could be giving her a deadpanned stare from her comment. He gave her the pub's address as it sounded still unfamiliar to her, even the street name wasn't any good. She frowned at this, taking out her phone to check it in her map app to see how far and where to walk back home.
Her phone connection was crap to get anything at all.
"Hey Grillby do you have Wi-Fi here? I'm trying to check how far this place is to my home but my service is rather… Inadequate." she snapped her attention back at Grillby.
He held his finger up, nodding as he retreated yet again in the back. The poor guy kept pacing back and forth he would have aching feet by the time she was through with him. Samara absentmindedly pecked her fries, almost done with them as she stared at the bottles of alcohol Grillby had. Now that she wasn't busy trying to get herself drunk she was able to appreciate the artistic bottles that are arranged at the shelves. The bottles looked like they were crafted and handmade personally, they looked really beautiful with the different colored of liquor within them.
"I wonder…" Samara nibbled on her ketchup covered nail lightly, looking at the bottles.
Not to brag but she knows her booze well, the wines, beers, champagnes, etc. None of them fit in the brands she knows looking at the glass structures of these bottles. Hmm, I don't know if that was a good case or a bad one that she has excellent knowledge over this subject. Before Samara could question herself about it further Grillby came back with a piece of paper, handing it towards her.
"What's this?" she took the paper from him and looked it over. "Oh! I got it."
It was the name of the Wi-Fi and password, quickly looking it up in her phone and punching in the numbers. It connected a few seconds later as she was able to check the distance.
"Damn. A 20 minute drive from here." she scrunched up her nose, looking at the time. "I wonder how I got that far out here by just walking alone. Must have been really out of it."
Grillby looked through the windows of his bar, the wisps of the fire flickered. It was still raining outside there.
"Would you like… for me to drive you home?" he spoke softly with light crackles and pop.
"Oh?" Samara blinked, looking up from her screen. "Oh no Grillby that is perfectly fine. You don't have to do that for me. I'll simply call a cab, solution solved."
She had them on speed dial, already giving out the location of Grillby's for the cab to pick her up. Grillby looked at her, he would have an eyebrow arched if he could, Samara just smirking as she continued to talk quickly on the phone.
"Thank you." she pressed end on her call, Grillby still staring at her. "Haha what?"
She laughed lightly as Grillby continued to give her the stink eye.
"What whaaat? I have them on speed dial for reasons. Pff, don't give me that look Mr." she waved her hand at him, stifling a giggle.
Grillby simply shook his head at this collecting the now empty basket of fries since Samara had finished them a few minutes ago.
"So anyways, they would come pick me around in 30 minutes so" Samara let her eyes wander around, taking a sip of her water. "We can kill some of the time by talking for a bit. Sound good?"
Grillby nodded at her, trashing the oiled paper that was in the small basket.
"Oh boy, this is going to be rather tough." Samara thought as she noted Grillby wasn't really the most talkative person here.
She'll have to do most of the talking for both of them. She was not ready for a 30 minute awkward of silence between the two. Samara hummed to herself, thinking of a subject the two of them could talk, her nails lightly tapping the glass of water while she thought.
"You know… this is the first monster bar I ever drank in honestly. It is rather cozy. How long have you had this place running?" she asked Grillby, her topaz colored eyes made contact with the glasses where Grillby's eyes would be.
Samara wondered if he had any eyes at all.
"... It is still rather new, it would be 14 years almost 15 years soon."
"Almost 15 years and that is still 'rather new' in his textbook." Samara thought as she slightly snorted at that.
"Though this bar is not my first."
"Oh?"
Samara was interested in hearing that, her full attention at the man. Grillby paused again, noting that she is not saying more, wanting him to continue.
"It was in the underground in a town called Snowdin. I ran that bar for… many years."
"How many years are we talking about?" Samara raised an eyebrow.
"... Around 300 years."
"Holy fuck that's a lot of years!" Samara exclaimed, her jaw dropped. "How old are you?!"
"... Monsters age rather differently. It's slightly complex on the type of monster you are. I would be around in my late 30s in human years." Grillby titled his face to the side like he was bashful about it.
Who knows he could be actually timid about it. He did circled around his exact age when Samara asked.
"He must be really old… or just a few centuries. He didn't take much to pass my age several times over." Samara chuckled in her mind, taking another sip of her water.
"Well that is an interesting fact I learned about Monsters." Samara smiled as she continued with her questions. "So Snowdin, how is that place like?"
"...snowy… it snowed all year long. Most of the residents that lived in Snowdin were furry like Monsters who lived contently in the cold… we had a library, an inn, and few other shop buildings… a tree in the middle of the town, decorated in lights."
"...you know… Grillby. SnowDIN. The name of the town is literally a pun."
"I suppose that is a rather clever name for the town." Grillby replied back sheepishly.
"Oh god, that's rich." Samara laughed, shaking her head as she sat straight up again.
They talked more about the pun named town, Samara learning more about the history of it, what the people did to pass their time. Interesting that the dog monsters she saw before are loyal customers who lived in the town as well. The royal guards to the king who patrolled around the snow town. It made more sense now on why majority of them wore armor. She wanted to ask more about Grillby's personal life story but seeing how he acted with his age alone she thought against it.
It was hilarious though that Grillby lived in this frosty place considering he is a fire monster. Didn't seem like it would be the perfect environment for him. Samara thought about the town covered in snow, the tree she vaguely thought as a Christmas tree with all those lights on it. The bar Grilby's covered in snow, the glass frosted over from the freezing temperatures but walking in would feel the warmth washed over your body greeted by the fire crackles of the owner Grillby.
Perhaps, it was good that Snowdin had Grillby's.
Samara's smile turned soft at the thought, her finger trailing over the rim of the glass with warm thoughts.
"It must have been nice."
Grillby's light crackles of his fire filled the air, not saying anything afterward. It was actually comforting mixed in with the noise of the rain outside. Her eyes closed being at ease here, her worries forgotten.
"Grillby, you are free to ask questions too. It's an open bar between the two of us." Samara opened one eye, smirking at him with her jest at the man.
The man of fire thought about it, his head titled before he finally asked her the million dollar question.
"If I may be so bold… I do not have many humans visiting in my establishment… What made you come in here?"
"Ah… right." Samara's smile has disappeared, replaced with a frown, her eyes cast down to her empty glass.
A pregnant pause.
"My day was… normal as usual. The only difference is that I came home earlier than usual. I was suppose to be out in a nice restaurant with my boyfriend." She smiled bitterly at the thought. "Ha… excuse me. Ex-boyfriend now haha."
Samara laughed, her hands clenching on the glass.
"Maybe it was because we hadn't had sex, or my profession currently, hell could've been anything." she continued to laugh at her misfortune "God… he cheated on me. Right on my bed too. He thought he could get away with it under my nose. Oh how wrong he was hahaha! Now I have to steam clean those sheets but I rather CRINGE at the thought sleeping in the same room! He might still be there! I don't know what I would do if he-!"
She bit her bottom lip, the tears falling on her hands as she shook.
Weak.
Crying for a man who did not care for her.
"Hahaha… Sorry… I'm sorry…" she silently sobbed, feeling so lost and distraught.
A napkin appeared in front of her, Samara looked up with her teared filled eyes. Grillby was holding the napkin, silently comforting her in his own way. She timidly reached for the napkin, feeling the gentle heat of Grillby's hand. His hand felt big compared to her small palm.
Her phone rang loudly.
Samara took the napkin quickly, wiping her eyes frantically as she unlocked her phone.
"Oh my ride's here. Ah let me, h-hello yes!" she answered her cellphone, not noticing Grillby looking at his own palm for a few moments before letting it down. "Right I'll be heading out."
She put her phone in the pockets of her jacket.
"Ah, thank you for uh. Not kicking my drunk ass out at the curve." Samara said sheepishly, crumpling the napkin in her hand.
She didn't know what to do with her so she just put it in her pocket.
"I'll be getting out of your hair now."
"He doesn't have any hair though." her head said.
"Wait." Grillby spoke strongly, Samara pausing as he moved rather quickly towards her.
His movements flowed easily like water… yet he was a fire monster. How silly.
"Here." he handed her an umbrella.
"Oh no Grillby, it's okay. I don't mind getting a little wet. You've done far too much for me." Samara tried to decline the umbrella Grillby has offered.
"Please…"
Samara stared at the fire monster, his hand still up, holding the simple blue umbrella to her. She sighed defeated, taking the umbrella, Grillby content as she opened it.
"You know this means I'll have to come back to return it to you." she joked, opening the door as the sound of the rain was more pronounced.
"I don't mind." he spoke smoothly.
Samara looked at him puzzled, not exactly knowing how to respond with that.
"... Until next time Grillby." she pushed the door further, stepping out in the rain, the umbrella shielding her from it.
The cab was outside waiting for her as she heard the door close behind her. She ran up to the car, her boots clicking on the wet ground. Her hand grasped on the handle, opening up the car door behind as she used her leg to keep it open. She looked behind her one last time to the bar as she closed the umbrella. Grillby was looking behind the glass window, his figure slightly blurry from all the rain on the window.
Samara quickly got into the car, closing the door, out of sight now.
The car drove out in the distance, Grillby heading back to where Samara was seating at the moment. He took the empty glass to the sink as he started finishing up closing the bar. The chairs overturned on the tables, the lights are now off, the Wi-Fi off. He closed the curtains of the bar, walking back towards the spot with a rag. There was some water residue left from the condensation of the glass water Samara was drinking from.
He stared at the small puddle of water with the few droplets at the side. The tears that she left behind when she told him about her reasoning on visiting the bar. Grillby was silent as if contemplating something before wiping the water away. He moved around behind the bar towards the back. A door closed with a click.
