You gritted your teeth as you stared over the heads of the patrons crowding the bar. Drinks flowed and the party had roared onwards even after your performance had finished.

It still wasn't quite loud enough in the speakeasy to drown out the laughter of the two skeletons next to you, though.

Papyrus was all but bent over Sans, his shoulders shaking as his boisterous laugh fell from him in a strange assortment of nyeh's and heh's. It almost would have pulled a laugh from you too, if it wasn't for Sans' reaction.

While Papyrus' laughter had come after a few stunned moments following your question, Sans had simply stayed quiet, his grin spreading wider and wider as he stared at his bottle of ketchup. Papyrus had kept laughing, shooting you an incredulous and highly amused look when he could, and Sans had kept grinning until finally he had looked at your face, had seen your frustrated blush, and had chuckled. Your eyes had widened slightly at that, and then your brow had furrowed and your mouth went a little thin and your cheeks puffed out just slightly and then he was outright laughing, the sound almost startled out of him, and his chest shook a little as the rumbling sound kept rolling out of him. He kept staring at you, now leaning his weight against the bar, apparently finding every kind of amusement in your frustration and vague embarrassment.

The worst part was, they hadn't answered you.

And now you really didn't want to ask again.

You shifted your gaze back to the rest of the bar, seeking out Grillby while the two skeletons continued laughing beside you. Stars above, you needed another drink. You made a face when you saw that Grillby was preoccupied with another group a little ways down.

"PERHAPS SANS COULD SHARE HIS POOR TASTE IN DRINK WITH YOU, HUMAN," Papyrus said, finally swallowing his laughter long enough to address you. He wiggled his brow bones as if he believed he was making the best of jokes, and you simply stared in return, your eyes narrowing slightly as you tried to get a read on him. He was still grinning brightly, and a few short, loud laughs escaped him. "SEE, I TOO HAVE THE JOKES," he said proudly.

You bit your lip, still not sure if they were brothers or not. Your gaze slipped to Sans, whose own laughter had finally died down even as he continued grinning in pleased disbelief at you. You had the feeling that the expression wasn't a normal one for him and looked away after a moment, your face flushing even as you groaned and put your head in your hands.

"If my question was taken as a joke, it was pun-intentional," you finally admitted, masking your embarrassment the best way you knew how. Sans snorted next to you and Papyrus groaned.

"DON'T TELL ME THAT YOU ARE OBSESSED WITH PUNS, TOO," Papyrus said, straightening up. "MY BROTHER IS BAD ENOUGH ALONE, HE DOESN'T NEED ANY ENCOURAGEMENT-"

"Wait, so you are brothers?" You interjected before you could stop yourself.

And there went Papyrus, laughing again. "OKAY, SO YOU DO HAVE GOOD JOKES AS WELL! EXCELLENT," Papyrus said after a particularly exuberant laugh.

"interestingly enough, Pap, i don't think she's joking," Sans said, staring at you with that unreadable grin. You frowned and huffed out a sigh.

"I mean, it's not like I'm going to assume that all skeleton monsters are related," you said, still blushing. Should you have, though? Did you commit some sort of monster faux pas?

Sans shook his head. "most humans do assume that, actually," he said simply, taking another sip of his ketchup. You tried not to focus on the movement again.

"INDEED, MOST HUMANS EITHER MAKE THE AUTOMATIC CONNECTION OR THEY NEVER ASK!" Papyrus said, crossing his arms and nodding.

You frowned. "That seems… problematic?"

Sans shrugged. "seems most humans try to categorize things as simply as they can," he said noncommittally.

You shook your head. "You're not wrong there. Still, I feel like - well, you know what they say about what it means to assume," you said with a wry grin, turning your attention back to your forgotten fries.

"OOO, WHAT DO THEY SAY ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO ASSUME?"

Halfway through a french fry, you froze. Your gaze went to Papyrus, who was leaning slightly towards you, honestly curious, and then to Sans, who was looking at you with a mischievous grin on his face, resting his chin in one hand.

"yeah, what do they say, doll?"

Your blush returned as you narrowed your eyes at Sans. He simply gazed back casually, waiting for your response. You looked again to Papyrus. He sure was a fully-grown skeleton monster, but you hesitated regardless. It almost felt wrong to say it.

"Ah, never mind," you said with a wave, looking back to your fries.

You could see Papyrus cock his head as he looked at you, a little confused. You tried not to register Sans' expression.

"SURELY THEY DON'T SAY 'NEVER MIND,'" Papyrus said. You fought a groan again and took a steadying breath.

Looking back to the pair, you sighed, "... it makes an ass out of 'you' and 'me'.".

A grin crept onto your features despite yourself as Papyrus narrowed his eye sockets, staring at you and mouthing your statement back thoughtfully.

After a few quiet moments, your smile growing further as now you tried to stifle your laughter, Papyrus' jaw hung down and a downright scandalized look crossed his face.

"PUNS!" He breathed, one hand lifting to press against the breast of his crimson shirt. He almost looked betrayed. You weren't sure your lungs would be able to handle biting back your laughter much longer.

"W-well, Papyrus, it's more of a wordplay situation," you managed, trying to sound reasonable even as you were nearly breathless with silent laughter. Your gaze shifted to Sans, who was looking utterly thrilled at the conversation's turn.

"she's right, Paps, you shouldn't sentence all jokes in that way," he said lightly.

"WELL WHEN A GENTLE SKELETON SUCH AS MYSELF IS CONTINUALLY PLAGUED BY INCIDENTAL-" He paused. He turned to stare accusatorily at Sans. "SANS! MORE PUNS!"

"well when you ask me like that, i'm happy to comma up with some more-"

"SANS!"

"Aw Papyrus, you shouldn't colon Sans like that if you wanted anything else-" you jumped in with a grin to rival Sans own. He glanced at you, that mischievous twist to his expression pulling at a warm excitement in your own core.

"HUMAN FRIEND," Papyrus groaned.

"you've got to admit, Pap, she knows how to turn a phrase."

"SANS."

"The hardest part is making sure there's a point to your exclamation," you offered to Sans amicably, winking.

"CLEARLY YOU TWO ARE TOO PREOCCUPIED WITH TERRIBLE JOKES TO BE GOOD COMPANY, SO I AM GOING TO FIND FRIENDS WITH BETTER TASTE UNTIL YOU CAN GET YOUR ACTS TOGETHER," Papyrus said dryly and quite loudly. You were laughing behind your hand at how completely done the taller skeleton was with your antics, and at how even despite that Papyrus was still smiling.

"Still, I'd say that you like our jokes period, Papyrus," you snickered.

"I DO AND I HATE IT," he retorted with an exaggerated movement of his facial features that you realized was meant to be an eye roll. Papyrus turned to Sans, then, framing his slim hips with his gloved hands - his gloves nearly matched Sans', you noticed, though they were black instead of crimson. He wore suspenders as well, black ones, which you realized were probably pretty useful when you didn't have flesh to support clothes well. Then again, there seemed to be a magic to the skeleton brothers' bodies that defied your assumptions. Your mind briefly drifted to the time you had run headlong into Sans' body, how intriguingly sturdy he was when you would have otherwise assumed he'd be light and, well, boney-

"TRY NOT TO RUIN MY NEW FRIEND WITH YOUR TERRIBLE HUMOR, SANS," Papyrus said, snapping you out of your reverie. You tried to focus back on the conversation and ignored the pleasant roll of feelings through your core. "SHE IS VERY NICE AND DANCES AND SINGS AND CERTAINLY DOESN'T NEED TO BE SCARRED BY PUN USAGE." He had a shrewd look on his face. Sans closed one eye socket and shrugged amiably at him. You covered the smile spreading once more across your face with a hand.

"whatever you say, Pap. i'll letter choose the topic, if that helps," he said, his gaze flicking to you to gauge your reaction. Your choked laugh didn't let him down.

"AND NOW I AM LEAVING," Papyrus said with an exasperated look on his face. He walked swiftly away, shaking his head and making his way towards the dance floor.

"Poor Papyrus," you said, not feeling particularly guilty at all. From the look on Sans' face, he felt the same way.

"he's always been a little tense around puns in the past," Sans replied.

You eyed him. "Did you just…?"

He chuckled. "i did just."

You shook your head in disbelief, impressed. "And you said that I kept raising the bar," you said, knocking on the countertop in an echo of your conversation some run-ins prior.

"takes two to tango?" he offered, gaze flicking to the dancefloor and back to you.

You popped a fry in your mouth thoughtfully, then looked back at him. "Bit of a stretch, but I'll let it slide," you said with a wiggle of your brow.

He shook his head. "now look who's stretching," he said. You shrugged, finally finishing off the last of your fries.

You had to bite back the risque reply you wanted to give him, a flush rising to your face as it crossed your mind. He noticed, his own brow lifting in curiousity. Determined, though, you decided you didn't want to cross that line.

Sans caught Grillby's gaze then, thankfully, and lifted his ketchup bottle in request. You looked up in time to catch Grillby's nod, and nodded in turn when his gaze went to you and your now-empty glass.

Drinks effectively ordered, the two of you settled into an amicable silence. You gazed out over the room - it was still packed, and the band was picking up a fast-paced song that had the floor all but shaking with the movement of the crowd on the dancefloor.

"nice performance, by the way."

Your gaze pulled quickly back to the skeleton at your side. He was also looking at the audience. His usual grin still rested easily on his face, but his gaze seemed like it wasn't resting anywhere in the room.

"Thanks," you replied, pleased. A slight heat tinged your cheeks. The way he had been staring at you earlier as you sang returned to your mind, and you bit back an elfin smile.

"i have to admit, that was an impressive number of outfit changes," he said.

"Mettaton truly has a knack for flair," you sighed in response. "You don't even want to know how long I had to stand still for the fittings."

He turned to look at you, his grin a little wider. "he didn't use magic to get it right?"

You scoffed. "I wish. No, he said that getting them properly fitted would prevent 'wardrobe malfunctions'," you said, signing sardonic quotations in the air. "Which I appreciate, but still. That was a lot of pins in a lot of worrying places."

He chuckled. "must be inconvenient to be a human - having to worry about getting pinched or poked like that," he said with a shake of his head.

You eyed him. "What, skeletons can't feel things?"

He eyed you back. "oh, we can feel things," he said. Something about the way his words swung hit you low in your belly, and you were suddenly very ready for Grillby to return with your drink. "... but we don't have to worry about that sort of thing," he said with a wave, indicating the pain of being poked by holding pins and the like.

Grillby stepped up then as if you had successfully summoned him, sliding a fresh ketchup bottle to Sans and offering you your shimmering, starry drink. You murmured a sincere thanks to your friend, who looked at you curiously for a moment as you took a grateful draught of the drink. Soft stars flickered into existence in a cloud around your head, and you felt the oddly sweet pull of your sight as the room took on a soft glow and your pupils turned star-shaped. Grillby looked to Sans, who was watching the magic take effect around you. The bartender shook his head with a knowing flicker to his flames and stepped back towards another group of customers.

"I'd say I appreciate it overall, though," you finally replied as you set down your drink and turned your starry gaze back to the skeleton. The drink warmed you to your core, and you enjoyed the way Sans' gaze kept flicking to the twinkling stars around you and back to your eyes.

"what's that?" he asked.

"Appreciate… this," you said simply, gesturing to your body. You let your movement trace your outline a little slower than necessary, a little closer than was quite called for. Sans followed the path of your hand, his face not betraying anything, but certainly not pulling his attention back to your own face in any particular hurry. "Being human has its perks," you concluded.

"perks," he agreed noncommittally, finally pulling his gaze back up. He took a deep drink from his ketchup before speaking again. "seems like you have a particular knack for making it all work for you, more than most humans," he commented.

"As you've noted before," you replied with a grin.

He nodded, his own grin matching yours. "i'm not bad at noticing things, myself," he said. "but this is part of your job here, cierto?"

"Eso es," you intoned with a wink. "Performing is a big piece of it, and my knack suited the needs of El Fuego Del Alma - as I mentioned before, Mettaton had heard of me from Muffet a few times, and eventually scouted me to perform here a few times a month. It went on from there until I became a full resident performer here," you explained.

"i'm sure Muffet loved that," Sans mused with a chuckle. You laughed in response.

"It was an interesting transition… I was a little nervous to eat there for a while after I transitioned to working solely at Del Alma, but thankfully any issue she had seemed to rest more with Mettaton for stealing me away," you chuckled. "She seemed to understand that the money and opportunity was a little better for me here, and I still perform occasionally there, when I can."

Sans nodded, regarding you with an appearance of laziness, but you caught the sharp consideration below it. "especially when you working here means you catch some of the bigger threats to monsters," he said.

You considered him carefully. The room seemed to have shrunk to just the two of you sitting nearly elbow-to-elbow, and you didn't quite care. "I do my best to keep an eye out for those who would do Del Alma harm," you replied.

"who would do your family harm," he said, referring knowingly to your previous conversation.

You nodded, humming softly. "I'm glad my skills come in handy in that way," you said, low. "I love performing too, of course," you added. "Singing, dancing, connecting with everyone in the way you can on stage and in the audience - it's one of my greatest joys," you said. Your expression was soft and your voice softer.

Sans voice rumbled a soft hum in response. "i can tell."

You laughed softly, the flush of your cheeks warming you to your bone. "Yes, I hear that I tend to put a lot of my heart into my performances," you said. You knew it was true, and you didn't mind at all.

"that kind of soul doesn't come out so naturally for a lot of el pueblo."

You shrugged with a small smile. "I feel for them. I used to not be able to be so comfortable like this, performing or otherwise."

He looked curious now. "you've been performing for a long time?"

You swirled the shimmering liquid in your glass, studying the contents. "Yes and no. My birth family was… not a kind group of people," you admitted. "Each day was something of a performance just to make it through with as little incident as possible." You didn't look at Sans. You didn't feel like you could with your chest so tight, the memories of your childhood bristling too close. "It didn't always work, of course. But I think that's part of how I became so good at reading people. It was something of a survival skill," you murmured. You took a sip of your drink, appreciating the comforting, warm tingle of magic slipping through you. "I did always like to sing, though. I couldn't do it openly very often, but whenever I was able to... late at night, I'd crawl out of the fire escape and head to the roof just to sing to the stars. I'd pretend they were winking back at me, telling me that they knew, they knew, and that I'd be able to sing to them openly some day."

You stared into the shimmering depths of your drink. These memories were slightly less painful than some, but a melancholy slipped through you regardless. It was better than the anger and pain that other memories brought, especially back when everything was still fresh, before you had made friends, before you had found yourself drawn into the community of monsters not that long after they had been freed… but now, now you had a family - a real one, one that you chose, and that had chosen you back.

You felt a gentle touch against your arm. Surprised, you glanced over - Sans forearm had slipped along the bar and now laid alongside yours. His charcoal suit jacket was surprisingly soft to the touch, the sturdy material clearly well-cared for and a little worn. The cuff of the sleeve of his crimson shirt had slipped out of the cuff of his jacket, and there was a slip of a gap between it and his gloves. You could see just a glimpse of the bones of his wrist. They were far thicker than you would have imagined.

"you made it," he said softly. You looked up at his face. He was gazing back at you, his grin barely there. There was something heavy in his gaze, like he could see right through you and back again, like he had seen things that echoed your own pain. The room still felt like it had narrowed to only you and him, to your gazes locked and your left forearm resting gently against his right. Your heart beat a little painfully, your chest still feeling too tight, but it was a different kind of tightness, a warmer one full of something… bright.

"I suppose I did," you replied.

"i'm glad."

That tight feeling pulsed a little. "... Me too."

Your gazes held for just a moment longer.

The room thrummed with movement and sound then, the band growing louder with the start of a new song. Sans looked away, lifting his ketchup bottle once more, and you took a deep sip of your own drink.

A small smile pulled at your lips as the stars twinkled brightly around your head once more.

With a sweeping look over the room once more, you let the content warmth of the moment lull you a little. Your arm still rested against Sans', or vice versa, and you swore you saw a genuine pull to his own grin.

At the edge of the dance floor then, your eyes caught on a tight group of human men. Just a handful, maybe only three. They were dancing, shifting in place really, and they wore easy looks on their faces. Your expression tugged slightly as you watched them, and one of them shifted to move their hand to their pockets. A glint of gold at his breast caught the light.

"Damn," you breathed. Sans looked at you, his brows raising for a moment, then his gaze slid to where yours was trained. He caught on quickly.

"you caught something?" he said, low.

Your mouth pulled in a grim line. "Maybe. I'm guessing this is why you are here… and Papyrus, too," you said, eyes slipping to his for a brief moment.

His grin was tense. "well, the entertainment was a substantial perk," he replied.

You laughed. "Glad to hear that," you shot back, just a flash of mirth in your expression before turning serious again. "I'll go check it out."

Sans leaned forward, gaze flicking from the men back to you. His arm was pressed a little more firmly against yours now. He searched your gaze for just a moment.

"... alright. signal if anything is suspicious," he said. His hand shifted, resting briefly over your wrist as he finished speaking. His gloves were supple and worn, the stitching tight against the warm leather.

You nodded at him. In a smooth movement you stood, your dress shifting readily into place. It was the same dress you had finished your performance in, a dusky black number with lace overlay, a splash of color like the last vestiges of a sunset flaring at the hem with matching beading that caused the dress to flow beautifully around your legs. The lace overlay was all that covered your shoulders and arms beyond the gown's straps. It was far more elegant than you would usually dare to dance on the open floor in, but it suited the night well and you couldn't ignore the confidence you felt in yourself. You slipped on your ready expression of a good-humored hostess and friend, sparing one last glance for the skeleton at your side. In a small impulsive movement, you rested your hand on Sans' shoulder. You met his gaze and gave him an easy wink. He grinned at you, leaning back against the bar, but you could feel just a slight tension through his shoulder.

You were both on the job.

Without lingering further, you made your way towards the dance floor. You strode languidly and lightly, tossing out sociable greetings to regulars and newer faces as you made eye contact. You lingered when appropriate and steadily made your way around various tables under the pretense of making your usual rounds of greetings and conversations. You wanted to approach the group, but knew better than to head to them immediately - if they truly were part of a rival gang, especially Il Sangue, they would be too wary of such an advance.

It was providence that brought you up to Papyrus next. He was exiting the dance floor, and his face brightened beyond its usual joy as he caught sight of you. You brightened as well, happy on multiple fronts.

"HELLO, DEAR HUMAN FRIEND!" He greeted, crossing one hand over his waist and bowing slightly. You lifted a hand to your mouth and giggled despite yourself at his continued chivalry.

"Hello to you too, Papyrus," you greeted amicably. "I don't suppose I could interest you in a dance?" You asked, looking up at him.

"OF COURSE! I WAS ABOUT TO GO CHECK ON MY BROTHER, BUT I'M HAPPY TO SPEND TIME WITH YOU AS WELL," he replied enthusiastically. He offered you his arm and you took it, stepping towards the dance floor.

The band had started a slightly slower song, and Papyrus rested his right hand on your hip as you spread your left hand against his chest. His shoulder was a little too high - your head barely reached it, after all. While less energetic than your previous dance on stage, he led you just as skillfully, his feet never missing a step as he twirled you across the floor. You kept your eyes trained on the crowd when you could, noting that the group of men had obtained a few partners and were now dancing near the edge of the floor.

Your eyes went back to Papyrus, a smile on your lips. "You really are a phenomenal dancer," you said.

Papyrus laughed proudly, but you saw a dusting of orange on his cheekbones. "THANK YOU! I MEANT MY EARLIER WORDS AS WELL - YOU ARE QUITE SKILLED TOO," he complimented easily. You smiled brightly as he twirled you fluidly. The group of men seemed set enough to dance through the song, you saw as you settled back into the steps of the dance.

"So you work with your brother?" You asked, looking up at Papyrus once more.

He nodded. "INDEED! SANS CAN BY QUITE THE LAZYBONES SO I HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO," he sighed dramatically. You grinned. "BUT HE'S WORKED A LITTLE HARDER SINCE WE CAME TO THE SURFACE, SO THAT'S SOMETHING."

That plucked at your curiousity. "What did you two do before coming to the surface?"

"I WAS A SENTRY AND WAS TRAINING TO BE A PART OF THE ROYAL GUARD," he said proudly. "AND SANS SLACKED OFF AT MULTIPLE JOBS, INCLUDING BEING A SENTRY AND SELLING QUESTIONABLE SNACK FOODS," he said with the exaggerated expression that indicated he was rolling his eyes. "HE ALSO WORKED AS A SCIENTIST, THOUGH HE HAD STOPPED DOING THAT ALTOGETHER FOR SOME TIME."

Somehow, both of those things fit the brothers very well, and you were really curious about the science side of things. You filed that away for now. "That must have made for an interesting transition," you said. You didn't want to push too hard - most monsters didn't seem to like to dwell too long on their time before coming to the surface. You certainly couldn't blame them.

Papyrus nodded. "THE SURFACE IS… QUITE DIFFERENT THAN ANY OF US HAD EXPECTED," he admitted, spinning you deftly around a few couples who were a little too inebriated to be aware of their surroundings. "WHILE THE ROYAL GUARD WAS DISBANDED, I ENDED UP BECOMING A WELL-RESPECTED AND HIGHLY LAUDED FORM OF GUARDSMAN REGARDLESS," he said, the boisterous pride returning to his tone.

You nodded, not needing to state his employing group out loud. "You and Sans are working tonight, right?" You said, more softly.

Papyrus' gaze shifted to yours. His face was still bright and lively, but his gaze told you how alert and aware he was. "INDEED," he replied, studying your expression.

A serious sort of smile crossed your face. "As am I," you said meaningfully. He didn't reply as he led you in a few more deft movements across the floor, but he nodded. It was strangely jovial. You had a feeling that a lot of people underestimated Papyrus. You had a further feeling that underestimating Papyrus was a certain mistake.

"SANS LET ME KNOW OF YOUR POSITION," he said. That made things easier. "IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO TO ASSIST YOU?" He asked. You nodded, your eyes shifting meaningfully towards the men still along the back of the dance floor. His gaze shifted to follow yours, and he began leading you casually towards them.

"I apologize for needing to cut our time together a little short," you said softly. You meant it, too - Papyrus was a delight to be around. He grinned back at you, his face then plastering with saddened understanding.

"IT IS TRULY A TRAGIC LOSS ON YOUR BEHALF TO HAVE TO PART WITH ONE AS GREAT AS I SO SOON," he said with a knowing nod. "PERHAPS IF YOU ARE LUCKY, WE SHALL GET TO DANCE AGAIN LATER!"

You grinned up at him. "I would consider myself very lucky indeed," you replied. The song drew to a close moments later, and you stepped back from Papyrus with a squeeze of his hand. He bowed again before quickly departing towards the bar. Your eyes followed his jaunty stride for a moment, admiring the consistent surety with which he did everything.

Turning your gaze, you realized he had left you just a few couples away from the small group of men. You shook your head at his clever move - they were less likely to regard you suspiciously this way, as you would simply appear to be looking for a new partner.

Slipping past the couples in the way, you caught the eye of one of the men. His dancing partner had taken off, possibly to get a new drink, so you stepped up to him with a bright and understanding smile.

"Looks like we're both in need of a partner," you said with a soft laugh. "Care to join me for a round?"

The band picked up a classic as you spoke, fast-paced and drawing more patrons towards the floor as they cheered in recognition. The man you spoke to was blonde with dark eyes and a scar on his chin, and he looked surprised to see you. He nodded then, returning your smile.

"I'd be honored," he said. He took up your hands, opting for a slightly less close style of dance for the song. His feet moved fairly quickly, but simply, so you made sure to only slightly exceed his skill level in your own movements. "Thank you for such a ball of a show, earlier," he said after a few moments and a twist on your end.

You met his gaze cheerfully. "Oh it's my pleasure to perform for such a stellar crowd," you replied. You turned in a spin, and when you returned you rested one hand on his lapel. Your gaze shifted towards your feet, as if you were being careful of where you put them. Meanwhile, you let your hand slip slightly against his jacket, as subtly as you could. "Do you come by often?" you asked genially, lifting your gaze to his again. He was staring at you, but answered quickly enough.

"Not as often as I'd like," he replied with a charming smile. You laughed, the sound natural even as you faked it.

Sliding your gaze around the nearby area, you noted that his two partners were still there, their eyes shifting over the room as well as they moved obligingly with their somewhat tipsy partners. Your hand shifted upwards a little, as if you were readjusting your hold.

You felt the small bump of some kind of pin underneath his jacket.

"Care to join me for a drink?"

Your eyes shifted in surprise to him at his question. "Sure," you replied, not wanting to seem preoccupied. He stepped back and offered you his arm. You rested your hand on it, not wanting to loop your arm through his. His gaze shifted to his partners, and he smiled at them. Without missing a step, he began to lead you out of the dance floor and towards the back of the room.

"Everyone always says that you make the rounds everytime you perform, dancing with a number of customers, but I never thought I'd be lucky enough to be one of them," he said with a laugh as he guided you successfully out of the crowd. The pair of you made it to the edge of a small alcove just before the back wall turned to booth seating. He stopped to catch his breath and run a hand through his hair. You laughed as your gaze went towards the bar.

"It's honestly one of my favorite parts of the job," you said with a smile, fairly truthfully. Your eyes caught on the edge of the bar. Sans was already staring at you, and Papyrus had taken your spot next to him. You nodded, ever so slightly.

Your gaze shifted back to the man at your side as soon as you saw Sans begin to stand. The man met your gaze casually.

"Well that's good," he replied with a bland smile. "After all, like I said… I really lucked up," he continued.

Confusion crossed your face for just a moment.

Without warning, a hand covered your mouth as another grabbed your free arm. The hand at your mouth held a small cloth with a pungent liquid soaked into it. You immediately held your breath, your eyes going wide, and you made to wrench your hands free. The blonde man was gripping the hand you had on his arm, though, and your other was equally tightly grasped.

"The funny thing about busy nights is that there are even fewer people there to pay attention to what's happening," the blonde man said lightly. Your eyes flashed urgently across the audience. The crowd was as densely packed as it had been throughout the night, and everyone was too busy dancing and drinking to notice your obscured form behind whoever was holding the cloth over your mouth. You couldn't see Sans or Papyrus, either. It seemed like something was happening in the room, closer to the bar - you dimly registered some shouting as your lungs screamed for air.

Desperate, you tried to stomp on the foot of the man behind you, but he shifted quickly enough and held you tighter, twisting your arm behind your back painfully. Your vision was going white around the edges, and you searched the rolling crowd one last time. Your lungs felt like they were going to burst and you took an unwitting drag of air, nearly choking on whatever drug was soaked in the cloth.

"Thanks for making my job easier," the blonde man added as your vision faded out. Your body went limp as you felt them begin to move.