***Hello, everyone! Yes, this story is still alive. No, I have not given up on it. Anyways, my plan is to go down the line for each SOUL child until I've gotten through them all and we'll see how it goes after that. All SOUL kids (save for Frisk) belong to me, Frisk and the Dreemurr family belong to Toby Fox, and let's roll!

Chapter Ten: They Call You Crybaby, Crybaby

Just because Jacob lived with a different family, it didn't mean that he didn't receive occasional bits of teasing.

When Sean did it, it was more of a "guy-to-guy" type of teasing. But when Chara and Leah did it, it felt more... genuine. It hurt more.

But usually, Jacob had Asriel of Mark to discuss it with. He and Anna didn't really click, and Frisk and Meredith had proven to be quiet, if not somewhat anti-social. At least Meredith had a reason.

Asgore and Toriel, with as many children as they had as well as running the Underground's monarchy, tried to diffuse whatever situations they could between their family. And Jacob was quite appreciative of that.

But something had to break.

XxX

Everyone was at dinner one evening, just casually eating together.

"So, how was everyone's day today?" Toriel asked kindly. She signed it as well, in some attempt to help Meredith to understand.

Good enough, she signed in return.

"Hung out with my good ol' crybaby friend here," Sean said, leaning on the boy he was talking about.

"Get off of me," Jacob replied quietly, lightly pushing him off.

"I'm just joking, man," Sean said. Jacob just took a sip of his drink.

"No, no, he has a point," Chara agreed.

"Chara, please, stop teasing him," Asgore said sternly.

"You don't want someone teasing you, do you?" Mark asked, not looking up from his plate.

"Crybaby, crybaby," Leah chanted.

"Stop it," Jacob said.

"Crybaby, crybaby!" Chara said with the same rhythm, although she was louder. As she and Leah kept going, other reactions were sparked.

Sean started laughing and smacking his hands on the table in time with their rhythm. Frisk tried to busy themselves with eating. Mark just sighed, rubbing at his burn face. Anna covered her mouth, but she might've been smiling. And Meredith put her head down, tugging on her hair. That was her universal signal that she was overwhelmed, and that she wanted whatever was going on to stop.

Asgore and Toriel both tried to calm their most naughty daughters. "It's gonna be okay, Jacob," Asriel kept on saying. At last, Jacob was done. He stood up, slamming his fists down on the table with a yell of "ENOUGH!"

Since he wasn't really one to yell, that got everyone to stop whatever they were doing. Toriel got Meredith to look back up, roughly signing that it was okay.

"I am done! I am done with you two teasing me! I'm done with you teasing me too, Sean! Mark, you say that you get me, but you don't! Being called a crybaby gets old! Especially since I know that I am one by now! So why don't you three just shut up?!"

And with that, Jacob just stormed off from the table.

XxX

Jacob had gone right to his room. He'd slammed the door shut, then sat down on his bed. But his room was shared by Mark and Sean, so he knew he'd have to face both of them at some point. But he didn't expect it to happen just a little while into his fit of tears. And it wasn't exactly the brothers in his room that came to him.

"Hey, Jake?"

Jacob looked over at the female voice. "Don't call me that," he said, his voice still thick as he wiped his face clean of tears.

The ones who'd come in were Sean, Leah, and Chara. They all walked over and sat down on the bed.

"If you're here to tease me, then get out. And if Mom and Dad are making you apologize, then get out," Jacob said.

"You heard the man. Let's go," Leah said, standing up to go.

"Sit down," Chara sighed. So, Leah plunked back down.

"You have my attention. What is it?" Jacob asked.

"Man, we're here to apologize to you. I mean, I'll take it easy on the joking from now on. I though, y'know, you'd tell the difference between a bro telling a joke and being actually bullied. Because that sucks, and I know it. So I don't know about these two crazies, but I'm sorry. Even if Mom and Dad didn't tell us to come, I would've come and apologized, I swear," Sean said.

"Thanks," Jacob replied, accepting the pat on the back he got. Then, both he and Sean turned to their sisters.

"Ladies?" Sean prompted.

Leah sighed. "Fine... we're sorry, and we won't tease you ever again," she droned.

"You gotta mean it," Sean said.

"I've never had to apologize to anyone in my life, this is as sorry as I'm gonna get. So shut up before I go get one of Mom's kitchen knives and shove it down your throat," Leah threatened.

Chara whapped them both on the back of the head. "Shut up, it's giving me a headache," she said flatly.

"Is this going anywhere?" Jacob asked.

Chara turned to him. "Yes. Sean's sorry, Leah's... some brand of sorry... and as much as I hate to admit it, I'm sorry too. We'll stop teasing you, okay?" she asked.

"I never said that," Leah protested.

Chara elbowed her had in the stomach.

"Fine, I'll take it easy," she submitted reluctantly.

"Apology accepted," Jacob agreed. That was as much of an apology he would get, and he took that with a smile.

"Alright. Now, let's go eat dinner. It's getting cold, and a big man like me needs food," Sean said. "Sure," Leah said, while Chara snickered.

So, they all four went back to the kitchen.

***And that's all I have for this chapter. Be sure to leave a review on the way out, and I'll see you all in the next one! Bye!