The Kid Might Be A Bit Weird Arc Chapter 51:
The first thing Frisk did when they got home was grab Papyrus and drag him up to their room. Didn't matter that he was about to go out to the ice fields and redo some sliding puzzles. He squawked a little but it seemed like it was mostly for show.
.
Sans sauntered to the bottom of the stairs and stared up for a few seconds. He rubbed a tired eye and then shifted back to the table. Asriel was still fumbling through Frisk's journal. Sans watched for a moment, then dragged one of the chairs in the kitchen over in blue magic and plunked down with him. He watched the flower fail a few times at flipping a page, and then turned it for him. He looked up quickly, his small face a bit flushed and a frown on his brow. Sans folded his arms on the table and rested his chin on them. He flicked his index finger at him and winked.
"Gotcha covered."
Asriel rolled his eyes, but he went back to the book.
.
He didn't have much more trouble but Sans wasn't bothered by turning the page a couple times for him. He drifted off for a second; only stirred when he felt light slapping on his head.
"What?" he asked. He opened his eyes and Asriel leaned in close to his face.
"Hey," he said with a frown. "This book stuff all legit?"
"Yup," Sans said.
"Huh…" Asriel frowned; looked thoughtful, and a little disturbed.
Sans put his cheek on his fist and slid the journal over. He pulled out the napkin and began to scribble new notes at the tail end of what was already in the book. Kept that song in mind in particular. That seemed to be important.
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"Hey. Sans?" Asriel said.
"Mhm?" He didn't look up. "Sup, bud?"
"Hah-hah," the flower said dryly. "Ugh. Never mind."
"Kay."
Asriel frowned. He pouted and leaned over to watch him for a moment. He sighed and sunk back in his mug, crossing his leaves. "Get me Frisk," he said.
"Kid's busy," he said.
"Get her anyway."
Sans made no effort to move and kept writing. He raised one hand and, slowly, began to fold his fingers down, one at a time. Asriel looked baffled. Once the skeleton's hand was a fist, he put it down on the table and, as if on cue, the bedroom door opened upstairs and Papyrus raced down the stairs.
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"SANS! Sans. Sans." He grabbed him out of his chair and held him up under his arms. "Frisk told me what happened! You're alright?! You had something to eat, didn't you?! You feel fine?!"
"Yup. Chill out," he said with a tired smile. "No big deal."
"Oh my god, Sans, you are ridiculous," he said. "Come with me!"
Sans had no choice— not that he minded— as Papyrus whisked him away to the couch. He tossed his mitts aside and put one glowing hand on his chest and the other on his neck, and Sans gladly kicked up his feet. He waved at Frisk lazily as she slipped back into the room.
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"Honestly, brother, you have to be more careful!" Papyrus said. "Just because your health is improving VERY SLIGHTLY— and I really mean very slightly, it is still horrible and you are honestly weaker than a tiny baby, even— doesn't mean you are allowed to go be a reckless hooligan! What if you miscalculate?! You could turn to dust right on poor Frisk's head next time!"
"That'd be a bit of a mess, huh?" Sans said with a wink.
"Pointedly ignoring that terrible pun, YES. IT. WOULD!"
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Frisk snickered quietly. She slid up to the table and gently booped Asriel on the forehead with her finger. He reflexively reached for her before folding his leaves again. She smiled, grabbed him, and pulled him close.
"Alright?" she asked.
"I think, uh… I think we do match up," he said quietly. He pointed towards the book.
Frisk smiled sideways. "Sorry," she said.
"What? No, it… Ah. I dunno," Asriel grumbled. "It's weird. But it's… Nah. Never mind."
"Kinda reassuring?" Frisk suggested.
The flower stared at her for a few seconds before he wilted and nodded somewhat reluctantly.
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She jumped a little at the sound of a loud, cheerful ringtone, and cast a glance at Papyrus. He looked down at his pocket and a very conflicted look passed over his face. Sans reached over and swiped his phone.
"Yo. Yup. This is, uh, the great Papyrus," he said. "What d'you mean I sound different?"
"SANS!" Papyrus scolded. "DON'T LISTEN TO HIM, MY BROTHER IS JUST JOKING!"
Sans snickered. "Sup, Doc? Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Cool." He nodded along. "What, now? Welp. Alright. Yup. Sure. Bye." He hung up and shot Papyrus a grin. "She liked your picture."
"Of course she did," Papyrus said. "What, did she call just to say that?"
"Nope. She's, uh, comin' here? Bringin' Cap and Mr. Roboto, too, far as I could tell," he said.
"Ugh, not him again!" Asriel grumbled. "He's just, like, consistently awful. What does he want?"
"He's not that bad," Frisk said.
"He tried to murder you on live TV, how is that not that bad?!" he said.
Frisk smiled and shrugged.
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She got up on the chair and looked over what Sans had written. He was very matter of fact about it all. A little vague on the whole death bit. Asriel squinted at the scribbles and then looked at her.
"So you can barely read but you can read that?" he joked quietly.
"I'm just used to it, I guess," she said. "He uses small words."
He shook his head, but he held her fingers as he skimmed the latest addition. He looked up at her with a furrowed brow.
"What the hell are you?" he asked.
She shrugged. He squeezed her a little.
"Were you scared?" he asked quietly.
She nodded. His frown turned sympathetic. He waved her down and, as soon as he could reach, he patted her cheek a few times. She smiled brightly and put her arm around his mug.
xXxXx
Papyrus was getting anxious and excited, waiting for everyone to arrive, and dashed off to run laps around town, hoping to catch them either near the boat or the entrance to Waterfall. Sans, predictably, had curled up in the corner of the couch and drifted off.
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Frisk dragged a blanket out of his bedroom and tucked him in. He didn't budge, and she went back to the table.
"What's that face for?" Asriel asked.
"What face?" she said.
"You look… I dunno, worried." He glanced over her shoulder and rolled his eyes. "You ever not worried about him?"
"Yeah, sometimes!" she said with a quiet laugh.
"He can handle himself," he said.
"I know, but he likes kinda being fussed over. He'd never say that, though," she said.
"So what really happened out there?" he asked.
"You read the book," Frisk said.
"If it was just a little scuff, I don't think you'd be watching him like a hawk. Like you totally are, don't even try to lie," he said. "What? Didn't want Sergeant Spaghetti to know?"
Frisk couldn't help a snicker, though her cheeks flushed and she rubbed the back of her head. "Kinda?"
"So?" he pushed.
"Sans, um…" She lowered her voice. "He basically died?"
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"…Oh." Asriel frowned. "But… you didn't reset."
"No, I… I didn't have to," she said. "That's where the backwards thing came in."
"Huh. How'd that work?"
"I dunno, I thought it was kinda connected to the weirdo save thingy, but Sans said it was me. But… I have no idea how to do that. I… I mean, other that the time stuff, I don't really have any powers," she said.
"What about that shield thing?" Asriel said. "You used it in our fight."
"Yeah. But, I think that was borrowed. I mean, it was attached to the determination that I mostly lost, I think," she said. "I haven't been able to do it again since I woke up after passing out or whatever."
"But it said in the notes that the shadowman thingy, whatever that is, gave you more determination and said it was yours to begin with, right?" he pressed. "And suddenly you can do even more weird bullshit. Bullcrap. H-Hooey."
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Frisk laughed quietly. She could do little more than shrug, however, and she turned back to look at Sans. With a sigh, she got up again and jumped onto the sofa beside him, grabbing his shoulders and getting in close to his face.
"Big bro, wake up a sec?" she asked.
"Hm?" He opened one eye. "Sup?"
"You okay?" she asked.
"Yeeeeah?" He smiled sideways. "Why? I start rattlin' or something?"
"No." A hint of nerves crossed her face. "Um. I-If you fall, I'd know it, right?"
"I'm not gonna fall," he said with a laugh.
"So you feel fine, then?" she asked.
"Yup."
"But you're sure you won't—"
"It doesn't come outta nowhere," he assured her. "I'd tell you. Don't worry so much, kid. S'alright. Besides. If that stuff I saw before you got here didn't get me, don't think I'm so prone to it, y'know?" He folded his arms behind his head and closed his eyes again.
Frisk pouted, but she gave him a hug nonetheless. He snickered.
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They jumped when the door burst open. Frisk recoiled, only to find Papyrus beckoning Alphys, bundled up in his sweatshirt, inside. Her face lit up and she ran to give the little lizard a hug.
"Oh! H-Hi!" Alphys embraced her and smiled. "H-How are you guys?"
"Weird morning," Sans said.
"I'll tell you all about it! What's up?" Frisk said.
"Well, I h-have some, uh… S-Some good news, and some… uh…" She looked around the room and shuffled her feet to get a bit of space between herself and one of the floor mugs. "S-Sorry, did, um…? D-Did Undyne not get here yet?"
"No, I have definitely not seen her, and I've been patrolling the whole town for a while, now," Papyrus said. "Why?"
"Oh… Sh-She said she was j-just going home for a… Um… Hmm."
"Not to worry," Papyrus announced. "The Great Papyrus is on the case! I'll go to her house and check on her!"
"Th-Thanks," Alphys said.
Papyrus grinned, stuck his thumbs up, and then rushed out the door again with a bounce in his step.
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Concern furrowed Alphys's brow for a moment, but it faded quickly, as if replaced by a sudden realization. "Oh! A-Asriel!" she said brightly. "First, I h-have something for you!"
"For me?" he repeated.
She pulled out her phone and swiped her finger across the screen as she walked to his table. A metal, wheeled frame and a little, wiry, three-pronged gripper arm, materialized on the table. Frisk scampered up to look, and Asriel leaned over it with confusion.
"It's f-for you," Alphys said with a smile, and she held out her hand. "M-May I?"
"Uh. Wait. What?" Asriel blinked blankly. "What is this junk?"
"Az, dude, it's totally a robot arm and stuff." Frisk's eyes were all but sparkling when she looked at Alphys. "Right?"
Alphys nodded. She picked up Asriel's mug and tapped on it gently.
"Can I set it up f-for you?" she asked. "It's, uh, s-soul powered. It sh-should, um… it should help."
"So we can clean up the floor?" he asked. "Huh." He beckoned to Frisk and she offered him her hand. He snaked his way out of the mug and around her fingers.
.
The kids watched closely as Alphys went to work, fastening the little, wheeled frame sturdily to the bottom of the mug.
"I kinda can't believe you spent time on this," Asriel said.
"W-Well… It's just… Um. I just remembered, a l-long time ago, I h-had this lab accident where I g-got a big magic burn on my leg," she explained as she worked. "Th-Thing is, with those, it can st-still hurt a lot for a few days, even after it's healed, so it, um… It was h-hard to walk? S-Someone made me a wheel chair and it r-really meant a lot to me, so, uh…" She shrugged.
Asriel couldn't help the surprise on his face, and Frisk grinned.
"Alphys, that's super nice!" she said.
"I j-just hope it works," she said. "Okay. Um…"
.
She offered the mug again and almost reluctantly, Asriel left Frisk's grasp and planted himself back into the dirt. Alphys placed him down and then, much to his surprise, clamped a little ring around the base of his stem that attached to that arm. She pressed a small button on its side and it lit up with red.
"T-Try, um… Try t-to move it?" she said.
Asriel shrugged with the arm. Frisk immediately started to grin and Alphys clasped her hands together tightly.
"Uh. Move it, how do I—?" He stalled mid-sentence and looked at the thing with shock on his face. "Dude, holy crap!"
"Oh, phew, I'm s-so glad," Alphys said quickly.
"Wh…? Oh. My god, I can…" He reached for Frisk and she came closer. "I-I mean, it can't feel, but I can…" He grabbed the table and pulled himself around in a speedy circle.
Frisk laughed. "Look at you!" she said brightly, and then turned to Alphys with a smile. "Thank you so much! That's going to really help him!"
Alphys grinned, her cheeks flushing, and she gently stopped Asriel's spinning and lifted him up.
"See here?" She pointed at a little metal bar at the bottom of the frame, and he leaned over to look. "Just, um… J-Just flick that down, it's like a b-brake, y'know? S-So you won't sl-slide around when you don't, uh, m-mean to."
"Wow, you put a lot of thought into this, huh?" Asriel said. "Weird. Didn't have to."
"I know, b-but—"
"Thanks," he said.
.
Alphys's eyes went wide, but she started to beam. She scooped the little flower up and gently kissed his forehead. He squeaked, but despite the flushing in his cheeks, his smile was genuine. He took a look at the gripping claw and snickered.
"It's weird, but it works," he said. "Frisk, what d'ya think?"
"Mecha-flower, I dig it," she said, sticking her thumb up.
He laughed. Alphys grinned.
"I'm gl-glad I could make y-you smile," she said. "I h-have, uh… I h-have some n-news, too. F-For you, Frisk."
"Me? Oh! Is it about the soul stuff?" Frisk's face lit up with hope. "Are we almost ready to finish this?!"
"A-Almost," Alphys said, smiling despite the sweat starting to bead on her brow. "Um. C-Come here?"
.
She took Frisk gently by the hand and lead her to the couch. She gestured for the kid to sit, and though she was a little puzzled, Frisk hopped up on the sofa beside her brother. Alphys took both her hands. Her scales were warm and a little clammy.
"A-Are you okay t-to, um…? I mean…" Alphys looked at Sans and smiled a bit nervously. "I guess I should a-ask just to not b-be rude, but, um, a-are you okay with these two h-hearing your news?"
"Of course! What's up?" Frisk asked.
Alphys smiled and her scales flushed. "F-Frisk, I was wrong about y-you," she said. "I… I thought… I thought: y-you're a human, it's impossible. B-But maybe w-we were just looking in the wrong pl-place. But, uhhh… W-Well. Th-The thing is, uh— a-and this was r-really exciting for me, um, b-because it's so new, but, um—"
"Any day now," Sans joked.
"Shh," Alphys hissed in jest. "Um. Frisk. Y-You, um… I think you might, um, h-have a hum?"
.
Frisk's eyes went wide. She looked disbelievingly at Alphys, mouth agape for a few second. Her fingers squeezed tight to the lizard's hands.
"Wh-What?" she squeaked. "Really? I have one?"
Alphys nodded. "It's just, um, kind of h-hidden?" she said; she was starting to look more and more excited. "Or, um… W-Well, it's hard to get a pin on. But it's there. It's a-actually really fascinating! B-Because I, um… W-We thought humans d-didn't have them at all. B-But, it
could be, we've j-just been separate from you g-guys for s-so long that we've j-just never, um, come into c-c-contact with it within r-recent memory."
"Could also be she's tunin' it," Sans suggested.
"Yes! Y-Yes, that too!" she agreed. "C-Considering where I found it, I wouldn't r-rule that out."
.
Frisk looked at Sans excitedly. "S-So he wasn't crazy, then," she said quickly.
"Guess not," he said.
"But what does that change?" she insisted. "I mean… If we found it, kinda? Like he said?"
"Not actually sure yet," Sans said. "Could be nothing. Could be just, uh, a sign that shows you're in the right direction? Sorry, kiddo, dude's vague as hell."
"Who?" Alphys asked, cocking her head.
"That mysterious guy no one remembers," Asriel said. "He told Frisk to find her song."
"What? Really? B-But how c-could he have known?" Alphys squeaked.
"Seems like the guy might know a lot," Sans said. "I mean. Who knows? Could be watchin' all the time. We'd never notice."
"Creepy," Asriel said, turning to Frisk with a frown. "Can't you just tell him to leave you alone?"
"But if it weren't for him, I wouldn't have had that extra determination," Frisk said, "and then we wouldn't have you."
"Pfft, your plan still works without having me here," Asriel said.
"But I like this way better!" Frisk insisted.
Asriel scoffed, but Alphys laughed quietly and picked him up.
"Oh, A-Asriel, c-come on now, I know th-this has to b-be better than before, right?" she said. "L-Let me be super s-s-selfish for a second, b-but knowing you're okay, after what I did to you, i-it really takes a load off my mind."
Asriel tilted his head. "After what you…? Oh. But…" He frowned a little; his eyes cast to Frisk and Sans and his expression softened. "You know what? Nah. Don't get hung up on it. I think, sometimes, that I might actually be okay with still being around. So… I dunno."
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Frisk grinned and clapped for him. He looked at her sheepishly, cheeks flushing, and raised a leaf dismissively and waved it, his wiry robot arm doing the same. The kid giggled. She turned her attention on Alphys, her smile becoming a bit bashful.
"Um, Alphys?" she said.
"Y-Yes, Frisk?" the lizard answered.
"What does it sound like? she asked.
"Oh! O-Oh! Um. I, uh… I'm not sure yet," she admitted. "It was just one f-frame of, um, w-waveform, if that makes sense? You'll just h-have to… uhh… Hmm."
"What?" Frisk asked worriedly.
"Oh! N-No, it's okay," Alphys said hurriedly. "It's just, I d-don't know how to explain h-how to make it audible t-to you. F-For us, it's just…"
"Natural. Right," Frisk said. Her eyes cast downwards and she sighed.
Alphys bit her lip and reached out to her, but Frisk was quickly smiling again.
"Thanks, Alphys, that's really exciting for me," she said. "I'm sure I'll figure it out sometime."
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Alphys smiled and nodded. She dug into her shoulder bag and pulled out a folded paper to give to the kid. On it was the waveform. It looked almost like a distant landscape, covered in fir trees and valleys. Frisk tilted her head. Though it was incomprehensibly to her, she felt a little shock of relief and happiness. To see something tangible was exciting; reassuring. She looked back at her brother questioningly. He held out his hand and she passed the sheet over.
"I, um, don't know how to read it," she said.
"Needs a computer," Sans assured her. "Wonder why I haven't heard it."
"I th-think, m-maybe it might not a-always be, um, "on", I guess?" Alphys suggested. "B-But I can't be sure. Th-This is new territory for me."
"Right, right," Frisk said quietly.
"It's a good thing," Sans told her.
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"O-Oh! And there's, uh… one more thing. Th-This, um, actually might be the m-most important part? Or… a-at least to me, um, it was, but…" She smiled and her attention turned to Sans. "Y-You said you were p-pretty sure she was the r-red line, right? In our old model?"
"Yeeeeah?" he said.
Alphys's eyes all but glittered. She smiled and put a hand on Frisk's shoulder gently.
"You w-were right," she said. "When I, um, d-did a search to find where the waveform came f-from, I found it in her s-soul readings, and in the old Dark Model. In th-that red line w-we were so sure was something. So…"
"Wait, what?" Frisk squeaked. "Y-You guys had my hum before I was even born?!"
"Somethin' like that," Sans said, and he shot Frisk a grin."Told you, you nerd. You're supposed to be here. Knew it. Thanks, Alph."
The kid was a bit taken aback, but she latched onto her brother. He snickered and ruffled her hair. Alphys grinned sheepishly and looked around the room. She still seemed a bit distracted by all those mugs of dirt.
"S-So, um, what was your news?" she asked.
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The kid cut her eyes at Sans. He shrugged; she pouted.
"I don't know where to start," she whined.
Sans raised a hand. "I died," he said.
Alphys's jaw dropped and Frisk squeaked and waved her hands at him.
"Not like that!" she said.
He laughed. She elbowed him in the ribs and he scoffed and gently nudged her in return.
"Wh-What are y-you guys talking about!?" Alphys demanded.
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"Okay, so, um, so I went with with Az and Kid to look for something that the shadowman guy told Sans about in a spooky message," Frisk explained quickly. "So, we found something that looked like a tear in time or something and it was like it had someone's memories in it, and it gave me a weird white energy thing. And then today, Sans and me went back there and I think I met the shadowman inside it and he, like, traded the white energy for some red stuff, but then something weird happened and Sans got zapped and he started to turn to dust, but before he could or I could reset he got fixed and was fine. I think?" She looked at her brother for support
He smiled tiredly and turned his gaze on the increasingly pale Alphys.
"A-A-Are you okay?!" she demanded loudly.
"Totally. The kid grabbed me. Kinda glowed a bit," he said. "It's like it never even happened."
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Alphys stared at him blankly for a few seconds. He met her gaze and held it. Her shoulders shook and she put a hand to her brow. She took a deep breath, in and out, to steady herself and put her hands up in front of her as if to somehow slow herself.
"Alright. Alright," she said. "O-Okay."
"That was fast," Asriel commented.
"Well!" Alphys smiled despite the sweaty look of her scales and she took Frisk by the shoulder. "Th-That must've been scary to s-see, I bet! Thank goodness for whatever happened!"
"Mhm." Sans shot Frisk a grin. "Don't cry, huh?"
"I-I'm not!" she protested, folding her arms to her chest. "It was a bit scary, though."
"What part went first?" Asriel asked. "Hands? Oh. Ooh. Eyes. That'd be ironic for you, Mister Sees-Everything."
"Asriel!" Alphys yelped.
"Eye-ronic," Sans said with a grin.
"UGH, I didn't mean it like that!" Asriel protested. "I take it back, shut up!"
"Too late," Sans said.
"Fffffrick," the flower grumbled.
xXxXx
Waterfall always had a cool, calm air about it. The trickling of the water, the distant rumbling of its namesake; the gentle drips of drops plunking to the stone from stalactites. Papyrus wasn't sure why he hadn't ever spent more time there before training with Undyne.
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It made him think of his sister: of all the places she'd seen and been, and she was only a little kid. Humans, maybe, liked to move a lot more than monsters did. Put a monster in a place and they get as comfortable as they can; maybe a human in a similar situation was more likely to wonder what more was out there. Maybe that came from seeing those stars. Even trapped as they were, all the monsters he'd ever met just really wanted out. Few had answers for where else they would go.
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He'd love to see the sky, and the stars, and the ocean, and the forests. But, it struck him that there was a lot he hadn't seen here, either. He'd never hated the mountain. It was his home. Maybe a little exploration before they moved out, but everything was settled, would be nice. He was sure he could get Frisk to come with him. He could leave her with the duty of convincing Sans. She was very good at that. The thought of it made him smile. A family road trip! He'd read about them in a human book. There was often much hijinks to be had. He would be sure to make it the wholesome, fun, family-bonding kind.
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The alcove where Undyne's house sat was quiet, and uncommonly dark today. There was a little flicker of something at the broken door, though. Papyrus tilted his head and came a little closer.
"Oh…" Before him, a ghost faded up into the visible, staring at him with big, glistening eyes. "It's just you…"
"Yes! It is I, the great Papyrus!" he said brightly. "Napstablook, am I right? Are you looking for Undyne?"
Napstablook nodded slowly. An envelope with Undyne's name on it in flowery writing with a smily face on it materialized before him. "This, um… I think it blew? Down the road a little… Ohh… I don't know…"
"Blew?" Papyrus looked around and stuck a finger in the air. "There's no wind."
"Oh… You d-don't think I stole it, do you? Um…"
"What?! No, of course not," he said. "Here, I'll bring it to her."
The ghost looked like he could melt from relief. He let Papyrus take it from him and nodded gratefully before fading away completely.
.
Papyrus stashed the envelope in his pocket and then knocked on Undyne's busted door. There was no answer. He frowned and took out his phone to call her. He could hear the faint sound of her ringtone inside the house.
"Hello? Captain?" Papyrus called.
There was no verbal response, but he heard a sort of soft growling sound from inside when he put his head a bit closer to the door. Her ringtone played out and still, no one answered. He moved the makeshift door and tiptoed inside.
.
The lights were out in the main room, the corners going pitch black. The only brightness came from what seemed like a small, blue source inside Undyne's bedroom.
.
Papyrus curiously poked his head inside. Undyne's room was a bit messy, but only seemingly for lack of storage space. Her sofa was propped upright against a wall and there were piles of clothes and an old, tatty guitar case near it. A small end-table held a conical, glowing lamp filled with globs that floated up and down in a glow that, though blue now, was slowly shifting to purple. The colours speckled onto a yellow warning sign with a shark on it that was nailed to the wall. The Captain herself was on her bed, a bit disheveled and on top of her blankets as if she had been doing something else and had simply drifted off and toppled over. It was a familiar sight to the skeleton.
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He knelt in front of the bed and gently shook her by the shoulder. "Captain?" he asked. "Sorry, Captain Undyne?"
She grabbed his hand quickly, clenching tight with a vice-like grip, and her eye opened slowly. "Wha…? Oh. Hey, Paps. Sorry, was I…? Huh." She sat up, squinting and brushing her hair from her face. "Oh. Dang. Must've fallen asleep. Sorry."
"Are you alright?" he asked.
She nodded. Papyrus tilted his head and his brow furrowed. Undyne grinned sideways.
"What?" she asked.
"You don't look alright, you look exhausted," he said. "What happened?"
"Hm? Oh. Nothin' really. Guess that burst-heal took a bit more out of me than I thought." She stretched one arm with her hand on her elbow and then cracked her knuckles. "Don't worry about me."
Papyrus stared at her silently for a few seconds. She looked baffled, but then her eye widened. She laughed and rubbed her brow.
"I was supposed to be at your place, huh? Sorry, dude," she said. "Should we go? Ah, I hope Alph isn't pissed."
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She wiggled and got a foot out from under herself and onto the floor, but before she could stand, Papyrus grabbed her and hugged her close, all but pinning her arms to her side.
"Uh…" She grinned sideways. "What's up, Paps?"
"I didn't realize it would tire you out so much!" he said. "Thank you for the risk you took, you really, really helped."
"Oh, it's no big deal," she assured him, finagling an arm out of his grasp enough to pat his shoulder. "Kinda my job, y'know? I don't mind. I think Sans'd prefer it to a reset anyhow, right?"
"Trruuuuue, but…" His grip loosened and he sat back on her bed, looking thoughtful. "I just… Never mind. I think you're great! Maybe someday you can teach me to do that?! It looks useful."
"Oh, you won't need it," Undyne said, waving a hand dismissively.
"I won't?" he asked.
"Nah. I've been watching you pretty close since we started training, y'know? You get faster and faster almost every time," she said. "Pretty sure in a few years your stuff will be almost as fast naturally. I mean, if you can avoid a burst, probably a good idea."
"Really? Why?" he asked.
Undyne shrugged and held up her hands. Cyan magic crackled through the air between them, barely able to take the form of a small spear before it fizzled out in a hiss of sparks.
.
Papyrus put a hand to his mouth and gasped. Undyne laughed.
"No biggie," she said. "Just gotta, like, retune my energy, no worries."
"Can I help?!" he demanded.
Undyne grinned and gently patted his head. She got up and stretched her shoulders. "Ah, you're a good kid, Paps. Naw. Don't worry."
His cheeks flushed and he quickly joined her. He pulled the envelope out of his pocket and offered it to her. She took it and turned it over in her hands.
"Where'd you get this?" she asked.
"Your neighbour! He said it blew down the road," he said.
"Oh." She chuckled and rubbed her head. "Right, right…"
.
She pulled a note on simple, lined stationary, out and brushed her hand across her eye before skimming it. Papyrus had to do his best to not stand on his toes and try to peek over her shoulder. She started to smile to herself.
"Ah, what a dork," she said fondly.
"Who's it from?" Papyrus asked.
"Hm? Oh. Asgore." She folded it into a small square and slipped it into the pocket on her pants. "Gotta visit him sometime."
"Do you visit the King a lot?" Papyrus asked curiously. "Oh! You must, I guess. You are the Guard Captain of the whole underground, after all. I mean. Not that I need to remind you."
Undyne laughed. "Yeah, but he's also sorta like a dad to me, y'know? I'll check in again. Uh. Soon." Her face twisted as she held back a yawn and she rubbed the back of her head. "Alright, going?"
.
Papyrus nodded and grinned. He grabbed her hand. "Alright! Let's get going!" he said. "Don't you worry, I'll get you there safe and sound."
"Uh. Paps. I'm okay," she said.
"Oh please, I'd know that tired expression anywhere!" he scoffed, leading her onwards without much resistance. "You might trip and fall! Or hit the cave wall, or fall in the water, or slip down a hill or into a crevice! All very plausible scenarios on a normal day, exacerbated by exhaustion, obviously! No, no, don't you worry, Captain, hold tight to me and we'll get there just fine."
Undyne stared at him blankly. Didn't have the energy to disagree; didn't much care to, anyway. "Alright, alright," she said with a laugh. "I get it."
xXxXx
There suddenly seemed to be ample floorspace in the skeleton household as Frisk scampered around, gathering up the dirt mugs one child-sized armful at a time. Asriel, with his new wheels, kept close at her heels like an eager puppy. She was careful and quick, trying not to spill a single glob of dirt as she went to dump it in a small pile outside.
.
Somehow, even though it was just cleaning, the kids seemed to be having a good time. Sans watched from up against the arm of the couch, slumped in his blanket with a glass of tea. Beside him, Alphys sipped from a small bowl, and cast a curious look at him.
"You sure w-we shouldn't help?" she asked.
He shrugged. "Don't wanna boot the little guy by accident," he said.
"Oh shut up, you'd laugh," Asriel called as he zoomed by.
"Doesn't mean I wouldn't feel kinda bad," Sans said with a grin.
The flower stuck his tongue out at him on his way. Alphys smiled.
"I'm, um, g-glad you two are s-sort of getting along," she said quietly.
Sans shrugged, but he smiled a little. "Yeah, go figure," he said.
.
As she raced back inside again, Frisk grabbed her hoodie and whipped it on. She scooped Asriel up— with a yelp on his end— and barrelled out the door. "Going for a save!" she called.
The door closed quickly and everything was quiet. Sans snickered.
"Sh-She seems a lot b-better," Alphys said.
"Sure does," Sans agreed.
"I'm s-so glad. I was g-getting really worried about h-her. Like… How she s-seemed to have less energy— I m-mean, compared to before— since she woke up," she said. "I mean… y-you saw her more, of course. Wh-What do you think?"
"Totally agree," he said. "Hey. So, wanted to ask you somethin'."
"Mhm?" she asked.
"It's just, what she did to me… I'm not sure it sunk in yet," he said. "Not totally sure that she buys that it was her who did it. She seemed to think it was the light we saw. At least, in part."
"S-So… So you want to test it?" she asked.
"Not sure how without someone actively hurtin' themselves," he said. "I mean, I'd do it, but you know me."
He jerked his thumb across his neck. Alphys tilted her head. She twisted her mouth as she thought.
"W-Well, I w-wouldn't mind," she admitted. "I mean. F-For science. J-Just a little, um, cut or something, right?"
"If you'd be willing to try," he said.
She nodded. "Th-That's fine, I'll just prick m-my, um, pinkie or something."
.
She finished her tea and took her bowl into the kitchen. "Was the s-sink always like this?" she asked. "Ugh, I c-can't—!"
"S'okay, just chuck it wherever," Sans said.
He heard a gentle clunk and the sound of the cutlery drawer being pulled out; the sharp clattering of the utensils against each other. Alphys began to laugh.
"Wh-Why is there p-pasta in here?" she asked.
"Ask Paps," Sans said.
"So much pasta…" Alphys said quietly. "Hey, c-can I ask? Why spaghetti?"
"It's a mystery," he replied.
"Ramen is a little like spaghetti," she said quietly.
"Personally, I think he'd go for ravioli if he really gave it a shot," Sans said. "But he'd probably stuff it with spaghetti."
"Oh, c-come on, no he w-wouldn't," Alphys said with a laugh.
"Don't underestimate him," Sans said.
.
A burst of cold air announced Frisk and Asriel's return. She put the little flower on the floor, ditched her winter gear, and made a beeline for her brother. She jumped him and grabbed his shoulders.
"You still okay?" she demanded.
"Just fine, pal," he assured her.
"Kay." She kissed his cheek and hopped to her feet. "You better tell me if you're not!"
He stuck his thumb up.
"You don't need to baby him, he's like three times older than you," Asriel said, rolling his eyes.
"I'm not babying him," Frisk protested. "He's my brother and a bad thing happened today and I'm worried sometimes!"
"Yeah but he's fine though," Asriel said.
"Maybe I'm not fine, then," Frisk said, pouting and folding her arms.
"Get over it," the flower said. "You can just defy actual time and fix whatever you want. You already did it."
"Aw, A-Asriel go easy o-on her," Alphys said.
"What are you doing in there, anyway?" he asked.
"Oh, uhhh… Um. N-Nothing, I—!" There was a loud mass of metal clanging for a second as Asriel poked his head into the kitchen. "Oh, um! Oooh no! Um. Frrrrissk?"
"Yeah?" she asked, perking up.
"Do, um…? D-Do you think you could h-help me out, maybe? F-For just a second, um…?" She cautiously edged out of the kitchen, hiding one hand inside the other as Asriel backed out of her way. "Uhhhh. Um. C-Come here?"
Frisk scampered over quickly.
.
Like it was a clandestine meeting, Alphys shepherded her into the kitchen and showed her her finger. It took Frisk a moment to realize what she was looking at. The sharp line oozing with a dark gold colour took her aback.
"Oh! Gosh, are you alright?" she asked, gently grabbing the lizard's hand.
"Y-Yeah, um, my, uuuh, f-finger just slipped, when I was… umm… It st-stings a lot, a-and… Um… A-Anyway," she said, "I w-was, um… I w-w-was wondering if—?"
.
She squeaked and the kid jumped as the front door opened loudly again. Papyrus burst in with a poof of snow, and Undyne followed, brushing her hair from her eyes. Frisk's face lit up.
"Oh! Paps! Perfect!" She scampered over and grabbed his hand. "Can you help? Alphys accidentally sliced herself!"
"OH! Yes, of course!" he said.
He barrelled into the kitchen and, though Alphys began to babble something rather incoherent, he quickly set to work healing her. Sans watched with a tired grin on his face; couldn't help but find it funny despite the little sting of disappointment.
.
Frisk hurried over to Undyne and hugged her around the legs. She chuckled and bent down to scoop the kid into her arms.
"Heeey, dweeb. Feelin' good?" she said. "You look better."
"Y-Yeah? Thanks!" Frisk said brightly. "You look kinda tired, though, you okay?"
Undyne nodded. She straightened up and walked them to the couch and plopped lazily down beside Sans. He grinned.
"Hey, Cap," he said. "Down for the count?"
"Eh." She shrugged. "Ain't too bad."
"Heh. Sorry," he said.
"Shut it," she joked. She put her chin on Frisk's head and cast a questioning look down at her. "Hey. Sorry to ask. Dunno if you can force this kinda thing, but I was wonderin' if I could, like, maybe get a hit of the red stuff?"
"Oh! Yeah, of course!" Frisk snuggled close and glowed bright for her, her energy sticking warm and close. "Never have to force it for you, y'know."
Undyne laughed quietly. She let out a comfortable sigh. "Thanks, kid, you're sweet," she said. "Hey, where's that other kid?"
.
"Hey, scaleface," Asriel said. He waved from under the table.
Undyne made a pffft sound, unable to help a grin. "Hey, stinkweed," she said.
He frowned and he pouted. "Hagfish," he said.
"Corpse bloom," she said.
"Lamprey!" he said.
"Weeeeeed."
Asriel scoffed, but he couldn't help but snicker. Undyne grinned wider. She tilted her head as if to invite him closer. A bit cautiously, he scooted up to her. Before Undyne could say another word, though, Papyrus strode out of the kitchen and scooped the flower up as, behind him, Alphys awkwardly followed and shot Sans an apologetic look.
.
"Look at you, Asriel!" he said brightly. "Wow! Doctor Alphys did a great job, right?! And I bet it feels nice to get to stay in your home mug now! I know the climbing and shuffling wasn't too easy. So! We'll just keep the ones on the stairs, then? Just in case?"
"Uh. Yeah? I guess so," he said. "I might be able to pull myself up now, though."
"Phew! It'll be nice to drink hot beverages out of mugs instead of bowls and other less than ideal drinking implements again, right?" Papyrus insisted.
"Eh," Sans said with a shrug.
"It'll be easier on my fingers," Frisk volunteered. "Ooh, hey, Alphys, is your finger okay now?"
"Oh, um. Yes! Y-Yes. It's, um, it's fine," Alphys stammered, smiling sheepishly. "Um, b-but—"
.
"Ooh!" Frisk's eyes lit up and she looked between the Doctor and her sleepy brother quickly, sitting up off Undyne a little. "Can I tell Papyrus my thing?"
"Don't need to ask," Sans said with a laugh.
"What thing?" Papyrus said.
"Alphys said I have a mystery hum!" she said.
Papyrus grinned brightly and he bent to hold her by the shoulder.m"Oh! Little sister, that's so exciting!" he said. "What's it sound like?!"
"W-We, um, we d-dunno yet," Alphys admitted. "B-But I saw a little of it. In my, uh, r-recordings when w-we were doing the memory magic? S-So… It's d-definitely, um, there. Somewhere."
Papyrus grinned and bumped his brow against Frisk's affectionately. She snickered.
"I can't wait to hear it!" he said brightly. "Then I'll have heard everyone here's! Ooh! Except Asriel's! Asriel!" He lifted him up and smiled at him.
Asriel looked confused. "What?"
"Could I hear yours? Would you let me?" he asked.
"No," he said, but he quickly raised his leaves as the skeleton's face fell. "N-Not because I don't, uh… I mean. I can't."
"You can't?" Papyrus asked worriedly.
"I still don't have a soul. This thing in me, it's… It helps, but it's not mine," Asriel said, casting a quick glance at Frisk. "Whatever my hum is now, it's not what it was. It's different and… Well, whatever."
"Have you tried?" Frisk asked worriedly.
He shook his head quickly. "To be honest, the sound of it now kinda makes me sick," he muttered.
.
Though Frisk frowned with sympathy, the rest of the monsters in the room seemed genuinely taken aback. Even Sans had a slight furrow in his brow. Asriel cast his gaze downwards and shrugged. Papyrus pulled him closer and gently held his stem with a glow of reassuring magic sparkling from his fingertips. Alphys scampered up, letting out a quiet coo, and she cupped his face gently.
"Hey," she said, gently stealing him away when Papyrus released him, "n-no matter what happens… W-We're going to make this work for you. O-Okay. Even… Even if it m-means we h-have to…! T-To write you a new hum somehow!"
"Pffft, that's dumb, that wouldn't work," Asriel said with a laugh. "That doesn't even make any sense."
"N-Nothing makes s-sense anymore!" Alphys said. "Who knows! I dunno, I j-just want you t-to—!"
.
She cut herself off with a loud squeak, pulling the flower close as, unexpectedly, the front door was flung back for a third time. Under his sparkling blue gown-turned-cloak, in swept Mettaton with a big grin on his face. Frisk had already recoiled into Undyne's arms at the sound and wasn't particularly keen on letting go, but she managed a smile and waved sheepishly.
"Arrivederci, mon vieux amici!" he announced brightly, spinning and gently kicking the door closed. "I. Mettaton. Have arrived."
"M-M-Mettaton!" Alphys squealed. "Jeez! Wh-What are you th-thinking?!"
"Excuse moi, Alphys, I thought I was invited?" he said.
"Just stop kicking the door open so loud, huh? You're giving the kid the shakes!" Undyne said.
"Y-You didn't attract t-too much attention, I hope," she said. "You st-still sound like yourself."
"Don't you have a voice changing module in there?" Sans asked.
"Pfft, as if I'd use that in my day to day!" Mettaton said, rolling his eyes. "Don't woooorry, Alphys, darling, I drew no more attention than what would be the average for someone as gorgeous as me."
.
He tossed his gown away haphazardly and stood, poised as if he expected spotlights to dawn upon him. Asriel fake-gagged and sunk down in his mug.
"What's going on?" Frisk whispered to Sans worriedly.
He shrugged and Undyne snickered, unable to come up with much of an answer either.
"I'll get straight to the point," Mettaton said, grabbing Alphys and Papyrus and ushering them all to the couch. "I! Have been doing a lot of thought. A lot of "soul-searching", hah hah, about what to do about our wee little, uh… Plant. Friend. Over there." He wiggled his fingers at him dismissively and Asriel frowned.
"I have a name," he said.
"And I'm sure it's very memorable. Anyway. We are all wanting to make him a soul, yes? And we will need many teeny tiny pieces of soul, yes? And we will need to inspire what our dear Alphys called solidarity, yes?" He looked around the room with a grin. "I propose a show. An event! Live and broadcast through the whole underground! In just a few days, we can be ready and—"
"Is that what the posters are for?" Frisk asked curiously.
"Ah! Yes! Right you are, sweetheart, I've already put out some little teasers just to get the word out," Mettaton said. "Because we need everyone to see this. I mean, I have some little sneaky failsafes as well, but I need to get my audience excited."
"But, um, Mister Mettaton, what exactly are they supposed to get excited about?" Papyrus asked.
"Ah, that's the thing, isn't it, darling?" he said. "We need something that can get people motivated! Inspired! Ready to do the impossible!"
"And, uh… I hope you had something in mind," Undyne said.
"We'll present it like this." Mettaton posed dramatically. "A play! A televised play to tell a story! A dramatic story to drum up all the solidarity we can muster. We can broadcast it live to the whole underground, and since that, too, is magic, little Frisky can send just a pinch of her specific brand of memory magic out to get in everyone's head! That way, memories will start to hold a little once the big old soul grab happens rather than all that forgetting nonsense you mentioned, Frisk, and, voila!"
.
Frisk was thoroughly surprised. She had never expected him to think that much about any of this, let alone come up with a plan like this on his own or remember some of the passing details. It got her heart speeding.
"You think that'd work?" Frisk asked, eyes wide.
"Yes!" He scooped her up from Undyne and grinned. "Darling, let me tell you something! I am the only star these monsters have. I am the one light in all this nonsense. Because of that, I have them wrapped around my finger. If saving your friend saves them, I will do just about anything to get them to see it."
"So the play's the thing?" Papyrus asked curiously.
"That's right, Hamlet," Mettaton said, winking; confusing Papyrus tremendously. "I will write it. And take a leading role, of course. We'll have to see where this goes. Ooh, I'm excited, are you guys?!"
"Needs more deets, dude," Undyne said. "What's the plot?"
"The plot?" Mettaton repeated.
"Yeah. Plot. Of the play. What are you telling people?" she said. "The great story to get the solidarity goin'? Duh?"
"Oh! Easy! The true-but-with-slight-creative-liberties-taken tale of our little flower friend!" Mettaton said. "I will just need all the nitty gritty of what happened?"
"WHAT?!" Asriel yelped. "What, you're just gonna put me on blast in front of the whole damn mountain?!"
"No no no, you tiny beast," Mettaton said. "We will make you sympathetic to the point where monsters will be literally begging to help! I mean. Maybe not literally. But you get the picture."
"Mettaton, are you sure?" Frisk asked worriedly. "It's, um… not exactly… good? I mean…" She looked at Asriel for help, but he just let out a gruff, grumbling sigh and pouted.
The robot monster seemed unfazed; grinned at the group and spread his arms in a shrug.
"Shall we just tell the story?" he asked.
"I'm not sure this is so good," Asriel muttered. "It's long and complicated and… if they know the truth, they're not gonna want to help me."
"Of course they will, don't be silly," Papyrus said with a laugh.
"Okay, so, we'll summarize. FRISK. Darling. Come with me," Mettaton said redundantly to the kid he held in his arms, "tell me the whole story, leave nothing out! The rest of you, busy yourself!" Mettaton whisked her away into the bedroom.
.
"Uhhh…" Asriel said, looking between the others. "Did any of us actually agree to any of this shit?"
"K-Kind of?" Alphys said. "I'm, uh, st-still not sure if it's a g-good plan, but, um… W-We… We've been th-thinking about something like th-this for a little while."
"We have?" Papyrus asked. "News to me!"
"Oh! S-Sorry!" Alphys chewed a claw, her cheeks flushing. "I guess… m-most of that happened while, um… Wh-While Frisk was unconscious, so…"
.
She looked towards the others as if to confirm, but Sans's eyes were closed, as was Undyne's. They were sort of slumped on each other.
"Um. G-Guys?" she asked.
"Oh for…! SANS! Wake up, this is important!" Papyrus said.
"I'm up," Sans said without moving an inch.
"I'm not," Undyne grumbled.
"A-Are you okay?" Alphys asked gently, scooting closer and touching her shoulder gently.
Undyne opened her eye and grinned. "Fine," she said. "Whew. Kid really chilled me out. So are we seriously gonna have to put on a dumb play?"
"W-Well, I'm not so s-sure about we, b-but…" Alphys mumbled, shrugging slightly.
"I wouldn't mind," Papyrus said. "I mean. I'd do well in the spotlight! Don't you think?"
"Don't need it bro, you're already a star," Sans said.
Alphys cooed, but Papyrus let out a triumphant laugh and jumped to his feet.
"Imagine! The lights! The camera! The crowds! All to see the great Papyrus! I've thought about such a thing," he said. "I could play a role, I bet! I'm sure I could inspire people, couldn't I?"
"You already inspire me," Sans said with a wink.
"Ugh, barely, you still hardly even walk anywhere on your own," Papyrus said as Alphys cooed even louder and kicked her feet. "But what do you think, could there be a role onstage for Papyrus?!"
"I'm s-sure he'll let you," Alphys said. "Y-You might even upstage him! Oh, d-don't tell him I t-told you that."
Papyrus's eyes all but shone with stars. He snickered and put a hand to his chest. "Thank you! What do you think, F…? Oh…" He pouted quickly and folded his arms, casting a wistful glance up the stairs. He sighed. "I hope they don't take too long."
xXxXx
Mettaton and Frisk were in there for about an hour. Sans had fallen asleep, and so had Asriel. Undyne was on the verge of it, too. All of them jumped when Mettaton slammed open the door again, a bunch of papers in his arms. Frisk wandered out after him, looking a little shell-shocked.
.
"OKAY!" Mettaton announced; he extended his arms and dragged over the table, where he slammed his notes down. "Got it! We have a story! I've narrowed it down."
"Oh. Great," Sans said tiredly. "Kiddo, you look like you're gonna pass out."
She stuck her thumb up. He grabbed her with magic and sat her with him. Papyrus put his arm around her instantly.
"A-Are you sure this is a good idea?" Alphys asked.
"We've been through this, Alphie," Mettaton said, rolling his eyes. "It is a fantastic idea. Alright. Now. Here's the story. We will start with the fallen human. The first one, Chara."
"Oh, great," Asriel said, pouting. "Drag her up, that's just fine."
"Hang on, let me explain," Mettaton insisted. "We tell the tragic story of Chara and Asriel. A little closer to the truth than what is the whole common knowledge. We'll have her be schemey, and we'll add the destruction of the world. That way, when Asriel refused, he will seem much more noble."
Asriel put his leaves over his eyes and slumped, and Papyrus picked him up to hold him reassuringly.
.
"Then! We add in Sans, the time travelling scientist," Mettaton continued.
"Oh good." Sans looked tired just thinking about it. "That'll be so exciting."
"Shush. Shush shush, let me just tell the story, thank you," Mettaton said. "He meets Asriel and tries to help, but alas, Asriel is too far gone! They become enemies! And then in comes the human. Frisk! Frisk befriends the time travelling scientist, but she also figures out the truth about Asriel! Together, they confront him to try to bring his feelings back! Then, at the end, they discover they need all the monsters to help out. Then we have this lovely audience participation part, everyone will get really into it, etcetera, and Asriel is saved! That way, by the time we do it for realsies, that story will be in everyone's heads, as will the memory magic, and monsters will be more inclined to help."
.
He was received by a room of silent stares. He winked. "As you well know, you're more likely to root for someone you watch go through a compelling story," he said. "And we'll make it clear this will save the world too, of course."
"Of course…" Undyne repeated with an awkward grin. "Okay. Say this doesn't sound stupid. You need actors. Rehearsals. Music? A stage. Time we maybe don't have since you already put up your stupid posters?"
"Rehearsals? Nonsense, we'll do it live!" Mettaton said. "As for music, you can play the piano, can't you?"
"Ah, shit," Undyne said. "I'm not—"
"Come ooooon, it'll be fun. You'd do it to save the world, wouldn't you?" he pressed. "You are the Captain of the Royal Guard, aren't you?"
"Okay, okay, fine. I'm just ripping off some junk, though, I'm not a composer," she said.
"Whatever you like!" he said.
.
"I'm not sure this is a good idea," Frisk said a bit shrilly, sticking a hand up to get their attention. "Don't, um… Don't most monsters really not like humans? In the story, I mean, my character is, well, me. And I technically win? But don't a lot of monsters still want the destruction of humanity or whatever? Won't that make them hate that I—"
"Oh, no no no, Frisky, you've got it all wrong," Mettaton assured her gently. "Yes, many monsters think that way. But you are playing a character, as far as they know! And you're downright adorable! There's no way they'll hate you. We all have a reasonable amount of suspension of disbelief, it'll be fine."
"I dunno what that is," she said sheepishly.
"I think he's just makin' stuff up now," Asriel said.
"No, I am not, you little troublemaker," Mettaton said. "Ah! It's what you do whenever you read a story, or watch a show. For example! When you watch a show, for example, your favourite, Under Ground Hearts, you know that I cannot literally be in many places at once like I appear to be, n'es pas?"
"I guess so?" Frisk said.
"When you watch a show of any sort, you know the things are fake, and that the people in it are all actors, but you pretend as if it is real and you let yourself ignore some thing that might not really be able to happen. You see?" he said.
"Ooh. Oh. Okay," she said.
.
Mettaton grinned wide. "And now you have learned something! Oh, fantastic! Okay, back to the show. Now, of course, Frisk will play Chara and herself."
"Wait, what?" Frisk barked.
"Are you serious?! She can't… I mean…" Asriel grimaced and then pouted. "I… I can't watch that part."
"Emotions! Good!" Mettaton said quickly, "and now, Sans, I was hoping you might play yourself and—"
"Nope," Sans said simply.
"But—!" Mettaton whined.
"Absolutely nope."
"Ooh!" Papyrus raised his hand. "I'll play Sans."
.
Undyne tried not to laugh. Sans perked up. Mettaton tilted his head.
"Darling, I'm not so sure if—"
"Watch! I can do it!" Papyrus hopped to his feet and held out his hand. "Brother, your sweatshirt!"
Sans tossed him the hoodie from around his shoulders and he put it on. He used his blue magic to pull over a chair, sat down, slouching, putting his hands in his pockets and his feet up on the table.
"So I heard you guys were, uh, bone tired of my puns," he said, purposefully lowering his voice and keeping it even and steady, "but that's too bad, 'cause I got, uh, a skele-ton of 'em." He shrugged.
.
Sans lost it immediately, absolutely beaming, laughing so hard tears came to his eyes, and the others started laughing, too. Papyrus looked over at him for approval, and Sans stuck both thumbs up.
"Perfect, dude, love it," he said.
"Yeah?!" Papyrus said eagerly.
"Oh my god, this is so weird, where'd Papyrus go?" Frisk asked. "I only see Sans, and… Sans?!"
"Oh, no, Frisk, I'm right here!" Papyrus said quickly, jumping up to grab her by the shoulders. "It was just acting!"
Frisk grinned, giggled, and kissed his forehead, and he hugged her right away.
.
"Okay, okay, Papyrus can play the scientist, I believe that audition is more than enough," Mettaton said. "And I will play Asriel."
"Uhhh…" Asriel raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"
"Yes! I have the name and face recognition, naturally I should play one of the leads. I figure, box form for normal you, and Alphie, you could help me build a big scary costume for when the bad version appears."
"Um, this is the bad version," Asriel said, pointing to himself.
"Yes, but visually it's all wrong! It's downright backwards! A cute little flower as the villain!? No one will buy it," he said.
"Ever heard of juxtaposition?" Sans asked. "Or irony?"
"Juxtapowhat? Never you mind. I'll work on this, get the costumes ready, etcetera. Frisky, sweetie, practice your magic! Come on, Alphys, let's get to work!"
.
Mettaton scooped up Alphys over his shoulder and rushed out the door. Undyne sighed. She got up and stretched.
"Guess I should follow them," she said. "See you guys later?"
"You can stay if you want," Frisk said quickly. "D'you wanna rest a bit more?"
"Do I," she said with a chuckle. "S'okay. Rain check?"
Frisk stuck her thumbs up. Papyrus gave Undyne a hug and she looked like she could just fall dead asleep in his arms. Instead, she patted the top of his head, let out a sigh and a laugh, and made her way out the door agin.
.
"Aw," Frisk grumbled. "I was hoping they could stay a bit longer."
"Seems like that metal dude's kinda got a one-track mind right now," Sans said.
"Yeeeeah. I mean. That's great, but," she said, "we haven't seen them in a bit and I just kinda miss them?"
Asriel slumped. He rubbed his temples. "This is gonna be weird as hell," he grumbled. "Do you guys honestly think this is going to help?"
"Um. Maybe? I mean, if we can get that, um, solidarity stuff Alphys mentioned started, then, I'll do whatever I have to," Frisk said. "D-Don't worry, you don't have to watch or anything."
"Yeah. It'd be weird. Especially 'cause… Eh. Never mind."
"What? What is it?" Papyrus asked.
He grabbed Asriel's mug and brought him over to sit with them, clutching him close. The flower pouted and recoiled, but Papyrus gently tilted his face up to look at him.
"You can tell us anything, you know that, don't you?" he asked.
Asriel grimaced. "Nah. It's just… Nah, nothing, forget it," he said. "I hope you guys are right."
"We're definitely right!" Papyrus said. "Please trust us! You do trust us, don't you?"
.
Asriel frowned. He looked between the skeletons and the kid with the glimmer of hope in her eyes. He sighed and waved his leaves and metal arm at him.
"Yeah yeah yeah, I guess I kinda do, whatever," he grumbled. "It's just…"
"I think I know," Frisk said. "S… Sorry."
"Stop, it's not like you can help it," he said.
"I could cut my hair short or something," she muttered.
"Oh my god, no, don't!" Papyrus yelped. "Wouldn't that hurt?!"
"No, but—" She squeaked when her brother pulled her closer under his arm. "Paps, it's okay!"
"Don't do it anyway, you're so cute just like you are," he muttered. "Wait, what's the problem?"
"Nothing, forget I said anything," Asriel said. "Put me down."
.
Papyrus placed him carefully on the floor and he waved at the door.
"I'm gonna go out for a bit," he said, and he pointed at Frisk quickly. "Alone. No offence."
"Oh. Um. Okay." She slipped out of her spot and opened the door for him, and knelt as he rolled up. "You sure you're okay?"
He nodded. "Just need a bit of air," he said, and he smiled tiredly. "Don't worry. And definitely don't cut your hair, okay? You guys better let me back in."
She nodded. He let her give him a quick smooch on the forehead before seeing him out.
.
Papyrus was up and about again, setting the kettle in the kitchen up to boil as Frisk came back in with a frown on her face.
"I don't get it. This is good, isn't it? We're nearly there, aren't we? This will help him. Won't it?" Papyrus said.
"Yeah, it's just… It's hard for him," Frisk said; she sighed and rubbed her head. "M-Maybe… Maybe I can convince Mettaton to do a different story?"
"S'kinda messed up," Sans agreed.
"You don't think some three-quarters truth would help?" Papyrus asked. "I don't know, if someone told me the story Mettaton just laid out, about how Asriel was hurt and how we all need to work together to help him, I'd want to help. Heck, I even know the full story and I want to help currently."
Frisk bit her lip. She cast a worried look at Sans, but he simply shrugged. She sighed. "It's the worst day of his life put out in front of the whole underground," she said. "I mean, I know everyone knows a version of the story, but still, it'll be hard, especially since… Oh. M-Maybe that's why he used to… Um. Never mind."
"What?" Papyrus pushed. "Come on, little sister, tell meeeee, please?"
.
Frisk hesitated, but her brother looked at her with pleading eyes. She couldn't refuse. "W-Well, it's just that, I kinda look like his sister. Who is, um… dead, and stuff. And was a kinda mean ghost for a long time."
"Understatement of the century," Sans joked.
"Well… Okay, yes, I see how that could be difficult," he admitted, "but, at the same time, you are basically his new sister anyway, aren't you?"
"Wh-What?!" Frisk's face flushed bright red and Sans instantly burst out laughing. "What do you mean?!"
"Well, you have the same mom, so of course you'd be like his sister, right?" he said. "And that's why you need to save him. Gosh, does that mean he's our—?"
"Don't get too ahead of yourself, Paps," Sans said with a wink.
"But Saaaaaans. If Frisk's mom is Asriel's mom, but Frisk's mom is also our mom, doesn't that logically mean that—"
"That's really something that you'd want?" Sans wondered.
"Sans, honestly. It wouldn't be so bad. Siblings don't have to get along all the time! I mean, you can't expect everyone to have as perfect relationship as the two of us!" he said. "You know, where I yell at you for being a slob and then you do nothing to change it and I end up cleaning anyway because I enjoy a clean space and you just continue to do whatever you do and somehow it works out."
"Sheesh," Sans said with a laugh, rubbing the back of his skull.
"I know, right? It's great! And then, us and Frisk, that is also a perfect sibling relationship but in a different way!" Papyrus continued, sticking a finger in the air. "And I love you both very much! Even though all the circumstances are different! So, I'm sure it wouldn't be bad at all."
"I… I never thought of it like that," Frisk admitted.
"Paps, you really are too good for your own good sometimes," Sans chuckled.
.
He got to his feet. Frisk raised an eyebrow, but her brother was gone without a word. He returned in a blink, pulling some grey hoodie with a patched elbow and a torn front pocket over his head.
"Sans, it's not that far to your room," Papyrus scolded.
"Wrong attitude, bro," Sans said, grinning as he kicked back in his corner of the couch. "If you're gonna be playin' me, I mean."
Papyrus looked down at himself, seeming somewhat surprised by the blue adorning him. "Oh! Right!" he said. "Well, I mean that shouldn't be so tough! Right? Just make some bad jokes, keep my voice calm, and when forced to move, walk around like this." Papyrus leaned back a bit and slumped, and then sauntered around the room like that. It looked like he somehow turned his spine to jelly.
Frisk couldn't help but laugh.
"Heh. Bro. You're gonna fall over," Sans said.
"What? This is how you walk, though! All slouched and weird," Papyrus protested. "Frisk! Isn't this how he walks?!"
"Ummm…" Frisk cupped her chin and tilted her head, looking between her brothers. "Well…"
"Oh wow, if even you don't think it's working, it must be really not working," Papyrus admitted. "Okay. Advise me."
Frisk smiled bashfully. "Stand up normal?"
He straightened up, popping his back and rubbing the back of his skull. Frisk waved him over and climbed up onto the table.
"Lower your shoulders," she said; she grabbed him gently and guided him. "Like… Like there's something kinda heavy you're carrying."
"Like this?" He slouched in his shoulders forward instead of his spine. "Oh. That does feel a little less ridiculous."
"Yeah. Then…" She took his hand and put it in his pocket. "Then just walk normal but slow. Like you're sleepy"
.
Papyrus walked across the room, and then back, his gate much closer to his brother's. Sans raised his brows and shrugged. Frisk smiled.
"I think that'll work," she said.
"Yes?!" Papyrus perked up right away, grinning. "Oh! Okay! That's not so hard, thank you, little sister! Or should I say, thanks a million, kiddo!" He flicked his finger at her and winked.
She grinned as she sat down on the table.
Sans snickered. "Still kinda chipper."
"Oh, come on!" Papyrus whined.
"Hey, I'm not complainin'," Sans said with a shrug. "I mean, I'm not surprised you're puttin' in the effort, but you really probably don't have to. Doubt we're even gonna be using real names, it's not like anyone will know you're playin' me."
"But I'll know, brother!" he said. "Plus, your laziness and general relaxed demeanour is crucial to your character! The others will know if I'm playing you too OOC and they'll be disappointed for sure."
"I don't think the words "disappointed" and "Papyrus" go together in the same sentence," Frisk said, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Unless "not" is in front of "disappointed", I think."
"Totally agree," Sans said.
.
Papyrus laughed brightly, seeming quite pleased with himself. He sauntered off, humming, to the kitchen. Frisk leaned forward to watch him for a few seconds. She slipped carefully back onto the floor and snuck up to Sans. She gently bonked her head on his. He shot her a curious look, but he had no complaints whatsoever about her clambering up onto his legs and flopping with a dramatic sigh against his ribcage.
"It might be fun," she suggested half-heartedly, and she huffed and clung to him. "Ugh. My head's too busy."
"Sorry," he said. "Hum didn't do it for you?"
"It's not that," she said, shaking her head. "That's great. I just don't get what finding it was supposed to mean. I'm just confused and I don't get it and I don't know what I'm supposed to do and—"
"Hey," he said. "You're okay. Whatever it is. You got it."
"But what if I don't got it?" she said.
"You do," he said.
She looked up at him quizzically. He seemed as steady as always. She took a little comfort in that.
"Okay. Yeah. You're right," she said.
"Obviously." He grinned and snickered when she sat up and smooched him on the cheek. "Jeez, kiddo, I'm just statin' facts, here."
.
"Jeez, kiddo, I'm just statin' facts, here," Papyrus parroted— mostly to himself, in that lower voice he'd used earlier— as he came to them with some mugs filled with pleasantly steaming tea. "Frisk, talk with me, I need to practice."
"It's not for a couple days, bro," Sans said.
"I know, but I need to be on the ball!" he said as he sat on the arm of the couch.
"When are you not?" Sans said with a grin. "Chill out."
"Don't worry, Paps, we don't even have a script yet," Frisk said.
"Ooh, a script, sounds fancy," Sans said.
"Why do you sound so sceptical? He wouldn't go into this without any preparation! Would he!?" Papyrus asked.
His brother shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first time."
xXxXx
Papyrus spent the rest of the afternoon tailing his brother, doing his best to mimic his mannerisms and speech patterns, to Sans's never-ending amusement. To Frisk, he was actually doing a pretty good job of it, despite how occasionally uncomfortable he looked when giving a one-word answer or shrugging where he might have rambled otherwise.
.
He gave it up near dinnertime, though, around the same time Asriel came home. The flower didn't look any worse for wear, but he was quiet all night. Frisk's heart was heavy for him. She spent a lot of time hovering around him, and around Sans, too. She couldn't shake the image of his eye sockets dripping from her head. When he turned in early, she wanted to follow him, but Papyrus had some puzzles he wanted to test, and she couldn't bring herself to say no to him.
.
As the cave darkened a little for night, Papyrus was still bounding around the house, as if acting like his brother for a few hours had caused his energy to simply coil itself into a spring, waiting to release. He was cooking— the smell of sauce permeated the whole house— and watching some TV, and he had mentioned in passing taking a walk through Waterfall later. He'd probably be up all night again.
.
As Frisk got ready for bed, Asriel tried to make himself busy reading a book, but his heart clearly wasn't in it. She watched him from the computer desk for a little while; then went to his spot on the table amongst the action figures and bent down.
"Dude, you've got the worry face super hard," she said gently. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he said.
"You've been like that since the this afternoon, though," she said. "Is this about Chara? Do you want us to leave her out? I'm sure I can convince Mettaton to retcon her into an over the top terrible villain instead, but then you might come across looking a little dumb."
Asriel laughed tiredly. He rubbed his forehead and then looked up at her. "No. No, you should leave it," he said.
.
Frisk wasn't convinced, but she nodded anyway. She jerked her thumb at the lights and he nodded. She left him her phone for its glow before she flicked them off. She was about to climb into the cushy racecar and get cozy when she heard the little flower clear his throat.
"Yeah?" she asked.
He stayed silent for a while, but it was clear that he wanted to say something. She walked over to him and folded her arms on the table. He sighed as she bounced on her toes.
"Do you… um… Do you have any of her, uh…? Any of her memories?" he asked.
"Little bit," Frisk admitted quietly. "Little bit of yours, too. From when you had her soul?"
"Damn." He smiled a little and gently bonked the top of her head. "How many people you got in there?"
"Two whole ones," Frisk said with a laugh, holding up two fingers, "and two more in just little pieces."
"How the hell do you keep it straight?" he asked.
"It's actually not hard at all," Frisk said, shrugging.
.
Asriel hmm-ed and nodded, then tilted his head. "It's just that… you even look a lot like her, you know? Except a bit darker? And shorter."
"Yeah. I'm, um… I'm sorry about—"
"No, don't be sorry about that," Asriel said. "It's… it's just…"
"Hard," she said.
"Complicated," Asriel corrected. "I see you and I see… I see someone who is what she couldn't be. Does that make sense?"
"Um…" Frisk didn't quite understand. "I… I'm not sure."
Asriel looked thoughtful for a few seconds. He tilted his head. "Chara used to tell me all these horrible stories about humans," he said. "How they hurt her. Did humans hurt you, too? Do you hate them?"
"I'm… I'm a little scared of humans sometimes," Frisk admitted. "When I didn't live with Sans, and Papyrus, and mom, I just was on my own. No one wanted to help me. Sometimes people, um, hurt me. Some humans can be really cruel for no reason. But I don't hate all of them."
"See?" Asriel said.
Frisk shook her head.
"You got hurt, too. But you didn't… I dunno, go nuts or whatever," he said. "I guess you remind me of when we actually used to have fun together. If that makes sense, but… No, y'know, forget it."
"Forget it?" Frisk echoed a bit shrilly. "What? How?"
"Just struck me that's it's pretty damn messed up of me to even say that to you," he said; he looked her dead in the eye, steadfast. "You and whatever connection you had to Chara… It was because of your determination that she came to you to begin with. The rest of it, it has to be just a coincidence."
"You really believe that?" she asked. "But d-didn't all the other anomalies kind of look like me? So… So kind of like her, too?"
"It doesn't matter," he said.
"But—"
"They're gone. She's gone. You're still here," he said, and he carefully held her cheek and drew her eyes to match his. "That's all that matters."
"Dude," she said quietly.
He withdrew, frowning faintly, but Frisk quickly pulled him close and hugged him. He squeaked quietly. Hesitantly, he patted her with his leaves, but a little prick of warmth tingled in his stem. He carefully rested against the crook of her neck. It must've tickled; she laughed.
"That was so nice, dude, thank you," she said.
.
Frisk was warm. Asriel felt her soul shimmering and the red sparkles dancing from her fingertips. There was real affection in the heat of that energy. She was happy. He didn't want to leave. He wanted to just put his arms around her and… No. Didn't have arms. He sighed quietly but, for some reason, he felt a little lighter.
"Don't worry about the dumb play," he said. "I'm sure Chara would think it was funny."
"Okay," she said. "I'll do my best."
"Duh." He grinned. "You always do."
"Thanks, Az," she said bashfully. Her face was a little flushed.
He wasn't sure why he did it, but he stretched up and gave her a careful smooch on the cheek. She let out a small gasp, but she looked at him with bright eyes and a big smile.
"Y-You do like me!" she said.
"Yeah, duh," he said. "You're, um… Well, I mean, what you're doing for me, it's… It's something else. Really. And I mean, we're stuck together, right? And it could be a lot worse for me. Um. Hopefully for you, too? I mean, I know I'm not—"
"You're not nearly as weird as you think you are," she assured him.
"O-Oh."
.
Carefully, she put him back down and he bashfully rubbed the back of his head.
"So, uh, what do you think? This'll help?" he said.
"I sure hope so," she said. "Sans thinks I can make it work. He kinda always does."
"What? Seriously?" Asriel said. "That nihilist?"
"What?" Frisk asked.
"That just seems weirdly hopeful for him," he said.
"Oh. I'm not so sure," she said. "He always told me, whatever I do, as long as I'm here, it's gonna be okay. "
Asriel tilted his head. "Huh," he said. "Hey. How'd you get him to trust you?"
"Get him to…? Oh. Um." She shrugged and smiled bashfully. "I dunno. I just love him. A lot."
"What, that's it?" Asriel said.
"Um, yep, I guess so," Frisk said. "I think once he realized I was the anchor he was waiting for, he knew I wouldn't hurt anyone. So he knew it was all safe and stuff."
"Okay, fine, I guess that makes sense, but, like… Why are you so attached to him? Knowing him, I'm sometimes still surprised that you guys stuck together so close," he said. "I mean, I know he kinda injects himself into this whole anomaly thing to keep an eye on you guys no matter what, but, like, you couldda latched onto anyone, right? I mean, you like everyone anyway."
"Oh… Well…" Frisk smiled bashfully. "I dunno, he's just real important to me."
Asriel tilted his head. The kid sighed, but she smiled.
.
"He was the first monster I met outside the Ruins, you know. And the first second I saw him, I… I guess I recognized the expression on his face. Like, he was smiling, and he made a joke, but he looked… tired," she said.
"What else is new?" Asriel said.
Frisk snickered, but she shook her head. "Not like, lazy tired, but like there was something kinda weighing on him, you know? I… I guess I knew that feeling," she said. "So I felt like, since he was being pretty nice to me, I thought we could be friends. I really, really wanted to. Like, right away. Almost the second I saw him."
"That's it?" he asked. "You just wanted a friend?"
"Well, it was… Here's the thing, okay? I… I didn't have anyone on the surface," she said. "I-I mean, I know I'm clingy. I really like holding onto people. Hugs are like, the best thing in the whole world to me. It just, it's super warm and safe feeling, I dunno. But I… I, um, didn't really get that until I met mom."
"What, really?" Asriel asked. "Jeez."
"Right?! It's so dumb," Frisk said. "But. With Sans, he was basically a stranger, but I remember I gave him a hug when he sorta popped in to check on me. I was just super grateful. And he didn't push me away or anything. After a second, he just kinda put his hand on my head and he sorta rubbed my hair like he does, and it was like somehow he… He understood something about me, too. I mean, with what I know now, it could've been real bad to trust me. But he always had a soft-spot for kids because of Papyrus, so I guess he saw something kinda like him in me. And right then, he was just so nice to me when he didn't have to be that I… I just never got over it. It'll always mean a lot to me, just a silly, small thing like that. Sorry. I know it's super sappy."
"Oh." Asriel looked thoughtful, but he nodded slightly. "I think I understand."
"Thanks," Frisk said. "Oh man. Hah! Now I'm all remembering when Papyrus asked me to stay. I'm gonna get all emotional! These skeletons really are an amazing family, you know? I couldn't have even made up a better one."
"Well. Then. I'm glad for you," Asriel said.
.
Frisk smiled sheepishly. She tented her fingers. "There, um…" She blushed a little. "There might be room for one more. If you want?"
"Wh…? What?!" he yelped.
"I mean, we have the same mom, that's all," she said hurriedly. "I mean. Maybe that's not all, b-but like you said, we're stuck with each other so… S-So I'm okay. With that. If you want. Um… W-We, um, could talk about it later, if you want?" She pointed to the bed and backed up towards it.
Though he was sure he was blushing, Asriel nodded. She smiled.
"G-Good night!" she said.
"Night," he said.
