You approach the next room, the only one apparently without monsters or traps. Despite that, you're far from relaxed: your reflexes expect another one of those monsters to show itself up out of the blue, or rather out of the purple. You reach the right wall, pressing your back on the violet bricks. You can't stop thinking your life is, in fact, in Ruins .
Shut up.
Oh, sorry, I didn't know you were so prickly.
Gimme a break.
As you climb down the wall dragging your shoulders, the pants pocket gets more and more stiff. You empty it, pulling out the prehistoric thick brick, better known as a cellphone, given to you just a while ago by Toriel, the goat lady. You sit on the ground, and throw the phone away.
...Was that really necessary?
Yes.
What if it broke?
It's a brick and I don't care.
How will you call her?
I won't.
How will she call you?
And for what.
Maybe for helping you?
She won't.
But she warned you earlier—
No one can help me.
You slowly clamp yourself up, a position your body is apparently more comfortable with. The knuckles and knees grow paller as your grip gets stronger than what's necessary.
Are you still there narrating?
Do I have anything better to do?
You better do.
Breaths run short, tears build up on your eyes, arms are closer now, fingernails track some lines on the elbows under the sweater. You just want another leaf pile to play with. Just anything in order to leave this place even for only another minute.
Stop.
Your chin leaves the sternum and the eyes inspect the area, while you damn yourself for your negligence. But you relax a bit as you still meet no possible foe. Instead you find a table with a piece of cheese on the top. At the sight of the possible meal, your stomach makes itself hear with an overly excited growl. You grab it and almost ingest it, but the thought of poisoned food stops you.
Aren't you just overreacting?
Then who put some random cheese here?
Probably the same guy who left the candies in the other room.
But why?
I-I don't know, for wandering kids like you?
Cheese for kids?
As you wonder, your eyes spot a little hole on the mid bottom of the other wall. You approach it slowly, cautiontly, your steps shorter and quieter. The knees lay on the ground like your left cheek, the eyes prying in the den. The glimpse of a tiny whiskered nose disappears in the darkness, emitting a single and loud squeak. You can still avert its presence, the gleam in those eyes impossible to hide.
«You can come here. I don't wanna hurt you.»
You use your stick to approach the deep refuge, but the rodent delves more into the wall. You stand up and nod, not in resignation, but in understanding.
«Good boy,» you praise it, «don't trust anyone. That's the way of the rats.»
I believe that was a mouse.
What's the difference?
Well, rats are bigger than mice.
Mice?
That's the plural of mouse.
Oh. What else?
I don't think much else, since they both are rodents and live in holes—
And are alone and hide from everyone and don't trust anyone… No one can be trusted.
Why don't you just give it some of the cheese?
You mean that poison? I don't want to kill it.
What about your "it's kill or be killed" motto?
Your eyes swing between hostility toward the "trap" and sympathy toward the den. Deep down you wish the world were less unjust against who is little and powerless, just like that poor creature, just like you.
I-I'm not…
Despite it all, hesitation wins over your protest.
You really wish for a better world. The thought of the mouse leaving its hole and getting the unpoisoned part of the cheese fills you with determination.
You can't stand it. You can't stand Toriel's final laughters, Sans' negligence, Papyrus' excitement, and this freezing cold weather is not helping. At least the last "puzzle" was just a piece of paper you did not even care to glare at, making Sans earn Papyrus' disappointment.
Well, that's karma, he deserved for scamming me.
Snowdin is still far away, but you've found another place to rest in the midway. Similar to the one in the RUINS, there is a hole on the wall and one table with food. Your belly begs for something to soothe its pains with at the sight of the spaghetti plate with the ton of cheese and tomato sauce on the top. You grab the fork, stuck on the table. Oh, and besides, the pasta is frozen, so it's impossible to eat it anyway.
«Oh, come on!»
All the efforts repay you with more exhaustion as you fall with your bottom on the snow. You don't even take a look at the letter placed nearby.
It'll just be another one of his stupid games!
You stand back up and approach the second table with a turned off microwave. At least the shutter isn't stuck like anything in this place. You enjoy yourself swinging the shutter up and down until you grow tired of it, which is in surprisingly 11 seconds!
The gaze falls once again on the hole, right behind the appliance. It's not different from the previous one and its reaction to your encounter is as distrustful. As you look back at the desks, you can't stop thinking life is a time even harder for your new fellow.
I mean, rats—
Mice.
They are both tough, they can eat anything. But this is bullshit!
Indeed, life really is unjust. Maybe we are supposed to put a change on it...? Have you ever thought of that?
But your thoughts grow more and more pessimistic, as the fear of getting caught by a tall random skeleton is now your main priority.
You just wish for a better world. The thought of the mouse finding a way to somehow heat up the spaghetti fills you with determination.
You almost believed the skeleton was the worst part of the Underground, even more after Sans' threat. However, you felt something was off from how easily Papyrus died.
Because he "believed in me", what an idiot.
But then you managed to evaluate your true priorities. Undyne truly is scary. Only her name or any glimpse of blue and red is enough to startle you. Too bad Waterfall is just like that.
Is this what's like when you're chased by the police?
And your rest point is no different, being overwhelmed in watery and flamy brighting stones. The fact that monsters see anything shiny on a surface as a star sounds almost pathetic to you.
Stars don't grant your wishes.
Are you sure?
...I tried it once.
Oh, I didn't know you were one to believe these things!
S-Shut up.
And sooo? You got disappointed?
Nothing happened.
Maybe you didn't wish hard enough.
… If it was only that…
On the table a piece of cheese stands, enveloped in a mystical crystal. Just... wow.
You're no more concerned for yourself, since your belly can't manifest its hunger: you're too scared to think about food. But your worries grow on the hole.
By getting the same reaction from its inhabitant you start to believe that maybe it's the exact same mouse from before, however you realize it would be ridiculous, or maybe just unlucky. The only thing you're certain of is that you are unable to help it. Not only it won't trust you from showing itself, but you don't know how to free crystallized food. You wreck the Echo Flower on the side in retaliation. The dying squint startles you for a moment.
Silly goose, it's just the flower. It records sounds, remember?
You throw the weed and yourself on the ground.
You just wish for a better world. The thought of the mouse extracting the cheese from the mystical crystal fills you with determination.
Alphys sees this as a friendship journey. You see it as a punishment trial: it could be because of the hottest air, the laser traps you can't bear, or even just the phone being spammed with idiocy. Oh, well, it's called Hotland for something.
You just fear the moment Alphys sees the recording of Undyne's fight and finds out what you've done to her girlfriend.
W-well, it was self-defence! She wanted to kill me for no reason!
No reason? Was the fact of you being human a mere excuse?
Oh, then SORRY if I was born and SORRY if I care for my miserable life!
And you think killing was the solution?
She didn't listen to me! NO ONE listens to me! Not even YOU! And you didN'T stop me, so you better shut up!
Another update reaches your Undernet's feed. You almost regret not leaving the device back in the Ruins.
I regret nothing. Now I have extra room for food.
Not that you have any since there are few places to buy some. Not that you trust the few shops. Not that you trust monsters or anyone at all. Oh, except for that Astronaut food! That sure is reliable!
Well, it's long-life food.
In a wasted cooler, sure. Why don't you try some?
You avoid to reply, just storing the meal in the extra rooms.
You don't know how the system works, as Alphys didn't care to explain, but it doesn't matter, since you are content to produce a cup of water from it. You gulp it, only to drink hot air. It's vaporized in an instant.
The phone rings again. The lizard updated a picture of her trash can with a heavy glitter filter on it.
Gosh, we know you're GARBAGE!
Chill!
AND HOW CAN I HERE?! It's TOO HOT!
Don't know! Don't you think it's just self-esteem issues?
Oh, come on, she's such a scam! She only wants to act the hero and fails in every aspect of it!
But deep down you thank it's just another of her random posts and not a picture of a melting Undyne with threats like:"I know what you've done" or "I'm after you".
Maybe that fish was actually a blue popsicle and she got all sticky and melty by getting near this hell.
You reach another rest spot.
Not that I can rest or sit: the ground is freaking fusing rock.
That's clearly an overkill.
Like that... Wait, is that a safe?
You get a better look at it. There is no mistake: it really is a computerized laser-safe containing cheese on that table. If that's not enough, the cheese has melted in it.
No wonder here there are just a couple of rats.
Mice.
Whatever.
You grip the handle. It's like solid lava.
OH FUCK FUCK FUCK!
You leave the handle, spit on the burn and press the palm between your knees, hoping this is going to help, somehow.
What exactly was your intent, genius? You've already got a "tasty" meal, remember?
I... I just wanted to help it.
And your gaze drifts over the hole.
Aren't you the same guy who says:"nobody helps nobody"?
At that you just slowly nod, because it's one of the few times you just want to be wrong.
Ever thought that maybe you are, that you don't know better?
In this world it's kill or be killed. Only Flowey knows it.
That sure is a shadowy figure, isn't it?
As you let the hand cool swinging it in the air, a new update has been loaded. It's a negative opinion of... Mew Mew Kissy Cutie 2?!
Dunno what that is but it sounds stupid.
You are stupid. Anime is an art too high for you to understand. But she is just super wrong, I cannot agree with her. Come on, MMKC2 is far more mature! The first one is a bed story for children. Children like you.
You groan and don't reply back. Sure, opinion can be questionable, but there is no denying the safe will be a true challenge for the mouse.
You just want an easier world. The thought of the mouse hacking the computerized safe and getting the cheese fills you with determination.
Maybe all this determination of yours will serve you well, eventually.
What do you mean?
Oh, that's nothing. Let's keep going.