He watched as the other continued to comfort an imaginary kid. Sans didn't really know how to interrupt...this; so he waited. He waited through the broken sobs and the awkward movements. He waited through the promises the other made.
Maybe this kid isn't too bad.
When the Poppy finally turned around, he was able to see what they had to deal with. The Check let him know that the guy was recently on something.
Human drugs from this universe could straight-up dust a monster due to the saturation, their different anatomy affects everything. From simple medications to pain meds doctors use in emergency situations, everything given to a monster had to be diluted or given in extremely small doses. Oten given in long intervals to make sure nobody accidentally dies.
"...hey, you ok there?"
Then again, this kid is from a different universe. hell, he Looks the part too. The only other skeleton he's seen so tall is…
Dear Asgore please don't tell me this kid eats humans.
He knows he could be overreacting, but not even was that dang tall.
Maybe?... It's been a long time.
"t-The kid! They- they were just here they-"
Poppy cut himself off, looking toward sans. Jesus h. christ. This situation is so fucked. The tall skeleton had a look of desperation, silent accusation and paranoia all at once. He felt himself recoil at the look.
"listen man, there was never a kid here. if you haven't noticed, nobody has passed through here for a while."
It was true though. Although some monsters have not relocated themselves to the surface, they have been wandering around the underground less these days.
Once he was able to get the kid calmed down a bit, it was almost dinner time and Sans figured it was time to get back to the king.
"Sooo... you've talked to the king yet?"
Poppy wobbled more than he walked, but his long strides were able to keep him within a good distance to the alternate.
"...About?"
Unfortunately for both of them, conversation didn't seem to be either of each other's forte. This left a lot of awkward gaps and unanswered questions in their "conversation." If you could even call it that.
"Our relation with the humans?"
"Yeah,bit rough."
"heh. understatement."
The rest of the walk was continued in more awkward silence.
The alternate wasn't so bad though.
He's should get his name.
I know his name.
But maybe you don't.
…
"What's your name?"
The alternate seemed shocked that he had just started a new conversation. But to be fair, He's not so good at starting conversations above the basic level.
"Sans."
Told you.
Watever.
He swore if he could see the other he would be giving them look #3.
Aaannnnd this is why I'm glad you Can't. I hate that look.
By the time they got to the elevator the alternate was rambling on about multiverses. He had made the mistake of asking about it earlier and the alternate- sans- went from giving small details to having a full blown conversation with himself.
"-at least that's what i think happened. It's a possibility, but i never really knew what the machine was actually built for- by the way, i've wanted to ask. What's with the get-up?"
Considering the past few minutes were filled with rants about the space time continuum and theories about the purpose of the machine and soul-signatures; having sans ask him about Clothes threw him off a bit.
"I-uh-what?"
"The, well. That."
…
"... but you just gestured to all of me."
"Yeahhh...so, what's up with that."
Poppy sighed, the alternate sans was not very subtle.
"My last home, before here, was the Great lake-
"Great Lake?"
-Yeah. Anyway, I actually...found these when I arrived there. So I took them."
"So you were on the surface before you came through."
He had to hold back a scoff at that question, humans were arrogant, evil creatures whose only communication was through violence. Why would anyone stick around those things?
"Gods no. We've tried that before. Caused too many problems, too many wars. When our numbers dropped under the hundreds, the survivors fled underground."
Sans sat with that information as they walked down the golden hall. It seemed like the others left. Along with the Doctor.
"Were you there."
"Huh?"
He felt a headache forming, he could tell he was getting dehydrated, shaky and Yet, somehow, the conversation helped take his mind off the upcoming withdrawal.
"Were you there? During the wars?"
"Oh- nah. I was...born? Created? Way later. Don't exactly know when."
Sans' voice suddenly got colder.
"What do you mean 'born/created question mark'."
Hmmm. so this isn't a nice friendly conversation. It was an interrogation.
Should've known.
Poppy put on a colder air of his own, finally making eye contact with the shorter skeleton.
"I think that's a conversation for another day."
Normally, sans wouldn't take that crap. But he's learned, different alternates needed different variants of pushing and space. Obviously, this topic is one he can't pry into yet.
The rest of the walk to the barrier was more awkward than anything else. There were times that the alternate would try and pick up another conversation, but they never lasted more than a minute or two. Poppy supposed that it was partially his fault for the awkward attempts; but what does sans expect after turning their first good conversation into an interrogation?
He counted it as Petty comeback.
You would do the same.
Poppy tugged at the collar as he walked. He knows. Bbbbuuuutt he also doesnt give a fuck at the moment.
The air hummed with energy. They were getting closer to the barrier now.
He was aware the alternate was talking, yet he didn't care enough to listen. Instead, he found himself soaking in the energy and vibration from the nearby exit.
He has memories. Memories that were not his own, memories of running through the forest at the foot of a mountain. Memories of excitement and laughter as the foreign host ran through the fallen leaves, higher and higher they climbed. If only they swing from the trees, yet they let themselves be content with hopping from rock to rock. Soaring over crevasses and small ditches. Never had they felt so alive… so free.
"...this is it. Doesn't look like much but…"
He was pulled from the memory as the loud hum shook the floor ever so slightly.
The barrier, it looked so much like the one back home. But the energy, the aura, it was so different. It felt stronger.
For a moment he just sat, taking in the presence of the magical door that locked monsters away for years at a time. What would the surface be like? Would it be like the memory? Would it be free?
Poppy didn't notice when his hand was grabbed, or that he was being pulled closer to the exit. Only when he felt the buzz of electricity pass through his form did he notice he was no longer underground. He wanted to stay. In between the door and the outside world, he wanted to memorize the addictive feeling of the barrier.