Alice in Undertale
By Lolitafreak88
Chapter 25 Eight of Hearts
"W-where did you even find that Sans?" A stunned Alice decided to ask what she felt was the safest question to start with.
"Someplace you probably haven't been to yet… right?" Sans looked slightly challenging as he questioned Alice.
"That's rather vague. By that logic you could say you found it under Papyrus's bed and are trying to-"
"Don't mention my brother please. i don't want to give you any ideas." Sans cut Alice off a bit rudely.
Alice was still absolutely baffled by what was presented to her, this strange striped cloth vaguely similar to Chara's but different in colors, and Sans wasn't helping. Someplace she hadn't been to? Then it had to have been a place Sans himself had been before. Given his movements from area to area in the Underground so far and this theory seemed perfectly plausible. The fact that Sans was forbidding her from bringing up Papyrus in this conversation made her very nervous. Papyrus had accepted her and she had accepted him, they were friends, and ultimately a common link between Sans and Alice despite the tensions they had. So whatever they were talking about was something Papyrus couldn't help Alice with and something Sans had kept hidden from his brother.
"Well then where did you find it?" The little girl tried again.
"well... if sounds like you genuinely don't know or don't remember the place so that's good. it means you really are new here."
New here? That seems preposterous, of course I'm new here. Alice thought with a quizzical expression. After all, a first time was always a new time and this was Alice's first time in such a fantastical situation though not the first time she daydreamed of one. The tone in which Sans was speaking to her regarding that she was new here sounded like that of someone who had experienced similar instances. Like if an architect was talking to a client about a previous famous building they had done that the client had no knowledge of. In other words, Sans seemed to be saying that a human had visited before Alice did which did make sense given the six human souls that she had been told about by Chara yet… something seemed different.
"You make it sound like at some point I visited here… and I'm still not quite certain about… this." Alice murmured hesitantly.
"... how much do you know about the underground works alice? you're a sharp cookie. surely you've come up with some half 'baked' theory." Sans temperament seemed to shift as he made another one of his puns.
Alice flinched. Truthfully she liked to carry herself as though she was fully aware of how the Underground worked but it was apparent she hadn't fully discovered all there was to this place. Also the way Sans was taunting her about her theorizing and logic rubbed a sensitive spot in Alice's heart. It wasn't like she was just coming up with ideas for idea's sake, she was genuinely trying to make sense of this world and find clues that could help with the ultimate goal of freeing the monsters. Didn't Sans understand that?
"Well I know about the DETERMINATION, everything you've and your brother told me, some stories and rumors here and there, and also some of the past events and history here. What else is there to know?"
"you haven't died yet have you?" Sans asked this particular question as though it was a very natural thing to do so.
"D-died…? Well of course I haven't died! If I had then you'd probably be using my soul right now as we speak with the other souls to break the barrier!" Alice bellowed.
"not with your determination. Rather, you'd RESET as soon as you found the will to keep going on."
"RESET?"
Alice shivered, the sound of the word alone being something that held as much meaning as SOULS and DETERMINATION did. 'Reset' was a rare word, a word that essentially meant to 'set again or differently'. There wasn't much practical meaning to the word in Alice's lifestyle but even then it seemed to be one of those words that had great influence when it was used. In fact it reminded her of the Mad Tea Party, where the Mad Hatter would continuously reset Alice's chances of drinking tea by having her 'move down'. That had not only been frustrating and uncanny, but it had definitely set the awkward and crazy pace of the tea party for Alice. She found herself staring at the candlelight again, afraid of hearing San's answer.
"... Yeah you definitely are the eight child then. Basically there's this… higher power in the Underground that only those with enough DETERMINATION can use. You restart everything back to a certain point. Any events, any deaths, any actions are instantly reversed. It's kind of like time travel only it's not going back to a specific spot in history but rather going back to where you last rested. For some it's a hell, for others it's a chance to make things right. Problem is… there doesn't really seem to be any leads." Sans explained with an odd mixture of understanding and futility.
Alice instinctively put her hands to her heart, trying to calm down a sudden surge of nerves. Sans had, without even trying to go easy on her, made several statements that shook the foundation of what Alice had been trying to understand. The concept of a RESET appeared to be some sort of time travel, a concept that was very secretive and ultimately a thing of fantasy in Alice's time. To travel back in time is not so much of a blessing and learning opportunity as it is a chance to cause greater inconsistencies and steer things against nature's will, Alice thought grimly. The only practical use of something like this would be to undo someone's mistakes or to buy time from something particular happening to come up with some preparations. It was much too intimidating to think about right now and yet something about it was very curious to Alice. What if she could reset back to before she followed Chara down the rabbithole? Was that even possible? Sans did say it'd take her back to where she last rested… was that just a theory of his or was it possible Alice could go back further than that? And even then, she had reseted several times in the Underground, and then there was the other more shocking revelation of Alice being the eighth child.
"Eight child? H-how can that be…? If there was a seventh child here before me wouldn't their soul have been collected and the barrier destroyed…? O-or wouldn't say Undyne or someone have known about it?" Alice asked softly.
"good question, now this is where you come in… and your LIES. Where is the seventh child?" Sans right eye seemed to glow as he asked a very probing question.
Alice looked stupefied. The last time she was accused of something she had absolutely no involvement in or no intentions towards was the Queen of Hearts trial where the Cheshire Cat had gotten her into trouble. Yet this time, she was accused of making some seventh child she hadn't met yet… disappear. Wait, what if he's referring to Chara? Alice realized with a jolt. Chara was the only 'human' she had met so far besides herself but even then they were more of a strange mixture between a ghost and a human with their presence. Not to mention Chara never mentioned which of the six children he had been and sounded extremely aware of the oldest traditions and ideas that the Underground had contained. Although thinking about it this way implied he was one of the earliest ones, to have gathered that much information. Even then, Alice was too afraid of opening up about Chara to these monsters, what if they suspected she was still involved with him? On the other hand, besides Chara, there was nobody else that Alice could think of being the seventh human. Wasn't she the supposed seventh human to begin with? Undyne said they needed her soul after all and just her soul to break the barrier. She hadn't mentioned there being two humans at any point during their time in the Underground. Indeed, all she said was they collected six so far so why the inconsistency? Alice debated. In truth, this must've been something Sans alone knew and that was rather suspicious.
"I haven't seen any other humans Sans." Alice sighed.
"Funny, neither have we. Yet… you're here, and I haven't ever seen you before. But… it's unlikely you took his place, because RESETS don't work like that. Not to mention I still have this." Sans held the scrap of fabric as he talked.
Alice took a moment to think about what Sans was implying. It seemed that if someone was to do a RESET, anything that was left unchanged or could still be changed was reverted back to the point of time the resetter was choosing. But if they were dead, or perhaps kept someplace where they could not change, then they were unaffected by the flow of time and left in their current state. Then the question remained… HOW did they get to be in that state in the first place? Naturally Alice didn't know this seventh child but for Sans to clutching this piece of fabric so confidently was unnerving.
"...Y-you shouldn't be bragging about having a piece of someone's shirt like that. You realize that this means you stole it from their… corpse…" Alice's face turned pale.
"..." Sans suddenly looked a bit more glum.
"Then… you've KILLED humans before haven't you…?"
"let's just say my track record with humans isn't exactly a Bone+ or higher…"
If Alice could, she would've possibly slammed her fists on the table but ultimately she was in a public restaurant in a hotel and there was no grounds for her to do something like that. Everything about Sans right now was beginning to make her not only distrust him, but also rather dislike him. For this to be his true self was appalling and countered Papyrus's expectations and thoughts of him to a T. At this point I would prefer seeing him being lazy, Alice thought angrily. This anger gave her a bit more confidence to at least speak her mind.
"Enough with the jokes! How do I know if this 'seventh child' has already been killed by you monsters and you simply don't know where his corpse is?" Alice challenged Sans.
"Because. In the previous timeline, he was there. He ended up dead. Then there was a full RESET back to the first day the seventh human fell into the Underground. I had picked up this scrap of fabric on a whim in the previous timeline a while before the RESET… but I still had it with me for some reason when I woke up the first morning of this timeline. A little later, I went over to the Ruins and heard some mysterious female voice different from the one I usually share jokes with. YOU. What do you suppose that means?"
Alice took a moment to think about this. If she used, say 'Alice' as an example, perhaps 'Alice' had been slain after attempting to use Genocide as the way to escape the Underground in vain. Wait, then who would've performed the RESET in the first place? A dead human could perform no such action… and Alice certainly wasn't here in the last timeline. Although Alice had to admit that talking about 'timelines' so casually was very uncomfortable. It was as though she were some ancient deity talking about the blessings they would bestow upon the people. It seemed vastly out of her element and yet, the Underground had proven to have the capacity for such mystifying powers.
"It means that, or could theoretically mean, that the seventh human lost the DETERMINATION to RESET and remained dead… but then… who caused the RESET to begin with? Monsters can't perform something like that right…?" Alice asked.
Sans looked a bit surprised, and turned to look at the cloth in his hand more closely. It seemed he too was performing some thinking of his own.
"Not a bad idea actually… maybe there's something we're overlooking in regards to this kid's disappearance. That doesn't explain why you are here though. You want to know what I think? Someone brought you here on purpose to serve a role… or maybe because your agenda worked well with theirs. Or they used you to RESET without even knowing you did so. Ultimately… it means you're untrustworthy and someone's pawn from the beginning. You're here to replace the seventh human and thus the seventh human is missing. He's likely dead, if this fabric didn't return to him, and his soul is lingering around somewhere."
"..." Alice couldn't even fathom a response.
In a way, Sans had a valid point. Were she in his slippers she'd naturally be suspicious about something out of place in a familiar scenario. It was true Chara had hinted at needing Alice to be alive and was desiring a greater power in the Underground much like Flowey was. So Alice was being considered in their plots and being accounted for. Also, Alice didn't exactly understand why she was here beyond that she had seen Chara and followed him down the rabbit hole into another realm and time period. But one thing she knew is that she was in control of her destiny. There would be nobody telling her what was wrong and what she must do. She wasn't a pawn of someone's game, she was the one who dreamed of a world of her own, and ended up in this one of her own free will. This seventh human appeared to be part of that as well. Ultimately though, Sans continued with the grim pressure,
"So Alice, I think it's clear you've met someone before any of us in those RUINS. Who was it? The seventh human?"
There was only Chara that Alice could offer. But that name had made Flowey spare her and even show some unusual vulnerabilities that Alice hadn't had the time to decipher. That was oddly enough a positive effect for her but Flowey was an antagonist, someone who tried to kill her first glance, who was stressing the nature of kill or be killed. What if she had told Toriel about Chara for instance? Would she have absolutely forbade her from leaving the Ruins? Papyrus wouldn't know about them presumably, Undyne would maybe consider her a deeper threat, Alphys was much too unpredictable now to even try, and right now the least desirable person to share this knowledge with was asking her to give out such knowledge. Any other ideas Alice had in mind seemed too daunting or had no clues to support it. But Alice took a deep breath and gave her answer,
"I-I assure you I have met no other humans… and j-just the concept of me being someone's pawn makes no sense. I-I voluntarily chose to look inside a rabbit hole and fell down here…"
"... a simple excuse. perhaps the reason you can't comprehend being a pawn is because your whole mindset is perfect for a pawn." Sans taunted with obvious disbelief towards Alice's answer.
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Alice reacted sensitively and put her hands to her hips.
"you're a smart girl, but i've noticed your tendency to display your intelligence. the puzzles, social cues, being in the right morally, questions, and of course your curiousity. you think you know best most of the time and often hold this over others. you scold them, put them down, say rude things, and try to cloak it with proper mannerisms." Sans said, holding his finger up as though to emphasize her habits.
"G-granted I have accepted responsibility for being wrong if I was but that's going a bit too far. I wouldn't point out all your faults for instance Sans like you just did." Alice admitted her faults, knowing by now that it was true.
"didn't you just do that to the shopkeepers in the alleyway outside?" The skeleton pointed out to Alice's shock.
"...!"
Alice suddenly got a feeling of dread. What he was calling her out on was almost as if he had witnessed it first hand. She had completely forgot Sans had been around the area and with his natural slipperiness, he must've snuck over and overheard the entire conversation. That moment was indeed not Alice's finest hour and Sans was condemning her for it hard. She could accept him critiquing her bad habits and her habits that often got her into trouble but that was a complete misunderstanding. And worse, it implied he sympathized with Bratty and Catty wishing for the demise of humanity. That was not a healthy mindset at all. Even if his logic at times was sound, Alice had to acknowledge that Sans had his own warped way of thinking like all the other monsters.
"If someone saw that, someone with malicious intent to harm others and seek power, they would see you as perfect in their plot. They'd flatter your logic and reasoning, tell you you're right, and ultimately steer you into pursuing your own path… but subtly bend your mindset to theirs. Y'know what that leads to? GENOCIDE." Sans pupils disappeared as he gave a scathing analogy.
"... I-is that what happened in the previous timeline…?" Alice asked, genuinely intrigued but sounding scared.
Suddenly there was a jolt of movement and the sound of a chair falling to the ground and the table being shook. Alice's reaction was instinctive,
"Ahh….!" She raised her arms in a defensive measure.
"DON'T LIE TO MY FACE AND ACT LIKE YOU CAN TALK ABOUT THINGS YOU SUPPOSEDLY DON'T KNOW ABOUT." Sans words were as ferocious as a tiger's growl.
Alice peered timidly and anxiously to see San standing up and his right eye glowing blue like a mini inferno. Just like in that awful nightmare. The candle's flame on the table had been dispersed and Alice oddly enough felt more cornered now than when Undyne had pinned her to the edge of that bridge. She had crossed a very sensitive line with Sans just now. While theorizing the differences in the timelines was allowed, the actual contents were forbidden. Perhaps in a way that was for the best but right now Alice was out of moves to make. She couldn't reach out to Sans in this position anymore. Throwing out Chara's name would do no good either. The only solace she had right now was the safety of a public environment where she couldn't be killed without… Wait no, that's not exactly true, Alice remembered. My death means they are all free after all… Should she die here, someone could grab her SOUL and take it to Asgore without even feeling a trace of guilt because it would mean they'd finally be free. The hopes and dreams of many against the humanity of one.
"look alice, all i'm asking out of ya is honesty. but your personality shifts are so severe and you were not meant to be here. the reasons why are unknown but that leaves you in a state where you can decide the fate of this world. yet you lack the humility and self-control for us to believe you would help. putting all our hopes and dreams on you is a gigantic risk and because of your sensitive pride you could be denying yourself from truly finding 'another way'. ultimately... Your DETERMINATION is someone else's and your under the belief it's yours." Sans softened his tone enough to sound casual but his eye still glowed.
Alice lowered her arms and rested them in her lap. She was feeling awfully numb right now. She didn't even look at him, staring at the candle, wishing it would ignite again. It gave her DETERMINATION. DETERMINATION that was quickly fading away...
"S-so that's it then…? You genuinely believe I wouldn't be able to free you or your brother or anyone else?" She asked quietly.
"... i don't believe you CAN'T, i just don't know if you would… i'll admit you seem honest in trying to find another way but… what happens if you begin to question yourself? madness, that's what." Sans seemed to be purposely using some of the ideas Alice had told him of against her.
"..."
"i'll be going now alice. if i see you again… i'd hope you'd be prepared. you still have more challenges to face and a decision to make with king asgoat. please, don't lose your way." Sans made a pun that didn't comfort Alice in the slightest before he walked away.
Alice felt as though she had been abandoned in some big and dark place with no light or heat, finding herself gripping the tablecloth tightly for some sense of security. She had never felt so humiliated and torn before, feeling that her dignity and decision-making had been ripped to shreds. Sans didn't trust her, presumably not since that first time he overheard her and Toriel at the RUINS. Not even when Papyrus had fully trusted Alice and they spent memories together of breakfast and snowball fights. It almost was as if Papyrus didn't matter to Sans in terms of decision-making, Sans felt he knew what was best towards people and didn't regard his brother very highly. All this stuff about RESETS and a timeline that was taboo to speak about only worsened Alice's situation. Madness was definitely the appropriate word to use for this entire situation. There was a lot of correct observations but also observations Alice didn't understand or was being connected to despite her not being involved. While she was wallowing in pity, she suddenly heard a somewhat plain middle-aged man's voice with a slight chirp to her left,
"Hello there there girl. Are you ok? Do you need some laughter?"
"Hmm?" With no motive to react protectively, Alice weakly looked over.
She was surprised to see what looked like Snowdrake from Snowdin Forest, yet he seemed bigger, older, with glasses and a pink bowtie. The resemblance did make Alice feel a bit less nervous about this monster speaking to her all of a sudden and it also made her wonder if he was perhaps the 'dad' that Snowdrake had mentioned. Alice hadn't considered it important when Snowdrake had spoken it that moment but now it suddenly seemed to be very relevant. She regained her composure and released the tablecloth, clearing her throat to speak.
"Oh! I-I'm sorry for making you concerned about me. I'm alright. Who are you?" Alice asked.
"I'm the resort comedian. I'm very funny. People laugh at my jokes." He explained.
"The MTT Resort correct?"
The comedian nodded.
"Huh, when you're in a heated discussion you tend to forget your surroundings." Alice looked around the MTT Resort a bit closely now that Sans was away.
There seemed to be a few monsters around the restaurant including a muscular red bull-like creature with a lemon-lime green shirt, forest green pants and black shoes and a small round mouse-like creature with a safety helmet and red shoes. A grand wooden stage was off to the side with gold glass walls to presumably reflect the performer's image for those to see. There was definitely something elegant yet welcoming about this place. Hard to believe Mettaton planned it, Alice thought as she would've imagined him using more gaudy colors and decor. Realizing she was losing track of her wandering mind, she paid attention to the comedian just in time to hear what he had to say.
"Oddly enough it's never heated here. Always fun and exciting. Make people laugh."
"If that is the case, why'd you come to check up on me?" Alice asked politely.
"Was on my break. You seemed a bit unhappy. After the skeleton went away. Wanted to see if you were ok. A fathah's instinct." He replied somewhat jovially.
"That's very sweet of you, thank you sir. If I may inquire, is your son named Snowdrake?" Alice held a finger up gently as she made her question.
The comedian flinched and looked surprised, a genuine pleasant surprise.
"Ah! You've met my son! How is he doing?!" He asked.
"Wonderful if I may be honest! He's got a lovely sense of humor and-"
"You really think so? Does he still tell awful puns?" The comedian suddenly looked a bit stern.
"Uh… w-well I wouldn't use such a strong word like 'awful'. I've been hearing a lot of puns ever since I've arrived here after all. Plus he seems to be really trying hard. Why do you ask?" Alice suddenly felt slightly bristly when she realized that the comedian might be upset about this.
"He's an embarrassment to our family. Doesn't make people laugh. Except for you. Ha ha ha ha… That's not funny." The comedian suddenly seemed to be self-deprecating himself.
"..." Alice decided to let the comedian continue before losing her temper.
"Since his mothah passed on, he couldn't stand. Living at home anymore. So he ran away. Haven't seen him since. Glad you were able to though. I'm a terrible fathah. Ha ha ha ha… That's not funny."
Alice did feel quite bad for this comedian. Losing his wife was a tragedy and then his son being perhaps heartbroken or mad about the situation leaving right afterward was bound to leave an impact. It oddly reminded Alice of Napstablook's tale. Alice decided to try to comfort him much like how he had attempted to comfort her. She hugged him and patted his wings.
"Please don't beat yourself up over things that were out of your control. I know your son still cares quite deeply about you and I'm certain that were you two to speak again, you'd reconcile." She spoke softly.
The comedian didn't answer, rather he let out a small, honest, and even happy laugh. It wasn't the most reassuring sign of being cheered up but it was a sign. Alice decided to let go of the comedian for now and go explore the MTT Hotel some more. After all, Sans said she had more challenges to face and no matter what, she would not give up on trying to find another way through the barrier. Come to think of it I wonder why he didn't tell me what the barrier looks like, Alice pondered. Only now did the little girl realize she had no idea what this barrier looked like and it seemed counterproductive for nobody to tell her what it consisted of. Unless it was made of pure magic in which case it could literally look like anything. Maybe Sans had hid its appearance on purpose for some reason.
"That doesn't really matter now does it? I need to refocus…" Alice scolded herself as she realized she was going off-topic again.
Alice decided to speak with the other monsters in the area first. The red muscular monster talked about how they dug mazes with puzzles to foil human attacks but it turned into an awful tradition. They groaned about how you can't go two feet without being caught in a puzzle. The monster in the safety helmet talked about how they worked at the CORE and a maze of swappable parts. They seemed to have had a fun day shuffling the layout today. I wonder if this means it's never the same CORE twice, Alice pondered curiously. Passing towards the entrance, she noticed a large, green, fish-like monster who told her she had to reserve practically everything to eat at this restaurant. Clearly Sans had done just that or perhaps had used his strange teleportation to sneak by but it didn't really matter. Stepping out into the hotel lobby, Alice was amazed by how shiny everything was. A stellar gold and peach checkered print on the floor, a rich red carpet, potted plants, a two-tiered fountain with an image of Mettaton spitting out a stream of water… onto the floor?
"Eh? Someone must've misaimed the fountain's flow when they were building it." She spoke in surprise as she saw a fairly large and growing puddle on the floor.
It was actually kind of amusing to her that such a pristine hotel had such a simple and obvious flaw. It cheered Alice up a bit as she wandered over to where a few monsters were gathered outside an elevator. One looked like a small and anxious dragon talking to someone on a phone, the other looked oddly like a chimera or mythical cat with a spiked tail, two red heels on its front paws, black hair, and glasses. The third looked almost like a human girl, cloaked in a long black dress with a black flip hairdo and a red bowtie. Alice decided to inquire what was going on with them waiting outside the elevator. The dragon appeared to be in a conversation with someone they cared about, telling them about cold pizza in his treasure horde that this person could heat up. As for the others…
"This elevator goes straight up to the capital. But it's stopped working. The hotel's doing their best to accommodate everybody stuck here." Said the cat monster.
"An elevator to the capital…? Does the king often have visitors?" Alice asked.
"From what I can tell, yes. He's very sociable with us. Of course no one has been able to visit him like this unless they go through the CORE and nobody's up for that."
"Makes sense if it's truly a maze like I've heard." Alice pondered as she eyed the elevator curiously.
Somehow though that seemed strange. Why would any ruler have such an easy and accessible path to their own castle? It's like an invitation for assassins and thieves to make a move on the king's safety and wealth. But in another way, maybe the reason for this elevator existing was that the king and his people held a great trust and respect for one another. He was perfectly alright and on good enough terms to let people visit. Monster Kid had mentioned that Asgore had came to visit his school so this did show a sense of security and almost relaxation regarding the events in the Underground. Wait, where is the school though? Alice asked herself as she hadn't seen anything remotely resembling a school and the library at Snowdin was much too small to be one. Either way, the main point was that this elevator was more symbolic than it appeared to be and that Asgore built it knowing no human could possibly get this far. Despite this prideful mistake, the elevator being broken did mean Alice would be forced to take the long way and so Asgore in a sense had gotten lucky. Speaking to the last monster, the one cloaked in black, and Alice found they were a slime and were outraged at the elevator's lack of function.
"I'm sure it'll resume working functionally sooner than later." Alice reassured the slime before noticing something to the left of the elevator.
Two large glass doors with a rather fanciful orange text layered over it like a sign. They said 'MTT' and had an image of a burger to the right of it. If Alice had to guess, it was perhaps some cafe or food establishment. She was feeling a bit hungry from the empty dinner promises Sans had made and she knew food could improve her mood a bit, so she decided to step inside.
"Welcome to MTT-Brand Burger Emporium, home of the Glamburger. Sparkle up your day (™)." A somewhat deep-sounding male voice from someone who seemed about high school age greeted her in.
The voice in question seemed to be coming from a deep brown cat with a pink nose, a little hat that was yellow with red markings on it, and a pale red short-sleeved shirt. Alice was already liking the looks of this extremely as she smiled happily at seeing another cat.
"Wow! Two cats in one day! Oh Dinah would be so envious of me! Granted the cats aren't nearly as animated up there as they are down here…" She corrected herself on her slight favoritism before going too far.
"Two…? Cats…? Oh boy." The cat seemed to have an idea of who she meant by the first cat and looked down in shame.
At that moment Alice got a chance to get a closer look at the Emporium itself, seeing a rather blinding yellow wallpaper and metal furnishings that seemed to be holding menu items, slips of paper, cooking tools, and other things. What stood out most was the menu, large and held by Mettaton insignia, featuring four menu items in full color and with descriptions. One looked like some lavish and delicious pudding in a tall glass, the other looked like a long human-shaped sandwich, a burger suspiciously purple and sparkling, and steak… in the shape of Mettaton's face? Alice did a double take and saw that it was indeed his face. His vanity knows no bounds, Alice groaned. Ultimately, Alice decided that the pudding looked and seemed the most appealing to her right now and so she pointed at it and asked,
"Excuse me sir? May I request the first item on the menu?"
"Oh the Starfait…? It's very popular food. The only thing I really love here actually… That'll be 60G." The cat seemed to give a meek and strained smile.
"... A-alright." Alice was a bit thrown off by his tense smile but paid.
"Thanksy! Have a FABU-FUL day!" The cat gave an extremely prominent grin that rivaled the Cheshire Cat's.
Taking a sip into the Starfait once the cat handed it to her and Alice found it was absolutely enchanting. Like vanilla ice cream mixed with all sorts of lovely and luscious fruits for a tangy and refreshing mixture. She knew she had been having a lot of sweets since she been down here but she always found those to be the more fun things to try. Feeling rejuvenated, Alice decided to get to know the cat better. He was still standing attentive, looking from side to side and over to her and the door. It was as though he was expecting someone else to enter.
"So excuse my abrupt interest but what is your name?" Alice asked.
The cat flinched though and seemed to be hiding behind a forced smile. He was jittery and anxious and it was making Alice slightly uneasy.
"What? Why do you keep talking to me? I'll get in trouble if I get chummy with the customers." The cat explained.
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry. I was just hoping to get to know you better. I have a cat at home named Dinah you see and she's a lot less… lively than you are. I love her just the same." Alice clarified as eloquently as she could.
"Oh… that's kind of nice… does she… wait, you're talking about a real cat right? Cause monsters and cats are kind of different…"
"Well of course I am. What else could I possibly mean by cat?" Alice folded her arms.
"I-it's nothing… Sorry. … SO, I wanted to be an ACTOR." The cat looked frazzled and stressed as he held his arms out dramatically but it did seem he was now up for conversation.
"An actor? That does seem like a very nice dream job. Performing, memorizing and reciting scripts, taking on different roles and bringing them to life…" Alice shared her support of the idea.
"Yeah but… being in the Underground has little opportunity for television roles. Mettaton's clogged them all up. There's also another thing…" The cat grumbled before shockingly pulling out what looked like a cigar and lighting it with a lighter.
"Another?"
"Take it from me, little buddy. I'm getting on in years, so let me give you some advice, little buddy-"
"Did you really have to say it twice? That's rather redundant…" Alice had to interject as the cat put the freshly lit cigarette into his mouth and began to blow smoke that she had to wave away with her hand.
"My whole LIFE'S become redundant! You've still got time. Don't be like me. I'm 19 years old and I've already wasted my entire life." The cat leaned in close and seemed to be giving Alice some cold hard advice.
What could I possibly end up as when I'm 19? Alice thought suddenly. It was something she hadn't a remote chance to think about even before falling in the Underground. She was so content being idle as a little girl in her daydreams and English life. Careers, the concept of love that the monsters had brought up, and even the possibility of trying to take care of herself had been something Alice had no plans in mind for. Wonderland was not real after all, there was no future for her there. She did appreciate that this cat was opening up about a topic that seemed so real and grounded compared to what Sans had just spoken with her about. It allowed her to calm her anxiety and feel a bit more confident about herself.
"You may have a strong point actually. Perhaps I could end up as a writer…" Alice thought aloud.
"Writing's ok… in my wildest dreams you'd be writing my scripts I bet little buddy." The cat teased as he blew some smoke away from her.
"I doubt I'm suited for that sort of scripture… on that note, what other advice do you have?"
"Listen. I like you, little buddy. So, I'm going to save you a lot of trouble. Never interact with attractive people. Unless you're "one of them," they're just going to take advantage of you. Like that time those two chicks asked me to sneak them some glamburgers. And I, naive teenager that I was, said yes to them." The cat seemed to be going into a topic Alice was much less familiar with.
"I take it you are talking about Bratty and Catty?" She said as she finished sipping her Starfait.
"Bad idea." The cat nodded glumly as he appeared much more meek again.
His expressions are certainly dramatic enough to be an actor's, Alice decided. Tilting her head, she waited for him to continue with his story.
"So I went out to the alley to see those two ladies, and uh… you know, see what'd happen next. … Then my boss, uh, saw me and asked what I was doing. I was so startled, the hamburgers in my pockets tumbled out onto the ground. Not wanting to lose face, I scrambled to pick them up! But, as I was leaning over, the weight of the remaining hamburgers… caused my pants to fall down. Then the girls laughed at me." The cat seemed to diminish his cigarette on an ashtray as he sounded very vulnerable.
"Oh no… that's a very sad story. It even lacks a moral." Alice pointed out.
"The moral IS to not try to hit on hot girls in the alleyway… and now everyone calls me Burgerpants." The cat finally gave some indication of his name.
"Burgerpants…? Really…? Do you have a true name…?"
"Uh… yeah but, no way can I muster up enough courage to share it anymore." Burgerpants shivered as he clasped his hands together and gave a forced smile.
"S-should we change the subject then?" Alice asked, hoping to try to cheer him up in some way.
"Well I could vent about my boss to you if you want."
"Hmm… my sister has mentioned stories of that caliber before to me. So who is your boss?" Alice asked as she set her empty Starfait glass on the counter and leaned her arms on it.
"Mettaton. *Sigh* When I first came to Hotland, my dream was to work with Mettaton. … Well, be careful what you wish for, little buddy!" Burgerpants grimaced as he took the Starfait glass and put it away.
"I have a hunch on what characteristics of his put you off but what's your view of him?"
"God, have you even looked around? This place is a labyrinth of bad choices. And every time we try to change something for the better, he vetoes it and says "that's not how they do it on the surface." He mimicked Mettaton's voice hilariously.
"*Giggle* Like the water fountain in the lobby?" Alice offered.
"ESPECIALLY the water fountain in the lobby! I slipped on it just the other day! But that's not the worst of it! Oh! Right! Humans are always eating hamburgers made of SEQUINS and GLUE." Burgerpants lamented, slamming his palm onto the purple burger on the menu.
"Oh dear, that sounds positively disgusting… and inconsiderate on his part." Alice agreed.
"Like seriously! Why do people find him so attractive? He's literally just a freaking rectangle."
Alice had to resist the urge to reference Papyrus's 'sexy rectangle' comment to Burgerpants as she felt it would've done more harm than good. That was a good question though… even in a dress he didn't look very appealing. Then again, Alphys probably hadn't designed Mettaton to be ALL about style and substance in the beginning, even when she had listened to his request when he was a ghost. The ghost's wish in the diary was to be a star, he didn't ask to be a supermodel or someone extremely attractive. Alphys built him to impress Asgore and to demonstrate her skills as the Royal Scientist. Ultimately, there really was a lot more to Mettaton than met the eye despite the fact some facts were of questioning consistency. Although if both of them have lackluster cuisine capabilities, wouldn't that make Papyrus and Mettaton perfect for one another? Alice had another silly thought of hers.
"... You know, one time, I bought one of those, uh, kits online… to… Uh, make yourself more rectangular. … They don't work." Burgerpants confessed.
"Yeah… I don't even think that's a possible shape for the monsters down here." Alice offered her opinion with a hand wave.
"Nothing's really possible anymore… it sucks." He groaned.
"Well… what do you intend to do for your future? Like if-"
"Future? WHAT future? Nothing down here EVER changes. I'll probably be trapped at this stupid job forever. … But wait! There's one thing that keeps me going! If ASGORE gets just one more SOUL, we'll finally get to the surface! It'll be a brand new world! There's gotta be a second chance out there for me! For everyone! So stay strong, little buddy. When I make it big, I'll keep you in mind." Burgerpants suddenly went on an impassioned speech that left Alice feeling a rush of emotions.
This again… Was the first thought Alice had. But something about this speech was different from the other ones. Perhaps it was his youth and his position as someone in a lousy job that made his words seem so much more genuine than say Bratty or Catty, or the menacing Undyne. It was no different from a prisoner wrongly imprisoned and desiring a chance to be free. It was rather moving to hear this sort of perspective after all she'd been through. Were Alice not a human, she'd have probably felt a great sense of camaraderie with him right now but since she was a human, there was the third feeling of regret. If there truly was no other way and Alice was forced to either sacrifice herself or escape by herself…
OR RESET.
Then she'd felt like she was going to let Burgerpants' dreams down.
"I-I appreciate that…" Alice admitted, suddenly feel a rush of emotion as she decided she knew what most valued here.
"Y-you do…?"
"There is a reason for it. It's because I'm going to find another way out of the Underground without giving myself up or anyone else up to the Barrier."
"Little buddy..." Burgerpants sounded caught off-guard by Alice's sudden change from a listener to someone who was speaking very motivationally.
Then Alice grasped Burgerpants paws gently and firmly, standing on her tippy toes to face him face to face as she suddenly let out what would be a promise to motivate her from here on in,
"I really appreciate how much you care about me and I want to thank you so much for giving me some encouragement and support. Once we're free I'll do my best to give you as much support finding a second chance as possible."
"But I'm only talking nonsense… like it's just one small hope against Mettaton's hel-, grip on my future." Burgerpants sounded very flustered at this but yet in his eyes he seemed to be agreeing her.
"With enough DETERMINATION, anything is possible. And I'm also well-known for thinking nonsensically. Nothing can stop nonsense from becoming a path for me. Plus, I'll likely be needing to find a job when I'm old enough. It could be good practice." Alice offered a friendly smile.
"Well, you certainly don't SOUND like you're trying to take advantage of me… yet. But seriously, let go. If Mettaton catches me AGAIN doing something crazy, then I'm in the gutter…" Burgerpants tried to pull away.
"R-right! I'm sorry… I've gone through so many changes since this morning that I sometimes feel like myself and then not myself and then have to regain myself." Alice clarified as she placed her hands in her pockets.
"... I don't get it."
"Quite frankly neither do I sometimes. That's part of why I'm still learning and growing as an individual. You will too, and I'll try to help you and everyone else find your future above ground." Alice remarked.
"... Heh, I'll hold you on that little buddy. So you got a name of your own?" He asked, leaning on the counter with a much more natural smile.
"My name is Alice. I'll be departing now but once things are resolved, I'll see you again." Alice gave an elegant curtsy as she gave her introduction.
"Any time Alice, little buddy o'mine." Burgerpants gave a farewell as Alice left the doors to the Burger Emporium.
Alice decided there was little more to do besides investigating the rest of the Hotel. All she really found was that there was a hallway to four occupied rooms, some locked and some with the roommates asking for service, and a busy, slimy janitor. The monster managing the counter said that rooms were 200G and left Alice to decline the offer of staying overnight and there was another monster over by the original entranceway who seemed to hold a lot of pride in the MTT Resort's capabilities. With the MTT Resort explored, and much smaller than Alice had accounted for though it might've been because of the elevator's broken state, Alice entered through the other pair of doors in the back of the Resort. It led her to a fairly elegant balcony with green bushes and some lights on the wood railing, leading with a wood bridge out towards her destination. As Alice approached the destination though, she noticed something shocking.
"W-who are they…?" She whispered.
Two black humanoid shapes were standing on the end of the bridge, which also seemed to be where the wood was illuminated by a deep blue light. She could see piping similar to that of Hotland's, but much more complex with red and blue colors and orange glowing flames in what appeared to be furnaces. The two shapes didn't appear to be facing Alice though she had no way of knowing as she couldn't make out any detail of them. They walked into the CORE as Alice's phone rang. Suddenly reminded of who had been responsible for most of these calls, Alice answered it.
"Huh? Who are they? N-nobody else is s-supposed to be here…" Alphys sounded confused.
"Are they workers going out on a shift…? One of the monsters inside the Resort-"
"T-the shift started a while ago today… t-that can't be it… Oh well! We can't worry about that now!" Alphys interrupted Alice before hanging up again.
"... So this is the CORE…" Alice looked at it with a sense of awe at having reached it from the last time she witnessed it.
Nearing a violent blue entrance way with strange markings and a red light around it, Alice knew she was going to be in for perhaps the most daunting location yet. On that note of repetition from earlier, Alice thought, it does seem like my journey keeps finding ways of trying to intimidate me. It's not going to work, not after I've come this far. Renewed in spirit, Alice took her first steps into the mysterious CORE…
To Be Continued...
