Chapter 5: A Rival Appears
Nearly a year had passed since Braedan had arrived in the underground, and he had quickly become a common sight around the underground, with his cavalier attitude and general laid back nature. He tended to stick around Snowdin, and got a job helping Sans with his sentry duties, something neither of them did a great job of doing. It was a normal enough day when everything changed.
Braedan was sitting in the sentry booth in Snowdin, reading a book while he sat with his boots up on the station. Sans had wandered off, probably to crack jokes with Toriel through the door or to take a nap, and Papyrus was preparing more puzzles. He flipped the page, pausing.
"There's that writing again…" He sighed, before attempting to read the latest note scrawled into the margins of the page.
"The King knew him, the Man Who Speaks in Hands. He was the king's -" Braedan frowned. "... Okay, I can't read the rest. Shame too, cause that's the most I've ever really been able to make out." He shrugged it off before resuming reading the book on the history of monsters. A few minutes later, he heard voices and looked up to see Sans walking down the path, accompanied by a girl. She was probably around sixteen, thin, and had a cheerful smile on her face. Her hair was short, to her shoulders, and a dark brown, which contrasted her tan skin. The pair walked directly to the sentry station, with the girl standing nervously a bit behind Sans, obviously having been warned by Toriel about the dangers of monsters. Braedan held out a hand.
"Heya, The name's Braedan. Second most laid back monster in the underground." He said, grinning a skeletal grin. The girl smiled before reaching forward to shake his hand.
"are you calling me the laziest?" Sans interjected.
"Well, I'm not calling ya hardworking, slacker." Braedan retorted before dropping back into his chair… leaving his forearm and hand with the girl, who's eyes widened.
"Y-your arm!"
"Aww, don't worry. That happens a lot to me. Part of being me." Braedan laughed as he leaned forward and his arm reconnected. "So kid, what's your name?"
"Uh… it's Frisk." She said, releasing the arm.
"Nice to meet ya, Frisk. Welcome to the underground." Braedan said cheerfully, reattaching his arm.
"SAAAAAAAAANSSSSS!"
"uh oh. quick kid, behind that conveniently shaped lamp." Sans said casually.
"Alright?" Frisk walked over and stood next to the lamp, which was oddly shaped almost exactly like her, looking unsure.
"Why am I…" She fell silent as the tall skeleton entered the clearing.
"SANS! THERE YOU ARE! WHY HAVEN'T YOU RECALIBRATED YOUR PUZZLES?! EVEN BRAEDAN DID HIS!" Papyrus said, obviously annoyed. "WHAT IF A HUMAN COMES BY? YOUR OLD PUZZLES WILL BE EASILY SOLVED!"
"Papyrus, my puzzle is literally a fence with a gate in it." Braedan chuckled. "Doesn't even need a skeleton key."
"BRAEDAN! DON'T GET HIM STARTED!" Papyrus groaned, as Frisk quietly chuckled.
"aww, come on pap. that was quite humerus." Sans said cheekily? Cheekbonily? Papyrus just groaned and stamped his foot.
"SANS, I MUST CAPTURE A HUMAN, SO THAT I CAN BECOME A MEMBER OF THE ROYAL GUARD! THEN I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL BE THE MOST POPULAR SKELETON IN THE UNDERGROUND!"
"well, if it's a human you need, why don't ya look at that lamp. might help ya." Sans said cheerfully.
"Yeah, it might enlighten you, Papyrus."
"BRAEDAN, AS MUCH AS I KNOW YOU ENJOY MY COOKING, I WILL NOT FEED YOU IF YOU CONTINUE THESE PUNS!"
"bro, i really think you'll brighten up if you enjoy my wonderfully human-shaped lamp."
"SANS, I DO NOT HAVE TIME FOR YOUR NONSENSE!"
"Come on Papyrus, I'd be delighted to give you the lamp!"
"BOTH OF YOU EXIST ONLY TO TORMENT ME!"
"aw, come on pap, you're smiling."
"I AM AND I HATE IT! REGARDLESS, IF YOU WON'T RECALIBRATE YOUR PUZZLES, THEN I'LL DO IT FOR YOU!" Papyrus narrowed his eye sockets. "SOMEONE HAS TO PUT IN SOME BACKBONE! NYEH HEH HEH!" He turned and walked off, oblivious to the giggling girl behind the lamp.
"Well, that was a punstoppable punishment for Papyrus." Braedan laughed. "You can come out now, Frisk." The brown haired girl stepped out, a wide smile on her face as she gently brushed her bangs to the side.
"so yeah, that was my brother, papyrus. he's pretty cool, right?" Sans said with a wink. Frisk nodded.
"So, he really wants to catch a human?"
"Like you wouldn't believe." Braedan agrees. "He thinks it'll change how people will see him. But don't worry. Papyrus is a nice guy."
"actually, he's never really seen a human. mind letting him capture you kiddo? braedan and i'll keep ya out of any trouble, and pap's not really dangerous anyways." Sans explained.
"He's got a heart of gold. Well… a sternum of gold?" Braedan paused, thinking it over. "Huh. Doesn't really transfer all that well, does it Sansmiester?"
"not really. closest would be a soul, but that has a different connotation and colors have more meaning there."
"I don't mind. After all," Frisk smiled again before adjusting her striped blue sweater. "You guys are my friends, right?"
"glad to hear it, kiddo." Sans said with his trademark grin. "i'll see ya up ahead." He then turned and walked back towards the ruins, quickly out of sight.
"... He knows that's the wrong way, right?"
"He'll be up ahead. Don't worry about it. And don't get too risky, Frisky." Braedan teased, getting a small smile from her.
"Alright, and what about you?" She asked.
"Oh, I'll catch up. I wanna finish this chapter." Braedan explained, holding up the history book. "I know a few shortcuts though, so I'll see ya in a bit, alright?"
"Alrighty!" Frisk said cheerfully. "See you then!" She then turned and headed off, a spring in her step that was uncommon in the underground these days. Braedan sighed, before turning back the way Sans had gone. "... Toriel… why'd you let her through?"
A little shorter, but this is where it naturally cut off. So, there's one more in this set.
