Sorry for the delay T.T
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I may or may not have slacked on the job and then things went haywire... I mean, I was supposed to have TIME. Where did it go?! No, more seriously, I was somehow expecting a new lockdown but only in Paris so I was taken abash.
Just to explain things quickly (to anyone reading this, yes, I do talk about my life a lot), we started having school remotely. That was ok, and I didn't have lots of classes the first week and I was at home, so I was supposed to write the chapter. Like, I planned to draw all the illustrations for our school journal (yes, the one where I'm part of the team [yep, I found more people] for the cooking section) before Thursday because then it would be published and, on Thursday, I would start to write the chapter. EXCEPT I wasn't counting on being told on Wednesday evening we would go back into lockdown on Thursday night! Since I go home by train, I had to get one (hint: took me about two hours because the website would keep crashing over and over) and clean my apartment so nothing would rot in the fridge and all. Since I managed to get my reservation at, like, 10 pm, for a train at 7 am... I pulled an all-nighter to do that. In the end, I showed up home at noon (with two hours of sleep T.T), where my mum sent me buy her christmas presents for my nieces before all the toy stores would close. Then I had to work for my tests because I have to at some point. Then we had to do my sister's house move (yes, we can still move houses even in lockdown). And... That's it. Now, the chapter's done ^^"
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PS: I just noticed while writing this that Muttler is a dog selling hot-dogs XD
Chapter XXXVIII
With all the facts
On the list of not-a-good-idea-to-do things Sans should probably start making by now, almost pulling an all-nighter before a whole day of work in the middle of a heatwave while covered from head to toes should at least be in the top three. In fact, if it were not for Gaster living in Hotland, he would have packed up and left at the first chance he got. Where? Who knows! Not him! Anywhere but this blazing hell of a place!
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'Someone had a rough night, I see.'
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Had Sans's brain been in an actual state of consciousness, he would have jumped. Fortunately — or unfortunately, depending on the angle considered — it is not. In fact, Sans barely registered the voice was familiar before Muttler got in his visual field.
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'Hi, Muttler…'
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From Muttler's point of view, whatever Sans said sounded more like "Hamula" than the "Hi Muttler" he supposes it was. It does not keep him from waving a greeting all the same while unlocking the back door of his hot-dog stand.
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'Up late?'
'You guessed it.'
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Small talk. Chitchat. Whatever people call it at the moment.
It just needs to feel natural, to be above suspicion. If he wants his plan to go smoothly, he must pretend he has none.
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'Ah! That anyone with eyes could see!' As Muttler says so, a small boat full of goods berths at the dock below. 'Our delivery's here,' he says as he notices the boat being unloaded.
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Another day, another pile of fresh food waiting to be put in their rightful place. As he descends to the docks, Sans following him, yawning. There, Muttler quickly checks everything he ordered was in the boxes and pays for the next delivery. After all, you are never too careful! He would not want to find himself lacking the proper ingredients in the middle of a shift! Not like a certain previous day where the delivery never came… Something he definitely did remind his supplier.
Putting the first couple of boxes in the storehouse, he realizes half an hour should be enough to have the stand ready to be opened. Good, he thinks, at least Sans should be able to get some sleep and buy himself some time before falling asleep on the job. Muttler will not try anything while he naps, not yet. He needs Sans to forget about the previous day first, or he risks being caught in his little investigation — that is, assuming Sans currently has the mental capacity to deduce Muttler is, in fact, investigating. There is no need to alarm anyone, if all of this ends up being inconclusive, Sans will never know. If it does not…
Muttler will make his decision accordingly.
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'By the way,' he says before leaving Sans putting what needs to stay cold into the fridge to get the remaining boxes, 'I'll stay open a bit longer today but I'll close for an hour at noon.'
'Why so?'
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No annoyance. Only curiosity.
Somehow, Muttler can not imagine Sans could be the type to turn onto someone without a good reason. That in itself is a good thing, though impossible to confirm with absolute certainty. He is a smart kid, even if most of his capacities seem to be used solely in the purpose of making the most annoying puns known to Monsterkind. At least, they make him laugh… However, this can also mean he can — probably — oppose a threat if willing to do so. Now, for a Monster, Muttler would not worry much — after all, why would one turn against his own kind? However, the more he thinks about it, the less likely it becomes for Sans to be one…
And this distorted reflection of a pale human face surrounded by unruly hair could not be as distorted as he would like.
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'It's not my first heatwave, Sans,' Muttler answered without even hinting at his current reflexion. 'Monsters were caught off guard yesterday, but today? You won't see a single soul outside at this hour.' Muttler slows down, remembering he has not told Sans about the different hours on such days. 'I forgot to tell you, though, so you can leave as usual if you want to.'
'Nah, I'll stick around. That's what I'm here for.'
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Both Sans and him keep on their tasks without a word, one organizing and the other bringing the merchandise in. One by one, each and every box is emptied or put in its place until nothing is left to do.
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'I guess we're done!' Muttler eventually says, baring his teeth in what he believes looks like a smile. 'Still half an hour before opening… Not bad. Go get a nap, kid.'
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Sans does not abide right away — Muttler expected so. In fact, he almost has to push him back in the storeroom before the boy accepts to at least try to sleep a little. How are those Humans raising their children for them not to think it is okay to be tired?
Well… They have to do something wrong since so many of them end up underground.
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No! Do not get ahead of yourself, Muttler! You know better than jumping to conclusion, it already cost you too much to do so. There is still a possibility for you to be wrong, for Sans not to be Human. The Human reported by Undyne months ago could not have survived for so long, after all? There is still hope.
Sure, King Asgore asked for all Humans to be reported and brought to the castle, dead or alive. Of course, he is loyal to his king, but… He made this mistake once. He knows what those souls are used for.
His king may do what he thinks is best for his people, though blinded by grief, but he will do what he thinks is best for his king. He will protect him from himself if he has to.
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After all, there is a saying among them…
One can leave the Royal Guard, but the Royal Guard never leave them. Should eons pass by, this duty one swore to serve shall forever be engraved in the depths of their soul. One cannot simply forget their convictions. May our kind always be protected by our oath, for our oath never dies.
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oOo
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'Why didn't you wake me up?!'
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He is awake? Well, it took him long enough.
Barely looking away from the cheese he is cutting, Muttler glances at the clock. Almost two hours, not bad: now Sans should be able to do his shift without falling asleep.
As to why Muttler didn't wake him up an hour ago?
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'One, I tried but you wouldn't budge,' he grumbles, slicing more cheese and not even budging on Sans almost offended flinch. 'Two, you needed sleep and I'm not a tyrant. Three, we only had three clients: it's nothing I can't handle.'
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He is not buying it.
Of course he is not buying it, he did not believe he could take a nap in the first place.
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'Listen kid, I've kept that stand running for at least two decades: that's not the first time I take someone in. I would've woken you up if it was a necessity.'
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Perhaps it sounded harsher than it was meant to, but what is said is said. Even though it is hard to say with the mask, Muttler guesses Sans did not appreciate the way he talked. Thus, when a small Monster child appears at the counter, Muttler puts his sliced cheese into its recicient and takes the unsliced part back to the storehouse, giving Sans a tap on the back on his way.
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'Looks like you've got some work to do,' he says more softly.
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It may be his duty to protect Monsterkind, even after all those years, but he knows he will not make the same mistake twice. He has to investigate, but just enough so he would have enough hints to confront Sans directly if he, in fact, can afford to let him roam around. Deep down, he truly hopes he will not have to report to King Asgore, but appearances can be deceiving. To tell between what is wrong and what is right is no simple choice. A good reason can lead to the wrong choice, and a bad reason can pave the way to what is considered the rightful choice. There is always more to what appears, he learned it the hard way.
No Man or Monster holds an absolute wisdom. Living a few decades or many millenials will not make a person more or less wise than another. Everyone can make mistakes from time to time, everyone can make the wrong choice. Nothing is wholly good or bad, there is always much more to see. But it takes time, patience… He did not have those back then. Now he does, and he understands. Abiding by someone else's decision does not take away the responsibility, and it does not take away the guilt. In the end, the only thing it does...
It is to bring even more regrets.
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He will not hand over an innocent child.
Not once again.
Never again.
I know I didn't follow my schedule and we're Tuesday, but I should be back on track for the next chapter... I hope.
Also... what is it with killing children in this story?! Bad Asgore! Bad! I and my brethens shall smite you should you not bethink your deeds! XD