i slowly blink.
* wha-?
* I finished your run and-
he what?
* why?
he draws me into a hug.
* Because you're my brother and when I'll be there for you.
oh god...
i start crying...
* i'm not your chara...
* you know that, you see that those are never the same people you knew...
* and you still treat me like a brother...
* even now you're here for me...
* i'm sorry that i've never seen you as my real brother, azzy...
at least that is what i want to tell him.
but it all comes out as incoherent sobbing.
i cry out all the frustration and loneliness.
all the time before i met him...
it doesn't go away in that short a time...
my head is broken from the time before...
and you can only fix what you know is wrong.
yeah... but it won't happen over night.
one step at a time...
it takes a few minutes to regain myself.
* thank you.
he is my brother after all...
not by blood but by fate...
i give him a playful punch.
* broface.
his face lights up as well.
seems he has been waiting for this moment.
* now, what exactly did happen with you?
he gives me a condensed version of the last few hours.
what papyrus did, the differences in waterfall, the whole thing with muffet which leaves me a bit dumbfounded (but gives me the idea to really go by "O" in the future, because, why not?) and the last encounter.
* you did exceptionally well.
* Aww golly Chara, it was nothing.
* nothing your butt, fluffy.
i give him another light punch.
* be proud of your work.
he smiles at me as i stand up.
* we're gonna finish this up now.
i stretch, my bones creaking a bit.
* next time will be better...
i give my new brother a hug.
* thanks for the cocoa.
we stay like this for a moment before wrapping this run up.
new universe.
sitting on the couch in my undies...
in my hand the first book of the foundation series.
really liked those books as well.
the paper feels nice on my fingers...
something very familiar about this situation reminds me that i've got to do something.
i snatch papy's phone and shortcut into the lab.
the drawers are filled with heaps of half full notebooks.
we got another one of the new universe it seems.
makes sense, my head feels filled with cotton again.
* bahp-deep-bahp-click
* yo bro.
* Howdy, is another new one, looks peaceful.
* that's good, by the way, seems this is the same one as last time.
* Ah, okay.
asriel pauses for a moment.
* Are you feeling okay?
i scratch my head a bit.
better be honest about this stuff...
* not really, my head is still on the fritz.
i slump down on the seat and sigh.
* i think i'll use this loop to get better with my mind...
* sounds like a good idea, i'll call you when they get to mum's.
* thanks bro.
* You're welcome. Later! (click)
i put the telephone on the table and rub my face.
i need to sort my mind out.
music seemed to help a bit, so i search for something.
this instance also has a pair of headphones.
guess that is part of the universe.
i press play, stop thinking and let the music wash over me.
it starts a bit jazzy but turns into something more akin to hip-hop.
i just stare at the wall for a few moments.
my head feeling like molasses again.
the music plays and plays.
at some point i stand up and start walking around the room.
my thoughts get a bit clearer but not by much.
i have no idea what is going on, but this is not just a fluke.
i replay the last run in my head.
it's fuzzy but i can remember everything.
i can see it all but it comes in as a mess.
the stale air of alphys' lab combined with the clanging of metal.
the feeling of the snow under my foot intermingled with the sight of the human.
and all those dice...
it calmed me greatly to sort them in strange patterns.
i can barely connect two thoughts consciously but it still comes out intact.
like someone tells me the answer to a question and i don't know why it is the answer.
and sometimes the way my thoughts wind are so strange in hindsight yet still coherent...
i can't even focus on having pity on myself.
i walk around the lab for a bit but the space is rather limited so i shortcut to the living room.
i see a laptop lying in a shelf.
the others don't have it, they only have the high performance computer in the back.
i start it up, waking it from hibernation apparently.
the screen is mint coloured with a lot of text.
having nothing better to do anyway i read over it.
it looks like the first two chapters of a book.
it's about the travels of a young monster on the surface in search of other pockets of magic.
pretty dark and lighthearted at the same time.
i'm not sure he can publish it, but a lot of passion was put into it.
another tab titled 'deep_ ' catches my attention.
i give it a read.
The change in Glori's breathing tells me she has fallen asleep. Still drained and overwhelmed by the whole experience I glance at the tattoo that is now on my arm and massage the bridge of my nose.
I miss my Scoggins. It is warm in my Scoggins. It is safe in my Scoggins. There are no adultery committing waitresses in my Scoggins.
looks like he put some effort in this as well.
fifteen chapters...
i put the laptop down and stare at the mint green screen.
the blinds are drawn shut letting very few light inside.
some instrumental rock starts playing...
i have no idea what to do to straighten my head out.
i spend a few minutes just watching the screen, listening to the music.
i get lost in my head, my imagination constructing a picture of me, sitting on the gauntlet, staring into the distance, looking over all of snowdin while the music plays in my head.
* (rrrring)
i jump.
someone is ringing at the door.
that gave me a good scare...
i shortcut towards the door.
i pause the music and open the door.
muffet is standing there, in jeans, a black top, hair worn open and carrying a large bag.
* heya.
muffet looks at me, snickers and walks inside.
* My, my~ Looks like someone is a bit eager~
she sits down on the couch, continuing to smile at me slyly while she takes out some kind of notepad.
as i close the door i realise that i'm still only wearing underwear.
* oops, forgot to put on clothes, i'll get something.
* Ahuhuhu~ Yes, sure you will~
before i shortcut away she turns to me and puckers her lips.
i remember what asriel told me.
better give her a kiss first to not raise any suspicion...
i do hope this sans won't be mad about it...
no headache?
looks like i'm free to do so.
i walk over and give her a smooch.
something warm and soft is suddenly in my hands.
without really registering i grabbed her upper arms.
before i let can let go, she's using her lower arms to draw me onto the couch.
oh god.
i know where this is heading.
i can't risk a soulbond.
she might learn about everything and the whole thing...
i float in the middle of darkness in front of something bright and white.
where am i?
what is this?
is this a soulbond?
did my host somehow do this?
i take a deep breath.
why can't i breathe?
why can't i see my hands?
or my feet?
what am i right now?
this is all new...
something like a string starts to emerge from one of the glowing things.
i try reaching out to it before remembering that i don't have hands.
but just the intent of touching it makes the strand unfold and swallows me for a moment.
i'm in a house, black couch, a small sans is hopping around on the couch and giggling.
i feel that he is excited, curious and confused because he can't remember anything before that moment and doesn't know why he knows what he knows.
then i am back in front of the two white objects in the blackness.
more strands start emerging.
i think about touching a different strand that unwinds from the other object.
it also swallows me.
i am in a dark room muffet is sitting in front of the computer and blankly stares at the screen.
she is filled with a hollowness, not really registering anything but deeply despairing.
and just like that i'm back in the black.
i touch more strands.
every time i am thrown into a situation with one of them.
like slices of their lives.
memories that come to life.
i learn so much more about both of them and the world i'm inside.
the sans here had always trouble with his head, an intelligent fellow but only able to grasp his potential for minutes at a time, feeling like not living up to that potential is letting everyone down but shying away from talking about it.
muffet had her heart broken many times, got picked on by many people but never gave up.
and the world, all the people they interact with.
papyrus, his big brother who always took care of him, who always supported him, encouraged him to do grow and was always there when he was at his limits.
then two strands connect in the space.
i am curious, what is going on there?
with another thought i am swallowed by the connecting strands.
i'm in snowdin, muffet and sans are walking through the woods, holding hands and talking, i feel the connection between them.
again, the same as when touching a single strand, i return to the blackness with the white things, which i suspect are their souls.
more strands connect and i touch them as well.
so many scenes play out, how they got together, how sans made a shortcut to get all the spiders to hotland from the ruins, exploring the deeper parts of the underground and just sitting around together.
and then the strands start to coalesce together, weaving a kind of rope between their, probably, souls.
when the rope is completely woven a bright, warm flash takes over my consciousness for a split second.
then i am on the couch, a breathless muffet only in her underwear lying beneath me, a stupid grin on her face.
* Oh my~
she clears her throat.
* My boyfriend and I had a talk. And we've agreed that we'll not hold anything against you, as long as you drop the whole act.
* oh great...
to my relief she put her shirt and trousers back on.
* i'd ask what gave me away but i guess the answer to that is... you know...
i walk up and down in front of the couch, it helps me think keep calm.
* Yeah, soulbonding. Ahuhuhu~
she pinches my butt.
* And for someone as ancient as you, you're pretty shy about it.
i freeze and stare at her.
* ancient?
she smiles and pats on the empty space next to her.
* Oh, don't worry, we'll keep quiet about it, scout's honour.
i sit down and sigh.
* just, fan-fucking-tastic...
she stretches and flashes me a grin.
* So, how was it?
i think for a moment.
* different from what i expected.
* How so?
she scoots a bit closer to me.
* mostly, i read... a bit... about... what happens then, both inside and outside.
* Ahuhuhu~
she leans even closer to me.
it's getting... awkward for me?
oh god, it has been ages since i was this embarrassed.
i think...
alphys...
in under...
erm, i should say something, she starts grinning maliciously and moves even closer.
* could we talk about something else?
* Nuh uh~ You have to get over this, if you really want to fit in everywhere.
she... has a point actually.
there are often universes where some monster flirts with sans and i kind of push them aw-
i really hope i didn't destroy any relationships...
i have to get better control about what happens.
but it wouldn't be good to leave her in charge of this.
i don't want to risk more information leaking.
* you know, you're right.
i pin her hands to the couch, pressing her down.
* so, ready for round two?
*Oh my~~~
we've been "training" for about an hour or two after relocating to sans' room.
i am learning how it works.
a light touch to probe without revealing too much, have to work on the lightness.
a sharp thought to make strings recede, since my host knows about me, i try to suppress all information about me.
if i concentrate on a question i can dig deeper.
i also become aware of the ways the strands feel different.
sad strands, happy strands, angry strands, anything.
describing how it feels...
it is like describing what red looks like to someone who can't see.
but it is so much more than just a single feeling, so many things i have yet to gleam the true meaning of.
i've learned so much about this sans and his world.
papyrus is his older brother, used to be rare but those timelines seem to become more numerous recently.
paps always looked out for him and is a mix of father and brother to him.
he and muffet had been a couple for a few years.
he's quite popular, almost everybody knows him.
well, that goes for most sanses.
much of his time he spent either reading, writing his fanfics about puzzle agent and exploring the unexplored depths of the underground.
muffet is usually at his side in all that, they work together in a small very active fan community around that game.
most of their lives revolve around it in fact.
he's kind of a trouble maker but never actively seeks trouble.
he usually goes for non-violent solutions, letting his words fight for him.
there have been a few very dark, very disturbing glances as well.
i suspect echoes of genocide timelines.
flashes of the human covered in cuts, crying, running for their life.
he seems nice and fluffy on the outside, but if those are really other timelines...
the size of his new home is incredible.
he might not know it, but the size of snowdin's extended area, where the human can't travel, is about quice the size of an average new home in other time lines.
what i've seen of new home would suggest a capacity for more than a million monsters, at the very least.
it is mindbogglingly huge.
i've also picked up that he takes medication for his concentration problem and something against depressions.
i took both of them quickly during a short break.
during the breaks muffet keeps lounging around on the bed.
she's pretty much got a permanent grin on her face since we started.
* bahp-deep-bahp-deep-bahp-deep-bahp-deep-click
* 'sup bro.
* Well, human is just at are you panting?
* Is that Papyrus? Tell him hi from me,
* nah, my bro, not his.
* Oooh, you mean Asriel!
* lou in public, please.
* Who is that?
* Hi Lou~~~! I'm Sans' girlfriend.
* Howdy Muffet... am I interrupting something?
* not at all, what were you saying?
* Oh, right. the human just got to mum, sadly, they killed a few monsters, so, this gonna be a dud.
* okay, hearing ya, i'll get ready for my part.
i take this as a good point to pause the "training".
walking through the room i gather up one piece of clothing after the other.
* Why do you do it?
muffet has started putting on her clothes as well.
* huh? why do i do what?
* Play along with the "Story"
she's completely dressed while i still walk around with only one sock in the hand.
* you must've seen it, because otherwise i'd doom-
she throws a t-shirt at me.
* I know~~~ I mean, in the timelines where they dust monsters, why don't you go crazy?
* because other-
she throws her hand up.
* Take a deep breath and think before speaking, explain to me why.
* but-
* Trust me on this. Ahuhuhu~~~
fine, i've had more time to ponder that question than she's been alive, but whatever.
* well, you see flowey won't-
* Lou.
* right, lou, well he wouldn't show up in... oh.
she grins and throws her hands in the air.
* We have a winner!
she walks close to me and puts two of her arms on my shoulders.
* You're not alone any more. Go out there and have some fun!
of course, she is right.
i was stuck so long alone in this thing, i forgot that my former worst enemy is now my brother.
* you know what? i'll take a vacation, the human will have to reset anyway if they want to get out of here.
i twirl around once and shortcut all clothes onto me that i can see.
* i'll pick my brother up so we can hang out together in home, it has been too long.
and with that i shortcut to the door in snowdin forest, coincidentally arriving right behind the human.
* oh my, are you here all alone?
i stand directly behind the human, centimetres away, breathing down their neck.
* kids shouldn't be out in the the dark woods, alone.
i put my hands on their shoulders and whisper in their ear.
* but don't worry, i know where to find an adult.
i pat them on the back so hard they stumble a step forward.
* just past the bridge over there is my brother and he is, supposedly, an adult.
the human gives me a confused look.
* wha? me? nah, i'm not an adult, it's way too boring.
my new brother should be listening if he does his job diligently, which he always does.
* now excuse me, i've got something to do.
i step back in the shadow, using the relative darkness to mask my disappearing.
asriel is in his flowey form, listening to what happened on the other side of the door.
* Oh... howdy, Sans. Funny seeing you here.
i consider playing a prank on him for a moment, but i'm not sure if that's a good idea.
on the other hand, this is the only chance i have to do it.
after today, this will be normal, not the exception.
i let my eyes go dark.
* greetings little flower, how come you know my name? do we have someone playing with the timelines again?
he just stands there, paralysed, looking at me.
and then he just starts laughing, howling even, unable to speak.
* what is going on?
after a few moments he can gasp a few words out between laughters
* The face!
face? what about it?
i build a shortcut in front of my eyes that directs to another shortcut that faces me.
it's a way to look at myself that i rarely use since there is no point to it anyway i always look the hell is with my eyes!?
they look like they're melting and running down my face.
* okay, i didn't expect that.
meanwhile asriel has calmed down enough to talk again.
* Oh god, the face... you actually did the face.
he turns into his late teen aged fluffy form, the one he prefers, with a huge grin on his face which immediately falters.
* What are you doing here? What about the whole thing?
i shrug.
* meh, i thought i try something new this time.
he crosses his arms and gives me a questioning look.
* Are you sure?
i mull it over again.
if i go back to the same routine, what would it bring to me?
but if i start messing with the timelines, maybe i find clues on what is happening.
though, i still shouldn't overdo it since it might cause memory fragments to be created and i don't know how much damage i'd be doing.
but what i should do is obvious.
* yeah, broface.
asriel smiles again.
* You don't have to say broface every single sentence.
heh, yeah, but i feel i should. after all...
* well, a lot of them accumulated in the last few decades, so for now, bear it.
he laughs for a moment and then becomes a tad more serious but still relaxed.
* What you got planned for us?
i grin my biggest grin.
* it's been too long since we did some sparring, how does that sound?
he smiles
* Like a plan, I was itching to show you how much I improved.
i open a shortcut leading to home and asriel follows me to there.
* how's shortcutting going?
he shrugs.
* Not good, still need your body for it, though, it is getting easier.
we arrive in central home.
it's large but not that much compared to new home.
* i suppose there's nobody in this city, tori should be done with shopping and aside from her nobody comes here.
* You know you can call her mum.
i shrug.
* doesn't feel right, you know.
he laughs.
* I know, I know. I meant, nobody is listening.
* Is that so, Ahuhuhuhu~
i turn in the direction of the voice, asriel does as well.
we're both acting relaxed but ready to strike.
we trained hard to get this down pat.
took us about three months.
it takes a moment to place the voice but then it clicks.
* muffet?
she sits on the ruined wall of a decrepit building, waving at us nonchalantly.
* how did you get here?
i know i told her we're going to home, but she found us and somehow went past the one way door into the ruins...
colour me impressed.
* Not telling, now does one of you have popcorn?
asriel crosses his arms.
* Sorry, but you'll have to evacuate to a safe distance from here.
she gently jumps down.
* Nope, I'm staying.
* If you insist.
without a warning azzy lets a fireball loose in my direction.
i step to the side, letting it hit the wall behind me as i shortcut to the nearest roof.
the wall is slowly deforming under the heat of the magical fire.
the attack might have been pretty powerful but rather easy to dodge.
i see asriel still standing on the ground, hands in his pockets, surrounded by a little splash of the fire..
no trace of muffet who was standing on the far side of azzy.
that's strange, was she really dust-
* Oh my, that what a display of raw power. Are you that intimidated by me?
she sits on a lamppost behind him, grinning.
* Let me show you how this is done correctly.
there is something very poisonous in her voice.
gracefully she stands up on the lamppost, ready to jump.
the next moment she is already rushing towards azzy.
he can barely blink before she stands behind him, her string wrapped around his throat and a single gun pointed at his head.
* This is how you show power.
wow, she is really impressive.
that was good enough to stand toe to toe with undyne.
before i notice it i'm grinning.
* hey muffy, where did you learn that?
she smiles, dissolving her strings as asriel tries to play it cool.
* My boyfriend taught me how to win.
my grin broadens.
* would you like to spar with us?
she tilts her head.
* If you think you can keep up, boys.
oh, this
* bro, free for all, don't get too serious, no lethal attacks.
i undo my coat and shortcut it in sans' room.
* Erm... first, sorry about before, second, what the heck is going on with him?
they both are still standing next to each other.
* First sorry as well, just wanted to flirt a bit.
i put the headphones on.
* ready?
* And second, I think he's overdosing on his medicine right now.
* start!
i press play on the headphones.
the next moment i've shortcut between them and filled the grounds with bones.
muffet hovers above them, not touching them, still smiling.
asriel stands on a nearby wall, looking kind of lost.
i give the wall a shock that'll make it collapse and summon my blasters to attack muffet at the same time.
azzy sets the cloud of debris on fire, forcing me to dodge as he lands somewhere behind it.
muffet rises a bit in the air to dodge, it looks like she's going up some stairs.
better concentrate on her now.
i use my shortcut to get behind her but her gun is already pointed at me.
* Too
i manage to barely dodge in the last moment.
* Slow.
she is extremely good, not even the human ever was that skilled.
i shortcut away but something trips me up and i lie square on my back.
* If I wanted you dead, all I'd had to do was block your way to dodge like this.
and she still banters!
how?
only in bad anime you can reach this level in less than twenty years of rigorous training.
come on, you call that skilled? you're just not fast enough. but i can help. all it takes is faster thoughts. now take a breath and do it like this.
i hear the voice of this sans again, i have no idea why... maybe a side effect of whatever is wrong with his head.
i love you too. now shut up and do as i say.
but i don't really have a choice, i lie here almost defenceless.
still lying on the floor i take a deep breath and flood my soul with magic.
and then something clicks.
muffet in air, has way to float.
knows what i can do.
sees what i plan and counter plans.
counter?
analyse plan and predict her counter.
lying on floor, muffet tripped us during shortcut.
still unknown how she did that.
banter was to drive that home,
i would consider shortcuts not viable until i know how she did it.
plan would be to jump up and attack her without moving, concentrating on keeping her away, learning on how she does it.
seems prudent.
but that would be what she expects.
the air?
would be hard.
unexpected.
let's do it.
fuck yeah!
shortcut to air.
in free fall.
everything moves so slow.
no time to enjoy the feeling.
right.
i use heavy duty telekinesis to throw a piece of wall.
shortcut onto it.
good view of the space.
she reorients, has lost me.
she will see me in a few and prepare.
idea.
decoy out of bone magic and shortcut to roof a bit off.
will she see the trap?
unimportant. just have to force the move.
leave blasters primed to go off after a second.
she can't teleport so she will have to dodge.
floor still covered with bone field.
left it open to one side of her, could dodge there.
but she will know i try to force her there so dodge will be into cover.
out of sight on cost of probably minor bruises.
if she thinks i'm up there she will try to go into blindspot and expect me to know she would move there and prepare counter ambush.
oh god, how is this sans not insane if that is normal?
never said i wasn't
stupid voices in my head.
just calm, we're almost out of time.
yeah.
quick shortcut.
in position on rooftop.
she sees the decoy.
blaster go off and she dodges into cover.
since this is training, no lethal blows.
shortcut to her side and pin her with blue magic.
blasters at the ready aimed directly at her head.
* any last words?
* Next time, take the shot.
i grin at her as she draws her tiny gun at my head
* if it were, you'd be begging for mercy.
time slows down even more.
focus on joints, could break her arms and legs with a single kinetic push...
this is training, no meed for lasting damage.
correct. but if she tries to pull something off, i won't hesitate.
fair enough.
she raises her hands
* You win, I know you went easy on me.
i relax a fraction, time gains speed again.
azzy is still out there and i lost sight of him.
he could easily get the jump on-
* Parley?
asriel's voice echoes through the ruins.
* Accepted.
he steps out of the cloud made of dust and rubble.
* Now, since you can think straight again, I would like to know WHAT THE HELL THAT WAS?!
i blink.
* Ahuhuhu~
* Now, instead of giggling, could you explain what you meant with overdosing? Is he in danger?
overdose?
* Don't worry, while the effects are... impressive as you can see, they are temporary.
i throw my hands in the air in exasperation.
* could somebody please tell me what is going on?
azzy sits down on a crumbled wall and dusts himself off.
* That's what I'd like to ask you, why did you just go off like that.
... yeah, why did i?
* I told you, overdosing on his medicine.
* what?
muffet sighs and sits down on the crumbled wall next to asriel.
* My boyfriend has a few mental problems. One of them is problems with concentrating, you took his pills without food so the effect was more intense.
azzy pulls out monstercandy from his inventory eats one and offers one to muffet,
* And that means...?
she shakes her head and takes out a can of iced coffee.
* Among things, the mind is faster.
she looks at me.
* How long did you give us to get ready?
i think i see where this'll go.
* dunno. three, four seconds?
asriel coughs after almost choking on the monstercandy.
* No, it was barely a second.
wow, that is impressive.
* i apologize in that case. that was not my intention.
muffet smiles.
* Accepted
i finally sit down between them.
* but, damn, that is one heck of a side effect.
muffet puts two arms around me.
* Well, not really, it is actually magic.
i look at her confused.
* how ya mean that?
* Thought speed acceleration, it's a kind of magic sans has naturally.
asriel scratches his head.
* I didn't know you can do that.
i'd fall over backwards in surprise if that didn't hurt so much.
instead i just jump on my feet.
* i can't. this is the very first time i heard that.
i put my left hand under my chin and think.
the ability to think that fast is extremely powerful.
especially since my magic is just limited to the speed of thought in most cases.
i smile and turn to muffet.
* sweet, any chance you can train me to use it?
she closes her eyes and shakes her head.
* Sorry, this can't be taught, you need the potential to use it in your soul.
i sigh.
would have been too nice to just be able to learn it.
but in retrospect it makes sense.
in all the time i was stuck in this loop i never managed to learn undyne's green soul technique or alphys' yellow soul transformation.
* well, that's that...
asriel is done munching his lunch.
* So, I think this begs one question.
* what we're going to do now?
he jumps of the wall and turns around in one swift motion looking at me.
* No, the question is WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?
* what do you mean?
he throws his arms in the air.
* EVERYTHING! Ever since we first set foot in Alice, you've been no different, but now this?!
* i-
he stomps and under him the asphalt is melting.
* LET ME TALK! We've been travelling together for more than four centuries before then and you always told me the same! "Don't disturb the order" "We can't change anything!" even after we found Alice that barely changed! We always acted in the shadows! And now, just out of the blue you pretty much threw the whole run.
he crosses his arms as he looks at me with a serious face,
* You occasionally did things like this before, but always with a purpose. I actually thought you wanted to talk something over about this timeline in peace while training. But... It seems you really are throwing the run on a whim.
i sit there, shocked.
he is right...
this isn't how it used to be...
i abandoned this timeline on a whim...
i should-
he throws his arms around me.
* I was afraid you'd be stuck in that mindset forever... I'm so glad you finally moved on.
he is right.
i was so stuck...
and i almost went back...
boundaries are made to be pushed, rules are made to be exploited. you can only learn by doing new things.
i grin.
* so, wanna party?
asriel pulls away, tears running down his face.
* I thought you'd never ask.
muffet clears her throat.
* While I don't want to ruin this... "Brotherly" moment, I'd suggest you
she points at me
* Get Sans' black coat, I'm gonna show you our New Home. I heard it isn't like anything else.
with a even bigger grin i shortcut to a few meters away.
in the same shortcut his black coat wraps around me as i fold space around me and let it unfold again.
standing there, facing them i snap my right hand and rip a large shortcut open behind me.
muffet sits and smiles while asriel stands around with a dropped jaw.
* Ooooh, me likey. Ahuhu~
* Not just you...
* what you waiting for?
i turn around and step towards new home.
* it's not like we have forever.
i sit on the couch again, book in hand.
my head still pounds.
i didn't know you could get drunk on sugar.
learned something new.
you can only really put things in context by experiencing them.
and god-damn, their new home is huuuuge.
i opened the shortcut to where usually the centre is.
we were still in the outskirts.
i opened another shortcut with muffet giving directions.
first she showed us the ian van gold librarby.
literature from the surface made up only around half of its contents.
the other was from the underground.
there was even a decent fiction section.
i jerry, by jerry was as bad as it sounds, just stories of jerry who has problems because other people suck; abrax and the magic sword, a series of books written about five humans called abrax, muffet tells me the story gets more nuanced and deep with every protagonist change; and tales from scoggins, a series of comics drawn by muffet about puzzle agent variations was also there, apparently sans helped her with the writing.
most of it was well written as well!
at some time something in my coat rang.
it wasn't papy's mobile, it was, apparently, this sans'.
muffet took the phone before i could answer.
told me that this sans is working on demand as computer specialist.
but she declared this day as taken off and answered all calls and cancelled all appointments.
we also visited some other shops, among them one for roleplay- and boardgames.
again with many underground published stuff.
urban warfare, a city takeover game; immigration, a game where you build a city to accommodate an influx of refugees; dungeon crawl, some kind of roleplaying game with a huge meta plot going on.
this whole universe is so huge it can support this kind of stuff.
i think we spent an hour or so playing a game called munchkin.
it was great.
after the shop tour muffet went to call a good friend of theirs after dumping us in a rather large club.
for the first time in my life i saw unfriendly looking monsters.
and not jerry unfriendly, human on a genocide unfriendly.
but they kept their distance.
after a while she came back with a humanoid monster called ace.
broface had already told me about meeting her.
i introduced asriel as lou cypher.
she almost immediately tried intimidating him.
she looks tough as nails and fight-happy.
he returned her threats with an evil grin.
i think they like each other.
we drank a few cocktails also with ingredients in them i haven't heard of before.
the drink of knowledge, 2 parts appleliquor, 2 parts fig juice and 1 part lemon juice; the royal cub, 1 part mead, 1 part gold rum, 1 part absinthe, a splash cinnamon extract, a splash butterscotch extract; the blank mind, 1 part orange juice, 1 part carrot juice 1 part mango juice and a splash of brainbleach.
that last one was really strong.
azzy never had alcohol before so he overdid it massively.
ace picked a fight a bit later and in his inebriated state he joined the brawl.
muffet also joined in.
i personally just sat down, nursed my drink a bit and occasionally dodged a thrown monster.
i giggle at the memory of azzy standing on a mountain of knocked out monsters, trying to shout "boom chacka lacka!" but his speech was so slurred it came out as "boochka".
i won't let him life this, ever, down.
after that an actual police force just like from the telly, rounded us all up and threw us in a cell..
azzy went on for the final fight, which must have been hilarious, while muffet ace and me remained in the cell.
ace and muffet both fell asleep on my shoulders and even drooled on my shirt.
the last thing i remember before drifting away was a tall skeleton in a black shirt and short pants talking about not expecting me here.
that was a ride.
but, new morning, new try.
muffet comes through the door and sits down on the couch.
* Hey Sans, quick reality check, were you possessed by an ancient mind and then we got drunk last night, or did i dream that?
... fuck.