Recombobulating Chapter 52
Asriel met Frisk a block from the house. He rushed to reach her, then bent and pulled her into a hug with a huff. "S-Sorry, I went too fast," he said. "Your eyes go weird?"
"Yeah, you too?" she asked.
He nodded and ran his hand through the scruff of fur between his horns in exasperation. "Any clue?"
"Dunno, but I saw like, a black oozing bit. But it broke when I touched it."
"You touched it?!" he yelped. "Frisk!" He shook his head. "Oh man, don't do weird void stuff without me, okay? Think it was your dad?"
"I… I dunno, maybe?" she squeaked. "D-Do you remember the dream right before coming here?"
"I… Oh! Yeah!" He perked up, relief clear all over his face. "He said he was gonna try to find us, right? Maybe that was a try?"
"Yeah, maybe." Frisk wasn't sure, but it made her feel a little better to think that might be the case. "I hope so. I-If he does, I think Sans… This Sans can track it back home and he can send us there." She paused and her ears drooped. She didn't know why she suddenly felt so nervous.
"Y-Yeah. Yeah! That's… That's good!" Asriel said.
"I don't think it's gonna be today," she said quickly.
"Oh! Right!" Asriel's posture loosened. "That's… I mean. That's okay, right?"
It wasn't as if they had a choice one way or the other, but Frisk nodded nonetheless. If they couldn't help it, there was nothing for her to feel guilty about, right? She reached for his hand, drawing his attention again as she gripped him tight with both paws. His eyes brightened and a question froze before it left his mouth.
"Just want you to be okay, y'know?" she said.
Asriel smiled and gently booped the end of his snout against hers. "You, too." He got to his feet and tilted his head back down the road towards the others.
Frisk nodded and followed him.
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The first order of business upon returning to the house was for Chara to slump in an exhausted heap onto the couch. Asriel copied her. Frisk gave them space. She didn't blame either of them for being tired, though. Even Papyrus was starting to look a little bit grey around the eye-sockets, but he headed into the kitchen to start boiling some water anyway. For the two that lived here, it hadn't been more than an hour or two since they all had to deal with Ungol the spider monster out in the field around the Soul of the World.
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Frisk folded her arms. She wasn't sure what to do with herself. Everything felt foreign again. Chara's name, Asriel's size; her own entire body. A dull pain settled heavily in her little noggin and she frowned at the floor. She was adrift in her own stumbling, spinning, troublesome mind. Dark dread crept in at the edge of her vision and she tasted dust in her mouth as her ribcage ached.
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"Hey. Frisk?"
Asriel's voice snapped her from her daze, lost in the zigzags of the carpet. She looked up quickly to find him giving her a sympathetic smile, his pale eyes bright. He offered her a paw.
"C'mere?"
Frisk sucked her dry tongue. She took his hand and he pulled her up to sit with him. Their souls pinged against each other. The warmth of it was welcome; the brightness drove some of the dark away. He crossed his legs and plunked her in his lap, then inspected her head like a preening bird.
"These are some solid horns," he said. "Kinda like Avenir's, maybe."
"Really?" Frisk's eyes glimmered. "I-I need to take a better look."
"Selfie?" he suggested.
"Oh right!" She fumbled in her pocket for her phone.
"Jeez, you're outta it," he teased.
"Who's…? Wait. That name's kinda familiar," Chara said.
"Gaster's mom," Asriel said as he put his hands under Frisk's ears and flopped them up and down. "I think he mentioned her a couple times, right?"
Chara's eyes bugged out. "Wh…?" She shook her head quickly. "Um, let's talk about that later, yeah? But how'd you—?"
"Oh! Right. We just met her."
"You… met her," Chara repeated with a tinge of incredulity to her voice.
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"Gonna take a selfie." Frisk held up her phone and snapped a quick picture of the three of them. She pulled it in to look, but the sight of the photo made her jump and yelp loudly. The phone slipped from her fingers.
Chara was quick to catch it. She looked at the screen curiously. The picture recorded Frisk and Asriel just fine, but Chara was a blurry mess with the only discernible features being eyes like seeping black holes.
"Yeeeesh," the girl said with a grimace.
"A-Are they all like that?" Frisk stole the phone back.
"Probably," Chara said.
"Ah…! I'm sorry!" she squeaked
"Don't worry about it," the girl assured her.
"Lemme see?" Asriel said, taking the phone. He squinted at the horror-movie snapshot and tilted his head to the side. "Eh, you've looked worse, sis."
"Shuddup," Chara grumbled.
He snickered. "You probably gotta switch on Ghost mode." He leaned around Frisk to show her as he went into settings and poked a button on the interface with a cute little cartoon ghost floating above it. "Let's tryyyy…" He snapped a photo of Chara and then checked. "Yup, there we go."
.
The kids leaned in to look at the new picture. Chara appeared very clearly in this one, though there was a faint, ethereal glow around her and a little red glimmering in her eyes.
"Ooh, I didn't know about that," Frisk said. "Thanks!"
"That's less nightmarish," Chara said.
"You are not nightmarish, sister!" Papyrus called.
"Says you!"
"Yes! Says me! And I am the great Papyrus, which makes meeeee…?"
Chara sighed and rolled her eyes, but there was a faint smile on her lips. "Always right."
"Exactly!"
"His right-ness level is like a sixty-seven," Chara whispered.
"But his emotional right-ness is like a solid hundred, I bet," Frisk said.
Chara stuck her tongue out at her and Frisk replied in kind, and also with a criss-cross of her thumb and forefinger and a red, heart-shaped bubble. The other girl's eyes got big and her cheeks flushed ruddy.
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A big, fangy grin spread over Asriel's face and he leaned over, getting into Chara's space. She playfully shoved him, then hopped to her feet as Papyrus returned with arms filled with mugs. She took two from him and passed one to Asriel.
"Chai," the skeleton said brightly, giving Frisk a mug as well. "Nice and warm."
"Thanks, Paps," Frisk said.
Asriel curiously sniffed the spiced, milky tea and then took a deep swig. He perked up quickly and then chugged the rest. He wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. "So, uh, what now?"
"What now in general or what do we do next and what is for dinner?" Papyrus asked.
"Um. I guess both?"
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"Unfortunately, you're probably stuck for a little while," Chara said.
"That's not the worst thing in the world," Asriel said.
"Annnnd we are happy to have you," Papyrus assured them. His eyes darted to Frisk. "So don't worry, okay?
"You mentioned your dad, right, Frisk?" Chara said. "Did he say anything else to you? Any hints?"
"Not really," Frisk said, ears drooping. "Just that he's trying to find us. We even just had a dream of him and it was pretty much the same."
"Well, whatever it is, we won't be able to look out there more today," Chara said apologetically. "But we can do a little more tomorrow. And hopefully whatever your dad's doing will eventually show up to help point us in the right direction."
"R-Right," Frisk said with a nod. Nonetheless, she pouted and slumped into her brother. "Sorry, I… don't mean to be a downer or anything. I'm just worried."
"I know," she said sympathetically. "You said time was going screwy back home, right? That was the big thing?"
"I think so," Frisk said. She rubbed her face. "I wish I knew what was happening. A-And I wish I knew how this dream stuff was working, too. I h-hardly saw Sans in there at all ever since all this started and I can't even tell if he's real or if he even woke up since we left."
"What I don't get it why distance would make any difference in dream messages with us," Asriel said.
"Same," the kid said.
"Maybe we drag you to an oneiromancer," Chara suggested.
"An oneewhat?" Frisk asked.
"A monster who works with dream magic," Papyrus said. "Would that help?"
"I… Um. Maybe? That might be good," she said.
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Chara folded her arms and frowned thoughtfully. "It really doesn't make sense," she said. "Papy, when you saw them in your dream, it was super clear, wasn't it?"
"Yes, in fact! It was clear enough that I knew Frisk's normal face right away when I saw her in real life," he said.
"So why would…? Ugh. I don't get it." Chara huffed and shook her head. She got up again and headed upstairs, calling back, "I'm gonna find a map."
"I-I'll help!" Asriel put Frisk on the couch before bounding up to join his sister upstairs.
They disappeared into Sans's room.
.
Frisk didn't budge. She clenched her little fingers into her mug and took a deep swig.
"Why don't you go with them?" Papyrus suggested gently.
"They probably want some time on their own," Frisk said quietly.
The skeleton didn't look even remotely convinced, but he nodded nonetheless. "Well. Nyeh. I'm sure they won't be upset if you change your mind. I'll just be over here, okay?"
"Are you cooking? Can I help?" Frisk asked quickly.
The skeleton's jaw dropped. "Y-You'd want to cook with me?!"
"Yeah, if that's okay," she said.
"Nyehhhh, yes, of course!" he assured her, his eyes glimmering. He twirled around and went straight back into the kitchen. "I will get us set up! How does spaghetti work for you? It's my speciality!"
Frisk smiled. "That's perfect," she said.
xXxXx
Sans's room was a disaster zone, not unlike the parallel Asriel was familiar with. However there was an odd, empty doorframe of impenetrable darkness on the opposite wall that was unnerving to look at. Chara stepped over junk on the floor without even looking at it, a path memorized through the socks and scattered blankets.
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Asriel's eyes wandered over the drawings stuck to the wall that were the only things serving as decorations. Many were childish and colourful, but others were sketched by a more experienced hand. He could pick out skill progression in those. An image in coloured pencil drew his eye. It depicted a blaster skull snoozing soundly, nestled amongst wispy greenery and soft flowers. A faint CDreem was scratched in, hidden amongst the grass.
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He smiled as the warmth of nostalgia pulled him back to their bedroom, eons ago, scribbling on sheets with splashes of ink; staining their hands with coloured pastels. Chara had an eye for art and skilled, precise fingers, even when she was just five or six years old. Asriel had always been impressed by it. He remembered their father saying they should be proud of whatever they made; sign their name to it. Asriel always did with gusto, writing each letter in his name with a different colour of the rainbow whenever he could. Chara, though, would always tuck her signature away, hidden somewhere amongst her lines like a shy cat in the grass. At first, just the letter C, easily masked in blooms or pebbles. The Dreem came later, but not by too much.
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Asriel gently ran his fingers over a bare patch on the paper before hurriedly turning away, eager to not accidentally catch it on his claws. "He won't mind I'm in here, right?" he asked.
"No," Chara said. She sat down on her knees in front of Sans's bedroll and shoved the corner up so she could stick her arm underneath, the cloth and blanket weighing much more than logically possible.
"Uh…"
"Believe it or not, there's a system," she said. She looked back over her shoulder and frowned slightly. "Where's Frisk, did she not come up with us?"
Asriel turned to look behind him in case she'd snuck in, but there was no blue kid lurking quietly. "Guess not."
Chara grimaced. "Ah. She probably needs a little space."
"You think so?"
She nodded. "That's okay. Completely understandable. Don't be mad at her if she decides she hates me, okay?"
"Th-There's no way she hates you!" he said shrilly. "Why would you say that?!"
The girl sighed and rolled her eyes. "Azzy. C'mon, don't be naïve."
"I'm not! You don't be so pessimistic," he said.
She grinned slyly. "You learned a new word."
"Shhh shh," he said, waving his hands at her. He knelt down on the floor at her side. "I guess, what I mean to say is… just relax about it, okay?"
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Chara shrugged. She pulled a big, weathered sheet of thick parchment folded perfectly with sharp edges. She turned to lay it flat on the floor and unfurled it to reveal an intricately detailed map of a city in a massive ring. The ink shimmered with a faint magic glow, running down roads and rivers, coalescing in bodies of water from the Outer Edge to the Inner Circle. A blank box with a simple question mark above it sat below the legend.
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"Whoa, that ink…" Asriel said quietly. "Is it moving?"
"Yeah," Chara said as she patted her pockets down, pursing her lips slightly, her brow furrowed. "It's new-ish. They're starting to make cartoons with it now. Hey." She looked up at him. "You got any?"
"What? Cartoons?" he asked.
She nodded. "I watched some. When I was, uh… You know." Her face flushed. "Not myself. And I just thought…" She shrugged and got to her feet, looking around the room thoughtfully. "Ah, never mind."
Asriel's soul warmed. "Of course, you'd love those." He grinned sideways. "I do, actually. Got a series or two on my phone."
"What?!" Chara squeaked. "Really? Can I…?!" She looked embarrassed. "If you have time."
"I have time," he assured her.
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Seeing her grin made his face light up— and as she turned away in a bashful huff to search the room for something, his smile only grew. He got to his feet and trailed her on quiet paws, watching as she pulled up blankets very systematically. He felt like he was seeing a mirage.
"Whatcha lookin' for?" he asked.
"Pen," she said.
A box popped up under a starry blanket that couldn't possibly have hidden it and she knelt down to pop the lid open. When she straightened up again, she had three pens in her hand. She turned and bumped right into Asriel and took an alarmed step back. He snickered.
"Sorry," he said.
"You could at least give me some space!" she protested.
He scratched his cheek bashfully. "…I kinda don't wanna, though."
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She sighed and put her hands on her hips, looking up at the monster incredulously. He had almost two feet up on her, but she still had such a presence to him. She was older now than when he'd known her, her red-brown hair a little longer; her frame a little stronger. A big, dopey smile spread over his face. She tilted her head. He bent down and enveloped her in his arms. She scoffed quietly.
"We're going to have to keep doing this, aren't we?" she teased in a soft voice.
"Y-Yeah. I think so. I mean. I…" He pulled back and held her face gently in both hands. "I still can hardly believe…! And that you don't hate me, I can't—"
"How could I ever hate you?" she asked.
"You definitely did," he said. "I mean, it's okay, it wasn't you, it was—"
"It was me," she said quietly, gently holding onto his paws. "But if I… had been normal, I don't think…" She shook her head. "Ah, well, n-no use wondering. I was bad. And I don't need you to forgive me for it, but—"
"Of course I forgive you!" he assured her.
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She jerked back and looked at him with big eyes. He smiled sideways.
"C'mon. Like I said. I was just as bad. Honestly. Actually, you probably had even less of a choice in this crap than I did. So, how could I not?"
"Azzy, I…" She smirked tiredly and let out a dry chuckle. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Hah… It's not fair, you got so big without me."
"It's a time goof-up, I'm actually about the same as you."
"Pfff." She closed her eyes and rested in his arms for just a moment longer before pulling away. "Okay, okay. Can't get stuck like this or we won't get anything done, yeah?"
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She returned to the map and Asriel crept up behind her, eyes bright and alert. She checked the three pens— shook one of them like she was charging a soda to fizz- and then passed the other two to the boy. She leaned over the map and, in the blank box, started to write in shifting blue ink. Oneiromancer. Asriel was glad she was doing it, because he would never have guessed how to spell that. Almost as soon as the tip of her pen left the page, the word unravelled into line that wound its way across the map like a snake. The map itself shifted, too, redrawing itself as a closer and more detailed version of a chunk of city in the Inner Circle, roads spreading as if painted by falling droplets of water.
"Oooh cooool!" Asriel said, wide-eyed.
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Blue ink circled a few points on different streets. Chara lifted up the map to peer closely at the tiny text on it and nodded to herself.
"Can you remember Nettle, Blackberry, and Silverthorn?" she said. "It'll revert once the ink dries."
"Don't have to." He pulled up his phone, leaned in over her, and took a quick shot of the map. "Got it."
Chara chuckled. "I keep forgetting about those." She sighed and carefully lay the map down on the floor. "Well. Guess that's an excuse to head to New Home, huh?"
"…We're not gonna run into—?"
"No." She shook her head. "Asgore in this world is… He exiled himself. Toriel is tracking him down. Which is why she isn't… Y'know. Here."
"Right. Right right," he said quietly. He rubbed his head. "So, um. You ever been to one of these oni… Oneer…"
"Oneiromancers."
"Right, that."
"No. Never saw the need."
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Asriel tilted his head. "So. Um. When Papyrus reached us, how'd he do that?"
"We were having a dream problem that I think Frisk and… your brother, he also had. Where they were stuck, right?" Chara said.
"Yeah, same," he said with a nod.
"That's a relief." Her eyes went wide. "I-I just mean that you know about it, not that it— I mean, it was crap, wasn't it?"
"So much crap," Asriel agreed.
"We'd started to see things that weren't real for us, but were definitely real somewhere else," she said. "It was happening so much, just about every night. Poor Papy. Sans and I broke out of the loops, but he never could, but if it was a nightmare, even if his mind was still trapped in that moment, he'd be at least lucid enough not to just reenact what happened. And it was more likely so see at least the echo of someone or something real. So. I'd try to give him nightmares, hoping that maybe if someone else lucid got in…"
"So you got lucky?"
"Partially. The… one time you got in? I had this soul synced with his when he was asleep," she said. "Maybe it was enough. But I can't be sure."
.
"Hm." Asriel tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Actually. Frisk has that, too, with the nightmare thing," he said. "If she's stressed, it's usually easier for her to get in and connect and force it to do what she wants after a sec. She found me that way when this crazy robot guy shoved me in a box."
"Oh? Who?" Chara got a dangerous glint in her eye.
"Um! N-Nobody, it's fine," Asriel stammered quickly. "A-Anyway! Problem is, she can hardly sleep right now and when she does, it seems kinda… weird? We've seen Gaster, but—"
"I still can't believe he's her dad," Chara cut in. "I wonder if I would have been easier on them if I'd known…" She smiled ruefully and laughed at herself. "What am I saying? Of course not. How is he, by the way? I bet he was surprised to see you."
"I think I was more surprised to see him!" Asriel said with a laugh. "Since, uh, he accidentally erased himself from time for ten years and nobody could remember he ever existed."
Chara's eyes widened. "Huh. That's… kind of terrifying."
"Oh man, you shouldda seen him— this weird goopy melt mess, apparently, Frisk drew him and it was like a horror movie. So crazy," he said. "Glad he's back, though! Kinda funny. Seeing Papyrus and Sans as his kids. Super obvious in retrospect." He tilted his head. "…Is he here? He couldn't help us, could he?"
"Ah. No. It's… better not to mention him," she said, lowering her voice.
"Aw. Crap. He was bad, huh?"
"Very bad. Also, very dead."
"Damn." Asriel's ears drooped. "Yeah, the one in the world before this one was a huge jerk. It's just weird 'cause ours is really nice, y'know?"
"Mhm. It's… complicated, for sure," she agreed.
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"Welp." Asriel sighed. "If you could help Papyrus to reach us 'cause you were from where we were, does that mean if… someone from here was over there, they could…?" He shook his head quickly. "That's stupid, never mind. If that could happen, we wouldn't be stuck here, right?"
"I was gonna say," Chara said.
The goat boy let out a huff. His shoulders slumped and his ears drooped. "What do I do?"
"I don't know. Wait? Sorry," she said.
"She's gonna go crazy," he muttered.
"She has you. She'll be alright."
"Ugh, I wish this was just a normal trip," he said, a little warble in his voice. He tentatively reached out and took her hand. He held it in both of his, rubbing his thumb into her palm. "…I still can't believe this."
Chara cracked a tired, patient smile. "It's… not too bad, though, is it?"
He shook his head. "I hoped when it was stupid to. But I'm kinda glad I did, now."
"Hah. I did that, too," she said. "I didn't think you'd ever be… without the leaves."
"Man, I won't even eat leaves now!" he said with a determined frown.
Chara snorted and let out an involuntary giggle. "So I guess I won't be sneaking my salad to you under the table anymore, huh?"
"Nope, you gotta eat your own greens now," he said.
She sighed dramatically. "It's all magic, anyway, I don't see why I can't get my green from something that actually tastes like it's intended to be food."
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Asriel snickered. He rubbed his head. The question of what they were going to do about this whole situation intrusively kicked him in the mind and his smile fell. Here was his sister, back from the grave, broken from the confines of the path they'd been locked to; alive and well after he was so certain he would never see her again. But, downstairs was his other sister, suffering from one of the things he knew scared her most in the world, knowing full well a big part of that fear was entirely his fault. Back home was his brother, who'd offered him understanding he'd never expected or felt he deserved, and who might still be in a coma for all they knew.
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"Hey. You okay?" Chara asked, staring at him probingly.
"I don't know what to do," he said.
The girl nodded understanding. "Well. What do you want to do?"
"I… I want… I want to stay together," he said softly. "But… I want to go home, too."
"I know," she said. She held his hand. "Listen. Like I said. We'll worry about that later."
"Can't help it," he said, forcing a weak smile.
She nodded. "We have some time, either way."
"Right. Yeah." An icy chill of guilt ached in his chest just as strongly the relief that washed over him. "I guess… I want to help."
"Then give that girl a hug, idiot," she teased. Before she could say more, she sniffed involuntarily. Her brow furrowed and her nose wrinkled. "Oh. Oh no."
"What?" Asriel sniffed, too. The house smelled of wafting oregano, so nothing unusual at all. "Smells like sauce."
"That's what I'm worried about!"
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Chara bounded from the room and downstairs again, with Asriel close on her tail. They arrived at the threshold of the kitchen to see Papyrus and Frisk hovering over the stove. Metal cooking utensils were strewn about all over the counters. The skeleton stirred a huge pot with a massive grin on his face as Frisk, on top of a chair, sprinkled herbs from a jar into the sloshing, simmering, orangey-red sauce. Chara's jaw dropped.
"Hello, sister, welcome back!" the skeleton said brightly. "Did you find what you were looking for?"
"A-Aren't you making spaghetti?" she demanded.
"We are indeed!" Papyrus said.
"But… not from… Undyne's recipe, right?" A cautious, hopeful smile spread on her face.
"No, we are trying Frisk and her brother's recipe today!" Papyrus said. "Which is the same one she tried to show me in the dream! Though we didn't get too far past the pasta sauce assembly, if I remember right."
"Yup! Same one," Frisk said.
"Oh. Ooh! That's…! That's good!" Chara could hardly contain her relief. "Okay! So there's no secret ingredient of intense flames or secret suplexing method or—"
Papyrus cackled. "Of course there is, or it wouldn't be—!"
"The secret is actually letting the sauce cook real slow for a bit," Frisk said, smiling up at the skeleton.
"What?! Really?!"
"Yup!" She checked her phone, then hopped down from her chair and dragged it across the floor, plunking it strategically between the sink and the stove. "Lots of simmering and it's gonna be real good!"
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A big metal pot of spaghetti bubbled on the dark stovetop and Frisk grabbed the handles and lifted it, but only an inch— she was strong enough, but not tall enough. Asriel darted in to pick the pot up for her and dumped it out into a strainer already waiting in the sink. The steamy water glurgled down through the marsh of pasta and twirled away down the drain.
"Thanks, dude," Frisk said with a smile.
He plucked out a noodle and blew on it before slurping it up to give it a taste— gently salty and not too squishy. He patted her affectionately on the head between her horns, then puffed out his chest and put on noble airs. "Not to worry, my dear sister, one day, you too will be so tall you can strain your pasta in the sink, like all good pasta-crafters that have come before you in the long, noble tradition of… noodleage."
Frisk snickered. "Hope so!" She turned to Papyrus. "Technically you're not supposed to make them this early before the sauce, but I figured since we use magic to reheat them, it won't be gross, right?"
"Hm! I will assume that is correct since I have heard nothing different! It's very interesting! In my usual recipe, we just crank that one all the way up until the water's gone!" Papyrus said. "It's funny how the same dish can have many different methods, hm?"
Frisk tried to conceal a grimace behind a grin and nodded, while Asriel put a hand to his mouth, wondering how on earth the skeleton would even get the noodles off the bottom of the pot at that point.
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Chara snuck into the kitchen and fished out a forkful of spaghetti. She hissed at the heat and ate the noodles quickly, making a dismayed noise and fanning her mouth. "H-Haaaht! Aagh!"
Papyrus tutted. "You knew it was too hot, and yet…"
The girl grumbled, fumbling for a glass. She slammed the faucet handle and poured herself some cool water— far too much for the cup— and downed it all in one gulp. She stuck out her tongue. "W-Well, it tastes okay! I think."
Asriel snickered.
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Frisk smiled proudly and she reached for a block of cheese and a cutting board. She grabbed the grater, but one look at it told her that it had been, at some point, used in an attempt to shred down something it should not have— a tree, perhaps, or maybe a rock. Frisk sighed and instead picked up one of several knifes beside the stove, but as she intended to slice, her hand froze. Her heart beat painfully; her ribs ached across her chest. Her breath was short and she trembled, the blade rattling in her hand.
"Hey. Frisk. You okay?" Chara asked.
Asriel pushed in close and quickly slipped the knife from Frisk's hand, rubbing her back gently and carefully moving her aside. He could feel the warble in her soul at a touch. "I'll do this part," he said. "You must be tired, huh? Maybe sit down or something."
"Ah…! Th-Thanks." Frisk's face flushed with a shameful blush. "S-So, um…!" She had to gulp back a wave of nausea that dried her throat. "Paps, the, um, cheese goes on top at the end, okay?"
"Okie dokie!" he assured her. "Thank you very much for your recipe, friend!"
.
Shivering, Frisk quickly retreated to the living room. Chara frowned. Papyrus took his wooden spoon from the pot and placed it to the side.
"She looked so cold all of a sudden, didn't she? I'll go get her a blanket. Watch this, will you?" he said before leaving in a hurry.
Asriel reached across the stove to turn the heat down to low underneath the sauce. Chara grabbed his sleeve.
"She okay?" she asked under her breath.
Asriel nodded. "Yeah, just, uh… Holdin' one of these…" He held up the knife. "Sometimes it triggers some, uh…" He blushed. "Ah! N-No, um, never mind, don't worry about it."
Chara flinched. "…S-So, what, does she just never cut anything?"
"Not much. Butter knives are good. Side of a fork. I dunno." He shrugged. "Like I said. Don't worry."
"That's… That's crazy," she said, frowning. "I never meant to…" She sighed. "This wasn't a mistake, was it?"
"Wouldda happened whether you were here or not," Asriel said.
Chara sighed and grabbed the knife out of his hand. She gently pushed him aside. "Let me do this. You go hug her."
"You sure?" he said.
"I'd do it myself if it wasn't literally the worst idea ever," she said. "Go."
Asriel nodded. He paused and wrapped her in a hug first before slipping into the living room.
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Papyrus was just finishing wrapping the fuzzy blue Frisk in a warm grey blanket. He patted her head affectionately. "You are doing very well, my small friend! Stay warm for now, alright?"
"Y-Yeah, thank you," she said with a tepid smile.
"Any time!" He straightened up and patted Asriel on the shoulder as he returned to the kitchen.
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The boy sat down with his sister, scooping her up onto his leg. She sighed and leaned into him.
"So embarrassing," she said quietly.
"Nah. Deep breaths?"
"I'm okay." She put a hand to her chest. "It's… It's really dumb, huh?"
"I mean, yeah, of course it is, anything that makes that happen is dumb," Asriel said.
Frisk snickered. She ran a hand through her hair, but it inevitably returned to her chest, her fingers absently rubbing a diagonal line across it. Asriel tilted his head.
"Is something hurting?" he asked.
"Not really," she said.
.
He let out a contemplative sound as he pulled her into a hug and rested his chin on top of her head. Their souls pooled together and her wobbly anxiety came through strong. As sudden as a strike of lightning, it occurred to the boy why exactly Frisk might have been having an extra hard time. Her anxiety around holding real blades didn't just come from nowhere, after all. He groaned and put a hand to his face.
"I'm an idiot," he grumbled.
"No you're not," she said.
"Yes, I am." He sighed heavily. "Wanna get some air?"
"I'm okay," she said again.
"Hey." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "She gets it. You won't hurt her feelings. Okay?"
Frisk blushed. She slumped. "I-It's fine. I'll get over it."
Asriel grumbled and gently flopped her ears up and down. She snickered.
.
A sharp knock at the door made them both jump. Frisk's fur stood on end, which was a very strange and tingly sort of sensation.
"I'll get it!" Chara called. She rushed from the kitchen, looking even more pale than usual, and flung to door open.
All that greeted her was an unnervingly long set of skinny bird legs that stretched from big talons on the steps up past the top of the door frame. A black puffball of a creature ducked down into view— owl-like, with a postal hat and a long, prehensile tail. Stolas, the monster from the mail kiosk. A gold-tinted visor covered his one massive eye and he clacked his beak.
"Hello, little ghost!" he said. "Urgent mail, addressed tooooo… Hoo. Someone here. With a name I have never seen before."
"Who?" Chara asked.
"Hoo indeed! It says…" He held out a slightly battered envelop. "Fuzzball the goat boy."
"Oh! Ah…" Asriel carefully slipped out from under his sister and headed for the door. "Howdy. I think that's me?"
"As it appears to be!" The owlish monster passed the letter over and tipped his hat with his tail. "And that'll be all! Have a nice day, kids!" He straightened up, the bulk of his body vanishing until he went down the steps, striding away through the snow like his legs were stilts.
.
Chara closed to door and looked up at Asriel with confusion. "That was weird. He never makes deliveries during the day."
"Super urgent, then," Asriel said, slitting the envelope open with the claw on his thumb. He pulled the letter out and unfolded it.
It was scrawled in round, barely legible handwriting.
.
to the fuzzball prince
kinda need a knight in shining armour. you wanna bust into the castle and rescue me?
(for legal reasons this is a joke. also come on your own)
sans
.
"Uh… I think Sans needs help?" Asriel said.
"Is he okay?" Frisk asked shrilly.
"Dunno. Um. How do I get to the castle?"
"Portal. Use this." Chara took off her dove pendant and slipped it into the monster's waiting paw. "Just think really hard about wanting to get there."
"Wait, what's going on?" Papyrus called.
"Sans got in some situation again, I guess," Chara said, rolling her eyes.
"I knew it," Frisk said shrilly, getting to her feet. "We g-gotta go get him, right?"
"He said just me," Asriel said. "For some reason."
"Just you?!" the kid echoed, wide-eyed. "Wh-Why?"
"Trust him," Chara assured her. "If he said he only wants Azzy, there's a good reason."
"But I can't just leave Frisk behind," he said swiftly.
Though Frisk's eyes were sad and her brows were bent with worry, she shook her head. "I-It's okay! If he needs help, go get him," she said, and then lowered her voice and put a hand to her chest. "And then if you need help, I can feel it, right? So. I'll come get you."
Asriel nodded. "S'not like he'd lead me into a trap for some reason, right?"
"Pfff, oh, it's a trap, for sure," Chara said with a wink. "Just not the traditional kind." She took the letter from him and skimmed it. "Hm. Bet he's stuck in a lecture from Mistral or something. But… why you? Did he say something?"
Asriel shrugged and shook his head. "We didn't really talk that much except when I was hyperventilating."
Chara frowned, her eyes narrowed, and folded her arms. "Inscrutable as usual."
.
"If you're going," Papyrus said as he emerged from the kitchen. "Eat this, first." He presented Asriel a bowl of noodles and sauce with a chunk of cheese on top and a pair of chopsticks. "It's full of nutrition! So if should give a nice health boost, if I'm correct, which I definitely am."
Chara winced, but Asriel shovelled the spaghetti into his mouth with gusto. It wasn't quite like home's, but the nostalgia was enough to give him a little pep.
"Got it," he said, passing the bowl back as the freckled girl's eyes bugged out. He pulled out his phone and texted Frisk the letter a, and hers buzzed in response. "Okay. We're good. I'll be back soon, I guess."
Frisk nodded. She hurried up to him and hugged him tight. "Careful, right?"
"Yeah," he said. He grinned, flashing his bright fangs, while shooting an iridescent magic star from the coolest finger-gun stance he could muster. "Hey! Don't worry 'bout me! I'm the strongest monster, remember?"
.
He headed out in a blaze. Frisk grasped her hands tight. Chara pursed her lips, and Papyrus looked between the two of them worriedly.
"So…"
"We're following him, right?" Frisk asked quickly.
Chara cut her eyes at her and smirked with a hint of pride on her face. "Of course we are."
Papyrus rubbed his head. "Naturally. But, the portal…" He sighed and headed for the stairs. "I'm sure I have some Royal Tokens around here somewhere."
xXxXx
The portal hut outside of town worked exactly as Chara had instructed. In a burst of red magic, Asriel found himself stumbling into a great, gleaming hall of pale stone before a large set of stairs draped in a purple and gold rug, with fluffy dogs in draconic helmets guarding either side of a massive, stone door. One of the monsters was white and spitz-like, while the other had spots and resembled a short-haired collie.
.
Asriel carefully stepped out of a ring of magic and crystals where the portal had been and put Chara's pendant in his pocket. It tinked against something else metal and Asriel pulled out the heart-shaped locket he kept there, too. His soul buzzed and he rubbed his thumb over the shiny face of the heart. He hid them both away safely.
.
The boy didn't have a single clue where to look for Sans or what was going on, but the only way out of the room he could see were those doors at the top of the stairs. He ascended quickly, only to be blocked by the two dogs, who crossed their spears in front of him and looked up at him with big, dark eyes.
"Uh. I need to get by. Please," he said. "I'm looking for Sans?"
The dogs blinked silently back at him. Neither budged. Asriel began to sweat. A good head rub would be an easy out, but both dogs were wearing helmets with cheek guards. The boy flinched. He could think of nothing else, so he grabbed the closer pooch— the shorter, white one— by the head and booped the end of his nose against hers. The dog's eyes got huge and her tail began to wag. He couldn't help his from doing the same. He channelled his sister and offered a hug.
"You are a good dog," he said. "And I'd really like some help. It's really important that I find him. I-If that's okay."
Though the dog behind him shook his head, the one staring into his eyes accepted his hug. Asriel grinned. He patted the shorter monster's back and then turned to the collie dog and offered the same. Though skeptical, the pooch pouted and let Asriel hug him.
.
When the boy let him go, the two dogs huddled up and confurred together in soft voices that Asriel pretended he couldn't hear. When they straightened up, they nodded.
"The throne room. Up ahead," the collie dog said, pushing the door open. "Be polite, though, okay?"
"Yes! Thank you," Asriel said quickly. He dashed ahead into the next chamber, calling back over his shoulder, "You're the best dogs!"
The collie's tail wagged and the spitz grabbed her cheeks and blushed.
.
A vast hallway stretched out before Asriel, with more stairs and a giant set of doors at their peak. He raced through as fast as he could.
"Sans?" he called. He lifted his ears, but didn't hear a reply. He knocked, but all that answered him was the echo of his own fist.
.
He pushed back the heavy doors with a grunt. Another massive room opened up before him, but his attention was instantly drawn straight across to the stairs before the towering throne, where a familiar skeleton was held up in the air, crushed by one massive claw of a beastly, armour-clad monster. Its huge, toothy maw was snarling into Sans's face.
Asriel froze. "S-Sans?" His voice was small.
.
His vision tunnelled, his pupils narrowing to slits. He bared his fangs. He couldn't bear it. His soul surged bright and he sprinted across the room, ramming his shoulder hard into the armoured monster. It staggered, dropping Sans to the ground. Asriel headbutted it. His horns clanged against its plate, sending it sprawling and rolling away. The boy dug his claws into the floor to slow his momentum and stood defensively before the dazed skeleton. He snorted fire from his nose.
"Leave him alone," he growled.
.
Whatever the other monster was, it righted itself in a hurry, letting out a shrill, tinny roar, orange soul surging brightly in reply. Though the wind of its minty breath blew Asriel's ears, he didn't budge. Movement caught the corner of his eye, as did the clunking of many armoured boots on tile. He didn't dare look so as not to take his eyes off the monster before him. Iridescent magic glimmering in his paw, he braced himself to fight, only for his arm to be suddenly locked in place by a block of ice. Faster than he could jerk away, he was chilled entirely as water shot up from the floor and froze him into a solid chunk, with the exception of his snout. He'd never been so cold in his life; it almost took his breath away regardless.
.
Through cloudy blue, Asriel saw the armoured monster backing away as another strode into his field of view. He growled, his soul burning in his chest. There was no way this was holding him back. But he needed more heat. At just the wish of it, fire coursed beneath his fur, loosening his limbs from their icy vice. Flame seeped out between his teeth. It erupted from deep in his chest, igniting straight from his fur in a wild fireball, shattering the ice and leaving only shards where it had been. He blazed white hot and burned out like a comet, his entire form steaming. Dazed, he staggered back and panted, brushing fur out of his eyes with a shaking hand.
.
"Ooh. Heh. Hey, nice one kid."
His eyes shot up to see a monster that, despite her silver stripes and dark scales and glowing baubles on her ears, was undoubtedly Undyne. She was grinning, but her smile fell quickly as she locked eyes with him.
"Asriel?" she asked with uncharacteristic shrillness to her voice.
Asriel squinted. He coughed. "Y-Yeah?"
The fish monster gawked. She stormed over to him and wrapped him in a crushing hug, popping his back. He wheezed as the air was knocked from him, but he cautiously returned it. She clenched her fingers hard into the fur of his neck and touched her forehead against his. He could feel the nostalgic ache in her soul even if she hadn't meant to shoot it out.
.
"Um. But. Your Highness…" The big, sharp-toothed monster asked in a disarmingly girly voice, gently tapping Undyne on the shoulder.
"At ease. You guys were way overzealous, though," she growled. She drew back, holding Asriel by the shoulders with an awed look in her eye. It took her a moment to continue, turning to her guard with a scowl. "S-So, get! All of you! And leave the Oracle."
Asriel gulped. He whirled around to see a shocking number of armoured guard monsters heading out of the throne room. He was suddenly very glad that Undyne had broken the fight up. He wilted and awkwardly raised a hand at the monster he'd headbutted as she waved at him on her way out.
.
Sans was sitting upright now with an amused grin on his face. His wrists were bound in silver cuffs, but he didn't look the least bit concerned. Asriel dropped to his knees and grabbed his hands.
"I-I'm sorry."
"Yeesh, kid, didn't expect all that," Sans said. "But, uh, definitely 'precicate the effort."
"Dude, did they actually cuff you?" Undyne asked, kneeling down, too.
"Little too much trouble for one day, I guess." He winked, and then casually detached one hand, slipping the manacle easily from his arm before doing the other. He tossed the cuffs over his shoulder, where they clattered sharply on the stone floor. "S'okay, I get it. Since I did do the whole betray a monarch thing once, and the siren was pretty urgent."
"You did what?" Asriel asked.
Sans shrugged. "Long story. Ask pigeon sometime."
"What the hell happened?" Undyne demanded. She looked at Asriel. "A-And you! What the hell?! How are you…?!" Her ears drooped. "…You're… Hah. No. Your horns are wrong. But your face…"
"He's Asriel," Sans said. "Just, uh… different. Frisk's."
"Wait, you're from…?! You're that kid's brother?!" Undyne's ears perked up a bit. "Man! That's good news, huh?! Uh! Welcome, I guess! From the Queen. Uh. Sorry that mess was what you first saw here. My guards are good but they're overprotective as hell. Annnnnd they should not be arrestin' the damn Royal Oracle unless you got some assassination plot going on!"
"Eh. They thought I might." Sans shrugged. "S'okay, no hard feelins. Actually, give 'em a medal."
"I thought…" Asriel's voice warbled. He shook his head and huffed out a sigh, rubbing his hand through the fur on his brow. "I'm sorry. But I… I mean, I know you're weak, right? I thought she m-might…"
.
Sans tilted his head. He cracked a sympathetic grin. "Oh. Yeah. Don't worry 'bout it, alright?" A knowing glint shone in his eyes. "Don't mind ya doin' that little bit of projectin', too. Think it helps both of us."
Asriel's ears drooped. He was right, though. Seeing Sans in trouble after everything that had happened kicked something inside him into gear. He guessed maybe he missed that bonehead back home more than he thought.
.
Sans patted the boy's hand, though Undyne looked puzzled. She got to her feet and rubbed the back of her head, then absently kicked one of the ice shards off the carpet.
"So what's the deal?" she asked again.
"Oh. Uh. Right. Meant to tell ya," Sans said as he stood up and stretched his arms out. "Plan worked. Obviously." He jerked his thumb at Asriel. "But, uh, kiddo's red bands went berserk. So. Cast a Decept, she looks like a blue goat now, wiped the bands; should be all good."
Undyne blinked. "Huh. How'd you get it on a human, though?"
Again, Sans pointed at Asriel. "They share a hunk of soul, seems like. Drew from that."
"Damn, okay. Cool. Cool cool." She huffed and shot Asriel a bashful grin. "Sorry for freezin' you. And, uh, for the weird hug."
"No, no no, it's okay!" Asriel said quickly, hopping to his feet. "Do, um…? Did…? I guess you knew the other… me?"
"Yeah. Long time ago," she said.
His ears drooped. "Sorry."
She shook her head. Though there was a sad look in her eye, she smiled. "It's kinda nice to see you, anyway."
He smiled sheepishly, his tail wagging. He turned to Sans. "You're okay, right? Can we go back? Frisk was super worried."
"Ah. Not yet. Believe it or not, that, uh, wasn't what I asked you here for."
"Huh?! What d'you mean?!" Asriel yelped.
.
Sans held up his hand and counted down from four. As soon as his index finger curled, he grinned and winced as the doors to the throne room were kicked in with a bang.
"What is going on here?!" A skeleton in silver and green armour stormed in with a deep scowl marring her face, her cheekbones flushed with a pale pistachio colour.
Asriel put himself between Sans and the newcomer, but Undyne casually raised her hand to greet her.
"Hey, Mist," she said.
Mistral spluttered as Sans merely grinned wider.
"Seen ya too many times this week, huh?" Sans asked.
"Of course it had to do with you! Unbelievable!" She put her hands on her hips. "And by that I mean a thousand percent believable. What's this I heard about a death siren?!"
"Jeez," Asriel grumbled.
"It's all settled," Undyne said.
"And what about the assault of Sergeant Buttercup?!" Her intense eyes focussed in on Asriel. "And who is this ruffian?! Did he—?!"
"Pardoned," Undyne said.
"Pardon?!"
"Yeah, pardoned," Undyne said, clapping Asriel on the shoulder. "It was a misunderstanding. He's new. He thought Sans was in mortal danger. And nobody really got hurt, right?"
Mistral rubbed her temples. "Your Majesty, people are going to take note of this preferential treatment someday."
"Yeah, well, hopefully Toriel will take the throne back by then," she said, brow furrowing. "Listen, Mist, I know you weren't there, but these guys… There's a reason that bonehead keeps his position, and it's not just how good at it he is, alright?" She cracked a smile. "Trust me?"
.
Mistral grimaced. She let out a heavy sigh. "I know, I know." She shot a narrow-eyed glare at Sans. "You are incredibly lucky."
"I know," he said.
"Honestly, first with that kid, and then your siblings' destruction of property— which was TODAY, might I add, and—!"
"Aaah, listen, Mist, great t'see ya, but…" Sans grabbed Asriel's sleeve and began to pull him for the door. "I got some work I gotta do with this kid, alright? Talk to ya later."
"What?! But you—! I am not finished—!"
"Yeeeeah, sorry, we're super busy," he said. "Right, kid?"
"Super busy!" Asriel repeated.
Undyne stifled a laugh behind her hand and grabbed Mistral's shoulder before she could charge after them.
"But! Hey." Sans winked. "If you get a sec, maybe you could head to our place? You're good at Decepts, yeah?"
"…Yes?" Mistral looked confused. "Why?"
"Talk to my sister 'bout it," he said. "Bring some crystals and stuff."
"Why should I—?!"
"Byyyye, Mist, see ya later! See ya, your Highness." Sans pulled Asriel from the throne room and and slammed the doors behind them with a shock of blue magic.
.
Asriel looked back, wide-eyed. The skeleton heaved out a sigh and grinned up at him.
"Thanks, pal, y'did good. Y'saved me at least half an hour," he said, shooting him a wink. "Knew I could count on ya."
"Wh…? Wait. Was that all?!" he demanded.
"Yup."
"Y-You didn't need me to fight off the guard?!"
"Nope." He smiled sympathetically. "Though I appreciate the thought." He chuckled. "You're a lot like your sis, hm? Kinda throw future junk off a little whenever y'show up. That's alright." He winked. "Keeps things interestin' for me."
"…W-Wait. Are you psychic?!" Asriel yelped.
"Eh. Mildly." He winked. "C'mon. Figure while we're out we'll get y'attuned, alright?"
"Uh… Oh. For your… CORE, thing?"
Sans nodded.
.
He brought the kid back to where portals opened up in the circle of crystals. With a snap of his fingers, a spiral of blue magic unravelled before them. He gestured for Asriel to step into it. The boy gulped, but did so, and stepped out into a large foyer of an austere building where the walls were covered in dog statues. He didn't even have time to be confused before Sans nudged him and strode past him, leading him to a small door across the room.
.
Down some stairs and they came to a room of polished purple stone with crystals jutting out all over the walls. Asriel's fur stood on end. Somehow, in distant, low vibrations, he felt Frisk's hum steeped in the air.
"…What is this?" he asked.
"Room for magic work." Sans plunked down onto one of the large cushions on the floor and patted another one. "This's easy. Y'ever done an attunement?"
"Y-Yeah." Asriel sat down quickly and tried to steady himself.
"Cool." He stretched. "Figure, might as well get this done right away. So you can chill out the rest of the time here. Works for ya?"
"Ah. Y-Yeah," Asriel said. He glanced around at the shimmering crystals. "Um. So. Why'd you want me to come alone?"
"Less complicated," he said. "Plus, uh…" He tilted his head and a cool blue light shone in the skeleton's left eye. "Got a question or two for ya."
Asriel gulped. "Okay."
"Now. I know this whole thing, it's gotta be a real shocker for ya, right?" He rested his elbows on his knees and laced his fingers together. "But, uh… what d'ya intend to do? 'Bout Chara?"
"Wh…? What d'you mean?" Asriel asked, his voice cracking.
"She's your sister. Y'love her, right? I get that." He rested his chin on his hands. "Y'given it much thought?"
"I-It's too soon," Asriel said quickly. "I… I have no clue."
The skeleton nodded. His brow creased with the faintest of frowns. "S'just that… she's been real good for my brother, y'know?"
.
Asriel's eyes went wide and his soul doubled its speed. Of course Sans was worried. Here Asriel was, a relic of Chara's old life, crashing into their world like an avalanche.
"I w-wasn't gonna try to…! She…" He flinched. "She said she… was locked out, so… So I wasn't going to try to convince her to…!" He had to take a deep breath. "I'm not here t-to break up your family. I just really don't know what to do."
Sans nodded again. "It's tough, hm?"
"I don't even know where to start," he said quickly. "I…! I feel like I'm going to puke! That's she's here and…! And…!" His ears drooped. "I missed her so much. B-But… But you guys, you… took really good care of her. You had to have."
Sans smiled, a hint of bashfulness in his sharp-toothed grin. "Welp. Yeah. Love 'er, y'know?"
.
Asriel sighed. He put his face in his hands. Sans reached across and patted his head gently between his horns. The boy grimaced. His shoulders shook. He knew he couldn't take her from them. But he didn't want to leave her, either. He bit his lip as his soul ached cold and rough through his chest.
"I-I… I don't know," he croaked.
"Same," Sans said quietly. "…We'll figure it out together, alright, kid?"
Asriel sat up, preemptively brushing his palm over his eyes. He nodded. "Th… Thank you."
Sans cracked a smile. "Welp. I mean, she loves ya so much, y'gotta be worth it, right?"
The boy snorted heavily and had to wipe his eyes for real this time as hot tears bubbled up in them. "I-I hope so," he said.