Chapter Text
It's been a week since the skeleton family has moved in and it's been… interesting, to say the least. You've seen all of the higher energy skeletons-Papyrus, Blueberry, and Boss-all over the forest doing exercises. It's weird how active they are, but you figure it's mostly them trying to get themselves familiar with the area. You've briefly seen Red around, too. Not doing exercises, but inspecting the area. Every time you'd approach him, he would walk behind a tree and disappear with a pop or crack , leaving behind the strong scent of fresh magic and a heavy pressure in the air.
Papyrus invited you over for dinner a few days after they moved in. You weren't expecting it, but you were never one to turn down free food. Plus, it would be fun to brag to your pack about being the first to eat monster food. While they were far from uncommon, not many monsters came to your pack’s territory. Most of the ones you’ve met were lost and needed directions or just passing through. Everything you’ve heard about monster food has been great so it’d be nice to finally try it, though Lykos did give you a warning when you first told her about the invitation.
"I may have never tried monster food, but I do know that it's packed full of magic. All that extra energy may end up forcing a shift," Lykos looked serious. Her eyes stern. "Watch how much you eat and if you feel it coming, you need to get out."
"Of course," your eyes were on the ground. When Lykos patted your head, you looked at her.
She gave you a warm smile, "Good. I hope that you'll enjoy yourself."
There still wasn't a lot known about how monster food affected humans-let alone surface monsters. You weren't afraid to be one of the first test subjects, though-especially if it would help others in the long run.
You get dressed and leave your house, lightly closing the door behind you. The hairs on the back of your neck stand on end as you lock the door. Pausing, you take a deep breath, catching a faint scent on the breeze. It was a new scent, from an unfamiliar person, but there was something familiar mixed in that was confusing you. Like oranges mixed with smoke? Maybe grapefruit and spices? You couldn’t quite place it. You look up at the small murder of crows sitting in the trees around your house. A few of them were anxiously ruffling their feathers, though they weren't calling out any warnings. That was an...okay sign. It means that although they don’t see whoever it is as an immediate threat, they were uneasy with the stranger.
Without knowing who it is watching you, you decide against shifting or taking your dirt bike to the skeleton's house. It'll give you some time to figure out who it may be. So you loosen your shoulders as you turn, feigning ignorance as you start down your porch steps. There's a quiet sounding rustle coming from your left quickly followed by a long sigh. You don't look towards the sound, your hearing is so much more sensitive than a regular human's and you know a human wouldn't have been able to hear that. Let them think you don't know they're there, it’ll be easier for you should they decide to try for a sneak attack.
As you start your long walk, you feel a heavy build up in the air coming from a fair distance away. If you were a wolf, your hackles would've been rising. It's hard to describe. Kind of like when Sans first disappeared from behind you or whenever Red did from behind a tree, just stronger. With Sans, it was a mild build up of pressure, nothing big. In fact, you hardly registered it. With Red, it got stronger the more he did it with you around. This time, it felt heavier, like someone bigger was popping through. You feel a distinct pop! that makes a shiver go up your spine and you pause, thinking.
You must be getting more sensitive to the magic you've felt the monsters using. It makes sense, humans and mages both have long been hunting your species down. The more contact you have with something new, magic or otherwise, the more familiar you become to it and the easier it is for you to sense it. Which means you can recognize it before it could become a threat. That familiarity leads you to believe that it's probably another skeleton monster-maybe monsters?-following you. It would explain the crows' reaction. Maybe it's more relatives of the skeleton family coming to check you out before actually meeting face-to-face? Most of them did seem suspicious of you so maybe they warned the new arrivals to check you out?
No matter, you shrug it off and pull out your phone. You know that if they try to attack you, you can easily defend yourself and your pack won't be long if they pose an actual threat. You send Lykos a quick text, letting her know what's going on and your thoughts. She responds almost immediately, letting you know she's just a shout away should anything happen.
You chuckle fondly and start walking again. She's such a worrywart, but then again, you all were over each other. The protective instincts were very strong in werewolves and you wouldn't want it any other way-even if it could be a bit overwhelming sometimes. It was nice knowing that-no matter what-you had people to help you with anything should you need it.
Whoever it is following you, trails you up until the skeleton's house comes into view. Once you spot the house, you feel the pressure build up again and hear the sharp pop! A few crows ruffle their feathers and call out.
Gone! Gone! No more!
You sigh and turn towards the sound, trying to catch a whiff of whoever it was. It's no luck, the wind is still and it's too far off course to approach without being suspicious. Especially since you can already see both Blueberry and Papyrus approaching you with Boss on the back porch watching.
You smile wide at the pair, their energy already starting to rub off on you as they excitedly greet you.
"GRETTINGS, (Y/N)!"
"HELLO, (Y/N)!"
"Hi, guys!" They both motion to hug you and you gladly reciprocate. "Thank you for inviting me over for dinner, Papyrus."
"THE PLEASURE'S MINE. THANK YOU FOR COMING!"
The three of you start towards the house again and you wave at Boss, who scoffs and heads back inside. You roll your eyes and look between Papyrus and Blueberry.
"How are you guys settling in?"
Blueberry looks up at you, "GREAT! WE'VE ALREADY GOT EVERYTHING UNPACKED."
"That's great, Blueberry! I hope the house is big enough for all of you," you look between the pair.
Papyrus pulls open the back door and Boss cuts in before either can respond, "IT IS… ADEQUATE."
"I'm glad to hear it," you smile at Boss, and he grimaces before stomping away.
Sitting at the kitchen table is Stretch and he gives you a lazy wave when you walk in. You sit across from him with a friendly wave.
"You seem a little tired, you okay?"
He gives a tired hum as he puts his forehead on the table, "we had a late night gettin’ some things in order. Sans an' Red are still working on it."
You wince in sympathy, "I hope they've been taking breaks."
Stretch gives a noncommittal shrug, "we all have. don't you worry your pretty little head over it."
You nod and turn towards Papyrus and Blue as they start prepping for the meal. Watching them is entertaining; they bicker a little as they work, but they are mindful of each other's space. The pair work in tandem with Papyrus chopping up some vegetables and Blue seasoning the meat. They weave around each other with a practiced ease, Papyrus turning on the stove top and stepping towards the sink and Blue ducking under his arm to get to the stove and combine the meat and vegetables in the frying pan. Your mouth was already watering from the smell of the meat and you can’t wait to eat it.
“so, sans says your family owns a lot of land here,” Stretch looks at you from where his head is resting on the table.
You nod and turn towards him, “Yup. This whole mountain range actually belongs to my family.”
He gives a low whistle, “wow, you guys must be loaded.”
“Not really,” you shrug, “we’ve just had it for a really long time.”
“how does that work anyway? is it split up between all ‘o you?”
“Kind of, but not really?” You pause, trying to think of the right words. “Lykos is the one who technically owns the entire thing. She gave each of us an area of land to do whatever we wanted with, as long as she approved it first.”
Stretch looked like he was about to ask another question when Red and Sans walked in. They both looked exhausted, with slumped shoulders and rumpled, oil-stained clothes. Sans immediately collapses into the chair on your right and gives you a quiet greeting before promptly falling asleep. Red heads to one of the cabinets and pulls out a bottle of mustard. As he heads to the table, he tears the plastic off the top and shoves the now-open bottle into his mouth. You stare as he…drinks the condiment. That explains why he smells so strongly of mustard. It’s a little strange, but not the weirdest thing you’ve seen. Let alone eaten. Red smirks at you when he sees you staring.
“like whatcha see?” He holds the bottle out to you. “want some?”
“No, thank you. I prefer my homemade stuff.”
He shrugs, “more for me.”
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY ‘HOMEMADE’?” Papyrus asks as he and Blueberry start setting the table. Blueberry’s also looking at you curiously.
“I mean I don’t buy mustard from the store, I make it myself.”
“YOU CAN DO THAT??” Blueberry has literal stars in his eyes when he asks.
You shrug, “Well, yeah. I make all kinds of things myself.”
“how come?” Sans sleepily looks at you. Seems the conversation and table-setting has ruined his dream of sleeping at the table.
“Just because, I guess. My whole family does it. None of us really go into any of the nearby towns that often. And why would we when we can just make any of the things we would need?” You smile at the group, “Besides, our homemade stuff is delicious. I’ll have to bring some of the good stuff over next time so you guys can try it,” you’re already making plans on asking Taz for some of their stock. They make the best sauces out of everyone you know.
“THAT IS VERY KIND OF YOU, (Y/N)!” Papyrus beams at you and you give him a wide smile in return. “NOW, I BELIEVE DINNER IS READY!” He turns away from the table and shouts, “BOSS, WINE, COFFEE! DINNER’S READY!”
You tilt your head at Papyrus, “Who’re Wine and Coffee?”
“some cousins that just decided to pop in for a surprise visit,” Sans groans from beside you, his head buried in his arms. “wasn’t expectin’ ‘em to stop by. But they’re gonna be stayin’ for a while.”
“Aah, cool,” you look at the doorway when you hear the skeletons stomping down the stairs.
The first one to come in is Boss, who completely ignores you and goes to sit beside Red. Immediately behind him is another short skeleton. This one looks about as tall as Sans, though it’s hard to tell for sure since he’s wearing red heeled boots. He’s wearing a black guard uniform with gold accents and there’s a worn red bandana tied around his neck. There are a few scars on his face with the largest ones running straight over his left eye socket. You catch a whiff of him as he takes the seat on your other side-he smells of dust with a dash of cinnamon and mint.
The other skeleton eyes you from the doorway for a minute before taking the seat between Blueberry and the skeleton on your left. He’s a little taller than Stretch, though not as tall as Boss. He’s wearing a black pullover hoodie that has 'LAME GUY' written across the chest. He's got the hood pulled up, covering the upper part of his face. He's also wearing a pair of burnt orange track pants with a black stripe running up his legs and a pair of well worn sneakers. There are no prominent scars on his face, but he does have braces attached to his upper and lower canines. You watch as he slouches in his seat, pulling into his hoodie and avoiding everyone's gaze. The poor guy looks like he'd rather be anywhere else but here. With everyone so close, it’s hard for you to catch his scent, but you still manage to single it out before Papyrus brings the food to the table. It’s citrus and old, dusty clothes with a dash of barbecue sauce.
You take a moment to ponder why so many skeletons smell like condiments-do they all drink the condiments they smell like? Like Red with the mustard? Why, though??-before holding your hand out to the new skeletons and introducing yourself.
The shorter skeleton stares you down, a challenge in his gaze, before taking your hand in a firm handshake, “I AM WINE. THIS IS MY BROTHER, COFFEE,” Coffee gives you a small nod when he’s introduced. “IT IS… NICE… TO MEET YOU.”
Refusing to be stared into submission, you don’t break from his gaze or let go of his hand. Not until he breaks first. You would’ve stayed like that for a while had Papyrus not started plating the food. The smell of the food calls your attention and Papyrus’ talking takes Wine’s attention, leaving no winner to your small competition. You’re not really paying attention to anyone else as you smell the food in front of you.
It smells-and looks-like it’s a little burnt in some places-mostly on the meat-but aside from that, it smells delicious. It’s some kind of stir fry with diced tomatoes, bell peppers, and onions. The sauce is made of garlic butter and other spices you can’t immediately identify. Your mouth is watering when you go to take the first bite. It’s not bad. A little too sweet but still pretty good. As you chew, you finally notice all of the skeletons staring at you.
You swallow, “What?”
“WHAT DO YOU THINK?” Papyrus asks hopefully. Blueberry’s also looking at you expectantly.
“It’s a little sweet, but I like it,” you respond honestly.
“THERE’S NOT TOO MUCH SALT?” Blueberry looks towards Papyrus, a little smug.
You look at him, confused, “I don’t know. How much did you use?”
“HALF A CUP. PAPYRUS SAID THAT THAT WAS TOO MUCH, BUT I DISAGREED!”
“Ooh. What do the others think, then? I can’t really taste salt so I’m not the best judge on that front,” you look at the other skeletons expectantly, though none of them really seem keen on answering.
Boss finally speaks up, “IT IS BOTH TOO SALTY AND TOO SWEET. IT STRONGLY CLASHES WITH THE GARLIC. THOUGH ASIDE FROM THAT, IT IS YOU TWO’S BEST ATTEMPT YET.”
“SOME PARTS ARE BURNT, BUT IT’S EDIBLE,” Wine chimes in, taking a few bites of his food.
Papyrus and Blueberry both look a bit disappointed at the criticisms, but then they get a determined look in their eyes. “THANK YOU FOR YOUR HONESTY, FRIENDS!” Papyrus exclaims.
“WE WILL STRIVE TO FURTHER IMPROVE OUR CULINARY MASTERY!” Blueberry chimed in.
With that, you all went back to your food. Conversation flowed naturally to you and you found out a lot more about your tenants.
Like how Papyrus is taking culinary classes at the community center while working as a host/greeter at a restaurant. Blueberry works at the same restaurant as a waiter while also taking classes for pre-k childcare.
Sans works part-time at a research facility that’s trying to combine monster’s CORE power with the surface’s. So far, they’ve only been able to do it on a small scale, with only the homes that are immediately outside of Mt. Ebott.
Red works part-time as a bouncer at one of the more popular clubs in town. Though he says he’s only working there for the ‘free booze’. You give him props, at least he’s honest about it.
Stretch, Wine, and Coffee don’t have jobs. Wine and Coffee don’t because they just got here and haven’t had the chance to apply for any yet. And Stretch doesn’t because he hasn’t found one that can keep his interest. You can understand that.
After dinner, you help Papyrus and Blueberry clear the table and they start washing the dishes.
“WOULD YOU LIKE TO STAY AND WATCH A MOVIE WITH US?” Blueberry asks hopefully.
“As much as I would like to, I can’t,” you respond sadly. The sun is starting to set and you can feel magic pooling in your soul. “I gotta get home before it gets too dark. We can watch a movie next time, okay?”
“OKAY! THAT WILL GIVE US PLENTY OF TIME TO PLAN!” He cries excitedly before pulling you into a hug. “IT WAS NICE HAVING YOU OVER FOR DINNER, PLEASE STOP BY ANY TIME!”
Papyrus nods in agreement as he continues washing the dishes, “STAY SAFE GOING HOME! PLEASE TEXT ME WHEN YOU GET HOME SO I KNOW YOU MADE IT OKAY.”
Blueberry goes back to drying the dishes as you turn away from them, “I will, Papyrus. Thank you for having me over. I really enjoyed it.”
You head towards the front door, saying goodbye to Sans and Stretch who are sprawled lazily across the couch. They both wave at you without opening their eyes. They must be bone-tired . You snort at yourself and leave the house.
You weren't kidding when you said you had to go. The sun was quickly disappearing on the horizon, the last of it’s long, golden rays casting dark shadows through the trees. You started your walk, not really paying too much attention to the area around you.
Your soul felt heavy, almost uncomfortably so. It felt like your stomach did after you ate a large amount of food too fast. You didn’t eat enough monster food that it would force an immediate change, but you would need to shift in order to make that uncomfortable feeling go away. You couldn’t right now though, not with the risk of being seen, so you do the next best thing-you take off your shirt. The evening air helps cool down your feverish skin and you wipe a bit of sweat from your brow with your discarded shirt.
You usually ran hot, but this kind of heat was caused by the excess magic in your soul. With you not using the magic up by shifting, it’s trying to use itself up by heating your body. You sigh in relief when your house finally comes into view. Sending a quick message to Papyrus, you tell him you made it home okay. After that’s done, you trudge inside and lock the door behind you. Once inside, you go to your bedroom and pull the curtains closed with a yawn. You fall onto your bed with a huff and shift. The rest of your clothes tear from your body as your form bends and snaps into place. You rub your face against your blankets and groan. That feels so much better . Your soul’s no longer heavy and you’re not a living furnace any more. You remind yourself to talk to Lykos in the morning and promptly fall asleep.