Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Packing the orders into the back of my car, I close the backdoor before hopping into the front seat. As the loud engine roars to life, I watch as a few monsters exiting the business side-eye my car. I understand the skepticism, but really, the car is all I can afford on the salary of a delivery driver and cashier. Checking the mirrors on my car, I decide it’s good to go before backing out of the parking lot and taking off down the road. I have no need to go faster than the residential speed limit, so I stay within the parameters. The district itself isn’t large by any means, but it definitely is large enough to house the growing monster community.

The monsters had dubbed the district ‘New Home’, the inspiration taken from one of the towns in the mountain. When the gaggle of monsters first descended from the mountain, due to the terror the nearby townsfolk felt, they initiated a fight. Some monsters were captured and others were wounded by the time the authorities had been called. The human that set the monsters free had persuaded the humans to talk things out with the aid of the confused authorities. This was the beginning of the monster integration back into society. Initially, the planned outcome was for the humans and monsters to live in integrated towns across the states. Due to mass panic over the rediscovered existence of monsters, many protested this advancement. There were many groups who wanted equality between humans and monsters, but as always, the fearful outweighed the open minded. Monsters had the freedom to explore outside of the district, but most stayed in New Home due to the sudden and violent retaliation enacted by humans against monsters. More laws had to be passed before it was safe for monsters. Only one, major law had been put into effect immediately. It was essentially a law that required monsters to be treated as humans, to have the same rights as everyone else. Unfortunately, the corrupted state of the police and the public’s surrounding prejudice, evidence was easy to hide, and soon enough the monsters decided it was safer to stay within their own district.

I had first stumbled across the town by accident, not realizing how close it was from the town I had moved into a year ago. My first encounter was with a smaller monster with a lot of might, but I had fled from the fight after my stunned moment was over. I saw my soul for the first time, and I was too drunk to understand the situation fully. While I was discombobulated, the town I had stepped into hardly registered. After I happened upon that first monster, I was pulled into more encounters. I learned as I went. I could barely dodge as I slowly sobered up, so I stumbled through attacks, slurred my way through conversation mid fight, and ran off when I found any opportunity. I didn’t really want to fight back, too sluggish to do much more than stagger and run off. My car’s transmission decided to blow up on me earlier that day, and I had decided drown my sorrows in cheap alcohol. I found myself thrown out of my local bar, and after the near death experiences with the other monsters, I had stood in front of New Home’s pub: Grillby’s. That was where I spent the rest of my grocery money for that week. The bartender didn’t seem to care, that night he even encouraged my speedy alcohol consumption. I came to the conclusion that in his eyes it was a money thing, which was understandable. I cried at the pub that night, alone, while being way too drunk to process anything. I blacked out at some point that night, and ended up waking just after Grillby had closed.

As much as the guy didn’t seem to care, he still made sure I could walk before I left the bar. He immediately locked the door after I stumbled out into the cold, early autumn morning. I was still tipsy and displaced as I found an Inn close by, and rested there until noon that day. When I awoke, my headache was splitting and I had been ready to bang my head against the wall. My growling gut had stopped me from doing that. I was reminded of the fact I hadn’t eaten, and as I walked out of the Inn, there stood a pizza place that looked newer. I ate there, received dirty looks, and just kind of hung around until I noticed the help wanted sign.

I applied for the job and got a call about a week later to come in for an interview, but that was a couple months ago. Currently, I am delivering my first pizza of the day at four in the afternoon. The first monster I usually deliver to typically wears armor all of the time, so I have yet to see what type of monster he is. Today, however, he answers the door without the torso piece of his armor. A lot of questions swirl around my mind before noticing another armor-clad monster on the couch just behind the guy in front of me. I don’t let my staring linger, though, and just give the guy his pizza and take my cash tip. Some of the monsters use a tab for their food expenses, which he does often. The fact he knows how to tip well has solidified him as my favorite customer so far.

The next stop is close, a fish monster who seems fairly loud and energetic. She isn’t a regular when it comes to delivery, but I believe it’s because I’m a human. Lately, however, I think she has stopped caring as much. Just as she had done the first time she got delivery, she hands me the money for everything with a small tip. The only thing that is different this time, though, is the fact she is smiling at me for once. It kind of throws me off, since she is typically pretty gruff or tired when I have spoken to her in the past. As she closes the door, I hear her speaking to herself slightly. Something about how she needs to keep trying or something. It sounds like she is repeating advice shes heard before. I disregard the whole odd situation as I set off again back to the pizza place, Pernik’s Pizzas.

The day begins to drag on as I return to Pernik’s. Seeing as there aren’t many deliveries queuing up, I become bored and a bit sluggish. I resort to cleaning tables and dishes after waiting around for fifteen minutes. As the next few hours come and go, I average one delivery per hour. Quitting time is just a half hour away, and I know most monsters don’t order after a certain time. My day is coming up pretty peaceful, aside from the occasional lack of action.

One household just has to ruin the peace, though.

Ah, the skeletons, ordering in my last half hour of work. The one with the tall, loud guy and the short, snarky dude. These two seem the most comfortable around me at this point, while still making remarks concerning my employment in New Home. I never really engage in the conversations, but I do give short answers when they ask legitimate questions. Their questions always have to contain at least one intentional or unintentional insult, though.

They end up ordering a couple of pizzas and I have to wait for them to finish up before setting out. By the time the pizzas are done, it’s already seventeen minutes from my clock-out time. The icing on the cake is that their house just so happens to be on the other side of the town, quite a distance away from Pernik’s. Packing up the pizzas, drinks, some other side dishes, and desserts, I can finally set off. The drive there is quiet, and most of the house’s lights are out. This absence of lighting freaks me out a tiny bit. Despite my slight unease, I continue pushing through this night while wanting to get home at a reasonable time. I work my second job tomorrow morning and the more I can rest up, the better the day will go.

Rolling up to the street, I notice a sizable amount of vehicles occupying the driveway and the road. Weaving my way through the vehicles, I find a spot as close to the front door as possible. I figure the extra food is for a pretty raring party. I grab the food, make my first trip to the door, and ring the doorbell as I try to balance the multiple pizzas. With the rest of the bags remaining in the backseat of my car, I wait in front of the front door. Finally, after ringing the doorbell a couple more times, a child opens the door and just stares at me as if I’m an oddity.

A human child.

That is, until a hand pulls the child out of the doorway with a huff before facing me.

“Uh.. pizza’s here. Just gotta get the rest of the stuff from the car.” I say, perplexed the recent events; The party, the child, and my least favorite customer: Sans.

“Nice fuckin’ pants, whatcha jus’ do? Roll outta bed?” And there it is, the insult, the question he already knows the answer to, and a slightly new tone riddled with agitation.

I thank my lucky stars I don’t have to put up with this guy every day.

Chapter Text

“I’ll just.. grab the other things.” I answer monotonely before setting the pizzas down on the porch and walking back over to my car. For some reason, among the two liter sodas, there is also a lone jar of relish accompanying them. It was odd, but the last time I had returned with odd items, I got a stern reminder that the customer is always right and they know what they’ve ordered. While I’m walking back to the front porch with two bags on each arm, Sans doesn’t even try to help with anything. He just stands there, leaning against the doorframe as he watches me with that permanent smile spread across his face. I can never quite get a read on him, since his smile never seems to falter any time I have been graced with his presence.

The only time I ever noticed any change in his usual demeanor was the first time I delivered to him. His jacket has a unique fur to it, and because of some type of monster magic it had begun to flare that faithful afternoon. I had deduced that he probably didn’t expect a human delivery driver, however, this didn’t seem to influence his immediate reaction. The first thing that ever came out of his mouth was a knock knock joke about pizza, that I didn’t fully understand at first. I now speculate this as the reason he no longer tells me jokes and instead insults me.

“Damn, could ya’ be any slower?” He asked gruffly before picking up the stack of pizzas and placing them onto my arms, which were outstretched due to the weight of the bags.

Realizing he isn’t going to help in the slightest, my expression reduces to a deadpan. My reaction gets a sadistic chuckle out of the short skeleton as he waves me inside, opening the door for me to get through. I stare in surprise after I walk in. There are many of the monsters from the small town dancing, chatting, drinking, and simply having a fun time. My initial reaction is surprise since Sans doesn’t seem the type to offer his space to others, particularly in a party sense. I catch myself glancing around the place before remembering I was supposed to be following said skeleton. He fixes me with, what can be considered as, an eyebrow raise. I just maintain my usual facial expression and stay silent. He just shrugs and shuffles into the kitchen, with me in tow.

“Finally! The food! Sans, why would you leave the lifting to such a puny human?” Is what I hear from inside the kitchen as I walk through the doorway. Ouch.

“What? They’re doin’ jus’ fine without my help.” Sans responds to the other skeleton that finally invades my eyesight, while taking the pizzas from my arms.

I let out a sigh of relief as the two skeletons continue to bicker back and forth before Sans just turns around and leaves the kitchen all together. I silently place the bags on the counter, making sure to move the other items over gently. I look back toward the doorway to see Papyrus standing there with a look of mild frustration and a bit of concern. I have not a clue to what his concerns are due to blocking out the pair’s brief conversation. Papyrus looks over at me, as if sensing my recent gaze, while pulling out a wallet.

“I apologize on behalf of my useless brother, he is not a 'fan' of coming to the aide of others. Now, how much do we owe you?” Papyrus asks, the first bit of the sentence making me feel a little awkward.

“Oh, no, don’t worry about it. I should probably do more lifting anyway... And it’s $110.24 for the four pizzas and eight two liters. The, uh, relish came free. Pernik wanted to thank you two for the large order.” I mutter on, waiting for him to hand me the money so I can be on my way.

“Human currency is unnecessarily complicated..” I hear him mutter to himself, making me crack a bit of a smile. He hands me the cash and I count it over, realizing he gave me about $30 more than was needed.

“Here, your change is $29.76, let me just grab the change-” Before I can finish my sentence, Papyrus cut me off.

“Keep the change, it’s the tip.” He says confidently, totally not like it was an accident and he just wants to avoid looking dumb.

“Oh, thanks. I appreciate it.” I say, putting the money into the shoulder bag I keep the change box in; to count and separate later.

Papyrus only nods at me in acknowledgement before walking out of the kitchen. I’m not used to speaking with Papyrus; only meeting him a couple time previously. That day was eventful. That was when I first started and he had no noise control and ended up scaring me so bad I threw the pizza at him and bolted because I was startled. I had tried to apologize, but Papyrus refused to talk to me. The second time I saw him, he had seemed to work on his volume and I finally got to apologize. He had brushed it off, saying the pizza was an inconvenience to get off of his armor, but other than that he didn’t really care. Today is the third time I’ve ever spoken with him, if the first even counts. The small dig earlier isn’t much of a bother at this point, because Sans’ constant insults make the ‘puny’ comment seem harmless.

As I finish up getting myself together, I spot something reflecting light on the floor. As I get closer, I notice it is a ring. Picking it up, I look at it closely for any signs of who it may belong to. My first thought is that it belongs to Papyrus, since he seems to be the more fashion-oriented of the two. That is, before I remember that I’ve never seen Papyrus wearing jewelry at any point. Suddenly, I remember that Sans usually has on a gold chain. I can’t remember if he wears any rings due to the gloves he always has on, but I also just don’t look at his hands. Since, there is no need to. Thinking back to when Sans handed me the pizzas, he wasn’t wearing his gloves for once. It is starting to get warm outside since spring is right around the corner. Shaking myself out of my thoughts, I stand back up and put the ring in my pocket. I debate trying to find Sans among the crowd of monsters, but decide that returning it the next time he orders something from Pernik’s might be the best option. I also don’t mind letting the guy squirm a bit since, after all, he does insult me every week. Just as I am walking out of the kitchen doorway, the same little kid from earlier stands in front of me. I start having second thoughts about letting the asshole squirm, the possibility that this kid watched me pick up the ring hanging over me now.

“Uh, hey, do you know where Sans is? I think this is his.” I say, taking the ring out of my pocket and handing it to the kid.

The kid just looks at the ring, then back up and me. I avoid eye contact with this child, the silence making me slightly uncomfortable. Then, the kid hands the ring back to me and points in the direction of the living room. Craning my neck a bit, I catch a glimpse of the back of his skull. Looking back at the kid who is now looking up at me again I nod, and thank them before inching toward the living room. It is crowded and there are many monsters I have yet to meet. From where I am, I can see Sans’ hands. I notice that he has about four rings on, all made of what looks like gold. I tighten the grip I have on the ring before turning back around to attempt to just hand the kid the ring. I notice just then that the kid is right next to me, which makes me jump a bit. I look down at the kid, confusion etching into my face, before they take my hand and start dragging me into the living room. As we walk into the room, the others greet the kid as ‘Frisk’. I realize this is the kid who helped the monsters resurface. This fact alone explains the boldness.

The monsters we pass either look on in confusion or just don’t acknowledge my existence. Once we get to Sans, I notice he has been talking to someone and laughing. The laugh doesn’t sound sadistic in the slightest, unlike the ones I usually hear from him. He sounds like he is having regular, non-sadistic fun. The person he is talking to is a goat monster, who seems to be elated with their conversation as well. The goat’s clothing remind me of a mother, along with her soft and soothing voice I happen to hear as we approach. The goat is the first to notice us, waving at Frisk before regarding my presence apprehensively. Stopping next to the pair, Frisk lets go of my hand and smiles up at the goat. Sans is now turning to look at me. As stated previously, he is hard to read, especially in this instance.

“Whadda you want?” He asks, his voice lacing with confusion, but overall he seemed a bit pissy I came and interrupted his conversation.

“Oh, sorry, I just.. here.” I hand him the ring as I continue, “I found it on the kitchen floor and I didn’t want it to get, uh, lost.”, if there was a tone in my voice it would be awkwardness.

“How’d ya’ know this was mine?” He asks while examining the ring he now held, sounding a little less angry.

“I figured it wasn’t Papyrus’ since he doesn’t really wear jewelry.. Plus, you always wear the chain so..” I'm looking around nervously, avoiding eye contact as he slips the ring back on and shrugs.

“Thanks, then.” He says, no more malice in his tone, but he doesn't fully disregard me yet. He looks as if he notices the tension in my posture.

“Okay, well, back to work. See you sometime soon.” I say, then without waiting for a response, I walk off.

Some of the monsters are still looking at me, but at this point, I just want to get out of the crowd. Once I manage to leave the house, I walk to my car. Thinking over the conversation, I realize just how stupid I probably sounded. Getting into my car, I pull out and start the drive back to Pernik’s, thinking of the many ways Sans could use that whole ordeal to insult me in new ways.

The worst part is that I had to be dragged over by the monster's ambassador, who just so happens to be a child.

Chapter Text

In the past week since the party, it seemed as if some of the monsters in town had actively been trying to be nice to me. A stark contrast from the usual toleration. The attitude shift was something that happened too fast, and went partially unnoticed by myself until I delivered to the fish monster again. It wasn’t like she didn’t try to be nice in the past, but this time it was noticeable that she didn’t hold any more hostility toward me as a human. The one-eighty whiplash hit me when she gave me a rather large tip before she continued to talk to me like a normal person with a less forced smile. I was very confused at this, but had welcomed it. I wasn’t going to turn down a good tip and a normal conversation when I couldn’t even get that at my cashier job in my human-dominated town. This was beginning to make me like this job more, and I found myself actually excited to deliver each order. Of course, there were still those weary of me, but I didn’t mind when most of our customers were being nicer to me. They hadn’t been too rude previously, simply indifferent to my existence.

As for the shift in demeaner, I have no idea what the cause is. Questioning it is easy, but wondering if this is all an elaborate prank or something causes relative anxiety. Finally beginning to feel like some people actually don’t mind me in the town is a nice feeling I don’t want to diminish with my worrying, but I can hardly help the way I ruminate over it. Some conclusions I have come to so far for the treatment is ranged from the fact their ambassador had taken my hand and was helpful toward me, to maybe just seeing me in a party setting made them see me as more of a person. I doubt the second reason’s validity, but I still like to consider it an option. Either way, I am making more tips and feeling less drained after work.

As the day goes on, more people are ordering delivery than usual. It surprises me, but is good since I don’t have to sit around as much as I had in the previous weeks. Staying busy makes the day go by quicker as well, and the next day is my only day off from both jobs: Thursday.

I requested Thursdays off initially because my friend and I would go out drinking every week on Wednesday nights before she moved away to attend college. I still asked for Thursdays off because I needed a day to myself at least. She received a full scholarship since she had made the deans list in our small town community college each semester. I was sad to see her go, but encouraged her. I knew she would come visit, even if it has been a few semesters with barely a word from her. Last I heard, she was planning a trip down to our old town once spring break starts.

However, seeing as she hasn’t tried to make any further contact with me with spring break being a week away, I don’t have much hope. It’s life, that’s how it goes, and that’s why I just kept on moving even when I never have time to really process how I feel it. It’s better to keep it at the back of my mind in these harder times.

Another reason I had been tipsy the night I stumbled across the district was because I had a minor mental breakdown and thought drinking might make me feel better. It hadn’t, and I had continued to drink my sorrows away anyway. That night was especially hard on me mentally because she had been just reading my messages and consciously not responding no matter what I would try and bring up. Since the town I lived in was small, there weren’t many opportunities to make new friends.

Her and I had moved into a town together right after high school to get away from our old lives. We started anew together. The community college accepted us and we made it through each semester on financial aid. We never made enough to fund our education on our own. Meanwhile, I had taken off a semester due to those more pressing financial issues. Then it turned into two semesters, and so on. My poor financial status was the reason I hadn’t moved with her when she got accepted into the four year college. She was moving to a more expensive city, and I had hardly any funds left while she was being moved into a dorm room that was fully funded by the college. Her plan was to become a chiropractor since it was easier on the hands than massage therapy; which is what she went to the community college for. At least she stayed around for a year after finishing college and helped me afford rent for awhile. I moved into my residential town only half a year ago, which had me even more strapped for cash, since paying a deposit and first month’s rent was nearly impossible.

Presently, I find it getting harder and harder to pay rent as the landlord continues to raise it with no consideration for those who live paycheck to paycheck.

Coming back to reality as my shift nears its end, I let out a deep sigh. I decide that going to Grillby’s after work doesn’t sound so bad, I can afford to uphold tradition a couple times a month at the least. Even if it is by myself. My shift finally ends as I passively help tidy up Pernik’s. I clock out, make sure I have my tip money, and head out after pulling my jacket over my shoulders. It is still early spring so, it’s still a bit chilly out. I throw my bag into the backseat as I get into the front seat and slam my door shut after situating myself. I don’t need to get into my car since Grillby’s is just across the street, but I need a minute to myself before I can continue on with the night. I consider going home since I worked a six to eleven thirty before I worked Pernik’s today, and then worked from twelve to eight. Working a little over thirteen hours hasn’t been treating my body the best, but going to Grillby’s is better than just going home and drinking alone until I pass out. The town has an inn that is fairly cheap where I can pay for a room, if push comes to shove. The placement of the inn seems intentional, being right next to Grillby’s. A pretty wise business practice.

Getting out of my car, I take another deep breath before tucking my wallet into my pocket and making my way to the pub. Ever since that first night, I come to Grillby’s every so often after work. Only doing so when I know I can afford it, spending up my tips from both jobs and avoiding using my cards. Walking into the bar, a few heads turn my way and I try to ignore it. That’s just how it is everywhere, but I do notice that some gazes linger longer than usual. Coming up to the bar, I sit up on a barstool and wait for Grillby to get to me. I’m not in any rush so, I don’t see the need to call him over. As I sit there and wait, I go on my phone and see my battery is close to dying. I sigh as I put my phone into my jacket’s pocket, then pull the jacket off and place it on my lap. Grillby’s is always a little warmer than outside. As I do this, I hear someone sitting down next to me at the bar and I look over. There sits one of the regulars I haven’t seen in the past week: Sans. He looks frazzled, his hood’s fur more like a raging fire rather than a simple floating fur like usual. It looks as though his eyesockets sink a little lower too, if that is even possible. His clothes look wrinkly and have obviously been slept in repetitively, giving off the impression that he has been wearing them for awhile. I don’t know if I should start a conversation or not, and I’m free from the decision swiftly.

“Wow, lookin’ like shit again, sucha great sight afta’ such a great fuckin’ day.” I hear him mutter out, making me roll my eyes.

“Nice to see you again too, Sans. Also, lay off, not like you look any better than I do.” I retort back, huffing a bit before Grillby comes over and takes my order.

“At least I don’t smell like pizza and sweat.” Sans says as Grillby slides a bottle of mustard over to him.

“Well sorry I have skin, bonehead. Anyway, working thirteen hours makes me sweat. It’s normal.” I state, then watch as Sans starts to down the bottle of mustard. I don’t question it, just like I don’t question how he can smell me with no nose.

“Bonehead? That’s the best ya got?” Sans asks, then chuckles as he sets down the mustard bottle.

“Yeah. I’m tired, and my brain doesn’t want to work.” I say as Grillby slides my drink over to me.

“Oh, so that isn’t just your regular vocab. Huh, coulda fooled me.” Sans says, making me huff before downing half of the drink now in my hand.

“Fuck off, why did you even sit here if all you were gonna do is insult me?” I ask, now leaning against the bar, holding the glass close to myself as I look into it instead of at him.

There is a sudden lull in conversation before I hear the sound of the mustard bottle cap opening. I continue staring into my drink before taking a deep breath and downing the other half. Then, I hear the clearing of a nonexistent throat.

“Today’s been shitty, and ‘t’s fun insultin' you.” He answers the previous question quietly.

“Shit days suck, but that doesn’t quite give you a reason to bark about my appearance when I’m not the source of your shitty mood.” I look at him again, he looks smaller somehow, as if he wasn’t slouching earlier. As I look, Grillby fills my drink again.

“Eh.. you’re the only one I can insult, you can take it.” He says before letting out a barely audible chuff.

“Not tonight, man. I really.. I’m having a shit day too.” I say the second part quietly, then chug my whole drink this time. I choke on it a bit, coughing a little while wiping my face with my arm.

“I can see that.” He says, gesturing to the empty rocks glass in my hand, “What could be so fuckin’ important to ya that it makes you drink on a Wednesday?”

“Anxiety. Maybe the fact I don’t technically have friends. Or, could just be the fact I work and work, only to get stuck with ridiculously high rent and utility bills. So, yeah, I thought drinking was a stupid idea and I still decided to do it.” Taking a deep breath after speaking, I put down the glass lightly and lean both elbows onto the bar, burying my face into my hands.

“Oh yeah.. ya mentioned somethin’ along those lines the one time ya came in..” Sans mutters, hearing him shift in his seat brings me to the conclusion he might be feeling a bit awkward.

“Wait.. what? What night? I’ve only been here a handful of times, and I don’t remember talking to you any of those times.” I ask, confusion evident on my face.

“Really?” He looks at me with an emotion I can't read, “Tha’ first night any monster around here ever saw ya.”

“Oh, you’re talking about.. Oh yeah, I blacked out that night. I don’t really.. uh.. remember anything past my second drink.” I confess, scratching the back of my neck now.

“Well, les just say you were a bit of a ‘bonehead’ yourself.” He chuffs out, drinking more mustard.

“So.. an asshole? Or did I say something out of pocket? You gotta be more specific, man, I don’t black out often.” I say, sitting up and leaning toward him a bit. He leans away a little, possibly uncomfortable with my closeness.

“Wha’s the fun in that? It’s better t’ ‘use your imagination’, after all.” He chuckles as he speaks, making my face overheat a little more.

Maybe indulging him isn't the best idea.

Chapter Text

Fuck all. My head hurts and the last thing I can remember from the night was Grillby swatting at me with a broom as I tried to climb onto the bar and sing. I definitely drank too much. My current splitting headache and nausea is evidence enough. As I get out of the bed I slept in, I slowly lift my head and look around. The room is dark, the only light prying its way into the room through the small crack between the heavy curtains. Blackout curtains were present last time I stayed at the inn, but something about this room feels different. I look around a little more and realize it lacks personality.

Well, other than shelving a few knicknaks and baring the color red on every wall.

The room seems to be more of a guest bedroom than an inn room, even if the inn had been adorned with more red than most. The inn’s walls had always been a dark brown, not a maroon that soaks up every bit of light the windows welcome in. Getting to my feet, I look at the side table and notice a bottle with a small sticky note on the cap of it. The handwriting is elegant, the letters scrawled in what can only be described as a mix between cursive and print. Reading the note, it seems the bottle has a liquid pain killer inside. There is also a little skull drawing at the bottom of the note; one that kind of looks familiar. The skull is elongated with sharp features and even two little scars added over one of the eye sockets.

I down the small amount of liquid in the bottle before I walk over to the door, and decide on grabbing a glass of water. That is, at least, if I am staying where I hope. Opening the door, I descend a set of stair just to the right of me and down to the living room; which is more spacious than any other room in the house. Walking into the hallway that houses the front door, dining room entrance, and the kitchen entrance, I decide to keep heading forward into the kitchen. As I approach, I finally begin to notice the scent of breakfast foods. Upon walking into the kitchen, I am greeted with the sight of many different food selections. All of the food remind me of a sampling platter from those fancy restaurants I seldom have the time to dine at. Preoccupied with the sight of so many foods, I neglect to notice the presence who is in the middle of cooking even more. However, the clearing of a non-existent throat brings my attention over to the skeleton dawning a black button-up, maroon slacks, and red suspenders. His fancy clothing choice makes him look like a very important person.

“Ah, I see that you have awoken. Good morning, human.” The voice is that of the one who wrote the note on the bottle from earlier. His even and cheerful tone makes me smile slightly, despite the raging headache.

“Morning.. Oh yeah, sorry for crashing here last night. I planned to stay at the inn last night..” I speak as I rub the grogginess out of my eyes, giving a rather large yawn afterward.

“Yes, you were quite perplexed when I informed you of the closed down inn. However, that was not your fault. There was no way you could have known it was the innkeeper’s birthday.” Papyrus continues as he finishes up the food he is fixing up, all while confusion spreads across my face.

“Honestly, man, I have no recollection of how I even got here. I think I drank a little too much.” I say, not remembering the sheer amount I had to drink the previous night.

“Well, you are lucky that my slovenly brother was within your presence last night, then. I had been confused myself when he brought you here. Seeing a human in such a state is not a commonality around here, and your.. ahem.. stance was less than composed.” He continues, making my face feel a bit warmer in embarrassment.

It felt as if I was being scolded, which isn’t something unreasonable with how drunk I must’ve been the night before.

“Wait.. Sans brought me here?” I ask, taken aback by the news.

“Yes. While my brother is a sniveling idiot, he is related to me still. There had to be some common sense in that numbskull.” He continues as he walks closer.

Then, he motions to the plates around him which contain almost every breakfast food imaginable.

“Indulge yourself. I had not a clue what you would like, and I pride myself on being an excellent host, even for last minute visitors.” Papyrus adds on, looking quite proud of his accomplishment; when he seems to notice the wide eyed stare I give the food.

“Damn.. that’s a lot.. Well, thanks for being so considerate, man. What food should I not eat? Like, which do you usually eat so that I can just kind of..” Trying to explain the fact I don’t want to eat any food he made for himself is harder than I imagined.

“Oh, no, these samples are for you and you alone. Feel free to bring any leftovers home, it will not be eaten if it stays here. I am less partial to foods that use human ingredients. That is, except for wide noodle pastas, such as lasagna.” Papyrus explains, before looking at the watch adorning his wrist and pulling on a maroon suit jacket, “All for all, I must head out. Work waits for no monster.”

And just like that, he is rushing out of the house as the food is left in his stead. For whatever reason, Papyrus has been extremely courteous and thoughtful. Gossip of a cruel and unforgiving royal guard leader did not prepare me for this grand gesture of consideration. Nonetheless, I start to eat some of the foods I prefer out of what he made. It seems as though each meal is plated on paper plates for easier disposal. It also looks like there is a reusable container next to every three plates for storage. With what he had said, it was easy to assume he intends for me to use them to bring the leftovers home with me. I do just that, packing some of the stuff I don’t really like too; just in case I run into anyone who is hungry on the way back home later. Thinking of going home, I realize that my car was all the way across the district, still at my place of work. Great.

“For someone who jus’ got a lotta free food, you look like you’ve smelled some sour shit.” A deep, raspy voice chimes in as my thoughts float off and I turn around.

Sans is stood behind me wearing a red t-shirt and his signature basketball shorts.

“Yeah, just remembered my car was back at Pernik’s. Just gonna be a bitch walking all the way there from here while my stomach is still kind of.. eh.” I do a small shrug to emphasize the last part.

“Heh, yeah, you were too drunk las’ night to drive. Here.” He says, then throws a ring of keys at me; my car keys, “Took ‘em off ya last night.”

“Oh, thanks.” I say while not quite catching the keys, “Thanks for bringing me here last night, by the way. I would’ve probably just slept in my car if you hadn’t.”

“A guest bed‘s better than a backseat.” Sans says, seemly still groggy himself since I haven’t heard many insults from him thus far.

“You got me there.” I say while finishing with packing the food, “Anyway, I’ll leave you to your own devices and make quick work of getting home.”

“Need any help?” He asks as he motions to the containers, making me quirk an eyebrow at him.

“Last time you left me to carry a shit ton of pizzas and 2 liters in by myself.” I point out, making him shrug.

“I mean, if ya don’t want any help I won’t help ya.” He says with a flat and unbothered tone.

“Ah, no, I mean.. just a little surprised you offered. I’d actually like some help. After all, I'm not the most reliable when it comes to carrying many things long-ish distances.” I say with a smile now, believing he won’t just leave me hanging like last time.

“Ok, but I know a’ shortcut to Pernik’s that’ll get us there quick’r.” As he speaks, I become more relieved I won’t have to walk as much as I initially figured.

“Thank fuck, I hate taking the long ways.” I say, sighing in relief as Sans gives a raspy and tired chuckle.

Heading out, we each hold two containers of leftovers. As I start walking in the direction I know, Sans gets my attention by kicking a rock at my leg. For some reason, he starts walking in the complete opposite direction of Pernik's. Jogging slightly to catch up to him, I lay a hand on his shoulder and suddenly, for just a split second, I feel weightless. I have to stop for a moment before continuing to follow Sans. Five minutes doesn’t even pass before the back of Pernik’s is in sight. I sigh in relief, but still wonder why I had experienced that random moment of feather-like floating.

“‘ere we are.” Sans says, continuing to walk over to my car.

“That was fast. I thought we were going in the opposite direction, though..” I basically whisper this.

“Jus’ don’t try that shortcut without me, ‘t’s pretty easy to get lost.” Sans warns, making me roll my eyes.

“I’m capable enough, but I’ll take your advice just because you’ve been here longer.” I say, getting a small laugh out of him.

“Trust me. ‘t’s confusin’ enough for me.” He finishes off the conversation as he opens the passenger seat and places the containers inside.

“Ok, ok, like I said, will do, chief.” I reiterate as I place the containers in next.

“Ok then, see ya.” Sans says, before turning back around and walking back from where we came.

Ignoring the fact he hadn’t waited for me to say goodbye, the walk in itself was pleasant. Hell, he was pleasant last night too. I try not to wonder too much about the reason, but it just keeps gnawing at me. As I get into my car and start it up, I notice the almost empty gas tank and take a deep breath before sighing. The drive is going to be longer than I thought now, but because of Sans’ shortcut, time isn’t too much of the essence. Not that I have anything important going on today anyway.

Chapter Text

As the week pressed on, a steady amount of clientele continued to flow into the restaurant. Deliveries had been more profitable as of late, and if the town wasn’t so small I would have already taken the job full-time and quit my other job. The issue of gas mileage had reared its’ ugly head, though, and I had recently paid the same as what I made in tips just for gas. I still had extra money to save, thankfully, but I often found myself dreaming of the monster town. Dreams that included living in the town and befriending neighbors; a quaint and comfortable living. However, the dreams had been nothing more than dreams; unattainable for many reasons.

The first issue is housing, it is ridiculously hard to find rentals in such a small area. Most of the houses have been built specifically for each monster. The second issue is the food. While monster food has the capability to heal, they lack the necessary nutritional value for humans. Finally, bathrooms are few and far between due to the fact monsters don’t need to pass their food.

Today, deliveries are slowing down in pace. The gradual decrease was to be expected, but this fact doesn’t stop me from feeling a bit out of place. Waiting for calls concerning deliveries is an action that I find myself frequenting. I cannot help the envy which plagues me as I glance in the direction of the waiters and waitresses who maintain a stable workflow. Eventually, I receive a delivery request from my new favorite stop: the skeletons’ house. Giving the order a once-over, I head out to deliver the small pizza with a side of relish. The drive being the longest out of every usual customer, I let myself enjoy the ride down. The added time doesn’t bother me anymore, I just hope it doesn’t bother the two brothers.

Driving up to the house, I park and get out of the car and grab the order from my passenger seat. As I walk up to the doorway, the door opens without a knock to preface it. Noticing the usual face, I smile a bit as I walk to the door a bit quicker.

“Hey, here’s the pizza. The relish too, of course.” I say as I stand in front of Sans, pulling the pizza box out of the insulated bag it was in, leaving the relish in the bag on my arm.

“Heh, thanks.” He says while grabbing the bag and then walking back into the house, “Come on in and set the pizza down wherever.”

“Uh.. okay.” I walk into the house while looking around; nothing had changed from the last time I got to peer around.

Setting the pizza down on the living room table, I notice the phone in Sans’ hand as he speaks gruffly. Something about a muffler, I try not to eavesdrop as I look back to the front door. With our initial conversation being short, I wait for Sans to take a second from the phone so I can tell him his total. His tab works well, however recently, he keeps asking for the total as a gauge for tipping. As I stand awkwardly next to the table, Sans waves at the couch as a way of asking me to sit down. He also puts up a finger to signal he’ll be done in a minute, pushing me to realize he is not wearing his usual gloves. He walks into the kitchen and I sit down gently on the couch, looking up to the landing that houses the doors to each room. Suddenly I remember that the house has a bathroom, due to my stay in the guest room. It’s odd, but seeing as the two have parties here and there with the one human child being a part of the attending, it makes a little more sense.

“Hey, uh, sorry ‘bout that. Just work callin’ on my day off. So, how much was the food?” As Sans’ barely audible footsteps startle me, I sit up straighter and look over to him.

“The total came out to $14.84.” I say as I stand up, noticing Sans’ slight agitation in his demeanor.

“‘kay, here ya go.” He says while handing me five dollars in cash.

“I know I probably shouldn’t ask, but do you work with cars or something? Heard you say something about a muffler earlier.” I ask, simply making conversation.

“Yeah, I do. Got into cars after Paps got his convertible.” Sans continues the conversation, surprising me slightly.

“Oh nice, where do you work then? I mean, haven’t really noticed any autobody shops around town.” I push a little bit, finding no sense in stewing in my curiosity.

“Pretty nosey, eh? Well, ‘t’s a place in the neighboring human town. Small’r shop run by an old guy named Howard.” He indulges my curiosity, his posture and tone beginning to relax.

“Nice, wouldn’t normally take you for the car type, but it makes sense. Convertibles are hard to keep up so, knowing more about them is pretty essential. Guess you just found a knack for it, then?” I keep asking questions, knowing that if I went back to work immediately I'll just wait around until closing time.

“Damn, full o’ questions today.” He chuckles a bit, the usual grin on his face reaching his eyesockets, “Well, yeah, cars were easy to learn about and I needed a' job. If it weren’t fer tha’ old man breakin’ down just outside the town in a 2015 maroon Ford Mustang convertible, 'd have a lotta different jobs. Sure, ‘t’s different than Paps’, but after helpin’ him out I was offered a job. Right time, right place I guess.” Speaking with a lighter tone, Sans continues on, “Anyway, I know yer a delivery driver and tha’ ya have some typa’ retail job, but seems like ya have been takin’ more hours at the pie joint. Pernik pay betta?”

“Wow, I can’t.. Believe you remembered that. Yeah, Pernik’s has been more profitable than my other job lately. Honestly was thinking of quitting, but the other place keeps gas in my car. So, y’know. Pernik offered me a waiter-type job in the mornings since one of the waiters are quitting here soon, but I'm honestly still mulling it over in my head. Not that the staff over at the other joint care either way. And I still live like a forty minute drive from here. You know, pros and cons...” I say, making no attempt to leave.

“Sounds like a shitty situation. I mean, I’d say go fer the job here. Y’know, just ‘cause it sounds like ya hate the other place.” Sans looks like his cogs are turning; his tone detaching a bit from the conversation.

“Yeah, I’d honestly look for an apartment here if the town had an apartment complex with a bathroom. If there are rentals here, that is. Kinda noticed most of the monsters have houses so.” To punctuate the end of my sentence I shrug.

“Yeah, everyone either has a house or rents ta own here. Plus, humans need bathrooms so yer pretty shit outta luck here, huh?” Sans answers some of my questions before looking at the time, “Hey, isn’t yer shift endin’ soon?”

Looking at the clock on the wall, I notice its been roughly fifteen minutes and I immediately grab the insulated bag while shoving the tip into my pocket. I say goodbye to Sans in a rush as I hurry out the door, pulling my car keys out of my pocket and unlocking the door. Jumping in, I turn the car on and drive off. I get back to the pizza place five minutes faster than usual because of my hasty departure, and I head inside to help the other staff with cleanup.

Walking into Pernik’s, I notice the waiters kind of eyeing me. No doubt because of the longer time it took me to deliver the pizza to the skeleton brothers’ place in comparison to how short it normally is. Brushing off the looks, I grab a mop and start cleaning the floors away from a couple of stragglers. While mopping, I think about the day. The talk with Sans was making me think over my options again. Housing is fine as long as I leave earlier, I can still eat out in the town, and Pernik’s at least has a bathroom due to it being built more recently. Maybe I will take the job offer and put in my two-week notice at the other job.

Chapter Text

“I’m putting in my two weeks at my other job tonight.” Declaring this seemingly lifted a weight off of my shoulders, Pernik looking over at me after locking up the restaurant.

“Already decided, huh? Well, I do appreciate the timeliness.” Pernik spoke, chuckling softly as he pat me on the shoulder.

“Heh, yeah.. I realized that the gas spent going from my house, to the cashier gig, and here then back home probably isn’t helping my money issues. It is honestly smarter to just get a place closer to here over time, even if I can’t get a place in the town itself.” I over-explain myself while fiddling with my hands.

“I mean, I would offer the storage room, but I don’t know how the others would react to a bed in there.” Pernik said in a joking manner, although a certain sincerity held his tone.

“Honestly at least there is a bathroom in the restaurant, I noticed most monster-run businesses don’t have them. I know it’s because monster food is absorbed differently, but the bathroom thing and lack of human food is the only things keeping me from just finding residence here.” I continue to word vomit, my hands continuing to interlock and fiddle with each other as Pernik started walking to the parking lot.

“Actually, there is a new apartment complex being set up by the Queen herself. I heard it’ll have a bathroom in the lobby, you know, since her child is human and all.” He says while walking up to my car, obviously wanting to continue the conversation.

“Wha.. Really? Why? I thought everyone owned or rented to own the houses here.” I say as I follow him, my words making him sigh heavily.

“Well, other than the fact her child is going to be of age to move out one day, there are those who have yet to move from the Underground itself. So, the apartment complex has been rumored for awhile. However, the human government had to give it the ‘a-okay’ first and that took forever. As usual.” As he spoke, his disdain was on full display.

“I understand the hatred for our human government, obviously not as much as everyone here, but the government doesn’t even know how to take care of humans. Other than that, though.. Wouldn’t I be taking potential housing from one of the monsters?” The question hung heavy, and for a second Pernik was quiet.

“Maybe, but you could also apply for a place and distinctly state how you would be ok not receiving a unit because of that. If that happens to be the case, of course. The Queen is very accommodating and seems to have a soft spot for humans after what happened with her child.” He says while walking over to his own car now, unlocking it.

“Great idea, but.. any ideas as of how I could apply?” I ask before he can get into his car, and he shrugs slightly.

“Request a meeting with the queen. She’ll see you. As for how to set up a meeting with her, ask the head of the Royal Council. That would be the taller of the two skeleton brothers.” He said before getting into his car, waving as a farewell.

After waving back, I got into my own car and started it up. Letting Pernik out of the parking lot first, I drove out right after. There were many things I needed to think about, the new possibility of being able to live in the monster town a forefront. The only thing that needed immediate action was setting up that meeting. After how Papyrus acted the night I crashed at their place, it was safe to assume he didn’t hate me. That, or he was just being incredibly civil and mature. Either way, he was the head of the royal council and that was important. The future started looking less bleak this go around, but I wouldn’t let my expectations become foolish. There was still a clear disdain surrounding humans in the community. I would expected nothing more than an act of consideration at the most, if the Queen even permitted a meeting with me.

+~+~+~+

Sitting down at a table with the Queen was less intimidating than expected. Being offered a slice of meat pie was a bit odd, but diffused some tension. The most confusing situation of the day by far, however, had been when Papyrus brought me to the Queen right after I asked about setting a meeting up with her. He has insisted that I met the Queen immediately, seeing as how I had yet to meet her formally while working in the community for quite awhile. Seeing as everyone seemed to know the Queen or have met her before because of the small population, it did seem rather odd to just be meeting the woman now.

One thing that wasn’t confusing or odd was the awkward silence. Meeting a new person that had so much influence and power was definitely something. She also seemed to be a bit confused at the sudden meeting, but looked happy to have a visitor nonetheless. As my head spun, she was the first to start an actual conversation.

“I apologize for the bluntness of my words beforehand, however.. why did you want to meet with me? I appreciate the new company, I just want to know the essential basis of this meeting.” She asked, and I took a deep breath as I looked at her with the steadiest eye contact I could muster.

“No need to apologize for the blunt question, I understand. As to why I requested to meet with you, well, I had something I wanted to ask. Of course, I did not expect to see you so soon.. but it is nice to finally meet you after hearing so much about you while working in town.” I say, getting some formalities out of the way and trying not to immediately ask my question.

“Oh, yes, I am quite thrilled to meet another human. You see, the ones I usually meet… are more serious. They are usually government officials, and typically do not wish to sit down at my table with me. I much prefer this, however. It is quite nice.” She says before sipping from a mug she had brought in for herself after offering tea.

“That sounds rough, I know human officials can be quite cold. Or so I’ve heard.” I say, trying to sympathize with her the best I knew how.

“Yes, they are definitely a cold group. However, this is not what you have come to me for. Please, continue with your question.” She said before setting down her mug gently.

“Ah.. yes, sorry about that. I wanted to ask about, well.. I heard that an apartment complex was in the works. Seeing as I will be working full-time here in town I wanted to ask if there was a way I could be considered for one of the units. Of course, I have thought about other monsters and the logistics of housing those who need it from those who still live Underground. I just… I wanted to know if there would be any way for me to be at the bottom of the list. Like, last for consideration as to not take a unit from a monster who could use it.” I began to ramble, the Queen’s nervous smile seeming to shift more comfortably into one of amusement.

“So,” She cut me off politely, “you wish to have residence here, but do not wish to obstruct another’s chance for housing?”, I nodded at her statement that was formulated as if it were a question.

“Absolutely. I figured that if there was a chance, at the very least, I wouldn’t be losing anything by asking.” I explain, and she nods before getting up from the table with her tea, sitting down in a reclining chair.

“Oh, do not worry. I will see to it that you get a unit. Or, at the very least, temporary housing until a unit has a confirmed availability.” She replied almost immediately, my eyes widening.

“Rea.. Really? I mean, I know it must be an inconvenience and I do have an apartment in the next town over so I could just-” I was cut off by the Queen raising her hand while she sipped her tea.

“Do not worry about the perceived inconvenience. If your lease ends within the month, I shall find you residence.” She said, her eyes still closed as she smiled sweetly.

“It does end at the start of next month, but… may I ask why you are willing to go through the trouble for someone you have just met?” I ask, sitting up straighter in my chair.

“I believe you to be a good person. That is, from what I have heard from my people.” She took another sip of her tea after speaking, my face contorting to confusion.

“I.. didn’t know anyone really.. perceived me further than my, uh, outward appearance.” I scratched the back of my neck as I spoke, my words pulling a soft laugh from her.

“Oh, my dear, a human in this community is nothing to just nod at. I heard about you the night you first appeared in town. Since then, I have heard and seen the things you have done for others.” She continued, making me think.

“I’ve… done things for others?” I asked with a curious expression, making her give another little laugh.

“Yes, you have. In short, you have treated my people normally. No malice, no contempt, and no fear. Other than that, Papyrus has talked highly of you since you helped him. As you are aware, he had a volume control issue that no one dared to point out to him. Except for you.” She said, a playful smile present that made me laugh nervously.

“His voice caught me off guard the first time I met him, I meant no ill-will by commenting on it. I kind of spoke before thinking.” I said, trying to appeal for my blunt comment I had made that day.

“Yes, as his voice used to do for most. At first, he had been angry at your comment and had seen you as disrespectful. Now, however, he attributes his recent success in diplomatic missions to your comment. He had also spoken of your apology, your admission of fault building his already established respect for you. With how highly he continued to speak of you within the presence of others at my table that day, I believe some others may have spread around a positive word or two. After all, the respect of my council head is not easily won.” As she explained, things started to click.

“Ok so then he did avoid me on purpose the first time out of anger. That, actually, is what I expected. The only thing that is surprising me there is the respect thing. Is it… really not that common to get an apology?” I ask, a nod answering my question.

“Not only that, but it is also the fact that no one has talked to Papyrus in such a manner since, well, he became the head of the royal guard when we all still resided underground.” She said, making me nod.

“That.. makes sense too. However, that’s still not quite.. well, reason to trust me. I know it seems admirable, but I would be a fool to let you trust me based on that event.” I said, looking down at my hands.

“Dear, you forget the night I first saw you.” She simple states, making me look back up at her now smug smile.

“I do have a pretty fleighty memory sometimes…” I mumble, making her nod slightly.

“Perhaps you just neglected to note down my presence that night. There were many monsters there, so I do not fault you. However, it was the night that you had returned those rings to Sans. My child had been the one to lead you through the room, it would seem.” She said this in a gentler tone.

“Oh wait I do remember… yeah, you were talking with him that day! Oh, I’m sorry for interrupting the two of you that day. I didn’t mean to, I just didn’t know how to really…” As my words died on my tongue, she shook her head.

“No worries, dear, your actions showed an integrity I have not seen in many I have met. Human or monster.” She then stood and smiled down at me, holding out her hand for me to take.

“Oh.. I see.” I said as I took her hand, being hoisted up from my chair gently.

From there, her and I walked to the door as we exchanged contact information and parting pleasantries. Outside the door, Papyrus was waiting. Once I came out, he exchanged parting words with the Queen as well. We had left after that, him asking about how it had went. He had not known the basis of the talk, but still seemed pleased to hear that the talk went well.

I was also very pleased that the talk went well.

Chapter Text

In the span of a few days, word of my eventual move-in was everywhere. The first people to congratulate me had been the two regulars; the armor-clad couple. While the two seemed hesitant to bring it up, they had done so in a welcoming fashion. The two had said something about how I was a human they didn’t mind joining the community, and how they trusted their Queen’s intuition. That first day of congratulations had been odd, but only due to the fact that most of my stops usually involved a simple greeting and money exchange. I heard varying opinions within the next couple days. From monsters saying they had no qualms about my presence to some monsters actively telling me I would make the community go to shit. At the end of it all, however, I couldn’t quite muster up any good responses no matter the comment.

Thinking back on the days prior as I continued to make deliveries, I realized I had yet to hear from Papyrus and Sans on the matter. The thought came from the fact that the two were on my delivery route for the first time in the week. As I approached their house, pizza in hand, the taller of the two was waiting on the front porch. Unusual as it was, I gave a wave and a smile as I walked up the stairs.

“Hey Papyrus, how’ve you been?” I ask as I stand next to him on the porch, pizza still hot in my hands.

“I have been well. I heard some intriguing news the other day from Queen Toriel.” Papyrus said, a light smile on his face.

“Oh yeah, I should’ve told you what the talk was about that day. Sorry man, I was a little distracted and didn’t get to mention it.” I hand him the pizza as I speak, giving him an apologetic look.

“Oh, do not fret, your fleeting memory is the least of my concerns. Actually, I surmise that you must still be waiting to hear from Queen Toriel about your housing arrangements, are you not?” The question was more of a statement, as if he knew something I didn’t.

“Yeah, I haven’t had an extra minute to go over and see her. My other job has been more demanding since I put in my two-weeks notice.” I say as I lean against the railing on the porch, Papyrus smiling triumphantly at my answer.

“I figured as much, for as great as I am, I am a magnificent observer. You see, Queen Toriel has granted me the duty of divulging such information to you, human.” Papyrus said, his self-assured boast seeming to make him stand even taller.

“Oh, really? That’s great. So…” I trailed off at the now smug expression his face harbored.

“Human. Behold,” He began before turning to the front door and opening it wide, “your new-temporary residence!”

Looking into the house, I stood there confused for a moment before realization dawned on me. My eyes widened and I looked from the door to Papyrus and back to the door. His smug smirk had turned to a proud smile, his chest puffed out and a hand resting against his hip. Looking back into the house, I noticed Sans walking over to the door and leaning against the door frame.

“The look on their face says you told ‘em.” Sans said to Papyrus before looking over at me again with a smirk, “Yer lucky we got a bathroom.”

“Sans, why in the good green earth would you mention the bathing room at this moment? You are ruining the surprise that is no doubt befuddling the human’s mind.” Papyrus said, looking at Sans with an unimpressed expression.

However, Sans’ words made me chuckle. I covered my mouth as to not let Papyrus see me laughing at the odd inside joke. Papyrus seemed oblivious to my amusement as he continued to shoo Sans away.

“I can show ‘em to their room instead of jus’ leavin’. You gotta get to work, dont’cha boss?” Sans asked, glancing inside to look at the clock in the hallway. Papyrus took an exaggerated glance at his own watch before nodding at the question.

“Yes, it would appear I have to head out now. Here, human, take these.” Papyrus spoke before handing me a set of keys, “This is your copy of keys. Now, I must leave to prevent tardiness.”

After saying so, Papyrus dug out his wallet and handing me a fifty dollar bill. He told me to keep the change before grabbing his bag and heading off. After the whole exchange, I put away the fifty and looked back over to Sans. I raised the pizza in my hand and looked to him with an eyebrow raised. He just looked down at the pizza before shrugging and walking back into the house, motioning for me to follow him. I sighed before smiling and following him inside, placing the pizza down on the coffee table once we walked into the living room.

“Any relish come with th’ pie?” He asked, his smile lazy and his posture more relaxed than usual.

“Nope, but if I had known about the housing thing I would’ve brought some.” I say, smiling at him as he shrugged.

“Eh, no big deal. You’ll just haveta bring some once ya start movin’ yer stuff in.” He said as he put his hands in his pockets.

“Noted. Anyway, what about that grand tour? I gotta get going here soon or Pernik might dock my pay.” I joked while Sans started moving toward the stairs.

“Seein’ as ya stayed here before, I’m guessin’ you jus’ need to know where the bathroom is. I’ll show ya where yer room is, jus’ in case yer shit memory fails ya.” He then started up the stairs, myself in tow.

“While my memory isn’t great, it isn’t tha–wait… were you listening to Papyrus and me earlier?” I asked, confusion evident on my face.

“I mean, ya big mouth makes it pretty easy t’ hear ya. Th’ walls aren’t that thick, ya’know?” He chuckled to himself as he teased me, and I let out a heavy sigh while rolling my eyes.

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Anyway, this the bathroom?” I asked as we finished climbing the stairs, pointing to the door to our left.

“Nah, that’s Pap’s room. Th’ bathroom is down there.” Sans said, pointing down the hallway to the furthest door.

“Ah, good thing we decided on having the mini-tour.” I said, chuckling slightly out of embarrassment.

“Yeah, Pap’s would be pissed if ya mistook his room for th’ bathroom.” He joked, making me hold back a laugh.

“You’re shitting me, right?” I joked back, making him chuckle a bit.

“Heh, good one.” He said, then suddenly a meow resounded.

“Huh?” I looked down, seeing a sleek black cat looking up at me.

It meowed again and I smiled down at it, crouching down and offering my hand to it. It sniffed my hand before rubbing against it, meowing as it did so.

“Oh, yeah, tha’s Spawn. She’s Pap’s cat.” Sans said, crouching down and petting her softly.

“‘Spawn’? That’s an interesting name. Where’d he get the inspiration?” I asked, a bit confused by the name choice.

“He was watchin’ a horror movie an’ some old guy called this scary kid ‘satan’s spawn’. After he looked i’ up, he deemed it a fear-provokin’ name. If ya ask me, though, this cat’s kinda a sweetheart.” He said, petting the cat again before standing back up.

“She is sweet..” I say, continuing to pet her until she decided to walk away, “Anyway, my memory isn’t doing me any favors at the moment. Where was that guest room I’m staying in again?”

“Oh right, i’s this one.” He said, walking up to the door next to Papyrus’.

“Cool cool. Anyway, I do have to head back now. Thanks for the memory refresher. I’ll probably start moving in my stuff this Thursday.” I said while making my way downstairs in a bit of a hurry after checking the clock.

“See ya!” Sans had called out as I hurried out the door, closing it behind me.

-~-~-

The rest of the day went by fast, and as I left the establishment with Pernik he had turned to me.

“You know, I sometimes wonder why you decide to stay behind and help me close up when you are so pressed for freetime.” He said, looking at me with a brow raised.

“Well, you know, extra hour of working means an extra hour of money. But, I guess it’s also because no one is really waiting for me at home? All I’m gonna do is go to sleep once I get back. I don’t really need the extra hour of laying in bed on my phone.” I said truthfully, shrugging as I began to walk toward the parking lot with Pernik.

“When I was your age, kid, I rushed home just so I had time to spend on my hobbies.” He said as he looked over at me.

“I mean, making money is my hobby so..” I said with a chuckle, making Pernik sigh.

“I’m just saying… you shouldn’t have to worry so much about money. You’re young, you should be living more. Just.. let me know if you ever need time off, ok? While we need the extra hands, I want to make sure my staff isn’t working themselves to an early grave.” He spoke, his words solid as we stopped next to his car.

“I know, I know. I just… working helps distract me from a lot. I also benefit from the extra money in this money-hungry place so, there’s that.” I scratch the back of my neck as I speak, Pernik getting into his car.

“Just.. think about it, ok? I wont pitch a fit if you request some time off for your move.” With that, he started his car and drove off.

Pernik’s words left me with more questions than answers. The most prominent question being: why did he care? From what I’ve heard about the Underground before the monsters surfaced, it was kill or be killed. Survival of the fittest. Why worry about someone who was just barely surviving? Why go out of his way for some adult who adhered to survival in a society that ate the poor and fed the rich? It made no sense.

As for the time being, some things are better left alone.

Chapter Text

The day of the move came faster than I anticipated, leaving me to finish up packing a whole two hours before the moving truck was supposed to be in the parking lot. Of course, this meant that I would end up making multiple trips due to the ill preparation. Things that weren’t in boxes would become the biggest issue, especially since I had left procuring boxes on the back burner. I had been stuck with a mere twenty boxes. No way I would be taking everything of mine. Although downsizing was a sore spot for me, I had to get rid of most of my wardrobe and knick knacks due to the lack of space. I hardly had money to pay rent previously, therefore money was not something haphazardly spent on a storage unit I would never visit.

While in the middle of packing a few important pieces that were older than me, my phone begins to ring. The ringtone is unfamiliar and as I look at the caller ID, there is no name to wane my curiosity. I debate picking it up, but decide I should since the area code was the same as my own.

“Uh, hello?” I ask, my voice uncharastically low and hushed.

“Yo. Got yer number from Paps. ‘t’s Sans, if ya couldn’t tell.” The mystery unfolded without much engagement on my part.

“Oh, hey man. What’s up?” I ask while putting the phone on speaker and getting back to my packing.

“Nothin’ much. Just kinda.. Checkin’ in? ‘t’s been like, awhile since Paps ‘as heard from ya. He was frettin’ and asked me to call an’ make sure you were still movin’ in today.” He explained, making me chuckle a bit.

“He’s a big softy, worrying about me will just get him all bent out of shape. Sorry about the lack of communication from me, I’ve been trying to stay away from my phone recently. Not too good for my noggin.” I say, closing up the box securely.

“Good, good. Yeah, I’ll let ‘im know.” For a moment, there is an awkward silence, “I mean, he also told me ta’, uh, ask if ya needed any help movin’.”.

“Oh,” Perplexed by this, I hesitated before answering, “I don’t wanna put you out of your way, but I mean, having someone help me move these heavy-ass boxes wouldn’t hurt.”.

“Cool, I’ll be over ina bit, jus’ send me tha’ address.” Then, he hung up.

Odd phone call aside, gaining a hand would be pretty helpful. However, it’s perplexing as to why Sans called instead of Papyrus. Pushing my curiosity aside, I send the address to the number. After staring at the text for a minute too long, I decided to save it in my contacts. Just a simple contact with his name and a skull emoji next to it. Simple and to the point, nothing else fit him quite as well.

+~+~+~+

Packing was just about finished by the time I heard the knock. Getting up was a challenge due to my numb legs, but I managed. Walking as if on pins and needles due to the better blood flow, I got to the door and opened it. I had only been expecting Sans so, it was quite the surprise when I saw Frisk standing behind him. They were slightly taller than him, so he didn’t quite conceal the kid by merely slouching in front of them.

“Oh cool, hey kid. Didn’t expect you too, but more hands are always appreciated.” I say, my words being followed by Frisk using some ASL.

“Ya can’t understand them, can ya?” Sans asked as I cocked my head in confusion.

“Ever so slightly.. I mean, I’ve seen and tried to learn ASL before, but I never had the real motivation to learn so.. you know.” I said with an awkward smile.

“‘t’s fine, Frisk can jus’ leave the communicatin’ ta me. I’m th’ superior one here, after all.” He joked, making Frisk deadpan.

“Heh,” I laugh a little, then move on, “Anyway, I’m surprised you didn’t pop a knock knock joke when I opened the door. I was ready to play along too. Oh well.” I shrug and turn around, walking further into the small apartment.

“Shit, I missed a good opportunity.” He said, him and Frisk walking in after me.

“Anyway, these are the boxes. Anything not in a box, just ignore. I got what I need packed. Oh, except for those bags. They have my clothes in them. I’d rather have those with me.” I say, picking up two boxes.

“Ya sure? Th’ stuff on the walls seem kinda important..” Sans mumbled, looking around the room at the old picture frames.

“Ah.. yeah, just ignore them for now. I can pick out the important ones later. Like I said, just ignore them for now.” I said, smiling awkwardly once more.

“Alright then..” Sans said, looking as though he was curious, yet didn’t push it.

As we all grabbed boxes and hauled them down the stairs and to the truck, Sans would ask little questions, some of which he translated for Frisk. At one point, Frisk asked why I wanted to move. My answer was that things were complicated. In my heart, though, I knew it was because I needed to stop killing myself by driving so far for work every day and actually be more social. The move gave me a bigger reason to be, and a better schedule. However, I didn’t want to disclose that just yet, if ever really. My lack of social interaction and friendship wasn’t something I just loosely paraded around for the world to see. I had disclosed, however, the fact rent wasn’t cheap. The fact I actually took the initiative to move out was a big step on my part, a step in the right direction. Or, at least I hope it will be.

As we finished up putting everything in the back of the truck, I sighed deeply. I was relieved that I didn’t have to do everything myself and that this wasn’t too bad with two other people.

“Hey, I’m gonna go back and make sure I have everything I need. Just double check some cords aren’t plugged in and whatnot.” I say, urging the two to get into Sans’ car and just head out.

After watching the two head to the car, I head back up to the apartment and stare at the pictures on the walls. One specifically caught my eye. Grabbing it off the wall, I let out a sigh.

“Damn, Anne… why aren’t you answering? And why..” Thinking out loud wasn’t something I did often, but it was something I gravitated toward when I was more confused.

Anne, my best friend, the one I trusted with everything all the time. After she left for college, I always tried to be positive, but things got worse once she left. Living got harder. In that moment, I wondered if I should just throw away the picture. After all, I hadn’t heard a single thing from her in awhile. No matter how much I reached out, I was ignored.

“Why what?” I jumped when I heard a voice behind me, turning around instantly.

“Fuck, Sans! You startled me, man.” I said, breathing out softly.

“Eh, anyway, that one a’ th’ important pictures? Or are ya wantin’ ta pitch it?” Sans asked, walking over to me and looking down at the picture.

The picture itself wasn’t much, just a picture of Anne and I dancing at prom together. The atmosphere happy and light as we both were smiling while our limbs were blurred. That night was a fun one, but it ended sour, as nights usually did when we went to any kind of school function.

“Just a prom picture.” I said, subconsciously pulling the frame away from him.

“Ah, I see, an old fling?” He asked, looking up at me.

“No.” I said immediately, my face heating up slightly, “An old friend. Nothing more.”.

“Yer face says a ‘nother story. Bet ya were th’ one tha’ got rejected.” He said, chuckling at himself.

“Dude, uncalled for. I was the pussy purveyor in high school, for your information.” A boldfaced lie.

“Uh, never say tha’ again.” He said, visibly cringing from my word usage.

“Yeah, yeah, you’re just jealous I got serious tail while you probably had zero rizz.” I say, continuing on in a joking manner.

“Shut th’ fuck up, yer soundin’ like a child.” Sans said as he dug his elbow into my side, causing me to drop the frame I was holding.

Before the frame could hit the floor, after I failed to grab the frame mid-air, Sans did something with his magic. The frame lighting up in a red glow, hovering just above the floor. Looking over at him, I noticed his slightly panicked expression, sweat starting to bead on his forehead. Just as soon as I registered his reaction and magic usage, he set the frame down and returned to his normal and laid back expression.

“Sorry, f’got ya were holdin’ a frame.” He said, then turned around and began walking out, “See ya at th’ house.”

Leaving me in silence, to process what just happened and his rather odd reaction. I just let it go, though, instead putting my energy into grabbing the frame and walking out of the apartment.

Life is weird, and these monsters I know don’t make it any less interesting.

Chapter Text

After moving into the guest room, getting rid of a couple extra things, and squandering away more things in the garage, I was finally moved in. Well, except for the couple of boxes that sat in the side of my room and the bags of my clothes I had no motivation to put away. The most important thing was that I had my bed and my computer set up. Suddenly, a knock resounds from my door, my eyes rolling once I hear a gruff voice behind the door.

“Knock, knock.”

“I’ll bite. Who’s there?” I respond, chuckling softly at the expected behavior from the short skeleton.

“Ion.” He answers back.

“Ion who?” I ask, walking to the door and grabbing the handle.

“Ion know what yer doin’ in there, but lemme in.” He finishes the joke just as I open the door, shaking my head at him.

“You know I’m unpacking, c’mon, you can do better than that.” I say with a smile, leaning against the doorframe as I notice the fluff of his jacket flaring for just a second.

“Yeah right, tha’ one was golden.” He said, huffing as his face was dusted in the slightest red.

“If it was that good, you wouldn’t have to defend it.” I countered, chuckling slightly as I slipped out of the way and motioned for him to come in, “By the way, does your jacket just randomly do that thing?”

“Huh? What thing?” He asks as he looks down at his jacket, patting it twice before continuing to walk into the room.

“You know, the flaring up thing. I noticed it yesterday while you were in my place the other day too. Just kinda glanced past it since, you know, we were busy. But it happened when you used your magic to save my picture.” I said, taking a seat on my bed as I watched him walk into the room.

“Ah, well, ‘t’s connected to ma magic. Nothin’ too complex ‘bout it.” He answered while plopping down onto my gaming chair.

“Well then why would it flare up when I called out your horrible joke?” I ask, swinging my feet a bit.

“Wha.. Dude, shut up.” He said while looking around the room and then back at me.

Noticeably, his jacket fluff got bigger for a couple seconds.

“Ah, so it’s connected to your emotions. Good to know, now I’ll know when to keep pushing your buttons.” I said, smiling at him deviously.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever ya say. Just don’ f’get who owns th’ house.” He said, glaring at me in what I can only assume is a joking manner.

“Don’t worry, I’m well aware that Papyrus owns the house, and I bet he’d pick me as a housemate over you.” I joke back, the both of us just chuckling at the stupid back and forth.

“Anyway, Paps wanted ya downstairs. Said he had a’ surprise fer ya.” He said, getting up and stuffing his hands back into his pockets.

“Oh, cool. I’ll be down in just a second. Gotta finish up something up here before I forget about it.” I say, getting off the bed and grabbing one of the boxes I was fiddling with.

“Alright, I’ll let ‘im know.” Sans said before walking out of my room.

After Sans left, I began to wonder about the surprise and what it could potentially be. Probably something small, or needlessly grand in size and presentation. I decided soon that the knick knacks could be arranged later, and that the gnawing curiosity needed to be satiated. As I am walking down the staircase, Spawn, Pap’s cat, runs up the stairs. She stops right in front of me to meow, then blots up the stairs. I chuckle at the zoomie behavior as I walk down the rest of the stairs.

“Hey man, where is that surprise you were talking about?” I ask, plopping myself next to Sans on the couch.

“Right here!!” Papyrus enunciates as he struts into the room, a rather larger box in his hands.

“Oh, a box.. Wait, is that one of the boxes I used to-” I was cut off.

“Behold!” He interrupts me with a louder tone, setting the box into my lap. “Open it!”

“Alright..” I said, focused on the box now in my lap, opening it slowly.

“I had no idea what color you would like, so I picked a superior one!” Papyrus rambles on as I raise the hand-knit sweater out of the box.

Taking in the sight, I notice the many skipped loops and accidental cinching. However, despite the many errors, the sweater looked quite adorable. A red sweater with black cuffs, an interesting sweater design considering the cuffs were the only thing knitted in black. After studying the sweater for a long minute and leaving Papyrus on the edge of his seat, I gave him a sincere smile.

“Thanks Papyrus, I love it. I think I might even wear it..” Pausing for effect, I quickly pulled the sweater over my head, “right now!”

“The perfect response, for if you had hated it, I would have never given you another gracious and time-consuming gift!” Papyrus said with pride, a hand held over where a heart would be, and where his soul most likely resided.

“Well, I appreciate gifts like this the most. They’re carefully crafted and take up more time than buying a gift. What technique did you use to make it? Knitting or..?” I asked, interested in Pap’s crafting ability.

As the conversation continued, Pap told me about how he had crocheted it and how crocheting was superior to knitting. His reasoning being something along the lines of how much more durable crocheted items were than knitted ones. He continued to ramble on about how his technique was unique, more special than others due to his special knots that did not exist outside of his skull. The conversation kept me captivated as I listened to his rant about his special interest. I had snuck a glance over at Sans as Paps continued, noticing he had dozed off. I also noticed that his jacket fluff seemed almost flat, as if he was in a state of complete vulnerability.

His fluff had reminded me of a cat that was always ready to fight when he was awake, but now it reminded me of a sleeping kitten. Completely smoothed out and silky, with the occasional flare here and there, as I assumed was due to dreams. Tuning back into Pap’s rant, I noticed he had gone silent. Looking back at him, I became a tad bit embarrassed by the fact Pap was staring at me while I was staring at Sans.

“Ah.. sorry Papyrus, I just kinda.. Sans’ jacket does a thing where it flares almost all the time so I just.. Sorry man, I got sidetracked by my own line of thought.” I said, my explanation disjointed and awkward.

“It is quite alright, however, I do want to know something.” Papyrus stated, catching me a bit off guard.

“Oh? What’d you wanna know?” I asked, observing as Papyrus took a glance at Sans before looking back at me.

“Mmm, perhaps this question will serve more significance later on.” He said before taking the now empty box away from me and placing it on the table.

“What?” I asked, a bit confused now.

“Oh, nevermind my rambling. My question shall be answered in due time by observation and patience.” As he spoke, his monologue reminded me of a wise character from a quest-based game.

“Alright then.. Anyway, I need to go unpack more. It was nice talking with you, and thank you again for the gift. I’ll make sure to take good care of it and keep it nice and fluffy.” I said with a smile as I stood up.

“Good luck in your unpacking venture, I will be down in the kitchen making dinner if you shall need my superior decorating skills,” Paps said before turning around and walking to the kitchen, “and please wake my brother, he has things to do today and I do not want him lazing out of them.”

“Sounds like a plan.” I responded, then I turned to Sans and placed a soft hand onto his shoulder.

Within an instant, his sockets opened and his always red eye flare along with his jacket fluff. Suddenly, I was slammed against the nearby wall by an unseen force. The air in my lungs suddenly was shoved out as I hit the wall, sliding down it as I started to cough harshly. Once Sans realized who I was, he immediately came to my side.

“Shit! ‘m sorry kid! Force a’ habit..” He said, sweat beading off his skull more often than usual.

“Nah, nah.. Should’ve seen it coming..” I said, coughing slightly less frequently after catching my breath.

The two of us stayed in silence as Sans helped me up, bringing me over to the couch.

“Sans! What have you done to our new tenant!?” As soon as Pap stomped into the room after hearing the noise, he immediately asked Sans for answers.

“Papyrus, I’m good.. Don’t worry too much about it. It was my fault for trying to wake him by shaking him.” I explained, remembering stories I had heard from Pernik about the underground and the serious PTSD most monsters faced.

“You are not ‘good’! You look like a truck hit you!” Papyrus commented, coming over to my side and pushing Sans aside.

“Look, really.. I’ll be good. It just startled me a bit, that’s all.” I tried to de-escalate the tension building in the living room.

“Sans! You could have hurt them! You know the peace agreement Queen Toriel put into place! One word to anyone outside of the community of this and the humans would force us back!” As Papyrus scolded Sans, I noticed Sans start to visibly shrink back into his jacket as the fluff on his jacket began to dissipate.

“Papyrus! It’s no one’s fault, don’t lecture him about it, I doubt he meant any ill will by it and I assure you I wouldn’t tell anyone about this.” I said while I got up, feeling a bit better after sitting for a little bit.

“I really am sorry, kid.. The boss ‘as got a point. I shouldn’t ‘ave let my guard down like tha’.” Sans said, avoiding eye contact with either of us.

“Seriously, Sans, I don’t care about it. You both don’t need to worry about it. You have shown me kindness and it’s my fault for catching you off guard like that.” I apologized, stepping closer to Sans as I looked at him sympathetically.

Without another word, Sans walked off. Before he walked off, however, he had given me the same sympathetic look. After Sans was gone, Papyrus continued to apologize for his brother’s misstep. I emphasized to him that it wasn’t that important and that we could just pretend it didn’t happen. I left out the fact I knew about the PTSD some monsters had faced due to the situation underground, not wanting to overstep.

“Papyrus, I understand your concern for the peace treaty and for your people, but listen to me. You and Sans have provided me with a room in your house, food, and you’ve been plenty hospitable to me. This is nothing more than a bump in the road. It was scary, yes, but it will now stay in the past and I will be more careful approaching Sans when he’s asleep.” I said, doing my best to calm Papyrus down.

“I.. trust you, human. However, I worry for the monsters in my community. They cannot go back to the ways things were. Even with such a small stretch of earth we have been granted, it has given the monsters hope. Hope for a better and more accepting future.. Your arrival only granting us with more. An outsider with no connection to us monsters, actively wanting to be around the lot of us.. It is a large step in the right direction. So, as former head of the royal guard and Queen Toriel’s new right hand for peace keeping, I cannot react lightly to any transgressions against humans. Accidental or not.” Papyrus explained, my heart heavy as he spoke.

“I promise, while I am here, I will help everyone strive past the limits of this community. I didn’t understand just how important this all was for.. everyone. But please don’t be angry with Sans. I know things are different up here, and I don’t like seeing anyone wrongfully punished for actions beyond their own control.” I said, my hand over my heart in sincerity.

Papyrus looked at me for a long while before sighing deeply, placing a hand on top of my head.

“You remind me of the human in that way.” Was all he said before walking back to the kitchen.

Not wasting another minute, I went up to Sans’ room to smooth things over on his half. Knocking, I got no response. I didn’t just walk in, but I did continue to knock rather loudly. Soon, I heard a grumble from the other side of the door. I knocked again, slightly softer this time.

“Knock knock.” I said, continuing to stand outside of the door

“Listen, kid, ‘m sorry-” before he could continue his sentence, I cut him off.

“-You’re supposed to say ‘who’s there’.” I interjected, making him huff out.

“A’right. Who’s there?” He asked, his voice muffled through the door.

“Peas.” I continued, leaning against the door.

“Peas who?” He answered back, his tone skeptical.

“Peas open the door.” After delivering the punchline, the door slowly opened. This gave me enough time to shift my weight to the door frame instead.

“An’ you say my jokes ‘re shitty.” He said, the door fully open now.

“I never said I was any good at them.” I responded, smiling at him.

“... you’re odd.” He mumbled, still standing at the door.

“Odd? Or just such a nice person with a good soul?” I teased, making him sigh.

“I’ll give ya that one.” He muttered, still looking down.

“Sans, would you look at me?” I asked, still looking at the top of his sweaty skull and the diminished fluff around his shoulders.

Finally, Sans lifted his head. His expression was nervous as his eyes wandered behind me, as if something interesting was there. Something more interesting than a black railing.

“Sans, I’m not mad. I’m not even concerned. Maybe a bit startled, but not scared.” I began to explain, “But I am worried about you, man. I could tell that was a reflex. Now, I’m not trying to pry or get any information out of you, just know I’m here.”

“Yeah.. I’ll remember that.” He grumbled out, looking down again.

“Please, if you need to talk to anyone, I’m here. Unbiased as ever.” I punctuated the end of my little speech firmly, making Sans sigh.

“Ok.” Was all he said before beginning to close the door, only to have my hand stop it from closing.

“Wanna help me with putting up my knick-knacks?” I asked, not wanting to leave him alone right now.

He looked confused for a second, looking at my face to probably scope out any signs of pity or fear. When he apparently didn’t find whatever he was looking for, his expression softened back into his relaxed one.

“Sure, but I gotta be at the store ‘round three.” He said, stepping out of his room and following me to mine.

As we got to my room, I continued to ramble on about each knick-knack, not matter how stupid the stories were. I found that this eased Sans, the fluff on his jacket going back to its normal flickering. As the day went on, I saw Sans out before he left for the store. Papyrus had been observing us as we went downstairs, joking here and there. I noticed him almost immediately once the two of us walked down, greeting him after sending Sans on his way. Paps seemed more at ease, compared to earlier. Seemingly due to the peace that Sans and I came to.

Monster or human, I came to the conclusion that everyone has their complexities.

Chapter Text

It felt like an eon had passed once everything was unpacked. However, looking at the time, it had been roughly four hours. I pondered having a celebratory drink; the fact I didn’t have to go back to work until Friday made the thought even more tempting. All in all, wednesday night drinking wasn’t shunned here, what with all the monsters who frequented Grillby’s every other night. Glancing back at my phone’s clock, it was ten past six, a pretty reasonable hour for drinking. Therefore, I decided a drink was a great idea.

Setting out after throwing on a jacket and grabbing my wallet, I locked the front door using my key. Papyrus went out an hour ago to grab something in the human town and Sans hadn’t been back home yet so, it was up to me to keep the house fortified before going out.

Once I had gotten to Grillby’s, I noticed the sign on top of the building had a light out. Grillby was probably aware of it, but I’d mention it while buying a drink just in case. As I walked through the doors, I noticed a couple things. The first being that the place was pretty empty, and the second being a slumped over Sans on a barstool. Remembering the events that had played out earlier, I carefully approached and leaned over the bar before I ordered my drink and sat down right next to Sans.

“Hey man. When did you get back? I didn’t hear anything being put away in the kitchen.” I said, settling into my seat.

“Ah, yeah, ‘bout an hour ago. Th’ groceries are put away, don’ worry.” He responded, making me even more curious.

“Oh cool, you’re pretty quiet. That, or the house just has thicker walls than my last place.” I said with a smile as I was slid my drink.

“Yeah, th’ house is pretty insulated, not many sounds get past any of th’ rooms.” He stated, then he looked over toward me.

And winked.

Disguising my shock with an abrupt chuckle, covering my mouth with the back of my hand. He seemed to chuckle with me, before taking a long sip of his own drink. I took the first sip of my own drink before looking back at Sans, trying to ignore the obvious flirt he had sent my way. After all, it was probably just a call to attention to point out how suggestive his words had sounded.

“Anyway, how was the market trip? Three hours sounds pretty excessive for just some food.” I took another sip after speaking.

“Huh? Ah, well, had some other stuff t’ do before that. Anyway, got all yer shit unpacked?” Sans asked, making me nod.

The conversation continued like that, light and mundane. I noticed that Sans had another drink after downing the rest of the one he had when I walked in. By the time I had my second drink, he was done his new one as well. This made me wonder how many drinks he had already had before I wandered in. Either way, as I got halfway through my second drink, I began to feel a bit ballsy.

“What’re you drinking anyway?” I asked Sans, making him swirl the rocks glass in his gloved hand.

“Jus’ some whiskey mixed with coke. Nothin’ special.” He answered, glancing into the dark liquor for a long minute.

“Whiskey, huh? Half and half or like, one fourth whiskey and the rest cola?” I asked, making Sans shrug.

“‘Dunno. Jus’.. drinkin’ it. You prolly got some fruity drink or somethin’, I bet.” Sans said, looking back at me.

“Hey, hey, that’s a whiskey assumption there, big guy.” I joked, getting a deep laugh from Sans.

“Heh, wasn’t expectin’ that. I think tha’ one was one of th’ better ones.” He said, holding his drink up toward me.

Enjoying the praise from the punny guy, I clinked my drink with his. We then both chugged the rest of our respective alcoholic beverages.

“Man, based off the first time I remember meeting you, I never would’ve thought we’d be drinking and joking together.” I said, placing my now empty glass on the bar.

“Yeah, me neither. Y’know.. I never did tell ya what ya said that first night, did I?” Sans asked, making me look over at him with intrigue.

“No, you haven’t. And honestly, it was kinda eating me up for awhile until I just kinda forgot about it.” I answered, clearly interested in hearing anything about that night I was blackout drunk.

“Well, ya kinda.. Made a terrible pun about my eyes being an ‘IKEA’ and how-”

“-Stop, I don’t wanna hear it.”

“Nah, yer gonna hear it. You said ya could get lost in ‘em. O’ course, I have no fuckin’ clue what an ‘IKEA’ is. But, it made me laugh cause, I ain’t got eyes. Then, ya passed out on the bar.” He finished, barking out a laugh at the last bit.

My face felt hot as I looked away, shaking my head in embarrassment.
“Yeah, yeah, drunk me isn’t the.. most smart version of me.” I said, my eyes still downcast as I reeled myself back in from the new and embarrassing information.

“Ya can say that twice, thought I’d never getcha t’ stop flirtin’ with me that night.” Sans said, another glass being placed in front of him.

“Sorry man, it must’ve been annoying. I know I’m not a fan of drunk flirts.” I answered with, feeling a tab more embarrassed.

“Wasn’t that bad, better than gettin’ death threats.” He said, taking a swig of his latest drink.

“True, but I didn’t even know if you had someone or something. Never been one to flirt with new people so openly, just because I don’t know if they’re taken. Well, that and anxiety.” I said, beginning to ramble slightly due to the alcohol working its way through my system.

“Ya’ prolly got one good look at me and decided I didn’t have nobody.” He said with a chuckle.

“Yeah right, I mean, by all accounts you’re pretty good looking. I mean, by my standards, at least.” I said, being passed another drink by Grillby.

This comment gave pause to our conversation on Sans’ part. I just picked up my new drink and took a sip. After putting my drink down, I looked over to see Sans just kind of looking at me. His head was slightly tilted, and his posture was straighter than it had been.

“You good, man?” I asked, putting my drink down and cocking an eyebrow at him.

“Yeah, yeah..” He mumbled before quickly downing the rest of his latest drink.

As the conversation lulled, I started trying to polish off my own drink. Then, suddenly, I heard Sans squabbling with Grillby. Not that Grillby said anything. Looking over, I just saw Grillby shaking his head, with his arms crossed.

“Bullshit! Grillby, since when ‘ave you given a shit ‘bout my drink count?” Sans asked, the fluff of his jacket flaring.

Grillby was silent, but glanced in my direction before looking back at Sans before simply walking away. This made Sans scoff and get up, wobbling a bit.

“Whatever.. Got some booze at home, anyway..” He grumbled, and I got up too.

“You’re wobbling, Sans.” I said in a hushed tone as I followed him outside of the bar.

“Yeah? And you’re-! … Well, fuck you.” He said, very eloquently.

I just rolled my eyes and continued to follow him home.

“How many drinks did you have anyway?” I asked, pulling out the house keys now to save time later.

“Er.. ‘bout.. Six..? Maybe seven? I dunno! Stop askin’!” He growled out, hands retreating even further into his pockets.

“That’s.. A lot, Sans. Are you alright?” I asked, slowing down slightly.

“I’m jus’ fuckin’ fine!” He exclaimed, walking faster.

“Sans, I’m worried. That’s a lot and with what happened earlier I-”

“-Shut the fuck up.” His bluntness caught me off guard, but the alcohol in my system wasn’t about to give him a break.

“No, Sans, you obviously need to talk about this. Or at least.. Talk it out in general.” I said, almost walking right into him when he suddenly stopped.

“No, you can’t say that shit. Ya got no fuckin’ right to talk to me about anythin’ regardin’ my actions. You act all fuckin’ high and mighty jus’ cause yer a human an’ ya can do whatever ya want.” Sans had turned around to jab a finger into my chest, the clawed phalange feeling less harsh under his mittens.

“Sans..” I took in a breath and just let out a deep sigh, eliciting a deeper frown from him now.

His jacket fluff never looked bigger.

“Again! Huffin’ and puffin’ cause things don’ go yer way! Y’know, in the underground, shit like that got ya killed. Hell, less than that got people I cared about killed! Right in front of my fuckin’ sockets.. So don’t tell me shit about how I’m s’posed ta live my life.” He spat out, taking a slight step back.

I could only tell now, but the red glow in his left eye accentuated the magic tears that had formed at the base of his sockets. If his words hadn’t made me feel like shit, the sight of him in tears sure had.

“Sans.. Sans, I’m sorry.. I didn’t mean to-I just..” I didn’t know what to say, my brain was foggy due to the alcohol and I was overcome by new information.

Without another word, he turned around and just.. vanished.

The rest of the walk home was quiet. I was trying to process everything without a clear mind. When I eventually got to the front door, I unlocked it and walked in. After closing the door behind me, I walked up the stairs. I saw Papyrus’ room light on so I tried to be as quiet as I could. I stood in front of Sans’ door for a second, debating if I should knock or not.

I decided not to, he needed his space.

So, I went to my room and looked at my bed. Small, but big enough to fit me. The walls of my room were decorated with a couple things, but looked almost barren. The picture frame from the apartment hung neatly on the wall. Everything that had happened weighed on my SOUL, I could hardly help the tears that pooled in my eyes. Unintentionally hurting a friend was never easy, but it was worse when that friend was just starting to come around. I laid in my bed and looked up at the ceiling for a little while, before turning on my side and closing my eyes.

~+~+~+~

I don’t remember going to sleep, but when I woke up, I remembered the night before. My head was pounding from the minute I opened my eyes, so I got up and went to the bathroom. I grabbed some headache medicine, popping some into my mouth and downing it by leaning into the sink and drinking from the tap. Once I stood back up straight, I began to get ready for the day.

After getting dressed, I walked out of my room and straight into Papyrus. I looked up at him and smiled before taking a step back.

“Hey Papyrus, what’s up?” I asked, finally noticing the strained expression on his face.

“Hello.. I couldn’t help but notice you and Sans were out when I got home.” Papyrus said, I nodded at his statement.

“Yeah.. we went to Grillby’s. Well, he was there before I was. I just kinda met him there randomly.” I said, making Papyrus sigh.

“Well, I.. have a question.” He said, my head tilting ever so slightly at his words.

“Alright, what do you need to know?” I asked, making Papyrus look over toward Sans’ door before leaning down closer to my ear.

“Sans didn’t.. drink too much, did he?” He whispered, well, tried his best to.

“He did, but.. Grillby cut him off after the sixth one I think.” I said, making Papyrus stand back up and let out a relieved sigh.

“Ah, good, good. Anyway, I wanted to say something else. I wanted to discuss the chore chart with you later. Are there any chores you are particularly good at that I should take into account when making my draft?” He asked, continuing our small conversation.

Soon, Papyrus left and I was left wondering about Sans. I wondered if he had left his room yet, or if he used that vanishing thing to leave his room undetected. I wasn’t sure if he worked today so there was no gauge I could go by with looking at the time. So, I decided to walk over to his door and knock.

After I knocked, I heard a bit of shuffling on the other side. Then, silence. So, I knocked a second time. This time, there was groaning and some steps. Once the door slid open slowly, I saw that his room was very dark. I assumed he had black out curtains. Once Sans was within my vision, I noticed the distinct lack of his jacket. He had on a white tank top that rather suited him. He looked tired.

“Whaddaya want?” He asked, his browbones pointed in a glare.

“Ah.. just wanted to see if you need anything. Like water, or medicine..” I said, awkwardly trying to keep eye contact.

“... Nah, I’m good.” He said, his glare letting up.

We stood there just looking at each other for a second too long; shifting my gaze away from him as I felt out of place.

“I’ll just.. go get breakfast.” I said awkwardly, beginning to walk off before a hand wrapped around my wrist.

“Wait, shit.. Look, I’m not.. I’m not mad at ya. Ok? I jus’.. get combative when I drink. Don’ worry ‘bout last night.” He had scrambled to find his words, his eyelight glued to my wrist where his hand was.

“Sans.. I’m sorry about what I said and that I pushed. Last night wasn’t your fault.” I reassured him, turning to face him fully as I placed my hand over his that was still holding onto my wrist.

We stood like that for a minute before his face began to glow a faint red. This fascinated me, but I tried not to think about it. It was probably his way of blushing, showing embarrassment. Then, he let go of my wrist before looking up at me again. I gave him a soft smile, his face seeming to become slightly more red at that.

“Anyway, I’ll see you later? I gotta check the chore chart Papyrus is making. Don’t wanna end up getting something like taking out the trash.” I joked, making Sans chuckle and successfully breaking the rest of the tension from earlier.

I was glad that Sans didn’t hate me for pushing.

Chapter Text

I was sitting in the living room while scrolling through a few apps on my phone when I heard the door open. Looking over, I notice that one of the people strolling through the door is Papyrus. The next person I see is Frisk. Finally, the last person I see is the Queen, well, Queen Toriel.

“Are you sure about hosting this year’s party again? I do not want to cause one of my most esteemed advisors any stress.” Toriel said as she walked behind her child.

“Of course not, Queen Toriel! After all, last year’s party was nothing less than a success! I would be honored to take on the roll of party planner!” Papyrus spoke louder than the new normal, closer to his old tone.

“I understand, Papyrus, but do let me help you with the cleaning after. To at least lighten the load of planning and executing the party. You shouldn’t be cleaning up as well.” She continued, their conversation going on for a bit longer as Frisk met my gaze.

Frisk had come over to the couch I was sitting on and sat next to me. They didn’t say anything, of course, but that didn’t stop them from taking out their cellphone and writing a brief explanation of what was being discussed between the other two.

*The second anniversary for the monsters breaking through the barrier is coming up in a few days. They’re making celebration arrangements.

“Oh! What day is the anniversary?” I asked, making Frisk delete their previous words and type a new sentence.

*This upcoming Sunday. Also, the reason mom is so focused on having it somewhere else or helping clean is because last year’s was REALLY messy.

“I get that, parties are always a bit messy. Just thinking about how many people are in this town.. That party would be big. However.. Is this house big enough for that big of a party?” I asked, making Frisk shake their head.

*No, but the backyard is. Have you seen it?

“I have, but I haven’t had a good reason to go and check it out closer. Is it really that big?”

*It’s about half the size of a football field. That’s because Papyrus needed a place to train, even if he isn’t fighting anymore.

“Makes sense. Did he map out the backyard himself?”

*Yeah, but Sans did most of the calculating. Papyrus built it. It was a team effort between the two, they’ve been closer ever since they did that together.

“The two of them weren’t this close before?”

*They had their differences. It took them awhile to actually realize the other was a being with their own struggles and hardships. It took everyone awhile to gain back empathy in general.

“I’ve heard as much..” As I trailed off, I looked back over to Toriel and Papyrus.

The two seemed to be done discussing the bigger matters, going into the kitchen together to probably make some tea. I looked back over to Frisk as they stood up and walked after the two. I sunk back into the couch and was just about to cycle through apps again when I felt weight on the couch next to me. Looking over, I met Sans’ gaze. He looked away slightly when I glanced back, his jacket flaring ever so slightly.

“I heard about the anniversary coming up.” I broke the silence, making Sans return my stare.

“Yeah, bet we’ll be saddled with th’ hostin’ again.” Sans grumbled out, making me chuckle.

“I believe so, based on Papyrus and Queen Toriel’s talk. Well, from what I caught.” I said, making Sans sigh deeply while he sunk further into the couch.

“This’ll be every year ‘til Tori finally constructs a’ town hall place.” He continued to grumble to himself, mainly.

“She was basically begging Papyrus to let her help with the cleanup so, if that’s what you’re bummed about..” I trailed off, seeing Sans sit up ever so slightly.

“Th’ts good, but… ugh, we still gotta host th’ damn thing. Yer gonna get roped into it too, y’know.” He said, his face set into an unpleasant scowl.

“Well, I’ll do what I can to help you two out. After all, the two of you opened your house to me.” I replied, looking away from him and down at my phone.

“I’s not that. I’s th’ fact that ya shouldn’t have ta help. Yer still settlin’ in.” He continued, making my heart speed up.

Only by a hair.

“That’s thoughtful, Sans, but I really don’t mind. I kind of wanna help now. I mean, what better way to get into the groove of the community? Plus, maybe it’ll make the others a little less weary of me? I notice how some of them still don’t really.. see me like you all do.” I explained, looking away from Sans ever so slightly.

“Can’t argue wit’ ya there. Some o’ ‘em don’t really trust humans, don’t think the’ ever will really.” His tone was softer than before, as though he was lamenting on past experiences.

“I read somewhere about intention, how monsters can read intentions that a person has by looking at their soul. If you don’t mind me asking.. How exactly does that work? Maybe we could use that?” I asked, looking back over at him now.

“Well.. I dunno ‘bout that. It’s a’ bit complicated. Ya have’ta engage an encounter for tha’ ta even be possible. Also, gettin’ into an encounter would only damage our reputation wit’ humans further.” He spoke clearly, explaining the importance of avoiding intent reading.

“I think I’ve been in one of those before.” My tone was uncertain, tilting my head in thought.

“Really now?” He asked, raising his brow bone.

“Yeah.. not sure how it exactly went down other than just kind me stumbling away from the guy after. All I can really remember is calling him adorable? He was a rabbit monster, I believe. After I did that, I was able to walk away? Like I said, I can’t remember it all too well. That was the first day I came to town, though. I came here after a bar kicked me out for drinking too much and I just kinda stumbled my way over from there.” I said, shrugging before leaning back into the couch.

“Yeah, an’ I know th’ rest from there.” Sans chuckled, shaking his head as his jacket’s fluff flared up a bit.

“Ohhh, I think I understand your jacket thing now.” I said suddenly, pointing at the fluff.

“Huh?”

“The flaring thing is connected to your emotions, right? Every time you’ve been embarrassed or when you find something funny, it’ll flare up.” I explained, my smile tugging into an even wider one.

“Guess so, but ‘t honestly has a’ mind o’ ‘t’s own.” He answered, shrugging as the flare died down.

“Yeah… Oh, fuck, what were we talking about before?”

“Uhh.. oh, yeah, encounters. So ya kinda know how the’ work?” He asked, making me nod slightly.

“Not how to get into one, but I know what the interface looks like, and… what my soul looks like? It’s a heart.” I said, trying my best to recall any other details that would be significant.

“Yeah, a’ heart. All souls ar’ heart shaped. What, uh, color was yers?” He asked, clearing his throat after.

“Huh? Uh.. I don’t know..? I didn’t really commit the color to mind. It was so long ago at this point.. I think it was a mix of two? They weren’t mixed, just two different colors swirling around each other? Yeah, that sounds right..” I veered off, looking down at the carpet in thought.

“If ya want.. We could start an’ encounter. See what colors ya are.”

“That.. yeah, sure, we could.. Wait, what time is it?” I looked down at my phone and sighed deeply, “Sorry, Sans, but I gotta head to work. Pernik’s got me as a waiter in the mornings now. Today is supposed to be training day, since I was just the driver before. We can do that encounter thing later. Sometime after work, if you’re free.”

“Ya, Yeah, yup, ok then. Sounds like a’ plan, buddy.” He said, caught off guard by my sudden agreement and departure.

“Ok, see ya!” I said as I got up and grabbed my bag, slinging it over my shoulder.

The drive to Pernik’s was short, but I was almost late due to leaving so last minute. As I walked into the door, I went to the back and placed all my stuff in my locker and hurriedly changed in the bathroom. When I came back out, Pernik greeted me while reminding me to clock in. After I clocked in, the training began immediately. The place wasn’t majorly busy, so training wasn’t too overwhelming. I got to see a few delivery regulars sitting down and eating, making small talk with a couple of them while taking orders and checking back in on them.

As the day went by, I finished my first shift in five hours. Pernik said he needed some deliveries ran, so at three in the afternoon, I was back to my normal position. However, due to the eatery closing early on Fridays as of late, I was done delivering at eight in the afternoon. I decided to help Pernik close up, as I did when I had free time after work.

“Y’know, kid, you don’t have to help me close up. Been doing this by myself for awhile now.” Pernik spoke up as we flipped chairs on top of the tables.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were trying to run me out on my first day back.” I said, looking up at him as I lifted the last chair.

“Kid, you know I’d never run you out. But.. I worry, kid. Still. Even though you have more days off without that second job, today you seemed to be… running yourself ragged. I appreciated all your effort, but you’re starting to make me think you don’t wanna go home. Are the skeleton brothers giving you any grief?” He walked up to me, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder.

“No, no! Honestly, they’re making me feel right at home. I don’t think I’ve ever had someone cook me breakfast and dinner every day like Papyrus has been doing, and Sans.. well, we got into it a couple nights back, but we’re good now. It was more my fault than anything, and he forgave me so, yeah.” I began to ramble, my mind a bit scattered after such a long and eventful day.

“Hey, calm down, I’m not interrogating you. I just want to make sure things are alright in your world. You know I’m always here if you need me, or just need a second opinion on anything.” He said, removing his hand from my shoulder as he walked over and grabbed the broom and began to sweep.

“I know… honestly, I think you were the only friend I had for awhile there. I just don’t wanna bother you with the trivial things I overthink about.” I grabbed the prepped mop bucket and began mopping behind Pernik.

“Such as?”

“Well.. ok, fine. I’ll tell you.” I took in a deep breath, “I’ve been worrying about how the other monsters see me. Not appearance-wise, but like, as a person? And it feels like no matter what I do, I’m always..”

“Scrutinized for the smallest missteps?” He finished my thought for me.

“Yes! Like, just the other day when I was shopping for some ingredients for Papyrus. The cashier ringing me up called Papyrus when I opened up the coin pouch he gave me to pay for the things on his list. They accused me of stealing the purse in front of the line of other customers. To top it off, even after Papyrus told them he had given me the pouch to get his ingredients, the cashier didn't let me leave with the stuff that was paid for until the manager came down and cleared it. It was embarrassing as hell.” I said, mopping a bit more aggressively due to the frustration.

“Ah.. yes, that.. that’s just biased actions there. I’m sorry, kid, I really am. Have you seen that cashier before this?” He asked.

“Yeah, a couple times in here before. I think their name was Caunna? It doesn’t really matter now. It’s already happened. Nothing will fix what happened in the past.”

“They shouldn’t be accusing you of something so heinous. However, you’re right. Nothing can change the past. What you do from here on is your choice. However, I would talk to Papyrus about that.”

“Hmm? Why? I don’t wanna bother him with this. He knows what happened.”

“I understand that, yet it’s simply that these types of things need to be reported. Knowing Papyrus, he may have already spoken to the Queen about the situation, they need to know your side as well. It’s protocol. It’s something that was put into place before you set foot into the town. Since what they did wasn’t aggressive or particularly malicious, I am keen on saying that the Queen has most likely spoken civilly to them about this already. Every rule.. is set in order to maintain peace. So that peace may be restored between humans and monsters.” His voice was heavy as he finished sweeping the dining area.

“That’s.. fucked up. While the situation embarrassed me, I kind of understand it. I understand why some monsters are weary. Monsters just have to standby even in the event that a human decides to act like an asshole? Some humans are.. horrible, in all honesty. I get not wanting fights to break out between anyone, but.. I don’t know. I really.. this kind of stuff is hard to navigate. There are so many components to it, I can’t even..” I let out a defeated sigh as I finished mopping the floor.

“It’s ok. We don’t have to divulge the complexities of racial tension and racism right now. However, I do think you should talk to Papyrus about how things went. Help him record the incident for future assessment. Things are still new, to everyone. Maybe what happened can help them navigate future altercations between different types of situations. This type of thing, no matter who is on the receiving end, needs to be studied and situated by the ones in charge.”

“Even if the ones in charge of the human government are corrupt and just as biased toward those who are different as any other?” I asked, looking up at Pernik.

“Well.. I can’t say much in terms of the human government, but I can say I trust Queen Toriel. So far.. she has taken us further than we could’ve ever imagined.” He said, looking down at me with a somber smile, “Now! Lets finish up closing this store.”.

“Sounds good to me.” I nodded, the two of us finishing the wipe down of the rest of the establishment.

Even after the store was locked up, I couldn’t stop thinking about how shitty the human government was when it came to anything new or different.

Chapter Text

YALL IM COMING BACK!! This is just a little update to let y’all know what’s to come.

Ok! So, I’m gonna be rereading this fic, and only editing it once it’s completed. Thank you to those of you who have stuck it out with me!

After the rereading session (probably mostly during the gym), I will write an outline for how I want the story to end. I had a rough draft, but with Deltarune being out and having a bit more lore, I wanna kind of make my own interpretation of surface life. I wanna expand on the economic issues the monsters face, their struggles, and namely the issues between you, the reader, and Sans. Why he has such bad issues with commitment, have him be more like base Sans in the way he loosely remembers timelines. I want to make this reading experience the best for you! So, it’ll be a little bit longer before I can get the next chapter up officially, but you’ve waited this long already (I’m sorry).

As for why I’ve been away? Honestly, idk man I hit a rut. My parents are getting divorced at some point, I feel a lot of shame around the stunted progression with my career, and I’m getting back into therapy. Keep in mind, being a transgender man in America keeps me catching strays. Either way, as my rights keep getting taken away I’ll just update this fanfic. It’s a good de-stressing method. Ok that’s all y’all, enjoy my rise from the madness from here!

I’ll delete this after I upload the next chapter.