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It hurts, so, so much. Your heart is beating heavily in your chest, as though someone where quickly beating a drum. It’s hard to breathe, your chest feels tight; air just doesn’t seem to want to stay. Everything feels warm; you feel as though someone set your skin on fire; burning from the tips of your toes, all the way to the tips of your ears. It hurts so much, you feel like you’re dying. You’re dying, from fluff of course. Duh. “Uuuuuugh, too much feelings. The feels, it turning me into muuuuuuuuuush!” You whine out, burying your head into your boyfriend’s padded shoulder. You are sat upon his lap, while he has his arms wrapped around your waist. His arms hold you firmly, yet with gentle affection. You feel the rumble in his rib cage, as he lets out a chuckle in reaction to your embarrassment. It was only minute ago that the two of you were friends; albeit, very awkward-had a huge crush on one another- kind of friends. You knew from the first day that you met this eccentric skeleton, that your life would be flipped upside down, thrown into a deep fryer and served to happy customers; because who doesn’t like fried potato sticks? They are god’s gift! And so was this strange and beautiful man! Pappy was your beautiful potato stick. You are beginning to question yourself on why you are comparing your boyfriend to food, and knock it off to being that you’re hungry. It is rather close to lunch, so it was only natural that you were beginning to think with your stomach. The feeling of weight being placed onto your head pulls you from your thoughts, and back to the real world. Puppy was absently stroking your head gently, whilst watching Morgan screw around with the bird cage across the room. He was fixated on how the cat was able to hold his over-fluffed body up on the back of a chair, while pawing at the cage door. You took to watching as well, curious to see your boyfriend’s reaction, and see your kid act in the art of breaking out his brothers. Morgan takes a few minutes, before the cage door finally flips open, and your two parakeets fly out in unison. Pappy lets out a hum, satisfied with witnessing pure mischief; Morgan looks to the two of you from his vantage point on the back of a chair, staring with his beady smug eyes. That beautiful brat. “Morgan, bad furball! No jail breaks in this house!” You scold, sliding from your comfortable spot with a groan. You would have preferred to stay where you were, but if the kids were left out of your sight, they were bound to wreak havoc. “see what you mean now; he’s rather talented at Morgan’ized crime.” Pappy hums as he gets up as well, plucking your cat from the chair while you follow after your birds into the kitchen. As you enter the next room, it hits you that your boyfriend has just made a pun. You are stuck between laughing off your behind, and pondering how you didn’t come up with it before. Appreciating your boyfriends wordplay would have to wait however, as you see your two feather babies sitting atop the ceiling fan in the kitchen, chirping to one another. Bloo is by far the most loud and charismatic of the two, while Kiwi seemed to follow along, and was the cuddlier one. Put the two together, and they were the perfect villainous pair. The ceiling fan slowly rotated, possibly from the momentum of the bird’s landing. All you can do is staring from below, watching as they share secret plans to take over the government. In truth, they were just too high up for you to reach; which was probably why they chose the spot to perch in the first place. “Okay Bobbsey twins, time to come down. I get you like the high spot, but it hurts my frail ego when I can’t reach such high places.” You scold with mock offence, and hold out your hands to them. The two parakeets look to your hands, then each other. They think better than to be swayed so easily, and return to chirping. Such rebellious teenagers! Bah! Your shoulders sink in defeat, you really didn’t want to fish out the step stool from the cluttered storage closet, who knows what’s in there; hint, a LOT of junk that should probably be cleaned out. But you honestly had better things to do, like feeling offended that your rebellious kids think they are better than you. So you react to the situation fairly, by letting out a soft whine. “Come one you two! I thought we were friends! Wasn’t my hair a good perch before? Have I been so easily replaced?” You cry out, wiping away a nonexistent tear. Kiwi peeks down from their place, staring at you with his beady black eyes. Perhaps your weepy act got to the sensitive soul? Yes! Good boy! Your feathery friend flutters down, and rests himself on top of your head, and snuggles down comfortably. With his brother gone, Bloo feels left out on the party, so he brings himself down as well, happily nestling up to his brother on your head. You can’t help yourself when you begin to grin like an idiot. No matter how much trouble your three boys cause, you can’t stay mad, they are just so pleasant. Your stomach begins making the rumblies that only food can satisfy, and looking to the wall clock, it was fifteen past noon. Holly smokes! Time sure flies by when you are getting all warm and gushy with your significant other. Stretching your back, you walk over to the fridge, and begin what to make for you and Pappy. The monster in question enters the kitchen causally, with your cat zipped up and sticking out the head hole of his jacket, casually. Smooth. You can hear Morgan purring up a storm just from where you stand, with two birds on your head, casually. You were just a group of casual Joe's. “I am making some lunch, do you like anything in particular puppy?” You ask from the fridge, looking at more foods and ingredients. Pondering the combinations you can put together, as well as pondering the secrets of the world. Like, is water truly wet? Do tomatoes ever question whether they are a fruit or vegetable? And, why did people argue on if a tomato was a fruit or vegetable? The little guy can be whatever it wants! Papyrus sticks his head next to yours, looking around what’s inside the fridge as well, giving a non-descriptive hum. “anything’s okay. i’m sure whatever you’re making will be as good as you.” He reaches inside the fridge, and pulls out a cheese stick, and stick it onto his mouth, letting it stay there as he retreats from the close proximity. Having his head so close to your own while he laid out some smooth words causes heat to rise to your face; your heart feels like it’s going to burst. How does this guy act so casual about being close? No fair! To ease your flush face, you begin to distract yourself my making lunch; something filling, but not heavy on the stomach-and nonexistent. You were craving something along the lines of junk food, why were fries coming back to mind? But what could you do with the fries? Having them alone would be plain, but you don’t feel like taking so long to prepare another side dish. Your eyes wander over to your boyfriend, who’s casually eating the cheese stick. While the cheese stick is in the monsters mouth as though it were a cigar, Morgan pulls his paw out from within the sweater, and pat at the end of the cheese stick. . . Those two were just too much. . . Hey, the cheese gave you an idea though! You begin preparing some fries, and pull out other foods that you will be needing. Setting aside some gravy mix, cheese curds, and bacon, you were planning on making some good ’ol Poutine! A quick meal, that was both tasty and satisfying! You season the fries as they finish, then add the cheese curds. Topping it off with fried bits of bacon and gravy, you feel like a master chef! Just one of the things you thank Canadian’s for, food would be one of your top three. Dishing out the food and taking out forks, you bring them to the dining room, and set everything down on the table. Before you go to sit, you take Bloo and Kiwi back to their cage, and set them inside so that they can eat their foods. Pappy has set Morgan down from his jacket, and walks off to who knows where. He’s an adult though, so you aren’t too worried. You do take the chance to feed Morgan, before setting yourself down at the table. You melt into your seat as you take a bite of the comfort food, you’d marry Poutine if you could, but you have a boyfriend, so Poutine will have to settle with being your side hoe. Nothing could compare to your beautiful potato stick! Speaking of the devil, Pappy returns to the dining room, settling down beside you. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Pap take something from his pocket, and then begin to pour said thing onto his food. Was that a bottle in his hand? Why did he have a bottle in his pocket? Did he just go to get it from his bag by the door? All he had there was an army of barbecue sauce. . . Oh, oh that’s what. Looking to your skeleton, you can confirm, yes, he just poured barbecue sauce onto his food, and yes, he was now eating the combination. Just, what. You want to be grossed out, you really do. It’s weird, yes. But your boyfriend is also a bit of a dork to begin with. The combination is odd, yes. But, it isn’t unheard of. If anything, you’ve actually heard of barbecue sauce being an option in some few restraints in Canada, either as a replacement for ‘brown sauce’, or even as a combination. However, you find yourself to be less of the adventurous type. You can’t say you wouldn’t try it, but you wouldn’t try it. You’ll leave the oddities to your skeleton. Pappy looks over to you as he sticks more food into his pie hole, his face holding the strongest poker face you’ve ever witnessed. “something wrong kitten? am I too saucy for you?” The skeleton has the nerve to say with a straight face. This guy is going to be the death of you! Shame on him and his lovable face! Ugh! The most you can express outwardly is an exaggerated huff, with your face becoming flush with embarrassment. Reaching a hand over, you give the skeleton a light pat on the top of his skull, and offer a warm smile. “Not at all, you really spice things up in my life.” You retort. You earn the reward of seeing your boy’s face dust with a golden glow. And the smile that grows to his face! Papyrus gives a bashful crooked smile, scratching his cheekbone as he looks away. “gee kitten, you’re buttering me up here.” The skeleton mumbles softly, his soft eye lights peeking over to you from the corner of is sockets. You want to be bold in this moment! It’s your turn to make the skeleton a mushy mess! Believe in yourself! Taking a leap of courage, you gingerly grasp the hand which the skeleton is scratching his cheek with. You are smooth as butter, when you lace your fingers with his, and raise his hand to your face. You place an affectionate kiss to the back of his bony hand, and immediately feel your face increase in heat. Smooooth! You are the smoothest criminal! And the rewards are so sweet! Hahaha! Papyrus had been watching you, bewildered. Bewilderment had turned to appreciation, then full blown embarrassment. His face was now as bright as a light bulb, and he looks to be stuck in an internal struggle on what he should do about your sudden act of affection. You almost feel bad for making him flustered, but it was fair since he’s done so to you. “thank you, it really means a lot to know that.” The skeleton mumbles, settling for expressing himself rather than exploding into steam. His hand gives yours a firm squeeze in return for your sweet gesture. After the two of you awkward adults finish lunch and clean up, the both of you take time to play with your pets. After all, proper exercise and brain stimulation is important to animals kept indoors. It really warmed your heart to see that Morgan has taken well to Pappy; he has always been a social ball of fluff, but you’ve noticed that he seems to be especially affectionate towards pappy. Not even Pychi has received this level of affection from your cat! Morgan is just going to town with climbing up, and butting his head against Paps’. Hey, if your kid approves of your boyfriend, then you’re set. No questions asked; the cat of wisdom is the master of truths and all things fluffy. Mutt takes a second to fish out a phone from his jacket pocket, fidgeting with it for a moment. The monster sighs out softly, fidgeting and possibly texting something, before closing his phone and shoving it back into his pocket. You put your full attention onto Pappy, earning an annoyed groan from Morgan; whom you were belly-rubbing. You take in the monsters expression as the two of you are seated on the floor in your living room. He seems annoyed, and a little on edge. Was he possibly nervous? It got you to thinking; what was he feeling uneasy about? Was it something on his phone that upset him? “Hey Puppy, are you okay?” You inquire softy, scooting closer to your man. Within reach, you give the monster a gentle head pat; in the months that you’ve come to know the monster, you had learned that he was very physically affectionate, and appreciated it when you’d pat his head. It was cute, and hilarious in the same; it really added to his ‘dog’ aesthetic. Your affectionate gesture eases the tensions in the monster’s shoulders, and whatever seemed to be on his mind washed away, leaving behind a tender expression. Papyrus nods his head lightly, and wraps an arm around your side, drawing you into his chest firmly. He nestles his head into yours, earning chirps of protest from the birds seated in your hair. “i’m alright, just overthinking something,” he says simply, at that, he gets to his feet, and shoves his hands into his pockets. “i still have to retrieve a certain ‘bubba’, wanna come along?” Pap offers with a gentle jerk of his head towards your front door. That’s right! Pappy did say that he was adopting Bubba, which was also the reason why there was a Goliath sized bag of dog food by your front door; the monster had you fooled for a while, taking him seriously when he had said it was for him. That dork. You eagerly nod your head, and get up as well. You gently set Morgan down onto your floor, and go to set Kiwi and Bloo in their cage. It wouldn’t be long before they were let out again, but you were a firm parent; they’d be placed in their cage when you’d leave the house. Giving Morgan one last head rub, you join your boyfriend at the front door, and take the single grocery bag placed next to the dog food. Taking a peek inside, yep, an army of barbecue sauce; and you now knew the purpose of them. As Pappy takes up the bag in one arm, you open your door to let him out first, then lock the door behind you both. You begin to wonder how far Pappy’s house is, you never saw him driving around town, quite the opposite actually. So if you had to guess, he might live somewhere in town, unless he’s just an energetic goof who just walks into town from the next one over. Just thinking about it made your feet and back hurt. But the idea would be pushed to the back of your head, when your skeleton companion slips his free hand into yours, gingerly lacing his fingers with yours. You look down to your now clasped hands, and then look up to the skeleton with a bright smile. Yes! Hand holding! The perk of dating someone! Hehe! Papyrus spares a fleeting glance with his golden eye lights, and then quickly stares ahead when he sees your attention is on him. A golden glow begins to dust his expressionless face, with a ghost of a smile threatening the corners of his mouth. The guy may be all cool and mysterious, but he was just a big bundle of love. A soft laugh escapes you, as your press the side of your head into his shoulder; he was your big bundle of goof, and it felt great to finally be able to say it. The fifteen minute walk from your home to your animal shelter seems to go by in no time, and you feel a bit shocked at how quickly time went. Usually you were well aware of all the buildings and streets you went by, but being distracted seemed to disorient you a little. But there was no time to be disoriented! There was a fluffy Newfoundland in your shelter waiting to be taken to his new home! Stepping into the building, you are greeted with a new face, it’s one of the trainees that Pychi has hired. She has a slim and pointed frame, with sleek blond hair pulled in a tight ponytail, chocolate brown eyes and thick black glasses. Your dress code has always been ‘professional but casual’, so she’s taken to wear black jeans and a blouse. The human woman comes to greet you excitedly, but professionally. “Hey boss! We didn’t expect to have you coming in today.” She says formally, Emily is her name, but says she prefers to be called Emmy. She looks to the tall monster at your side, and then to the bag of dog food in his arm, she immediately puts the bits of information together. “Oh! You must be the skeleton friend who’s adopted Bubba, Pychi has all the papers in the office ready. Are you ready to take him home?” She asks politely, looking to the skeleton squarely in the eyes. Pappy simply nods his head, and then pats the bag on his shoulder. With another polite smile, she leads the way into the back, where all the kennels are. Another new face is working in the back; a tall, dark and handsome man. His skin is tanned, with short jet black hair and olive green eyes. His face has light stubble; he looks as though he were an Italian model. As the gentleman sees your trio entering, his green eyes smile along with his lips, and he appears to be taking Bubba out of his kennel. Anthony holds the prancing black dog by a leash, and carefully leads him over. “Hello [y/n], hasn’t Pychi said today was your day off?” Tony asks playfully, his voice is deep and smooth like velvet. Anthony looks to the monster at your side with a challenging smile, and holds out a hand to greet the new stranger. “Welcome, you must be this guy’s new owner. Pychi said you’d be picking him up today.” Pappy gives another nod, and slowly slides his hand from your grasp. You’d forgotten all about having come inside still holding hands; your face suddenly feels like it has been set on fire, oh geese. Your new workers saw their boss walking into work holding hands with someone, how unprofessional! You were supposed to be a good example! You weren’t one for professional formalities with just Pychi around, and now having a boyfriend and new employees, it was just a lot to catch up with; you were still getting use to a new routine! While you are having an internal meltdown out of embarrassment, Anthony and Pappy step aside to talk about animal stuff, such as proper care and medicine for Bubba. He was still on a prescription, with just another month of medicine and some good exercise; he’ll be right as rain! Emmy slides to your side, and takes to a low voice, practically whispering. “Hey boss, Pychi has told me to inform you that more paperwork has come in for you to sign. They are all deeds and funds to finalize your new shelter across town. We can grab your friend’s adoption paper copies while we are in the office.” She informs, standing straight and uniform. You take a moment to wonder why she’s talking in a low tone, but then again, who goes around shouting about important papers? You offer a warm smile, and nod her head. “Right-o Emmy, where is Pie anyways? I thought he was in today?” You ask; following as the woman leads the way to your office. The room is a bit cluttered, now that more people are coming in and out of the room, and more paperwork has been coming in, there are more locked file cabinets, more medical equipment that have yet to be put away, and general things laying around. “He is in the medical room preforming an emergency operation with Etlas; a woman came in earlier today, with her dog that had gotten into an accident.” She informs with optimum cool, as though she were giving a practiced presentation. You wish that you too could be cool as a cucumber, even though you are the boss around here. So much professionalism was beginning to make you feel like you weren’t taking your job seriously before Etlas was also a humanoid monster, one who was very, very reptilian; being the offspring of a monster-human couple, with aqua scales replacing his skin and bright yellow eyes. His hair was thick and silky green, running down to his shoulders. Well, you’d like to call it hair, but he informed you that it they were spines. He had forwardly offered you to verify for yourself, in the name of science of course. It honestly had a plastic texture to his hair-er, spines; they were none the less soft and smooth to the touch, neat-o! From what you learned about your reptilian employee during his interview, he has a high degree in medical science and a veterinary doctorate. You learned he had a few other fancy degrees, but you were well aware that the guy was a smart cookie, and took him on board. Knowing that Pychi was with Etlas assured you that everything would be fine. “Poor thing, at least it’s in good hands. Can you give the two thanks for me?” You ask, placing yourself behind your desk and set down the grocery bag with Pappy’s goods. With a start, you begin fishing for the right copy to the adoption document. Emmy efficiently locates them on the desk, and hands them to you, as well as the rather important documents. You were going to have to scold Pychi for leaving them out in the open; for someone who passed his classes with flying colors, the badger was such a clutter brain. You give Emmy a light thanks for her keen eye. “I will; would you like me to make you a tea, or coffee while you’re here?” She asks, as she steps to the machine off to the side. Emmy and Tony were both shelter aids, with small degrees in animal health. While they may not be able to perform surgeries, they can still easily help around the front of shop and care for the animals; which you were more than grateful for. “No thank you Emmy, Papyrus and I will be heading out right after this. Thank you though; it’s really sweet of you.” You smile warmly, and skim over the papers quickly before signing. One of the things you didn’t find pleasure in when it came to property agreements was all the papers you have to sign, and there were always A LOT of papers. At least after these papers, you would be relocating to the new shelter in a few weeks. You just hope they don’t put the shelves to high. . . As you grumble to yourself about being short, and how buildings accommodate for taller beings, a familiar taller being enters the office. A very familiar, scatter brained being, who is in need of a light smack on the shoulder! You abruptly stand up from your seat from behind your desk, papers all signed, your grasp the grocery bag and Papyrus’s adoption paper copy. You defiantly don’t want to forget those! Rounding your desk, you playfully stomp your way to Pychi, and give him a whap with the papers in hand. You stare up at him with your bright and playful eyes, a grin on your face that has a hint of false anger. The towering monster looks down to you, his eyes perplexed behind his thin framed glasses. He sees there is no ill will behind your action, and offers a teasing smile. “Quite a way to greet a friend and colleague the moment they step into a room. Are you practicing to be some sort of barbarian; because you are quite lacking in strength and proper facial hair.” He teases, messing up your hair with his large paw. You groan out at the monsters treatment to your hair, and begin fixing at it. “Sorry Pie boy, no one here would ever dare take your glory of being most harry.” You tease back, and smile up to your old friend, “I just wanted to say thank you for your hard work today, and scold you for being so dang forgetful.” You state simply, crossing your arms over your chest. The honey badger tilts his head vaguely, shoving his hands into the pockets of his long white coat. He was always on his toes when it came to you; with your silly personality and bright soul. With you being the boss, he found it very warming that you keep a casual and friendly relationship with everyone, making for a smooth work relationship with others. Now with you having more time for yourself, he looked forward to the times you’d pop into work on days off, when you can’t help keep yourself away. Hearing the two very contradictory reasons for smacking him with paper causes him to chuckle, just another reason he enjoyed having you around on your days off. “I never realized slapping one with paper was proper etiquette for thanking someone; now scolding, that I can understand. What did I forget this time?” He says with an exaggerated sigh, shifting on his sandal-ed feet. You curses this man for his strange fashion taste; dressing all smart but wearing damned sandals! At least he didn’t wear socks under them. Ugh, now that would really rustle your Jimmies! “You left important papers lying around on the desk; again. Quite the winning streak eh?” You scoff, crossing your arms under your chest, and stick your nose in the air. From behind him you spot Pappy and Tony bringing Bubba into the main room, you are partly distracted with watching Bubba sniffing at the toys hanging on shelves, and knocking them down with his big honker. Awe, the fluffy guy looks so amused with the accident, Pappy can only look at the mess, then give the dog a good pat. Don’t encourage mess making Pappy, or you’ll have more messes to pick up in the future! Looking at the tall skeleton monster, you only vaguely notice the lack of the monstrous sized dog food. It didn’t seem to be anywhere around that you could see. You are pulled back to your current conversation, as Pychi hums in thought, scratching his chin as he tries to recall the papers he’d just left unguarded. Honestly, this guy! Emmy walks over to the two of you, and hands Pychi a mug of tea, and sports her own mug. “In any case, would you like my help in stocking this inventory Pychi? It will help clear up the office and save you from losing anything.” Emmy jumps in, taking a sip of her tea. Looking around, it would seem that cleaning up was in order. The badger happily takes a sip of his tea, and regards the room now. He looks almost defeated by the mess. “Please, that would be wonderful Emily. It will save me the trouble of being walloped by [y/n] again.” The badger says with exasperation, seeming rather relaxed with the tea. To that, you give him another light smack on the shoulder with the paper. A soft and deep voice calls you from outside the office and you look up to see Papyrus is regarding you, his golden eye lights soft, and a faint smile ghosting his features. Ugh, curse his handsome face! Never in your life have you found said skeletons face so handsome, but through getting to know him and his personality, you’ve come to love the guy, and that love only enchanted his skeletal features. To you, he looked as though he were prince charming and the big bad wolf rolled up into one, hot diggity dang! Ugh, brain, why do you have to get all mushy and weird? The thoughts are causing your face to burn up right in front of all your employees! How embarrassing, gees! Pychi looks over his shoulder to see that Papyrus has caught your attention, and steps aside from the door to let you exit. Your blush doesn’t go unnoticed by the badger, as he hums into his tea, watching you exit and approach your skeletal companion. Bubba happily wags his fluffy tail, prancing on his front paws as you approach him and Papyrus. The good boy has no idea what’s going on, but he is none the less excited. You kneel down and give Bubba a rub on the head, smiling wide. “You’re going home today Bubba! You have a new family waiting for you!” You say happily, the back doggo before you lets out a soft ‘boof’ in response, placing a paw in your knee. The paws on this guy are huge! They are practically the size of your hand, and then some with the added fur. What’s with there being so many huge guys around you, you feel like a child! Granted, you do act like one, so you have no room to complain. With one more pat on Bubba’s head for good measure, you stand up straight next to your tall Puppy, giving him a wide grin as you hold up the copies of his adoption documents. “Ready to go Paps? I grabbed the papers for you.” You are just brimming with excitement, one of the animals you’ve taken in was finally getting a home; you felt great admiration towards your boyfriend for doing something so noble. The skeleton nods his head simply, with the ears of his hood giving a slight ‘flop’ from the gesture. You have to do your damnedest to keep a squeal from escaping your throat, his hood did the thing! YES! Instead, you continue to grin up at your tall boyfriend; Bubba seems to be catching onto the excitement, as he can’t seem to stop a little dance; prancing in place with his front paws. His tail is wagging up a storm, knocking stock off the shelves behind him in the process. . . Pychi can pick it up, that will be his punishment for being such a birdbrain, hehe. “Alright! Let’s get this band wagon rolling! I will see everyone tomorrow afternoon!” You exclaim happily, before pointing an accusing finger towards Pychi, who seems none the wiser with your antics. “And you! Use some sticky notes! Stick them to your forehead if you have to!” You say with mock disdain, the honey badger lets out a hum as he takes a sip from his tea, a look of consideration falling over his face. Content with your scolding, you grab hold of Pappy’s free hand and completely forget the lack of dog food bag. Leading the way outside before you get distracted with another character appearance; people just keep showing up to develop themselves in this story huh? Brain! Who said you could break the fourth wall, stop it, shoo! You’re pulled from your mind-blowing thoughts with a rumbling chuckle, you find its owner to be your bashful monster boyfriend, whom you are still dragging along with his hand in yours. Bubba is happily following along, so captured by the world around him. Slowing your pace, you settle down your nerves; as excited as you are, you actually have no idea where you’re going. You haven’t actually been to the monsters home before. The day was perfect for a walk, and you now have the privilege of holding hands like a couple, while walking a doggo! Integrally squealing, you feel as though your soul is bursting with joy. You can’t help but enjoy the comfortable silence, feeling the warm sun kiss your skin as you swing your linked hands. Walking at the monster’s side, another thought comes to mind; Papyrus’s brother Sans had extended you an invitation to have supper with them, even if his way of going about it was a little embarrassing. You can already feel your face heating up while remembering how San has outright shouted that Pappy had feelings for you, and had baited the tall monster into proving his theory. If you didn’t know any better, you’d speculate that this was normal behavior between the two brothers; the younger calm and aloof sibling who gets teased and poked at by the older and m-mature brother? You’d hardly consider his act mature; it was downright the most childish thing you could have ever seen. The guy was clearly a man-child, a short baby-man, little demon, a tiny tart! However, he seemed like a kind person-you hoped he was at least. You are pulled from your deep and meaningful thoughts once more, when Papyrus comes to a sudden stop and you had continued walking down the sidewalk without noticing, your linked hands having stopped you by default. Taking in the area; it was where there were large businesses and large homes. If you recalled, it was the wealthier part of town, though you hardly ever come in this direction, so you only go off of what you’ve been told by others. Ahead of your monster companion, there is a very, very, VERY tall white wall, spanning alongside the sidewalk, there was a large electric gate that vehicles could enter, and a smaller pedestrian gate just ahead of you both. As pappy takes his hand out of your grasp, you take a second to wonder why you three have stopped here. With an absent glance, you see the monster fiddling with a set of keys. Once he finds the right one, he slides it into the lock just fine, and opens the gate. Guess this is where your destination is huh? You didn’t even realize you’d arrives too quickly, how long had you three been walking? As you enter the gate first, followed by Bubba and finally Paps, you get a view of what the humongous wall was hiding. A huge stretch of land is enclosed by the white wall, green grass and even greener trees. The drive from the large gate continues up on the property, leading to a-OH LORDY LOOK AT THAT HOUSE! There is a ding darn mansion here! You’re jaw drops at the sight; the building looks as though it’s straight out of The Great Gatsby! You look between your boyfriend and the building, and point an accusing finger at the structure as though it had insulted your family. You try to form words, but you seem to have somehow forgotten your own native tongue. Who is this guy? Is this still Puppy, or some strange clone? Is this guy playing a prank again, is this another one of his funny gags? Papyrus captures you with his golden eye lights, his face is cool and expressionless, as he patiently waits for you’re to collect your thoughts. He doesn’t hold your gaze for long, when his cheekbones dust with a faint golden glow, and he suddenly finds the ground to be very intriguing. Closing your jaw, you take a moment to collect your putty brain. The embarrassed expression on your boyfriend’s face is clear proof that this isn’t a prank, and his nervous stiff frame shows that he’s just that; nervous. When you open your mouth to speak, your voice seems to feel the need to go through a growth spurt again, making you sound prepubescent child. “Puppy, you live in a mansion?” You try to contain the excitement in your voice; never in your life would you have guessed this monster lived in such a lavish place. You didn’t really know what sort of place he lived in to be honest, but his personality and attire gave no hits to this at all! Pup gives a singular nod, avoiding looking you in the eyes, and instead watches Bubba sniff around the grass, the fluffy guy seems to be making friends with a grasshopper. His floofy tail wags lightly as he nears his snout to the bug; the insect doesn’t pay him much mind, munching on its blade of grass. Ruuude grasshopper! Taking a step towards Paps, you slip your hand into his, giving it a firm squeeze. The gesture seems to bring the monster’s attention back to you meekly, bringing you here seems to be a big deal to him, so you do your best to encourage him. Putting on your brightest smile and lacing your fingers in with his, you encourage positive feelings. “I would have never guessed you lived here! You’re such a goofy guy, I could see you living possibly anywhere, heck-I can see you living at a circus!” You exclaim excitedly. Your words being a bit of ease to the monster, but he seems to be confused in your choice of words, tilting his head lightly as he narrows his eye sockets. “circus? what makes you think i’d live there?” he asks simply, his voice lightly rumbling in his rib cage. You feel as the monster rubs his thumb against the back of your hand; good, he seems to be feeling better! With a sly smile, you stand on your toes and rest your head against his shoulder. The bold move is making heat rise up your neck, spreading it all over your face. How long will it take before being so affectionate towards this guy no longer makes a mess of your nerves? “Because, your such a clown~” You reply with a coy smirk. You are happily rewarded with a deep chuckle. The slight smile that grows to the monster’s face is more than enough to make your heart flutter in your chest, it’s a handsome smile; something that really belongs on that face of his. The skeleton slips his hand from your grasp, and in turn wraps his arm around your frame, so that he can pull you into his chest in a slight hug. The embrace is firm but gentle; you can feel a soft hum in his rib cage as your cheek rest against it. It seems to flutter as you wrap your arms around the skeleton, there is something beautiful about the sound; it’s very relaxing. “HERE I THOUGHT YOU WERE A LAZYBONES WHOM TOOK THEIR TIME WITH EVERYTHING, I AM PLEASANTLY SURPRISED TO FIND THAT YOU CAN GET A JOB DONE WHEN YOU PUT YOUR MIND TO IT BROTHER,” A gravelly voice interrupts smugly, both you and Pappy stiffen in your affectionate embrace. “THOUGH I MUST SAY, MY WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT THROUGH TEXT SUCCEEDED WELL IN GETTING THE TWO OF YOU HERE, ER-THREE OF YOU ACTUALLY.” Well smack my ass and call me Judy, if it isn’t the grand doom of the day; sir man child. How many times is this guy going to make such sudden appearances?
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Your muscles stiffen, you are unable to move in the tight embrace Pappy has you in since the monster himself also seems to have gone ridged. The uncontrollable blush rises to your face as you were caught in a very affectionate position, by none other than your boyfriend’s brother.This situation wouldn’t have been so odd or awkward, if it hadn’t been for the shorter monster and his mischievous antics on your first meeting. It also doesn’t help that you’re still getting use to all this dating jazz; while being affectionate is beyond amazing, you still feel nervous about doing so at times, be it in public or in private. That being said, you don’t dare look at the intruding monster, and instead bury your face into you boyfriends chest, hoping you can just hide away from the world. Pup’s arms seem to tighten around you as you push closer; the embrace is comforting and brings you a sense of safety. The steady hum inside his chest is also very soothing, its beats remind you of a heartbeat; which is weird because this is a skeleton, and they don’t own a single organ. Hehe, but this guy has the biggest heart out of anyone you know~ Now soothed from your embarrassment, the gravelly voice belonging to the short skeleton brings your attention back to reality. The sounds of his footsteps approach closer, and stop about a meter away. Sans lets out an inquisitive hum; possibly thinking about something, you’d know better if your face wasn’t being mushed into a puffy jacket. Not wanting to leave the embrace, you simply turn in place, so that your back now presses firmly against the looming skeleton, his arms take to wrapping around your shoulders less tightly, making the embrace more comfortable. With your eyes now able to do their job, you spot the familiar short skeleton. He’s still dressed like an edge lord; but there seems to have been a wardrobe change in the last few hours you’ve seen him. He’s lost the black leather jacket and t-shirt, and has replaced it with a form fitting, black button up shirt. His sleeves are rolled up above the elbow, and the top three buttons are undone, giving visibility to a collarbone, and the start of a rib cage. His shirt is tucked neatly into crisp black slacks, and his former combat boots have been replaced with black leather dress shoes. You can feel the heat rising to your face, the atmosphere around this skeleton seems completely different from before. Everything about him now screams ‘Professional man who knows how to take charge’ with a hint of ‘Pleasure in the workplace is unacceptable, unless it is I who is responsible’. Why on earth is your mind coming up with such weird connections to this monsters clothing? And why are you getting flustered over it! It’s just bone! Stop thinking the skeleton is sexy! Gah! Sans has his full attention on Bubba, who is still keen on getting the grasshopper to notice him. With the snap of his phalanges, Bubba lifts is head up to the noise, and is happy to see a new stranger. The fluffy guy bounds over to the short skeleton, and gives a deep ‘boof’ in greeting, his tail wagging eagerly. Raising his skeletal hand to his mandible, he lets out another hum. Sans then takes it upon himself to inspect the dog; feeling his fur, lifting his floppy ears, checking his paws. After a hot second, the skeleton seems satisfied with what he’s seen. “THIS HERE IS A FINE HOUND; YOU HAVE A GOOD EYE MUTT.” Sans says firmly, and watches as the black Newfoundland bumps his head into his skeletal hand. He has no objections with patting the furred animal. “WITH THE PROPER TRAINING, HE WILL BE A PERFECT ADDITION TO THE FAMILY; POSSIBLY EVEN A PERFECT GUARD DOG.” Pappy sighs, gently removing himself from you and approaching his brother. He kneels down to unconnected the leash from Bubba, before giving his back firm pats. “he isn’t a guard dog, he’s my pet. i don’t expect him to act any different than he does now.” Pappy states bluntly, giving his brother a squared look in the sockets. San’s makes no more to retort his decision, and simply shrugs. While you are a little sad that your boyfriend moved away, it is a lovely sight to watch to skeletons pat and scratch a dog. A snicker leaves you at how ironic it is actually. Your soft laugh doesn’t go unnoticed by the short skeleton however, as his red eye lights hold your form firmly. The best you can think to do in the situation is offer a small wave, and a coy smile. “Hey there, i-it’s good to see you again,” nervousness is very obvious on your voice, far different from the outgoing introduction you’d given him earlier that day. You’d been very forward and cunning with your words towards him, which he appreciated. There was nothing more refreshing that being matched with equal wit and tenacity when engaging someone, so he was left curious as to your sudden change in posture towards him. Thinking on it, it could possibly been his teasing interference just now that caused such nervous behavior; he highly doubted that however. You seemed like the type to bounce back quickly when faced with such drivel situations, given that you deal with more demanding situations in your occupation. No, there was something else that was causing you to feel such unease; something that happened in the span of time between now, and after your interaction with him earlier. Such as, his brother possibly being bold and finally putting his soul out for you; you seemed to be the type to be awkward towards intimacy after all. If the sudden physical affection towards one another is any indication, further tests were in order. Sans straightens his posture as he regards you, folding his arms behind his back to square his shoulder. Stepping around Bubba and Pappy, be makes a quick b-line towards you, closing the gap with a few inches to spare. Pappy becomes rigged as he watches his brother approach you, and just as he’s about to put himself between you and his brother, Sans raises a hand, ordering that his bother stand down. “EASY THERE DOG, I PROMISED THAT I WOULDN’T LAY A SINGLE BONE ON YOUR FAVORITE TOY. I HAVE NO INTEREST IN CAUSING HARM, I AM SIMPLY CURIOUS.” The short skeleton speaks with a firm and authoritative voice, Paps stops in his tracks, watching with anxious eye lights. You yourself are actually nervous, Sans is only a few inches away, and being a couple inches shorter than you only vaguely helps with the distance. You feel your breath hitch, as the monster inspects your face with intense pinpricks; they linger at a spot only for a moment, before inspecting a different place. His eye lights linger at your lips, before they drop down to your chest, narrowing just below where your collarbone is. If you thought your blush had taken a vacation after earlier, you are sadly mistaken; the jerk missed its flight. You could possibly fry an egg with the heat produced from your cheeks at this moment-not implying that you’d actually try. . . Probably, oh dang is it hot in here? What feels like hours of being intensely stared at, is only a few moments, when Sans lets out a satisfied hum. Directing his gaze from your chest, he captures your eyes with his burning red pinpricks. His eye sockets no longer narrowed, and his calculated expression is more relaxed, and a little suspicious. Deciding you were now going to be bold, you were not going to just stand around while this monster watched you as though you were some sort of sideshow attraction. You clear your throat, and do your best to force down your blush. “Y-you know, if you take a picture, it’ll last longer.” You do your best to sass, and place a hand on your hip for good measure. Perfect! You totally look cool and bold! You are an impassable wall! The smoothest of crimi- “THOUGH I HAVE NO PROBLEMS WITH DOING SO, AS YOU ARE RATHER ATTRACTIVE FOR A HUMAN BEING; I WOULDN’T WANT TO MAKE MY BROTHER JEALOUS. WITH THE PHOTOGRAPHS I’D TAKE, HE WOULD RATHER KEEP ALL TO HIMSELF; AWAY FROM PRYING EYES.” The smirk that grows to the shorter skeletons face is only the quality of shit-eating. Any confidence and composure you had before now has been whisked away to a magical land, never to be seen again. And that blush you were pushing down? Oh, they decided they wanted to stay, book a room at a hotel while they wait for their flight. If you didn’t know any better, you’d guess steam was escaping your ears. Papyrus chokes on air after the words leave his brother’s mouth, his face is no better than your own. He has a skeletal hand clasped over his mouth, and his posture is slouched and stiff. There is nothing that could hide the glow rising to his skull, not even as he pulls the hood over his head. You don’t know what’s worse: the racy words that the shorter skeleton had spouted-with obvious implications, or the fact that Pappy isn’t even denying any of the mentioned allegations. On the plus side, Bubba has made friends with the grasshopper. He’s long since laid down in the soft grass, basking in the sun while the small bug has taken a place in his head, also basking in the warm sun. It’s good to see that some people-er, animals are in a good mood, and is completely un aware of the awkward situation you are in. The silence among your group continues, neither you nor Pappy knows what to say in this situation, if anything can or should be said. What motives does Sans have behind saying such things? Why did the skeleton have to go and embarrass the two of you, did he get kicks out of being a complete weirdo? Probably; with the way he’s dressed, it screams bad intentions; if it could speak, it would be saying ‘I’m an inappropriate, sleazy baby man; I’m going to embarrass everyone near me.’ Whatever intentions Sans had with saying such crude remarks, he seems pleased with what he’s done. You take a breath to compose yourself, regardless of the situation; someone has to be an adult. You do your best to push aside the thought that Pappy didn’t disagree to the lewd notion, and for a split moment remember that Pappy didn’t have the bag of dog food. So, you put a note on that thought for later. Even if your face still feels as though it’s on fire, you feel a bit less like melting into a puddle of embarrassment. “I-I’ll have you know that with such an occupation as my own, this human has no interest in such perverted activities. And e-even if I did-WHICH I DO NOT-you w-wouldn’t come even close to affording the service!” You cross your arms over your chest, as a gesture to set a solid point, but also as a form of comfort. A deep rumble escapes Sans, as a thunderous laugh escape his maw, he crosses his arms over where his stomach would be. Pure mirth rings from his voice, as he does his best to calm his nerves, wiping away an escaped tear from a socket. The smile on the monster’s face is whole-hearted. “I CAN SEE WHY YOU WERE SO TAKEN BY THIS ONE MUTT, THEY’RE QUITE INTERESTING. GOOD ON YOU FOR MAKING THEM YOUR DATEMATE, YOU’VE BEEN GROWING AS A MONSTER.” Sans reaches towards his brother, clapping him on the shoulder firmly, Puppy stiffens under his brother’s contact, still glowing like a light bulb. You boyfriend is quite a sight to behold right now, but your attention is taken back to the shorter skeleton, and his choice of words. “Wait! H-how did you know we’re together?” You ask with disbelief, had Pappy informed his earlier? Was that why he looked at his phone earlier at your home? Half of your answer is given, when Sans regards you, the shit-eating grin returning to his face full force. Shoving his hands into the pockets of his black slacks, he leans forward, his voice lowering to a rumble, much like a purr. “That’s Quite Simple. I Didn’t Know, You Just Confirmed It For Me~” You don’t know whether to be shocked, betrayed or amazed by this monster’s antics. All of that, everything he just did; the perverted remarks, getting you embarrassed, all to confirm whether you and his brother were an item? You’re starting to get an idea of just what kind of monster this guy is. He isn’t a man baby, he wasn’t a sleaze, short baby-man, little demon, or tiny tart. He is the literal devil. “You are evil, pure evil.” You sigh out, finally getting over your embarrassment. The blush is still lingering just a bit on your face, but that was to be expected. You were a bag of flesh after all. Your comment is received with a chuckle from the shrimpy monster. “THANK YOU, YOU ARE TOO KIND HUMAN.” He replies, standing straighter as he looks to a watch on his wrist. “LETS GET INSIDE, SUPPER WONT BE READY FOR ANOTHER HOUR, AND THE DOG SHOULD GET USE TO HIS NEW HOME.” He says, before turning and making his way to the huge home they live in. You are still trying to wrap you head around the fact that your boyfriend lives in a mansion. The idea still baffles you. As the small skeleton takes his leave, Pappy seems to break from whatever spell he was put under. His skeletal hand still clasped over his mouth, and hood still pulled over his head. Slowly, he slides the clasped hand upwards, and pushes the hood off of his head. With the same hand, he drags it down the front of his face, revealing the remnants of a blush still on his cheek bones. A soft sigh escapes the monster; he seems to still be at a loss of words for what just happened. “sorry, about that. my brother is a puzzle fanatic, and takes them to unnecessary levels.” Paps mumbles, rubbing at the back of his neck vertebra. The tension in his shoulders seems to have dissipated, and he stands a little straighter now. You take the moment to appreciate the cute nervous expression that’s plastered on his skeletal features, before walking over to him. Once in reach, you give the skeleton a soft pat on the head. “No prob bob, I totally understand how siblings are. My younger sister was always getting into trouble when I was still home.” You reassure your boyfriend, and think back to the time when you and your older brother were younger, yeah, the kids in your family were always up to mischief. Man, time sure seems to go by fast when you’re an adult, you have to wonder how your older brother is doing; last you heard, he was off in another country on business. Papyrus seems to ease down completely from his nervousness while under your touch, offering a small warm smile. Bubba takes the silent moment to get up onto his paws, and approach the two of you; his grasshopper friend long since departed to somewhere else, possibly other grasshopper friends. Your tor legged pall let out a soft ‘boof’, to get your attention onto him, his thick fluffy tail wagging softly. Pappy looks down to Bubba, and gives the canine a good scratch on the head. Bubba appreciate the gesture, leaning into the skeletons touch and letting out a low rumble. Those two were like two peas in a pod, if you didn’t know any better; you’d have thought they were related. The thought of that makes you laugh on the inside, because you don’t feel like explaining the thought if you were to laugh outwardly. So you stick to smiling brightly towards your two beautiful boys. “Well, your brother is right about one thing; we should get Bubba inside, so he can get use to the smells of his new home, as well as whatever inhabits it.” You say in a gentle tone, really not wanting to ruin the bonding moment between two doggos. Pappy nods in agreement, pocketing the leash that he was holding in his hand up until now. The monster slips his hand into your casually, and then pats the side of his leg, getting Bubba’s attention. “come, let’s go inside. my name is patrick, I’ll be your lovely guide for this evening.” Pappy jokingly hums, leading the way up the drive and towards his colonel home. You could probably fit your home inside this place easily, and still have room to fit someone else’s home inside. The building only seems to get larger, the closer you come to it. If you thought you were short before, now you feel like a speck of sand. As you three step into the entrance of the building, Bubba takes to immediately sniffing around. The walls are decorated in soft colors, with paintings spotted here and there. Indoor plants line some of the walls; the floor is carpeted and crisp. Everything looks and feels so clean, as though no one has ever stepped foot in this place. Your eyes wander around the walls as Pappy guides the way, your feet keeping up with his slow pace. Bubba follows like a shadow, getting a good sniff in wherever he can, the big guy is having a field day with all the new smells, as well as being somewhere that isn’t the animal shelter. Still thinking about how Bubba finally got a new home warms your heart. Towards the end of the hall you both are traveling down, Puppy takes a left through a large push door, pulling you along inside as he holds the door open, Bubba isn’t far behind. It’s a good thing that Papyrus is leading the way, because you are almost positive that you’d get lost down a direction, and never see the light of day again. This place looks as though it could swallow people whole. The room that Pappy seems to have led the two of you into is a HUGE kitchen; the room alone had the detentions for a one bedroom apartment, with stoves and counter tops lining the walls. Two large steel doors sit across the room, as well as two other wooden doors. The whole room smells so wonderful, with food being prepared for tonight meal. For such a large kitchen, you’d have thought there would be more hustle bustle, but there aren’t actually many people inside. Actually, there’s only one other person inside this kitchen, aside from you three who have just entered. Well, you say person, but it’s more like LITERALLY FIRE working with smooth precision, seeming to be none the wiser about people entering the kitchen. The elemental seems to stand at just a few inches shorter than Pappy, dressed in a form fitting white button up shirt and mahogany red button up vest. The monsters black slacks are also quire form fitting, oh geese [y/n], don’t stare at the monsters butt while he’s working, and probably doesn’t know you’ve entered the kitchen without his knowledge. You have to admire though, that a fire elemental had a very nice butt. Never in your life did you think such a though would come to you, but you know what? Monsters are great! And life is great! And that is a great booty! Butts aside, you do wonder if it’s even a good idea to let Bubba into the kitchen, with there being so many dangers, let alone most cooks have a problem with animals being in their work space in general. You’d like to voice this to Pappy, but the monster guides you and the pouch along the side of the kitchen that only has sinks, and what might be the fridge and freezer behind the two metal doors. Towards the direction you’re walking, a very familiar bag comes into sight, leaning against a far wall, next to a set of bowls on the floor. With a double take, yep, it is the bag of dog food that you remember disappeared from Pappy’s hands, when the two of you got to the shelter. From the bag, you look up to the collected monster, as he slips from your grasp, and begins filling the dog dishes with food and water. “Uhm. . .” You begin your sentence, like the true intellectual you are. “P-Puppy, how did. . . Didn’t you have that bag, but earlier. . . It’s here but you had it. . . But how?” Any logical explanation drops from your hands, there was no answer you could come up with, on how the bag got from the animal shelter, to here. Did he have someone pick it up? You’re sure you would have noticed someone enter the shelter and retrieve the bag. Papyrus stands up as he fills the bowls, and allows Bubba to eat his supper. He steps over towards you, listening to you fail at forming a proper sentence, with a ghost of a smile on his face. You give up on doing the proper English, thinking too hard on the matter is making your brain turn to pudding. You can only look up at the looming monster with skeptical eyes, and point to the bag. “How’d it get here?” You keep it simple, and from the look on the monsters face, he knows exactly what you’re trying to imply. The smile grows a little more, as he gives a lazy shrug, placing his hand atop of your head. “Maaagic.” He drawls, using his free hand to wiggle his phalanges as effective emphasis. Ah, yes of course. How could you forget, magic. It all made so much sense now; everything seemed so ding darn clear, you are so enlightened! Magic follows no rules! That doesn’t explain anything! What, did he use magic to give the bag legs? Yes, it’s a lovely day outside; obviously it had a nice stroll and walked its way over here! How’d it get inside them? Oh, obviously it had arms too, and just opened doors and let itself in! Haha! You give the monster a deadpanned look, and he is clearly amused by your lack of expression towards his wise ass remark. You want to ask how he actually managed to get the bag here, but your voices seem to have attracted the attention of a certain walking light source. The yellow and orange monster approaches with crossed arms, and what can only be closely described to disdain written over the surprising face he has. What’s more surprising, is that the literally fire has a pair of glasses set on his face. Damn, magic really does like to flip modern science the finger. The eyes behind the monsters glasses appear to glow a burning white, and they seem to be narrowed towards your group. Oh nos, looks like the big bad kitchen boss isn’t pleased with the intruders on his territory. The two silent monsters seem to look at one another for a moment, locked in an unspoken argument. You aren’t very sure is it would be rude to interrupt, even if neither of them are actually speaking. Well, one way to get into a conversation, is steer it with positive vibes~! “You must be the cook; it smells really wonderful in here. I’m sure whatever it is you’re making it tastes ever better than is smells.” You take another sample of the fragrance, you can’t really place what the smells are exactly, but it sure is making your mouth water. The burning monster crackles a bit from your words, turning his steeling gaze down towards your shorter form. His burning eyes inspecting your humanly features, before letting out a small huff of smoke. His gaze doesn’t seem to be as intimidating as it was before, or at least not towards you. Once the elemental returns his gaze to Pappy, it’s back to the full blown mad. “You know I dislike you being inside the kitchen Mutt.” The crisp baritone escape the crackling monster, its soft, and breathy, with an accent close to that of northern welsh. The monster stands firm in his place. “i told you, that it was an accident. it was only one time grillby.” The equally soft spoken monster insists, going rigid as the chef gives him an unconvinced look. Had Puppy done something to tick off the walking match stick? This Grillby doesn’t seem to be making a move to back down, standing firm by his words. “What had happened? If it’s alright for me to ask. . .” You ask politely, you’re worried you may be walking on eggshells with this topic, as Pappy pappy looks to you with nervous eye sockets. “The skeleton thought he could cook, so he did; the whole kitchen.” Grillby sighs a small puff of smoke once more, looking to you less harshly, “It took me a whole day to fix the whole room, and get the equipment replaced.” “it was an accident grillby, I didn’t realize the stove could get that hot, or that flour wad flammable. . . or that the kitchen was flammable.” Paps voice gets lower through his sentence, as his face begins to glow a little. The poor guy, he still feels bad about it too, it wasn’t really smart to walk in here, if he knew it was off limits. But, he did have to get bubba food. Quick brain! Think. “Well, Puppy did just get a dog, so he was only making sure that big Bubba here got some food.” You begin, stepping up to the two monsters, keeping a steady and kind voice. You place a gentle hand onto Papy’s shoulder, and look over to Grillby. “If I may suggest, maybe it would be better if Paps here got better guidance in the kitchen, so that the mistake doesn’t repeat. You are a cook, so I’m sure you can teach this guy about kitchen safety. That way, you won’t need to worry when he comes in to feed ol’ Bubba.” You compromise; Bubba has also joined in the conversation, sitting on the floor as he looks to the monsters with his big brown eyes. Grillby looks down to the dog in question, softening his ridged form a bit. He didn’t have a problem with the animal, though it really wasn’t safe to have it in the kitchen where it can get in the way. The human did make a valid point; if he didn’t want to worry about picking up another mess from the skeleton, then he’d have to properly educate him. A third sigh escapes the elemental, as he looks to Papyrus with hard eyes, placing one of his flaming hands onto his hip, while the other points to the skeletons chest. “You will learn kitchen safety, and follow the rules I place. In return, I will allow you in my kitchen. The Bubba will have his meals in the Dining hall; I do not want any obstacles placed in this kitchen.” The elemental turns his attention to you for a moment, before giving a small nod; returning to his duties, and leaving the three of you to whatever. Well, looks like the cook of this mansion is a real hot head, heh. Your skeleton companion releases a breath he had been holding, and slides his hand into yours. Relief washes over the monster, and whatever nervousness that he had been feeling was gone. The more you stick around, the more you’re learning about this skeleton; and he sure likes to get himself into trouble. Papyrus leads the way back out of the kitchen, his hand clasped around yours. Bubba follows out as well, but as the three of you leave the kitchen, the fluffy boy takes his leave to sniff around, explore and probably get lost. You admire the dog’s braveness; taking the lead in his life to explore the new world around him. Looking up to your boyfriend, you offer his a soft smile, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. Even if you are getting to see a whole new side to the monster you’ve known for over a month, he is still the same goofy skeleton. It only adds to his character, to know that he even gets into trouble at home, and not just the grocery store. “So, you can’t cook worth a damn, huh?” A crooked grin spreads to your lips as you tease the guy, a soft scoff escapes the skeleton, and he ruffles your hair out of playful spite. “never saw myself being a chef if that’s what you mean, i can’t take the heat when it comes to working for someone so hot tempered.” The monster drawls, pulling you into a light hug, before leading you down the hall. “come on, you showed me your cat, now come meet ours. i’m sure you will like here. . . maybe.” Oh heck, time to meet more fluffy animals? Count you in! As excited as you are to meet the pet owned by Sans, you notice the slight disinterest Papyrus seems to have towers the animal. Well, cats aren’t always loved by everyone, so maybe he just isn’t a fan of this cat? He loved Morgan just fine, so you’re sure he doesn’t dislike them in general. You’re sure that there should be no problems what so ever meeting the animal, working with them is your job after all! So nothing could possibly go wrong here right, totally right~! You couldn’t have been more wrong.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Puppy had lead both of you through the halls of his home, and to a large wooden door. Just walking through the halls, the building seems like a labyrinth; turn down one hall, and rather than meet the front entrance, you seem to be turned around at another set of halls. You’d like to be surprised that Pup knows his war around, but he does live here after all, it only make sense he'd know his way around. This door isn’t much different from the many others duplicates you've both passed, it has the same wooden frame and same antique finish. The door handles are made of brass, and have a sort of ‘Victorian era’ design. With how expensive things look around the mansion, you’re almost scared to even grab a simple door handle; you’d never be able to pay them back otherwise. From outside the door, you can hear someone grunting out commands, trying to be patient, but having an unnerved edge in their tone. “COME ON NOW, I WANT TO SEE HOW FAR YOU CAN TAKE THIS. I KNOW MY POWER IS INTIMIDATING, BUT DON'T BE SHY. I WILL NOT LAY A FINGER ON YOU; YOU HAVE CONTROL.” By the gravely sounds of the voice, it’s obvious that Sans is behind this door, without context to his words, what he could be doing is left up to the imagination. Or it would be, if Puppy didn’t briefly knock, before immediately opening the door without skipping a beat, barging in like any good adult would. It was a real sight to behold, Sans laying on his back, on the floor. His arms fanned out at his sides, with his black shirt undone at the top, still showing the upper portion of his ribs –how scandalous! The skeleton seems to freeze up, caught in his act, staring down the new pairs of intruding eyes, who dare to barge into what seems to be his personal office. Lying above him is an outstretched ball of snow white fur. Cold blue eyes look from the skeleton below them, to the new occupants. A long fluffy tail flicks in observation, and a hint of disinterest. From her size and shape, she appeared to be a Norwegian Forrest Cat, with the cleanest white fur you’ve ever seen! Clearly she has been receiving great care, as she looks well groomed –if not a little spoiled. Sans clears his throat, a soft violet glow growing to his cheeks. He makes no effort to sit up, as he addresses the both of you from his position on the floor, gently tapping his phalanges on the carpeted floor below him. The office is actually quite spacious, with a large desk, bookshelves, chairs, a fireplace, and many decorative objects such as paintings and sculptures. You knew he mentioned that he was the head of royal security, but you never realized such a title would allow him such a lavish home. “I WASN’T EXPECTING ANY VISITORS SO SOON . . . I APOLOGIZE FOR MY IMPOLITE POSITION; I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAINING OPHELIA THE ART OF ATTACHING AN ENEMY.” He states simply. You move past Puppy to enter the room more, and squat down by the lying skeleton, to inspect the feline further. Ophelia looks perfectly healthy by all standards. You hold out your palm for the cat to smell, and get to know your scent. “You’re training her to attack people? By lying on the floor with her on your chest? This looks more like cuddling.” You snort softly, watching as Ophelia takes a few sniffs of your hand, passably smelling all the animal’s you’ve been around today; Morgan, the twins and Bubba in particular. She seems to settle that you are an okay person, and lightly rubs her cheek into your palm, marking you with her own scent. Yes! Friendly animal encounter achieved! You are the animal whisperer; no one can best you, hahaha! Sans seems to become a bit flustered by your statement, sitting up abruptly after gently setting Ophelia on his lap. You come to recognize the name from the tragic Shakespeare Drama Hamlet. The monster must be a sucker for literature then, Or just tragic dramas? “A SKELETON OF MY POSITION HAS NO TIME FOR FOOLISH AFFECTION!” He stammers in a low growl, his back is straight and shoulders square. “OPHELIA IS THE MASTER OF CLAWING AT THEIR THROATS OF ENEMIES, AND ATTACKING WHEN THOSE LEAST EXPECT IT. SHE HAS HONOR! SO SHE NEED NOT SHOW AFFECTION!” You lightly roll your eyes, as you pluck the feline from his lap and hold her into your arms. The moment you begin stroking your fingers down her back, her chest begins to rumble like a car engine. It’s as you stand up, that you realize that Puppy has been keeping his distance from both Sans and Ophelia. “Every animal and person deserves affection Sans, it’s just our nature. It helps show that you appreciate your pet, and lets them know that they are doing a good job.” You hum as you scratch under the cats jaw, schooling the great and mighty Sans on how caring for a pet is beneficial. The once stiff and cautious animal has now become putty in your arms, very willing to accept the love and affection it must have been without. Though, from the looks of how Sans was laying on the floor, down at her level, you find it hard to believe that the skeleton doesn't show affection. Cautious steps come up from behind you, as Pap sticks his head into view, keeping a good distance from both you and Ophelia. He’s eyeing both you and the cat, with a distrusting gaze that has you curious. Was he skeptical about the animal, is he not on good terms with it? “so the ball of fur isn’t just a painful pin cushion after all, could have fooled me.” The skeleton huffs, not daring to touch the cat, as both he and it seem to lock eyes in a mutually agreed staring contest. Quirking a brow, you look up at Puppy for further context; Sans seems more than happy to fill in the gaps for you. “DEAR OPHELIA HERE, AS I MENTIONED, IS SKILLED AT ATTACKING INTRUDERS. SHE WASN’T VERY FRIENDLY WHEN I FIRST TOOK HER HOME, BOTH HER AND MUTT HAVE BEEN BEEN IN A CONSTANT MEXICAN STANDOFF.” He seems a bit humored by this, as a smirk stretches onto his face, “IT EITHER IS RESOLVED WHEN MUTT TRANSPORTS HIMSELF TO A NEW LOCATION, OR IF ANOTHER PERSON CAN STAND IN. ITS USUALLY THE FORMER.” “T.. Transports himself? Like, run away?” You knit your brows, looking to Sans for an explanation, its a real odd way to say someone ran away from a situation. “YES, IT A WAY. HE UTILIZES HIS MAGICAL ABILITIES TO WARP HIMSELF OR OBJECTS TO A DESIRED LOCATION, SO LONG AS HE HAS SEEN THE LOCATION PRIOR.” Sans shoves his hands into his pockets, looking up at his brother with curious eyes. “HAS MUTT NEVER MENTIONED THIS? ITS QUITE A USEFUL SKILL, WHEN I HAVE HIM OUT ON ‘ERRANDS’.” The gears in your head begin to turn, and you look up at your boyfriend with wide eyes, staring up at his curious and sheepish look. It all makes so much sense now. The sneaky dog! “Dog food! That’s how!” You practically shout, had your arms not been full, you would have pointed at the monster accusingly. Ophelia begins to sleep in your arms, not at all interested in the conversation everyone is having, nor caring that you are still holding her. Puppy simply shrugs, like a true intellectual. He pulls his hood over his head, scratching his cheekbone while absently looking away. Doing his best to seem nonchalant about the situation, even if he is clearly a little bashful. “it was cute to watch you get excited and try to wrap your head around my magic, cant a guy have a little fun?. . .” he says with his cool expression, a glow threatening his cheekbones. This ding darn guy! Shame on him for teasing you! SHAME. “Puuupy, your such a dork.” You groan softly, throwing your head back in exaggeration. Loud footsteps thunder down the hallway, making their way to the office door before kicking it open with great might, followed by another rough voice; yelling with both excitement and urgency. With how many rough voices you’ve been hearing after meeting Puppy, you’re surprised that no one needs a cough drop. Literally, you have to second guess if some of these monsters just have a really bad cold. “Who’s being a dork?! I’ll pummel them into shape!” Roars a very buff, roughed up and intimidating yellow lizard; dressed up in a theme of black and reds, much like the skeleton brothers and their cook. Is dressing up like an edgy teen part of their uniform? Or did they just like the style? And who the heck was this scary lizard lady? You swallow heavy as you begin to ponder all this, and pray that she doesn’t use you to bench-press, cuz dem arms look like they could explode melons. Gods have mercy, if you die today, all your stuff will be left to your children in your Will.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Who’s being a dork?! I’ll pummel them into shape!”You are rather startled by the sudden loud entrance of the large yellow lizard, their appearance is rough on the eyes; scars litter their visible yellow scales, many of which focused on her sturn face. This buff lizard stands just below Pap's height, but could very easily use the slender monster as a toothpick if she wanted to. There is only a moment of silence, before the smallest monster in the room removes himself from his seated position on the crisp red carpet, clearing his throat and dusting off his clothing. Sans Struts closer to the gathered group, looking up at the towering tank who had just moment ago, turned an ornate door into a splintered mess against the office wall. The door is barely hanging on to your surprise, you would have been sure that such a forceful entry would have taken the thing clean off."GOOD AFTERNOON ALPHYS, I SEE YOU ARE BACK FROM YOUR... ERRAND," Sans begins, his face holding an expression of immense satisfaction, as if plans are ALL coming together, just as he'd anticipated. "PREY TELL, WAS THE INFORMATION EXTRACTION AS USEFUL AS I HAD HOPED? I AM ENRAPTURED TO FIND OUT," the smaller monster folds his hands together, his two index phalanges outstretched and pointed outward, held to his sharp grinning teeth, as if to help contain his eagerness but also to show that he is by all means intent to listen.The large lizard let out a low rumble, which you figure to be a form of giggle, matched with their oddly satisfied expression. Alphys extends a claw to Sans, in it is an electronic device dwarfed by her large claw. You feel a little on edge, noticing a few red specks on the rectangular device. You begin to realize it's not just the device that has red specks either, the giant lizard herself has red specks splattered all over her suit, wearing them like a trophy. You take a few steps back, unsure if you feel comfortable in the presence of the unfolding situation.Mutt takes notice of your stirring, his sharp eyes inspecting your movements and expressions. He takes a step close, placing himself beside you to place a hand on your shoulder. He gives a light squeeze of assurance, realizing that you begin to hold Ophelia in your arms a little firmer for comfort. The snow white feline none the wiser about the current happenings, and is content on napping through it all.With the device in had, Sans inspects it, pressing one of the few square buttons lined on one side. Wheels begin to turn within what resembles a tape recorder, its resemblance is only solidified when a loud, blood curdling scream escapes the speaker on the back. Sans presses a button adjacent the one he had just pressed, cutting off the haunting scream of pain. Sans lets out a low chuckle, tossing the tape recorder up into the air and catching it."WELL DONE ALPHYS, I LOOK FORWARD TO REVIEWING YOUR FINDINGS," Sans praises, "THIS MAY BE JUST THE CLUES THAT WE'VE LOOKING FOR."You take another step back, eyes weary as they inspect the short skeleton, then the large and now terrifying lizard who you now feel may be an assassin of a sort. Papyrus' hand slips from your shoulder as you step away from the group. It's now come to your attention that you don't really know what Papyrus or Sans do for a living; sure you HEARD that Sans works for some sort of royal guard, but what Papyrus does for work is beyond your knowledge, it has never once been mentioned."What's..." You choke out, your mouth suddenly feels dry, your heart sinking to your stomach. "What's going on... here..." Your feet meet the end of the office, knocking off a couple books as you bump into the bookshelf behind you. You feel the blood drain from your face as all piercing eyes land on you.Sans chuckles the same low gravelly tone as before, when he received the bloodied tape recorder. He tosses the small device behind him, not bothering to watch it engulf with some sort of purple aura and land with ease onto his desk. The now terrifying tyrant slowly makes his way towards your, stopping at only a couple meters away. His posture is straight, his shoulders square with his arms folded behind his back. He leans forward, tilting his head slightly to the side and upwards. His sharp Cheshire smile screams confidence, while his piercing eyes shine knowingly, as if he knows a secret that you don't. Mutt shifts in the same place where he'd been at your side a moment ago, his usual emotionless expression showing worry, and a hint of anxiety. He attempts to reach out towards you, but thinks better of it, keeping his hands cradled to his stomach.Sans hums, his voice not as threatening as the situation feels to you; bringing your attention to him and away from the other two monsters in the room."OH ____ , IT COMPLETELY SLIPPED MY MIND THAT YOU WOULD HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO CLUE OF OUR POSITION. THOUGH IT IS WITH GOOD INTENTION THAT NEARLY NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT IT, OTHERWISE IT WOULD COMPLETELY RUIN OUT WHOLE OPERATION." Sans takes a couple steps closer, his posture keeping the same. "LOOSE LIPS DO SINK SHIPS, BUT IT IS US WHO DO THE REAL SHIP SINKING AROUND HERE."Sans stands a little straighter, holding out a hand towards you. His palm faces upwards, his phalanges only slightly separated. His offered hand has nothing in it, perhaps offering words of assurance instead. You however keep your hands to yourself, holding the now awake cat in your arms. Ophelia looks around at the gathered group with disinterest, but attempts to paw at San's near-by hand."IT WOULD ONLY BE FAIR IF I SHARE WITH YOU OUR OPERATION, AS IT DOES IN FACT INVOLVE YOU, AND MAY GIVE YOU MORE UNDERSTANDING. IT WOULD BE A SHAME FOR YOU TO RUN OFF, AS IT MAY CAUSE US MORE TROUBLE THAN NEEDED."You're weary eyes narrow at the skeleton before you, running off? Making their job difficult? What would they be doing that involved you? Had they been around for that sole... You look from Sans to Papyrus, his expression still worried and anxious, but he is standing straighter now, not one ounce of his showing surprise in Sans words.Was Paps in on all this? Was he... You feel your heart sink further into your stomach, you want to throw up, to scream out in sobs. None of this feels right, you feel tricked, played for a fool."So what now... " You say, averting your eyes to only look down at Sans' hand, your voice defeated. "Was I just some pawn in a game of yours? An asset to keep watch of? Or is is something of mine that you've been trying to get a hold of? Because you'll be sad to hear that I have nothing of value." Your voice is firm and collected, your once slumped shoulders now straighter with what you attempt at being confidence, but more self preservation.Mutt grasps a fistfull of fabric at the chest of his sweater, the expression of shock and surprise on his face. His jaw is slack, any articulating words that would have tried to be exchanged are stolen by the wind.Sans clicks his tongue softly, taking his hand back so that it may be held together with his other just before his slightly puffed out chest."OH NO MY DEAR, NOT ONE MOMENT HAVE YOU BEEN A PAWN IN THIS GAME OF CHESS WE PLAY, FAR FROM IT IN FACT," Sans explains, his demeanor is no longer giving you the heebie jeebies, but you still keep up a guard as he continues to explain. Alphys lets out a yawn as she stands in place, not really interested in anything going on within the office, as she only came to deliver her task."YOU SEE, DEAR ____ , THERE IS AN OPPONENT WE ARE FACING, ONE THAT HAS DEFEATED ANY AND ALL WHO THEY HAVE COME ACROSS; TAKING EVERY LAST PIECE OUT FROM THE BOARD, AND TAKING EVERYTHING FOR THEMSELVES. IT IS THIS VERY OPPONENT WE ARE STILL SHOWING NOW, AND IT HAD COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT IT IS YOU, WHO ARE THEIR NEXT CHALLENGER, JUST JUST A PAWN IN THE RANKS, BUT THE VERY KIND AND QUEEN, THE VERY HAND THAT CHOOSES WHERE EACH PIECE GOES!" Sans has his arms outstretched in an array of glory, defining the very extent of the ordeal that you are the leading cause of.There is a spark in Sans' eyes, one of pure confidence and excitement. A quiet scheming mastermind hides behind those eyes, with terrifying intelligence that sends a shiver down your spine, and lights a fire within you. Someone wants to take something from you, it isn't the monsters you've come to know, but someone who's been at it for a very long time.There is a fire in your soul that burns, kindness is only welcome to those who are deserving, and to those who need it. But it is anger and wrath that's given to those who think it is right to snuff out those that stand in their way; wrath and anger is what you feel for those who think they can take advantage of others for their own gain.Sans laughs out loud, approaching further, placing his firm hands atop your shoulders. His burning eyes staring into yours, a fire that shows certainty and pride. However there is something else there, a sort of kindness and affection that you can't quite place."IT IS TRUE; I HAD SENT MUTT TO WATCH OVER YOU, TO INSPECT WHO OR WHAT MAY BE LURKING AROUND YOUR ESTABLISHMENT, TO SNIFF OUT JUST WHO MAY BE PLANNING TO TAKE EVERYTHING FOR THEMSELVES..." Sans' voice is bold and affirming, but it soon tapers off into a more gentle and bashful tone. "IT HOWEVER... WAS NOT MY INTENTION THAT THE TWO OF YOU WOULD GET FAR CLOSER THAN ANTICIPATED, BUT IT IS HOWEVER A WELCOME ONE." He finishes with a light smile, sliding his hands off your shoulders and taking a step back.Turning, Sans moves towards his desk, inspecting some papers and blueprints. Mutt takes a moment to no longer be a stone statue decorating Sans' large decorated office, and takes a few meager steps towards you, but halts as soon as you peer up at him.There is a sweat forming at the top of his head, a meek smile twitching to his features, but his eyes aren't smiling, they're terrified. It's as though he is holding a porcelain doll that he treasured dearly, but the small frail thing is threatening to crack and break from any sudden movements. He's terrified that everything will break and crumble into dust, and get swept up into the wind.As much as seeing him like this hurts your soul, as much as you want to go up to him and comfort him and tell him everything is okay. But it isn't okay, nothing is okay.Your world has just been shattered; the happy and peaceful reflection you once saw in the mirror has been replaced with deceit, shattered to reveal that everything you thought you knew, it's all been tipped over and spilled. That one moment of fear and distrust you felt, it only takes one moment to lose the trust you've built with someone. Even after everything has been rationally cleared up, that one moment has changed everything. You still lift the darn guy, but..."I... I just need some time to think, to gather my thoughts..." Your words are clear as day, with no wiggle room for objection. You do not notice the pained expression Mutt has formed his face, you don't dare look up at him right now.Sans looks up from his rummaging of plans, his eyelights looking from you to Mutt, than back to you. "OF COURSE, TAKE AS MUCH TIME AS YOU NEED," Sans starts. "DO RETURN ONCE YOUR MIND IS CLEAR, I WOULD LIKE TO FURTHER EXPLAIN THE SITUATION AND GET YOU UP TO SPEED WITH THINGS."You reply with a simple nod, slipping past all the monsters to exit through the doorless door frame of the office, and down the hall. you are unsure of where you are headed, but it doesn't really matter. Ophelia mewls out as you walk, perhaps in her own way of sassing all the big meanies in the office. 'That could have gone far better, but it wasn't the worst.'It is after a few moments of walking, that you find yourself in a lounge; the floor is carpeted with a decorative pattern from wall to wall, sofas and chairs sit adjacent to one another, with small side tables at the ends of each side. Against the far wall of the room is a centered unlit fireplace, its mantle decorated with bits and bobbles. Afternoon glow spills into the room from a large window to the far left, giving the paintings and bookshelves along the walls a burning glow. You waste no time bee-lining and crumpling into a sofa. You finally allow yourself to breathe; shoulders shivering as you allow yourself to finally express the pent of stress and fear that you pushed down. You really had no idea what to expect.Sure, there was information given to you, that their jobs seemed normal and official in some way. Sans a royal guard, and Papyrus an errand boy for his brother. That was all you knew, you never pushed to learn more, you were happy to know just that. Why you never pushed to ask was beyond you, it never seemed so important.But you were truly terrified, the happy cheery gather in that office was shattered when the large reptilian monster entered, splattered with what you can only assume is human blood, if the screaming tape recorder is anything to judge by. It was that moment that had you fear them, had you question just what exactly they did for a living.Had they been a gang, in the middle of a war with another? Were they actually a league of monsters who didn't agree with the world they found themselves in, and were taking it into their own hands? You had no clue in that moment, you only knew that they were a group of powerful monsters, with capabilities beyond your knowledge. They could hurt people if they wanted to, they could make people disappear if they wanted to.You shiver at the thought, tears welling up in your eyes and blurring your vision. You were relieved to realize that none of that was reality, but it doesn't change that you had been horrified just that moment ago.Ophelia sits pristine and relaxed on your lap, her expression akin to that of resting-bitch-face, the tip of her tail however, flicks with content. Her paws gently 'making biscuits' on your legs.'Nothing could have changed to be any better back there, it had to happen eventually.'You wipe the tears threatening to fall from your eyes as you hear the door to the lounge open, the sound of soft feet padding into the room and to the sofa you are sat at. Just the guy you'd like to see right at this moment.Bubba takes a seat before you, his tail wagging happy at seeing you, but lets out a light whine when he notices your puffy red eyes, and your somber mood. The pooch scoots himself to sit closer, and rests his face on your knee, his large eyes looking up with worry. 'you okay? need anything? i don’t have thumbs but i'll help regardless.' Bubba lets out a light huff as he looks up to you.Ophelia halts her biscuit making, ears twitching as she looks down to the mutt resting his head. Her tail swayed in a lower motion, showing her distaste for the dog. 'Oh, we have a smelly guest too. How Delightful.' She turns her face away from the dog, sticking her nose upwards in your direction. 'I always disliked smelly dogs, always so loud and annoying.'The feline moves to turn towards you, standing up and rubbing her head under your chin, swatting her tail at Bubba in the process. Loud purring drums in the cats chest as she shows affection. 'Ignore the dog, relax and just ignore what happened a moment ago, you will feel better in no time.'Bubba squints as he focuses on not sneezing from a tail smack to the snoot. With a shake of his head, and the flapping of his ears, he feels a little better. Bubba ignores the words of the spoilt fur ball on your lap, his large brown eyes looking up to you.'you will do just fine bestest friend, me and the pretty kitty are here if you need us,' Bubba lets out a soft 'boof ', the sound of his tail smacking the floor only gets louder.You let out a soft sniffle, rubbing at your eyes a little more. You give both animals a light scratch with your hands. "You guys are great, thanks for the encouragement. I really needed it." You say softly.Light crackling of fire within the lounge soothes you and your soul a bit, the warmth is comforting. The smell of fresh herbal tea and honey hit your nose, lulling you into deeper relaxation. It's funny, because the fireplace isn't actually lit at this moment in time. . .A light hum erupts from someone behind you, the crackling lowering in volume. "It seems that I have walked in at a bad time, I will leave you this tea and leave," a deep wispy voice whispers, its owner's light footsteps rounding the sofa and setting a silver tea tray on a side table. An ornate teapot with matching tea cups and saucers, cute small teaspoons, a tiny bowl for sugar cubes, and a small milk pitcher all sit on the tray. The whole set is so cute, it's even accompanied by a dish of cookies. A small smile breaks onto your face, appreciative of the kind gesture."Oh no it's alright. . . Thank you Grillby, that's really sweet of you." You hum softly, feeling much better now with so many comforting stimuli.The elemental is rather hesitant, standing firm and steady in place. His face is looking at you directly, but it is hard to tell where his eyes are looking exactly, with them both being soft in comparison to the rest of his person, as well as the harsh glare of his thin rimmed glasses sometimes obscuring the view. Grillby stirs in place, arms awkwardly stiff against his sides.Looking up at the still lug, you let out a bashful laugh, wondering if there's something on your face that's making his stare. Having a good look at the well dressed flame, it makes you wonder, what else does the hothead do, if the theme around this mansion is 'secret agent', it isn't hard to believe now that everyone living under this roof has other tasks besides the ones they do as a front."So. . . Besides cooking a mean meal. . . What sorta mean guys have you cooked up lately?" You ask boldly, but the joking tone you use cracks a little, your expression slightly dejected. Might as well ask now, so you wont leave yourself surprised later. Looking back up, you try your best smile. Grillby is slightly surprised, his body language shifting to as if someone just told him his sister just had a baby; surprised, shocked, and . . . happy? The flaming cook stifles a laugh with a well timed cough against the side of his fist."Well actually. . . I primarily work in the main house as security for when everyone is here and away, we have not had any intruders thus far in this city. It is quite relaxing," crackles Grillby, scratching his cheek lightly in thought. "May I assume that Sans has informed you of our primary task within this city?" He inquires softly."Only a bit," You say flatly, "he plans to tell me more. . . Once I've had time to calm down that is. . . It's a lot to take in." You admit, a soft sigh escaping you.Grillby stands silent for a moment, contemplating what he could possibly say in a situation like this. "If it helps. . ." He begins."What I can say is that you have nothing to fear here, our goal first and foremost is to ensure that ties between human and monster kind is sound. All are safe and welcome in this house, so long as there is no ill intent."What Grillby tells you helps a little, helping you get a better idea of what it is that this odd group of monsters do exactly. While the morals of some monster here is still unknown to you, knowing their code of honor and their ambitions paints a better picture for you."Thank you Grillby, hearing you say that makes me feel more comfortable. . . I guess seeing Alphys bring in a bloody tape recorder of what I can't imagine is recorded on it gave me a real scare. But also realizing that everyone here turned out to not be exactly who I'd thought they'd be."There is a small pause of silence between the two of you, the only sounds being the crackle of Grillby's presence, and the aggressive purring of Ophelia who's taken to napping on the arm of the sofa you are sat on. Bubba hasn't moved an inch from his place the whole time. His eyes shifting between you, and the tray with cookies."It is to my hope that your shock does not leave you disappointed," You wonder if it's a trick of the light, because it almost seems that there is a slight shift in colour on the elemental's head, if not glowing a little brighter. "I have worked with Sans and Papyrus for a very long time, they are some of the greatest monsters I have worked with. They are both genuine characters, if not a bit odd."You snort a little from a sudden sharp inhale from your nose, letting out a soft laugh as you entangle your fingers with Bubba's fur, giving his head some scratches and pats."A bit odd? Good sir, you may need a new prescription, because those two are the most eccentric pair of crackpots I've ever been flattered to meet in my life. I mean, have you seen them?" You grin a bit, earning a deep crisp laugh from the bright pillar standing before you."You could not be closer to the truth ____ , being somewhat odd is the glue that holds our whole operation together; Genuine and nice people, just odd." He states with a nod, adjusting his tie and fixing his suit vest. He uses his hands to flatten out any wrinkles of his slacks.Raising an eyebrow, you let your mind wonder. Papyrus is odd for perhaps his fascination with playing on his nickname, Sans appears to be highly fascinated with games, possibly even dramas with how dramatic he plays things out. But what about Alphys? And what about. . .A sly smile creeps out onto your face, coming out of your thoughts, you look up to find Grillby pouring you a cup of now palatable tea, and a few cookies to go along with it. From what you can see, they may be some sort of sugar cookie. You want to ask about Grillby's oddity, but Bubba interrupts with a low despite 'boof ', staring at the cookies now given to you. You have two cents to just give Bubba a piece of cookie, but Grillby produces a dog biscuit from god knows where. Its shape and designs ornate, and something you've never seen sort in any store.Grillby stands straight and assertive, holding the medium-sized dog treat at shoulder height. He has all of Bubba's attention, the dog standing at full attention, tail wagging with anticipation. The big baby prances his two front paws, a small 'awoooo' leaving his throat. 'please, I wish for the cookie, I swear I have been o-so good boy.'"Spin," commands Grillby in a light but firm tone, forming a circular gesture with the biscuit. Bubba pants, doing a small twirl in place. With a nod, Grillby continues.'I can do a pretty spin, oh boy yes I can.'"Sit." Bubba is quick, lowering his back legs and sitting on his hunches. The echo of loud thumps from his tail fill the room.'down I go, I can do it in a chair if you want my warm friend, Bubba sure can, yes sir.'You let out a small snort, but hide it with a small cough before taking a small sip of tea. Watching Bubba and Grillby closely, you nearly miss Mr. Hot Bunz giving you a side glance. Unless it's just the flames of his head tricking your eyes. Leaning down, Grillby holds out his one free hand, which makes your eyes narrow. It's now that you wonder what would happen if you were to touch the fire, would it hurt like non-talking fire?"Shake," The monster commands once more, and it's now that you feel a pang of anxiety, now truly wondering if the talking fire hurts like the non-sentient kind.'oh, can do warm friendly, I'm gonna say hello like a people person, puddit dere pal!' Bubba lifts his adjacent paw, coordinating a proper handshake with Grillby. There is no flinch or sound of pain from the big pupper, which you are surprised, but relieved from.As a reward for doing the commanded tricks, Grillby presents Bubba with the bone-shaped biscuits. The large fluffy boy takes it gently into his maw, laying down and holding it between his front paws. Before he begins to gnaw on the crunchy snack, he lets out a long and quiet howl.'I did IIIIIIIIIIIIIIt! Ima good boooooooy! 'All you can do is grin wide at the interaction between the two, your face is hurting from long you have been smiling. You completely forget about wanting to tease Grillby about finding out his oddity, and simply enjoy the moment of cute Bubba and charming Grillby. Not to mention, the tea he gave you is a fricken bomb. It seems to keep the same temperature, not too hot, but just perfect to warm your belly.Something about the tea soothes your soul, helping you relax and feel safe. It reminds you of the cold winter days back home. Where you are sat cozied up on the sofa with baby Morgan, clothed from head to toe with fuzzy cloths. It was a university weekend, no classes and all your homework and papers finished. The snow outside is falling in a slow drift, fat flakes becoming one with the thick white blanket resting on every outside surface. Your shared apartment with your best friend Pychi is warm and happy, with the holidays just around the corner. The memory brings you comfort and joy, the times back then were tough, but not terrible.Grillby reaches into the breast pocket of his suit vest, pulling out a phone and checking it. He lets out a small hum, tapping his fingers against it before putting the device back."I must apologize ____ , while this short break and chat with you has been most enjoyable, I must return to my duties." Grillby says apologetically, placing his right hand to his chest, and bowing his head lightly. Once lifting his head, he uses his right index finger to lightly push his glasses back up his nose? You have to hold back a small laugh, as you find the gesture adorable. How are the glasses even able to stay in his face? So is pushing the back up even necessary? "There’s no need to apologize, Grillbz. I completely understand. I did enjoy your company, it helped me feel much better." You offer a bright smile, you almost hope that you can spent some other time with the interesting match-stick.Grillby's flames turn to that of a soft hue, the flames atop his head flickering gently. "Hearing that makes me happy. Knowing our guest is feeling their best brings me joy. Do please enjoy the tea and snacks before you return to Sans and company, I will return to retrieve the tea set once you have gone." He says with a soft wispy voice.With small good-byes exchanged, Grillby takes his leave. You take your time with the tea; even with the elemental being absent, the room is still reasonably warm and comforting. You take another fifteen minutes to yourself, enjoying the company of Bubba and Ophelia. Once tea and snacks have been depleted and enjoyed, you stand from the sofa and stretch.It's about time you get back to the gang, and hear what else Sans has to explain. You just hope that the hunted situation that you are in won't be as terrible as your gut is telling you.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The room is filled with the informative and raspy voice of Sans, the sound of his shoes rhythmically hitting the carpeted floor of his office as he paces back and forth behind his large desk. you are sitting in one of the very comfortable chairs that had been pushed aside during Sans'. . . Training session with his cat. The feline in question has herself placed on the length of your lap on her back, paws curled against her belly as her tail sways against your knees. Her aggressive purrs on occasion distract Sans from his train of thought, drawing his eyes to the alien display before him. It takes a moment of gaping at the sight before getting back on track. Your hands absently stroke Ophelia's soft belly as you listen; a sign from the cat that she has full trust in being coddled by you.Both Papyrus and Alphys take to standing through the duration of the meeting, the large lizard standing closest to the crudely fixed office door; it looks as though she had simply stuck it back in place, rather than reattach its hinges. Papy stands just a bit away's from you, but keeps a respectable distance. His eyes every so often flick in your direction, his hand absently scratching Bubba's head, who has taken to happy sitting next to his new owner. You take notice of Papyrus' repetitive staring; his placement is just out of your peripheral view. That doesn't you from feeling his gaze every now and again."AS IT CURRENTLY STANDS, THIS WHOLE OPERATION IS RATHER NEW. WE'VE ONLY JUST BEEN KEEPING TABS ON THIS PARTICULAR GROUP FOR THE PAST SIX MONTHS; THE AMOUNT OF ACTIVITY THEY'VE HAD IS RATHER QUITE ASTOUNDING!" Sans continues, standing at his desk to take in the current paper intel they have. He picks up a stack of printed photos, leafing through them one by one, dropping each one behind him as he goes long. Making his way from behind his desk and towards you."FIRST WAS THE TRACTOR BUSINESS; IT WAS ONLY JUST KICKING OFF, WITH MANY BUYERS AND QUITE A BIT OF MONEY COMING IN. THEY SQUASHED THE BUSINESS AND ITS OWNER, GETTING AWAY WITH THIRTEEN-MILLION DOLLARS. NEXT WAS THE HI-TECH SECURITY INSTALLATION BUSINESS; TWENTY-MILLION DOLLARS IN THEIR POCKETS. HIGH-CLASS RESTAURANT CHAIN OWNER WAS FOUND DEAD; TWENTY-EIGHT MILLION MISSING FROM HIS BANK ACCOUNT. NEW CONSTRUCTION OF AN EXTENSIVE MALL; TWENTY-THREE MILLION MISSING. NEWLY RENOVATING HOSPITAL WING; THIRTY-FIVE MILLION MISSING, SUSPICIOUSLY IMPORTANT ACCOUNTANT FOUND DEAD." Photos of different locations, many of which are crime scenes with glimpses of corpses. Each photo floats to the floor carelessly as Sans lists off five different events they had been tracking.Standing before you, he holds out four photos for you to view; one was a picture of you, your home, your current animal shelter and the new location that has been in process of getting paperwork for construction. "OUR CURRENT LEADS HAVE US BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE THEIR NEXT TARGET. EVERY MONTH THEY HAVE A NEW TARGET, BEFORE MOVING ONTO THE NEXT LIKE CLOCKWORK. THE ODDNESS OF THIS IS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN STRANGELY QUIET FOR A FEW MONTHS NOW." The short tyrant informs, letting you take in every detail of the photos.You feel your heart sink to your stomach like a heavy stone; these people have been watching you, for what seems like a month, maybe even longer. Just hearing that they have been in the business of killing owners of businesses just to get a cut of the pie makes you want to throw up. You had no idea just how serious this group of criminals were. On top of it, it seems that Sans and his gang have been around just a long, keeping an eye on you without your knowledge.Who had been the one to take the photos? Was coming into contact with you Sans' plan from the start? Or had it been Mutt's simple mistake getting caught? So many thoughts swirl through your mind at once, it takes every ounce of your being to keep from breaking down. The short skeleton before you takes to tossing the photos behind him, placing his hands atop your shoulders as he leans forward, looking directly into your eyes with his own. The glow of his pinpricks are steady and firm, unwavered in the slightest."WITH OUR CURRENT INTEL; COURTESY OF OUR DEAR FRIEND ALPHYS, WE NOW KNOW THAT THEY HAVE BEEN PATIENT AT THIS TIME, HOPING TO CASH OUT WITH A HIGHER BID RATHER THAN SETTLING FOR CHUMP CHANGE. THEY SOMEHOW KNOW JUST HOW MUCH YOUR BUSINESS IS GOING TO BE WORTH, AS WELL AS HOW MUCH YOUR WILL GET IN FUNDS AND HOW MUCH THEY CAN MAKE OFF OF YOUR EQUIPMENT. THEY ARE PLAYING THE WAITING GAME, MAKING OUT JOB A LITTLE HARDER." His voice is firm and confidant, only the slightest hint of apathy can be heard in his voice."THESE SCUM HAVE ALL BUT BEEN ATTACKING MONSTER-HUMAN BUSINESSES, LEAVING US TO BELIEVE THAT THEIR OPERATION IS EITHER MIXED, OF THEY INTEND TO TARNISH MONSTER-HUMAN RELATIONS. OUR WHOLE PURPOSE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT RELATIONS KEEP FROM FALLING." Sans pauses for a moment, his voice softening as he continues. "That Is Not To Say, We Aren't Here To Let Innocent People Continue To Perish, Monster Or Not. . . You Are Our Close Priority And Trump Card In Stopping These Cretins."You take in an uneasy breath, hearing that Sans won't just let you get thrown to the dogs brings a bit of ease to your aching heart. For this group to know just how much you are estimated to be worth fills your soul with dread; not even you know how much you and your whole company is worth at this very second, or how much you are to make in funds by the end of this month. Everything has been going by so fast, you've had little time to keep track of everything. . . Maybe it was time you got back to the grinding stone, and threw yourself back into work, regardless of what Pychi says.After a bit more time of discussing their current leads on what the coordinated group might be planning to do next, Grillby stops by to inform everyone that the evening meal was ready to be served in the dining hall. You never realized just how hungry you were, with how much worry was flooding your senses. Papers are put away before everyone shuffles out of the room, and makes their way to the dining hall, Ophelia and Bubba run off to do their own activities while everyone gathers in the dining hall to eat.A rather flustered stranger joins you all at the table, her slim body holding itself up with an anxious jitter every so often. She is introduced to you as Undyne, the aquatic monster was their lead analyst and monsterkind's renowned scientist. The blue woman bashfully brushes off any compliments, stating everything done was for the benefit of monsters, and nothing to write home about. She's sat herself next to the oddly quiet Alphys, who's come to be a lot gentler in speech and actions with the newer additions presence. This completely different side you are seeing to the once gruff and somewhat aggressive demeanor you were introduced to was a welcome change, you found it almost endearing.With yourself sitting next to the nervous monster, across the table sits Sans, Pap and Grilly. The room is quite lovely, a chandelier above lights the room with a pleasant glow. The full course meal prepared by Grillby is quite lovely; a while pork roast with a side of salad and vegetables, mashed potatoes and a beautiful cake for dessert. Pleasantries are exchanged among the group as everyone dines, discussing any interesting discoveries or happenings during the day that anyone happened across is discussed with bright and open minds. The atmosphere among friends is calming, and you almost find yourself forgetting about your worries.The quiet Alphys clears her throat, getting the attention of Sans before she opens up a new discussion among the group seated at the table."So uh. . . If or when these nerds make a move, say, either the meatbag over there or maybe on us if they get cocky. . . How would you like for us to deal with them? B-because im more than happy with pulverizing them." The yellow lizard, getting a look at her, she almost reminds you of an oversized pangolin, if its posture was a lot less modest and had big scary teeth and eyes.Sans taps a phalanges on his mental protuberance thoughtfully, taking their current situation into close consideration. His violet eye lights bouncing around in his sockets as he looks over their options."WELL. . ." He begins, "THEY'D HAVE TO IDIOTS TO EVEN THINK OF TAKING ON OUR BASE OF OPERATIONS. ASIDE FROM UNDYNE AND MUTT'S NEW PET, EVERYONE HERE IS MORE THAN CAPABLE OF DEALING WITH INTRUDERS." Sans says with no doubt in his voice, almost disappointed at the idea of such an easy cleanup. When his eyes land on you however, his posture shifts to be straighter."IT IS WITH CERTAINTY THAT THEY WOULD MAKE THEIR MOVE ON OUR FRIEND HERE, IF THEY HOLD A CANDLE TO THEIR CURRENT REPUTATION. IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE GIVE NO INDICATION OF PLAYING A ROLE IN THEIR GAME; THEY WON'T RUN AND HIDE IF THEY THINK THEY HAVE THE MATCH WON ALREADY. THIS ALSO MEANS THAT YOU NEED TO PLAY IGNORANT IN ALL THIS, DEAR ____." He finishes, folding his hands together atop the table.You can see what Sans was trying to say; these people have only been at it for so long because they have yet to be caught by even regular human police and investigators. Any trace of their interference in businesses gets wiped clean before they depart onto their next dirty project; like phantoms cast to the wind. But hearing from the brains of this party stirs a thought you'd had earlier in your visit. You recall the elemental cook mentioning earlier that he seconds as security for the building, which you almost find it hard to believe. In fact, you can't really seem to imagine any of the monsters here being battle ready, aside from the buff lizard at your side of the table. Sure everyone here is incredibly intelligent, but you've only heard from a few passing monsters in your life that they hold incredible strength compared to humans.As you shift in your seat, you do your best to put your question into words that wont sound so offensive."If it's alright for me to ask. . . How is it exactly that everyone here would defend against intruders? N-Not to be rude, but I've thought of you all to be regular monsters up until recently, and not some sort of secret service. ." You say politely, folding your hands onto your lap as you finish. You can only hope that no one is offended by your earlier assumption of them.A devious hum escapes Sans at your question, a sly grin curling to his pointed teeth. He almost seems pleased with your question, or maybe that you thought so casually of them."THAT'S PLEASING TO HEAR, IT WAS MY HOPE THAT WE WOULDN'T DRAW ATTENTION TO OURSELVES IN OUR STAY HERE. IT WOULD BE FAR TOO EASY TO LET OUT ENEMY GET THEIR GUARD UP, MAKING OUT JOB JUST A BIT MORE MESSY." Sans leans back in his chair, a hand gesturing to his left as he presents Grillby."TO GIVE YOU SOME INSIGHT OF OUR ABILITIES, WE WILL START WITH OUR OLD FRIEND GRILLBY HERE. BACK UNDERGROUND, WHERE OUR WORLD WAS RATHER HARSH AND CHAOTIC, OUR STOIC FRIEND HERE OWNED ONE OF THE FEW LOCATIONS THAT DID NOT TOLERATE VIOLENCE."The monster in mention takes a bite of food, covering a hand to where his mouth would be as he takes a moment to finish. Once ready, the illuminated man sits a little straighter, continuing on Sans' telling."Back in the Underground, I ran a reputable bar for monsters to relax and enjoy themselves. I had a strict 'no violence' policy, primarily because it was far too tedious to replace my expensive furniture." Grillby says in a low wispy tone, using his hand to push his glasses up his nose while he continues. "Anyone who so much as thought about breaking this rule, well. . . Let us say the'd return home with something of their own broken."His voice never changed in octave, not once giving a hint of threat behind his words; speaking as though he were discussing weekend plans with close friends. But the implications in his words sent a chill up your spine, that 'something broken' was far from his intended description. For someone so calm and collected, beyond polite and respectable, if not charming even; to be capable of inflicting violence with not so much as a bat of his eyes. As terrifying as this was, something deep inside you sturs a little, a ghost of a burning sensation in your chest. A feeling you knew all too well in the past.As much as you'd like to claim to have always been a good cookie, it would be a blatant lie. It's only been in your later years that you've come to have a compassion for doing good, to balance the wrong this world has. It wasn't so long ago in your life that not a single ounce of you cared for the world around you; for all the terrible things going on with people in terrible situations, life being snuffed out without even an ounce of mercy. You hadn't been as terrible as those who'd take a life, or bring pain to those weaker than them without an ounce of hesitation; but the meanstreak you'd been on during your younger years, you didn't care to do much about what went on around you. 'It wasn't your business, it wasn't your problem' you'd always think to yourself, standing idle while one of your peers would be getting bullied or physically harmed. Unless it involved you, it didn't matter. You didn't expect the world to change, nor did you think that trying to do your part would make any difference. The world was terrible, and it would stay that way no matter who hopes better of it. Taking this trip down memory lane, you can vaguely remember the taste of sweat in your mouth; the burning sensation in your muscles as you'd take your bitter anger out on a suspended body of recycled fabrics and sand, all bundled tightly together with a leather covering. Countless afternoons were spent confronting your problems with the heavy inanimate bag, countless weekends taking boxing classes to release pent up frustration that you would keep to yourself. It's been years since you had to take up the sport, you almost wonder if you still have muscle memory of the skill.Blinking out of your momentary lapse of silence, you give a small nod in understanding. You offer a kind smile to the inferno sitting across from you. "Well, it's nice to know that there was at least one place people could go to relax without worry. From the sound of it, the Underground must have been a challenge when getting through just everyday life."Sans gives a knowing smile, folding his hands together once more "IT TRULY WAS, THERE WAS NEVER A DULL MOMENT, YOU ALWAYS HAD TO LOOK OVER YOUR SHOULDER WHEN EVEN DOING THE SIMPLEST OF TASKS. LIFE UP ON THE SURFACE IS A CAKEWALK IN COMPARISON." Sitting straight, Sans gestures across the table to Alphys with his head."THERE IS NO EXPLANATION NEEDED FOR ALPHYS, I'M SURE YOU ALREADY GET THE IDEA OF HER. . . BRUTAL STRENGTH AND SKILLS. . ." A low rumble escapes the lizard, an interesting take on a bashful chuckle from such a large monster.Gesturing with his right hand, Sans moves on to introducing the skills of the final monster at the table. Mutt has been silent for most of the meal, having not really eaten as he mostly pikes at his food with a fork. You want to feel bad for the guy, and offer some sort of comfort, but you force the idea down as you sit in your seat."MY DEAR BROTHER HERE EXCELS IN SCOUTING SURE; HE CAN GET ME PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE OF WHATEVER IT IS I NEED, OR SLIP IN AND OUT OF A LOCATION LIKE A MOUSE." Sans draws as he explains, his voice and posture shift to be far more excited, showing confidence and practically bragging as he continues, "BUT WHERE HIS SKILLS REALLY COME INTO PLAY IS WHEN WE NEED SOMEONE TAKEN OUT SWIFTLY AND SILENTLY; NO MATTER THE LOCATION, NO MATTER HOW MUCH MUSCLE OR PROTECTION SOMEONE WOULD HAVE AT THEIR DISPOSAL, MUTT WILL APPEAR AND DISAPPEAR WITHIN AN INSTANT, LEAVING NO TRACE OF HOW HE HAS ENTERED, BUT PERFORMING HIS DEED WITH CLEAR INTENTION." The monster in discussion makes no indication in participating in the discussion, or even showing that he's listening. He just keeps silently to himself, deep in whatever thoughts are going on inside that skull of his.Hearing that Paps has used his special teleporting ability for something other than a silly gag furthered the crack of how you first perceived the monster. The monster sitting silently to himself across the dining table is almost a complete stranger to the monster you'd been so loving and intimate with just earlier that day. You really want to heed Grillby's words and not let these new developments cause disappointment in your view of others, but it may take some time for you to gather yourself together, and come to terms with the new vision of the man you'd thought you loved. As the evening comes to an end, you thank everyone for the wonderful evening before taking a taxi home. Sleep comes eventually, not until after the threat of the sun rising courses it to comply with your wishes. All the worries and thoughts from the day leaving you in a whirl of emotions and anxieties.Catching some rest by only a handful of hours, you drag yourself out of bed tiredly and get started on your morning routine; shower, breakfast, brush your teeth, get dressed and head out the door for the day. The morning air is cool as you walk your way to work, offering small gestures of 'good morning' to what stragglers you pass on the street, all is quiet and easy as you take the same route you've always taken. A rush of Deja-vu hits you as you approach the location of your work, a familiar figure slumped over on the ground near the front door to the animal shelter, just as he was the very first day you saw him; a large eared hood of his jacket hiding his beached bone face. It's only this time that you don't know what to do about today, don't know how to feel.Catching sight of your shoes as you pass by, Paps lifts his head with a flop of his ears, honey colored eyelights catching your figure as you make it to the front door with your keys, wiggling them around in the lock as you always have. You remember Sans mentioning that you'd have to continue acting as though nothing was wrong; none the wiser about your current dangerous position. Playing along wasn't a worry or issue, it was your unresolved feelings about it that would be troubling. So instead you settle for offering the slumped skeleton a warm smile, and gesture your head towards the door."Well come on then Puppy, it's rather chilly this morning, the cold ground won't do any good for you." You hum softly, pushing the door open and entering. You miss the hopeful smile on the monster's face on your way in, not needing to be told twice as he gets up and follows in behind you.The pair of you aren't the only ones in so early, the smell of coffee coming from the main office helps indicate that someone has arrived not too long before either of you. Soft sounds of dragging feet are heard inside the attached room, along with low humming and the shuffling of papers. Moving through the main shop, both you and Paps make your way towards the office, so that you can drop off your bag and keys, the busy noises continue as the pair of you get closer. Passing the threshold, you are greeted with the friendly sight of your familiar badger friend. Pychi is clad in his usual beige slacks and his light blue flip flops, but has changed up from his usual choice of button up shirts by having a v-neck sweater thrown over top for a classy but cozy look. Switch out the slacks for pajama pants and you could already see good 'ol university Pychi; all business up top and naps on the bottom. You could never understand his fascination with flip flops, the monster always managed to wear them no matter the event or attire he sported.The monster pushes the pair of thin framed glasses up his schnoz as he hears you enter, offering a warm smile in greeting. "Ah, ____ Dear, so good to see you this morning. Ah, Papyrus, back again for more community service I see." He says in a low morning voice, just finishing up organizing the office. To your surprise, almost everything has a post-it note with a message on top. Even the cork bulletin board along one of the walls is littered with reminders; Pychi seemed to have really taken your joke into consideration and improved the state of the office. The space much more cleared out after him and Emmy took to putting away store and clinic supplies, the new improvement was a warm surprise to see when coming back to work after a short break. You happily return the greeting to your old friend and colleague, offering a small wave."Good morning to you too Py, it's great to be back at work. I'm ready to kick butt and get the day rolling." You say with your best attitude, setting down your bag and keys before making your way to get a coffee, dragging your feet slightly along the way. You have to fight back a yawn as you think up what needs to be done today. You go to fix up two cups of coffee while you're there, feeling a large and heavy paw place itself atop your right shoulder gently. you turn your attention away from your hands to look up at none other than Pychi, worried eyes fixated on you behind his loose sitting glasses."You don't look to be all there my dear, have you been sleeping alright?" He asks in a low voice. You never even heard him step over to you while you were making coffee, you are usually more aware of your surroundings when doing work; could you really be so tired to have not noticed Pychi step over to you? Slight shuffling can be heard from behind the two of you, you can see the awkward shifting of Papyrus from the corner of your eye as you look up to Pychi."I did sleep a bit weird last night, not that it's anything to worry about." You say in earnest, trying your best at a reassuring smile. "Nothing a good cup of coffee can't fix, eh?"The broad monster before you leans down to your eye level, his round black nose only centimetres away from yours as he looks to you with stern black eyes, camouflaged by the black stripe pattern running along the length of his face, and off towards the back of his head. His small rounded ears are flattened, showing his visible concern for your health."If you need to return home and rest, do please take up the opportunity." He urges with a soft and rumbly voice, his padded thumb giving your shoulder a light rub. "I can completely understand that these next few weeks will cause great amounts of stress on your human heart, I would be more than happy to get through any paperwork needed this morning; your wellbeing is far more important than a whole day of signing papers and filing."Before you have the chance to reply with a witty remark on how 'filing paperwork is about as stressful as reading over a book and correcting writing errors', a bony hand reaches in and clasps onto Pychi's wide wrist. The air around the three of you suddenly feels dense, the amount of negative emotions you get off of only one monster sends a shiver down your spine. Papyrus' grip on the badger's wrist tightens greatly, forcing the hand to be removed from your shoulder. His iron grip is not releasing even after your shoulder has been freed."____ said that everything is fine, don't try coddling them so that you can get them to leave." He says in a low and cold tone, a hint of a threat bites at the edge of his words. His piercing eyelights stare down the beady black eyes returning his gaze.Pychi seems slightly surprised, but shows no sign of intimidation of the monster he looks eye-to-eye with. His shoulders are double the width of Papyrus', his barrel chest firm and unshaken; instinctively puffing out at the threatening sign from the skeleton."So sorry about that chap, I didn't seem to think that I was coddling my old friend here. I'm simply doing my job as a trusted colleague and friend, ensuring my work partner is fit for performing work at their utmost best." Pychi states matter-of-factly, his paw raising up above his head and taking Papyrus' hand along for the ride. "There can be no room for error when working with sensitive documents.""yeah. . . i bet you'd know all about signing sensitive documents huh? wouldn'cha big guy?" Mutt's words darken, talking as though he knows a dirty little secret. The air around you suddenly feels cold, your brows furrowing at Papyrus' sudden criticism."I haven't the slightest clue in what you may be implying, but signing documents is most certainly part of my responsibilities. Your sudden rash behavior is highly uncalled for and unacceptable." Pychi stands firm, making it very clear that he isn't going to take such bullying."oh, unacceptable? Well, why dontcha hit me then. show me how unwelcome my actions are with those sharp claws of yours.""I beg your pardon?" Pychi asks with a raised tone, his posture showing slight irritation as his small fangs just barely poke out from behind his lips."dont play dumb with me furball, i've seen your file; aggravated assault, theft and destruction of private property. it's a real surprise you got such a fancy medical degree, even after causing such terrible crimes." Venom drips off Mutt's words like a thick syrup, both you and Pychi go rigged in that moment.Pychi is gobsmacked at how Mutt went digging around into old dusty records that are several years old, he opens and closes his mouth, unable to find words with his voice stuck in his throat. He makes up for his shock with widening his foot stance and shoulders, his fur fluffing up to make him appear larger, more threatening. He bares his mouth full of sharp teeth, his large upper and lower fangs baring out as a deep rumble erupts in his chest, escaping his throat in a growl that you can feel vibrate against your chest.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Your body stiffens at the sound of someone sobbing; unintelligible babbling only helping their clear distress, the origin of the problem still undisclosed. The show of waterworks was coming from down the hall of your University dorm complex, this was the tenth time you've witnessed the same exact scenario and you know all too well what has just transpired; another bunch of expensive and potentially sentimental belongings have been burgled from a person's residence, how they get into locked apartments is still unknown. As annoying as it was hearing these occurrences go on like a broken record, you couldn't help but find yourself wondering why the university wasn't pushing to get answers for these on campus occurrences. There had been no clear sign of the problem ceasing, with no bias of who gets hit next; be it man, woman, monster or other, the dormitory was an even mix of genders and species living in their own single dorm rooms.
You had just come back from a trip to the grocery store, hands full with bags of food for the next week. You were too busy to linger at your front door, so you didn't care to stick around and hear the rest of this song and dance; you had far more important things to do, like making yourself some food and watching some quality entertainment. You were only attending university for standard courses, so you could probably become an accountant somewhere doing paperwork or whatever. It didn't really matter to you in the end, getting a job and living out the rest of your boring life was as meaningful as watching a dung beetle struggle up a hill with its ball, only to get knocked down and try again. You really held no hope for anything interesting or worthwhile to come your way; the world was going to stay just as terrible and bleak regardless of what you choose to spend your life doing.
Fishing out your keys, you jingle each one around in the lock before the right one clicks with success and make your way into your shared dorm, locking the door behind you. Each dorm was more of a small apartment than anything; each had their own kitchen, washroom, bedroom and lounge. The space was cozy, but the right amount of space for up to three people. It was still the middle of the work week, so you had the apartment for the rest of the day until late afternoon; your friend's courses had him out till nine at night, sometimes even ten just for class seminars. During these later classes, you always offered your friend a place to stay, so that he wouldn't have to walk through town to his own apartment in the dark; the open offer had become an unspoken practice between the both of you and he would almost always show up after his nightly classes, even when some would get cancelled. You were lucky enough to have only had one morning class today, leaving you with as much needed free time to yourself as your heart desired. After putting away your grocery, you took a moment to think about what you would want to cook; it was close to five in the afternoon and too early to make yourself food. Tossing a couple ideas around in your head, you settled for taking a quick shower, then making a small snack to watch some television with before making a decision on what to cook, like a proper adult would.
As much as you missed being back home and the times when you didn't have to worry about cooking for yourself, with all your needs generally cared for by your parents feels like it would be a treat at a time like today. However, there was just something so liberating about making your own dumb choices, having to do things for yourself and be dependent on only yourself. Not to get you wrong; there were those occasions that your best friend would cosset you when you choose to skip out on feeding yourself, out of pure laziness from the idea of putting effort into cooking. In times like those, you were met with fantastic cooking and wonderful company when he'd come over and cook for you both, even when you would try to refuse the offer, you'd always relent on account of how stubborn your dear friend was. When he put his mind to something, there was no convincing him out of his choice.
You take a good amount of time in the shower to yourself. Washing up, you'd begin to have those deep thoughts that everyone does when they are enveloped in the warm wet comforts of the shower; like how banana bread is more like a cake than bread, or how toes are just small fingers for your feet. Deep in those solitary moments, everything outside seems to stop existing, no longer mattering to you in the slightest. It's close to twenty minutes when you begrudgingly leave the shower, the threat of your hands and feet becoming pruney coming to a close call. From one room to another, you leave the washroom and travel to your bedroom. You open your window to let the cool afternoon summer breeze sneak in, letting in the fresh air while you dry off and put on your choice undergarment(s). While putting on clothes was a social obligation when in public, it was fair game when in the confines of your own personal space. There was no worry of being disturbed for a long while, so there was no harm in you walking around the apartment in your underoos. The weather was just beginning to cool, you wanted to take in the nice temperature at its full extent, damn anyone who says that you're not allowed to be comfortable in your own home!
Almost half an hour has passed from boondoggling when you saunter out of your room, your feet softly padding against the carpeted floor of the apartment hallway as you make your way to pass through the lounge and into the open kitchen. You were deep in thought, wondering what you should grab as a snack; the cupboard was loaded with sweet and savoury varieties, maybe even one of your friend's stashed snacks would be viable, but only if you used a chair to pilfer the out of reach spoils. It was deep in these thoughts that it never occurred to you that there was someone else in the apartment aside from you, the slow realization that you weren't alone crept into heart sinking shock and anxiety that the person inside the apartment wasn't your friend, or anyone you knew for that matter. They were clad in regular everyday wear and had a backpack slung over their shoulder, the intruder was a rather tall and lean male with red hair and green eyes, their skin lightly tanned from being outside. He didn't look much older than you, you could guess he was around the same age group, whether he was a student at the University was not to your knowledge or your primary concern.
The bastard in your apartment was in the middle of picking up expensive electronics, putting them over his shoulder and into the bag, he could only stand in place, gaping like a deer in headlights, perhaps not having expected anyone to be home at this time. All you knew was that this was for sure the same bastard who's been hopping into people's apartments and nicking their belongings, the same arrogant twat who had the balls to heist from two places in one day. The towering man could only look you up and down, silent and unsure of what to do in the situation. From the look of his shock, you would guess that he may not have been caught red handed up until now, which left you nervous on what might happen. People did crazy things when panicked, you sure as hell didn't want to be on the receiving end of what that panic manifested. What did lessen your anxiety was the anger that began welling up in your chest; the anger that this prick had been cocky enough to come into your apartment and nab what was rightfully yours. You never cared about stealing before, it was never your business; but now this guy made it your business and by damn he wasn't going to get away with it.
"What do you think you're doing, what mindset would have led you to have come in here?" You ask in a low and cautious voice, slowly moving along as you keep your eyes on the intruder, moving so that you could put yourself between him and the only way out of the apartment. The man didn't reply immediately, tongue glued to the roof of his mouth, stupefied as he looked for his words. He put the second strap of his bag over his other shoulder, standing cautiously. His caution however, suddenly spilled away after a few silent moments, as a smile began to grow on his face; a smile that didn't sit well in your stomach. The sudden need to protect his bag was lost, as he took it off and set it aside on the floor, raising his hands up in surrender.
"Hey, listen, I know I'm in the wrong here. How's about we just take a moment to calm down, and talk about this, hm?" The intruder's voice is uncomfortably calm, his feet taking small steps in your direction. His piercing green eyes brought you chills; the way that he was looking at you, his eyes shared no calm kindness like his voice did, they were cold and selfish, filled with dark thoughts that swirled behind them in a hurricane of thunderous clouds, blocking out any light.
Your fight or flight instincts clawed up your spine like a rabid animal, you felt as though a hungry predator had just locked its sights on you and was out for blood. The heavy beating in your chest, steady like a sonorous beat of a drum; it's beats only getting harder and quicker in tempo, you can almost hear the deafening beats in your ears. You didn't even think as your hands raised into defensive fists, your feet placing themselves into a defensive stance to help your posture as your primal instincts took over. You weren't going to flee, this was your home. The only one who'd have to flee from this place was this gerk, and you weren't going to let that slimy bastard slink away that easy.
"Oh, so you want to play then? That's cool, kitten. I love to play." The chuckle that left the man's lips leaves a disgusting taste in your mouth, his footsteps becoming less cautious and slow; each one larger and quicker than the last, more eager to bring him closer to you.
Just as he comes into range, you throw your first flurry of punches, some missing and some popping against his face with your full weight behind it. In the last second you throw your leg up and into the side of his ribs, the adrenaline pulls out all of your strength without the worry of injury, putting it onto everything you’ve got. The pursuer has to backstep a bit, gasping at the sudden kick and that you managed to land hits on him; but instead of being left in a breathless daze, he lets out a laugh. The dark sinister laugh echoes in your skull as he wipes blood off his lower lip, the man only seemed to be enjoying himself, rather than feel even an ounce of threat from you. His eagerness to play jumps him back into pursuit, beelining for you from the short distance he stood. The next set of punches you throw in his direction are only met with a solid palm and iron grip. His larger right hand grabs onto your right fist, twisting your wrist and forcing your arm behind your back. The swift motion of this is matched with the painful grasping of hair at the back of your head, the looming man aggressively slams your face into the wall close by, without the slightest remorse or hesitation.
Your whole world seemed to stop in that one moment, shock and pain running through you in a swirl of total fear. You could feel hot breath at the back of your neck and against your right ear, the disgusting sensation you felt gave you a sudden urge to be sick, your thoughts swirling in your mind; thoughts of all the ways things could go from here, thoughts of how long before someone would find you alone and broken, or if this bastard would just take your things and leave without a second thought, taking the easy way out rather than take the time to do all the terrible, disgusting things that would be so easy to do at this point.
"Pretty cute throws you made at me, I just hope you're able to catch as well as I was, things won't be fun otherwise." He whispers in a low growl, his grip on your hair tightening painfully further as he pulls it back, slamming your head into the wall for a second time. Pain began to swell along the whole left side of your face, you could feel the bile rise in your stomach, tears welling in your eyes, both at risk of spilling out as your heart threatened to burst from your chest. Your mind was numbing from the second bash into the wall and all of your worries becoming a terrifying reality. This was it; you were going to suffer for someone else's enjoyment, you were going to be the one receiving the terrible pain and terror you once would have ignored. The world was disgusting and cruel and you hated everything it had to offer, nothing good ever comes from the world and when it does, it’s snuffed out without warning. All you could do was close your eyes and try to block out everything; the tears in your eyes spilling down your cheeks as you could feel a rough callused hand release your hair, running itself across your left shoulder and down your left side. The painful grip on your right arm showing no signs of release, keeping you in place against the wall.
"____ ? Your door was left unlocked, I've let myself in, apologies for the intrusion." The deep, friendly and familiar voice sounds from a distance, its reminder of kindness and safety pulls you from the mental cage you had begun forcing yourself into for self preservation. You cannot hear his footsteps, you don't know just how close he is when your broken and desperate voice calls out.
"P-Pychi, Help me!" Your hoarse voice manages, fighting back the urge to let out a sob and give the bastard what he wants.
Everything in that one moment happens so fast, you can't even recall exactly what happened in the blurry lapse of a few seconds, your only certainty was the sudden release of your painful captivation and the sound of splintering wood. Your knees give out from under you and your body crumples to the floor in a shivering mess of adrenaline and fear. Your surroundings slowly become clearer in your moment of freedom and clarity, mentally pulling yourself together from your place on the floor, coming to realize the violence that transpired in your small dorm.
From where you sit, you see that the coffee table in the center of your lounge has been split down the middle, laying in a mess of fragmented timber. Following the trail of destruction and flipped furniture, you find Pychi has apprehended the battered and bruised intruder in a Master Lock hold; both of his burly arms slipped under the intruders armpits, with his paws firmly folded together behind the man's neck. The redhead's arms were stuck in an awkward upward position, unable to move them backwards and grab a hold of Pychi. The monster's tall and broad frame matching-almost surpassing that of the intruders, but his true upperhand was the use of his magic. The intruder's feet looked to be surrounded in a shimmering blanket of translucent light blue, no matter how much he wiggled his upper body, his feet seemed to be fixed in place; as though someone had encased them in large cement blocks
In contrast to the injured trespasser, Pychi looks kempt, complacent with his firm hold. His facial expression is upturned in a snarl, his fangs bared just behind his captive's head. The rumbling growl that escapes the monster shudders in your chest, never have you heard such a deep and menacing noise come from your usual gentle and undisturbed friend.
"You've made a grave mistake human, your disturbed actions will not go unnoticed," His now deep voice says in a clear threat, his hold only tightening as the other struggles. "You will not go unpunished, your sins will bring you misfortune, I promise you that."
The loud confrontation brought curious visitors to your door, which then brought campus security to investigate and break up the altercation. Police were called, and charges were claimed; just not in the way that you had hoped. It turned out that your intruder was a student at your school; a bored rich kid who wanted to feel the thrill of danger and mischief. The grinning bastard had turned the story around, informing the police that you and him were just doing as loving couples do, only for the gruff monster to come in and attempt to burgle the place, becoming aggressive when he found out that there were occupants within the small dorm. Even when you tried to clear the wrong claims; that the man wasn't your lover, that you had been close to being violated when your friend Pychi arrived early from a cancelled class. Your 'convenient' claims fell on def ears; an expensive lawyer hired by the man summed up your claims as 'delusions of a delirious and distressed victim, who had suffered an injury to the head during the altercation'. The current continued bias still placed on monsters at this time only dug a deeper hole, making the case seem all the more believable to the random jury. The only evidence there was to offer was the bag brought by the true criminal; there were lockpicking tools inside, along with a recently stolen item from the student down the hall from you and some of your own belongings. The man claimed to not own it, saying that it was brought in by Pychi, dropped by mistake when they began to tussle. The case looked bad, the small court jury put their collective vote in favor of your intruder and against your dear friend. The court case was ended in a short matter of hours, ruling Pychi guilty of aggravated assault, theft and damage to the school's private property.
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Pychi can only stare fiery daggers at the skeleton he stood above by a few centimeters, his raised hand clenched into a fist with anger; still clasped by the wrist with an iron skeletal grip. His snarling growl sends a shiver through you, unable to stop yourself from recalling one other moment in your life you'd seen him with such an angered expression, angry for your sake and his own.
"And by DAMN I would do it all again, even if I knew what the outcome would be like." His voice bellows, "I'd change nothing about what I did, my actions were justified no matter what verdict I was given."
The monster is confident in his words, unshaken by his choice no matter how much he is berated. He could take the judgment, he could take the anger and hate thrown in his direction; it didn't matter to him, because he knew the truth and that's all that matters. Mutt is curious of Pychi's choice of words, wondering of what context he might be recalling to say he'd commit a crime without changing his actions; like not committing the crimes to begin with.
"spoken like a true criminal, i'll feel far less guilty now when we begin taking people in, starting with you." Mutt says with a chuckle, which brings slight confusion to Pychi's angered expression.
You however, are beyond furious. There is no hesitation in your movements as you grab a hold of Mutt's shoulders and shove him back, your gaze burning a hole into his skull as you glare up at him. Your sudden rough shove causes Mutt's grip on Pychi to slip, his feet stumbling as he catches himself after a few backpedaling steps. His shocked expression looks to you with the most surprise you've seen on him, trying to search for the reason for your actions from only the expression on your face.
"Get OUT of my office, we are going to have a chat." You shout through gritted teeth, pointing a finger in the direction of the door to further your authority within the room. Mutt looks almost hurt as he shiffles a bit, before relenting and moving out of the office and into the main shop.
You heave a heavy sigh, running a hand through your hair to relieve just the smallest bit of stress. You were already tired this morning, having to deal with a bad dog was too much. Looking up, you give Pychi a meek and apologetic smile, letting your shoulders slump forward with defeat. The large monster within the room lets himself relax, still unsure of what had just transpired within the room, but nonetheless relieved that nothing terrible came of it.
"I'm sorry for this Py. . . I'll make it up to you for this." You say tiredly, voice much softer now when regarding the big guy. You don't wait for his reply, making your way out of the office to deal with the monster with a big fat mouth.
Leaving the office, you shut the door to it behind you. Entering the shop and looking at the only other person there aside from you; Papyrus stood at the opposite side of the shop, just casually flicking through different animal toys and treats hung by display hangers, his hood drawn over his head. A heavy sigh escapes you, tiredly rubbing at your eyes as you walk over to where he stands, leaning against the wall closest to him. Arms crossed over your chest, you look up at the lanky skeleton with disappointment, his gaze isn't immediately returned as you begin.
"What was with you back in there? What motivated you to do any of that? What happened to keeping everything on the down low?" You scold the monster in a low tone, eyes glued to his figure as he shuffles in place. He gives no reply to your set of questions, drawing out another tired sigh from you; raising one of your hands to give your tired eyes another rub.
"You have no idea how unbelievably stupid and irresponsible you were back in there, I honestly don't know what to say." You finish.
Mutt finally brings his gaze to your own, his jaw clenched as he tries to find the right words to say to you. He shoves his hands into the pockets of his jacket for comfort, struggling to keep his eyes on you when he finally begins to speak.
"i. . . i was angry, he was getting close to you in a way that i didn't like-that didn't sit well with me." He says ever so quietly, shifting in place.
"So, you decided that the best way to deal with it was to be aggressive, to start threatening him and look into his criminal record? Papyrus, do you know how childish and terribly rude that is?" You find yourself baffled by such weak motivation, over a simple display of worry from your oldest and closest friend.
"i know, getting angry and grabbing him-and threatening him all because i was angry. i know i went overboard, but looking into his background was part of my job-looking into everyone's background here." He defends himself, "he is the only one here with a criminal background, so i've been keeping my ey-"
"You don't even know half of what actually happened back when he got those charges! None of what happened was his fault, it was all framed by the actual bastard who did it!" You yell, voice probably even heard from within the office where Pychi has himself busy. Your shoulders are shaking from how upset and angry you are, from remembering everything that happened back then and for Mutt to be so insensitive and selfish. The skeleton tries to reach out for you, to offer you some comfort, but you swat away his hands, doing your best to ease yourself down a bit. It takes you a moment to collect yourself enough before you speak again, voice lowered to be quieter.
"Regardless of whether you were upset, angry, jealous or whatever the hell you want to call it. There was no reason for you to open your big mouth about what it is your doing, for leverage to threaten him or get him to talk- none of that! Pychi isn't part of whatever the bigger picture is; I would know that, more than anyone or anything." Your voice doesn't waver in the slightest as you speak, staring down Mutt without distraction. "I don't want to hear anymore of this from you, keep it to yourself. In fact, if keeping it together while around me is so much of an issue for you, I'd rather you just not be around all together."
Your somewhat bitter words hit Mutt hard, his face forlorn and hurt as he takes in everything said. He downcasts his despondent expression, giving a light and simple nod in response to your verdict. As much as you want to feel bad and take it all back, you don't have the heart or energy for it right this moment. Let alone, it's your life on the line right now; for Mutt to be making such wreckless statements outloud when there are threats looming about is beyond idiotic, the level of thoughtlessness put into such actions could very well get you killed.
"Hang around out here or the shelter if you want to stick around, or not. At this point, I don't really care." You say tiredly. With nothing else left to do today, you leave the main shop back towards the office. With the door shut behind you, you move to place yourself behind the desk and sit down, slumping over the desk tiredly as you try your best together yourself for the day.
Life up until now always found its way to become topsy turvy in the best and worst ways. Especialy back when the whole shitshow from the attempted burglary turned into a con artist's wet dream. Back when Pychi had to pay a heavy fine-rather than take any jail time for the convicted crime, the school that both you and him attended had its own say in the matters. Many of his teachers attended a school comity in discussion of what to do with the student, their voices brought reason to the school board; Pychi may have been charged with such offences and caused clear damage to a dorm on school property, but he was seen as an upstanding student with clear dedication to his studies and those around him. The school board came to the conclusion that while under criminal charges, Pychi would only be permitted to school campus to attend classes, and any non-class-related activities would be met with assisted removal from school property by security. In addition, Pychi was put on academic probation; needing to meet up with an academic dean every week to discuss his progress. The monster didn't question the school's terms, and was just relieved to still be allowed to finish his degree at the university.
After that whole ordeal, needless to say you didn't feel comfortable living alone anymore. At the earliest opportunity you moved out of the schools dorms and in with Pychi, your anxieties and worries only slightly lessened, knowing that you'd have someone close by if you felt distressed. When it was clear that your stress wasn't getting any better, and you'd begin overworking yourself in training and boxing; coming home battered and bruised, unable to move an inch for days on end, borderline exhausting yourself to get stronger, it was then that Pychi thought it best you get a pet to help cope with your mental troubles. Being the one with a near medical degree, you didn't question Pychi's solid logic.
It was when you visited your first animal shelter, gaped at the poor management of the place and all its poorly maintained animals, the exact place where you got your baby Morgan, it was then that the fire in your chest burned for another reason. All of those poor animals that were unable to voice their troubles and sorrows, their longing to leave their cold cages and find a home, unable to cope with their own internal troubles. Their cries burned away your pessimistic view of the world, filling your soul with the urge to be the one who made a change, to show kindness to those who could not have a voice of their own, to make a difference in the lives of mistreated and sick animals who aren't in control of their own destinies. You hoped that doing good by animals would right any wrongs you'd made in the past; for being so ignorant and careless, for being so stubborn in your ways and not seeing the world from a different light sooner.
You wouldn't have been able to do it alone, Pychi had been there to help push you the whole way and keep your spirits up. After you finished your degree in accounting, you took a course to get a medical degree in animal health. Not long after did Pychi finish getting his Masters degree in Medicine, he took it upon himself to join you in the study of animal medicine; claiming that it would be no harder getting a degree in treating animals than it was on humans and monsters. The monster was always so full of surprises, it was one of the reasons you enjoyed being friends. Now here you both are, working together in a shared business, all because you had a dream to make a difference. The reminder of this makes you wonder if you should fill Pychi in on the current situation, the thought however is pushed aside for a later date, as you busy yourself in filing through documents and signing any and all important ones.
It’s already late afternoon as you go to leave work for the day, you don't spot Mutt anywhere in the main shop of the shelter. Off by the register, you spot Etlas talking with a customer about how much medecine their pet should receive and at what times. The half-monster spots you leaving, and sends you off with a kind wave, returning to his duty with the shelter's regular. The warm sun above kisses your skin with its evening glow, accompanying you the whole walk home in silence. You don't want to think about the events that took place today, fatigue weighing on your shoulders like an eager baboon getting a piggyback ride.
Getting to your home, you fish out your keys and unlock your front door. As soon as the entrance opens, you are greeted by your three children, all eager to welcome you inside. You barely manage to shut the door behind you as their eagerness only vamps up; Kiwi and Bloo sat atop your head chirping loudly and without order, Morgan aggressively head butting into your shins before rubbing his back along them, his loud meowing overpowering the twin's chirping. You lock the door behind you and drop your bag and keys on the shelf by the door, letting out a tired chuckle.
"Boys, boys. One at a time, I'm a bit tired from today." You hum softly, taking off your shoes and dragging your feet into the lounge. You let yourself drop back onto the comfortable sofa, Bloo and Kiwi flutter up off your head from your sudden shift in altitude, before setting themselves back down atop your head to chirp happly. Morgan had trotted along after you, setting himself down atop your lap once you'd gotten comfortable. His large paws make biscuits on your thighs, loud purrs rumbling inside his chest with content.
'You're home now, so kick back and relax a bit. Would you scratch my lower back while you're at it? I'm sure it won't be much trouble.' Morgan purrs continuously, his eyes closed in content when you reach a hand over and lightly scratch his back. His small tongue sticks out as he relaxes, an old habit of his when he's scratched on his lower back.
The pair of budgerigars sat atop your head continue to chirp, mostly to each other but also to you. Their excited eagerness is obvious as they wiggle around on their perch.
'There was a bug upstairs we found, it was real fun to chase around!' Bloo flutters his wings lightly, taking a moment to preen them.
'It was fun, sure, but then you had to go and eat it. My favorite part of today was when ____ came home, I got to them as quickly as possible!' Kiwi peeps softly, hopping off your head to settle himself on your shoulder, his feathers ruffle up as he hunkers down, leaning against your neck for warmth.
'Sure I ate it, and it was pretty crunchy. I regret nothing haha!' Bloo stomps around atop your head, singing happily of his accomplishments. The rowdy boy becomes rather lonely atop your head after a while, moving to sit himself down alongside his brother on your shoulder.
You sit in content with your pets, listening to them chatter up a storm while you relaxed in the warmth of your home. No matter how bad days got, you could never stay upset when you get home. Your pets always seem to calm your soul and ease your mind, making your home feel comfortable and safe, always filled with love and appreciation.
As you relax on your sofa with your beloved boys, you can't help but let your mind wander to Papyrus; the puppy you came to know in the beginning of this new journey. Things then had been going very well for you, meeting the stoic monster left you feeling giddy and full of yourself. Your mind was in a whirl when around him, his eyes were curious and full of wonder with the work you did. His eagerness to be around and help out around the shelter filled you with immense joy and admiration of the monster. You don't regret having gotten close to the monster, nor developing feelings for him; but knowing that the encounter, the times he spent with you weren’t solely because he'd been interested in you, but because of his ulterior motive, all because his job permitted him to be around you. You hate to think it, but you feel like your whole relationship was based on half truths and half smiles; you almost feel cheated by how things turned out. You really don't want to be disappointed, you really don't, but having seen yet another side to Papyrus today made you rethink things about yourself; rethinking things about your relationship with him.
You know yourself better than anyone else; you want something that is real and truthful the whole way through, you deserve something better, to not have wool pulled over your eyes because it's convenient and comfortable. You may not have been the best person in the past, but you're making up for all your mistakes now. You deserve to be treated with trust and respect. Not only that, but you've come to rethink how much you respect yourself, the choices you've made up until now- choices you wouldn't change for anything, but you've also come to realize the burning anger that's returned to your chest. The burning distaste you'd once felt when you viewed the world as so much less, rearing its head back to say hello. You were better now than you were in the past and never would you return to viewing the world so terribly. But you do know yourself; that burning anger will get the best of you if not treated. There was only one medicine that helped you with it a little in the past, but it has been a couple years since you'd last touched it, perhaps picking it up again would help ease the burning.
Getting up tiredly from your seat, you leave Morgan to nap on the sofa while you put Bloo and Kiwi back into their cage for the night. You'd have to make yourself something small for supper tonight; too tired to make a full meal, you'd probably just go to bed soon anyway. As your feet drag along the floor, you find yourself walking towards a door long since unopened, standing before it you let yourself settle before it, hand clasped on the doorknob and resting. Perhaps getting back on your long old routine would help bring back some normalcy to your upturned life and help burn off some steam.
Opening the door slowly, you peer into the dimly lit room casted in the soft white glow of the moon, the only window in the room sheds light to all the dusty and unused equipment and boxes. At the far end of the room, a bag hangs still from the ceiling, a thick layer of dust gathered at the top. You step into the room and towards the punching bag, resting your hands against its smooth leather outside. Perhaps, picking up boxing again would do you some good, for burning off your anger and building up your self defense.