Papyrus checked the clock as he nibbled on a handful of popcorn. It was the third bag he made so far. Thanks to his co-chef, the microwave. He managed to make a decent amount. But It's getting late.
It shouldn't take his sister so long to help out a friend. Maybe she's having a tough time or she's busy having fun and completely forgot about them. No, that's ridiculous! His friend would never abandon them, it's just the destination could be far. He did recall she was picking up milk so that's probably what's taking so long. She will probably be coming through those doors right about now.
. . . Nothing
"Paps you're hogging the snacks, let me have a bite," Frisk said half joking as they grabbed the bowl from his fidgeting hands. "You're worrying too much. She's only been gone for 2 hours. She's probably on her way back"
Papyrus wanted to clarify that she's been gone for two hours and a HALF! How are they still not back yet? It's been past the two-hour mark!
Frisk frowns at him. They flip open their phone showing a message of ___ responding that they were on their way back now.
"Stop worrying. She's fine and it looks pretty safe outside "
Papyrus smiled as he felt satisfied with that but it gave him more reason to watch the door. Frisk saw this as they threw a few kernels his way. This left the skeleton sighing in submission as they were about to clean up the mess, but a little dog beat them to it. Chomping away as they made a light yip sound in glee. Frisk chomping on the popcorn again, pretending to focus on the movie. Frisk threw a few kernels in the air for Domino to slurp up. Papyrus smiled at the funny interaction. He's glad he brought Frisk along. Their buddy was the one who pushed him to come out to see their friend. For the longest time, Papyrus wanted to come over but something always came up.
Bzzt
He checked his phone as the phone flashed Chief's name with the familiar country tune to match. Why would he be calling him? Papyrus held back his groan as he figured it had something to do with where the backup remote was. Really, how is it so hard to find a remote if everyone looks? This wasn't the first time he called for something minor. But he could deal with him later on the subject. Papyrus needs to clarify what he meant by taking a break from duties for a bit. They could just ask for Sans if it's an emergency. He hasn't been gone for that long. So there shouldn't be any issues.
Ever since Sans messed with Alphys machine they ended up with different versions of themselves. And as fun as it is getting to know them all. Days were filled with fun but soon it became months and still no progress with the machine. It became more difficult to manage his life and take care of them as time went by. Especially when he pinky promised he wouldn't tell anyone about their guests until Sans fixed the machine.
The problem with that is Papyrus didn't have anyone to vent to. Spending time with different versions of himself was a bit of a challenge once he learned more about their habits. San used to talk to him about it and he was fine with that. Over time the machine took a toll on San. Papyrus barely got a chance to see his brother anymore. And the time he did he would be begging him to take a break. Only for San to snap at him and apologize later. Blaming it on the stress. Or just not speaking to him at all. When San gets like Papyrus would worry more.
But he's at his buddy's house and not worrying if anyone got discovered by a familiar face. He would still be at home if it wasn't for Frisk. The only person who found out about their secret. To his surprise, Frisk came over one day out of the blue. And met one of the others. Sans had to explain everything after that.
And that's what got this whole idea in motion. Frisk didn't think it was fair that the other version couldn't interact much with his world monster in case it could cause some rift in space-time to fall apart. (papyrus excuse to keep Sans promise).
To his surprise, Frisk pointed out that wouldn't apply to humans. Humans had barely any magic nowadays so it couldn't fracture the universe if they interacted with them. And that gave him an idea.
There was only one person he wanted to tell. Sis. She is the one person who would understand the situation and go with it. All he needed to do was show her and she could finally know about the secret.
And once she knows. She and Sans could be friends again! And she could come back. All those times they couldn't see each was because of the other versions. It would explain everything!
Papyrus wasn't hoping they got back together or anything… just that she could hang out again. It would be a big help if they got her input. Sans did tend to listen to her more when it came to reason. She would point out the issue, all the excess work was hurting him and to take a break. Sans would take a break and be nice again. While Sans relaxes, it would give the other versions a chance to deal with the problem for a bit. It's a win-win situation!
Bzzt bzzt bzzt
Papyrus ignored it.
He couldn't be distracted right now. He needed to be the best guest that his sis ever had! Then when he asks her to come over she would be more inclined to accept his offer!
Bzzt bzzt
Papyrus looked at the phone again. Yep, the same person. It's probably nothing. The house should have a list of possible protocols. And if they needed help Sans was there so they shouldn't be reaching him at all. He ignored the phone and got up to make some more popcorn.
Papyrus wasn't hungry, but he figured his buddy would get hungry from their adventure. Cooking was a fun activity for him to keep his mind clear of worries.
It's become a habit to keep his hands busy whenever he's feeling jittery. Back when they lived in Snowdin, he would worry about his brother.
He always had to check on him as he constantly disappeared from his post or fell asleep at his other job. At one point he wasn't sure if it was enough. So as a nice way to motivate his brother. Papyrus tried to focus on perfecting their lunches. As it was the one thing he could do to help his brother. Spaghetti was the first thing he learned to make and luckily Sans praised him as he seemed to like the pasta. Seeing his brother smile made it all worth it.
San seemed a bit more motivated whenever he came to drop off his lunch and it kept his mind busy but it soon became a habit. Whenever he needed something to keep his mind busy he would go to the kitchen. Even if his house caught on fire a few times it was worth it! It kept them fed pretty well. And thanks to that he was able to meet his sweet little sister. It still makes him laugh that Sans thought to hide her in the pantry when he came home.
Papyrus still wasn't sure how Sans was able to make a friend much less get a date. In all their time on the surface, Sans barely made a move to interact with people. Only hung out with his usual friends at Grillbys or went to work. So how did he meet her? She's different from when he first met her.
She was really quiet at first. He figured it was due to his amazing aura. She always looked at him with a surprised look in her eye. At times he would greet her whenever he saw her. This would be greeted back with a flustered look as she squeaked in surprise. After a while, he figured she might not like him as he always had to start the conversation. Sans had to explain to him that she wasn't usually friends with someone so cool. It explained a lot. She seemed to warm up to him once they went to her parent's restaurant. As if a piece of the puzzle just fell into the right spot. And everything else just fell into place. She became an official member of the skeleton family.
Bzztbzzt
Papyrus sighed in defeat as he picked up the phone.
"Yellow?"
"Cinnamon! about time you picked up?! Please stay indoors, Axe escaped. Don't worry, sans on his tail"
Click*
"biscuits"
He didn't say a word to Frisk, Papyrus didn't bother to put on his boots as he ran out the door and up the stairs to reach the exit. Even if they were miles away Papyrus couldn't help but worry about a potential threat. She hasn't met any of the others so she wouldn't know how to deal with them. And he still hadn't had the chance to tell her. Ax is typically reasonable but at times he tended to regress a bit. Leaving him to have violent tendencies if he doesn't find food fast.
What if Ax finds her?
Would she be nearby? How far does her friend live?
Thoughts flooded his mind as potential possibilities passed. He knows Ax wouldn't hurt her. But he couldn't promise that her interacting with him wouldn't trigger his trauma. Ax doesn't get triggered by humans but fingers are a different story. She's sweet but if she reached out to Ax to greet the monster that would do the trick. Immediately he started shouting her name just hoping she could be nearby.
Wait… her phone.! He began dialing her.
Please pick up please pick up.
"SIS…SIS…SIS!"
Papyrus ran around as he looked at his surroundings. It was crazy to run around aimlessly but he knew their friendship was strong. They were practically family after all so he should be able to find her with pure magic alone. After all, he couldn't lose her. Not now. He finally got to see her after so long. Even if she's a bit different she's still his big sister. And he needs her to be alright. He doesn't want to lose anyone.
*Ring*
He recognized that familiar ringtone. Papyrus couldn't fight back his grin at the cheesy ringtone. Sis. He turned around to see her. She looked confused as she balanced a gallon of milk on one hand and a bag of snacks on the other. Without missing a step he picked her up and twirled her around. She's safe! And no injuries!
"Papyrus is everything alright?" she seemed a bit dazed as he stopped twirling her.
"NOPE! I GREW WORRIED AND PANICKED. I KNEW I COULD FIND YOU!"
"Hahaha, Papyrus please don't ever change! I'm sorry for making you worry. But look, I brought the milk all by myself!"
Papyrus couldn't help but smile wider at his friend. She had her chest puffed up in pride as she lifted her trophy. As if she went through a long and treacherous journey. She cradled it as if she defended herself from the night to keep the milk safe for them. It was a funny sight to see.
Normally, Papyrus was used to seeing her accompanied by him or Sans at night. Papyrus recalled she never liked going by herself at night. In his mind, something didn't feel right.
"WOWIE ALL BY YOURSELF? DIDN'T YOUR FRIEND DROP YOU OFF?"
His little friend faltered a bit as she looked at him guilty. Oh no, she wasn't dropped off. She did walk home in the dark.
"I chose to walk home. Percy was busy getting the rest of the house clean and one of his buddies offered to drop me off but I wasn't so sure about the guy. So I walked home. It wasn't a long walk so no worries"
"Okie dokie let me help you with the bags"
His sister tried to decline his kind gesture but it was too late. He had already reached out to grab the bags. In that slight contact, he could feel her hand shaking a bit as she loosened her grip. This surprised him a bit. She grew quiet as he took the bags off her.
She's lying
The sheepish embarrassed look on her face told him why. She was scared and was trying to stay brave for him. He knew his big sister's tendencies as this wasn't the first time. This happened a lot when she first moved in with them. Always taking in more than she had to. All because she doesn't want to burden someone with her needs. He's known her long enough to come to that conclusion. And he wished she wouldn't try so hard for their sake.
"Well please be careful next time sis"
He will remain oblivious for her sake. As the only indicator of her fear was her hands, she flashed him a warm smile while saying something along the lines that it wasn't a big deal. Soon she began to talk about her day.
It may not be a deal for her but to him, he couldn't forgive her friends for doing something so heartless. His sister went out of her way to help and the least they could do was drop her off. This irked him a bit. Doesn't anyone know about manners?! It's always best to drop the person off. Especially at night.
And with that conclusion. He couldn't let it go. He was mad.
"____! WHAT IF YOU WERE MUGGED OR WORSE AX GOT YOU!" Papyrus immediately covered his mouth in horror. But his friend didn't seem to notice his slip-up. As they began to giggle.
"Yes, an ax murderer is out there in the streets, targeting people with milk and snacks" She rolled her eyes. As her hands stopped shaking he could see her relax a bit.
There was more he wanted to say but seeing her laughing as her mood was lifted- convinced him to drop it for now. Right now he wanted to get to know his sister again. It's been a year and somehow you were different from before. In a short time, you seem to open up more. Not the shy girl that lived in their house. It's hard to tell if you were more fearless or a little more careless.
He needed to remember to watch out for anything tomorrow. If she wasn't going to protect herself then he would be her protector. That's what a big older brother would do after all.
"LET GET INSIDE. I MADE YOU POPCORN. AND THEN YOU COULD TELL US ALL ABOUT THESE 'friends' OF YOURS" Papyrus grabbed onto her shoulder tightly. He could feel her shrinking a bit under his hold. He meant well by it but she should be worried because she was in for a whole lot of popcorn.
_______________
The town was buzzing early in the morning as the town had a monthly mass flea market. A few vendors were still setting up while others were just finishing up. This was worth waking 7 in the morning for. You had to go all out today. After yesterday's fiasco, you felt you owed them a fun time. And not because you fear Papyrus will overfeed you popcorn as punishment (your stomach still hurts a bit from yesterday).
Looking at all the interesting stalls you weren't disappointed with your choice. Seeing your friend's eyes already looking around in excitement was a good start.
Yesterday's conversation went surprisingly well as you explained the crazy mess that you had to deal with. You left out a few details so in case the fan club did get a whiff of misusing Mettaton's name. Hopefully, that won't be your problem later.
You tried hinting to Papyrus that your friends were skin and bones. You even went as far as telling them they were a monster but papyrus didn't seem to recognize them. Both friends left you with mixed emotions on the subject. Papyrus seemed a bit weary of your friends while Frisk seemed to take it well. But that didn't matter as you promised them it was gonna be just them tomorrow.
From the distance, you can see people showing off tricks as they try to sell fruit. In the mix of the chaos, you could see them drifting off to different stalls.
"Hey guys, stay close I don't want to lose you guys" as you grabbed Frisk's hand.
"ALRIGHTY BUT WE MUST GO TO THE FRUIT STALL, I WANT TO SEE IF THEY SELL STAR FRUIT. IT'S BEEN A CRAZE ON MTT social." Papyrus nodded as he linked arms with her. "Also how did you find this place?"
"I stumbled on it with a friend"
You only found out about it last month when Stacy took you for some grocery shopping. You were low on cash after paying for the new apartment. And work was a bit slow. Stacy showed you the few stalls that haggle. The few times you came it was always a good haul. This was the perfect place to take your friends. It's only Sunday when you can buy fish and a T-shirt for the same price of 5 bucks if you haggle right. Suppressing a yawn the fifth time in the last hour. You shifted a smile as your buddies were looking around in wonder.
"Was that the same friend you had to help last night?" Frisk smirked. "Must be a GOOD friend"
You could see Frisk was making fake kissing sounds as you rolled your eyes. You expected to hear Papyrus respond back negatively. To your surprise, Papyrus didn't pay much attention as he was focused on something up ahead. Papyrus pointed at a stall.
"Ooo I THINK I FOUND SOMEONE! FRISK LOOK!" You all turn to see a big wolf selling fried snow. No one seemed to pay much attention to him. As he placed snow on his stall. Swiftly he cut it into cubes before smoothing them into balls.
"WOLFY!!!!" Frisk let go as he ran over to the stall. Papyrus dragged you along as the monster's ears perked at the voice. Frisk was hugging the monster behind the stall. They asked a million questions as the monster nodded away.
Papyrus joined in as he shrieked in glee. The people looked at the reunion in disgust. You let out a loud cough to gain their attention before giving them a harsh glare their way. They looked away embarrassed. This brought you a bit of satisfaction. You were paying it forward. Be rude and you'll be rude back.
"OH, I CAN'T FORGET THIS IS OUR FRIEND WE ARE VISITING. _____ IS SHOWING US AROUND.
Oh. No, you weren't coughing to get attention. You could feel your face heating up as Papyrus pushed you forward. You look at the familiar face as you wave at him.
"Hey, wolfy. I didn't know you were a vendor. How's your dad?" Your friends looked at you in surprise. Wolfy chuckled at the reaction.
"He's been good, squeaks. Finally, taught him how to use the remote, and now he's trying to learn how to use a computer" Wolfy huffs before going back to his calmer state "Would you like some fried snow? Thanks to Papyrus's brother for giving me the idea"
You look as the wolf whips one up. Handing your treat on a paper cup. It looked good but you still feel full from yesterday's popcorn. Before you could deny you were met with expecting eyes.
Well, it couldn't hurt if you tried this out.
The ball disappeared as you tried to take a bite. Surprisingly you can feel a boost of energy. Huh, so that's how pure magic works.
"Wow, that's cool Wolfy. Perked me right up. I didn't get a chance to taste it though" You frowned as you were excited to taste the cold.
This gave papyrus an idea. Papyrus ran to a nearby vendor and came back with a bag of chocolate.
"ADD THESE TO THE FRIED SNOW AS A DRIZZLE AND I BET YOU IT WILL LAST LONG ENOUGH TO TASTE." Papyrus gestures at Wolfy to make another " OUR HUMAN HAS A TEXTURE PREFERENCE. THIS SHOULD HELP, SIS"
Wolfy passes another one this time covered in chocolate drizzle. You take a bite as the food lingers before dissolving in your mouth. You could taste the cold. Humming in satisfaction. Papyrus nodded in approval.
"Looks like people are curious" Frisk points as a few people lined up. This got your buddy busy as he made orders on the fly. You guys waved at Wolfy as you were heading out. There was still more to try out. Frisk followed your lead.
"That was cool, Paps. How did you know that would work?" Papyrus shrugged.
"I didn't. But I figured it could help. How did you know Wolfy… is he the potential mate?"
Frisk made heart gestures using his hands. Oh boy.
You could see Pap tensing up. Oh, no not this again. Wolfy may be a furries dream but he ain't yours. You prefer a cuddly skeleton. "No, our relationship is strictly professional. He works at the same bakery as me. So don't worry"
You couldn't help but chuckle a bit. But he didn't seem to cheer up from it. You could see his eyesight mixing with emotion. The way he frowned a bit before changing into a smile wasn't what you expected. If anything he seemed a bit more down in the dumps. Okay, something's wrong. You signal to frisk that you need a moment. Frisk nodded as they ran to stand in line for fried snow. The line did gain momentum as people were enjoying their frozen treat.
"hey, Paps what's wrong? Talk to me"
You pulled him aside behind a vendor's tent. So only the two of you could hear each other. Papyrus looked flustered at your request before mulling it over.
"I'M FINE. IT'S NOTHING LET'S GO BACK" Papyrus folded his arm stubbornly.
"You sure? I would rather know my best friend was okay than keep going" You looked at him waiting for an answer. Papyrus let his shoulders slump a bit.
"FINE ITS JUST THERE'S SOMETHING I NEED TO TELL YOU.."
You nodded but from the side of your eye, you could see something move. Frisk was on the floor gritting his teeth. A loud laugh boomed in response.
"Shit!"
Papyrus followed your eyes as they witnessed Carlos laughing at Frisk on the floor. Immediately both of you ran over.
Frisk wasn't injured but he looked a bit confused.
"Carlos, is that any way to greet a friend?" Frisk chuckled as they dusted themselves off before getting back up.
"I could hardly call you friend. You're just a freak. You and your dumb monsters should've stayed back in the big city. We don't need you here" Carlos growled as his hands turned into fists. "Why are you even here"
Okay, that's not nice.
You were about to whip his head three ways to Sunday before Papyrus pulled you back. He silently shook his head as it wasn't the time or place. He whispered to wait as he pointed at the frisk. This left you a bit deflated but you know Paps always knew best. And it didn't look like Frisk wanted help.
Frisk just smiled and was unwavering at the insults. They flashed Carlos a smile as they walked closer. Carlos growled as if he was gonna push him down again. Frisk caught his hand and quickly moved it behind his back. Holding him in place.
"I'm okay if you're angry at me but don't blame all your problems on my friends" Frisk let him go as he took a step back. Carlos rubbed his arm as he bared his teeth in anger. A flash of malice spread on his face as he began to attack again. Each hit was met with more defense from Frisk.
Carlos had never been this aggressive before. You couldn't look away as your brother swore at Frisk. Guess he hasn't seen you yet as his back was turned to you. There is no way he would act like this if you were around. You needed to stop this.
"You're not the good guy everyone thinks you are. Why can't you fess up two faces!" Carlos stopped attacking as his breath grew heavy, glaring at Frisk with malice. "Why can't you own up to it? You and your kind destroyed my family"
Frisk looked hurt but nothing came out. A look of pity was all he could do as they stayed quiet. Carlos didn't stick around and walked away. Not before bumping his shoulder aggressively against Frisk. From the distance, you could hear a familiar gallery of friends giving his brother a high five. Papyrus walked over to Frisk who immediately ran to hug him.
"What was that all about?" you asked, confused by the interaction. Last you remember Frisk and Carlos were friends. They weren't besties but they still enjoyed each other's company. Frisk quit being home-schooled so they could transfer to Carlos's school. What happened in that short time?
"It's nothing. Carlos being dumb that's all"
"I BLAME THE BAD FRIENDS HE MADE THIS YEAR. WHILE FRISK WAS GONE OVER THE SUMMER TO DO HIS DUTIES. CARLOS MET SOME AWFUL PEOPLE" Papyrus looked where Carlos left angrily.
Frisk shrugged as they didn't argue with the comment. But that didn't seem to be the whole story. Frisk shrugged as a look of sadness washed over them. They looked at you and seemed to understand that you weren't going to judge them. They shrugged and gave out a deep sigh.
"Carlos was just mad that I didn't believe him when he said he'd been attacked by a monster. I knew the one he was talking about. And they said they never did it. But Carlos was dead set on it. And tried to set up a trap but I just couldn't believe it. It's not physically possible. I told him he was being stupid. He's still bitter about that" Frisk walked the opposite way Carlos went. Hoping to give the guy space.
You stayed quiet as you weren't sure what to say. Carlos would lie at times if he was ever jealous about something. He would always come clean after a while. You couldn't be sure until you heard his side of the story but that would have to wait.
"There's no point sticking around here if I know we could go somewhere fun. Let's go guys" You pull the two as you head over to your next destination. Hearing that Frisk and your brother weren't friends made you feel a bit guilty. What if you were back home when it happened maybe you could've smoothed over the problem. You hide your sadness as you skip along. This got the other two joining along. You try to reassure yourself as you take the two over to the go-kart track.
"Here it is boys! One of the town's many wonders'' You looked over at the giant go-kart track as it looked worn and a bit run down. The go-kart track was hidden behind a miniature golf place. So occasionally a ball might find its way over here. It looked cool as you could see your friends' excitement. The carts were worn from the years of use as the paint looked chipped. What once looked like a bunch of cartoon characters were faint. It's a nice hidden gem for you.
You guys walked over to the counter as a lazy cashier ignored them as they scrolled through their phone.
"Welcome to Dawn's Go-kart race track. How many are racing?"
"3 and we would like the deluxe package please" You whip out your wallet and hand them the coupons and money you've been saving up. This would all be worth it if you could drive around like a madman.
The guy nodded as he grabbed the money. He pointed down to the gates for you to get ready. You knew what to do so you got your friends to follow you as you showed them the karts.
Each one had their share of colorful characters. You and Papyrus ended up picking the mice. While Frisk picked the green dinosaur. The karts roared to life as you got on. The flimsy thin belt that the company deemed safe left you a bit nervous but the other two seemed fine with it. The cashier asked you guys to stay in the cars as they went over the rules. They were simple and it was all common sense. But the moment he finished he hit the button and opened the gates to the race track. You hit the gas as your buddies did the same.
"WOAH THIS IS FAST!"
"Eat my dust guys!"
You look ahead to see Frisk passing you. They blow a kiss as they speed up. What! This was rigged as your car wouldn't go faster. Even if you slammed it on the gas. You could see the track was starting to zigzag. It hurt a bit as you bumped into the railing and the turns were a bit tight. Your skeleton friend seemed to get a handle as they never grazed the hazard railing.
"How did you guys get so good at this?!" You could barely make out Pap's words. All you could figure out was the word fun. The feeling of the wind in your hair as you went through the road was fun. The world seemed to blur as you focused on catching up to your friends and giggling a bit after bumping into them was a riot. Time felt endless as you guys would race each other or crash into each other.
Not long did the speakers yell to return into the gates as your karts were on your last lap around. This was a bummer but your stomach was starting to grow hungry.
As you follow the guys down to the gates you see a familiar skeleton in the distance. They were staring at you from a fence away. Was that Sans? You waved at them to see if you got it wrong. They didn't wave back and stared at you. Ok, rude. You blink and he is gone. What?
You turn back to your friends to let them know what you saw but they didn't see anyone. This normally never happens but you know what you saw. And some how no one else saw the monster by the fence. You asked the workers if they saw anyone by the fence. One replied that no one could be by the fence as it was locked off. Only management had the keys to go over there.
You couldn't help but keep insisting to your buddies that you saw something. Your friends seemed to call you crazy as they laughed a bit. Papyrus mumbled they should go somewhere else to get a bite to eat. You didn't argue anymore as the conversation had changed topics. And you had a few ideas to go. But something in your gut told you to watch out.
Was it all in your head..?