On the short ride back to his house the first thing that caught your eyes was the smoke. Giant heaps of smoke coming from behind their building. Where was the fire department? You look over to Percy giving him a what the hell look.
"I know you suck at cooking but how?!"
Percy looked away embarrassed. As you stopped at the driveway. You couldn't see a fire so it was still preventable. You were about to run into the house but were immediately stopped by Percy's strong grip. You wince a bit. Percy loosens his grip.
"Sorry, let me just guide you first"
He wrapped his arm around you as he guided you to the door. He seemed gentle as he tried to keep his grip on your sleeve. You failed to notice a doggo by the door. As well as a few people were waiting in line. The white giant fluff guarding the door. He seemed to take the job seriously. A quick wave from Percy did the fierce-looking canine let the two of you in. Much to the people behind you groan. Percy mumbled a quick apology as he guided you around.
The number of people in the house left you speechless. For starters, the place was decorated. What once was a spotless place was littered with decorations. The number of streamers can put your small party to shame. The house was filled with teens and young adults talking and drinking. And from a distance, you can hear music. You could see people passing around a beach ball. In one corner you could see Liam closing into a dude with a porcupine.
" Liam for the last time. No quills for you. Sheesh, a pop star. Come on, you're better than that!" Percy grabbed Liam.
Percy cradles them in their free hand as he opens the glass door to the back. You weren't sure what the heck you were witnessing. People and monsters were getting along.
Wait, it rained all day but you could see the grass was dry. Is this magic? Did Blue do this? But what caught your eyes was the mettaton theme going on.
People were wearing sparkly MTT jackets. While others were wearing merch from the convenient seller nearby. Wait, was that an MTT keychain? Paps would love this! you need to buy that! All over you could see fans taking photos with a mettaton cut out. It's a shock that this was done so nicely.
Nearby a monster was passing out helium balloons for monsters to swallow a bit. You could hear the balloon squeak in shock. Oops. You immediately go and cover Liam's eyes.
Percy nodded in thanks before he passed you, Liam. The balloon had seen too much. You looked around to see people and monsters inhaling the balloons with happy grins on their faces. Strange.
"Heads up!"
He moved over to block you from an incoming ball. You look down to see it wasn't a ball but a vase.
" STOP IT GUYS. DIDN'T I GIVE YOU A BALL?" Percy ran over to a group of people. You could recognize Stan from work among the group. Along with a few other coworkers.
"Let me find him"
Percy disappeared into the crowd.
A lot of familiar faces were popping up. You could bet half the staff from the restaurant were here.
You were about to follow Percy. But you could hear an interesting melody. Wait, is that a band? You made your way around. You had to start wearing the ring pop on hand so you could tell people to make some space. Instead of mumbling and tasting the sweet watermelon.
"Thank you for coming. We are fundraising for Mettaton's speedy return trip back. I and the band have planned a few more songs before we send you off with the raffle"
You look over to see that one skeleton from before. What was his name? Indigo? Raddish? But it looked like he was part of this. As he was marking up a poster to show the progress. The bar was almost filled. The goal was to reach 3 thousand dollars.
"We are getting closer to our goal. But not yet, so keep donating to help our superstar get back!"
Your jaw dropped at the giant bar that was filling up. Somehow, you caught his eye. The fierce skeleton sent ya a wink as he continued with his announcements.
Crap, you gotta hide. You weren't prepared to talk to the San knockoff. Much less, deal with his flirty attitude.
You quickly blended with the crowd. The sea of people helped with your nice getaway.
Why are they fundraising for something fake? If this was a real charity for mettaton they would have done it online. Or at least sent out a notification from the fan webpage. So why is this happening? Doesn't anyone know Mettaton is coming back for a concert? If papyrus is right then it should be all over his fan account.
Looking up Mettaton's account there was a flyer for the 5th-anniversary concert coming soon.
The stage tells a different story. As the music blared, so did the people dancing in a frenzy. It didn't seem like people were heavily drunk so what are you missing?
Seeing this many people. It was starting to be a drain. You almost forgot how much you hated parties. If you were back in college you would be running home. But, you're here to help Percy. All you could do was try to stay positive.
"Teriyaki balls come and get it!"
"Fuku?"
She's here too?
You turned around to see the smoke but you could see the green flames peeking out. Your friend seemed to have a grill and table prepped with food. Amongst her other people offering up plates of finger foods. Fuku swiftly adds water to the fire. Steam came out as she pulled out chicken kabobs and covered them up. You tried to get close to her but the crowd of people and monsters kept you away. With a heavy sigh, you and Liam look around for Percy.
You thought you caught a glimpse of Blue. With the last bit of wiggle room, you sprinted over.
"Now the next song goes out to a pretty lady I know. She's a cute waitress"
Oh hell no. You look back on the stage just in time to see him swallow helium from a balloon before singing. His voice changed drastically. Normally, when you swallow it your voice sounds like a mouse. Unlike this monster. What used to be deep was now higher in comparison. Reminded you of Frank Sinatra. He signaled for the band as the music came to life.
You prefer his silky voice but this voice was on point as he sang. The crowd cheered as the band played. A part of you just wanted to dance to the song but you still needed to find Percy or Blue. Just anyone, you needed answers. For the love of why is there a guy shooting T-shirts from a cannon?!
" I'm a creep
I'm a weirdo
What the hell am I doin' here?
I don't belong here"
The music was a cover of an old song. Just with a jazzier spin to it. You didn't recognize it until you heard the chorus.
"I don't care if it hurts
I wanna have control
I want a perfect body
I want a matching soul
I want you to notice
When I'm not here"
You couldn't help but look up at him. The song was catchy as heck but it felt different. The song didn't seem to be focused on anyone. But his voice changed in one verse. A matching soul. You brushed off any ideas but you could have sworn your soul was trying to come out at that last part. As if he was trying to get you into an encounter. You stop lingering and go back to reaching for anything that looks like your skeleton. Maybe, Blue might have an idea of what's going on.
The balloon falls out of your hands. You try to reach out to grab it back.
"You're so fuckin' special
I wish I was special" You felt a skeleton hand grab yours. You let out a squeak in delight only to be disappointed. Your hopes dropped, you were caught by the singing skeleton.
"Hey kitten quick question, can you whistle?" He asked as he closed in on you.
You almost couldn't help but shiver as he whispered to you. He seemed to smile at your reaction. You asked why but he didn't respond as he moved ya around. You try to pull away. He didn't budge as he waited for your response. You try to shake him off but he follows your movement as if it was part of a dance. You gave up on the third attempt. A quick yes changed his tune as he swirled you around. He held you close as he continued to sing.
"But I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo
What the hell am I doin' here?
I don't belong here
Whistle solo"
He turned you around facing toward him and away from the people. You couldn't help but squeak at the sudden tug on you.
This got a chuckle from him.
Being this close you could smell the ozone. You tried to pull away but it was already too late. He placed the mic just above you as he lowered his head.
You looked at him at what the heck he wanted. He mimicked a whistle as he nodded his head toward the band. You tried to ask why couldn't he do it? His red eyes begged you as he whispered, please. With a roll of your eyes, you sucked in some air.
You pulled down on his arm to bring the mic closer. Just enough to make contact with your face. Focusing on the mic and forgetting everyone for a second. You could hear your whistle get louder as you gained more confidence. It wasn't so hard. The song was catchy with their rendition of it.
You tried to avoid his burning stare, but couldn't help but take a peek. His red eyes focused on your face. His face softened as he mimicked your lips, imitating the whistle before swinging you around. The two of you were pressed closer than you were comfortable with. You could practically smell a mix between hotdogs and mustard. People could confuse this as him singing to you. Not you being dragged like a rag doll.
"This has been nice but I gotta go, I'm looking for my boyfriend"
The skeleton paused for a second before a Cheshire smile appeared. He leaned close as he whispered into your ear.
"Why not stay with me? We can look for him after I'm done with the song. Or you can promise me a drink" He looked giddy at the idea as he loosened his grip.
"Whatever makes you happy whatever you waaaant~" he continued to sing.
He seemed a bit hesitant about that last part. And maybe if you weren't in such a hurry you would accept it. But you didn't have the time to wait. You have movies to watch after this.
"Nah, I got a better way to get his attention. Also sorry in advance"
At that moment you focused on stepping on his foot. You made sure to aim at his toes. The guy winced as he let you go. You walked away, you looked back to see if he was ok. You discover him back on the stage.
"Your so mother fuckin special…
Waitress can I have the special '' He shoots a finger gun your way. The crowd was cheering as sparklers sparked up. He blew you a kiss as the whole crowd exploded in cheers. You tried to avoid the people and cameras aiming your way.
" Honey there you are!? What were you doing with Red" Percy looked at you in shock? You hid behind him. Pushing your way out with your skeleton shielding you from the viewing eyes. Not letting any chance as you held his hoodie tightly.
So papy knows the flirty weirdo? Ok. You tried to keep a mental note of the rascal. Red like his eye lights. Gotcha.
"Looking for you. Where's Blue?" In all this madness you needed that ball of sunshine more than ever. Maybe, he could lend you a boost or a rubber chicken. Whatever keeps the people away from you.
" Last minute emergency came up. And he had to go help out." Papy looked away as he opened a candy ring and popped it into his mouth.
"He's fine but I could use your help with something. It's nothing major but only you can do this"
You look around. The party looked like a success. Besides a few spills here and there it didn't seem too bad. Was the emergency some bully? Considering Blue is social and knows how to defend himself from the occasional jerk. What can you do?
"So what's your non-emergency?"
"Help me with shutting this down. You're better at communicating"
"Alright. Get me an air horn and we are golden. Also, How was Blue okay with leaving you to handle such a big party?!"
" He doesn't know there's a party right now. That's why we are trying to end it before he gets back."
"What?!"
Wait, so blue wasn't in trouble. And it was Percy who made this mess happen? And for the love of– why do all this?
"So you thought throwing a wild party was a good idea?" This reminded you of one of those movies. Where the parent is gone and the kids throw a wild party for kicks.
"In theory, yes! People are supposed to leave soon, just gotta watch out for stragglers"
Okay, that still left a whole lot of questions. What's up with the get-rich-quick scheme. Don't they know there are laws against this? And why get you involved in this?
"Mother****** this is ****. You think you're better than me?!"
You look over to see someone who was yelling at a shivering snowdrake. The dude looked aggressive as he accused the monster of looking at him funny. The poor snow drake was trying to ignore him and defuse the situation. And the jerk was pissed as they kept shouting profanities. The dude looked like he was itching to fight someone or cause a scene. A total mood killer. A part of you figured there was always a shit starter in every party.
"Oh don't worry! We have Ben we just need to clean the mess after"
Papy pointed at Red who appeared next to the guy. The big skeleton's smile grew crooked as he picked up the jerk from his collar. He pulled him away from the uncomfortable monster before sending him over to a bigger dude.
"Now play nice unless you want to play butthole pachinko with my buddy here" The dude seemed to sober up at the offer. Pachinko?
You nudged Percy about the scene. All of it felt like those mob movies. Percy nodded.
"So the goal of pachinko is to fit as many balls into one whole" You elbowed him again. Is he serious? You already know the game.
You just witnessed some sketchy stuff and Percy doesn't seem fazed by it? It was just a few days ago this kid was talking to you about honesty. And the importance of trust. The Percy you thought you knew wouldn't consider doing something like this.
"How did you get into this mess?!"
" Butt-dial?"
Percy looked down as he continued. " So I butt-dialed Red and he came and we thought we could help our community. And we brainstormed, one thing led to another. Blue is gonna kill me when he gets back" Percy looked away as he let out a heavy sigh.
You couldn't help but stare at him.
You weren't born yesterday. Percy had a similar tell as your brother Carlos. Neither could meet your glare when lying. You thought the reason he couldn't look at you was from stress but now you are sure. Percy lied to you.
"Nope, not buying it. Call me when you want to try a different answer." You walked away. Just done with the whole situation.
The reason you came was that you were worried for him. You could be with your friends right now. Who you haven't seen in months! Maybe, it was too much to ask for him to trust you yet. You just met them recently.
Not bothering to see if you're going the right way. At this point, you had a vague idea. You could hear a second pair of steps running to catch up to you. Percy quickly grabbed you. You gave him your fiercest glare. This got him to stop in his tracks. Percy shrunk back at your stare but didn't let go.
"I'm sorry. This kinda blew up too much and I'm scared" he mumbled under his breath "I could use a friend right now".
"Honestly, I don't mind helping you out but dont lie to me about the reason. You're a good guy and you probably have your reason. Don't drag me into something and except me to follow blindly." You came here to help. Not to be part of a terrible scheme, only for it to blow up in your face for trusting the wrong person.
"Now, how did you get into this mess!? The truth this time!"
Papy paused as he crouched down and drew circles on the floor. Why did that position remind you of someone? It took a minute of drawing before he would try to talk. His face turned sheepish after taking a peek at you. All you could do was stare him down. He still wasn't willing to say anything. Ok, you should be more specific.
"How did you get a hold of Fuku and the other vendors to come here"
"Butt dial ?"
There are several things wrong with that. And you didn't want to point out the odds that his scrawny butt miraculously got a hold of fuku. And not some random carpet store with a snazzy jingle, but right now you just wanted to hear the truth. So there's only one card you can play at a time like this. Give up.
"Fine, I'm leaving. Good luck cleaning up this mess. If anyone punches holes in the walls there's a fee you have to pay if you're renting the place. And any damages tend to be pricey depending on the owner. Have fun living outside." You give him a last wave goodbye as you make your slow exit, waiting for Percy to go through all stages of grief and make it to acceptance 3, 2, 1.
" Fine! I messed up! Long story short we can't afford rent. After paying off the parking tickets and blues phone. I suggested having a party and having people pay to come in. Like how the movies do it."
You wanted to correct him on his childish plan failing. His proud smile stopped you in place. Sure, people were curious about monsters and would consider doing it in theory but in reality, it wouldn't work out. People weren't as trusting as before and there's a bunch of weirdos out there. You're surprised there weren't more crazy people in there. How was Papy so sure of this plan?
" We couldn't have Blue find out about the bills… so Red sent Blue back with our cousins in his place"
You waited for him to continue. "Red liked the plan but no one showed up. Red set the idea for a charity. For monsters in need. We needed the money. Somehow people thought it was for that pop star on the news. Red tried to make it look the part but at that point, I couldn't say no. By the time we had enough we still owed for decor, music, and food. And when I got back from the store this happened. Blue is gonna kill me when he gets back"
Alright, that explains half of this fiasco so far. But there were still a few things not adding up. How in the world did they get in contact with vendors and live entertainment?"
"So how did you get fuku and the band?"
Percy looked at you sheepishly. Similar to a turtle he ducts into his hoodie until you can't see his face anymore.
"I told her I was your boyfriend and needed your help"
" Papy! How deep is your web of lies!?" You stare at him. It took a minute until he popped back up.
"Surprisingly it wasn't that hard. Red brother knew one of the performers from work. They needed the experience and were willing to do it for a small fee. And Fuku was happy to help, also free booze can go a long way"
"That's not what I asked"
"Remember how I bumped into you earlier today? I stole her number from your phone " he looked back down while fiddling with the floor again " And maybe saying that you needed her help. Oh, you owe her a favor"
You couldn't help but let out a sigh. Sheesh, this was a lot to take in. If it wasn't for Fuku you weren't sure if you could keep your cool right now.
This was crazy. And you're not sure to either smack him upside the head or lecture him. You look at Papy.
The guy was hiding in his hoodie. He reminded you so much of Carlos when he was little. At that moment his face took all your anger away. His face was filled with a mix of regret and desperation.
You figured Red caused most of this to get out of hand. Not Papy. Papy wasn't an evil mastermind that would want to hurt people. Nope, just a kid who wanted to protect his family even if he didn't think it through. And Papy was a bit misguided. A part of you could relate but right now you needed to be the adult and help him fix this mess.
"Papy, how long do we have until Blue comes back?
You pull out your phone and text Papyrus to let him know you'll be running late and to start the movie marathon without you. Adding that a friend needed help. A quick second later and you got a doggy making a thumbs-up emoji.
Awww how cute.
" We got a couple of hours until he gets back"
"Alright, you tell Red to finish this. I'll look for fuku and try to stop this party"
Papy looks up at you nodding as he gets up and starts running in the opposite direction from the house.
" I know a shortcut"
And with that, he disappears.
You seriously needed to ask him where he got those powers. After this is over you're going to need to place a password on your phone or talk about boundaries.
——————–––––
Papy
He managed to make it backstage. Take a moment to process what happened. He wasn't sure if he lucked out or was on thin ice.
Honey seemed to at least help him. Not like he gave her much choice. He could feel guilty later once this was over. Hopefully, it will be over soon.
He was honest when he took Fuku's number. He just forgot to mention he copied your whole contact book. Maybe another time. She can forgive him for it, right?
In the distance, the people were starting to slow down as the band began to play a slow song. Red was nowhere in sight. Figures. He went on break so he can fuel up. Everything was turning out according to plan. Well, minus for the balloons.
"This risk I took was calculated, but man, am I bad at math" papy huffed under his breath.
The party was great but he forgot about human curiosity. Nothing would prepare him for their antics. He offered them food and games. And it was enough for a little while. About 2 hours later someone thought it would be fun to inhale a balloon instead. He was disgusted by their behavior as half of the population had followed the trend. And gained mixed voices. It didn't take long before monsters did the same.
At least it didn't do much for them. A few had their voices change. But a smaller part got a bit high off of it. A few dizzy Temmies answered his assumptions. (Or that could be how they dance?). He didn't expect Red to follow the trend.
"Red, red"
Over at the food table, Red could be seen chugging a soda. He looked up and waved him over.
"Brother! I saved you some food. Where have you been?"
Papy frowned at the question. He's been busy keeping the party stable. Making sure people were happy and the house safe.
Papy didn't mind the grunt work. Calling people was nice and making flyers was fun and easy. But he didn't appreciate how Red was going about it. While he had to make all the calls and help set up. Red got to call the shots. Forgetting that this was a team effort. Red talks on stage while basking on the credit. He appreciated it when honey called it his party. Even if she was mad at him for it.
"So where's this cute girlfriend of yours?" Red looked all around. "I see she hasn't shown up. Not the party type that's okay slugger maybe next time"
Papy had forgotten why he brought you here. If he followed through with the anime guidelines. He would have you pretend your dating to make someone jealous. Unlike, the cliché honey won't fall for him. Now he just needed to find a crazy circumstance to line up the plot for the fake girlfriend. And then, Red would leave him alone.
"About the party, we need to en- "
"Wait, hold on a second! Remember the girl I was talking to you about? She's at the party. Look over there" Red turned him around to face the two people by the edge of the crowd. A fire monster and honey.
"Let's go. Maybe, you can help me out with her" Before papy could reject it. Red had already pulled him into his shortcut.
Now shortcuts are done in two ways. As San once told him. Both still needed to do it out of people's view. The way red does it was similar to his as it could be considered teleporting. The problem was that Red was too quick about it. In the blink of an eye. He preferred the simple method of exiting somewhere. The speed left him feeling wonky. As if bits of him were still trying to stabilize.
"Sorry, buddy. You ok?" Red reached over and pulled him up straight. "Just let me do all the talking"
Papy nodded too dizzy to say anything. Red clicking his chompers together to get your attention. Her smile shifted to something he could only describe as work-friendly. Showing a smile as she lifted her finger to signal a minute. She directs herself back to her friend. When honey was done setting up her plans and her friend left did she acknowledge them. By then he was feeling better.
"Hey Red, how can I help you?"
Red took a step back before smirking.
"I have time now. Still need help finding your boyfriend?"
Oh no. Papy held his breath as he could only assume honey already told him about Blue. Anime guidelines failed to meet reality standards yet again…
"Oh no. I already found him. Darling, I told you to bring me a soda"
And the plot thickens .
Papy couldn't hide his grin at her response. The pot calling the kettle black. Oh no, he wasn't going to make this one easy for her. Not after her drilling him on honesty.
"Huh?"
"You know a soda because it's sodalicious" she urged as Red looked at us.
A part of him wanted to make it harder on her but. He's still in trouble either way. He could get satisfaction at her expense. But he didn't want to clean this mess alone…
Decision decisions.
" Sorry, dear. I couldn't find your favorite. Black kettle was it? `` It took a bit as she looked at him funny before changing her tune. The look on her face as it scrunched up was priceless. She held her temper and his hand.
"You are just adorable. But yeah I'm all good Red. Thanks" Pulling him closer to her. Red's jaw dropped before shifting to a nervous look.
"So he's the guy who's going too fast?" Red wasn't a fool so you figured he needed some kind of reaction. Honey still had her ring pop. He knew how to fulfill his arrogant cousin.
" Yea, she got mad because I wanted to put a ring on it" lifting her hand to bite at the ring pop candy. Honey squeaked in surprise but the watermelon was a key favorite. " Love is love right?"
It looked believable enough as Red looked more or less convinced. A bit of him relaxed only for a big whopping hand hit his back.
"Sorry for doubting you two. Well, take care of the little lady" Red continued to smack his back as each hit felt more like a punishment rather than support. A few more slaps like that and he might confess.
" Anyway! We need to do the raffle and send everyone home. Blue will be back soon"
" Maybe if smiley doesn't give him a hard time with his medicine"
Considering their cousins are a handful. And the ride there takes time. He couldn't leave anything to chance.
"What's the prize for the raffle?"
"Uhh prize?"
Did red forget to get a prize for this thing? It was the only thing on his list to do!? Papy squeezed his head in frustration. He needs to find better friends after this.