At the crack of dawn, San hurried to get started on his chores for the day. He walked past the houses of their growing village. The wooden huts were simple but held well against the weather. While some lived in the few tents the humans brought them. Most monsters were back underground waiting for housing. Right now it was a slow process. Not all monsters were given a chance to live on the surface yet. No one seems to mind. Sans and like many of their residents just appreciated seeing a sunrise and the endless stars in the night.
Sans went over to the board to see the jobs for today. It listed all the names of monsters and assigned jobs. Each monster was appointed a different job weekly, depending on their magic level. Normally monsters who still had an abundance of magic would help hunt or farm. A handful of monsters could still use their magic. All because of frisk.
Sans hated that kid. They were the cause of the hell that soon passed. They left them for dead for a few years. They didn't have souls anymore or their king. They had to wait to collect more souls. Waiting for years for a human to pass the underground.
In that time, food became scarce with the growing population. Not all monsters could survive and at one point famine settled in. But in those few years, monsters had to rely on their additional tank of magic to keep them fed for a while. Whatever they didn't use to maintain their body became their only source of food. He knows he had to skip on a few lunches so his brothers could eat for another day. It was a miracle that another human came down the underground.
Sans walked over to the board to see Papyrus and the ambassador there. It seemed both of them were studying the board. The kid seemed to have only woken up, with how they kept rubbing their eyes each time their hair would get in the way. The messy mop of hair was pointing in all directions. The kid looked like a monkey perched on his brother's shoulders. Funny to imagine this was their fearless savior. A small kid who ran away from an orphanage. Surviving their deadly puzzles and managing to free them from their prison. Strange that it was only a while ago that they escaped.
The human was the first to notice Sans. Her childish grin as she waved him over. She signaled Papyrus to let her down, she ran over to him in seconds.
"Sans! I'm in your group today! Let's go find trees to cut down, I'll go get the seeds okay!" Her childish grin as she pulled on him to follow her was entertaining. She was as skinny as the rest of them but sure had a strong grip. It reminded him of that old crow.
"MORNING BROTHER! I SEE YOU WOKE UP EARLY TODAY. GOOD JOB!"
"Thanks, Paps, are you still coming with me to hunt?" He meant meeting the lady in the city, but he says that in front of the kid.
"HUNT? I THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO- OH! YESS HUNT! WE ARE TOTALLY GOING TO DO THAT. NOT GONNA MEET A NICE PERSON AND EAT YUMMY TREATS"
Real cool paps.
"Yea, let's meet back here okay?"
"OKIE DOKIE! ONCE I'M DONE FISHING WITH MY TEAM. SEE YA SOON BROTHER!" Papyrus nodded as he ran to pick up some supplies. Sans had to go in the opposite direction.
"Slow down there kiddo, I won't be able to ketchup if you do" Sans pulled out his favorite bottle before taking a swig of it. "What's the rush lamb chop?"
Sans knows the child hated being called that. Seeing their face scrunch up from it, it was a nice treat to see. Kiddo wasn't having any of it. She began to pout. She signaled for him to pick her up. There were slight scratches on her hands as she reached for him.
" Not unless you want to hear me workshop ideas on what to call you kiddo" Sans wagged his non-existent eyebrows. It was satisfying to see the kid look at him in disgust. He ruffled her feathers with that one. "How about T-bone or pork chop huh, any good?"
"That last one isn't even original! Why don't you use my name instead!?" The kid walked up ahead "Please, no more food names"
The child was running away from him.
Heh. Good. The farther away she is the better.
Sans didn't have much energy to keep the charade. Once the kid disappeared into one of the tents for their things he began to relax. Sans hunched a bit to rest.
He knows the kid is good and would never harm them. But that can't be said for himself. He can't help but think back.
He can't recall how many times he's injured them underground. Or worse the countless times he's almost killed them. This kid isn't like frisk. For starters, they don't have a determined soul. Theirs was a soft green soul, and with it, their power was healing. And a good thing too because that was the only way she survived their hell. Healing themselves and running away. But he could still see some of her wounds didn't heal over time. Even when her magic improved.
Sans could still see the scars all over her arms. He couldn't help but feel vile whenever he sees them. Each one of them came from him. He could even tell with what weapon. And yet the kid still had the heart to free them.
So now he's stuck trying to swallow his guilt while helping them out. It's up to him to pretend to be the happy monster for her. It's the least he could do for their little savior.
Sans took one more swing at his ketchup bottle before heading over to the tent to look for the kid. He couldn't have them lugging all the lumber by themselves. Their goat mom would burn them to a crisp if he did that.
In no time, they made it to the forest to cut down some trees for lumber. Each tree they took down fell with the breeze. The kid seemed to calm down after he promised to not call her any names. At least until work was done. He aimed his ax to chop the next victim. While he began chopping down more trees, the kid got working on planting some saplings nearby. In order to keep their environment growing.
Originally the Queen focused on feeding her people, weak monsters that survived needed food first. So they hunted game and made a feast to celebrate their freedom. It lasted for a few weeks. Finding prey soon became slim. This led to Fishbait to rethink her plan.
Queenfish face promptly decreed that they had to plant each time they took a tree down, in order to preserve the wildlife. It was with the help of the kid that they learned a bit of agriculture. With the loss of their king who knew of plants, they had to rely on their human for answers. Their knowledge was limited to a few things.
The kid decided to make a team of healers to grow crops and plant nursery. That way, they can grow food until the wildlife comes back. Monsters like him who had magic to spare were chosen to focus on farming or hunting.
"Okay Sans, only 2 more trees to go, I'll go plant these saplings and we should go and help the other group"
Sans swung to knock a tree down, and it fell with a thud. That makes it his fourth one. He turned back to see the kid squatting next to a sapling, her hands were glowing with the sapling.
Oh no
"Kid"
She didn't seem to be listening. The sapling was maturing before her eyes. The kid seemed to grow tired as the tree grew.
"Kid!"
Sans rushed over and pulled the kid away from the growing tree. The sapling had grown to be a tree as tall as him. He hauled the kid over his shoulder. This kid still dazed by abusing their power. This isn't how he expected them to use their magic. A reckless move on their part.
"Bunt cake you alright?"
The kid nodded as they looked up. Not looking at him but at the tree. Sans followed her gaze to see flowers growing on the tree. Small pink flowers bloomed on a few branches. It looked fragile and could be struck down with a flick of his finger.
"It's a peach tree, I was hoping it would sprout fruit" their voice shaking as the kid's eyes watered. "I thought it would help with food, but I wasn't strong enough"
The kid couldn't stop wiping away the tears that flooded their face. This was not what Sans had in mind when he agreed to take the kid. Sans didn't know how to comfort them. So he did what he knew best. Puns.
"What kind of tree fits in your hand? A palm tree" this got a light chuckle from them. It was a start. "Why was the weeping willow sad?"
The kid tilted their head before asking why.
"Because they saw a sappy movie" the kid fell silent but a smile formed on their lips. That's all the confirmation he needed to continue.
"This may sound sappy kid, but we are rooting for you no matter what" Sans ruffled their hair "So don't worry about it, anyway where did you get a peach pit?"
"A nice man gave me a variety of seeds at the meeting. He said it could help us with growing crops, and I found a peach pit with it" the kid explained.
The kid was still wiping away their tears. But he could tell they were calming down. With his free hand, he grabbed one of the fallen trees. He could carry it back to camp and come back later for the rest. He needed to drop off the kid back to their tent.
"Ok, let's drop you off to catch on some zzz. Okay, kiddo" the kid nodded as they climbed up his arm and perched on their shoulders. Grabbing his face, making sure to avoid the cracks.
He walked back to camp to see everyone had scattered to their groups. Different monsters were on the surface today. A few he believed were still living in the underground. It must be driving them crazy to stay belowground. In Sans's opinion, rotating the jobs could help their citizens have a chance to be outside more. Boosting hope that could prevent them from dusting. But that's all up to fish breath to decide.
Sans walked back. He recognized Grillby's shop from a distance. He could spot a filthy shirt and a best on a certain flame monster. Looked like the flame monster was still working on maintenance on their newly built bar. The flame monster was hammering down a few nails on the sign. It read Grill so far. The rest of the letters were on top of a box next to Grillby.
"Hello Grillby, are you almost done setting up shop?" He could see the flame monster turn around and waving before shaking his head. "Bummer I was hoping to get some fries"
Grillby moved his hands quickly "Pay tab and later" he finally noticed the kid as she greeted him. The flame monster quickly changed his gestures "Are you okay human?"
"Nah, she overworked herself again, don't worry she's under uh-rest" Sans cut in. The kid blew a raspberry in response. They continued to answer Grillby.
"I'm fine, thank you for asking"
Sans stayed quiet so the kid could talk to Grillby. It was a surprise to see Grillby answering them in sign language.
That was one of the few things the humans gave them when they first came in contact. Humans couldn't speak their native tongue. Only those who passed through the underground could gain access. Or at least that's his theory. The kid wouldn't say how she understood them and frankly, he didn't care enough to pursue it. All he knows is Grillbys getting better with communicating. The flame seemed to regain some of his old golden hues.
Sans looked up at the kid to see them blow a kiss at the flame monster to bid them goodbye. This followed by a burst of flames spouting up by the flame monster. Grillby returned his attention to his beloved sign. Poor grillby.
Sans walked over to the tents to see Toriel barking at one of the representatives from Ebbot city. Her eyes were glowing red and appeared enraged the closer he got to goat lady.
"If we can't set foot on the city, how else are we gonna be able to trade with your people? Isn't there a way for us to agree on something" the previous queen was practically yelling at this point as she pleaded. The man didn't budge.
"I'm sorry but if your people were to set foot onto the city, it could lead to mass panic" the man failed to notice her as she rolled her paws into fists.
"Your appearance is a big issue. The majority of your people have sharp claws or teeth. Their appearance alone will cause panic or riots. How do you expect the people will react to seeing a giant terrifying monster offering them pies? You expect them to accept it? What happens if one of you attacks? Our mayor isn't willing to risk it. I suggest you ask for something else" The human waited for her retort but she seemed deflated by the answer. She looked down at her paws. Her claws seemed to be out.
"No, let me talk to the queen and see. When is a good time for you to come back?" Toriel sighed as she grabbed a sketchbook by the table, grabbing a crayon nearby. The representative looked over his magical box. Flipping through, until he stopped at one.
"In 3 weeks tops, good day miss" the man left in a hurry over to the car nearby.
Toriel nodded before waving him off. The fur on her shoulders was sticking up. If this was the underground Sans knew Toriel would have killed this man on the spot for pointing out her claws. It's one of the few things that was a sore subject for the goat lady. She took a deep breath before clapping her hands and letting out a breath. Sans waved her down as she scooped the kid from his shoulders. The former queen seemed to loosen up once the child was back in her care. She softly cooed at their 'child'. The kid nuzzled up to them. Both seemed to giggle at the sudden affection. Soon Toriel was back to her old lady self. A scary transformation but one Sans had grown used to. It was a good thing he brought back the kid. He didn't want to deal with another forest fire, again.
"Sorry, you had to see that. It's just politics, we can't come to an agreement in monster trading" Toriel explained with a tired smile.
"Why isn't fish sticks talking to the rep guy?"
This let Toriel snicker as she thought back to something.
"She can't anymore. Not after she challenged the last human to arm wrestling and broke his arm" toriel scratched her cheek. "All because I didn't correct the human when he called me queen"
"Uhh fine, I'll leave you with the little squirt" Toriel hummed in agreement.
In truth, Sans wasn't sure why Toriel didn't just return as their queen. The monsters weren't angry against humans anymore. And Undyne could use the downgrade in status. That snapper was crazier than the rest of them now. Especially when the alphys disappeared.
"Well, I should put them down for a nap. I assume they pushed their limit again?" her tone slightly threatening. Yup, he was in trouble.
" yea, they wanted to help with rations again" this changed her tune quickly. Her face held a look of sadness for a sec before going back to normal. The goat tsked at the kid as she walked away. Lecturing them on magic usage for the third time this week.
Sans walked back to finish up his work. There are a few more things to be done before he could call it a day. He needed to find Papyrus before he took off to meet the crow. Sans didn't want to face her without him.
By the time he was done building another home for a family of bunnies, he left to check the board. Papyrus still wasn't done with his chores. It was his bros turned to go fishing with Catty's team. So he won't make it back until later. He needed to leave now if he wanted to make it on time. So he left Papyrus a note by the door. There was always next time. Maybe he could introduce his brother later. So in a flash, he shortcutted to the entrance of the city.
The city was the busiest during this hour. People running around in a hurry. All of them were either talking to their magical boxes or glued to the screen. He made sure to have his back up hoodie on. Blending in with the crowd. With each twist and turn he felt a little safer.
Walking among the crowd was essential in not getting caught. No one suspected him being a monster. All he had to do was blend in with the outcast that human kind prefer to avoid. All he needed was his old ketchup stained hoodie to do it.
He learned that humans tend to avoid certain people. Normally those with outdated stuff on them. Humans that had patched up clothes or greasy looking furs. Those types got the least attention. He saw one guy go so far as ignore a guy when they asked for help. It was the perfect disguise for him.
He walked among the crowd. No one paid any attention to him. A few would avoid walking on the same sidewalk as him. Everyone got out of his way. He couldn't have it any other way.
He made sure to wear the clean clothes under his hoodie. So the lady didn't suspect him of not being her son or sending him to a bath. He didn't want to take a bath again.
Sans could see the crow from a distance. She was sitting on a chair as she rocked herself back and forth. The lady's gaze never focused on one point. It seems she's scanning for something.
He took off his hood once he was in close proximity. The crow smiled tenderly at him, she walked up to give him a hug. Her voice grew as she pulled away.
"You came! I was growing worried that you wouldn't be able to make it" her hands gently rubbed his cheekbone "I'm glad your back, I got a surprise for you!"
The lady pulled out a baseball cap from her purse. Sans examined it for a sec. It was a black hat with a cheeseburger holding some type of stick. He couldn't help but chuckle at the cheesy hat ware. The lady seemed to take it as a good thing before she continued.
"Remember we bought you this hat at the game and it was twice your size. I found it when I cleaned up your room a bit. Try it on, I hope it fits honey"
Sans was reluctant to put it on. He looked back at the lady as she waited for him to put it on. He didn't have much of a choice. It seemed to fit his head. It even masked the crack on his head nicely.
"Uh, thank you"
He couldn't help but feel his face grow warm under her gaze. Was it normal for a mom to do this? He couldn't even remember his own mom acting this kindly.
She cooed as she inspected it up close. Complimenting him and raving about him being handsome it was enough to turn him blue. He couldn't help but glow as bright as a star from her words. She grabbed his arm and began shuffling over to the garage.
"Let's go, I can't wait to properly catch up over dinner. I can't wait to hear all your adventures! We can go to old Larry's place and get some ribs, my treat!" She opened the door to see a red car. It looked just like the one his brother always wanted to drive.
"Wait, should we go get your glasses fixed?" That was the whole point wasn't it? For him to pay her back by taking her there.
She seemed to think it over for a second.
"We can do that later, I'm starving and could really use a break from cooking honeybunch"
There was a small feeling of ease to hear that. He could help but smile as he followed her to the car. There was no way he was saying no to free food. But he still wasn't sure what she meant by catching up.
I'm the next chapter
The fine art of lying