#asriel comes back and the first thing they do is bare their teeth not as a threat but a “look how theyve grown isnt it cool” kinda way

[phantomkapok]

coolest siblings in town (whenever the first one is there anyway, the other is often demoted to "loner class zombie")

[74yungririe]

Underfell Chasriel

It’s never peaceful in the underground.

Not for long anyways. It’s what Chara cherishes during their days of solitude away from the royal family and monsters that go about. Which isn’t much.

A noisy bunch they all are. Too noisy, too violent.

Staring down from the cityview makes them feel like they're on top of the world. Funny, considering they aren’t royalty nor wanted. Being human has its ups and downs here. A lot of downs, actually.

Can’t have everything go your way, they suppose.

Still, the empty hall being nothing but monochrome has its moments. For one — the view of the underground never fails to distract them from their thoughts. Beyond the ugly cruelty and twisted dispositions lie the beauty hidden in the swamp-infested horrors. The tall buildings and smaller homes for all creatures expand farther than what Chara can see.

Chara’s sure nobody above would believe this amazing view would exist in a desolate place.

There’s nothing else to see besides the cityscape, otherwise.

But it’s not so bad.

Sitting on the cold ground, legs crossed, Chara breathes the peaceful silence. Rather lonely, but it’s not like they’ve had their peace to themselves all the time. Their predicament is an anomaly amongst most things in the world. It’s a treat, nonetheless.

They can always take the elevator and head down to the CORE. It’s not like they’ve done much. Sightseeing around Hotland wouldn’t be so bad either considering the few rogues around have stopped trying to kill them.

Would they risk it right now though? Chara’s lips purse together. Maybe not.

If anything, they’d suspect a monster (usually a Froggit or an annoying Migosp) to pop up and bother them again. That’s what usually happens when they let their guard down. At least it wasn’t like a year or two ago. The amount of times they’ve been a target to kill was a huge pain—

“There you are.”

Their ears perk at the familiar monotone. They look over their shoulder, a smile crawling up their face.

“Greetings, Asriel.”

Said monster scoffs back in return. Arms crossed over the familiar red-and-black stripe sweater as he leans against the wall. Red eyes glaring down at the nonchalant human child.

“Howdy,” he answers back sarcastically.

The brunette doesn’t mind his snarky behavior. Arrogance and irritation sketch over his expression the moment their gazes met. Yet, he pushes himself off the wall and struts their way before plopping down next to them. His black pants crease when he scoots a bit closer.

“Quit sneaking off without saying anything, idiot.” He says immediately.

Chara quirks a brow. Lopsided grin slapped across their face. “I did, though. I said I’d come here.”

His eye twitches.

“No, you didn’t!” Of course, they didn’t.

Chara doesn’t admit despite being caught, merely chuckling the lie away, as they pull their legs close.

“Yes, I did.”

“Do you take me for a fool?”

“Just a little bit.”

“God, you’re insufferable.”

“You told me that already.” Asriel groans at their bickering, to their amusement, stretching his legs out. “Training didn’t go well? Your insults have gone staler than usual.”

The goat kid bares his teeth at the jab. “As if. I did way better than my last training! Heh, the trainer couldn’t last against my blows this time.”

His lips curl into a devilish smirk. Arrogance huffs from his snout as his eyes gleam at the memory. Their attention falls to the golden locket around his neck that bounces along his motion.

Chara can imagine it already. Like the first time Asriel ’allowed them permission’ to watch his little sparring session. How magic proficient he was for a child that matches the peak of his rude attitude.

(…Though they were nearly harmed in the one-on-one training session from just being in the same room alone, Toriel forbade them from being around the room. He was strangely reluctant about it, but listened.)

Humming, “then what’s gotten you so prickly?”

Asriel’s brows furrow. And for a moment, they were prepared for the stream of complaints, about ’not being prickly’ and other interjections as his smirk drops.

Yet, he doesn’t.

Just the uncharacteristic silence accompanies his frown and his blank face. Those fluffy ears hide it from them.

“You’re really weird, y’know.”

That’s… not a first.

Chara tugs the front of their shirt, red with a black stripe like his sweater, a little. The gold chain grazes their arm below their shirt’s white collar. “And? You say that all the ti—”

“You came here again.” Asriel cuts them off. Eyes glued ahead.

The shift in topic is also strange. And he calls them weird. Confusion flashes in their eyes. “Because it’s boring staying at home.”

“Staying here isn’t any different either. It’s the same boring shit you see every other day,” Asriel rebuts, “what’s so interesting about this place anyways…”

“You act like you won’t be doing that once you become king.” The human snickers. They only received a growl in response before glancing back at the city. Reflecting on their own words, it releases the playfulness at the thought.

“Just answer the question.” He scowls, exasperated. Impatience hints through his fingers drumming on his lap.

In the back of their mind, they think about pulling his leg around the topic again. Risk the temper tantrum he’d likely cause for the sake of humoring themselves a little bit. Instead, their eyes trail back to Asriel before returning to the gray scenery. Building lights glowing from afar.

“...No reason.”

“...huh?”

“I had no reason. It’s pretty. That’s all.” They throw their head back as they continue, locking gazes when they notice him staring. “You also said you’d be quick so I thought I’d wait.” Since you’d whine about it, they think of adding but decide against it.

Asriel isn’t convinced. “That can’t be the only reason you came here again...” Yet, their statement pleases him nonetheless from the way his brows relax.

Chara prompts their chin on their palm, elbow supported by their knee. “About the underground being pretty or waiting for you?”

“Obviously the first one!”

Again, they snicker. It’s so fun poking at him.

They’re quick to cover up their little amusement once he glares at them for the umpteenth time. “Well, I don’t know what you wanna hear, but I’m not lying about what I said.” 

Their ‘adoptive sibling’ huffs, leaning back with his hands flat on the ground. The doubtful look he spares them doesn’t last for long before he’s back to observing the boring scenery he complained so crudely about. Furry fingers tugging on his long sleeves.

“Do all humans think the same way as you? Just being mindless like that…” Ah, he ends up complaining anyways.

“Then…” They hum thoughtfully. “Why’d you come looking for me?”

Something flashes in their eyes when they notice the jolt in his body. Tensing up from a simple question searching for a simple answer. His fur stands stiff along with the rest of his form and Chara’s drinking in poor attempts of acting casual. News flash: it’s a sight for sore eyes for all his pompous attitude caused.

Asriel makes a face. A stutter in his words unfitting of the rude prince before looking away, narrowed eyes and cheeks hidden by his ears. “Mom nagged me to find you since she couldn’t find you anywhere.”

Chara simply stares at him, unimpressed. Toriel isn’t around at this time of day. Usually out for errands and snail hunting if they recall. Stupid.

(Huh, his ears turn a light red too…)

“Dad’s not gonna be happy if he hears you’re slacking off.”

They counter back. An obvious bluff, as far as the eye could tell. The king still isn’t fond of them. Never has, never been. The few instances he has don’t compete to the care Toriel at least spares for the human. But right now, it’s all in good fun when they pretend to push themselves off the ground and tattle to their adoptive ‘father’ to add emphasis to their teasing lie.

Asriel deadpans. “As if he’d believe you, idiot. It’s not like you could tell him.”

They expected as much. “Yeah, yeah, I was only kidding.” Though the subtle peace has been ruined by his unnecessary poking, the idea of returning home and rolling in their bed sounds nice…

“Wait—!”

The sudden grip around their bare arm startles them out of the thought. Soft, warm, nearly ticklish if not for the strong hold keeping them seated on the ground.

Chara darts their surprise to the same whining goat from moments earlier. His face was just as flustered.

“Just…” Eyes remaining on his death grip around their arm. Teeth gritting together followed by a sigh. “...nevermind.”

They tilt their head. Brown locks fall accordingly, brushing along the ends of their face before plopping down again. “What? Something wrong?”

His vice grip relaxes and his hand falls back to his side. “I said it’s nothing.” His expression doesn’t match his words. “We’re here anyways, so we can just stay for a while.”

“But you said Mom—”

“—and I say we’re staying.” Asriel stresses, voice nearly echoing in the empty area. He gives a quick side-eye look and frowns. “I already came all the way here so it’d be a waste to go back now.”

Chara blinks at his squirming. Hand instinctively flies over the memorial gift around their neck. Craning their head closer, he’s quick to look elsewhere. Anywhere but them. 

Soft red coating his furry cheeks, unable to hold eye contact, his usual threats lighter than usual…

…Ah, they recognize that look. When he grumbles yet stays when he doesn’t have to. How pride prevents himself from speaking up despite the evident hints he gives away.

He misses them.

Chara’s grin mellows into a softer smile. They clasp their locket tighter, holding it close to their heart — their soul — while leaning back. Shoulders brushing with the young prince’s. He nearly jumps in place from gentle touch alone. Hehe, that doofus.

Behind the coldness and his rough attitude — even as he refrains from telling them it had nothing to do with their mother — Asriel’s fun to mess with.

“Whatever you say, dork.”

x—x—x—x

inspired by @yellow-h's cute doodle of them!!

[justanechoflower]

*Thinks for a moment then gets an idea. poofs in front of Chara wearing granny clothes* (Mrs doubtfire voice) Listen to Conner dear, Creator!Conner knows… You got to get ur mind off all dis violence. *touches Chara’s head and we poof into a nice comforting room* (normal voice and no more granny clothes) Heres a sure fire way to help smooth things out with you my dear chara. *twirls my sword* A HEAPING HELPING OF OF FAMILY THERAPY MAGIC!~ *swings sword and it sends of glitters. each glitter poofs into something. Comfy couch, box of chocolates. candy bowl. hot chocolate maker. vase of golden flowers on a desk. and a chair next to the couch with pillow and blankets* Now let the HEALING BEGIN! *snaps fingers and i poof into the chair wearing glasses and having pen in paper. Chara now in the comfy therapy chair* Tell me about your childhood SHARE with us young one. uwu

Chara: *laughs, entertained by the act* Let us ignore that whole fairy godmother thing for this moment. *sighs as she sits up to grab a choccy from the mini table and gets herself comfortable* I suppose I could start from the surface. It was never nice up there. There was always conflict, drama, anger, violence, disagreements, and peaceful moments barely last. But even then I was always alone. I had no friends, and nor did I want to associate myself with others. There are… other events, but I never tell anyone. Not even Asriel. There is some information one would rather keep private.

Humanity is disgraceful and I could not bear it anymore. So I ran away. That is where Mt. Ebott came in. No one had ever come back from there, so I went off of that and Asriel found me. At first I was weary, but we gradually became best friends. My only friend. And I was Asriel only one too. Toriel and Asgore adopted me and… we were all happy. It felt like they were my actual family. Monsters are so nice with lots of personality and try to stay happy, even if they are trapped underground. The funniest part is how they want to go to the surface. Of course, I didn’t have the heart to tell them what it is really like.

*helps herself to another chocolate* Eventually me and Asriel decided to do that plan with the buttercups, which I thought work but… he refused to hurt anyone even as the humans killed us. Haha... *Chara clenches her fist, making a sound behind her teeth somewhere in between a whimper and a laugh* Everyone knows that story though so I do not think I need to explain more.

Later on I came back as a ghost through frisk and met Flowey, but did not know who he was at first. Of course, at the end of Frisk’s first Pacifist run I was shocked. My one friend had become a human. *light chuckle* Not literally. Mentally. And that hit me hard. I was reincarnated during one of the resets when I came in contact with anons. I am not talking about now- I was here before too for a little while. I looked at monsters suffering and the prophecy about the angel of death. Monsters wished for freedom so bad they would die to get out of this world… so I went on and took as many lives I could to ‘free’ them. At one point I lost the purpose and started aimlessly killing, taking Flowey with me to help. I am not so proud of that anymore, and Asriel, or rather Flowey, is still sick in the head. Which is why he deserves punishment.

Fastforward to after being banished to the void after some crazy stuff I do not want to explain, and I am here. There. My life’s story, otherwise known as childhood.

(I am terribly sorry for your face. I meant to make it goofy, but the eyes didn’t look too good and I had to do it over digitally and even so it looks iffy so please forgive me lol)

[smells-like-mettaton]

23 with Chara and Undyne?

Rating: T Word Count: 1621 Prompt: "Carrying the weight of the world" Read on AO3: here

---

“No! I'd never doubt you, Chara. Never!”

Chara barely hears the words over Asriel’s snoring. But their bed is the closest to the living room. The walls, made of porous Snowdin wood, aren’t that thick.

“Y... yeah! We'll be strong! We'll free everyone.”

They creep out of their bed. After ten years, they have the most silent path memorized, and their bare feet touch no creaking boards.

“I'll go get the flowers.”

Their heart pounds and pounds. At the words. At the memories. At the thought of who might be watching that video, that video they told Asriel to burn, because if Mom or Dad see it—

It’s not Mom or Dad.

Sitting cross-legged on the rug, camera in hand, is Chara’s little sister. Undyne. Somehow, that’s worse.

“Hey. Kid.”

Undyne leaps up, a crackling blue spear in her hands before Chara can say anything else. Man, was that how they were when Mom and Dad first adopted them? Always hiding knives in the waistband of their shorts, jumping at every noise, hurting themself more often than they’d ever needed to. Not that it mattered. If anything really happened to them, they could just make it un-happen.

Like they already had.

“Chara.” Undyne doesn’t let go of her spear. Her eyes are wide, glowing yellow-green from the magic’s light. “I wasn’t doing anything.”

“Sure you weren’t.” Chara shrugs, sitting down beside her. “It’s rude to take people’s stuff without asking.”

“I didn’t take anything!” Undyne finally lets the spear dissolve into blue sparks, but she doesn’t sit back down yet. She probably appreciates the rare chance to feel taller than Chara. Though Chara imagines it’ll only be a year or two before her natural monster height catches up to them.

“Azzy was showing me how to use his camera today, but it wouldn’t let me record anything on this one” Undyne grumbles. “How was I supposed to know there was already stuff on it?”

“Hm. So that’s why you snuck out in the middle of the night to watch it.”

She winces. She’s not a very good liar, which isn’t surprising for someone growing up with Dad and Azzy. All of Chara’s own subtlety comes from Mom and… well, everything else.

It’s easy to lie when most people won’t believe you, anyway.

Undyne shakes her head, her long hair whipping back and forth.

“You’re just upset because I know what you were going to do.”

Chara’s heart stops, just for a moment. The whole world seems to freeze with it.

She has to be bluffing. She’s just a kid. How could she have guessed what Chara was willing to sacrifice?

…Then again, Chara had been younger than her when they’d made that choice.

“If you’re so smart, tell me.” Chara looks up, their grin as sharp and intimidating as they can make with boring human teeth. “What was I going to do?”

She meets their gaze. Of course she’s not even a little scared. Their sister’s a tough one.

“You were going to go through the Barrier. You and Azzy. I know how it works.” She crosses her arms, smirking a smug little smirk.

“You don’t know anything,” Chara snaps back automatically. Admitting anything else is unthinkable.

They’re going to steal Azzy’s desserts for the next month for letting Undyne get ahold of that tape.

“Mom says not to eat the yellow flowers. Or any flowers. Everyone knows you got sick doing that once.” Undyne’s brow furrows, despite the confidence in her voice. “I grew up in Waterfall. I’ve read the walls. I know how it works. The only thing I don’t know is…”

“What?” Chara tries not to squirm. They aren’t afraid of a thirteen-year-old. They’ll bribe her or blackmail her into not telling Mom and Dad. But aside from that worry…

It’s almost a relief. That someone else knows. That there’s one less person to lie to.

“Why didn’t you go through with it?” Undyne finally plops down on her knees. “You were already sick! If you’d just… merged with Azzy, and then… and then we’d all…”

Chara blinks. That… isn’t the response they’d expected. In hindsight, it’s obvious how stupid their plan was, but perhaps to a child, their old logic still seems sound.

“We’d all be dead,” they say quietly.

Undyne looks up, but Chara shakes their head.

“We would. Not just me and Azzy. But all of us. Even if Azzy hadn’t fought to spare the humans, even if we’d collected six souls… There’s too many of them, Undyne.”

“What… how do you know?” Her eyes narrow. “I guess Azzy is pretty soft… but it’s not like you even tried.”

Chara laughs. A low chuckle that wants to rise, but they force themself to stop. The last thing they want to do is wake anyone.

“What?” Undyne demands louder. “Okay, maybe Azzy never would’ve worked! But—but I’m here now! You could’ve asked me!”

Chara chokes off entirely. She��she wouldn’t. She’s just a kid.

(It’s not like Chara never asked a kid to kill before.)

“We could do it,” Undyne takes their hands in her smaller ones. “You and me. I know it might be scary to combine our souls, but—but I’d never let you down, Chara.”

Her golden eyes stare into their red ones. Her scales are cold on their skin, but that’s not the reason they shudder.

“No.” Chara meant it to come out firm, but their voice is so small, it’s more like a plea.

“I guess it might hurt, but then we’d be awesome and terrifying so—”

“NO.”

Chara shakes with the force of their breaths. The tape has long since run out, throwing black-and-white static across the floor, across Undyne’s face.

“I… I don’t understand,” she says. “Do you really not want to see the sun anymore? Or do you just not want to… with me?”

“Are you stupid?”

Undyne’s jaw drops. That definitely came out wrong, but the point remains.

“Even if everything went perfectly—which it won’t—you don’t want to be stuck as half a person forever.”

Undyne looks away and shrugs. “Wouldn’t be so bad. I mean, I guess you can be annoying sometimes, but… I always thought you understood. Understood me. So if there was anyone I was gonna be a super cool ultra-boss monster with…”

Chara snorts, ruffling Undyne’s hair. The problem is, they do get it. They really are too alike. No one else would be stupid enough to think that dying on purpose is a good idea, even if she keeps conveniently skimming around that part of the plan.

“Hey. Undies. Look at me.”

“It’s Undyne.” She sticks her tongue out. “Undyne the Undying.”

“Undies the Unpantsing.”

She tries to growl, but it comes out as a laugh. “Shut—shut up!”

“Undyne.” Chara finally uses her real name. They smile. “I do want to show you the sun someday. But it’s… it’s not going to happen by killing anyone.”

“But the Barrier—”

“Someday I’ll die.” Chara shrugs. “Not because I ate some stupid flowers or anything. Just because humans get old faster than most monsters. And by then, probably someone else will fall down here, too. Six someone elses.”

Undyne looks down. “That sounds like a long time…”

“Probably. But, look.” Chara sighs.

Should they tell her? About their power, about everything? She would probably believe them. She trusts them with her life, with her soul. She wouldn’t judge them for the murders they’d nearly committed.

“What I’m about to tell you is a Sibling Secret,” they whisper seriously. “You can’t tell Mom or Dad. In fact, you shouldn’t tell Asriel, either.”

Asriel knows, more or less. He’s the only person that Chara ever told about their power. But the details of why their plan failed… Chara had never had the heart to tell him. He would’ve blamed himself, even though he’d been right all along.

Undyne’s eyes go wide, but she nods. Chara takes a deep breath.

“I did merge with Asriel. We did go through the Barrier.”

Undyne’s mouth opens.

“We… didn’t get any souls,” Chara continues before she can speak. “But, even if we had. The humans are uncountable. I was stubborn, and foolish. I thought that Asriel and I could defeat them. But could we kill all of them? And when our people rise up to reclaim the surface—would we keep killing humans, forever? Would it be the same war that sealed us all here ages ago…?”

Chara shakes their head. They’re rambling, losing themself in their thoughts. They haven’t even told Undyne what she must be wondering.

“I can go back in time,” they finally say. “So right before the humans killed us, I took us back. I was sick from the buttercups again. I told Mom there was another accident, and they gave me the buttercup antidote. The end.”

Undyne stares, stares, stares. Then, of course, the questions start flying.

“How can you go back in time? Do you have magic? Are you a mage like the kind that made the Barrier? Can you do any other spells? Can you teach me?”

Chara rubs their forehead, but chuckles. These questions aren’t what they expected either, but at least they’re less morbid than before.

“Why don’t you ask in the morning?” They yawn, getting up to eject the tape and press the OFF button on the television. The silence makes it a little easier to breathe.

“...Yeah. Okay.” Undyne stands up, her arms wrapping around her middle. “Hey, Chara?”

“Yeah, Undies?”

“I love you. I’m glad you and Azzy didn’t die.”

“Heh.” They ruffle her hair again. They might as well take advantage of the few inches they still have on her. “Me too, kid.”

[fantasmalforces]

Hanako's hands were gentle in the way they traced over the folds of Asriel's jacket, focused eyes following their path before rising to rest of his features. Painted lips quirked upward in a small smile, cheeks turning pink at the sight of his own lovely blush. She didn't say anything, nor did she feel the need to. Rather, everything on her mind was shared in the way she kissed him. It was tender and passionate, deep with an unspoken heat and hunger that caused her grip to tighten ever so slightly. When she withdrew, his name fell from her lips in the form of a shivered whisper. || @maximuses ♡, since ya asked for some Sinday material

💜 Spontaneous Sinday Meme // ACCEPTING ! 💜

Ever since that first kiss, Asriel hadn’t been able to stop thinking about the magical feeling of having her all to himself, even if for just a moment. The enchanting softness of her plush, painted lips on his, that intoxicating scent of her natural floral musk mixed with whatever perfume she’d been wearing, the taste of champagne lingering on her tongue, the soft sound she let out as she leaned into. The wolf in him howled in delight at the feeling. And the just like that, all too soon, the magic was gone. She pulled away and reiterated how they couldn’t do this - how they couldn’t be together, and his heart shattered at the idea that he’d gotten a taste of her only to realize he’d never be able to truly have her. It killed him inside.

But things were different now. After weeks of playing pretend, acting like it hadn’t happened, she was the one who brought up the kiss. She was the one who admitted to wanting more and his heart soared until she mentioned again how they simply could not be. And though his heart sank, he was quick to come up with an idea. A stupid one, a risky one, a desperate one - but desperate they were indeed. A secret relationship. And while she was hesitant and just as nervous as he was, that bubbling desire between them had them throwing caution to the wind; not the first time for him, but certainly the first time for her. He smiled, feeling his chest swell with barely contained joy at her acceptance, only to feel that heat flow somewhere southward as she approached him from where he leaned against the wall. Her fingers along the leather of his clothes made his breath hitch. The flush in her cheeks made him ache somewhere below the belt. But it was her kiss that awoke that beast inside him. Those primal instincts that shook themselves into a frenzy of hormones and instinct as the kiss grew deeper and hotter.

And then she breathed his name out all soft, looked at him with those big beautiful eyes. She looked so needy. He caved to it.

He kissed her again and again and again, groaning so pleased at how she moaned his name between stolen breaths. His hands wandered down her body over her dress, fingers feeling at her curves through the thin fabric. He murmured her name in her ear and listened as she gasped and leaned her head back. Her little hands pressed against his chest and paused, drawing back to look at her and make sure she was okay. She slipped her hand into his and pulled him from the wall, a wordless smile on her lips as she guided him towards her bed. No sooner had she laid back than her dress was pushed up over her hips. A flurry of kisses fell onto her neck and shoulder. She shivered as she felt his teeth graze her skin and gently gripped his chin to get his attention.

“There must be no marks left behind,” she ordered softly, a nervous edge to her voice. “If my father were to find out about this…”

“Don’t worry, he’ll never know.” He reassured, kissing her palm before helping her out of her clothing so he could continue kissing down her front. He lavished her with attention, panting out how good she tasted under his tongue. He watched the way her face contorted so beautifully when he teased her breasts, and chuckled at how he had to keep her legs spread as he gently played with her. The way she covered her mouth to stifle her moans as his fingers worked her brought him a sense of pride. Hanako Arasaka making such lewd sounds under the mercy of a lowly werewolf from the streets. What a headline that’d make. The way she flushed red had him laughing as he drew a shaking, shuddering orgasm from her and moved to give her a second with how he cleaned her up with his mouth.

He leaned over her as he licked the last of her from his lips, leaning down to kiss her. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, moaning into his mouth as ground himself against her. The feeling his throbbing shaft teasingly rubbing itself against her already over-sensitive clit had her shuddering as she struggled to mirror his passionate kisses with much less coordinated, much more sloppy ones. She’d just slipped out another quiet moan of his name, gasping to try and suppress herself from the throaty cry that threaten to escape her as he sheathed himself inside her, when the two of them heard a door opening somewhere beyond the room. They both froze, hearing Saburo call out for her. Hanako’s grip on Asriel’s back tightened as she realized the gravity of their situation. The color drained from her face even now as she only imagined the horror, humiliation, and shame she would feel if her father caught her in the act of mating with the very werewolf he’d been trying to kill for so long. And Asriel - by the gods, she almost felt like crying at the imagination of what horrible fate her father would have waiting for him if he discovered her sweet wolf in the act of defiling his little girl!

And yet, despite the terror they both most certainly felt, Hanako had to stifle a choked moan as Asriel shifted and slowly thrusted into her. She looked at him, shock and horror crossing her face as the deep flush of red returned. He made a shushing gesture as he slowly rocked his hips into hers. She wanted to protest but two things stopped her: firstly, the thought that any little noise from her might betray she was here getting fucked by her new secret boyfriend, and two… the strangely erotic sense of excitement that this secretive mating dance brought about. They were one small sound away from being caught and facing harsh consequences, and yet… they persisted. And something about that felt perverse and wrong, yet some greater part of it felt… so arousing.

Hanako rocked up into his thrusts, focusing on keeping herself quiet and trying to disregard the calls of her father to answer him. He approached the bedroom door at some point and she had to cover her mouth as Asriel sped up. She had no doubt in her mind- some small part of him - a small, spiteful rebellious part that she knew all too well by now - was thrilled by the idea that he was eagerly banging the daughter of a man that had had it out for him for the longest. Saburo Arasaka utterly despised him, and here he was, fucking the man’s daughter and stealing her heart. He had to be proud of that in some capacity. Hanako didn’t get too much time to think as she heard her father mumble something about how she must not be there. She listened between pants and quiet squelches as her father’s footsteps faded away. She heard the elevator door close and the soft ding of it descending to another floor somewhere. Then and only then, when she was certain no one else was listening, did she remove her hand from her mouth to grip at Asriel’s back with both hands. She wanted to scold him. She wanted to tell him off for such risky behavior but her mind went blank as he pounded harder and deeper into her, tearing a string of overwhelmed cries from her. Amidst it all, she could hear three words that made her stomach flip: “good girl, Hanny.~”

The words, paired with that erotic sound of skin slapping and the wet squelches of him rutting into her, brought her to the edge. But it was him breathing her name out desperately and bucking as deeply as he could, pressing his hips into hers firmly, that sent her over the edge. She heard him utter the words “cum for me, baby,” and she shuddered as she did. He bucked into her several more times as she trembled and moaned his name brokenly from underneath him several times before finally relaxing against her sweat-soaked sheets. She looked down, watching with another low, drawn out moan as he pulled out of her and stroked himself several times. She watched how he stuck his tongue out, hearing him whine and watching him stutter into his own hand as he pumped himself for several moments before unloading a flood of hot, thick cum onto her. The feeling had her pressing her head back into her pillow, hips rising to bask in the sensation of him claiming her in the only way he could. For now.

After several moment, he was finished and completely spent all over her. He shakily crawled into the bed beside her and the two laid together for several minutes. He kissed at her shoulder and cheek appreciatively, lazily tucking himself back into his pants as he cooled down. Hanako hummed at his softness, accepting the silent apology for his needy, bordering risky behavior earlier. She pressed a soft kiss to his lips. Finally, she sat up and moved to wipe herself off. Azzy whined as he watched her stand on shaky legs. “Where ya going?” He whimpered.

“To get cleaned up,” she commented calmly. “I must take care of this mess before my father should suspect anything.”

Azzy grinned, following her as she gathered her linens and dress up and placed them in a hamper to be washed before moving to the bathroom. “Hey, you know I could always help you get cleaned up.~”

Hanako smirked, looking at him over her shoulder. “Are you trying to seduce me into having a second wind?”

“Maybe,” her chirruped as he leaned against the doorway, already feeling his pants starting to grow tight again. He smirked wider as he saw her eyes flicker down towards it. “Depends. Is it working?”

Hanako shook her head, huffing out a small laugh, she turned on the shower water and stepped inside before turning back to look at him invitingly. “It is.~”

[marilynsweet]

WITCH AU: The Witch's House

Didn't realize I forgot to post this! So I bring you this, part 1 of 3 for the history between Asriel and Frostbite in the Witch AU.

I'm putting it under a read more because it's long--

Feedback is very much appreciated!!

Asriel woke to a splitting headache and a fuzzy vision.

A groan escaped his lips, and he reached a hand up to grip his head. He ached, why did he ache?

He was suddenly aware of something tied around his neck and wrists, making his heart sink into his stomach.

Was he..?

Asriel shot upright, holding his wrists before him.

Bandages. They were just bandages.

He let out a sigh of relief, though dizziness from sitting up much too fast made him lie back down.

The air smelled of warm cinnamon and a campfire, with the sound of clattering glass coming from the other room.

Asriel stared up at the ceiling, eyes narrowed as he tried to remember where he was. Was he home? No… that ceiling wasn’t the color of his bedroom. He didn’t have herbs hanging from the ceiling…

Wait… why were there herbs hanging from the ceiling?

He finally took a moment to draw in his surroundings.

Upon shelves were crammed books, jars, and small ornate boxes. Shelves lined the walls like support beams. Plants hung from the ceiling in bowls, tied carefully into roped hangers. A thin sheet was pinned above the doorway, blocking his view into the other room. He lied on a bed, handcrafted, and covered with heavy fur blankets. Candles were lit around the room, an assortment of colors. A window was uncovered next to him, allowing a soft autumn breeze into the warm room. A book lie closed on a table against the wall, in front of a small, closed ornate box. Surrounding the book was an assortment of colored candles, and a small statue of what looked to be a woman with a staff. In front of that table was a pillow on the floor.

He could hear humming.

Asriel slowly slid off the bed, feeling a rug beneath his feet. He took a few steps towards the door, off of the rug and onto cold floorboards.

They creaked loudly under his weight, and the humming stopped.

“I wouldn’t recommend doing that if I were you. It’d be in your best interest to lie back down before you irritate your head more; wouldn’t want your neck to break, would we?”

He froze at the voice that came from behind the sheet, eyes narrowing. Where had he heard that voice before? It was so familiar...

“I didn’t stutter.”

Asriel took a few steps back, eyes narrowed, towards the bed.

Once he was away from the door, a figure stepped through, brushing the sheet aside. Asriel gasped when he recognized the small figure that stepped through.

“You!”

The woman, shorter than he - only about as tall as his waist - had stepped past the sheet and into the room. Granted, he was tall in the first place, but still. She had long hair the color of autumn leaves, with eyes of amber to match. Her cheeks were freckled. She was a Fox-monster, with a long, fluffy tail that brushed against the ground. Her fur was white, save for some black markings along her shoulders, and some orange on her ears and tail.. She wore a piece of fabric, crafted into some form of necklace, around her neck, in the center of which was tied a gemstone. Another gem was tied around her neck by a long black string. She wore a long, sleeved white shirt, which ruffled at the bottom, and a black cloak, the shoulders of which were missing. She wore a leather corset around her waist, black pants, and long, leather boots. One of her arms was gloved.

“Yes, me.”

“What do you want with me?”

“I saved your life, or have you forgotten?”

Asriel’s eyes narrowed at the woman.

“I still recommend you sit, Asriel.”

“You… I know you! You’re from the village!”

“I’m not from the village, per se,but I have been there for the last few months. When you hear rumors of people impersonating you and being hung for crimes they didn’t commit, you’re bound to investigate.”

The woman walked towards one of the shelves, investigating a plant that sat upon it. Her tail flickered under her long, black cloak. Asriel absorbed her words for a moment.

He’d seen her around before, usually petting an animal along a farm gate, or sitting in a church pew. He’d seen her buying things from the merchant, feeding wandering chickens, and speaking with other shop owners. He had never seen her on a farm of her own. Rumor had it that she lived on the edge of town. She had never dressed like this, either.

“Impersonation… nobody’s…”

Then, it clicked.

“YOU’RE A WITCH!” He cried out, almost angrily.

“I am,” the woman answered coolly, not turning to look at him.

“A worshiper— no, a whore of the Devil! You’ve come to sacrifice me! Or— make me sign his book-!”

A sudden thud made Asriel stop. The woman had turned to face him with a fury in her eyes he hadn’t seen on anyone before, not to him. In her hand, the hilt of an ornate dagger. The blade was stuck into the shelf she had been standing at just moments before.

“I don’t whore over any Devil,” she hissed, fangs bared into a snarl. Her voice was low as she approached him. Asriel stepped backwards, tripping back and falling onto the bed.

“I worship the Earth I walk upon, and the deity who provided us with it. Mother’s remedies saved your life, Dreemurr. Your lot simply cries witchcraft and Devil worship for things you don’t understand, like the remedies of plants provided to us and the magic that is our surroundings. Religious zealots like yourself have torn Mother’s roots up and replaced them with pastures and more land than you will ever need. You burn her trees and ruin her hills with nothing in return, instead putting your false idol before she who gave you everything.

How fair is it that your greed, your people, have begun to ruin the land of Mother? For what? Divine intervention? Someone must claim these lands as their own, someone must show off the grandeur that is the new order, who escaped persecution, yet made their own in the process? Persecuting what you don’t understand, and shrieking that those who are different are witches, sentenced to die for refusing confession? You’ve just been using it to be rid of the neighbors you dislike! Not to mention how flawed your religion is! What, you’re superior to others because of how much gold lines your pockets, and what lies between your legs? Mother cares not for damned minerals like gold and silver. Mother doesn’t care your sex, who you love, or what wealth you have.

I may be a witch, but not in your terms. I may dance around fires, may practice spells and potions, but never in the name of any Devil. I’m not scared of you, Dreemurr, not what you claim to be able to do. I’m not scared of your God, nor his wrath. Men simply created this ‘God’ to make others bow to them. Show me any real proof that your God exists! That he wrote those ‘sacred texts’ in that book you love so much!

Did your God ever help you when you were swinging from that damned rope? Did his followers give you any mercy? Did he save an innocent man from the shrieks of attention-seeking little girls? No. You’re appalled by my laughter at your prayer, but how can I not? It’s ridiculous!”

Asriel was speechless, mouth agape. She was practically on top of him, now, having moved closer in her fury. Their noses could have touched, and he could see the fire behind her eyes. Her teeth remained bared; sharp fangs that could tear flesh like paper.

She suddenly huffed, sitting upright and walking over to the shelf. She brushed off her front, ears twitching on top of her head. She yanked the knife from the shelf, turning it in her hands.

“Mother told me to save your life,” she stated. “She told me: This one has potential. There’s goodness in him. I’m inclined to believe her. But boy, you do not make it easy.”

Turning back to him, she pointed the knife at his chin.

“Should you try anything, should you try to harm this house or that which I worship, Mother gives permission for me to defend her with my life. There’s a reason I’m the Guardian of this forest.

I’m setting some ground rules. There is to be no more accusations of Devil worship. You will not berate me for what I practice, and you will not under any circumstances reveal my location to any member of the village. Do you understand me?”

The flat side of the knife pressed against his chin, lifting his head. Asriel nodded, eyes narrowing.

The woman removed the blade from his chin, tucking it into a sheath inside her corset.

“Good. Then, let’s start, shall we?”

She reached out a hand to him.

“My name is Frostbite. I’ll be taking care of you from now on.”

Asriel took her hand and shook it, watching as she stepped away from him.

“Your neck and wrists are still healing, I wouldn’t recommend moving much. Be easy if you do.”

“Why’d you pull me down?”

Frostbite perked up, turning back to face him.

“Excuse me?”

“Why’d you pull me down, if you despise me so?” Asriel asked, shifting so his legs were tucked on the bed.

Frostbite was silent for a few moments before shaking her head.

“I don’t despise you,” she muttered. “You were the only one who wasn’t killed; what was I to do? Leave you up there, suffocating?”

With that, she walked back into the other room, the sheet fluttering with her absence.

Asriel bit the inside of his cheek, watching her leave. She was… strange. She dressed so differently than he was used to, and she had such a demeanor about her that he hadn’t seen on a woman in years.

Confidence. She wasn’t afraid to speak her mind.

Part of him admired her for that. And, as much as he didn’t want to admit it, he was now in her debt. He’d have suffocated to death if he hadn’t been cut down. The hangman’s rope didn’t break his neck, as it was supposed to.

“Guess I should be grateful for that…” he muttered, tucking his hands into his arms.

But where was he to go, alive? The village despised him, sentenced him to death as a witch, and likely wouldn’t be happy upon his return. Frostbite was probably the only person in miles who knew where anything was.

Thinking of the village… it brought up pain in him.

I wonder if Mother is alright…

Toriel, his mother, had fought tooth and nail against the townsfolk and the judges who had sentenced him. When he was taken to the noose, he hadn’t seen her among the crowd. He fully expected to hear she had fled to another town. He could only imagine the pain she was in.

I wish I could tell her I’m alive…

He glanced back to the door, swinging his legs off the bed. With as much silence as he could, he knelt onto the floor beside his bed.

He clasped his hands together in prayer, and lowered his head. He winced at the pain in his neck.

Let her know for me, please. Tell my mother I’m alive. Some way, somehow… tell her that she didn’t lose her son.

“I thought I told you not to move?”

Asriel was shaken from his prayer by the now-known voice of Frostbite. She was standing in the doorway.

“You’re not as good as you think you are at being sneaky,” she stated, walking back over to him and taking his hands. One of her hands was bandaged, he noticed. The other hand was smooth-skinned, and gentle. “I’m making food, you’ll be able to sit at the table then.”

“I want my mother to know I’m alive,” Asriel said, standing as she helped him up. “I—“

“Toriel?”

“You-?”

Frostbite let go of his hands.

“I know of her. She lent me cloth when I was in town,” she replied. “She wasn’t at the hanging.”

Asriel subconsciously rubbed the bandages around his neck.

“I don’t know what happened to her. I think she left.”

“She did. Something about being disappointed in the world she thought she knew. I can seek her out once you can be on your own,” Frostbite replied. “I have a good idea of where she went.”

“How..?”

“I’m much more observant than you think. All that time you saw me in the village, I was learning as much as I could about the accused and their families. Seeing what you deem as witchcraft. Your lot claims Devil worship and heresy as witchcraft; which makes sense, I guess, not much of what I believe in would be ‘Biblical.’”

Asriel shifted backwards onto the bed, leaning back against the wall.

“I’m making soup. Hope you don’t hate chicken,” Frostbite added. Asriel noticed her pick at the bandages on her hand.

“What’d you do to your hand?” He asked.

She was silent, and she stopped touching her bandages.

“...I’ll come get you when it’s ready.”

With that, she quickly left the room.

After a short while and reading the countless book spines that lined the walls, he heard the thud of something on wood. Asriel perked up, looking over to the doorway. After a few moments, the sheet shifted, and Frostbite walked through.

“You didn’t move, good. I’ll get you some books or something; sorry it took so long,” she said, quickly walking over and offering him her hands. Again, he noticed the bandages when he took them.

“You’ve got an interesting selection here,” he said.

“No Bibles, sorry,” she said with the threatening of a smile. He rolled his eyes as she helped him to his feet.

When she led him into the next room, he was somehow not surprised at the contents. Plants, again, hung from the ceiling, either potted and flowering or hung to dry. A small wooden table sat to the right, while the kitchen was to the left. She had a small wood stove providing warmth to the room, with cabinets lining the walls around it with counters to match. On the table, a heavy-looking pot sat in the center, with two bowls laid out on either side of it. The front door had a small window in it, covered with a curtain.

Frostbite led Asriel to the table, encouraging him to sit. She took a ladle from one of the counter drawers, and set it next to the pot. When she took the lid off, Asriel was immediately wrapped in the delicious smell. It made his mouth water, and it was only then that he realized just how hungry he was. When was the last time he had a full meal?

“Help yourself,” Frostbite said, likely noticing the look on his face. She walked back over to the stove, pulling open the door in the front. From under it, she pulled out a piece of wood, and placed it into the small fire.

“I’ve got bread, too, and butter. I’m hoping you’re not sick of it,” she said, closing the oven as Asriel ladled soup into his bowl.

“Aren’t you going to eat?” He asked, watching her move about the kitchen.

“I will, in a minute. Don’t choke.”

She went outside, a cold draft permeating the room when the front door opened. It was quickly doused, though, when it shut.

It was quiet, save for the soft crackle of the wood stove, and he took the time to look up at the stairs. Wood, like everything else, and crafted delicately. Part of him wondered where she got all of these supplies. The other part wondered what was upstairs.

He shrugged, though winced when he moved his neck. While she was gone, he folded his hands in his lap, taking a small bow of his head.

“Usually, I say my prayers when I gather the ingredients. Your God didn’t make that soup.”

He was practically thrown out of his skin when he heard her voice again.

“Stop doing that!” He cried, watching Frostbite as she placed a dish on the counter. He could see the risen loaf inside, which she dropped onto a wooden board.

“Pay attention,” she replied coolly, taking a knife from a small chest on the counter. “Just because I’m quiet doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be observant.”

Asriel, again, rolled his eyes.

“And be careful with your neck,” she added, cutting a few slices of the bread and setting them aside on the board. “Still healing. It’s only been two days.”

“I was out for two days?” Asriel asked incredulously, perked up. “How..?”

“I induced you into sleep. That way, you’d heal a bit faster.”

Frostbite approached the table and placed the small board onto the surface, next to the pot. Upon it were three slices of bread, and a small bowl with butter in it. By the look of it, it was churned recently.

“Did you make all of this yourself?” Asriel asked, watching as she sat across from him.

“Of course.”

“Alone?”

“Who else would be helping me? Eat. Your soup’s getting cold.”

Asriel took the spoon he was given in his hand, and took a bit from his bowl. Upon tasting it, he could practically feel the warmth running through him.

“This is delicious!” He exclaimed, and he noticed a small smile on Frostbite’s face.

“Thanks,” she said a bit sheepishly, and he could spot a flush of pink on her cheeks.

“So… you do everything yourself around here, huh?”

A small nod, and he noticed her stir her bowl with her spoon, not yet taking a bite.

“...You haven’t poisoned me, have you?” Asriel asked, and she snorted.

“And why would I do that?” She asked, lifting her head. “Poisoning you does you no good, and does me no favors. Why save your life just to poison you later?”

“Good point.”

He took another spoonful, watching as she finally did the same.

“So… what did you do to your hand?” He asked, noticing she had tucked it under the table. “The bandaged one?”

“...Burned it. Long time ago,” she murmured. “I don’t like to see the scars.”

“Oh…”

Of all the things he was expecting, that wasn’t it.

“I’m sorry.”

She shook her head.

“Not your fault,” she said, lifting her gaze from the tabletop. “Just… not used to talking about it. Don’t have many visitors. Just the goats and the chickens.”

“You have chickens?”

“They wander about, and I take their eggs. I don’t like to take too much of Mother’s land, but we’ve got to eat somehow. I’m told I take too little.”

“What’s upstairs?” Asriel asked, taking a slice of bread from the board.

“My room. Nothing much. Just a bed, some books. Some storage, I have a shelf with feed in it. It’s nothing special.”

“I’m sure it’s fine,” he added, to which she shrugged.

“I don’t like to live lavishly,” she muttered, again returning to stirring her soup. “It feels selfish of me.”

“If it’s laid out for you, why don’t you take advantage of it?” Asriel asked, moving to tilt his head. However, he was met with pain, and stopped.

Frostbite lifted her head, narrowing her visible eye.

“I’m not going to destroy the very forest I protect for the sake of material possessions,” she hissed.

Asriel raised his hands as a sign of peace.

“I’m just saying! If it’s there, why not?”

“Because I’m not selfish! I’m not going to take every bit of land I can get my hands on, and take more than I need!” Frostbite snapped, slamming her spoon on the table. “I have what I need to survive, and what wants I can spare. I don’t need acres of land for one person.”

“Okay- Okay! Fine!” Asriel huffed, lowering his hands to take another spoonful of soup. “I get it. Point taken.”

Frostbite’s ears twitched, and she continued to watch him. There was an uncomfortable silence between the two of them for a long time. Asriel eventually took a piece of bread from the board.

“Butter?” Frostbite asked, sliding him the small bowl. “Promise, it’s not poisoned.”

Asriel snorted. At least she was trying to be humorous. “Sure, why not?”

The rest of dinner went by without incident. Frostbite wasn’t exactly the best at conversation, but Asriel was willing to excuse it. It didn’t seem she had many companions out here. She was amusing, and she smiled often, so he gave her that.

However, he lay awake that night, staring at the plants hanging from the ceiling. A stack of books lie on the nightstand next to him, an assortment Frostbite had given him as reading material. She had told him to lie on his back, neck propped up on pillows to irritate it less. Progress with the healing was being made; it wasn’t raw, anymore, at least. It still hurt to move his head too much, though.

He couldn’t stop thinking. It was so much different here than home. It felt like his worries could just melt away with the candle wax. Not to mention, he had a full meal. Something other than bread and water, and a filthy jail cell. Though, despite this, Asriel was still thinking of home.

Would Chara, Frisk, and his father be mourning him? The lack of a body to bury? Did the townsfolk still think him a witch? They must’ve; he had been hung for it. Still, he missed them. Would they pray for him? Would they aim to find his mother, and try to reconcile?

He thought about what to do. When he left here, he’d have to go back. Where else could he go? It wasn’t like he could stay here forever. Would they be shocked? Would they try him as a witch again? Would they hang him properly?

He shut his eyes tight, resisting the want to turn over onto his side. Frostbite had told him to lie back, so lie back he did.

He let his mind wander, losing himself to the dreams that began to lull him. Soon, he fell into sleep, the first peaceful one in a while.

[promisedangel]

Fresh Meat: Confinement- Chapter 28

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Chapter 28- Delusions

Alphys set another tray of food before she spoke, “I'm glad you got the lockets back.” Chara held both lockets tightly. The other hand was used to eat. “And now he threatens the second I take a single step out of line... he will shatter them both.” Alphys sighed as she settled in her usual spot, “I... figured he'd do something like that.”

Chara ate in silence. Their gaze shifted to their bed every once in a while. A full minute of silence and slight glances. Alphys turned towards Chara. She went to speak with a smile but stopped before she could utter a sound. Her mouth closed. She raised a confused brow. “Chara?” “Hmm?” Chara let out a questioning noise, preoccupied. Alphys continued, “Is something wrong with your bed? You're... not hiding something dangerous again, are you?” Chara set down their food before they glanced up at the cameras. They'd stared up at them many times since they've been relegated to this new prison over a month ago. The way the cameras were designed suggested they only record visuals. No audio devices within or attached. Alphys let out a confused voice, “The cameras? I don't like them either, but I can't get them removed.” “I already guessed that. No. I do not want him to know just yet.” “Know what?” Chara met Alphys's gaze with a serious, yet dead expression. “That I know what he did to me.” Concern grew in Alphys's voice and expression. “Chara, I um... I-I don't... I don't understand what you mean.” “This- everything that's happened in this lab- everything he's done, this is all a dream. A figment. A curse.” Alphys paled in worry. She began to curl in on herself. Chara said many things in their depressive state that would often scare and worry her. This was different. This was said as a matter of fact with a straight, serious face. Nothing was real? She gave a nervous laugh, “Chara... it... it sounds like you don't believe I'm... real...” Chara's expression melted into uncertainty. They were quiet for a moment. “I... am not certain with you. Whether you are a figment, or a victim, like me.” Alphys relaxed her shoulders a little. “What do you mean, a victim?” Chara went to speak before they stopped themselves. A grave expression dawned. Could they even tell her about Asriel and waking from this nightmare? What if she was a figment and reported this to him? What would he do to them? To Asriel?  Chara's panicked mind stopped. What if... she didn't have to know the details? Chara looked back at Alphys. “If I tell you how I know, you must swear you will not tell him how I know.” Alphys nodded and smiled. Her voice became gentle again, “Of course, Chara. I swear.” “You swear...” “Oh! Right! Sorry. I swear I won't tell him how you know that you're in a dream. Or, a curse, or... whatever... this is...”

Chara took a deep breath. They had to choose their words carefully. “When... I finally saved Asriel from him... I... I fell asleep clutching the lockets. I... I woke up... back with my... family. Yet, I was barely able to move. I felt so weak. So exhausted. H- my family tried to get me something to eat... but I asked... them to stay with me. They told me I was asleep for a long time. They tried so much to wake me, including talking to me whenever they could. He-they were the whispers I kept hearing!” Chara paused for a moment. They knew the next part would be tricky. They mulled it over and decided the bare-bones explanation would be enough. “We caught each other up on everything. I told them about the nightmare. They told me everything that had happened while I was asleep. When we talked... they noted something strange. Nothing could wake me. Nothing. It was as though I was forced to sleep indefinitely.” Chara's tone soured, “Then... I felt exhausted. I couldn't move. I could barely hear... them. They tried to call to me and keep me awake... but it failed. They tried to fall asleep with me and... I was... back here.” Alphys blinked. They were so hesitant to say who was in their dream. Was it Asriel? Alphys pushed that thought aside. No. Chara was very open to talking about Asriel with her. No. There was one topic Chara had put strictly off-limits in their discussions. The surface. Their birth family. Their life before they fell into the underground. Was them telling her about this dream the closest she'd get to knowing about Chara's birth family? Besides the admission that Chara's birth mother had abused them somehow. Wait. That didn't explain how the events of the lab were only a dream. She questioned, “That... That's a strange dre- experience. But, um, that-that doesn't really explain why you think-know! Know that this is all a dream.” Chara's tone evened, “When they told me how long I was asleep and how nothing they could do would wake me, I knew it could only be his doing.”

Alphys mused aloud, “I don't know... I don't think Gaster knows that kind of magic. And if he did... it would take a huge amount of magic to keep you... under the spell for this long. With how we are... no monster would be able to sustain it- or even cast such a spell! Maybe... for an hour or so... but... then they'd Fall Down before long...” Chara raised a brow. “What makes you so sure this kind of curse needs to be sustained?” “Well... complexity, really. Not only does it need to be cast to put you to sleep and keep you asleep, but it also needs to create a constantly changing scenario. The spell would have to be crafted with the entire underground in mind!” Chara smirked. “He doesn't need the entire underground. His lab would be sufficient enough. Or, even smaller. The lower laboratory. That is why he was desperate to keep me here. To maintain the curse.” They chuckled, “My escapes must have strained him since I was able to break free for a few minutes.”

“Okay... um... what about me? You said you didn't know if I was a figment or a victim. What did you mean?” “...I need to ask you a question to aid in determining that.” “Okay...” “Why did he chose you to be my caretaker? What are you to him?” Alphys scratched her head. “Um... I'm just an intern. Really. I've only been working for him for a few months. I'm... not sure why he chose me. All I know is he said he couldn't trust his assistant with the task.” “His assistant?” Chara eyed Alphys with a mix of curiosity and suspicion. “He has an assistant named Sans. He's a skeleton, too.” Chara's eyes widened. They remembered. The skeleton that took Asriel away when Gaster confronted them in Snowdin Forest. They gritted their teeth for a moment. “I have seen him before.” Panic encompassed Alphys for a moment. “Y-you have?! When? I-it wasn't here, was it?!” Chara instinctively grasped the lockets. “He helped Gaster kidnap me by separating Asriel and I. Anyway, why was he not selected?” Alphys calmed with Chara's explanation. “Um... I think Gaster said something like... um... he's useful elsewhere? Or something like that? He didn't elaborate.” “It sounds as though he wasn't suited for the task.” Chara shrugged. “He probably would have eaten me, rather than take care of me.” Alphys chuckled nervously, “Y-yeah... knowing Sans... that's... probably right. I don't see him much, but... I think he's a lot like Gaster.” “A psychopath?” Chara curtly cut in. Alphys shook her head. “Well... I couldn't confirm that.” Alphys counted out silently on her fingers. “Um... but, I mean... the two are short-tempered. And... I think have similar powers, from what little I saw. And... I sometimes hear rumors of them talking to each other in a different language.” Chara was quiet for a moment. They had a serious expression on their face as their mind raced. Could they be... related? Chara thought. Disgust grew on their face. It would make sense, from what Alphys said.

Chara shook off that train of thought. They sighed, “Well, all that tangent proved is that he thought you could be trusted not to devour me.” Alphys frowned. “So, you still need to think about it. Whether I'm a victim or a figment, I mean.” Chara nodded. They pushed the empty tray of food back under the force field. Alphys collected the tray silently. She heard Chara speak quietly in confusion, “Asriel?” Alphys blinked at the name. She looked back at Chara and saw something strange. Chara had their gaze locked onto their bed with shock. Their eyes quickly darted between the cameras before Chara's gaze fell onto her. A fearful gaze. Alphys locked eyes with Chara for a moment before she looked over towards the bed. Nothing was there. Chara quickly looked back at the bed and shushed at... something. Alphys gave Chara a confused and concerned gaze. “Is something wrong?” Chara gave a suspicious glance at Alphys. It soon melted into confusion. They looked back at the bed briefly before they finally relaxed. Chara had a nearly even tone, but Alphys could tell they were still nervous, “No... everything is fine.” Alphys frowned. She knew this conversation wouldn't continue. She smiled. “Okay... I... should give you some time to think about this whole... curse... nightmare... thing. See you tomorrow.” Alphys walked away without another word.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Alphys felt her concern grow as she went back to her makeshift kitchen. Conversations with Chara were heavy at times, especially when they were hurt or grieving. But, this was different. There was an unsettling calm with how Chara spoke. How Chara was certain their entire reality was false. There was no hesitation in the majority of their reasoning, and anything Alphys said seemed to strengthen that delusion. She couldn't leave it alone. The only thing she could do was report it.

Once done with cleaning the dishes, she dug out her phone. She dialed Gaster's number by memory. She waited. Two rings sounded before her boss answered, “Yes?” “Um... it's Alphys. I-I need to talk to you about Chara. Are... are you busy?” “No. I'm doing some paperwork in my office currently. I do need to discuss something with you as well. Come by, I assume you are done with your duties for the night?” “Yes, sir. I'll be there soon.” The call cut without another word. Alphys sighed. She began to walk, nervousness encompassed her throughout the walk. Her mind raced on how to phrase what had just happened with Chara while also fulfilling Chara's request. Not to mention that he had something to say to her as well. Was it bad? Maybe not; he didn't sound angry with her on the phone. She still had to proceed with caution on what they both wanted to talk about.

Alphys quietly knocked on the door to Gaster's office before she entered. There were two enormous stacks of papers on Gaster's desk. Gaster put a paper he had been attending to on the stack to his right before he looked up at Alphys. She sat down in a chair in front of his desk as he spoke, “What happened?” Alphys twiddled with her thumbs and spoke hesitantly, “Um... I-I know you don't want to talk about anything regarding Chara's mental health... but... they said something that... I just... I just can't shrug off this time.” Gaster relaxed in his chair. “Actually, the human's mental health is tangential to what I wanted to speak with you about.” Alphys sat upright in her chair. Shock grew onto her face. “R-Really?” Gaster motioned for Alphys to continue. “But, I will hear what you have to say first.” “Oh... okay...” Alphys took a deep breath before she continued, “Chara... doesn't believe that this is reality anymore.” Gaster raised a brow and said nothing before Alphys continued, “Well... they told me that they think-well, they're certain they 'know' you... cursed them to uh, sleep indefinitely and that this-everything that's happened to them in the lab... is just some nightmare... caused by some curse you cast.” Gaster held back a snicker. One sputtered chuckle escaped. He couldn't help but show an amused smile at the idea. “And... how did it come to such a ludicrous conclusion?” Alphys's expression dropped. “They wouldn't tell me... but... I think it could have something to do with Asriel, or at least his locket.” Gaster pulled out a notebook and began to take notes. “Then, today is the first time hearing of such things?” “Yes. Just now when I uh, gave them their dinner.” “Hmm... then it is reasonable to assume that giving the human Asriel's locket is the trigger for this.” “I think so.” Alphys sighed. “I... I don't know if this kind of thinking could harm them or not. I just... to see them broken and then so sure of something...” Her voice became more frustrated, “So... unbelievable! I just...” She deflated and held her head. “I... I don't know how I can help with this sort of thinking.”

Gaster looked up from his notes curiously, yet coyly. “Are you implying you are no longer fit to care for the human?” Alphys paled. Her mind raced. No. He can't think that! She can't get separated from Chara. No one would help them.  No none would want to. And, Chara wouldn't trust anyone else, especially with how long Alphys has helped them. All of this blazed through Alphys's mind in a second. She sat straight in her chair. A determined look filled her face. She roared out in worry, “NO!” Gaster's eyes widened momentarily at Alphys's shout. A perturbed expression was struck across his skull. Alphys quickly realized what she'd done. She panicked and waved her arms nervously. “I-I mean! I-I uh, um was just...” She took a deep breath to calm herself. “...This was far removed from what I've... helped with so far... I... I thought I should get a.. second opinion to address it.” She went on a nervous tangent. “B-besides! It would be really bad to change caretakers at this point! W-with all Chara's been through, I don't think anyone else would be equipped for the task. Or even want to do it! And-and Chara! I don't think they'd trust whoever would replace me!” Gaster kept a calm expression as Alphys stammered. He waited until Alphys was finished. His expression turned serious. “You do have a point.” “I... I do?” Gaster rested his hand in his lap, away from his notes. “The task of replacing you would be difficult. Not impossible, but difficult. Especially concerning what I wanted to discuss with you today.”

Alphys was surprised. Her boss didn't anger at her outburst. Perturbed, yes, but no external signs of anger. Somehow, this sent more of a chill up Alphys's spine than the expected possibility. She shook off those thoughts as Gaster pulled out a different notebook and flipped to a page. She was now curious. “Um... what did you want to talk about?” Gaster spoke nonchalantly as he took out two papers that had been put into the notebook, “Today, I was able to test the new soul scanning device on the human.” He extended the two pages to Alphys. “It was a basic scan, but considering the first scan from the old machine was interrupted, it was the first real look into the human's soul.” Alphys gently received the pages from Gaster and looked over them. “Is this... the data from the two scans?” “The summary of it. Take notice of the stability of the soul from each scan.” Alphys scanned the pages, quickly able to find it. Both stability reports... soul damage. Her head snapped up. “Wait... did the first scan capture the stability of Chara's soul as the crack happened?!” “Surprisingly, yes. But, that is not all. Take a look at the second scan.” Alphys scanned the second report for the value. She paused. Her eyes widened in shock. Her eyes darted back to the first report to confirm it. She looked back to her boss in worry. “What... does this mean that the crack in Chara's soul has grown?!” “To a small degree, yes.”

Alphys put the reports back onto Gaster's desk. Dread and worry encompassed her expression. Gaster smiled, “You should be happy. Now there is a small amount of data to support your hypothesis.” Despite the worried expression, Alphys had a small bit of hope in her voice, “Really?” Gaster collected the pages and returned them to his notebook. “It is a start. There is still far more research to be done on the matter for it to be a solid theory. But, the soul scanning device has revealed the possibility.” He looked back at Alphys calmly. “If your theory holds true, then it will cement you as irreplaceable in regards to the human's care. If not...” He smirks, “I'm sure someone else would be suitable for the task, should you... slip up, that is...” Alphys nodded but said nothing. Gaster returned to his calm expression. “Good. Now, in regards to his new delusion, I suggest continuously cementing that this is reality. If the human believes this is not real, it could either become reckless or even rebellious once more. Find the holes and contradictions in its logic, and the problem should sort itself out.” Alphys nodded, “Okay... but... what if they don't respond to logic? What if they drown out any of my logical explanations? They aren't sure whether I'm real or not, too.” Gaster hand waved. “Then play on its emotions.” “Okay...” Gaster motioned towards the door. “With that, I believe we are done, for now. Correct?” Alphys hopped out of her chair. “Yes, sir. Thank you for hearing me out... and for researching my theo- my... hypothesis.” Gaster had already begun to dive back into the mountain of paperwork at his desk. He practically ignored Alphys at this point. Alphys quickly left without another word. Gaster waited a few moments before he pulled out his journal and began to write.

An expert from the journal of Dr. W.D Gaster With the soul scanning device's completion, research on the human's soul has finally begun. The first scan brought the troubling fact that the crack in the human's soul has grown a small amount. The soul is still stable, but I can only theorize that if the crack continues to grow, it could lead to the soul shattering. Now, I must look into whether this growth is a natural progression, or caused by the repeated punishments the human has brought upon itself. Psychological included. I decided to bring this to Alphys's attention. Her hypothesis now has some merit, after all. She also had something to report. The human has the delusion that they are trapped in a false reality. Supposedly, this was triggered when I gave the human the lockets. It is unknown how the human could react to such delusions, as this could evolve into the human attempting to harm itself again. Something that I can never risk happening again.

[vicunaburger]

A Lovely and Precious Thing

Fandom: Beetlejuice the Musical Chapters: Side Story (Not Canon to Fic) Pairing: Beetlejuice x OC (Holidae) The Players: Beetlejuice, Holidae Bell Word Count: 1,146 Warnings: M for Mature Content, Blood, Violence, Possession, Nasty Things in General,

Notes: So you know how chapter 14 went to a place? So did my brain while writing it. Also, please thank The Dismemberment Song by Blue Kid for being on repeat while writing this.

I crawled out of a migraine to post this, so pardon me while I crawl back into bed and hide for a while.

Admittedly I’m Hard to See - Side Story 1

Lovely and Precious Thing

“You know, I’d never really given this much thought until you came along.” Beetlejuice pressed his ear harder against Holidae’s chest. “So that either says something about you or something about me. Maybe both of us? At the very least it means that you’re the reason this is happening.”

He frowned as he heard the heartbeats getting faster, her chest rising and falling with increased tempo as her breathing became shallow. Sitting up, his legs straddled over her lower half as she lay there beneath him on the bed, he placed the back of his hand under her nose. Warm puffs of air hit his cold skin, even though her expression hadn’t changed; she was nervous.

That was to be expected, so it didn’t deter him from carrying out his brilliant idea.

“Ah, see, I didn’t mean that it a bad way, my little Holly-Jolly. It’s nothing but positive! What’s her face… Dena? Delilah? She’s always saying positive shit, might be something to it, I dunno.” Beej’s hair was tinged with a mix of red and green; a rare combination.

Holidae would have made a joke about Christmas if she had the ability, but at present, she didn’t. All she could so was lie there and stare at him blankly, like a glorified mannequin. Even if she could move… speak… what would be the use? The most she could do was blink.

In the back of his mind, he regretted that part of the situation, the fact she wasn’t able to respond to his ramblings with a quick witted remark to break the tension. She was so good at that, his breather, it was a major part of what made him fall head over heels in the first place. She matched him, but in an opposite way. It made sense in his brain.

“I know you want to say something, but this was the only way we could do this without making a fuss, baby. I just… hearing you scream would be… not great. I would hate it, you know that! Because if you start getting sad and crying… then I’m not gonna be able to do this. But we need this… remember? You even gave me permission.” He leaned down and pressed his forehead against her own, nuzzling nose to nose with her. “Trust me, Holidae.”

Trust him.

That’s what he had said at the start of this whole nightmarish conversation.

Perhaps she was honestly to blame, not having understood the depth of his literal understanding of common expressions. He was by no means unintelligent, but occasionally a phrase or idiom would confuse him entirely. A little patience always set him back on track, so it was never a concern when he misinterpreted something she said off the cuff.

“What happens when you and Lyds move away?” He shuffled his feet, coming over to sit heavily beside her on the sofa.

“Huh? Oh… hadn’t thought of it.” Holidae set her book down, nudging him with her foot. “What brought that up?”

“You’ll be gone. I’ll be here. You’ll find someone else to live with.” Beetlejuice’s whole aura was deep violet, and he refused to look her in the eye.

She blinked owlishly, “Why… why would you be here? Can’t you go with me? I can call you up anywhere! What a ridiculous statement, Juice.”

“…you’d take me with you?” He still kept his head down, studying a stray thread on his trousers. “Why?”

Holidae gave a sharp exhale, crawling over to him and pressing herself against his side, “Because I want you with me. Why would I leave you here alone? It would break my heart to leave it here.”

Beej looked up, tilting his head, “Your heart?”

Nodding, she flushed red with embarrassment at the sappy sentiment of it all, “It’s yours, ya know. I’d take it out and give it to you if it would stop you from thinking I would ever willingly leave you alone.”

Holidae had been wrapped up in the memory, only having been brought back to the present when she felt four simultaneous clawed fingers puncturing through the tender skin between her breasts. Her whole body tensed out of reflex, each nerve sending itself screaming toward her brain with a signal to move. To flee. To fight. What was it her old anatomy professor had said…. A human can last six minutes…?

True, any ghost could possess a person from what she had been told, but Beetlejuice was more than any ghost. He was so much more, and he was proving it in spades.

“I forgot how much breathers can bleed…” Beej’s voice was low and soft over the sickening crack of her sternum being split open with effort. “Bleeding everywhere… all these bones… I knew you would look gorgeous in red, my precious thing.”

It was a strange thing to feel so much pain and yet barely move in inch. Her eyes watered, each breath she took felt more and more labored as her body struggled with every ounce of effort to keep going. There was morbid thought drifting through her mind as she watched his face contort with the utmost pleasure; he did this because he loved her. She had offered her heart to him, and he was just fulfilling her promise.

How many minutes did she have…?

Beetlejuice looked positively feral as he reached down, delicately wrapping his hand around her still-beating heart with care. With an awed reverence he bent down, pausing to place a gentle kiss to her motionless lips, before opening his mouth wide and bearing down upon her heart with his jagged, razor sharp teeth. She swore she heard him moan before everything just… stopped.

No pain, no fear. Just nothing.

--

Holidae awoke with a start, gulping down air as though she were drowning; a feeling made worse by the fine layer of cold sweat covering her body. Next to her, Beetlejuice was helping her sit upright, alarmed by her jolting up from a dead sleep.

“Whoa… what… Holli?” He was unsure of what to do, feeling useless as he patted her back gently. “Can… do you… need…? I don’t know what’s happening.”

Shaking her head, she bent forward at the waist, trying to breathe in a steadier pattern. The cool touch of his hand was grounding her during the attack, and she focused on that kind gesture until she could focus on her surroundings.

Holidae reached out blindly for his free hand, holding it against her chest like an anchor. “…nightmare.”

With a chuckle, he let her hold him as tight as she wanted, “That all? Noting to worry about! I’m the scariest thing around these parts, my little breather, I won’t let anything else get you.”

“…I know you are.” She replied quietly, hoping he wouldn’t notice the tremor in her voice.

Writing Tags: @mr-geuse @paxenera @leiasolo77 @go-commander-kim @a-subconscious-manifestation @asriells @missihart23 @heknowshisherbs 

[you-are-my-neverland]

nano 2020 final update

                now playing: a playlist for yourself sad (slowed down songs)

final wc. 57, 114 words

general thoughts:

let me try to keep this short: i won!!! honestly, it was very exciting, considering this is like my sixth nano and the only one i’ve cracked an actual 50k on - ahead of schedule, too! (and on that - congrats to everyone who wrote this month! you all did awesome, even if you didn’t make your goal <3). 

my writing pace slowed a little, which was fine - we did have thanksgiving break, but honestly that was just for me to further relax (& upon return the stress of school slammed full force hhhh). it’s been a bit tricky because i do have a large ensemble cast of varying importance whose relevance will likely cycle around, but incorporating them into the story is difficult. i’m trying to build relationships for further chapters, but without forgetting or sidelining anyone too much. it’s been a bit crazy, especially since my outline is not super detailed and i didn’t ever get around to writing my character arcs for book 1 like i was planning on. oh well.

we did hit the first little conflict hill though!! 

the future:

honestly, i don’t know where i’m going with this - not my wip, but like with writing it and posting updates. this is technically my final nano update, but like i don’t plan on stopping writing this regularly because might as well ride with it, you know? anyways. i think when i have a title, i’ll make a wip intro about it. hopefully my writing doesn’t peter off - i’ll have to try to police myself, like that ever works out (well it did this year but. you know).

if you want to be on a taglist for future possible updates, let me know! right now it’s just @semblanche <3

also here’s the pinterest which i am still building and organizing (i’ll create a spotify playlist in due time)

some scenes:

(beneath the cut because i went a little overboard)

“You jest,” Eden said, looking amused. Ophelia noticed he wasn’t wrinkling his brow as much anymore, as if the headache had finally gone away, or at least she had distracted him from it, which she took as a win.

“I am only ever perfectly serious,” she said. 

“I don’t doubt it,” Eden replied.

They looked out at the ocean a while longer.

notes: ophelia and eden (& sebastian) as friends with a certain vibe that i really like ... they’re kind of cute okay <3 but insofar platonic

“That’s fine, I always keep elastic ones on me,” Luce replied, continuing to chat as she began to braid after dividing Ophelia’s hair into a neat part. “Your hair is so nice and straight. It does whatever I want it too. I usually practice hairdos on Laurie, but both of her hair never wants to obey the laws of gravity or force, you know? I’m not pulling too tight, am I?”

Ophelia, who had actually sunk into a relaxed state and felt rather as if she had transcended—it had been so long since someone had touched her hair, her mother stopping brushing it long ago—almost missed the question, before quickly saying, “No, it feels really nice.”

notes: trying to build and integrate ophelia, luce & briar friendship so ophelia can have actual good friendships, also because healthy girl friendships are necessary for any good work xD

Asriel glanced at her over his shoulder, the flames casting a sharp outline across his narrow profile. “It’s not my fault if you take offense to every small thing. Maybe you should think about why you consider that to be a personal attack on you. Perhaps you’re doing something wrong?”

Ophelia exhaled sharply and looked away from him, her fist dropping to her side. She could feel tears pricking at her eyes, and it was so infuriating that she almost wanted to cry—cry over the fact that a single sentence made her want to cry to even begin with. 

“Forget this,” she said, forcing herself to speak slowly as to not betray the tightness of her throat she felt all of the sudden. “I don’t need to go with you. I’ll make it out on my own. Have fun in the dark.” She stormed past him, shoulder checking him into the wall, and focused on her feet and surroundings carefully, not willing to embarrass herself any further.

“Ophelia,” Asriel said. Just her name. Nothing else. It was enough to make her stop, even as she insistently told her feet to keep going. She looked just barely over her shoulder at him and saw his body sigh with the sound of it leaving his lips. “Let’s go together,” he said, coming up to stand next to her. 

“No way,” she said. “You  might ‘need’ me, but I definitely don’t need you.”

notes: anyways ophelia & asriel are supposed to be like rivals and the reader isn’t supposed to like asriel that much, but also my personal bias shines through in my writing and i once again make my intentions obvious (enemies to lovers hghjskjs)

She opened her eyes and looked up to see Asriel staring back at her, sitting on the ledge and dangling his feet, a hand still over hers, despite the flames that had started to dance across his skin as well. He didn’t so much as flinch, though Ophelia could make out the slight reddening of his skin beneath the fire. She frowned at that and considered reeling it back in, but who was she if he wanted to risk his life? People got burned. It wasn’t anything that a healer couldn’t solve.   

She was struck by his gaze. Not that it carried much intensity, but by the fact that it didn’t—he looked at her as he looked at everything else, with a gaze that simply swept by one momentarily and deemed it not worth his interest. Nothing was worth his interest. Nothing made him smile or laugh; he only frowned, slightly, at some things, sometimes at Ophelia, but he never looked at her with the burning hatred she felt he must see on her face every time they made eye contact. 

notes: uh oh this rivalry might have been one sided the entire time? hm.

“You could have killed me.” When she looked up, her eyes were rimmed with red and her voice was raw with some unspoken emotion.

Asriel didn’t flinch. “It was a risk I was willing to take.”

“You don’t get to gamble with my life,” Ophelia said, spitting out each word as if they hurt her to say.

“It wasn’t even real,” Asriel replied, unbothered and unfazed.

“Merlin,” Ophelia whispered, looking away and then staggered to her feet, hands clenched into fists at her side. “I hate you so much. I wish I had made all of you burn alive.” She turned and slammed through the door, letting it bang shut with an echo that resonated throughout the room.

notes: oh yeah. this is why she doesn’t like him lol. 

“How classy,” Bell drawled. “Ruel, do you think he should be allowed to rebel with us?”

Ruel shrugged her knobby shoulders, popping her bubble and swallowing the gum back between her teeth. “We shouldn’t invite people.” They exchanged a look with weighted emotions in their eyes that felt much too serious for the current situation. Asriel felt his fingers tighten around his arms, cutting off the circulation, as he waited.

“True enough.” Their heads turned in unison to blink at a still standing Asriel: Ruel’s heavy lidded pale gray blue ones and Bell’s dark brown eyes with the thin double eyelid crease.

“See you around, then,” Bell said. “If it’s fate, we’ll meet again.”

Asriel bit back a scoff, a short huff escaping his lips instead. “If that’s that you believe.”

“Ah, so he’s a skeptic,” Bell remarked, voice cold and eyes narrowing.

Asriel gave them both a long look, feeling slightly amused at the conversation and somewhat curious about what a further one would entail.

“I don’t believe in fate,” he said. “And even if fate does exist, it’s far from impartial.”

“Is that your way of saying you doubt we’ve made fate’s favorites list?” Bell asked, looking like they were half joking and half actually interested in what Asriel had to say.

“I don’t know,” Asriel said. “Do you honestly believe fate has taken any notice of you at all?”

“I’m not one of the Divine,” Bell said. “So I couldn’t say, honestly. Could you?”

Asriel let his hands drop to his sides, where he tucked them into his pockets and ignored the burn and pain that came with the movements. 

“I would hope,” he started softly. “That fate has no plans for me at all. Good day.

notes: asriel pov asriel pov asriel pov! the way he’s one of what i like to call the core four (not me writing cour fore rip omg, but also that’s sebastian, ophelia, vincent, and him - our mcs if i ever had such a thing) but this is his first pov in 50k. bell & ruel are two minor characters that kind of wormed their way into my heart and now i think i’m attached - maybe they’ll all be friends. 

[littletayyswriting]

Title: let me whisper sweet, softly, ‘til you see no more (3/4)

Author: LittleTayy

Rating: Mature

Characters: Marisa Coulter, Lord Asriel, Edward Coulter

Summary: The plan had sounded grotesque, even as she’d come up with it. Asriel had thought only as a man, wanting to whisk her away and escape to somewhere abroad before the child was born. Marisa however knew that only carefully crafted lies and deceit would get them away.

Or, Marisa and Asriel plan to be together and Edward doesn’t find out about Lyra.

AN: A slight canon divergence wherein, Edward doesn’t find out about Lyra and Asriel doesn’t kill him to defend his child and home. I’ve been wondering whether they’d had a plan to pass Lyra off as Edward’s child or if they’d had a plan to run away together. This is my short attempt at sorting that out.

Warning: This chapter contains mentions of infant death and implications of domestic violence. If this may be triggering or uncomfortable for you, please do not continue ready.

Read On: AO3

Chapter Three

.

Sitting down at her vanity, Marisa looked at herself carefully in the mirror, examining her features. There was a slight bruise low on her cheek and the split lip looked angry, red and raw. She poked at it lightly with her fingertips, her Monkey sitting on the vanity and watching her intensely. From the corner of her eye, she could see Edward making his way back into their bedroom; stopping at the sight of her in the mirror.

She looked at him through the reflection of the mirror, watching as his eyes traced over her features, almost smirking when she sees him cringe as he lingers on the split lip. Guilt is plain on his face and he looks away quickly, adjusting his suit and Marisa decides she can’t let him get away that easily. So she turns on the velvet stool, hair not yet done and pooling around her face and shoulders, framing her features beautifully as she looks up at him.

“Edward,” she calls out to him, low and soft, a tone of hesitance in her voice.

She watches Edward tense with a thrill before he turns to look at her. Her eyes are wide and her head is tilted slightly, her Monkey sitting mildly behind her, head cast down. She knows she looks the picture of an innocent, soft wife putting herself below her husband. It is not a position she is used to taking with Edward but it is necessary. She’d slipped the night before and she’d seen the realisation in Edward’s eyes; she needed to draw him back in, lull him back into a false sense of security.

“Yes?” Edward replied evenly, looking at the mirror behind her. The fact he could not look her in the eye pleased her beyond belief. He was feeling guilty, his action the previous night was haunting him and Marisa couldn’t believe how perfectly everything had happened. It had taken all her restraint not to rejoice.

Her hands came together on her lap, clasping together gently, fingers fiddling with her wedding bands. She took a breath, glancing up at him through her lashes as she finally spoke.

“I’m sorry about last night,” Marisa told him sedately, “I should never have spoken to you that way,” she continued, letting out a sigh. Her eyes were on his face and she could see the conflict he was having; it had always been far too easy to manipulate Edward.

Edward huffed uncomfortably. Apparently, his wife apologising after he’d struck her, was not sitting well with him. Marisa had predicted as much, which was exactly why she was doing it. If he was going to strike her, she was going to summon every ounce of guilt out of him that she could.

“Don’t, Marisa,” Edward replied carefully, taking a few steps closer to her, his eyes widening in alarm as Marisa deliberately tensed at his physical presence.

Visalia squawked, fluttering around to perch on the opposite side of the room. Her Monkey’s beady black eyes watched intensely, teeth baring slightly as Edward moved closer.

“Please, don’t apologise. It...it was a tough day yesterday. I never should’ve acted the way I did either,” he murmured, moving to sit down on the stool beside her.

Marisa pressed her lips together, looking away from him as he sat, brows furrowing a little, wondering what he’d do. She was surprised when his hand came up to gently cup her cheek, thumb smoothing lightly over the cut on her bottom lip. The touch almost made her jump, her eyes finding his with curiosity, wondering just what he thought he was doing.

“I am sorry, Marisa,” he whispered to her, his eyes finding hers for the first time since he’d walked into their bedroom. Although, what he was sorry for he dared not say out loud.

A deliberate sigh left her, a hand coming up to wrap around his, still holding her cheek. “It’s okay,” she whispered, voice velvety smooth as she leant into him, pressing her lips to his in a lingering kiss. “I forgive you,” she murmured as she pulled back, a single finger stroking down his cheek gently.

She ignored the sneer on the Golden Monkey’s face as she pulled away from Edward and turned back towards the mirror. In her peripheral, she saw him stand up and smooth out his suit, moving towards their closet, no doubt in search of a tie. She turned her head, to glance over her shoulder at him as she spoke.

“It is lucky I have no engagements today,” she calls to him, voice sweet and musical, as if they were talking about something trivial. “Don't you think?”

Edward freezes for only a moment in the threshold of the walk-in wardrobe and Marisa grins wildly at his back. He exhales and continues on, ignoring Marisa. It is all amusing to Marisa and she has to remind herself that she couldn't get swept up in the pleasure of playing these games with Edward.

If she got reckless or careless, it would be the end of her.

~~

Marisa spent the morning going over her research notes, thankful that Edward was back to work. She’d spent the days between giving birth and attending the funeral doing basically nothing. It had been the hardest few days of her life; she was never not doing something and even more so when she’d felt she was so close to a break in her research. If only she had access to Asriel’s books and notes. She sighed, pushing the thought away. She couldn’t think about Asriel, it would only lead to her longing to see her lover and their child.

Her mind had also been on how she could use Edward’s act against him. He’d given her an almost perfect gift to destroy his reputation and standing with; her only problem was how to make it known. She supposed she could go out but that felt like an almost too deliberate act.

She sighed, sipping her chocolatl when an idea dawned on her and for once, her Monkey seemed as on board with the idea as she was. With a grin, she sent off a telegram, inviting Mrs. Sharpton to afternoon tea, that very afternoon.

~~

The door bell rings and Marisa takes a breath, arranging her hair around her face just so, exhaling before smiling gently. She turns and heads towards the front door, pulling it open slowly, head turned to the side to apparently hide her split lip. The Golden Monkey is sitting sedately by her feet, looking curiously at Mrs. Sharpton’s daemon.

“Mrs. Sharpton, hello,” Marisa greets gently, looking at the other woman for only a moment before glancing down again and stepping aside, to let her guest in.

“Marisa, dear. Thank you for the invitation. I wasn’t sure if you would be seeing people but I’m glad to be able to check up on you after yesterday,” Mrs. Sharpton replied thoughtfully, she and her daemon stepping inside.

Marisa closed the door behind her before turning to face her properly, lips pressed together as the older woman turns to look at her fully. She bites the inside of her lip as she see’s Mrs. Sharpton’s eyes go wide, no doubt noticing her lip for the first time. She prepares herself for a barrage of questions as she takes the other woman’s coat and hangs it up but is surprised when the other politician’s wife, says nothing.

“Shall we have some tea?” Marisa suggests softly, leading the other woman into the sitting room where the tea is already set up. “I wanted to say thank you for yesterday. You were...so kind,” Marisa tells her, giving her a sweet smile. “It was a terribly hard day. For the both of us.”

She picks up the teapot and pours out both their drinks, three sugars in her own and milk in Mrs. Sharpton’s. She hands it over delicately as she sits down on the same couch as Mrs. Sharpton, her Golden Monkey curled around her feet, almost as if he’s hiding from the other woman. Marisa resists the urge to smirk at how perfectly he is playing it.

“I can’t even imagine,” Mrs. Sharpton replies after taking a sip of her tea. “And at such a young age… But, you have many more child bearing years ahead of you,” she continued and Marisa nodded, smiling as if she was grateful for the words.

She took a sip of her tea, wincing a little as the hot water stung at her lip, something she hadn’t planned. She swallowed, then placed the tea down; she could sense Mrs. Sharpton watching her.

“What happened dear?” Mrs. Sharpton asked softly, after a moment. Her own tea was placed down on the table and she was watching Marisa hawkishly. It was clear the other woman was talking about her lip and Marisa turned to her, giving her a small smile, shaking her head.

“Like I said, it was a hard day for us,” Marisa told her, fingers spinning her wedding bands as she looked away from Mrs. Sharpton, letting the older woman draw her own conclusions. She heard a sharp intake of breath from the other woman and knew immediately that she’d hooked her.

“Marisa, dear. Did...Edward do that to you?” Mrs. Sharpton asked carefully, curiously.

Marisa took a moment, as if she was thinking about it, before turning to look at Mrs. Sharpton properly. Her eyes found the other woman’s, grateful for her ability to cry on cue as tears pooled in her eyes. She nodded slowly, as if she was ashamed by the whole debacle.

“Yes,” Marisa whispered, hands pressing together as if in worry. The most perfect thing about it, was that she wasn’t even lying. She shook her head then, as she looked back up at Mrs. Sharpton. “But...it wasn’t really his fault. The stress and grief-” she started, but her guest cut her off.

“Nonsense, Marisa. That is no excuse,” Mrs. Sharpton insisted, her brows furrowed and her cheeks ruddy as she reached a hand out to take Marisa’s, giving it a squeeze. “You are grieving too! You just buried your baby…”

“I know. But he apologised, Mrs. Sharpton. I know he didn’t want to hurt me,” Marisa told her, voice light and high, trying to sound as innocent as she could.

“Has he done this before, dear?” Mrs. Sharpton asked, frowning as she kept a hold of Marisa’s hand, as some sort of gesture of comfort.

“Well…” Marisa glanced away, lips pressed together for only a moment before letting out a slight chuckle. She glanced back over at Mrs. Sharpton, the tears she’d conjured spilling only a few at a time. “I was married so young, you know? I suppose I didn’t know any better,” Marisa murmured to the other woman, all but saying what she wanted to hear, the implication clear; though it was a lie.

“Oh, dear,” Mrs. Sharpton exclaimed lowly, shaking her head and pulling Marisa into a hug. She tensed at first, not used to someone else initiating such contact, but relaxed into it. She knew Mrs. Sharpton had been the perfect person to reveal this to. She had no doubt that by the end of the week, this little bit of gossip would be all over London society.

A person’s reputation in this world was the only thing they had and Edward’s was about to be in shambles.

~~

The next two weeks of Marisa’s life seemed to move along as if in a blur. Edward’s indiscretion spread through their circle of friends quickly, Anthony Sharpton and his wife taking full advantage of her supposed situation, just as she expected they would. The King’s Advisor was supposed to be a man of impeccable morals and values; murmurs of him being violent and possessive were damaging in the most delicious of ways.

The tension had sky-rocketed in the Coulter home and Marisa had never felt more in control. Even more so with what she’d just set in motion.

“Marisa! What have you done?!” Edward bellowed as he strode through their home, heading straight for the parlour where he assumed she would be.

As he turned into the parlour, Marisa could see that he was angry but his anger quickly dissipated to shock and Marisa had to hide her smirk. Beside her, Mr. and Mrs. Sharpton and on the other side, a Magisterium Inquisitor and Father MacPhail. She turned her eyes downward, inhaling sharply as she pressed her hands together, putting on a show for their four guests.

Mrs. Sharpton reached out to settle a hand on her back, rubbing encouragingly and Marisa sighed before lifting her head, to finally look her husband in the eyes. He looked furious but confused, though he was trying his best to calm himself. It delighted Marisa that Edward had helped bury himself so wonderfully, she had never expected him to actually hit her. The whole thing had fallen perfectly into place; it was almost too good to be true.

It was clear that their guests were for a very specific reason and Edward felt sick at the knowledge that they thought he harmed his wife; that he wasn’t fit for his position. Though it may have been the wrong thing to think of, in the moment, the thought of losing his position as King’s Advisor worried him more than anything else. Marisa and his marriage were merely beyond saving, he could see that now.

“Edward,” Marisa started, her voice light and sweet. Her eyes met his and she kept her expression worried and cautious. “I haven’t done anything,” she told him, shaking her head a little. She pressed her lips together in a picture of nervousness and turned to glance at the Sharpton’s, who looked at her encouragingly. She had to admire their willingness to manipulate marital discord for their own purposes. If she weren’t manipulating them right back, she might’ve courted with the idea of befriending them for real.

“Edward, I think it’s best you sit down,” Mr. Anthony Sharpton suggested, taking a step forward and engaging with Edward as if he was an old friend, simply there to help.

A thunderous expression crossed her husband’s features and she held her breath, wondering if her husband would do something stupid. She hoped he would, if only to make her case against him stronger. But, Edward was smart, it was one of the reasons he had appealed to her so much. Unfortunately, he nodded stoically and with a quiet huff, sat down on the armchair opposite Marisa.

“What is going on?” He asked, flicking his gaze around the people in the room before settling on Marisa, his brows furrowed as he tried to figure out what she was playing at.

Instead of Marisa answering however, it was Father MacPhail that spoke. He looked considerably unimpressed by being there and by the whole situation. Marisa wasn’t sure if he always looked that way or if it was just being there, in their home.

“It has come to the Magisterium’s attention, that an incidence of violence has occurred, within the home,” MacPhail spoke stolidly, keeping his expression unmoved. “Considering your position, we thought it best to undertake this as quietly as possible.”

Marisa ducked her head once again, her hands in her lap and her fingers twisting her wedding bands in a nervous gesture that everyone in the room could see. Mrs. Sharpton’s hand fell to her forearm then, giving a gentle squeeze that Marisa knew was supposed to be reassuring. Her Golden Monkey sat on the back of the couch, as if hiding away, peaking out over her shoulder in a faux pose of nervousness.

Edward shook his head. “That’s not what happened,” Edward insisted, brows furrowed and a spark of panic in his eyes.

“Well,” Marisa interrupted, before he could say anything else. “That’s not exactly true Edward,” she continued, sounding almost indignant as her voice wobbled only slightly.

“Marisa,” Edward breathed, shifting in his seat, angry and uncomfortable. Being questioned in his own home did not sit well with him, especially when his viper of a wife was at the centre of it.

“Don’t lie, Edward. You did hit me,” Marisa insisted, her voice swelling with emotion. She glanced at Mrs. Sharpton for a moment before turning back towards Edward. “I had the mark of it for days,” she continued, lifting her hand up and fingers lightly ghosting over her bottom lip. It was almost completely healed now, if a little tender still.

Tears pooled in her eyes, her lips trembled slightly, her breathing was deliberately fast.

Marisa was a picture of upset and Edward didn’t know what to do. His gaze moved around the room, shame overcoming him as he looked towards Mr. and Mrs. Sharpton and worry engulfing him as he looked towards Father MacPhail and the Magisterium officer. The feeling of dread that had settled in the pit of his stomach from the moment Marisa had turned to him after he’d hit her, had come back full force.

“Marisa...you know how sorry I am,” Edward told her, wanting to save some kind of face. It didn’t occur to him that he’d just admitted his guilt. “We had just buried our child! I wasn’t thinking clearly.”

But Marisa simply shook her head, lips pressing together for a moment to hide the smile that threatened to bloom across her features. She glanced over at Father MacPhail then, who still looked undeterred and expressionless. Though, he noticed, MacPhail did sigh.

“Mr. Coulter, grief is a powerful thing we understand. However, this accusation is very serious and the Magisterium takes these matters very seriously too. Which is why we will be conducting this...investigation for your wife’s petition thoroughly,” MacPhail told him seriously, what seemed to be disappointment and disapproval in his eyes.

Edward frowned, glancing between MacPhail and Marisa. “Petition?” He asked, his body suddenly tense.

Marisa nodded hesitantly, inhaling then exhaling as she found his eyes again, her expression one of upset. “Yes. I’ve petitioned the Church for a divorce,” Marisa told him softly, as if she were worried and scared about what he’d do.

This hadn’t been her original plan but his anger had presented an even better opportunity to rid herself of him. One that she wasn’t going to squander. Her new life with Asriel and Lyra were waiting for her and she was almost giddy with the anticipation. Soon, Edward would be out of her life forever and he wouldn’t have the power anymore to do anything about it.

[abimee]

Do you have any solidified headcanons for Chara

you mean like solidified by canon? absolutely not however i do have headcanons i stand by w my whole heart and none of them are important down below

- heavily believe Chara came from an old colonial village so they’re apt in stuff like cleaning, cooking, sewing, and gardening. It looks like the underground is lacking agriculturally so it was a wild shift in their diet to go from eating meals rich in vegetables, herbs, and greens to the more artificial consumption of the underground monsters. They miss turmeric and black pepper being in their dishes

- Chara is a theatrical person. It’s not obvious when they’re first brought into the underground due to their reclusive nature, but Chara’s voice could carry stories like a storm carries itself across Earth. They enunciate perfectly and can keep people captivated with any story through their use of body language, tone, and almost poetic recitation. They also like to stand on tables when they do which makes Toriel somewhat miffed but at least their shoes are off

- Chara is the tallest of the KFC gang, actually. Lanky and tall at a young age but Kris follows by just like, a two inch difference.

- They have two smiles, their ‘’creepy smile’’ and their genuine smile --- and they smile a lot once they get comfortable underground, it’s a kind where they bare both their top and bottom teeth and close their eyes, and their nose wrinkles and they can’t help but laugh when they do it too. It took a while for it to come out

- chara gets rid of everything by volleyball serving it into the trash. They just toss it and smack it with such aggresive force for no reason

- they’re not violent by nature but their favorite passtime is wrestling with asriel in the garden because asriel is such a sore loser every time they win

- even though Chara took up Toriel’s mannerisms ( as pointed out by their ‘’greetings’’), Chara spent more time with Asgore when they were around. They cooked and garden together mostly while Asriel hung around with Toriel cleaning and reading

- Chara was rarely defiant about stuff like bed times or getting dressed but Toriel had to roll them up in a blanket and carry them fallen soldier style just to take a bath, or else they’d slip out of her arms and suddenly become like a goblin running around the house. Asriel was however the defiance machine and sometimes Chara had to betray him in the name of getting a treat from toriel

- Chara broke their left arm when they fell down the mountain, which is the reason why they screamed and called for help. It healed well enough for use but they struggled somewhat with grip ( this is also just based on the left-arm constant, as it’s shown that Frisk carries things with their left arm like the cup of water and the umbrella, and Kris [deltarune ending spoilers] holds the knife in their left arm)

- Chara suffers from chronic nightmares, but they’re the surreal type that feel very realistic and so they sometimes suffer from being unable to detach from the fear they bring. At one point they became so terrified of these nightmares that they feared falling asleep and would only end up doing so out of exhaustion

- Chara misses birds while in the underground, specifically the cuckoo bird, because it would always signal the start of spring with it’s call, which would tell them when the golden flowers were ready to sprout and bloom, with their migration signalling the end of their bloom. It was one of the only things they missed from up above

- chara just really fucking loved drawing. they tried every medium they could acquire from flower arrangements to macaroni art to watercolor to even baking as a form of art, and originally all their concepts were abstract but sometimes they’d draw their family.

- chara tried to eat the apple scented shampoo once

- chara has also eaten a fistfull of dirt before, just because. theyve also eaten an echo flower out of fear because it captured a  bad word they said

- chara hates the heart of the CORE but loves snowden. they come back home sopping wet cause they spent all day sitting in the snow

- i have way too many more i just cant think of them

- chara had a dagger on them coming down as they stole one from their village before leaving, and it was all decorated and wrapped in hide and strapped to their side, and it was the only thing they hid from their family for most of their life as it was, along with the golden flowers, the only thing they cared for from their village. The dagger was very ottoman empire-esque and etched on the blade was the depictions of monsters and an angelic being descending upon them, supposedly the angel of death taking them all away as their village believed an old tale of monsters being sitting ducks for their fate of death coming to destroy them swiftly. It’s one of those things chara would wonder at looking under their blanket and dream up stories of the imagrey

- chara eats oranges with the peels and asriel hates it so much

[ask-peaceful-chara]

“Justice”

Warning: Mentions of violence

(Small Note: This does take place in the past)

Peace ran from their brother in a game chase through the ruins. She knew how to cut corners, jump over small obstacles, and where to dip to make the most of her escape. It also helped she had longer legs, so her running speed was faster in the first place.

Peace reached the end of the ruins first, then stopped dead in her tracks seeing something she did not expect. A human lied on the ground, seemingly hurt, but still breathing. Cautiously Peace approached the injured stranger. “Are you okay?”

The human started to move, as if wakened by Peace’s voice. They looked up at the young princess, then started to move their hurt body up off the ground.

“Careful.” Peace said as her kindness took over and superseded her previous cautiousness. “You’ll get hurt if you get up to quickly.”

“Heh, maybe you’re-”

“Chara?” Asriel said running into the room to find his sister, quickly spotting her across the room. “Aha! Finally caught up to you.” The young goat prince declared proudly, not noticing the injured human.

“Asriel wait, I’m helping-”

“Monster!” The human suddenly rose to action to grab their hat and bring up their arm.

It was a strange action at first, to bring up your arm as if holding something not there. Then Peace suddenly noticed the Soul Magic forming around the man’s arm and taking form in his hand. “No!” Peace yelled and starting running between the human and her brother.

“Die monster!” The other human soul said before unleashing his magic into a bullet from his formed weapon.

The next few moments lasted a lifetime it seemed. Asriel stared down the barrel of a gun with fear in his eyes, and could only watch as the man behind it fired their magic at him. The man in question thought he was eliminating a threat and exacting justice for all the humans monsters had supposedly killed long ago. Peace unlike her brother wasn’t fearing for herself, and despite her next actions didn’t feel any sense of justice in what she was doing. Peace stood between her brother and the human without fear or sense of duty, just kindness in her heart to sacrifice herself if need be.

A sickening sound echoed through the room as the magic bullet struck Peace, unable to be pulled back or change direction.

“Oh, so that’s what that feels like.” Peace said aloud as her eyes grew big and her side was torn open by the magic projectile. The magic seared the wound shut again instantly, but not before dust scattered on the ground, where she herself collapsed from pain and shock.

“No!” Asriel yelled and ran forward filled with rage as he ignited his hand in fire. He was still just learning how to use magic, not an adept like his parents yet, but he didn’t care. It was time to Fight.

“Stupid child.” Was Justice’s one and only heartless comment about Peace having jumped in front of and taken the bullet meant for Asriel. Now he struggled to “reload” his weapon as the goat monster charged him with fire in their hand.

Asriel threw his fireball at the human as he rushed to Peace’s side to save her, knowing full well it was a pointless task as the human would attack again before he could carry her to safety. He had to try though.

“Aaarg!” The human groaned as the fireball may not have hit them dead on, but the fireball struck their left arm disabling it. This was fortunate for Asriel picking up his sister to escape, because the human now had to use their offhand to aim another shot at the fleeing monster. “This is justice.” The human said as they pulled the trigger and fired another Soul Bullet at the two children.

Asriel let out a dusty cough as the bullet struck their back, but thanks to the human’s poor aim only wounded him. He fell to the ground on top of his sister Peace, doing no better than his sister now as they lied on the ground both unconscious.

“Fuck!” The human yelled as his arm still burned and the monster wasn’t dusted. He walked over to the collapsed monster and pointed his gun at their crumpled body. “This’ll finish you.” *thwack*

The human started falling to the ground barely conscious, something had hit them hard in the back of the head. He hit the ground with a thud and barely held his eyes open long enough to see the two siblings picked up by a large armored monster and carried to safety. Someone was soon lifting him too, probably another monster he assumed and closed his eyes falling unconscious.

The next time Justice opened his eyes he’d be before another monster, one of much grander nature than the boy from before. The monster was speaking to someone before noticing he was awake, sending the person away after seeing him open his eyes.

“You must have questions.” Asgore said walking over to the human.

“Not for a monster like you.” Justice said sitting up on his knees.

“Then answer one of mine.”

“As if.” The human scoffed back not willing to cooperate.

“It’s a simple question.” Asgore assured the man. “Are all humans like you?”

“What?”

“You attacked my children without mercy, with the intent to kill. Had the guards not arrived you’d have killed them.” Asgore clarified. “They were only children. Harmless, fun loving, siblings who only wish for a peaceful life.”

“Don’t make me laugh.” Justice yelled back. “It doesn’t matter the age, a monster is dangerous, and my burned arm should be enough to prove that. And the girl? No human dusts when shot. I don’t know what kind of trick you monsters are playing, but she’s as much a monster as you and the rest.”

“I see.” Asgore said hanging his head. “Then I’ll have to make preparations.”

“For what? My execution?” The human asked know this monster would show no mercy on him.

“Not exactly.” Asgore said back to the human. “There’s a story that seven human Souls can break the barrier and free monster kind. If seven human Souls won’t unlock the barrier willingly, then I’ll have to remove the Souls and preserve them until the time comes to release monsters.”

Justice grit his teeth in anger. “That’ll never happen! And even if it did, monsters wouldn’t survive a day on the surface. By myself I almost killed two monsters, now imagine the entire human race.”

“Then we’ll just have to prepare for war as well.” Asgore agreed and walked over to the human with his trident. “I’m sorry it came to this.” The once kind monster said holding his weapon above Justice and stabbing the human once in the chest.

Asgore watched the yellow Soul lift out of the human’s body, such a simple thing, but very powerful. Justice was the Soul color the King noticed, but was this really the justice humans wanted for monsters? It didn’t matter, the human whether following a sense of justice or not was a threat to his children, and he’d protect his family no matter the cost. The next human to fall wouldn’t get the chance to hurt his children.

Story Written By: @smol-chara-and-crew

Justice Picture By: @ask-chara-house

[dotchi13]

Waiting for Escape

With permission of the Raggedy bitty we have in the shop I decided to type out and post her story, ever since hearing it I haven’t forgot about it. 

Rating: Light M for the warnings

Warnings: Violence, mentions of Death, forced abandonment, Please keep caution.

She had been born to a bitty shop within an orb as a Raggedy bitty. She could remember being raised by a Mafia (Mafiafell Sans) and a Swap Asriel, pampered and educated and with that she was raised to be a lady that can certainly give you a bad time if you crossed her, but could otherwise keep her composure. 

Like every bitty that lived in the shop she had desired to be adopted into a loving family that would accept her and treat her like the companion she was, as she was no pet, none of them were, though some humans didn’t seem to understand that.

When she was old enough to be put out with the others she carried herself with pride, assured in herself that she would be adopted just like the others, and sure enough a man came in, displaying anxiety in ‘his first bitty buying’ as he looked around the shop, going to the darker parts where she and the others were. Some Raggedies trembled with anxiety, but she didn’t quiver like a lamb, that would be an absolute shame to her and those who raised her. 

He eyed her with interest, asking her questions about herself and warning her he lived in a bad neighborhood, there was the possibility of someone breaking in and wanting to know if she could defend herself. 

With a display of force she had twisted her hands before flaring them out, large red and orange flames dancing from her palms practically in waves, sparkling with her magic. He seemed impressed and called to the Owner, signing papers and offering for them to come for a check in about a week from then, and dubbing her the name Gadis, Indonesian for ‘Girl’. She wasn’t quite happy with the name as she didn’t want to be treated like a child when she was a fully capable adult, but she let it slide, thinking maybe she would grow to like the name. She never did. 

All bitty shops go to great extents to gauge those that come in, and for the bitties that were sensitive they did background checks... but there was always those that managed to slip through the cracks. 

Her new Owner stopped in front of a warehouse, taking her inside and setting her cage down in the middle of what looked to be dozens of others as eyes turned to hers, tired and/or scarred as she felt her soul drop to her feet. 

She doesn’t really like talking about her first night or any of them after that, but she has nightmares of injuring many many fellow bitties, and sometimes when she loses herself in nightmares or flashbacks she starts wheezing and choking like she’s trying to breath through dust.

It was to no end of her miseries though. She found reprieve in meeting with an Asgore bitty that was Fell as she was after fights, his cage placed next to hers. They had each other’s backs, tossing each other food when one of them lost and was made to go without food. 

However they should have known they were being watched, and within barely any time her friendship with him was shattered with drugs that mimic heat. She knew it wasn’t his fault, but they couldn’t even look at each other anymore. 

Sometimes she wondered as she watched her stomach grow if she was in some kind of nightmare. So many bad things happened to her that it was almost unreal to her. 

When the time came she was put under drugs, and when she woke up nearly three days later the Asriel bitty she had was gone. She was forced to abandon him, she had never even seen his face.

And it didn’t stop with that one Asgore, Fell Sans’ and other Asgores were forced onto her to the point that she could barely feel anything anymore, and she had been forcefully made to give up her babies without her consent. 

In the last one she remembers struggling for consciousness, being pumped with the drug so many times that her body was practically building an immunity to it. 

She remembers seeing the sweet face of the Asriel bitty with his sharp teeth and wet fur, his little eyes closed before he was removed and all she could do was lift her hand and slightly burn the hand taking him. 

She hoped it left a mark, though she thinks she was too weak to do so.

She knew she wasn’t the only one suffering there, not by a longshot. 

And again, bitties were not pets.  They were intelligent beings, and she knew if she was patient enough, one of them would break free, one of them would get lucky, and if everyone else was lucky enough then they would break everyone free. 

She prayed this way for years as scars webbed her body under her fur, her other horn breaking like the one that was naturally broken during a fight with another bitty, a tooth knocked out and two fingers broken and not reset in the right place. 

She knew it could have been worse, she could have been dead, but it didn’t make everything any less painful or harmful to her. 

When one day her suffering came to an end. 

The details were fuzzy, but she remembered a skull peeking to her through the bars of her cage. 

It was a bipedal Gaster Blaster Papyrus, his claws fumbling with the latch, clawing through the magic protecting it as he seemed to know all it’s weak points, swinging the cage open before running off to go and free others as she  stumbled out, watching after him before looking to see other bitties racing towards the exit out of his hellhole, and before she could stop herself her feet were stricken to follow, meeting with their human saviors, Bitty Activists.

Nearly weeks later she had learned about the place where no fells other than Raggedies like her stayed, jumping on the change as she entered the shop that at the time had three lamias and five bitties, one a Toriel like she was on a level. 

And she cried with hugging Toriel, spilling things to her she almost never thought she would be able to tell anyone. 

As of the moment she’s in therapy and taking pills for her PTSD, and the five bitties of Murder, Horror, Killer, Nightmare and Toriel united to shed her old name, taking the new one: Dona, meaning ‘Lady’. 

[official-contrasttale]

ContrastTale, Chapter 1

“No way. The moment they realize, they’ll murder me-“

“Nope. Not if I explain.”

“Well, can you at least go in first. Explain it?”

“Fine.”

A reluctant Azzy patiently watched a seemingly calm Sans walk into a large house. Even though it had only been about two hours, Sans seemed okay with the fact that his brother’s soul was in a whole new person. A Human, at that. Sans half-smiled at Azzy, as he opened the door, voices cheering for him. Three Goat-People, a Fish like Person, and another Skeleton, with a Yellow Monster in a Lab Coat. The Largest, Father Goat-Person, sung, “Sans! You’re back, did you find Papyrus?”

“Well, sorta. Can you guys promise one thing? When they walk into here, do you swear not to hurt them?”

The Fish Person chuckled, “Of course we won’t attack Pap! Why would we?”

The rest of the group agreed with her, and Sans sighed, “Okay. Just remember you promised.”

Sans turned to the door, “You can come in Azz.”

The other Skeleton’s eyes lit up in instant realization, as he instantly flicked up his hand before Azzy could enter. The hole glowed Red as he blasted the doorway. Everyone was in a state of Shock Silence, as the debris cleared, revealing a bone protecting the girl that laid behind it, summoned by her new powers. The Female Goat-Person yelped, “Gaster! What’s your deal-“

Gaster lowered his hand. “Just wait.”

Sans glared at Gaster, before going to a terrified Azzy, grabbing her hand, and walking her out. Her left eye was glowing it’s newfound Red. Silence. A spear broke the silence, as it whizzed past her head, barely missing. The Yellow Monster ran to the Fish Monster, who threw the spear. “Undyne! Stop!”

Undyne stared at the Yellow Monster. “Alphys. Don’t you get it? Papyrus is Dead. This Human took his SOUL to pass through the Barr-“

Sans drove his foot into the ground, a loud Bang coming from the cracking floorboards. His right eye flickered blue as he yelled, “This Human did everything in her power to Protect Papyrus when he was alive. Taking his SOUL was His choice, not hers.”

He turned to Gaster. “You felt it, right?”

Gaster looked down. Sans yelled, “Something protected her when I first saw her. Something told me it was Okay. I doubt you didn’t feel it too.”

The Goat People just looked overly puzzled as Undyne and Alphys argued to know end, along with Sans and Gaster. Azzy Bit her lip, and yelled, her Red Eye lighting up, “IF YOU’RE GONNA KILL ME, JUST DO IT NOW!”

Undyne gritted her teeth, hissing, “Okay then, I suppose you won’t be against This Then!”

Undyne readied a spear, and as the Spear was leaving her hands, both of Azzy’s eyes became a Bright Red. “U...Undyne? Undyne!”

Undyne’s eyes grew wide as the spear lunged through Azzy’s shoulder. Yet her eyes remained in their Red State. Azzy fell back, then calmly sighed, a voice echoing in the back of hers. “Undyne. It’s Okay. I’m Okay with this. J...just please don’t hurt her. She’s done a lot for me.”

Everyone was silent, in shock. Gaster And Sans both realized what was going on instantly, and as Undyne realized, tears flooded her eyes. “Papyrus. Oh my god-“

She rushed over to the Human, snapping her fingers so that the spear disappeared. Alphys followed close behind. Papyrus spoke through Azzy, “Now, Undyne, I’m fine, but guess who’s no-ot,” shooting Finger Guns at her, “The Human. You can apologize to her now.”

Undyne stuttered, “No! Not yet... Papyrus, don’t go-“

The Red in Azzy’s eyes faded away, as the human inside her took control of the body again. She was silent for a moment, staring at Undyne and Alphys, terrified. Her eyes turned to the wound, and instead of tears, she sort of laughed. “How did I see that coming....”

The Female Goat Person rushed over. “Young one, I’m Toriel, a Caretaker. I will heal you. It won’t mend the wound, but it’ll take the edge off. The larger one of my kind is Asgore, the other Asriel.”

Asgore laughed, walking over to Azzy, Asriel close behind. Asriel Joked, “Finally an excuse for you guys to stop calling my Assy.”

Asgore nudged him and walked to Azzy, the moment Gaster rushed over to her, getting to her first. “D...do you realize what you just did? I need to create experiments, if Papyrus is alive in there, I need to get him-“

Azzy cut him off, quietly stammering, a bit distracted from the Pain. “I’m sorry, P...Papyrus isn’t alive-“

Sans walked over to the group. “Well, he was talking, through You though.”

Azzy’s eyes lit up, and she smiled lightly. “H...he’s alive?”

Sans nodded as Toriel ended the healing spell, now wrapping up Azzy’s wound. Undyne stuttered, “I’m sor-“

Azzy backed up, tense and fearful, as she lifted her hand lightly, a bone appearing, her eye turning to it’s Red. A small, sharp bone was pointed to Undyne’s neck as the Human defended herself. “Stay away, please. I need some time if I’m going to accept any apologies.”

The bone dropped to the ground as Gaster sighed. Azzy raised her hand, directing it to Gaster. “Now I didn’t forget you....”

It came close, but she dropped it. She looked at Sans, her eyes fading to normal, and mouthed the words, “Sorry, self defense.”

Gaster stumbled over himself, before injecting, “But those experiments... can I-“

Sans glared at him. “Tread lightly G, you almost killed her.”

Alphys shuffled over to Azzy, helping her up, “Then can I do them? I couldn’t hurt a fly... honestly.”

“I’ll second this,” Undyne yelled.

Azzy looked at Sans, then mumbled, “Fine.”

Alphys smiled, “Perfect! Now let’s begin!”

To Be Continued in ContrastTale, Chapter 2

[underruleasriel]

Underrule Chapter 10

Intro - Prev - Next - Main blog

Judgment Hall was now just a mess of crumbled pillars, twisted vines, broken windows and chipping floor tiles. 

Papyrus felt cornered. He’d taken a nasty hit from the child and his HP was below half at this point. He was starting to get a bit worried about his safety. This human seemed to get more and more frustrated every time they fought. Would he really be killed?  

“SHOW ME YOUR SPECIAL ATTACK!”  Asriel lost his patience. He wanted to know the secrets kept by the skeleton. Why would he still refuse to show him?!  

“I-I shouldn’t- If I did... you would..”  Papyrus slowed down as his thoughts processed. “You wouldn’t be very... happy.”  

“You scared of being disposed of when I have no use for you?”  He cackles and straightens his posture knowingly.   “Do you care more about yourself or your friends? Because if you don’t give me what I want I will make sure to bring them to an end.”  

“Wait-! I... I’ll do it. I’ll show you...”  Planting his feet firmly, Papyrus tries his best to look a little more confident. 

------

 A pinging alarm was going off on Alphys’ computer as she typed furiously in an attempt to find the reason for it. Stress was starting to get a bit high within the group.   “I-I can’t find the source. This alarm must have been installed before I inherited the computer. Is there still no signal on that camera?” 

Undyne nods keeping an eye on the screen showing only static.  “No, it’s still all fuzz. I can’t get any picture of Snowdin.”  She flips through other cameras, halting at the view of the older village they had been reintroducing townsfolk to.  “Wait... No freakin’ way! The ruins are empty!” 

 Alphys immediately looks up from her software.  “Th-that’s impossible... have you tried other cameras in the area?”  

“Yes, I have been trying them all! I don’t see a soul!”  Gritting her teeth, Undyne steps away from the screen and retrieves her armor off the wall.  “I’m going!”  

“NO!”  Alphys couldn’t bare the thought of losing Undyne as well.  “Stay here! You could disappear too!”  

“I have to go! If there’s anyone left it’s my duty to protect them!”  She starts gearing up, growling in annoyance when a gloved hand grabs her shoulder lightly.  

“Darling, we may have to try and see what we’re up against before you go and bash your head on a wall.”  Mettaton was on Alphys’ side. Too many coincidences so suddenly. A lost camera. An alarm. Missing monsters.... this might be dangerous.  

“Hands of freak! You can’t stop me!”  Undyne shakes him off and pulls on her armor, picking up her helmet as she heads to the door.  “I’ll come back.”  

Alphys nearly hopped over her chair in her rush to get to Undyne. This couldn’t happen! She couldn’t lose her too!! 

The group of survivors stop in their tracks. There was a knock at the door. 

------   

“Are you ready for my Special Attack?” 

Asriel grins wide and gets in a more defensive stance, prepared for something strong.  “Don’t waste my time, bonehead.”  

Papyrus uncomfortably shifts in place, releasing the summoned staff of bone and letting it dissipate.  “Alright.... Here goes nothing.”  

Asriel’s smile vanishes the instant he recognizes the words.  

“That’s right... Nothing. That’s my attack.”  

“No...”  

“That way you cannot take your turn... to end my life... and I won’t hurt you....”  Papyrus seemed regretful for things to have come to this, but perhaps it would work in his favor?  

“IS THIS A JOKE?! YOU COPY SANS?! THATS IT?! Of all the stupid..”  

Papyrus felt a little hurt by the accusation as well as confused.  “Copy? I assure you Sans could never pull this off... Not like I can. I invented this move.”  

“Oh?! And why is that?! ENLIGHTEN ME, PAPYRUS!”  Asriel takes a step forward only to feel that crushing blue energy pull him to the ground. He couldn’t move.  

“Because.... Sans would eventually need rest. Perhaps, I should keep you here. Until you reset. I don’t mind how long it takes. I’m very patient. And I don’t sleep.”  Papyrus felt a little more bold and even straightened himself up a bit to emphasize how serious he was.

The crowned child glares intensely at Papyrus. If he had used this any other time, the game would be over. But this was Asriel’s world now.  “If I reset... I’ll be sure to kill you first.”  He grins again. “But I don’t need to reset... CHARA!!!”  

The vines decorating the walls twinge, seemingly coming to life.  

Papyrus releases Asriel without question. He would need to beg to survive at this point.  

The human grins wildly and gets to his feet.  “You’re so dead.”  He was sure of his backup until every vine around them flashed white before dissolving into thin air. Asriel grew hesitant at the meaning behind this.  “Chara...?” 

 Papyrus had expected to be grabbed, but the absence of the plant brought him some relief. Though it did seem odd...  

“CHARA!!”  Furious, Asriel rushes past Papyrus, grabbing the front of his tabard to drag him along as he rushes in the direction of Snowdin full speed. 

Papyrus struggled to keep up, as well as prevent himself from tripping. He nearly collapsed a few times on the way through Waterfall as he couldn’t see the path he was running along with the fabric of his uniform pulled tight.  

“You better do as I tell you! If you so much as hesitate I swear I’ll- Oof!!”  A twirling blue bone came out of nowhere, knocking the human off their feet before it dissipates. Asriel grits his teeth as he pushes himself up.   “You’ve made your last mistake!”  

Papyrus was released from the humans hold, and nervously steps backward at the sound of the threat.  “I-I didn’t-“ 

“H̵̅͒̾̚ą̿ͣ̀h̷ͫͩͥ̽ͮ̏͌aͭͦͩ̎҉͜h̴̍ͫ͛͗͝ả͒̓̈̔̒ͩ̓̚͏. S̡h̶̕o͘ul҉dn̕’̧̀t̸̛ ͞yoų ͢k̢n̷o̢͠w͠ ̵̧͠ b̵̧͘e̸̡͠͏҉t͏̷̴̨͡t̶̀͘͞è̸͡r̢͡ ̴̛͞b̡��y͜͢ ̢̨ń̀͢o̸͟w̴͞͏,̢ h̭̣͔̫͍̖̦ù͏҉̠̟m͓͈͈͍͝a͔͕̫̪̰͖ͅn̷̛̳͖̲̺̮͇͉ ?̧ ̴́Blue ̷me̷͜an̷s҉́͘ S̴̵̵̸̢Ţ̛͜O̸͝͠P̧͞ ”  The distorted voice echos from the shadows in front of them, making the pair tense and uncomfortable.  

Asriel is quick to his feet, pulling a knife from behind and steadying themselves in preparation for a battle.  “Who's over there?! Show your King some respect!”  

“ W̭͖̰̙̮̯o͓̯̗̼͔ͅo͉͚͔̖͢o̶͚̩̠w͕̪̲̦̥̝̰͞ . D̨ó͜n’̕͟͠t̴ ý̡ou̶̢͠ ̸̡só̕͠u͞n̷̨͡d̴̸́ ͞a҉ll҉̴ h͑́̀iͯͦ̚͜g̛ͭ̍ͬ̍̉́h̢ͩ̈́̈́ͦ̉ ̨͊͛a̷ͮͫ̓ͨ̐ͨ̚n͒̈́ͯ̉̈́ͪ̈ď ́̋̉̚mͮ͑̾î̃̍̎͑̅̚gh̡ͭt̶̏ͭỹͣͧ̒̿̑͢. Y̕o̕ù’͢r͞e ńơ ̴k̡ing̷, l͏i̡tt͏l͘e͏ ̸Asri̡e̷l҉.́ ̕A̕nd ͝I’m ͡no̷t̛ h͞er̷e ̢t͜o̷ ̡mo͢c̕k y̨o̢u ...”  A darkened skeleton emerges from the shadows, blue streaks running from his eye sockets. Bits of him scattered in the air around him like a corrupted image.  “I’m here to kill you.” 

Papyrus’ Head felt at war with his eyes. The resemblance this character had to his brother was uncanny, but he did not look right. He did not sound right.... “S-...Sans?” He truly felt overwhelmed... but certainly not with joy. 

Guest Character: @loverofpiggies

[ivebeenreadingandwriting]

If Lyra and Iorek were hoping for a quiet stay, they were wrong.

---------------------

It was incredibly chilling how much a city could smell so of fear, of escape, of life left halfway in that picturesque colorful landscape, yet cold and bare despite the sea waves creating a sort of contrast between the tranquility of an abandoned country and the awareness to be alone in a place so ... empty, messily chaotic for the matter.

But still empty.

The only figures to fill the calculated spaces with a triangular architecture connected to itself were the girl, her daemon, and the white bear. All three were battered with no injuries, so on this side they had been fortunate not to have suffered bodily repercussions from crossing parallel worlds. But they were hot and cold at the same time, tired and badly in need of a full night's sleep.

But caution was inherent in Lyra's footsteps: she and Pan walked a few paces ahead of Iorek, who was holding the rear guard with a skeptical, wary, unconvinced look of his surroundings. Lyra had seen him snort just before passing him with two steps, but immediately he had stretched his muzzle and through the delicate use of his teeth had pulled her back to him from the teal shirt that she still wore from Bolvangar. "Do not start walking away." he told her. Offended, Lyra turned her wild head towards him. "I wasn't! I was looking around!" she bristled, her nose wrinkled in the process. Any other human who faced him so brazenly would have ended up with his face smashed to the ground without going out of the way: but when Lyra was proving her worth, not backing down, Iorek felt his heart grow so proud. And also amused in a way, because the sight of that little face so ferocious yet still so childish brought up big smiles. But Panserbjørne don't smile, they show their affection in other ways.

And his affection was playfully snorting in her face, tickling her cheeks in the process. Lyra immediately chuckled, albeit with some annoyance, shielding her face. "stop that!" she screeched laughing. "Iorek!"

"Now listen to me. Walk beside me and don't go away." he said "if I lose sight of you, I won't have the chance to find you here."

His senses might not work as well as in their world, and if Lyra got lost, finding her would be a mess. Prevention is better than cure.

Lyra, who was stubborn but not disobedient, realized that Iorek had no intention of giving her way. Then she followed him: Iorek had the power to make her obey in the net time of five seconds, seven at the most. But because Lyra admired him so much that even just arguing as she did with Asriel seemed disrespectful to her, precisely because Iorek had great respect and admiration for the little girl he had renamed, and whom he considered as one of them. It would have been ungrateful.

Then the little girl walks cautiously next to the white bear as he gazes at his surroundings equally wary and cautious. The city was a real disaster, a slaughterhouse. Some wooden doors had been removed from the hinges, others lay on the ground ... there were writing erased on signs everywhere and childish drawings on the walls. Some shops still had clothing and food inside, but all the doors that remained were wide open.

Crates of fruit had been spilled on the ground, and apples, pears, apricots lay motionless on the roughly set stone ground. Lyra bent down to pick a few, just to understand what she was talking about. "someone must have gone in a hurry." Pan murmured as he leaned over to smell a very bad looking fruit. "It's been a while ... this stuff has gone rotten." His marten face twisted at that acrid smell. "this kind of fruit goes rotten quickly." corrected Iorek "they may have been gone for a day."

But the town was too decayed to have been abandoned for a single day. It had been uninhabited for weeks, perhaps ... difficult to understand. "what happened in this place?" Lyra wondered as she stood up and started walking next to Iorek. "maybe Asriel...?" Pan began.

"I wouldn't rule it out." Lyra responded with acidity and anger, continuing to observe the town and the sky slowly unfolding above their heads.

Something had happened in this place ... maybe people had fled for an outside attack? Iorek surveyed the walls, peering at them carefully with a critical eye. He excluded a war on his own: there were no signs of blood or marks from bullets or arrows. It was as if the city had depopulated overnight. "Lyra, can you consult the alethiometer and ask where we are?" but before Iorek could even finish, an unknown though subtle rage in Lyra railed at him briefly. "I'm not going to ask that thing anything." she growled, not looking at the Panserbjørne in his eyes. Lyra had been, more often than not, quite calm beside Iorek's presence. But now he could clearly see anger in her and frustration, clearly at Roger's death. He paused to watch her marching, her soft brown curls sitting on her shoulders and rocking with each abrupt step. "Lyra-" Pan began.

"No." she answered resolutely, her thin brows curled down threateningly as she looked at the wall beside her for signs in their language.

Not even Iorek recognized the language he saw written everywhere ... By ear it could have been Latin, but it was much less articulate and short."now we have to make our way alone." Iorek spoke calmly, "Lyra, try to be reasonable."

But the girl shook her head, lips tightly closed in a strike of silence.

And once Lyra gets stubborn like this, good luck trying to move her. Iorek gave her a nudge with his nose to make her walk "let us find a place to stay, then we shall decide what to do."

"what place?"

"It is full of empty houses, any one will do."

The house they found, which seemed quite spacious from the outside, had been closed with wooden poles stuck between the two handles of the main door. But once those were broken, the house would be accessible.

"Can you break down the door?" Lyra suggested to Iorek.

"Let's try the sweet manners for once." replied the bear, simply cutting the piece of wood in half with his index claw (thick, strong and sharp as a knife) The half-broken wood fell to the ground with a crashing sound, and automatically the dusty doors swung open sending dust in the face of the trio, who coughed and sneezed in response. "we're off to a good start ..." Lyra commented, sneezing into her arm. Pan sniffed "A dusting in here wouldn't hurt." Iorek did not deign to answer them, he just poked his head inside the house to observe the surroundings. He smelled stuffy, musty ... but the oxygen was there and seemed quite livable. He took a sniff in the air to see if there was any danger, but the way seemed clear "Come in, but do be careful." he said "don't go upstairs until I tell you."

"you say there might be someone here?"

"Do not move too fast, and do not attract attention anyway."

Whose attention, exactly? that city was empty. But without arguing and wasting their time Lyra walked in behind the bear with cautious and slow steps, coat still leaning on her shoulder and her daemon trotting behind her. Iorek now had one paw resting on the rough surface of the symmetrical stairs leading upstairs, neck tilted up and nose functioning to detect foreign odors or dangers. Lyra put her coat down on a chair, walking towards the back of the stove to see if there was any water they could carry around so as not to die of thirst, when suddenly she felt watched.

It wasn't Iorek.

It wasn't Pan.

And when a dark hand came to touch her shoulder, her nerves jumped before Iorek could even warn her of the danger. She turned with a lightning jerk, violently planted a hand in the shoulder of the one behind her and gave a shove grabbing the opposite arm of the other to keep it yanked backwards and with equal violence she sank her elbow into the back of their neck, shoving with all the force that stood straight on the surface of the table with a dull thud. Whoever it was, landing so hard on the wooden table was hurt quite badly. "Lyra!"

Before Iorek's voice could even reach her, he had already rushed to her rescue. But he had stopped immediately at the sight of a boy, at a guess much taller and stronger than her, stuck under Lyra's elbow and trying to tilt his neck to look at the one who had just landed him against a table without a precise reason. "you're hurting me!" he said in a loud, frightened voice.

Lyra had no mercy. In fact, she gritted her teeth and pushed her arm even further into the back of his neck. "so you learn to move stealthily." she growled straight into his ear.

"okay! I scared you! I'm sorry!"

"you didn't scare me! I scared you!"

Iorek had never felt more proud.

The boy spoke again. "let me go, please." he said quickly, breathing heavily. With yet another shove against the table Lyra freed him, and he hurried to get up and walk away from Lyra with his back to Iorek. And the bear was silent. "who are you?" the boy asked.

"Lyra Silvertongue."

It was the first time the new name Iorek had given her had left Lyra's mouth, and with so much pride. As if she meant 'yes, Silvertongue will forever be my name.' as the boy picked up some meanwhile fallen vase pieces, inadvertently bumping into the white mountain that was Iorek and backing away before he even got to look him in the eye "oh my god-"

"that's Iorek." Lyra replied nonchalantly while Iorek's eyes flashed in the direction of the boy, intent on fearing for his life as he swung his gaze between the girl and the bear. "Where does it come from?"

"he, not it." Lyra corrected sharply "his name is Iorek, and I'm Lyra. Are you deaf or what? Is this your house" The boy didn't seem angry, he was just confused and a little sore. You know how it is ... An unknown girl had just slammed his face against a table, and a white bear was glaring at him. "No. I'm Will." he answered, keeping a safe distance from both of them "Will Parry." he gave a tentative smile, but it was cut off quickly because Lyra was glaring at him suspiciously. At least until Pan came out from behind her, little black eyes looked at Will in surprise. "finally, someone else to talk to!" he said.

Will's eyesbrows shot up.

"and that's Pan."

The boy remained silent, total silence as he stared at Pan with wide eyes "how does he talk?"

Iorek and Lyra blinked in sync. Why did the boy seem so perplexed and surprised?

"Is this your town?"

if Pan's voice had unsettled him, Iorek's voice made him jump with fright. Hearing a bear speak in such an inquisitive way would make anyone turn white. Will opened his mouth, suddenly dry, and tried to let out a few words. Amazement stopped him, and he turned back to Lyra indicating briefly to Iorek "He talks too?" And the girl shrugged "yeah, but he doesn't talk much." She answered.

Pan began to look around the boy, while Will waved his gaze between Iorek and Pan "Talking animals ..." and a smile had made its way across his serious face. He didn't even try to reach out to caress Iorek, because he knew losing a limb would be all too easy. He then he turned to caress Pan's little head, bending over to the counter and holding out a hand.

But before she could even get close, Lyra tensed and stepped between Pan and him making a steady, threatening eye contact with him. "he's not a talking animal!" she exclaimed indignantly. "he's my daemon!"

Dæmon?

In the sense of a demon?

Will felt his brows curve down. "your what?"

The bear took a step forward from behind them, eyes pricking up. "you don't have a dæmon?" Lyra asked, looking around. "I don't see one." Pan enchoed softly, a lot more softly than Lyra.

Who was this girl? Who were the animals that accompanied her? Will shrugged gently. "I don't know what you're talking about- I don't know who you guys are, nor where you come from-" But it was at that moment that an unfriendly spark appeared in Lyra's eyes, and the girl immediately backed away. "No." she murmured, turning only to the last when she was towards the door. "Pan, Iorek, let's go." The ermine on the counter followed closely, the bear did not hesitate to go behind them leaving Will alone in the room.

"Lyra Silvertongue, wait!"