#elemental grillby

[copper-skulls]

i think grillby should have an entire collection of photos in his bar actually. one of them is definitely with fuku

[absurdumsid]

So we have a idolverse and a magicalgirlverse I can’t wait for the merchaverse or a strempunkverse

i think. u expected a sans. but if anyone makes a sans these guys can fix em up

Steamverse! Grillby and Gaster belong to me ! (my brother named their [multi]verse ! insane)

[acatpiestuff]

remember years ago when i would draw grillby almost every day lmao

[natsunenuko]

No one will know your worries and troubles better than your local bartender!

REFUSETale © NatsuneNuko Undertale © Toby Fox _________________________ Youtube | Deviantart | Twitter | Ko-fi | Discord | Art Discord

[cipher-the-sidhe]

They have something to bond over right away~

Shore (left) belongs to @theninjamouse from their amazing fic “Ocean on Fire”

[saltinesmores]

@stargazingnova im taking this out of the replies because NO i dont get told this a lot so THANK YOU ♥️ this round of grillbyposting brought to u by this reply that makes me go :) when i think abt it

[catsarepricks]

Mb guys reverting back to my 2016 tumblr roots and im obsessed with undertale again with a HUGE hint of deltarune not even on the side but as a main too

[carlyraejepsans]

Going off what you said about sans, do you think Papyrus is an extrovert like he appears to be, or secretly an introvert? I've always seen people saying he's an extrovert, but he doesn't hang around people besides Undyne and Sans.

papyrus only appears as an extrovert, and being extroverted shouldn't be confused with the fact that he wants friends.

while it's true that he spends his entire introduction bemoaning his lack of friends, it becomes quickly apparent that this isn't the real conflict of his character. papyrus obviously has some issues with... well not so much his self esteem, as his self image. how to be "someone important" in "the right way". he's built up this idea of what a cool person should be, and that idea includes "having lots of friends who think you're cool" and "showers of kisses every morning" as key elements. which is all fine and dandy, except he... doesn't actually seem to want that?

i mean think about it. you go on a date because he feels like he has to, then he turns you down because he can't make himself fall in love with you. he basically acts as the mayor in town—and sure he's goofy, and ridiculous, but all of snowdin seems to be at least fond of him, if not actively amused by his antics—it would take nothing for him to make friends with them... eeexcept he also hates grillby's, ie the primary hangout spot for his fellow sentires in the area.

it becomes obvious the moment you compare him to his brother. sans, as opposed to papyrus, is depressed to a point that it impacts his energy and executive function, and STILL, where does he spent 99% of his time? at the bar full of people. sans doesn't need to charge his social batteries after interactions, he recharges his batteries BY being in social situations. papyrus, on the other hand, seems at his happiest with a tight knit group of close friends and plenty of personal space as well as private time, either by himself or with his brother at max (he does cite his house as his favorite place to spend time, rather than public spaces, and loves organizing family parties there post-canon)

so nope, not an extrovert imo. though still very much a community-oriented guy.

[haveyouseenthisskeleton]

what makes the boys absolutely smitten/melt?

Undertale Sans - Papyrus being happy and his friends being happy. He doesn't need much more.

Undertale Papyrus - Cute little toddlers waving at him. It kills him every time.

Underswap Sans - The neighbors calling him a hero because he brought their groceries home on his way back from work.

Underswap Papyrus - His service dogs just looking at him with hearts in the eyes. He loves his dogs more than humans sometimes.

Underfell Sans - When his S/O gives him sad puppy eyes when he says no to do something with them. He's so damn weak.

Underfell Papyrus - Doomfanger always sleeping on his desk when he's working because that's the only place she feels safe.

Horrortale Sans - Seeing Willow, Grillby and Toriel smile again for real.

Horrortale Papyrus - When the little grandmas he comes visit every week say he's cute and a brave boy, and that they're so glad he's in their lives.

Horrorswap Sans - When his brother brings him breakfast in bed because he knows when his missing leg is hurting.

Horrorswap Papyrus - Anyone signing "I love you" to him, really. He's desperate for affection at this point.

Horrorfell Sans - Kids coming to him so he can defend them from school bullies. He feels so important when they're doing this.

Horrorfell Papyrus - Doomfanger still coming to see him every morning in his bed despite how bad her osteoarthritis is hurting her. He can't lose his cat, he would never get over it.

Swapfell Sans - When his S/O makes him coffee before going to work because they know he's cranky in the morning.

Swapfell Papyrus - Free chicken mcnuggets coupon in magazines. What?

Fellswap Gold Sans - Alphys screams of rage when he absolutely destroys her for the fifth time in a row.

Fellswap Gold Papyrus - When anyone buy him a gift, bonus point if it's art supplies.

Outertale Sans - People saying they learned a lot of things about space thanks to him.

Outertale Papyrus - When the kids he's taking care of as a nanny are finally napping after 3 hours of struggle lol.

Dancetale Sans - People bringing him his favorite flowers, because they're really hard to find so he knows you care.

Dancetale Papyrus - Little kids running to him at a dance party to have him as a dance partner.

Dancefell Sans - A nice sunset without his brother screaming or taking pictures behind.

Dancefell Papyrus - When people copy his dance moves on TikTok because it inspired them.

Farmtale Sans - Helping a mama animal to give birth and naming the babies.

Farmtale Papyrus - When his S/O buries him under a mountain of plushies so he feels safer when they have to leave for work.

Mafiatale Sans - When his magic tricks are finally working on someone and they say it's actually good when it's really shit.

Mafiatale Papyrus - When his boss says he's the best element of the team and that he's glad he's here because nothing would be done without him.

Mafiafell Sans - Sleeping surrounded by his 20 American staff and rottweilers.

Mafiafell Papyrus - When Asgore affectuously calls him his son.

Ink - Error saying he will behead him if he keeps annoying him more.

Error - Chocolate. Lots of chocolate.

Disbelief Papyrus - When Asgore hugs him in his sleep, finally calm and relieved of all stress.

Dustale Sans - Killer scratching him in the right spot.

Killer Sans - Seeing Dune have zoomies around the house like a crazy husky but actually he's a skeleton.

[rainbowsoda777]

I really wanted to draw different emotions of Grillby. I doubt that the elemental is very emotional, but this does not mean that he does not show them at all 👀

[copper-skulls]

so which one of you in this friendship is the heat source and which one is the heat sink

totally canon to two deaths. d. don't look at the last chapter and the one i'm writing rn they are Totally up for snuggling. don't—

[mlmvoreconfessionals]

weird ask buuut swatchling eating grillby with... slow digestion? like the gosha/legoshi/louis one?

I think I can do something for this!

S.watch sighs in relief as he watches G.rillby light the last of the candles. He was glad to have such a friend like him to lend a hand. S.watch has no idea how to power in the castle went out, but that isn’t stopping them from having to go about their normal days. At least the cafe looks nice with candle lighting.

“Thank you, G.rillby,” S.watch says with a nod. “Now, I have one more thing I’d like your help with...” S.watch steps closer to G.rillby, getting the attention of the fire elemental. S.watch puts his hands on the bartender, his grip firm. “With the power out, the castle is rather cold. So I’ll need to borrow you for a time.”

G.rillby tilts his head a bit, not sure what to make of that. It becomes much clearer when he watches S.watch’s beak open wide suddenly. G.rillby can’t react before his head is snapped up. As head butler, there is very little S.watch isn’t capable of. Eating someone is not on that list. Thick gulps and slurps begin to drag G.rillby deeper, and by the time the stunned bartender even thinks to struggle against the pulling gullet, S.watch is tipping his head back and slurping down his legs.

S.watch’s stomach bloats out before him, his suit jacket getting a bit more snug over the vaguely-person shaped bulge that settled in it. He lets out a soft sigh as he feels G.rillby settle inside. He places one hand on his stomach, patting it lightly. “Aaah...that already feel smooch better. I will let you out at the end of my shift, so settle in.” S.watch’s comment is met with a bit of wiggling from G.rillby, making the butler’s gut slosh back and forth. It works a soft burp from him, a wisp of flame shooting from his beak. Well, he’s sure G.rillby will be fine, so he walks off to get right to work.

For his part, G.rillby was...less than pleased with his predicament. S.watch’s gut is tight and keeps him curled up. He can barely wiggle as it is and the walls clench over him every time he tries. It’s also incredibly slimy. It makes G.rillby’s flames sizzle slightly and leaves him deeply uncomfortable. S.watch said he’ll let him out, right? But the walls keep squeezing and he feels like the stomach is far too noisy. But it’s just one shift...

S.watch has a lot of work to do, and it’s all a bit harder with the power out. Candle light only does so much to light the castle up, so it’s harder to see what he’s doing or if anything is amiss. Guests and butlers alike also have to be better accommodated due to the darkness and cold, so he’s also running around a lot more. It leaves his gut swaying and bouncing and sloshing comfortably. He barely has time to rest his feet.

It keeps G.rillby from finding any actual comfort. He’s sloshed and thrown around by S.watch constantly. Any attempt to shift or steady himself makes the butler’s stomach close in slightly in an effort to keep its food in place. He loses track of time rather quickly. He tries to focus on the sounds of S.watch’s breathing and the rumble of his voice to ignore how uncomfortable he is.

S.watch hums and mumbles to himself as he moves back and forth. He’s barely noticed a couple of hours have gone by. Battery-powered heaters have been brought in and set up. Candles are being replaced by lanterns and flashlights where needed. The kitchen is set up with a more traditional flame and a pot so all they’re serving today is soup. He makes sure to taste some of it, which gets a bit of wiggling from his gut and a rather sudden “BWWWWOOOUUURRP!” It flusters him and he presses down on his stomach. “It’s just a bit of soup, G.rillby. And it needs more pepper...” Now to make sure the investigation on the cause of the outage is going well...

G.rillby lets out a soft groan as he feels hands smoosh him back into place. He did not appreciate a mouthful of soup splashing on him. But the real issue is that the stomach has been getting...sloshier. There’s a thick, bubbling goop that’s started to sit int he space with G.rillby. And it’s taken on a very uncomfortably familiar orange hue. He hopes it has nothing to do with the loss of feeling in his feet.

It’s been a few hours now, and finally, it seems like the castle is functioning as well as it normally does. It seems like the issue of the power is a few blown fuses and some S.watchlings have been sent out to get the right parts. That lets S.watch take his place behind the counter of the cafe again. His gut squelches as it presses against the counter and he burps softly again. He’s been awfully gassy as of late. He gives a few pats to his stomach. “Settle down, G.rillby. I’m sure the power will be on again soon.”

A few hours ago, news like that would have been a relief to G.rillby. Though, a few hours ago, G.rillby also still had legs. Att his point, they’re little more than a thick, boiling slop churning around him. It makes S.watch’s gut almost resemble a lava lamp, yellow and orange and red colors churning and bubbling around. G.rillby decides he does not like being a lava lamp. The slop is already up to his chest and doesn’t seem to be getting lower. He weakly tries to push around on the stomach walls and get S.watch’s attention. But...

S.watch tries not to blush when a guest comments on the bulges shifting on his stomach. He presses his hands into it, shoving and kneading G.rillby back into place. He quickly stifles a burp into his fist and bows slightly. “It’s nothing to worry about. Just a bit of an...unruly breakfast.”

I am not breakfast, G.rillby wants to say. But S.watch’s shoving has dunked him under the gut slop. He’s thankful he’s able to surface again, but he’s feeling worse for wear. He tries to lift his arm to push around again...but he’s fairly certainly he hears it come free and splash into the slop when he does. How much longer is he going to be here..?

Another couple of hours, it would turn out. The Swachlings came back with the wrong fuses and had to go get the right ones, extending the duration of G.rillby’s stay. S.watch barely noticed how much louder the bubbling in his gut got or the fact that it got rounder...and smaller. He was just focused on getting the power back on and guests settled.

When the lights do finally flicker back on, S.watch puts a hand to his chest and sighs in relief. “Oh, thank goodness. It looks like the power is back on, G.rillby. Are you ready to come out?” He looks down at his stomach, prodding it lightly. The whole thing bubbles and sloshes loudly when his finger sinks into the side. S.watch feels something come up and...

“BRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAP!” With a harsh, wet belch, a bit of smoke puffs out of S.watch’s beak. Something solid flies out and clacks to the counter before him. He gently picks it up, seeing it’s G.rillby’s spectacles, now dripping in a bit of slime. A slight flush crosses S.watch’s cheeks. “...I see...I didn’t realize you’d be booked for an extended stay.” He pats his gut lightly with his other hand, getting a few gurgles in response. At least he’ll keep S.watch warm...

[silverskye13]

Were there any particularly treasured moments in Casting Rain that you were the most excited to see your readers reaction to???

Treasured moments! Hmmm.

To be honest, I get my most excitement out of the Big plot points, high suspense moments. I remember hoping the Downpour scene was scary, and the scene after where Gaster is fighting to protect Grillby.

I remember hoping the scene where Grillby rescues Gaster from Thistle was fraught enough. I really wanted to drive home that what was happening was conventionally heroic [rescuing a friend] but also horrible and tragic, with sacrifices.

I remember hoping the scene where Thistle tries [and fails] to get her revenge made sense, and had enough character development to be thrilling.

But if you're looking for lighter moments: the scene where Gaster, Ammy and Grillby all look at the shooting stars, I was nervous about because I wanted people to like the soft moments. They were so few and far in between, and I hoped people didn't think they were frivolous.

Oh! I know a good one.

The elemental dance was my love letter to everyone who had made ocs and fanart for the fic. I wanted so so badly to show how happy? Excited? Enamored? I was with the community being built around the fic. I wanted to give it a place of honor, and to give back to people who had given me their time and joy and emotional investment. There is something powerful to me about people being willing to sacrifice time, the one resource we all universally have a finite amount to give, to something I've made. I was so excited to, and so dreaded, making that chapter, because I thought the little spotlight wouldn't do my feelings on it justice. I still think it falls short. But I tried very hard, and I remember people being so excited to see their characters in a fic they enjoyed, and chatting happily about it with me afterwards, and that brought me a lot of joy :)

[howlsofbloodhounds]

More headcanons bc I said so:

Remember when, during the fight with Cross, his whole body turned orange as a last resort to finish the fight? Yeah, so that glow also burns, meaning that if he touches you in that state, you can get a burn depending on how they touch you and for how long. The adrenaline crash after the fight finishes and they calm down can take them out for a long ass time. And I mean take them down as in they're probably gonna black out and be very faint/physically weak for a few days.

I also think that this glow can be tied to their emotions. I think that whenever they experience intense emotions, their eyes begin to glow, no matter the emotion. The glow can transfer to the rest of his body as well, taking up a lot of energy depending on the reason for the magic disperse. The more emotional he gets, the brighter and more intense the glow is. But that also means the burning can become much more dangerous - especially if he's angry. They sometimes end up hurting people by the burning glow even when they genuinely don't mean to.

Anon, whoever you are, I always adore your headcanons about Delta. Please feel free to send any headcanons, rambles or thoughts you want my way. I’d love to read them.

And I adore this idea. I always liked associating the bravery soul with the element of fire, and so of course, Beta and Delta could possibly develop some fire abilities.

I could imagine many scenarios where Delta has accidentally burned themself or someone else, and times where Color has had to either heal himself (when burned), Delta/Beta, and whoever else might’ve been burned.

I think it’d be cool if Color attempts to teach them some healing stuff, even if the two hardly get a hang of it and struggle with paying attention/staying still for too long. So to compensate for that, Color recommends a lot of high-healing foods and basic first aid, especially those that help with burns/fires.

I’d imagine that Delta doesn’t allow anyone to touch or get near him when he’s really angry, which might be a struggle with Zorox, who’s supposed to help Delta and Beta with things like these. Unless Zorox is somehow a magically resistant/fire proof puppy.

I’d imagine they’d try to learn some things from various Grillbys and other “fire users” throughout the Multiverse as well.

[persi-person]

It’s probably at least a little obvious, but Kindle was inspired by Grillby lol. I’ve always liked elemental characters like him, but I see so few.

Kindle started as a side character I could work on while waiting for my friends to add their own bits to the story (it’s a group project) but I got carried away and now he’s my favourite character lol

[spotaus]

Hello guys! Today I'm posting a super self-indulgent lil drabble based on @ancientschampionau 's RealAge AU! (This is non-canon!! Just a silly concept!!)

This is 90% just me playing around with the idea of the boys story from the perspective of a random monster who lives in town! Light is a flame elemental who runs a small garden of their own, but mostly works for Grillby in his restaurant. They don't know nearly *half* of the gang's story, but they're fascinated by what they do learn over the course of a few weeks.

Uhhh. No proof-reading or anything here since it's just me being silly- Thank you Ancients for not minding me butting my grubby lil hands in and doin a goofy with it!

...

   The day wasn't too busy. At least, it was never too busy in town, but sometimes it got busy in the little restaurant that they called their home away from home. Grillby's was the go-to spot for everyone in town, and some nights they'd have to bring out extra chairs just to seat everyone. Those nights were always the most charming, hearing all the familiar voices of their neighbors rise and fall like waves as they recounted their weeks.

   Of course, Light liked unbusy nights just like this one too. Nights when they only had a few customers getting a drink or a late-night snack before they went home and hit the hay.

   Right now there were just a few regulars who Light recognized. A bird monster, and a dog specifically were sat not far from them on the otherside of the counter. Light was awful with names, but knew that these two were here every night. ...And they knew the two always had some sort of drama they were eager to share. Grillby was less inclined to let them spread rumors in his earshot, but Light was always curious and willing to humor them.

   "Ladies!" Light greeted the pair as they sidled up to the space before them, only the counter separating them. "How're you two doing tonight?"

   Both monsters looked up at the excitable greeting, and they both seemed to perk up a bit at Light's presence.

   "Oh, we're doing just swell, dear." The dog monster replied eagerly, her smile growing a bit. Light didn't miss how their flames reflected and highlighted the Grey that was growing around her muzzle. "We were worried we'd be stuck with your spoil-sport boss all night!" She teased then.

   Light knew everyone was fond of Grillby. He was just likable like that. So when the bird laughed a bit, Light joined in.

   "Hardly! Couldn't imagine a nice night like this without a good chance to hear the tea." Light assured them, which made them perk up even a bit more, "What do you have for me tonight?"

   The ladies looked between eachother, before the bird monster made a little sing-songy whistle. It drew Light's full attention.

   "We have a few newcomers to town!" She chimed, and the dog monster nodded her head in agreement. "They're staying with Sans at the moment. At least, that's what my son says he overheard!" She added. "That boy overheard a phone-call that nice Papyrus boy took from his brother, and it sounded sudden!" She sounded proud.

   Light had to admit, they were surprised. Normally the ladies would tell them of a new batch of sheep brought in or a baby foal being born. On the more exciting days it'd be a scandal having to do with some young strapping man coming to town, but often that just ended up being the plot of a movie they'd watched that day.

   Hearing names, though? Sans and Papyrus lived a little ways away, but Light knew of them. Hell, everyone in town knew them. The ladies had never tried to make a fake story about them, and Light was interested. New people staying in town with the brothers? Light had moved in from the city a few years back and they remembered being lucky they knew people here. If these newcomers were real, they were lucky to have the brothers to watch out for them.

   "New folks you say? Have they been into town at all?" They asked curiously.

   The two ladies shook their heads a bit, "No. Sounded like they just moved a few days ago." The bird monster answered.

   The dog monster leaned forward, "I heard from the grocery that Sans was definitely buying a few extra things, though. Seems like they'll be staying a while." She deduced.

   Light wasn't quite sure how right the ladies were, and they could tell they were going to try and dive into a guessing game that would most likely end up more insulting than insightful, so Light laughed a bit.

   "Well, we'll just have to do our best to make them feel at home, right ladies?" They insisted a bit pointedly, and recieved nods of agreement that Light hoped were genuine.

 

   They sighed, glancing around, already losing their focus as the women started thinking of exactly how many visitors there were, how they knew Sans, why they'd moved. The whole nine yards. And, admittedly, they too were curious. Light imagined they were probably just old friends stopping by to see the town before they headed on their way again.

   It felt like hardly a minute had passed when they felt a hand pat their shoulder. It jolted them from their thoughts, and they realized that Grillby was back. They didn't need him to say anything to know it was getting close to closing time, and they scurried back towards the kitchen so they could start cleaning up for the night. And among their chores, the thoughts of newcomers in town faded, overlapped by just how many dishes they had piled up.... curse their laziness.

.

.

.

   It'd been a month or two since the ladies in the restaurant had brought up Sans' new house-mates. At first Light had been sure they were temporary, but the assumptions of them staying seemed to be true. Light had heard just about every update on them directly from the ladies, anytime Grillby gave them the chance to ask.

   Apparently it was five new skeleton monsters, all of them staying with Sans. Or, Crop. They were calling him Crop now, something about skeleton naming conventions. Four of them were adult guys, and from what Light had been told, they were a bit imposing. The fifth, though? A babybones. From what they'd heard, it was a little boy that the four adults had showed up with. That kid seemed to be their pride and joy, and maybe even what brought them to stay with Crop.

   Light had seen a few of them out in town a few times, just in passing. The one with the hole in his skull was the first one they'd spotted out in the wild, helping Crop with errands. Then there was the one with the dark magic leaking from his sockets. His soul being on display was a bold choice, but Light hadn't had much time to oogle him, as he'd just been walking out of the market as Light was walking in.

   They heard a rumor about the one that always seemed serious, a red scar under one of his sockets, but Light hadn't had the opportunity to spot him yet, and they'd seen the babybones across the street once, tucked in the arms of the one who always seemed to wear a hood.

   Light really didn't like to pry into people's private lives, but there was just so much talk swirling around that it was hard to not get at least a hint of new news daily. Like, when they were shopping for a new shirt (they ripped their old one trying to climb up a tree and grab a piece of their laundry that had escaped the drying rack) they heard the shop-owner talking about how adorable the new little family in town was to the person in-line before them. When they were hanging out with some pals, their buddy said the hooded one had fixed his janky-ass cash register in just a few minutes. That thing had been broken longer than Light was in-town! And just lately they'd heard that Gerson was giving all of them high-praises.

   Of course, it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. No one knew where they came from, and they didn't tell either. Some people were weary, monsters with injuries like those? With the tired looks on their faces when they weren't really thinking about it? Monsters like that surely spelled trouble... but Light wasn't there to judge. They felt like an outside observer just piecing things together haphazardly as new information was thrown their way.

   ...and then they broke their lights.

   Okay, in their defense it wasn't actually the lights themselves. Something in the wiring had fucked up while they were at work, and they came back to a pitch-black farmhouse and a shitty housemate who'd scared the hell out of them by jumping out from under the table as they passed by.

  

   N, their awful (or Funny, as she'd put it) housemate had apparently gotten back from her own work and found the house like that, and she'd changed out all the lightbulbs before sunset. But, they didn't keep matches. Or lanterns, really. And she didn't know where to find the flashlight or her phone in the pitch black, so she'd decided waiting in the dark for her walking-torch of a friend to return was the best plan.

   And, apparently, N had somewhere to be in the morning, but she'd already phoned in an electrician to come figure out where things had gone wrong and fix it by the time Light was awake to find the note she'd left about it. Joyous day, Light loved those electricians. Not.

.

   One dreamless sleep and a tired morning. Light was in the kitchen, dressed in their work uniform and tiredly shoving a piece of fresh cantaloupe in their mouth, when their door knocker banged against the wood of the front door.

   Weird, the electricians always dragged their feet. One glance at their phone revealed that this one was only a few minutes behind schedule.

   They wandered to the door, gulping down their hasty breakfast before swinging the door open, and-

   That was not a big city electrician. That was, in fact, the new guy in town with the hood that fixed Gerson's, like, entire house. Wow. Light wasn't expecting him, N could've at least warned them!

   "Oh, good morning!" They unwittingly shifted gears, turning up their energy levels a bit, as to be welcoming. "I'm guessing my friend N called you about our electricity issue?" They questioned, holding the door open.

   It felt like they towered over the skeleton. They couldn't see his eyelights from under his hood, but he seemed tired and slouched. Unenthused to be here at the very least, and at the most he seemed deeply offended by having to stand on Light's rickety old porch. His vibe check was not passing.

   "Mm, yeah. Something about the wiring." He confirmed, seemingly begrudgingly. His voice was a little... quiet? That could've just been Light, though. They were used to the loud hollers of country-folk these days.

   Light sighed in exasperation. "Yep! I'm sure she probably told you all about it, but the entire lighting set-up went dark yesterday while we were both at work." They agreed, stepping to move out of the entrance to their house, "Come on in, I'm sure you'll know better than either of us did."

   The guy slipped in past them with a slight hum of confirmation, and Light noticed the toolbox clutched in one of his hands.

   They trailed him after closing the door, and watched as he honed in on the nearest light-switch. Unsurprisingly he toggled it, clicking the switch on. Off. On. Off again.

   Something felt a bit surreal. Light was convinced this guy and the other folks Crop was hosting were something like a urban legend, or a celebrity. They'd never been so close to them, and maybe it was a bit silly of them that they'd thought the guys were so imposing. I mean, this guy was in their house, and in just a few minutes he reminded Light more of a wet cat than anything the rumors about him or his friends had conjured up.

   He seemed tired, and he did everything with this off-putting systematicness. He'd seemed fine with Light trailing him through the house, pointing out where the wiring went and connected and which switches did what. It'd just given them more of a chance to observe him.

  

   In hindsight that was a little weird, but Light wasn't exactly the most normal monster in the world, so whatever.

   But truly. This guy seemed small, and a bit thin compared to the others they'd seen from afar. He was ultra quiet, probably the quietest person in town, and even though Light never saw his eyelights, it constantly felt like they were the one being scrutinized, and not the other way around.

   And, just like that, the skeleton had hummed and begun unscrewing a lightswitch plate just outside of N's room. Light watched curiously as he peeled the old cover back from the switch, and he poked at something with a nod to himself.

   "The wires here are frayed, messed up the circuit." He voiced, and his words made Light jump a bit. The only sound for at least 15 minutes had been their steps and the crackling of Light's flames.

   "Oh, seriously?" They asked meekly, seeing as he was already pulling some stuff out of his tool kit. Wires, it looked like. Maybe electrical tape too?

   "Yeah. Rat probably chewed through it." Was all he responded with, and Light was once again left in that silent gap as they watched him work. And he was skilled, that was for sure. Light had half expected him to dismiss them so he could fuck around for an hour to waste their time like the city electricians used to, but in about 5 minutes flat he had the wires attached, and in a few more minutes the cover was screwed back in place.

   A simple flick of the switch had the hall lights on in a split second. The shadow that fell on his skull darkened, but Light was too busy being impressed by his handiwork.

   "Holy shit, they don't even flicker anymore!" They said in mild amazement, missing as the skeleton packed his supplies back up and seemed already prepared to go.

   He led the charge back to the door, double-checking each light as they went, but they all worked better than ever now.

  

   "Here, your pay!" Light suddenly broke their silence, digging into their pocket before producing a roll of cash that N had left behind. "Thank you for the help, man." They added, though they swallowed their need to offer him a cup of coffee or a quick snack. It seemed to them he wasn't compelled by the need for a classic southern-farewell.

   He plucked the cash from theur hand, slipping it into a pocket on just jacket with a mumbled 'No problem.' before he was already on his way back out the door.

   Thirty minutes or so, that was really all it had taken. He was like a spectre, in and out in near complete silence. Not abrasive, but not friendly... cautious? Yeah. In hindsight he did seem cautious.

   Light decided in that moment that they'd be asking Grillby to give that man and his friends a discount the next time they stopped in.

.

.

.

   They were really moving into Gerson's old farm. Light hadn't seen that one coming in the slightest, but when Dani had driven past them with a load of lumber in her truck, with another few following her, Light had realized they were heavily out of the loop.

   Luckily for them, their boss knew what was going on already, and he was already telling them before they got two steps in the door with the latest crate of their supplies.

   "A delivery?" Light questioned the fire monster as he heated the crate out of Light's grasp. Light was young and spry, but Grillby was miraculously strong.

   They eyed him curiously, eyes skimming his flames, listening to the crackling pops that danced away from him. Was he really...?

   "Gerson's old place? Those guys really moved in there?" They questioned, though they knew that Grillby wasn't one for gossip. He was dead serious when he said he needed them to run an order out to the place.

   Apparently, Ellie had insisted Grillby contribute to their little gathering, celebrating the new neighbors and helping them settle in for good. Of course, he'd obliged, but he didn't want to leave the restaurant unattended for too long. So, Light would be taking the orders that way instead.

   "Alright, okay!" They laughed a bit as Grillby nudged them using the crate in his arms. All the supplies were stacked out back, and it seemed all the food was ready in the kitchen.

   Light gathered the food carefully, stacking it securely in their passenger's seat as Grillby kept moving in and out of the building, each time with another load of supplies.

   And then they were off. With only a slight detour past their own place, they made it no problem to the place they were meant to be.

   ...Luckily, the crowd wasn't big, and it wasn't hard to find a place to park on the driveway. Light could see a small group gathered in front of the building, and found that a few more were already on their way back to theur trucks. The Sun wasn't quite setting, but Light hoped they hadn't taken too long.

  

   Swinging out of the driver's side, they rounded to the passengers and gathered the food along their arms... having four sure did help them with the load.

   They kicked the door of their truck shut and moved as hurriedly as they could towards a familiar bunny monster. She and her partner were the only reason they were out here.

   "Food delivery, still warm!" Light called out when they got close enough that it felt appropriate. Only once a few faces had turned did they grin and continue, "Fresh from Grillby's, he sends his regards to our new neighbors!"

   One of the few of the group that was gathered was that skeleton with the magic leaking from his eyes. Light had, once, wondered whether they were tears but had since dismissed that idea. He always wore a wicked grin whenever they crossed paths.

   It was that skeleton and Ellie who approached them, breaking off from the little group who'd seemingly been helping out. Though, Light suspected by now that it might've become a social hour as the sun kept dipping lower.

   "Huh, today is just full of pleasant surprises," the skeleton voiced as he got within rang to stop and stand before Light, "And to think this is just in time for dinner. Now Horror won't have to cook!" He... seemed to be thinking aloud.

   Ellie came up beside him, smiling at Light, "Oh I was worried that stubborn monster wouldn't send anything at all!" She voiced, "Thank you, Light, for bringing all this up here." She was already moving forward, and Light let her scoop one of the covered plates off their arm.

   "It's no trouble at all. Least I can do to return the help is ferry some food to you hard-workers." They replied easily, though they didn't miss how the skeleton was looking at them now.

   I mean, he'd been looking before, but now Light felt that same weird feeling of being watched as they had at their house. A glance revealed that the skeleton had an eyebrow quirked at them.

   "Return the help?" He questioned idly.

   Oh, right, "Yeah! Your hooded friend was a big help to me a few weeks back. Fixed up my house's entire lighting circuit in a fraction of the time the city folks usually take." They said honestly, "But, based on what I've heard I'm probably not the first one to say that." They laughed a bit.

   The skeleton seemed to relax a little. When had he even tensed? Light hadn't noticed there was any tension in his form until his shoulders slumped a bit.

   "Ohhhh, right. Geez, Dust's met half this town and doesn't tell us anything." He mused. Light just tried to file away that the hooded one was Dust. "Well, speaking of Dust, he's probably already inside with the others." He said then, tilting his head towards Ellie, "You mind fielding the rest of these guys? Meet us back inside for dinner?"

   Ellie assured this guy that she could handle it and passed off the plate she'd taken to him.

   Light wasn't exactly informed on what was happening, but the skeleton just nodded for Light to follow him, and they did.

   They passed the last few folks catching up and cleaning in the lawn before climbing some steps onto a porch. Then the skeleton swung the door open, and Light slipped in behind him easily. It felt like any other delivery to any other residents of the town. Familiar and practiced, even though they'd never even gone past the drive on this old property.

   Inside the house was a bit barren, and pretty quiet, but that serenity only lasted for a few seconds before there was a call from the skeleton who led them inside.

   "Guess who brought back the grub?" He called, recieving various voices hissing the name 'Killer' in various levels of frustration to his calling.

   Light traveled into a separate area, a kitchen/dining room it seemed, following Killer with the meal, and they suddenly understood why they had so much.

   Sat and stood in the space were the other three skeletons who'd moved in, along with Crop, Straw, and Dani. It felt like a family-reunion of sorts. The skeletons all seemed to be leveling Killer with frustrated and exasperated looks as he sauntered inside and set his one plate on the table before him.

   "Killer, you gotta be more careful, Night was trying to get in a nap." Scolded one of them quietly, the one with the red scar under his eye.

   And stood in the doorway, Light spotted exactly what he was talking about. Killer moved quick to approach the hooded skeleton, Dust, and Light initially missed what was curled up in Dust's lap. No, not what. Who.

   There, tiredly blinking up towards the approaching Killer, was the babybones. He looked so comfy tucked in Dust's arms, and Light didn't envy him when Killer leaned and gently poked at one of his cheeks. "Sorry tiny boss, but we've got dinner to eat." He seemed to quietly amend as the little guy seemed unphased by the prodding.

   Light had been a bit shell-shocked. Maybe it was the kid being so cute? Maybe it was exhaustion from a long day? Most likely it was just that they felt like a bit of an intruder on a nice family meal. Like there was an invisible wall separating them from the fondness permeating in the room.

   Of course, that wasn't the case, and their arms were still keeping a few plates Wirth of food warm as they stood idly by. Watching as the room seemed to grow warmer at the presence of the babybones reawakening.

   "Oh, Light! Should've known Grillby wouldn't come himself." They were jolted out of their thoughts by Crop. He acknowledged them, which brought a lot of eyes directly onto them. They hoped their flames didn't burn brighter in embarrassment.

   They took a few steps inside, which brought them to just before an open seat at the table. "Great to see you again, Crop! You know how he is anymore about leaving the place un-manned." They voiced, trying to shake the gazes they could feel digging into them as they expertly laid the plates across the dinner table, sliding a few down the way with a practiced arm. "Besides, I would've been bummed if I hadn't gotten to greet the newly-moved in folks properly!"

   They stepped back once the food was all arranged, but finally took a moment to meet the stares watching them. Killer seemed unbothered, already moving to sit. Dust would've likely been uninterested, but Light could see how the little one was staring at them. And the other two? The big one was alright. He didn't seem to mind once Crop had greeted them, but the one with the scar still seemed weary.

   "Of course, I'll get out of your guys' hair so you can eat, but I heard people were bringing gifts, and my farm's not in season right now, so I had to improvise a bit." They said with a nervous grin as they popped open their inventory. A moment later, a simple black vase settled in their hands, and the room was lit up just a bit more.

   They hadn't expected the surprised hum of surprise from one of the skeletons.

   "Are those flowers, but on fire?" He asked, and Light caught that it was the one with the scar. They hoped that meant they could woo him a bit and make things less awkward.

   "Basically!" The agreed. "Flame flowers, they're my speciality item I grow in my garden. They'll keep burning as long as you leave them in the sun and don't water them." They explained, before holding the little bundle of them out above the table. "They're non-flammable and the flames don't get hotter than an average spring day. The vase is stone too, better for them to last longer." They almost got lost in a rant about how exactly the plant worked, but reigned it in as they realized just how long they'd been talking.

   "Mm, they seem pretty neat. Thank you." Came the voice of the one with the hole in his skull. "Would ya mind setting them on the counter there?" He gestured towards the counter behind them, and as they turned to place them, they realized Dani had begun talking about something. Maybe them, even? But they'd overstayed their welcome.

   Dani or Ellie would get the plants back to them to get back to Grillby's, they knew that much.

   They passed Ellie on their way out, only exchanging quick pleasantries before they split ways. The lawn was dark now, vacant besides Light's glow against the grass abd trees, abd their truck was the last one, parked a few paces from Crop and Dani's trucks.

   They stopped by the restaurant to check in on Grillby, but he dismissed them for the night, so they simply went home. But, those guys... something about them was oddly familiar. Or, oddly unfamiliar? They couldn't place it, not with words, but all that really mattered was that they seemed to really have found a home here, just like Light had.

   The town, with its many faults and troubles, seemed to attract the strangest people to call it home. That's what it was meant for though, right? This town looked out for its own. Maybe that was why it felt so right to have those five skeletons now living up on that previously vacant plot after so long.