#i know everyone needs to get their bag but fuck dude how many bubble style frog stickers does etsy need

[isa-ah]

here's what it is I think. it's so hard to just enjoy stupid shit anymore bc it's all so commercialized. commodified. we couldnt just enjoy frogs and mushrooms- I have to see 30 posts a day that are reblog bait for people's Etsy collections of pride colored mushroom themed frogs. we couldn't take away anything of weight from be gay do crime, instead I have to see it slapped onto every conceivable piece of merchandise in every font under the sun, for years on end. it's not fun anymore. it makes me hate things I used to enjoy.

[wonderlustlucas]

jack pot ; part 3 - hwang hyunjin

⇢ prompt You know it’s bad when you’re high as a kite and he’s still on your mind. ⇢ pairing hwang hyunjin x female reader ⇢ word count 6.4k ⇢ genre fluff & angst (not heavy, just in a slow burn kind of way) ⇢ warnings (18+) drug use, a suggestive make out & the mention of a boner twice maybe ⇢ summary College is a matter of working hard and playing hard. It’s an opportunity to start fresh, to grow as an individual and to blossom with those you befriend. People come and people go, leaving their mark on your life and showing you all the parts of becoming an adult. Some, however, do more than leave their mark. Some take just as much as they give. Things become complicated once they take the entirety of your love because you outright offered it to them.—college!au ; stoner!au ; friends to lovers!au ⇢ a/n AAAAAAAA omg im so excited to post this, this by far is my fav part of jack pot & i cant wait to hear what u all think!!! sorry its a bit shorter than the other parts, & technically this is the *last* part, but there will be an epilogue where you will see how everything comes to be!!!! have fun reading!!! <3

⇠ part 2

five.

“Oh, fuck, he’s good,” Yeji gasps, shoving her phone into Maddie’s hands before faceplanting into the table.

“Are you H-T-T-P because I’m colon-slash-slash without you,” Maddie reads with a chuckle, thumbs hesitating over the keyboard. “Quick, YN, look up some pick-up lines.”

Closing the tab on the article you should be reading but has been long forgotten, you promptly do as you are told and open the first link from your search, Minho and Jisung leaning in to help. “There,” Jisung stops you, pointing to one, “’Are you a parking ticket? Because you have fine written all over you.’”

The table can’t help but burst into laughter at such a sentence. It’s stupid, but ever since Yeji and Kim Sunwoo began texting, their conversations have been full of tacky puns and emoji-filled compliments.

“Damn,” Maddie whistles, setting the phone back into Yeji’s limp hand, “he’s already typing back.”

“Gross,” Ryujin teases, busy typing away on her laptop. How she manages to multitask so well is a skill you certainly lack. “Why don’t you just like, I don’t know, ask him out?” Jisung asks and when you glance up, he’s looking at you. “Because that’s the guy’s job,” Maddie quickly saves the day, winking to you when you send her a grateful smile.

“Bullshit,” Jeongin scoffs. Everyone, even Ryujin, stops to look at him.

Did he just curse?

“I mean, like,” he stammers, cheeks turning rosy at all the attention, “it’s 2020. Guys have insecurities, too.”

“I agree,” Minho hums, looking to Maddie with hearts in his eyes, “that kind of confidence is enough to make any boy fall in love.”

“Yeah, but—”

Lia rebuts, but your attention quickly falls elsewhere when a text message first appears on your laptop, then your phone.

hwang hyunjin🦔🕺🏻💞🧻 [now] Where r u rn?

Unable to fight your smile, you quickly type back.

[3:39 PM] YN: outside hollin st café [3:39 PM] YN: why? :)

“Have you seen their new house, YN?” Minho asks, prompting you to click your phone off and set it back on the table. “Whose house?”

“Changbin’s parents.”

“Oh,” shaking your head, you distantly curse Chan for keeping your friend busy today. Unlike Jisung, Changbin likes to write lyrics and do whatever other music stuff during the day at a normal time instead of the middle of the fucking night while stoned and trying to finish his computer science assignments at the same time. “No, he forgot to send me pictures.”

“Dude,” Jisung sighs dreamily, “it’s huge. So nice. I think the front door alone could cover tuition.”

“Is it really that nice?” Maddie asks in awe.

“He started to show me pics the other day but couldn’t finish but the kitchen… unnecessary,” Ryujin quips, pausing her work to check her phone. “Yeah, it’s insane. The whole place is unnecessary but the kitchen is like, a house in itself,” Jeongin hums, head shaking in disbelief.

“Damn, now I really want to see it,” you sigh, making a mental note to hunt Changbin down so he can show you. “It’s like Hyunjin and his rings,” Minho snickers, “he has so many. Whenever we’re out, if he sees a ring, boom. It’s his.”

Well, he’s not wrong but… You bite your tongue no matter how badly you wish to defend Hyunjin and his affinity for rings and jewelry in general. The boy has taste, what can you say? You certainly are not complaining about Hyunjin’s long fingers and the way he chooses to decorate them.

“I never thought I’d hear Changbin’s parent’s kitchen be analogous to Hyunjin’s jewelry collection, yet here we are,” Maddie chuckles, leaning over Yeji to peek at her conversation with Sunwoo.

“Wow, speak of the devil,” Jisung pipes up of course as soon as you have reopened the tab to your assignment. Changbin or Hyunjin, you don’t know, head whipping up to find out and a peculiar mix of relief and panic settling over you once you spot the latter. “Uh oh, YN’s gonna go into cardiac arrest.”

As subtly as you can, you elbow Jisung in the stomach and smile at Hyunjin as he nears. “Hey,” keeping his eyes on you, Hyunjin approaches your table and stops behind Maddie opposite from you, “I’m sorry, I should have asked if you were busy.” His cheeks, already flushed, burn pinker once he looks away to smile weakly at everyone else.

“I’m not busy!” You squeak, scrambling to close your laptop and shove it in your bag. “Are you sure? I can come back later?” He offers, tilting his head and this is when you realize he is holding a bubble tea in each hand. And from the looks of it, one seems to be your usual order. “No, she’s not,” Jeongin answers for you, recognizing your stupefied expression.

“I was just – yeah. No,” rushing to stand and swing your legs out around the bench, you nearly fall flat on your face, “I wasn’t doing anything, actually.” Steadying yourself with a hand on Minho’s shoulder, you heave a labored breath before carefully walking to meet Hyunjin.

“Okay,” he beams, either oblivious to how flustered you are or simply choosing to ignore it. Turning to wave to your friends, he hands you one of the cups and you realize it is, in fact, your favorite boba. Oh boy. “See ya later,” you wave to them as well, nose wrinkling when both Jisung and Maddie wink in return.

Following after Hyunjin, you finally allow yourself to take notice of his attire and can’t help but feel confused. He looks good. And not in the good attractive way—he always looks good. But good as in formal. It’s four o’clock on a Tuesday in October and he’s out here looking as if he just got out of a business meeting. White button-down tucked into fitted black slacks, dress shoes, black tie, and he even has a black suit jacket draped over his arm. His hair is styled, too; ever since he dyed it back to black, he’s been growing it out long enough for his bangs to cover his eyes. Now, however, it’s parted down the middle and seems as if he’s ever so slightly curled it away from his face.

Suddenly, you feel ridiculous walking beside him in mom jeans and a baggy sweatshirt from high school.

“Thanks for the boba,” you mumble around your straw, brain still preoccupied trying to get over how utterly handsome he is. “Why do you look so fancy?”

The side of his mouth twitches up at your words, but his eyes stay glued to the sidewalk as you continue to your unknown destination. “I had an audition,” Hyunjin admits, voice devoid of emotion as if it’s not important at all. “An audition?” You echo. “Why do you sound so not super mega excited? How did it go? What was it for?”

“Well—”

“Wait!” You interrupt, stopping your walk once you realize he had an audition and you didn’t know. “You had an audition? What – why didn’t you tell me?”

Hyunjin frowns, avoiding your gaze and dragging his bottom teeth over his top lip. “I didn’t tell anyone,” he finally says before reaching for your hand and tugging you away from the walkway and into your campus’ main courtyard. “Why? Is it some sort of secret or something, Hyunjin?” You scoff, sounding way more annoyed than you intended. But you are annoyed; why didn’t he want to tell anyone?

“No,” he sighs, finding an empty area in the grass and lowering himself to sit, “I just… didn’t want anyone to know. Didn’t want to make it a big deal.”

“Hyunjin,” you sigh, visibly softening for him and settling down next to him, crisscrossing your legs, “it is a big deal. I don’t know what it’s for, but if it’s important enough for you to audition, then it’s important to us, too. You don’t need to be humble twenty-four-seven, you know. I’m sure you could have used our support.”

“I didn’t get it, though,” Hyunjin whispers, “they just – I didn’t get in. I wasn’t good enough.” Sensing the sadness in his voice, you find a lump forming in your throat when you notice the way his bottom lip trembles. “Hey,” panicking, you set your boba down and sit up on your knees to wrap your arms around him, cradling his head into your chest once tears start falling, “no. Don’t ever say you’re not good enough, Hyunjin.”

“But if I did better, practiced more, than I would—"

“Stop,” you hush, combing your fingers through his hair and brushing strands away from his eyes, “I’ve never met someone who works as hard as you do. You can’t beat yourself up over this. Everything happens for a reason. You don’t know what could have happened if you got in. You could have hurt yourself eventually, or maybe met someone who’s a real asshole.”

“Yeah,” is all he says, quiet and muffled when he turns to press his forehead into your sternum, body still trembling as he lets out all his tears. You stay like that for a while, holding him against you and soothing a hand up and down his back until his sniffling falls quiet. “Listen,” you finally sigh, grabbing him by the shoulders and pulling him back. Your heart sinks once you take in the wet trails down his cheeks and the puffiness of his eyes. “Forget about it. Was it something for dance?”

When he nods subtly, you cup his face in your hands and swipe his cheeks with your thumbs. “You are an amazing dancer, Hyunjin. You can’t let this get to your head. And I don’t want you working your ass off more than you do already. Practice makes perfect, sure, but you need to rest. What about the idea Changbin came up with?”

“The YouTube thing?”

“Yes! Filming dance tutorials or just posting your routines is a really good idea,” you remind him, wiping your hands on your jeans once he falls back onto the grass with a gentle thud, hair flaying around him like a halo. Your limbs twitch with the urge to lie beside him, maybe throw an arm around him and rest your cheek on his chest, fingers tracing the soft features of his face, stroking through his hair and reminding him just how innately perfect he is, inside and out. You, of course, resist such a temptation, flopping down beside him and staring up at the clouds with a heavy heart.

“I could do that. Maybe,” Hyunjin huffs. Tilting your head to look at him, you find yourself knee-deep in that familiar longing feeling, pausing simply to appreciate how pretty he is in the evening sun, cheeks rosy from crying and hair begging to be touched. Shaking your head to rid such daydreams, you remind yourself how fragile his emotions are right now. Now is no time to get caught up on a fantasy. Reaching for your tea, you lean up on an elbow and redirect your gaze to the trees, the promise of winter having turned what was green burnt sienna and butterscotch, leaving trees barren and branches swaying gently in the crisp breeze that leaves you curling into yourself. “You should,” you hum, distant, mind clawing to come up with the words you want to say.

“Come here,” Hyunjin says now, voice stronger than before and when his hand wraps gently around your wrist, you can’t find it in yourself to resist. Allowing him to pull you back down beside him, you curl into his side, resting your head a safe distance away from his own and onto the curve of his arm. “Thank you for being so good to me,” he expresses. You squeeze your eyes shut when the arm you lie on wraps around your shoulders and pulls you substantially closer. “I need to tell you something.”

A long stretch of silence falls upon you and for a moment, you are unsure the words even left your mouth. What are you thinking?

“Wait! I have something first,” Hyunjin sighs, missing the way your breath hitches. “Okay,” you whisper, fiddling with one of the buttons on his shirt and focusing all your attention there.

“I just – I think… I owe you an apology,” he finally says, “I need to apologize for something that I did a while ago that I know probably hurt.” Your chest tightens. There’s a lot that has hurt you when it comes to Hyunjin, but none that he’s done purposely. None that are his fault. None that he should be apologizing for.

“I feel like we came to some mutual understanding to not mention what happened when we were freshmen, but it kills me to know that – that something happened, and we never talked about it,” Hyunjin starts, grip tightening on your shoulder and suddenly, you think you are dreaming. This cannot possibly be real. “I know it was awkward but, I also know me and Yiren dating was… ah. I don’t know.”

When he falls silent, you are unsure of what to say or do. You have no idea what the end goal of this conversation is. Hardly a minute ago, your heart and your brain decided it was time to tell him. Now, you’re not so sure you can do that until he finishes, and you are not about to give him your two cents if his reasoning for bringing it up is not the same as yours.

“I just want to apologize for not being brave enough to talk to you about it. I know I was confused, but I’m sure it was worse for you when they told you about her,” Hyunjin continues, sensing your rendered silence, “and it’s been so long since that happened, and now, you’re one of my closest friends.” Ouch.

“But I’ve been thinking,” when he picks up again, your eyes fly open in a panic. He’s been thinking. Hyunjinhas been thinking. You think you are going to pass out. “And I just feel like we… me and you, I mean—"

The standard iPhone alarm blares from beside you, promptly cutting him off and you think it is the biggest cockblock known to man. “Shit,” he hisses, leaning up to tug his phone from his pocket and in the process nudging you from your comfortable position. Sitting back up, nerves aflame and heart racing, your brows shoot up in confusion when all he does is stare at the number calling him. “What are you doing?”

“It’s the studio I was just at,” he scoffs in disbelief, barely glancing at you before looking back to his phone. You have never wanted to shrivel up and die as much as you want to right now. “Well? Aren’t you going to answer?”

Hyunjin makes a noise of acknowledgement before tapping the green icon and bringing the phone to his ear. “Hello?”

Sitting quietly beside him, you watch with a forced smile as his hummed responses and subtle nods morph into enthusiastic laughs and wide, beaming smiles. Hyunjin notices your confusion when you tilt your head, mouthing a ‘What?’ to him.

“They made a mistake,” he whispers, covering the speaker of his phone, “read off the wrong Hwang. I’m in.” When he grins excitedly at you, your response isn’t as cheerful as it could be. As it should be. “Yay!” You whisper, clapping gently but quickly turning to your boba when the other line begins speaking again. Looking away, you take a hefty sip, nearly choke on a tapioca ball, and build the walls around your heart up all over again in a matter of seconds.

“I’ve gotta go,” whispering, you manage one more pained smile before getting to your feet and wiping your butt of any possible grass stains, “good luck!” When he shines you one more breathtaking smile and waves excitedly, you hastily head in the other direction, wrapping your arms around yourself and swallowing past the lump that threatens to form the farther you walk.

It must be nice, you think, frantically wiping at your waterline. Must be nice to put yourself out there and have things work out the way you want them to. Must be nice being told you’re ‘in,’ you’re wanted, you’re desired.

It must be nice.

six.

Pick up food, you said. Ask Jisung, you said.

Your conscience is a big fat oompa loompa ass bitch. You would have never called Jisung to ask him if he wanted anything from Taco Bell if you knew he was with Changbin. And not just Changbin, you realized four minutes into your call; Seungmin and Hyunjin, too. Apparently he went over their place to record, or something, and didn’t care to let you know. Not that you’re his mom and he has too—but it would have been nice, and would have saved you from spending almost fifty dollars at Taco Bell.

“I tried calling Jisung but he didn’t answer,” you snap once Seungmin answers your call with a muffled hello. “Can one of you please come out and help me carry this in?” You glance at the five large sodas and two bags full of food in your passenger seat with a grimace. “Sure,” he agrees and you make a mental note for the umpteenth time just how much you love Seungmin, “I’ll be out in a sec.”

True to his word, you spot him making his way out of their apartment and across the small courtyard to meet you by your car not even a minute later, hauling each bag under his arms. “Thank you,” left only with the cupholder, you hurriedly lock your car and follow after him. “No problem. Thanks for being our Uber Eats,” then, pursing his lips, “how much was this?”

“Forty-seven something,” you grumble unhappily, knowing this was a big hit to your debit. “We’ll pay you back, don’t worry,” Seungmin smiles, leading you up the final flight of stairs and kicking open the ajar door.

Immediately, you’re hit with the smell.

“Dear, fucking hell,” making a face, you rub your nose to keep from sneezing, “it reeks in here. How have you guys not been kicked out yet?”

The stench of weed generally does not bother you anymore, but still—they could light a candle, or something. Seungmin shrugs, setting the bags down on the kitchen counter. “Luck, I guess.”

“IS THAT YN?” From another room, you hear Changbin shout, followed by an excited shriek from Jisung. “They’re high. Very high. You’ve been warned,” Seungmin whispers just as tweedle dee and tweedle dum themselves come flying around the corner. “YN!” Jisung grins, engulfing you in a dramatic hug. “Watch,” you hiss, regarding the blunt held between his fingers that comes dangerously close to your hair.

“Sorry,” he smiles, then, without warning, sticks the thing right between your lips. “I didn’t even offer.” Well, when life gives you lemons…

You hesitantly take the hit and blow the smoke away from him. You weren’t planning on getting high today, but here you are. “Thanks,” shaking your head as if that will clear it, you turn to Changbin and snugly wrap your arms around him. Every day you thank the heavens that he is a chill, calm high, unlike your maniac of a roommate.

“Thanks for the food,” fishing into his pockets and pulling out a crumpled ten-dollar bill, he slaps it into your palm. You only hum in reply, shoving it into your own pocket and praying you don’t lose it before you remember to put it in your wallet. “Where’s Hyunjin?” You ask, no longer caring about being slick.

“In his room,” Seungmin answers, rummaging through the bags to find what he ordered. Then, “HYUNJIN!” You jump, reaching for your soda and standing away from the other three until they have claimed whatever belongs to them. No sooner than Seungmin calls for him, you hear a door being cracked open and out comes Hyunjin.

He looks extremely disheveled. Like, just woke up from a two-month hibernation, disheveled. In the blink of an eye, however, he rakes a hand through long blonde hair and promptly sets a baseball cap backwards to keep the strands away and suddenly, he doesn’t look so disheveled anymore. You force yourself to look away, cursing the way your gut twists.

“Gimme my crunchwrap,” you say around your straw, snatching the blunt from Jisung’s fingers and moving around him to fetch your dinner. He doesn’t even protest.

He knows you need it more than he does.

“That’s a lot of food,” Hyunjin says once he has finally entered the kitchen, voice groggy and eyes puffy from sleep. Or from being high, you can’t tell. Pressing his chest to your back, he wraps one arm around you to keep you against him while the other reaches into a bag to take what’s his. Swallowing past the desert dryness of your throat, you manage a thick inhale from the blunt before tilting your head to look at him and mentally thanking the other three for taking it as their cue to head out.

“Not my fault you guys eat like animals,” you chuckle shakily, trying to ignore the firmness of his body against yours, veins prominent on the arm that holds you against him and the ripple of muscle along his abdomen noticeable even through his shirt and yours. Dear god, it is too early for this. Not even seven o’clock and you are already drooling in more places than one.

Hyunjin pouts as if it is not true. “How much do I owe you?” He asks, finally moving away to grab his drink and you can’t help your disappointment, quickly finishing the blunt before tapping it out into one of the many ashtrays. “Don’t worry about it,” you wave off, digging through their drawers for a paper plate.

“YN,” Hyunjin deadpans, regarding you with a raised brow once you come up and begin unwrapping your food. You refuse to look him in the eye. “What do I owe you?” He repeats, firmer this time and it sends a chill down your spine when it most certainly should not. Sighing, you retrieve the receipt from your pocket and count everything he got. “Thirteen.”

Humming in content, Hyunjin reaches for his wallet on the counter and pulls a ten and five out. “There,” he beams, tucking the bills into your pocket himself. Rolling your eyes, you pray he does not notice how you flush and hurry out of the kitchen to join Seungmin on the sofa.

“House Hunters?” You ask with a laugh, looking at the TV once you have settled next to him. “I told you HGTV is the best.”

Seungmin hums in agreement. “I thought it was stupid at first, but Hyunjin was watching Fixer Upper and I got addicted,” he says, nodding to the older boy doing a little dance in the kitchen as he eats one of his tacos. Your heart does somersaults at the sight. “They’re all so good,” you agree after taking a few bites of your own food, eyes trained on the television, “House Hunters is a classic, though.”

“I like the international one,” Hyunjin adds on his way over, crashing unceremoniously next to you. Out of the corner of your eye, you notice Seungmin wrinkle his nose when Hyunjin sets his free hand casually on your thigh. “Shh,” he grumbles, vaguely gesturing to the screen and chewing a mouthful of food, “I wanna hear what the house has.”

One episode turns to two, which turns to three, which turns to four, and suddenly you have been watching House Hunters with Seungmin and Hyunjin for almost three hours. It definitely is the weed, always making time perpetually slower, and it did not help when Jisung and Changbin reappeared sometime during your binge with one of Felix’s bongs. Not necessarily how you intended to spend your precious Friday night, but there is no sense in complaining when you are with your buddies and Hyunjin, of course.

Taco Bell long gone, you watch with blurry eyes when Hyunjin gets up from his slumped position against you to head into the kitchen and open the freezer. This, as well as the realization that House Hunters has ended and gone to some other, not-as-cool show, brings both you and Seungmin somewhat back to reality.

“It’s almost ten,” Seungmin announces, staring dazedly at the time on his phone. You hum in acknowledgment, certainly sober enough to reply but simply too lazy to. “I think I’m going to bed. Or play something. Don’t wreck the place,” he sighs, dragging a hand down his face before standing up. “G’night, Minnie,” you smile, watching with a furrowed brow as he continues down the hall and into his room. It isn’t until you hear his door click shut does the weight of being alone with Hyunjin settle on your chest.

It’s not like you haven’t spent time alone with Hyunjin before. In fact, that usually is the way it’s been in the past three years; whether the two of you decided to do your own thing or the rest of your friends eventually left or went to bed, you are used to this feeling. Used to ignoring the butterflies in your gut when he does something particularly cute and used to tampering down the mental images you conjure up knowing it’s just you and him.

But that doesn’t make things any easier. No matter how hard you try, you simply can’t help but feel this way around Hyunjin, especially when you’re alone. That’s just the way the cookie crumbles.

“Whatcha wanna watch?” Hyunjin asks around one last spoonful of ice cream before setting the pint back into the freezer. “Uhh…” You drone, blinking heavily at the TV and back to him as he makes his way back over. “I dunno, I’m sure you’ve been watching some drama. You can put that on.”

“You sure?” He asks with a raised brow, collapsing next to you and slumping dramatically halfway down the cushions. “Yes,” laughing, you find yourself reaching out to tuck messy strands of hair back behind his ear without hesitation, “also, why are you wearing a hat inside?”

Hyunjin pauses, straining to look up as if he will be able to see the back of his cap against his forehead. “I’m wearing a hat?”

“Yes, you idiot,” in comes the endless weed giggles and you find yourself unable to stop laughing, watching with teary eyes as he sits up and takes his hat off. “I don’t remember putting this on,” he chuckles airily, flipping the cap back and forth in his hands before tossing it onto the coffee table. “Should I cut it?”

“No!” You shout a little too quickly and a little too loudly. Shrinking against the arm of the couch, you ignore his amused smile and look to his long hair, freshly bleached strands falling down to his neck and shorter pieces brushing against his cheeks. Fuck, it should be illegal to look this good. “I like it long. It really suits you.”

“It’s annoying,” Hyunjin grins despite his complaint, lifting his legs onto the couch and flopping onto his side, head now resting on your lap. “I don’t know what to do with it.”

Now that he’s offered playing with his hair on a silver platter, you don’t hesitate combing your fingers through it, tugging out pieces stuck under his head and brushing it out completely. “You could pull the sides back,” you hum distantly, separating a section of hair near his temple to pull back, “or make a bun with what you can. You just have to play around with it.”

Humming in agreement, Hyunjin resituates himself after reaching for the remote and switching to Netflix. When you go back to simply raking your fingers from root to tip in irregular directions, you don’t miss the way his eyelids flutter at the motion and make sure to pay extra attention to his scalp. When this turned into a head massage, you’re not entirely sure.

The drama Hyunjin puts on is unbearable. You stopped paying attention a while ago, focusing more on him and how he seems to enjoy it, fingers busy braiding random sections of hair, taking them out, and then braiding them again. With two finally done the way you want them to, you are midway through the third when your fingers begin to cramp up.

“Why’d you stop?” Hyunjin asks seconds after you drop the braid and stretch your fingers out. “Fingers are cramping,” chuckling at the disappointed pout of his lips, you crack what knuckles you can before going back and undoing the unfinished braid. “Oh,” he mutters, cheek still pressed against your leg, “feels good.”

Humming in response, you ignore the way his words make your heart swell and begin gathering all his hair into a ponytail, pressing the braids to lay flat and finally tying it with a hair tie once you have combed up all that you can. Immediately, his bangs and hairs closer to the nape of his neck fall out, leaving the ponytail spikey and messy. At least the braids look good. You can’t help but giggle.

“What?” Hyunjin asks, pausing his show and leaning up. “What’d you do?”

“Go see for yourself,” pointing to the bathroom, you comb out a looped piece of hair before he stands to do just that. His ponytail bobs the entire walk there.

When he reaches the door and flips the light on, you watch from your position as he checks himself out, brushing away his bangs and flicking the pony. You frown when he accidentally yanks at a braid.

“Come here,” you say, sitting up, “you messed up the braid.”

“Honestly,” Hyunjin considers his reflection one last time before skipping his way over, “it doesn’t look half bad.” Expecting him to sit back next to you, your pulse quickens when he anchors a hand to the armrest and leans in front you, only inches away from your face. “No, definitely,” you say once you have gotten over the shock of him being so close so suddenly, “I like it in the ponytail. You’d really impress the girls if you braided your hair yourself.” Reaching up to tuck hair back into the braid and press it down flat once more, you don’t miss the way his brows draw together and lips twitch down. “What?”

Time ceases to exist as Hyunjin begins to come closer. In reality, you know it simply is a matter of seconds, but all of space and time seems to still once he leans forward. It feels as if an eternity goes by, allowing you to count each individual eyelash, memorize the details of his skin, take note of the smoothed lines on his plump lips. The way time slows is cruel; it allows panic to set in, the realization that he most certainly is looming over you with his eyes on your lips sending a spark of excitement and anxiety through your veins.

And then, just as this realization and this panic has set your nerves aflame, a gentle hand comes to cradle your jaw before Hyunjin’s lips press against yours.

It is so easy to surrender to the taste and touch of him. Instantly, an eruption of emotions and thoughts spiraling out of control fills you, yet your brain focuses only on Hyunjin, Hyunjin, Hyunjin. This is not the first time you have kissed him, nor the first time simply having him so close, but the feeling that radiates from your heart outward is unlike anything you have felt before. This is uncalled for. This is not like two years ago. You were not expecting this.

Hyunjin sighs into the kiss when you lean up to loop your arms around his neck. No sooner have you done this, he breaks away to sit beside you once more, hands reaching for your waist and guiding you to sit over his lap.

You could kiss him all day, you think, palms lying flat by his collarbones before fisting the material of his shirt when his tongue prods at the seam of your lips. Blood seemingly coming to a boil and nerves sparking dangerously, you find yourself quickly sobering up as the minutes tick by, completely and utterly addicted to him and this feeling, this feeling you have craved but never crossed the line for. And now, it’s yours to keep.

Forgetting the braids, you seize the opportunity to rake your fingers through his hair. Different, than how you did earlier. Desperate. Combing it away from his face once, twice, swallowing his groans when you tug at the roots, you realize with a whine that his hands have left your face in favor of dragging down your sides, circling back to squeeze at your breasts, rubbing at your thighs and finally sliding back to your ass, situating you more comfortably on his thighs.

When Hyunjin finally breaks the kiss to journey elsewhere, littering chaste kisses across your jaw, below your ear, down your neck, the weight of your actions finally hits you. It is overwhelming, the way you come spiraling back to reality, and you are not sure if the quiet moan that leaves you is due to the press of something else against your thigh or simply the realization that you are making out with Hyunjin.

You have to stop before you get hurt again.

“Hyunjin,” you gasp, shuddering when his soft lips brush against your jaw, “wait. We need to talk.”

He pauses at this, fingers digging into your sides and you feel his frown against your neck. “What’s there to talk about?” He murmurs, arms sliding around you and tugging you closer, prompting you to wrap your arms around his neck and hug him close and pretend like his boner isn’t digging into you.

It’s your turn to frown. “About us,” whispering, you lift one hand to stroke through his hair, “we need to talk about us.”

“I thought my feelings were very clear,” Hyunjin scoffs, all tenderness in his voice gone. Instinctively, you lean back, blinking at him in surprise. “Unless this is just another one of your games? Does this not mean anything to you, YN? I don’t think I could stomach you running off to Changbin or fucking Chan again.”

His words pierce your heart before you have even fully processed them, hurt flashing across your features and your body goes numb. “What?” Is all you can manage, scrambling to get away from him, chest heaving and eyes suddenly burning with the brine of tears. “What are you talking about, Hyunjin?”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about!” He shouts. You flinch, not from the way he raises his voice, but from the genuine sadness in his eyes. “The past three years have been a constant battle with you. We’re best friends, for fucks sake, I figured out a long time ago that you have feelings for me. Feelings more than best friends. Yet every fucking time we started moving in the right direction, you turned your back on me.”

You can do nothing but stand there and let the tears fall. All the words and bottled emotions you wish to say are right there on the tip of your tongue, but you simply cannot bring yourself to voice them. Not when he’s right. Not when you have turned your back on him time and time again.

And then, he hisses more to himself than you, “Is this just sloppy seconds? You never once thought about my feelings in all of this?”

The anger brewing within you suddenly bursts from the dam and hisses through your body like deadly poison. “Sloppy seconds?” You snarl, fists clenching. “Who the fuck do you think you are? Your feelings? You just said you know how I feel about you, so why didn’t you ever do anything about it? How was I supposed to know you felt the same?”

“I thought it was pretty fucking obvious,” Hyunjin spits back, gaze narrowing, “didn’t think I had to spell out the fact that I like you, YN. You’re a smart girl.”

“Do not treat me like a child,” clenching your jaw, you have to look away for a moment, pacing one, two, three steps, hands raking through your hair and wiping away the stream of tears from your cheeks. You have never been filled with such rage. Having finally reached its boiling point, it now consumes you whole, sweeping off in waves and destroying all boundaries. “Confessing is not an easy thing, as you apparentlyknow, so don’t make me seem like the only idiot here. But maybe I was wrong about you if you think of me as just sloppy seconds.”

“I never said that!” Hyunjin barks, standing up to grasp your wrist when you turn away to grab your keys. “Don’t put words in my mouth! I would never, never think of you that way. I just don’t understand why you never spoke up after all this time. I’ve been dying, YN, you have no clue how badly I have been—”

“Oh, believe me, I know,” you snap, yanking your arm away from him, “I told you, Hyunjin. Telling someone you love them isn’t as easy as learning to ride a bike. You’re right, I have turned my back on you. But not intentionally. I’ve been scared, I’m a pussy, whatever.” Biting your top lip as if it will stop the tears that continue to fall freely, you avoid looking at him and glance back to find not only Seungmin, but Jisung and Changbin, too, peeking out from their doors with eyes blown wide with shock. Once you have noticed them, however, they panic and scramble to get out of sight.

Sighing shakily, you look back to Hyunjin and cannot ignore the way your heart sinks at the sight of him. Even upset, he is beautiful. You wonder how much you will see him after this.

“You don’t have to tell me you like me back to make me feel better, Hyunjin,” bouncing on your heels, you suddenly feel exhausted, body and soul heavy with the words you not only spoke, but heard, too. “We can figure this out another day, but for now, I need to go home. I’ll see you.”

Turning away once more, you do not make it very close to the front door before he stops you once more. “Wait, YN,” Hyunjin huffs, smiling softly when he reaches for your hand and you do not pull away. Running his tongue over his lip, he seems to hesitate for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts.

“Did you mean it when you said you love me?”

⇢ epilogue

[simqly-me]

Everybody talks about how great an Avengers reality TV show would be, and I totally agree, but what about an X-Men reality TV show? Like, Charles allows a TV crew to come and record around the school so more kids want to go, and it all goes to complete shit. Like, imagine what they all would be doing

Peter-

He’d be annoying as he possibly could, and prank literally everyone. He’d try to make it look like the worst possible place you could go to. Sometimes Warren would get in on his pranks, unless Kurt found out and forced him out of it. He’d constantly annoy Scott to the point of Scott being completely ready to murder him, and would skip out on all of his chores. They try to get him to stop going on camera, but this little bitch always finds a way. He is super immature, but can act serious if needed. He’d make a bunch of shitty references and play video games all the time. When someone is talking, you can almost always see him doing Fortnite dances in the back for no reason but his own amusement. He plays a bunch of old songs, and is always blasting them, in the middle of the night. Scott almost throws his speakers out the window multiple times. He also has a record player- and he usually plays Queen or some shit. The show has almost gotten copyrighted so many times because of him.

Scott-

Tries to make the school look perfect. Talks about the academics, the clubs, and how everyone is welcome. In a lot of angles, you can see him quietly studying in the background. He introduces the newer kids to the camera crew, and the crew follow him around as he shows them around the school. He’s completely done with Peter’s bullshit. The crew has witnessed him try to laser Peter multiple times, but he only does it because he knows Peter can quickly dodge it. He’s often the subject of Peter’s pranks. Tries to make it look like they live in a safe environment, five minutes later the kitchen and common room are both up in flames, Ororo is trying to put them out with her powers, Jean happens to be the one who started them after Peter pissed her off, Peter’s running around because somehow his jacket caught on fire, Jubilee is bawling her eyes out, Warren is pissing himself laughing, and Kurt’s no where to be seen. He has teleported all the way to Guatemala. He is starting a new life there. He can no longer deal with the constant fear he has living there. Scott is just 320% disappointed with his friends antics.

Jean-

It takes the camera crew a while to find her, sometimes. She tries not to be on it a lot. She usually hides out in the back of the library, studying. She can also be found hanging out with the group, one of the only times she seems content when they film her. She also tries to help a bit with Scott’s cause, that the school is great, but often finds herself listing the shitty parts instead. She sets stuff on fire because of Peter a lot, and is quick to apologize after, begging for forgiveness. She can also be found at the archery range, but they decide not to bother her, as she seems happy and calm and not stressed for once. She’s usually the calmest one, except for one she gets really pissed. Everyone goes to her for advice, and she’s actually insanely trustworthy with information (Well, she has been hearing everyone’s secrets her whole life).

Kurt-

Literally has no idea what is happening. 110% confused he just wants peace and quiet. He was surprised the first time he watched a TV show, and now they’re suddenly in one? And there’s no script? What is he supposed to say?! He goes to Jean for help because he’s kind of embarrassed that he doesn’t get it. Even after getting advice, he’s still really confused. Almost every time the camera lands on him, he teleports away because he’s scared of screwing it up. Warren tries to assure him he’s fine, but he’s still scared as hell. Sometimes the camera crew catch him reacting to things he’s never seen before because of the circus. Jubilee usually is the one introducing him to them. Oh, him and Jubilee watch the Bachelor together. The camera crew find him sleeping all the time. Doesn’t matter where. He is asleep. They do not bother him. The simply get a quick shot, and move on. He’s just an oblivious adorable dork who needs help around things.

Warren-

Having the time of his life. He loves the cameras, because he can say things the whole world can hear. Has criticized his dad multiple times on camera, hoping he would hear it. He gets in on Peter’s pranks a lot and loves pissing people off. He honestly does not give a fuck if people are mad at him because he holds his own opinions. They catch him drunk multiple times, and it’s always fucking hilarious. The flying shots they get of him are pretty cool, too. He’s, surprisingly, apologized on the show about the Apocalypse situation. Acts protective of Kurt, and is almost always seen with him. Warren and Peter hold a love-hate relationship. They make fun of each other a lot, but, they’re kind of best friends. They tell each other almost everything. They’ve been caught smoking on the roof and talking before, and Warren calls him his birth name to annoy him. Warren’s wings are super fluffy, and the whole group seems to think so, because they’re always all up on them. He was caught red-handed one night when they found him with a bunch of conditioner, bringing the entire bag into the bathroom to shower with. He had to admit it then and there- he conditions them in fear of anyone getting hurt because of them. He acts bitchy, but he cares. He was lucky enough to earn their trust in the first place, in his opinion.

Ororo-

She often talks about serious issues on camera, because she finally has the platform to do so. The camera crew comes with her to Black Lives Matter and feminism events. She protests often, and people start to recognize her at the protests because of the show. She sometimes disappears for days to weeks, confusing everyone when she comes back with a group of new mutants. “Found them, adopted them,” Is her only response when questioned. She can be insanely hilarious at times. When she’s super upset, she’ll make it storm for days and lock herself away in her room. One time they recorded her decking a guy for catcalling her, even after she said to go away. Her hair is constantly changing, and nobody knows how. She’ll not leave the mansion at all and one moment she has this hair style, the next she’ll have a different one.

Jubilee-

Literally ecstatic about the cameras. Bubbly the whole time, she’ll bounce around and show the camera’s her favorite areas of the school. She rants about the most random shit on camera, and at random times will shout herself out. ‘Follow me on Instagram @-’ ‘My Twitter is-’. She’ll talk about her favorite shows and her dreams and such, and she’s just really pure the whole time. An absolute queen. She lets the camera crew record one of her girl nights with Jean and Ororo. Most expect it to be super cliche, with facemasks on while they paint each other’s nails. But- but no. They’re pranking everyone. Scott automatically believes it to be Peter, meanwhile the trio is climbing in the vents over him. Everyone in the mansion is surprised after seeing the episode, and Peter has a smug look on his face when Scott apologizes for getting pissed at him.

Wade-

Nobody knows how the fuck this dude is getting into the mansion. He literally should not be there. He keeps sneaking in and talking about shit that no one understands. ‘Wow, a TV show in a movie franchise?!’ They try to kick him out, but he keeps coming back somehow. He is everywhere. There is no stopping him. Starts paintball fights in the corridors and where the hell did he get all of these paintball guns?! They’ve tried every single thing they could, but, Wade is there to stay. Only a few people have actually seen his face since he’s always wearing that damned mask.

Charles-

A tired Mom™ . Regrets the show a few weeks in, but he can’t stop now. There’s a fan base. A fan base! And so many more young mutants have been registering to get in! Talks about mental health a lot, and how they can offer therapy sessions at the school. Tries to stop all of the shit that happens, but never can. He just needs a fucking break for Heaven’s sake. Get this man a vacation, stat! Actually very proud of all the kids, though. For everything they’ve done. They aren’t scared to talk about issues that need to be talked about, and, that makes his heart swell a bit each time.

Erik-

Not there half the time. When he is, he’s hanging out with Charles or scolding Peter. The kids call him Dadneto on camera, and he pretends to hate it. Also, trains the kids, a lot. Talks about how mutants should be viewed as equals (Charles wont let him start with his usual ‘Homo-Surpremacy!’ monologuing. So, he sticks with equality instead.) Makes an apology video apologizing for every time he’s tried to end humanity. Only there to support Charles, honestly.

[proxylynn]

Underfell: File Name not Edgy Enough #17

Chapter 17: Inconvenience WARNING: I WANT NO RESPONSIBILITY OVER SPOILING THINGS FOR OTHERS. THAT BEING SAID, THIS IS HOW FILE NAME NOT FOUND WOULD FUNCTION IN THE AU OF UNDERFELL. BEFORE YOU READ THIS, UNLIKE THE NICE TIME OF UNDERTALE, THIS WORLD IS KILL OR BE KILLED. THIS STORY WILL BE GRAPHIC, GORY, USE SWEARS LIKE NOBODY'S BUSINESS, AND DEAL WITH SENSITIVE SUBJECT MATTERS. FOR EXAMPLE, THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE READ THE FILE NAME RELOCATED SPOOF WILL KNOW HOW I PICTURE THIS VERSION OF LYNSIE COMING TO THE UNDERGROUND. IT IS NOT AN ACCIDENT. IT IS NOT BECAUSE OF SOMETHING DUMB. IT IS BECAUSE SHE CHOOSES TO END HER LIFE. SO TAKE THIS WITH A GRAIN OF SALT. I MADE IT BECAUSE I NEEDED TO LET SOME OF THIS EDGINESS OUT OF MYSELF. WHICH I GUESS MAKES UNDERFELL LYNSIE EVEN MORE TRUE TO WHO I REALLY AM. ANYWAY, ENJOY. ^_^ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Time behind the bar ain't that bad. Grillby is a very patient man in his teaching of me. There are drinks that every bartender, and now barmaid, should know that are put into different categories. Sours, Fizzes, Lowballs, Three-parters, and Milk Drinks. Sours contain citrus juice, should be tart or at least tangy and are usually shaken in a cocktail shaker and served straight up. Freshly squeezed juices are critical here, often paired with simple syrup (sugar dissolved in an equal volume of water) to sweeten. Fizzes include anything with bubbles such as highballs, Champagne cocktails, Collinses, mules, bucks. These drinks can be incredibly simple and are clearly the most refreshing. Plus it is not difficult to keep a few six-packs of sodas and 750s of basic booze in your liquor cabinet. With Lowballs, these old school short cocktails are simply sweetened liquor zipped up with something bitter. The sweet can come from sugar, muddled with fruit or simmered into syrup, or a sweeter liqueur like triple sec or maraschino. The bitter can be a few dashes of any of a vast variety of bottled bitters, or a bitter spirit like an amaro. Three-parters are harder as these drinks are the most spirit-forward of the collection, a three-part combo of booze plus what's known as a "modifier" (a lower-alcohol ingredient like vermouth) plus a bitter or a syrup. Here we find drinks like the martini, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Negroni, boulevardier, Rob Roy and all of their bold and boozy cousins. Milk Drinks are like an odd member of this liquor family. Milk can be paired with beer, cider, wine, and spirits. It's weird but then again I'm not an expert that likes liquor. With that aside, there are ten basic drinks that are always ordered here. The Old Fashioned, Negroni, Daiquiri, Manhattan, Whiskey Sour, Dry Martini, Margarita, Moscow Mule, Mojito, and Sazerac. The Old Fashioned was the one Grillby had me make for Papyrus and it's one of those old drinks that never goes out of style but can be made with either bourbon or rye whiskey. Such changes apply to many drinks and this variety is how two drinks, even if they are the same in name, are never the same in taste. But the Old Fashioned is one of those drinks that takes some time to save in your memory due to its steps. Grillby at least keeps my starter training to the drinks with simple steps. Such as the Negroni which only needs three things to make it, 1 oz. London dry gin, 1 oz. Campari, and 1 oz. vermouth rosso. Another easy one, which the ladies tend to go for, is the Dry Martini which is made with 4 oz. gin or vodka and 1 oz. dry vermouth that is typically topped with an olive as a garnish. Grillby limits me to just two of these drinks to learn so that by repetitively making them they have a better chance of being remembered in my brain. Not a bad plan really. Then he plans on testing me the next day to see if I do recall how to make them before he tries teaching me any of the other ones. Yet other than that, I do the normal things a cocktail waitress would do, bringing drinks to patrons and making sure that they get their grub. All in all, not that bad of a job really. I could get used to this. It also helps that my new boss is a flaming sweetheart in a world of douche bags that is as fun to tease gently. "Oh, pussycat...Doggo's steak is ready." "On it, Grillmeister." "Don't forget to..." "Check if drinks and snacks need refilling." "That too. But I was going to say, don't forget to empty out his ashtray." "He needs to smoke his biscuits outside. Damn things stink. Besides, you're already smoking...hot." Grillby merely chuckles as I go about my duties. From the times when Sans and I are in the bar, I notice that Grillby has a certain mood when it comes to puns. If they are in good taste, flirty, or flattering, he's okay with them. But negative, hurtful, or just plain bad ones get him rather perturbed. "well don't you look busy..." Speak of the skeleton and he shall appear. "trying to make yourself look good for paps?" "As if. I take it it's your break time. My how time flies fast for the wingless." "what can i say? my bones are pretty hollow. perfect for flight." I wave my hand in a side to side wave. "A bit of a stretch with that one." He rubs the back of his skull as he approaches his bar stool. "yeah, not my best wordplay." Grillby pulls out a mustard bottle. "Rough day?" Sans takes it. "you can say that. i'm just...having an off day." "Want to talk about it?" Sans seems to mull this over before bringing the bottle to his mouth. "some other time maybe...though..." He gulps the condiment a few times. "if i can borrow her for a moment?" Grillby and I share odd looks of confused concern, but I give him a nod to which Grillby does as well. "Do you want a booth or somewhere less...occupied?" "here's fine." Grillby waves me over as I finish catering to Doggo and take the seat next to Sans. "Everything okay?" Sans stares off into nothing while drinking. "i've been thinking a lot today." I prop my arm on the bar and support my head in the palm of my hand. "What about? Normal stuff? Or...secret buddy stuff?" After a particularly long swig of mustard, Sans puts the bottle down and his left eye flares with a magical glow. Suddenly, the bar goes dark except for a spotlight of light on the two of us and looking around shows that everyone in the dark has frozen still as if someone paused a movie. "i can't do this for long. takes a lot of magic to stop time like this." Wait, what?! "You can stop time? Dude! That is fucking epic!" And just like that, I'm a five-year-old seeing a shark for the first time. "Is it all over or just in the bar?" "the bar. now please..." His tone is calm but holds a seriousness that I pick up on over my silly childishness. "Sorry. You wanted to talk now?" He toys with the bottle a bit. "for starters...how come you don't look at me or pap when you come back from seeing gaster?" I pout and cast my eyes to the floor. "I don't mean for it to be insulting. But after dealing with what Gaster does to me, I honestly can't bring myself to look at either of you until I've calmed down." "how come?" "Because...I can see him when I look at your faces. Like how if you stare into a light then look away, the image still lingers in your vision. It probably doesn't help that there's a family relation thing too. But after being in the void...being experimented on for god knows how long...His face remains in my sight for some time. The part that really messes with me is Papyrus...He...He resembles Gaster even on the good days." I rub my eyes trying to make them clear and Sans takes another drink. "yeah, pap and dings take after our old man in the looks department. me? i got my devilishly handsome mug from mommy dearest." Something clicks in my head that hadn't before. "You have parents?" He snorts an amused chuckle. "well duh. how else do ya think we came about? it's not like we were just thought up and poof there's a baby skeleton." "I know. I had a brain fart moment. It's just...Forgive me if I'm overstepping...But while in your home, I never saw anything showing a family memory of any sort." His eyes go dark for a moment except for the left that still holds it's glow. "we keep that stuff elsewhere in our past." A bad feeling squeezes my heart. "They...They fell down, didn't they?" He remains silent for a long time. I mentally kick myself for this. This is a scar I should not touch. "what happened in the void last night?" He speaks. At least that's something. I sigh, giving the fainting bruises on my arms a passing glance. "I requested his help in finding a way to control or suppress the Black Soul. As you can see...He has a very hands-on approach." A short weak laugh comes from that small pun. "are ya sure that's a good thing to do?" I glare at the foggy memory of what happened in that dead timeline. I wasn't in control but I saw things through a blurry dark window. So much hate. Such blood lust. That thing was less than human. A beast. "If going through the pain of his experiments is what is needed to make that THING go away and to prevent any of THAT from happening again...I think it's worth it." He breathes slowly for a bit. "just...be careful around him. gaster is like a, what do you humans call it...a wolf in sheep's clothing? he'll offer what you need, but not because he cares or anything. he does it because it helps him in the long run. if he sees something he can gain, he will do what is needed to get it." "I figured as much." That got him to look at me. "you know?" "No good deed is ever done 100% out of good intentions in this world we live in. Gaster is less than subtle with his wants. He wants to study my soul, that's his goal. I'm okay with it because my goal is being done in his little fun time. I'm using him just as much as he's using me. Simple as that." Sans shakes his head. "you're dealing with a devil that you can't possibly understand." I shrug. "Sacrifices must be made to keep any more death from happening. I am willing to be that lamb on the alter if needed." "i didn't take you for the martyr type." I turn my head to look at Grillby, standing still as he was in mid-pour from one of the taps. "I am many things. I am a fool. I am a human. I am sad. I am flawed. I am not supposed to be here. But here I am. And I refuse to be a beast that kills without hesitation or remorse. I don't want that event to ever happen again. That is my promise to all in the Underground. No one will die. I won't allow it." Sans eyes me before scoffing. This bugs me. "Did I say something weird to you?" "you can't keep anyone from dying down here." "The hell I can't." "okay...so what'll you do if someone just died in waterfall?" I sneer. "I can't do anything in that situation. One, I'm not God and lack omnipresence to know what's happening everywhere at all times. And two, you are the only one that can teleport." "exactly. you are not god. you can't stop things from happening. sure, you can tap into that quirky RESET thing, but it's not going to stop events that will still happen without you there. you are just an insignificant speck among countless other specks. your intent can be good, but in the end, is pointless." "Wow...Someone woke up on the bleak side of the mattress today." "i'm just being real. we all die. you. me. everyone in this room. all things on this planet. all of it will die one day. maybe not today. maybe not tomorrow. but someday." "Dude, have you been hanging out with my depression? Because I swear I've heard that before." "don't be a smart ass." "At least I have one." He growls at me as I smirk. "What's wrong? Was that too cheeky of me?" He clenches his teeth to hold in a laugh. "Butt...enough jokes. You still look like something is troubling you. And you might as well say it before your magic runs out on this freeze frame in time." He guzzles the bottle and brings it down rather hard. "ya wanna know what's on my mind? alright...tell me...what would you do if ya found out a monster had a thing for you?" Well, that escalated quickly out of nowhere. I can feel warmth pool in my cheeks and my mouth forms into a goofy dumb smile. "Why, Sans, I had no idea you cared." I know he didn't mean himself. But he's been so serious that I couldn't help but try to rattle him out of it. And boy did it rattle him good. His skull practically glows in crimson blush and the mustard bottle in his grip is squeezed to hell. He tries to form words to negate this but all that leaves him are these sounds of broken stumblings that aren't quite words or noise but a strange mix of the two. I end this for his sake. "Relax, buddy. I'm just messing with you. I know you don't like me like that. Hell, I'm pretty sure you see me as an abomination." His left eye starts twitching in building rage. But I continue as I let my free hand's fingers dance on the bar. "Though to answer your question...I'd be flattered really." That seems to surprise him and dispels his anger. "really?" "Yeah." "...why?" I close my eyes in thought. "I am not an expert when it comes to things like this. Matters of the heart and all that jazz. If I'm honest here...I like guys, but I've never really been one to actively seek out others. Heh...I'll let you in on a secret that's not so secret. Papyrus isn't the only one to never be on a date. And if you knew of how messed up human guys were you'd agree that it's smart not to do so. I can't say some monster guys are any different from those schmucks, but others..." I smile while opening my eyes. "The good ones leave a mark that I can't help but like." "is grillby one of those 'good ones'?" Hmmm...Me thinks he is trying to make a point here. Should I take the bait or dance around it? "My good sir, whatever do you mean?" Guess I'm dancing. And he is not happy about it. "cut the crap. i remember what happened when he was dying. i remember the kiss." "And?" "and?! ya can't just say and!" "Why not? I don't see what the big deal is. So we kissed. What's the issue?" "because!" I sigh and put a stop to the dance. "Why not just tell me what's really bugging you instead of trying to shoehorn it in like you're a dad trying to get me to admit to sneaking off with the local bad boy to make out in his car." He suddenly grabs me by the collar of my shirt and snarls in my face. "do not fuck with me! if you hurt my friend i swear to whatever fucked up god that'll listen, i will end you! i will unleash pain the likes of which..." "Hold it! You think I'd hurt Grillby?" My confused tone takes some of that anger down a bit. "...you're not stringing him along?" I put my hands up defensively. "Sans, buddy, why would I do that? Grillby is like the only guy/monster to be genuinely nice to me. I'd have to be a massive cunt to do that." "how do i know you're not lying?" "Would a heartless bitch cry over the guy she was using?" I slowly put my hands on his. "Look...I know this is weird. Hell, I'm still figuring things out on my end too. But since being down here I've learned one important thing...happiness is hard to find. So why not try to find it with someone that is wanting to do the same and actually likes me?" He sees I make a point but is still wary of me. "do you like him?" I cast my eyes at Grillby. "I do. But it's a small like. I guess in level terms it's a small crush. But what can one really expect with limited contact? As we hang out more, who knows. Maybe that level will increase to something stronger or this thing we have will never change. Only time will tell." "ya do know that if anyone finds out that you're human they'll kill him for treason, right?" That squeezing feeling happens on my heart again. This time it's more a harsh pain than dread. "You think I'm going to announce myself as human? That was the problem in the dead timeline. I have no intention of repeating that. Never again." He stares at me hard and I notice the glow in his left eye starting to flicker out. I let his hands go as his magic sputters to its end and the light expands to fill the bar, resuming time once more for those on the inside. Seeing this, Sans lets me go before anyone questions the odd scene that came out of nowhere for them. "glad we could have this talk." "Yeah. We should do it again sometime." Grillby eyes us as Sans places a small amount of gold on the bar. "oh, before i forget...pap has this idea that you're up to some cockamamie evil plan to lull us into a false sense of security." A snicker leaves me. "What? Why?" "personally, i think it's 'cause ya act nice in the morning and night. throws him off when he knows ya for being a bitch." "Yeah, I can see that. But he's just being paranoid. I'm more nice at those times because no one wants to deal with shit when the day starts or ends." "i hear that." Sans hops off his stool and I do the same. "Leaving so soon, Sans?" If only you knew, Grillby. "ya know how my bro gets. he gets all pissy if i'm away for even a second." Sans looks at me and for a moment I can't get a read off his skull. "you...be good, lynsie." A warm smile curls my lips. "It's messed up how I want to hug you right now." He shakes his head. "just like that, ya killed the moment." He walks off towards the door. "later, kiddo." A chuckle scoffs out of me. "Later, bonehead." He flips me off as he exits and all I do is smirk. "What a dork...But in a good way." "Things okay there, pussycat?" I give my flaming boss of a bartender a goofy thumbs up. "Things be swell, boss-man." I catch a glimpse of myself in the reflection of Grillby's glasses and I blush a little bit. "Geez, is that what I look like? No wonder Papyrus is suspicious of me. Heh...Barely recognized myself for a second." Grillby slides the drink he was pouring to Ugly Fish with a knowing smirk. "Seems like you're the one letting your guard down." "As dumb as it sounds, how can I not when I feel so comfortable here?" I stroll my dorky self back behind the bar and grab a dry rag to do some dish work. "It also helps if there's a warm someone that makes me smile every so often." I get to my tidying task and try not to notice Grillby inching his way closer as he goes about doing other things. "These smiles you speak of..." He's at the beer taps. "Would they be real ones..." He's by the wine rack. "Or ones made to give off the impression of happiness?" He's standing in front of where Sans and I were sitting. "As if you were wearing a mask maybe?" He's gotten beside me now and I slow down in my task. "...I say personal things when drunk, don't I?" "No, not really. But you're incredibly honest when tipsy that's for sure." I scold myself for being so weak. "Not to mention you're a bold one too..." Drunk Bun blurts out while looming out of her booth. "Took some real courage to kiss ol' Grillby there. But look at the luck you got. Now you have a cushy gig and spicy sugar daddy to play with. Girl power at it's finest." A bad taste coats my tongue as my stomach churns. I think I'm going to be sick. Grillby takes note of this distress when I nearly drop a mug in my trembling hands. He tries to settle my nerves with a hand on my shoulder. "Don't listen to her. You know that's not how things are." It's not working. I know she's wrong. But that's not to say the whole bar isn't thinking the same thing. That I'm using Grillby. Hell, even Sans thought I was. Why? Why is it hard to just be happy for once? "This was a mistake..." He flinches and I put my things down. "I'm sorry for troubling you." "Pussycat...?" I go to walk away but he blocks me. "Where do you think you're going?" "Home." "No. You're staying here." "I'm not staying." "Yes, you are." "I'm not staying in a place where everyone thinks I'm a whore!" "But you're not a whore!" "I know that!" "Then why are you getting upset?!" "I don't know! I just want to leave so no one has to see me...*quietly* cry..." I wipe my eyes on my sleeve and he frowns at me. "Go inside and rest. We'll talk later when you're feeling better." I feel like a snot-nosed kid about to yell for their lost parents. With what little dignity I have left, I just nod my head and he lets me pass to enter his home. Though once that door is closed behind me I have a hard time holding this back. I suppress any sound until I'm at least in the living room, but once there, I'm a mess. It's really annoying having to cry. Once the water starts going it's hard to make it stop. And odder still, you get used to it then want to cry more when it begins to stop. Shit is weird. I hope Grillby doesn't get mad at me for this. Making a sad nasty mess out of one of his sofa cushions. But I'm compelled to do it. To hold it in my arms as if I were holding someone else. This instinctual need to have contact, even if imaginary, just to feel some sort of comfort when feeling so low. Back on the surface, I'd simulate this by putting one of my jackets on a pillow and wrap the sleeves around my neck. Argh! I hate being so fucking weak! This shit shouldn't be getting to me! Since when do I give a shit about what others think of me?! This isn't right! Fuck this stupid soul for making me feel these stupid things! Ugh...I need to be coaxed down from this shit! I've gotta call Toriel. Her mothering is actually something I could use right now. That and a hug. I could so go for a hug right now! [RING] "Hello?" "*sniffling* Nanny..." "Lynsie, my child, are you all right?" "*crying* I was weak...My guard was down...Something stupid got under my skin and now...I can't make the tears stop." "Do you wish me to sing to you?" "*sniffles* Yes please..." As babying as it is, something about Toriel soothingly singing to me settles me down when I'm upset. "♪Cry if you want to. I won't tell you not to. I won't try to cheer you up, I'll just be here if you want me...There's no use in keeping a stiff upper lip, you can weep you can sleep you can loosen your grip. You can frown, you can drown and go down with the ship. You can cry if you want to. Don't ever apologize for venting your pain, it's something to me you don't need to explain. I don't need to know why I don't think you're insane. You can cry if you want to.♫" Toriel knows many songs, some from the past and others from human things that fell down here. This one, "Cry If You Want To" by Karen Drucker, is from my iPod's 'feel better' playlist. She's a nosy mom. "♪The windows are closed the neighbors aren't home if it's better with me then to do it alone. I'll draw all the curtains and unplug the phone. You can cry if you want to...You can start at the ceiling, tear at your hair, swallow your feelings and stagger and swear. You can show things, and throw things and I wouldn't care. You can cry if you want to...No I won't make fun of you. I won't tell anyone. I won't analyze what you do or you should have done. I won't advise you to go and have fun. You can cry if you want to.♫" My breathing is calmer and my grip on the sofa cushion is less harsh. She's good at this. "♪The windows are closed the neighbors aren't home if it's better with me then to do it alone. I'll draw all the curtains and unplug the phone. So you can cry...When it's empty and ugly and terribly sad, I can't feel what you feel but I know it feels bad. I know that it's real and it makes you so mad. That you could cry. Cry if you want to. I won't tell you not to. I won't try to cheer you up, I'll just be here if you want me to be near you.♫" The tears have stopped before her last note and god knows how much I miss being around her. "My child? You are silent now. Are you feeling any better?" I wipe my face. "I miss you. I miss you, mom." "I miss you too. Do you know if you are able to come home?" "Sans would probably help with that, but Papyrus doesn't leave me unsupervised, and now I have a job working at Grillby's that I don't want to fail at..." "Grillby's?" "It's a pub in Snowdin Town that they leave me in while they work." "...They leave my child in a bar for hours at a time?" "It's fine. Sans stops by regularly to keep an eye on me. And the owner is...nice." "Oh? This proprietor is treating you well?" "That would be Grillby, and yeah. You may remember me calling him a trouble maker for eavesdropping on one of our last phone calls. He's...without sounding like a huge dork...a great guy." "You sound like you are quite taken by him." "Heh...He has a way of warming his way into the heart." "Hmmmm..." "I think you'd like him. The man knows his way around a kitchen. I can totally picture the two of you sharing recipes and stuff. Maybe even an embarrassing story or two about me." "I am not sure how to take you talking him up like this." "I see where this is going, but I'm going to stop you before you say anything else...No. Grillby is not my boyfriend. We, at the most, have a mutual interest in each other. Whether this seed sprouts anything or remains sleeping in the soil is up to time. So, please...Try not to get all overprotective about it." "My child, if the man can not stand being burned than he has no place being near our kitchen." "Well he's made of fire so, I think he's fine with increasing temperatures." She snickers a bit off. "Darn. I will have to think of another means of keeping him in line then." I sigh. "What did I just ask you not to do? Would it help if you were able to talk to him?" "...It might." "I don't know when he'll go on break next but he'll come to check on me soon. He gave me a break when I had my break down." "Hmmm...Maybe there are some monsters with good left in them after all." That's what I was trying to...Calm down, she's just a bit messed up, it's normal. "Glad to hear you're willing to try." "So you will be calling me back within the hour?" "Depends on when he chooses to go on break. He runs the bar solo and me breaking down instead of aiding him doesn't help. Heh...Some first day huh?" "My child, you are a strong and trusting girl. You see the potential in others. You have hope that they will use that potential. You must also harden yourself for when those do not do so." "I know. I don't know what's gotten into me lately. My emotions have been out of whack. One moment I'm normal, tough as nails and with skin so thick that negativity bounces off like dust bunnies. The next moment I'm a weak wimpy mess, getting weepy over the stupidest and lamest of reasons." "Maybe this Grillby is allowing the softer emotions of a proper young lady come out?" "Nah. I blame my soul. Since being out here, two more odd colors showed themselves." "Two more?" "Yeah. Now there's pink and white. Ever since they appeared, this emotional flux has been happening. It's annoying the crap out of me. I'm not in control over how I want to feel anymore." "Welcome to being a woman, my child." That got a laugh out of me. "Good one, Nanny." "While this talk has been nice, my child, I must end it. I am slowly simmering some vegetables for a stew." "Ah...Not your super veggie stew. That's my fave." "Shame then that I have no one else to share it with." "No fair. I can't teleport." "Maybe if you are lucky, I will have some ready and be able to give it to Sans." "No with my luck as if late. Still, thank you, Nanny. You're the best." "*giggles* Take care, my child." "Laters, Mom." [CLICK] I sigh and shut my eyes, letting a small wave of calm wash over me. I needed that. I needed to hear her. I needed to feel like there was a parent I could talk to. Heh...So this is what having a mom feels like? I like it. [RING-RING] The phone goes off in my hand. Maybe Toriel forgot to mention something or perhaps Napstablook wants to share some tunes? I flip it open and see an unknown number. Who the hell knows this number? "Hello?" "HELLO THERE, DARLING~. TIS I, THE ALWAYS FABULOUS AND EVER DELIGHTFUL, METTATON! " And I thought Papyrus had an ego. Mettaton? How the fuck did he...Oh, wait... "You traced the number, didn't you?" Robotic giggles are my answer. "MY, AREN'T YOU THE CLEVER ONE." "Not to sound rude but...Why are you calling me? And if this is for TV I'm hanging up." "NO, NO, NO CAMERAS OR RECORDINGS GOING ON, I ASSURE YOU. THIS IS JUST A SIMPLE CALL ON MY PART BEING DONE IN MY PRIVATE TIME." That didn't sound weird at all...not. "Then what do I owe the honor of a celebrity giving lowly me a moment of your time?" "OH SUCH LOVELY WORDS. THE NICEST I'VE HEARD IN AGES. WELL...I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS. I AM AN ADMIRE OF YOUR KIND AND I FIND YOU PARTICULARLY INTERESTING, TO SAY THE LEAST." I rub the bridge of my nose. "I suppose I too have a few for you as well. We could go back and forth if that's okay with you?" "SO GENEROUS. THAT'S A VERY ATTRACTIVE QUALITY. BUT TO START THINGS OFF...HOW DID YOU KNOW THAT I KNEW YOU WHERE ON THE PHONE WITH ME THE OTHER DAY?" Oh because I lived through your show before and died but no big deal. "Your show made no sense and was out of character. You were clearly reaching out for something. You created a situation that any normal person in the Underground would be okay with, killing someone deemed guilty. But you weren't looking to be called by a monster...you wanted me. The human that shows mercy." "HEHEHEHEH...YOU REALLY ARE SOMETHING ELSE. I LOVE IT. YES, DARLING, YOU SAW RIGHT THROUGH THE WHOLE THING. I APPLAUD YOU." "Now my turn...How did you find out about me?" "DEAR, YOU NEED TO PAY MORE ATTENTION TO YOUR SURROUNDINGS. I WON'T SAY WHERE OR HOW MANY, BUT THERE ARE SECURITY CAMERAS PLACED FROM OUTSIDE THE RUINS ALL ALONG THE PATH LEADING TO SNOWDIN TOWN." My eye twitches. "What?" "OH YES. BUT NO WORRIES, DEAR. THOSE CAMERAS ARE NOT FOR TELEVISION PURPOSES. THEY ARE SOLELY FOR THE DETECTION OF HUMANS. IT'S HOW I'VE BEEN MONITORING YOUR PROGRESS." Great, just what I need, another guy watching over me that I can't do shit about. "BUT LIKE I SAID, THE CAMERAS ONLY ARE ON THE PATH TO TOWN FROM THE RUINS. THERE ARE SADLY NONE IN THE TOWN ITSELF." "That's something at least." "CAMERA SHY? HOW ADORABLE." "You sound so different off-screen." One of my inner thoughts became voiced. "...HOW SO?" Okay, he's not miffed about it. Maybe I can chat with him like normal. "In shows, you come off like everybody else. But this...You seem more at ease. Comfortable. Nice." There's a pause on his end for a bit. "I believe it's your turn." "OH...HUH...MIGHT I GET A TAD PERSONAL WITH THE QUESTIONS?" "Does that question count as your turn?" "NO." "Then...Maybe. Nothing too personal. I don't know you aside from the TV personality." "THAT CAN CHANGE, DARLING~. I AM MORE THAN DELIGHTED IN SHARING ALL THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT MYSELF WITH YOU." Thank god this phone can't do pictures. Because this suddenly is giving me creepy vibes that don't need visual aids. "AS FOR MY QUESTION...WHAT ARE THOSE SKELETONS DOING WITH YOU? LAST THING I SAW OF YOU WAS THAT TALL ONE CARRIED YOU OFF AFTER SMALLER ONE RAN TO YOU ON THE FAKE BRIDGE." "Why so interested?" "I ASKED MY QUESTION FIRST, DARLING." I'm a house bitch to guys that half the time can't tell if they want me dead or not. "I'm a pet." ...Why would you let me say that, brain?! "A PET?" "Yeah? Kind of? It's complicated in a completely humiliating way that I'm not really at liberty to discuss." "BUT A PET? REALLY?" "I know. But hey, it beats being killed for my soul." "IF I HAD FOUND YOU, YOU WOULD NOT BE A PET." "Oh?" "A RARE GEM LIKE YOU SHOULD BE TREASURED. I WOULD..." "Gonna cut you off there. Don't. Just, don't." "I BEG YOUR PARDON?" "You're being cliché. I'm not a fan of clichés. And you were about to ring the oldest cliché bell." "I ASSURE YOU THAT IS NOT THE CASE." "Let me take a stab at what you were going to say...*ahem* A rare gem like you should be treasured. I would tend to your every desire. You'd be a queen. My queen. Nothing is beyond my power if it meant I'd be with you...That come any close to where you were going?" "...I WILL ADMIT TO ABOUT 5% OF THAT BEING ON THE NOSE. THE REST I FIND GOOD ENOUGH TO USE IN A SCRIPT FOR LATER." "I watch a lot of anime so when I feel a yandere vibe I tend to try to avoid it." "YANDERE?" "How do I put it? I guess you can define it as strongly and deeply infatuated, head-over-heels, obsessed, or love-struck but without really feeling the true emotion yet believing that you do. In anime and other things that use this type of character, it's usually a girl that starts out being genuinely kind, loving, or gentle, but suddenly switches to being aggressive, twisted, or deranged, often homicidal when things don't go with how they plan out their little 'love story'." "OOOH...YES, I'VE SEEN MANY OF THOSE TYPES IN ALPHY'S ANIMES. I THINK SHE HAS A THING FOR IT." "Alphys...? The name sounds familiar." "SHE'S THE ROYAL SCIENTIST." "Oh yeah. I forgot about that." "YOU HEARD OF HER?" "Small talk from the skele-bros. Not much else." "SOUNDS ABOUT RIGHT. I HEAR THEY DON'T REALLY CARE FOR HER. NOT MANY DO." "She's that bad?" "DEPENDS ON WHAT END OF THE SYRINGE YOU'RE ON." Well, that's not cool. Suddenly a faint beeping is heard on his end. "OH SHOOT!" "Something wrong?" "MY TIMER IS GOING OFF. I'M AFRAID I HAVE TO END THIS PLEASANT CONVERSATION, DARLING. I CAN'T KEEP MY OBNOXIOUS FANS WAITING." "The show must go on as they say." "I LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING WITH YOU AGAIN, DEAR. IT'S SO HARD TO FIND SOMEONE TO HAVE A DECENT CONVERSATION WITH THAT DOESN'T SWEAR EVERY FIVE WORDS." "Same. We should do this again sometime. Heh...If I can be honest, I was feeling like crap till this. It's nice to get lost in talk and forget about life for a while." "THE SOONER YOU CAN COME TO HOTLAND THEN THE BETTER. I THINK WE COULD USE EACH OTHER TO GET THROUGH THIS LIFE A LOT EASIER." "Not sure if I can. As you can guess, as a human, I'm on lockdown from really going anywhere." "AND THAT'S A PROBLEM BECAUSE...?" There's that vibe again. "Don't do whatever it is you're thinking about." "SORRY, I CAN'T HEAR YOU. *FAKE STATIC* LOSING CONNECTION...*FAKE STATIC* SEE YOU SOON~." [CLICK] I glare at nothing and close the phone. "I'm gonna be abducted, I just know it. *sigh* Where is Liam Neeson when you need him?" Better get back to Grillby. I hate leaving him hanging because of some stupid emotional bullshit. But first...Make a backup plan in case of Mettaton creepiness. I reopen the phone and hit up my buddy. [RING-RING] "hello?" "Yo, Blooky. It's me." "L-Lynsie? is something wrong?" "Kind of. I just got a weird phone call and was hoping you'd keep on alert in case of something happening." "what happened?" "Mettaton called me." His side goes eerily quiet. "He is planning things. Doing things that are to get my attention. I believe his next course of action will either mean I'll be taken to Hotland or he may force me to travel there by threatening to expose my humanity. I wanted to inform you because I trust you, Blook-man. I have faith in you to help me when the time comes." Still, he's silent. "Napstablook?" "...he's always been like this." "What?" "...there's something I've been keeping to myself. no one else knows this. can you keep it a secret?" "Buddy, dude, this is me we're talking about. Nothing you tell me will ever leave me without a hell of a fight...or super torture. I'm only human after all." "*nervous* okay...*gulp* you see...Mettaton...he's my cousin." "...Ghost boy say what now?" "I know...it's his most secret of secrets. no one else knows except for that Alphys woman. she's the one that tempted him away with the promise of a 'perfect body'. damn bitch...we ghosts long for bodies. they allow us to feel alive again. but finding something that connects with us is easier said than done." Something clicks in my head. It was a while ago, but that moment stayed fresh due to how sad it was. "*cries* why did you go? you told me you wouldn't leave me behind...you said family sticks together...so why? why did you leave me all alone?!" Now it makes sense. Mettaton left him all alone and, based on how cherry Mettaton is now, he's not very concerned about breaking his promise to Napstablook. No wonder this poor spook hides away in the Ruins, home reminds of too much that he has no one. I need to help him. I want to fix this. "Napstablook..." "yeah?" "I'm getting that feeling when I'm gonna do something that might get me in trouble." "dare I ask what that dumb thing is?" "I'm thinking of running over to Waterfall and finding you so I can give you a hug that's been on hold for what feels like weeks but not really sure on how long." "...okay, that was kind of sweet. but for real, do not do that." "But if I did..." "please don't." "But if I did...What would be the fastest way that avoids being killed? Hypothetically speaking that is." "you're not listening to a thing I'm saying." "I am too." He sighs loudly with annoyed exhaustion. "can't believe the things you can make me do...I am only saying this because of Mettaton and I don't want something crazy to happen." "You're awesome, Blook-man." "just let me say this before I end up regretting it more than I already do." "Sorry." "see...there is a transport between Snowdin, Waterfall, and Hotland. if you take it, it will drop you off literally right outside from where my house is." I feel slightly pissed off about that. "Wait...So I could've been over there days ago? What the fuck, man?" "you told me not to get involved so I didn't say anything." I slap myself. "what was that?" "Realization hitting my face in the form of my hand. *groan* I'm my own worst enemy sometimes." "Lynsie...just please don't try to use it. if the royal guard is really keeping you and not turning you in, then running away is just going to piss them off." "I know, I know. I'm not going to do it. At least...Not as impulsively as I kind of feel like doing. I'm going to think things through before acting. Make a plan and all that jazz." "look at that. you're learning." "I try." "that's something, I guess." A sudden sound gets my attention. A door shutting. Better wrap this up. "I have to go, Blooky." "everything okay?" "Just life going on. I'll call again later." "alright. be careful, Lynsie." [CLICK] I quickly tuck the phone back in my pocket as Grillby's glow comes into view just a bit before he does. "Pussycat...?" "Hey there, boss. Sorry I'm doing so bad at this." He sighs with relief. "You're fine. I'm just glad to see you're feeling better." I get up and stretch. "Don't know what's up with my emotions lately. I've been so sensitive these last few days. It's freaking pissing me off really." "I might have a theory on why that is." "R-Really?" He waves me over and I oblige. "Remember when I told you about soul surges and how it's very typical of in monsters going through puberty?" No...Don't tell me something super humiliating and dumb is happening to me. Please, man, don't! "Y-Yeah?" "Well...When a monster goes through puberty, it's more than just their body, their magic does too. The soul begins to produce stronger magic and in higher quantities than in youth." "Grillz, please, don't tell me I'm going the 'change' again. Human puberty sucked enough to live through." He simply shrugs. "Again, it's just my guess. But based on what you told me, how your soul is getting used to being around magic and turning on old things in your DNA, it's likely that you are." I groan loudly and claw at my face. "It would explain the mood swings and sensitivity." I hate my life so much right now. "How long does this magic puberty last?" "Honestly? It varies from person to person. Could be weeks or even months. It all depends on how fast your soul takes to mature." My groan is even louder. "This is so much bullshit!" "Are you really telling me your 'mother' didn't tell you any of this?" I laugh at the idea of Toriel tell me about anything that sounds like I'm growing up. "Heheh...Nope. She told me nothing. She sees me as her 'child' and 'young one'. I would bet so much gold on her hiding any knowledge of the very concept of me 'maturing'." He smirks. "Sounds like she's not one to allow the birds to leave the nest so to speak." "Yeah. It's why she has me call her so often a day. But I don't mind. She has a bad history that she doesn't talk about, so...She's afraid the same mistake will happen again so she tries to prevent change." "That's understandable." "She also would like to have chat with you." That catches him off guard. "With me? Why?" I smirk. "Oh, no reason really. She just wants to get to know the nice guy that's letting me work in his lovely establishment. But no worries. Toriel is more intimidating than harmful." His eyes widen boldly. "T-Toriel? Your mother...the one down here...is the Queen?" I merely shrug. "So it would seem, my good man. Yet while she's Queen to you, all I see is my silly overprotective mum that can flip faster than a greasy light switch." I haven't seen much negative emotion on Grillby, just once and that was anger. But this? His breathing increases rapidly and his flames spark nervously. Is he having a panic attack? "Grillby?" "Don't make me talk to her!" Yep, this cool hot head is freaking out. "No one is making you do anything. So please, chill before you roast me. You're pumping out heat like a furnace." He fiddles around with his outfit, keeping his hands busy as a means to distract some part of his mind from the frightful thoughts it holds. "I...I can't believe it..." "What's that, boss?" "I can't believe I surged to the Queen's daughter." I blush with a smirk. "Ow. You wound me. You make it sound like a bad thing." He flinches and waves his hands in a small defensive panic. "N-No! No! I didn't mean it like that." I pat his shoulder. "Relax, Grillz. I'm only goofing." He sighs and leans on me. "You're going to be like this the whole time your soul is maturing, aren't you?" "Maybe." "..." "Grillby?" I feel his mouth press to my forehead. "Why are all the best people just a little bit crazy?" My mind blanks for a second. "Are...Are you really asking me or saying a rhetorical question?" He chuckles and moves off me. "Come, pussycat. There is still more to teach you before the clock times out." What just happened? Why was that funny? I'm so confused. "Sure, boss." I follow him back out into the bar and the few glances the patrons give me are either of fear or annoyance. I know not what Grillby did when I fled, but whatever it was, others are not liking this favoritism he's giving me. This instills a new mini-goal in my head. Keep this soul/emotion shit under control and do not bring attention to myself for the remainder of my time here. God, my life sucks. [Many hours later] "PICK UP THE PACE, SANS. DON'T THINK I CAN'T RECOGNIZE WHEN YOU START DRAGGING YOUR FEET." "geez, boss, ya sound like you actually wanna go there more than i do." "PLEASE. I MERELY WISH TO GET THIS DAY OVER WITH. IT JUST SO HAPPENS THAT WE MUST STOP THERE BEFORE WE CAN GO HOME." "yep. ain't life funny that way?" In all honesty, Sans wasn't looking forward to returning to the bar despite his joking attitude. The human was slowly making him want to keep away by just being there. Sure, confronting her about Grillby was a start and seeing those eyes of hers go from green to amber as her words got stronger. Made it hard not to believe those words. It's not like she wasn't right in the things she said. She wasn't using Grillby and, next to Sans himself, felt the most hurt seeing the barkeep dust away. Still, he didn't like it. He didn't like how nice they were to each other. He didn't like the flirting. He didn't like that they were closer than any monster and human should. It made him feel weird. And he hated feeling it. Papyrus opens the door to the pub and, aside from the faces that clearly fear or resent him, is met with a slightly warm welcome by the human. This facade does not fool the wise skeleton, no, not in the least. She may have his brother under the illusion of harmlessness, but not him. Just looking at her aroused all sorts of suspicion. If she was capable of breaking into their home than that's enough to have her thought of being capable of doing anything else. "That time already, gentlemen?" The fire elemental's pleasantries are cast aside by the larger brother. "SKIP THE FALSE CARE ACT, GRILLBY. YOU KNOW WHY I BOTHER COMING HERE." "Clearly not for the service." Snidely remarks the human while sweeping around the dog's poker table. "NO ONE ASKED YOU!" "but in a way, yes. we're taking your 'help', grillz." Grillby sighs. "Yeah, I know. Time to punch out, pussycat." She raises her brow playfully. "But I thought hitting was against the rules?" The bartender chuckles. "See you tomorrow, pussycat." She brings the broom behind the bar, shakes Grillby's hand, and moves to wait by the front door. "I SEE YOU HAVE IMPROVED HER LISTENING ABILITY." "She's not a pet, Papyrus." "I DISAGREE. BUT WHATEVER." "What is it that you want?" "WELL? HOW WAS SHE?" "Isn't that why you had Sans watch?" "DON'T BE DIFFICULT AND JUST SAY YOUR PEACE ALREADY." Grillby glares with a slight rumble. "Don't be a dick, Papyrus!" The human was butting in more than the skeleton liked. "IF YOU BARK ONE MORE TIME, I SWEAR, I SHALL THROW YOUR ASS OUT THAT WINDOW! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME, BITCH?!" She waves Papyrus off dismissively and he snarls angrily. "Lynsie has been a source of great aid. I doubt you believe me, given how much you seem to dislike her. But maybe that's just because you feel inadequate about being able to handle her." Sans's sockets widen as the bar pretty much goes stunned and Papyrus is less than happy. "WHAT DID YOU JUST...?" "You're a smart man, Papyrus. But you lack skills to deal with people. More to the point...Skills with dealing with women." "I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW, MY PEOPLE SKILLS ARE..." "Poor as shit!" "BITCH, DON'T MAKE ME COME OVER THERE!" "i think you're making his point, bro." "DON'T YOU START WITH ME, SANS." "To be fair, you do have to forgive pussycat for some of her words and behavior." "LIKE HELL I DO." "how come?" Grillby removes his glasses and huffs on them before wiping then putting them back on. "I had a little chat with her in private and we came to learn something. And since you boys are housing her, I think you should know about this." He waves the brothers in closer and they reluctantly oblige. "*hushed* Her soul is in the processes of maturing. Being down here is jump-starting her body's natural magic production. So she's a tad sensitive till it's over." Papyrus finds himself blushing whereas Sans is on the verge of a giggle fit. "*snickering* can you repeat that?" "Don't be a dick, Sans. No one goes through this well. Not even us." "*snickering* this is just too rich...i fucking love it." "SO...WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS...SHE'S VULNERABLE?" The grin on Papyrus has Grillby immediately regrets opening his mouth. "Forgive me, pussycat!" She looks puzzled before her eyes widen and her cheeks burn a flaring crimson in flustered realization. "You told them?!" "Lynsie, please..." She fumes, baring her teeth and seething into a chilling agitated calm. "You will pay dearly for this." She slams the door as she storms out and Grillby cringes with thoughts of the unknowns a moody woman is willing to unleash on him. One idea, in particular, makes the man of flame shiver with cold. "we should go after her." "DAMN, WOMAN. ALWAYS SUCH A PAIN." Papyrus follows the brooding human and Sans attempts to do the same, but Grillby's hand on his shoulder stops him. "huh?" "Sans...We need to talk." Sans blinks with uncertainty but nods slightly. "uh...sure." Sans sits down at the bar and orders a drink. This is going to take some time. "so...what do ya want to talk about? " Grillby looks uncomfortable and makes his voice low. "Sans...Do you know who is hurting her?" To that, the skeleton smirked. "you need to be a bit more specific than that." Grillby did not take this answer well. His hands slap the bar harshly, threatening to sear the gloss off the wood. "I am not playing around. I saw the bruises. Who is hurting her?" Mirth leaves Sans's skull as he drinks deep from his bottle of yellow condiment. "you wouldn't believe me even if i told you who it was." "Try me." Sans sighs, his fingers tap along the bottle. "let's just say...someone from my past has come back and taken an interest in her." Grillby doesn't like this either. But before he can voice his concerns Sans speaks up. "before you say it, no. his interest in her isn't the same as yours." Grillby's eyes widen a bit and his professional demeanor falters. "W-What? I don't know what you're talking about." Sans rolls his eyes. "look, it's kinda painfully obvious the two of you have this 'thing' with each other. and, if i'm being honest, i don't like it." "Sans..." "but...*huff* i ain't gonna be that asshole that gets involved in his buddy's private life. so...whatever." The barman smiles softly. "Thanks." "yeah, yeah, it's not like i care or some shit. just warning ya before you do something moronic by trying to get with her. bitches be crazy." That earns the skeleton a few dirty looks from the women in the bar, though some of the guys agree. "If that's the case...Are you willing to help me smooth things over with her?" Sans snorts a laugh that almost has the mustard shoot out his nasal opening. "are ya nuts? no way. you're the one that put your foot in your mouth." "She's not the kind of girl to try to get even, is she?" Sans could see this was making Grillby squirm. Part of him found it hilarious. The other part was starting to get hungry and knew Papyrus would be pissed if he wasn't there for dinner. Better get this over with soon. "don't know. but is she is, i'm willing to bet she wouldn't do anything spiteful or malicious. kid's all bark and weak bite. it's gonna get her killed one of these days." Grillby sighs with relief yet recalls something left unanswered. "This 'person from your past'...?" "i'm gonna stop ya right there." Sans downs the remains of the bottle with gusto. "i'm handling it. that's about all i'm at liberty to say. heh...i don't want her pissed at me too for saying things she tells me." To that Grillby felt odd. Of course Sans would know things no one else would about the human. She lives at his house and is easier to get along with than his brother. Still, a small ember of envy burns in him for knowing of this. What things could she have shared with Sans yet not him? How much trust would he need to earn for her to have that much faith in him as well? Sans is a lucky man indeed. "well...i better get going. pap might not handle her new moodiness well if on his own." "Wait! One last question." "okay. what is it?" "Do...Do I have anything to worry about with her 'mother'?" The question and Grillby's nervousness are random but interesting to Sans. "she's told you about her old lady?" Gribbly merely nods. "in my opinion...ya got nothing to worry about. she never leaves the ruins. though...i can't say she won't break that self-enforced rule if something were to happen to her kid. know what i mean?" Grillby nods again as Sans hops off his stool and puts down a small amount of gold. However... "You're short, Sans." Oddly enough, that made the skeleton snarl. "i ain't fucking short!" He really wasn't, 5'4" isn't what most would call short. But when living in a town where just about everyone, including your younger brother but not counting kids and slimes for obvious reasons, is over six feet, it's no surprise it leaves a pretty big chip on your shoulder. If anything, the only thing short about Sans was his temper when called that. Though that too was short lived when met with Grillby's annoyed glare. "I meant the amount, Sans." Nervous chuckles leave the bonehead. "right, my bad. it's all i got on me." To make his point, he pulls the empty insides of his pockets out and small lint bits fall. Grillby shakes his head disapprovingly. "hey, no need for that look. you know i'm good for it. just put it on my tab." A perturbed groan leaves the barman as Sans makes his leave. One of these days Grillby is going to call that tab in full and both men will be sorry. [Meanwhile: Sans & Papyrus's house] Papyrus didn't have far to go to catch up with the human. She was making a beeline for the house and seemed to know he was following since left the door open for him to enter when she kicked it in. What harsh reprimanding he was going to roar at her died in his nonexistent throat when he caught the full strength of her icy glare as she headed for the stairs. "Do not start with..." She pauses to take a shaky breath. "I'm sorry. I am not myself. Please allow me to calm down before I end up doing something regrettable." Oh, how he wanted nothing more than to get in her face and pummel her face into the floor till it was nothing more than a stain on the floor. There were only two reasons he wasn't going to do that for. One, he didn't feel like wasting time cleaning bloody bits out of the carpet. And two, if what Grillby said is true, then her odd behavior as of late was more understandable. The Ruins were said to be abandoned or in the least home to a few monsters that couldn't take being around the majority, so the concentration of magic within must be very weak as opposed to out here in Snowdin with it's higher population of monsters. Soul maturing is an odd and uncomfortable stage. Even the mighty Papyrus went through it with less grace than he'd care to tell. Full of angst, rebellion, and pent up unknown feelings, with a need to just lock himself away because he felt like no one understood what he was going through. Ah, the silliness of youth. Knowing this, the great and terrible Papyrus relents...for now. "FINE." That was all that needed to be said. She nods and ascends the stairs, taking retreat to the bathroom. "Rough day?" The flower speaks up but Papyrus ignores it. He tended to do that as much as possible. He didn't know why exactly. There was just something in the back of his skull that made him distrusting of the floral fellow. Like a memory that was blurry but you still got a feeling from even if you're not sure it's real. He is about to shut the door just as Sans makes his way into view. "sup." Papyrus just motions him to enter and locks the door by the time he does. "dare i ask...?" "UPSTAIRS." "ah. and do you know...?" "NO. I DON'T KNOW WHAT SHE'S DOING AND I DON'T CARE SO LONG AS NOTHING IS DAMAGED." Typical Papyrus. "you really think she'd be stupid enough to break something of ours?" "YOUR STUFF IS NOT MY CONCERN. SHE CAN BREAK THAT JUNK FOR ALL I CARE." "gee. thanks, bro." "Is anyone going to let me know what happened?" The flower chimes in again. And again Papyrus ignores it as he heads to his room. Sans kicks his shoes off and tosses his jacket over the sentient plant. "don't worry about it, weed. if you were meant to know, we'd tell ya." Flowey shakes the jacket off and glares as Sans too heads to his room, but not before knocking on the bathroom door. "you alright in there?" Nothing is heard other than the shower. "hey, ya don't have to worry. pap and i aren't gonna mess with you...much." Still nothing. "fine, baby soul, be like that. just don't come crying to me when you feel bad. i mean that literally. i ain't helping you." He starts to walk but then stops. "oh! and don't forget, you're making dinner. pap only let that slide because you were practically dead. so don't get any ideas thinking you can get out of it." "Did you just really say that?!" Shouted not her but the flower. "the hell is your problem?" "Did you really just insinuate she'd harm herself?" "i dunno...maybe?" "You can't say that kind of stuff to her!" "why not?" Flowey just stares at the skeleton oddly before realization clicks. "You...You don't know how she came to the Underground, do you?" This had Sans's attention. "she told me that she fell." Flowey becomes uneasy. He produces several vines and, rather impressively, repels himself up to the banister where he swings through the railing to plant his pot on the floor. "wow. a plant that parkours. see something new every day." "I'm not comfortable telling you this, seeing as she hasn't and I don't think it's my place, but I can't let you say idiotic things like that." Sans kneels down imposingly. "okay, weed, you have intrigued me. if she didn't fall, then how did she get here?" Flowey rubs his leaves nervously. "Well...Falling is how she came to the Underground. But...She didn't fall from an accident." If color could drain from a skull it would be doing so for Sans. "you're telling me she..." "She fell on purpose. She...was trying to die." Flowey shirks inward, not liking this subject and feeling like he's broken some bond of trust. "I don't know about her life on the surface. She doesn't tell anyone about that stuff, not even Mom. But I have been with her since the start and I can tell...Under all that toughness and pass the goofy dork innards...She's very sad deep down." A new expression comes to Sans, a look of reverence and understanding. The human put up with a lot being down here and more for just being with the brothers. But she never seemed to be like what the flower had said. How bad was the surface to drive her to end it all and yet want to live down here? "Um...You won't tell her I said anything, will you?" Sans's thoughts broke yet kept him a bit cloudy, hearing only bits and pieces of what Flowey said. "huh? oh...no. i ain't opening my yap about this." Flowey sighs with relief until the sounds in the bathroom are less water based and more like someone getting ready to come out. In a panic of getting busted, Flowey throws Sans under the proverbial and shoves the skeleton into the door before repelling back to the table on which he stays. Obviously pissed about this, Sans growls and aims to go pluck every petal from the flower's head. Yet before he can even get off his bony butt the door to the bathroom opens to give him a bit of a bop that wasn't all that hard. Understandably, the confused human in a towel peeking halfway out the door. "Sans?" Sans gave her one look before he turned away trying hard not to blush, grateful that the cloth was long enough to cover her form. Though his behavior gave her the impression of something bad happening. "Are you okay? Oh shit, I didn't hit you, did I? I'm so sorry. I didn't know..." "i'm fine. just stumbled is all. now go put something on, will ya? i can't deal with ya when like that." Recalling the last incident that was bathroom related, she pulls the towel up more and goes back inside. "My bad." He rubs his skull. "it's fine. you were just concerned." He picks himself off the floor and tries to regain his cool. "So I was thinking...How does some comfort food sound?" "depends. what ya thinking?" "Tomato soup and grilled cheese. Provided we have that stuff." "...yeah, we got that. i did some 'shopping' earlier." "Sweet. Thanks, buddy." The door opens moments later. "Will Pap be okay with such a menu? Do I need to brace myself for impact once he knows?" "if it was other soup than yeah. he's got a thing for the tomato stuff." "So I've noticed." He looks her up and down, nothing is different besides the towel wrapped around her hair. "What?" "you're wearing the same thing you had on." "I'm limited in my clothes here. It's not like I can go across the street to Nanny and change. The other outfit I got is in need of washing but I don't trust Pap not to trash or burn it just to piss me off." "seems legit." She goes to walk past him and what the flower told him has him feeling guilty. "hey..." She stops at the top of the stairs. "Yeah?" His jaw clenches, words struggling to form as he determines if he should say something or not. "i...i didn't...that stuff i said..." "Dude, chill, we're cool. Don't stress over it." Is she forgiving him so easily? "we are?" "Yeah. I'd probably say that stuff too if someone was getting close to my buddy too. But that just shows how good of a friend you are. I respect that." Sans felt dumbstruck. Did she not hear him at all? Fuck it! Roll with it. "y-yeah. thanks. i was just being cautious is all." "I get it. That's why we're cool. You don't want to see him hurt. I don't want to hurt him. That's why we're just friends. No rushing into unknown territory here. That's for sure. Not with this damn thing being so unstable." She points to her chest and, while he knows she means her soul, he sees a joke opportunity. "yeah...with a set of knockers that big, i can imagine it being hard to stable." His grin is cocky and the only clue that has her realizing what just happened. Her expression goes from puzzled to sly snickering when she gets the joke. "Ah yes, these annoying chest bags. Hard to miss such large targets. Good jab, my friend." She took the punches and merely walks off downstairs to get cooking. That had him feeling a little off. Normally she would at least give him a quick quip back. Maybe she was in a bad mood under all that nice. He rolls his shoulders and goes to his room. She'll let them know when dinner is ready anyway. "Lynsie? Are you okay?" Flowey comes into the kitchen, he sets himself on the counter beside me as I butter bread while the pan heats up and a pot of soup warms. "Yeah, I'm fine. Got to chat with Toriel today." "Oh? How is she?" "Missing us. She even tempted me with my favorite meal." "Low blow." "Did make me wanna go though. Not gonna lie. That sew is the bomb." "What are you? A cheesy 90's character?" "Word, yo. I'm super funky fresh to the max." He shakes his head in disappointment but his giggling says otherwise. "But for real...Did anything happen today? You came home upset." I sigh. "I'm going through magic puberty. That's as blunt as I can possibly be about it." I can almost hear the gears in his head grind while I add some milk to the soup. "...What?" "From what I understand, my soul's starting to produce magic to match my body's age and it's something that can influence my emotional state. *groans* Just like when I was twelve going on thirteen. Nothing like the last day of sixth grade to be welcomed into the wacky world of womanhood." "...Is puberty really that bad?" "It sucks for everyone, boy or girl. It's only different for each gender. With us girl humans, we know when we hit our moment when we suddenly gain weight fairly quickly. Then our chests begin to store fat, aka, make these annoying things. Depending on genetics, other parts store fat too. Our growth rate slows down. Hormones start changing things on the inside that affect the outside to the point where you can become a completely different person to anyone that knows you. And then there's a thing I'm not even going to mention because I'm making food right now but will allude to it being gross as hell." He cringes as I put the sandwiches into the pan, making a loud sizzling hiss. "That sounds awful." "It is. But we all have to go through it and learn to deal with it. Because no enemy is greater in this world than yourself. Yet if you can tame yourself than that enemy becomes your greatest ally." One hand of mine holds a spatula to flip the sandwiches and the other a long spoon that keeps stirring the soup. "So it gets better eventually?" "Kind of. But you hardly notice any of this after enough time passes." "Growing up sounds like a pain." "All I can say is this...Enjoy youth to the fullest. You don't have to give up being a kid when you grow up, but it does get turned down a bit. Back on the surface, I still have toys. I have video games and comic books. Sure, I don't play with them as often as I used to. But just seeing or holding them feels good. Let's me know the happiness I once had can never truly die." The mood gets a bit somber as I flip the sandwiches and restart that sizzling hiss. "Flowey..." "Yeah?" "Can I have a hug?" He jerks a little in surprise. "Where did that come from?" "Just feel like I want one. If that's okay?" He closes himself off and I know I asked too much. I focus on my cooking, turning the burners off when the soup begins to bubble and the sandwiches are a lovely golden hue. I go about covering the food to keep it hot as I head out into the living room. "Yo, bone-boys! Food's ready!" It takes a few seconds to hear Sans pop into the kitchen while it takes a moment or two for Papyrus to appear at his door. "Evening, Papyrus." "HUMAN." He heads down the stairs as I enter the kitchen and Sans comes out with a sandwich in his teeth. "Gooey enough for you?" He nods in content while dunking the sandwich into a mug of soup. "WHAT TRAVISTY HAVE YOU BROUGHT ABOUT MY KITCH WITH THIS TIME?" Feeling funny, I get hammy. "Forsooth, my lord of bone. I present thee with broth made from the berry of nightshade. And bread, grilled gold that has hidden within the finest viscus form of bovine lactation." Papyrus stares at me funny before looking at Sans. "THE FUCK DID SHE JUST SAY?" "tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches." "OH. THAT'S NOT SO BAD." "I thank thou." He flicks my forehead. "NO. BAD HUMAN. STOP THAT." I snicker. "Shall I serve you or..." "I AM FULLY CAPABLE OF GETTING MY OWN." "Of course. I merely just wanted to treat you after a hard day's work. Unless, of course, that's just part of my evil plan to lull you into a false sense of security. Oooooh." I tease and he glares at me hard before do so to Sans. "YOU TOLD HER, DIDN'T YOU?" "she ain't a threat and ya know it." "SHE IS NOW!" "the worst she can do is annoy us." "YOU DON'T KNOW THAT!" "Master..." Papyrus flinches. "How can I prove to you that I mean you and your brother no harm?" "YOU CAN'T." [You give Papyrus the puppy dog eyes of guilt.] He backs up a bit. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" [You keep doing it.] He sweats a little. "S-STOP THAT." [You strengthen the look.] He looks to Sans but his brother is enjoying every moment. "MAKE HER STOP!" "why? she ain't hurting nobody." [You are determined to make him understand.] [It works...Papyrus gives in...but only so you'll stop.] "FINE! YOU'RE NOT A THREAT! NOW STOP MAKING THAT LOOK!" I smile and bow. "That is the extent of my power. I am now powerless since my secret is revealed. Congratulations!" He shoves past me and Sans laughs. "dinner and a show. today just gets better and better." I follow Papyrus in to take Flowey back to his table and he leaves the kitchen with his food as I get Flowey's portion before my own. "So..." I sit down with Flowey away from the one skeleton looking to kick my ass. "Will I be sleeping in the shed tonight? Because if so, a blanket would be very appreciated." "i'm fine with ya being indoors. pap, your thoughts?" Papyrus snarls while chewing. "he didn't say no." Papyrus gulps down his mouthful. "YOU DO NOT TALK FOR ME...BUT HE ISN'T WRONG." "Really?" "whoa. you said i'm right? i think hell froze over." "*GROAN* WHILE I AM NOT ALLOWING YOU TO BE INDOORS BECAUSE OF SOME SYMPAHTIC REASONS. I AM ONLY ALLOWING YOU TO BE INDOORS BECAUSE, AS A PROPER PET OWNER, IT WOULD BE A BLACK MARK ON MY RECORD TO HAVE YOU DIE DUE TO SOMETHING SO STUPID AS BEING COLD. THAT'S ALL." "Awe...You do care." "ONE OF THESE DAYS, I WILL SMOTHER YOU IN YOUR SLEEP." "Papyrus, you don't have to add icing to this cake. It's already sweet enough." "...ARE YOU SURE WE CAN'T HANDLE THE QUEEN IF WE KILL HER?" "bro, even asgore had trouble dealing with tori and that's his wife." Papyrus growls in reluctant agreement. The night continues on with us watching Mettaton on TV. Thankfully, it's one of his movies and nothing weird. Though it's not like his movies aren't odd sometimes. Mettaton seems to make a lot of action, thriller, horror, and psychological type films. Not bad stuff really. Though the CGI human that normally is a villain character is cliché and lackluster in character personality, merely filling the bad role. He needs help writing his scripts. Eventually Papyrus heads off to bed, Flowey nods off, and Sans lazily comes out of the kitchen sipping on mustard. "You headed for bed too, bone-boy?" "yeah. *yawn* don't stay up too late." "I know. I got work too now." "oh...i meant because pap will bitch about the light and noise. but that too." I watch him shuffle towards the stairs. "Sans..." "huh?" I feel unsure if I should mention Mettaton to him or not. Sans is someone I trust. But even he has trouble trusting me back. "Sleep well." I'm such a coward. "you too, kiddo." I mentally punch myself for that. He heads to his room and I shut the TV off once he's gone. With not much else to do, since all my doable chores are already complete and the other are not good to do while they sleep, I give in to the night. I lay down on the couch for some shuteye. Maybe things will be okay in the morning. Hopefully I'm wrong about Mettaton doing something to force me to Hotland. I doubt it though, as when my gut feels this twisted I tend to be right. Maybe these thoughts won't mess with my dreams. If I'm allowed to dream that is. Gaster should need time to go over what he learned last night. A shiver racks my spine at the memory. And then another because I still don't have a blanket. Nice one.

[rogue-rook]

many highlights from The Eleventh Hour from a first-time TAZ listener

featuring bits from Lunar Interlude III: Rest and Relaxation

oh god is this lunar interlude a goddamn ASMR experience

are carey fangbattle and killian dating?

i’m almost 100% sure griffin said “fisticups” instead of “fisticuffs”

griffin: “okay, you spend the next few weeks learning from carey” oh, okay griffin, i see, we’re taking the LAZINESS route on this campaign now. maybe there were some good snorlaxes to catch on that route or something, but now we’ll never know!

a semi-incomplete list of words that griffin has made up during TAZ: “cruft, geezers creezers, and scrumbled” except scrumbled was stolen from justin

my first thought when i realized taako and sweet ango were going to be spending this interlude together was “oh no taako is about to just bully the goddamn earwax out of sweet ango”

I JUST REALIZED ANGUS MACDONALD IS 10 GODDAMN YEARS OLD. where are his parents??? he had a grandpa who died, right? who’s taking care of him? did lucretia kidnap him to illegally “employ” THIS LITERAL CHILD at the bureau of balance??

WAIT IS LUCRETIA HIS MOM?

taako just called sweet ango “agnes”

THE UMBRA STAFF JUST TOOK CONTROL AND BLASTED “LUP” INTO THE WALL AND IM LIKE LUP!!!! ITS LUP!!!

the Hole-Thrower is a goddamn genius object but i wish it wasn’t just for “non-magical, non-living” things bc i wanna see taako throw a hole into an enemy

magnus: “i want a black mastiff” griffin: “but you know, theres’s no dogs on the moon!”

the grubby grifters went over budget at the fantasy costco and griffin's voice like animorph-style changed into garfield the deals asshole‘s voice and im like. uncomfortable

travis: “i’m now a level 8 fighter and a level 2 rogue” “which i think makes sense for magnus bc you’re a protecting guardian but you’re also kinda a nasty boy on that battlefield”

the grubby grifters are the only bureau employees not to be super choked up about boyland’s death and im like “hey maybe you assholes shouldn’t have tried to desecrate his crystalized corpse”

WIVES AND HUSBANDS AND STUFF

if the voidfish is either nice or neutral, then it singing to magus is adorable

if the voidfish turns out to be evil, then it singing to magnus is super super ominous

the director: “avi had to miss boyland’s rites of remembrance” merle: “i didn’t know that was an option"

names suggested for the woven gulch before griffin decided that: dry bones, gucci gulch, the taint, the devil’s taint, ravine, gulch, the blasted lands, the not-blasted lands, the flavor-blasted lands, the grandd canyon (not a typo), the taco bell grande canyon, the arid waste, tattoine

all the grubby grifters: “SUMMER LOOKS! SUMMER LOOKS! SUMMER LOOKS!”

taako: "thanks garfield, can we leave now?" "I WISH YOU WOULD"

sweet ango has to launch the grubby grifters down to the woven gulch and he’s so terrified and im like ango, they should be more nervous, they’re yOUR BULLIES!!

magnus: “we don’t have to mean EVERY time!” okay, magnus, that’s rich coming from you, seeing as you’ve been the worst to angus

travis: “you as the DM didn't remind your players” griffin: “oh i didn't know this was a baby game for CHILDREN”

magnus: “what it we just didn't attack them this round and just saw what they did?” merle: “WHO ARE YOU??”

griffin: “it's kind of rustic” magnus: “FINALLY, MY RUSTIC FOLK HERO THING WILL WORK AND PEOPLE WILL LIKE ME!!!”

“by their sacrifice, our home is made safe” WHAT THE FUCK!

griffin: “where the robe it, it has been stained or oxidized, turning it a bright crimson red" "oh.....like...the bad guys...” YALL THAT’S SO. THAT’S SOME SHIT. THAT’S SOME MYSTERIOUS SHIT

taako: “okay, cool, I’m not into labels either” yooooooo 

i googled the map griffin made for the town of Refuge and hot damn, that’s a well made map

magnus: “i rolled a 10 [on a perception check]” griffin: “you're in a prison cell with bars on it” merle: “i rolled a 1″ griffin: “you are in a cube shaped place”

griffin: “and then all three of you, have died” WHAT IN THE FUCK????? WHAT THE HELL??? WHAT????

THE SET UP OF THIS ARC IS BOMB AS HELLLLLLLLLLLLL

the fact that paloma sounds like bjork tells me that griffin is just straight up running out of different accents

[merle continues to sing to the tune of book of mormon] travis: “clinton. you just got clocked by a shovel”

justin: “i’m gonna delete the video i was making about how to do an infinite diamond glitch in the adventure zone”

griffin: “there are many rocks piled up” justin: “mini rocks are actually called pebbles, griffin”

griffy set up this quarry locker room tripwire puzzle exactly like a fucking game of hangman! the most deadly game of hangman ever

griffin: “lemme just say that diamonds are the currency of this town. you wouldn’t go to the US treasury to get dollars fresh from the printing press” justin: “what, you want me to get a part time job??” griffin: “i wouldn't hate it”

griffin: “i just agreed to what dad said without really processing what it was that he said, and what he said was the name "bjork" as bork” clint: “you gotta watch that shit, griffin” griffin: “i was almost an accomplice to that heinous act”

the grubby grifters just unquestioningly trust paloma the bjork witch without any sort of investigation checks or ANYTHING and im like what if she’s evil, my dudes. what if she’s leading you astray

griffin: “the human spell library, clint mcelroy”

griffin: “if you can just instantly bring back any dead person to life, it may reduce the narrative stakes of the adventure zone podcast A BIT!” AH SHIT SON!!

magnus: “im gonna....cut his arm off” griffin: “OH MY GOD!! YOU LOVE THIS SHIT! YOU’RE A PERVERT! YOU'RE EXPOSING EVERYONE TO YOUR FETISH!!”

istus is cool and awesome and she knits but all this shit she’s talking about it is just context-less gibberish

“you’re going to be amazing” AT WHAT, MOTHERFUCKER? YOU’RE COOL AND YOU HANDED OUT BOMB ASS GIFTS BUT WHAT THE SHIT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT??

hot damn yall. this time chalice is trying to PERSUADE the grubby grifters and my evil bullshit meter thinks this is SUPER HELLA SUSPENSEFUL

AW SHIT! BACKSTORIES!

damn this chalice is so tempting. i can’t even imagine

these backstories are heartbreaking. im blown away by the way the mcelroys have crafted this part of the story, and so so sad. especially about magnus

“its not what julia would want” travis stop making me feel these things

magnus: “noelle ended up with a new shiny robot body!” taako: “an unkillable robot! I'd call that an upgrade!”

oh no the chalice is forcing them to watch the destruction of phandolin, what an asshole

magnus: “i’m gonna throw a whole bunch of robot arms into him” griffin: “okay, so you just have a hefty bag full of roboid arms??” 

merle: “we owe a big one to penumbra" magnus: "paloma"

magnus: “we gotta jump” roswell: “this is a shitty shitty shit shit plan, i hope you know that” i love roswell’s instinctive reaction when presented with a dumb idea, which is to respond with pure immediate honesty and tell the grubby grifters that their ideas are dumb as hell

this worm fight is bizarre as fuck, what the fuck are they even DOING???

aw the weird worm just wanted to escape the bubble so it could get back to its babies! that’s...almost adorable. if it wasn’t a giant fucking worm

oh good. the red robe is back. cool cool cool cool cool

magnus: “you’re proud of us? what? you’re a red robe, you’re one of the bad guys?” the red robe: “who told you that?”

GRIFFIN JUST CALLED IT A LICH!!!!!

the red robe said “lup, they don’t trust me. lup i can’t do it anymore” and “the next time we meet, i’ll need you to trust me completely. the hunger is almost here, and all this could be lost” YALLL IM CONFUSED ASSSS FFFUCKKKK BUT IM SO EXCITED ABOUT WHOEVER THE FUCK THIS PARSELTONGUE MOTHERFUCKER IS!!

well taako got a prophecy saying he would one day get power from “the man wreathed in flames” so like im pretty goddamn sure the parseltongue motherfucker is barry bluejeans. there’s a lich around, barry got blasted to hell by gundren rockseeker, and the red robe wants the grubby grifters to trust him, so like 2+2+2 probably equals barry fucking bluejeans here

the fact that they got to watch over the town of refuge for 7 years was soooooo sweet!!!!

hot damn the red robe’s been protecting magnus this whole time???

travis asking istus why there’s long gaps in their memories like hey trav griffy doesn’t want you or me or anyone else to know yet, but good try!

magnus: “if you get bored, there's this half-moon thing in the sky, you can come hang out with us” taako: “yeah most birds can fly to the MOON!”

kravitz!!! anytime kravitz shows back up is a GOOD GODDAMN TIME!! because i love kravitz

the red robe in the statue in Refuse HAS MAGNUS’S FACE!!!

i have literal goddamn chills. that is so good

this was a very odd meandering arc and i didn’t know what the hell was going on half the time but it was super super super enjoyable and some of the plot shit got me HYPED AS HELL

[latestnews2018-blog]

There Were Zero Things Better This Week Than Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Victory Face

New Post has been published on https://latestnews2018.com/there-were-zero-things-better-this-week-than-alexandria-ocasio-cortezs-victory-face/

There Were Zero Things Better This Week Than Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Victory Face

Welcome to Good Shit, HuffPost’s weekly recommendation series devoted to the least bad things on and off the internet. 

This is obvious, but the best thing I saw this week was NY1’s video of 28-year-old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez realizing she had beaten out Joe Crowley in the Democratic primary for the 14th Congressional District of New York. The results all but assured that she will soon become the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, and they set off a predictably nauseating period of 24/7 news coverage.

Challenger @Ocasio2018 toppled one of the top Democrats in Congress, @repjoecrowley, Tuesday night in their primary in the 14th District. The victory stunned even her, live on our channel. #NY1Politics https://t.co/fnK1O0bacz pic.twitter.com/RjuqHJpn1p

— Spectrum News NY1 (@NY1) June 27, 2018

But the particulars of that moment were mesmerizing: the way she convulsed just for one second when she saw the results; her widened eyes and covered mouth, first with two hands, then with just one; when she shook her head exactly once and replied “Nope” after an interviewer asked Ocasio-Cortez to put what she was feeling into words; and then when she composed herself and told the world that the victory belonged not just to her but to everyone who was with her. It was something wholly foreign to 21st century American politics: pure, uncorrupted joy, and we were right there with her in the bar to witness it. What a shocking delight. ― Maxwell Strachan 

Gucci Mane In Iceland

If you love yourself, watch this video of Gucci Mane in Iceland. Then you should mention BET, VH1, HGTV and the Travel Channel on Twitter, and petition for him to have his own show in which he travels the world and talks about how it makes him feel. Fuck, I love Gucci so much it hurts. ― Julia Craven

World Cup Tequila Shots

Re: Korea defeating Germany, thus allowing Mexico to progress to the next round–this video of Mexican fans bumrushing the Korean embassy in Mexico City to thank the ambassador personally, and forcing him to down tequila shots is so beautiful and perfect 😂 #KORGER pic.twitter.com/E1GeZCRrlK

— Very Stable Genius (@Rantaramic) June 27, 2018

Mexico got thrashed by Sweden in its final World Cup group stage game on Wednesday, but South Korea’s improbable win over Germany allowed Mexico to advance to the next round anyway. So, after the game, Mexico fans swarmed the South Korean embassy in Mexico City, mobbed the ambassador and other consular officials, and all but forced them to do shots of tequila with them. Then they chanted, “Korean, brother, you’re Mexican now!” The videos brought me genuine joy, even though the week was otherwise mostly awful. Mexico, which has had a pretty fun ride through this World Cup so far, plays Brazil in the first round of the knockout stages on Monday morning. It’ll be worth a watch. ― Travis Waldron

New Books!

Amazon

If you want to deftly thread the needle of unplugging from the horrifying news cycle while still thinking deeply about all the political, social and economic factors that have combined to make it so horrifying, allow me to humbly suggest two electrifying debut novels that were published this month.

Confessions of the Fox by Jordy Rosenberg takes the hoary tale of an 18th century folk hero ― the infamous English pickpocket and jailbreak Jack Sheppard ― and transmogrifies it into a wildly entertaining epic featuring a trans hero and a London underworld as diverse in race and gender identity as the real 18th century London was. 

Set in Oakland, California, There There by Tommy Orange weaves together the stories of urban-dwelling Native people grappling with the consequences of white colonization that has disconnected them from their heritage. All the while, the plot builds inexorably toward a shocking conclusion. ― Claire Fallon

“Salvage Dawgs”

For anyone who wants to escape the madness of the news cycle, turn off the worrisomely relevant “Handmaid’s Tale” and flip to the DIY Network ― where you can peacefully watch Robert, Mike and the rest of their Black Dog Salvage team carefully extract architectural elements from private homes, historical properties and crumbling mills across the eastern U.S. states. I first caught on to “Salvage Dawgs” four years ago (as an HGTV fanatic), and with a new season currently airing on Sundays at 9 p.m., I’ve been thoroughly enjoying it again. ― Leigh Blickley

“Demolition Man” Nacho Fries

Taco Bell

Is it a coincidence that in “Demolition Man” ― a movie depicting a world of peace, love and Wesley Snipes with bleach-blond hair ― every restaurant is a Taco Bell? I think not. Now, in honor of the 25th anniversary of this cinematic masterpiece, in which Sylvester Stallone says “Heads up” before literally kicking Snipes’ head off his body and people clean their butts with seashells, Taco Bell is bringing “Demolition Man” nacho fries to San Diego Comic-Con. And as if this partnership could get any more perfect, the fries are supposedly free.

So even if you’re not into “Demolition Man” (but, really, who even are you?), it’s still enough to make you say, “Aw, bell yeah.” Anything else happening in your life is nacho problem. But just remember: This is still Taco Bell we’re talking about, so keep those seashells ready. ― Bill Bradley

Some Hedonistic Art

Irena Jurek

“Strawberries Wild,” 2018, acrylic, graphite, colored pencil, glitter and collage on paper.

Fuck self-care, “Alive With Pleasure!” ― a new group show at Asya Geisberg Gallery in Manhattan ― seems to suggest. These dire times require unabashed hedonism, stripped of nutrition, intention or good sense. Curated by Irena Jurek, the exhibition takes its name from the playfully seductive Newport cigarette ads from the ’70s and ’80s. The works on view ― by artists including Caroline Chandler Wells, Raúl de Nieves and Melissa Brown ― are united by an excessive energy that oozes from their materials, style, palette and subject matter. Strawberry orgies, sprinting nipples, smoking birthday cakes and rainbow horses with serious BDE populate the gallery space, manifestations of self-indulgence far more strange and satisfying than bubble baths and goat yoga. ― Priscilla Frank

Kieran Culkin In “Succession”

Listen, I do not know how I feel about “Succession” on the whole. It is a longish HBO show filled with rich white men whose business dick swagger is very sad emoji, pretty frightening and a little funny. But I do know how I feel about Kieran Culkin in “Succession,” and that is that Kieran Culkin in “Succession” is very hot. He is the media conglomerate sex idiot I never knew I needed. He is the entitled son of a Rupert Murdoch avatar that I would otherwise hate if he weren’t so good at sick sibling burns and fast talking. He is Igby Slocumb, if Igby had just gone ahead and Jeff Goldblum-ed himself. That scene where Kieran Culkin in “Succession” is wiping his own semen off the window of his high-rise office window is exactly how I imagine Wall Street Men behave, so maybe this is a documentary. I don’t know. Watch it for Kieran. ― Katherine Brooks

Music For Your Ears

It’s always been difficult to get a handle on Deerhoof’s noise pop. It’s both artful and art-damaged, heavy metal and wistfully melodic. On a recent episode of the great podcast “Essential Tremors,” drummer Greg Saunier explains at length how the band’s sound is rooted in an unlikely source: Burt Bacharach’s orchestral pop. Saunier is a captivating storyteller, unwinding his tale much like his band’s twisty songs bouncing from a nostalgic remembrance of his mom’s love of soft rock to dissecting the essential genius of the 1968 hit “Do You Know the Way to San Jose” to karaoke singing. “People have rarely agreed with me on this, but I pretty much think of Deerhoof as being a soft-rock band,” Saunier said. ― Jason Cherkis

Freaky people, clap your hands! You’ll hear that command on “The Now Now,” the latest LP from sprightly synth cartoon band Gorillaz. We could use a freaky handclap or two right now, especially if it’s filtered through baroque bops like “Humility” (a summer jam if there ever was one) and “Magic City.” This album? It’s sunshine in a bag. ― Matthew Jacobs

A Movie About Aliens

This week I’m all over “How to Talk to Girls at Parties.” Don’t be fooled by the “Dude, Where’s My Car?”-esque name, this is an entirely precious, entirely new, entirely weird movie about growing into love in the most outlandish of circumstances. Enn is a punk boy in the ’70s who likes nothing more than scaring old ladies on his beat-up old bike and eating tomatoes that grow in the sewer, but his life gets shaken up when he meets Zan, an alien girl from a clan of introverted extraterrestrials touring Earth. I loved the subversion of expectation, like when he leans in to kiss her and she vomits on him. Somehow this is still cute. Elle Fanning is a great alien, and Nicole Kidman makes an appearance as an aged punk, which is worth it just to see her done up in the requisite 3 inches of eyeliner. The special effects are really campy and kind of jarring, but fun if you just go with it. And Mitski (!) even makes an appearance on the soundtrack to round it all out. Upon watching it, my mother said, “What in God’s name did you just show me?” Great fun. ― Anna Krakowsky

Maeve On “Westworld”

The best thing for me this week was, hands down, the subtle power of Thandie Newtown’s performance as Maeve on the Season 2 finale of “Westworld.” There’s this one, glorious shot of her toward the end of the episode, defiantly using her powers to hold off a horde of crazed hosts in order to protect her daughter. It’s brilliant on many levels, foremost because it’s the instant where the show fully crystalizes something that, all season, it had only been half-committed to acknowledging: Maeve is basically every black woman who has had to save herself (and everyone else) because no one else would. In light of the dumpster fire that has been this week and quite frankly this entire year, there’s something cathartic in seeing that visual metaphor on screen. ― Zeba Blay

The Passionate Experts On “Ologies”

My evergreen podcast recommendation this summer has been “Ologies,” a delightful science series. Each episode features a different expert, or -ologist, who can expound on all the cool shit to do with topics including death, birds, fear, squids, even postcards (!!!). Host Alie Ward is a true delight and basically asks all the weird questions I’d want to ask. It’s educational without feeling too heavy. Listening to people who are passionate about things is kind of the best thing? I’ve yet to come across a dud episode, and there are nearly 40 in the back catalog to work through on your journeys this summer — or simply your journey ~through life~. ― Jillian Capewell

And Finally, This Photo

received a very promising tip today pic.twitter.com/UaAJGwoVWz

— Ashley Feinberg (@ashleyfeinberg) June 28, 2018

This photograph was DMed to me by a stranger with absolutely no words or explanation. It is beautiful and makes me want to die, which is all you can really hope for with art. ― Ashley Feinberg

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