#parentmood

[scheenesonntach-blog]

ist das Kritik oder ist das ein Lob, da steckste nicht drin

[blkcancer]

#LongShot of #Babygirl in front of this #BrightAndColorful Garden Display they had at #FSP .Once again she #DabbedOnem for this pic too. #Yeiiiss ..Gotta have some #swag or "finesse" you're the child of an entertainer. Cause if not..we'll Bust on ya ass for days. And we working on the clap-back game too.Lol... #LoveYouBooBoo .My #TBT 3 with #HollywoodLiLe .Yeiiii #IamCanman + + #Philly #FrankSquarePark #DowntownPhilly #OutAndAbout #DaddyDaughterTime #PreciousMoments #Protective over my child Whether #ParentMood or not..for her..I will PHUCK YOU UP(Cheeseeeee) #TryMe #Cancer

[redvelvetreel]

Red Velvet Reel 11.1: Amorfino

Pairing: [Married] Spicyhoney (Underfell Papyrus x Underswap Papyrus)

Summary: Edge can't take it anymore, Stretch loses it, they kinda make up, and there's a cool new distraction that helps everyone move on.

Characters: Stretch (Underswap Papyrus) & Edge (Underfell Papyrus)

Contains: Mpreg/Skelepreg!  Mood swings! Very eager to please Stretch and very confused Edge! Domestic Fluff! Arguments and misunderstandings and tears that are eventually resolved!

Rating: Teen and up! (I guess?)

Note: Direct continuation of Hiper-Billirubinado set a day or two after the last incident. An Amorfino is a form of popular song and short poem that blends romance with humor. Its an oral tradition based on improvisation of the Montubios, the mestizo people of the coastal countryside of Ecuador, particularly in the province of Manabí. Amorfinos are an important cultural tradition, and I’ve translated one into English below. :)

Allá arriba, en ese cerro,             Upon that hill so high, tengo una cajita de oro                Is a little golden bin, donde guardo mis suspiros         Where my every tear and sigh, y las lágrimas que lloro.               Is safely stored within.

This parentMOOD stuff was so weird. Stretch had watched Edge tidy up the kitchen after dinner hundreds of times, and it was usually a pretty boring, unremarkable chore. He never lingered before, because his husband was too fastidious to make it interesting.

So, watching Edge try to get a grape out from under the fridge shouldn’t have been that engrossing. But he was there for the full 20 minutes, clapping politely when his husband finally managed to grab it. Yay-

“Why are you still here?!” Edge demanded, holding the grape like a projectile. “Just to make fun of me?!”

“I wasn’t!” Stretch cringed preemptively, “Don’t grape me!”

“Cojudo!” Edge sighed in annoyance, but there was faint rustling from the trash can. Safe, for now. “What is your problem?!”

Maybe his husband wasn’t holding a grape anymore, but that sharp tone and obvious annoyance were gonna make Stretch break into a cold sweat. “There’s no problem!” He tapped at the doorway in a tuneless, stressed rhythm, “I was just wanted to see if you needed any help! Sorry if that bothered you-“

“Don’t act dumb with me!” Edge crossed his arms defiantly, giving him a positively withering glare, “You have been weird ever since you went to coffee with Blue and Red! Without me!”

“I have not! And I just didn’t want to bother you when you were resting!” Had he gone a little over the top with the comfort and reassurance thing? All he had been trying to do was prove to Edge how much he was loved and cherished! When was he going to get a break around here?! “You’re stressing over nothing, Babe!”

“Nothing?!” Scoffing in obvious disbelief, Edge threw his hands up to gesture towards their entire apartment, “Then what’s with all flowers and chocolates and cards and songs!? The hugs and kisses and massages!“

“Gifts!” Stretch was flabbergasted, “Is the fact you’re my dearly beloved husband  not ‘motive’ enough for spoiling you a little? Pancake is obvious taking a toll on you, and I just want you to be happy!”

“I am happy!” Edge yelled angrily like someone who was not very happy at all. “But this is bribery! What did you do?! Or what didn’t you do?!”

“Nothing! And everything?!” Stretch thought back very hard, but there was nothing he could confess. He was terrible at keeping secrets, and the only thing that weighed heavily on his conscience was that whole will-death debacle. “I didn’t do anything bad! There’s nothing weird about me!”

“You’re not supposed to be keeping secrets from me!” Edge slammed his hands on the counter, looking more upset than before, “You promised me you were always going to be honest-”

"You’re the one who’s not being honest!” Stretch hated how his voice broke on that last syllable, feeling a familiar burn in the corner of his sockets, “You’re supposed to be honest and open with me! I’m supposed to help you with all your problems! I’m not-“

He rubbed at his sockets, “I don’t want to be a problem! I don’t want to make you sad!”

“I...” Edge looked so lost and worried and concerned it sent a pang through his heart. He sobbed into his hands miserably as his husband’s voice wavered in alarm, “I didn’t say any of that?!”

He stopped right in front of Stretch, looking very much like he wanted to touch him but unsure if it was a good idea, “I didn’t mean-” Stretch made the choice for him by gathering him up in his arms like a teddy bear.

“I’m sorry, Papí,” Edge said again, softly but with conviction, as he gently pet the back of his head.  He kept the other around his husband’s shoulders in a protective hug. “You’re not a problem,” Punctuated by a gentle but firm little shake, “You’ve been very thoughtful and kind, and I have enjoyed the attention and presents. Thank you, they made me very happy.”

He ran his fingers along his neck, massaging every vertebrae, “I didn’t think I needed your help with the grape. It just made me nervous.” His words became a little less sure, “But if you could help me with, uh, dusting the, uh, top of the microwave- I mean, the refrigerator-“

“No,” Stretch kept his face burrowed against his husband’s chest, grip tight on the sweater. At least he managed to get all those tears out of his system. He felt kind of numb now. “It’s not that.”

“Then what?” Edge asked gently, a nervous undertone to his voice, “I didn’t lie about being very happy with your very nice gifts-”

“It’s not about the stuff!” Stretch  was starting to get annoyed now, glaring up at his husband, “I don’t care about any of it! If you love it or hate it, that’s fine- I can give it back to the store or get more or whatever! It’s just stuff- I care about you!”

“I...” Edge patted his back in obvious appeasement, although he was still tense and unsure, “I care about you, too-“

“Stop telling me what you think I want to hear!” Stretch tore himself free from the suddenly suffocating hold, backing up until he was against the counter. “Tell me how you really feel!”

“It’s true!“ Edge started to protest, browbones furrowed in consternation as he took a step back, “I don’t understand-”

“Obviously!” Stretch cursed himself for not having a firmer grip on his temper, shaking his head hard enough something rattled. Okay. He started pacing to burn off the nervous, angry energy, pushing his frustration deep, deep down. Okay okay okay. He had to think rationally and calmly- Edge was starting to look at him like he was a hungry lion or something.

“I just!” He waited until he was sure he wasn’t going to start yelling again, “I just... I need you to answer this honestly for me, Edge!”

Stretch looked at his husband’s face with growing insecurity, mouth pulled into a nervous grimace, “Cause I have just been stressing and stressing about this and it’s driving me out of my mind!”

“...Ok.” Edge finally said at length, arms crossed over his stomach and a nervous tension to his posture, “What?”

“Do you hate living here in Underswap? Do you want to go home to Underfell? Do you regret coming here?”

Edge looked completely flabbergasted, opening and closing his mouth as though he had been asked to explain the finer details of the Core’s magical processes. “...Wha-”

Stretch scrubbed at his skull, trying to keep his tone from getting too agitated, “Are you happy... being with me? Having our kid? Just... satisfied with... you know, the way everything has been going? Is everything good?” He started pacing again, “Cause if it’s not good, if I’m no good, I need you to tell me so I can become good for you, and so Pancake will think I’m good, too. So, please tell me if you’re honestly happy and I’m doing good-”

“Yes.” That simple, firm answer threw him for a loop.

“But...” That was exactly what he wanted to hear and everything he had been hoping Edge would say- why wasn’t he satisfied with it?! “Don’t you miss Underfell? Don’t you want to go home? I heard you talking to Comic...”

“Yes.” Before he could react to that admission, Edge took his hand gently. Still gave Stretch enough space so he wouldn’t feel trapped, but close enough to be physically reassuring. “Of course I miss Underfell. And I won’t lie to you: some days I wish I could go back.”

Edge put his husband’s hand on his chest, right above his soul. “But.” He kept his own hand there, warm and reassuring, “If I did not want to be here, I would not have come. And I would not stay.”

Stretch’s hand was close enough to his husband’s soul that he could feel the intent- not emotionally or magically like he was used to, but physically. It was a strange, feather-light sensation on the tips of his fingers and his palm, kind of like what he assumed a heartbeat would feel like... but it penetrated deep into his own soul, like the emotions and intent were his own. It was more than a little dizzying.

“This is my home.” Certainty. “This is where I belong.” Happiness. “This is where I want to be.” Satisfaction. “This is where my future is, with my stupid but still charming husband that I love because he makes me happy more often than angry.“ Love. “And this is where our babybones is going to grow up-” Hope.

That broke him, and whatever composure Stretch had left snapped. “I’m so sorry,” He sobbed, embarrassingly loud and wet, burying his face right back into Edge’s chest. It was still faintly damp from earlier, but Edge held him close again as though he didn’t really mind it. His hubby was the absolute best. “I was just so scared-“

“It’s okay.” Edge nuzzled against the top of his skull with obvious affection, “But now you know.” There was a silent pause, but Stretch heard the ‘What you always should have always known, dumbass’ loud and clear. “I’m not going to leave you to go back to Underfell. So calm down. Stop... doing all this. Acting like this. Please.”

Stretch nodded, trying to regulate his breathing, “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you or stress you out.”

He wiped at his eyes as he sniffled loudly, “I just feel like this parentMOOD is getting worse and worse, like I’m losing my mind to these stupid mood swings. I wish I didn’t feel this way, but I don’t know how to stop, Pap. Near you, away from you, alone or with friends- when is this going to stop?”

“Well. We’ll see the Doctor tomorrow. I’ll ask her to take a look at you too, see if she can help you calm down.” Edge pat Stretch’s head like he might a dog, gently pulling away to start rummaging in a nearby cupboard. “For now, let me make you some tea. That should help you relax.”

“I’m so sorry for all this. Pancake is really doing a number on me-“ Stretch rubbed at his cheeks guiltily, “Oh, did I ever explain that to you? Do you even know what’s going on? Aw man, I’m sorry, I’m the worst. Red didn’t know what it was so maybe-“

“I understand,” Edge shushed him quietly, guiding him into a chair, “Blue explained to me about it, and I looked it up on the Pregnancy HUD. Just concentrate on calming.”

“Uh?” Stretch pulled his legs against his chest, resting his chin on his knees. Edge would have to forgive his feet on the chair this once. “Ok. You looked it up on the what?”

“Um,” Edge went about filling the kettle with water before putting it on the stove, “The Pregnancy HUD. The Baby Monitor? Whatever, there’s a program that’s like a book on monster pregnancy. It’s the square with the little squares.”

“Chuta!” He sighed, bringing down a black mug with multicolor bones on it. That was a favorite, a gift from old Fluffers himself. “I don’t have any Manzanís tea, but I got some of this ‘Chamomile’ from your King. It’s a human plant, but it’s supposed to be soothing-”

“I’ll drink anything you give me, darlin’,” Stretch told him honestly, watching his husband squirt a really extra generous amount of honey into the mug. He must still be really worried. “But I have no idea what you’re talking about, Babe. It’s not the dating HUD?”

“No...” Edge looked like he had something more to say, but just then the kettle started whistling, “I’ll show it to you-“

Stretch barely managed to bite back a warning as Edge grabbed it without an oven mitt. It was.... it was too much to expect his husband to use an oven mitt for pouring tea, right?

“I will show you the pregnancy HUD-“ Edge was definitely getting annoyed again, a warning edge to his voice, “If you stop being so exaggerated.”

He put the steaming mug in front of Stretch, putting his hands on his hips, “Pancake is in charge of your emotions, but you are in charge of how you act on them. I’m not going to hold the Intent against you- only your ACTS.”

That was... fair. Okay. He could keep it together for the rest of the night, probably. “I’ll... do my best. Sorry-“

“And stop apologizing!” Edge huffed as he sat himself down directly in Stretch’s lap, leaning back against his husband’s chest. Well. If he was still mad, he wouldn’t sit on him, right?

Slowly, Stretch wrapped his arms around Edge’s waist to rest lightly on the ectostomach. A lot of conflicting emotions hit him at once, so he just rested his chin on his husband’s shoulder. And gave the Souling a little squeeze.

“We’ll plan better for our next child,” Edge told him kindly, patting his hands before putting a hand over his own soul and pressing down-

“Wooaaaah?!”

[sendreee]

#ParentMood

[redvelvetreel]

Red Velvet Reel 10.3: Hiper-Billirubinado

[Fic Directory]

Pairing: [Married] Spicyhoney (Underfell Papyrus x Underswap Papyrus)

Summary: Edge can take a lot of things with (minimal) complaint- but ballroom dancing is where he draws the line. Stretch is obviously up to something, and Edge knows exactly who to ask about his husband’s strange behavior. 

Characters: Stretch (Underswap Papyrus) & Edge (Underfell Papyrus) & Blue  (Underswap Sans)

Contains: Mpreg/Skelepreg!  Mood swings! Very eager to please Stretch and very confused Edge! Domestic Fluff! Unhelpful Blue!

Rating: Teen and up! (I guess?)

Note: Title based on the Juan Luis Guerra song “Me Sube la Billirubina.”

Ay negra, mira búscate un catéter, ey //  Hey baby, go and look for a catheter E inyéctame tu amor como insulina //   And inject in me your love like insulin Y dame vitamina de cariño, ¡eh!   //  And give me the vitamin of your affection, ey Que me ha subido la bilirrubina  //  That my billirrubin has increased

It wasn’t until the third ring when he finally picked up.

“Hello-“

“Blue.”

“Edge?! What’s wrong? Are you ok-?!”

“I’m fine, but your brother is not!” Desperation managed to seep into his voice despite his best efforts, grip tight on his phone. “There’s something very, very wrong with him!”

“What happened?!” Edge could hear clattering and shifting, like Blue was hastily pulling his coat on. He was subtly pleased by his brother-in-law’s instincts. “Did something happen to him or did he do something-“

“He wants to go dancing!” Edge knew this was a silly thing to be concerned about, but at least Blue wouldn’t make fun of him for it. “Ballroom dancing- and he’s wearing a suit!”

“A suit?!” Blue sounded as surprised as he felt, which was a relief, “Papy’s wearing a suit?!”

“Yes! He’s taking me out to dinner at Mettaton’s fancy restaurant- “Who?” Blue sounded confused, “Do you mean the Blook Brother’s Ranch-” “Whatever! He said we needed to dress up! He came up to me already wearing it! With a tie!” As hard as he tried to control himself, Edge quickly found himself pacing, “And he has been bringing me flowers everyday, more of those salty biscuit-like things from the Barkery than I can eat, and he filled up my voicemail with songs and sweet messages! I don’t want to delete any of them, but I need to have a working voicemail...”

“I told him not to come on so strong,” Blue muttered under his breath, and everything seemed so much colder.

“What are you talking about?” Edge started cracking his knuckles, speaking too quickly, “Is he doing this because he has something to confess? What is it? Is he in trouble? Legal, or with a gang or something? Does he need to go into hiding from humans, monsters, or both?” Once he started listing off the worst case scenarios, it was hard to stop, “He’s not one for gambling, but does he owe someone money? He likes to drink sometimes, and frequently forgets to pay... He didn’t get tricked into joining a cult, did he? Is it an affair? That would explain why he’s being so exaggerated-“

“No!” Blue sounded a little alarmed, but with a breathless quality that almost sounded like laughter, “I can guarantee it’s none of those things, Edge! Everything is fine! Papy is just being overly emotional because of his parentMOOD!”

“His what?” Maybe Blue didn’t know- maybe he had no idea what Stretch had been up to lately. The Underswap brothers were better at communicating now, but even a more conscientious Stretch wasn’t about to share everything with his brother. “I don’t know what that is. Is that a shopping website? Or something related to the stock market?”

“Did that seriously never come up in Underfell before?! Geez! Okay, so the parentMOOD is basically Pancake making Papy all emotional. If he’s sad, he’ll cry! If he’s happy, he’ll laugh! If he’s guilty, he’ll try and make everything up to you and then some!”

“Our baby is making my husband tell me he loves me every three minutes?? Worry about everything I say or do?? Become incredibly clingy??” Edge rubbed at his chin, considering this information carefully. “Guilt. Why would he be guilty-?”

There was a knock on the door that had Edge freezing, phone pushed against his chest to muffle Blue’s voice. “Babe?” Stretch asked hesitantly, obviously a little concerned, “You’ve been in there a while now. Are you feeling okay? We can take a rain check if you’re not feeling it-“

“Don’t be silly!” Fortunately, Edge was a master at multitasking, and had been ready before he called his brother-in-law. “You told me to dress to impress, and that takes time! But, fine! I will lower my standards and be down in three minutes!”

“You always impress me,” Stretch told him with a quiet sincerity that sent a funny little pang to his soul, “And I know you’ll rock whatever you chose to wear, so don’t stress too much. I’ll go ahead and start the car, then, sweetheart- can’t risk either of you getting a chill, right?”

“Ok.” Edge responded at length, when it was clear his husband wouldn’t leave without some sort of verbal confirmation, “I will... bring... a jacket??”

“Great!” Stretch answered cheerfully, “Bring the heavier one, just in case! Love you, and see you downstairs.”

“Yes, me too,” Edge answered automatically, waiting until the footsteps faded. He still stuck his head out the door to make sure Stretch wasn’t trying to eavesdrop. He brought the phone right back up against his skull.

“Blue? You heard that, right?” He demanded, drumming his fingers on the sink with growing agitation, “Why is he guilty? What did he do?“

“There is no way I’m getting anymore involved!” Blue told him cheerfully, “Just sit down and ask him, point blank, what his deal is, and you’ll see!”

“Blue!”

“Whoops! Look at the time!” Blue gave a loud, fake sounding yawn, “I should go to bed! You should get going before you’re late and make Papy worry about you even more!”

“It’s 8:00!” Edge was incensed- he could tolerate lying, but not bad lying! “You’re not-“

“I hope you both enjoy your evening!” his brother-in-law said pleasantly, “Bye bye!”

The line cut off just before Edge could finish getting that swear out, and he ended up tossing his phone at the wall. Blue was just as infuriating as Red! If they wanted to play this game, well-!

“You okay?!” He jumped at the sharp knock on the door, opening the door before Stretch could rattle the handle again. “Babe? Did you fall? Did you hurt yourself?”

Stretch started checking him anyway, turning him around, “Your head? Your hands? Your back-?”

“No!” Edge sighed, pushing his husband away with a beleaguered sigh, “I just dropped my phone-”

“In the bathtub?!” Stretch had already retrieved it, wiping it on his shirt before turning it over in his hands, “It doesn’t look cracked, but it is kind of ancient. Maybe we should get you an upgraded one? And-”

“Let’s go!” Edge didn’t have the patience for any fussing right now, grabbing his husband by the shoulders and pushing him out the door., “We can deal with all this later.”

He would need to approach this carefully. Fortunately, Edge was a master strategist, and had handled battle plans with more enemies, time-sensitive objectives, and fluctuating variables before. Compared to all that, how difficult could this be?

[ Incident 1 ] [ Incident 2 ] [ Incident 3 - Here! ] [ Confrontation ] 

[redvelvetreel]

Red Velvet Reel 9.1: Blue Ain’t (Usually) My Color

             [Fic Directory]

Pairing: [Married] Spicyhoney (Underfell Papyrus x Underswap Papyrus)

Summary: Stretch feels terrible over that whole death-will debacle, and seeks solace from his brother and brother-in-law. He ends up with a little comfort and a lot of knowledge.

Characters: Stretch (Underswap Papyrus) & Red (Underfell Sans) & Blue (Underswap Sans)

Contains: Mpreg/Skelepreg! Monster pregnancy headcanons, including sympathetic pregnancy symptoms! Mood Swings! Coffee Shops! 

Rating: Teen and up! (I guess?)

Note:  If I were a painter, I wouldn’t change you- just paint you bright. ‘Cause Blue looks good on the sky Looks good on that neon buzzin’ on the wall But darlin’ It don’t match your eyes -- "Blue Ain’t Your Color" by Keith Urban

Stretch had literally been outside the other day, but something about today seemed magical. The air was cool but not biting, not quite time to break out the terrible winter sweaters... but soon. The leaves were gold and red, most of them still attached to the tree-but the ones on the ground still crunched delightfully under his shoes. Too bad he wasn’t in the right frame of mind to enjoy it. Forcing down another sigh, Stretch made his way to the coffee shop across the street. Mt. Ebbot Coffee Co. Store # 6. He had never been to this one before, but store #4 had Austin the Barista who changed his hair color every other week. Maybe this store also had someone who would be willing to pour sprinkles in his coffee, too. Stretch smiled to himself, feeling a little bit better. Actually, a lot better! Sprinkles and coffee were a delicious combination! He was going to have delicious sprinkles coffee with his brother and his brother-in-law, and they were- He jumped when he heard tapping on the window, looking over his shoulder to find... Red. Face pressed against the glass, tongue lolling out of his mouth like a toddler. Was it on the window? Gross. Edge would have thrown a fit- The guilt started up immediately, and he felt bad again. Like really, really bad. Stretch did his best to smile at the baristas, but it felt half-hearted as he made his way to the corner booth. Red was already back in his seat, back flush against the wall with an unobstructed view of the entire establishment. Blue was sitting across from him like a more normal monster. Ugh, that was mean- less paranoid monster. “What’cha mad at, Honey?”

“Me. Myself. I.” He slid into the space next to Blue, leaning most of his body weight on his brother. Blue just held him tight, probably a little worried. Great. “I’m just a huge fuckup and I don’t know how to stop being bad at everything.”

“That’s not true!” Blue gave him a squeeze, only letting go to slide a big Frappuccino in front of him. It was absolutely covered in sprinkles. “You’re good at many things! Why don’t you have a drink-“

“Ya ‘n Edge fightin’ or somethin’?” Red got even more abrasive when he was genuinely concerned, and the table shook with the force of his punch. “The hell ya do this time, huh?!”

“Shut UP, Red!” Blue kicked the other skeleton under the table, “Maybe Edge did something to him!”

“I...” Where did he even start to answering these question? “I don’t know,” he answered honestly, pressing his cheekbone against the top of his brother’s head, “We’ve argued and fought before, but this feels different.” 

He tightened his hold around his brother, staring at the wood, “Like, really bad, really off different. It’s weird- I don’t like it, it’s not like we’re fighting-fighting but it’s not like we’re on stellar terms either. It’s maybe neither of our faults and both of our faults, but I’m not sure. I don’t know how to fix it. All I know is that I don’t want Edge walking on eggshells around me...”

“If it was Papy’s fault, why would Edge be cautious around him?” Blue asked Red pointedly, but in a moment he was back to being coddling, gently rubbing Stretch’s back in concerned affection, “What happened? Is that why he’s not here today?”

“No, and it was kinda my fault too. I overreacted. I left him at home because he was still sleeping.” He shrugged half-heartedly, “He’s been... really sleepy lately. I’m kinda worried-”

Red snorted like he was holding back a laugh, “Pancake’s a greedy bastard, huh? Like their Daddy.”

“It’s-” Yeah, ok, Soulings did need a lot of magic. “Fine, it’s probably a pregnancy thing, but we’re going to the doctor on Thursday, just in case.” He held up a hand, “Anyway, that’s not the point- I left him a note on the dresser, and then I realized I forgot my reward card. But I guess by that time Edge though I left, ‘cause then I could hear him talking with someone on speaker. It was Comic. He was... asking him for advice about missing home...”

“Oh.” Blue patted his back consolingly, sympathizing politely even if it was clear he didn’t quite understand the issue. “I’m sorry, Papy. Sometimes it’s good for monsters to vent to a neutral third party, though. It’s better than bottling it up, right? Maybe Edge didn’t want to talk to you about it because he didn’t want to hurt your feelings.”

“Yeah...” Blue made some good points and it sounded reasonable enough. Edge was probably being conscientious, but... “But he’s supposed to talk to me about these things, isn’t he? Am I a bad husband, if he doesn’t feel like he can talk with me freely or directly? Can he not trust me?” Stretch lowered his voice, soul feeling unbearably heavy, “Does that mean he’s unhappy here? Unhappy with me? If he misses Underfell, doesn’t that mean he wants to go back? What if-“

“S’fine.” Red had little patience for tact or diplomacy, rough and painfully dismissive. “Wouldn’t a done speaker if he ain’t wantcha to hear. S’reassurin’ ya he’s dealin’ with that saudade bullshit. S’always been heart over brains for ‘im. He’ll get over it.“

“But-“ Stretch frowned, feeling less reassured, “That’s not-“

“Don’t’cha worry, Honey bunch. I’ll straightin’ yer hubby out.” Red cracked his knuckles in an obvious show of bravado, smile sharp and confident, “S’gotten too touchy-feely, but ain’t nothin’ a nice lil’ chat can’t fix.“

“I don’t want that!” Stretch wasn’t sure how he felt about Red’s flippancy- relieved his worst fears were being disproved, or annoyed Edge’s feelings were being dismissed? “I don’t want Edge to be secretly miserable! I want him to be happy! Not just pretend to be happy for my sake-“

The corners of his eye sockets burned unpleasantly, and he rubbed at them irritably, “I never meant to force him to come here- I would have been just as happy to stay with him in Underfell! But he-“ His voice hitched miserably, shoulders shaking as his brother held him. “I don’t want him to hate me! I didn’t mean to ruin his life!”

“The hell’s wrong with ya?!” Red was wide-eyed, hands hovering nervously like he wanted to slap or shake Stretch. “The fuck ya talkin’ about?! Why the fuck ya bawlin’?!” 

“Papy.” Stretch couldn’t even shrug before Blue was pulling him closer, tucking his face against his chest like he was in stripes again. It should have been embarrassing, but it was actually incredibly soothing. “Edge doesn’t hate you, and he doesn’t think you ruined his life. It just seems like it because the parentMOOD is amplifying your anxiety.”

Stretch felt disoriented and confused, blinking at his brother blearily, “Huh?”

“I’m not saying your feelings aren’t real or anything- I just want you to know that it’s Pancake making everything seem more intense and extreme.” Blue’s tone was calm and patient, and although he let Stretch pull away, he kept a supportive hand on his back.

“This?” Stretch patted at his cheeks, surprised to find them just a little damp. He had forgotten to be upset, too focused on Blue’s comfort and being confused. “This is my parentMOOD starting? I’m not just being unnaturally overdramatic?”

“You’re being naturally sensitive!” All expecting parents go through this, so there’s no reason to be ashamed.

“The fuck ya about, huh?!” Red looked agitated and unsure, “Brat ain’t even here-  they ain’t even born!”  He clutched the table hard enough his claws dug into the plastic guard, nervous in a way Stretch wasn’t used to seeing, “Ya been cursed or somethin’?! Is Edge?!”

“No! No, we’re fine- I’m just, uh, it’s a sympathetic pregnancy symptom,” Stretch cleared his throat, looking away from that strangely vulnerable expression. He had to force down the sudden urge to comfort Red, since he was sure his brother-in-law would probably bite him if he tried. Biology was so weird. “Monster babies are made from pieces of both their parents souls, right?”

Red finally nodded, hesitantly, 

“Since monsters are their souls, and Pancake’s claimed a piece of mine, then it makes sense I get zapped by some side effects, too.” He tried very very hard to keep his tone even, to not give into the urge to start babying his brother-in-law, “Can’t have one parent shouldering the whole thing, right?”

“Fine, fine, no curse-“ Red moved his hand impatiently, still restless and annoyed, “So? What’s a fuckin’ parentMOOD?”

“It’s what monsters call these extreme mood swings.” Blue sighed, leaning on the table, “Basically, the non-pregnant partner becomes super emotional and reacts disproportionately to every little thing. Like, they’ll cry if they’re sad over a movie, or smother you if they’re worried about you. It’s not always as pronounced as Pa- uh, Stretch’s case, something about physiology.”

Stretch knew Blue was talking generally, but that criticism still stung. Was he being overly emotional? Blue just told him it was fine! Besides, it didn’t feel like he was disproportionately reacting to anything- and he certainly wasn’t smothering.

“It’s biological,” Stretch muttered sulkily, crossing his arms over his chest as he sank down, “Sympathetic and empathetic partners mean better care for the pregnant parent! Better care for the pregnant parent means a healthier, happier Souling- so I am being a good Dad!”

“Of course you are, Papy! You’re going to be a great Papa!” Blue patted his brother’s arm indulgently, giving Red a meaningful look from across the table, “You should finish your coffee before it gets too cool.”

“Oh! Right!” Stretch took a cautious sip, but it was lukewarm at best. Ah well. Still delicious! 

“So...” Red rubbed at his face aggressively, speaking slowly, “Back up. Yer mood swings’ makin’ ya scared Edge’s gonna leave ya fer Underfell? Ok. So… why ya tellin’ us? Whatcha want us to do ‘bout it, Honey?”

“Obviously a little R&R- Reassurance and Relief!” Blue looked proud, although Stretch hadn’t actually thought about it that way, “You want me to comfort you, and Red to tell you what Edge is probably planning and thinking, right?”

“Ye-“ Stretch started to say, before stopping himself and frowning, “No? I don’t know? But that sounds really nice.” He turned his most pathetic, helpless pleading expression to his brother-in-law, “Pretty, pretty please?”

“Look.” Red grit through his teeth, holding his hands out on the table stiffly. Stretch recognized that gesture as Underfellese for ‘all cards on the table with nothing up my sleeve.’

“I ain’t know everythin’ in Edge’s empty-ass skull, ‘n he’s real fuckin’ shunsho sometimes,” Red sighed irritably, glaring at Stretch like he was personally responsible for that, “But he fuckin’ sucks at keepin’ his feelin’s quiet. He’ll do shit he ain’t wanna do if he gotta, but he bitches ‘n moans ‘n acts up the whole. Goddamn. Time.”

Stretch smiled at that, rubbing his wedding band fondly. He wouldn’t have put it in those terms, but yeah. Red was right.

“Ya think Edge’d be here if he didn’t want to? Ya think I’d be here if he wasn’t serious ‘bout him wanna being here?” Red wrenched his hands back to grab Stretch by the front of his hoodie, giving him a shake so hard something rattled loudly. Guilt didn’t have a chance to settle before he was being shaken like a maraca again. “Ain’t no goin’ back to Underfell, anyway! Fuckin’ told ya: Edge’s yer problem now, ‘n ain’t no takebacks!“

“But is he happy?” Stretch could read between the lines, but implication was different from confirmation.  “How do you know-“

“Ya real so goddamn shunsho!” Red started cursing unintelligibly, “Why ya askin’ that, huh?” Stretch didn’t have time to answer before Red gave him another hard shake. “‘Course he’s happy! Dumbass!”

Red shoved him backwards, and it was only Blue’s quick reaction time that kept his skull from smacking into the wood. 

“Even in Underfell y’ain’t gonna get no Soulin’ without love in yer heart fer yer partner!” There was an unusually friendly quality to that sharp smile. A lot like a shark might look at a fish it was about to eat. “If yer hubby’s outta sorts, s’cause yer freakin’ him out.” 

[ Part 1 - Here! ] [ Part 2 ]  [ Part 3 ]

[redvelvetreel]

I KNEW IT!!!! omg congrats guys! Must be weird being on the other side of things, huh Stretch?

5tr3tch: *probably the last one or so before Edge gets back, but an important one: thank you!!! but, um, im not pregnant!*im just legitimately just sick from having had pancake. *Edge gets really cagey when he’s worried, so he makes things seem a lot more dramatic and worrisome than they are- so let me just explain while hes not here to scold me, really quick:

5tr3tch: *when Pancake was born, they literally took a chunk out of both my and Edge’s hp. thats normal. *but something went… wrong-ish, so they ended up taking a lot more of my HP than they were supposed to. like literally 1/3 of it. …and 1/3 of Edge’s too. *ive always had low HP, so having that go down really messed me up. im literally staying at home right now because my body is still healing and adjusting.*yall. im literally sleeping like 15 hours a day and eating a ton. i may be growing a belly, but theres no souling in it… 

*and then theres Edge!!!! i love that guy, i really do, but when he was like so heavily pregnant he was forced to switch to sneakers (which he hated btw) and had that cute little waddle going on, he turns to me all like, “When are we having our second kid? Pancake can’t be an only child!” *maybe im being the unreasonable one, but i thought it was maybe a good idea to wait a little.*lets have this first baby, learn the ropes and take care of them, adjust our lives around them before thinking of having another one.*can we at least get this one walking and talking and in school first?

*then he was all like, “It would be fine, there’s two of us! And we have a big family ready to help!” *yeah okay, unless Red and Blue move back in, or Black and Classic end up staying for a really, really long sleepover, its mostly going to be you and me! *hes also always going on about ‘use reuse and recycle,’ so wouldnt it be more economical and ecofriendly if we just wait until Pancake doesn’t need the baby stuff and then just use it again for kiddo #2?

*Pancake is literally three months old oh my god. *just thinking about going through everything again- the parentMOOD, the green magic sessions, the PICPE- taking care of a baby on top of everything else we had to deal with!!!!!!!*that makes me want to cry. i honestly dont know if we could do it….*uh, this got kind of long… and whiny…

*but I stand by it! having two itty bitty babybones is way too much work! 

[redvelvetreel]

Are you guys sharing similar emotions/feelings still even with Pancake now born? I thought the ParentMOOD thing was only during monster pregnancy

5tr3tch: *mmm, kinda?*im actually super impressed you know about the parentMOOD. that was a rough quarter, lemme tell ya. *looks like flapperjack is a little calmer, so maybe they won’t mind a quick crayon doodle or two.

5tr3tch: *sounds like you guys already understand the parentMOOD, so i’ll be brief.*the souling is there, but its not its own whole monster yet, right? during the second quarter, when soulings are trying to make themselves into their own lil monster, they need a lot of help.*one of these is an important but kind of annoying effect of the parentMOOD. part of its biology (happy pregnant parents mean happy healthy baby!) but its also the souling using the non-pregnant parent as a, like, model. an emotional/intent/feelings model*so they make (meeeeeeeee) their parents super duper emotional about everything, and soak it all up like a sponge. its like theyre cataloguing all of it away in their personal little wikipedia on how to be a real monster.*in short: i feel, they absorb it

5tr3tch: *so, they’re born yay. were all still kinda linked, but theyre not entirely dependent on us anymore (kinda sorta)*but now and they got this whole big database on emotions they don’t know how to use.*so now both of us get to be the models and like… give them emotional cues. help teach them how they should feel about thing abc and then bcd, stuff like that.*we call that soul resonance, cause its literally like our souls align and its like… literally heart to heart. soul to soul? eh generally supposed to keep it simple and slowly work up to more complex emotions, but were not perfect. so…*anyway. so Pancake knows fear really well (long story,) so when Edge and me get nervous, they cant always parse that out and just go for SCARED and starts crying. *thats why im here just being happy and reassured and great, cause were gonna soul resonate again and theyre gonna go right back to being cheerful and pleased.*there’s a lot more to it but thats the basics.*in short: i feel, they feel, they start reacting to it.

* isn’t that totally different from how humans do it?*from my understanding, yall dont need to teach your babies to cry or laugh or feel stuff, they just… do it. that sounds so weird!*how do they know theyre having the right reaction if you dont show them first?

[redvelvetreel]

Red Velvet Reel 9.2: Blue Ain’t (Usually) My Color

            [Fic Directory]

Pairing: [Married] Spicyhoney (Underfell Papyrus x Underswap Papyrus)

Summary: Stretch learns a little bit more about everything: parentMOOD, funeral traditions, *what Edge is probably thinking.* But at least he knows how to move forward now!

Characters: Stretch (Underswap Papyrus) & Red (Underfell Sans)& Blue (Underswap Sans)

Contains: Mpreg/Skelepreg! Candid discussions of monster funerary traditions! Different monster cultural traditions between universes!  

Rating: Teen and up! (I guess?)

Note: Additional cultural notes/elaborations available at the bottom so as to avoid spoilers! :)

“Me?!” Stretch gaped, unable to keep the surprised indignation out of his tone, “Me?!”

Before Red could say anything else, Blue kicked him under the table again, “Thank you for all that, Red!” Blue put his mouth literally against the side of his brother’s skull, saying as quietly as possible, “He’s an asshole but he’s right.”

Somehow, Red still heard him.  Still stuck his tongue out petulantly, but he was obviously flattered. Even if he kicked Blue under the table and steal his last biscotti. It was kinda cute.

Stretch shook his head free of that weird thought, focusing on his confused outrage, “What do you mean I’m freaking him out?!” Wait, he was the master of his emotions, he could ask this quietly and civilly! Think soothing thoughts, like clouds and kittens and successful science projects- “I mean, how am I putting Edge on... edge?” Hehe. “I’m doing my best to not do that?”

“Well,” Blue folded his hands under his chin, looking thoughtful, “Edge still has his intent sensitivity-“

“Parent sense!” Red chimed in helpfully, chewing noisily as he dunked his biscotti in the remaining half of Stretch’s coffee. He felt a deep pang of sadness, one that he couldn’t blame entirely on Pancake. He downed the rest of it before his brother-in-law could double-dunk.

“So, even if you tried to act like everything was fine, he would still be able to detect your intent.” Blue, trying so hard to be careful, was endearing and annoying, and it was a struggle to try and push those conflicting feelings away.

“‘N ya ain’t too good an actor!” Red swiped Blue’s mug, using the last sliver of biscotti to scrape whipped cream off the inside.

“You’re a great actor!” Blue assured him firmly, pointedly ignoring his obnoxious counterpart. “But the parentMOOD heightens your emotions, and makes it more... obvious when you are... troubled.”

“Saw ya lookin’ sad way aways.” Red had gotten a spoon from somewhere, and was using it to scrape up the dregs from his coffee cup,”‘N ya get lil’ poofs ‘a intent when yer moods swingin’.”

“Do- Do I really?!” Stretch couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “So my stupid mood swings are undermining my best attempts to play it cool? And are straining my marriage?”

“Papy.” Blue was a very patient monster, but even he looked like he might be nearing his limit, “Your marriage is fine. Edge isn’t going to divorce you over being a little moody. He’s moody!”

“Yep.” Red was playing with the spoon now, trying to balance it on the tips of his claws, “S’not his style, ‘n Fell ain’t real big on ‘divorce. ‘Fore it got bad, Boss’d prolly kill ya ‘n put ya in an osario.”

“Oh.” Stretch wasn’t sure if he was comforted or alarmed by that tidbit. Blue looked horrified, so he probably should feel more like that. Weird. “What’s that?”

“Osario’s lotsa stuff- s’box thing. Glass ‘n shit. For ya? Mm... ‘Prolly a collar.” Red’s smile stretched wider at that reaction, voice nonchalant even as he watched Blue carefully. Out of the corner of his eye. “Touchy-feely bastard’ prolly carry ya around whole damn time, too. No inventori for ya, Honey.”

“WHAT?!” Blue was aghast, looking pale, so Stretch absolutely shouldn’t have felt a little flattered at that. And certainly not pleased. “Edge regularly carries...” Blue fidgeted, lowering his voice to a strained whisper, “Monster dust?”

“Before, yeah?” Red didn’t look like he quite understood the question, “Not now. Didn’t bring none here, don’t think.”

“WhY?!” Blue rubbed at his face, “Underfell is a terrible, vicious place, I know-“ Stretch winced at that, remembering Edge’s bitter sulk after the whole bar incident. Had his little meltdown over that whole will-death talk make his husband’s insecurities worse? “But what reason could any monster possibly have to carry that around?!”

“Sos ya can honor the dead, Baby Blue.” Red gave the other skeleton a sharp look, “What else ya gonna do? Stick ‘em up like a goddamn decoration? Psh. Ain’t nothin’ sadder than being goddamn forgotten.”

Oh nooooo, this was just a huge cultural misunderstanding. Edge wasn’t being macabre! He totally hurt his hubby’s feelings! On something Edge was already sensitive about! 

“I told you like a hundred times- that’s Undertale! In Underswap, everyone who knew them puts some of monster’s dust in a pot of soil!” Red and Blue were still going at it. “Then, you plant an echo flower seed and care for it until it blooms. Then, it will have your loved one’s voice, and it feels like you can talk to them! That’s the opposite of forgotten!”

“That’s fuckin’ creepy, man.” Red shuddered, making that peace-bless hand signal over all three of them. “Dust’s dust! It havin’ a Dusted’s magic color ‘n voice just ain’t right.”

“How is carrying your friend’s dust everywhere you go any less creepy?!” Blue threw his arms up. “At least you don’t actually see the dust on an echo flower, and it’s quietly tended to! At home!”

“‘Cause we ain’t pretendin’ they ain’t dusted! Fine, look, s’diff for diff monsters ‘n shit, but here’s how Edge’d do it-“ Oh noooo, it was cultural AND something personally important to Edge! Stretch put his head in his hands. Oh, he fucked up so bad. 

“Lil’ bit of dust s’given to whatever bastard wants it, yeah? Crown takes s lil’ dusted RG go in this lil’ medal thing, ‘n their put in...” Red made a face, struggling with the phrasing, “Patria... temple...? Some bullshit place, lotsa flowers ‘n ribbon ‘n shit, s’like ‘rememberin’ the fallen’ whatever.”

Red rubbed at his face like he was getting a headache, “S’long story, but as Cap’n he was wearin’ a diff osario a day. Come in Grillby’s, pour a lil’ rum out fer the Angel ‘n the Dusted ‘n down rest. ‘Everybody’d do it, too. ‘N we’d chat about ‘em, laugh ‘n just... remember.”

He sighed deeply, tone soft and melancholic, “Ain’t nothin’ scarier for Fell than thinkin’ yer life ain’t matter. That y’ain’t make no kind of mark on no one at all.”

Blue didn’t say anything at that, watching Red carefully with veiled pity. Or was that understanding? “I guess that doesn’t sound so terrible. It’s the same principle as our Memorial Echo tradition.” He smiled, “Knowing that your loved ones will keep you alive in their memories, even as they make new ones with a piece of you at their side. It seems like it would give some monsters peace of mind.”

Damn. Stretch hadn’t mentioned what he and Edge had actually ‘fought’ about! How did Red and Blue know?! There was no way this conversation hadn’t been orchestrated- it was way too creepily relevant! At the same time, Edge probably hadn’t told them. He was always saying ‘dirty laundry is done at home,’ so how...?

“Are you ok, Papy?” Blue looked concerned, reaching out to turn his face toward the light, “You’re looking a little pale-“

He pulled away, putting his brother’s hand back on the table. “I don’t know how you both know what you know,” Stretch started warily, eyeing them both suspiciously, “And it’s still creepy- but ok. I got your message. Loud and clear.”

              [Part 1] [Part 2 - Here!] [ Part 3 ]  

Notes/Clarification:

-Osario in English is "Ossuary," but for the purposes of Underfell culture, think of it more as a "reliquary." Those are these ornate containers for venerated objects in Catholicism, and come in a variety of shapes and sizes.

-Collar is a double entendre: it's like the dog collar kind in English, but in Spanish it's just a necklace.

- The saying in spanish is, "La ropa sucia se lava en casa," or "Dirty laundry is washed at home." Meaning you don't air dirty laundry/family issues and stuff in front of people. 

-Underswap monster funerals: Echo flowers are a memorial flower, and because they're magical flowers, soil infused with monster dust gives them that monster's voice! They'll echo back whatever you tell them in the voice of the deceased, so it's customary to keep them at home and just... talk to them, hear the things you miss the most. "I love you" is the usual phrase of choice. They're pretty hardy flowers, so they live for as long as they're cared for.