#since the setting is in a world with humans that should bring Topaz back

[overlordneon]

Having neither Amy or Rogue show up in any of the sonic films so far feels criminal...

[atamascolily]

lily watches fma:b, eps. 58-61

I hate suspense, so I went ahead and read the plot summary for the next few episodes, so I could relax a bit. Unfortunately, there's a lot of plot decisions that elicit a major "WTF?" from me, so we'll see if they work better in context.

so they're using the Gates as transportation portals now?? This is new, isn't it?? or does it only work with people who have already opened gates?? I'm so confused!!

okay, so ling doesn't know how to use alchemy to heal people? but he can sense homunculi because chi? or is this just something everyone in Xing can do? I'M SO CONFUSED.

[he has a stone but neither he nor Greed know how to use it to heal others, I guess?? why not, though?]

Bucaneer calls Olivier a "queen," which is right on!

Greedling is the best thing about this adaptation, full stop

*sings* "It must be nice, must be nice, to have a homunculus on your side..."

that one random woman looks so much like Danta from FMA03 that I just had to shake myself to make sure I wasn't imagining it

Elicia HAS ECLIPSE GLASSES AND IT'S THE CUTEST THING

I don't understand why Hoheneheim counts as a sacrifice - yes, he was present for the opening in Xerxes, but he did not attempt human transmutation himself (even though the portal was centered around him without his knowledge) I feel like intent matters?? iirc, he wasn't consumed and broken down the way Ed and Al were???

He's also now fused with Father in a weird blob that reminds me of Topaz trapping humans in Steven Universe.

I don't know why Hawkeye hasn't managed to shoot the evil doctor in all this close-quarters fighting. And why isn't Roy using flames? We had a demo earlier with the zombies that he can work around his allies without burning them, so... ???

Mustang is ordered to perform human transmutation so the bad guys can have a fifth person to complete their circle (somehow, alchemy always works in fives?) He refuses, but then they say they'll shoot Hawkeye if he doesn't so he caves.

this "gotta get a complete set" seems really sloppy for Team Bad, because the eclipse is like, any minute now. Seems like they're cutting it really close. You think they could have found/persuaded/forced someone into doing it, given how long they've had to work at this. So I'm just like "???" about this.

(the doctor dude also lampshades this, lol)

also, I'm so confused why the doctor claims Roy can bring anyone he wants back - maybe this was FMA03 I'm thinking of, but it seems like you would need some sort of specific connection to a particularl person in order to bring them back that you couldn't just whip out at a moment's notice??

is there any other way to open the gateway besides human transmutation?? And why doesn't the doctor count, since they've made plenty of philosopher's stones (which involve human transmutation, and is why Hohenheim is a sacrifice in the first place)??

okay, hawkeye isn't dead yet, but he's supposed to transmute her anyway? How does that differ from healing? I'M SO CONFUSED.

anyway, pride shows up and eats the annoying doctor and also makes a transmutation circle with his shadows while Bradley pins Mustang to the floor. o...kay. andthen it just...happens?without roy's consent?

WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK DUDES

okay, andnow the eclipse is starting, irl they'd have a maximum of 8 minutes at totality to Do The Thing, but who the fuck knows what's happening here since all the characters are UNDERGROUND (how do they even KNOW)

fuck, they're basically raping mustang here since his consent does not matter because pride ate the doctor and the doctor has the knowledge (but that should make him and/or pride the sacrifice, not ROY).

like what the actual fuck

so the doctor gets transmuted, even though he was the one with the relevant knowledge?? I don't get it.

and mustang is automatically transported to be with the other sacrifices - why? how?? how does this even work? is that other circlethey wereusing still active? was it part of pride's set-up for this circle to be dual-purpose?HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?

and apparently, it's just one floor below so all they have to do is break the floor??

Roy is blind... but does not physically lose his eyes, which makes NO SENSE, given that Al, Ed and Izumi lost actual physical pieces of themselves.THE FUCK.

ed's like, "this is super fucked up shit, and you don't get to moralize about human nature and hubris if you guys forced him to do this"

pride is basically acting like a kid who had all the time in the world for an assignment and then rushed to complete it at the last possible moment

scar fights bradley, yes FINALLY SOMEBODY KILL THAT DUDE

al's emaciated body is just so heartbreaking, and al's like "no! I can't suddenly move to this incredibly emaciated version of myself before the final battle!" which is actually really smart of him

of course, al's body waits until AFTER his soul leaves to monologue about how al might have just destroyed the entire world. GEE THANKS YOU ASSHOLE.

broussh shows up at the radio station and maria ross is like :????:

Father says the sacrifices are "all in his belly" and we cut to the chimeras on the outside looking at a massive blob - so Father is ALSO a gate???

(ngl: it would make TOTAL SENSE if Father was originally one of the creatures we see when the gate opens, who got pulled into our world by Hohenheim's master... especially since he used Hohenheim's blood? DID HIS MASTER PERFORM HUMAN TRANSMUTATION? WOULDN'T IT BE AWESOME IF WE ACTUALLY GOT SOME ANSWERS??)

(okay, this is my working headcanon now)

May's like "I'M GONNA TAKE 'EM" and I'm like "aww, heck yeah girl!"

it's really appropriate that Scar--Formerly Consumed by Anger--is fighting Wrath, who ordered the Amestrian equivalent of Order 66 on Ishval.

scar put a reconstruction circle on his other arm, how Symbolic

FATHER MAKES A GUN OUT OF HIS OWN BODY WITH EYES AND TEETH

no seriously, what the fuck did I just witness

Al apologizes to Hohenheim in case he hits him when he attacks father, bless that boy

Izumi makes A GIANT FUCKING CROSSBOW, did I mention I love her?

the personal gates of all of the sacrifices open - so they have giant eyes in their stomachs, wtf

father wants to open.. the planet's gate??

(this ties in with the alkahestry and chi, but... what?)

okay, the country-wide transmutation circle activates and everyone dies

Pinako (who knows Hohenheim is involved with this shit): Hohenheim, I'm gonna slug you. AND DAMN WELL YOU SHOULD MA'AM.

then the gates open and Father challenges God to a fistfight

... and God answers??

[apparently God lives in the sun, and only comes out during an eclipse??? looks just like the usual gate-eye-tentacle creature, tho]

okay, so we get our answer as to why an eclipse: male + female, sun + moon, = perfect being = immortality.

apparently there's a rule that all megalomaniacal shounen villains end up looking the same, because Father looks just like Aizen''s final form from Bleach now, except with more eyes.

Father ate God and now he's young and hot and mostly naked again.

He negates alchemy and creates a miniature sun in his hand because he can.

I hope God gives him indigestion or something.

Oh, wait, Hohenheim had a plan after all... THOUGH APPARENTLY 50 MILLION PEOPLE HAD TO DIE FIRST, WAY TO GO THERE

turns out he's been letting bits of his philosopher stone around amestris on his travels so that father would eat them and they'd tear him apart from the inside

... and the circle for the alchemy is the moon's shadow on the earth.

[I don't know if the astronomy actually works out, but it's very nifty nonetheless]

anyway, everybody's soul returns to their bodies, and everyone wakes up. IDK how their bodies handle having been functionally brain dead, but we're just gonna say it all works out, okay?

ooh, and everyone REMEMBERS WHAT JUST HAPPENED so they’re all like “...the fuck??”

scar saves the world by activating the reverse transmutation circle over the center that all the Ishvalans set up during the time skip

instead of blood you just need circles drawn on paper for reconstruction? why did Team Evil go to so much trouble to murder people instead?

father spends this whole fight looking like a very ripped hohenheim in a bathrobe around his waist OMG

pride calls ed his brother and I think this was handled better in 03 with Envy, but w/e. anyway he's going to take over ed's body but kimblee steps in and stops him

(man, this fucker again!!!)

kimblee's like "lol, I just like being a contrary bitch"

pride is reduced to a little baby, which Ed calls "Selim" and puts on his red jacket... okay...

well that was a trip.

cannot fault the manga-ka for ambition and epic scale here, but also: WHAT DID I JUST WATCH.

[higuchimon]

[fanfic] To Seek The Truth

Johan looked around, trying to make certain that there wasn’t anyone around. Two people in particular – if you could call demons people. He still wasn’t sure about that.

The side of his neck tingled in memory o the last time he’d gone out and hadn’t paid attention. The golden-eyed one - Juudai - practically dropped on him from above, nibbling there. Johan tried not to think about how good that had felt. He’d been heartbeats away from melting into those arms.

But he’d stopped himself. He squirmed away from them and hurried as far from them as he could get.

If he stayed in the realm of angels, then he would be safe. Demons didn’t cross over into their territory. But Johan liked to travel – liked to see as much of the world as he could. He’d never met any other angels who liked to do that.

You’re a dragon! Almost the first words that Juudai spoke to him, and that still made Johan shake.

He hadn’t yet had the chance to talk to his mother about this. When he’d returned home after that initial encounter with the two demons, she’d been gone, leaving a note behind that she had an unexpected mission and would return in a few weeks. Johan was old enough and strong enough to live on his own until then.

They didn’t have many other family friends that he could ask. His mother lived apart from most of the other angels. Those few who were close didn’t know anything.

So Johan took his time, always checked his own back as often as he could in order to be sure the demons weren’t hiding somewhere, and tried to ignore the way that his wings itched whenever those demons got too close.

He wasn’t a dragon. He was an angel. He knew what it was to be an angel. Just because he’d never known his father didn’t make his father a dragon.

He glanced down at his hands, to the shimmering ruby that he’d picked up. He knew that most gems weren’t this perfect and flawless when they were first found, but the moment he’d pulled this from the earth, it glimmered as if in reaction to his heartbeat.

It wasn’t the only gem he’d ever found that reacted to him like that. There were others – sapphire and amethyst, topaz and emerald. Instincts he couldn’t name told him there were others, just waiting for him to find them.

Angels didn’t collect jewels. He’d been taught that in school. Angels didn’t commit the sin of greed, or any of the other sins. He should see to it that these gems were given to some deserving human, perhaps a poor peasant or a merchant down on their luck.

The very thought of giving these gems into someone else’s hands made him want to snarl and slash at whoever dared bring up that suggestion, striking with claws he didn’t have and fangs that shouldn’t exist.

He flitted through the tree until he reached the tiny cave where he kept his treasures. This was technically on the edge of the realm of the angels. He’d always been safe here. He darted into the cave, squirming his way down until he reached the bottom.

Never did Johan want to let another angel know about this place. A comfortable, safe cave, with but one exit. He’d never thought about that being a problem before. It had always meant that he would know from which direction danger threatened.

He pulled out a slender bracelet that he’d forged himself with the fire that he alone could call. Seven spaces were set all around it, and four of them already had gems in there. Now he set the new one, the ruby, in there. It fits as if the opening had been intended for it. Perhaps in some way it had been – he’d followed his instincts to craft each space a bit differently from the others, and each gemstone came to his hand carved in a different way.

Johan brushed his fingers against the remaining empty ones. What would they be? Where could he find them?

“That’s almost as pretty as you are.”

Johan jerked back at the unexpected voice, jerking his head towards the opening, snarling when he saw the two demons there.

“What are you doing here? I didn’t invite you!”

The golden-eyed one laughed. “You didn’t have to.” He strolled forward, his long tail twitching, the tips of his wings trailing against Johan’s scrubbed clean floor. “You keep avoiding us. Want to tell us why?”

“Because I don’t want anything to do with you!” Johan snapped, backing away, hoping he could work around and get to the exit. But the other demon remained there, arms crossed over their chest, mismatched eyes watching him alertly.

“Really? Why not?” Juudai tilted his head. Johan could see horns hiding in his hair. “You’re ours and we’re yours. That’s how it works.” His wings twitched. “We've been waiting for you – looking for you.”

Johan shook his head and backed off again, keeping his bracelet close. Who knew what these demons would do to it if they got hold of it? HE certainly didn’t want to find out the hard way.

“You still don’t believe us,” Juudai sighed. “You’re not an angel. At least not all the way. I can see dragon’s blood in you. You’d know us if you accepted that part of you.”

“I am not a dragon!” Johan roared, as he never had before, rage bubbling up through his veins. Fire formed on his fingertips – were those claws he saw there now? No, he just wasn’t seeing clearly because of his anger.

This wasn’t the first time he’d called fire. It burned hotter than ever before now as he lashed out towards Juudai, shrieking wordlessly as his rage overflowed.

Juudai caught the fireball in one hand and closed his fingers around it, absorbing all of it without a flicker of distress. He licked his lips, then traced his tongue over his fingers and hand.

“Dragon-fire. Pure dragon-fire, in fact. Delicious.” His golden eyes flicked towards Yubel. “We might have been wrong. He might not be part dragon.” He smiled at Johan and Johan froze. “You’re not going to believe me unless we prove it, are you?”

Without a thought, Johan shook his head. He might not even believe it then. But before he could take another step back, both of them cornered him, one to each side, hands and claws clamping onto his arms.

“We’re going to go find someone I know who can identify any creature, no matter how difficult or how mixed their blood is,” Juudai told him. Having them this close set Johan’s blood afire in ways that attracted and repulsed him at the same time.

Yubel’s fingers brushed through Johan’s hair. “You will understand then. You are a dragon – and dragons and demons are close to one another. Very close in certain ways.”

Johan jerked his head away from Yubel’s touch but that only brought him closer to Juudai, whose grip tightened on him. “And what if I don’t want to be close to you?” Johan snapped.

“Make up your mind on that once you know yourself better,” Juudai suggested, his tail curling around Johan’s legs and pulling them close together. “Now, let’s go.”

Johan kept a firm grip on the bracelet. It was his; he wouldn’t leave it behind, not when he couldn’t even be certain of what would happen to him now. He wanted to fight his way out but he was outnumbered and the way they held him – he didn’t feel weak but the idea of not fighting overwhelmed the urge to fight.

Deep in his heart, he knew that he wanted to know the truth. If his mother couldn’t tell him or wasn’t there to tell him, then he would have to find out some other way.

“How did you find this place?” Johan grumbled as they worked their way out of his hidden lair. “It’s in the angel’s territory.”

“Yes, but since you’re not entirely an angel, ti’s not all the way protected from us,” Juudai replied, his wings beating as they flew along. “The wards aren’t set to restrict us from entering a dragon’s lair.”

Johan wanted to argue that one but he hadn’t set the wards and didn’t know how it was done in the first place. His mother had always told him that angels would always be safe against demons in this place…

But if I’m not an angel... No. That couldn’t be true. He didn’t want it to be true. He tried so very hard not to remember the way his childhood playmates had teased him, called him names he didn’t want to remember…

Lizard, lizard! Just a demon in disguise! They’d mocked him for years, until they’d all finally grown out of it. Or so he guessed – he’d stopped playing with them after a while, and he hadn’t seen most of them in even longer.

He set his jaw. He’d find out what he was and then these demons would leave him alone, one way or another.

The End

Notes: So after about six years, I come back to this. My original thought for Johan’s day was to write something in Reversal world but that fell through due to lack of energy. So this called to me instead. I’ve had some interesting ideas and will hopefully be able to write them soon.

[teacupfulofstarshine]

magical girl au

FAIR WARNING: this au features sympathetic remus and sympathetic deceit (his name is dolos). the romantic ships are royality (roman/patton) and logan/dolos/remus/virgil. there will also be some cartoon violence mentioned here.

character profiles and brief background below the cut!

background info

- magical girls have an item that is the source of their magical powers and provides their transformation. this item is called an angelus

- they fight daemons, which are concentrated pockets of negative human energy that look like liquid shadows. sometimes, these daemons possess humans if the humans are particularly strong sources of negative emotions. our magical girl squad calls these humans “corrupteds”

- all of the magical girls are capable of purifying daemons and corrupteds, but the skill and success rate varies by magical girl. for this squad, the order from best to worst is logan, virgil and dolos (they’re tied), remus

- all magical girls have a weapon that they can summon and use, as well as a special magical power that’s unique to them. the weapons are unique to them as well

- generally speaking, it’s not good for humans to have prolonged contact with or proximity to daemons, because they can become corrupteds.

logan

- de facto leader of the magical girl squad

- his outfit consists of navy elbow-length gloves, elbow-length sleeves, and black knee-high boots without a heel. his dress is navy blue, and his skirt is the poofiest of all four of them. it has silver constellation patterns on it. there’s a large crescent moon on his chest.

- he also has a silver visor that replaces his glasses when he transforms

- logan’s angelus is a silver crescent-moon-shaped hairpin embedded with glittering gemstone stars

- his weapon is a bow that automatically loads itself with arrows made of pure energy when the string is drawn. he also has the ability to shift to different types of bows (longbow, standard bow, crossbow, etc.) depending on the situation

- logan’s ability is technically called “blind spot” and is related to his visor. when he looks at daemons or corrupteds, his visor pulls up an analysis screen of sorts that tells him where the biggest weaknesses are and who’s most effective in exploiting them. he can also communicate this information telepathically to his teammates.

- logan is done with life constantly. he does not understand his teammates. why are they Like This.

- his Real Life Everyday Job is “health sciences librarian” for the local college.

virgil

- he is tired, he is trying his best, let him sleeb

- his outfit consists of black gloves, a dark purple long-sleeve top with bell sleeves around the wrists, a flared, pleated black skirt that comes to just above his knees, thigh-high dark purple stockings, and small black heels. he has a purple ribbon tied around his waist with a bow behind his back

- virgil’s angelus is a purple hexagon that he wears as a bracelet charm around his wrist. it’s about the size of a wristwatch, so people think that’s what it is until they get a closer look

- his weapon is a pair of war fans. they’re dark purple, and they have blades along the edges. he can cut a bitch with them or block incoming attacks. one of his fans has a hole in the center. you know that scene at the end of mulan where the hun stabs his sword through her paper fan and she twists his sword out of his hands to disarm him? that’s the purpose of the hole

- virgil’s ability is technically called “shield maiden”. he can create shields that are composed of a shit ton of tessellating purple hexagons. (it kind of looks like a honeycomb.) he can also create larger hexagons that he can throw out into the air like free-floating staircases or platforms, as well as using one as a sort of hoverboard surfboard think. (if you’ve ever seen gwen use her powers in ben 10 omniverse, i think it was? it’s like that)

- he’s doing his best, please help him

- his Real Life Everyday Job is “IT helpdesk assistant director” for the same college logan works at 

dolos

- uses they/them or he/him pronouns depending on the day, but is usually okay with either pronoun set 

- their outfit is a sleeveless yellow top with ruffles around the shoulders that fades down into a deep golden-orange skirt that poofs around their thighs. (their skirt is less poofy than logan’s. they are very bitter about this.) they have thigh-high heeled boots, and an orange ribbon wrapped around their waist and tied in a bow in the back. they also have yellow gloves. 

- dolos’s angelus is a pin. it’s a gleaming spiral of topaz that looks kind of like a coiled snake or an optical illusion. he usually wears it pinned to the inside of his jacket. 

- their weapon is a long dagger with a ring on the hilt that’s attached to a long, yellow ribbon. they can throw the knife and swing it around on its ribbon like a yoyo or just use it as a regular knife and stab people with it. they can dual-wield, but generally speaking they use one knife, since their control is better with just one knife. (virgil DOES lord his dual-wielding abilities over dolos. he IS better than they are with two weapons at once and they ARE extremely jealous.) 

- his ability is technically called “web of lies” and it is the ability to summon serpentine yellow ribbons out of nowhere. he can weave them into nets, tie people up with them, use them as whips, etc. he controls them telepathically, but sometimes he makes hand gestures to confuse his opponents. (if you’ve seen puella magi madoka magica, think mami tomoe’s power, kind of.) 

- they are doing their best, please have mercy on them. 

- their Real Life Everyday Job is a paralegal for the DA’s office 

remus

- he’s a little bit insane, but he’s good at his job 

- his outfit consists of very flamboyant ball sleeves (like his canon outfit), a dark green top with a black sash and black ribbon around his waist that ties in a bow in the back, white gloves, a poofy green skirt, and thigh-high high-heeled black boots with green laces. (he also has Skirt Envy in regards to logan. he and dolos have frequent bitching sessions about this.) 

- remus’s angelus is a pendant that he wears around his neck. it’s a gleaming emerald shield-shaped pendant with intricate engravings in it that change every day. remus likes to use it as a rorschach test to see how his teammates are doing. they find this annoying, but they participate anyways. 

- his weapon is, to the surprise of no one, a morningstar, just like in canon. he likes to smack people with it. it brings him joy. 

- remus’s ability is technically called “rebound knockout” and if you’ve seen the rooster teeth series rwby, it’s kind of like yang’s power. when he takes hits, they hurt him, but after a few minutes he can absorb all that damage into himself and change it into energy. however much damage he takes, his resulting attack is twice as strong. unlike yang, however, remus also has the ability to absorb damage from his teammates, temporarily inflict it upon himself, and convert it into energy. the downside of this power is that once his transformation drops, he crashes. hard. dead to the world asleep. 

- remus is a wild card. only logan can control him and that doesn’t always work. he also knows how to fence, because he and roman took lessons as children 

- remus’s Real Life Everyday Job is a crime scene analyst 

thomas

- thomas is remus’s boss, technically. he’s the lead crime scene analyst. he is very tired. he knows the secrets of the magical girl squad and he wants to sleep. please, remus, for the love of god, stop destroying the city. 

roman

- roman works as a medical imaging technician for the city hospital. he often shows up to the magical girl squad fight scenes with a sword to try and help them out. he is a human, he should not be doing so. they cannot get this through his head. 

patton

- patton is the head pediatric nurse at the city hospital. he also oten shows up to the magical girl fight scenes, with a steel baseball bat. he generally looks for injured human bystanders and helps get them to safety/bandage them up. the magical girl squad still does not want him near their fight scenes, but he’s less of a hazard than roman. 

send me asks about this au!!! i have many thoughts :) 

[zenithlux]

EOA 10: Divine Intervention

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve updated this beauty. But now that I’m finally able to write more again, expect more updates on more stories (and more drabbles as always... but maybe not all Devil May Cry xD)

Catch up on the story here!

Carbuncles are small fox-like creatures that can help fulfill various roles depending on which version is summoned. Emerald Carbuncle casts spells, while Topaz Carbuncle can tank. However, there are rumors of much stronger Carbuncles that can be summoned based on the power of the summoner. Only a few of these variations are known…”

-Y’mithra’s Research Journal, “Of Summons and Carbuncles”

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

After nearly an hour of little progress, Aymeric accepted that, in this lifetime at least, he may never actually summon a carbuncle.  Y’mithra had tried to be encouraging. “It takes time,” She said. “And you’re showing great promise. Just practice whenever you get the chance.” And while he appreciated the sentiment, Aymeric wasn’t sure where she got that notion from, as nothing had happened since he attuned to the aetheryte. He hadn’t even seen the shimmer of a Carbuncle, something that Y’mithra had called a promising sign. And while she had also claimed to see it herself, Aymeric didn’t believe it. 

It was difficult for Aymeric to not think of his failures as a potential burden. They still didn’t know what effect Aymeric’s sudden “absorption” of Z’iyanna’s power had on her. And if he couldn’t use this newfound magic, then what was the point? Why was he given this power if he wasn’t capable of using it? 

On the bright(?) side, he could still see Moogles, which was good for his new companion. 

Puklia Pachu, or Puklia as she preferred to be called, had been waiting on the airship before Aymeric himself got there. And once she’d announced that “Sir Aymeric said I could come, kupo!” he knew any attempts to dissuade her would be for naught. Now, she was on top of the world, thrilled to be going on an adventure, excited to meet her hero, and mesmerized by the airship itself. Aymeric could feel her enthusiasm as if he were the one about to meet his idol for the first time. And that, at the very least, was a feeling he could relate to. 

“Is she as amazing as the stories say, kupo?” Puklia said. 

“I don’t know which stories you speak of,” Aymeric replied.

“I’ve heard them all, kupo!” Puklia said proudly. “Did you know she even defeated our king? He was big and scary and she fought him and the Moogle guard all by herself! And I heard it was more graceful than our dancers, kupo!”

“Moogle have dancers?” Aymeric said, trying to imagine what such a thing would look like. 

“Is she that amazing?”

“I think so.”

“Is she as beautiful as they say too?”

Aymeric choked, and he swore he heard Cid chuckle somewhere behind him. “Well traditionally speaking…”

Puklia’s arms flayed in irritation. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Many would likely refer to her in that way.”

Puklia paused as her paw touched her chin. “But do you, kupo?”

Aymeric’s face felt warmer than a 1000 suns. “I… Yes I… suppose I would,” He was suddenly grateful that Haurchefant had gone elsewhere, as he couldn’t imagine answering such a question in front of a man clearly pining for Z’iyanna’s affections. Of course, Haurchefant would likely be answering these questions himself. In fact, Aymeric was certain the Moogle would be far more entertained with Haurchefant than Aymeric himself. 

“Aymeric,” Cid said as they drifted toward one of the islands. “It seems Haurchefant has beat us here.”

“What?” Aymeric practically flew from his seat as he reached for the railing. On the ground was a Haurchefant, but he was more furious than Aymeric had ever seen him before. His voice practically pierced the heavens, even though Aymeric couldn't quite tell what was being said. The boy in front of him - Emmanellain, Aymeric recalled - was cowering as if Halone himself was standing before him. The page boy next to him was quiet and clearly avoiding Haurchefant’s wrath. 

“Oh no, kupo!” Puklia said as she waved her hands around in a panic. “Z’iyanna’s missing!”

Aymeric’s heart plummeted as Cid brought them in for a landing. “What else has he said, Puklia?”

“She went to save that boy, kupo,” Puklia said. “But the boy came back without her!”

Aymeric didn’t want to believe her, but the pain on Haurchefant’s face when they landed. “Z’iyanna’s missing,” He said, eyes flickering to Puklia for a brief moment before meeting Aymeric’s gaze again. “And the temperature is dropping by the minute.”

“Hypothermia?” Aymeric said. 

“That is my greatest worry, at the moment,” Haurchefant said. “Even if she had access to Ifrit, I fear she would not last the night.”

“My crew and I can scout the area,” Cid said. 

“I wouldn’t recommend that,” The page boy said. “The storms up here are very dangerous for airships.”

“But surely if we know which way to go…”

“My brother cannot recall where they were,” Haurchefant said through gritted teeth. “But we know she rescued him from the Vanu, so she has to be near there.”

“She dropped to a much lower island,” the page boy said. “I couldn’t see which one, but I can try and lead you there.”

Zephyr kwed beside them as he pressed his forehead to Haurchefant’s cheek. “You know where she is?” He said. The bird chirped a second time, more urgently than the first. “I’m so sorry,” Haurchefant murmured. “I should have asked you sooner.” He grabbed a set of blankets from a knight, and filled a backpack with small bits of food. Then, he leapt onto the Chocobo’s back. “Please take the Lord Commander home and return to us in the morning. I swear on my life that I will bring Z’iyanna back.” 

“I can’t abandon…” Aymeric began.

“I will find her,” Haurchefant said. “But we cannot risk the archbishop blaming you for her disappearance, or declaring you missing as well.” And before Aymeric could respond, Haurchefant took off into the skies, Zephyr leading the way. And for the second time that day, Aymeric was left painfully aware of his own weaknesses. 

“Mr. Aymeric?” 

He glanced at Puklia as she slowly hovered up towards his face. “Is Lady Z’iyanna going to be okay?”

Slowly, Aymeric nodded. “Lord Haurchefant will bring her back. Of that I am certain.”

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

It is cold.

Oh so very cold

Why did these treacherous mortals try to fight the likes of me? Why did they work so hard, and struggle for so long, to contain me in that failiable prison? They should have known that I am unstoppable. I am inevitable. My rage will consume them all. My fire will scorch the earth. My fury will annihilate all life and hope in its wake. 

But she gives me pause. The goddess among mortals. The fight who has destroyed the lives for hundreds of soldiers, beasts, dragons and primals in her wake. SHe stands before me. Unafraid, Unflinching. And she tells me the words I never wanted- n, never thought I would hear.

“You’re not alone.”

The Warrior of Light they call her, come to save a murderous, ruthless monster like me.

But this doesn’t change anything. My rage only simmers, buried deep within her consciousness. Our power is intertwined- two unstoppable aethers feed off of each other. Growing. Shifting. Changing until neither are recognizable… or until only one is left.

So I wait. I bide my time and watch until one or the other claims this body. My rage may consume her. There are already signs that it is beginning to. Her righteousness may undo me, but I feel nothing. 

She has no idea of the turmoil within her… but she will soon.

That elezen… is more interesting than I thought. I wonder if he realizes the potential he now holds within him. But it is of no consequence to me. If he does not grab what is now rightfully his, then he is of no use to me.

Humans are all the same.

Except for her.

She is the only one to have proven herself to me.

We’ll see how long that lasts. 

For her death, will be my beginning.

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

It was cold. 

Oh so very cold. 

Z’iyanna knew she was dying. Her robes could only retain so much heat. Her healing magic couldn’t stop the impending hypothermia. Her shield couldn’t block the frigid winds. And as the sun lay low on the horizon, she was left to wonder if which version of her the search party would find; a proud Warrior of Light or a forgotten corpse adrift in this sea of death. 

At least the whale hadn’t come back. Though she had yet to decide if freezing to death was better than being eaten alive. 

No, she chastised herself. I will not think that way. She had survived far worse than something like this. And while Haurchefant might not have made it back in time, Aymeric surely would have. Which meant Cid and the others had to be close. Zephyr had found her before. He could certainly find her now. But she was painfully aware of the fact that the islands had shifted over the last few hours. Some had risen. Others had lowered. The island where she’d met the Vanu was so far away she had to squint to see it with any amount of clarity. And with the wind picking up.

“You’re right you know,” the voice from before whispered in her ear. “It’s all hopeless.” 

A small piece of Z’iyanna wanted to lash out in a blind rage. This person. This thing that could only exist in her head had no reason to berate her. But the majority of her didn’t, as it was too consumed by shivering behind a rock that offered very little comfort. 

“Pathetic.”

Z’iyanna snorted. “I’ve heard that one before.”

“But you’ve never believed it.”

“And I don’t now.” 

“So you’re a liar too?”

“And you’re not even real.”

The voice sighed. “I am as real as you are, child. And you’re the reason we’re stuck in this bloody mess to begin with.”

“Heaven forbid I try to be a hero.” 

“You’re no hero, Z’iyanna.”

Her head snapped up in protest, but she was alone. Great. She thought. Either the hypothermia was kicking in quicker than she thought, or she had finally lost her mind. Either way, she’ll be making her enemies’ day. 

Haurchefant…

Z’iyanna was not blind, nor was she ignorant of her own feelings. The two had been close companions for over a year now- far closer than she had been to any of the Scions. Haurchefant knew almost everything about her. He’d never judged her or expected anything more than who she was. Not as the Warrior of Light, but as Z’iyanna. His comrade. His friend. Maybe his something more. She wasn’t certain exactly where they were in that regard… but it wouldn't matter much if she died here. 

Then there was Aymeric. What would happen to him if she were to disappear? Would his people blame him for her death? What about the new, unknown aether within him? She had hoped to read the inevitable letter from Y’mithra with all of her theories and findings to ponder over while Z’iyanna tried to figure it out herself. And she wanted to know what was happening to him. She was also terrified that her death could kill him just as quickly.

Then there was Bahamut, Midgar and Twintania. Tataru, Alphinaud, and the other missing Scions… So many lives depending on her survival. So many people expected her to pull through any adversity, death included.  

“Because they are worthless without you,” The voice said again. “And I say good riddance. Maybe you’ll finally get some peace when everyone else isn’t piling the world on your shoulders.”

“Lady Z’iyanna!”

Of all the times she had heard Haurchefant’s voice… it had never brought her such visceral relief. And Zephyr’s panicked “kweh!” almost brought her to tears. “I’m here,” She whispered, her dry throat unable to produce anything louder. But Haurchefant landed by her side anyway, sliding off of Zephyr’s back the second he could. A moment later - when had he ever moved this fast? - a blanket was wrapped around her as Haurchefant pulled her close to his chest. 

“Zephyr,” He said. “Behind her.” The chocobo moved without a sound as he plopped down behind her, pressing his body as close to her back as possible. And Z’iyanna, weary from the day and exhausted by the lingering voice, succumbed to the newfound warmth. 

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

Alphinaud was exhausted by the time he returned to Ishgard, and he quickly decided that a nice long nap was in order. 

Unfortunately, he stepped into a manor full of solemn faces and a Count whose first words were “I’m afraid we’ve encountered a problem.”

Alphinaud did his best not to crumble at the thought. “What kind of problem, Count Edmont?”

“Lady Tataru has been arrested for heresy.”

The quote “no rest for the weary” had never felt so real.

[shslgymnastnerd-blog]

OOC - Summary of Moonlight Mist

Overview:

Moonlight Mist is a manga project that Koji Matsuba (Shinobu’s father) started a year after marrying Kotoha Marukichi, though he had been writing notes privately as a hobby since he was in high school.

The story begins with a class of middle schoolers taking a field trip into the nearby Forest of Mystery. While the trip is only supposed to last a day, five students wander away from the class and end up becoming lost in the woods: Aki Akakawa, Yukito Aotani, Haruka Midoriyama, Seitaro Kishima, and Mirabelle Champrose. As night falls, they make camp near a river and hope for rescue to come soon. However, a dense fog descends upon them as they sleep uneasily.

They awaken having been somehow transported to the Myst Continent, a world seemingly taken right out of their fantasies of dragons, elves, and magic. They learn that the land has been in turmoil for centuries. There had been a great war between various powers both mortal and divine, and in the dying breaths of a god the land was cursed. Time now stands still: Day and night never change, leaving different regions in perpetual light or darkness. The seasons have been frozen as well, wreaking havoc on the climate of the continent.

The populace has had centuries to adapt, but tensions still run high as factions fight over resources and territory. The lost students find themselves struggling to stay safe in an unfamiliar land riddled with both overt dangers like bandits and invaders, and more subtle political threats like a king’s iron rule.

But they have one defense against it all: An oracle declares them all the Divine Children foretold in a prophecy by the dying god. In legends passed on through the populace of Myst, it’s believe that heroes born from another world will appear in their land, ushering in an era of justice and mercy. Of course, interpretation of these legends can vary greatly. Some people take the “divine” and “justice” parts very seriously and believe they are demigods smiting the wicked, and some people resent the idea of foreigners upsetting the centuries-long status quo…

The lost children, ambushed by lowly soldiers of the corrupt King Albinus, are protected by the oracle who gives her life up for them. From this sacrifice materializes five jewel-empowered trinkets that awaken the students to magic powers of their own. They transform themselves into the heroes of legend, styling themselves after the heroes in their own stories back home, and fight off the attackers.

The adventure sees the students grappling with the duties that have been thrust upon them so suddenly, while also searching for a way back home. Their morals are often challenged throughout the journey: Is Yukito right when he says that their priority should be getting back to their world safely, or is Aki right in saying they should take long detours on errands and missions? Can Mirabelle give up a life of luxury living among dragons, do the right thing, and go back to save her classmates? Is there a way to make everyone happy when addressing centuries of multilayered strife between different people? And is everyone truly bound by the destiny assigned to them?

Several arcs in, there have been some major shake-ups in the story. First, Aki, Haruka, and their companion guide Kuromura manage to find a way back to Earth after a grand battle, but are separated from the rest of the party, with Yukito forced to take up leadership of the other group. Worse still, they find out that the fantastic creatures and people of Myst have also found their way to Earth and show every indication of wanting to conquer this land, too. Magic and mundane are now in war with each other, and the students find themselves fighting to be the saviors of two worlds.

After everyone is reunited, they learn of a royal commander who is actually a human girl from their world. In fact, she is the long-lost cousin of one of their own. Kikyo finds herself owing a life debt to Seitaro after he rescues her during a disaster, and this begins her own arc as her loyalties slowly begin changing. Ultimately, Kikyo joins the heroes as their sixth party member, and they stand united against her former king.

Currently, the story is in the middle of an arc that examines the heavy weight laying upon child heroes. They face scorn from people who see them as mere foolish children, or who hold them to the same responsibilities as hardened adult veterans. They’ve been so far away from their normal support networks that they don’t know what to do as normal teenage problems begin creeping up on them. And there are hints of strife between the students themselves: Kikyo has not been fully forgiven by everyone for the crimes she committed under the king’s orders, and Yukito is asserting himself as a more capable leader than Aki.

With the king now personally invested in seeing their entire group eradicated thanks to Kikyo’s betrayal, what will it take for these lost children to endure the trials ahead…?

- - -

Characters:

Aki Akakawa: The primary protagonist of the story. Like many shounen hero, he’s impulsive, hotheaded, and stubborn, yet ultimately brave even in the face of the highest odds. He is gifted a ruby pendant infused with a magical power that lets him become The Hero Crimson, who is designed after the typical warrior class in RPGs.

Yukito Aotani: A cold and aloof classmate that Aki has formed a sort of rivalry with. While in school it began as somewhat friendly competition over test scores (Yukito always won in everything except sports), the dire threats of their adventure brings their personality conflicts to the forefront, putting their friendship on the edge. With his sapphire bracelet, he becomes The Archer Indigo, filling out the ranger archetype, right down to having animal companions he seems to like better than people.

Haruka Midoriyama: Aki’s childhood friend. They used to be inseparable, but middle school saw them being sorted into different homerooms; Haruka’s time off was further devoted into her track team, and as a result they’ve started drifting apart. She is just as boisterous as Aki, but it comes tempered with her attempts to nurture her peers – whether they want her help or not. Her emerald ring lets her transform into The Thief Verdant, a dashing and nimble rogue. And, yes, her name is a reference to the Midoriyama of Sasuke fame, though this isn’t directly acknowledged in-universe.

Seitaro Kishima: One of Haruka’s classmates from her homeroom, who is a shy nerd with a lot of anxiety about being outside or in the middle of crowds. With his topaz brooch he becomes The Wizard Gold, keeping a safe distance from danger as he used mage powers to rain havoc upon foes. In recent issues, Seitaro has begun the reasons behind his anxieties, from the tragic disappearances of his relatives to his growing discomfort with the changes adolescence brings.

Mirabelle Champrose: An exchange student that’s quite popular in Aki’s year… among anyone that isn’t Aki himself. Or Yukito or Haruka or Seitaro. Mirabelle’s charming elegance goes hand-in-hand with a fussiness and an unwillingness to do physical labor, something that becomes a frequent problem during their adventure. Despite it all, she truly cares about the people around her and slowly learns how to get along with them, and as The Priestess Rose she dutifully heals their wounds, even when they’re feuding. She still fawns over the garnet earrings that empower her, though – girl’s gotta have her jewelry!

Kuromura: A fox-like creature that the oracle cared for as a stray animal. Despite that, Kuromura is very much sapient and can talk out loud, serving as a guide, a mentor, and a voice of reason as the students try to find their way through this unfamiliar world. Curiously, Kuromura has a black opal set into their head, but they cannot remember ever being able to cast magic…

Albinus Frost IV: The king of the Frostbitten Crown who continues his family’s bid to expand influence over all the land. Safely entrenched in the bitter-cold mountains to the north, he sends armies out to conquer their neighbors, steadily taking over town after town. Though he claims to be doing this all for the good of the citizens, refugees fleeing from the towns he takes say that he imposes strict control on them all, keeping villages under martial law as his guard closely monitor financial spending, food rations, and communications with other towns. Woe betide those who are vocal about their displeasure; reports suggest many dissidents have disappeared without a trace.

The Diva: First seen clad in full armor, the Diva is a commander of Albinus’s armies, using her music to enchant soldiers with strength and bravery. In time she is revealed to actually be a young human girl, and even later her true identity is revealed to be Kikyo Shimori, a cousin of Seitaro’s who went missing with her family eleven years ago during a hiking trip. In reality they accidentally wandered into the mist world, and Kikyo was somehow separated from her parents (who she assumes are dead) and raised instead as a bard-slash-spy for the Frostbitten Crown. After an arc in which Kikyo’s loyalties are called into question, she finally defects from Albinus and puts herself at great risk saving Seitaro’s life from his generals, resulting in the amethyst circlet materializing before her. With this, Kikyo awakens to her power as the Diva Violet, and thus proves herself a true ally of the team.

- - -

Trivia:

The most popular ships in the fandom are Aki x Haruka, Aki x Yukito, Yukito x Mirabelle, and Yukito x Kikyo. There is also significant support for Aki x Kikyo, Haruka x Mirabelle, and Seitaro x Mirabelle.

Shinobu happens to have a few advance spoilers in regards to canon ships: Aki x Yukito is endgame! The original intention was to make Aki x Haruka canon, but over the years both the in-character dynamics and Koji’s own feelings about his work have changed.

Shinobu also knows that future issues will, over time, make it clear that Seitaro is definitely not cis and is likely nonbinary. Koji started writing this arc as a way to try and connect with Shinobu, especially during some of the rockier month of their relationship when Shinobu was questioning if his parents even cared about what he wanted in life. At times he acts as a sort of consultant, helping his father understand what Seitaro might be feeling right now.

Haruka is another character based closely off Shinobu. At the beginning of the story she symbolized Shinobu the ace athlete: Always determined, always energetic, always ready to give 100% in any situation. As the reality of Shinobu’s life became clear to Koji, he’s since taken a more nuanced writing with Haruka, acknowledging the constant pressure that she faces as both and athlete and as the caretaker of the group. Much of her arc now is her and her teammates learning to accept that just because she’s their emotional pillar doesn’t mean that she’s invincible, and that’s okay.

An anime adaptation of the manga is in progress, and is currently in the earliest arcs, before the temporary group split.

[dfroza]

A set of questions is seen

in Today’s reading of the Scriptures from the 20th chapter of the book of Luke that includes marriage in this world and the eternal:

One day Jesus was teaching in the temple courts and sharing with the people the wonderful news of salvation. The high priest, the experts of the law, and the prominent men of the city confronted Jesus and asked him, “We want to know right now by what authority are you teaching here in the temple? And who gave you the authority to teach these things?”

Jesus responded, “First, let me ask you a question and you tell me right now. Did John baptize because he had a commission from heaven or merely from men?”

His interrogators pulled themselves aside to consider how to respond to Jesus. “What should we say? If we say that John’s mandate was from heaven, he will ask us, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him and be baptized?’ But if we say, ‘John’s mandate was merely from men,’ then all the people around him will stone us, for they believe John was a prophet of God.” So unable to devise an answer they said to Jesus, “We cannot tell where John’s authority came from.”

Jesus said, “Then neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Jesus taught the people using this story:

“A man once planted a vineyard, then leased it out to tenants. Then he left to go abroad and was away for a long time. At harvest time, the owner sent one of his servants to the tenants to collect the landowner’s share of the harvest, but the tenants sent him away, beaten and empty-handed. So the owner dispatched another one of his servants to collect his portion, but the tenants treated him the same way. They cursed him, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. Then the owner sent a third servant, but they brutalized him also with the same treatment. Finally the owner of the vineyard said to his son, ‘Perhaps if I send you, my own cherished son, they will be ashamed of what they’ve done.’

“But when the tenants saw the son coming, they schemed among themselves. ‘This is the heir of the vineyard! If we kill him, the inheritance will be ours.’ So they threw the son off the property and killed him.

“I ask you, what do you think the owner of the vineyard will do to his son’s murderers? He will come back and destroy them and give his vineyard to another.”

When the people heard this story, they all agreed, “This should never happen!”

Jesus looked straight at the people and their leaders and said, “What do you think this verse means? ‘The worthless, rejected stone has become the cornerstone, the most important stone of all.’ Everyone who falls in humility upon that stone will be broken. But if that stone falls on you, it will grind you to pieces!”

When the high priests and experts of the law realized that this story was about them, they wanted to have Jesus arrested that very moment, but they were afraid of all the people.

Later, they sent spies who pretended to be honest seekers, but who wanted an opportunity to entangle Jesus by his words. Their plan was to catch him saying something against the government, so they could hand him over to the jurisdiction of the Roman authorities who would execute him for sedition.

At the right time they asked him this question: “Teacher, we know that all you say is straightforward and what you teach us is right. You give us the true ways of God. You’re one who shows no favoritism to anyone’s status. So we ask you— is it proper or not to pay taxes to a corrupt government?”

Jesus saw right through their cunning ploy and said, “Why are you testing me? Show me one of the Roman coins. Whose head is on the coin? Whose title is stamped on it?”

They answered, “Why, it’s Caesar’s.”

Jesus said, “Precisely. The coin bears the image of the Emperor Caesar, and you should give back to Caesar all that belongs to him. But you bear the image of God. So give back to God all that belongs to him.”

The imposters were left speechless and amazed in the presence of all the people, unable to trap Jesus with his words.

Some of the Sadducees (a religious group that denies there is a resurrection of the dead) came to ask Jesus this question: “Teacher, the law of Moses teaches that if a man dies before he has children, his brother should marry the widow and raise up children for his brother’s family line. Now suppose there was a family with seven brothers, and the oldest married and died without children. Then his brother married the widow, and he too died with no children. And it continued to happen, one brother after another brother, until each of the seven had married the widow and died childless. Then finally, the widow died too. So here’s our dilemma: Whose wife will the woman be when she’s resurrected from the dead? Which of the brothers will be her husband, since all seven were once married to her?”

Jesus replied, “Marriage is meant for this world only. Those who are worthy of the resurrection from the dead into glory become immortal, like the angels, who never die nor marry. When the dead come to life again, they will be children of God—the children of the resurrection. Even Moses taught the resurrection of the dead when he wrote of the Lord God who was at the burning bush and said ‘I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Don’t you agree that God is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living? For in his eyes, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are alive forevermore. He is the God who raises the dead.”

The experts of the law chimed in, “Yes, Teacher, you speak the truth beautifully.”

From then on, the religious Sadducees never dared ask Jesus a question again.

Jesus then posed this question to the people: “How can the experts of the law say that Messiah is David’s son? Haven’t you read in the Psalms where David himself wrote:

The Lord Yahweh said to my Lord,

‘Sit near me in the place of authority

until I subdue all your enemies under Your feet!’ ”

Jesus explained, “If David calls this one ‘my Lord,’ how can he be his son?”

Within earshot of all the people, Jesus warned his disciples, “Don’t follow the example of these pretentious experts of the law! They love to parade around in their religious garments so that people honor them wherever they go. They like to sit right up front in every meeting and push their way to the head table at every banquet. And for an offering they will pray long religious prayers at the homes of widows, cheating them out of their very livelihood. Beware of them all, because one day the Judge will strip them of honor, and judge them severely.”

The Book of Luke, Chapter 20 (The Passion Translation)

Today’s paired chapter of the Testaments is the 28th chapter of the book of Job that looks at mining earth for its treasures as well as wisdom being the treasure of the heart

the truest and purest gold is the Spirit of Light (inside, Anew)

Job: There is a place where silver is mined,

a place where gold is refined.

There iron is dug from the earth,

and copper is smelted from ore.

Humans put an end to darkness,

and search in every last corner

For the ore that is in gloom and darkness.

In the earth they cut a shaft

in a place forgotten, far from the beaten path;

They descend on ropes,

swinging dangerously back and forth.

The ground above yields food;

the earth below is turned as if fire has destroyed it

Where earth gives up sapphires from her rocks

and bits of gold from her dirt.

No bird of prey knows this way, this secret path down below;

no falcon’s eye has ever peered into it.

No proud beast has ever reached this place;

no lordly lion has marched over it.

The miner breaks apart flinty stone,

uprooting the ancient mountains.

He carves tunnels through the rock,

revealing precious treasures.

He dams up the underground streams until they cease seeping,

and he brings out into the light what was hidden there in the darkness.

But where is wisdom found,

and where does understanding dwell?

Job: No human perceives wisdom’s true value,

nor has she been found in the land of the living.

The deep says, “She is not to be seen within me.”

“Nor within me,” says the voice of the raging sea.

No gold can be given in trade for wisdom,

nor a sum of silver weighed out as her price.

She cannot be bought with all the gold of Ophir,

neither with onyx nor sapphire.

The shimmer of gold and brightness of glass cannot compare,

and no refined gold jewelry is worth her in trade.

Perish the mention of coral and crystal;

even more than pearls is the value of wisdom.

Ethiopian topaz—unequal as well;

even gold, unalloyed, is too paltry indeed.

Then from where does wisdom come?

Where does understanding dwell?

She is hidden away from every eye,

even from birds looking down from the sky.

Destruction and Death have both confessed,

“Rumors are all we know about her.”

God understands wisdom’s path and way;

her place is known to Him alone.

For He gazes out to the edge of the earth,

sees all that falls beneath the sky overhead.

He lent the wind its weight and force

and measured out the waters’ spread.

When He set a limit on the rain that falls

and made the thunderbolt a road to race,

Then He saw wisdom and made her known,

He settled her and searched out for her a place.

And to humankind, He said, “Now, the fear of the Lord is wisdom,

and to depart from evil is understanding.”

The Book of Job, Chapter 28 (The Voice)

my personal reading of the Scriptures for Wednesday, may 5 of 2021 with a paired chapter from each Testament of the Bible along with Today’s Proverbs and Psalms

A post by John Parsons about trust and rest:

"At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release (i.e., shemitah, שְׁמִטָּה, a "letting go," from שָׁמַט, to relinquish). And this is the manner of the release: every creditor shall release what he has lent to his neighbor. He shall not exact it of his neighbor, his brother, because the LORD's release has been proclaimed" (Deut. 15:1-2). Often it takes more faith to "let go" than to keep your hand to the plough... Relaxing your grip, letting the yield of your efforts go fallow, requires you to trust in God's promise rather than your ability to control outcomes. The Law of Shemittah (תּוֹרָה שְׁמִטָּה) teaches us that when we surrender to God's care, we will suffer no loss, even when we allow our land to go fallow. May the Lord make the work of rest within us...[Hebrew for Christians]

5.4.21 • Facebook

Today’s message from the Institute for Creation Research

May 5, 2021

Mercy and Truth

“Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” (Psalm 85:10)

The words “mercy” (Hebrew checed, also often translated by “kindness” or “lovingkindness”) and “truth” (Hebrew emeth) occur more often in Psalms than in any other book. In fact, “mercy” occurs more in Psalms than in all the rest of the Old Testament put together. Though at first these two concepts seem opposed to each other (for how can God’s truth, which abhors sin, be compatible with His mercy, which forgives sin?), nevertheless they are “met together,” for “his salvation,” according to the previous verse, “is nigh them that fear him” (v. 9).

“Mercy and truth” (or “lovingkindness and truth”) are brought together at least 16 times in the Old Testament, including 10 times in the psalms. And when God’s eternal truth can be united with His loving mercy, both mediated through His holy Word, there is great blessing indeed! “All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies” (25:10). “I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name” (138:2). The first time the phrase is found in the Bible is in the prayer of Abraham’s servant thanking God for “his mercy and his truth” (Genesis 24:27).

God’s mercy and truth, of course, are really met together only in Jesus Christ, through whom God can both “be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Romans 3:26). He is “our peace” (Ephesians 2:14) and is “made unto us...righteousness” (1 Corinthians 1:30). He is “the truth” (John 14:6) and will show in the ages to come “the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7). HMM

[alarriefantasy]

demon/vampire or terror rec, please?

Ohh this is good! I’m not gonna lie, I love dark fics. Hopefully, you like the list!! :) 

*Also, this is my one and only warning for these fics. Please make sure to read the tags. Some of them may include triggering elements for you, so double check them before reading. If you’re not sure if you’ll be able to handle reading one them, you can ask me - I’d be happy to help!

Demon Fics

Trade Mistakes by ifancylou, Taayjaay

Words: 3k

Harry summons a crossroads demon without realizing that he’d be giving up his soul in exchange for the deal. He offers the demon something a little different instead.

Take Me To Church by jacinth 

Words: 5k

What would happen if he gave in, if he let Harry have him? His morals rebelled against the thought. Harry was a demon, an inherently evil creature from Hell. How could he be sure he wouldn’t destroy him?

Sealed With A Kiss by ty_madison

Words: 6k

Harry has been having dreams about a boy, every night since he turned sixteen and everytime he has opened his eyes in the past the boy has disappeared.

But now he is awake, the boy is here and he has a deal to make with the innocent Harry.

here in the dark is where new worlds are born by delsicle

Words: 7k

Harry is a demon and Louis is his eternal mate.

Demon On My Tongue. by SS98 

Words: 14k

Harry is a demon and wants what’s inside Louis. (He also wants Louis).

Shadow Holding Me Hostage by scribblewrite 

Words: 26k

Harry’s a demon, basically the king of hell and the source of all evil, and he needs an heir.Louis’s a normal human, unsuspecting of what’s in store for him

Even Angels Have Their Demons by  @afangirlfantasy 

Words: 52k

Or… an Angel/Demon AU where Angel Louis hates Demon Harry, but somewhere along the way that stops being so true.

Angels and Demons by twerkinlarry

Words: 70k

It’s a time where both Angels and Demons walked on earth, doing their work unbeknownst to humans. They look like normal humans, act like normal humans, interact such as, but they have very specific jobs not at all human like. Angels are here to guard, protect, and guide people into the right path. Demons are here to do just the opposite; mislead, give into poor judgment, throw into harm’s way, wreak havoc in general. Angels and Demons are given few guidelines other than their general rules, however there is one rule never to be broken; do not interact with the other. Under no circumstance should an Angel ever interact with a Demon, nor a Demon with an Angel, and that’s all.

The Devil’s Angel by lilacsweaters_ivorylilies

Words: 86k

“You belong to nobody else but me, asphodel."Ezekiel 28:13 - For Lucifer has been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was his covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of his tabrets and of his pipes was prepared in him in the day that he was created.

Say Hallelujah, Say Goodnight by  @alivingfire 

Words: 110k

Louis is an angel who is just a little too bad to be good, Harry is a demon who is just a little too good to be bad, and they’re both a little too in love to be impartial when angels and demons go to war.

Run Like the Devil by benzos 

Words: 138k

Supernatural AU. Louis hunts demons; Harry’s the strangest demon he’s ever met, and he keeps fucking meeting him. 

Vampire Fics

I Picked My Poison, And It’s You by @afangirlfantasy 

Words: 5k

Louis never backs down on dares. But maybe this was the one time he should have.  

Eternal Love by @mysticbelievexx 

Words: 8k

Louis had been dreaming of the green-eyed vampire for as long as he could remember; his mate from a lifetime past.The reality doesn’t go quite as expected…

The Devil You Know by Awriterwrites / @a-writerwrites 

Words: 35k

Louis is a vampire. Harry is probably too curious for his own good.

As Cold as a Whisper by panda_bear21 

Words: 48k

A fairy tale au where people in Louis’ village are disappearing and Louis is married off to uphold a centuries long agreement.

Waiting On You by emma1234 / @lads-laddylads 

Words: 76k

“Vampires,” Louis says with disgust, glaring over at the vampire who is noisily slurping from the woman’s neck nearby.

Zayn gives the neat fang marks on Louis’ neck a meaningful look.

“Can’t live with them, can’t live without them,” Louis finishes, ignoring Zayn when he rolls his eyes.

Louis takes a long sip of his milkshake, presses his fingers against the marks on his neck, and definitely doesn’t think about the vampire who left them there.

Luscious blood by Deidei 

Words: 116k

Louis Tomlinson, a human, has been living in poor living conditions together with his mother since he was born. Ever since he can remember he has loathed the stronger, faster, more developed kind that rule this world; Vampires. But will his opinion change after he meets his soul mate that is an arrogant, royal vampire named Harry Styles…

Among the Humans by thecheshirepussycat / @the-cheshire-pussy-cat

Words: 129k

A gothic, modern day vampire romance between a young human named Louis Tomlinson, and Harry Styles, ancient vampire and gentleman.

Creatures of the night come with more trouble than they wish to make it seem.

Love Endless by wubwubnparmaham / @wubwubnparmaham 

Words: 171k

The year is groovy 1973, and eighteen-year-old Louis Tomlinson is perhaps the gayest teen to ever grace the gloomy, hateful town of Fortwright. Would be fine if he wasn’t so viciously bullied at both home and school for such a “harmful” sexual preference.

Yeah, yeah, we’ve all heard this story, haven’t we?Believe him, Louis didn’t think he was anything special either.

Until he found the mansion. The notoriously haunted mansion hidden deep within the forests of his tiny blip of a town in Bumfuck Nowhere, Idaho. No one with a brain ever goes near it, but Louis could use a little excitement in his life…and possibly a Band-Aid or two.

After discovering the mansion was less abandoned than he’d thought, he’s now left with the most riveting mystery of a lifetime; every new finding leaving him with more questions. Who is this elusive owner, and why won’t they show themselves? Why is there a set of journals in the same handwriting that span over centuries? Why in the world is there a padlock on the refrigerator…and who the hell is Alexander?

Horror/Suspense Fics

I’ll Be Your Someone by bringhomethegays

Words: 7k

Two gleaming eyes burned holes in Louis face, even in the darkness. Louis gulped dryly when a smile and pale skin began to show in the light only from the full moon outside. Then a low rumbling voice sounded, bring a slow shiver down Louis spine when he heard his name, “Hello Louis.”

nothing’s gonna hurt you, baby by kingsoftheimpossible

Words: 9k

The breath Louis drags in is shaky, tinged with the heat from Harry’s mouth. “If I dreamed you up to get myself off, I’d have made you more attractive.”

Harry pulls back just far enough to look more fully at Louis’ face, lips spreading into a wide cattish smile, all teeth. “You’ve really got to stop embarrassing yourself by trying to lie to me.”

or: Things were a lot easier before Louis’ hallucinations decided to give themselves a body and a name.

Living Among Stockholm by larry_aesthetic

Words: 10k

“No matter how much you want to leave, no matter how much you want to get out of this place, I’m not going to let you. I love you too much.”

“I… I don’t think I want to leave..”

Gone by hazelfae 

Words: 34k

Harry, a criminal psychology student, interviews Louis as part of a project and knows all about him from the extensive media coverage of his capture. Louis takes a certain shine to the younger boy and even though he’s under surveillance 24/7… Harry’s in trouble.

Alaska by BeyondxLawliet

Words: 85k

“Let’s go out to my car, yeah?” he heard Harry say, Louis looking up at him. The ground was moving underneath his feet, or maybe it was just him. He raised his hand to push him away because no, this wasn’t happening, but he felt too weak. The hand was only falling down to his side again. Harry? No, he was too nice.Maybe he was taking him home?

“Are you taking me home?” he whispered with a slur, his eyes fluttering closed as he stumbled into Harry. He could hear his heartbeat. It was beating quickly.

“Yes,” Harry whispered back, taking his coat and put it over Louis’ shoulders through his blurred vision. He had no idea what was even going on. Where they even in the café still? It sounded like he was underwater, colors jumping around before him. “I’m taking you home, love.”

credit to the owner of the manip

updated 7.17.19

[vivid-inspiration]

For Her

I guess it’s the black coat that I found and decided to dawn that gives me this image. A dark and scary figure, the bringer of pain, an omen. I literally just picked up the first thing I found from the shelter that can act as a camouflage. Black is a good colour to hide in. Never did I assume it would be so closely associated with death like this.

I tried to rush between the crowds to make it to their next target. I can’t use my ‘energy’ until I’m at point blank otherwise they’ll find me. And they have no regard to collateral damage when they are on the hunt. Everyone around me is in danger and if I don’t find him in time…

“Looking for someone? Or something?” A raspy voice rang through my brain.

I turned and scanned the crowd, I can feel the energy, I can feel the pain. My eyes darted back and forth. Nothing. High pitched laughter erupted through the skies aiming directly into my ears. I winced as I saw him being taken away. I was too late. I cursed at myself before disappearing between the hustle of souls.

How could I be so alone in this.

 I used to be a good soldier. Always followed the rules, never questioned my superiors. We were instructed to not indulge in feelings and desires. And it was strictly prohibited to even acknowledge empathy.

We were always provided a set of names as the sun rose and were required to scratch each name off before the next dawn… where the cycle restarted with a new set of names.

Our mission was a little ambiguous, I was low in the ranking so all I was responsible for was to go to the designated name and help them make their way to their next stop.

Kind of like, what you would, a guardian angel. In this line of work, you see all types of reactions. Happy, sad, infuriated, confused, shocked, angry. I, unfortunate, was intrigued. Such unique facial expressions, different chemical imbalances resulting in... tears? It was all so tantalizing.

With the Great Famine just ending, we had lists of never ending names to guide. Every name needs a different approach, and some humans are just so stubborn and resisting. We have resorted to the use of a little brute strength with them, they were unaware of the dangers if they remained floating spiritually in this realm. A small curved blade was provided to us that expands to a longer stick if the human proves to be nuisance. Even though many soldiers carved their initials, I took the time to artistically burn my name into it. It glowed with a fire red when the light was right.

 Run, run, run. Through the alleys I ran. It started to rain. Heavily. Good. This helped me blend in better with my oversized coat. Umbrellas flew up and sprayed droplets on unsuspecting people. The cars splashed puddles onto the pavement cause city lights to reflect brightly on the ground. The air was heavy but a scent of cleanliness flood the place. I took a right and then a left, then another right until I faced the familiar blinking red light. “MOTEL” the fluorescent lights read. I dug into my pockets and fished for my key before darting in the shadows to my room door.

Click.

I rushed in and threw myself on my stained bed. The bed side table lamp was flickering with age. I let the bed springs pierce through my chest. I needed to replace the ache with something physical. Something more real. The sound of the raindrops eased my mind a little. I need to be quicker next time. I need more resources to get my hands on any list.

“You dumb bitch! I should throw you back into the hole I found you in”

“Fine by me! The only dark hole I ever fell in was with you!”

“You’re talking back to me?!”

I dug my head into the flat pillow. The neighbours started early today. I’m keeping an eye out on them in case any or both their names end up on a list with the way they’re going. Another crash, one of them smashed another plate. I’m never going to be able to focus with all that racket.

I sat up and thought about a new strategy. Blank. I was getting tired. How long have I been running for? A year? 10? 100? 1000 years? Ever since I found out the true mission of my task force, I escaped and hid in the human realm. I stared aimlessly at the ripped wallpaper while shifting my ring from my finger. This ring was the reason I am here. Had she not dropped it, I would have never followed her.

My duties were straightforward and mundane. I guided souls into the afterlife. Very straightforward. They would be taken into the judgement room and fell into one of three categories, Heaven, Hell, Purgatory. Once they reach the door, I never see them again, and I never think of them again. I was but a peg in the gran der scheme and never questioned my involvement. Until she dropped her ring. Her skin was sun kissed with an angelic glow. Her hair fell down to her shoulders in waves that resembled the most perfectly balanced river. Her eyes wide with the darkest brown and freckled gold like the earth and the sun was trapped in there. But more beautiful than that was her soul. It serenaded the most beautiful poetry as she gracefully walked by my side. She was scared, I could tell, and for the first time, I was scared. This beautiful being was the victim of a hit and run and her first question was ‘is the driver okay?’

I tried to keep my gaze to myself, but her energy was overwhelming. As we got to the door, she thanked me and took a deep breathe. She straightened her posture preparing herself and flicked her hair back. I watched her walk in and as the door locked after her, I saw it shining. Her ring. A beautiful Topaz ring that illuminated under the light. I picked it up slowly, enchanted by her scent. I opened the door to return her ring and I was prompted with a horrific sight. Her radiance was massacred across the walls. Her poetry slaughtered against the floor. Her glow was salvaged in bottles. Tiny little vessels. I was dumbfounded and in shock. Her beautiful soul was shattered.

“There, little princess, your soul will be ripe for our General. Your energy is the fuel for our war on heaven” the lieutenant in charge was whimsically singing while squeezing her essence lifelessly.

“What happened here?!” I exclaimed.

“Soldier, what are you doing here? This is restricted area!” The Lieutenant yelled back while charging at me.

Ring still in my hand, I threw a punch in his direction and felt his bones crack. I ran through the door evading looks from all the other soldiers.

“Stop him! He’s a traitor” Someone bellowed.

Traitor? What did I do? I felt my lungs implode in my chest as my feet felt heavier. I ran and ran until I got into the library. I snuck to the back between the aisles and tried to restore my heart rate. I looked around and realized that I was in the restricted area of the library. This area was only authorized to soldiers of a higher ranking than me. Great, from the pan to the fire, or so I’ve heard a similar saying.

“How could you let this happen?” I heard a familiar voice ask.

“Sir, I… I apologize Sir” Said the sergeant.

“What does he know”

“Nothing Sir”

“Lieutenant , I will not tolerate these lies”

“He… he may have heard that we are preparing for a war against the Heavenly General and are using souls to harness our weapons” He whispered almost too low for me to hear. Almost.

I felt my heart beat against my rib cage. Weapons? War against the Heavenly General? What the…?

“Hunt him down, we’ve been careful to only extract the souls of the pure and innocent without being detected so far. We can’t have Heaven or Hell know of our plans”

I recognized the voice. How could I have taken so long. It is our leader, the General of Purgatory. He is behind this scheme? Fuck.

“Sooner or later, these humans were going to ruin their realm, its time we take over it and all the other realms for ultimate power!” The General said confidently.

“But Sir..” The Lieutenant protested.

“But nothing, you are ordered to bring me this… this.. soldier and show him what really happens to the souls he’s been retrieving for us”. I did not have to see him to feel his evil smile creep.

I turned away and snuck to the Gardens of Fragments to enter the portal to Earth. With a hard fall onto the pavement, I limped away from the scene with one thought. I must save them. I must protect them. For her.

Dawned in an over sized black hooded cape, I put on her ring and expanded my blade into a scythe to help me walk. My name burnt across the staff battered from the centuries of fights identified me in this world.

Grim Reaper.

Maybe I should have stuck with carving initials.

[djinmer4]

A Fright of Ghosts

Inspired by: http://archiveofourown.org/works/12136836

When the sensation of being watched changed from a distant awareness to the feeling that of someone observing just over his shoulder, Elrond knew he was close.  The forest on the western side of Ered Luin should have been empty, the humans wintering in the welcoming lands of the east below Forochel and the dwarves to their settlements under the mountains.  Not even Cirdan would bother patrolling the desolate Forlindon in the winter.  But Elrond knew there was someone here and hitched the rucksack higher, as if to cover his back from an enemy.

As it was, he nearly fell into the blaze, when empty woods suddenly changed to a neat camping site.  A strong arm wrapped around his chest, pulling him away and saving him from a nasty burn.  “Alatulya, yonya.  I did not expect to see you so late in the year.”

Elrond sighed, then sat down on the bench beside the fire.  The small encampment he had been expecting to find was actually a large clearing, with a well-built cabin to one side with the beginnings of several structures.  The bonfire he had nearly walked into was in fact the beginnings of a small forge, too small for any great work, but set away from the cabin.  He ignored the various flickers of red on the edge of his eyes, and focused on his father.

“Mara re, atar.  I had not thought to look for you so soon after our last meeting, but I needed to speak to you about something.”  He passed the rucksack to Maglor.  Within contained some items he did not think the other could obtain easily in isolation: some bottles of wine, cheese, a set of silver strings spelled against corrosion.  A new cloak, although it appeared that the Feanorian’s current one was still serving well.  “Did you see a ship sail into the Gulf of Lhun this past year?”

“I did indeed.”  The older ner set the the rucksack aside.  “And I know exactly what and who came on that ship.”

Elrond released a silent sigh of relief.  Cirdan had known the Maia for what they were immediately, but not who.  And given what happened the last time a Maia claimed to be a messenger of aid sent by the Valar, any information on the identities of these Istari was essential.  “Could you tell me who they are and what we should expect?”

Maglor did not answer, but instead looked over his son’s head.  The sensation of being watched did not cease, but doubled, then split and came to rest on each side of Elrond.  He kept his eyes on his father.  “Alatar,” said a voice like the crackling of fire, a shadow of smoke and soot on his right.  “A servant of Orome.  Strong, aggressive.  More interested in the arts of the ethereal than the physical.”  Images came to mind, of shared hunts and bitter arguments in distant Valinor.

From his left, a gurgle from a torn throat.  “Pallando is the other.  Alatar’s friend and follower in all things.”  He knew if he turned the image would be far less abstract, but more disturbing, almost a real body but with dull eyes and blood dripping from both throat and mouth.  Elrond wondered how Maglor could bear to look.  From this shade he received no memories, but merely a sensation of wistfulness and loyalty.

“Hantanyel, uncles.  Could you tell me more, please?”  But Maglor stirred himself, and put out the forge fire.  “Not tonight.  The others are scouting the area.  They can tell you more.”  He picked up the rucksack and turned towards the cabin.  “You take the bed and I’ll take the floor.  As I wasn’t expecting company, I don’t have any meat, but there’s lembas and plenty of fruit.”

The peredhel smiled.  “They’ll go well with the wine and cheese I brought.”

The next day, father and son spent the day preserving meat and curing hides.  Elrond didn’t ask how the pile of skinned corpses had appeared outside Maglor’s door overnight, and Maglor didn’t ask how Elrond had slept with the howls and screams that had filled the dark.  When the day approached the end, again the sat by the forge fire.  Today, instead of a feeling of being watched, the air felt heavy, smothering and cold, as if he was deep under the waters of a lake rather than walking in the air.  No shade or ghost appeared before him, but rather heavy hands upon his shoulders and a cold breath ruffled his hair.

“Aiwendil, follower of Yavanna.  Naive and  scatterbrained, but brave in his own way.  Lover of birds.”  Elrond fought for a deep breath.  “So we can trust him?”

Bitter icy laughter, and the heaviness drew crushingly tight around his chest, like one of those strange waistcoats they wore in Arnor, made from whalebone and steel.  “You can trust him to follow his nature and to follow the mission he was given.  But Yavanna loves the wolf as much as she loves the deer.  Loves the end of life as much as the beginning.  Loves the Eldar, but the rat and the fly as well, and there are millions of them for every one of us.  Trust him to follow whatever mission the Valar gave him, but he is no more a friend to us than a plague is.”

With that, the heaviness constricting Elrond disappeared, but the cold air remained.  “Enough for tonight?” asked Maglor, coming up with an armload of firewood.  The younger ner nodded.  “I’ll stoke the fire a little more tonight.  Maybe add some of the linseed oil so that it will burn a little brighter.”

The next day proved that winter was well on it’s way.  Even the inside of the cabin was covered in delicate webs of frost.  They spent that day bringing in the last of the garden vegetables before the cold ruined them.  The frost formed brilliant patterns over everything, like the finest embroidery fit for a king, and lingered far into the afternoon.  When they finally sat down to talk, Maglor had taken some paper and a sharp quill and was copying the icy patterns designs onto paper.  Elrond did not ask to see them and Maglor did not offer him any.

This day Maglor did something a little different.  The forge had stayed closed today since the Noldo didn’t have any repair work to do.  But at the end of the day, Maglor opened the forge door and there was golden light inside.  He pulled out a large gemstone, like a topaz carbuncle but glowed with it’s own inner radiance.  He looked up and laughed at Elrond’s wide eyes.  “Did you expect I’d carry it around everywhere I go?  That would be quite inconvenient.”

“You’re using one of the most precious artifacts of the First Age as a forge fire?”

“It’s quite appropriate, thematically.  Besides, it gives both of us a chance to have some privacy in our thoughts.”

The ghost of the greatest craftman of the Noldor did not look like a ghost or wraith or remotely supernatural.  If Elrond hadn’t known better, he would have thought he was looking at a living person.  “Curunir’s clearly been appointed as their leader.  He’s another one of Aule.  We knew him well.  Ambitious and active.  Curious and delights in pushing boundaries.  Against the dark he is a formidable ally.”

The smile on Feanor’s face became sharper and darker.  This might have been the face he showed Fingolfin, over a sword in Tirion.  “All things that were said of Sauron too.”

That night was filled with nightmares.  The golden light of the Silmaril seemed blood-tinged and the shadows it cast moved like living things upon the walls.  Despite the love between them, Elrond began looking forward to leaving Maglor’s home.  Sensing his disquiet, Maglor drew him outside, to finish the conversation in the light.

“The last is Olorin, who has been in the service of Manwe, Varda, Irmo and Nienna.”  Maglor did not bother to wait for any of his brothers to appear, instead filling the role of teacher by himself.  “Of all the Maia sent, he is the one who perhaps best understands those of us still here in the changeable world.”

“And the caveat?”  But the answer came not from Maglor, but rather a familiar voice behind him.  “Of all of them, I do not believe that Olorin will fall.”  Maedhros was bright, burning.  If Feanor could have been mistaken for a living Eldar, then Maedhros for a Maia.  He was like a shade of stained glass, overfilled with the light of the Silmaril he had burned with.  “Nor will he forget that he is here to succor the Free Peoples of the West.  But as the others fail or falter, he will be forced to take more and more burdens.  He will not fall, but he may fail and return West with the mission only half complete.  And even if he doesn’t, the choices he will make will be ruthless indeed.”

Mercifully, Maglor had let him sleep after he had fainted.  Elrond suspected his father had cast a few spells of his own, allowing him a peaceful, dreamless rest.  Even with that, however, the clearing was overfull, with the flickers of color seen from the edge of his eye, areas of heat or cold or pressure.

“You will be here for a while?”

“Yes, the twins would like to spend more time on woodcraft.  And after spending a decade in a Secondborn settlement, I’d like some time to myself.”

“When I first came, I had thought of asking you again to come to Imladris-”

“No.”  Maglor cut him off gently, but firmly.  “Perhaps in a century or two I’ll visit for a month or a year, but I cannot stay long in the presence of other Eldar.”  The younger ner just nodded.  He’d braced himself, but even he had found the phantoms that surrounded the last living Feanorian too much.  For other elves, lacking the connection he had with the House of Feanor, those sensations were a hundred times worse.  His uncles and grandfather had tempered their fear around him and given useful advice.  The only other person they had been as kind to had been Celebrimbor.  “Give my regards to Artanis.”  The last time Galadriel had attempted to see Maglor, she had fainted before getting within a mile of him.  Celeborn had had to drag her back to Mithlond before she had revived.

(Strange that the Secondborn never were effected.  They could be harmed, hurt or helped but they never saw or noticed the ghosts.  When Maglor wanted company, he would go to their settlements to stay for a while.)

“I will.”  Elrond hesitated for one long moment, staring around to determine where every shade was preoccupied with something else before stepping close to Maglor.  “Atar, have you ever considered  . . . getting rid of it?  Just toss it into the ocean.  Maybe then both you and they would be able to get some rest.”

“Oh Elrond, don’t you think I’ve tried that already.”  They both gazed at the Silmaril, glowing gold in the forge again.  “It always comes back.”

[topazshadowwolf]

Cat’s Out Of The Bag

Day 3 of Soriel Week! And the prompt is hidding somewhere... Oh, well, I’ll just wing it. (yeah, I know, I’m not very funny)

An Undertale Fanfiction by: Topaz Shadowwolf Undertale is owned by: Toby Fox Relationships: Soriel Rating: Everyone

Cat’s Out Of The Bag

 Due to the rain, Sans decided to close his hotdog stand early. There was no one around, and, undoubtedly, no one was going to run out in this weather for a hot dog or cat. His stand was nowhere near as lucrative on the surface as it was underground. This was a sad fact of life. Toriel was easily bringing in far more money than he was.

Granted, Sans doesn’t enjoy work, but living off Toriel was never his intent when she moved in with him and Papyrus. Though, being home more does allow him to babysit Frisk when she is at school late. Over all, he was acting as one of Frisk’s parents without the title, and it was something he enjoyed doing. Getting the kid home after school, helping with homework, listening to them talk about their day. All of it reminded him of watching Papyrus grow up, and had a nice, nostalgic feeling. Still, after supporting his brother for so long, it felt wrong being supported by someone else.

Hood pulled over his skull, he shuffled home, letting his slippers get soaked. Right now, he didn’t really care, not like he has skin to “prune” from being exposed to the wet for an extended period of time, or to really feel the wet and cold. If it did start to bother him, he could always just take a shortcut; but, right now, he just was delaying returning home. Tori might be there since it’s the weekend. He wasn’t ready to turn up with barely any money earned.

As he rounded a corner, Sans heard a noise. It was a quiet noise, but it was still there. A soft squeak of a sound, pleading for attention. Stopping, Sans looked around, trying to find the source. There, staring up at him with large yellow eyes was a small black kitten. Its fur was completely soaked and clinging to its tiny body, showing how thin it was.

“ah, geez, kitt-o,” he winced, scooping up the small, squeaky bundle of fur. It mewed at him again before starting to purr. “heh, any thinner and we’d be a matching set,” Sans joked.

Frisk has been begging for a pet, but Tori’s turned them down. Granted, the house technically belongs to Sans and Papyrus, as it was theirs first; and Sans has made most of the payments. But Tori has been paying for a lot since moving in, both families needing to reduce housing costs. Sharing the house and watching what they spent money on seemed like a wise idea. Toriel also has been the one buying food, which paying for pet food was one of the reasons she said “no.”  Though tiny, the kitten was another mouth to feed. Yet, he couldn’t just leave it, not like this.

With a sigh, he opened his jacket and lifted his shirt enough to put the tiny kitten safe and sound in his rib cage, on top of the pillow stashed where his ‘guts’ should be. The rest of the way home, he wondered if he should tell Tori about the new house guest, or sneak it in and try finding it a new home. How frustrating. It’s his house, he should decide who stays and who goes. Yet, without a word, he turned a lot of responsibility over to Tori. Responsibility means effort, and he’s not fond of that. It just felt wrong for him to say, “i know you’re taking care of all that stuff, but i’m going to add another burden into this house without your say.”

Decision not made, he arrived home and sighed. At least the rain waited till now to start falling heavier, and the kitten has been quiet for a while. Walking inside, he was practically bombarded at the door. Papyrus hurried over and grabbed Sans up and spun around, saying something about getting approved to one of the culinary schools he applied for.

“that’s nice bro,” Sans said, feeling the kitten against his spine as centrifugal force acted on it.

“I think it’s wonderful,” Toriel added, walking over.

“I MUST GO TELL UNDYNE, AND THEN MAKE MY CELEBRATION SPAGHETTI!” Papyrus loudly announced before bouncing out of the house, thankfully through the still open door. Sans would hate to have to pay for a new window and college classes.

“Drive carefully, bro,” Sans called after Papyrus, as the world around him continued to spin.

That was when something soft and fuzzy started to move up along his ribcage. Clapping his hands over his mouth, Sans tried not to laugh as the kitten started to scale the inside of him like a tiny mountain climber. Toriel, closed the door, keeping any dampness out. When she turned and looked at Sans, there was a concerned look on her face.

“Oh, dear, are you feeling alright? Did your brother spin you around too much?” Tori asked.

As the kitten continued to climb, Sans continued trying to hold back laughter. It was starting to hurt in a way. He couldn’t speak, not without potentially breaking down in a fit of giggles. Just when he thought he couldn’t last any longer, the kitten popped its head out from the top of his zipped hoodie and let out one very loud and long mew of protest.

Toriel just stared at him and the kitten. Slowly her face morphed from surprised to holding back laughter. Seeing her snout wrinkle in such a way caused Sans to finally start laughing, and Toriel followed suit. Feeling left out, the kitten protested again, squealing on the top of its lungs to make sure it is heard.

From upstairs a door slammed open and Frisk yelled, “Is that a cat?”

As to why the kid decided to ask is unknown, as they quickly ran down the stairs and was practically bouncing with joy upon seeing the little head peeking out from San’s jacket. “Can we keep it?” Frisk asked, looking at Tori with the best puppy impersonation they could muster. Tori moved closer to Sans and took the little creature. Her expression changed from happy to surprise upon seeing the condition the kitten.

“Oh dear, any thinner and he’d look like you, Sans,” she looks at Sans, and any concern he had before about her rejecting the new house guest was gone. “Frisk, my child, could you go grab one of fluffy blankets from the hall closet and empty out of the storage plastic boxes. One that is short enough for this little dear to walk in and out of.”

Frisk saluted and ran off, “On it!”

Tori turned and walked into the kitchen petting the kitten as she went. “Sans, where did you find this poor dear?”

“i, uh, found him not far from my stand,” Sans said. Tori handing the kitten back to him and she opened the fridge, getting out some left over unseasoned fish and an egg. “i think it was left over from a box of kittens some human was selling. i heard them talking about no one wanting the black one.”

“Did they just abandon him?” She asked as she started to scramble the egg.

“don’t know for sure, but, uh, wouldn’t rule it out. they didn’t seem like the nicest of people,” Sans said, struggling to hold the wiggling kitten. It was starting to scream louder, looking over at Tori or him with each yell. “i think he wants you to hurry up, tori,” Sans chuckled.

Tori giggled, “Sure sounds like it, but he will have to be patient a little longer. I’m almost done.” She added some of the leftover, unseasoned fish to the eggs.

Finally, she plated some of the food on a small dish and set it down. Sans bent down and released the little kitten, who made a mad dash for the plate. Both stood and watched the kitten eat. “i can pop over to the store and pick some things up for him,” Sans rubbed the back of his neck, making a list in his head of what they would need.

“Don’t, I need to go to the store tomorrow anyway. We’ll make do with what we have. There is some safe play sand, left over from a school activity, we can use for litter,” Tori said, looking up at Sans. He could see a kind smile on her face. He liked that expression, especially when she’s looking at him.

“Got the stuff!” Frisk said, walking into the kitchen.

“Wonderful. Could you go in the garage and add some of that sand we used in class to that box. A nice thick layer should do,” Toriel directed. Frisk nodded and did as asked, practically springing out of the room with excitement. Tori smiled, “I suppose this will teach responsibility, not that the child didn’t already know that lesson. Still, let’s make sure the kitten was, indeed, abandoned first; before we get too comfortable with the idea of him being our newest family member.”

“sounds fair,” Sans nodded.

Toriel put down a bowl of water for the kitten to drink out of as Frisk came back in the house. They made sure the kitten knew where the temporary litter box was and made a bed out of a cardboard box and the blanket. Frisk played with the kitten till Papyrus arrived with dinner. He with thrilled to meet this new house guest, and apologized to the small creature once he learned they were in Sans’s ribs when he spun his brother around. They ate and Tori offered the kitten more of the food she had made.

That evening, after convincing Frisk to leave the kitten downstairs for the night, Tori and Sans cuddled on the sofa. Tori was reading a new book from the library, and Sans was distracted with the small black kitten sleeping on his chest.

“I thought you only liked pet rocks,” Toriel said, teasingly.

“well, yeah, when i’m responsible for the pet. frisk will be doing most of the challenging work for this one,” Sans grinned, he looked up at Tori then back at the kitten, “and if i must help now and then, i guess i won’t mind. least i can do, for a fellow freeloader.”

“You are not a freeloader. If it wasn’t for you there would have been lots of nights with me being up late working on grading or preparing for class the next day. And don’t think I didn’t notice all the money you’ve saved up for your brother’s education. You might not be the hard worker as some others are, but you still do more than you give yourself credit for,” She smiled down at Sans.

They were quiet for a moment before Tori closed her book, “By the way, were you planning on sneaking that kitten into the house?”

“heh,” Sans glanced up at her, “i, uh, guess it did cross my mind.”

“Hmmm,” Tori shifted, turning herself so Sans was mostly laying on her, “Well, I guess it is a good thing it didn’t cross your path. Would hate for you to have bad luck. Anyway, dear, this is your house.”

“our house, you live here, and frisk,” Sans closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of her chest rising and falling as she breaths.

“I feel like I took over your house, and I’m sorry about that,” she said while lightly petting the kitten, who stretched and yawned.

“tori, you’re fine, i didn’t really take charge of things before.”

“You were thinking of sneaking a kitten into the house, Sans. I took over and made you feel as if you had no control of your own space,” Toriel said in a manner that sounded more like a teacher.

“maybe a little, but i did just turn everything over to you,” he shrugged.

They were quiet, watching the kitten curl back up on Sans and continue sleeping. Sans thought he could easily go to sleep like this. A warm spot on his sternum and Toriel at his back. No sooner did he start to feel himself drift off did she wake him back up by saying, “You know… I thought it rather sweet of you to help this poor kitten. And, if I were being honest, I’d have to say it was attractive.”

“oh, uh, i… thanks. the way you handled everything… it, uh, re-... reminded me why i love you,” Sans said while kicking himself inwardly for the lack of “smooth” in that. Soft fur tickled the back of his skull as she nuzzled his head, let him know she didn’t care about the awkward delivery, she was just happy to hear the words.

“I love you, Sans, you don’t need to hide things from me,” Toriel said softly.

“love you too, tori,” Sans smiled, looking up at her, and then back at the kitten. “it’s an odd little family we’re forming.”

“Oh?”

“well, there’s me...the educated, country guy who’s held multiple jobs, yet barely worked. you, the stunning ex-queen who somehow feel for a guy like me. my bro, who is undoubtable, the coolest monster around. then there’s frisk, the kid who fell under mount ebott and saved all of monster kind.”

“And now, quite possibly, this abandoned kitten who won the heart of a monster who physically lacks one,” Toriel mused. She then hummed a little, “Sans, what if we…”

“what if we what?” Sans asked, tilting his head up to look at her.

“Well, what if we made this family official.”

It took a moment but he grabbed the kitten so he could sit up without causing the poor thing to fall. The kitten only mustered a “murr” of protest before settling into Sans’s hands. “wait,” Sans furrowed his brow, while his usual smile became awkward with a mix of panic, confusion and joy, “do you- do you mean getting hitched?”

“Yes, that is what I mean,” she smiled back at him.

“ok, i mean, yeah- yes, i’d love to,” his face was starting to hurt from how wide his smile was.

Toriel leaned forward and kissed him and Sans kissed back. She had both of her hands on either side of his face, and he wished he could touch her back but currently his hands were full. When he did opt to just holding the kitten with one hand to place the other on her cheek, the kitten woke enough to mew rather loudly, interrupting the moment.

The two sat and laughed a moment, looking at the newest addition to their family. Finally, Toriel stood and stretched, “Well, I’m getting tired, so I think I’ll be going to bed.” She yawned big, and clearly looked tired. Looking back at him, she patted Sans on the shoulder, “You should too.”

“i’m actually going to stay down here. make sure this little guy’s alright, and give him food if he’s hungry later on in the night,” Sans sighed, “and, i guess, while you’re at the store tomorrow, i should take him to a vet. We should make sure he doesn’t have any health issues.”

Kissing him on the top of the skull she smiled down at him, “That sounds like an excellent idea, my love. Sleep well, I’ll see you in the morning.”

“you too, tori,” Sans smiled back. He watched her go upstairs before settling back, cuddling the kitten to himself. “what a day, huh, little guy?” the kitten stretched and started purring in response, drifting off into a comfortable sleep. “heh, my thoughts exactly.”

[topazshadowwolf]

The Door (Chapter 10)

An Undertale Fanfiction by: Topaz Shadowwolf Undertale is owned by: Toby Fox Setting: Post neutral run when Papyrus dies with chapter intros being before the child fell. Relationships: Sans and Toriel is the main focus, with a little bit of Undyne and Alphys Rating: I’m thinking Teen? Heads up: There is some depressed thoughts, feelings of worthlessness/wanting to die, mention of major character death, and the occasional bad word. Oh, and flowey being flowey, so you know, psychological/physical trauma. I really don’t want to say much more since I really don’t want to spoil anything further down the road…

You can read it on AO3! Here is Ch 9 Ch 8 Ch 7 Ch 6 Ch 5 Ch 4 Ch 3, Ch 2, and Ch 1 on Tumbler.

Random thoughts from the writer about this chapter: I had originally titled this chapter “I’m floundering here” because, you know, puns. But, I think this title fits better. And I was thinking of the Barenaked Ladies song “Who needs Sleep” when I retitled it.

The Door

Chapter 10: Who Needs Sleep?

Sans stood in front of the door. Around him, wind blew through the pine trees, creating a haunting, echoing, yet hollow sound. It carried with it a lack of joy, a cold reminder that the world he knew was unforgiving. All he wanted now was something, anything, that could bring him some measure of warmth or comfort.

Time continued ticking by as he tried and failed to get a response for the lady behind the door. He had lost track of how many times he had knocked, while inwardly pleading he would hear her voice in response. But each time, he received nothing but silence.

No, that's a lie. It had only been 21 sets of knock, each set consisting of two knocks. It was simple math to figure out he has knocked a total of 42 times. 42 knocks that went from quick and close together to slow, defeated. Dread, of what fate had befallen her, slowly raised in the back of his mind now that the number of knocks was solidified.

The fact his mind brought that up irritated him. That the reason why he was still trying to ignore that he knew how many times he knocked. That he knew, in all the time he had come to the door since meeting her, she had never left him knocking for this long before. Also, he didn't want to admit how dependent he was on her. Or, how desperate he felt.

A shiver traveled up his spine, which felt odd. He wasn't rattling, and the cold didn't bother him. It was something else. A mix of fear, anxiety, a want to fight, and an ever-growing desire to just… stop. He had felt this want for nothingness before, but not this strong.

This thought to cease existing left him conflicted. It felt right and wrong all at the same time. As if it were a pleasant dream with the terrifying undertones of a nightmare, waiting to drag him in. Fighting against it was harder than just giving in, but he didn’t want to just turn to dust. It’s not what his brother or the lady would have wanted.

But with his brother gone it is so much easier to not worry about that...

And the lady not answering...

was she also…?

There were many things he gave up on. There was also an introverted sense of not needing others around to be happy. But this? Being alone? It was terrifying, and as hollow sounding as the wind.

He stared up at the door, feeling the shivering increases, causing a false rattling sound.

“it could be worse…,” he shuttered, teeth clacking together, no matter how tightly he tried to clench his jaw. With a sigh, he glanced down at the red piece cloth, clutched in his mittened hand. He could see specks of his brother’s dust embedded into the material, and tears filled his sockets.

The ability to stand on his own gone, Sans leaned against the door and tried to focus on something else. In this timeline, he was alone.

He told himself to stop it. After all, that might not be completely true. Old Lady could still be alive. Also, the human hadn’t even made it to Undyne yet, either. He wasn't truly alone; a past timeline self, he doesn't remember yet, insists he knows what it is to really be alone.

But, was it worth it to hope she might not be a pile of dust behind this door. Hoping was starting to take a lot more energy than he thought he had. It was a responsibility he had left for Papyrus. Now, he had to do all the hoping himself. And that could include that she just might not be there right now. After all this time, and all the knocks she has answered, she was bound to not answer him eventually. Right?

The law of probability states that her not answering is possible, and considering this isn’t their normal meeting time, that percentage increases. But does it increase enough to outweigh the growing percentage of her being dead? Or to beat his fears and, ever growing, defeatist personally.

“Lady, i don’t know if you can hear me, and just aren’t answering… not there and doing something else that’s important… or, uh, can’t hear anymore at all,” the last part came out darker than he intended. “See, the human… they, well…”

There was so much he wanted to say, but the words weren’t coming. He felt trapped by his inability to speak the words in his head.

“If you are… well, not there anymore… would you forgive me if I broke the promise?” He then sighed and slid his left hand down his face to his mouth. It rested there, as if trying to hide his worn and stress taut grin. “Heh, who am i kidding? The real question is if i can forgive myself. I said i wouldn’t attack the human, right? Keep an eye on ‘em. Well… let’s just say, it is a hard promise to keep,” Sans heard himself laugh bitterly. It was all he could do to keep down the sobs boiling beneath the surface. He wasn’t sure he was ready to cry.

“I won't break the promise, even though you're…,” he paused, noticing his wording. ‘Even though’ not ‘even if’. It sounded more definitive, more set in the belief she is dead. His eye sockets darkened and Sans slumped down into the snow.

He felt so, painfully, alone.

  Toriel opted out of taking Alphys’s offer of sleeping at the lab. It seemed smarter to spend the night in Waterfall and then move out again once they were rested. There are more guards in Hotland, and she was worried a sentry spotted them, taking away any element of surprise.

They had been so careful, moving around the cameras that Alphys had set. The only one that would have seen them was unavoidable. The camera set in front of her door. Apparently, Sans didn't ever know about that one the night he took Toriel Grillby’s, and Undyne saw the video feed the next morning when Alphys was reviewing them.

It was part of the scientist’s responsibilities, watch and review the cameras for humans. “H-had she not been standing th-there, right behind me, I n-never would have t-told her,” Alphys had apologized.

“That is alright, you can't help if she happened to be there,” Toriel had said to calm her down. When Toriel asked if there was a chance someone could see them now, Alphys explained she changed the video feed with recordings of a normal night.

The sentry that might have seen them, had been near the border of Snowdin and Waterfall, at what had been one of Sans’s stations- according to Alphys. They slipped by when the sentry was distracted, but both were sure they were seen.

Even if they did remain unseen, Toriel didn't trust going to the lab. Alphys didn’t tell Undyne she would be away, and the Empress might choose to visit. After all, talking with Alphys, Toriel has learned Undyne enjoys watching something called anime with the scientist.

Toriel didn't want to rest, she felt fine, and would have continued going. Her goal of getting back Sans as soon as possible giving her strength. Based on all she had heard, her dear one needed help. But the short-legged dinosaur, traveling with her, just couldn't keep up anymore.

The two found a safe and dry side cavern that was near the entrance to Hotlands. Alphys told Toriel to just leave her behind, but that felt wrong. Besides, if what Grillby said about Alphys and Undyne was true, she may come in use. Toriel didn't want to fight. Not that she won't or can't. It is a matter of memories from the last war, she no longer wanted to have her magic cause such harm.

Depending on what she will see, Toriel is unsure if she could hold back her wrath. It will be far different than her last fight. When she fought the human child, she could not bring herself to harm them once they were injured.

No.

The human dodged her every attack with admirable grace. Why did she think otherwise?

Unless…

Toriel looked over at Alphys who was still getting comfortable. She felt like she should wait, and ask Sans, but the question was bothering her. Instead, she thought of a similar one to ask.

“Alphys, when I met the child, it felt like I was greeting an old friend. And I felt like I knew things about them. Is that because of these ‘resets?’” Toriel asked.

The dinosaur flinched and took her glasses off, stalling as she cleaned the lenses on her lab coat. “W-well, I, um, …,” she put her glasses back on, and sighed, “o-over all, my knowledge on r-resets is limited, for, well, u-understandable reasons.” She smiled an awkward, unsure smile.

“That may be true, but you know more about the subject than I do. All I desire to know, based on what you know, would that be the probable cause?” Toriel again asked, with patience.

“Based p-purely on my u-understanding, I would h-hypothesize that y-yes, the, um, feeling you h-had were the results of a, um, re-reset,” despite the hesitant nature of her words, there was a confidence hidden in her tone. All her time dealing with Sans, and needing to decode his hidden meanings, made her sensitive to that subtle change.

So, with that answer in mind, Toriel wondered if she had fought the child before? Did they know how she fights well enough to master dodging her attacks?

How many times would someone have to fight another to master dodging that well?

That thought caused a chill to travel from her soul and through the rest of her body. She shivered while trying to subtly smooth her fur, feeling the odd sensation of it standing on end. Once calmer, again she wondered how many times that level of mastery would that have taken? Or, was it as she originally thought, and the child was just talented at dodging?

That would all depend on if the child remembered the resets. And for that answer, she would only trust what Sans had to say. “Thank you, Dr. Alphys. That was most helpful.”

“Oh, uh, yes, I-I mean, y-you’re welcome. Though, well, I w-would need to c-confer with, um, Doctor… I-I mean, S-Sans to g-give you a definitive answer.”

“Doctor?”

“Hm?” Alphys replied as she started to settle back to sleep.

“You were about to say a name. A Doctor Someone. Who was it?” Toriel asked.

“Oh, well, um, about that. W-we, that is, Sans and I, would c-call each o-other Doctor when we were t-talking science stuff.”

Alphys had that grin again. An insecure expression that left Tori wondering what she was so nervous about. The scientist was holding information back perhaps? Toriel was getting tired of this.

When she was queen, she had little patience for all this secret keeping. And right now, considering the current situation, this was all really starting to annoy her. Alphys must have noticed, as she looked away and hummed a little tune for self-comfort.

No, she won't let her frustration get the better of her. For now, she will let that be. She was keener on getting answers from Undyne and, more importantly, her love. She feigned a content smile, like she had when needing to settle scared children. When Alphys glanced back, the dinosaur relaxed, making it easy for Toriel to add, “Let’s rest, thank you for sharing that information with me.”

“Y-you’re welcome,” the dinosaur replied, happily.

  At this point, Sans no longer knew if he wanted sleep or to slip into a comma. Anytime he started to doze off some gruesome image would snap him awake. Once he tried yelling for Undyne, only for a guard to snap at him to ‘shut up.’ He wanted to taunt the guard back, but lacked the motivation for the effort.

That, and it didn't seem like a wise idea.

The gift remained under the pillow, still wrapped. At times, when he laid his head down, it was there, an ever-present hard object reminding him of his failures. He even slipped his hand under to hang onto it, resulting in a feeling of anguished peace, which oddly calmed his turbulent soul.

He had curled up on his side, watching the lightly picked at food tray. He didn't know how many he had seen now. Really. For once, he truly did not know. It was an odd feeling compared to his normal wishful thinking, that if he pretended he didn't the number would leave his head. But, for as much as he had desired this moment, it irritated him. It is just as annoying as losing track of the days. There was a strange abnormality to that feeling. He would almost find it terrifying if his dreams weren't so horrific.

A monster entered the dungeon, snagging his attention as the barely eaten food is pulled away and a new tray is placed in its stead. It looked just as inedible as the last, and he felt no desire to get up to confirm that.

After the monster left, he heard the guard say quietly, “You should eat more.”

“...i haven’t been hungry, guess you can say i don’t have the stomach for it,” He joked, though there is a sharp edge to his words. When she didn’t reply, he figured he went too heavy with his resentment in the reply. Still, he didn’t care to apologize right now.

Giving up, he rolled over, turning his back to the food tray. To his surprise, and her credit, the guard spoke up again, “Undyne will come, and you will need to strength for then.”

Sans turned his head and sat up to look at the guard through the bars. She was a white and black rat; though she had a scar across the bridge of her nose, she wore a peaceful expression. It was clear she was only trying to help, but his mood had soured, “will she? really? because i’ve been waiting a while now, and i’m starting to think she’s just a figment of everyone’s imagination.”

The guard looks like she is about to speak, but then closes her mouth. He sighed, turning his back to her and the bars. Resting his head against the wall, the silence was numbing as he ran out of things to think about. There was nothing left to do other than stew over what was keeping him here, yet again. But just as his mind started to turn to that, guard said quietly, “I… I am not supposed to say this, but… Toriel was seen heading to Hotlands.”

At that news, Sans turned back to face her quickly. The cell spun on him while his vision darkened momentarily, but he didn't care, “tori? tori was seen outside the ruins?” This was troubling. What would Undyne do if she caught Toriel. What would Toriel do?

And yet, he felt a glimmer of hope.

“That is what I have heard,” the guard turned her attention to the door out, listening, clearly worried about being overheard.

“thanks for telling me, i’ll say nothing about it to anyone, alright?” Sans saw her relax and nod in response.

With new found hope, he looked down for a moment at the food. It didn’t look any more edible, but there was a slight feeling of hunger, so he moved from the bed to the floor and, with some effort, ate. Pap’s cooking was far more edible than this slop. Once done he slide the tray out and went to his bed to try sleeping.

  Time barely crawled by. Alphys was snoring lightly a few feet away, but the constant dripping of water from the cavern ceiling was disturbing Toriel. That sound was irritating with her mind flooding her consciousness with endless thoughts and concerns.

How was Sans? How difficult will it be to free him? Will he talk to her about these resets? Will she like what she hears?

That was a given. No, she won't like what she hears. Good things don't cause nightmares. If it was the resets that disturbed his sleep, then the answer to that one night and why he curled up on the floor, ready to die, is there. And why was the child mentioned in his notebook? Are they involved in this or somehow causing these resets? She couldn’t imagine them being the one who caused such suffering.

And yet, they killed Papyrus. Even though she never met the monster, the idea felt unconscionable. And if it was them causing the resets, then they left him dead even though they could clearly change that. That is, of course, if the child really is the one resetting. It was an assumption at this point, but one she is fears is true.

 more loops with the kid in the hallX5, did not see end this time. did not see trick.

the brat killed me and came back to kill me again.

 This was too much, and she was getting no rest. Giving in, she decided to get up and walk around a little. The only thing sitting there was doing was making her more anxious about what she will hear.

Or worry about what condition Sans will be in when she sees him.

Exiting the small cavern, she glanced around, wondering where she should go. She knew Gerson lived around here but she did not know exactly where. It would be nice to have a chat with the old turtle. He had been a friend of the family, and perhaps he would also have some insight she could use.

Just as she was about to wander in a direction, a small, white, furry creature appeared before her. It was a dog, and it just stood there, looking at her with an odd, goofy smile. When she smiled back at it, the dog started to walk in place while wagging its tail. That odd reaction nearly caused her to laugh. “Are you that little annoying dog I used to hear about?” She asked, remembering stories about it from Sans. After all, it couldn’t be the same white dog that ate her cell phone, how would it have gotten past the stone doors?

The dog started to move, and Toriel decided to follow, curious. As she did, the dog picked up its pace, causing her to speed up as well. But it wasn’t trying to run away. It always turned and waited before rounding a corner, making sure she was following. Reason told her it was silly to follow a dog like this, and yet she wanted to see where it was going.

At one of the new paths. she turned the corner and didn’t see the dog anywhere insight. What was there was a small port to the river and the very turtle monster she had set out to look for. He was sitting on a stone, watching the water while taking a drink from a mug. Toriel walked closer, and was ready to greet him. The old turtle beat her to it though, “Is that Toriel I hear?”

“Hello, Gerson,” Toriel smiled and walked beside the wise monster.

The turtle let out one loud, bark of a cackle. “I thought so,” he looked over at her with his one good eye, “I would have to get a lot older before I forget the sound of those foot falls.”

“I’m sorry I didn't come to speak with you before returning to the Ruins,” Toriel found a rock near him and sat, she glanced around again for the dog. Oddly enough, she saw no trace of it, as if it had mastered Sans’s shortcuts itself.

Gerson waved the apology away, “Bah, no reason for that. You were busy, I was busy. Frankly, the whole thing was organized chaos. And I hate to say, but it’s also my fault for all that happened. As much yours or that lad’s. Which is why I’m here.”

“Gerson? How can it be your fault?” Toriel frowned.

“I found Undyne when she was younger. Spry little thing she was. I helped raise her, was like a Gran’dad to her. When she left to challenge Asgore to a duel, I supported her, knowing he’d help her more than I could. He was like a father for her,” Gerson sighed, sorrow weighing on his already heavy shell.

“When the child left, it was more than her best friend she lost,” Toriel said in a hushed tone, understanding now.

“Yes, and I wasn't there for her,” old turtle looked at her, “As her last parental figure I shoulda done somethin. But, I didn't. I let my little girl run amuck, thinking she’d get this outta her system. I figured she would rant and throw a fit like she did when she was younger. Thing is, she’s not some little girl anymore. She's a woman, with grownup responsibility and power. In a way, she did rant and throw a fit, but with the influence of the captain of the Royal Guard.

“I don't know what her life was like before. Some fish monsters are very secretive, keeping to themselves. But she never spoke of her parents, or any siblings. When Papyrus showed up at her house at midnight, or such, her first thought of him as a pest, but potential guard.

“Over time, she started talking about him as if he were her brother. And she became very protective of him. Undyne made her own family, and in one day, she lost most of it,” Gerson ran a hand over his beard.

The two sat, listening to the river as their minds contemplate the words said. All the anger Toriel felt started to die down as understanding took its place. “Thank you, wise friend.”

“Ha! Wisecracker is more like it,” the old turtle grinned. Toriel laughed and Gerson joined in. A boat arrived at the dock, ending that moment between old friends. Gerson stood, his joints popping as he did, “Never known you to take so long before.”

“Tra la la. There was too much traffic today…,” the River Person said.

“Oh, when did we get a ferry?” Toriel asked.

“Not sure, they just showed up one day. Shall we?” Gerson turned to Toriel.

“Thank you, but I was traveling with Dr. Alphys. I do not want to leave her behind,” Toriel smiled and stood, extending a paw to Gerson.

“Ah, smart move,” Gerson winked. “Well, you'll still beat me there, I’m sure. These old legs aren't what they used to be.”

“Gerson, you may say that, but I’m sure you’d still be a terror on a battlefield,” Toriel smiled softly.

With a laugh Gerson said, “I said my legs were old not my arms. They could still wield my warhammer as if it were a toy.”

The two shared a laugh, the kind of laugh that those who went through something like war together could share. Gerson started to get on the boat when he paused, “She respect strength and passion for whatever a person is pursuing. I think she sees you as weak for leaving in the past. Then when you came back, you backed down without a fight.

“Show her the Toriel I once knew,” the old turtle monster then laughed, “you’ll have Alphys there to keep you both inline.”

“Are you saying I should fight her?” Toriel asked, verifying what she heard.

“Maybe not right away, but a duel never hurt anyone.”

Then they parted ways, Gerson on the boat, and Toriel back towards Alphys.

Doctor Alphys was standing outside the cavern, wringing her hands, while pacing anxiously. Upon seeing Toriel, relief washed over her face, as if dumped from a bucket above her.

“I’m sorry, I couldn't rest and thought I should go see a friend of mine while you slept,” Toriel smiled, “If you are ready now, we can get going.”

“O-oh, yes,” Alphys nodded, and the two began walking.

  Sans did manage to doze a little, it was not enough to feel rested, but at least he didn’t feel worse. The food he ate also helped, and he didn’t feel as weak as he did before. But really, it was the thought of Toriel that kept him going.

Sitting up for a moment, he stretched his spine while rubbing the back of his neck. The inhibitor was causing the vertebra it was attached to start to ache, but he knew better than to futz with it, aware it would do more than set off an alarm.

With a sigh, he glanced around his gray surroundings, wishing there was something else to do. Interrupting his thoughts, the door to dungeon slammed open, hitting the wall it is framed to with a loud clang. Startled, Sans struggled to keep his magic in check as it started to swell up in reaction. His efforts were in vain, the shock and forced lowering of his magic from the inhibitor resulted in his vision temporarily deadening, as well as cursing to himself.

A voice bellowed, “Out, and you all stay here, I’m talking to him alone.” The voice snapped him out of his pained daze. For the moment, his vision was mostly dark and what he could see was blurred. As his magic started to filter to his eye sockets, he watched Undyne finally walked into his view.

The fish monster stared at him with her one eye, snarling as she did. She was looking him over as if assessing him. He didn’t care, it’s not like she looked that good herself. The fish monster’s scales have dulled and her eye looked tired.

“and here i trout i’d never get to see that smile again,” Sans winked, acting like everything was normal. But the good humor is missing from his voice; his mood had gone from soured to rotten, and he wasn’t sure if he could muster up any politeness.

Undyne snorted and rolled her eye, “Ah yes, funny as ever.”

He stood, slowly, knowing better than not to. Still cursing the lack of pockets to stick his hands in, he folded his arms. He had no idea what he looked like; but, he could guess from the feeling of himself swaying from time to time. His eyes lighted blinked out more for the sake of conserving energy than intimidation, “how’ve you ever been, undyne? why’ve you come to see me?”

“And here I thought you wanted to talk to me,” Undyne retorted.

“wall-eye did,” Sans grinned darkly as Undyne flinched at the fish pun. “water-ver it was i wanted to talk about i unfortunately forgot.”

“Keep that up and you can just stay in there,” Undyne snapped.

His eyes narrowed, “so what? you planning on letting me go? spoke to al?”

“I did,” Undyne frowned, “and she showed me that tape and told me what you had to say for yourself.”

“so, what then? you still think i’m guilty?”

She grabbed the cell door with one hand and snarled, “Oh course I do! You didn’t fight back, you just rolled over and let it happen. Even with all that timeline crap I never would just give up like you.”

His right eye socket twitched as he felt a new burst of anger. Fine, he was done with this, all of this, “are you kidding me? undyne, you have no idea how i got like this, so please save your self-righteous judgements for someone who actually gives a damn.”

The two stared each other down before Undyne let go of the door and stood back, “No, I don’t. I honestly knew little of you or your brother, even if I did think of him as my best friend. But, I doubt your brother would have given up.”

“heh, you're right, he wouldn’t have,” Sans shrugged, “instead he’d try helping the anomaly, over and over again, no matter how many times it killed him. he’d show it mercy. just as i know, if he was alive now, and saw this, he’d get you to release me and then forgive both of us. because he is papyrus, it’s just that way he was.”

“That is why I could never let him be a guard, and you know it,” Undyne frowned, pointing at Sans, “Alphys relayed to me what you said, and believe me when I say I wanted to come down here and smash your smug face in. I would have let him join, but your brother was too soft, he would have gotten himself killed.”

“no, your ideas for the guard made him too soft to you,” Sans snapped back, “he was a peace keeper, and you can't tell me that the guard can't use those. you can't just fill the guard positions up with people who only think the best solution is beating up the bad guys. if you do you’ll end up with a battalion of bullies.”

“Are YOU telling ME how to rule MY people.”

“well, i mean you pretended to hire someone for a sentry position because you couldn't say ‘no’ to him. someone who, by the way, was a top-notch sentry!”

“I did consider him a sentry,” Undyne frowned.

“oh? did you? because, well,” Sans dared to use a little magic to echo his voice while pointing at Undyne, “i made his sentry station, i kept training him when you started those cooking lessons, and i was the one reminding him his dream could still come true.” He put his hands to his own chest, “you hated me, and yet i was given multiple sentry shifts and had more clout among the other sentries than he did.”

“And what good did that do me? Why couldn’t you have just done your job? One human, you just had to kill one human and not only would Papyrus and Asgore be alive, but we could be on the surface,” Undyne growled.

“i’m sorry, but what part of the human being able to reset did you not understand?” He sighed, “i made a decision only to jump in when i knew i had to,” Sans looked away, frowning.

“And that wasn’t a knew-you-had-to moment?” Undyne’s eye narrowed as she looked at him. “Your brother being murdered wasn't a KNEW-YOU-HAD-TO MOMENT?”

Those words hurt, and he shrunk back a little. He winced inwardly, knowing this would be a sign of weakness Undyne will prey on. “it’s not like that,” Sans finally said.

“Oh, clearly it is not. I would think that family dying would be a moment to fight back. But how would I know.”

“there is more to it than you know,” Sans said, still not looking at her. He was convincing himself of that more than anything. His sockets narrowed as he dared to look her way, “besides, my damage output is still one.”

“Really? Because at this point that is getting hard to believe. If you were so weak why would you choose be a sentry? Why did your brother speak so highly of your abilities?” Undyne laughed, “I used to think he was just talking you up, like how you always spoke positively of him. But then I remembered that Papyrus generally didn’t lie, and when he did try to, he sucked at it. So, he either over estimated you, or you are far stronger than you claim you are.”

“why don’t you take this thing off me and find out for yourself?” he jeered

“Only to have you run off? How stupid do you think I am?”

“do you really want me to answer that?”

Undyne had a that weird grin, the one that was a mix of “I’m so angry right now” and “I’m going to enjoy destroying you.” She slowly grabbed the door and leaned closer, “You know what? Maybe I will take you up on that offer, I’d be worth it, just to see you either beg for mercy or run off like the coward you are.”

“heh,” He was ready to get this over with and widened his stance a little more than what he was used to when fighting. His sleep deprived body would need more stability to stay up. How much has his reaction time suffered? He will have to start strong as he didn’t know how long he is going to last.

“SANS!” A new voice called out. It was not in anger, but bore a sound of concern and love. Sans knew that voice. It cut through his rage and forced him to see how idiotic he was being. When he saw the voice’s owner, a feeling of shame for his behavior caused him look away. Instinctively he tried shoving his hands into his pockets only to remember he didn’t have any. Unsure what to do with them, he just hung them at his sides.

Toriel had arrived and here he was, a mess. When they first met he lacked anything that should be seen worthwhile, and now he was sure he was utterly useless. Why did she put up with him? Would she still put up with him? He wanted so badly to change for the better for her, but he was failing to at every turn.

“Oh Sans,” Tori’s voice sounded tired, strained, and sad. He looked up again, seeing her eyes filled with tears. Not like this? Why did she have to see him like this?

“What are you doing here?!” Snapped Undyne, “And where are the guards?!”

Tori turned to face the current ruler, fire dancing in her eyes, “I am here to collect my friend and love. And I will not be stopped.”

Magic swirled around Undyne’s hand, forming a spear, “Like hell you are! Where are my guards?!”

“undy-,” Sans started, stepping forward, wanting to stop her from trying to attacking Toriel. But in the process his magic swelled again, causing the inhibitor the react. Flinching back, he steadied his magic and tried to shake off the pain.

“How could you use such a barbaric contraction that my ex-husband banned the use of? How could you do this to him?” Toriel growled at Undyne, waving a hand to him. Over all, Sans was not enjoying being the center of attention on this matter, it just reminded him of how pathetic he must look.

“You must know that he’s near impossible to keep in one place.”

“Which shouldn’t have been a problem since you had nothing to hold him on other than speculation,” Toriel then gave a halfhearted laugh, “My, things have gone downhill since I left.”

“At least under my rule, murderous humans won’t be allowed to just run around freely killing!”

“No, instead you will be locking up your own people for saying or doing something you dislike hearing.”

Worried about what might happen, Sans was again going to try interrupting the argument when Alphys finally spoke up, “Stop!” He hadn’t even noticed the scientist was here until that moment, and apparently neither did anyone else. Everyone looked at the small dinosaur.

There was an immediate change in Undyne as she de-summoned her spear and relaxed her expression. Still there was anger in the Undyne’s eyes as she looked between Alphys and Toriel, “What is this about? Why did you bring her here!” There was betrayal there, in her eyes.

Pleading for reason, Alphys approached Undyne, “You are angry, I-I understand that, but this is solving n-nothing. A-and, I, um,” her confidence fading. She had noticed everyone’s attention was on her, “I think we have bigger th-threats to worry about, than, erm… this.” she waved her hand to the whole area.

“You brought the banished queen here just to tell me that?” Undyne glared at Alphys who shrunk back.

“I, um, well, s-she brought h-herself here, but, you, um… should un-banish her, s-since we might need her if what I-I think may happen... happens.”

“And what might that be?” Undyne snapped.

“Um… well….” Alphys looked around at everyone.

“Doctor Alphys?” Toriel asked, looking down at Alphys who wrung her hands.

“I, um…. Would like to talk to Sans about it first, I d-don’t want to start a f-false alarm,” Alphys grinned insecurely as she looked up at Undyne.

“what is it, al?” Sans said, he lit his eyes lights, but it was a struggle to keep them lite. With how skittish his friend could be, he wanted to appear at least somewhat friendly to her. But after all the arguing with Undyne, he was low on energy, and it was hard enough to stay focused on standing.

“Um… do you mind if they-”

“i’m too tired to care right now al, just tell me what’s up.”

Alphys looked up at Tori, “Sorry, I, erm, don’t think you wanted him to know you showed this to me. But,” Alphys reached into her lab coat and pulled out the notebook that he had been using to write the dreams related to the flower in.

The sight of it, and knowing Toriel had seen it, made him feel light headed and nearly fell over. He managed to stay balanced, though the imbalance of magic also resulted in dulled senses. All he heard was the hum of his own magic, but in the background Tori’s voice was saying something. When it cleared he placed his false smile on his face. They were all looking at him with some level of concern, even Undyne. Trying to ignore the looks he focused his attention on Alphys, “oh, that. what do you want to know about it, al?”

Grabbing the notebook out of Alphys’s hands, Undyne flipped through the pages, “What is this?”

“I-it is a record of the, erm, activities of an a-anomaly that came before the human child. An anomaly that I-I…. I fear I accidently made,” Alphys explained before looking back at Sans, “It t-took a while for me to u-understand what you wrote, b-but there is one thing I d-didn’t see, and I’m, um, h-hoping you can answer. What happened t-to it?”

“nothing,” Sans said flatly

“N-nothing?”

“the human beat it when it came to determination. it lost the ability to reset, but other than that, nothing. it is still out there, somewhere,” Sans shrugged. As much as it bothered him that the flower was still out there, the fact it hasn’t really done anything allowed him to keep looking nonchalant.

“S-Sans, um, reading that, I… c-can’t help but be concerned,” Alphys wrung her hands again.

“I don’t understand, what is this about,” Undyne said, shoving the notebook back at Alphys.

“As much as I’m sure we all would like Sans to explain, I hardly think this is the time or place.” Toriel interjected, then looked at Undyne, “Can we please open the door. I don’t believe you have enough evidence to continue holding him here.”

Glaring at Tori, Undyne growled, “Last time I checked I ruled the Underground.”

“I understand that, and I will not fight you for ruler ship, but I think you want to be a fair ruler. And unjustly imprisoning someone is not fair. That is something I will fight over.”

Undyne quietly stared at Toriel then spat the words, “Fine. I was going to let him out anyway.” She pulled out her keys and started to unlock the door. “You never answered my question from earlier. Why didn’t my guard stop you?”

“They tried,” Toriel smiled, “But I convinced them that taking such action would be unwise.”

The click of the cell door lock was exhilarating and Sans genuinely smiled, “thanks, undyne.” There was a small amount of sarcasm in it, but he knew better than to say that dripping with the tone in front of Tori.

Tori swept into the cell before he could move, and quickly scooped him up. A feeling of warmth and safety washed over him and he clung to her. Never again did he want to be separated from her for that long. He buried his face into her neck feeling her soft fur against his bone while her long ear draped over the back of his skull, and he couldn’t help but smiled.

As Tori started out of the cell he felt her move and it was almost like a rhythmic rocking. Desperate for sleep, he felt his mind start to un-focus on any thought. He tried leaning back in her arms a bit, but she was holding him in place.

A question had been asked, and it sounded to be coming from Undyne. Based on everyone’s silence he wondered if it was supposed to be for him to answer. He tried to focus again, thinking on what he heard to see if he could make sense of any of it to estimate what the question was. But he was out of luck. It sounded to him like a mumbled mess of words at best. “the… uh… wha was t’question,” he heard himself slur.

“What’s the deal with this first ‘anomaly?’” Undyne snapped.

He un-buried his face and noticed how blurred his vision was. He struggled to get it to focus, but at this point he might as well keep his sockets closed. “right, um.... it…” he had started to drift off but tried again to focus, “sorry. it, uh....”

Undyne sighed, “Toriel, put him down, you’re holding him is putting him to sleep.”

“please don’t,” Sans heard himself mumble, clinging onto her even tighter.

“I think we should let him sleep, then….” Tori’s voice continued, but the words were lost on him as he could no longer stay awake.

[topazshadowwolf]

False Hope (Chapter 1)

After the human left the underground, Sans is left trying to piece his life back together with those who remain. As time goes on, decisions are made about what monster kind should do next, and how best to escape to the surface. But if they do get there their freedom, what will happen?

Written by: Topaz Shadowwolf Undertale Fan fiction Undertale is owned by Toby Fox 

Heads up: Soriel, Sans POV, my goal in writing this is to poke at your emotions Warnings: Major character death, implied suicide, homicidal thoughts, don’t expect a happy ending

AO3

Well, here it is, the first chapter of the new story. I want to thank my new beta reader again. I got the review, made some edits, and I’m so excited I knew I had to post it tonight verses waiting for the morning. Well, hope you enjoy. ;3

False Hope: Chapter 1

Life

I think the one thing that has bothers me throughout the years, and resets, is how quickly a life can disappear. You talk to a monster one day, and they are gone the next. Unlike humans, we don’t see a body to confirm it, just dust. And if the dust is blown away, then that monster is just gone. When a monster is missing, often they are assumed dead.

So, can you imagine how it felt, searching all over and not finding my brother. I told him, asked him, “stay away from the human.” I should have made him promise. But we were in a hurry.

Heh…

Naw, he is my brother; I should have kept a better eye on him. I know what he was like, and should have known he would have pulled a stunt like that.

Anyway, when I did find him, all that was left was his battle body and what dust the wind hadn’t carried off.

I’ve hear that hindsight is 20/20. If I could do it all again, well, I never would have taken my eye sockets off him. But that’s most likely a lie, since I doubt this was the first time.

I know about the resets. Not to the extent I would like, but I’m aware of their existence, and feel their influence. Often a feeling a déjà vu lets me know if I had done something before.

When it happened this time, that déjà vu, was when I was looking for my brother. This feeling came over me. It was a sick, falling feeling that nagged at me until I finally understood what it meant. This was something I had done before. And not only had I done it once before, I had done this multiple times.

How many times did I promise myself not to let him out of my sight?

How many times did I have to go out looking for him?

How many times was he dead?

  “i’m sure you’ve heard by now, y’know, about what happened with the human?” Sans sat with his back the Ruin door. It was the only place he thought of going to find some amount of comfort. Grillby’s was now a bleak, dark, place. The owner decided to stay in Hotlands with family, instead of returning after the human left. And without his brother around, Sans didn’t want to go home.

The house was just an empty space, void of happiness.

He could have tried visiting Alphys. There were still some animes they were going to watch, but Undyne has been there a lot. Right now, he wanted to avoid the fish monster. She was angry. Understandably, but it won’t help his mood. He was angry too. Guilt also plagued him, as there was more he could have done, and he was sure she knew.

“lady?” Sans looked back at the door.

“I heard…,” she replied with a soft tone.

Sans felt his eye sockets darken. “a lot of bad stuff happened, but i still watched the kid as promised.”

“I’m sorry,” she said.

“don’t be, it’s not your fault. you didn’t know they would be like that.”

“I shouldn’t have made you promise to watch over them,” she continued.

“S T O P,” Sans’s voice echoed. He then fell silent, his tired soul ached with sorrow, he didn’t mean to talk to her like that, “i’m sorry, that was wrong of me…”

“No, it’s alright. I think we are both reeling from what happened.”

“i, uh, hoped i could tell a joke or two to lighten the mood. but i can’t think of any,” Sans buried his hands into pockets and hunkered down into his jacket.

“That’s perfectly fine. I suppose my mind is drawing a blank as well,” she was always so understanding. “My dear friend,” she started, and his eye sockets welled up with tears, “you sound so tired. Why don’t you rest?”

He shivered, not from the cold, but from something else that chilled him. It was a loneliness that tore at him. If he rested she would leave and he’d be alone, he feared that, “i’m fine.”

“What if I promise to stay with you?” She asked. He wondered about that, and how she also felt. There was a chance she also didn’t want to feel the uncertainty that came with isolation. For how long she had lived alone, it seemed foolish to think that she didn’t want the company, even if it was silent.

“we can try that…,” Sans said as he looked at the door. He leaned against it, trying to get comfortable; snow slowly drifted down from above, and lightly covered him like a blanket. The tiredness within him took over, and he drifted off to the sound of her humming a song.

When he woke again, she was there as promised. They talked and sat in silence for most of the day. They would have stayed like that all day, but she insisted that he leave to get food. He gave in and got up, leaving to find something to eat; he used a shortcut to keep himself from walking the long, quiet distance from the door to town.

Snowdin was mostly abandoned, though a few people had returned. One who used to be a regular at Grillby’s called to Sans, and he just offered a wave in response before entering the shop, he wanted to avoid talking. There was no one there to run the little store, just a sign to let visitors know that she restocked and will be back again once everything settled back down. There was a box set out, asking people to comply with an honor system.

He walked behind the counter and grabbed a few cinnamon bunnies, and put them in a bag for easy carrying. Before he left he made sure to place some money in the box to pay for what he took. They should be enough to last him a few days, then he won’t have to leave the door again to see this place. All it did was bring back memories he wasn’t ready for.

Returning to the door, the lady welcomed him back. And that’s how he spent his days. She was a constant companion, talked with him, comforted him, made sure he did a few things to take care of himself. He would have stayed like that for the rest of his miserable life, but one day she asked him something he wasn’t expecting.

“My friend, by the sound of the snow fall you are describing, I fear you may end up being buried,” she said.

“naw, it isn’t that bad, just more than normal,” Sans brushed off his jacket.

“Why don’t you come in here? No need to be alone in the snow.”

“but i’m not alone, i have you with me,” he chuckled.

The lady giggled and then said, “as true as that is, why not come inside?”

He thought about it for a moment, then looked back at the door, “sure lady.”

Moving out of the way, he waited for the door to open. When he walked in, he glanced around. It was dark and hard to see, but he did smell some smoke; which hinted she must have had a fire to keep herself warm by the door at one point. When his eye lights settled on her, he smiled at the woman he had been talking to all this time. After looking at each other for a moment, they embraced. “Oh, my dear friend,” she wept.

Sans couldn’t help but cry into her shoulder as they stood there for a while. A burden lifted from his shoulders, but an unexpected exhaustion caused his bones to rattle from the effort of standing. In response, her strength became a support for him, keeping his tired body from falling. The large, paw like hands cupped both sides of his face and she pressed her forehead against his, “My dear, sweet friend… you need real food and sleep. Come,” she took his hand and started to lead him down the hall to the stairs.

“what about the door? are you sure we should leave it open like that?” Sans asked, and started to glance behind himself, when she pulled him close.

It took a moment before she replied, “I don’t think it will close properly anymore.”

She led him up the stairs and into her house. Glancing around, Sans couldn’t help but noticed how close it resembled Asgore’s place. From his chats with her, he knew that would be a touchy subject, especially now that the king was dead. Instead he just simply acknowledged who she was by saying, “never thought it was the queen i was telling jokes to.”

“I’m not the queen anymore,” she smiled down at him, “Toriel, or Tori, is fine.”

“heh, sure, tori,” he said, as the name rolled from his mouth with seemingly practiced ease. Did that mean he met her before? That he had called her that name before?

With his hand still in hers, she led him to the kitchen to get food. He made himself a meal from her left overs, all the while she talked to him. They chatted about what life was like in the ruins, which is now quieter after the human left. There were now fewer monsters here, as well as everywhere else. He started to like the idea of living here with her, he felt done with the outside world. Too much had happened, too much was gone. The pure notion of waiting out the remaining time till reset here seemed like a blessing.

Once they finished talking, and he ate his meal, she led him to her room. Sans looked at the bed then her, “you sure?” It felt weird sharing a bed with her so soon after they met in person.

In response, she nodded and wrapped her arms around him, “I know you don’t sleep well. I want to help you have pleasant dreams.”

He hugged her back, and sought something from her, something that will help him carry on. It felt like what he needed was there, but just out of reach. Was it him? Was he just too closed off to really receive the support she wanted to give?

“Shhh,” she whispered, he hadn’t even noticed he was sobbing, “it’s alright. Just rest for now.”

Due to how high her bed frame was, he literally had to climb into her bed. Huddled down into the covers he closed his eye sockets and felt her cuddle up to his back. Had they been like this before? During a happier time, had they cuddled like this? The feeling of déjà vu was present as she nuzzled the back of his skull; but, with their current mood, it lacked the warmth he longed for, that should have been there.

When he woke the next morning, he didn’t feel her beside him. He quickly sat up, panic set in, “TORI?!” Was she gone too?

When he looked over toward the doorway he saw Papyrus standing there, who smiled at him. His brother walked closer and sat on the bed, as Sans stared in disbelief. “BROTHER,” the voice that he missed so much said, “YOU CAN’T STAY HERE, AND YOU KNOW IT.”

“but,” Sans started, though he didn’t know what to say.

“I’m afraid he is right,” Toriel said as she walked into the room, “Now that you are looking and doing better, it is time for you to start moving on with your life.”

Sans’s soul sank as his eye sockets filled with tears. He should have known. Papyrus and Toriel surrounded him in a hug. It wasn’t him being closed off that denied him the warmth and love he sought from Toriel last night, but the fact they are not dwelling in the same form of existence.

“I’M SORRY BROTHER,” Papyrus said, “I KNOW YOU ARE FEELING THIN.”

“heh, i feel like i’m just bones,” Sans chuckled and heard Toriel giggle.

“WASN’T IT ENOUGH THAT YOU TOLD SUCH BAD PUNS WHILE I WAS ALIVE?” Papyus yelled, but he was clearly smiling even though he was tried not to.

Once he had the strength to move again, Sans left the house and went back down the stairs. He saw the pile of dust near the doorway that was once his friend. He stared at it a moment, then looked at Toriel, “mind if i add some to pap’s scarf? i know it isn't a favorite thing of yours, but it's a way to…”

“Not at all,” she smiled kindly.

“bro?” Sans looked to his brother.

“IF YOU ARE ASKING FOR MY APPROVAL, THEN THE ANSWER IS THAT I WOULD BE HONORED TO SHARE MY SCARF WITH HER,” Papyrus said.

Sans bent down and picked up a handful, adding it to Papyrus’s scarf. Walking out of the Ruins, he noticed the door wasn’t open as he had thought he had seen the day before. Instead there is a large hole that is still smoldering. The smell of used magic and smoke hanging in the air even after all this time. No wonder he had been so tired, it would have taken many blasters, and a lot of magic, to make a way through the door. 

Next

[topazshadowwolf]

The Door (chapter 7)

An Undertale Fanfiction by: Topaz Shadowwolf Undertale is owned by: Toby Fox Setting: Post neutral run when Papyrus dies with chapter intros being before the child fell. Relationships: Sans and Toriel is the main focus, with a little bit of Undyne and Alphys Rating: I’m thinking Teen? Heads up: There is some depressed thoughts, feelings of worthlessness/wanting to die, mention of major character death, and the occasional bad word. Oh, and flowey being flowey, so you know, psychological/physical trauma. I really don’t want to say much more since I really don’t want to spoil anything further down the road…

You can read it on AO3! Here is  Ch 6 Ch 5 Ch 4 Ch 3, Ch 2, and Ch 1 on Tumbler.

Random thoughts from the writer about this chapter: I know I shouldn’t feel like I need to apologize for this, but sorry it took so long to get this one out. It was a pain to rewrite. I know the next one has some rewriting that needs to be done, but for the most part, it just needs edited. January I will be relaxing a bit, so next update should be in February.

The Door

Chapter 7: A spark of truth

“did you hear about the chloride ion?” Sans asked the lady behind the door. Tonight’s joke telling has be rather one sided. So far she has skipped each of her turns, and her laughing was lacking the usual cheer. It didn’t take much to tell she was feeling down.

“No, I don’t believe I have,” her reply was soft and pleasant. She was trying to sound happy. Trying was the key word.

“since meeting the sodium ion, its outlook on life hasn’t been so negative, though the couple together can be rather salty, if you ask me,” she laughed at his punch line. If the laugh were to be described in one word, it would be flat.

Try as he might, the jokes weren’t working. He sighed before leaning back against the door. It seemed like now was a good time to end the joking and get to talking. “i think my favorite law is newton’s law of motion. ya know, the ‘an object in motion stays in motion unless acted upon by another force.’ same for a body at rest staying at rest, unless forcibly awoken by a younger brother.” She laughed, still, it sounded forced. “which i suppose it a good thing. if i rest too deeply i may end up depressed. which is how you sound right now, lady.”

There was silence from the other side of the door. He considered saying something to encourage a response, but instead he let her have the time she needed. Generally, when he was feeling down, he didn’t appreciate anyone trying to rush him. When she finally did respond, he could hear a slight quiver in her voice, which tore at his soul.  

“I was thinking of some people I once knew.”

“did you lose touch with them?” He asked, hoping for a hint on how to help.

“They’re dead,” her tone was surprisingly cold.

“geez, lady, i’m sorry.”

“Don’t be, it wasn’t you who killed them,” she said with a bitter tone.

Sans hesitated, that wasn’t a word he expected to hear, “killed?”

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be burdening you with this. I’ll have a joke ready soon, if you don’t mind going again,” she said.

“no offence, but kinda hard to tell jokes with such flat laughs in response.”

He heard a giggle from the other side of the door, “this coming from the guy who was telling jokes to a door?” To that he had no response and she laughed a little, “ I’m sorry my friend. Had you not done that we wouldn’t have met.”

“it’s ok,” he shrugged, “so, uh, about those people you knew…”

“If I talk about it, I may end up asking for something I shouldn’t,” the lady sighed.

“and? besides, if you don’t talk about it, it will continue to weigh on you.”

There was silence as she thought. Sans waited patiently, hoping this was a sign that she was considering telling him. Finally, when she was ready, she replied, “I was thinking about the human children I have met and grown to love. Only to see them leave and…”

She didn’t need to finish that, he already knew what happened to those kids. They travel through the underground, meet and faced many monsters, and made their way to old King Fluffybuns only to die. And of course, now that he was forced to actually think about it, she met each one of those human children. After all, their journey started through the place she lives.

“geez, lady, sorry i never thought about that before,” he said. He rubbed his face and sighed, wondering how in the world he could help her with that.

“It’s alright. It has been a long time since a human has fallen underground. I’m sure most monsters don’t even fully know what a human looks like anymore. With luck, no more humans will fall down only to die.”

Sans thought about that for a moment then looked behind himself and at the door. “even if we are just one soul away from being free?” he asked.

“HA!” he almost jumped, “please, Asgore only needed one soul to pass through the barrier, and he could have waited till the child grew old and died. Humans made the barrier with their magic, they can take it down. Had he acted in a diplomatic manner, and with courage, we would be free. But, instead he hides like a coward and kills those who can hardly fight back. He has hesitated for so long, that even if he did absorb a soul, and cross over, no human would know what we are and would lash out and kill him like…”

That didn’t need to be finished either. The death of Prince Asriel had hit every monster in the underground hard. It didn’t help that the adopted sibling of the royal family, Chara, died just before him. Two tragic deaths had striped what hope monster kind had for freedom away. Add in the fact that the queen had disappeared shortly after, and monster kind was at a loss.

“I’m sorry,” she was crying now.

“no, it’s alright, don’t apologize. what you said makes sense. all Asgore is really offering is a long, drawn out, sense of hope,” Sans closed his eye sockets. Hearing himself say that put a damper on his already bleak view. Though, it was always something he believed, said aloud made it feel true. Small things he had seen and heard caused him to wondered if Asgore would even take the last soul. Or would he let himself die so the human could cross the barrier. He had thought about that and made plans to make sure that didn’t happen.

“Can I ask something of you?” the lady said, she sounded hesitant.

“sure,” Sans replied, hoping for anything that might bring her some relief.

“I… I know you are a sentry but… if a human ever walks through this door... will you please promise me that you will watch over them? Protect them?”

Sans closed his eye sockets and sighed. What could he say? Sans was planning on cheating the system. Catch the human unaware and grab their soul before they could kill the king or mess with the timeline. He saw the data. He had no intent on risking the chance of a human ending everything. Even if his brother hated him for it.

Now what?

Those potential outcomes weren't defiant. There was a chance of only a few, all, or even just one occurring. Does he make the promise and put all his efforts in getting the human to pick a good path? Or should he tell the lady he can’t and continue as planned.

One way sounded easier. And he was already used to the world resetting, which the the human might do. In fact, they most likely would, considering the data. It sounded like he would need to focus on the end-of-everything path if he did make the promise. If they destroy everything then the world would be destroyed and there will be no more resets to bring it back. The human would most likely have a really high Level Of Violence by then, one that would make his magic deadlier. The more he thought about it the more he was liking this option better.

Besides, she was his friend, and a fellow lover of corny jokes and puns. If the well being of some unknown human meant so much to her, then how could he turn her away.

“i’ll be honest, i hate making promises. but, sure, i promise.”

  “want to go to grillby’s tonight?” Sans asked. He had woken up from the nap, and again faced with the problem of how to tell Tori about Papyrus. The only idea he could come up with was over dinner, and with someone who will make sure he doesn’t back out.

They were still cuddled together on the sofa, with her left arm around him and his skull on her shoulder. At some point she had covered him and part of herself with the blanket she had made him. As to when he wasn’t sure considering how soundly he slept. Not that it mattered, all he knew is right now he was feeling cozy, and wished it was possible for him to stay this way forever.

Toriel looked over at him. She had her reading glasses on, her right paw holding the book she was currently reading. Granted, she could make anything look good, but those glasses were just adorable on her.

“Sans, I can’t, I’m banished,” she said as he struggled not to grin up at her like a love sick idiot.

“don’t worry about it. besides, Grillby said he’d like for you to visit sometime after close. i just have to let him know so he can prepare. plus, with my shortcuts i can get us there unseen.” He hoped that would set her mind at ease.

She was quiet, contemplating. “I am not fond of breaking rules like that. But if it is something you really want, I’ll make an exception this once. Just to Grillby’s and back,” a gentle smile appeared on her face as she leaned her head forward and nuzzled the top of his skull.

If he wasn’t blushing before he was now. Sans couldn’t help but rattle, even though he still doubted if he had the right to be happy. In an attempt to regain control of his emotions, he cleared his nonexistent throat and started to sit up. “i should, uh, go tell grillbz.”

Toriel placed her bookmark and sat up as well. She wrapped her arms around Sans in a tight hug while pulling him onto her lap. It felt warm and safe here, as if nothing bad could happen.

“I’m happy you’re feeling better, please don’t be long,” she whispered.

Anytime he has left to exchange books, or run some errands, she says that. And he does try to be quick. She seems to become anxious when he leaves the ruins. It makes sense, really. After all, she watched six children leave her safety only to die.

Which is why he hasn’t told her how things are outside of the ruins. The last thing she needs is more reason to worry when he leaves…

He goes to his room and gets dressed to go. With a deep breath he focused, staring passed the world as it visually existed and looking into the very code. He had been to Grillby’s so many times through short cuts it wasn’t hard to locate. He just stepped forward, moving from one area of code to another. The usual crowd greeted him, Drunk Bunny calling him by that nickname she made, “Come have drink with me, Sansy~”

“sorry, i seem to have lost my watch since i don’t have the time,” That got everyone laughing.

“You can borrow mine,” One of the locals spoke up, holding up a watch that they had carelessly allowed to get covered with bits of food and ketchup. Though he wasn’t watching them, maybe they knew his liking for the condiment and added the ketchup to entice him.

“looks pretty good, though i’m not sure you want me to use it or eat it? i’d think eating it would be very time consuming,” another roar of laughs around the restaurant. He laughed then walked to his favorite stool. Grillby seemed pleased to see him, “i need to talk to you, alone would be best.”

Grillby sighed, or, more accurately, moved as if he sighed, “.......now is not a good time…. But fine….” He gestured for Sans to follow him and they walked into the back of the bar and grill. It was nice back here. There were pictures of Grillby’s daughter on the wall, along with other bits and doodads from the fire elementals past, “....So….. Sans…. What is so important that you needed to drag me away from my bar….”

“grillby, i’ve got to tell her about pap, i….,” Sans rubbed his head, “you were right, i should've just told her from the start, save myself this headache and stress. But then...”

“...You’re in love…,” Grillby said plainly, “........ you didn’t want to upset her…..”

Sans sighed, “and i thought i was good at reading people.”

“…….It was obvious……….You told me how much you loved her laugh…… her jokes and personality…… Her voice….. It was only a matter a time before you fell in love with her completely……. And I’m sure that was pretty much right away…… Considering how you were when you left………. So, may I ask………. why the sudden need to tell her now?….. You’ve put it off this long…..”

“it’s… you don’t need the details, i guess,” he tried to think how how to best to explain why.

“Give me the details, Sans…”

  Returning to the ruins was easier said than done. The magic barrier that Tori placed on the door makes it hard to see the code from the outside in. So normally he takes a shortcut to just on the other side of the door. Now that he has been in that room, it is a space he knows well enough to get to, even with the haze the magic barrier causes.

Sans has wondered if his ability to pass through has little to do with his own knowledge of the code on the other side, and more to do with Tori. After all, the magic barrier is made to keep others out. From what he knows of it, in theory, even he shouldn’t be able to pass through it; unless, since it is her magic, she allows him.

Once in, looking for where he wants to go is no longer like searching through fog. Free to move around, he took a shortcut to the top of the stairs. “i’m back,” he called out as loud as his voice would permit.

“I’m in the kitchen,” Tori called back.

He walked to the kitchen and looked in, “he said it was good, but he suggests we wait till after 11:30 tonight. you ok waiting that long?”

She turned and nodded, “we haven’t had lunch yet and it is getting late, so if we eat now it will work.”

There was flour on her apron, and the smell of a pie baking. The day was now starting to flow like normal. They ate lunch, set the pie to cool, before going on their walk. It was mostly in silence, and Sans was happy for that. Tori set the the topics of conversation the few times they did chat. At some point they started holding hands. He had no idea when it started, he simply noticed his hand was in hers, fingers entwined. It was a nice, reassuring feeling.

As they neared the place where the bed of flowers the humans fall on is located, she said, “this is where I found the child, did I tell you that before?”

“nope, don’t believe you have,” he said.

“They were being attacked by a some horrible flower.”

Sans felt a chill in his soul and he looked at Tori, “what?”

Details from his nightmares and memories of what his brother had said about a talking flower filtered their way back to the top of his mind. He could hear Tori talking but only the confirmation of what he thought he heard sunk in. All the details of her story were swept away as his mind hurriedly reassembled the information that was scrambled by loads and resets.

At this point he was following Tori, and was so lost in thought he didn’t noticed they had entered the last room. That is, until he saw the bed of yellow flowers. He had seen it plenty of times before, but not like this. Each and every flower had a face, some simple or with fangs, some twisted and distorted. And that laugh. For someone who loves hearing the laughter of others, that was one he loathed.

“Sans?” Tori was kneeling in front of him, the look of concern on her face was heart-wrenching.

He had drifted so deeply into his mind, ensnared by the living nightmare it made, that he hadn’t moved from the spot he was in when he saw the flower bed. Looking now, he saw that the flowers were as they always were. Faceless, normal, harmless, ugly yellow flowers. Feeling his eye sockets were without lights, he looked back at Tori as he lit them.

“What’s wrong?” Toriel asked.

“i, uh,” Sans shrugged, “guess i just got lost in thought right then. thinking about that flower.”

She put her paws on either side of his face, brows furrowed, “Sans, you looked scared.”

“i’m fine now, tori,” he tried again to get her to relax, she seemed ready to say more when he added, “really, tori, i’m fine. i’m just going to wait in the other room… alright?” He couldn’t help but glance at the flowers. By tomorrow he should be able to stand near them again, but right now he didn’t want to be anywhere near them.

With a resigned sigh, Toriel relented and let him go, “alright. I won’t take long.”

“no need to rush, take your time,” Sans grinned before walking back into the previous room. Once there he leaned back against the wall and thought.

  It was because Sans was unsure how well he could take Toriel out of her barrier, via shortcut, that they walked out the door. He doubted it would have any effect, but wasn’t willing to run the risk. She, honestly, agreed.

It had been a while since she was on this side of the door. The last time she was here it was a tearful moment. She remembered walking up and seeing Sans standing there, asleep. It was sweet of him to wait for her here. A place that means so much to them. And the feeling of joy she felt, as he asked to join her, was so overwhelming that she couldn’t help but break down in tears. Thinking of it now even caused her eyes to water.

The bitter cold of the air bit at her snout where her fur was thin, and even stung her lungs upon inhalation. By softly flaring the magic within herself, she was able to use the warmth of it to fend off the cold. A part of her wanted to ask Sans how he could tolerate sitting out for as long as they met each night. Though she already knew the answer.

It was dark, but then the forest was always dark and had an eerie demeanor. Even though there are lights, powered by The Core, to simulate a day and night cycle, they didn’t reach this far into the forest. Yet, knowing her friend, her love, had spent countless hours here, telling her jokes, made the forest seem more like home. She didn’t need a false sun to feel at peace.

She had nothing against the creator of those lights. That monster had only attempted to simulate the sun to provide visibility and help monsters adjust. But, to those who have lived under the warm solar rays, it was felt like a cheap knock off.

She glanced at Sans. His whole life was under that artificial light, and she remembered him talking about wanting to see the stars. Knowing that caused a pang in soul. As much as she was willing to remain underground, to avoid killing humans, it seemed wrong to deny others from the sky. But it is also wrong to kill. There had to be other solutions.

“ready?” He asked. Sans held out a hand to her. “just a short walk to grillby’s.”

“If it is as chill of a place you say it is, then I am more than ready,” she said without hesitation as she took his offered hand. With that she started to walk with him and, sure enough, after a few steps they were in an alley.

There didn’t seem to be anyone around, but Sans was being cautious. He looked around the corner to the front of the building and sighed. Toriel heard him mutter to himself before she looked. The town was mostly quiet, save for one person standing outside of the very building they wanted to go in. It was a rabbit monster, and she was staring at the door with a befuddled look.

“ok, here is what i’m thinking,” Sans said, glancing up at Toriel, “grillbz must be in the kitchen, otherwise i’m sure he would’ve noticed bunny. there is a door around back...”

Quietly, the two made their way through the alley to the back door. Sans knocked and it wasn’t long before the door opened and a living flame was looking out at them. Toriel smiled, realizing she recognized this fire elemental.

She saw the confusion on Grillby’s face and Sans said, “heya, bunny’s around front.” Grillby’s shoulders drooped and he raised a hand to rub his head, as if he had a headache. Sans shrugged, “no worries, i got it.”

As Sans moved back into the alley, Grillby invited Toriel into the back of the restaurant. They made their way, to the front, and waited by the door that separated the elemental’s private space from the dinner. From where they stood, Toriel’s could hear some of what was being said out front.

“Sansy~! You finally come to have a drink?” There was a pause, hinting Sans was responding but his normal quiet tone didn’t carry like Bunny’s. Whatever he said she responded with, “seems to be locked.”

As the conversation outside continued, Grillby finally spoke. His own voice was quiet, even more than Sans’s, “...............Sorry about this………… Do you want something to drink?”

Since they can hear Bunny, Toriel didn’t want to risk being heard and shook her head before responding in a hushed tone, “not right now, thank you.”

“Hey, Sansy, can you tell me a joke?” Bunny said brightly, and Toriel strained to listen, wanting to hear the joke as well.

“Who’s there?”

Toriel sighed, wishing she could hear him.

“Icy who?”

Considering the response, she was sure she knew this one. He had told it to her once at the door. If it is the one she thinks it is the punchline is, “Icy you later.” A good, classic, joke; but without hearing him give it, the humor felt lost. And apparently it was lost on Bunny as she responded with, “I don’t get it.”

If there was any consolation to missing him say the joke, she could hear him laughing, though it was muffled. That sound made her smile, as it almost reminded her of listening to him through the door.

“Sansy, can you walk me home…,” Bunny continued and Toriel saw Grillby removing his glasses to palm his face properly.

The sight was rather funny to her, really, though Bunny was getting on her nerves as well. She was going to offer some words to help him relax about it when she finally heard Sans. He was close enough to the front door that he could heard. If he was feeling annoyed, Sans’s tone didn’t reflect it. Instead he spoke to Bunny with his usual, calm, and ever patient tone, “sure, let’s go.”

As their footsteps faded out, Grillby moved from the back first, double checking that he had closed his blinds, “............... again, I am sorry………………. I was running late closing up and still thought I had time to clean………………………. Had I known she was there I would of done that myself……………………..”

“It’s alright,” Toriel said, walking out and started undoing the clasp that held her cloak on, “thank you for staying open late for us.”

“........... My pleasure………… Lady Toriel,” Grillby said as he walked over and offered to take her cloak for her.

“Toriel is fine. You are one of my friends as well,” she smiled. Then, thoughtfully she added, “I should've known it was you. I just never thought you would choose to live in Snowdin. When I last saw you, you had a restaurant in Hotlands, what happened?”

“......... After Asgore declared war again……… living in Hotlands, among all the lava and fire……….. Just brought back bad memories……….” Grillby said.

Toriel sighed, “I’m sorry, I failed to get him to see sense.”

“............ it is not your fault……… besides…………. I learned I like it here………,” Grillby moved a chair for her to sit on.

“Thank you,” she smiled and sat down, “about the name, did someone give it to you?”

“.......... I gave it to myself………,” he said, “.......... I don’t intend on ever accepting names from anyone else…………”

She nodded, understanding fully that for an elemental, having a name usually means serving a summoner. The fact Grillby named himself means that he is declaring freedom. “How long have you known Sans?”

Grillby paused and looked away, “........... That……… is a hard to answer question…………..”

Toriel frowned and tilted her head, “I don’t understand, how it could be hard to answer?”

“........... I’m guessing Sans hasn’t told you much………..,”

“No, he hasn’t,” Toriel sighed, “but considering tonight, I truly think he is trying.”

“............ I am in a unique position when it comes to my patrons…………….. They come, drink, and talk………….. I try not to pry into their lives……… but when they are trouble I do what I can to help………..,” Grillby looked at her, “............ Sans is no different………… he speaks more freely when ‘tipsy,’ though, he still is hard to get information from…………..”

Something about the way he said that made Toriel frown, “You’re not suggesting I get him inebriated just to make him talk.”

“.................. I don’t believe I was………. Just stating an observation……….,” Grillby brought a bar stool over and sat down.

“And what about you,” Toriel watched him, feeling suspicious, “you never specifically got him ‘tipsy’ to get information, did you?”

“.........of course not……….”

A feeling of relief overcame her, and she smiled, “good.”

She was going to say more when Grillby say, “I made sure he was completely drunk first………..”

The wave of relief was replaced with anger and she quickly stood, slamming her paws down on the table, “How dare you do something like that!”

“.......... I respect you, Queen Toriel…………. But I have my reasons………”

“He trusts you, and that’s what you did with that trust?” She snarled, “What reason could you possibly have?”

Grillby moved his shoulders as if he was sighing, “................ As you may remember………… during the war I was responsible for information……………. I remember everything from then and earlier…………. I could recite conversations I had with my first summoner, even……………… word for word………… and yet I have forgotten something………….”

She folded her arms, “and?”

“..................... I still don’t remember what I’ve forgotten…………. But I know about what I forgot thanks to the information I stole from Sans……………… he wasn’t about to give it…………. And he aware of what I did afterwards……………...also he would never forgive me if I got it from Papyrus…………….”

A part of Toriel was annoyed at how casually Grillby was talking about this, “And, you thought it was alright to do that?”

Grillby looked at her, “................. no………. but he unknowingly hinted he knew what I had forgotten………….. Then withheld when I asked……………….”

“If you knew it was wrong to do, then why the hell did you do it? This isn’t the war, you know you can’t be doing that!”

“............... isn’t it? ………. Undyne has revitalized the war effort………….”

“That is now,” Toriel growled.

“....... the king had declared war…..”

“Against humans, not each other!”

“............. Sans sure acts like he’s been through war .........”

A twinge of guilt ran through Toriel. Grillby was right with that assessment. There were some things, behaviors, Sans has displayed that were just like the veterans after the war. She saw them, recognize them, but didn’t put the information together because it didn’t make sense. Sans said he had been underground his whole life; he wasn’t alive during the war.

“................. I had forgotten something………………… which had tampered with my memories………………… even some about the war……………….. And important things…….. which he had an answer for……………. ”

She thought on that, understanding his reasoning. But still, Sans didn’t deserve to be treated in such a manner. “What could’ve been so important to do something like that?” She snapped.

Grillby was silent, save for a few pops and cracks of his flames, he shook his head, “..........You tell me……………. we all forgot…………………..”

Toriel glared at Grillby as she thought about that, “What do you mean, we? What did we forget?”

The fire elemental looked away, “.............. just because I stole it………….. doesn’t mean it is mine to give………………”

Elementals. They are technically monsters, and ones like Grillby are almost on par with boss monsters. But they are infuriating to work with. She was about to say more when she noticed Grillby was no longer looking at her, but past her.

“uh, am i interrupting something?” She looked back to see Sans as he started to shuffle forward, “haven’t heard grillby popping like that since the jukebox broke.”

The fire element made another cracking noise before shaking his head, “................. which was your fault…………….”

“Normally I’d try arguing that it wasn’t me, but I’m thinking now isn’t the time for that…,” Sans said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I mean, it wasn’t me who threw it across the bar. All I did was pay for a song.”

“........................ same one, over and over again…………….. In a row……………, “ Grillby folded his arms. Despite the disapproval in his demeanor, there was a humor in his tone.

Toriel couldn’t help but snort as she tried not to laugh. And, like that, the hostility in the room had died down. She thought for a moment, then grinned, “By the way, what was that she kept calling you?”

“you heard that?” Sans asked, and she could see a slight hint of a blush on his face.

“It’s rather cute, Sansy~” She tried to mimic the near singing way Bunny had said it.

“tori, please, don’t,” Sans said. Toriel heard a gentle crackling noise from Grillby, different than the sharper sounds he made before, followed by Sans sighing, “and you’re laughing.” Sans turned his back to Toriel and Grillby then said in a dramatic manner, “goodbye dignity, our time together was nice, but fleeting.”

“Alright, alright. I won’t call you Sansy again,” Toriel said, waiting for Sans face them again, then added, “for the rest of the evening.”

Grillby shook his head, “...............I’ll get the food ready…………… make yourselves comfortable………...” He then walked into the back as Sans made his way over and sat.

“i, uh…,” Sans started while shoving his hands in his jacket pockets. Toriel noticed that he slide down in his chair a bit and was trying to avoid looking at her. As much as she would like for him to just tell her what was on his mind, she gave him time. It seemed to come natural to him to hide and keep secrets, even at his own detriment. She figured it was to keep from burdening others.

Before Sans could try again, Grillby had already finished cooking and was back with two burgers and fries for them to share. Noticing the skeleton’s behavior, Grillby stood by him and placed a hand on his shoulder. With a sigh, Sans started again, “so… the kiddo,  they…,” Sans leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, “they were all friendly and stuff, y’know?”

“Yes?” Toriel was confused, wondering where this was going. Sans reached into his jacket, pulling out the neatly folded red cloth she noticed the day he moved in with her.

“pap really liked them, and.... they liked my bro… he’d been so nice to them, how could they not like him?” Toriel listened as Sans spoke. There was that unmistakable sadness in his voice and tears were forming in her eye. Fearful what what she was about to hear, she put a paw to her mouth.

“he… wanted to face the human alone. i figured it would be fine. why wouldn’t it be? kid was merciful with everyone they came across. pap was most likely just going to become friends with them anyway. ...but they didn’t show him mercy…”

“That... that doesn’t sound like the child I knew,” Toriel frowned, watching Sans.

Grillby nudged Sans who finally shrugged, “i thought, maybe it was an accident, that they didn’t mean to kill him. but, uh…. they did mean to…”

“Are you sure?”

“the kid laughed,” Sans finally looking up at Toriel. She saw his eye lights were almost faded out, “the kid laughed when I asked them about it. who laughs about accidentally dusting someone? especially to their brother. tori, i’m sorry, but at that moment i so wanted to break that promise i made.”

The promise, it had been a while now and she had almost forgotten about it. The promise to keep the human child safe. And he kept it, despite the cost, “I-I am so sorry... you must hate me.”

“no! tori,” Sans said, jumping up from his seat, “i don’t hate you, i could never hate you…” Sans sat back down, head in his hands, “it is not your fault, it’s not like you knew what the kid would do. tori, i’m sorry i lied to you about papyrus.” Sans reached into his jacket and pulled out a cell phone. He touched the screen a few times before passing it over, “here, his phone has some pictures of him. at least you can see what he looked like...”

Toriel picked up the phone, looking at the happy face smiling up at her she couldn’t help but smile back. She moved from picture to picture, tearing up as she does, “you described him well. He looks a lot like how I always pictured him.” Toriel then saw some of the random pictures Papyrus had taken. There were pictures of Undyne and various places in the underground, and she was astonished really.

Papyrus, in his kindness, seemed to see something good in everything. Because of that, even the most mundane places he some how captured in a way that showed how extraordinary it really was. And that’s when she saw one of Sans in the Waterfall Caverns, eye lights turned upward to the glowing rocks above. She could see in his eye sockets a contemplative depth. No jokester persona or weighty secrets to be seen in that moment, “He really knew you.” She said quietly, showing the picture to Grillby.

Sans look then sighed, “he has better pictures of Waterfall in there than that.”

Toriel looked up at Sans, “Sans, it is not Waterfall he was taking a picture of.”

And that was it. Any amount of openness he previously showed was changed as he closed himself off. She wondered how Papyrus had dealt with Sans tendency to avoid talking. Toriel thought, and glanced at Grillby who simply nodded. Most likely that means he came to the same conclusion as she did. Be happy with what you got, and try again another night.

“Thank you for telling me…,” Toriel thought on it a moment.

“sorry…,” Sans said, looking at the burger before him, then reached for the ketchup.

“For what?”

With the ketchup in his hand, he stared at the bottle and continued to avoid eye contact, “for not being there to keep the kid out of trouble. i didn’t to keep an eye socket on them, and I looked away when I shouldn’t have.”

“Oh Sans,” That was a heavy burden for him to be carrying that he shouldn’t have to bare. “The child made their own choice. They knew right from wrong, I saw that with my own eyes. I never would've suspected they would do that, and I would have trusted your brother to make friends with them as well. I will say I suspected something. When I talked about the child you tended to become quiet, or try to change the subject.

“And all those times I spoke of the child, or asked you about your brother, must have been hard for you. Oh, Sans, please don’t suffer in silence like that.” she saw Grillby move away, heading to the back to give them privacy.

Sans watched him then looked back the the ketchup bottle; which, he then placed on the table. Finally, Sans looked back up at her, “i just wish i understood why you care about this useless bag of bones.”

She stood and carried her chair over by Sans, who watched her nervously. Sitting down she took his hands in her own and stared him in the eye sockets. “I thought I made myself clear yesterday and this morning,” she started, then smiled and kissed him, “I care about you, alot, and I don’t want to see you in pain. When I see you are hurting, I feel hurt. Because I love you Sans.”

           “i guess i just thought it was too good to be true…,” Sans said, then hugged her.

Toriel hugged him back and took the chance to kiss him again, this time with more meaning behind it than her usual kisses. When she looked at him after that, the look on his face was very amusing. It was an odd mix if giddy, happy and even fear of this new and unknown experience.

Even with how he looked, his voice managed to hold even as he said, “i love you, tori…,” they hugged again and she heard him add quietly, “for longer than i think i even know...”

  Closing Comments: Now the real fun begins~! There will still be sappy fluff, but things that are being ignored are about to step forward,  … I am so happy this chapter is done. I like it but it was a pain.

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