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Papyrus happily bounded around in the snow, his tail wagging furiously. He hadn't encountered the cold white stuff before, but the young monster was thoroughly enjoying himself. He also rushed around over to the giant decorated tree sniffing at it and the colorfully wrapped packages placed at the foot of it. Papyrus had no idea what it was for, but he was excited anyways. The young monster ran around the tree couple of times, before returning to his brother, Sans. The lazy bones had settled himself halfway into a snowdrift, his head resting on his forepaws. “BROTHER, COME PLAY WITH ME!”
“nah, i don't think i have the energy to do that at the moment, bro. getting us here took a lot out of me.” Sans responded, gently nuzzling his brother a little as he spoke.
“I SUPPOSE THAT IT WOULD TAKE A LOT OF ENERGY TO GET TO SOMEWHERE WE HAVE NEVER BEEN BEFORE.” Papyrus answered back, tail still wagging happily. There are other… other beings out in this cold place that weren't… Him. unfortunately they couldn't talk to the strange, fluffy beings, but the smaller ones liked to play! They spoke a language that neither of the brothers had ever heard before.
“yup. i will be ok, bro. i just need a nap.” Sans responded, a cheerful note in his voice.
“DO YOU THINK THAT WE SHOULD HAVE TOLD THE DOCTOR THAT WE WERE GOING TO TRY TO LEAVE FOR A WHILE?” Papyrus asked, his tail tucking under his ribcage, as the thought that He might not want them to be here. they had never left the lab, after all. But there are so many new things and monsters to play with… Although the young skeleton wished that they spoke the same language that he did.
“how would we have told him? it's not like we know for sure when the doc is going to test us. and the only time we have paper and a pen is during some of those tests.” Sans pointed out, tensing a little and looking around the snowy field.
“THAT'S TRUE. BUT HE DOESN'T LIKE TO BE SURPRISED VERY MUCH… MAYBE WE SHOULD GO HOME AS SOON AS YOU'RE UP FOR SHORTCUTTING US BACK. MAYBE I COULD FIND SOMETHING TO EAT?” Papyrus asked, worry starting to build up within him. He was terrifying when angry, and -
Sans was curling around Papyrus, nuzzling the younger skeleton, letting out a soothing rumble “hey, there's no need to freak out. i heard the doc talking to someone yesterday. he's going to be busy doing something all day today. as long as we don't go near the ‘castle’ we're gonna be fine.”
“SANS, WHAT IS A CASTLE?” The smaller skeleton asked curiously, perking up a little, tilting his head up at his older brother, trying to imagine what the word might mean.
“i dunno. sounds important though. i just wanted to bring us somewhere different than where we’ve… we’ve always been.” Sans responded with a small shrug.
"I SEE. THIS PLACE IS SO BIG AND SO BEAUTIFUL. I LOVE IT!" The younger skeleton responded happily, his tail wagging as he carefully went up to one of the soft, fluffy monsters, pawing at the ground in front of him - which moved. Neither of them knew what the cold, crunchy white stuff was beneath their paws - but it could be moved easily, and they'd observed some of the other monsters throw balls of the stuff at one another. Neither of the brothers wanted to try to shift into the shape that had hands - as it was easier for them to move in this form.
"i do too, bro. maybe you should toss some of the white stuff at them, then they might get that you want to play?" sans offered, neither of the brothers aware of the fact that they were being watched by several adult monsters - none of them knew the language they were speaking. Sans glanced over,, a soft rumble leaving him as he noticed that one of the larger fluffy monsters had left - footprints in the snow leading... Somewhere. "bro, i'm going to go check something out. i'll be back soon, promise."
"OKAY. AS LONG AS YOU DON'T NAP WHERE I CAN'T SEE YOU!" Papyrus responded back cheerfully, his tail wagging harder when one of the smaller monsters brought out something that was long, slender and brown. They threw it and Papyrus charged after it, catching it with his mouth and bringing it back to them, bouncing in front of them a little before putting the stick at their feet.
~
Sans followed the footprints to a building - it was black and orange and had some sort of writing on it - although the young skeleton couldn't read the language. He walked up to the door, pushing the door open with his snout, peeking inside. There were a lot more of the larger monsters there - including about six or seven monsters who looked kind of like them - except that they had fur instead of being made of bones. His eyes were drawn to a tall... Monster? They were seemingly made completely, and they were speaking with the fuzzy monster that had vanished earlier, although what they were saying, sans had no idea.
Unfortunately, there was a bell at the top of the door, which had jangled when Sans had come in, causing the various conversations to stop as everyone stared at the small skeletal monster. He tensed up, disliking the amount of attention on him - it never meant anything good when He watched either one of them with that much interest, so Sans started to back out of the door, tensing. He shouldn't have left Paps. They should get moving further away from Him, from... From everyone, so that they might be safe. So that He wouldn't be able to hurt them anymore.
"Wait!" The fire monster called out, concern in his voice.
Startled that someone other than Him who was bigger than the two of them spoke the language, Sans froze up, unsure as to what else to do "you... can you understand me?" Sans breathed out, eyes widening in their sockets, unaware that his eye lights were flickering rapidly between a terrified yellow and tense blue.
"Yes, I can. Please come inside. Are you cold?" The fire monster asked, gesturing for him to come closer.
"i'm nothin' but bones, mister. the cold just goes right through me." Sans responded, unsure as to whether or not he should trust the other's generosity. The doctor was nice sometimes - but it was just another test to see how they would react to it, from what he could tell. Just enough kindness for long enough to get them to trust in him - to be compliant. Then it was back to the experiments and tormenting them, to try to make them stronger. But stronger for what? He never told them why they were doing this, despite how many times that Pap asked.
"I suppose that is true, but a cup of hot cocoa can warm up anyone." The flame monster responded back "My name is Grillby, what's yours?"
Sans hesitated for a moment - the doc had called them by many things - several repeatedly. Subjects One and Two, Subject S and Subject P... But only a couple of times (when he was being nice) he called them... "i'm sans. It's ice to meet you." He cautiously made his way up to the bar, leaping up onto one of the circular seats and curling up on it, resting his head on his forepaws on the counter. He had no idea what hot cocoa was, but it sounded tasty. "may i get two of them? my little bro is playing out in the snow with other..." What was it that the scientist had called them, apart from test subjects (or failures, when particularly irritable)? "children?"
"Of course. It'll take a little bit for the cocoa to be ready - do you want to get your brother here, or do you two want to drink it outside?" Grillby asked curiously. "I've not seen either of you around Snowdin before. Are you visiting with your parents?"
Sans wondered what a parent was, and why he would need one in order to go places. He had a feeling that he shouldn't ask that question though, as it might cause the fire monster - or the other big monsters who were obviously listening in on their conversation - to have even more questions. So he lied, hoping that the words wouldn't rattle his bones, giving away the fib "nah, it's just me an' Pap visiting Snowdin..." Were parents big monsters that looked like the smaller monsters? If so then that would mean that... That He was their parent... " the doc is working in the lab an' we've never been so far from home before. I’ll go get Pap.” and hopefully they’d never go back there ever again.
Sans left the building, searching for his younger brother. He didn't know whether or not he should go back to the warm room full of big monsters or not... But he was very hungry - and he knew that Pap should have something to eat soon as well and... Whatever a hot cocoa was, it might be filling at least? The young skeleton was torn between trying to protect his younger brother and pushing for them to continue to get away from Him, or stopping for a little while and resting. Exhaustion was pulling at the core of his very soul - teleporting like that had taken a lot out of the young skeleton, and he was going to fall asleep sooner or later, whether he wanted to or not.
Papyrus was chasing several of the smaller fluffy monsters with the long ears and short, puffy tails, excitedly calling out "I'M GOING TO CATCH YOU AND THEN YOU WILL BE THE ONE TO CHASE ME! NYEHEHEHE."
"hey pap. i hate to ruin your fun, but i ran into someone who speaks like we do. They say their name is Grillby, and they're offering us something called hot cocoa. it sounds good and is probably some sort of food. want to eat?" Sans asked curiously.
Papyrus let out a low, wordless whine, glancing at the small monsters he'd been chasing, then back at his brother "I SUPPOSE THAT HAVING SOMETHING TO EAT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA. I WONDER WHAT KIND OF GRUEL THIS 'HOT COCOA' IS?"
"i dunno. it sounds pretty good though." Sans answered back, his perma-smile widening a little as he shifted a little closer to his little brother. Pap was the light of his life, and he was lad that, for the moment at least, they were safe. To see his little brother so happy and to hear him actually laugh... It was a rare sight, and Sans would do everything in his power to protect his little brother and the other's happiness. No matter what it was that he had to do.
The two of them made their way back to the black and orange building, and Sans paused for a moment before opening the door "there were a whole bunch of monsters in the room - but they didn't say anything when i went in there the first time. at least i don't think that they tried to talk to me."
"VERY WELL, SANS. I AM SURE THAT WE CAN HANDLE BEING NOT-TALKED TO BY A BUNCH OF BIG MONSTERS!" Papyrus responded, though he looked a little uncertain.
"we don't have to go inside if you don't want to, pap. just say the word an' we can continue exploring this place." Sans offered, noticing his little brother's distress.
"I'M FINE, BROTHER! I WANT TO TRY THIS 'HOT COCOA'." Papyrus responded, shaking his head a little and bounding into the room ahead of his older brother, his damp paws skidding a little on the wooden floor as he rushed in, looking around the place, fascinated by the different kinds of monsters in the room. He did keep close to his older brother, however, as Sans walked in at a slower pace, as he took in everything.
"you alright bro?" Sans prodded quietly, gently tapping his little brother's forehead with one of his paws.
"YES, YES I'M FINE. I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU KEEP ASKING THAT!" Papyrus grumbled as the two of them made their way up to the counter where the fire monster was standing.
Sans hopped up onto one of the stools, Papyrus mimicking his older brother - nearly missing the stool, but digging his claws in, and managed to steady himself on top of the comfortable cushion. "just worried, is all. mr. grillby is the hot cocoa ready?" He asked, glancing over at the fire monster.
"Yes." Grillby responded, setting down two bowls of hot cocoa - having also added whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles on top, watching the two young skeletal monsters carefully.
Papyrus lapped up the sweet treat with gusto, wriggling in delight at the taste "THIS IS AMAZING, MR. GRILLBY! I HAVE NEVER HAD SOMETHING LIKE THIS BEFORE!" It was *warm* too! It was amazing. Sitting down all curled up like this, while drinking this 'hot cocoa' was causing the young skeletal monster to feel sleepy - which was rather unusual... But it was warm in here, and he wasn't hungry anymore... Besides Sans was close, and his older brother would wake him up, if they needed to do anything important... He yawned sleepily, closing his eyes after he finished his bowl of hot coca, falling asleep within moments.
Sans drank his cocoa more slowly, and despite wanting to leave, closed his eyes for a moment. It was only a moment, the little monster promised himself. Just a brief rest, and then they would continue the trip - he could carry Pap on his back, to let the other sleep, as his little brother rarely took naps like this. "thanks... 's really good..."
"You're welcome, little ones. Rest well." Grillby responded, and Sans could hear the smile in the other's voice.
~
Sans woke up, yawning and stretching a little, settling back down on the surprisingly comfy surface he was laying on. Had they managed to behave and do well enough on the tests to earn another pillow? The first pillow they'd been given got ripped up in their claws - but what had remained, Pap had slept on, until He had taken the fluff away from them. He was just about to drift off to sleep again, when a harrowingly familiar voice registered in his mind.
"-ank you very much for contacting me Grillby. When I checked on where they'd been playing earlier, I couldn't find them. I've been worried sick and searching everywhere. I have no idea how they managed to wander so far from Hotlands." He said, just as tall and intimidating as ever.
Sans was suddenly wide awake, sitting up straight, panicking a little as the young skeleton realized that He was standing directly behind the both of them. Pap was already awake, curled up as small as he could go on the stool, the other's soul glowing faintly with His magic. Sans tried to move a little, but felt a tugging sensation in his soul. Looking down, the young monster checked and - sure enough, the doctor's magic had surrounded his soul as well, keeping him from trying to escape. He twisted to look at Grillby, trying to keep the betrayal and hurt off of his face. It wasn't as if he'd told the fire monster why they were really in Snowdin... The fire monster said something in response, but Sans' focus was entirely on his little brother.
"Brother! You're awake!" Papyrus called out quietly, relaxing a little - though Sans could still see that his younger brother was shaking a little - clearly nervous too.
"yup... m' awake now... i hope you haven't been too bored waiting for me to wake up." Sans responded, wishing that he could fight His magic enough to at least hop over to where Pap was sitting, so that they were at least pressed close together before they were dragged back to the lab and tormented.
"I ONLY WOKE UP A COUPLE OF MOMENTS AGO, WHEN THE DOCTOR STARTED TO SPEAK TO MR. GRILLBY. I DIDN'T KNOW THAT THEY KNEW ONE ANOTHER. DID YOU?" Papyrus explained, though the pair of them were talking very quietly, so as not to interrupt Him and Mr. Grillby's conversation.
"oh. well i'm glad that you haven't been waiting for me for a while, bored, when you could've been playing in the snow with the others..." Sans replied, knowing that he might be able to escape the other's grasp himself if he teleported... But he wouldn't leave Papyrus behind.
Spectral hands reached out and grabbed both himself and Papyrus. Sans squirmed a little, hating the feeling of the doctor's hands on him, but with the older monster's magic on his soul, there was nothing he could do, but accept that they were being dragged back into the lab, to be experimented on. Sans wondered if speaking up would do anything but... Why would it? The doctor seemed to be well liked and respected... Besides, Sans had no idea if what being done to the two of them was something that happened to all young monsters…
He tuned into the conversation that the bigger monsters were having, and Grillby was saying “- come again any time. Sans and Papyrus are very well behaved… Although I wish you’d have told me about your children, rather than them randomly showing up to my bar, Gaster.”
“Yes, well… They are quite young and I… Would rather keep them close to me.” The scientist responded, his spectral hands delivering the two of them to the much older skeleton (whether the other could shift into a four-footed form, like the ones they were currently in, neither of the young skeletons knew. Neither were they dumb enough to ask such a question, as the doctor didn’t like it when they questioned him). The scientist held them close, and Sans was suppressing the urge to growl and snap at Gaster, knowing that it would only cause the scientist to be more cruel to the both of them. “But I will keep that offer in mind, Grillby. Thank you for keeping an eye on them. Sans in particular, has a talent for mischief.”
“... i do not.” Sans protested, hoping that he could get away with a little bit of back-talk, since other people were watching and Mr. Grillby seemed very nice.
“I’ve found you napping in some of the strangest of locations. You’ve clearly inherited my ability to teleport, although I am unsure as to whether or not you can control it completely.” The scientist responded, a small smirk appearing on his face, as one of the other’s spectral hands lightly tapped the tip of Sans’ snout, apparently amused.
“just like sleeping in comfy places, is all…” Sans grumbled, closing his eyes.
“That reminds me of a time when I found your father sleeping standing up, leaning against one of the walls of my bar, outside where it was snowy. He’d been there a while, as he was half-covered in snow, and it startled poor miss Usagi and her sister.” Grillby responded, a laugh in his voice.
“I… I had meant to come in for a bite to eat, as I had been working for several days straight, and I had just finished the task at hand - an integral portion of the core needed to be… Anyways, I realized that I hadn’t eaten at all in that time, and decided to come here, as your food is the best in the entire Underground… But the bar was full and you were busy, so I wanted a bit of fresh air and… I hadn’t realized I had fallen asleep, until she started screaming.” The scientist responded, a violet blush appearing on his face as the other looked away from Grillby, scowling a little. “If you are quite done teasing me, Grillby, I and… My sons will be headed back to the lab. It’s a huge relief to know that they were in good hands, after they had accidentally wandered off…”
“Alright. Have a good day, you three.” The flame monster responded back cheerfully, waving a little at the trio of skeletons, utterly unaware of the pain and suffering that the pair of children were being dragged back into.
The scientist nodded, waving back with false cheer. As soon as the door closed behind the two of them, Gaster teleported the three of them back to the lab, and, in the harsh light of the lab, he growls “It’s clear to me that I have been far too lenient on the pair of you. I think a few lessons are in order to remind you not to go against my instructions.”