Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Everyone always said to avoid the house at the top of the hill. Whispers and rumors spread like wildfire through the small town about the suspicious activity going on in the supposedly haunted house. You hear them everywhere. From the movers to the young cashier who regaled you with tales of the hauntings that happened when you let it slip that you were moving into the ancient house. Initially, you rolled your eyes at the rumors. But now… standing here in the sparse front yard of your soon to be home, you couldn’t help but put stock into the rumors you heard. 

The house looms over you, the silence that surrounds the place sending shivers down your spine despite the muggy summer heat bearing down on you, the smell of rain soaking into your skin. You suppose there was one thing the rumors got right, this house did have a certain creepy air about it that set your nerves on edge. Taking in one last calming breath through your nose, you slot the key into the ancient lock before your nerves get the better of you. It creaks ominously as you turn the key and push open the huge mahogany door. You clutch the handle of your messenger bag and step into the still stale air of the long-abandoned house. 

The door closes behind you with a loud slam, making you flinch in alarm and turn to look at it, wide-eyed. You turn back and close your eyes, taking a deep breath to calm your racing heart. 

A chuckle tumbled passed your lips at the cliche of the situation. Oooh…. The big creaky door slams closed. Sooo scary!

With a soft shake of your head, you turned back to survey the mess years of neglect had left in its wake, whistling in surprise. Honestly, the place could be a lot worse.

You crack your knuckles and flex your shoulders, determined to get this place cleaned up before the movers. With that in mind, you fetch the cleaning supplies you bought earlier, put your headphones on so you can get down to business. 

You fail to notice several little lights following your every move from the shadows. 

"i don't see why we can't just chase the human out now! what's the point it waitin'?! lettin 'em get all comfortable an' shit!" Edgy snarls hotly as his glaring red eyelights follow the human, his shark teeth pulled down into a line of distaste. 

"Edgy Please! Watch Your Language And Keep Your Voice Down! They'll Hear Us!" Blue says quietly, anxiously fiddling with the tattered baby blue bandana around his neck. They were supposed to be on lookout! It would defeat the purpose if they were caught! Edgy rounds on him, pinning him with a fierce glare. Blue's eyelights shrink as the taller bitty crowds him against the wall of the vent they were hiding in, baring his sharp teeth angrily. 

"i ain't gonna take orders from you , got that pipsqueak?"

The tearful bitty nods vigorously, pressing himself tighter against the metal wall to make himself smaller. "Ye-yeah. I Got It."

Edgy backs off with a grunt and turns his attention back to the vent he is spying on you through. He grits his teeth as he watches you dance your way through their house. This is their house! What right do you have to come in and encroach on their space?! It was pissing him the hell off. 

His magic burns through his bones, making tiny sparks dance across the tips of his phalanges. Blue squeaks behind him and Edgy hears him scurry back down the ventilation. Good, he didn't want company anyways. 

His hands grip the bars he is peering through tightly, a wicked grin creeping onto his skull. He couldn't wait to chase you out. 

He's about to have a great time. 

Quiet voices echo down the deserted hallway. If you listen closely you could hear the tiny pitter-patter of skeletal feet coming from one of the rooms. Through the crack in the door, if you peek in, you would see several bitties lounging or pacing around on the only piece of furniture in the middle of the room. The old desk creaks with every move the bitties make.

"what's the point of chasing them out? Even if we do, more humans will move in again eventually," Lil' bro interjects somberly, sinking further into the large beanie he was lounging against. He flicks the ashes from his cigarette into the ashtray nearby. "at least there's only one this time. they probably won’t be able to hurt us this time...hopefully."

A chilly silence sweeps through the gathered bitties. Some of the more timid ones fidget nervously, while the more aggressive bitties clench their fists or set their jaws, teeth grit in anger. The last human family that moved in…

…

"MAYBE THIS HUMAN WILL BE A NICE HUMAN? MAYBE THEY WILL BE MERCIFUL…?" Papy spoke up hopefully, his strong voice carrying through the murmuring of the other bitties. Boss shoves his way to the front where Papy is fidgeting with his ratty scarf. His narrow red eye glares at Papy venomously.

"AS IF! HUMANS ARE NOT AND NEVER WILL BE 'NICE'! AND THEY NEVER SHOW MERCY!" He shouts. His loud, raspy voice sent fearful shivers through the more timid bitties. Another round of murmurs swept through the crowd. Arguments broke out among the bitties, voices rising in discontentment. 

One of the smaller bittes clears his throat, breaking through the arguments like a hot knife. Sansy turns to face the gathered bitties with an easygoing grin, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his ratty jacket. 

"looks like we need to vote on it this time. all in favor of chasing the humans out," Several bitties raise their hands. Sansy nods, and raises his hand. "those in favor of leaving the human alone?"

A few bittes raise their hands. 

Sansy's grin sharpens into something mischievous. "looks like we're chasing out the human," He cracks his knuckles and grabs a tiny pencil out of his pocket, turning to a hand-drawn floor plan of the house. "let's get started then."

Hours later, after battling your way through forests of cobwebs, oceans of dust, ferret proofing everything and unpacking your essentials, you finally got the place clean enough that you could start bringing your more important things in from your car.  

That could wait a few minutes though. Right now you just want to take a breather. You flop down on the floor with a tired sigh, letting your heart rate slow. Whew… 

Jeez, you were tired! 

You hold your arms up above you, wrinkling your nose in disgust. Dust, dirt, and cobwebs coat your sweaty skin. 

Gross. You definitely need a shower. 

tap tap tap

With a furrowed brow, you sit up, tilting your head to the side. What was that? 

tap tap tap

It sounds like… tiny footsteps? You stand up, trying to be quiet as you listen closely as you tiptoe in the direction of the noise. The house creaks around you, but you are just able to make out the tiny tap tap taps coming from...somewhere? Just where are they coming from? 

Tap Tap Tap

They're getting louder. Oh jeez… you hope the house didn't have mice. You didn't think you-

Splat! You reel forward from the blow as something solid head explodes across the back of your head, coating your hair with a slimy substance that oozes out and down you back. You throw your arms up to protect your head from further assault as you backpedal to the kitchen. 

What the hell was that?! It felt like… an egg? You reach up and pull various pieces of shell and slimy yolk from your hair with a grimace. That's so gross… 

What you want to know is how an egg got in the trusses in the first place. You glared up at the ceiling, trying to catch a glimpse of the egg slinging intruder. Who the hell throws an egg at someone anyways? Honestly!  

You turn away from your staring contest with the rafters with a huff of a chuckle. It was probably a just childish prank by the kids in the neighborhood. Or the ghost that is supposed to be haunting the house. Oh well… what's done is done and it was all in good fun. 

… 

You hope. 

"It was a pretty clever prank though," You say, looking up at the beams with a bright smile. More pieces of shell fall out of your hair as you tilt your head up. "Hear that Ghosty? I liked your prank and you're not gonna scare me off that easily!" 

Silence greeted your bold declaration. Oh well. At least you let them know. With a shrug, you make your way over to your bags and start rummaging around in them for your clothes. "Ahh well… I needed to get in the shower anyway."

As you pass under the pesky beam on your way to the shower you fail to notice two small bright red lights watching you and the bright red glow of blushing cheeks. 

Edgy's claws dig into the beam he is sitting on, splintering the wood. What the hell was that about?! They were supposed to be runnin' away screamin', not complimentin' my prank! What's with this idiot anyway? 

"so… didn't have any luck," Edgy grits his teeth in irritation. Of course, this asshole had to come and gloat! He swings around, meeting the eyelights of Sansy. He's standing beside him, hands stuffed in the pockets of that stupid blue hoodie he loves so much. He winks when he notices Edgy looking at him. He flips him off with a scowl. This smug bastard always gets on his nerves. He just wanted to-

"anyways. seems like the human thought your prank was egg cellent." Sansy says, snickering at his own pun, winking at Edgy when he chuckles along.

A smirk sharpened his grin. "yeah, my pranks are a lot better than the rest of yours," He preens, standing up. His brow furrows when he turns to Sansy, who was watching him with a grin and a risen brow bone. "what're ya doin' up here anyway?"

Sansy shrugs his shoulders. "it's my turn to keep watch. but, uh, if you wanna take my shift too then be my guest." 

Edgy glowered, wanting nothing more than to blast that stupid grin off Sansy's skull. Instead, he channels his raging magic in his bones in preparation of a shortcut. "hell no, ya lazy bastard! do yer own job!" 

Sansy chuckles as Edge shortcuts away, leaving nothing behind but a puff of red residual magic. He settles against one of the support beams and closes his eyes. Maybe he had time for a little nap before you got out of the shower.

A mischievous grin stretches across his teeth. Then they could set the first part of the plan in motion. 

You step out of the bathroom, feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the rest of your unpacking. You look at your phone. The moving truck should be here anytime and your mother would be here with your pets tomorrow so… 

Crash! Your heart jumps to your throat as you look down the hallway toward the kitchen, wide-eyed. A chill washes over you. What the hel- heck was that? Hands shaking slightly with adrenaline you reach back into the bathroom and grab the first heavy thing your fingers graze. 

You tiptoe down the hallway, gripping your weapon with sweaty hands. Did someone break in…? You held your breath as you peeked around the corner into the kitchen, holding the hairdryer close to your face, before you burst around the corner brandishing the hairdryer like a gun. 

"Freeze!" You shouted… into the empty kitchen. With a furrowed brow you lowered your weapon, eyes wandering across the room just in case the intruder tried to pull a fast one on you. You narrow your eyes, taking a slow step into the kitchen. When you didn’t see anything out of the ordinary you lowered your weapon with a relieved laugh. Sheesh… this house is going to be an adventure to live in.

You place your hairdryer on the counter and lean against it. Phew… all this excitement sure did work up an appetite! When you open your fridge you make a pitiful sound in the back of your throat. Man… you still need to go shopping…

...Dammit.

You sigh and close the fridge with a pout. Screw it. You would just order takeout for tonight. When you reach for your phone your hand grabs at empty air. What…?

You turn around, brow furrowed in confusion when you spot your phone on the counter a few feet away. Wait... You didn't leave your phone there when you put it down... 

Did you…?

Cautiously, you cross the kitchen and slowly pick up your phone. When you examine it everything seems to be in order. A chill slithers down your spine.

“Ok, Ghosty. You seriously need to cool it for a while. Please?” Silence met your plea, of course. You huff out a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of your neck as the hairs on the back of your arms stood on end.

…

...You definitely weren’t alone in this house.

You take a breath, then let it out slowly before smiling. You wouldn’t let all of this weirdness shake your nerves. You wouldn’t let this scare you out of this house. You would be a good housemate. 

Everything is going to be great despite the strangeness. 

With a smile, you stroll out of the kitchen, whistling a cheerful tune.

Chapter Text

You set down the last box on your kitchen counter with a satisfied huff. That is the last box for the kitchen! You take out one of your beloved mugs with a fond smile. Ahh…how you love your mugs. You turn it over in your hands, the ceramic cool against your fingers as you examine it for damage. Finding none, you nod and place it on the counter to put away later. You carefully examine each mug for damage until you have looked at them all. Every one of them seems to be in tip top shape. 

Now you just have to order-

Crash!

… 

…Again.

This ghostly housemate of yours sure is having fun messing with you, aren't they? 

You let your forehead fall to the counter with a dejected sigh. The stone cools your temper as you count down from ten in your head. You should be used to this sort of thing, you reprimand yourself. You have pets for goodness sake! 

You let out a sharp breath before you sit up, set your shoulders, and march into the living room to do a damage report. 

…And immediately freeze in the doorway. 

You stand there, mouth agape in horror, wondering just what kind of mess your optimism and life choices have gotten you into this time. 

Your living room… y'know, the one YOU JUST CLEANED!? It is…a complete and total  MESS ! Everything that you had previously put away and set up just how you want it is now either thrown across the floor or the other available surfaces in your living room. Glass litters the floor near the fireplace, your pictures scattered across the floor. Even your beloved video games and stuffed animals weren’t spared your ghostly housemate’s wrath. They were tossed aside like so much garbage near the box they  had  been resting in by the uncaring hands of your Casper.

Okay, deep breaths...deeeep breaths. You take a deep breath in through your nose, trying to think positive thoughts and… 

"AHHHH!"...You scream in exasperation into your hands. After giving yourself a few more moments to recover you take another deep,  calming  breath and uncover your eyes with a long sigh. Okay, it's okay. You could work with this. You're good. You're  good. 

"... Haaaaah. Okay. Okay. I have about an hour to clean this up before the moving truck gets here. I can do this. I  can. " With that mindset, you throw on your headphones and begin cleaning up. 

"Oh my ghostly housemate, why must you taunt me so?" You mumble as you grab your stuffies and place them back in their box with murmured apologies. The poor dears… 

After you take care of your stuffed animals and video games and the rest of the big things on the floor you glare at the glass scattered around disdainfully. You wouldn't be able to walk around without slippers for a while it seems. Ruefully, you grab your trusty broom and dustpan, all the while mumbling your grievances to yourself and your  very  rude housemate. 

"Come  oooon  Casper, can't we be friends? I'll be a nice housemate if you just give me a chance?" 

... 

Nothing but the creaking of the house greets your plea. Ooof  course not. You sigh, throwing the glass and other bits of trash into a trash bag. You wipe your sweaty brow with the back of your hand with a grimace. At this rate, you would need to take another shower. Stars, you couldn't wait to get the air fixed in this place. This heat is  killing  you. 

"Phew… okay. Crisis averted for the time being. Now maybe I can go outside without having to worry for a while." You turn your gaze to the rafters, holding your broom aloft, eyes sharpening into a glare. "And you Casper! You behave yourself while I'm out!"

With a huff, you march out of the living room and out the front door to wait on the movers and get some fresh air. Stars knew you need it. 

Edgy and Razzy snicker as you retreat at your retreating form, high-fiving when the door closes behind you. Wreaking the human’s things after they move in is always fun. If they keep this up this new human will be out of here in record time. 

“hehehe. that was the best reaction yet! did ya see their face?” The bone around Edgy’s eyes crinkles as his grin widens. Razzy clears his ‘throat’, smoothing out the wrinkles in clothes. 

“YES, WELL, IT WAS A SATISFACTORY PERFORMANCE, WASN’T IT? IT WOULD HAVE BEEN QUIETER IF IT WERE JUST ME, THOUGH.” Edgy bares his teeth with a glare as Razzy looks down on him. Razzy is always acting like he was better than everybody. He’d like to rip that arrogant little punk a new one. Instead, Edgy cracks his knuckles with an irritated grunt. 

“whateva, ya pompous ass.” Razzy ignores him in favor of surveying the living room below, muttering to himself. The magic flowing through Edgy’s bones burns hotter as his anger rises. Who the hell does this asshole think he is?! Ignoring him like that! Before he knew it his phalanges are wrapped in Razzy’s tattered purple bandana around his neck. For a split second Razzy's eyes widen in surprise before he bared his sharp teeth fiercely, his own phalanges coming up to wrap around Edge’s wrist. 

“Put Me Down!” His voice was deathly quiet as he locks eyes with Edgy, red clashing with purple. Magic pulses through the air, the building pressure pressing down on the skeletons. The air fluctuates with magic and Pup and Sansy appears with the smell of ectoplasm. 

Sansy’s grin tightens when he takes in the scene in front of him as Pup pulls his brother from Edgy’s grasp, all the while glaring hole in Edgy’s skull. If Sansy hadn’t made them all agree to the ‘no violence’ rule when they started living here then Edgy would be nothing but a pile of charred dust on the rafters for putting his grimy hands on his big bro.

“i’d ask what was going on here but…. i’m already pretty sure of what happened,” he turns his snowy eyelights to Edgy, his grin tight around the edges. Edgy glowers back, red eyelights bright and sharp with rage. “edgy.”

The spark of magic snaps, casting an eerie red glow over the beam and the other skeletons. Bright red sweat dots Edgy’s skull. “i ain’t do nothin’ man! get off my case already!”

He channels his raging magic, feeling for the void before shortcutting away.

Sansy’s stuffs his hands back into his pockets with a tense shrug. “welp, that could have gone better.”

Razzy rolls his eyes as Pup sets him back on his feet. He straightens his wrinkled clothes before rounding on Sansy and Pup. “I DID NOT NEED YOUR HELP, WHELPS! I HAD THE SITUATION HANDLED!”

Sansy holds up his hands in defense. “hey, hey, let’s settle down a bit. no need to be so  edgy.”  His grin widens when Pup’s quiet nyeh heh hehs fills the air. 

“He does seem a bit  red  in the face.” the pair broke down in hysterical giggles as Razzy stomps his foot indignantly. “YOU-! STOP THOSE  BRAINLESS  PUNS   THIS INSTANT! WE ARE SKELETONS OF STANDARD!” His sharp grin tilts into a smirk and his boisterous MWHA HAH HAHs. The pair of bitties beside him burst into gut-busting laughter. 

Ahh, puns. They are the best. 

A few hours later, after the moving truck dropped off your few belongings and you cautiously put away your valuables some place safe, you finally had time to order your long overdue lunch/dinner.

What time is it anyway? When you pull out your phone to check-

Wait… what  is  that?

There, in the reflection of your phone, you see something unusual. A small white figure is standing above you in the rafters, glaring down at you. Is that…the ghost…? Did you finally catch a glimpse of your ghostly housemate?! Your eyes widen when the apparition just… vanishes without a trace.

… 

...Holy shit.

That is so…freaking COOL!

You actually saw Casper! Your heart is racing with a mixture of excitement and adrenaline (and maaaaybe a touch   bit of fear), making your phone tremble in your hand. A bright smile lifts your lips as you unlock your phone. Maybe if you can catch another glimpse of them-

You shake your head. That can wait until later. Right now you have food to order! You pull up your favorite takeout place’s number and as you go to tell the lady your order you pause. You briefly wonder if your ghostly housemate wants anything. 

“Do you want anything, roomie?” you called jokingly into your ‘empty’ house. The house, of course, is silent as a crypt. Darn. You were kind of hoping the promise of food would lure them out.  

...Could ghosts even eat human food? 

“ Errm… Excuse me?”  The voice of the lady taking your order breaks you out of your musings, her voice timid and unsure. You clear your throat, cheeks heating with embarrassment.

“Ahh, I’m sorry about that! I would like…” You tell the lady your choice, making sure to order a little extra just in case your housemate can  eat. You want to be a kind and courteous roommate after all! The lady informs you that your food would be arriving in approximately twenty minutes. With a thank you, you hang up. 

...Now what do you do? You are definitely tired of unpacking and cleaning for one day. Your new couch, bed, and TV wouldn’t be delivered until later this week. Hmm… You could go upstairs and set up your blowup mattress…

And your new portable AC! You jog up the stairs, the promise of blessable cool AC in your near future making a relived smile form on your face. Thank the stars you thought ahead and bought it before you moved in.

Your room in this house is so much bigger than your old one at your ex-datemate’s house, much to your relief. Your old room…

Well… Let’s just say you were expecting your letter to Hogwarts addressed to your broom closet any moment while you lived there. You catch your train of thought before it could wander off down  that  path and force it to focus on the task at hand. 

Anyways, your new room might be empty now but soon, it will be filled with all of your favorite things and supplies for your hobbies. And the view of the forest behind the house from the windows…

It is breathtaking!

Before you realize it your face is pressed up against the bay windows, eyes sweeping across the landscape. You blink and shake yourself. Stop getting distracted! You would have plenty of time to admire the scenery later. You have a blowup mattress and an AC to set up! Now you just have to remember which box you put the mattress in...    

Several minutes and messy boxes later, You finally pull out your mattress and set it up. While it was blowing up you pull your AC out of its box and before you could finish setting it up your doorbell rang, making you jump. With a laugh at you own jumpiness, you trot downstairs to retrieve your nourishment. Right on time too. You are starving!

You thank the delivery person as the exchange of food and money transpires. Ahh… Takeout. Definitely not the healthiest choice but whatever. You could treat yo self if you want to. You’re a strong, independent individual and you could eat whatever you want to! You sit it on the counter and start pulling your delicious food out of its bag prison. Oh! There’s Casper’s food. You set the container aside for them for later, then with a snap of your chopsticks, you dig into your food.

“Brother Look! I Think The Human  Actually Got Food For Us." Cookie leans over the edge of the fridge to get a better look at the food on the counter as the human sets a container aside, leaving it untouched. His magic rushs hungrily through his bones when the smell hits him. Chisps pulls him back into the shadows without a word. Cookie frowns, his dark sockets observing the human as they eat. They seem so… nonthreatening. "Do You Really Think It's Alright To Run This Human Out? They Seem Nice."

Chisps shrugs, phalanges hooking into his damaged eyesocket and tugs, hands shaking anxiously. Cookie tuts disapprovingly and gently removes his brother's phalanges from his damaged socket. "Now, Now Brother. We Have Talked About This. Do Not Stick Your Phalanges In Your Sockets," Cookie squeezes Chisp's hand supportively with a jagged smile. "Here. Squeeze My Hand If You Start Feeling Bad Again."

The bone around Chisp's working socket crinkles with a smile, his single red eyelight brightening slightly. "thanks bro."

Cookie smiles back and turns his attention back to the human, who was scrolling through their phone at the moment. "You Are Very Welcome Brother. Now! We Must Focus. We Are On Sentry Duty While The Others Work On The Next Jape," He pauses, small sockets narrowing slightly. He rubs his jaw with his free hand, a contemplating expression crossing his face. "Although, I Do Not Agree With The Prank They Are Trying To Pull Next. It Seems A Bit Cruel."

"nah, humans are nothin' but cruel bro. this human should be used to it by now. besides, i think it'll be pretty  cool."  He winks as Cookie narrows his eyes at him. 

"Brother,  Please  Don-"

"you're right though. the human won't be  chill  with it."

Cookie sighs and turns back to his observation of the human, ignoring his brother's quiet snickering. 

A smile worms it's way onto his broken teeth when he thought his brother couldn't see. It is good to see his brother making puns and laughing again. He hadn't done that in a  very  long time.

He hopes, with a little persuasion and a lot of kindness on the human's part, that the others will let the human stay. 

Stars knows that they could use the warms of their SOUL in this dark, dreary house. 

Chapter Text

Tears of frustration burn at the corner of your eyes as you mourn for your poor incapacitated AC. Of all the things they could have messed with why did it have to be your AC? With a heavy sigh and a swipe at your eyes, you unpack your tools miserably. How the hell did they break it in the first place? 

Dammit. Now you had to try and fix the AC in this stifling heat. Your only saving grace is that the sun was setting, bringing cooler temperatures with it. And-

Tap tap tap… 

Rain taps against the window, startling you out of your thoughts. A gentle smile graces your face as you sigh, letting the stress and tension melt away with the rain. The rain has always calms you down, no matter how stressed you are. 

You take a deep breath and let it out, calm taking the place of anger. Everything is cool. It will be an easy fix. No need to get worked up into a tizzy about it. You've fixed things in worse shape before and you can do it again. 

Then… then you could figure out what the heck is going on around here. A tingle of fear that you had been optimistically ignoring all day slithers down your spine. You could be in real danger here. This is really starting to freak you out… 

First the living room and now this? You need to get to the bottom of this to see what the hell you could do to remedy this situation. 

Papy fiddles with his holey gloves, a guilty feeling digging into his bones with every passing moment as he stares up at the distraught human fiddling with the machine the others just broke. The human didn't deserve this kind of torment… 

He is very...conflicted about this new human. 

He knows they just got here and he shouldn't judge them so soon… 

…

But… 

They… they seem so nice and… there was something… about them that draws him in… and-

…Oh! Where are they going? 

He climbs out from under the bed and follows the human out of the room, taking care to make as little noise as possible. Papy peeks around the corner, tilting his head in confusion when the human pulls their phone out of their pocket and turns the flashlight on. 

What is the human up to…? 

Their head turns to and fro as they shine their flashlight into the rafters and small crevices in the walls while they walk slowly through the halls, their eyes narrow in concentration.

Realization hit Papy like a truck. The human was looking for the others! He hurries back down the hallway to warn his brother. He couldn't let the human find the others, no matter how friendly they seem. 

You tap a quiet, nervous rhythm on the back of your phone as you scan your surroundings, hoping to find something,  anything,  to set your mind at ease. You flash your light into the rafters once again as your feet carry you through the silent halls of your new house. A small melody slipped passed your lips, making you feel very much like Luigi from Luigi's Mansion. The thought of being the nervous green bro makes you chuckle, setting your frazzled nerves at ease a bit. 

A loud clap of thunder makes you jump with a yelp. After a moment of a heart racing and wide-eyed panic, you blow out a sigh, chuckling at your jumpiness.

Jeez… 

You wipe your damp brow with the back of your arm as you lean against the wall to listen to the pouring rain against the roof, your mind racing with possibilities of just  what  you could possibly be sharing a house with and  where  it could be hiding. 

Your eyes flicker up to the stairs to the attic.

Maybe…  

The air in the attic is hot and arid. Small dust particles drift lazily through the light of your flashlights as you glance around the quiet room, tickling your nose as you breathe in. The rain sweeps across the roof in waves and thunder echoes across the sky, making your heart jump to your throat. 

With a gulp, you continue to sweep your light across the pitch-black room, hoping to catch at least  some  flicker of movement in the darkness. Cobwebs hang low from the beams, tangling in your hair and sticking to your clothes. 

… 

There isn't anything up here… 

Wait… 

You catch a glimpse of something white and...bony? It disappears into the darkness just at the edge of your light as your careful steps falter. The hairs on your arms stand on end. 

What was  that ? 

Your brow furrows as your feet carry you in the direction of where you saw the figure. The floor beneath creaks beneath your feet and you hear something small scurry away from your approaching steps. Your eyes widen as you hurry after it, catching brief glimpses of something white and black in the darkness. 

You just want to…! 

…! 

Red smoke…? 

You kneel and examine the smoke wisping in the still air with a furrowed brow, hesitating before running your fingers through it. It twirls around your fingers, leaving you skin tingly and sending goosebumps up your arm. What in the world  is  this…? 

You sit criss-cross applesauce on the dusty floor, your mind racing. Small, white,  bony … and you  know  you've seen this kind of smoke somewhere before… 

With a sharp intake of breath, your eyes light up with an idea. You'd seen this kind of smoke when your best friend's Bitty used a "shortcut"! 

Bittybones! 

Maybe that's what has been causing all of this mischief around the house. You stand and pace back toward the stairs, mind still tripping over itself with thoughts and possibilities. It lines up with the rumors of the place being haunted too. If bittybones do live here then it would make sense that they wouldn't want to share the house with some random human, especially if… 

Well… especially if they were… mistreated… 

Your mind drifts to the horrid state you have seen bitties in the shelter you used to volunteer in and… 

… 

You frown, pausing on the stairs, your grip tightening around the banister as an ache throbs in your chest. Maybe… 

If  they are bitties then… 

Maybe you  can  show them humans can be kind. Your feet carry you into the living room, passing by the kitchen without a second glance, too deep in your thoughts. 

You fail to notice the dark, cracked sockets watching you pass as their small gloved hands grip the container you left out, crooked teeth arching up into a small smile. 

Edgy clutches the front of his grimy hoodie with shaky phalanges, his SOUL threatening to shatter his ribs with its harsh beating, his eyelights the size of pinpricks. 

Shit! That was  way  too close! 

He shouldn't have-

A clang beside him makes him flinch, his magic flaring in response. A fierce glare sent Blue scurrying away with a squeak, dragging whatever he dropped with him. With the noisemaker gone, Edgy plops down on the large beanie in the middle of the desk with a huff. 

Dammit! 

All he wanted to do was ambush the human, he had his trap set an' everything! They just had to turn and see him! His cheeks heat as embarrassed rage settles in his quaking bones. He wasn't scared of the human! That isn't why he ran! He-he was just-

He was just seeing if the human would trigger his trap! That's why he shortcutted away! 

He wasn't a coward! Next time! Next time he's gonna blast them to oblivion! His teeth curl into a sinister smile. Just watch him! 

Bright sunshine filters through the curtains, casting shadows across the floor and the current occupant draped across the couch. They slept on peacefully, undeterred by the encroaching light threatening to wake them. They toss an arm over their eyes with a sleepy groan, displacing the phone that is perched on their chest. It clatters to the floor. The human mumbles irritably at the noise but settles down moments later. 

Someone peers out from the shadows, a single red eyelight blazing in one socket, skeletal fingers curling into the darkness of the other. His eyelight flickers up to the human before he darts out, phalanges wrapping around the device. He yanks it back into the shadows of his hiding place under the sofa. His phalanges tap against the screen as he turns it on, the brightness of the screen making his good socket squint under the assault and his skull throb. 

Bittybones and You  is the last thing the human was looking at before they fell asleep last night. Chisp scans the page. It… 

It was all about how to take care of various bittybones, their diets, behavioral analysis… 

Chisp's browbone furrows, his eyelight lingering on the blanks beneath his and his brother's type list before he shut the phone off and pushes it back out where you could find it before he scurries back under the couch when you begin to stir above him. 

Just what is this human up to…? 

Ugh… curse your past self for falling asleep on the couch… You rub your sore spine as you meander into your bedroom for a change of clothes. A sigh flows out of your nose as you slide into your outfit of the day. You have to go on a grocery run today. 

A mental list of things you need runs through your head as you descend the stairs. 

Let's see… you definitely need all of the essentials, like bread and milk and such. Then you need to grab sewing supplies and cloth… 

Your keys jingle in your hand as you snatch them and your purse off of the kitchen counter and head out the door. 

… 

Several shades of eyelights glisten in the dark. 

Your trip to the store had been mostly uneventful… well, besides all the stares that seemed to linger on you as you transversed the aisles. You didn't let it bother you, though.

You sigh as you knead the dough, hands covered in flour and dough. Your hands busy themselves folding the dough, then you reach for your rolling pin and-

Oh! It was a bitty! So you  do  have a bitty living in your house! You bite your lip to keep in an excited laugh. The little skeleton ducks behind your tall salt shaker, peeking around it to watch you cook. You turn your attention back to the dough in front of you, not wanting to scare the little guy away by staring. A goofy smile spread across your lips when you saw him sneaking closer at the corner of your eye. You wonder what kind he was? You glance at him again while he hurried for cover behind a cup that you left on the counter. Hmm… he's too tall to be a Sans type… 

Maybe he's a Lil'bro? Or maybe he's a Papy? Yeah, he looks like a Papy to you. The Papy peeks up, eyesockets wide with fear and curiosity when you lock eyes with him. You wave slowly with a warm smile before turning back to your rolling. His eyesockets widen and he ducks back behind the cup. You hope you didn't scare him away.

Was he the only one living here? Hmm… he couldn't be. Papys' weren't known to be destructive or mischievous. They were known for being helpful and endlessly positive from what your research told you last night. You glance back at the Papy who has inched closer since the last time you looked. His eyesockets were fixated on your hands as they folded the dough, letting you get a closer look at him without scaring him off. 

He is wearing the standard Papy type cloths that they sell in stores, though they look like they've seen better days. His scarf has holes and tears that have been patched up sloppily and his outfit was in very rough shape. There are tiny healed microfractures spider webbing across his cranium. He must have been homeless for a long while… 

Poor little guy… 

You wonder- Oh! 

… 

He's gone… 

Man… 

… 

Maybe you could… hmm… 

Your spine cracks with how fast you jolt from your slouching position, a sudden, wonderful idea sticking you. 

The dough is ready so you toss it in a big bowl and wrap the top with plastic wrap, your movements hurried and excited. A smile blazes across your face as you practically throw the bowl into the fridge and wash your hands before you rush upstairs, tripping over your own feet in your excitement. 

You could make him (and the others, y'know, if there are more.) clothes! Then you could slowly win their trust and maybe you could get along with them then! 

You dive into your sewing bag, inspiration thumping through your veins, thrills of electric glee sending goosebumps across your skin. 

This is going to be fun! 

Chapter Text

You tap your pencil rhythmically against your desk to the beat of the song flowing from your earbuds. Your phone's browser is open to a page of bitty dimensions, their height, and width on display for you to sketch down. 

Should you make him something unique or...?

Hmm... Maybe be would like a new scarf. The one the little guy was wearing was in pretty bad shape and-

A loud gurgling makes you flinch, interrupting your frantic sketching. You pull on earbud out, a brow raised in confusion as you look around. What was...? 

... Was that your stomach? 

As if to answer you, your stomach gurgles loudly again, this time accompanied by an empty, achy sensation in your midsection. 

Ugh... You sit your pencil down and stretch out your cramped muscles, joints popping in several different places. You'd been sitting in this chair for far too long! The dough should be done by now so now you can finally dig out your noodle maker and start on the sauce! Then... 

You rub your empty stomach with a grin. Then you can finally eat! 

After you stuff your phone in your pocket, you tread down the stairs and-

A knock at the door redirects your path from the kitchen to the foyer.

 Who could that be? 

The door opens with its normal creaks and groans (the grouch). 

"Oh, hey Mom." You smile as you let her into the house after exchanging hugs. The carrier in her arm squicks at the sound of your voice and something shuffles within. A bright smile spreads across your face when you took the carrier out of your mother's hands. You peer into the carrier. 

"Hey Fidget! Did ya miss me," The ferret fidgets in his plastic prison, his little claws scrabbling against the side. You turn your eyes back to your mother with a smile. "How was he?"

"He's been an absolute terror, as always." Your mother titters jokingly as she follows you into the living room, where you set up Fidget's play area. As soon as to your fur noodle was in his area he slinks straight to his little house. You fill up his food and water before join your mother on the couch, chuckling. "Of course, how can I think any different."

Your mom takes a seat on your couch, crossing her leg over her knee. "So... This is your new house?"

You fidget with a piece of lent in your pocket as her observant eyes scan your living room. "Yep. This is it."

Her face scrunches up a little, deepening the faint crow's feet around her eyes. You bite the inside of your cheek as her eyes meet yours, expression troubled. "Oh, honey... "

You sigh internally. Oh boy, here it comes... You mentally prepare yourself for the conversation to come. 

"You know you didn't have to move into such a... dreary house, especially one so far away. Your father and I would have let you move back home and you wouldn't have had to-"

"Mom, seriously, everything is fine, I promise! I like it here. I like having my own place."

She sighs before pulling you into a hug. "Okay. But if you ever need anything just let me know."

You smile into her shoulder, squeezing her just a bit tighter. "Of course I will Mom."

She pulls back and strokes your hair before she stands up. "Okay, sweetie. I'll get out of your hair."

"Alright, tell Dad I said hello. Have a safe trip home!"

You shut the door behind her and lean against the door with a sigh. You love you mom, you really do, but she seriously worries too much. Another sigh passes your lips before you straight with a determined nod. 

Okay, back to the task at hand! 

You wander into the kitchen. First, you need to find your pasta maker...

A small flash of ivory and red runs across your perpendicular. Your eyes jump to the spot you saw the figure, finding nothing. You smile slightly. Those little guys sure are shy. You shake your head and continue on your journey to make your pasta before you starved. 

Sansy's eyelights dart across the page, taking in the various scribbles and patterns splashed across the paper. Papy stands at his side, his face bright with excitement that he couldn't quite contain. 

"SEE! HE HUMAN IS MAKING US CLOTHES, BROTHER! THEY CAN'T BE LIKE THE HUMANS THAT HURT US! THEY ARE A GOOD HUMAN!"

Behind him, Razzy rubs his mandible as he too studies the paper. "THE HUMAN COULD HAVE AN ULTERIOR MOTIVE. THEY COULD BE DOING THESE THINGS TO EARN OUR TRUST SO WE LET OUT GUARD DOWN."

Sansy nods distractedly, his eyelights bright and thoughtful. Papy shoots hopeful glances his way between looking at the designs on the paper, his dark sockets sparkling joyfully. 

"we still need to be careful bro. there's no telling what the human has up their sleeve." With a grin, he waves his ratty, slightly oversized hoodie sleeve at him, making Razzy snicker before clearing his throat to cover it up. 

With narrowed sockets, Papy picks his smaller brother up with a huff. "NO! YOU'RE PUNNING PRIVILEGES ARE REVOKED," He sits Sansy back down on his feet, keeping his hands on his shoulders. Sansy's grin shifts slightly as his brother stares down at him, a serious look overtaking his normally bright features. "Please Brother, Can You And The Others Reconsider Chasing This Human Out? They Seem Genuinely Nice."

Sansy shifts in his brother's grasp, a bead of magical sweat trickling down his face as his eyelights shrink and dart away from Papy's stare. 

"bro..." Sansy sighs before placing a hand over his brother's gloved one, his grin tilting a bit in defeat. "we'll talk it over later, ok?"

Papy's sockets sparkle happily as he picks up his brother in a bear hug. "OH! THANK YOU, BROTHER! I AM SURE THE OTHERS WILL AGREE ONCE WE TALK WITH THEM! RIGHT RAZZY?"

He looks over at Razzy, who is being uncharacteristically quiet this whole time. His purple eyelights were bright and contemplative. He looks up, startled, when Papy calls him. "HMM? OH, YES, WELL. I GUESS WE WILL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE. I FOR ONE THINK IT IS A TERRIBLE IDEA! THE HUMAN  COULD BE TRYING TO TRICK US!"

"at any rate, we should move this outfit to the meeting room."

"SANSY!"

Sansy snickers at Papy's protest as he grabs his hand, the familiar magic of his shortcut heating up his bones. As they fell into the vast empty cold of the void he closes his eyes, silently hoping against everything that you are a good person, for his bro's sake. 

The popping of boiling water mixing with the melodies of your favorite tunes is a comfort as you toss your freshly made noodles into the water before dancing away to dice your garlic, onion, and herbs. 

Cooking has always set your mind at ease and helps you think. Your mindset itself to autopilot and your body moves through the movements of cooking one of your favorite dishes as your mind drifts. 

You hope the bitties like the clothes you make for them. All of the designs are done, so now all you have to do is get the right fabric and such to-

Oh! The Papy bitty is back! 

...Wait.

... 

He looks different... 

Your hands stay frozen mid chop as your wide eyes lock on the marred bitty, the welcoming smile slipping away. A cold shard of anguish embeds itself in your SOUL as your practice eyes ran over the bitty's various badly healed fractures and cracks that ran over his bones, and his teeth... Oh stars, the poor guys teeth... His dark socket stares back at you from behind the cup he is hiding behind, watching with guarded curiosity. 

Just what happened to this little guy...? 

The knife in your hand is carefully set on the chopping board. Your eyes never leave the stock still bitty as you slowly approach, making sure to keep your hand visible at all times. Your mind jumps back to your training, the rules that were drilled into your head helps you focus. 

"Hey," With a soft, soothing voice you greet the skeleton. He flinches and takes a step back. You could tell from his expression that he was debating on bolting. You rearrange your expression into a welcoming smile even as worry gnaws at your SOUL at this bitty's terrible state. "Would you like some of this food I'm making? It should be done soon."

The mention of food made his sockets glitter with interest, and he steps out from behind the cup, is posture still tight and guarded, ready to bolt at a moment notice. 

Cookie draws closer cautiously. He still didn't know what to make of this human, despite them being kind and tolerant of the others pranks. He's seen behavior like this before. A human will pretend to be kind and friendly in the beginning but once the newness wears off... 

The human smiles kindly at him before they go back to their cooking... And... Just talks to him. They make no motion to pick him up or move him or anything of the sort. Just continued to babble about anything that came to their mind, mostly asking him about himself. He felt himself relax slightly as he watches them. He even begins to answer some of their questions, voice quiet and tentative. 

"So, your name is Cookie? That freaking adorable," He feels his zygomatic bone warm at the compliment. They are such an odd human. They turn their head to look at him, that same friendly smile blazing across their face. "Well, Cookie I-Oh! Hello again!"

Cookie turns to see who caught their attention to find Papy standing behind him, wearing a sheepish expression. "Ahh... Hello Human!"

The human pours the mixture that they had been working on into their drained noodles, then they pour that into a big pan with chicken in it and begins to stir it all together. 

"So, how long have you guys been here in this house," The bitties glance at each other wearing matching expressions of hesitation. The human seems to pick up on their hesitation because they backtrack, words tumbling passed their lips like a river. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to! I'm just a bit curious. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable! I-"

They stop mid-sentence, biting their lip. Their eyes stay glued to the food they were stirring. "Uhh... Sorry. I have a habit of rambling..." The tips of their ears flush red. The bitties stare at them, dumbfounded. A... A human is... actually treating them like anyone else. Before the bitties could get a word in the human plows on. "Anyway, the food is almost done! I can fix you guys a plate if you want."

Finally, Cookie blinks away the surprise and nods, smiling crookedly. "Yes, That Would Be Wonderful Human. Thank You."

Their smile is bright as they turn to grab a small plate from the cabinet behind them. "Awesome. Let me just..." They scoop a good bitty sized portion on to the plate and cuts everything up into bitty size pieces before they place it in front of them with a dramatic flourish. "Here you are! One chicken carbonara just for you!"

"OH THANK YOU HUMAN! YOU ARE VERY KIND," Papy declares as he shucks off his gloves and digs into a piece of chicken with gusto. Cookie picks up a noodle, eating it slowly to savor it. It was delicious! Papy turns to him, skull and phalanges covered in cream sauce and herbs. "THIS IS DELICIOUS, ISN'T COOKIE? WE SHOULD SAVE SOME FOR THE OTHERS!"

Cookie stiffens when the human pauses in their eating, fork halfway in their mouth. They set it back in their plate, eyes glittering with interest. Papy backpedals when he realizes his mistake, dropping his chicken to wave his hands in denial, sockets wide. "NOT- NOT THAT THERE ARE MORE OF US! IT'S JUST US! NO MORE! Nyeh Heh Heh..."

The human grins and picks their fork up again. "If you say so little dude."

Cookie's shoulders sag in relief. That was close... He didn't want them to go looking for the others, especially not his brother. He needs to watch them to be sure that they are as friendly as they seemed. 

He really hopes they are... 

After you wash the dishes and gave the bitties a warm rag to wipe off with you bounce back up the stairs to your room with the bitties on your heels. They wouldn't let you hold them yet, not that you blame them, you had just met them after all. And if what you thought was true about them being abused then it would take a while to build up trust. At least they were comfortable enough to show themselves to you and talk to you. That's a good start! 

Once you were sitting comfortably in your desk chair you pick up your sketching pencil and look over the patterns that are scattered across the page. Cookie and Papy climb up the legs of your desk with ease. 

"You guys need any help?" You ask, ducking down to watch them climb. Their faces are locked in determined resolve as they shook their heads. With a little effort, Papy pulls himself up with a triumph NYEH HEH HEH! just before Cookie pulls himself on to the desk with a quiet grunt of effort. 

"HUMAN! THESE ARE VERY NICE DRAWINGS! DID YOU DO THEM?" Papy inquiries, crouching down to run his gloved hands over the drawings. 

The human shrugs, rubbing the back of their neck sheepishly. Little smudges of blush light up the skin under their eyes. "Err... Yeah. I did. They're not that great though."

Cookie's crooked teeth lift into a smile as Papy begins to lecture the human about believing in themselves and being more confident. Papy is always giving lectures like that. He's been on the receiving end on a few himself. 

The pencil scratches across the paper as you make small adjustments to the clothing sketches, humming a soft tune. Cookie glances over at Papy, who looks transfixed on the way your pencil moves across the page. He looks up at you to see you smiling softly, a giddy light dancing in your eyes. 

"Do you guys have anything to add?" You ask, your pencil pausing as you look over your work with a proud grin. Cookie walks over the page, careful not to ruin any of you drawings with his dirty boots, inspecting the clothing designs. 

"Could you add a scarf to mine too, if you don't mind..." Cookie requests softly, trying to wrap his mind around how and why you're being so nice to them. Most humans are not kind to them at all, and if they are, they never stay that way. They usually just lose interest. Are you going to be like them too? He couldn't help but worry. 

But then you smile warmly, chasing away the cold wariness that has enveloped his SOUL. "Of course, Cookie! Whatever you want," Your pencil moves quickly over the page as your sketch down his request. When you were finished your gaze turns to Papy. "How about you, Papy?"

Papy's eyes sparkle with delight as he rattles off his requests, his hands moving animatedly. The excitement must have been catching because the human face is bright with it, a blinding smile lighting up your face as you converse with Papy, just as animated. 

He had been right before. You are just the warmth they need in this dreary house. He just hopes that warmth and kindness don't fade. 

After about an hour of laughing and talking and drawing you begin to yawn sleepily. They decide to leave you to rest for the night, saying something about having some other things to do. You had a feeling it had something to do with the other bitties. 

You send them off with a goodnight and a midnight snack for the others they claim don't exist. They bid you one cheerful and one cautious goodnight, scampering out into the darkness of the hallway with snacks in hand. 

So begins the long, hard journey to earn their trust. You just know it will be all worth it in the end. 

Chapter Text

After a week of pricked fingers and tangled thread, the day finds you back at your sewing desk, watching with bated breath for your bitty buddy to step out onto the mini runway you set up for him. 

"Do they fit okay?" You call, nearly bouncing with anticipation. There's a pause, and you known he's pausing for a dramatic entrance. In the week you've known him you've learned that Papy has a flair for dramatics. 

Finally, after what seems like an eon the curtain flies open and Papy steps out, striking a pose. You and Cookie clap, you a bit more ecstatically, as he turns with another pose, showing off the rest of his new outfit. 

"THEY FIT WONDERFULLY, HUMAN," He tugs his bright red scarf, securing it tighter around his neck with a blinding smile. "THANK YOU SO MUCH!"

Your smile is just as blinding as you give him a thumbs up. "No problemo, little dude! I'm glad you like them!"

He continues to strike pose after dashing pose in the hand mirror you set up for him, the smile never leaving his eyes. You watch, amused, as he does so. You're so glad you're able to help, even in little ways like this. The smiles on Papy's and Cookie's face when the put on their new clothes makes something in your chest flutter happily. 

"Human," Cookie's call draws your eyes down to him and your smile grows if that's possible. The fire-colored sweater hangs loosely around his frame, just how he requested, and the scarf is just the right length. He looks very dashing. When you told him so this face positively *lights* up with the same color of his new sweater, drawing a poorly smothered laugh from your lips. He was freaking adorable. He avoids your eyes as he readjusts his scarf, hiding the smile that lights up his face. "Thank You, Human. The Cloths Fit Quite Nicely."

"You're very welcome. I'm glad you like them. They were a lot of fun to make so if you ever want anything else don't hesitate to ask." Your smile softens when he sinks deeper into his scarf with a nod. 

Sansy watches from the rafters of your bedroom, hands tangling in the wires of the fairy lights strung across them. Papy is posing in from of the mirror you set up and the beaming smile on his face makes his day. He has to admit that you hadn't done anything to hurt Papy...yet. He didn't have very high hopes that you are a good person like Papy and Cookie swear you are. But, for his bro, he'll try to believe.  

His eyelights catch a flash of baby blue disappearing under your bed. He blinks. Blue...? 

Blue peeks out from under the comforter, peering nervously up at you, fear and curiosity at war in his baby blue eyelights. He'd been doing that all week. Sansy knows he wants to be up there with Papy, chatting and learning about you but... The poor kid just couldn't work passed his fear. Magic warms his bones as Sansy steps into the Void and outright behind Blue. 

"heya blue." 

Blue squeaks and whips around to face him, cheekbones flushed the color of his magic. "S-S-SANSY! YOU-" Blue clears his throat, trying and failing to look nonchalant. "YOU MILDLY STARTLED ME! I WAS JUST OBSERVING THE H-HUMAN! JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE! NOT BEING SCARED OF THEM!"

"i know bud. But to patella you truth-"

A startled exclamation of surprise makes them both flinch and rush to check on their companions. Papy is dangling from your outstretched hand, a look of surprise frozen on his face. Cookie is on his feet, hurrying to the edge of the desk where Papy is draped across your palm. Sansy makes a move to help his brother but Blue stops him, phalanges wrapping around his radius as he motions for him to keep watching. Your expression is equally surprised, slowly melting into relief as you sit him back on the desk gently. Once he's back on his feet you quickly draw your hand away from him. 

"Are you okay?" The furrow in your brows made Sansy step back into the shadows. You...you were worried about Papy? Why would you-

A brilliant smile blazes across Papy's teeth, the bone around his eyesockets crinkling. "I AM UNHARMED HUMAN. THANK YOU FOR CATCHING ME! YOUR HUMAN HANDS ARE VERY FLESHY AND SOFT!"

Sansy chuckles despite himself when your face scrunches up with a flattered, yet confused smile. "Uhh thanks, I think? At any rate, I'm glad your okay Pap."

"YOU ARE VERY WELCOME HUMAN!"

With the situation under control for the moment, Sansy turns his attention back to Blue, who is still watching the human with cautious interest. 

"DO...DO YOU THINK THE HUMAN WILL KEEP BEING NICE?" The corners of Sansy's everpresent grin twitch down, fighting a grimace. For one he didn't have a pun or a joke or answer or something for the current predicament... And if he's being honest, that scared him. He didn't like not knowing. Not knowing is what- his thoughts halt as his eyelights roam over the various cracks and fractures. 

Well, let's just say he can't afford not to care anymore. He pats Blue on the shoulder. "we'll just have to be patient and see."

Blue's shoulders droop, the corners of his grin pulling down dejectedly. "I Hope The Do..."

Later that evening, Papy and Cookie join you in the kitchen to help you cook dinner(well, Papy is helping. Cookie is still watching you and trying not to get too close.). Tonight you were cooking tacos. Papy hums a little tune as he watches you stir the meat, garlic, and onions together in the frying pan from where he's sitting, his tiny legs beating gently against your shoulder, which he requested to be his perch tonight. He's taken to you quite well over the past week or so. Surprisingly well if you're being honest. It's actually a bit worrying. In your experience bitties, especially those that have suffered abuse, take much longer to adjust to a new situation, and even longer to adjust to a new human. You would have to-

"-UMAN! HUMAN, IS EVERYTHING OKAY? YOU STOPPED STIRRING THE MEAT!" You blink and when the smell of slightly overcooked meat hits your nose you hastily take it off the eye and stir it. In your haste, you jostle Papy and he tangles his gloved phalanges in your shirt and hair to keep from tumbling off your shoulder. 

"Ahh- Sorry Pap. You okay?" You place your free hand behind him just in case. Cookie drew closer in the time you'd been trying to save your supper, watching with wide eyesockets. 

In your peripheral you see him nodding. "I'M ALRIGHT HUMAN. IT TAKES MORE THAN THAT TO SCARE ME!"

You chuckle at the little skeleton's antics. "Of course, Pap. How could I think any different," You turn your sights on your other skeleton buddy while you prepared their mini tacos. "You've been awful quiet over there Cookie. Are you okay?"

He nods but offers nothing further. Huh... Your brows furrow in concern. He's never all that talkative, not like Papy, but he usually offers more to the conversation than this. You wonder what's eating at him. 

The human's question distracts him for only a moment before he returns to the task at hand. Cookie's dim eyelights scan the darkness of the rafters high above, looking for a flash or a glimpse of red or blue. Finding none, he moves his sights to the surrounding shadows. He knows he's not too far away... 

If he'd blinked he'd have missed the quick flash a glowing red eyelight peering out of the shadows of the refrigerator. There he is. 

His brother's gaze met his and his socket narrows. Honestly, he wishes his brother would listen to him and just talk to the human. After a glance to make sure the human isn't looking his hand begins to move discretely in signs. 

BROTHER! STOP BEING CREEPY AND GET DOWN HERE. WE'VE DECIDED TO GIVE THE HUMAN A CHANCE.

Chisp's single eyelight shrinks into a pinprick and his socket narrowed further, showing his displeasure. 

can't trust them. they could still turn on us.

Cookie sighs, but he understands Chisp's reasoning. Humans had never been the kindest species, even to each other. And though the human has treated him well, great even, he's still wary of them, and reasonably so. The last person that had "owned" him... He brings a hand up, almost unconsciously, and traces his teeth, phalanges catching on the cracks and crevices in the bone. 

With a sharp shake of his skull, he yanks his phalanges away from his damaged face and instead buries them in the soft cotton of the scarf you gave him. He and Papy are right. You are a good person. They just have to prove it to the others and-

"Are you sure you're okay, Cookie? You look-" The concern in your vibrant eyes makes him smile, hoping to reassure you. 

"I Am Fine Human. Thank You For Your Concern."

The human's worried gaze holds his for a moment longer, before they nod and place his plate in front of him with a grin. "Alright, buddy. Enjoy your meal!"

Chisp watches his and Sansy little brother's chow down on the food the human fixed for them. His magic flares hungrily in his SOUL, reminding them that he hasn't eaten anything today. His phalanges curl into his darkened socket and  pull , causing small puffs of pure white dust to flake off into the joints of his phalanges. He wishes Cookie would just *listen* to him and stay away from the human. The human-

His SOUL jolts against his ribs when he looks down to find your eyes locked on him, sending his slate blue magic flaring through his bones. You stare up at him with a tilted head and a curious smile. 

shit. 

Your eyes are drawn to the single ruby red glow gleaming up in the rafters. Your taco lay abandoned on your plate, your eyes glued the light as it darts behind one of the support beams. Another bitty? 

A soft glove on your hand makes you jolt. Papy is staring up at you, sockets alight inquisitively. You bit your lip to quell the urge to scoop him up in a hug and tell him what a cutie he is. No. There would be time for that later. After you got to know the little guy better. It's all about boundaries. 

"What's up, Pap?"

He returns to his seat beside Cookie, who is paying your conversation no mind, instead, hehe focuses on the devouring the delicious food in front of him. Papy picks up one of his own mini tacos. 

"YOU WERE STARING OFF INTO SPACE HUMAN! YOUR FOOD IS GETTING COLD!"

The 'oh shit, you right' meme runs through your head as you pick up your taco and take a bite. Your mind and eyes drift back to the rafters. If that was another bitty you saw then you were gonna have to make more food... 

"Hey, guys. I know you didn't answer me before and if I make you uncomfortable feel free not to answer... But. Are their more bitties living here too?"

The bitties exchange a glance, a look passing between them that you couldn't decipher before it's gone. "Human I'm not sure if-"

"It's just that- I want to make sure their eating too, y'know? If you have friends that don't trust me it's okay. But I don't want them to starve..."

Another look passes before Cookie speaks up. "We Save Them Some Of The Food That You Give Us."

Well, that just wouldn't do. A feeling flares up in your chest as you set aside your half-empty plate and stride over to the fridge to pull more cooking supplies. You were gonna remedy this situation right now. You were gonna make sure those little guys had plenty of food, one way or the other! 

Chapter Text

Sweat rolls down your spine as you painstakingly squeeze the icing bag... With all of the finesse of a lumberjack. Next thing you know there's icing everywhere! There's icing on your shirt, icing in your hair, hell- there's even icing on the bitties! Papyrus looks at you like you've just committed a grievous act of treachery before he marches off to get clean up, grumbling about the mess you've made.

Cookie, however...

"This Is Very Delicious, Human." He says...shoving a...handful of icing in his mouth...

Pfff... He's too adorable. "Thanks, buddy. Do you need a napkin?"

"No thank you, human." He waves your offer off, slinging bits of icing onto the counter. With a little shrug and a smile, you left him to his own devices. While you two bitty pals were preoccupied you decided to check over the buffet that you've created for them and their friends. A proud smile lingers on your lips as you survey the counter that you've covered in delicious smelling dishes. From bitty sized hamburgers to tiny tacos, you've got it all. No bitty is going hungry tonight.

Welp, time to make yourself scarce. You wouldn't want to hang around and chance scaring the other bitties off. You let Cookie know you were heading to shower and, with an excited smile, scampered upstairs. With all of the splattering of sauce and stains covering your clothes and dotting your hair and skin, you definitely need one.

Cookie strides into the small hole that he and his Chisp converted into a room, pausing when a quiet snore rattles from his brother's bed. There, huddled in a nest of threadbare cloth, is his brother. With a fond sigh and a smile, he steps around the mess his brother left, his gangly spine twinging painfully as he bent to shake his brother's e shoulder gently. He almost didn't want to wake him; he's sleeping so peacefully. His brother... He has always had trouble sleeping, but ever since the incident...

...Well. He luck if his brother gets even two hours of sleep at the most, not counting his less than frequent naps.

His brother stirs with a sleepy grunt, his good socket half-lidded as his stares up at Cookie.

"what's...up, bro...?"

"I Have A Surprise For You," Cookie says, helping Chisp's up and ushering him out of the room. Chisp's red eyelight dilates in his socket when a wave of aromas hits him all at once. The corner of his perma-grin twitch, eyesockets narrowing in inquiry. Over his shoulder, Cookie is beaming, the edges of his sockets crinkling. Yet, he says nothing. Then, they step into the kitchen. And Chisp stops dead in his tracks, eyesockets wide and eyelight dilated in surprised awe. "Ta-Da! The Human Made Us All Food!"

"for...us...?" He says slowly. He...he couldn't believe it. A human would go through all that trouble...for them...?

A hand is gently pressed on his shoulder and he let Cookie led him further into the kitchen. "Come Along Brother. Let Us Join The Others!"

...

Delicious aromas drift through the house, drawing several bitties attention. One by one they are drawn all into the dining room, where you have laid out a mountain of food across the table.

And soon the dining room table is crowded with food and bitties. Some bitties scamper across the wood, teeth set in wide grins as they take in the feast, others stare, sockets wide in awe at the slew of food that is laid before them. Some... Well, they scoff and cross their arms, clearly not impressed with the display. But all can agree that they've never seen so much food in their lives.

"what's all of this for, bro?" Sansy asks, raising an inquisitive browbone at his brother. Papyrus is nearly vibrating with excitement as he beams down at his brother.

"THE HUMAN SPENT HOURS COOKING ALL OF THIS FOOD! FOR US! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT, BROTHER?!" Papy exclaims. His smile is just this side of smug. An 'I TOLD YOU THE HUMAN WAS GOOD!' smile, if you will. Sansy sighs, his sockets half-lidded and grin sheepish. He knows when he's been bested.

"i salute your perception bro. it wouldn't make sense not to."

Papy's eyesockets narrow skeptically. "THAT SOUNDED SUSPICIOUSLY LIKE A PUN."

Sansy snickers. "just your imagination bro. I wouldn't pun at you at a time like this. I have more sense than that."

The outrage that crosses Papy's skull is priceless. "YOU-! THAT WAS A PUN," He picks his brother up and shakes him. "THAT'S IT! NO FOOD FOR YOU! YOU ARE-! YOU ARE ON PUNISHMENT! NYEH HEH HEH!"

Sansy wipes away a tear of laughter as his brother places him back on the ground. "i'm so proud."

Papy clears his throat...audibly. "AT ANY RATE, WE SHOULD JOIN THE OTHERS!" He rushes off, climbing the leg of the table with ease, leaving Sans to catch up. Sans meanders behind; his focus on something else entirely.

It's time. He has to have a long overdue talk with you.

...He hopes, against his own cynical mind, that you were genuinely a good person. He'll just have to wait and judge you for himself.

In the meantime...

He shortcuts up and lands beside Edgy, much to the others bitty's displeasure. He glares as Sansy shucks off his gloves and grabs a nearby bitty sized burger, ignoring Edgy's scowl as he covers his burger in ketchup. Edgy huffs before grabbing his own grub.

"the hell did all this food come from?" Edgy wonders loudly around a bite of fries drenched in mustard. The mustard drips down his chin as he speaks, staining his shirt and phalanges. Boss glares down at him.

"WHY DO YOU INSIST ON EATING LIKE A NEANDERTHAL? USE A DAMNED NAPKIN, FOR STAR'S SAKE, FOOL," He thrusts a napkin into Edgy's hands, causing him to drop his piece of burger. He grumbles but wipes his face and hands as Boss instructed. Boss scoffs. "AS FOR THE FOOD, PAPY SAID THAT THE HUMAN PROVIDED IT! AS IF A HUMAN WOULD MAKE FOOD FOR US!"

Papy, from the other side of the table, perks up at the sound of his name. Wiping his hands, he stands, regarding Boss with a disappointed frown. "OF COURSE THE HUMAN WOULD COOK FOR US! THEY KINDEST HUMAN EVER!"

Boss meets his frown with a cold glare. "ALL HUMANS ARE VERMIN! THEY TREAT US LIKE PETS, OR GARBAGE, AND TORMENT US WHEN THEIR TIRED OF US!"

Papy opens his mouth to defend the human, when Sansy interjects with a distracted wave of his hand, forcing the bickering bitties to sit down. "cool your jets, kiddos. some of us are trying to enjoy our meal."

Boss's skull lights up with rage. "EXCUSE-"

Sansy snickers. "your excused."

...

On the other side of the table, ignoring the others shinanigans, Razzy munches contemplative on a slice of burrito, gazing off into the distance. Why would you go through all of this trouble? What did you want from them? He shoves away the troubling thoughts. Regardless of want you wanted, he's going to find out, one way or another. His purple eyelights soften as he looks over at his brother. He's normal scowl is back in place not a second later. He has someone he has to protect. Beside him, Pup dips a piece of chicken in some BBQ sauce, some dripping from his phalanges to the table. Razzy shakes his head.

"WELL, I SEE YOU'RE ENJOYING YOURSELF."

"yeah, this is the first decent meal we've had in a while. you seem to be enjoying yourself too, bro."

Razzy smirks. "THE FOOD IS SUBPAR AT BEST. BUT... IT IS BETTER THAN FOOD FROM THE GARBAGE."

"I THINK IT'S DELICIOUS!" Blue pipes up from across the table. He waves a piece of cake, flinging crumbs all over the table.

"WATCH OUT YOU IMBECILE! YOUR FLINGING CRUMBS ALL OVER THE PLACE." Razzy shouts, holding up his arms to deflect the crumbs. A hand reaches out and grabs the cake.

"here bro, i think that's enough cake for now," Lil'bro takes the cake and places it back on the plate, steely glare pinned on Razzy. He turns his gaze back to Blue when he apologizes meekly, hiding his face in his stained scarf. Lil'bro's expression softened as he places a little taco in his hand. "here. try this instead. they're really good."

Blue takes a bite, chewing thoughtfully before his eyelights explode into twinkling stars and a bright grin blazes across his face. He stuffs the rest in his mouth before grabbing another one.

"THESE ARE SOOO GOOD!" He says, voice raising with his excitement. Lil'bro smiles and turns back to his own honey drizzled food.

...

"Brother, Are You Alright? You Are Being Much More Quiet Than Normal." Cookie asks worriedly. Chisps pauses for a moment before he nods, chomping down on a meatball. Cookie isn't convinced. With a quiet sigh, he turns back to his own food. He'll leave his brother to his thoughts for now. He knows Chisp will talk to him about it when he's ready. Instead, he changes the subject to something they both love...

Food!

"Want It Kind Of The Human To Cook Us All Of This Wonderful Food, Brother?"

Chisp merely nods again, but Cookie catches the way his eyelights dilates and softens. Chisp smirks triumphantly. Now all you had to do is meet his brother. He's sure Chisp will like you once you get to know each other.

But for now, he picks up another noodle, enjoying the ambiance of eating and boisterous conversations around him.

It's getting late. You glance away from the game you had been playing idly to your bedroom door. You wonder if the bitties were enjoying their meal. You were itching to sneak a peek, but you definitely didn't want to scare any of them away by going downstairs. Besides, you were starting your new job at the local Bitty Rescue Center bright and early tomorrow morning.

With a sigh, you reach over and place your game system on the bedside table before rolling into your back with a huff of frustration.

You weren't even tired yeeet...

Creak....

A chill shivers down your limbs when your bedroom door creaks open slowly.

"Papy? Cookie? That you?" You call out, sitting up slowly.

...No response.

Your fingers tense around the blanket as your eyes scan the room. The low light that your fairy lights provide did little to aid in your search. A moment later you spot what looks like blue smoke drifting in the breeze from your fan.

Blue smoke...?

Your eyes dart to your desk, where the smoke trail starts, and you are met with two tiny lights floating in the darkness. You suck in a startled breath, before blowing it out in a quiet, calming exhale. It's only one of the bitties! But... Which one...?

You kick off the covers and scoot slowly to the edge of the bed, studying the snowy lights and the small silhouette. You knew that neither Papy nor Cookie have eyelights that bright and they were definitely taller than this bitty so it had to be one of the bitties you haven't met yet.

"Hello," You keep your voice soft and gentle, just in case your movement spooked the little guy. The bitty blinks. You glance away, feeling a bit awkward under the bitty's scrutiny, cheeks heating slightly. "Uhmm..."

"why," The bitty interjects abruptly, his voice cautious and gaze vigilant, tiny lights watching your every move and expression. The question caught you off guard, the words catching in your throat. You open your mouth to-

"why are you being so kind? we gave you every reason to hate us. but, you didn't. what's your game?"

This time you get the words out, eyes wide at the accusation. "I'm not-! I just...want to be friends. I'm...just not the type of person to hate anyone either...so...I, uhh..."

The silence stretches on after you trail off. The bitty continues to pin you under those discerning lights. Then, after a tense moment, the bitty sighs, taking his hands out of his ratty jacket to shrug. His posture drops into a nonchalant slouch, immediately cutting through the pressure that had begun to build.

With a quiet pop of air pressure and a thin wisp of blue magic, the bitty lands on the foot of your bed, carefully keeping plenty of distance between the two of you. You scamper back to your pillows to give him more space, studying the mysterious bitty curiously. The is no doubt that he's a Sansy type. From his signature blue jacket to his easygoing, bordering on lazy, way of doing things, he had to be, the only thing missing is-

"you're one of the strangest humans that's move in here, no bones about it."

...Nevermind, there it is. You can't help but chuckle at the pun.

"Errm... Thanks?"

He stuffs his hands in his pockets once more, regarding you less intensely than before. "so..." He glances away. His gaze shifts around your room. "thanks for being nice to my bro. he's never actually met a kind human before."

A quiet pain began to build in the center of your chest and your hand subconsciously comes up to couch your nightshirt over the spot. No... No one has ever...

...

"So that's why... That's why you guys..."

"yeah. it was nothing personal. just had to be safe."

Fingers flex around your comforter as you stare down at your lap, mind whirring. You couldn't blame them for being cautious. You just wish that they hadn't had to suffer at the hands of a few horrible people. You had to show them that not all humans were terrible...

...

Mind made up you return your gaze to Sansy. "I understand and I don't blame you for the stuff you guys did," Sansy eyelights sharpened in surprise like he'd expected you tell him off. With a smile, you hold your finger out at a safe distance so he could back away if he wants to. He glances from your outstretched finger to your face, cautious. "I just don't want you guys to be bonely anymore, honest. Can we call a truce?"

He hesitates for a moment longer, sockets narrow, before he slowly wraps his gloved phalanges around your finger, his grin a bit less strained than before.

"truce."

Chapter Text

The next morning comes much early for your sleep-deprived butt to deal with. Alas, you have breakfast to cook and a job to get to. So, you drag your still half asleep self out of bed... and stumble straight to the unforgiving hardwood floor. With a pitiful groan, you peel your cheek off the floor and roll over to your back, glaring half-heartedly at the cracked ceiling.

Ugh... Whoever invented early mornings must have been a sadist because this suucks.

"HUMAN...? ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" Tiny gloved fingers prodded your cheek gently, smoothing over the bruising skin. You look up and find yourself face to face with two little pairs of eyelights. Oh sweet, sweet little Papy and Cookie. What would you do without their kindness? You roll over onto your belly and meet their concern gazes with a smile.

"I'm good, guys. I just had to give the floor its daily love." The bitties exchange bewildered looks, (probably questioning your sanity, let's be honest here.) before they shrug and go back to... whatever they were doing before. You lay there on the dust floor for a few minutes more, mentally preparing yourself for the day to come. With a grunt, you pull yourself to your feet and shuffle to the bathroom to get ready.

Feeling clean and refreshed you hum a little tune under your breath as you stroll down the stairs, mindset on cooking breakfast for you and your bitty pals. To your surprise, there's a new face on the island when you enter the kitchen.

Sansy, the bitty you met last night, is sitting by Papy, listening to the taller bitty prattle with a relaxed grin. It's a bit jarring to see him so soon after your agreement last night. You kind of figured he'd still be giving you a wide berth. He's the first to notice you lingering by the entrance of the kitchen. His permagrin sharpens just so and his eyelights dance with mischief. He salutes you before turning back to listen to Papy.

...You weren't sure you like that look.

"Err... Good morning, guys." You greet as you pass them on your way to the fridge. Papy finally looks up and a smile lights up his face, greeting you with a cheery 'GOOD MORNING!'

You smile, hands busy rummaging through your sparse food choices for this morning. Papy always knows how to make your day so much brighter without even trying.

"What would you guys like for breakfast this morning? It'll have to be something quick though. I have to go to work in a little while." You say, pulling out a few foodstuffs that look promising. Should you cook pancakes or...?

"CAN WE HAVE THOSE THIN PANCAKE THINGS YOU MADE THE OTHER DAY, PLEASE?" Papy asks as he climbs up your knee to perch on your bent knee. You hold up a hand to steady him as he situates himself, feet dangling.

"Crepes?" Your hands already busy grabbing the necessary ingredients. Papy nods, beaming up at you.

"YES, THOSE!"

Really, when your bitty buddy looks at you like that how can you say no? He's too adorable.

"Sure, little guy. Would you like to help?" He nods as he hops into your waiting hand, holding on to your index finger as you slowly lift him to his favorite perch on your shoulder. You grab your ingredients and get to work, Papy humming a cheerful tune in your ear.

Breakfast comes and goes in the blink of an eye and soon your gathering your things for work. Your bitty pals mysteriously disappeared right after breakfast. It's a bit peculiar, especially for Papy. He normally stays and hangs out on your shoulder while you did the dishes. Hmm... You hope everything's okay...

Ahh well. There's nothing you can do about it now. You had a job to get to! With a click, you lock the door behind you as you step into the warm summer air. The breeze that ruffles your clothes carries with it the smell of distance rain and when you glance up you see dark clouds gathering out toward town, a silent promise of rain.

You breathe in the muggy air, letting it wash over you, calming your first-day jitters. Okay. Let's go.  You hop down the creaky stairs and unlock your beat-up old car before ducking in. Please... Please let the car start today. With that mantra repeating in your head you turn the key and...

The car gave a pitiful groan, before finally puttering to life. With a relieved sigh and a grateful pat on the steering wheel, you shift gears and you were on your way.

The drive into town is a pleasant one, despite the dreary weather. Pinecrest is a friendly little town situated at the base of Mt. Rune, near the infamous Mt. Ebott. That's one reason you had moved to this town after your escape. It was small, surrounded by nature, and friendly for the most part. It's a welcome change after constant the hustle and bustle of Ebott City.

The Scales and Bitty Dwells Sanctuary is a modest little shop situated on the outskirts of town. Ms. Weaver, your boss, waves as you park your car. With a smile, you grab your keys and your jacket, before making your way up the walk toward her, where she is tending to the flowers in the shop windows. Her bitty, a smaller than normal baby blue, perks up as you approach, peering at you curiously through the curtain of Ms. Weaver's pale hair.

"Hello! You must be the one who moved into that old house across town." When you nod, blushing slightly, she titters quietly, placing her watering can on the window seal and dusts off her soil-covered hands, before holding one out. You grasp it with a polite smile. "You're quite the celebrity around here. Nobody's lived in that house as long as you in decades. Well, it's nice to finally put a face to the fame. It's nice to meet you, dear."

"It's nice to meet you too, Ms. Weaver."

"Oh, please call me Lucy," She says as she ushers you into the pleasantly cool air of the shop. Immediately you notice several pairs of different colored lights watching from the various handmade bitty houses. With an inviting smile, you wave at them. Some wave back, others... Well, you have a feeling that you were going to get real used to seeing a certain finger. "So, first, I'll give you your uniform and apron, then I'll give you the grand tour. We'll go from there afterward. How does that sound?"

"That sounds great."

Ms. Wi- Lucy leads you past the front desk and through a door behind it. It opens up into a spacious office. You look around as Lucy fetches your uniform. Against the wall in the corner by the door is a messy desk. Through the window by the desk, you can see a few curious Papy's peeking in from the front desk. You greet them with a small wave and a friendly smile.

"Here you are, dear," Lucy is holding out plain black scrubs and a dark blue apron. Tucked in the pocket is a small book titled, 'Bitty Care for Dummies'. With a chuckle, you stuff it back in the pocket. That'll be useful for the little guys you have at home. When you're finished she ushers you out of the office and back into the main lobby. "You don't have to wear it today since it's your first day. Now, this is the main lobby."

The lobby is open and inviting, with plenty of room for bitties and humans alike to move around comfortably in between supplies shelves and the bitty houses. You follow her passed the supplies shelves, several bitty houses, and through the bitty hang out space/play area before she stops and gestures to a door. It is framed by two big windows and when you look inside you see several bitties laying about on soft pillows or plating with toys laid out for them. "This is the bitty hang out area and next to it is the infirmary. Next, is the kitchen. This way."

She leads you through the aisles to a set of double doors. They open up into a short hallway that leads into the kitchen. Passed the kitchen is another door. "And that's the meet and greet area!"

"So-" Lucy begins to say but a soft tug at her hair makes her pause. The baby blue whispers something in her ear and her eyes widen as she glances down at her watch. "My goodness is it lunchtime already?"

She smiles at you, looking a bit sheepish. "Sorry love. You must be starving," She shushes you when you try to protest. "None of that now. Why don't you help me fix these little guys some food and then we can grab some lunch, hmm?"

It seems like you have no choice. With a quiet laugh, you follow Lucy's retreating form into the kitchen. You're sure you're going to like this place.

One bitty feeding frenzy later, you find yourself back in the kitchen, washing various bitty sized dishes, while Lucy mans the front. While your hands are busy your mind begins to wander. The bitties that you met so far are such sweethearts, especially considering the scars or permanent damage that their previous life imprinted on them.

The sound of the bell on the front desk alerts you. You listen for Lucy's silvery voice, but when the bell rings again, impatiently, you dry your hands and make your way upfront. Lucy must be busy in the infirmary. You plaster on your best customer service smile as you approach.

"Hi! How may I help you?" The woman smiles thinly, pushing back her bobbed white hair. Her clothes? Immaculate. Her nails? Manicured and French tipped. You get instant "may I speak with the manager" vibes from this lady, and it puts you on edge.

"Yes, I'm sure you can. I've been waiting here for ten minutes and no one has come to help me and-"

"I'm sorry, ma'am. What can I help you with?" You say quickly before she can work herself up anymore. She's glaring at you like your the one that is inconveniencing her. She huffs out a sigh, pulling a crumpled up paper out of her designer bag and thrusts it at you. As you straighten out the paper, she goes on explaining.

"My daughter wants one of these bittybone things for her birthday," She points at the paper clasped tightly in your hands. "That one specifically."

You try to keep your temper in check as you look over the paper. Apparently, she wants a Baby Blue.
You're only half-listening to her rant as you look around the shop for your boss. She's the only one who can make sales until she's trained you.

"-and I'm not even sure if I should even get her one. From what I heard these "baby blues" or whatever you call them are loud and demanding. I'm not sure I can handle having one in the house." Hot anger boils in your veins and hearts your face as she talks; still, you hold your temper, not wanting to say anything before you find Lucy.

"-I'm probably going to be the one to end up taking care of the thing. I might just throw it out-"

...

SNAP

The woman looks taken aback as you whirl on her, her voice trailing off into stunned silence. "I can't believe you! How can you be so cruel? Bitties are living, breathing beings just like humans! How could you think of treating one like that?"

Her face turns a blotchy red under her caked-on makeup. "How dare you! Let me speak to your manager!"

Despite your anger, you manage a mental high-fived to yourself. Called it.

"What's going on?" Lucy calls out from the back of the store, voice high with worry. When she arrives the woman wheels on her, looking every bit like Cruella de Ville.

"Your employee was incredibly rude to me. I demand-" Oooh, big word. Slow your roll Karen, you might pop a vesicle. Your snarky quip and the woman's complicates are cut off by Lucy, who, for the first time today, has a stern frown on her face. "Ma'am, you need to leave."

If it were possible the woman's face would have gone redder. "Wha-I-You-!" She stammers before snapping her mouth closed and turning heel towards the door. "You'll never find me in this tacky animal shop again!"

"Is that a promise?" You snark to yourself as the door slams shut behind her. You hear a quiet snicker behind you and when you look over your shoulder these a snake(?) bitty staring at you from a nest behind the front desk. Before you can say anything more Lucy grabs your attention.

"Are you okay, honey?" You blink at her concerned tone and serious expression. Why wouldn't you be? You're angry, sure, but you never stay angry long. Why does she look so worried?

"I'm okay. Why wouldn't I be?" You cock your head, curious, as she sighs, relieved.

"That was Mrs. Ferndale. She's notorious for, well... being rude and really getting under the young people's skin around here. I'm glad she didn't get to you."

You shrug it off, reassuring her that it takes a looot more than that to get under your skin.

After that, the day goes by smoothly.

"Chisp, Please Just Talk To Them." Cookie musters up the best skelepup look he could manage, eyes pleading with his brother. Chisp sighs, but ultimately relents. There's no way he could resist his brother's puppy dog eyes...or lack thereof.

"...ok. I'll talk." Cookie smiles his crooked smile and wraps his arms around Chisp in a gentle hug.

"Thank You, Brother. I Know You Will Like Them."

Chisp says nothing. But the fragile hope for a better future is quietly blossoming in his tattered SOUL.

Chapter Text

After the whole 'Karen' incident the mood in the shop is expectantly morse. Ms. Lucy is currently trying to cheer the place up by stringing cute little summer-themed decorations with the help of some of the bitties. You, on the other hand, had other more important duties to attend to. Like reading, apparently. Ms. Lucy specifically said that you are not to move from this chair until the first five chapters of your bitty book are done. You sigh. Reading has never been one of your strong suits. You get distracted too easily to absorb anything meaningful. Because you have the focus of a goldfish. But, the boss wants you to so-

"psst."

You look up from the page, blinking the hazy distraction from your mind. Uhh... Hello...? 

"pssssssst."

You glance over your shoulder, where the hiss is coming from, only to find the nest of the snoozing lamia. He's curled in a comfortable looking nest of blankets, which are positioned in a prime sunny patch. He looks cozy, basking away the day in the warm afternoon sun. 

Now that you are thoroughly distracted, the thought of going back to your reading makes you squirm. Instead, you push back from the desk and roll the chair over to the lamia's nest, being careful to stay out of their personal space. Are they really sleeping...? 

You are leaning closer for a better look when the lamia peeks a socket open, revealing a bright white light serving as their pupil. Their smirk sharps when you jerk back, showing off their fangs. 

"A-ahh, those are some fangtastic fangs, buddy."

The lamia snickers, shifting is a way that the blanket wrapped around his lower half slips past his jacket covered ribs. Large dark blue spots run along the length of his tail, complimenting the lighter shade of the rest of his tail. Smaller white and light blue spots dot his tail, that form a...maze? The dots form a cute maze all the way from his ribs to the tip of his tail. 

Huh... Cool. 

While you had been busy studying the lamia, Lucy makes a sudden appearance by your side, smiling fondly at the little guy. "Ahh... I see you've met Mazie. Isn't he such a charmer?"

"Mazie? Like, the corn, Mazie? Or Maze, like the pattern on his back?"

Lucy giggles. "Yes."

"Pfft! That's a great name!" Your laugher comes out as a wheeze. Beside you, the 'snoozing' lamia's grin widens at your unrestrained laughter. When you turn back to the lamia you're surprised to see he's no longer there. Where did he...? There is a sudden weight in your apron pocket and when you look down the lamia is draped in the fabric, the tip of his tail hanging out over the side. With a blink of surprise, you tilt your head at your boss, who chuckles at the sneks antics. 

"Looks like the little guy has taken a liking to you! He's a Corny lamia so he'll probably hang out in your pocket all day if you let him."

You look down with a smile. You don't mind the snek hang out in your pocket for a while. If he's comfortable then you're just going to let him sleep. Your boss leads you to the infirmary. 

"Isn't he yours?"

Lucy shakes her head, holding the door open for you, them booping the snek on the snoot. He didn't move an inch. "I found him asleep in the garden a few days after I opened the shop. When I offered to take him home he refused, asking if he could stay in the shop instead. It seems like he's waiting for someone."

Your fingers subconsciously stroke Mazie's head, coaxing a sleepy purr to rattle from his ribcage. "Poor guy. I hope he finds who he's waiting for..."

Lucy nods sympathetically before she stops in front of one of the beds and begins to instruct you on how to take care of the bitties. 

"See you tomorrow, hon! You did great today!" Lucy calls from the path, waving goodbye as you pull out of the parking lot. You wave back, smiling. You did have a good day. Your boss is nice, the bitties are adorable, and besides the incident with that customer, the day when smoothly. 

As you drive around the curves of the valley, your mind drifts back to the Corny, Mazie. He's a mischievous little jokester alright. He spent all day in your pocket, just like Lucy said he would. Despite not leaving your pocket once, he managed to prank you several times today *and* he almost made you spill the Papys' dinner by telling you jokes until you were in tears. 

Haaa... 

...

He's a cutie though. 

...You really hope he finds who he's looking for. The thought sends a small stab of sadness through you. You've taken a liking to the little guy as well. 

... 

The house is eerily quiet when you step inside from the fog. You cautiously put your keys and other things down as you take a slow look at your surroundings. 

"Guys...?"

...

Silence

Huh... 

With a shrug, you trot into the kitchen to start dinner. They'll come around if they need anything.  Now, what should you cook for dinner... 

A quick glance in the freezer shows you exactly what you're going to cook. You pull out the chicken and place it in the microwave on defrost. Then, after washing your hands, you begin to gather the rest of the ingredients and tools you'll need. 

... 

Sometime later Papy joins you in the kitchen just as you were heating up your oil while your noodles and sauce bubbled away on the stove. You're more than happy to see him. Despite only knowing him for a few weeks, he's quickly become one of your closest friends. 

... 

That's...actually kinda depressing now that you think about it... 

Ah well. 

You smile down at your bony friend as he climbs up the counter. You seriously need to invest in some wood to build ladders around the house for your bitty roommates. 

"Oh! Hey, Papy. How's it going?"

"WONDERFUL AS ALWAYS HUMAN! WHAT ARE YOU MAKING?"

"Homemade chicken tenders, for chicken parmesan. You wanna help?"

"OF COURSE! WOULD YOU MIND IF SANSY JOINS US TODAY?"

"Sure, buddy. I don't mind." You say, pouring your panko and breadcrumbs into a bowl. You reach for the eggs as Papy thanks you and hops down, presumably to fetch his brother. 

You chuckle quietly under your breath as you whisk your egg mixture. He's such a cutie-

"-Be Fine, Brother. They Are Nice."

You pause in your whisking, cocking your head slightly, looking around. Cookie?

... 

That's weird. You could have sworn you-

Sure enough, as soon as the thought crosses your mind the said bitty steps out with another shorter bitty in toe. 

The beginnings of a smile and a greeting die on your lips when you take a closer look at the new bitty. 

...Oh god. If you thought Cookie's injuries were horrible them there nothing compared to this poor guy's injuries. His clothes are ratty and filthy, one of his eyelights has gone out, leading to possible blindness on that socket, and most worryingly, is the way his skull is caved in on one side, leaving a jagged hole in its wake. 

The look of horror that is forming on your face is quickly smothered. Instead, a welcoming smile takes its place, even as your SOUL cries out its sympathy for the bitty and anger for whoever cause such injuries. 

His one red eyelights is boring intently into your SOUL when you raise your breadcrumb covered hand in greeting. "Heya Cookie. Who's your friend?"

"This Is My Brother, Chisp." The smile on Cookie's teeth is one of the rare real smiles he hides so well. 

"It's nice to meet you Chisp." You introduce yourself, setting aside your prep work to give the bitties your full attention. The bitty quietly sizes you up before pulls his hand out of his pocket for a wave. Cookie beams as he looks on. 

"Chisp Is-"  

"I HAVE RETURNED, HUMAN! THIS TIME WITH MY LAZYBONE BROTHER!" Papy's shout cuts Cookie off, prompting you and the other bitties to turn to him. He has indeed returned...with his brother...who is tucked under his arm...like a football... 

Oohh boy... 

You bite your lip as a snicker builds up in your chest and when you speak your voice is shaking with restrained laughter. "Uhh... Welcome back Papy. You two are just in time to help with dinner."

Papy sits his, uhh, sleeping(?) brother down and he immediately slumps over your loaf of bread comically loud 'oof'. Your lips twitch as Papy admonishes him for squishing your bread and you couldn't stop yourself. You brush out in loud, unrestrained laughter. 

Pffft...! These bitties are too much! You double over, shoulders shaking and stomach aching with your laughter. You hear a low snicker join your boisterous laughter. 

"HUMAN?!? ARE YOU OKAY?! COOKIE! I THINK THE HUMAN CRACKED!"

"...You Might Be Right Papy."

After a few moments, you took a deep breath, your laughter dissolving into giggled apologizes. 

Papy raises a browbone quizzically. "I'M NOT SURE WHAT IS SO FUNNY, HUMAN."

"probably us. after all, we are pretty humorous. 

Cookie and Papy groan in unison. "SANSY! PLEASE CEASE YOUR RIDICULOUS PUNS!"

"ok. patella the truth, they're getting kinda old."

You dissolve into breathless wheezing, all while you and Cookie scramble to save Sansy from getting yeeted into your eggs by Papy. 

After the egg fiasco, you decide to start cooking, lest you lose your ingredients to the bitties. There's only one thing bothering you though... 

"Hey Cookie," The bitty looks up from the cookbook you brought out for him, dark sockets trained on you as he waits for your question. "Where'd Chisp go?"

"Ah," He looks back at the cookbook like his brother disappearing isn't anything new. You frown. "He Probably When Back To Our Room. He Gets Overwhelmed Easily When There Is A Lot Of Noise. He Will Be Back."

"Oh, okay. I was just worried since he just disappeared." You poke at the chicken popping away in the fryer. When you glance back Cookie is staring at you with an expression that you find hard to place. Ambivalent? Nostalgic? 

"Thank You For Your Kindness, Human." He mutters, sockets still glued to the book. You smile and pull the chicken out of the fryer and onto a plate. 

"No problem, Cookie."

... 

You enjoy peaceful quiet for a few moments before-

"what? i'm just ryein' around."

"YES, WELL! YOU COULD HELP US COOK INSTEAD OF TELLING CRUMBY JOKES! THE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY WOULD DO YOU SOME GOOD!"

Oof... Sansy just got toasted! 

You snicker at Papy's sassiness. You didn't know he had it in him. It seems you have underestimated the little guy.

"hey! i've gotten a skeleton of stuff done today. i can afford to loaf around."

"ANYWAY," you interject before the pun war can escalate any further. All eyes turn to you. With a grin and a flourish, you set out the bitty sized plates and utensils you snagged from the shop on your way out. To your delight, all of their eyesockets light up at the sight. "Dinner is served!"

You hum a quiet tune as you scrub away at your bitty roommate's plates. You smile at the memory of their shocked and happy smiles as you placed the plates down in front of them. That's gonna be-

"uhh, can...we talk," A not so child-friendly swear slips from your mouth, and suds explode from the sink when the bitty appears beside you on the counter. "sorry."

You let out a breath and a quiet laugh when your heart stops racing. "It's okay Chisp. I'm just a bit jumpy today. What can I do for you?"

"wanted to...thank you for being...nice to my bro." He mumbles, his tiny fang gleaming in the d kitchen light as he spoke. His single red eye light is watching you closely. When you smile gently and place a plate of chicken parmesan in front of him, it dilates and goes fuzzy around the edges. 

"No problem, buddy. Your bro is a sweetheart. It's impossible not to be nice to him." You say, voice as soft as your smile. The bitty stares at you like your some enigmatic being that appeared before him. Then, without a word, he digs into the cheesy goodness in front of him with the vigor of someone who hasn't seen food in months. 

You turn back to your dishes to let him enjoy his meal in peace. A warm, happy feeling blossoms in your chest when you sneak a glance at him. His clothes are stained with sauce and his eyelight has almost taken up his whole socket, but, he looks happy. You're going to have to work on some clothes for him tonight. Maybe you can ask Cookie for help? But that can wait until later. For now, you enjoy the quiet with your new bitty buddy. 

"Why am I not surprised," You grumble, deadpan, as you stare at your precious sewing machine. You Huff out an amused breath. You knew Sansy was up to something when you left this morning. That mischievous little scamp. Sansy appears beside you on your dresser, snickering when he sees your face. You whirl on him, pointing an accusatory finger. "You-! You defiled my precious sewing machine with your slander!"

He holds up his hands in mock defense, wink up at you. "hey, i'm innocent until proven quilty."

You groan, a reluctant smile pulling at your lips. "That was terrible and you know it."

"aww... come on. you smiling."

You sigh, and begin pulling off the post-it notes he stuck all over your machine while the prankster lounges around on your dresser. "I am and I hate it."

...He did write some pretty clever puns on these posts its though. Maybe you'll keep a few. 

Chapter Text

A quiet stillness settles over the house. The aroma of freshly cooked eggs and bacon still wafts through the air, even though the meals have long been eaten. The clock on the wall chimes the hour, and with it, a small figure appears in the kitchen rafters, a tight scowl on his sharp teeth. His eyeslights burn hot with angry magic as he paces the beam, thoughts swarming violently in his skull.

what the hell was that blue bastard thinkin' callin' a truce with the likes of a human?!

With a growl, he shortcuts down to the counter and kicks a spoon off of the counter. Then he shoves a cup. It shatters into a million pieces against the unforgiving laminate kitchen floor. Edgy smirks despite his rage, his frustrated magic boiling as he vents his frustration on your innocent cutlery. He 'ports over to the cabinet where you store your plates before swinging on the handle to open it. With a puff of red magic, he's in the cabinet, staring at his prize with a scowl. Well, if you want a truce... 

He shoves the stack of plates to the floor. The sound of shattering glass echoed throughout the quiet kitchen. Edge grits his teeth. 

...You're gonna have to EARN it. 

Blissfully unaware of the destruction befalling your kitchen back home, you attentively tend to the bitties in your care. It's your turn to watch over the infirmary today after all. 

You smile encouragingly down at your hands. Sitting in your palm, looking determined, is a Pup named Allister. His companion, a worried-looking Lil'Bro named Asher, hovers nearby. Allister, according to his very distraught owner, had fallen off of his nidlings shoulder while they were playing. The poor little guy suffered a shattered tibia, several broken ribs, and a cracked eyesocket. Lucy had to call a specialist from the city to take a look at him and perform surgery to replace his shattered tibia with a prosthetic. He's recovering in leaps and bounds though! After months of staying in the infirmary for rehabilitation, it's almost time for him to go back to his family. 

Using your fingers and his crutches for balance he takes a shaky step forward, his legs wobbling under his weight before he was slowly walking towards Asher. A proud smile flashes across your face when he collapses into Asher's open arms with an exhilarated grin. 

While the bitties chat excitedly about how well Allister is walking, you fill out his chart for today and take it to Lucy. When you rap your knuckles against the doorframe of her office she looks up from her paperwork curiously. 

"What's up, hon?"

"Allister is doing great! If he keeps up the pace he might be able to go home soon?" You pass her his chart with a hopeful smile. She readjusts her red-framed glasses as she reads over his chart. "It certainly does look like he's well on the road to recovery. We'll have to-"

The bell above the door clangs loudly and the sound of the door slamming open makes you flinch harshly. Your head swings toward the source of the noise, eyes wide and heart hammering in surprise. What in the world? Did the storm blow the door open? 

You rush from the office to see what all the noise is about, and when you see a kid nearly in tears with a tiny bundle cradled against their chest? Your blood runs cold. The teen is frantically looking around, eyes round and panicked, when he spots you rounding the counter. He rushes to you, babbling so fast that you could only make out a few words. 

When you hold your hands out he gently places the damp bundle in your palms and follows you to the infirmary, taking deep breaths with Lucy, who followed you out of the office. When you enter the infirmary, several curious eyelights watch the three of you rush past. 

"What happened, dear?" Lucy asks the teen gently, taking his soaking jacket and hanging up, before sitting him down in one of the chairs. You listen to him explain what happened to Lucy while you unwrap the shivering bundle, after washing your hands and putting on your gloves. It's...

You've... You've never seen a bitty like this before. He's definitely a Sans type, that much you can tell. His clothes are tattered and muddy, almost unrecognizable, but you could just make out patterns of stars dotting his dirty hoodie. 

According to the teen, he found the bitty on his porch when he opened the door to let his pet in from the rain. When he saw how bad the little guy had been he rushed him straight here. 

What happened to this poor guy?

The bitty stirs under your fingers and your heart jumps to your throat. His sockets creak open to reveal snowy eyelights. He gazes blearily up at you, eyelights fuzzy and unfocused. 

"Hey... You're safe now, little guy." You tell the bitty softly. With a quiet whimper, his sockets close, and he goes limp under your fingers. Your fingers tremble as you continue to check for injuries. Lucy comes over to help you after she puts Allister and Asher back in their space, keen eyes watching for anything you may miss. 

"He's a Nova bitty." She breaths, voice wavering in surprise. You jolt slightly, hands jousting the exhausted bitty. When he grunts in protest you apologize quietly and continue your examination. Your thoughts are a whole other story. A Nova bitty... You've never seen one before... 

You and Lucy spend the next hour tending to the bitty's injuries and getting him warmed up. He was malnourished, cold, and banged up but Lucy is positive he will recover. 

You place the sleeping bitty in one of the many beds, tucking him snuggly under the covers. He needs plenty of rest after the ordeal he went through today. 

"Poor little guy..." Lucy sighs, running a gentle finger over his skull. He leans into her touch, sighing contently. "He can't stay here by himself tonight... He needs to have constant contact with someone so his SOUL can recover..."

You perk up slightly, a small smile lighting up your face. "Would you mind if I take him home with me? I can provide for him tonight." You didn't feel comfortable at all letting him stay here by himself. 

Lucy's eyes light up at your suggestion and she nods, smiling happily. "Of course, dear. That would take a lot off of mind."

You smile, running your finger over his skull fondly before following Lucy out to let the bitties get some rest. 

When you and Lucy leave the infirmity, the teen that brought the Nova bitty stops pacing and rushes up to you and Lucy, worry clearing his eyes. "Is he going to be okay?"

Lucy nods and takes the teen to see him, while you go to the kitchen to fix the bitties their dinner. 

After the bitties have all been feed and tucked away in bed, you find yourself behind the desk with Maize while you working on paperwork, chatting with him about your bitty housemates as he relaxes across your shoulders, long tail curled inside the hood of your hoodie. 

"I hope everything is okay when I get home..." You laminate aloud, resting your hand in your palm as you attempt to read over the paper Lucy gave you. Your focus slips, and you sigh, rubbing your eyes warily. Ugh... You're never going to get this done... 

Maize shifts to look over your shoulder, grinning lazily. "lookssss like you're sssstruggling. why not take a break?"

You sigh and toss the paper aside with a groan. "Yeah... You're probably right Maize. I really just need to get this done before I go home. I'm taking the Nova bitty home with me to help him recover."

Maize snuggles down into your hoodie. "'m sssure the boss lady won't mind if you finish it tomorrow. it's almost time for the ssshop to close up."

You breathe out a sigh and smile over your shoulder at the lamia. "Nah, I'm almost done with it, Maize. Besides, it gives me an excuse to hang out with you longer."

Maize just lounges deeper into your hood with a snicker as you ramble about anything that comes to mind. 

After a while, you place your pen down and stretch, being careful not to disturb the snoring Cornie draped across shoulders. You are finally done! Now all you have to do is give the little guy a name... 

"Hmmm... Nebula sounds good..." You write the name down and stand. You gently place Maize back in his nest and go fetch the little guy so you can go home. You can ask him what he thinks of the name when you get home. 

Your front door has never been a more welcome sight than right now. You shut your car door with a sigh and, holding Nebula close to your chest, you walk up the path to your front door. 

"Hey guys, I'm home!" You call into the house as you through your bag onto the table by the door and kick off your shoes. Nebula stirs against your chest and looks around as you walk into the living room to set up a place for him to rest. 

"so, this is your house?" He asks, his voice quiet and tired. 

"Yeah, you're going to stay with me for a while." You smile down at him as you place him down gently on the couch, his hospital gown looking around him. You definitely have to make him an outfit when he's rested enough to tell you what kind he wants. In the meantime, you wrap him in one of the blankets you knitted for the other bitties. He snuggles down into it, eyesockets half-lidded with exhaustion. 

"You get some rest, little guy. I'll be in the kitchen making dinner. Just call me if you need anything."

After checking in on Fidget and putting him in his playroom, you start toward the kitchen-

"HUMAN, WAIT!"

You stop short of the kitchen door, looking around wildly. Papy? 

You spot him on the rail of the stairs, waving his arms to get your attention. You hold out your hand for him to climb into and lift him up to your shoulder. Once he's settled you ask, "What is it Papy?"

"YO-YOU SHOULDN'T GO INTO THE KITCHEN!"

You stop short again, raising an eyebrow at his odd behavior. "I have to cook dinner, Papy. What's wrong?"

"YOU, UMM... YOU NEED TO GO UP TO YOUR ROOM FIRST! SANSY HAS NEEDS YOUR HELP!"

You blink, surprised by his sudden outburst. What's gotten into him, you wonder. With a small frown, you mount the stairs, worry for your bitty friend mounting by the second. 

...It turns out Sansy didn't need your help, much to Papy's blushing horror. After an extensive apology, he quickly hurries off, hanging his head in shame. 

You weren't angry with him, not at all. You just couldn't figure out what would make him act like this. Maybe he... 

... 

...Oh.

... 

That's why... 

You freeze in the kitchen entrance, eyes wide and mouth agape in horror. 

...Your kitchen... 

What the hell happened to your kitchen?! 

You slowly make your way through the carnage, taking stock of the damage with a heavy heart. Plates and cups have been shattered across the floor, silverware scattered throughout the shards. Your salt and pepper shakers have been opened, their contents spilled all over the counter. The cabinet doors hang open, all of the dishes you had stored in them gone. 

And-

... 

A small red figure catches your eye and you pause in your tracks. It's another bitty. He's facing away from you, holding your favorite mug in his phalanges. 

He's a Sans type, short, stocky, and wearing a jacket, a red one to be precise. His golden tooth flashes when he turns to glare at you, teeth pulled down in an angry frown. 

You gulp, meeting his glare with wide eyes. 

An Edgy bitty... 

You take a deep breath and hold your hands up in a peaceful gesture. His eyes narrow at your movement, clutching your mug between his hands. 

There's a pause. Then... 

CRASH! 

Chapter Text

Nebula blinks. Rays of watery sunlight stream onto the room, the light catching small dust particles in the muggy air, swirling high in the rafters. Where... 

The small blanket slips down to his lap as he sits up, sore bones clicking and popping stiffly. What happened? Where is he? 

He rubs his phalanges over his face, trying to collect his thoughts. He remembers... Being taken to a care center... Then... That human brought him to their home... 

Is he-

"HELLO!"

The Nova bitty jumps, flinching when his sore bones lock up at the sudden movement. His eyelights shrink in surprise when he looks up and locks sockets with a tall bitty in a red scarf. 

As Nebula stares the strange bitty takes a seat on the cushion next to him, offering him a bitty-sized cookie with a bright smile. When Nebula hesitates the bitty carefully breaks it in half, placing one half next to Nebula. "IT'S OKAY! THE HUMAN MAKES THEM! THEY'RE REALLY GOOD!"

Nebula takes the other piece and examines it skeptically before taking a small bite. His eyelights shrink and small stars dance around his sockets in delight. It really is good! He scarfs down the rest with an appreciative hum.

"thanks... uhh..." Nebula pauses, raking his skull, trying to remember if this bitty has told him his name yet. The bitty seems to realize his mistake and strikes a heroic pose, introducing himself. 

"OH, I APOLOGIZE FRIEND! I FORGOT TO INTRODUCE MYSELF! I AM THE GREAT PAPY!"

CRASH! 

The bitties jump at the sudden noise. Nebula stares at Papy with wide sockets, star white eyelights shrinking in surprise. Papy hops down from the couch with a worried, "OH DEAR..."
before disappearing into the hallway. 

Nebula looks over the arm of the couch curiously. What happened? 

With your heart in your throat, you slowly approach the Edgy bitty, silently mourning the loss of your mug. That would have to wait though. You need to get this situation under control first. 

"Now, look-" You start in a stern voice, fighting to keep your tone calm and even. You keep a neutral expression up, masking the disappointment and anger you are feeling. You need to keep your composer if you want to get this under control. Before you could even finish your sentence the little bugger disappears in a puff of red magic. 

... 

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?" A harsh breath explodes from your nose as you pace the kitchen. After a few moments, you take a slow, deep breath, calming the angry fire burning in your chest. Okay. Okay... This is fine. You can handle this. You just have to check on Nebula, clean this mess up, feed yourself and your roomies, then find Sansy to have a little talk about this. Phew... Okay. You can do this. 

Tiny footsteps hurry toward you and when you glance down you find that Papy is rushing to you, looking concerned. 

"HUMAN! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" You stoop down when he stops in front of you and politely waits for you to help him on your shoulder. Once he's settled, you pat him on the skull gently with a smile. 

"Yeah, I'm fine, Pap." You turn and begin to clean off the counter. Papy hops down from your shoulder, picking up small bits of glass as he chatters about his day. 

An hour later the kitchen is clean and you're at the stove, cooking one of your favorite comfort meals. The rice is boiling away in the rice cooker and the last bit of chicken is sizzling away in front of you. Cooking has always been a comfort to you and it never fails to calm you down. 

You take the chicken off of the eye, scooping it out of the pan and into a plate to cool. The rice cooker beeps and with a smile, you turn to turn it off. You open the top and fluff the rice. Just in time!

Nebula shifts in your apron pocket, popping his head out to look around. You smile, gently rubbing your finger over his head. With a content purr, he leans into your touch, happily reveling in the comfort of your presence. He insisted on staying close to you when you went to check on him earlier so you let him rest in your pocket while you cook. You think the poor guy got lonely... 

He seems to have perked up since you brought him home. You're glad to see he's doing better. You were really worried about him at the shop. After giving the little guy some love you grab a casserole dish and a pot out of the cabinet, then you grab a can of cream of chicken soup. You scoop the rice into the pot and mix the soup into the rice, then you mix in the chicken. After a good mixing, you put it all into the casserole dish and top it with cheese before putting it into the oven. 

"There! Now we just have to wait for the cheese to melt." You tell Nebula who was watching you cook. He blinks up at you curiously before snuggling back down into your pocket. 

You smile. What a cutie. 

... 

Now... To find Sansy. 

The stairs creak slightly as you make your way up to your room. If Sansy is anywhere it's your room. He likes it there for some reason. 

"Sansy? Can I talk to you for a minute?" You call, your voice echoing down the empty hallway. You hear a small click from your room, and a sudden weight is on your shoulder, blue magic still lingering in the air. 

"heya buddy, what's up?"

"Oh! There you are. I, uhh... Need to talk to you about something." You look at him in the corner of your eye. His easygoing expression doesn't change as he nods. 

"yeah... i kinda figured. if it's about the mess then batman has already taken care of edgy."

You blink, "'Batman?' Who's Batman?"

The bitty snickers and gestures to your room, where you can hear slightly raised voices drifting out into the hallway. You raise an eyebrow at him before making your way to your door, pushing it open to peer inside. 

On your desk stands an imposing bitty. His arms are crossed over his tattered clothes as he trains his dark eyesockets on an irritated looking Edgy. 

"look boss, i don't need ya treatin' me like some kinda babybone-"

"I MUST IF YOU INSIST ON THROWING A TANTRUM LIKE ONE!"

Edgy's skull lights up a vivid cherry red. Magic flares around him in bright angry bursts. But one stern look from the taller bitty makes him shrink into his ragged hoodie. You blink. You've never seen someone, bittybones or human, put an Edgy in their place that fast before. When you knock on the door frame to get their attention, the bittie's attention snaps to you. The Edge glares at you, the heat of his angry gaze sending a flush of irritation to your cheeks. 

The regal looking bitty, on the other hand, is rigid and guarded. He watches your careful approach for a moment, sockets narrowing with suspicion. He turns back to Edgy and whispers lowly, magic flickering in his dark sockets before he turns on his heel and marches away, tattered scarf swaying behind him. 

You look down at Edgy, who is scowling at you, silently seething at the scolding he just received at the hands of the proud bitty. 

"what th' hell are you lookin' at!?" Edgy snaps after a moment, magic flaring and popping angrily. Nebula stirs in your pocket, scuttling deeper into your apron to get away from the sparks of magic. 

A protective flame flares in your chest as you place your hand over Nebula and grit your teeth. 

"That's enough," You say, voice stern and even. The tension in the air is nearly palpable. The Edgy stares up at you with wide sockets. You take a deep breath, steadying yourself. "Look. I know that you're angry because Sansy and I made a truce. And I know you hate that I'm still here, but acting out isn't going to change that."

Edgy looks away, glaring at a spot on your desk before he uncurls from his slouching position and lifts his hand. 

"Di-did you just flip me off?" You sputter, staring at the bitty in disbelief. 

"you bet yer ass i did!"

"Well," You huff, crossing your arms over your chest. "That's rather rude of you, dontcha think?"

"Who gives a f-"

"EDGY! STOP THAT VULGAR LANGUAGE THIS INSTANT!" The bitty from earlier shouts from the hallway, before he steps into the room, the scowl from earlier still in place. You are beginning to think it's permanent. He gives you a wide berth as he marches up to the desk and climbs up one of the many ladders you installed for Papy and Cookie. Once he's on the desk you take a small step back to give him space, noticing the discomfort in his body language at being near you. He picks up Edgy by the scruff of his matted fur jacket and shakes him. 

"YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO APOLOGIZE TO THE HUMAN! NOT ANTAGONIZE THEM FURTHER, YOU IMBECILE!" You watch the spectacle with a barely concealed smile. You bite your lip to keep your laughter at bay as the scene unfolds in front of you. Ooh boy... These bitties are a trip. 

Despite his anger, Boss (you think that is his name) sits Edgy on the desk gently, and with a huff turns to you, face not betraying the slightest of emotions. "I APOLOGIZE FOR MY BROTHER'S BEHAVIOR. IT WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN." 

After his apology on his brother's behalf, he climbs back down the ladder and disappears back into the hallway without another word. When you glance back to the desk, you find that Edgy has disappeared as well. The only evidence that he had been there is a wisp of red magic lingering in the air. 

A sudden weight on your shoulder makes you jump. And when you look over to see who it is, a blue jacket catches your eye. Sansy. 

"well, that went well." He says, nonchalantly lounging on your shoulder. You shake your head, careful not to dislodge your shoulder pal, and crack a fond smile. 

"You weren't much help, you know that right?'

You feel him shrugged against your neck. "ehh... everything turned out alright, right?"

"I guess you're right," You chuckle and pat the bitty on the back gently. You feel the rumble of his chuckle through on your shoulder. "Anyways, all of this tension made me hungry! Let's go eat."

As you left your room and started downstairs to the kitchen, you have the sneaking suspicion that you are being watched. You inwardly shrug it off. You have too much to worry about as it is. It could wait until later. 

... 

You hope. 

In the shadows of the rafters, purple eyelights watch you curiously as you work on cutting the bitty's portion of dinner. The small figure turns away when his name is called, and with one last glance down at you, disappears into the shadows completely.

Chapter Text

There is a certain stillness in the house at night that, even after the weeks that you've lived here with your bitty housemates, still sets you on edge. Music plays gently from your phone to offset the quiet, but there is only so much it can do. The antsy feeling that you just can't shake crawls up your spine. Your hands pause in their scrubbing, still wrist-deep in suds and warm water. 

You... 

You need to do SOMETHING creative or you would go crazy! 

The water is draining from the sink with a flick of your wrist, and before it is even finished you're already halfway up the stairs, drying towel in hand. 

You'll put it back later. For now though...

You're itching to get to work on Nebula's new clothes! 

Blue watches from the safety of the shadows of your comforter, fear, and curiosity at war in his SOUL. He really wants to talk to you and learn more about you. You seem like a really pleasant human but... 

He takes a deep breath to center himself, letting all of the bad memories sink into the back of his mind before he squares his shoulders and marches out into the open. As he approaches your sewing desk his SOUL flutters nervously against his ribs, making him frown. He never used to be like this. He used to be so confident! Now he's just-

"HELLO BLUE! ARE YOU HERE TO JOIN US?" Papy calls, leaning over the edge of the desk to wave down at him, his new scarf dangling over the edge as he does. The human is watching his approach with inquiring eyes and he feels a shiver jolt down his spine. He plasters a gleaming grin on his teeth to hide his nerves and waves back. 

"SURE PAPYRUS!" The human smiles down at him as climbs the ladder that you set up for them before they went back to their notebook, cheek in hand. 

"HUMAN! NEBULA! THIS IS MY FRIEND, BLUE!" Papy throws a lanky arm over his shoulder. The human's smile is kind when they greet him and the tired-looking bitty in their shirt pocket waves weakly. 

"Hey Blue! Nice to meet you!" Blue's cheekbones warm at your friendly greeting. 

"IT-IT'S NICE TO MEET YOU TOO, HUMAN!" Magic heats his face even further. Curse his stammering! You're just a human! There's nothing to be so nervous about! 

Your demeanor shifts ever so slightly at his small stammer and his fidgety behavior. Your expression seems to soften, face more open and honest than Blue had ever seen in a human. Yet... There is a flicker of concern beneath that friendliness. Maybe it is the way your eyebrows crease a little or the way your smile dips just a smidge around the corners. Whatever it is, is setting Blue's nerves on edge. He casts his eyes at his tattered baby blue bandana clasped between his trembling phalanges, unable to meet your eyes. 

Your voice is soothing when you speak. "Hey... It's okay Blue. Would you be more comfortable if Nebula and I gave you more space? I could make you a little hideaway so that you and Papy can talk without me disturbing you."

Blue perks up at the idea. He can still be close to the human, therefore getting used to their presence, and he can have somewhere to retreat to if he gets too overwhelmed. He nods, picking at the frayed edges of his gloves nervously. You smile and Blue's bones stop rattling together. You have a warm smile... 

He curses himself for being so timid. If he had met you before-

He shakes his head, barely registering you standing up to fetch materials for his little hideaway. He used to be so cheerful and outgoing... Ready to greet humans with a bright smile and an even brighter hello. Now, after those *other* humans... He... 

"Blue... You're Shaking." He barely feels Papy's hand on his shoulder, too focused on the way the room feels like it's closing in. He can't *breath*-

A gentle voice calls through the fog of panic swirling in his skull. 

"Just breathe, Blue. Everything is going to be alright." A calming voice murmurs. Blue latches on to it, focusing on the calming sound through the storm of his panic. He takes a deep breath, focusing on the slight pressure of Papy's supportive hands on his shoulders and your gentle words. He slowly uncurls from the tight ball his body curled into (when had he squatted down...?) as the panic slowly subsides. He pops down into the desk, bringing his knees up to rest his chin on them. He can't bring himself to meet your eyes, too ashamed of his fragile mental state. He hates being like this... 

"Blue," the soft concern in your voice finally makes him look up, eyelights nowhere to be found in the dark voids of his sockets. You point, and when he follows your finger his eyes widen. There, in a secluded corner of the dresser, is a small fort made of leftover fabric and other soft things. He makes a beeline for the structure, his eyelights morphing into small stars for the first time in years. 

As he exuberantly explores his new hideaway, he misses the happy smiles exchanged between the human and Papyrus. 

Edgy paces the beam situated between the kitchen and the hallway, hands balled into fists in his pockets. His magic burns hot in his socket, red smoke and small sparks licking across his skull. Anger lashes around his SOUL, heating his bones almost uncomfortably under his jacket. 

Heavy footsteps on the stairs and the sound of you talking to whoever signals your return to the kitchen. He watches you walk under his beam with a scowl of disdain. 

He can't believe the others just... gave up on trying to chase you out! Just because you feed them and make them clothes doesn't mean you won't betray them in a SOUL beat. You're just like all of the others. You get on their good side by playing nice and then WHAT! That goody-goody act slips and they'll back out on the streets again. 

You can't be trusted!

Stupid Blue bastard just had to make a truce with you... 

His bony fist lashes out, magic flaring, as he punches one of the beams supporting the rafters. 

He'll just have to lay low for a while. Boss is already breathing down his neck for breaking the rule once. He didn't want to have to deal with the consequences of doing it again... 

He will get you out of their house though. One way or another. 

Pup twirls the tiny Rubik's cube between his hands, making various patterns with the colorful squares. Razzy knows that if he was trying to solve it he would have done so ages ago. Briefly, he wonders what kind of pattern he's trying to make, before dismissing the thought almost immediately. He has more important matters to attend to. Namely why in the world you are being so kind to them. Is it a ploy to get them to let their guard down so you could strike? 

Or is it something else entirely? 

Could you be sincere in your attempts to earn their trust? If so then... Why? 

Why would you waste your time? 

... 

He glances back down at the papers sprawling across his work area. With a quick mental note to tidy up later, he flips through the various notes and observations he has collected on you for the past few weeks. You are like a puzzle that he must solve. He must keep his brother safe. 

He looks back at the younger skeleton, who is still fiddling with his puzzle. Razzy's purple eyelights trace the various cracks and fissures coiling across his bones. 

No matter what. 

Chapter Text

The morning after such an emotionally charged evening is always odd. Your body just feels... drained... Even after a full night's sleep. You roll over and bury your face in your pillow with a tired groan. All you want to do is stay in bed... 

But alas, you must get up and get ready for work. With a sigh, you flop onto your back to stare at the ceiling, quietly contemplating the pros and cons of staying home. Ultimately the more responsible part of you wins out and you roll out of bed. Besides, even if you didn't have to work, Fidget and your bitty roomies still need to eat.

You glance over to the extra soft pillow you made for Nebula last night. He's still sound asleep. Poor guy must be exhausted from all the ordeal he went through yesterday. With a soft smile, you run your fingers gently over his skull. His body rumbles with a quiet purr. Such a cutie... 

You scoot off of the bed carefully, trying your best not to disturb the little guy. He needs all of the rest he can get. You'll check over his injuries when he wakes up. 

As you pad over to your dresser to grab your clothes for the day you glance into the Blue's fort to see if he slept. To your surprise, not only did Blue sleep in the fort, but another bitty joined him sometime last night. Sprawled out beside blue is a lanky 'Papyrus' type bitty. From the grungy orange hoodie, you could only guess that he's a Lil'Bro. You want to take a step toward the desk to get a closer look, but ultimately your desire to give them space wins out in the end. With a soft smile, leave the little guys to change and start breakfast. 

The house is quiet in the early morning hours. All of your bitty pals are either still sleeping and will be that way well into the afternoon or, much like you, are just starting their day. 

The only bitties you expect to see before you leave for work are waiting for you in the kitchen. Cookie looks up from your cookbook and smiles crookedly when he sees you enter the kitchen. "Good Morning Human."

With a yawn and a stretch, tiredly mumble a greeting back. "Mornin' Cookie," you rub the sleep out of your eye with the back of your hand as you approach, squinting down at the recipe Cookie was reading as you reach up to grab a coffee cup. "Whatcha looking at?"

He moves to the side, giving you a better look at the page. Omelets? "You want omelets for breakfast?"

When he nods shyly, you smile. He has trouble asking for things that he wants so even this small amount of progress makes your SOUL soar.

"Alright! What do you guys want in them?"

After getting their preferences and gathering the necessary stuff you start the omelets. 

Poppy, Lucy's Baby Blue, is waving at you ecstatically when you walk through the doors of the sanctuary. 

"Oh, heya Poppy! How's it going?" You grin at his enthusiasm. Lucy takes such good care of him. His eyelights erupt into stars before he scampers off, presumably to find Lucy, who is probably in the kitchen from the sound of it. Despite his exuberant nature, the little guy is rather shy.

What a cutie. 

Nebula stirs in your pocket when you shift to put on your apron. He blinks blearily up at you as you gently scoop him out of your pocket and place him in your apron pocket, handing him a small cookie to munch on. "There. Are you comfy Nebby?"

He nods, yawning widely, before snuggling down into your apron pocket. There! Now that Nebby is settled you can go help Lu-

A sudden weight around your shoulders makes you jump. Mazie snickers, hanging across your shoulders like some kind of odd scarf. You can't help but smile at his antics, looking down as his head dangles, hands hanging by his head. The position didn't look all that comfortable, but... this is a Corny you were talking about. They're comfortable almost anywhere. "Are you comfortable there buddy?"

He opens one eyesocket, permagrin soft and relaxed. "very. thisss isss amazieing."

Pffft-! What a cornball. 

"Nerd," you say, fondly rubbing his round cheek. The resulting purr is just as lazy as the rest of him and after it dies out, loud snoring takes its place. "Jeez..."

You shake your head, a smile warming your face. You go about your shop duties, one bitty dangling from your shoulders and one snoozing in your pocket. This is going to be an interesting day. 

The swaying of your movements and the soft murmur of your voice is comforting as Nebula dozes in your apron. He can feel the soothing pulses of your SOUL. With every healing pulse, he can feel his body and SOUL grow stronger, healing him. He sighs contently, snuggling deeper into your pocket. He could sleep the day away if you'd let him. 

"Nebby," your soft hand stroke the top of his head gently, drawing a purr from his ribs. His hands wrap around your fingers as you gently lift him out of your pocket and sit him on the desk. "Time for lunch!"

The wonderful aroma of lunch draws his attention from your smiling face. You place a small bowl with a monster candy piece and some shredded chicken. You place a cup of tea that Lucy boiled earlier beside that. He thanks you gratefully and digs in, ribs rumbling hungrily. 

When he looks up from his food, you're reaching around your head to grab something out of your hood and-

His SOUL skips in his ribs when a familiar blue tail comes into view. The food slips from his phalanges, all but forgotten as he climbs to his feet and rushes over. 

"mazie...?"

Mazie? Do... Do Mazie and Nebula know each other? 

The bitties stare at each other for a long moment. Mazie's blunt fingertips dig into the flesh of your fingers even as he dangles from your hands, body lax in your hands. 

Nebula's hands knot in his hoodie, eyelights small and unsure. Mazie pats your hand and you place him on the desk in front of Nebula. 

Nebula takes a small step forward, eyelights studying the lamia before his sockets gleam with recognition. A smile breaks out across his face as he jumps towards Mazie, who lazily opens his arms to catch the bitty. "heya nova."

A grin brightens your face at the scene, SOUL warming with happiness. It looks like Mazie found who he was looking for! Mazie smiles affectionately as he lays down, tail curling around the Nova bitty. Nebula's voice is soft and the sounds of the rest of the bitties in the shop create a calming ambiance as you finish setting up Mazie's lunch of McNuggets. 

After lunch, the little guys hang out together in your apron pocket while you bustle around the infirmary. Mazie and Nebby are a lot of help when it comes to cheering up the injured bitties, Maize, with his lax nature and his puns, and Nebby with his positive attitude and his gentle words. You can't help but beam as you watch them interact with the other bitties. You couldn't be more proud of them. The infirmary door opens behind you and Lucy steps in with a customer. 

"Aww... Look at those little guys! It looks like the Nova is well on his way to recovery." She rubs Nebula's head, but he shies away from her touch, glances at you uncomfortably. You frown worriedly, picking Nebby up and away from Lucy's touch. She doesn't seem to notice as she chats away with the customer. He buries his face in your hand shyly. Your brow furrows. You wonder what's wrong... 

"Neddy? Are you okay sweetie," You ask quietly, trying not to disturb Lucy and the customer? He nods, still not looking up at you. He must be a little overwhelmed from all of the activity today. Poor guy... "Do you want to take a break in my pocket with Maize?"

When he nods again, you pick up a sleeping Maize, like the limp noodle he is, and place him in your pocket with Nebula. Even though he's still asleep, he curls around Nebula in a protective gesture. 

"-progress is excellent. We'll send them home with you tonight," Lucy is saying when you tune back into the conversation. She turns to you. "Can you get Allister and Asher while I get Allister's medication and paperwork?"

"Sure!" 

Allister's bed is the last one on the left. You and their human, Dani, you think her name is, head toward the back of the room. The bitties are curled up together on the bed, snoozing away. You smile, Allister's injuries look so much better than they did when he came in all those weeks ago. He's made leaps and bounds in his recovery. 

Dani's face lights up when she sees them. "Allister and Asher!" The little guy's perk up at the sound of her voice. Their eye sockets widen, eyelights brightening. 

"DANI!" They shout. Asher jumps to Allister's aid when he struggles to stand and the hobble over to Dani together. She stoops down, gently pulling them into a close. Tears gather in her eyes. "I missed you guys so much..."

Aww... So wholesome... 

A few minutes later, Lucy returns with the paperwork and all of the supplies they need. Dani thanks you and Lucy profusely for helping her Allister as she gathers up her boys and the supplies. You and Lucy bid Allister and Asher goodbye, earning hugs and thank yous in return. You're gonna miss them dearly, but you're glad that they're going home safe and sound. The three of them leave the shop in high spirits, leaving laughter in the wake. 

Lucy sighs happily as the door shuts behind them. "I'm so glad that we were able to help them."

You have to agree. This is the part you love about your job the most, besides taking care of the bitties, of course. To see a family reunion like that after being separated is amazing. 

Lucy turns to you with a smile. "Well! Let's get the bitties fed and ready for bed."

The bitties are more than happy to spend time with you while Lucy bustles around in the kitchen. As soon as you take a seat on one of the floor pillows you're swarmed with tiny bony bitties, asking about your day, climbing in your lap, or hanging back and watching the chaos. You pay attention to each bitty as much as you can. 

"Alright, time to eat!" Lucy's voice echoes from the hall as she pushes into the main room. As soon as they spot her the bitties rush her. Some of them remind you of hungry kittens. The thought makes you chuckle. 

You stand up and dust yourself off while Lucy helps the bitties get settled in. You do your evening rounds, restocking the shelves and such. By the time you're done, the end of your shift is drawing close... 

...and so is Nebula's time with Mazie. The thought makes your heart sink. They've been having such a good time today. You'd hate to separate them, even if it's just for tonight. There's only one thing to do then! 

Mind made up, you call for Lucy. You have something important to ask her. 

Papy is waiting for you in the living room when you get home. "WELCOME HOME, HUMAN!"

"Hey, Papy! Did you have a good day today?" You sit your bags from the sanctuary on the couch and pick him up for a hug. His phalanges dig into your cheek gently as he rubs his face against yours. 

"I HAD AN EXCELLENT DAY TODAY! I... OH," He cuts himself off when he spots Mazie in your hood. "YOU ADOPTED A LAMIA BITTY?"

The excitement in his voice makes you smile as you pick a sleeping Nebula and Mazie up out of your hood and put them on one of your soft couch pillows. "Yep! His name is Mazie. He's a friend of Nebby's."

His eyes narrow at the puny name. But he shakes it off, the excitement of having a new friend quickly overtaking his displeasure. "EXCELLENT! FRIENDS SHOULD STAY TOGETHER!"

You couldn't agree more. 

After dinner, your sitting at your desk, planning out outfits for your bitty pals while some of the bitties hang out with you around your room. Of course, Sansy and Chisp are snoozing away, lounging on your bed. Sweets and Papy are playing a game checkers on a board that someone named Pup made them, and Nebby is curled up with Maize, who made a nest in your yarn. You also think you hear Blue and the Lil'bro hanging out in the fabric hideout.

With a content sigh, you go back to your sketching. Who knew moving into a "haunted house" would be the best decision you could have made in your life. You couldn't ask for anything more than to be right here in this moment.

After everything, your SOUL is finally finding some peace. You just hope that it will last...