Archive of Our Own ^beta

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Name: [Y/N]
Other names: Chaos, Death, Mother of Monsters, Ethereal Being
Age: ? (Unknown, but over centuries old)
Species: Goddess, Demon, Monster, ?
Height: 5’6
Appearance: (how you look), but also has a black skull birth mark on her forehead 
Pronouns: She/Her
Likes: (your likes)
Dislikes: (your dislikes)
Sexuality: Pansexual, Demisexual 
Fears: Of Being Hurt, Betrayal 
Soul: Black and White 
Soul Meaning: Peace and Chaos but also the outline around it conveys it being a monster soul
Occupation: Peace Keeper, Truth Teller (many have gone to her for guidance) and Balancer. But, also works as a Librarian 

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The Inner Sanctum was a place of pure magic. A place in the middle of the Sanctum was a cauldron of some sort. It was white, with curled patterns and symbols etched into the marble. The substance within was a pinkish, crystal water used for reflections and memories of the past, present and future. It was also a way to communicate between worlds; usually, she tended to place the orb of Resilience upon the water itself. It just floated there. The orb was milk white, smooth to touch, much like a pearl. 

Around the pearl, two on either side, were columns, white and made of marble. Green vines coiled around each one. A table, made of oak, painted on in light blue paint, with golden swirls, was placed to the side, near to a few small ponds. Two chairs were placed on either side of the table. A path led to an area surrounded completely by water. 

Near to the table itself were columns of where special volumes detailing legends, myths and monsters alike. Some volumes were just on the knowledge of the world itself. The weapons she had created by hand were hidden behind the books, and she could access them by merely pressing a switch. 

She had tried many heroes to be able to use her weapons. Only very few could wield them correctly. They had to prove themselves worthy. The weapons took much energy from those who could wield them, and they must possess some magic power to be able to use them. 

[Y/N] was only able to hear the calls from her cauldron when it let out a low-pitched, melodic note mirroring a bell. Only she was able to hear it.

[Y/N] held a volume of ‘Ancient Legends: Volume IV’ in her hands. She traced her finger over the cover and it immediately snapped open. The pages flipped through at an alarming pace until it landed on a page labelled ‘The Wicker’. The book floated above her hands as she stepped through the Inner Sanctum, her eyes glowed with different colours as she used her magic. [Y/N] had glasses perched on her nose and she wore a black button-up shirt, with a blouse, trousers and ankle high boots.  

She rose her wrist slightly to look at the time. It read 8:32am. 

She had been within the Inner Sanctum for hours longer than she had hoped. Sleep was not mandatory for her to function. Hopefully, her daughter was awake. Hel was fourteen years old, but, it didn’t mean she didn’t have to wake her sometimes.

[Y/N] raised her hand and slashed it upwards; a portal (purple) began to swirl anti-clockwise. She stepped through and immediately she was in the kitchen. The kitchen was quite simply decorated, with only childhood drawings drawn by Hel and her other children (the monsters and creatures who didn’t live near, and typically loved in mountains, or volcanoes, or even the ocean). 

On the table was food stacked on plates. Such as eggs, bacon, pancakes, sausages, fruit followed by orange juice or apple juice. Her daughter, Hel, was sat at the table with her plate stacked with all of the food before her. She had black hair, with vines intertwined between her locks, light grey eyes, along with a small birthmark in the shape of a flower on her cheek. She wore a black and white striped sweater, along with shorts, tights and a pair of boots. 

"Are you getting picked up, or would you like me to drop you off at school?” [Y/N] smiled, retrieving a cup from the cupboard and poured some coffee, milk and threw in three teaspoons of sugar. Her finger was above the cup and as she swirled her finger, the liquid inside the cup mixed together.

"Don’t worry about it, Ma. Az asked whether I wanted to be picked up, and I said yes,” Hel spoke, between mouthfuls of pancake. They were the fluffy ones with butter and syrup on. "Toriel will be driving me.” 
Just then, a car beeped outside. Quickly, Hel ate everything on her plate and slid her backpack on her back. "What’s going to happen with this food?”
"I’m going to eat it all before work. Have a good day at school, Hel. I will be late, I’m working at the library. 

Hel opened the door, just as Asriel was about to knock. They both exchanged stares for a split second until they both blushed at the same time. Asriel was wearing a green sweater, with trousers, and his horns curled over. They both quietly apologised to the other. Asriel quickly waved to [Y/N] and almost ran to the car. They could hear the teasing from Frisk from the doorway.

Toriel smiled and waved to [Y/N] who waved back, a smile on her face. 

"So, when are you going to tell him you like him?”
Hel covered her face in her hands and began to groan. "Ma, no.”
[Y/N] snorted. "I’m just saying. But, he definitely likes you back. You can tell~”
"Ma, pleassseee stopppp.”

She likely wouldn’t.

The library was one of the biggest buildings in the neighbourhood, along with a restaurant called Grillby’s. It was one of the most popular spots, and the library tended to only be visited by university students or those who wanted to work quietly. [Y/N] usually worked at the library three days a week, from 11am to 7pm. But it did tend to change if the other librarians were ill. 

[Y/N] sat at the desk, a stamp beside her and a few books that needed to be returned to the shelves after she was done with her current task. She tapped her fingers against the desk as she read over the signature she had written. 

Barely anyone was occupying the tables, so, it was almost too quiet. 

Across the desk, tucked under her arm, was some postcards from some of her children. The postcards were hand drawn. From the amazing detail of volcanoes, to the squiggly, blue lines of an ocean. Some weren’t the best artists, but they were amazing. They did have phones, but, they only wrote when their phones ran out of charge. Which was constant.

A sudden voice interrupted her thoughts. "EXCUSE ME, WHERE WOULD THE BOOKS ON COOKING BE?” 
She looked up to see a skeleton. She was definitely staring more than she should, but she had not seen many skeleton monsters. 

Well, she had seen stranger things.

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Her eyes gleamed over as she tilted her glasses forward to get a better look at him. This skeleton’s skull was curved, seemingly softer and wider than that of a human skull. Often, [Y/N] had held a human skull in her hands. She didn’t exactly like her children consuming human flesh, but it’s not as if human kind ever treat them well or gave them food. So, they became feared and myths tended to follow them. 

This skeleton had a softer look in his eyes then any being crafted by dark magic, such as skeleton soldiers crafted by necromancy, that she had seen. His eyes were full of kindness and the wide smile across his face showed how genuine he was. [Y/N] could read the aura which surrounded him: it was a calming orange. She could see the sincerity, the kindness and the strength contained within.

His white pinpricks focused on her own. He could see all the different colours swirling together, as though it was a bright galaxy he swore he would get lost in if he wasn’t careful. The white parts in her eyes seemed also faded, as though they were shooting stars. Her eyes could replicate that of a Van Gogh painting. 

[Y/N] shook herself from her thoughts. She closed the book she was writing in, and glanced up at the smiling skeleton. She spoke, softly, "You want to find some cooking books?” He nodded. "I could show you them.”
”OH, THAT WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED! I WOULDN’T BE TAKING YOU AWAY FROM YOUR WORK THOUGH, WOULD I?” He spoke. His voice was loud, but his tone was very kind and thoughtful. She jumped off her seat and stood beside him.

"No, of course not,” [Y/N] smiled. "That was only notes on some damaged, or otherwise destroyed books we have received. It won’t take me long.” He nodded. She started to walk up the stairs, and swerve between the bookshelves until they came upon a bookshelf labelled 'Cooking and Baking’.

"Here they are. They were kind of hidden, I suppose. Have fun,” [Y/N] said, and turned around. She was about to leave until the skeleton in question softly tapped her on the shoulder. She stopped walking to turn around and face them.

He beamed, with his eyes brightening even further. ”THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP, HUMAN. WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE IF WE COULD BE…FRIENDS?” 
[Y/N]’s eyes widened slightly. She was more so surprised whenever a monster openly wanted to befriend her, in believing she was a human. It wasn’t bad, at all. It’s just, humans had not given the monsters a pleasant welcome when they came up from the Underground three years prior. Things were still tense between humans and monsters and not much had improved since then.

She repositioned her glasses on the edge of her nose. She could feel her face beginning to heat up from their closeness. This skeleton was pressed against the book shelves, and she was quite close to his chest. Which is where she only just managed to reach, since he was a giant.

"I would love to be your friend. I didn’t quite catch your name.”
He audibly gasped. "OH! I CANNOT BELIEVE, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAS NOT INTRODUCED MYSELF! ALTHOUGH, I BELIEVE I HAVE JUST SAID MY NAME.”
She laughed a little. "It’s lovely to meet you, Papyrus. My name is [Y/N].” 
His eyes shone even more. His cheeks dusted with orange. "WHAT A LOVELY NAME.”

Before she could respond to him, someone coughed from behind them. They both turned around to see a shorter skeleton, with a more circular skull. He seemed a lot chubbier than Papyrus. He wore a light blue jacket, with a white sweater underneath, basketball shorts and a pair of pink slippers.

Very fashionable. 

"hey bro, who’s this?”
"THIS IS MY NEW FRIEND, [Y/N]! DON’T BE RUDE AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF, BROTHER!”
"heh, if you insist. I’m an open book. name’s sans, sans the skeleton.”

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By mere glance alone, she could see the uncertainty and suspicious ruling around him. Despite his blue aura being a calming presence, there was also a sense of danger. A sense of fear. He was fearful of the humans and what they could do. If they truly wanted, they could try and force all the monsters back Underground.

What they didn’t realise was they had a goddess on their side.

Mages were treat almost as unfairly as monsters were. They wore special bracelets, made of mage and monster blood, to maintain their power at a minimum and make sure they didn’t use much magic. Mages were scrutinised, blamed and harassed. It may have been true mages were the ones to create the barrier to keep the monsters Underground, but those without magic had started the rumours that monsters would begin to attack. Their string of lies and betrayal was made from jealously and aggression. 

Those without magic were also to blame. 

But, even a few of the mages, [Y/N] had known and taught herself, were forced into it. [Y/N] was slightly older than Asgore himself and she had known him since he was a baby. She knew of his importance to monster kind, so she protected him as best she could. The mages she had taught, on the other hand, had come to her for guidance on magic when they were younger. All of them had been the only magic of their family, so they didn’t know much. She taught them all she knew and helped each one to master their own craft.

What she didn’t expect was for this to be a hand at the betrayal of monster kind.

Ever since, she had sought to befriend Asgore, which then followed with Toriel. She became close with their children, Chara and Asriel. The other gods and goddesses forbade her from tampering on fate but it didn’t mean she couldn’t help a little.

Sans’ smile was wide, but strained. It was clear he didn’t want to talk to [Y/N], but was acting nice for his brother’s sake.

"It’s nice to meet you, Sans. My name is [Y/N]. I’m a librarian here, so I was showing Papyrus to the cooking books. I could-" Before she could finish her sentence, her phone began to ring in her back pocket. She gave a silent apology and fished her phone from her pocket. She didn’t notice the caller, but answered anyway.

"Hello? [Y/N] [L/N] speaking.”
"Oh yes, Mrs. [Y/N]! I just wanted to call you due to an incident involving your daughter. Could you come to the school straight away?”
[Y/N] blankly stared at the bookcase in front of her. Papyrus and Sans exchanged looks. "I’m not married, Mr. Robson. And I will be right there.” She then left the call.

Papyrus looked down at [Y/N] with a little worry in his eye sockets. She simply smiled back at him and Sans. "I need to go to my daughter’s school, so I have to cut this short. Maybe we could exchange numbers before I go?”
Papyrus flushed orange. He beamed, his eyes somehow brighter than they were before. "WOWIE, I WOULD LOVE TO!”

They swapped phones (Sans even reluctantly put his own number in as well to get in contact when he needed to) and out in each other’s phone numbers. After retrieving her phone back she gave a small smile.
"I will see you two another time. It was lovely meeting you both.”

The building before her was a lot taller than she imagined. Hedges in the shape of flowers or people she knew were placed either side of the building. Vines covered the building, with budded flowers forming in different hues. Her hand was wrapped around a coffee cup. She could smell the aroma of hot coffee, with a dash of milk and sugar in it. It made her feel more awake when she had things to do. 

The cup in her hands felt hot to touch. Her plans for that day were to talk to the headmaster, possibly bring Hel back home if she was allowed, get into her comfortable hoodie and pyjama shorts and play on her switch. 

She was in no mood for interacting today. At least when her daughter would get back home, she could be productive by either helping her with homework, or by making dinner. Other than that, she had no intention to do anything productive. It was due to motivation and boredom.

She stepped along the path leading up to the building. She pushed open the doors with one hand, stepped through it, and allowed the doors to slam closed behind her. The nearest to the doors was the headmaster’s office, so she could see her daughter sitting on one of the chairs outside. She asked up to Hel, who seemed to have her arms crossed against her chest and an annoyed look across her face, and patted her shoulder.

Hel stared up at her mother and a wave of relief fell across her face. But then, worry. Hel rubbed the back of her neck, and kept her gaze to the ground beneath her feet.
[Y/N] asked softly, ignoring the stares from the boy on the other side of the chairs, "Now then, sweetie, what is this about? I would like to hear from you before I hear it from them. And I know they won’t understand fully.”

Hel clenched her fists to her chest. The ivy around her curls began to sizzle and almost dance in a trance, the normal green shade slowly turning grey. Her eye flickered from her usual grey to red, glowing and being the only source of light, except from the natural light filtered in through the sun.

Her veins soon were traced over by red veins, trailing along each like a vine, coiling around each vein it could find. [Y/N] patted her head, and pressed a small kiss to her forehead. 
"Tell me what happened. But do not let your anger consume you, young one. Anger can manifest and spread, and form hatred. Tell me in your own terms, slowly.” As soon as her mother’s smooth voice radiated, and seemed to even calm her soul and magic ready to pounce, she blinked and her eyes returned to their natural state.

With a single flick of her finger, the red veins appearing much like vines soon disappeared. "Well…don’t be angry but I punched someone off their seat…”
[Y/N] furrowed her eyebrow. "I won’t judge until I hear everything, Hel.”
"This boy was trying to touch my thigh. I kept saying ‘no’, or ‘to pay attention’ but he wouldn’t stop! Maybe I should have-"
"Sweetheart, you did nothing wrong. You were protecting yourself. He is the only one at fault for even doing such a thing. It was inappropriate and disgusting. How about after school, unless you have plans, we order a takeaway and watch a movie?”
Hel looked up. Her eyes were staring to cloud with tears. "You aren’t angry with me?”

[Y/N] was taken aback. Did she think she would get in trouble for standing up for herself? That was a sad thought.

"Of course not! You did nothing wrong. I would never punish you for such a thing.”
Hel started to pick at her nails, a small smile spreading across her face. "I’m seeing Az after school, but a movie and a takeaway sounds good.”
[Y/N] patted her head once again, and pressed a kiss against her forehead and cheek. "Then we will. Now, I have a meeting to go to. Wish me luck.” [Y/N] began to laugh as Hel sent her finger guns. 

[Y/N] pushed open the door to the headmaster’s office and her smile immediately fell from her face. Her eyes, usually [e/c] flashed red and the aura surrounding her made the entire office dim. Her piercing glare was enough to rattle the strictest of people, and her blood-thirsty look was enough to scare anyone shitless. 

"I heard someone touched my daughter inappropriately.” 

Chapter Text

Malice and hatred covered the room, trickling in without a moments thought. The conviction was easy to decipher from the air around them: it was easy for her to sense as it was one of the very things she was the goddess of. Human emotion was so easy, so flavourful to digest. Her eyes flashed with colour, from red to black, before her eyes focused on her natural hue. [Y/N]'s veins began to worm around, grotesquely slithering across her flesh in the shape of vines, as leaves started to spiral out in sharp leaves. It was reddened by anger, bleeding across each aspect of her flesh like ink on a page.

The parents of the boy to her right seemed to shake from the very power she manifested, that she bled throughout the room. Their eyes widened in fear and the headmaster at his desk was no different. Sweat rolled down his face in dirtied drops of sweat; his desk was covered by documents stacked against the desk, with some sheets across his desk, dotted by ink. His pens were placed to the side and a coffee cup was beside the documents, where circular stains resided. They were flaky and hard to remove due to time. His desk, in general, was just a mess.

[Y/N] slammed her hands against his desk, scattering all of his papers and pens to land on the floor. The doors glowed with her magic and slammed closed on her very command; she snarled, her dark smirk widening as the drops of sweat continued to roll down his face and he had to sit back to get away from her. But her gaze would not waver and she was sure (she could feel it radiating from his soul) his soul was shaking with fear as though she would tear it out and shatter it at any moment. Well, she was tempted to do such a thing. Anger could make you do things you may come to (or not) regret. 

"Now tell me, are you going to punish her for something out of her control?"
Mr. Robson did not dare to speak. "I-I...well...she did punch a student..."
That was not the answer she had wanted to hear. Her hands started to apply more pressure and the headmaster, along with the boy's parents, could hear and see the cracks beginning to form underneath. 
"She had to in order to protect herself from that boy. Hel should shouldn't have had to, but she did. She does not deserve punishment for protecting herself!"

"Mrs. [L/N]-"
"-I am not married."
"Miss [L/N], please could you sit down...so we can talk about it?" [Y/N] let out another growl before slowly turning around and sitting on the chair to the left, a few paces away from the parents. The other parents seemed to be uncomfortable from the anger they could feel. [Y/N] rested her hands on her lap, closing her eyes to attempt to calm down the colour of her eyes from changing, from showing all the malice she felt throughout her entire heart and soul.

[Y/N] was a single mother to many monsters, to Hel. She had replicated them herself, had carried them to term without any help. Not even the other gods and goddesses had helped her as they judged her with each action she took. To them, [Y/N] was the darkness in the world. All she was, or ever would be, was a god of absolute darkness and malice. Hel had been the first of her children to not have a completely monster appearance (in terms of being larger than buildings, or having several heads and the like). She was the first to take on a 'humane' form and she wanted Hel to have a 'normal' life. 

[Y/N] was aware she was overprotective. She always had been since her first child; she had carved a world for them to live in, had protected them from humans, and had trained them in magic. Her children were creatures recorded in mythology and legends alike. They lived in volcanoes, in the sea, the air above where humans could go or even caves. She loved them all and spoke with them often.

Hel wasn't weak. When she was born, she had been in the shape of a dragon, roaring and in an angry stupor. She had slaughtered humans and had eaten them without realising. Then again, she was only a baby and didn't know any better. Hel didn't know; but, she had only been in her 'human' form. She used magic, and trained herself, and Hel helped her to improve her craft. 

With myths and legends came tales of valour created by man to convey their might and power. [Y/N]'s children had many scars from wars and warriors proving their strength to be seen. Well, a goddess' wrath is something else, is it not?

[Y/N]'s children were her life, and she wouldn't give them up for the world.

"Miss [L/N] and Mr and Mrs. Smith, you are here due to..." Mr. Robson placed his hands together, resting them against his desk. "An incident which occurred in class. Hel told me your son, Connor, was touching her inappropriately. She punched him, in defence, since he refused to stop."
"Our son would not do such a thing! She must be lying, or she must have been flirting or something like that!"
[Y/N] stood up, her anger boiling in her chest. It would consume her if she wasn't careful. She stood up, her anger flashing across her eyes. "Are you blaming my daughter for causing his disgusting behaviour? Are you kidding me? It's that type of parenting that causes this to happen in the first place! Parent your fucking son on his shit, misogynistic behaviour. Hel was the victim in this situation and I won't stand for how you act, or what you say about my daughter."

[Y/N] sat back down, holding her head in her hands. Mr. Robson turned back towards Mr and Mrs. Smith, before writing something down in his book. "Many others have come forward to tell the exact same thing. Others have told me, along with other staff, Connor has done this more than once. And many witnesses have come forward to say they witnessed it. I do not think they lied about such a thing, now did they? Connor is secluded until I say otherwise. When he does return, he will have detentions for a full month. As for Hel, she has a lunch detention tomorrow to catch up with the work she missed, but that is it."
Connor's parents were going to interject, but their words seemed to die in their throats.

[Y/N] didn't expect for that to go so well...maybe she shouldn't lose her temper before he finishes what he has to say next time.

It went better than she expected...now she had to return to work and she was unsure whether she truly wanted to.

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[Y/N] slammed open the door, aggressively wiping her face with her hand as she threw herself onto the couch. She rolled over onto her stomach, raising her hand only slightly so she used magic to close the door. Her glasses started to stab into the sides of her face so she rose her head and removed her glasses with her finger, groaning loudly to herself. Today was just too much for her to handle. Now was time for her to relax, and to enjoy a takeaway when her daughter got back, eventually. Perhaps it was time to go inside the Inner Sanctum and have a conversation with Nightmare and Dream. 

She would converse with Ink, or Error but they were busy being problematic and childish. They argued like siblings and often pranked the other, whether by tying the other up in strings or by throwing vials of ink up all over his puppets. That was just mean. It took Error so long to be able to knit together the puppets by hand, and the intricate detail and skill he put into them was something else. She was jealous of such a skill.

[Y/N] rolled over to the side, using her hands on either side of the couch to stand up. She rubbed the side of her eye, and flicked her finger to the side to slam open her door. The door coated in a black glow, staying open as she entered through. She threw off her work uniform, including her bra onto the floor and rustled through the drawers to find a simple shirt, hoodie and shorts which she quickly threw on. 

If Nightmare didn't answer her calls she would teleport to his castle herself. She needed an update into his life and whether he was not ruining the lives of any more AUs. The Bad Guy group he had created, had formed over a mutual understanding, was not 'bad.' They had all suffered in their own way and knew how terrible life could be, how not everything is perfect. They helped each other and they all cared for each other in their own way.  They were likely going to be interrupting the call by shouting over his voice and then would get scolded by the incarnate of nightmares himself.

[Y/N] took her glasses back from the side of the table and slid them onto her nose. [Y/N] raised her hand and slashed it upwards; a portal (purple) began to swirl anti-clockwise. She stepped through and immediately she was in the Inner Sanctum. She stepped towards the Orb of Resilience, her hand only touching it for a split second for it to glow pitch black; her finger slid across it, and much like a phone, there were a few contacts at the side. [Y/N] scratched the side of her eye as she pressed against the Nightmare, and Dream icons to force them into a joint call.

A 'call' screen rang out along the orb, until Nightmare answered. He was sat upon his throne, with his leg crossed over the other and a cup of wine in his right hand. His tentacles wrapped around the throne and his single, blue eye glared through her own. His throne was black, with blue sapphires dotted across each inch of the interior, with his old throne resting through one of the arms. Dream answered not too long afterwards, with his eyes brightly shining. He sat cross-legged on a bed made of clouds. He was dressed in his usual attire, minus his circlet which was placed beside him. He had his bow resting against his legs, his hand softly grazing against the bow strings.

"Hello you two, lovely that you both answered-"
Nightmare scoffed, rotating his cup in his hand and took a sip. "You would have come to my castle if I had not."

[Y/N] smirked, her hand coating in black magic, so the book, named 'Ancient Curses: Volume I'. She caught it in her hand, and it floated above her and the pages swept to page 20. Her eyes scanned the page, as Nightmare watched with a smirk across his face. "True, Nightmare."
"I can sense your negative emotions, [Y/N]," Dream spoke, a small, kind smile across his face. "Are you ok?"
"They are very strong. What happened?" He was enjoying this. Dream laughed to himself.

"Nightmare, wipe that grin off your face," [Y/N] warned. He listened, and pouted. Dream began to snicker. "Same goes for you, Dream." Dream immediately stopped laughing and had the exact same pout across his face. You could tell by brothers since they had the same expression when they were scolded. She finally landed on the curse she wanted: 'Your Worst Nightmare'. "If you must know, as nosy as you both are, there was an incident at Hel's school. Hel knocked a boy out of his chair for trying to touch her thigh. God, I'm proud of her."
Dream asked, "I hope she didn't hurt her fist too badly."

As Nightmare took a sip from his beverage, he immediately spat it out so wine went everywhere. [Y/N] raised her eyebrow and tried to force down a smile. "Nightmare, did you just spit everywhere? Clean yourself up, little squid."
Nightmare wiped his mouth with the side of his face. He scowled, ignoring the light blue blush across his face. "You know I do not like that little nickname. Don't call me that..." His tentacles, on the other hand, were wiggling as though he was a puppy with his tail waggling in excitement. 
"But you like the nickname, look at your tentacles!"

"Fuck off, Dream," Nightmare playfully snarled.
"Don't swear at your brother."
"Sorry, mother-" Nightmare froze mid-sip. His entire face flushed blue; he turned his head to face a smirking [Y/N] and Dream. 

Dream leaned forward with his head resting on his palms. The pages of the book [Y/N] held in her hands started to flicker through at an alarming pace. Yet, she was looking up at Nightmare with a kind smile. Nightmare started to pick at the sleeves of his ruffled shirt he was wearing and would not look her in the eyes but he could sense her stare. His blush deepened across her face.

"Did you just call [Y/N] 'mother'?"
"I don't mind," [Y/N] smiled, softly. "You can call me it if you want to."
Dream's smile widened like a chesire cat and he placed his bow down so it laid down against the bed. "Could I call you 'mother' as well?"
"Of course."

[Y/N] slid her finger down the book. If she was to cast a spell on the boy, would it make her any better? Yes, she was way better than him. But, it was fairly illegal. To give him nightmares wasn't exactly an offence, but, to use magic against a minor was not legal. Using magic against someone was never legal but to give them curses or nightmares in any way wasn't accepted.

With a sigh, the book slammed shut and flipped onto its side, speeding backwards and landing perfectly between the books.

[Y/N] slid her glasses off of her nose and placed them inside her pockets, before stuffing her hands inside of her hoodie pockets. "I hope you have been pleasant to your subordinates, son." 
Dream snorted again, as Nightmare flushed even more. "I don't...hit them if that's what you mean. They are currently ransacking the castle so I have chosen to enjoy myself while I can, before they interrupt all my good senses."
"Who are they again?"
"Just some strays he picked up off the street," Dream responded. Both Nightmare and [Y/N] looked at him at the same time. 

[Y/N] was about to say something before closing her mouth. She pressed her hands together and pointed them towards the screen in a 'boi' motion. "Dream, why are you so sassy today? Did Nightmare steal your cat again?"
"Hey, I have my own void," As he said that, a black cat jumped onto his lap, curling around into a ball onto his lap. The cat had bright blue eyes and a blue ribbon wrapped around their neck, and a yellow bell which made a tingle when they moved.

"Glad you like Eclipse, Night," [Y/N] said. "How is Stardust, Dream?"
"She's as loud as usual. And very fluffy. So many fur balls everywhere."
"Cats are messy but perfect." Afterwards, they talked for a long while until Nightmare had to babysit his group and Dream had visitors. So, [Y/N] was left in the Inner Sanctum. It was complete bliss and she wouldn't change it for the world.

Chapter Text

A few days later, the goddess was again within her Inner Sanctum. Nothing had really occurred since the days prior, except for the fact she had enjoyed a few films and a takeaway with her daughter. Her job was the same as ever. The Inner Sanctum had always been her place of relaxation and research. It held many myths or legends she had written herself, or the many curses humanity held and had demonstrated throughout the thousands of years they had manifested. She knew each magic to exist in the world and how it came to be, she knew much to do with everything. After all, people came to her for advice. But even that had become bland over time. She wanted some excitement in her life that didn't involve a book of any kind. Maybe it was time for a job change?

She adored giving advice and advising those on their magic, but, dealing with people in libraries was something else entirely. It was understandable when people didn't know where a certain book was, but when they were loud and didn't quieten down it grained on her nerves. Just what job would she be decent in? All she knew is that she needed a break from books.

[Y/N] had several books floating around her as she stood before the orb. Black magic radiated throughout the entire Sanctum, coating a few objects and causing them to float all around. Mostly, it was her books but a few legendary items she had created, such as ancient weapons had managed to be caught by her magic. She was about to click her fingers to stop her magic until the Orb began to pulse and glow.

Nighmare's call icon appeared across the screen: it was a simple image of his cat, Eclipse. A pitch black cat with yellow eyes, with a small moon-shaped mark on her forehead. She had been wandering the streets for a few years (her mother had given birth in an alleyway with the rest of her siblings) before taken in by a family. This family had been abusive to its animals: little Eclipse had managed to escape and was found by [Y/N]. She had taken care of the small cat before she had chosen to give her to Nightmare. After that, they were quite the team. The cat created happy emotions. They were new, but he adored that cat. Even if he refused to say such a thing or admit it to his brother.

[Y/N] tilted her head to the side before she slid her finger along the icon: it flashed before the camera covered the entire screen. A white skeleton with black tears dripping down his skull. A smile spread across her face and she raised her eyebrow at this new skeleton. The skeleton in question simply smiled in response. He asked, "So you must be the [Y/N] the boss talks often about?"
"I suppose so. I do not believe we have met. You are?"
"Killer. But there is no time for introductions now! The boss needs your help..."

Killer scratched the side of his skull as though he was not meant to be saying this. The certain way he spoke and how his skull turned to the side (since she could see no pinpricks) indicated this was strictly expected to be secretive. She waved her hand, indicating for him to continue. 
"He hasn't left his room and we are getting worried. Could you come and maybe talk to him? We get the idea he would at least listen to you."

[Y/N] scratched the side of her face and allowed a smile to spread across her face. "I will be there soon." Killer nodded and left the call. Looks like she knew what she was going to do for her day off at least. Hel was at school, since it was about 12:32pm. She slashed her hand upwards so a purple, swirling portal opened. She stepped through and she immediately was greeted with the kitchen. She needed to get changed before she went to his castle: she swept through to the bedroom: she took out a baby blue blouse with a black bow against the chest, a pair of trousers, a squid necklace and some boots. She changed, quickly, her glasses on the edge of her nose: she stepped into the kitchen, opening the fridge.

Within was the different cakes she had helped her daughter to bake and experiment with. Her hand slapped against the cupboard, wrapping around it to open it outwards. She took a fairly large, sharp knife from within. She cut off a large slice of the Black Forest Gateau cake and placed it into a plastic container. She clicked down the top of the container and closed the fridge. She slipped her phone into her pocket. She also had a feeling she would have a meeting with the other gods soon. That was something she was not looking forward to.

A portal swirled around, and started to form, where Nightmare's throne was. [Y/N] jumped from the swirling portal and clicked her fingers to allow it to disappear. She now stood up on both feet, the cake now held with one hand. His throne was bigger than she remembered. A lot more luxurious and bright, as well. When they had met years ago (it had been so long she had forgotten how long it had been) he was more lonely and dark than he was now. He would let no one into his heart, let no one befriend him or be close. His relationship with his brother was non-existent, for they were both in a battle: The Bad Guys vs. The Star Sanses.

Now, everything seemed to have changed for the better. Nightmare's castle was home to the 'bad guys' since they had no where else to be, or to call home. She respected him immensely for that. She stepped towards his room, her boots clicking loudly against the ground. She soon came upon his door which was a simple pitch black door, with a moon across it. 

She raised her hand to the door and knocked her fist against it a few times.
"...Go away." 
"Nightmare, it's me. I'm not going to force my way in, but, I would like to talk with you."
There was no response from the other side of the door but she could hear a shuffle. "I just want to listen to anything you are worrying about. I brought your favourite cake, Black Forest Gateau."

Neither himself or his brother really needed to eat but there were a few types of cake they couldn't help but love. The sound of the door started to rustle until it opened inwards, to reveal the inky skeleton. His ruffled shirt only had a few buttons done up and his shadows beneath his eyes were a lot larger than usual. Sometimes he was kind of like a single parent for the 'Bad' skellies.

"Hello, little squid."
"...Hi." Nightmare softly said, taking her by the hand and brought her into his room where he closed the door. She passed him the cake and he gladly placed it beside his bed. He had a lot of moon themed furniture. His tentacles seemed to coil around himself, protectively. They softly grazed his cheeks and tried to poke at his stomach to try to get any reaction from him. 

He slapped them away with his hand and threw himself backwards so he laid down backwards, as he stroked his hands against his face, releasing a sigh from the back of his throat. [Y/N] sat down on his bed, leaning herself backwards so her back rested against the wall.
"I've been having nightmares. A little sad, isn't it? The King of Nightmares is suffering with...nightmares."
"Would you like to talk about them?" Instead of answering straight away, he sat up before resting his head against her lap.

He curled around himself, almost in a ball, so he completely rested in her lap. [Y/N] smiled, taking her hand to softly caress the side of his cheek. She started to stroke at his skull, humming a tune to herself. His eyes started to slowly close, and his tentacles slowly fell against the bed until he fell asleep completely. A soft snore erupted from him. She looked down at him and smiled.

"Looks like we can talk about it another time. Sleep, dear Prince. Have some good dreams."

And he did.

Chapter Text

Asgore's abode was a small cottage placed in one of the major monster cities. It had white brick, with a simple red roof, whilst the windows had baskets beneath, where Asgore's signature buttercups laid. He had a red fence layered around his home, keeping his small fields of buttercups, kept in smaller squares. The yellow blooms were kept in great health. Their stalks were bright green, their petals bright yellow. A few petals rested across the grass. Apart from the fallen petals, everything else was kept tidy and well-managed. Inside his home, on the other hand, was as simple as it could be.

The house had four rooms, the master room, the kitchen, the living room and then the guest bedroom. The master bedroom had a simple bed, with a table beside it. Pictures of Chara, Frisk and Asriel were placed against the table, where a simple buttercup rested in the glass, like the one from Beauty and the Beast. A note rested beside the buttercup, but only Asgore knew the contents. The guest bedroom had three single beds. 

Above one bed (which was dark green and red) had recipe books- both baking and cooking- were placed on a bookshelf to the side. There were numerous golden trophies for 1st place on the shelves, for both baking and cooking competitions. A small music box, with seven different coloured hearts inside was placed on the bed. It played a soft lullaby which usually lulled Chara to sleep when they woke up from nightmares. Against the side table was a golden heart locket, with numerous pictures of Chara, Asriel, Hel, Frisk and Asgore.

Another bed, which was light blue and purple, had a pair of boxing gloves wrapped around the wood. A few golden trophies were placed on the wooden shelves, which Frisk's name etched into the gold for first place in boxing competitions, whilst their pastel pink ballet shoes were placed underneath the bed. One trophy, silver, had a ballet dancer raising their arms upwards. There was also a sketchbook to the side where a pencil and rubber rested.

The last bed was green and yellow. Pictures of flowers (with himself posing in front of them) were nailed to the wall on either side of his bed, whilst a few golden trophies were on the shelves to the side. One photo on his table was of Asriel standing, holding a massive rose he had grown himself from scratch. Two small tables were placed on either side, where flowers curled around in-between the cracks. Along the bed was flower lights which changed colour. A few pictures were nailed into the walls of himself, Asgore, Hel, Frisk and Chara.

Right now, [Y/N] sat on Asgore's couch, dressed in a button-up, black shirt, trousers and boots, with black-rimmed glasses on her nose. Asgore was sat in his massive chair, near to the couch and placed at a tilt so the tv was in view. A table, with a white cloth (with flowers sewn on by Asgore himself) rested in the middle. A teapot with two teacups were placed on the table, along with a tin of biscuits. 

[Y/N had a book resting against her leg, a smile playing on her lips. "It's a lot less bright in here than outside, Asgore. You need to add a little more colour."
Asgore laughed a little. "Chara says the same thing. Then again, they may have a point." He had black shadows beneath his eyes, darkening each time he spoke or tried to smile to try to hide his pain. "Did I ever tell you how much I appreciate you bringing my children back to life?"

"Many times," [Y/N] said. Her cup was covered by black magic, the exact same threading through her fingers. It floated towards her and she took a sip, with her hand still raised as the cup stayed beside her. "You don't need to thank me, you know that. I have watched both Chara and Asriel grow, and I adore them both. Bringing them back to life was one of my best decisions. Even if the other gods disagree with what I did. I am here for you, Asgore." Her eyes narrowed through his.

He nervously smiled, feeling trails of sweat roll down his fur. [Y/N] knew everything to do with him, and yet, he tried to keep something this important from his best friend. A friend he had known for centuries. "You...know."
"I know everything. So, why did you keep your divorce being finalised from me?" Asgore could only look away and sigh. His smile immediately disappeared from his face and [Y/N] frowned. 

"I didn't want to tell you. I should have as you are my closest, and oldest, friend. It's been a lot harder than I wanted to admit to even think about it and come to terms with the fact myself and Toriel are over. But...my children are important to me."
"I am the same way. I am here to talk, if you want to," She took another sip of her tea. It was a pleasant taste on her tongue. She didn't tend to like tea without added sugar, but Golden Flower Tea just had the right taste. It was made with so much love and care she couldn't help but appreciate it. 

He managed a small smile. "We can do that another time. You have a meeting with the other gods, do you not?" [Y/N] started to aggressively sip on her tea, darting her eyes across the room. A few tentacles from her back started to bleed out, twirling around in the air, moving as though alive. Asgore couldn't help but laugh at her sudden annoyance. Her tentacles, made from darkness, ink and malice, only came out when she was annoyed or angry enough. "I will take that as a yes."
"Don't know what you mean..." Her tentacles curled around in annoyance.

"[Y/N], do you not want to go? I can understand, I have had my fair share of boring meetings."
"It isn't just that, Mittens," [Y/N] smiled. One of her tentacles curled around the cup and rose it to her lips. She tried to hide her smile beginning  to form whilst Asgore was playfully glaring in her direction. 'Mittens' was a nickname [Y/N] had created upon seeing the terrible knitted mittens he had attempted. Of course, in the end, he had managed to perfect knitting but the nickname was a reminder. For the goddess, it was to remind him of how hard he had come and how talented he was/became.

"They act like they are above human beings just because we gave magic to humans long ago. To hear them complain of human beings, or mages is annoying."
Asgore smiled, the tips of his smile curving upwards. "Is little Hel not considered a mage?"
[Y/N]'s tentacle swirled around the cup without leaving a single mark, before taking a spoon from the small table and swirled around the bright yellow liquid. "To them, she may be. She is already a god. Yet, she is still too young to chose what she will become the god of, which is why they still call her a mage. I helped half of them even climb the power ladder." Her tone was full of annoyance. 

Asgore took this time to study her more closely as she stared off to the side in her own thoughts. Her tentacles, comprised of everything unpleasant, often seemed alive as though they had a separate mind from their host. Her eyes often bled blood red, or black, whenever angry or annoyed. [Y/N] always had this powerful aura about her, even if she was joking or being lazy. When they first met, she was a lot shorter than he had expected. Her might, though? Along with her power, and influence was something to behold. He couldn't help but take notes from her example.

[Y/N] was wise, that was for sure. But, it didn't stop her from her anger being something to behold. Wrath was a curious thing.

"It has been nice to see you, Asgore, but I now have to suffer through a meeting where gods question my parenting skills. Not that any of them have children, except one. And their child despises them."
Asgore moves a little in his seat. He picks up his own cup and takes a sip. "I can't imagine such a thing."
"Neither can I."

The meeting of the Gods happened every two weeks to make sure everyone was going according to their duties. Everyone typically wore outfits according to what they were the god of, but mostly everyone just wore what they usually wore. The room had a simple stone slab in a circle around the room as a table. They usually sat in simple wooden chairs. Everyone was talking amongst themselves. 

The 'leader' of the Gods was the God of humanity, a man with brown locks down to slightly above his shoulders, with a pair of golden eyes and pale skin. It didn't take him long to slam his hands against the table and alert everyone to his presence. 

He stood up, his eyes closing for effect. "Now then, I believe it is time for this meeting to begin. First...[Y/N]."
She had to force down her tentacles from withering and violently tearing out of her back. "Aaron." She crossed her arms against her chest and ignored the stares on her figure. They were a usual annoyance.

He ignored her. "I believe we must talk about The Wrath of Akhekh. That beast has slaughtered a number of humans, and it would be best if the beast was either put down or a hero came to kill it-"
"-You mean my child Akhekh? No mortal will be allowed to touch them, is that clear? Akhekh was only protecting their own land. I thought you would understand, as someone who killed a mortal, as benevolent as you are, since they dare to touch your golden bow. Do not speak to me about wrath."

The pair shared glares for just a moment. It was enough to reveal all the hatred and malice they had for the other.

Chapter Text

Simply put, Hel had agreed for [Y/N] to meet with her outside of the school. But, she likely would not be expecting the goddess to be...angry. [Y/N] tapped her foot against the ground, her eyes swirling with different colours. Her anger was tampering with the air itself, an aura of maliciousness curling around where she stood. It was dark, whispering musings of darkness and wrath. 

The goddess crossed her arms against her chest. If she wasn't careful, her tentacles would spring from her back, or she would release a chant in a demonic language, spewing anger and musings similar to wrath. No, it was best if she didn't. [Y/N] used her finger to push her glasses further along her nose. She glanced to the side to see a few skeletons (one dressed in an orange hoodie, the other dressed in a grey-furred, black hoodie, who also had a golden, sharp tooth) standing by the entrance. 

The one with the golden tooth had a dog treat resting in-between his sharp fangs. It seemed to be alight by light purple magic. Ah, magic. [Y/N] hummed to herself, her hands scratched along her upper arms. Her eyes closed. Her chest heaved up and down, slow and steady. She picked up on her own breathing, using it to steady her increasing heart beat. No panicking. No doubt. Just her. 

Her hand wrapped around the front of her button-up, wrapping her fingers around the buttons, tracing over them. They felt smooth along her [s/c] fingers. There was no need for any hostility. No fear, no worry. Hel was fine. [Y/N] was fine. Her children were fine. Then, why did her thoughts dwell on him? 

It had been years since they last met, had last seen each other. Their last...fight. But, what is the point on lamenting on the past? He was gone from the world, and in more ways than one, she was thankful. 
"'ey, you doin' ok, darlin'?"

The sudden voice made her jump a little. Her head turned to the source of the voice, who appeared to be the skeleton with the golden tooth. His mouth curved upwards in amusement, whilst the other skeleton outright laughed. [Y/N] regained her posture. She spoke, blinking her eyes so they returned to her natural hue, "Yes. Sorry, I was a little lost in my thoughts."
"name's mutt. this is stretch."

Stretch furrowed his eyebrow. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, turning his head towards Mutt. "i could have introduced myself, you know." He turned his attention to [Y/N], and plopped a lollipop between his teeth. "nice to meetcha. you here to pick up someone?"
[Y/N] felt a smile rise across her face. The two skeletons flushed a little bit. Her beauty was something else to behold, truly, it was as though a god had blessed her. "Yes, I am. Oh, my name is [Y/N], by the way. And, I am here to pick up my daughter."

They both seemed surprised by that. 

"daughter?" Mutt questioned. "ya seem so young."
[Y/N]'s eyes widened in surprise. She let out a giggle before she placed her hands in her trouser pockets. "That's very kind of you." Should she tell them she was a goddess? No, she didn't quite know them that well. "I'm not exactly old, I suppose." 

Before they could continue the conversation, Hel ran down the path and jumped up, until she landed in front of [Y/N]. The goddess stepped back in slight surprise, as did the two skeletons. Hel turned around with a smile across her face, eyes gleaming. The vines in-between her locks curled around and moved as though alive, a bright green. The young goddess laughed at her mother's expression. "Sorry, Ma! I just couldn't help it! By the sounds of it, you did seem angry." Stretch pointed to the vines through Hel's locks and elbowed Mutt, who was about to say something, annoyed, until he saw the vines. Mutt tilted his head to the side, biting into his dog treat.

[Y/N] furrowed her eyebrow, a smirk making its way across her face. "You deciphered that through text? I am impressed."
Hel laughed. "You usually have such great punctuation in messages. The ones you sent were sent in a hurry." 
"Ah," [Y/N] laughed a little. "Would you like to go to Muffet's Bakery? I asked for her to keep the table in the corner for us." Hel's eyes started to sparkle. The younger goddess  clapped her hands together, readjusting the bag on her back. "You can ask Asriel and his siblings if you wanted."

Hel smiled. "Chara is practicing for another cooking competition, and Frisk has to practice their ballet. I'm not sure where Az is, I kinda left him behind." Before Hel could react, Asriel ran down the path and brought her into his arms, by wrapping his arms around her waist, bringing her into his chest. Hel's face squished into his chest, and her face started to flush. He whined, "I can't believe you would leave me behind like that!"

Mutt and Stretch both chuckled behind them. Despite having nothing to do with the conversation, it was funny to watch.

[Y/N] crossed her arms against her chest, using one hand to readjust her glasses on the edge of her nose. He hadn't noticed her yet. Hel playfully hit his chest and whined against him. "Az! My ma is here!"
"Wait...what?" With his arms still around Hel, he looked up to see [Y/N]. His face immediately turned bright red. He let Hel go and stood a bit more to the side, and he started to scratch the back of his neck, a kind smile on his face. "M-Miss.[L/N]! I-I didn't see you there! H-How are you?"

Hel regained her posture and puffed out her cheeks.

[Y/N] removed her glasses from her face and stuffed them into her pocket. "So, did you two finally get together?" 
Hel aggressively turned her head around. The vines moving around in her locks darkened and stopped moving around, remaining frozen. The mage's face brightened whilst Asriel wasn't any better. He looked away in embarrassment. "Ma!"
"What? So, you didn't?"
"Fine! We are together! Happy?" Hel puffed out her cheeks.

The subject of her children dating was nothing new. Plenty of her offspring had dated, or had even married. It somehow felt a bit different with Hel, who she was attempting to allow to have a normal life. Her other children had been brought into a world less modern, less attached to technology. They lived through the medieval period, where King Arthur and Merlin lived. Even they had known [Y/N] by her many names, had asked her for advice and how to deal with Morgana. But now? The modern world had its own problems, and its own tragedies. With monster civilisation only just being released from the Underground years prior, there was bound to be conflict.

"As long as you are. Asriel," He jumped and turned his head towards [Y/N]. He heard himself gulp for [Y/N] could be terrifying, and Asgore had told him as much: she had her eyes closed, her head tilted to the side. Her arms were crossed against her chest and he swore he saw tentacles rising from her back. A dark aura manifested around her, and it whispered destruction and death. "My daughter is important to me. And, I know how much of a good person you are. But. You better not hurt my daughter, you understand?"

"O-Of course! I wouldn't! I really care about Hel, and...I really like her." Hel watched his expression change to joy, and her face flushed.

[Y/N] laughed. "That's all I needed to hear. I can message Toriel and tell her you won't be getting back yet if you would like to join us at Muffet's." She saw the pair hold hands with each other, but she didn't say a word. With his other hand, he scratched the back of his neck. "If...that's ok?"
"Of course it is! Before we go I need to do something," The younger couple chatted whilst [Y/N] stepped towards the skeletons. She took out her phone and handed it to them.  They stared at her in confusion.

Mutt smirked. "aw, ya wantin' our numbers?"
"If that's alright with you."

They chatted for a little bit before they waved bye and the three headed towards Muffet's.

"can' believe we got a number from someone so hot. is she a mi-"
"-do not finish that sentence, you pervert."

"ya were thinkin' the same."
"i thought she was cute, not that."
"that's what they all say."

Chapter Text

[Y/N] stood within her Inner Sanctum, her hands hovering over the cauldron as the liquid within bubbled and shook within. The liquid itself was ink black, whilst bubbles, of a pearly white hue, started to rise from the cauldron, as ink dripped off the bubbles. The bubbles themselves contained memories of each person, the very present they were undergoing currently. The goddess' eyes glowed for just a moment, as a string of curses and chants spewed from her tone, forcing her hands to glow. Sometimes, she needed to use this cauldron in order to maintain the balance between different realities or the strings binding them together would be broken and everything would go out of control.

The Orb of Resilience started to rattle and turn black, as Error and Ink flickered across the screen. [Y/N] tilted her head to the side, waving her hand so the orb glowed with her magic and floated in front of her, with her other hand over the cauldron. With a click of her fingers, she answered the call and returned her hands over the cauldron as Ink and Error flickered on screen. Error sat down in the blank space, holding a doll in one hand, whilst he held a needle in the other. He wore a dark blue jumper [Y/N] had knitted for him. Ink, on the other hand, held a palette in one hand with different paints splashed across the palette, whilst he sat on a stool with a easel in front of him as he sat down on a small, wooden chair. 

Was there going to be an argument? Possibly. When these two were involved, there was bound to be.

"I'm surprised you both called. Typically, you both argue," [Y/N] spoke, her eyes watching as the bubbles rose into the air before breaking into fragments and dropping back into the cauldron. "Is there something you would like to talk about?"
Ink pressed his paintbrush against his palette and stroked it across the easel. "Just wanted to talk to you, [Y/N]! But of course Error was the first one to start the call!" Error flickered his eyes towards whatever he was calling on, his eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. 

Chapter Text

Muffet's bakery was mostly purple, with black floorboards, along with painted on spiderwebs with black paint. A lot of spider hid themselves within the confines of the establishment, some even accidentally falling into the batter Muffet often prepared for her famous donuts. The alcoholic, or non-alcoholic cider was often stored in the back, unless they had them stacked in the fridge. The tables were all in the corners of the establishment, with glass cutting everyone off from each other, along with a table between two small seats, or those circular ones which went right around so many more could sit in.

Muffet wore a short, purple dress with black lace, and a black, lacy pocket on each side. The bottom of the dress was laced with even more black lace, along with spiders stitched along it, along with a heart-shaped cut at the chest. She wore a black choker with a spider against her neck, and wore boots on her feet. The young spider was currently taking orders from the few customers inside right now with a fanged smile across her lips. The door opened and the bell chimed indicating someone new entered the bakery. 

Asriel opened the door wide for Hel and [Y/N] to walk through. They both smiled and silently thanked Asriel: the three wandered over towards the seat in the corner and they all sat down. "What would you two like? And I am paying, before you say anything, Az." Asriel started to nervously chuckle as Hel laughed to herself and patted his hand.
"A donut, please."
"Could I have one of the chocolate slices, Ma?" 
"Yes, of course," [Y/N] smiled. She stood up, placing both hands on either side of the table to help her stand. She slowly walked towards Muffet, not seeing the two skeletons on the table to her right. [Y/N] leaned forward against the table, her chest pressed against it as she crossed her arms underneath. Now, flirting with Muffet was just too fun not to do.

[Y/N]'s smile widened as she lowered her glasses towards Muffet. Muffet smiled widely, showing off her fangs. The spider monster leaned forward, stroking one of her hands softly against [Y/N]'s face. "Ah, dearie~ How lovely to see you again! Are you here to just flirt?~ Or, perhaps, order something for once?~"
[Y/N] grasped hold of Muffet's hand, and pressed a kiss against her hand causing her to blush and giggle. "I always order with you involved, dear. After all, I need to see your beautiful face~" She purred, wiggling her eyebrows.

"You are such a flirt!~ But, do, go on~" The two skeletons watch the pair interact with confusion. One of them slowly gets up from his seat, despite the other telling him to just not get involved. "Are you here alone?"
"No, I'm with my daughter and her boyfriend." Muffet's hands carefully flatten the collar, wiping off invisible lint whilst her other hand stroked the side of [Y/N]'s face affectionately. Before she could continue, a cough interrupted her. Both turned their heads towards Black, and Edge. Edge crossed his arms against his chest, his red pinpricks blinking in and out a few times as he focused his attention on Black, who had his arms resting on his waist.

Muffet smiled, still flattening down [Y/N]'s collar, "Ah, you two~ Is something the matter?~"
"NO, NOTHING, MUFFET," Edge said, tilting his head towards Black who was just staring at [Y/N]. He was being painfully obvious. Black's eyes focused on [Y/N], trailing from her bright [e/c] eyes, to how she was leaning forward and the very air around her was so intense, yet intoxicating. A dark purple blush dusted across his cheeks. 
"I DO NOT BELIEVE I HAVE SEEN YOU BEFORE. MY NAME IS BLACK."
[Y/N] smiled, gently. Both skeletons felt the magic building up across their faces in bright blushes. "It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is [Y/N]." She turned her head towards Edge, who froze from her smile, and the way her eyes twinkled. "I do not believe I quite caught your name."

"EDGE."
"Lovely to meet you both." [Y/N] turns back towards Muffet. "Could I have two slices of chocolate cake, and one donut please, Muffs?"
Muffet winks, letting her go. "Of course, dearie~" As Muffet goes off to get the slices of cake and a donut, [Y/N] stood back up and crossed her arms against her chest. The two skeletons were intrigued; they had not seen her around here before. "Muffet's baked goods are always the best. You two come here often?"
Black replies, "FOR MY BROTHER, I DO. EDGE TYPICALLY COMES ALONG TO MAKE SURE I DON'T PUNCH SOMEONE."
"AND BECAUSE OF ME, YOU HAVEN'T SO FAR."

They were definitely amusing.

"Why would you punch someone?"
"EVERYONE IS ANNOYING." Whilst Black looked like he knew what he was saying as though it was right, Edge rolled his eyes and trailed his hand over his face dramatically. He acted like a bored parent. 
"THAT IS WHAT LANDS YOU IN JAIL."
"IT IS WORTH IT EVERY TIME."
"CAN YOU PLEASE STOP GETTING ARRESTED?" Yes, these two were interesting.

Muffet placed down the tray with all three items on plates in front of [Y/N]. [Y/N] rustled for gold into her pocket, and placed it onto Muffet's open hand. "I will hopefully see you guys around." Without another word, she wrapped her hands around on either side of the tray and started to head towards her table. She lid it down in front of Asriel and Hel, who were currently giggling at each other. Asriel had his arm wrapped around Hel's shoulder as she leaned against his shoulder.

"Here you are, you two."
Hel raised her head a little. "Who were you talking to?"
"Muffet, along with two skeletons. They seem nice."
Asriel and Hel exchanged looks. It was a little weird so many skeletons were meeting her all of a sudden.
"What?"
"Nothing." 

Well, something was definitely bound to happen.

[Y/N] stood within her Inner Sanctum, her hands hovering over the cauldron as the liquid within bubbled and shook within. The liquid itself was ink black, whilst bubbles, of a pearly white hue, started to rise from the cauldron, as ink dripped off the bubbles. The bubbles themselves contained memories of each person, the very present they were undergoing currently. The goddess' eyes glowed for just a moment, as a string of curses and chants spewed from her tone, forcing her hands to glow. Sometimes, she needed to use this cauldron in order to maintain the balance between different realities or the strings binding them together would be broken and everything would go out of control.

The Orb of Resilience started to rattle and turn black, as Error and Ink flickered across the screen. Error's icon was himself and his dolls, whilst Ink's was of one of his paintings. [Y/N] tilted her head to the side, waving her hand so the orb glowed with black magic and floated in front of her, with her other hand over the cauldron. With a click of her fingers, she answered the call and returned her hands over the cauldron as Ink and Error flickered on screen. Error sat down in the blank space, holding a doll in one hand, whilst he held a needle in the other. He wore a dark blue jumper [Y/N] had knitted for him. Ink, on the other hand, held a palette in one hand with different paints splashed across the palette, whilst he sat on a stool with a easel in front of him as he sat down on a small, wooden chair.

Was there going to be an argument? Possibly. When these two were involved, there was bound to be.

"I'm surprised you both called. Typically, you both argue," [Y/N] spoke, her eyes watching as the bubbles rose into the air before breaking into fragments and dropping back into the cauldron. "Is there something you would like to talk about?"
Ink pressed his paintbrush against his palette and stroked it across the easel. "Just wanted to talk to you, [Y/N]! But of course Error was the first one to start the call!" Error flickered his eyes towards whatever he was calling on, his eyebrows furrowed in annoyance.

"i InTeNdEd It To Be A pRiVaTe CoNvErSaTiOn, InK pRiCk," Error scowled, tearing the needle through the small button and sewing it through the head. His eyes focused on the doll he held. "I hEaRd FrOm-" Before he could continue talking, his cat, Button, jumped into his lap. The feline had no fur, with one eye missing. His other eye was bright green, and he was also missing one of its paws: it was a stump, and his three other paws had sharp, silver claws. A jumper was wrapped around Button, covering his entire body nearly. Button tucked himself around in a ball, his head resting against Error's knee. Button was a Sphynx cat, and his previous owners had been abusive to the poor thing.

Error froze, before putting down the doll to his side. He wasn't the best when it came to physical affection, or touch, but when it came to his cat, he adored him. Error softly stroked along Button's back, his eyes flickering up to see [Y/N] with a wide smile across her lips. His cheeks flushed yellow. "I see you and Button are getting along well. How has he been?" Ink stuck out his tongue as he instead focused on his painting.
"YeS, hE's CuTe. I lIkE hIm..." Button yawned, opening his mouth enough to show off his teeth. "I wAsN't AwArE cAtS cOuLd Be LiKe ThIs."

"Yes, he's a Sphinx. Or, also known as a Canadian Sphinx. They usually cost quite a lot of money, but, I stole him, so he didn't cost anything." [Y/N] snorts as Error chuckles and Ink blinks his eyes towards her in surprise. [Y/N]'s phone suddenly pings. She stays one hand hovering over the cauldron, as she grabbed hold of her phone. After unlocking it by swiping her finger upwards, she pressed onto the messenger icon. It was from Asgore.

Gentle Giant

Hello, [N/N]!
I hope I'm not bothering you right now, [N/N].
It's just I have really hurt my back gardening. 
Would you be able to make me a potion or remedy to calm it?
Of course, you will be paid for using your time so kindly.

Ethereal
Hello, Az.
I don't mind creating such a potion/remedy. 
I don't need anything in return, just as long as you're alright.

"You stole him?" Ink asked, and [Y/N] raised her head, slipping her phone back into her pocket. He put down his paint brush onto the side as his own cat jumped into his lap. His cat was an American Curl, with small pointed up ears, with a striped black and white coat, along with a massive, fluffy tail. The feline, known as Puke, had light green eyes and wore a multi-coloured scarf around his neck.. Error continued to stroke along Button's back, and a rumble of purrs erupted from the feline.

"Well, yes. His owners were mistreating him, so, I decided to steal him." She swirled her hands around the cauldron and silently watched as the inky liquid morphed into a pearl-white liquid, as the bubbles floating above slowly broke into small fragments, much like small crystals and fell into the cauldron, causing the liquid to be thrown upwards and a few droplets fell onto her skin, silently sizzling and blistering where it fell. "Is there any other reason you wanted to talk?"

"I hEaRd WhAt HaPpEnEd. YoU mEt SiX sKeLeToNs, Is ThAt RiGhT?"
"Yes," [Y/N] smiled. "One of the taller ones was a sweetheart, but his brother obviously didn't want to speak. The other two were taller, one wore an orange hoodie whilst the other wore a purple with a collar. The other two wore mostly red and black, and both had scars over their eyes. Papyrus, Sans, Stretch, Black, Edge and Mutt. That's what they call themselves. Did that ring a bell?"
"Yes, you know how I protect Aus?" [Y/N] nodded at Ink. "They are from different alternative universes. Now, some of the different universes are in one universe. They're the same person, but from different realities. It's likely you'll see them all soon enough."

"I swear, you skeletons are so troublesome," [Y/N] spoke, clicking her fingers so one of her medicine started to glow and floated towards her. She grabbed hold of it, before it glowed black with magic, and started to float in the air, fluttering through the pages at a fast speed. The two skeletons made noises of complaint. "Am I wrong? Each time you both come on call, you argue. I love you both, my dears, but, it is tiresome."
Error puffed out his cheeks, continuing to stroke along Button's back. "S-sOrRy, Ma." 

After flickering few a few more pages, it landed on the potion/remedy which helped to relieve pain. "It's alright. It's amusing, to a fault. Did I tell you Hell is with Asriel?" Now, Ink and Error both stopped what they were doing to stare at the screen. Nightmare, Dream, Ink and Error saw Hel as their sister, so, they were of course overprotective over the teenager. Error slowly picked up his needle, and Ink aggressively gripped at his paintbrush enough to nearly snap it in two. "What?!" They said at the same time.
"Asriel is a good monster. I have known him since he was a child. What's the problem?"

"He's a guy, and little Hel is with him?" Ink questioned as though it was obvious. [Y/N] couldn't help but snort as she trailed her finger across the page and read all of the ingredients across the page. She tilted her head to the side. The moon stones, earth crystals, and herbs were kept high up. The goddess stroked her hands through the air until her entire body was coated with black magic, causing her to float. She grabbed hold of the ingredients and quickly landed in front of the cauldron. She did just about everything with this cauldron. 

"I aGrEe WiTh InK fReAk, He'S a GuY."
"You both only agree when it comes to Hel." 
"She's worth it. Hel means a lot to both of us." The ingredients started to float in the air. A few moon stones landed in her hand, as the magic disappeared from around the objects. She crushed them in her hands, so pearl-white dust clung to her hands. A shadow cast across her eyes as she started to sprinkle it into the cauldron. The liquid inside started to bubble inside and hiss as it sprayed from the sides, slowly turning into a dark blue shade, as streaks of silver swirled around anti-clockwise. The goddess clicked her fingers and a large, wooden spoon appeared from nowhere. Magic licked around it, and she moved her hand to glide it into the cauldron, swirling the spoon around the cauldron as it hit against the sides, creating a low, melodic sound like a bell.

"tHaT's CoMiNg FrOm ThE eMoTiOnLeSs WhOrE." Ink glared towards Error, his own curse on the edge of his tongue before [Y/N] intervened. 
"Dearest, what have I told you about calling Ink names?"
"SoRrY, bUt He StOlE mY dOlL!" Error huffed. Earth crystals landed into the cauldron, followed by the herbs. The spoon swirled around the liquid, coaxing it to turn a wonderful, bright silver. [Y/N] stepped towards one of the smaller cupboards and bent down, opening it and picked up a small bottle into her hand. "Ink, you need to give Error back his doll. You know the care he takes into them." Ink puffed out his cheeks and made no comment as he picked up Error's doll, and created a portal. He threw it in without much care, and a portal swirled around above Error and hit against the back of his head.

Error stroked the back of his head, glaring at the portal. He stuck up his finger and huffed. "ThAnKs." [Y/N] swished her hand upwards, the liquid licking with black magic and rose into the air, swirling until it landed into the glass bottle. Both skeletons watched her with amusement as she placed a cork gently through, before tying a green bow around it. "Do you normally make these remedies? How strong are they?" The book closed violently before it flew towards the bookshelf, and slotted itself perfectly. 
"Depends on the remedy. I often make them for those who need it. At least, only a few people know. I don't ask for anything in return."

"Why? You could earn a lot from it."
"Helping others without having anything in return is just who I am."
"AlOnG wItH wRaTh." [Y/N] snorted. "As much as I adore you both, I must go." She stuffed the glass bottle back into her pocket. "bYe, Ma."
"Bye, Mother~!" Ink sang, a smile spreading across his face. They both soon disappeared, so the orb floated back to its original place.

A pinging noise started to vibrate in [Y/N]'s pocket. She quickly picked up her phone, unlocking it and pressed onto the messenger icon to Stretch's, the skeleton from before, messages.

Honey

hey, this is stretch?

Buzz-rarian
That sounds more like a question.
Are you unaware of your own name?

Honey
oh yeah, sorry aha...
sorry
i'm bad with talking to people
especially new people

Buzz-rarian

Oh no, don't worry. I am the same.
Talking to new people can be tricky. Is there something you need?

Honey
i well...would you maybe want to go to a cafe?
my treat.
of course when you're free.
or, i could pick you up from work? 
if that isn't creepy...

Oh, this was new. Never in the hundreds of years she had been alive would she believe someone would ask her on a date. Well, the father of Hel had asked her out on a few dates, but, it seemed forced more than anything else. But...Stretch seemed like a kind person. She could tell by glancing at his soul for just a second, it glowed with Kindness and Honesty. The aura around him was soft, with a nice, positive glow. If she were to date someone- still, she feared what Hel would say- he would be the type of person she would look for. He seemed like a genuine sweetheart, as did Papyrus as she thought about it.

Buzz-rarian
I would love to. And, don't worry. It isn't creepy, it's sweet. 
I only work for three hours on Monday until 12pm, so maybe you could pick me up from the library?
It's the one beside the school.

Honey
oh...yeah of course. 
see you Monday? :)

Buzz-arian
See you Monday, Stretch. :)

A smile spread across her lips. Her cheeks flushed bright red, and she raised her hand, pressing it against her warm cheeks. She didn't even hear the footsteps behind her until Hel patted her shoulder. [Y/N] turned her head towards Hel, who was smiling with her arms crossed against her chest. "What's gotten you so smiley, Ma?"
[Y/N] flushed a little more in embarrassment. "Well...I have a...date?" Hel's expression morphed into one of surprise. 
"Wait...you? A date?"
[Y/N] stuffed her phone back into her pocket, walking out of the portal and into the kitchen. Hel followed close behind, taking a seat placed in front of the table, as [Y/N] started to get ingredients from the fridge. "Is it that surprising?"

"Well, it's you, Ma. You've never been a date, or people person. What's changed?"
"Stretch seems like a kind person, and I want to give him a shot. I wanted to talk to you about it, in fact. How do you feel about me dating? And possibly finding someone?" [Y/N] used her fingers to raise her glasses a little.
Hel propped up her elbows onto the table and rested her chin on top of it. "I say go for it. I want you to be happy, especially if this is the sort of thing you want to do." 
"Thank you, darling." After, they both cooked together and talked about Asriel and Stretch.

Extra:

how did I manage to get a date with such a beautiful woman? will she be disappointed with me? with that i'm like? Stretch pressed his phone against his chest, closing his eyes as the metal pressed against his bone. He curled into himself on the chair, pulling up his hoodie so he hid himself within his hoodie. A groan erupted from the skeleton- he was unaware of Mutt walking through into the living room, his eyebrow furrowed in confusion at his alternative version. 

"stretch, what are ya doin'?"
"...choosing to now live in my hoodie," Stretch said, waving his hand in the air. Mutt sat down on the couch, patting his hands over the cushions and underneath to try and find the remote. He slipped his hand between the cushions and grabbed hold of it, throwing it into his lap. 
"what? ya embarrass yaself again? did ya say the wrong thin' to someone?"

"nooooo...." Mutt rolled his eyes, raising his hand and gliding it aggressively down his face. Talking to Stretch, sometimes, was like talking to a child. He just feared of admitting how he felt, so he usually used humour as a way to cope with his own doubts and insecurities. "use ya big words, stretch. or i will just put on Desperate Housewives." For some reason, the skeletons always watched Desperate Housewives together as it was just too amusing: Mutt had already watched it all on his own account, but found it funny to watch it with everyone else and see their reactions. Stretch raised his head a little bit from his hoodie, to look at Mutt who gave him an amused smile. "gonna tell me?"

"you know the woman we met earlier today?"
"yeah?" Mutt said, slowly going onto Disney+, before pressing on Desperate Housewives. It started to play on the first episode of the very first season, and the sound of the gunshot made Stretch look at the screen in slight annoyance. Mutt turned his head towards him and snorted. "what?"
"you said you wouldn't put it on." 
"fine." He paused it with reluctance on his part. "continue what ya were sayin'."

Stretch stuffed his phone back into his pocket, and turned towards Mutt, sliding his hands into his pockets. "i...asked her out on a date." Mutt slowly blinked. He attempts to say something but then stops himself. Instead, he waves with his hand for him to continue. "she...agreed." 
"wow...didn' expect 'er to actually agree." Stretch sent him a glare. "don' get me wrong, ya are a great guy and all, but, ya ain' the best with people. honestly, congrats man."

A smile spread across Stretch's skull. "thank you..."

He had a feeling this was the start of something magical.

Chapter Text

Working in the library tended to be a calm occasion, as it was usually very quiet. Well, sometimes there was the occasional loud child but there was a children's area where they could be as loud as possible. It was thankfully far away from the area [Y/N] was working in. [Y/N] had a variety of books resting against the side of the table: one was opened in front of her, her finger tracing over the words of the date in the front of the book. It was on time, with even a stamp adorning the page in red. It was one of [Y/N]'s favourite books called 'Elektra', based on Greek mythology. Mythology- despite some parts not even being myths- had always interested the young goddess.

The young goddess was wearing a form-fitting, red dress to show off her curves, stopping mid-thigh, with no sleeves and had a heart-shaped cut at the chest, with simple black tights, a necklace of a fire crystal (blood red, with streaks of yellow and orange inside) and slip-on shoes.

Today was the date with Stretch. Excitement burst through her entire being at the thought- she hadn't been on a date in years and herself and Stretch had been talking for a few days before the date. Of course, there was the occasional flirting, as well as just sending memes and just talking about anything. It was obvious how anxious Stretch was: it was evident by the way he spoke, or even typed sometimes.

At least, [Y/N] was quite content until a familiar voice broke her from her thoughts. "[Y/N]." [Y/N] felt the frown spread across her lips as she looked up to see Aaron in all his glory, his golden eyes narrowed in annoyance towards the young woman as his long, brown hair was brought back up into a bun. [Y/N] slammed the book closed, her own eyes flashing into his. "What the fuck are you doing here?"
Aaron scoffed, crossing his arms against his chest. "I was thinking the same thing, [Y/N]." His eyes trailed across the books across [Y/N]'s desk, before his eyes moved across the attire she was wearing and it was enough to make him smirk for a moment.

"I work here, you infant," [Y/N] said with annoyance lacing her tone. She tilted her head towards the clock on the wall to read the time: 11:54am. It was nearly time for her job to finish and her date to begin. "Can you leave? I have no time to argue with you right now." Aaron scoffed with a sense of annoyance. He liked being the object of attention, no matter what. For the god of humanity he sure was a pain in the arse. Aaron took one last glance at [Y/N] before he left. It almost left [Y/N] in a sort of annoyed demeanour even as the door opened once again.

[Y/N] took off her glasses, folding them and placing to the side as her fingers softly itched at the corners of her eyes as a sigh erupted from her throat. Footsteps echoed against the ground, nearing [Y/N]'s desk as she continued to itch at her eyes. "[Y/N]? are you ok?" [Y/N] jumped at the familiar voice and her eyes softened at Stretch standing in front of her. She picked up her glasses and slid them onto her nose. [Y/N] looked up at Stretch, her cheeks immediately flushing dark red at the tenderness in his eyes. Stretch tilted his head to the side in confusion, his own cheeks flushing like honey. He had a bouquet of blood red roses, with a [f/c] ribbon wrapped around it and clear plastic around them.

"Oh, Stretch! Yes, I'm fine," [Y/N] smiled, stacking the books together before standing up. She dusted off her dress, taking her small bag off her desk, a simple black bag, and stood straight to face Stretch. He took a moment to look her up-and-down and his eyes widened: the outfit adorned her curves perfectly, and she looked absolutely beautiful. He just couldn't look away. His eyes shone with admiration, and adoration, as his cheeks darkened a honey orange. Stretch was wearing his usual orange hoodie, with khaki shorts and slippers. It wasn't exactly date attire but it was what he was most comfortable in.

And, [Y/N] adored him for it. He could wear whatever he was comfortable with, especially if he was used to picking out his hoodie (which he was, since it was a sort of comfort of his.) "you look...beautiful..." He managed to say. Even if he was dying inside from how he sounded. His cheeks darkened and he had to coax himself to look away. He lifted the roses towards [Y/N] as he scratched the back of his neck nervously. [Y/N] chuckled to herself as she gratefully grabbed hold of the roses, and leaned closer to take a sniff. A pleasant, flowery scent infiltrated her senses- such a nice gift for a first date.

"Thank you so much! These are gorgeous, Stretch!" A few people stared at the pair, a look of judgement clear as day across their faces. It wasn't unusual there would be judgement, perhaps even disgust, revolving around a monster. Stretch could feel their stares burning onto them: he raised his hand and clutched his hoodie, twisting it in his hand. He could feel his cheeks heating up from embarrassment. The goddess stopped smelling the roses to raise her head to look at his expression. She could sense the fear and anxiety crawling its way up for she knew it well. Her eyes narrowed in annoyance, her magic trickling through the air, dampening whatever joy was left. The darkened aura, keenly draping over her body, shouted deceit, chaos and wrath: she turned her head towards the people watching them between the bookshelves.

They shuddered at her stare which beckoned them to act out of place, or dare to. They all looked away, shuddering where they stood. [Y/N] took Stretch by the hand, interlocking her fingers with his- he jumped at the feel of skin against bone. His face flushed even more and he couldn't even stutter out a word as she led him outside and along the street. "Are you alright, Stretch?" Stretch didn't speak for a moment. Instead, he squeezed her hand a little harsher than he expected in an effort to bring a sort of comfort to his soul beating erratically against his chest.

"yes...i'm sorry i kinda froze back there..." Stretch spoke as he used his other arm to scratch the back of his neck.
[Y/N] smiled gently, turning her head towards Stretch. She squeezed his hand, again, chuckling at his face flushing a little darker. "Don't apologise, dearest." He looked away in embarrassment. "They aren't worth our time of day. Easier said than done, but try to forget them."
A wide smile spread across his skull as he turned his head back to face [Y/N]. Both didn't mind their joined hands, and both of them would not say anything. "if you don't mind me asking, who was the man you were arguing with?"

"I don't mind at all. He and I don't get on well. We don't agree on many things, we have different ways we teach, or adapt. He is unwilling to listen," [Y/N] said, as they continued to walk down the street. "But, he isn't important right now." She turned her head towards Stretch, who smiled gently. "Where would you like to go?" Stretch scratched his cheek with his other hand. He began, "i was gonna take you to my favourite café but that sounds too...simple." He laughed nervously to himself. "i wanted a perfect date..." A honey orange blush flushed across his cheeks.

"Anywhere we go is good enough. As long we enjoy our time together, it doesn't matter where we are," [Y/N] softly spoke. Stretch tilted his head towards [Y/N]. He could feel the smile creeping onto his face at her sweet words. She knew how to calm him down, and take care of any doubt he had in his mind. "So which one is your favourite café?" 
"that would be Muffet's. she has the sort of things I like, and i know just what to order. and it's calm in there...you know?"
[Y/N] simply nods with a smile across her face, and starts to lead him towards Muffet's. 

Stretch opened the door, leaving it open with one hand to allow [Y/N] to enter through first. [Y/N] gratefully thanked him and started to walk forward before she felt someone interlock their fingers with her own. She glimpsed down to see Stretch's fingers gently taking her own in his; he softly grazed her fingers. Stretch's cheeks flushed and he looked away. He started to lead her towards the tables and sat down, with [Y/N] sitting to his right.

"I like your hoodie by the way," [Y/N] smiled. "It suits you well."
Stretch's face darkened. The compliment made his heart woozy, and his soul seemed to vibrate and burn with excitement. It seemed intoxicating: he wanted more of it. But, it seemed almost embarrassing to demand it and to hope she would say something else enough to make his soul soar. "thank you. i wear it usually...have you ever worn something nearly everyday? that's this hoodie for me."
"Would you say it's a sort of comfort?"
"yeah," Stretch scratched the back of his neck. "it's not weird, is it?" 

"Not at all," [Y/N] smiled, gently. Muffet stood at the counter, her eyes wandering over towards the table occupied by the pair. She gathered a notebook and a pen, stepping in-between the customers standing for some odd reason. Stretch was one of her favourite customers other than Mutt: he was just such a sweetheart, and despite being as nervous as he was, he was kind and could easily cheer anyone up. Muffet stopped at their table, her teeth baring and her eyes glinting with amusement. "Oh, are my two favourites on a date?~"

[Y/N] snorted. She raised her hand and placed her head on top of her open palm. "I didn't know we were your favourites. Still, I'm not surprised Stretch is one of your favourites." Stretch puffed out his cheeks a little. He wasn't used to these sorts of compliments. Perhaps from his brother, yes, but not other people. He started to zone out of the conversation and missed parts of it, only hearing certain parts of it. A few compliments here and there, and [Y/N] asking him what he wanted. "the usual, please, Muffet." Muffet nodded and after collecting [Y/N]'s order, left to go to the counter.

"Are you alright, Stretch? I'm not making you uncomfortable, am I?" Stretch shook his head at the question, a smile widening across his face. He delicately intertwined his fingers with hers, staring off a little to the side as his cheeks flushed honey yellow. [Y/N] placed the flowers to the far side of the table.
"no, not at all...this will probably sound embarrassing but...you make me feel nervous in a good way. i can't ever stop thinking about you..." His blush covered his entire skull nearly and he forced himself to stare her in the eyes, as her cheeks flushed darkly.

[Y/N] felt the same. Stretch always made her feel good about herself and never failed to make her smile. Even after the days of talking to each other before the date, both resonated well with each other and became fond of the other in such a short amount of time. It seemed natural, how their souls keenly wrapped over the other's, and begged for more.

"i know we haven't known each other long...it just feels normal? how easily we seem to have bonded?" He nervously chuckled as he softly stroked his finger over hers. A frown suddenly spread across his face. Doubt and anxiety were rather fond of Stretch: he would overthink the smallest thing, no matter how little it may be. He allowed doubt and fear to stop him from doing what he wanted, what he needed. But, anxiety is not kind. It never has been. It wasn't his fault anxiety rendered his mind a battlefield. 

"I understand what you mean. It's easy to talk to you," [Y/N] smiled, gently. [Y/N] raised her other hand and stroked the side of his face: his face burned darker at the feel of skin against bone. He lifted his head to meet her eyes. "We get along well." Before Stretch could respond, Muffet placed down their food and drink with a smile.
"Enjoy, dearies!~" 
"Thank you, Muffet," [Y/N] said as the young spider woman left to return to the counter. In front of Stretch was a cup of chamomile tea with a teaspoon of honey and a croissant whilst [Y/N] had a lavender tea and a slice of chocolate cake.

"So, where do you work?" 
"i work as a professor. public speaking isn't my strong suite, but, i am fairly passionate in what i do." He wrapped his free hand around his cup and took a sip. The steam from the cup swelled and blew from his nostrils as the heat and taste infiltrated his mouth fondly, leaving behind the taste of honey and slight sense of apple.
"What do you teach?"
"well...i mainly mastered in biological science, but i teach mechanical engineering or computing from time-to-time. my schedule is a messy one," He chuckles. A smile spreads across [Y/N]'s face as he gleefully began to explain biological science and what he loves about it.

His eyes shone with excitement and he jumbled up his words a few times when trying to explain, but [Y/N] remained patient, and kind with a smile across her lips. It was interesting to hear all the same. They spoke a bit more on other things, such as about [Y/N]'s job and what she hated about it.

After finishing off their drinks and snacks, they left Muffet's and started to head towards [Y/N]'s home. Their hands were joined together, their fingers interlocked. In [Y/N]'s other hand, she held the flowers. When they reached [Y/N]'s home, they stopped in front of it to face each other. Stretch nervously scratched the back of his neck. "this was nice...sorry i went on a tangent earlier." 
"It was interesting. There's no need to apologise, I liked hearing about what you do. It was nice today." [Y/N] smiled. 
"yeah, it was great today...would you...maybe want to go on another date soon?" God, he hated how his own voice sounded.

"Definitely." [Y/N] leaned forward and pressed a kiss against his teeth, and she laughed as his entire face glowed honey yellow. She unlocked her fingers from his to wander towards her door, blowing a kiss. "Let's message later and schedule the next date, shall we?" Stretch could only nod as she opened the door and closed it. He shakily rose his hand and traced his fingers against his teeth, a burst of warm spreading through his soul from the motion. He didn't even try to rid the smile from across his skull.

Oh, he was definitely fond already.

Chapter Text

Skull adorned with a honey orange blush- highlighting his freckles even more- caused a wide smile to spread across his face as he fondly thought about the date. He cupped his cheeks with both hands as his soul beat even faster, gushing with adoration and happiness. It bled, it screamed from his soul. Stretch rustled his hand in his pocket as he stepped closer to the door, taking out his keys and slotting them into the keyhole, and turned it, opening the door wide. It was the afternoon, so only a few skeletons would actually be at home, whilst the others were at work. Blue would be here.

Stretch closed the door behind him and quickly locked it. Despite it being the afternoon, they did lock the door as they had a few unwanted visitors already. From stealing, to graffiti, and horrible messages left behind. So, they locked it at every opportunity. No such dark thoughts could taint Stretch's happy mood, not at all. He happily jumped up and down, his happiness bleeding throughout the entire household. He didn't hear the footsteps. Blue crossed his arms against his chest as he leaned against the doorframe. His eyes were bright, full of joy at watching his brother in such a happy state. He couldn't help the wide smile from spreading across his face. "I'M GUESSING IT WENT WELL. I CAN FEEL YOUR MAGIC FROM THE OTHER ROOM." 

The older brother was dressed in his usual bandana around his neck, with a simple white shirt covering his larger physique covered by paint, along with some jeans and boots. He was in the middle of painting the living room, as everyone else was too busy to do so.

Stretch jumped a little, turning around to face Blue. He started to play with the bottom of his hoodie, nervously. "yeah...sorry about that. didn't think anyone was here. just got back from my date...yeah."
"HOW WAS IT?"
A wide smile spread across his skull as he started to think about it again- his eyes morphed into hearts as he thought about [Y/N], and his soul beat faster against his chest. It was great seeing him like this. So happy, so excited. "it was great. we talked about my job, what i majored in, my likes...we had fun at Muffet's. we are gonna plan another date, so i think it was successful?"

Blue chuckled a little, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he stares thoughtfully at his younger brother. Stretch had not been on many dates or many relationships, so it was still strange and new for him. Of course, not every date he had gone on was exactly...pleasant. Harassment, violence (which caused the scar across his forehead from a glass being thrown at his head) and name-calling. Normal life for a monster was difficult when it came to the ignorant, hateful people of the world. But, right now, he seemed happy. "FOR YOUR NEXT DATE BE SURE TO ASK HER ABOUT HER INTERESTS."
"i do go on, don't i? i hope i wasn't annoying. she said she enjoyed listening to my rants, but, i really should have asked her about her own interests." Guilt spread across his skull as he thought back: he was mostly talking the entire time whilst she listened.

"HEY, DON'T THINK LIKE THAT. IF SHE HADN'T ENJOYED HERSELF, SHE WOULDN'T HAVE ASKED FOR ANOTHER DATE. THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH ENJOYING WHAT YOU DO, STRETCH, AND EXPLAINING THAT TO ANOTHER PERSON," Blue explained, carefully. He tended to overthink a lot and his mind was sometimes not a friend of his. Sometimes, it was his worst enemy. "WHO IS THIS PERSON?" Stretch nervously stepped on one foot then the other, gently tapping at the side of his leg. Blue blinked a few times, watching his brother before his eyes swept over towards the kitchen, which had its door wide open. that's a little annoying, Stretch thought. why not just close the door?

Stretch wanders into the kitchen, closely followed by Blue and closes the door behind his older brother, a sense of fulfilment crossing his mind. A small smile spread across his face. Blue continued to watch as Stretch grabs a cup from the cupboard and slides it onto the counter. He wraps his fingers around the door handle and pulls it open, clicking his fingers against his side as his eyes scan the fridge for a few minutes before it lands on his prize: orange juice, one of his favourite beverages. Currently, Blue was making sure he didn't consume too much honey and he had already consumed his only allowed bottle of honey. 

So, he just poured the orange juice into his cup, placing the carton back into the fridge before wrapping his hand around his cup and turned to face his brother. Blue furrowed an eyebrow, placing his hands on his hips. "she works at the library in town, has a daughter named Hel. her name is [Y/N], and..." He looked away, his face darkening into a honey-orange shade which caused Blue to chuckle. "she's pretty, smart, funny, kind..." Blue watched as Stretch's eyes morphed into hearts. They glowed and swelled honey orange, bleeding with adoration: this usually happened when the emotions exhibited by someone's soul becomes so strong it begins to affect their eyes as there is an overflow of magic. Extreme emotion, in fact. And Stretch's soul, as much as it bled through the household, it was also beginning to affect his eyes. Only his brother could feel it, mostly, or it was at least stronger, due to their shared magic (mostly ties due to being family.)

Blue stepped towards the table and sat down on one of the chairs, moving it to tilt towards Stretch. He crossed one leg over the other and rested his hands against his stomach. A big smile spread across his skull, and his soul felt less heavy. "YOU REALLY LIKE HER, DON'T YOU?" Stretch nods, still staring off to the side as his skull darkened even more. It was great to see him like this. "YOU TWO WERE TALKING A LOT EVEN BEFORE THE DATE, WEREN'T YOU?"
"yeah we were....i really like her, Blue. but i don't want to fuck it up like i usually do."

Blue crossed his arms against his chest, a deep sigh erupting from him. "YOU LEARN FROM YOUR RELATIONSHIPS. YOU GROW AND LEARN FROM EACH MISTAKE. NO ONE IS PERFECT, BROTHER. IT TAKES TWO PEOPLE TO RUIN A RELATIONSHIP, NOT JUST ONE. I CAN SEE HOW MUCH YOU LIKE HER, AND I'M SURE SHE LIKES YOU TOO. I KNOW YOU'RE SCARED AND YOU HAVE REASON TO BE, BUT, I THINK YOU SHOULD GO FOR IT." Stretch takes another sip of his orange juice. Blue was the best at giving advice. Everyone usually went to him for advice, even if he didn't know everything himself. But, he tried his best as he was a very intelligent skeleton. 
Stretch mused, "how are you so wise?"

"I LET OUT ALL MY UNRESOLVED ANGER BY BOXING SO I CAN HAVE A CLEAR MIND."
"isn't that where you knocked out a child-" Blue scoffed, rolling his eye lights. Stretch burst out laughing, having to hit his fist against his chest in order to regain his breath. He forced himself to look away so he didn't see the frown across Blue's face and laugh more. "HE WAS EIGHTEEN. WE FOUGHT A FAIR MATCH."
"knocked him out cold-" His magic rose for a second in warning.
"-STRETCH." Oh, that was his authoritative voice. He wasn't playing around. Stretch snorted at the strict look across Blue's face.

At least these two would never change.

The Inner Sanctum was calm, as it always was. [Y/N] floated in the air, almost coiled around herself in a ball as her tentacles wrapped around her, almost as though they intended to protect her from harm. Her eyes were closed, curved marks on her forehead closed. The air was tainted by her magic. Sometimes, this needed to happen in order to calm her soul so she didn't lose control. By bathing in her magic, by taking a moment to relax, she could maintain her emotions. Which is often why her tentacles appeared from nowhere: she was in a vulnerable state so they provided protection. At least, she was calm until her orb buzzed, flashing an image of Error across it. She blinks her eyes open, her eyes glowing [f/c] and with a wave of her hand, the orb floats towards her.

She taps her fingers against the side of the orb, hovering over the 'yes' before pressing her fingers against it. Almost immediately, Error's image appeared. He was sitting cross-legged on the floor, his cat curled into his lap as he calmly stroked him. A small smile spread across her lips. "Error, dearest. What's the occasion?"  Her tentacles unravelled from around her body to spread out, letting out a grotesque crack. Error furrowed his eyebrows but is otherwise unaffected by her voice. His blush across his cheeks is from embarrassment. "mOtHeR. i HeArD yOu WeNt On A dAtE...tHeY dIdN't TrY aNyThInG, rIgHt? Do I hAvE tO kIlL sOmEoNe-"
"-No, you don't. I had a good time, Error. We are going to schedule another date, in fact."

Error continued to stroke along Button's back, a small smile spreading across his face as Button raised his head, stared at Error for a split second before yawning and curling back into his lap. "Do We KnOw ThEm?"
"I believe you do. Stretch is his name." Error, along with the other skeletons were immensely overprotective when it came to [Y/N]. They saw her as a maternal figure, after all. Whoever upset their mother would cause their wrath to be unleashed upon them.

Error's eyes widened slightly and he tilted his head upwards to look up at her. "sTrEtCh?" She nods. That lifts some weight from his soul, at least. Stretch was a gentle, kind soul. He made jokes often to mask his own insecurities and fears, but he never took it out on other people. He would never be the type to hurt [Y/N]. "gOoD cHoIcE."
[Y/N] muses, smiling wider as one of her tentacles wraps around her body. "I'm glad to hear you approve, dearest. You are usually overprotective. Maybe not as much as Nightmare. How have you been?"
"fInE. bEeN sEwInG sOmE dOlLs...i'M gEtTiNg BeTtEr WiTh ToUcH." Error strokes along Button's back as the feline stretches out his back by propping up both paws against Error's knee before sitting up, making Error pout a little.

[Y/N]'s tentacles coiled and moved as she continued to float in the air. She rested her chin on top of her arms as she watched him. "You're doing well, you know. It takes a lot to try to face a fear such as yours. You should visit me and Hel soon, we would both love to see you." An embarrassed blush darkened across his cheeks, causing him to look off to the side and hide his face in his scarf. 
"yEs...cOuLd YoU tElL mE aNoThEr StOrY?"
"What type?"
"OnE oF hEl." When they did manage to have time together, alone without any other skeleton appearing from nowhere, he would often ask for stories about Hel, or stories of her own endeavours.

"One of my favourite stories of Hel was when she was five years old. Her sharp fangs were starting to grow, so of course, she was quite the biter. I was working at the Mango Creek café at the time and I received a call from her teacher," Error listened in, his eyes boring on [Y/N]'s form as she spoke, feeling calm and collected. She always had that effect on him, and hearing about his sister made him smile. "And I was told she had bitten another child. So, I had to go get her. I found out she bit him as he had been pulling off her flowers on the top of her head. I took her out for ice cream."
"DeSeRvEd. HeL iS a GoOd KiD."
"Which is why you need to trust her relationship with Asriel."

"i TrUsT hEr, It'S hIm I dOn'T."
[Y/N] simply shakes her head, an amused smile across her lips as she thought of him fondly.

Hopefully, Error would never change.