Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Today was the day. The day Toriel finally let her children move out.

..and into an apartment in the apartment complex she owned only three floors above her, but it was a start!

Frisk eyed the door as Asriel and Chara argued. Something stupid, they noted. Though didn't note of what.

"Here is your key, and the conflict resolution wheel I'm required to give every tenant with roommates. Spin it in case of emergency." Toriel said, passing the key to Frisk and the wheel to Asriel.

Chara inspected the wheel. Squinting. "This one says Duel At High Noon."

"That is for very serious emergencies." Toriel stared off as she said this; clearly done with the bullshit of the other neighbors.

-This other one says Duel At Dawn- Frisk signed, -Why are there two different dueling options?-

"My child, it is best not to ask questions here. I will leave you three be and settle in." No sooner had she said that then a massive crash came from the unit just next door. "And the best of luck."

Toriel proceeded to the elevator as Frisk worked the key into the lock.

"I'm starting to think maybe we should've just stayed with mom." Asriel murmured.

"Asriel, if I had to eat one more snail pie, I would be making goat pie." Chara said, snapping at his ear. He flinched away and laughed nervously.

The door clicked open. It gradually swung open. Chara pushed past them to enter.

"It's a shithole!" They gasped.

"It.. could be better." Asriel agreed, setting the Wheel Of Conflict on a nearby table where keys were to be set.

-Beats sharing one bedroom.- Frisk signed, falling backwards onto the couch and tossing the keys onto the coffee table.

It wasn't the best in terms of appearance. Ratty old furniture, an ancient TV, dust and cobwebs everywhere. But Frisk was right. It had two bedrooms, plus the couch, and a small kitchenette. Plus a bathroom big enough to turn around in.

For not having to pay rent? This place was luxury.

Asriel quickly scooped up the keys, setting them by the door where they 'belonged.'

As he did this, there was a rapid pounding on the door. Asriel panic fainted in response. Chara looked down at him and nudged him with their foot.

-Open the door.- Frisk signed, though Chara wasn't looking and Asriel was incapacitated.

Chara got the hint after the knocking ensued, opening the door.

At the door stood a tall skeleton monster with a tray full of baggies. Within those baggies were tomato sauce and soggy looking noodles.

"GREETING, NEW NEIGHBORS!!! I BRING YOU PAPYRUS' S FAMOUS WELCOME SNACK BAG!!!"

Chara had half a mind to shut the door, but he was already halfway inside. Asriel sat up, dizzy.

"Ughh- Thank you, sir." Asriel mumbled, reaching up. Chara snatched the tray before he could get it.

"It has tomatoes, idiot! Remember what happened last time?"

Asriel frowned. He did remember. It was his first time in a human hospital. They didn't know what to do with him until someone had the grand idea of an epi-pen.

"Thank you." Chara begrudged, shoving Papyrus out and slamming the door. Locking it in case the strange man got any ideas.

They set the tray down infront of Frisk. "Bone-Appetit."

Frisk raised an eyebrow, opening an eye to look at them.

"A skeleton brought it."

Frisk shrugged and sat up, not laughing at their pun, causing them to sulk back to Asriel.

Frisk ate the sloppy spaghetti. Somehow it was both undercooked and burnt. The tomatoes tasted wrong. The noodles were simultaneously wet and dry.

They made a face that depicted this. Asriel nudged Chara and pointed at them. They giggled.

"Well, Frisk can have the couch." Chara announced. "Asriel and I can take the bedrooms."

-What? Who decided that?-

"You. When you decided to lie on the couch."

-Bullshit-

"Okay then, Asriel can have the couch. God forbid someone breaks in! Poor guy will faint and not wake up." They mock hug Asriel, who does seem nervous about that thought.

-Why don't you take the couch?-

"Simple; I don't want to." They smirked.

Frisk threw them a sign that everyone knew.

Chara stuck out their tongue in response.

"Im- going to clean." Asriel announced, trying to avoid the growing tensions. He grabbed a broom and began battling the cobwebs.

--

Chara and Frisk were in a Best Twenty Out Of Three when something fell from the vent above the couch and landed with a soft thump.

The two children looked over.

"Oh- U-Uh- I didn't mean for- I didn't want to f-fall." A yellow lizard monster in a filthy lab coat and cracked glasses sputtered.

"Do you always talk like that?" Chara asked in annoyance. Asriel cut her off before she could answer. "Do you live in the walls?"

"No, I l-live in a closet. I happen to be in the walls s-sometimes. There's a difference."

"So you're a creep." Chara accuses.

"No! A-Asgore, no. I j-j-just wanted to say hi."

Frisk waved.

Alphys looked over at the sudden movement.

-While you're here, settle a debate. Who should sleep on the couch?-

"W-Well, technically- You're the smallest out of these three, a-and should fit more comfortably." The lizard monster picked at the scales on her hands. Looking for another escape.

Frisk scowled. Chara cackled. This soon developed into a full on brawl on the floor. Asriel sat beside Alphys and watched them.

"....C-Can you boost me back up to the v-vent?" Alphys muttered. Asriel nodded, and helped her up. Falling flat on his ass after she managed to scramble out.

-

"Asriel, what the fuck is this?" Chara asked, holding a colorful piece of paper.

"A chore chart."

"And why am I always down for cleaning the bathroom?"

"You take three hour baths and hour long showers. I don't take that much, and I'm covered in fur!"

Chara flushed red in embarrassment. "It's called self care! And- Why isn't Frisk cleaning the kitchen then??? They make the most dishes!"

"I like doing the dishes." Asriel muttered.

Chara scoffed.

-Well, I'm the one making the beds and I don't even have a bed.-

Asriel looked away in a mixture of shame and embarrassment.

"And why am I doing laundry-?? I don't like sorting through clothes to find out who wears what underwear!!"

-Well Asriel is the only one here who doesn't wear boxers, and you should know what yours look like.-

Asriel at this point felt as though he would turn to dust then and there.

"Wait, I thought I was the only one who wore boxers."

Frisk stared at them. Waiting for them to say they were joking.

They didn't.

"Maybe- Maybe we start color coding our underwear!!"
.
Frisk punched Chara in the throat. They stumbled. And on went another battle.

Outside the door, the neighbors gathered.

"what's this one about?" Sans asked, looking up at Undyne- who seemed to have been the first at the door.

"Clothing mixup." Undyne shrugged, ear to the door.

"classic." The skeleton nodded, leaning on the wall.

"SHOULD WE INTERVENE?" Papyrus suggested. "IT SOUNDS PRETTY VIOLENT."

"nah. let em sort 'emselves out." Sans responded. "i'm going back to couch."

-

It was late that night when Frisk, Chara, and Asriel sat atop the roof. Staring up at the stars.

"I'm sorry about earlier." Chara said, lying down so they didn't have to see Frisk's smug face.

-I don't think it's your fault. Well, my clothes certainly were, but I mean the being so angry.-

Chara sat up to better 'hear' them.

-We're all scared. This is our first time in a new place.-

Chara stared off. Asriel gently nudged Chara.

"How about you make the chore chart?"

Chara smirked. "Sure. Anything beats the colors you used on yours."

-It's a shame. I wanted to spin The Conflict Wheel.-

"One of the options is Call Mom. I really don't want to spin it." Asriel fiddles with his hands.

"I love you guys." Chara muttered.

They both looked over at Chara, stunned.

"I LOVE YOU TOO!!!" Papyrus appeared out of nowhere, causing Asriel to nearly faint off the side of the building.

The four of them laughed.

Chapter Text

A knock on the door. Papyrus snaps around from the kitchenette where he was baking lasagna. Yeah, not spaghetti. Let a guy change it up for once in a while.

Maybe he shouldn't have changed it up. As when the door opens, the three new neighbors arrived.

He happily whipped them up some slices of the delicious spaghetti cake, of course! And they had a very lovely chat.

"Hey, it doesn't taste that bad this time." Chara said, shoveling forkfuls into their mouth. "Or maybe I've gotten used to eating moldy bread."

"..Chara, only one slice was moldy.. I didn't mean to.." Asriel muttered. Chara, of course, ignored him.

-The food is good Papyrus- Frisk signed.

"WHY, OF COURSE IT IS! PAPYRUS, GRAND LEADER OF THE APARTMENT COMPLEX, AM ALSO A FANTASTICAL COOK!!!"

"Wait wait wait, back it up, what?" Chara dropped their fork.

"I SAID-"

"No. What's this about leader of the apartment?"

-Is that even a thing?-

"I thought that would be mom."

The three looked at eachother. Then Frisk and Asriel nervously looked at Chara.

Chara stood, pushing in their chair. Walking inches away from Papyrus. He knelt down so they could be face to face. Then sat down when he still wasn't short enough.

"I challenge you for this title."

"GASP!!!!!" Papyrus stood, hands on his.. cheeks?

"oh brother, here we go again." Sans spoke for the first time in a week.

Frisk glanced over at him. He was already back asleep.

"Yeah, that's right. I want to be the new sheriff in town!"

"Chara, please." Asriel begged, shoving his face into a pillow.

-Chara, keep going.- Frisk egged them on, desperate for a new source of entertainment.

"WELL, THIS CAN ONLY MEAN ONE THING!!!!"

"don't say it." Sans stole the pillow from Asriel and smushed his face into it.

"THE NEXT GREAT ROOMMATE RAWR OFF!!!!!"

"The- the what?" Chara sputtered.

- Do you mean war off?? That doesn't even make sense.-

"I NEEDED IT TO ALL START WITH THE SAME LETTER!!!"

- We aren't even roommates. -

"SO THE BLUE STRIPED ONE CHALLENGES ME TOO!!! WELL, CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!! I SHALL BEAT BOTH OF YOU!!!!"

"Asriel says he could beat your ass and fuck your mom in his sleep."

"I did not!"

"we really need to invest in a new swear jar."

"MY DEAR BROTHER,,,, YOU'RE THE ONE WHO KEEPS BREAKING THE JAR!!!"

"oh. shit."

"GRRAAHH!! NEVERMIND!!!! I WILL DEFEND MY TITLE FROM ALL THREE OF YOU!!!!!"

---

In the hallway, an obstacle course of couches, chairs, a little white dog,and Alphys on a gaming computer sit in wait. Sans lounged on a lawn chair with a megaphone.

"alright. no tomfoolery, no hahas. jokes cost extra, so especially no hahas without paying for em. okay. on your marks, get set-"

"WAIT!!!" A door flew off its hinges, hitting Asriel. The remaining four looked over at the offender- Undyne.

"YOU WERE GOING TO DO THIS WITHOUT YOUR CHEER SQUAD?!?!" She shook Papyrus by his shoulders. He seemed almost embarrassed to have forgotten.

"If he gets a cheer squad, I want a cheer squad!" Chara protested.

-No no no don't say that-

"Did someone say they need a cheer squad?" The entire hallway was destroyed by a pink glitter bomb. A mysterious spotlight hovering over Mettaton, who wore a feather boa and star shaped sunglasses. Indoors.

"Hell yeah, I got the cool one. Okay, let's go."

The four of them- Asriel now back on his feet, though still a tad woozy- got to their places.

"let's try this again. on your mark, get set, go."

The four exploded off. Horses in a race where the punishment for losing was death. I need to practice my metaphors.

Papyrus and Frisk had the clear lead. Undyne hyped Papyrus up, chanting his name and how awesome he was. Sans muttered cheers to Papyrus through the megaphone.

Mettaton followed through the track, commentating on how poorly Chara was doing. They eventually punched him in the nose and ran faster.

As Chara punched Mettaton, the lights flickered. They paid no mind. An old building does old things.

Ultimately, Frisk won the race in a landslide. Literally. They slid on the land. The floor. Hahaha I think I'm so funny.

-

The second challenge was a pose-off. Mettaton ruiner this one by joining and winning.

-

The fourth challenge was a cook-off. Papyrus actually won this one.

-

The eight challenge was a paintball battle... in the hallway.

-

The ninth and final challenge was a cleaning competition, as Toriel would be home soon. The winner of this one was a very frantic Alphys with a new invention specifically for cleaning.

-

Overall, the final score totalled to Papyrus 2, Frisk 3, Alphys 1, Mettaton 1, Chara 1, and Sans 1.

-

Papyrus stared at the board, defeated.

"WELL, I SUPPOSE EVERY CROWN MUST DROP FROM THE KING EVENTUALLY." Papyrus stated, tearing off his shirt and handing it to a very confused Frisk.

Sans looks on in silent rage as he has to find another shirt in Papyrus' size.

-What does the shirt have to do with anything?-

"IT IS A SYMBOL... OF MY LOST DIGNITY." And with that, he ran crying out of the room.

"HAH. Frisk is the king now. Okay Frisk, we're doing a Puppet democracy. You'll be my puppet-" They were interrupted as Frisk walked off. "Hey!"

-

Papyrus sat on the roof, staring off at the sunset. Frisk approached, and sat beside him. Draping the shirt over his shoulders.

-You know, I didn't care about the competition. I just wanted to have fun with my friends. If it means this much to you, I think you should win.-

"THANK YOU, SMALLER HUMAN!!!!" Papyrus cheered, lifting Frisk up and tossing them in the air.

Freeze frame on them grinning together.

Chapter Text

An earthquake. A rather small one. But somehow it left the building entirely untouched- except for unseperating the wall that held the skeleton brothers apart from Toriel's children.

Asriel looked up from a book he was reading, Chara napping on his lap. He nudged them awake as the closet door to the brothers' room slowly shifted open.

Alphys sat on a pile of laundry, very aggressively playing a handheld console. Muttering to herself.

"Alphys? What the hell?" Chara sat up, walking into the other apartment.

"Oh! Sorry-" Alphys went to shut the door. Chara put their hand in the way.

"Why do you live in the closet? Literally." Chara tagged on as Alphys went to speak, putting a hand over what suspiciously looked like a blue, purple, pink sticker on her console.

"W-Well, it's cozy? There's n-no extra units in the building, so it w-w-works well enough."

"There's no extra units in this whole building?" Chara leaned on the doorframe.

"WOWIE!!! WHEN DID WE GET AN OPEN FLOOR PLAN?!" Papyrus burst into the room.

"Did you know Alphys lives in your closet?"

"I t-told you I live in a closet."

"I thought you were joking."

"al? what are you doin in out closet? thats where i keep my socks, not my lizards." Sans walked in, eyeing the closet.

"Y-You invited me here!!!! W-we have movie nights every Tuesday!!!"

"doesn't ring a bell."

Frisk stepped into the room with a tape measure, beginning to measure the closet. -How do you live here? It's barely enough room to fit Papyrus' clothes.-

"I KEEP MOST OF MY CLOTHES WITHIN MY MATTRESS!!!! I DO NOT SLEEP, SO IT'S UNNECESSARY!!!"

"You learn something new every day." Chara chirps, poking at the lumpy mattress.

-Alphys, you can't live in a closet. Come on, we can surely find somewhere else for you.-

The lights within the room flicker, and her door slams shut.

"What. The fuck."

"swear jar."

"When did you get a new one??"

"WHEN SANS SAID SOMETHING HE WAS VERY MUCH NOT ALLOWED TO!!!"

"he doesn't know that." Sans said, holding out an already half full jar of money.

Chara grabbed it, and threw it on the ground. "Now we need another new one."

-So are you two just going to gloss over that?-

"yeah. happens all the time."

"Is this place haunted?" Asriel asked, tugging on Sans' sleeve.

"nah. 'xcept for the Blook."

Asriel remembered Napstablook- one of the quieter tendents who had the misfortune of rooming with Undyne.

"OUR BUILDING IS VERY SPECIAL!!!! DID YOU KNOW OUR UNIT HAS THREE EXTRA CORNERS????"

"How does that work?" Asriel inquired.

"WELL,, YOU ADD THREE CORNERS TO THE OTHER CORNERS."

"What."

-I say we call a meeting in the common room. Papyrus?-

"EXCELENT IDEA!!!! I'LL GO KNOCK ON EVERYBODY'S DOORS!!!"

-

Frisk, Asriel, Sans, and Alphys wait in the common room, lounging on the couches and chatting.

Chara is down the hall bouncing a baseball against the wall. They loose their rhythm, dropping the ball.

Only for the ball to roll towards them... uphill.

"Yeah, that's normal." They scooped the ball up and throw it- hitting a hole in the wall in which the ball embedded itself.

Their eyes widen, and they whistled as they walked away.

They felt something hit their heel; the ball.

They looked back. The wall was repaired.

-

"ALRIGHT, EVERYBODY!!!! I HAVE GATHERED EVERYONE!!!!"

"Where's Undyne?" Alphys asked, looking up from her console.

"HER DOOR HAS DISSAPEARED AGAIN, AND I CAN NOT FIND ANY OF HER WINDOWS!!!!"

"Again?" Chara questions.

"WE MUST DO THIS WITHOUT HER!!!"

"What is 'this', darling?" Mettaton stepped in and sat down, spotlight blinding all those around him.

"WE ARE DISCUSSING ALPHYS' HOUSING SITUATUON!!!"

"Oh, Alphys? Why, she can live with me if her closet is no longer up to par."

Alphys shuddered at the idea. She remembered what Mettaton's room was like.

"I don't see why she can't stay in the closet." A gruff, unfamiliar voice spoke. Everyone looked up- it was Doggo. Most forgot he lived there.

"Because it's weird?? Is she a pervert or something?" Chara objected.

"Maybe she just likes sleeping in closets." Doggo argued, a snarl to compliment his beared teeth.

The room erupted into an argument, everyone yelling.

Frisk stole Alphys' phone to use text to speech to be heard.

Alphys began panicking. Tail curled around her, hands on her head. Hyperventilating.

Something hit her foot. She looked down.

A marker.

A whiteboard rolled into the room. She looked over at it.

It read Dream Room Plans.

Alphys eyed the others. None of whom seemed responsible. Too busy with themselves to worry about how she was.

She walked to the board, and began to draw.

Slowly, the others quieted. Watching her.

There was another rumble. The building went entirely dark. And when the lights returned, the floor seemed to slope. Sending the monsters (and honorary monsters) avalanching towards a door at the end of the hall.

When they fell through the door, it was Sans and Papyrus' room again. Flashing lights guided them back to the closet.

Chara opened the closet door.

The room within was huge. A corner of beanbag chairs and blankets, a giant TV screen, bookshelves upon bookshelves full of manga, anime posters, a mini fridge, and through a window what seemed to be a lab.

Alphys gasped. This was what she had drawn- but better than she had imagined.

"Something is wrong with this damn building." Chara crossed their arms. Refusing to enter and explore with everyone else.

End episode on shot of Chara crossing their arms and staring nervously and skeptically.

Chapter Text

"PAPYRUS!!!!" The familiar screech of Undyne shouted from floors below.

Papyrus jolted up as he heard the scream from the lobby. Other residents poked their heads out of their doors.

"YES?!?!?!" Papyrus responded, equally as loud.

"CALL AN APARTMENT MEETING, SOMEONE BROKE THE FRIDGE AGAIN!!!!!"

"YOU HEARD HER!!!" He yelled to the other residents, who tried to hide their groans. Napstablook phased through the floor.

(This is probably where I'd put an into theme, IF I HAD ONE!!!)

Everyone in the building gathered in the lobby, staring at the fridge. The lights were off, and warm air was coming out of it.

"ALRIGHT, TEAM." Undyne paced infront of the fridge, a whistle around her neck. "WE'RE HERE TO FIX THIS FRIDGE!"

"For the 87th time.." Napstablook muttered, only heard by those directly next to them- Frisk and Sans.

-87 times? Why don't we just get a new one?!-

"Papyrus is emotionally attached to the fridge."

"I WOULD LIKE A TALLER FRIDGE!!!!"

"...I'm emotionally attached to the fridge." Undyne crossed her arms.

"We-Well, I can try to fix it, but-"

"Great idea, Alphys!" Undyne grabbed Alphys. The lights in the building dimmed to a hum.

"YeahokayIcandefinitelyfixit."

-

Alphys sat at the now fully deconstructed fridge, fiddling with one of the parts and a manual.

Chara snuck over, grabbing the handle from the floor. Inspecting it. They put it in their pocket, and replaced it with a normal door handle.

Floorboards directly under the fridge creaked as they walked away. Alphys looked at it. It almost sounded like- No, no, it couldn't be morse code. That's silly. She's just stressed.

And why would the floor be telling her to give it up? She can do this.

-

"I don't feel good about this." Asriel muttered, ringing his hands together.

-Well, we need to. They won't get a new fridge until that other one is... well, they won't get a new fridge.- Frisk responded, pocketing Toriel's wallet.

"Where would we even get a fridge?!"

Frisk raised an eyebrow. Hoping he was joking.

They pointed across the street. Fridge Supply Plus (For All Your Cold Needs).

-

"al, why are ya even trying this?" Sans sat on the nearby couch, flipping through a magazine titled Jokes Monthly.

"I h-have to. Everyone is depending on me. What w-will we do without a fridge?!"

"probably use the fridges in our own apartments." He shrugged.

"...Why are you here?"

"moral s'pport."

"W-Well you're not very good at that.." She grumbled to herself

"what was that?" Sans put the magazine down.

"Nothing!" She snapped.

The lights in the kitchen flickered. Sans felt a dread growing within himself.

He awkwardly picked his magazine back up, and returned to reading.

-

Chara was surprised by how many parts they were capable of replacing before their wrist was grabbed.

However- it wasn't Undyne or Alphys as they had suspected.

"Oh! Sans! To what do I owe the plea-" They cut themself off. They felt something crawl up their back as they noticed his eyelights; out.

"ain't worth it, kid." He shook his head.

"Psh. What, replacing the old fridge parts with new ones? I'm helping."

He stared through them. They felt cold. They felt heavy.

Somehow, his eyesockets became darker. Pockets of the void itself.

Chara shook their head. "Whatever, man." Walking out.

-

"Frisk!!!" Asriel cried out, clawing his way out of a fridge. They grabbed his beginnings of horns and dragged him out.

"It tried to eat me!"

-Somehow I don't believe that.-

"These fridges are either way too expensive, or way too blood thirsty!!!"

-This one seems good.-

"That one's red!"

-So?-

"...The old fridge was black." He muttered.

-So?-

"I don't like change!!!"

-Fine.-

-
"I did it!" Alphys said in triumph. Papyrus threw her into the air.

"HOORAY!!! NOW WE CAN EAT AGAIN!!!"

"paps, we have our own fridge."

"WELL, I THINK WE ALL LEARNED TODAY THAT FRIENDS ARE AS VALUABLE AS FRIDGES!!"

"....heh."

-

Sans stands in the kitchen. It's night outside. The lights in the room are dim. He stares blankly at the fridge as it hums.. smugly?

"SANS! THERE YOU ARE! YOU SLEPT WALK ALL THE WAY TO THE LOBBY?!"

"paps, please tell me im not the only one who feels that." His voice cracked under the fear.

Papyrus paused. Standing beside him. Staring at the fridge.

"WELL, YES, I FEEL IT TOO. BUT- I AM SURE IT IS NOTHING! PERHAPS YOU ARE JUST HUNGRY! I SHALL MAKE YOU MY FAMOUS PASTA DISH!! NYEHAHAHA!"

"thanks bro."

Screen cut to black.

Chapter Text

Asriel sat on the main lobby, staring at a poster. Apartment Talent Show.

He knew everyone else would sign up. He would have to too. But he didn't know whatto do.

Papyrus would surely show how to cook the best pasta, Sans how to take the best naps. Frisk how to comfort someone, Chara how to prank. Undyne would demonstrate some fighting moves and Alphys would make a robot.

But what would he do?

Sure, he could cook. But that was Papyrus' thing. And of course he could sleep, but that was Sans' things.

He can't fight, and he can barely assemble a shelf let alone a robot.

So what can he do?

What's unique to him?

-

"Papyrus!" He ran up to catch the skeleton as he jogged along the block.

"YES, SMALL TORIEL?" Papyrus didn't slow his pace. Asriel began to wheeze for a breath.

"I need.. your help... finding my thing!"

"YOUR THING? WELL, YOU HAVE TO FIND THAT YOURSELF!!!! I CAN'T GIVE YOU ANY HINTS!!!"

Asriel slowed his run. A dissapointed look on his face as Papyrus ran into the distance.

-

"Oh, why am I doing this..." Asriel muttered. Then he built up the courage, and knocked on Mettaton's door.

"Yes, darling, come in." The robot purred.

Asriel entered the room. A spotlight immediately hit him.

"I uh- wanted help finding my thing."

"Your 'thing?'"

"Like uh, you're a vlogger, and Sans is a napper, and-"

"Stop."

"..."

"I would be honored to share this journey with you! And my many fans!"

"You would?!" Asriel asked, little goat tail beginning to wag.

"Yes, darling, now let's get started!"

-
"Do we have to start with this?" Asriel asked. Worried.

He balanced on a ball, and held three smaller balls in his hands. A camera pointed at him.

"Nobody else here can juggle! You may be the first!"

It was a good idea in theory. A broken nose in practice.
-
Frisk walked in carrying a tray of cookies, Chara trailing behind them sneaking as many from the tray as they could.

Frisk's look said it all as Asriel sat on the fancy pink couch with a tissue to his nose. 'What the hell are you doing?'

They set the cookies down on his lap as he sniffled, popping one in his mouth.

"I'm trying to find my own talent!"

"Is crying not a talent?" Chara asked, through a mouthful of cookie. "Because I'm sure bleeding isn't either."

-How about we help you?-

"We? You speaking Portuguese?"

"I think oui is French."

"Found your talent; you're a smartass."

-

Interpretive yodeling was not something Chara thought they would be witnessing. Ever.

Until they did.

In the lobby.

Both Asriel and Frisk.

"You're not good. Please, stop. You'll shatter the windows."

They persisted. A garbled mix of screaming which couldn't even properly be described as yodeling.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Undyne kicked in the elevator door.

"Yodeling!" Asriel said. "We're trying to find me a hobby!"

"You know what's a GOOD hobby?" Undyne grinned. "Football."

"Oh boy." Chara reached into a popcorn bowl that the microwave had made on its own.

"Football?"

"And I'll help!"

-

-I don't think this is football.- Frisk said as they fitted skates onto Asriel.

"You put little balls on your feet!"

Frisk, graceful in their own skates, helped a wobbly Asriel up.

"Now, GET TO THE ONE YARD LINE!!"

"What-?!"

"GO GO GO!!!"

Asriel clung onto Frisk as they went down a block. Legs buckling beneath him. He claws at Frisk to try to stay up.

"PUT YOUR BACK INTO IT, ASRIEL!!!!"

Asriel screamed in response before faceplanting.

"Wowza!" A new voice piped. "That was cool!!"

A little lizard monster without any arms.

"Whats your name?!"

"Asriel." He sniffed, wiping his snout.

"I'm MK! It means Monster Kid. And I can tell you guys are kids too, because you're wearing stripes!!!"

"I'm really not that good at skating.."

"Sure you are! It was cool!"

"Well, I'm trying to find out what I'm good at!"

"Can I help?"

-The more the merrier.-

"WOAH!!! YOU CAN TALK WITH YOUR HANDS?! THIS IS GOING TO BE AWESOME!!!"

-

The rest of the day was a montage.

Asriel tries pigeon training.

He tries kitting.

He writes poems about soup.

He tries to recreate the Mona Lisa.

-

"Thats it, I give up!!" He shouts, knocked off his feet by the floorboards sliding a beanbag under him.

"Aww, come on man, you can't give up yet! You're so good at this!!"

"No, I'm not! I'm bad at everything I try! I don't have a thing!"

"Sure you do! Your thing is trying things!"

Asriel paused. Looking up at the other monster.

"And my thing is helping people try things!!!"

"..That gives me an idea! You're the best, MK!"

-

That night at the talent show, Asriel tried everything he did that day. At once. It was a disaster.

Pigeons flew all over the auditorium, spouting messages about Soup. He rollerskated while painting, causing him to drop the balls he was juggling and slip on them.

Episode ends with a freezeframe of Asriel on the ground as the chaos happens, but laughing.

Chapter Text

Something was wrong. Alphys noticed it as gradually as it came.

Her creations malfunctioning, chemicals blowing up in their stations. The lights would flicker as though laughing at her whenever something went wrong.

But what she couldn't put her finger on was what was wrong.

Maybe something was wrong with the very core of her being, her SOUL. A tumor, or a crack.

But upon a self checkup, she realized the SOUL was in perfect physical health. She even went to Sans for a second opinion, who shrugged and said it looked normal.

She couldn't help but notice the bead of sweat on his skull as he said it.

But if Sans didn't want to talk, there was no getting him to talk. She knew this. It was what nearly ended their friendship four years ago.

So, with no clear issue, she went back to her work and hobbies.

-

Undyne found herself distracted. Maybe it was the flickering lights, or the way the elevator played soft jazz whenever she entered it (which, by the way, pissed her off.)

Or maybe it was Alphys working in the open more often, claiming she was paranoid of having a SOUL attack or stroke and no one being around.

For some reason, Undyne was unable to leave her side. Of course, she had an excuse.

"You wanted to not be alone!" Undyne proclaimed, "I'm always here now!"

Alphys felt a warmth rush over her face as she focused harder on her little invention. Something to pass butter.

-

"Hey, Al," Undyne asked one of the days she watched over Alphys. "Papyrus chickened out on me. Something about the Flu!! Do you want to spar with me today?"

Without a thought, or a moment to consider her physical safety, Alphys nodded eagerly.

And so they returned to the courtyard attached to the apartment. It had only materialized when Undyne moved in.

"S-So how does this w-work?" Alphys asked, anxious.

"LIKE THIS!"

Undyne charged at Alphys, picking her up and playfully slamming her to the ground. Pinning her. Oblivious to the many realizations Alphys was having about herself.

"Gah!!! Undyne, y-you're crushing me!!"

"You're pinned!! You're supposed to unpin yourself!!"

Alphys had no muscle mass. She had quite a bit of fat, but overall her stature wouldn't be useful in a fight.

Unless she fought dirty.

She jabbed Undyne in the gills, causing her to recoil and stumble back.

"Thats more like it!!" Undyne cheered, "Find your strengths!!"

For the first time in months, Alphys found a geniune smile.

-

Back at the lab, things were malfunctioning even worse. Beyond her control.

The heater had completely broken, leaving the lab freezing and nearly uninhabitable by the lizard monster.

Her computers glitched regularly, showing heart shaped particles.

And by Asgore, she couldn't get Undyne out of her head.

She was sure it was all some sorcery of the building. Maybe it wanted something.

Maybe it wanted her to get out more!

So thats what she did. She left her closet, and didn't return for weeks.

-

"ALPHYS, I AM BEGINNING TO WORRY!!!" Papyrus yelled. "YOU HAVE BEEN OUT ALL WEEK!!! IS THERE A BEAST WITHIN YOUR CLOSETY HOME?!"

"N-No, Papyrus, just.. lonely." She offered a smile.

He shrugged and turned away, continuing to his kitchen.

-
"She's been out more?" Undyne asked between punches. "Is she okay?"

"SHE SAYS SHE IS LONELY!!"

"Poor Al... well, I've been missing her too. Maybe we could hang out some more? I think she enjoyed it when we sparred!"

"AN EXCELLENT IDEA!!! I SHALL MAKE A SCHEDULE FOR YOU TWO TO SPAR SOME MORE!!!! I SHALL CALL IT THE ALPHDYNE SCHEDULE!!!"

"Woah, Papyrus, I still want to spar with you!"

"HENCE THE SCHEDULE!!! SOME DAYS FOR ME, SOME FOR ALPHYS!!!"

"You're a damn genius, you bonehead!!"

-

Alphys met Undyne for their fifth spar. She had been getting better at it, able to stand her ground before being knocked over.

But this time was different. She managed to pin Undyne. Laughing with pride as she did.

Undyne lie there, looking up at her. Smiling.

Not getting up.

"U-Undyne? Are you okay? Y-You're meant to get up and keep fighting, right..?" Alphys worried she had been doing this whole thing wrong.

The lights dimmed, a dull red glow. Alphys looked up and around. Getting off of Undyne, who also stood.

"I wanted to let you have that victory!" Undyne said. "Besides, I'm getting tired."

"..Y-Yeah, we should probably head to bed.." Alphys muttered.

They got on the elevator together. Oddly enough, yhe elevator insisted on playing some soft instrumental music.

Undyne was pleased to have a break from the jazz.

-

Alphys walked Undyne to her room.

"W-Well, goodnight." She smiled, tail slowly lashing. She looked up at Undyne with eyes similar to that of a begging puppy.

"Goodnight." Undyne planted a kiss on her forehead.

Chapter Text

I'm going on a small hiatus. I keep pressuring myself to work on this, and it's making me hate the project- which is not what I want. I should be back by July. In the meanwhile, I can do an offshoot of Q&A with the characters, or with the author myself if anyone wants to play along. I'll check my inbox once a day. Have a good one, y'all.

HIATUS, NOT LEFT FOR DEAD!!!