Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Crumble was honestly a bit scared and rightly so, today was the day for that dreaded facility worker to make their appearance. And the tension in the skeleton household had only tripled in its intensity over the coming days. It seemed that everyone was getting on the other’s nerves with snide comments and sharp words that made even Crumble flinch from its hostility. In many ways, it was like she was back in the facility again and she didn’t know how to fix it.

She kept to her room when she could, fighting down her own urges of wanting to go outside or to ask one of the skeletons to join her for some company. No one was ever around, and she feared rejection, so the easiest solution was to simply keep to herself. Crumble grabbed her well-worn jumper, wrapping it around herself like a coat of armour as she heard the doorbell ring from downstairs.

It was the worker.

The stairs creaked loudly underneath her, announcing her presence to the world and alerting the housemates of her own arrival. She could hear the chatter from the kitchen start to quieten as she got nearer, even making sure to stare at the ground so as to appear less of a threat. Everything felt foreign all of a sudden and Crumble could only hope that this initial inspection went well. She wanted everything to go back to normal again, she missed Papyrus’ cheery words and even the light flirting from Candy; she missed it all. This wasn’t the freedom she envisioned for herself, but it was better than nothing and it was better than the facility. Though, anything would be better than that hellhole.

Stretch gave her a nod as she took her place at the kitchen table, lifting herself up on the highchairs while Sparrow pushed a plate of fruit over in her direction. She muttered a quick thanks before taking a bite out of one of the apples, savouring the taste of fresh fruit while someone went to answer to door.

“I’M SURE IT’LL BE FINE!” Sparrow reassured her gently, moving to stand next to her and resting a hand on her shoulder. Crumble smiled at him and went to say something when the dreaded agent finally took a step into the house. She could practically feel how the energy shifted, how the guards were raised and how the house no longer felt like a home. Sparrow’s grip on her shoulder tightened slightly before letting go with him moving back to sink as if to physically stop himself from reacting any further. Her gaze swept over the kitchen taking note of how Stretch and Sparrow remained close to her while the others were scattered around the dining and living room, eerily similar to how the facility would station their guards. Clearly the guys were expecting the worse from this interaction and Crumble could see why.

Her eyes locked onto the human that entered and promptly felt her body restart at the sight.

“Fucking Carole.”

The words were muttered aloud before she even realised it, almost throwing up at the chuckle it caused from Satan’s offspring herself. She looked no different then when Crumble had seen her last, still standing with perfect posture and those cold, dead eyes that never showed any remorse over her own actions. Carole was the single pinnacle of Crumble’s worst moments in life and of course she had to be here, of course she had to be the one that would ultimately decide if she was worthy of life outside imprisonment. What bullshit.

She dug her claws into her hoodie’s pockets, entangling her hands to prevent herself from doing anything stupid like sporadically throwing a punch on instinct or shattering a plate over Carole’s stupid head. Her rage and frustration were but a single tipping point from boiling over and just straight killing the human where she stood.

And Carole had the audacity to smirk.

Crumble’s collar gave a warning beep, alerting her and others of her rising LVL, of how she craved to drink the blood that poured from that demon’s neck.

“That doesn’t sound good.” The Sargent toyed with her, hands behind her back and a grin so large it spelt nothing but trouble. “Would be horribly tragic if we had to send you back to the facility already; after all the great progress that I’ve been hearing about, I’ve just been so excited to see it!”

Her SOUL was filled with KINDNESS.

Her SOUL was filled with KINDNESS.

Her SOUL was filled with KINDNESS.

Crumble jolted as a small electric current ran through her body, closing her sockets against the pain as she violently forced back the magic that tried to fight back with the collar suppression technology.

“what the fuck was that!?” Stretch exclaimed loudly, rushing to Crumble’s side as he threw an arm around her and checked her over. Crumble opened her mouth to reassure him, to say that this wasn’t the worst she’s ever felt when another burst of energy forced her jaw shut. She groaned through her teeth as the magic inside her thrashed wildly, hunching in on herself while her collar continued to beep with ever increasing intensity.

Her SOUL was filled with KINDNESS.

“Should really learn to control those LVLs Crumble.”

“You’ve Made Your Point, Sargent.” Black stood by her side, his sockets narrowing in displeasure as he stood with his arms behind his back much like hers. The two stared at each other in obvious communication, sizing the other up and it appeared that Carole had won as her grin grew bigger. She laughed to herself, no doubt getting a thrill from the control that she had over Crumble and thus the rest of the household.

Crumble forced herself to look away from the sight and instead met Stretch’s eye lights as he lightly ran his hands over her body, checking for anything out place or anything even slightly concerning. She appreciated his kindness however and offered a meek half-smile that definitely looked more strained than reassuring as judging by his worsening expression. There wasn’t much she could do as she was already focusing on restraining her violent tendencies as well as her magic. Her collar was still letting out small beeps, however it was gradually decreasing in volume, so she was doing something right.

She tuned out the conversations happening around her, picking up on Black’s cordial tone, Red’s dark promises and Stretch’s whispered words of encouragement. A gentle hand took her own and she didn’t even have to look as she knew it was Sparrow’s due it it’s dwarfing size in comparison to her own. And with the combined comfort from both Stretch and Sparrow, Crumble allowed herself to drift away, letting the two blanket her in their warmth while the other’s negotiated with the Sargent.

Her SOUL was filled with KINDNESS.

“-make sure she’s ready.” Sans muttered in the distance.

“yeah, well m’lord can help-”

“Bias.” Carole cut through.

“What Do You Suggest Then?”

“Wine.”

An uncomfortable silence settled amongst the skeletons with Stretch muttering a quiet swear as he brought Crumble closer to him. She could tell the household members weren’t happy with whoever Carole mentioned and that worried her.

“Any Particular Reason For That?” Black asked pointedly, his sockets briefly roaming over Crumble’s fragile body and instilling no confidence in her whatsoever. And Carole was no help either as her grin seemed to widen even further than before, “Oh, it just makes sense. The facility wants a monster that can easily ‘handle’ her should something unfortune happen.”

 In other words, someone that could kill her easily.

Great.

Red suddenly teleported from the room, no doubt telling Edge of the learnt information and Crumble couldn’t help the desire to want to follow him. Their bond was still blocked and there’s nothing she needed more than Edge’s presence beside her, to feel that familiar magic that had once protected her before. She squeezed Sparrow’s hand with ever tightening panic, her own SOUL was thumping weakly in her chest as the conveyed her dismay. She was scared, she was scared and all she could do was bare it; there was nowhere for her emotions to go.

Crumble forced a calming breath out of her body, not needing her collar to go off again and give Carole more fuel to torment her. It really was an unnecessary situation; things didn’t have to be like this but of course it was her luck to have Carole monitor her and not even Edge to guide her when he’s been one of the few to continuously help her.

“Anything else then?” Sans wearily asked.

“Yes actually, just one more thing before I go!”

Carole suddenly turned to the skeleton hybrid, forcing Crumble to swallow a threatening growl as the human took her time to approach her. She pulled out two metal bands from behind her back, “Your hands.”

It wasn’t a request, but a demand and Crumble followed it mindlessly. She registered the gasps of disgust before the feeling of cold metal snapped around her wrists, weighing down her limbs to match the same feeling she had on her neck.

“The facility would be more comfortable if the hybrid had more LVL suppressing cuffs from now on. Until it settles or she returns back to her cell; she must wear these along with her collar for the sake of safety, of course.”

And with that, Carole left.

No one moved for a while and Crumble dimly could hear Stretch and Sparrow attempt to comfort her, but she was already done for the day. The metal cuffs dug into her bone uncomfortably, rubbing against her already frail wrists and dried dust that settled on her bones.

She felt itchy.

She felt lost.

And she felt tired.

It was like a weighted blanket was suddenly thrown on her but instead of bringing comfort, it only suffocated her like she was drowning and there was nothing to keep her afloat.

“-get her back to bed.”

Her SOUL was filled with KINDNESS.

She felt heavy and slow, she didn’t feel as aware as she once was.

Her SOUL was filled with KINDNESS.

Her magic felt almost muted, barely reacting to the outside world and her inner turmoil.

Her SOUL was filled with KINDNESS.

She was tired, so, so, tired.

Her SOUL was filled with PATIENCE.

Crumble could only hope and wait out whatever was in store for her. She had a feeling she won’t be able to have the same support as before. Things were going to be different and Crumble needed to adapt to survive, or rather to be given the chance at survival.

She was no closer to freedom than she was to being sent back to the facility.

Her SOUL was filled with KINDNESS.

She just had to wait, to withstand and to draw from her years of solitude to come out victorious from the other side.

There was no time to rely on the kindness of others, but to simply wait and outlive those that keep trying to harm her and her future.

She just had to have PATIENCE.

Chapter Text

Crumble craved the day that she could wake up and have the feeling that things were going to be okay.

It wasn’t going to be today and that was tragic.

From the moment she opened her sockets, that deep rooted fear took a hold of her body and Crumble knew right then and there that today was not going to be a good day. She could barely move her limbs, flinching every time she tried to even wiggle her toes. Her body felt like it had been crushed by a building and then left to rot underneath the rubble. All she could feel was the dust that had accumulated over her bones and locked her ligaments in place. She couldn’t move.

Crumble stared at the roof of her attic room, counting the support beams and spiderwebs that decorated her the corners of her ceiling. She could make out the sounds from downstairs, the awakening of the other household members and felt a sliver of fear that she’d be left up here with no one to check on her.

I CAN’T MOVE.

“-fucking shit, you’re loud!”

Red appeared in her room instantly, particles of magic still swirling in the air as he rushed to her bedside.

“Could hear you all the way from my side of the bond and you’re not even part of that.” He muttered aggressively, yet his actions were anything but as he slowly pulled off the blanket covering her stationary body. She tried to smile to reassure him and unsurprisingly found even her face hard to move and resigned herself to simply listening.

“Guess you can’t talk if you’re resorting to SOUL communication, so that definitely fucking complicates things.”

Can’t move. Hungry.

Red paused, his eye lights flickering before refocusing back on Crumble. “Yeah, this telephone shit is going to get real annoying. And Edge’s at work too.”

He clicked his tongue.

“You communicated with anyone else?”

Bear. Papyrus. Mutt.

“Papyrus it is then.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth did the mentioned skeleton suddenly barrel into the room with armfuls of snacks and assorted drinks. It reminded Crumble of how Stretch carried food except somehow Papyrus did it with gusto and much more dedicated balancing that told stories of doing this quite commonly.

“FEAR NOT FRIEND, I AM HERE TO BE OF ASSISTANCE!”

“And I’m out.”

Red blipped away before coming back once more.

“And no more communicating; bad for your SOUL.”

And he was gone once again.

Papyrus was quick to kneel down beside her bed, placing the food and drinks to the side while he gently took one of her hands. He ran his fingers over her joints, massaging her pressure points and joints as his gloves soon glowed a light green.

“I USED TO DO THIS FOR BEAR AND SPARROW WHEN THEY FIRST JOINED US. SO DO NOT FRET CRUMBLE, YOU’RE IN SAFE HANDS!”

Crumble sucked in a breath and was glad for her unresponsive body; she wouldn’t have to worry about bursting into tears right on the spot.

Nice.

She tried to project her feelings towards Papyrus, throwing her gratitude and thankfulness at the taller skeleton with all her might.

Papyrus chuckled, “THANK YOU FOR YOUR FEELINGS! IT IS GREATLY APPRECIATED, AND I THANK YOU FOR CALLING ON US WHEN YOU NEEDED HELP. MY BROTHER COULD LEARN A THING OR TWO FROM YOU.”

He squeezed her hand reassuringly before moving to the rest of her joints, lightly running his gloved hands over the bones that were stuck due to the rotting dust. It was only until Papyrus started working on her leg that her stomach decided to announce itself, rumbling loudly in the quiet room.

“YES, YOUR FOOD!”

He turned away from the bed and reached for the plates he put on the bedside table, picking up a bowl and spoon to feed her.

Can’t move.

She projected once more, but Papyrus seemed unconcerned, “DON’T WORRY FRIEND, I AM A NATURAL!”

He moved the spoon to the gap where her left fang should be, turning the utensil so that the contents would simply drop into her mouth. And it oddly worked.

Crumble wondered how often this skeleton had to look after the others with how efficient he was in taking care of her, seemingly pulling on knowledge he’s used so many times before. She could only stare as papyrus fed her between working his magic with her locked ligaments, silently hoping that she wasn’t blushing up a storm. It was just oddly touching, and she’s never been pampered before, let alone had the privilege of letting her guard down. It was nice and a good reminder of why she wanted to get better. She wanted to have days like this always, simply existing and getting taken care of instead of her usual isolation.

“Thanks.” she finally croaked out, welcoming the familiar sensation of her body finally responding to her mind. Crumble slowly sat up with the help of Papyrus, resting her skull on his shoulders as she waited for the rest of her body to respond to the healing magic. She felt her sockets started to lower as the thought of sleep became more and more tempting. Crumble had never felt so content in her life, not thinking twice before attempting meld herself with the other skeleton, subconsciously seeking out the warmth and safety that Papyrus provided for her.

Her arms found their way around the taller skeleton and tugged him beside her as she snuggled back into the mattress, much to the amusement of Papyrus who quietly chuckled. The pair laid entangled together in the comfortable silence with the smell of breakfast surrounding them and the warmth of the bed guiding them both to sleep.

Her SOUL was filled with KINDNESS.

“You’re failing again.”

A distant voice called out to her, monotone in its delivery yet still belittling all the same. Crumble lifted her head from her knees, not noticing her human appearance and staring out into the black void that came alive around her.

She could hear the voices of relatives long forgotten, wrapping her arms around herself in comfort as the noises continued to get louder.

“You’re really dragging the family name down.”

“How are you mum’s favourite!?”

“Pathetic!”

Crumble gasped as a human arm suddenly pulled her towards the void, their grip iron tight as she thrashed against them.

But it did nothing.

Her SOUL was filled with KINDNESS.

Her SOUL was filled with KINDNESS.

“You need to be stronger!”

Her SOUL was filled with BRAVERY.

“You need to outlive them!”

Her SOUL was filled with BRAVERY.

“No time for weakness now!”

Her SOUL was filled with KINDNESS.

“-should we wake her?”

“I’M NOT SURE, PERHAPS WE SHOULD CALL MISSY?”

Crumble snapped her open her sockets, reaching out for support as her legs gave out beneath her. She could feel herself shaking, trembling in her own efforts to force herself back into reality. Her SOUL thumped painfully in her chest, gasping and heaving as she clawed at whatever she could reach. There was dust falling onto the kitchen tiles.

Falling.

She was falling.

An agonised wail was ripped from her throat, her magic thrashing wildly about as it fought against her metal restraints. She screamed as electricity burned through her bones, an all-out war inside her body as she kept thrashing about. Crumble slammed herself against the kitchen cabinets, repeatedly ramming herself against the wooden structure till it gave way beneath her.

“CRUMBLE!”

“hey!”

Voices were shouting at her, but she could barely distinguish them from the voices in her dreams, only adding fuel to the fire.

She clawed at her skull, desperately digging her fingers deeper into the crevasses of her head as if to pull her dream out of her head physically.

Falling. Falling. Falling.

More dust spilled out of her clothes, disrupted by her jolted movements and erratic reactions while the world around her kept blacking out.

HELP ME.

She tried to scream.

I’M FALLING.

She cried out to the void.

HELP ME.

Crumble brokenly wailed.

I’m here.

Something reached for her internally, suddenly fighting back against the darkness and wrapping her SOUL in an unexplainable warmth. Crumble whimpered weakly, curling into a ball to protect herself and ride out the last of the electric jolts running through her body. She felt long arms surround her, pulling her towards a solid body that squeezed her tightly.

I am back.

A skull rested atop of hers.

“YOU ARE SAFE. REST NOW.”

Her SOUL was filled with KINDNESS.  

Her SOUL was filled with KINDNESS.  

Her SOUL was filled with KINDNESS.  

“YOU ARE SAFE, CRUMBLE. LET ME HEAL YOU.”

Her SOUL was filled with KINDNESS.  

“THEY CAN’T HURT YOU ANYMORE.”

Her SOUL was filled with KINDNESS.  

“PLEASE LET ME HEAL YOU.”

Chapter Text

Sometimes it really felt like she was the only one that believed in Crumble.

Dr. Missy raked a clawed hand down her face, idly tapping on the lenses of her glasses as she scanned over the frighteningly little documents on the poor hybrid. It was infuriating to have to start from scratch and practically rewrite over ten years of medical neglect and abuse. And she couldn’t even fathom what Crumble’s human life was like, Missy had to believe it was better than whatever she was finding.

The facility was unsurprisingly not forthcoming on the details of Crumble’s capture, constantly redirecting her and leading her astray; it was the worse goose chase she’s ever been on. Not even Alphys' high clearance level could get her the information she needed to accurately treat the skeleton. Her skeleton. Her friend.

Because despite it all, Crumble showed great promise and consistency fought against the life that facility kept pushing her towards. She created a working bond with a dangerous hybrid, protected a monster worker and perhaps the most shocking one of all, subdued her own LVL in a high-tension situation. Crumble had gone above and beyond what anyone thought she was capable of, and it was frustrating that the human board was just not seeing it.

Which lead to where Missy is now, playing data clerk instead of being out there to monitor Crumble herself. No, instead they sent that human to check on her, to provide an ‘unbiased’ perspective on the hybrid’s journey.

They didn’t want a monster’s opinion.

Missy sighed in frustration, half tempted to throw the lacklustre papers at the walls and head to the skeleton’s house despite it all. But she couldn’t, she had a job to do and that meant silently taking everything in and forever swearing at the facility inside her mind.

“How’s the research going?”

Dr. Alphys gently knocked on her door, letting herself into Missy’s office and taking in the scene with a small smile. Missy shot her a look and was met with a chuckle.

“Yeah, I’m afraid I’ve run into the same problem. There’s nothing recorded of her even in the labs downstairs, no process, no nothing.”

“I just don’t understand why.” Missy spoke in disbelief, “Even the most dangerous of hybrids have some sort of identification and registry. Why is she the odd one out?”

“I don’t think they wanted her to be found.”

The words left Alphys mouth like an afterthought, lingering in the heavy silence that choked the both of them. It was a very real and very unfortunate reality that Crumble was not the first of. A lot of hybrids died before proper care was mandated and even then, many slipped through the cracks and left dusted with no one ever the wiser. It’s a miracle upon miracles that she didn’t join them, instead left to years of isolation and unimaginable pain to survive as long as she did.

“Ten years.” Missy found herself speaking softly, “Ten years she’d been existing in that cell and there’s not even a splotch of ink to tell that story.”

“So, let’s get started.”

Alphys sat herself down next to Missy, picking up the scattered documents with practiced ease as another hand reached for a pen in her lab coat. Missy smiled her friend’s confidence and matched her movements, feeling her hope reignite in her chest while the two of them began writing everything they knew about their dear friend, Crumble. The words started to flow from her pen, pouring days upon days of observations, data from checkups and whatever information she could scrounge up from old documents. It all accumulated into an ever-growing pile of Crumble’s life in the facility, narrating a tale that told of a strong monster that just wanted to live in whatever the world would give it. Missy found herself lost to her work, letting time pass her by with only the sounds of pencils scratching as her background noise.

Only when her eyes began to shut did Missy finally look up from her writing, stretching out her back from her prolonged hunched over posture to check the time on her watch. She blinked at the glaring 2:00AM that flashed on the little screen, illuminating the dark office and the many papers that were now piled delicately in front of her. She leaned closer and noticed a yellow sticky note attached to the pile with a simple, ‘See you next shift!’ followed with a doodle of Alphys smiling face.

“Thanks, Alphys.” She muttered to herself happily, finally getting out of her chair and packing up her personal belongings. Missy checked over all their work, making sure it was ready for the human board with nothing being forgotten. She would never forgive herself if she failed Crumble in this step, she needed to get the board to understand the importance Crumble’s journey and the giant leaps she’s made despite what setbacks she may have had. It was all for something and it would all work out if they could just see what she saw.

Missy nodded to herself in reassurance, confident and sure that they did everything they could. She picked up her phone and took it off silent mode, slightly taken aback at the sudden influx of messages that overwhelmed her device. She scrolled through them all, packing up the last of her things and heading before one message caught her eye.

PAPYRUS (OriginalVerse): SOMETHINGS WRONG WITH CRUMBLE!

PAPYRUS (OriginalVerse): PLEASE COME BY WHEN YOU HAVE THE CHANCE!!

She checked the time of when the text was sent and cursed silently.

Missy (SwapVerse): Sorry Papyrus, I just saw it now. Do you need me over?

PAPYRUS (OriginalVerse): ITS 2AM!? YOU NEED TO REST!

Missy (SwapVerse): I’ll be there shortly. Give me 10 minutes.

PAPYRUS (OriginalVerse): WHAT

PAPYRUS (OriginalVerse): NO

Missy shut off her phone once more, no longer feeling the warming call of sleep and instead on high alert as she left the building. She made her way to her car, practically throwing her items carelessly while her mind ran through all the possible scenarios in her head. There was no doubt it involved Crumble’s new cuffs, those things were mandated and highly unnecessary for her recovery. But once again, Missy was steamrolled by Carol and there was little she could do to prevent the events from unfurling.

She accelerated down the road, flipping a switch on her dashboard that caused the traffic lights to turn green as she approached them. Not that it was needed for the journey in such a bizarre time, but she’d rather get to the skeleton as soon as possible with little delay.

The doctor pulled up in the driveway, barely remembering to lock the car behind her when the house was so close. Thievery was the last thing on her mind as she approached the porch, pausing when she noticed Red smoking out front. He looked just as confused to see her, raising a bone brow at her as he pressed a dog treat to his mouth.

“I was informed that something happened to Crumble earlier today?”

“Yeah?” Red stretched out the word slowly, “She had an episode or something in the kitchen, ‘pparently she slept walked then just lost it. Had to get my bro cause she wasn’t responding to anything else.”

“Interesting, did anything happen prior to that?”

Missy dug in her pockets to pull out her mini electronic communicator, popping up the screen and stylus to begin writing down Red’s words. She was startled when he let out a loud laugh, not one in joy but obvious disbelief.

“How about fucking everything?” He starts counting on his fingers, “She’s been here what a week? And she can barely leave the attic, has LVL suppression cuffs, still has on that collar, eats like she’s starving, nearly FELL, and the cherry on fucking top, Wine’s been assigned to fucking mentor her!”

Red’s voice raised with every bit that he recounted, and Missy could only stare at him in shock, numbly writing down his words while her own mind struggled to comprehend what she was hearing. “And this was all recently?”

“Yup.” Red blew out a gust of red smoke.

“Okay, okay, we can fix this.”

Missy mumbled to herself, closing her eyes to seek temporary relief from the heavy reality that was Crumble’s entire world. She saw the solutions dance across her mind, flicking through all the possible outcomes if she pulled the right strings or talked to the right monster. It was these types of moments that she wished the facility just had anything more useful on their skeleton hybrid, anything at all that could just point her in the right direction.

“To remove the cuffs, she needs to prove she can handle her LVLs, so we need Wine’s approval for that.”

Red opened his mouth, but Missy waved him off.

“She passes that and then we can work on her SOUL recovery and integration back to society. By then, she’s learned how to control her magic and thus her ‘starving’ issue is also fixed. Balanced SOUL, balanced life!”

“If only it was that fucking easy.”

The large skeleton scoffed, rolling his eye lights at her words while Missy shot him a glare. “I’m trying! In case you’ve forgotten, we’re not exactly working in the best of conditions right now!”

“Oh, how could I forget! It’s not like I gotta watch my brother start from fucking scratch again, meanwhile everyone else gets to sing and dance like we ain’t got a high priority hybrid in there!”

Missy sucked in a breath, forcing herself to calm down as she looked away. She stared out at the lawn, watching the snowflakes dance along the wind before landing in the grass.

“I apologise.” She spoke quietly, “I never meant to infer that you guys weren’t trying; especially your brother, I saw the footage of him saving Crumble. I’m just worried that she will fall through the same cracks that nearly costed her in the first place.”

She fiddled with the device in her hands.

“The facility’s doing their best to stop her, but she deserves her freedom.”

“Might want to tell that to some of the household members.”

And with that ominous message, Red teleported away.

Missy stared at where he once was, unease settling into her scales before the front door was suddenly opened.

“HURRY UP AND GET INSIDE, IT’S GETTING COLD OUT THERE!”

Papyrus urged her inside the house without a moment’s hesitation, clearly having waited on the conversation to finish before forcing her inside. She found herself in the kitchen with a mug filled with hot chocolate and a very nervous skeleton hovering beside her. Papyrus had his own cup, but it looked cold and untouched as if he was too nervous to even sip the beverage. Missy had a feeling that it definitely had something to do with their troubled hybrid friend and offered Paps an encouraging smile.

Papyrus did not smile back.

“I AM WORRIED.” He tapped the side of his mug nervously, “I AM WORRIED THAT YOU MIGHT BE RIGHT.”

“About?”

“ABOUT THE CRACKS.”

Missy hummed confirming her thoughts that Papyrus had been listening in on her conversation with Red. She could see his desire to help, to fix the situation and yet devasted that the solution might be too hard to achieve. Not for lack of trying of course, no one could’ve predicted the lengths the human board went to stop them from caring for Crumble.

“THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF FIGHTING AND NOT A LOT OF FIXING.”

She waited for him to continue, watching as he opened and shut his mouth, yet it seemed the words escaped him.

“Paps, it’s okay.” She tried to reassure him, “All we can do now is simply help her and be there when she needs us. Might be best for now to have a skeleton on standby, someone to stay home and make sure Crumble’s alright.”

“YES, THAT WOULD BE IDEAL, BUT QUITE A NUMBER OF US CAN’T STAY HOME. THOUGH, I MIGHT ASK STRETCH MAYBE. HE CAN WORK FROM HOME.”

“Great! Now was there anything else-”

“HER FANGS!” Papyrus suddenly blurted out, looking at her with big eye lights.

“SHE NEEDS REPLACEMENTS FOR HER FANGS; I THINK IT COULD GIVE HER THE ENCOURAGEMENT SHE NEEDS AND REALLY HELP!”

“Okay, I’ll see what I can do. I don’t think the board will be too happy, but she has been needing those replacement for a while now.”

Missy couldn’t believe it had slipped her mind; she had written down fang replacements from the moment she met Crumble and progress still had yet to be made. “Maybe if we get Wine to meet her, he can approve the request and push it along.”

“I HOPE SO! BEAR TALKED ABOUT IT BEFORE WITH HER, SAYING IT WAS WHY HER MAGIC WAS ACTING UP BUT NOW IT SEEMS LIKE IT’S JUST GOING HAYWIRE.”

“Actually yeah, was that the situation you texted me about?”

“UNFORTUNATELY. CRUMBLE HAD SOME SORT OF PANIC WHILE SHE WAS SLEEPING, WE WERE LUCKY THAT EDGE WAS THERE AND CALMED HER DOWN THROUGH THEIR BOND. SHE’S BEEN RESTING FOR THE REST OF THE DAY, BUT IT’S CONCERNING HOW HER LVL KEEPS RISING AND FALLING.”

Papyrus looked down at his mug, sighing in worry before collecting Missy’s cup and taking both to the sink to wash. She couldn’t help but frown, seeing the way the worry and stress of the event weighed heavily on the skeleton’s shoulders. Most Papyrus variants had the innate desire to help others around them, and it was clear that despite Edge doing his part, Papyrus himself was taking his failure to heart.

“I’m sure you helped out too.” She spoke reassuringly, but Papyrus made no other comment for the rest of the night, simply washing the two mugs in silence.

When Missy blinked, she was back at home and staring at her reflection in her bathroom mirror. She recalled the kitchen conversation and the way Paps had gave her a withdrawn goodbye while she stepped outside.

She was worried for that household.

She was worried for them all.

But Missy had to take things one day at a time and wrote up a check-up request for Wine to visit Crumble. If it was fangs that she wanted, then it was fangs she would get.

Crumble deserved a win for once.

Chapter Text

“I’m almost afraid to ask what Wine is like.”

A chuckle.

“he’s… a character.”

Crumble shot Stretch a look but the other simple shrugged, continuing to idly smoke on his dog treat as the two of them relaxed on the back porch. She had seen the hoodie wearing skeleton throughout the day on his laptop and finally managed to spend some time with him on his self-proclaimed ‘break’. Learning that his job was on security and data storage for big companies, it allowed him to work at home if need be though he much preferred his own environment.

She couldn’t help but be drawn to him, being the only skeleton that was in the house at the moment to keep her company, it also helped that he was the most relaxed.

“Is he really that bad?”

“depends on how you see it.”

“I feel like you’re intentionally being vague.”

“like I said, he’s a character and that’s kinda hard to explain.”

“Wow.” Crumble mumbled sarcastically, “I can’t wait to meet him then, I’m sure nothing could go wrong.”

Stretch playfully nudged her with his shoulder, giving her a small grin as he opened his mouth only for the doorbell to ring. “looks like he’s here.”

The two both stood up and began making their way to front door, neither one of them speaking as nervous energy filled the air. Crumble hung back slightly, digging her hands into her hoodie pockets and watching in trepidation as Stretch opened the door. She squinted against the flash of light that blinded her, a result of a shiny badge reflecting off the sun. And as the notorious Wine entered through the doorway, Crumble couldn’t help but suck in a breath.

He was dangerous.

Her SOUL pounded loudly in her ribcage, reflecting her nerves and inner fear that gripped her body in a chokehold. Everything about the purple-wearing skeleton screamed authority and someone not to be messed with. She eyed his attire wearily, taking in the badge that displayed the facility’s logo and the long scar that ran across his left socket. His own eye lights were already locked on hers with narrowing sockets and judgment heavy in his triforce iris’. Whatever he saw clearly did not meet his expectations as his frown remained unmoving.

Crumble wilted under his intense stare, staring at his leather boots while her shoulders dropped. It felt like she had already failed him.

She missed Stretch straightening to his full height, stepping boldly between the two with a slight head tilt that told the other of what he thought of the interaction.

Wine didn’t acknowledge him, “IT’S TIME FOR THE HYBRID’S CHECKUP.”

“crumble.”

A tense silence filled the air.

Crumble could barely muster up the courage to speak.

Her SOUL was filled with KINDNESS.

“Come Hybrid, We Shall Do This Outside.”

She stared resolutely at the ground, watching from her peripheral as Wine walked past her with long strides, expecting her to follow him without even looking at her.

“I don’t like him.” She whispered, feeling Stretch’s presence next to her as they both watched the officer step out into the back paddock.

“not many do.”

“Well, that’s just not nice.” A deep chuckle was suddenly heard from behind, followed with an arm being thrown around her shoulder. “My brother’s the best of the best.”

Purple smoke was the first thing Crumble registered, practically blinding her and filling her nose with the scent of lavender. She startled badly from the sudden touch, throwing the bony arm off her while her magic stirred uneasily.

Her SOUL was filled with KINDNESS.

Her SOUL was filled with BRAVERY.

“Who the fuck are you!?” She hissed, standing her ground when the newcomer teleported directly in front of her. He blew more smoke towards her without a care, practically towering over her with a shit-eating grin wide on his skull.

“Name’s Wolf and I’m in charge of your freedom, so I’d watch what you say, little cub.”

“wolf-”

A sharp whistle was the only warning Crumble got before her view violently shifted from the lounge to the backyard, stumbling out of Wolf’s hold as she collapsed onto the grass.

Her SOUL was filled with KINDNESS.

She growled in annoyance at being tossed, whirling around to face the offender when she was met with a sharpened bone pressing to her collar in warning. Wine’s purple eye light flashed dangerously as he held the weapon against her in silence; Wolf was behind him with his hands in his pockets and empty sockets that watched her every move. They were the pinnacle of danger, and her magic thrummed alight at the situation.

“Well Hybrid, Prove Yourself.”

Wine pressed the bone deeper into her collar.

“Attack Or Submit?”

“What’ll it be?”

A feminine voice echoed from a distance part of her mind like a memory calling for her as Crumble rapidly blinked away the remnants.

Her SOUL was filled with KINDNESS.

Crumble’s collar beeped warningly, not yet activating but on standby and reacting to her magic level. The skeletons in front of her remained unmoving, simply watching her with disdain and lack of any belief that she’d do anything other than attack them. She was desperate to prove them wrong.

“What do you want me to do?”

The words were forced out her mouth, sounding not quite real nor like her own voice. Her vision was blurring, edging into a reality that she had yet to grasp as she subconsciously leaned into the bone threatening her life. She felt it chip at her neck, pressing against her with no remorse as Wine stared right through her. Like it didn’t matter.

Like she didn’t matter.

“I’m not your weapon.”

 Someone scoffed.

“No, you’re a killer. Exactly like how I raised you to be.”

“Doesn’t seem like she’s submitting-”

A hand reached for her, cold and skeletal as it wiped away a tear that trailed down Crumble’s face. It was enough to jolt her back into reality, nicking herself on the weapon as she accidentally leaned too far forward.

Her SOUL was filled with KINDNESS.

Her SOUL was filled with KINDNESS.

Her SOUL was filled with KINDNESS.

Her collar reacted accordingly, and Crumble blacked out.

The last thing she saw was the surprised face of Wolf’s as his cigarette fell from his open jaw.

Followed closely by the sounds of her cuffs hitting the ground.

Her SOUL was filled with BRAVERY.

“She called me a monster killer.”

“It’s what you are, Violet.”

“No, I’m not.”

“No, I suppose not – You’re just a killer now, aren’t you?”

“crumble, wake up!” Hands grabbed at her, shaking her back and forth as the last bit of her nightmare faded away into darkness. Crumble didn’t think twice before launching herself at the body nearest to her, wrapping herself around the beacon of warmth and current saviour to her worst fears. She clung desperately to the skeleton, soaking her tears into his orange hoodie and gasping pathetically as she forced out the words being embedded into her psyche.

She wasn’t a killer. She wasn’t a killer. She wasn’t a killer. 

She was Crumble. She just wanted to be Crumble.

“you’re okay, you’re okay.” Stretch’s soft voice soothed her, bringing his arms around her as he rocked them both back and forth. She nestled into him, almost hiding herself from the world around her and the voices in her head. Her sockets closed without thinking and Crumble willed away the nightmare that tormented her.

“just a bad dream, you’re all right.” He murmured.

“What happened?”

She croaked weakly, sockets still closed and still too afraid to face the world. Stretch ran his hands over her back, rubbing soothing circles into her spine as she sagged against him.

“wish i could you, crumble. by the time i made it to the back deck, there was smoke everywhere and you were passed out on the grass.”

He squeezed her in reassurance, “do you remember anything?”

“My cuffs,” She whispered hauntingly, “I remember my cuffs falling – something was happening today, right?”

“yeah, remember who came over?”

“Was a woman, right? I remember a voice, she was mean.”

“No, you’re a killer. Exactly like how I raised you to be.”

“Heh, not exactly how I’d describe him.”

“what the fuck are you doing here!?” Stretch snapped at the intruder as broken memories started flooding Crumble’s mind. She opened her sockets and checked her wrists, stunned into silence at the lack of cuffs that weighed her down prior. It was like they were never there to begin with, leaving only dent marks as their remains. Crumble looked over Stretch’s shoulder to see Wolf leaning on her bedroom doorframe, cigarette alight in his mouth and a smug smile stretched across his skull. But she noticed something different about him.

There was a scorch mark on his left cheek.

Like something had just missed him.

“Like it, little cub? I’m a fan of it myself.”

And then he winked.

“Earned yourself a little treat from my brother and I; you should be thankful.”

“What are you talking about?”

Wolf blew smoke into the room, pointedly ignoring the twin growls it earned from both Crumble and Stretch.

“You get your fangs, cub. So, keep up the good work and you’ll get rid of us yet.”

Crumble opened her mouth but began coughing violently when the purple wearing skeleton suddenly teleported with billowing purple smoke choking the room. “confusing fucker.”

Stretch swatted at the smoke with his free hand, eventually getting up to open the attic window for the purple mist to escape.

“That burn mark though, you noticed it too, right?”

“yeah, guessing wine must’ve did it, but usually fell verses are particular about what marks are left on them. so it’s gotta mean something beyond the usual.”

Crumble nodded slowly, committing that bit of information for later, she just wished she remembered what happened. Her mind was drawing a startling blank after first meeting the new set of brothers. She looked down at her fingers, counting off what she remembered. First, they were outside, then the unfortunate meeting with Wine and Wolf, something with a bone in her collar, her cuffs falling and that was it. Stretch was no help either as he only saw the aftermath of the smoke.

Wait, smoke.

“What colour was the smoke!?” Crumble all but fell out of her bed, staring up into the sockets of a now terrified Stretch.

“uh, green? but it was like a weird shade, kinda brown for some reason.”

“It was me!” The realisation sent a cold shock through her body, because of course that’s what had to have happened.

She remembered.

They were taunting her, playing with her LVL and goading her into attacking. She didn’t want to, but she heard a voice, something bordering on familiar that had done the same to her once before. Her vision was blurred, but she remembered the panic, the fear and dread that choked her as her magic bubbled to the surface. It slammed itself against her restraints and broke from the confines that prevented her from protecting herself.

The smoke was hers.

And she aimed at that smug skeleton with a plasma blast that burned her throat and erupted from her mouth as Wolf’s face began clear in her recollection.

That look of fear.

It made her blood sing.

Her SOUL was filled with BRAVERY.

“crumble?”

Stretch crouched down to her level, taking in her sudden silence with concern as she traced over her missing fangs.

Her SOUL was filled with KINDNESS.

“I’m okay.” She lied.

Her SOUL was filled with KINDNESS.

Her SOUL was filled with BRAVERY.

She almost wanted to do it again. 

She wanted to fight them. 

Chapter Text

Crumble picked at the decaying top layer of bone along her wrists, digging at the dents that were left by her LVL supressing cuffs. No one had said anything about them falling off and to her knowledge were still laying out in the backyard. She hoped she wouldn’t have to put them back on, if felt insulting to wear them when she knew about hybrids in the facility who wore much less yet had higher LVL than her.

The facility always had to have the last laugh, and the cuffs were proof of that.

She traced the markings on her wrist and followed it across to the top of her shoulder, in the safety of her room, she could freely explore the faults and failures of her skeletal body. Crumble stood in front of the corner mirror, silently regarding herself as she eyed all the little cracks that littered along her ribcage and blossomed to her neck from her legs. It was harder to find an area that wasn’t completely shattered compared to one that was.

As she turned to eye her back, her SOUL burned at the sight of her spine like it was trying to fix all that it saw. She dug her claws in her chest where her being resided and let the tears fall as her spine creaked with every bit of movement. It was horrid looking like her own magic couldn’t even reach it; blackened and burnt from memories long forgotten and even harder to remember.

She really was a monster, a true monster.

For no one could love something like her.

Her SOUL ached painfully from her chest, letting out a low thrum of magic that enclosed her hand. It flickered oddly between colours.

Her SOUL was filled with KINDNESS.

Crumble closed her eyes, unable to keep looking at herself while her collar let out a warning beep. Her LVL was contained, yet it was her magic that was causing the issue, bubbling to life and waiting for a chance to be used. But every time Crumble thought about it, all she could think about was the burning.

Her SOUL was filled with KINDNESS.

The burning bodies, the burning mansion, the burning of her own skin as her bones formed over the top of her human body.

The burning of her spine.

Her SOUL was filled with KINDNESS.

She was too afraid and too unwilling to keep burning the things around her. She just wanted it all to stop.

Her SOUL was filled with KINDNESS.

Her SOUL was filled with PATIENCE.

A gentle and soothing feeling overtook Crumble’s body, stopping her tears and silencing the dark crevasses of her mind. At once she sunk to the floor, letting the feel of the carpeted ground give her comfort as she ran her claws over its soft surface. She allowed herself a brief moment of calmness, letting the tension loose from her body in the comfort of her room before slowly and carefully, pulling herself up.

She threw her singed singlet over herself and grabbed her worn hoodie to hide away her insecurities. Someday, she’ll be rid of them and that day would be the happiest day of her life, until then she was happy to cover them up.

Crumble threw open her bedroom door with a huff, already feeling the exhaustion from her emotional turmoil weighing her down. She dragged her feet along on the hardwood floor, walking past the many doors that lined the corridor and headed downstairs. There was a sense of trepidation that still lingered along her bones as she neared the kitchen, pausing slightly for the faintest sound of noise. Only when she was sure that no one was inhabiting the space did she shuffle herself in the room.

Her eye lights scanned the cabinets and tabletop, idly thinking of what to eat, she didn’t even know what time it was. Her internal clock was all over the place, all she knew was that she was hungry.

So hungry.

Crumble shook her skull quickly.

She just needed to eat, that was all.

Quickly moving to the cupboard in the corner, Crumble was momentarily shocked at the amount of food that was piled inside. There were rows upon rows of chips, cans and seemingly all the condiments a monster could want. She scanned the pantry for something easy, locking her sights on a small box that read ‘soup in a cup’. The instructions seemed easy enough and if she used up all the packets inside then it’d be enough to sustain her.

She grabbed the box and turned on the kettle, familiarising herself with the kitchen while she waited for the water to boil.

“making something?”

Stretch casually strolled into the kitchen, leaning against one of the kitchen tops as a yawn escaped him. He must’ve been sleeping throughout the day which was unsurprising for such a skeleton like himself.

“Yeah, I was feeling a bit hungry.” Crumble admitted quietly, feeling unusually nervous at such an admission. It still sometimes didn’t feel real that she was here, that she could eat when she wanted and wander around the house without a guard or group of guards for that matter. She turned to stare at the now steaming kettle and began preparing her cups.

“y’know you can get a bowl right?” Stretch didn’t wait for a response, already reaching into one of the drawers and pulling out a bowl for the hybrid. Their shoulders brushed together temporarily, tempting Crumble to lean further into the contact before she disregarded the thought. She was getting too attached to Stretch, but it was hard not to when it was just him for most days.

“Where is everyone?”

She found herself asking, pretending not to notice how the other stiffened and mixed the soup satchels with the bubbling water. Crumble let the silence stretch between the two with no desire to break it.

“Besides.” She muttered, “It’s not like there’s anyone else here to use them.”

She carefully poured the hot water into the multiple cups of soup. Taking note of the way Stretch flinched at her words, suddenly unable to look at her as he stared at the archway of the kitchen. His fingers tapped idly on the bench while Crumble gathered her mugs in her hands, barely even shooting him a look before hurry back up to her room.

She couldn’t explain the sudden disappointment she had from the other, she knew that he knew about the skeleton’s disappearing act. It had gone from a rocky start to an even worse continuing, like they all collectively decided that she wasn’t worth their time anymore.

The only thing she was really holding onto was the promise of her replacement fangs, wondering what they would look like and how they’d attach it to the gaps in her mouth. She noticed how there were differing versions of the metal teeth, all ranging from gold, silver or the realistic colouring that Sparrow had. It all fascinated her, but at this rate she’d never get any answers to her curiosities. All she ever did now was waste away in her room, staring out her bedroom window or simply wandering around the quiet house. There was nothing for her do but wait and it was killing her.

She sighed as she entered her room, placing her cups on her bedside table and arranging them carefully. Crumble sat in the middle of her bed cross-legged with nothing but her own thoughts to keep her company. It was only until she heard the sound of multiple voices did the hybrid finally register that time was indeed still moving.

Her cups of soup were now cold, and she blinked at them slowly, a mournful noise escaping her before chugging the many soups down. The temperature barely phased her, and Crumble would never waste food regardless; anything was better than nothing.

Padded footsteps were heard bounding up the steps before the reveal of possibly the worst person ever arrived at Crumble’s door. She regretted leaving it open.

Cindy waved enthusiastically at the hybrid, her large grin and cheery personality, already worsening Crumble’s mood. She watched the human silently, not saying a word in greeting as Cindy seemingly made herself comfortable by sitting across from her. On her bed.

Cindy was on her bed.

She dug her claws into her leg, grateful that the leg of her hoodie’s sleeve covered her hands to hide what she was doing. Crumble had a sudden nagging feeling that whatever Cindy wanted was going to upset her or worse, be socially engaging.

Her fears were confirmed when the human suddenly threw down what looked to be credit cards on the bed.

“I heard you were lonely, so I’ve organised us a fun shopping trip! I’ve got some friends that work in the facility so they can vouch for us and come along too!” She squealed loudly, clapping her hands together in excitement while Crumble stared in confusion.

“I don’t think-”

“she can’t go.” Stretch leaned on the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest while staring at Cindy.

She sighed dramatically, “C’mon, it’ll only be for a few hours-”

“she. can’t. go.”

He stepped into the room, moving towards the end of the bed where Cindy scowled at him.

“It’s not like she has anything else to do.”

“It’s not like there’s anyone else here to use them.”

“I want to go.”

Crumble blurted out, shrinking in on herself as two pairs of eyes were suddenly on her. Stretch looked pained while Cindy looked ready to fly out the ceiling with her excited bouncing. “Yes, perfect! That’s 2-to-1 so you’re outvoted!”

She pointed at Stretch with a victorious grin on her face, turning around to grab Crumble by her arms and squeezing them in joy. “You’re going to love the shopping centre; we’ll get you new clothes, new shoes and replace that dingy singlet of yours.”

Cindy brushed her hands lightly against the top, her fingernails just grazing the sensitive bones underneath. Either ignorant or unbothered by Crumble’s violent flinch, she turned back to hoodie wearing skeleton, causing him to narrow his sockets in suspicion.

“Then it’s settled, Crumble and I are going out tonight when the shops are less busy and the escorts will be ready to come grab us!”

And just as she had come in, she whisked herself out the room with nothing more than a simple wave and cheery grin as she disappeared down the stairs.

“Escorts?” Crumble asked softly, a horrible mixture of realisation and dread settling in her stomach, “I could’ve had escorts to take me outside? I didn’t have to stay inside all this time?”

“its not as easy as cindys making it seem; its different.”

“You can leave now.”

“crumble…”

“Leave now.”

A tense silence settled between them, only breaking when Stretch let out a dejected sigh, looking to say something before simply shaking his skull and leaving. She watched him go with that same disappointment bubbling up beneath the surface, something shifting in their friendship and Crumble’s overall view of her so-called housemates.

She was beginning to doubt them, beginning to doubt their second chance they had given her and beginning to doubt their intentions of ever letting her have freedom.

If trusting the person, she was most suspicious of was the only way to get out of the house, then she was going to be the best of friends with Cindy.

Anything was better than nothing.

Chapter Text

“Oh, this one brings out your eye lights!”

A glittery green dress was thrusted upon Crumble, almost dropping it before her body could fully react. She sucked in a violent breath, clutching the material tightly between her claws as she snapped up her skull to stare widely into Cindy’s eyes. The human grinned encouragingly at her, gesturing to the dress and pointing at the changing rooms.

“You should see if it fits.”

Robotically, Crumble found herself wordlessly walking towards the dressing rooms, barely recognising the sights and smells that suddenly cascaded over her. She didn’t remember the start, middle or end of the journey that brought her here, staring blankly at the many rows of empty rows. Her feet simply carried her to an empty stall and stood in the middle, fixated by the mirrors that showed ever flaw of her skeletal body.

Almost entranced, she reached for herself, her reflection, her very being. She pressed her claws against the cool glass and felt her chest tighten painfully. Why didn’t she like looking at herself?

“Hybrid, you only 5 minutes of designated alone time; waste it now and we’ll be forced to monitor you closer for the rest of the trip.”

An unknown voice spoke through the closed door.

When did she close it?

Crumble forced her sockets to blink, straining against the gathered dust that limited her movements and expressions. Itching to scratch at her dusty remains, she reached for her socket only to pause when a strange material brushed against her cheek.

It was a dress.

Cindy had given it to her; she was sure of it.

And maybe she needed it back.

That made sense, she was supposed to return it and must’ve forgotten. Crumble nodded to herself in assurance, opening the changing room door only to pause when she was met with the sight of a heavily armoured human standing in front of her. He looked familiar to her or at least that’s what the buzzing at the back of her skull was telling her.

She eyed his attire and the way he shifted uncomfortably under her stare like she was the one acting weird. Maybe she was, Crumble wasn’t really sure anymore and honestly, she couldn’t even tell what she was sure of. It was like a haze had settled over her thoughts, purposely scrambling any sort of coherent thinking and rearranging her worldview.

“Crumble, did you try on the dress?”

Cindy suddenly popped up from the other end of the corridor, remaining unphased as usual as she inserted herself into the situation.

“I thought this was for you?” Crumble mumbled in confusion, gently holding up the garment against the human who laughed.

“No silly, it’s for you! C’mon, we might as well buy it with the others; the stores are closing anyway.”

She reached for Crumble’s hand, uncaring for the jumpy guard.

“Be careful-”

“Please she’s not going to attack, just look at her – a cute little skeleton!”

Cindy waved away his concerns, but Crumble felt something stirring from within her SOUL, like it was calling on her to do something. She barely had time to process her surroundings before being dragged away by the human, mindlessly letting herself get pulled every which direction. Her body felt like it was being controlled by an outer force and that force might’ve just been Cindy.

Her eye lights lazily glanced down at their joined hands and felt another pulse from inside her chest; she had cuffs on. 

She blinked once more, focusing intently on the metal bands that exuded heat across her wrists and up her arms. A recognition of sweat trailing down her neck had Crumble suddenly alerted to the overwhelming intensity of warmth that flooded specific parts of her joints. Awareness was gradually arising as she took note of the way her limbs were sluggish to react to her thoughts, aware of the way her body felt heavy and aware of the way her footsteps were practically dragging across the polished tiled floors.

Her mouth opened to question Cindy when another wave of heat was pumped from the base of her neck and along her collar bone. “Stop.”

She stuttered out weakly, using her vacant hand to dig her claws underneath the cuff and almost throwing up when it caught on the sickly thin needles underneath.

They were drugging her.

She was being drugged.

Another sick wave of warmth washed over her, stumbling slightly on her feet while Cindy kept dragging her around the store.

Did she agree to this?

Did Cindy agree to this for her?

Crumble’s mind was reeling and at a complete loss for what was happening to her. She looked over her shoulder at the numerous guards that were stationed around the shop, all armed and ready for the inevitable, like they were waiting for her to freak out.

But how could she when she’s being pumped full of an unknown substance that skews her very thoughts and being. She could nothing but watch from the backseat of her mind as her physical body was used as nothing more than a mannequin for the whims of Blue’s girlfriend.

She needed to do something.

Her SOUL was filled with BRAVERY.

Her SOUL was filled with PATIENCE.

She needed to wait.

There was nothing she could do, not when her restraints were filling her bones with a strange chemical that kept her docile. She couldn’t even feel the pull of her own magic even if she wanted to, it was like she was a kid and that very thought terrified her. Kids were helpless, kids were vulnerable, and kids were easy targets for those that wanted to hurt people. And they were plenty of people that wanted to hurt Crumble, she wouldn’t be surprised if one of those people were the very guards that were tasked on watching her for the shopping trip.

A sudden ping from Cindy’s pocket had the human pausing, reaching for her phone and temporarily letting go of Crumble’s arm. She watched wearily as Cindy’s face morphed from cheerful to disappointment, evidently reading something from the device that upset her.

“Good timing then,” She muttered, “Looks like you have a check-up with Missy today – strange though...”

The human didn’t finish her thought.

“Well, let’s head home then!”

Crumble was dragged out of the store, her consciousness but a candle that flickered in and out of reality with every passing moment.

Her SOUL was filled with PATIENCE.

What was she waiting for?

Where was she going?

And why did she feel so sick?

A wave of nausea rocked violently against Crumble’s already frail body, her hands shaking uncontrollably as a loud ringing noise echoed inside her skull. It felt like she was going to combust or simply dust right on the spot while her SOUL kept painfully thudding inside her ribcage.

She could vaguely hear voices and the sounds of yelling in the distance, making out Cindy’s voice and oddly Dr. Missy’s voice as well. Crumble hadn’t seen the doctor in many days, almost forgetting about her with how inconsistence her visits had been.

Maybe she was here for the dress or with the guards to watch over her in the shops, but that didn’t sound right.

The dress was for Cindy not the doctor.

Her SOUL was filled with PATIENCE.

And the polished tiles underneath her didn’t look so clean as before, in fact they looked more carpeted than anything else. Crumble couldn’t see the guards either, just very tall and blurry figures that danced across the edges of her vision. Even squinting was providing to be fruitless against the painful ringing in her skull. She could barely focus, poorly coordinating her body and mind to work together before something soft and plush was wrapped around her overheating frame.

Crumble tried to open her mouth to speak but she might as well have done nothing at all. Everything was too hard.

The last thing she remembered before closing her sockets was the cold skeletal hands of another as they gently wrapped themselves around her wrists.

Her wrists with no cuffs.