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Chapter Text

One afternoon in Waterfall, a solemn funeral was being held. A small, dinky wooden raft was sailing down a river, containing a cowboy hat, an empty revolver and a pair of safety goggles. Truth be told, these items all belonged to a human. The alleged sworn enemy of Monsterkind. Yet, this human was clearly being mourned. This human had made such an impact on the people of the Underground that they were now a fond memory of many monsters. Their name was a simple one to remember – Clover.

However, this story isn’t about Clover. It’s about their friends.

Four monsters watched this effigy play out. Starlo (or North Star if you aren’t formally acquainted to him), the sheriff of the Wild East and leader of the Feisty Five. Ceroba, wife of the renowned engineer, Chujin, and Starlo’s childhood best friend. Martlet, a clumsy member of the Underground’s Royal Guard who also had a heart of gold. Finally, there was Dalv, an introverted vampire who shut themselves away in the Ruins, only brought himself out thanks to Clover.

Dalv was the odd one out in this situation. Although Clover had impacted all these people’s lives drastically, Dalv had never met the other three in their life. Mostly due to his reclusive nature and being shut away for so long, they rarely saw anyone else. While he anticipated Clover would end up in the court of ASGORE, Dalv didn’t expect the loss of his first true friend to happen so soon. Ceroba invited Dalv along so they could say goodbye to their friend one last time.

The four watched the raft drift away in silence. Dalv couldn’t take his eyes off it. He couldn’t believe his first real friend was gone. The one who offered an act of goodwill even after they were attacked, the one who he shared his birthday sponge cake with, the one who encouraged him to get out of the Ruins and return to Snowdin. Gone, just like that. Dalv felt a deep sorrow digging into his heart. He wasn’t ready to say goodbye just yet.

Tears started to pool in Dalv’s eyes before flowing down their face. He sniffled quietly, wiping a tear away with his finger. His breathing became shaky, and if he didn’t try to keep himself composed in that moment, he would have burst out sobbing on the spot. However, he just kept quietly crying to himself, his vision becoming cloudy with tears. Martlet noticed that Dalv was upset – she kept looking at the raft, but he could hear Dalv breaking down. She placed a wing on his shoulder and whispered to him, “We miss them too.” Dalv silently nodded, drying his eyes with his cloak. They all looked up again just in time to see the raft disappear out of view.

“So long, partner.” Starlo said quietly, his voice starting to break. He pulled his hat over his eyes to shield the fact that, he too, was tearing up. After the raft drifted out of sight, Dalv fluffed his cloak and turned to address the other three monsters in front of him.

“Thank you for inviting me here. I… should probably be going now.” he declared before turning to walk away. However, before he could get too far, Ceroba called out, “Dalv, wait.” Dalv looked over his shoulder at Ceroba expectantly.
“I was going to invite Martlet and Starlo back to my house for tea, and I was wondering if you’d like to tag along.” Ceroba offered.
“You… you really mean it?” Dalv asked, hopeful yet cautious.
“Of course. We can fit another person around the table.” Ceroba smiled. She then swiftly mentioned, “Oh, my house is in The Dunes. Is that alright for you? I’ve heard vampires are quite sensitive to the sun.”

Ceroba was correct. In the few days where Snowdin was bright, Dalv had burned up pretty badly. However, to not worry Ceroba, Dalv responded, “I’ll be fine. My cloak should provide some protection.”
Ceroba nodded, and she started leading the way to go back to her house. Martlet beckoned Dalv forward, who speedwalked up to her and found himself nestled between her and Starlo.
“It’ll be nice to have a new fella joinin’ us, won’t it, Feathers?” Starlo mentioned to Martlet, who responded with a grin, “Yeah! I love making new friends!”
That last word resonated within Dalv. Friends. Did Martlet already consider Dalv to be her friend? They had only known each other for a few minutes. Excitement started to build in Dalv’s mind, but he also gathered that he’d have to get to know them before they could truly be ‘friends’. Still, Dalv remained hopeful, and a small smile started to form on his face.

Chapter Text

Thanks to a few shortcuts, the four were able to get to the Dunes in an ample time. As the four stepped onto the sand, Dalv realised he might be in a bit of trouble. You see, even though there was no true sunlight in the Underground, artificial sunlight was present thanks to a large swelterstone discovered in the local mines to give the Dunes that true desert feel. Aesthetically, it was perfect. However, for a vampire such as Dalv, it was a bit too bright and toasty for them. Despite the fact that he had pulled his hood over his head and the cloak trailed to the ground, he started to feel the rays persist through and begin to burn. However, before the damage would be too much, a sudden shade was thrown over Dalv, and the searing pain instantly stopped.

“Woah, partner, wouldn’t want you burning up on our first meeting!” Starlo joked. He had taken off his poncho and was holding it aloft over Dalv, to act as a makeshift sunshade. “We’re almost at Ceroba’s. You’ll be out of this sunlight soon enough.”
“Thank you.” Dalv whispered, barely audible. He glanced over at Starlo, who kept his tall posture and walking forward with a confident smile. He certainly seems like a sheriff, Dalv thought. Selfless and vigilant, while still maintaining an air of reliance and authority. The townsfolk must adore him.

Upon entering Ceroba’s house, Dalv took down his hood and took in this new environment. The entrance gave a good impression of what Ceroba lived like. The house was incredibly tidy, with every piece of furniture and décor placed with the utmost care, and not a single speck of dust could be seen. The place was beautifully decorated, even the doors having intricate designs of clouds and cherry blossoms on each door. It was a far cry from what Dalv was used to. Ceroba led the guests to her dining room, which was also immaculately decorated. Martlet was the first to grab a seat at the dining table, patting the empty spot next to her, gesturing for Dalv to have a seat next to her. As Dalv took his seat, his cloak draped down his back and flowed to the floor. The wooden seats were polished to the point of being incredibly comfy without any cushions.

“I’ll go and prepare the tea.” Ceroba announced. “You three can get to know each other.”
As Ceroba left to head to her kitchen, Starlo sat in the seat across from Dalv, sighing as he lowered himself onto the seat. Dalv wanted to start the conversation, but his socially awkward self couldn’t think of anything to say. He kept his head down, tapping his fingers together as he searched his mind for conversation topics. However, before he could say anything, Martlet swooped in and started the conversation for him.

“So, Dalv, how come we’ve never seen you around before?” Martlet asked, her arms folded on the table and smiling at Dalv.
“Oh, well, um, I’ve been living in the Ruins for a while now.” Dalv explained, slightly caught off guard. “About a year, I think. Well, that was until Clover came along. They helped encourage me to move back to Snowdin.”
“No way! I live in Snowdin too!” Martlet exclaimed excitedly. “Maybe I could come over and visit sometime!”
“Oh, that… that would be nice, actually.” Dalv replied. “I’ve found this old cabin, and I’ve decided to move there. Needs a bit of work, but it’ll be worth it once it’s finished.”
“Oh, that one south of the Honeydew Resort? Yeah, I know what you mean.” Martlet nodded. “Well, if you ever need some help patching it up, then let me know. I’m a DIY expert!” Martlet paused for a second, before admitting, “Well, not an expert, but I know my way around a piece of plywood.”

“Well, thank you. I’ll bear that in mind.” Dalv responded. At this point, Ceroba returned from the kitchen holding a wooden tray with four teacups on it as well as a sizeable teapot. She placed the tray at the end of the table closest to the fireplace and started handing out the tea to everyone.
“Here you go. Careful, it’s hot.” Ceroba warned before taking a seat next to Starlo. In either an act of rebellion or stupidity, Starlo took a sip of the drink as soon as he got his cup, before spluttering a little and swiftly placing his cup back down.
“I’d take her word for it, fellas.” Starlo croaked, his throat burnt. Ceroba sighed and rolled her eyes at him, as if to say, ‘I told you so.’

Dalv took note of this and let his cup rest. He stared at the orange-brown liquid that lay before him, entranced by the clouds of steam rising out of it, forming strange flowing shapes that disappeared and changed in the blink of an eye. They couldn’t help but also notice the design of the teacup. It was a cherry blossom tree, with its petals floating away in the wind. It was as if a watercolour painting had been stuck onto a ceramic teacup. As an artist himself, Dalv was fascinated.

“I-I like how you’ve decorated your house.” Dalv stammered. He still hadn’t shaken these nerves of meeting new people.
“Oh, thank you, Dalv.” Ceroba replied. “I do try to make this place as presentable as it can be.”
“I like how you have art in nearly every corner of this place.” Dalv continued, with aims to talk about their own hobby of art. “I… like art. I mean, I like making art. I mean, erm- “
“Oh, you’re an artist? That’s so cool!” Martlet said, sparing Dalv from more embarrassment.

“Yes, I was getting round to that. Although, it’s more a hobby than anything.” Dalv explained, gathering his thoughts. “I took up drawing as a hobby when I was in the ruins. You, know, it’s been a dream of mine to write and illustrate children’s books. I try and make my drawings as colourful as I can. I don’t think many of the colours are accurate – I mean, I’ve not seen many animals before, so I just guess. I’m sure the kids would be fine with that, right? I mean, it makes it more interesting, and eye-catching, and- “

Dalv quickly stopped himself from talking any more. The second he talked about his interests, he began rambling.
“You good there, partner?” Starlo asked.
“I-I’m sorry, I’ve started rambling… I do that a lot… ugh, this is not going how I wanted…” Dalv moped, looking down and tucking his arms in towards his body.
“Hey, don’t worry about it.” Starlo reassured, reaching his hand out across the table. “We all get carried away sometimes. Sometimes, I’ll go on and on and on about humans, and Ceroba’ll just sit and listen.”
“Yep. I’ve been subjected to many of them.” Ceroba confirmed, nodding wearily and giving Starlo a slight side-eye.
“See? Don’t worry about going on your little rambles, Dalv. There’s always someone you can subject to listening to you.” Starlo comforted.

Dalv gave Starlo a little smile as a silent way of giving thanks. He noticed that the tea was no longer steaming. The teacup was still hot to touch, but the tea was now cool enough to drink. He gingerly picked up the teacup and brought it to his lips to take a small sip. The herbal liquid had a light taste to it, and, considering Dalv’s tastes were accustomed to just corn, the drink was quite pleasant.

“Not bad.” Dalv mused, taking another sip.
“Have you never tried tea before?” Ceroba asked, picking up her cup now that it was signalled it was safe for drinking.
“No. My diet for the last year has been nothing but corn.” Dalv responded.
“Heh, tell me about it.” Starlo chuckled.
“No, seriously. I’ve grown a large patch of corn in the Ruins and that’s become my primary source of sustenance. It's basically all I eat. I know it sounds concerning, but I've been doing moderately okay.” Dalv mentioned.
“Well, he’s lived on a corn farm for all his life. He’s practically got an endless supply of the stuff.” Ceroba retorted, gesturing to Starlo with her cup.
“You… live on a corn farm?” Dalv asked in amazement.
“Yeah. Humble little place. I’ve grown up being surrounded by it. It might as well be the only thing I eat, I have it basically every day.” Starlo answered, making a small joke.
Dalv almost asked Starlo to be his best friend on the spot, but he refrained and opted for a whispered, “Woah.”

The four continued to converse throughout the day. Even after they had finished their cups of tea, Ceroba brought out the teapot to quickly refill them. Dalv began to get to know the others better, learning their hobbies, jobs, aspirations, best jokes. By the end, it was like they had been friends for ages. As the sun set on the Dunes (well, imitation of sunset, a cover just went on the swelterstone), it was agreed that it was time to go home. As Dalv set out onto the darkening Underground, he didn’t feel his skin burn, not even a little bit. Martlet decided to accompany Dalv back to Snowdin, just to make sure he got home safe. As the two waved goodbye to Ceroba and Starlo. A warm, fuzzy feeling started to rise in Dalv’s heart. Somehow, in the span of a few moments, his circle of real friends had tripled.

Chapter Text

A few days after their initial meet-up, Dalv found himself trekking across Snowdin to go to Martlet’s house. While the two were walking back home, Martlet decided to give Dalv her address since he didn’t have a phone to contact her with. Donning his thick woolly coat, Dalv set off across Snowdin to find this house. Dalv wasn’t great at regulating their body temperature, so the thick woolly lining of his coat helped keep him toasty across the frigid forests. Still, Dalv preferred the cold over the heat. At least they weren’t burning up. Eventually, Dalv came across a glow of a cabin through some trees – Martlet’s house. He strolled up to the door, took a deep breath and knocked on the door with the back of his knuckle. After waiting a few seconds, the door opened by Martlet, releasing a blast of heat from the inside.

“Oh! Dalv!” Martlet exclaimed, beaming. “Good to see you! What’s up?”
“Hey, Martlet. Um… I need a bit of help with my house.” Dalv explained. “You see, I was just making a partition wall so I could make my bedroom, but I must have been a bit violent with the hammer, and… part of the roof caved in.”

“Oh gosh!” Martlet gasped. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. It wasn’t close to me. I just need some help patching it up.” Dalv suggested.
“Yeah, I’ll help! Let me grab my tools.” Martlet declared, running to a cabinet in the back of her house. A few moments later, Martlet reemerged with a tool bag slung over her shoulder.
“Right, let’s roll!” Martlet exclaimed gleefully. The two set off across the tundra, the snow crunching underneath their feet and leaving two trails of footprints behind them. A cold breeze blew through the trees, and Dalv pulled his coat a little tighter. Martlet, however, was just fine, walking forward with a stride in her step.

“Are you not cold?” Dalv asked, his hands shivering.
“A little.” Martlet shrugged. “My feathers do help keep me warm, though. It’s useful when you’re in a snowy environment.”
“Lucky.” Dalv replied.
“Oh yeah, you’re not exactly feathered…” Martlet said with realisation. “Well, at least you have that coat!”
“Yeah… My hands and legs are still cold, though. The temperature imbalance is a bit distracting.” Dalv admitted.
“I guess. You do look adorable in that coat, though.” Martlet mentioned. Dalv smiled at this remark. He couldn’t recall being called adorable before.

The two trudged further through Snowdin before coming to a halt at Dalv’s house. In the time Dalv had decided to move to this house to now, he had been able to make it look presentable from the outside. While the inside was bare and unfinished, the outside would look completely put together to any regular passer-by.

“I don’t see the issue.” Martlet remarked.
“That’s because I haven’t taken you inside.” Dalv mentioned as he opened the door. Inside the cabin there was nothing, except a few wooden planks, a ladder, and a gaping hole in the back left corner of the ceiling.
“Ah. Now I see the issue.” Martlet said, before taking off from the ground to fly up to check the damage, opting not to use the ladder. “Did you use the original planks of this place?”
“I salvaged what I could.” Dalv answered, shrugging. “I only reused a small bit for the ceiling. I thought they’d be okay. Clearly, I was wrong.”
Gripping a stable part of the ceiling with her talons and right wing, Martlet poked at one of the remains of wood, only for it to immediately break and join its fallen siblings on the floor, hitting the ground with a clatter. Martlet called, “Yeah, these ones are definitely rotted. If we replace just these two, we should be able to fix this up lickedy-split.”

Martlet started to work on taking out the rotting wood. It was a fairly easy task, with the planks that were rotting crumbling away, and the sturdy planks staying strong against Martlet’s wing. Any rotten chunks that came loose were tossed onto a pile below where Martlet was perched. Eventually, Martlet had cleared away every last bit of rotting wood and it had fallen into a small heap. All that was left in the ceiling were two perfectly wooden plank-shaped holes.

“Perfect! I’ll have to move outside so I can reattach the wood. You bring two planks with you, I’ll pick them up once we’re both out.” Martlet ordered. Dalv nodded, picking up two long planks of wood and dragging them outside. Meanwhile, Martlet scampered across the support beams and swung herself around to hoist herself onto the roof. Once securely up, she looked over the edge to see Dalv stood a few feet below her, looking up expectantly.

“I’ll toss these up for you.” Dalv called, readying a plank in his hand.
“Do you think you could come up here? It might make it easier.” Martlet asked, dangling her talons over the edge.
“No, the ladder’s inside right now and I don’t feel like going back to get it. It’ll just make things more time-consuming.” Dalv refused, lowering his hand.
“Well, can you not just fly up here? Can’t you transform into a bat or something?” Martlet pressed further. Dalv looked around, confused, before raising an eyebrow and responding, “…No? I’ve never transformed into a bat in my life? Where did you get that information from?”
“I don’t know, I just heard it somewhere-” Martlet tried to explain, before stopping and declaring, “You know what, let’s drop it. Just toss it up here.”

Dalv shrugged, dropping the subject, before throwing the plank of wood up to Martlet, who caught it first try with her wing.
“The second one’s ready when you need it. Be careful not to hit yourself when you’re hammering up there!” Dalv shouted.
“Yeah, yeah.” Martlet chuckled, before drowning out any further speech by hammering the nails into the wood.
A lot of hammering and a few bruises later, the roof had been fully fixed, keeping the cold out for good. Martlet fluttered back down and ran back inside, feeling sure in her craftwork.

“Looks good, huh?” Martlet smirked smugly, dusting her wings together.
“Thank you so much for this, Martlet. You’ve done a stellar job.” Dalv thanked, smiling slightly. “What about this rotten wood?”
“Oh, I’ll take that. Starlo could use it, his farm has a massive compost heap.” Martlet suggested. Dalv nodded, bundling the pile of wood in a piece of discarded tarpaulin. Martlet took the tarp and slung it over her shoulder, heading for the door. Before leaving, she called out, “See you around, Dalv! If that part ends up giving out, I’ll fix that for you too!”

Dalv chuckled and waved goodbye from where he was stood. After Martlet gently closed the door, he was left in silent solitude yet again. He looked around the place – light was seeping through the four glass windows, and a lone lightbulb dangled above Dalv’s head. Everything had been sorted – well, almost. The plumbing still needed to be put in, and the electrics weren’t installed in his bedroom, but, even with it coming from nothing and having a few hiccups along the way, the process was almost finished. Dalv sighed contentedly. It was finally time for him to leave the Ruins.

Chapter Text

Over the next few days, Dalv started moving his furniture out of his old house in the Ruins into his new house in Snowdin. It was oddly nostalgic looking through his relics of the past. The painting of the corn cob, the broom, the desk he did all his drawings on. One by one, they slowly left to a new location. By the last day, the only thing that was left was his bed.

Dalv didn’t sleep in a coffin like you would expect – there were no padded coffins on the market since there was no point in providing comfort to someone who’s dead. Also, monsters turn to dust when they die, so you wouldn’t need to make coffins in the first place. Instead, Dalv opted for a comfy bed with a soft mattress and enough space to toss and turn. He was able to fit it through the door and pull it out across the corridor, despite it being quite heavy. However, just before Dalv dragged the bed through the door to Snowdin, he could hear a knock at his front door. Curious, he strolled over to the front door to see who would be wanting to see him, only to reveal Penilla once he opened the door.

“Hello, Dalv.” Penilla greeted. “Is it true that you’re moving out?”
“Yes, I’m afraid.” Dalv confirmed with a solemn nod.
“Oh… the Ruins will be so different once you’re gone.” Penilla sighed.
“I’m sorry. Staying in the Ruins has been nice, but… truth is, I’m not scared anymore. I’ve been in hiding for a long time, and I’ve finally been encouraged to show my face again. This has nothing to do with you guys, I just need to come out of my shell.” Dalv explained.
“Will you still come and visit?” Penilla asked, looking up to Dalv with hopeful eyes.
“Of course..” Dalv responded with a smile. “In fact, you could come to my house in Snowdin. You could come round and give me more drawing tips. I’m always open to constructive criticism. From you, at least.”

“Well, before you go…” Penilla said, before presenting a small blue box, tied up with a white ribbon. As Penilla handed the box to Dalv, she mentioned, “I didn’t know if you leaving was true or not, but I got you a parting gift if it was true.”
Dalv, surprised by this gesture, gently took the box off Penilla. Penilla clasped her hands together sadly and uttered quietly, “Goodbye, Dalv.”

“Bye, Penilla. Thanks for everything.” Dalv responded fondly, before shutting the door as Penilla plodded away. Dalv’s hand lingered on the door handle for a few seconds as he looked over his shoulder to see the now desolate house. To think that he was leaving the place he had been holed up in for so long made them feel elated, upset and nervous all at the same time. His hands were shaking lightly, still keeping a grip on the present box. Dalv’s breath wavered as he came to terms with his departure. With a heavy heart, Dalv lifted his hand away from the door handle, took in one last look at his old life, and started heading for the exit.

Once back at his cabin, Dalv revelled in its final completion. Everything was in the exact position he planned it to be in, the place was heated (which helped to soothe the cold of the outdoors), and Martlet even convinced him to buy a TV. With everything finally in place, Dalv could finally relax. As he sat at his desk, he finally opened the present from Penilla, taking care when removing the ribbon to keep it intact. He lifted the lid off the box to exhibit a silver fountain pen and a complimentary pot of ink. Dalv picked it up slowly – it was heavier than he expected – and stared at it for a while, marvelling in its beauty. With the pen in his grasp, Dalv suddenly felt inclined to write something. He swiped a blank sheet of paper from the pile in the corner of the desk. This was the type of pen that fancy people would write letters with, so, with that image in their brain, Dalv, with his curved and loopy handwriting, wrote his prose in the style of a letter.

Chapter Text

Dear whomever is reading this letter,

I cannot stress enough how fast change can occur. Take me, for example. A few weeks ago, I was living out my days in a dinky house secluded from everyone in a place that was on the verge of falling to pieces. Now, I am officially living in Snowdin in a cozy cabin, and I now have three whole friends. I’m aware it doesn’t sound like many, but it’s more than I had prior.

A lot lies ahead of me. A lot that I’ll probably never be able to predict. With how fast my life has turned upside-down, I suppose I’ll have to get used to expecting the unexpected. It’s scary, yet exciting. I’m scared that something bad will happen, yet hopeful that something good will happen. It’s an odd balance.

It’s been so long since I left Snowdin. I wonder if I’ll recognise anyone. I wonder if people have changed in my absence or stayed the same. Oh gosh, what if someone I knew recognises me? What if someone I didn’t know recognises me? OK, these thoughts are getting out of hand. I should probably stop.

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t anxious. I’m sure that if I go out, there’ll always be that looming anxiety that something like… that day will happen again. But, at least I have my friends. Martlet said to me that she’ll accompany me on outings in Snowdin until I get used to socialising again, and I’m sure Starlo and Ceroba would do the same. All I know for sure is that an uncertain path lies ahead of me. I suppose I’ll just have to see how it goes.

Yours truly,

Dalv Relapmi

Chapter Text

After a few days of being an official Snowdin resident, Martlet invited Dalv out for coffee at the Honeydew Resort. Dalv hadn’t really left his house since he moved in, so this was a nice opportunity for him to get out there and rediscover Snowdin. Despite him living there prior, he had forgotten quite a bit of what Snowdin was like. A vague déjà vu feeling followed him around, but he couldn’t exactly pin down what he was feeling nostalgic about. They hoped that this would be able to help him jog his memory.

The Honeydew Resort was one of the few places familiar to Dalv. He could remember going there every so often, ordering a coffee and listening to the band that frequented there. He could also remember the server being especially hospitable, if not a little socially awkward. Like him, in a way. The two barely interacted despite the transaction of coffee and gold, but Dalv always wondered what was going on in her life. Was there a reason she was inept at socialising? Did she like the band’s music, or was she getting tired of it after so long? What’s the recipe for the Honeydew Pancake? All questions that stuck in Dalv’s mind, but that were left unanswered due to his sudden departure. Even when he was in the Ruins, Dalv still had these thoughts in the back of his mind.

After trekking through the snow again, the two made it to the entrance of the resort. Instantly, Dalv was flooded with memories of his past – the good ones. The warmth in the air from the hot springs, the smell of sweet honey that swirled around the resort, the delicate crunch of the snow-covered paths. Dalv couldn’t help but smile. He felt like his former self, before the tragedy, before he was shut up in the Ruins. Nostalgia never felt better. Overcome with joy, Dalv suddenly turned excited, leading Martlet into the central cabin with a spring in his step. Once inside, Dalv took in the coziness once again. Warmth radiated from the central space heater. While there was nobody performing on this day, speakers continued to play jolly music. Even the tablecloths adorned with honeycomb patterns made Dalv feel elated. He was back.

Once Dalv and Martlet found a place to sit, he offered, “You get comfy. I’ll go order our drinks.” Martlet nodded as Dalv headed to the counter. To his surprise, the same server he knew was on serving for the day. She wasn’t looking up, instead focusing on cleaning one of the many mugs the resort owned. Dalv rested his hand on the counter, and greeted, “Hello.” The server glanced up quickly, before fully staring at Dalv, almost dropping the mug she was cleaning in shock.

“…It’s you.” she mouthed, words taken out of her mouth.
“Apologies for me being absent for so long. It’s… it’s a long story.” Dalv said.
“I-I don’t mind listening.” she stuttered, leaning closer with a nervous smile.
Dalv glanced back at Martlet, who was watching Dalv order from her seat. He didn’t want to keep her waiting for too long. Dalv turned back and mentioned, “Uh… maybe another time. For now, can I have two Honeydew Coffees, please?”
“Oh! So sorry, I got carried away, haha…” she replied, looking embarrassed. She quickly made two coffees and handed them over to Dalv.
“Thank you.” Dalv thanked before returning to Martlet. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the server bury her head in her arms. Dalv placed the two mugs on the table, clinking them together as he did so, before taking his seat across from Martlet.

“Feels good to be back, hm?” Martlet mentioned, warming her wings up by holding the coffee.
“It’s like I never left.” Dalv remarked in wonder. “Everything feels so familiar. I’m glad to see that this place hasn’t changed much.”
“Just out of curiosity, why did you leave Snowdin in the first place?” Martlet asked.
A pang of fear struck across Dalv. She didn’t know what had happened. She would surely know about the Snowdin Incident, but hardly anybody knew about the monster who was injured. Dalv knew that he would have to tell them eventually. Just not right now.
“Um… sorry, but it’s a bit of a touchy subject. I’ll tell you at some point.” Dalv answered, facing downwards. That was two people he had promised to explain everything to now.

“Oh, OK. Fair enough.” Martlet said. She quickly decided to change the subject, looking around the space for ideas and eventually settling on the empty stage. She noted, “Looks like the band isn’t playing today.”
“Yeah. That was one of the main reasons I would come here, to see the band.” Dalv reminisced. “You know, if the band was here, I doubt you’d hear a word out of me the entire time we’d be here, ha. I always found their music so… mesmerizing. I’d just get sucked into it every time they played.”
“Yeah, I’ve seen them a few times. They’re pretty neat. Always make this place feel even more cozy than it already was, y’know?” Martlet remarked.
“I can remember when I watched them on my birthday. I got an autograph from the pianist. That was a good day.” Dalv added.

“Aw, cool!” Martlet said in amazement. She then swiftly remembered something, before asking, “Oh, by the way, when is your birthday?”
“Oh, it was two weeks ago, actually. Well, roughly.” Dalv answered. Martlet frowned, “Aw, man! If only we met before then, I would have thrown the best birthday party for you!”
“To be honest, I’ve never really had a birthday party. Normally, it’s just me, Pops, and my homemade sponge cake.” Dalv mentioned. “Still… it does sound nice to have one.”
“Hm, well, I’m a master at planning parties, so if you ever need a hand, you know who to call.” Martlet boasted, winking and tapping the side of her beak with her wing.

The two wiled away the afternoon in that café, talking about whatever topics floated across their mind. Dalv’s mind sparked with joy as he found himself truly connecting with Martlet. She was patient with Dalv, allowing them to speak what they’d kept bottled up for over a year, and she told some interesting anecdotes of her days as a Royal Guard. Dalv didn’t have many stories from being cooped up in the Ruins, so it was refreshing to hear new things from this new person. Someday, he hoped, he would also have enough of his own stories to share.

Late into the afternoon, Dalv was back in his cabin. Alone. Now with nobody to socialise, his thoughts ran free, and it dawned on Dalv that this was the first time since he moved that he had thought about the human. Not Clover; the human. The human who attacked them. He expected for them to be some reminders of his past, but he didn’t expect for them to occur so soon. Dalv quickly brushed it off. This was his new start; he wasn’t going to let this event of the past bog him down. They would go to bed and have a pleasant dream that night. He hoped.

Chapter Text

Dalv was very particular about his nightly routine. This was something he had perfected over many years to ensure he was well-rested for whatever gets thrown at him the next day. An hour before he went to bed, he would stop all work he was doing and spend it relaxing. Normally, he read a few chapters of a book, but with his new TV, Dalv often found himself watching a few human movies about cowboys that were borrowed from Starlo. After the hour was up and he was fully relaxed, Dalv would choose pyjamas that were fit for the weather outside. Considering the cold conditions of Snowdin, this meant that they were often cozy and fuzzy. Dalv also took extra care brushing his teeth – if your teeth were exposed, you’d want to make sure that your whites were indeed pearly. Granted, he couldn’t see his reflection, so he just took his time cleaning them and hoped for the best. Eventually, after this nightly ritual was complete, Dalv could finally get some rest.

Even after he was in bed, Dalv couldn’t sleep unless specific conditions were met. There had to be complete darkness and silence. The only thing Dalv wanted to hear were their own thoughts. On top of this, Dalv had to be holding onto something to fall asleep. Whether it be a plushie, a blanket or the corner of the duvet, something had to be in Dalv’s hands in order for him to drift off. As pedantic as it may sound, this was what worked best for Dalv. He did still have nights where his mind wouldn’t shut off, mostly due to inspiration or other unpleasant thoughts, but this guaranteed that he would wake up feeling at least somewhat refreshed.

That very night, Dalv had a dream. Like most people, the dream was already forgotten by the time Dalv woke up, but they could remember two things about it. One, it unsettled him. Deeply. In a way he hadn’t felt in a long time. Second, by the end of the dream, many things were starting to turn blue. The ground, the trees, all turning into a harsh, bright shade of blue until Dalv was left stood in a blue void. He looked around… blue. All blue. Before he woke, Dalv could remember hearing a young girl’s voice. He couldn’t hear what was said, but it sounded distressed and scared. All of a sudden, a crashing noise yanked Dalv from his dream back to reality.

Dalv didn’t sit bolt upright like most do when woken from a nightmare. Instead, his eyes just flicked open and he gasped quietly. He couldn’t tell if the crashing noise was in his dream or in real life. Still shaken, Dalv decided to get up and investigate. His hands were trembling as he got out of bed, leaning on the bedside table to steer him back up. Dalv had experienced his fair share of uneasy dreams, but this one stood out. Even without seeing them, Dalv knew who this dream was about. Was this them haunting him for daring to return? He didn’t appreciate the psychological warfare that was being waged upon him. Approaching the bedroom door, Dalv opened it with apprehension.

Despite the meticulous planning, nothing could have prepared Dalv for what he saw.

In the middle of the kitchen, a single plate lay smashed into tiny pieces. Made sense. That must have been what made the noise. However, standing above the plate, Dalv could make out a human. A human dressed in a pink tutu, ballet shoes and performing ballet forms with their back turned to Dalv. Dalv’s breathing became shaky as his eyes widened at his attacker reciting dance moves in his house. He tugged at the collar of his pyjamas, able to feel his heart pounding in fear. His throat dry, Dalv stuttered in a quiet and horrified voice, “What are you doing here…?”

The human, still dancing, did a pirouette, spinning gracefully on one foot before stopping in front of Dalv, their head bowed low. Slowly, they brought their face up to look at Dalv. However, instead of a regular eyes, nose and mouth, all that laid on the human’s face was a large patch of static. Utterly terror-struck, Dalv slammed the door, hyperventilating and keeping a firm grip on the door handle. How could this be? Why did they all of a sudden decide to haunt him now? He couldn’t blink. Blinking meant that he would see them again. That face. That lack of face. That static, searing into his mind.

After five minutes of panicking, Dalv finally mustered up the courage to check it out again. This time, he decided to have a bit of preparation on his side. While out exploring Snowdin, Dalv discovered a discarded lantern left in a pile of snow. It still had a wax candle inside, but Dalv decided to use it as some decoration. However, in his time of anxiety, he used his lighting abilities to spark the candle back on fire. Even before he opened the door, Dalv had a lightning attack on standby, thunderbolts crackling across his fingers, in case they needed to attack again. Petrified, he opened the door once again.

At a first glance, there was no human. The place where they were stood was empty. Dalv still wasn’t calmed down by this, so he searched every inch of the front room. Holding the lantern aloft, they looked out the windows, looking under tables and sofas, even in the kitchen cabinets. The human was quite small, they could probably fit in there if they tried. Accepting that the human was gone, Dalv mentally marked the room as clear before making his way back to his bedroom. He blew out the candlelight, placed the lantern back on its hook, and clambered back into bed. He held tight onto a purple teddy bear, but he knew that he would have trouble falling back asleep. Alone with his thoughts again, Dalv remembered something from when he was searching. Something that harrowed him even more than he expected.

There never even was a broken plate.

Chapter Text

The second time Dalv set foot on the sandy ground of the Dunes, he was on his own. He was still shaken up from the events of the night before, but he had already arranged to meet with Starlo, and he could still muster up the courage to go there. Dalv took extra precautions to make sure he wouldn’t start burning up, such as bringing a sizeable parasol to act as shade. Despite the artificial swelterstone sunlight persisting, Dalv remained uncharred. Despite still feeling anxious from his dream, Dalv found he had an air of confidence stepping into the Wild East.

The Wild East was much more a quaint town than Dalv imagined. From the stories he heard, he imagined a paradise for trouble, with bandits around every corner. Instead, the place was a bit desolate. A few buildings were dotted about, but there was mostly sand. Lots of sand. Quite a lot of it spilling into Dalv’s shoes. It was uncomfortable, but he persisted. There were a few residents, ranging from monsters to friendly tumbleweeds who waved hello as they rolled past Dalv. He headed straight forward – Starlo had arranged to meet in the saloon, located at the back centre of the town.

Passing through a pair of shutters, Dalv could spot Starlo at the back of the saloon, drumming his fingers on the countertop as he waited with his head down. However, as soon as he saw Dalv darkening the doorway (metaphorically, since Dalv technically didn’t have a shadow), he perked up and waved, gesturing Dalv to come to him.

“Dalv!” he called. “Good to see you, partner!” Dalv folded his parasol down and wandered over to Starlo. He looked like he normally did, except his sheriff’s badge looked shinier than normal. He must have polished it beforehand.
“We won’t be here for long. I just wanted to meet you here since it’s front and centre in the town, y’know? We’ll be heading back out in a bit.” Starlo explained before finishing off his drink. Dalv stayed silent, but wondered what was the point of him taking down his parasol if he was just going to go back outside. Regardless, they suppressed the thought and followed Starlo back outside and re-opened his umbrella, casting shade upon him once again.

“Nice umbrella.” Starlo complimented once the two were outside. Dalv did make sure to pick up a nice-looking parasol that complimented his style. It was mostly black with a purple stripe running across it. Each section of the parasol had a small hole in it, holding up string that had glass pendants threaded onto it. The bright light of the artificial sun caused the light to refract, leaving small rainbows wherever Dalv went.
“Oh, thank you. I just thought with two of my friends living in the Dunes, I ought to have something to protect myself, just so I don’t, y’know… burn to a crisp.” Dalv explained humbly. He then joked, “Plus, saves you from protecting me out here, haha.”
Starlo chuckled at this small remark. Despite their initial meeting just being over a week ago, it felt like a fond memory from years past.

“Oh, Dalv, before I forget, try and refer to me as North Star out here.” Starlo mentioned.
“You get a sheriff codename?” Dalv asked, eyes wide with amazement.
“Yeah, kinda. It’s only really my family and you guys that call me Starlo.” Starlo replied, surprised that Dalv would get impressed over such a small thing. “But, yeah, call me North Star around here. Or North. Whatever works.”
“Ok, North.” Dalv said, putting emphasis on Starlo’s alias.

Eventually, Starlo and Dalv stopped outside a house towards the left of the village. Outside, four monsters were gathered outside chatting – a large pink monster, a fish-like monster (it was a miracle how they were surviving in a place with very little water), a monster with an obscured face, and a purple squirrel-like monster. As soon as Starlo approached them, they all turned and smiled at him, with the squirrel monster waving at him.

“Dalv, I’d like you to meet my posse.” Starlo introduced, gesturing broadly to the four. “My good pals. My troops fighting for justice. My- “
“Just ‘posse’ is enough, thanks.” the obscured monster said, cutting Starlo off.
“Right, right, sorry.” Starlo apologised, gathering his thoughts. One by one, he called out their names, “Ed! Moray! Ace! Mooch!”
With each name being called out, they all stepped forward, making a triangular formation, before Starlo took his spot at the very front. Proudly, he announced, “And together, we make… The Feisty Five!”

After Starlo said those words, they all struck a pose. Dalv couldn’t help but wonder if every person Starlo met was given this introduction. After holding the position for a few seconds, the tableau dissolved, and Starlo said to his posse, “Fellas, I’d like you to meet Dalv. A friend of Clover’s, now a friend of mine.” Dalv meekly waved hello to the four, who all reciprocated with their own greeting.
“Howdy there!”
“Hiya.”
“…Hello.”
“Hi!!”

“Woah, I didn’t know there was another human here!” Mooch remarked.
“Oh- erm- I’m- I’m not a human-” Dalv stammered, slightly taken aback. He didn’t look like a human that much, did he? He had never been able to check his reflection to verify.
“Well, you kinda look like one. Like a tall one. Taller than Clover, anyway.” Mooch persisted.
“Mooch, they’re clearly a vampire.” Ed explained. “He has horns, purple skin, and sharp fangs. Those are not human traits.”
“I don’t think my teeth are that sharp…” Dalv whispered to himself, gently tracing the outline of his fangs.

Before the situation could get any more awkward, a worried citizen suddenly began running up to the four in a tizzy.
“North Star! North Star!” they called out, sprinting towards the group.
“Hey, hey, what’s going on?” Starlo asked.
“There’s- there’s been a robbery! At the train station! You gotta come quick!” the citizen explained, out of breath.

Chapter Text

Before they could say another word, Starlo beckoned for his team to start running. Dalv, feeling as if he had a duty to fulfil, ran alongside them, catching up to Starlo.
“I know just the person behind this!” Starlo declared as he led the sprint. “This has got to be the work of Penny S. Pincher!”
“Who?” Dalv inquired, running just behind.
“Only the most devious bandit the Underground has ever seen!” Starlo explained with a tone of spite. “We put up her wanted poster just three days ago. It would only be a matter of time before she dared to show her face!”

Within a minute, the group had made it to the train station. Once inside, they were greeted by worried passengers and confused ticket vendors. An old-fashioned steam locomotive was stationed, containing four carriages that spanned the whole platform. Once near the entrance of the nearest carriage, Starlo began improvising a plan.
“Ace, you go tell the conductor about this whole dealy and tell him to stay here until this is solved.” Starlo ordered. Ace nodded and headed inside the train. “Ed, Mooch, come with me. Moray, Dalv, you stay out here and explain what’s going on to anybody wondering. We’ll be back in a flash.”

Starlo, Ed and Mooch disappeared into the carriage, leaving Dalv and Moray as guards. Rumours of what had happened flooded the station, so nobody bothered to probe the two for answers. So, Dalv and Moray were left as sitting ducks with nothing to do.
“You know, this train station was only built recently.” Moray mentioned, attempting to break the silence. “There was this trolley problem thing that we got roped into, and they decided to build a train station to go alongside it.”
“Just for a quick stint?” Dalv questioned, amused.
“Oh yeah. At the moment, it only goes up to Hotland, but it’s planned to expand into New Home. And, to top it off, those diverting tracks came in handy – one goes to Snowdin, the other to Waterfall.” Moray continued.
“Wow. They were able to do all that in such a short time?” Dalv asked further, fully enveloped in the backstory.
“Yeah, I found it hard to believe it too.” Moray elaborated. “The whole trolley problem thing was put together when Clover was in our group. We-”

“Wait, you worked directly with Clover?” Dalv exclaimed. “Like, I knew you knew them, but they worked with you as well?”
“Yup. They were real enthusiastic about it, too. Good kid.” Moray reminisced.
“Wow, I guess Clover had an impact on so many others, not just me and the others.” Dalv said.
“So, how did you know Clover?” Moray asked. However, before Dalv could respond, Starlo opened the carriage doors again, with Ace and Mooch in tow. Ed was last, holding a slender green dragon-like monster dressed in a large, fluffy coat. Not appropriate attire for the desert, Dalv noted mentally. Ed placed the monster onto the platform, who, now out of Ed’s grasp, looked rather displeased with the situation.

“Give it up, Pincher, we know you’re behind this!” Starlo accused, one hand on his hips and the other pointing at Penny in an attempt to draw out a confession.
“Correction; you think it’s me.” Penny retorted defensively. Her voice was muffled due to the coat covering her mouth. “You can point the finger all you want, North, but I’m not the only suspicious one here.”
“Oh, please. The first robbery aboard this train and who appears to be taking a journey but you.” Starlo argued, refusing to back down.
“Well, there’s many other people abord this train that likes gold just as much as I do. Representatives for the King, business owners, and I’m pretty sure I saw a couple of those Shuffler guys.” Penny stated, trying to shift the blame elsewhere. “They most likely have more evidence against them than me. Go on. Keep searching.”

“Sorry to interrupt, but I can’t help but feel like your clothing choice is quite odd for this climate.” Dalv piped up, moving up close to Starlo. Penny scoffed, “What does this guy think he’s doing?” while pointing at Dalv with mock confusion. Starlo quickly shut Penny down by exclaiming, “Let them speak!”
“Well, I’m no detective-” (Mooch gasped audibly when Dalv mentioned this.) “-but considering how warm it is here, it seems a bit out-of-season to be wearing something so fluffy and warm. I’m surprised that you’re not overheating, honestly.” Dalv examined.
“I’m on my way to Snowdin.” Penny quickly snapped back.
“Well, if you are, then you’re on the wrong train.” Ace added. “I checked with the conductor, the lever for the tracks is set to go to Waterfall.”

For once, Penny was lost for words. She tried to retort, but nothing came out. Confident he had won, Starlo smiled smugly.
“Alright, Ed, unzip that coat, if you please.” Starlo instructed. With an affirmative grunt and nod, Ed reached forward and yanked the coat’s zip down, causing a variety of shiny and sparkly things to drop down and crash onto the floor. Before Penny could come up with a response, passengers from the various carriages swanned forward to recollect their precious belongings.
“My ring!”
“My sapphire necklace!”
“My golden tooth! And my golden toothbrush!”

Outside of the commotion, Penny looked on in horror as her plan came to a disastrous end. Meanwhile, the Feisty Five (and Dalv) were looking proud of themselves at thwarting a serious crime and returning the precious belongings to the passengers.
“Moray, you know what to do. Send this bandit to the slammer.” Starlo commanded, watching as Moray dragged Penny away, shaking her fist angrily at him. Starlo turned to Dalv, smiling as he mentioned, “You know, you’d make a mighty fine detective. Noticing things ain’t exactly my sweet spot, but that really helped there.”
“Oh, thanks for the offer, Sta- I mean, North, but I’ll have to say no. I’ve got enough on my plate at the moment.” Dalv politely declined. “That being said, however, if you’re in a bit of a pickle, feel free to let me know and I’ll gladly help.”
Starlo laughed joyfully as he laid a hand on Dalv’s back. He turned back to face Mooch, who was looking through the pile of assorted shinies. Starlo called, “Mooch- hey, Mooch! Quit tryna steal something shiny and go tell Moray we’ll be in the saloon. We’re gonna treat our new friend with a drink as a thank you for helping deliver justice to that rotten criminal!”

Chapter Text

Dear whomever is reading this letter,

Today has certainly been interesting. Well, if you’d call being involved in foiling a train robbery interesting. I was just planning to spend a day with Starlo, get to know him better, but with him being a sheriff and all, he does have the duty of protecting the town. However, I was the one who gave the evidence that showed they were guilty. Starlo even said I could be a detective for his posse. I declined, but doesn’t sound fascinating? A vampire cowboy? I might have to draw that.

I’ve also spent a lot of time with Martlet as well. She even treated me to coffee a few days ago. I’m glad I finally have someone to talk to after so long. She even seemed dismayed at the fact that she missed my birthday. Ah, well. She has next year.

Although, I haven’t really seen much of Ceroba. I understand that she’s a lot more reclusive than Martlet and Starlo, but she’s the one who invited me to the memorial. Surely I should be spending time with her as well? We haven’t spoken as much as I’d have liked. The last fully in-depth conversation I had with her was when she invited me over for tea. I just wish I could talk to her more. Starlo assures me that she’s really quite kind, it just takes a bit to get through to her. This might just be something that can be solved with time. I do hope that’s the case.

I will say, however, not everything’s been as great as I’m making it out to be. Last night, I had a nightmare. A terrifying one. One that crept out of my head and made it to my waking self. It was them. The one who I had never seen since I left Snowdin. Is this some sort of punishment for returning? An attempt to make me return to the Ruins? Even if that’s the case, I’m not going to back down like I did before. I made a promise that I was leaving the Ruins behind for good. I’m going to try my absolute hardest to ward off these visions.

I know I’m going to have to tell them eventually. Martlet, Starlo, Ceroba… I’d assume they all know about the Snowdin incident, but I doubt they know about my involvement. They probably also don’t know that I struck the first blow. I’m worried that my admission of that might make them think twice about being my friend. After all, their stance of humans is incredibly positive after what happened. Obviously, mine is too, but I’m afraid if that attack has put a stain on my reputation against humans forever. I’m going to tell them eventually. I’ll just wait until I’m ready.

Yours truthfully,

Dalv Relapmi

Chapter Text

After the Steamworks, the original source of power for the Underground, shut its doors for good, monsters weren’t supposed to go in there. However, that didn’t stop them one bit. Of course, the ‘them’ in the situation was Ceroba, Starlo, Martlet and Dalv. When Clover was making their journey through the Underground, Ceroba went with them through the Steamworks to make their way to Hotland, turning the power back on in the process. Before the entrance would be sealed up once again, Ceroba asked for the group to accompany her for one last venture into it. She was very vague about it all, not giving many details about why she was traveling there, just saying she needed to retrieve something from there before it got shut up. On the way there, Ceroba led the group silently with a strong sense of direction. Meanwhile, the rest of them were trailing behind, striking up random conversation.

“So it was just… left on your doorstep? Every day?” Martlet questioned.
“Basically. From a few days since I fled to a couple months ago. I planted the last cob in an open area, but I never did find out who was leaving those corncobs.” Dalv explained.
“Hm. Well, my family’s the only one that grows corn, so it must have been from my parts, but I don’t remember nobody leaving any corn on doorsteps.” Starlo pondered. He called out, “Hey, Ceroba! You know anything about this corn situation?”
Ceroba glanced behind her quickly before shrugging. She seemed quite distant from the conversation.

Eventually, the group made it to the entrance of the Steamworks. A large, metal circular door that was left ajar. A keypad was next to it, but it had been utterly destroyed by what looked like fire. Looking inside the door, all that could be seen was a dark corridor, dimly lit by flickering lights. The group stepped in, one by one, all following Ceroba’s lead.
“Spooky.” Martlet remarked, her voice echoing slightly.
“We won’t be here long. We just need to get to the docking stations, get what we need, and get out of here.” Ceroba explained, methodical in her words.

The four walked through the maze of corridors, the sound of metal clanging against shoes echoing through the halls. It was quite hard to see, but Ceroba seemed to know where she was going, so Dalv put a lot of trust in her that she knew the way. Eventually, the group came across five docking stations neatly lined up in a row, with the fourth one having its door wide open. In front of the station was a robot – rectangular head, pink lights for eyes, spindly antennae, a heart design in the middle of their torso, hands attached by trails of steam, and all being held up by a singular wheel. Next to it, a second robot (if you could call it that – it didn’t move, more like a glorified sculpture) made out of scrap metal, adorned with a red bow. When the robot saw Ceroba, he immediately recognised her. What Ceroba didn’t say was that the ‘something’ was actually a sentient robot.

“HELLO, TALL LADY. I WAS JUST SEARCHING MY MEMORY DRIVE FOR YOU.” the robot greeted. “ARE THESE SPECIMENS YOUR FRIENDS, OR ARE THEY JUST HERE TO OBSERVE?”
“Hey, Axis.” Ceroba responded, giving a name to be put to the rectangular face. “And yes, these are my friends. Starlo, Martlet and Dalv. Guys, meet Axis. He tried to kill me one time, but we’ve made up since then.”
“UNDERSTOOD.” Axis said in his robotic-sounding voice. “LOGGING SPACE COWBOY, BLUE BIRD AND PURPLE HUMAN AS ALLIES.”
“Um, sorry to interrupt, but I’m not a human-” Dalv piped up, hiding their annoyance at being called a human twice in the span of a few days.
“APOLOGIES. CHANGING PURPLE HUMAN TO PURPLE NOT HUMAN.” Axis corrected himself. Dalv shrugged and allowed this name. It was close enough.

“So… Axis… how do you feel about leaving the Steamworks?” Ceroba asked, slightly anxious.
“I HAVE NO STRONG OPINION ON THE MATTER.” Axis replied.
“Oh, thank goodness.” Ceroba sighed with relief. Under her breath, she muttered. “Good to know that all this planning didn’t go to waste.”
“I CAN TELL THAT YOU WANT ME TO LEAVE AND COME WITH YOU. YOU ARE NOT GREAT AT DISGUISING YOUR MOTIVES.” Axis revealed, much to Ceroba’s dismay. “HOWEVER, I WILL COME WITH YOU. IT WAS GETTING BORING WITH NO HUMAN TO CHASE THROUGH THE HALLS.”
“Oh… okay.” Ceroba said, slightly dejected. “Well, shall we get going?”

“AS LONG AS DAISY WILL COME.” Axis announced, holding his hands out to the scrap metal robot. “SHE IS THE LOVE OF MY LIFE, BUT SHE IS QUITE SEDIMENTARY. I WILL HAVE TO DRAG HER ALONG TO HAVE HER JOIN US.”
“I’ll carry her for you, partner.” Starlo offered, stepping forward. “Saves you a job.”
“ALRIGHT, BUT IF I SEE YOU MAKE ANY ADVANCES TOWARDS HER I WILL NOT HESITATE TO [flipping] [neutralise] YOU.” Axis warned, two metal panels coming over his lightbulb eyes to resemble slits. Starlo nodded and picked the scrap robot – now being referred to as Daisy – with a grunt. Satisfied, the group started to head back. Ceroba, Axis and Starlo led in front, with Martlet and Dalv trailing in the back. Ceroba, Starlo and Axis chatted as they walked, but Merlet didn’t converse with Dalv until she noticed a slight frown on his face.

“You alright, Dalv?” she asked softly.
“Hm? Yeah, I’m fine, it’s just… how do I keep getting mistaken for a human?” Dalv explained.
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s because people were exposed to a human recently, and they deduce that you look like one?” Martlet suggested.
“I might look like one, but I’m a vampire. I’ve always been told that. I’m pretty sure it’s obvious.” Dalv continued, his agitation showing slightly.
“Well, would you say you look like a human?” Martlet asked.
Dalv shot her an annoyed look and stated, completely deadpan, “I can’t see my reflection, Martlet.”
“Oh, shoot. Sorry, I forgot.” Martlet apologised. Dalv sighed quietly in response. Not giving up, Martlet mentioned to Dalv, “You know, when I was in high school, I had to take this Monster History class, and when I went to the library, they had this really old book that was basically a rundown on every type of monster. Maybe that might give you an answer.”
“Yeah. I’ll see if I have any time later in the week to check the library.” Dalv replied, knowing well that his schedule was entirely clear. They just wanted to seem like he was keeping busy.

The bright light from the swelterstone hit hard, especially from being in the dark for so long. The journey back to Ceroba’s house was difficult – Axis got stuck in the sand multiple times before realising his creator gave him a spare tyre that was more tactile, so Martlet had to replace it since none of the others were good with technology. Yet, even with the holdup, Axis (and Daisy) were able to make it back to the house. Dalv couldn’t tell if Axis would count as a new friend, due to him being a robot. However, seeing the level of sentience he was capable of, Dalv was more than happy to update his mental friend count by one.

Chapter Text

After wheeling himself around the house a few times, analysing every spec of the house, Axis came to stop at the dining table where the group was sat to report, “SATISFACTORY. DAISY AND I WILL ENJOY STAYING HERE FOR AS LONG AS NECESSARY.”
“Good stuff.” Ceroba nodded, before adding, “Just to check, you don’t need a charging dock, you just need your partner, right?”
“CORRECT. LOVE IS THE ONLY CHARGER I NEED.” Axis affirmed. Ceroba sighed with relief, “Oh, thank God. No offense, but I am not lugging that heavy box all the way from the Steamworks to here.”
“UNDERSTANDABLE. THAT THING’S HEAVY AS [ship].” Axis replied, raising his hands quickly before returning them to their original position, emulating a shrug.

“HOWEVER, I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION.” Axis stated. “I DO REMEMBER THIS PLACE. IT IS THE HOUSE OF MY CREATOR, MR CHUJIN. DO YOU KNOW WHERE HE IS? I WANT TO SAY HELLO. IT FEELS LIKE IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I SAW HIM.”

Chujin. Dalv recognised that name. Where from, he couldn’t recall. From what Axis said, he was likely an inventor, so maybe his work had been published somewhere. But this feeling felt even more familiar than that. Like Dalv knew him on a more personal level. It unnerved him slightly. He glanced over at Ceroba, who seemed shocked and dismayed when Axis had said this. She fiddled with her hands and stuttered, thinking of a response.

“Um, I’m sorry, Axis, but Chujin’s not here right now. He’s… he’s on a business trip. He’s somewhere very far away right now.” Ceroba explained, looking uneasy.
“OH. DO YOU KNOW WHEN HE’S COMING BACK?” Axis questioned further.
“…N-no.” Ceroba stammered, looking downwards. “All I know is that he’ll be away for a long time. I do still talk to him, though. Whenever I need to.”
“OKAY. TELL HIM AXIS SAYS HELLO.” Axis declared.
“I’ll pass on the message.” Ceroba reassured with a sad smile.

“Hey, Starlo, Martlet, why don’t you take Axis out to the Wild East? Get him to see your turf a bit.” Ceroba suggested. Dalv immediately recognised that this was her wanting to have a private conversation with him, so they showed no objection.
“Sounds like a plan.” Starlo said with a smile. “Martlet, how about you carry Daisy this time?”
Martlet nodded and went over to pick the robot up. Her first attempt ended up with her losing her grip and dropping it, but she mustered up her strength to carry the thing with a sigh.
“Oof, this thing’s kinda heavy…” she remarked.
“THAT’S HOW I LIKE THEM.” Axis mentioned as the three headed out the door. After the door closed, Ceroba took a seat next to Dalv, clasping her hands together and having a solemn look on her face.

“I’m gonna be honest here, Dalv. This is something only those closest to me know about.” Ceroba began. “But, considering that you’re part of my friend group, I figured you deserve to know as well.”
Dalv silently nodded, and let Ceroba reveal all.
“Axis’ creator, Chujin, my husband… he’s gone.” Ceroba explained, her voice quavering slightly. “It was such a silly thing. He was such a brilliant mind. Not everyone was able to see it, but I could. He was so focused on his work; he ended up experimenting on himself. How could someone so smart be such a fool? Why did he…”
Ceroba paused, taking a deep breath to stop herself from crying. Still, Dalv could see tears welling in her eyes. He placed his hand on the table, in her sight, as a silent way of showing condolences.

“Anyway.” Ceroba resumed, composing herself and wiping her eyes. “I’m not going to tell Axis yet. Chujin’s the only being he’s truly connected with. He was his goddamn creator, I can’t just tell him that his creator’s dead.” Ceroba sighed, before adding, “I’ll tell him eventually. Just not yet.”
Dalv nodded. That statement rang a little too close to home for them.
“I don’t think he remembers Kanako… I don’t think they interacted enough for him to remember…” Ceroba muttered to herself.
“K-Kanako?” Dalv stuttered. Now that was a name he could remember. An old friend of his that used to play with him back before he fled for the Ruins. She would come into Snowdin with her father – and she was the one Dalv protected when the human arrived. Dalv had suppressed the name of that child ever since he fled, yet that one passive mention brought it all back.

“Oh, Kanako… she was- well, is my daughter.” Ceroba explained. “She, um… she fell down a while ago.”
“Oh, goodness…” Dalv whispered. This hit them harder than he thought. How could he have lost another original friend? First Clover, now Kanako… he could feel a fracture across his soul. Please, not her. Anybody but her, he thought. Still, despite the sudden wave of shock, Dalv had to suppress their grief. Ceroba still had more to say.
“I know. I’ve ended up sending her to Dr Alphys’ lab, she was doing some kind of experiment to bring those that were fallen down back to life.” she continued. “Things are still kinda bleak, but I just hope she returns soon.”
“Oh, that’s good.” Dalv replied, still not recovered from the blow of being told that his first friend had fallen down, but comforted slightly at the fact that she would come back at some point. Their efforts to protect her were not in vain.

“Sorry, this kinda feels like I’m laying all my grief on you. I’ll shut up.” Ceroba apologised, turning her head away from Dalv.
“No, no, it’s fine.” Dalv comforted, leaning closer. “You’re just getting your grief out.”
Ceroba scoffed with a smile (while still looking quite melancholy) and mentioned, “Yeah, I know grief alright. I’d like to say I’m accepting it, but I’m still pretty upset at it all.”
“And you’re allowed to be. You can accept it and still be depressed.” Dalv said. “I mean, how long has it been since Clover’s memorial? I’m still sad about that.”

Dalv only meant to use it as an example, but the mention of Clover suddenly brought Dalv’s mood down. He folded his arms on the table and rested his head on top. His mind was clouded of thoughts of Clover and Kanako – his first true friend, and the first friend he made while holed up in the Ruins. The two who started it all… gone. They sighed, feeling like they now didn’t have the time to say thank you for being there. Despite being in the presence of someone he considered a friend, Dalv couldn’t help but feel alone.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Ceroba mimicking Dalv’s position – arms crossed, head resting on the forearm. However, she was facing Dalv, and the melancholy look was gone from her eyes, replaced by a look of hope and empathy.
“Well, if you’d like… we’ll grieve together.” she suggested, her voice soft. Dalv smiled slightly and chuckled, tilting their head to face Ceroba and lightly tapping his elbow against hers. This was the moment Dalv knew that Ceroba was here for him just as much as Martlet and Starlo. She did care about him.

“Thank you for telling me.” Dalv said.
“Thank you for listening.” Ceroba replied.

Chapter Text

Despite living in Snowdin for most of their life, Dalv rarely went into Snowdin Town. He could remember coming with his parents when he was a little kid, tagging along behind them and hiding his shy little self away from strangers while his parents ran errands. Yet, as an adult, he found himself unfamiliar with the town. It might have been his social nervousness or just that he rarely had business there, but Dalv never found themselves wandering around the town. However, if Dalv ever had a purpose to go into town, it would always be to go to the library. And, on this occasion, it was no different.

Dalv strolled across the crunchy snow-covered paths, hands buried in the pockets of his coat. Despite it being such a bustling place, it was undeniable at how cozy the place felt. From the welcome sign greeting everyone who passed by, to the tree in the middle of the town, adorned with twinkling lights and presents packed under it, there was a sort of whimsy to this town that left everyone with a warm feeling in their souls. Even though Dalv kept in his tracks to the library as he tried to not get distracted by the sights, he felt a bit of comfort as he ambled past the scenery.

After a short walk, Dalv was stood by the library’s front door. They still haven’t changed the misspelled sign, they noted. Upon setting foot indoors, the frost of the outside was instantly replaced by a soothing warmth. It was almost as shocking as it was relieving, displacing the cold that had seeped into his very bones. Dalv gave a friendly wave to the librarian, who responded with a silent nod. This place was ideal for someone socially awkward like Dalv – he didn’t have to talk to anyone. Just sweet silence.

After glancing over the shelves, Dalv found the place he was looking for, tucked away in the bottom shelves of the bookshelf furthest to the left; a section named “Human Books”. These books were all donated, either salvaged from the dump or donated by people who had copies before the barrier was put in the place, valiantly gifted in the name of literature. Dalv had read a couple of these books before, and the stories of them certainly came across as odd. A mad scientist stitching together bodies to create life again, a man transforming into a giant beetle overnight… even for a society of monsters, these were concepts that were frankly absurd and utterly macabre. Dalv didn’t let these strange novels distract him, he was here for one book and one book only. He pointed at each book, gliding his finger along the spines before tapping on a leather-bound cover with the title running along the spine in golden letters: An Explanation Of Monsterkind For Humans.

Dalv pinched the book’s spine and eased it out of its place on the shelf, letting it fall into his free hand. It was a large book, and was incredibly heavy. It could have made a good bludgeoning weapon in a pinch. Judging by the water damage that stained some of the pages, Dalv deduced that this was salvaged from Waterfall’s dump. Despite the damage, the book held up quite well. Perfect. This was the exact book he was looking for. Content, he took a seat at the table near the window, took off his jacket (it was starting to get a bit toasty) and turned to the first page.

The first page of the book showed a picture of the author. A sepia-coloured photo of an old man wearing bottle-cap glasses, having curly white hair and a scraggly beard that pointed in all directions was placed in the top centre of the page. He looked a bit like a mad scientist. As Dalv flicked through the pages, he realised the creatures were alphabetically ordered, meaning it would take a while to get to the section he needed. Glazing over the pages, they took note of birdlike monsters that were always flying that resembled Martlet, and trickster foxes that resembled Ceroba. Strangely, though, Dalv couldn’t find any monsters that looked like Starlo. Maybe his kind just wasn’t documented. After flipping through most of the pages, Dalv finally got to the Vs, and the first entry laid before him.

VAMPIRES

An illustration was provided with every entry, but the vampire’s illustration was easily the most unsettling. A tall, slender figure was depicted, with long, bony hands and spindly limbs. Their eyes were piercing, with slits for pupils and sharp fangs that lay on top row of teeth. To add to the image, a dark residue dripped from the beast’s fangs. This gave Dalv more questions than they had before. It did have some humanlike qualities, but Dalv surely couldn’t look like this… this fiend! Despite his better judgement, instead of dropping the book and leaving, Dalv continued to read on.

Also known as: the living dead, creatures of the night

All these alternative names did was confuse Dalv. The living dead? He couldn’t remember dying. That would surely be a huge event. Even after some of his family fell down and died, they turned to dust, there was no way they would survive that. And creatures of the night? Dalv had a pretty regular sleep schedule and always went to sleep at dark.

Vampires roam around at night; they will burn and turn to ash in the day. They may be born vampires, but they can transfer their vampirism to other humans through a bite to the neck. To feed, they must be invited into the house of an unsuspecting human or monster, then, as the inhabitants sleep, the vampire will drink the blood of the human or the magic of the monster.

When reading the last sentence, Dalv felt a sudden wave of nausea grow in his stomach. Drinking blood? Or magic? The idea made him feel sick. Even when he was little, he had never felt the urge to drink the life of some other living thing. Was this what they were meant to be doing the whole time? Would drinking magic replenish them more than corn ever could? No – he had to stop the thought of that. He just needed to brush past that part and carry on reading.

There are many ways to protect yourself against vampires. They react strongly to garlic, so having garlic wreaths will repel them.

Huh. He just thought his whole family was allergic.

They also are allergic to silver and holy items, such as a cross or holy water. These can also be used as deterrents. However, to instantly kill a vampire, drive a stake through its heart and it will turn to dust instantly.

Vampires are incredibly dangerous creatures that can and will take your life. Protect yourself at all costs.

Dalv went to slam the book shut, before remembering they were in a library, so they closed it gently and quietly. This couldn’t be. Dalv knew he could hold his own in a fight, but incredibly dangerous? Was this how humans viewed them? Was this how Clover and the human who attacked him viewed them? He didn’t want to be incredibly dangerous. He just wanted answers. They came to the library looking for answers, but was only left with more questions. Utterly dejected, Dalv placed the book back on the shelf, wrapped himself tight in his coat, and left without a word. He had learned enough about himself for one day.

Chapter Text

Following the library incident, Dalv didn’t leave his house for five solid days. One single entry in a book set back most of his progress of getting back out into the Underground. Days wrapped up in self-doubt, wondering if knowing his true initial purpose would make him revert into those ways, putting his friends at risk. There was no way he could tell if that was the case without meeting up with anyone, so Dalv decided to hedge his bets and stay away from people. Dalv was sure their friends were safe, but during this time, they felt sadness like never before, feeling detached with only his brain to keep him company. This was loneliness, no doubt, but so much stronger due to there being more people to care about.

By the fifth day, things were still looking bleak. Even as the morning went by, Dalv was still laid in bed, hair messy, eyes heavy and weary, feeling completely sorry for himself. The lack of connection was getting to him, making him feel like how he was in the Ruins once again. He’d gone out of their way to escape that life, and he was still acting like he was cooped up in that dinky hole in the wall. Without warning, before the feelings would get worse, there was a knock on the door. Albeit begrudgingly, this was the little push to get Dalv out of his bed. Despite looking like a decrepit shell of themselves, Dalv opened the door to see… nobody. Just the snow in front of him. Dalv sighed, feeling his time had been wasted. However, before he shut the door, a glint of yellow caught his eye below him.

A single cob of corn was laid on the doorstep, getting dusted with the light snowfall. Gazing in wonder, Dalv gently picked up the cob and inspected it, running his finger along the kernels. Somehow, the corn giver was back, and they were able to find Dalv’s new house. For the first time in a while, Dalv smiled. A small glint of hope shined in him. A sign that people still wanted to connect with them. Still holding the corn, Dalv shut the door, banishing the cold from the moment. Maybe it might be worth getting back in touch with the outside world.

Later that day, Dalv donned his coat and headed out into the snow once again. He decided to surprise Martlet with a visit so he could catch up on what he had missed while having his identity crisis. On his way, he came across the sign for the UGPS. Dalv hadn’t checked his mail in a while, so he rang the bell, creating a gentle ding that summoned the Mail Whale, fluttering down from the sky and hooking its basket over its tail. Dalv watched as the whale descended; the guy was just a joy to be around, always speaking in rhyme and having that look of serenity.

“Good morning, Dalv! It’s a wonderful day! Please, state your business, I won’t make you stay!” the whale greeted, each word having a lyrical bounce to it.
“Hello, whale. Do I have any mail today?” Dalv asked politely.
“Yes, you do, Martlet sends you this letter, I hope when you read it, it makes your day better!” the whale announced, tilting the basket forward to reveal a sealed envelope with the name “Dalv” written on it in blue, glittery ink. Satisfied, Dalv took the letter and watched as the whale ascended to the sky, waving as it floated away. Still stood at the post, Dalv opened the letter, trying his hardest not to tear it, before removing the letter to see what Martlet had to say.

Hiya, Dalv! Just wondering if you’d like to meet up at my place on Tuesday. I haven’t seen you in a while and just want to catch up for a bit. If you can’t make it, that’s fine, but if you can, that’s great!
-Martlet

Dalv carefully folded up the letter, placed it in the pocket of his coat, and continued on his path to Martlet’s house. Today was Tuesday, so they assumed the letter was written a few days prior. Dalv did feel a little bad that he didn’t send a reply, but he was already on his way to her house, so it wouldn’t be too much of an issue anyway. When approaching Martlet’s house, he could see her familiar blue feathers through the trees. She was resting against her woodworking table, eating a donut. Strangely, the lights in her house were switched off in the main room.

“Dalv!” Martlet called out, waving her wing and her mouth half full, spilling crumbs onto the snow. She swallowed the remnants of dough before remarking, “I didn’t know if you were gonna come or not!”
“Yeah… sorry, I’ve only just checked my mail. I mean, I was planning to come up here regardless, so…” Dalv replied, being careful not to mention the depression slump.
“Well, you’re here now, so we can hang out anyway!” Martlet smiled. She finished off the rest of her donut and started gesturing Dalv to the door, saying things like “After you. The door’s unlocked.”
Somewhat hesitantly, Dalv pushed the front door open to reveal a pitch-black front room. Confused, Dalv looked around to find any semblance of what was going on, but his shock turned to surprise when Martlet switched the lights on behind them.

Starlo and Ceroba were here as well, both sat at Martlet’s dining table with warm smiles. Three presents were perfectly placed on the table, each wrapped neatly with paper and ribbon. Above the table hung a banner, and written on it in purple letters was, “HAPPY BIRTHDAY DALV”.
“Wh- wh- what-” Dalv stammered, unable to form words.
“Now, I know your next birthday’s not for a long time, but ever since you brought it up when we were at the Honeydew Resort, I just had to do this. Think of it as a belated birthday. We might have missed it, but we’re not too late to celebrate it!” Martlet explained, wrapping a wing over Dalv’s shoulders as she spoke. Surprised, yet joyful, Dalv chuckled. He was just amazed that someone would go out of their way to treat them like this. Martlet guided Dalv to the head of the table so Dalv could get their presents.

“Sorry that Axis isn’t here, he said him and his wife were having a… rendezvous. Whatever that means. But, he still sends his best wishes.” Ceroba mentioned as Dalv sat down. Dalv nodded as he reached for the closest box to him. Each one had given a gift, with Ceroba gifting an assortment of teas for him to enjoy, Starlo gifted a golden badge of a bat – made so they could match when he was wearing his sheriff badge – and Martlet gifted a set of coloured pencils. A card was also gifted to Dalv, with everyone’s signature. Martlet drew a smiley face below hers. Starlo drew a star in place of his A. Ceroba had neat, cursive handwriting. Axis wrote in binary despite it being written in pen and not typed. Holding the card, Dalv glanced at the different signatures over and over, the names of his friends. He brought a hand up to his mouth as tears began to well in his eyes.

“Dalv? Are you alright?” Martlet asked, concerned.
“No, I’m fine, it’s just…” Dalv replied, his voice breaking but still with a wide smile on his face, “I… I’ve never had anybody do this kind of stuff for me before.”
“Aw, Dalv.” Ceroba smiled, edging closer and placing her hand on the table in front of him. “I know we’re a little late to the party – literally – but we all wanted to do this. This is your day. Now, dry your eyes. You don’t want to set Starlo off.”
“Sh- shut up! You know how emotional I can get at this kinda stuff!” Starlo retaliated, pulling his cowboy hat over his eyes. The three laughed, with Dalv giving a quiet chuckle as he wiped the tears from his eyes. Still, as the day went on, Dalv couldn’t stop looking at those signatures. The signatures of his friends. The signatures of his friends that would do anything for his happiness.

Chapter Text

Dear whomever is reading this letter,

I don’t think I deserve to have friends that are this good to me. I’m aware that sentence sounds a bit outlandish, but I’m being genuine. Martlet threw a birthday party for me, even though my birthday was months ago. There were presents, cake… even Starlo and Ceroba got involved. It was such a surreal experience. Were birthday parties meant to be this extravagant? I always just had small celebrations with Pops. I wish he could have been there. I told him all about it when I got back, and I showed him all my gifts. Had to be careful showing him the badge Starlo got me. Still, he seemed happy for me.

And yet… I can’t help but feel empty. Don’t get me wrong, this is probably one of the happiest moments of my life, but it just feels so undeserved. What have I done for them to warrant this type of treatment? I mentioned my birthday in a flyaway comment, and I had forgotten all about it until Martlet brought it up after the surprise. They’ve done so much for me, and I’m yet to return the favour. Plus, they still don’t know about my past. What I’ve done. They don’t know about the terrible actions done by my hands. I don’t think I deserve this at all.

Although, this party came right after I’d stayed at home for days, not talking to anybody. This all happened because I decided to come out of my shell. Maybe I should focus on the good things – I’ve got friends (I might not deserve them, but at least I can say I have them), and the corn giver’s returned. I still have no idea who it is, but they were somehow able to find my new house just to give me those corncobs once again. That was the thing that got me out of bed, which in turn led me to the party. I’ve still got bad things going on – I keep having nightmares and I’m in the midst of an identity crisis, to name a few – but at least things are starting to pick up.

Martlet even baked a cake herself for the party. She told us not to look in the kitchen because it was – her words, not mine – “a scene of devastation”, so I can assume it was a learning process. It was a good cake nonetheless – tasted a lot better than a sponge covered in icing. I was limited on resources in the Ruins. Anyway, she told me to blow out the candle and make a wish. Ceroba kept asking me what I wished for, but Starlo kept saying that “if I said my wish, it wouldn’t come true”. I did keep my mouth shut just in case, but he didn’t say that I couldn’t write it.

I wished that, one day, we’d all be united as friends and we’d be able to go to the surface together. I know that I’d probably burn in the sunlight – the swelterstone in the Dunes is evidence of that – but, to be honest, that doesn’t bother me. One, I have my parasol to protect me. Two, we’ve been wanting to see the surface for so long, being with them would make it so much better. I’ll tell you this – by the next letter, I’ll have told them everything. I can’t predict how they’ll react, but I’ll just hope that this whole friendship doesn’t fall apart. I can dream, right?

Yours truly,

Dalv Relapmi

Chapter Text

As the evening passed over Snowdin, the surrounding forests grew dark. A small layer of snow covered the treetops, the branches twisting upwards and icicles handing off them. Even for Snowdin, this was a particular chilly night. It would be foolish to go outside in such frosty conditions. Dalv, knowing of the freezing weather outside, decided to stay inside, the heating of his cabin cranked up high.

He dried his hands on a dishcloth, lukewarm water draining down his sink. He had just finished his evening dinner, mostly consisting of corn, of course. Dalv had prepared for a quiet evening, hoping to get some drawings done using his new coloured pencils from his belated birthday. He started to close the curtains of his kitchen windows, able to make out trees and a frozen pond despite the dimness of the outdoors. Snow began to fall, tiny flakes drifting down to settle on the floor. However, just as Dalv was about to shut the curtains, they noticed something.

A figure could be seen hidden behind a tree. It was hard to tell what they looked like, their silhouette only just being visible. They seemed to be looking at the cabin, but as soon as they saw Dalv look their way, they quickly turned and started to retreat to the right. A feeling of concern started to form in Dalv. The conditions outside were not suitable for anybody to be out in. Maybe they stumbled across the cabin, hoping it was empty, but upon realising it was inhabited, they retreated in search of somewhere else. Dalv decided to it would be best to reason with the wanderer, check if they were okay, and maybe offer them to stay the night to keep out of the cold. Hurriedly, Dalv donned his coat, grabbed the lantern from his bedroom, lit it with a small jolt of lightning, and headed out into the Snowdin tundra.

Once outside, Dalv inspected between the trees of the forest to try and find the mystery wanderer. However, despite the glow of the flame-lit lantern and Dalv’s calls of “Hello? Is anybody there?”, nobody came forward. Still, Dalv persisted, eventually coming across a path leading away from the forest. The snow started to come down thicker, clouding Dalv’s vision in a flurry of white. Through the onslaught of snow, Dalv could make out a figure stood at the end of the path. Raising his voice, he called out, “Hello? You there! Are you alright? It’s getting very cold out here!”

To Dalv’s relief, the figure started to approach Dalv, clearly having heard them. From afar, it appeared that they were wearing a thin jacket, flat shoes and a skirt of some kind. However, as the figure strode closer, Dalv’s eyes widened in horror upon seeing the figure more clearly. The skirt wasn’t any skirt, but a tutu. The flat shoes turned out to be a pair of ballet slippers. As their face became more and more visible, the static from their first encounter was also revealed. However, this time, the static was not only on their face, but it also ran down their neck and torso, bisecting it completely.

Terrified, Dalv’s breathing quickened as the human approached. Instinctively, he started walking backwards, almost stumbling on his own feet. He gingerly placed the lantern down on the snow in order to hold their hands out in front of their torso, in case the worst was to happen.
“N-no…” they stammered, their voice quiet and full of fear. He didn’t dare take their eyes off the human, muttering, “This can’t be…. It can’t….”

All of a sudden, the light-footed stride of the human became much quicker. Running straight towards Dalv, leaping across the snow. Fearing for his very life, Dalv outstretched their hand towards the human.
“Get away from me!!” he yelled, his voice cracking with fear, covering his eyes with his arm in an attempt to protect himself. The sound of crackling lightning rang out across the trees, illuminating the surrounding area with a bright flash. Despite bracing himself, Dalv felt no impact. Apprehensively, he took his arm away from his face to inspect the area.

A patch of snow was charred a few feet away from Dalv, showing where his attack landed. However, once again, the human had disappeared, just like the first time. Their footprints could not be seen in the snow, and there was no trace that they were even there in the first place. Shook, Dalv picked up his lantern and checked among the trees, wondering if they were just hiding from him to launch a sneak attack. However, despite his meticulous searching, the only one outside was himself. The snowfall had completely stopped, not a single snowflake falling. Dalv wondered if the snow had also been part of his imagination. Terrified out of his wits, Dalv clutched his coat tight as he headed back home.

Chapter Text

Safe to say, Dalv’s perfect evening had been promptly ruined by the hallucination. Every time he tried to draw, his hands were shaky and he couldn’t think of any ideas, the fear of seeing them clouding over any inspiration. Any time he tried to think of a new idea, they would be haunting him, running straight at him, ready to attack and finish what he started. After erasing his image for the seventh time, and crumpling the paper in the process, Dalv gave up on drawing out of frustration. Maybe if he slept off this encounter, things would all be fine by the morning and he’d finally be able to focus once again.

Soon after Dalv drifted off to sleep, they had the exact same nightmare. Following Ceroba’s mention of Kanako, the dream had become uncomfortably clear, with the young girl’s voice being recognisable as hers. However, while he always woke after hearing Kanako, the dream he was having this night was extended. Suddenly, out of the blue void, the human ran full force at Dalv, static still covering their face. Launching their entire body, they landed a perfect blow on Dalv, knocking him backwards as the blue void quickly shifted from bright blue to jet black. Dalv didn’t hit the ground as he fell back; they just seemed to float in midair. While trapped in this dark void, organ music could be heard. Melodic, with a static quality over it. Suddenly, as he looked upwards, a rift of static formed above Dalv’s floating body, slowly getting larger and larger. As the rift continued to grow, Dalv felt his body rise, unable to control himself, getting closer to the static…

Dalv jolted awake before he could continue the dream. It was the type of nightmare where the floating consciousness suddenly slams back into your body, causing you to bolt upright and double over. Eyes wide open, Dalv hunched over, his hand on his chest, feeling his heavy breathing and his racing heartbeat. Sweat beaded his forehead as his hands shook. Somehow, the nightmare he had been having nightly for a good portion of his return to Snowdin had gotten even worse. There was nobody around to comfort him, so Dalv had to take it upon himself to calm down. However, after he had relaxed a bit, he finally noticed that the organ music from his dream was still playing.

He glanced over at his gramophone. The record on it was indeed spinning, playing a recording of an organ track, yet Dalv hadn’t touched it. Sure enough, the human was back, dancing gracefully to the music. They were the only other person who could have turned it on (unless Dalv turned it on in his sleep), but they seemed to have more focus on dancing than Dalv. Dalv continued to stare unblinkingly at the spirit in his bedroom, still scared out of his wits, but feeling an underlying confidence that desperately wanted to get to the bottom of this. Dalv opened their mouth, struggling to find the words to speak, before eventually whispering in a hushed voice, “What do you want from me?”

The human didn’t seem to hear him over the music, so Dalv raised the volume of his voice slightly more.
“Are you a ghost? Or are you a hallucination, formed out of my own guilt?” Dalv asked, continuing to stare at the human. They still didn’t appear to hear him.
“Do you want me to leave? Is this punishment for leaving the Ruins? Well, I do apologise, but I’m trying to start a new life again in Snowdin, and I refuse to go back.” Dalv continued, clambering over his bedsheets to get closer to the human. They still continued to dance, paying no heed to Dalv.
“Have you been infiltrating my nightmares, too? I know it’s you; you keep replaying the moment it happened. Have you been the one disrupting my sleep this whole time?” Dalv interrogated, sounding a bit more angry than usual.

The human must have clearly heard Dalv, and they must have not liked what he said, since they leaned over and turned up the volume on the gramophone, drowning out his voice. Dalv took a deep sigh, and stated, “Listen to me, please. You’re haunting me. That’s your goal. You want me out of here by plaguing my memory with what I did. I already feel horrible enough without your meddling. Whether or not you’re just in my head, or you are indeed an outside entity, this has gone on long enough and I’m getting incredibly tired of you toying with my guilt. I’m not going to leave. I’ve been building myself up to stay here after fleeing, and I’m not going back on it. So, please, I beg you, just… just leave me in peace!!”

As Dalv continued to reason with the human, his voice continued to get louder, shouting over the music. His final words were a true yell of anguish and torment, completely desperate to be haunted no more. The human, their back to Dalv, slowly dropped the ballet stance they were in. Tears started to fall down Dalv’s face. His anger quickly turned to upset, slumping onto the bed with his head buried in his hands. Through quiet sobs, Dalv begged, “Please… just leave me alone…”

Without warning, the music stopped. The needle was dragged off the record, with the spinning slowly coming to a stop. In the sudden silence, Dalv could hear footsteps as the human turned around. Dalv took his hands away from his eyes to see, through clouded vision, the human standing directly in front of him, doing nothing, just… standing there. The two looked in each other’s faces, Dalv looking into the static, and the human seeing Dalv at his worst. Slowly, Dalv watched as the spirit of the human faded into nothingness, leaving him alone in his bedroom once again.

Breaking down, tears continued to stream down Dalv’s face as he bowed his head and ran his fingers through his messy hair. This torture had gone on long enough. This human was going to completely infiltrate his mind if he didn’t do something. He had already ruled out fleeing to the Ruins – he was adamant that he was not going back out there. So, he settled on the next best thing – he was going to tell Martlet, Starlo and Ceroba about the Snowdin Incident. It was going to be difficult, and Dalv was aware of the risk that they might lose the friends who helped build him up, but they knew it had to be done. He was going to tell them. Tomorrow.

Chapter Text

If Dalv was going to run the risk of losing his friends, he figured that if it was the case, it would only be fitting to end it where it started – having tea at Ceroba’s house. It was very similar to how it was before, expect Dalv and Ceroba swapped places and Axis appeared sporadically to input on what was being said. In the beginning, they joked and bantered, sharing stories of the week and talking about whatever was on their minds. Dalv started like this too, putting on a jolly face, but as time went by, they became quieter. It became painfully aware to them that he would have to tell them at some point today, and he was just biding his time. He kept glancing downwards, fidgeting with his fingers, not contributing to the conversation.

“Dalv, are you good? You’ve been pretty quiet…” Martlet observed. Dalv sighed. It was time. He knew what he had to do.
“Well, um, to be entirely honest, Martlet… I’ve arranged this because I wanted to talk to you all about something.” Dalv explained, avoiding eye contact with everyone at the table.
“Well… if it’s something important, I think you’d better say it.” Ceroba prompted. Dalv straightened his back, took in a deep breath, and prepared himself to reveal all.

“So, are you all aware of the Snowdin Incident?” Dalv asked, giving a quick, harmless question to test the waters. Starlo and Martlet both nodded, while Ceroba looked more solemn and hissed, “All too well.” This reaction made Dalv feel slightly more nervous knowing that one of them had a direct link to the incident. Despite this, Dalv supressed his anxieties and continued; his friends needed to know about this. He stammered, “W-well, you know how a monster got attacked during it? Well, um… that monster… um… that was me.”

Martlet gasped quietly as she covered her beak with her wing. Starlo stayed silent, but he still had a look of shock on his face. Ceroba looked the most harrowed, her eyes wide and mouth slightly open.
“Oh my gosh, Dalv…” Martlet gasped. “Why didn’t you tell us sooner?”
“Because,” Dalv continued, his voice shaky and looking down at the table in front of him.  “You don’t know the full story. The whole reason I was attacked was because I went for them first. I can’t remember the reason why. I can’t remember if it was out of my own prejudice, whether it was because they looked threatening, or out of protection for my friend, but whatever the reason was, I struck the first blow.”

After Dalv revealed this, a thick silence hung in the air. Glances shifted from direct eye contact to darting them away.
“So, there you go, that’s why I haven’t told you.” Dalv concluded, crossing his arms, sounding quite frustrated, likely with himself. “I understand if you all hate me now. I do too.”
“Dalv… you were with Kanako.” Ceroba said, breaking the silence between the three of them.
“Yes. She went to play with me while her dad ran errands. I dragged her into this, thank you for reminding me.” Dalv explained, staring at Ceroba.
“Dalv, you protected her. There wasn’t a scratch on her, and even after she got home, she kept talking about how you saved her from that human. The Ketsukanes are indebted to you.” Ceroba mentioned. Dalv’s eyes glimmered with hope for a second, before quickly getting snuffed out.

“Ceroba, she wouldn’t even need to be protected if I didn’t drag her into it first. Yes, I protected her, but I shouldn’t have needed to in the first place.” Dalv countered.
“How long ago was this?” Starlo asked. Dalv shrugged, “About a year and a bit ago.”
“Dalv, this was before you met Clover. You befriended them, didn’t you?” Martlet pointed out.
“Yes, after I attacked them because I thought it was the human again!” Dalv deflected, adamant he was in the wrong.
“But you made amends with them, right? You became their friend?” Martlet pressed, determined he was deserving of redemption.
“Well… I suppose, yes.” Dalv agreed.

“I think that’s enough to redeem yourself, partner.” Starlo said. “I mean, you went from attacking them from being their friend. Plus, if it wasn’t for Clover, you’d still be in the Ruins and you wouldn’t be friends with us. Whether or not you think you’re guilty, I’d say you don’t need to worry ‘bout it no more, and I’m sure Feathers and Ceroba agree.”
Martlet and Ceroba nodded their heads, indeed agreeing. The spark of hope relit in Dalv’s eyes.
“You really think so?” Dalv asked, a smile forming on his face once again. Starlo placed a hand on his shoulder, replying, “I know so.”

Starlo quickly took his hand off Dalv’s shoulder, apologising, “Sorry, that felt really cheesy.”
“I think you mean corny.” Dalv joked, the two beginning to laugh together. Axis wheeled himself back into the dining room just as the joke landed.
“DID I MISS ANYTHING OF IMPORTANCE?” he asked.
“Eh, you don’t need to worry about it, I’m sure it doesn’t concern you. Just me… trauma dumping a little.” Dalv explained.
“AH. I SEE.” Axis replied, before patting Dalv’s shoulder with a floating hand while saying, “THERE, THERE.”
“Thanks, Axis.” Dalv chuckled, gently pushing the floating hand away from him. They knew that this wouldn’t totally stop the trauma from affecting him, but the knowledge that they were fine with it did soften the blow a bit.

Chapter Text

The swelterstone was almost completely covered, giving the illusion of night in the Dunes. Some dwellers of the Wild East were settling down, but at the saloon, the monsters were still alive with night-time spirits (mostly just adult soda). While most of the action occurred outside, a lone monster sat outside on the steps. Dalv sat solemnly on the steps, head wrapped in thought. Now unaffected by the blazing light of the swelterstone, he used the tip of his parasol to draw shapes in the fine sand below his feet. Completely transfixed in his thoughts, he didn’t notice when a certain sheriff approached the saloon.

“Dalv?” Starlo asked, snapping Dalv back to reality. “I thought you’d gone home?
“No, I just… I just needed a bit of time to think before I headed back.” Dalv explained. He expected Starlo to just shrug and leave him to his devices again, but instead, he paused his trip to the saloon and sat next to him on the steps.
“Do you… wanna talk about it?” Starlo suggested. “If not, it’s fine-”
“No, it’s fine, I probably need to mention this to someone.” Dalv reassured. He looked up, looking up to the pitch dark, before explaining all.

“Ever since the incident happened, I’ve been… blaming myself.” Dalv said in a soft voice. “When I was in the Ruins, I wanted to be left alone. I pushed everyone away, even when they did nice things for me, even if they were simple things, like drawing pictures for me or giving me a hug. I pushed them all away. I never gave a chance to the thought I could be redeemed. I was in the wrong and there was no changing that. After I left the Ruins, it’s been so odd reconnecting with people. Even as a kid, I was really shy, so the thought of actually having friends, it’s kinda baffling to me. In the beginning, when I was starting my new life, I pushed the incident to the back of my mind, but after it got mentioned, I started spiralling again. I saw things. I saw them. Whether it was a hallucination or a ghost, I don’t know, but it was torture. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in ages. Seeing them again… it’s what pushed me to tell you. It was the last straw, you could say. I just couldn’t take it anymore. I was completely expecting you to hate me and ditch me, so it’s kinda odd that you decided to stick with me. I didn’t really… expect that.”

Starlo stayed silent throughout all this, letting Dalv say what he needed to say. He didn’t take his eyes off him, hearing him out with a thoughtful smile. After Dalv finished, he stammered, “S-sorry, I kinda rambled a bit there, haha…”
“Hey, don’t you worry yourself. You must’ve just needed to get that out.” Starlo comforted, moving back closer once Dalv finished. “You know, I’m glad you told us. I wouldn’t want you suffering any longer than you needed to.”
“Yeah…” Dalv nodded, looking downwards. “I was pretty nervous…”
“Well, you did it nonetheless. You should be proud of yourself.” Starlo replied, gently knocking Dalv’s elbow.

Effortlessly, Starlo stood up the from the steps and turned towards the stall doors of the saloon.
“C’mon, I’ll buy you a root beer.” Starlo offered, holding his hand out for Dalv to grab to help him up.
“Um, sorry, I don’t really want to go in… it seems really loud, I don’t like loud noises…” Dalv mentioned, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand, trying not to appear as a burden.
“That’s fine. You wait out here.” Starlo shrugged, still smiling, before heading into the saloon with a stride in his step.

Alone with his thoughts once again, Dalv stopped thinking about the incident and started thinking about Starlo. Dalv liked hanging out with him, probably more than he liked hanging out with Martlet, Ceroba and Axis. They were aware that sounded horrible, but it felt that way. Dalv hadn’t known Axis as much as Martlet and Ceroba, so that could be excusable, but whenever Dalv was with Starlo, he felt something incredibly odd, an entirely new feeling that he couldn’t pinpoint what it was, a feeling that he didn’t feel when with Martlet or Ceroba. Dalv couldn’t understand; they all treated him the same way, being kind and patient, so why was Starlo different?

“I’m back.” Starlo announced, placing a can of spiced carbonated liquid by Dalv’s side. Dalv watched as Starlo took a swig from his can before wiping any excess from his lips, the action feeling very cowboyish in nature. Dalv had never had this “root beer” before, but he thought it would be worthwhile to try it. Starlo had already opened the can for him, so it was just a matter of taking a small sip. It didn’t taste half bad.

“Hey, is it alright if I tell you something?” Considering you just revealing a lot about you to us, I ought to toss my hat into the ring.” Starlo asked, tipping his hat forward. “Martlet and Ceroba already know, but you don’t, so I might as well tell you.”
“Well, if you’re fine with it.” Dalv shrugged, taking another sip from the can.
“Okay, here goes, nothin’.” Starlo declared, centring himself, before revealing, “I’m not a real cowboy.”
“Really?!” Dalv replied in shock, his eyes wide open.
“I thought it was pretty obvious, to be honest. But, no, this is all an act, I did it for fun, I was not employed by the state or Royal Guard or whatever.” Starlo explained while Dalv continued to stare in disbelief.

“But- but The Feisty Five! You helped deal with crime! I witnessed it! Your badge even says ‘sheriff’!” Dalv exclaimed, utterly dumbfounded.
“Actually, it says “sherrif”. Legally distinct.” Starlo corrected. Dalv looked a little closer to the badge pinned to Starlo’s poncho. Even in the dim lighting, the misspelling was clear. Dalv noted this with a simple “Oh.”
“I half did it to cheer Ceroba up, half to make things a bit more lively around here. Also to maybe prove to myself that I can be more than just a farm boy. Who’s to say?” Starlo continued. “Admittedly, I did get a little reckless, especially when Clover was my deputy for a moment, but that was mostly ‘cause I’m a human expert and I got too excited.”

“Fair enough.” Dalv chipped in. His drink had entirely gone by this point.
“But, I’m still goin’. I’m still making sure this town stays in good shape, and my posse, the Four, they’re still by my side. The townsfolk don’t know I’m a phony, but I’m sure they appreciate some law and order ‘round these parts. Plus, gotta have a role model for the little ones, right? As long as I can pretend to be one and it still inspires them, that’s good enough for good ol’ North Star.”
Dalv smiled, gently placing a hand on Starlo’s shoulder, causing them to lock eyes, before saying, “Well, if it makes you feel any better, you always appeared to be a great sheriff to me, whether or not you were acting.”

Starlo chuckled and replied, “Thanks, partner. I sure do appreciate that.” He didn’t bother moving Dalv’s hand away from his shoulder, letting it linger there for a second or two, before Dalv let go himself. Dalv placed his hand on the handle of his parasol as the two continued to converse of the steps of the saloon well into the night. After the two finally parted so Dalv could go home, Dalv placed a hand on his cheek. As he walked, he noticed that the temperature of it had become incredibly warm.

Chapter Text

Dear whoever is reading this,

I kept my promise. I told them. And they were surprisingly fine with it.

To be quite frank, I was expecting them to ditch me on the spot, so having them completely flip the way I’ve seen it to justify my actions feels weird. Part of wonders if they were just trying to make things a little more holistic, and they still think that I’m in the wrong. But, then again, that’s just what I’ve thought, and from what I’ve seen today, it can differ, so I’m going to try and be optimistic about this whole thing.

I will say, however, that something else has taken over the section of my brain. I don’t think this is a bad thing, but I don’t think it’s good, either. It’s very confusing. After I revealed it and my friends gave their reaction, I ended up sitting in front of the saloon in the Wild East, just to gather my thoughts. Starlo approached me during it, and I ended up spilling about the visions and a bit about my time in the Ruins. Only Star knows about that. I feel like Martlet and Ceroba ought to know as well, but, for the time being, this is just between me and Starlo.

I suppose it was a moment of vulnerability that led to me talking more about it. I mean, I had just exposed the fact I attacked a human. But, at the same time, it also feels like something different contributed to it. The whole time I was pouring my heart out to Starlo, he just listened. He didn’t interrupt or anything, he just sat and listened. I don’t even think he looked away, not even for a second. He was just so attentive throughout the whole thing. And he even offered some words of comfort after I finished talking, before buying me a drink and sitting with me outside because I didn’t want to go into the saloon because it was too loud.

He's just been so considerate towards me. Sometimes, I feel like I’m bombarding him with requests, and I do feel bad about it, but he just does it. He doesn’t complain about it, and any time I try to apologise, he assures me it’s fine. I keep thinking back to when we first met, before we’d properly gotten to know each other, when I was burning up in the Dunes due to the swelterstone and he protected me with shade from his own clothes. Just so I could be comfortable and not in pain while taking a short walk up to Ceroba’s house. All these little things he’s done for me, I remember. Yes, Martlet and Ceroba have also done a bunch for me, and I greatly appreciate that, too, it just feels different with Starlo. More warm, more comforting.

It has crossed my mind that this feeling might be love. I’m not entirely sure it is, but it’s crossed my mind. After I started walking home, I could feel myself blushing. However, this might have just been a feeling of joy or appreciation rather than love. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve even experienced love before. I did have a couple of school crushes when I was a teenager, but I was always too shy to act on them, so I never got to experience what love truly felt like. In retrospect, those crushes I had as a teen were both men, so it could explain why I don’t feel the same way for Martlet and Ceroba even though they do the same things for me as Starlo. Still, I don’t know if I want to believe it’s love just yet. I need to be sure.

At some point in the near future, I’ll organise a hangout session with Starlo. I hope it would be one-on-one, but if others get involved, it wouldn’t bother me too much. I just need to focus on my feelings in the moment, see if it truly is what I suspect it might be. If it is love, there’ll be a lot for me to figure out, but I’ll just leave it to future Dalv to sort. I’ve got to digest everything from today before I can bring love into the mix. Today’s been emotional enough.

Yours truthfully,

Dalv Relapmi

Chapter Text

After completing the letter, Dalv set it aside, piling it on top of the others, leaving him staring into space while sat at his desk. He exhaled slowly, leaning forward and propping his head up with his left hand. It was silent, except for the sound of Dalv tapping the pen he was writing with against the wooden desk. Besides the neat stack of letters in the corner of the desk, there were many drawings strewn about, each one coloured in neatly with a vibrant display across them. Dalv had been surprisingly productive tonight, eager to occupy his mind. All of this drawing and writing was done with the aim of distraction, since Dalv knew that as soon as he went to sleep, he would have to face his fears head-on.

While they remained hopeful that spilling the details about his past would make the dreams go away, there was no telling whether that was the truth. It was dawning on him that his efforts may have been futile, and he might still be plagued with nightmares from that day. Sat at his desk, Dalv silently contemplated his actions. He couldn’t just stay up all night – he would feel horrible in the morning and he would still have to go to sleep the next day anyhow. The only way for this to be solved would be to go to bed and tackle it. Mustering up every bit of courage he had, Dalv pushed the chair out from behind the desk, gliding against the floor, and prepared to have either the best or worst night’s sleep ever.

Just before he went to fight his nightmares, Dalv sat on his mattress, legs dangling off the edge and hunched over slightly, wondering if this was even a good idea at all. He wrapped his arms across his torso, trying to find a way to quell the growing uneasy nausea in his stomach. As his nervousness grew, he could feel his heart beating; it wasn’t racing, but it was strong enough that they could hear it echo in his head. Dalv couldn’t understand why this nervousness was so overpowering, surely this would be over and done with as soon as he closed his eyes. Yet, there was the lingering thought. This wasn’t going to be magically undone. They were going to be haunted for the rest of their days, and there was nothing he could do about it. Still, there was no way for him to tell without going to sleep, so he rolled onto his side, pulled the duvet over him, and closed his eyes, ready to tackle this, once and for all.

Contrary to prior dreams of this nature, the opening to it was perfectly clear. Dalv and Kanako were walking in the snow, a little bit off the beaten track. No snow fell from above, but a cold wind blew past the pair, whistling in his ears. Kanako was casually talking as she ambled alongside Dalv. He couldn’t tell what she was saying, but it sounded cheery nonetheless. The area was still. Too still. Disaster could strike at any moment. This would normally be the time where things would start to turn blue. And yet, it didn’t. Dalv continued to advance forward with Kanako in tow, just waiting for something bad to happen.

Dalv looked up from the snowy paths – he had been watching his step since he feared his uneasiness would make him fall. In front of them stood the human, dressed in the same pink tutu and ballet slippers, facing away from Kanako and Dalv. They didn’t turn around when the sound of walking came to an abrupt stop. All of the sudden, like a bolt out of the blue, Dalv gained a small bit of consciousness. Not enough that he could wake up, but enough that he could think, do actions, and speak coherently and his dream self would copy. He sighed, knowing that this was something he had wanted to say for a long time. For once, he didn’t lift his cloak to protect Kanako from an attack, but he spoke directly to the human.

“I know why you’re here.” Dalv began. The human showed no sign of reaction. “For years, I’ve been… blaming myself entirely, giving myself this heavy burden, letting it get to me for a long time.”
Slowly, Dalv took a step forward. And another. And another. He solely advanced towards the human. Kanako followed curiously behind, listening to his every word, visible out of the corner of Dalv’s eye.
Dalv continued. “I know that I did wrong when I attacked you first. That’s something I’m going to carry for the rest of my life. But, I also believe that I’ve redeemed myself in recent times. I don’t know if you know about Clover, but… they were a great kid. They helped me. They helped me redeem my past wrongdoings instead of wallowing in them further.”

Dalv was stood behind the human by this point. The human had relaxed their stance by this point, no longer willing to put up a fight.
“I think we were both just scared people that met at the wrong time. I know that this probably won’t reverse much, but… please, take this as a token of friendship. I believe this action means the same for humans.” Dalv concluded.
The human turned around upon hearing this. Their face was no longer a gaping hole of static; it was a face – a real one, showing the emotion of a nervous yet volatile human. They glanced down, to see Dalv’s hand stretched out, offering a handshake. The human hesitated at first, but they shakily raised their hand to meet Dalv’s. As soon as contact between them was made, Dalv woke up.

He didn’t jolt up. He didn’t have his eyes flick wide open. Mis breathing wasn’t fast. His heartbeat was slow. Dalv just fluttered their eyes open calmly, bundled up in his bedsheets and, while not feeling well-rested, he didn’t feel tired either. He glanced over at the analogue clock on his bedside table. It was morning. Not the middle of the night. Morning. Sleepily, Dalv smiled to himself. That wasn’t a nightmare at all. If anything, that was a resolution. He was aware that this was far from the end of his trauma. Him and the apparition of the human would have to co-exist in his brain. But, Dalv took comfort in the fact that they had at least resolved a small piece of the puzzle.

Chapter Text

Dalv didn’t know what to expect when walking into the Dunes for the second time in a week. Starlo didn’t even know that Dalv would be making a visit, and Dalv normally liked to plan things out rather than do things spontaneously. It was mostly just to see how Starlo would react to his unexpected arrival, but would he be fine with Dalv showing up completely unannounced? Wait, stop. Dalv was just overthinking things. Even if he was busy, he was sure that there would be time for them to hang out at some point. This was just for Dalv to analyse their own feelings, not Starlo’s. Suddenly, as Dalv walked into the town square, a voice shouted out, echoing past the buildings.

“YEEEEEEE-HAAAAAAAW!”

Undoubtedly, that was Starlo. Dalv’s ear flinched and he jumped a little when the sound rang out past him. They looked to their right, where the sound was coming from. Starlo was indeed there, the Feisty Four behind him, and stood in front of all of them was Axis, a bandana tied around where the neck normally would be and a cowboy hat on top of his flat metal head. Dalv chuckled quietly at this. Maybe Axis was undergoing cowboy training? As Dalv strolled closer, he could hear the conversation a lot better. Starlo said to Axis, “You see, you say ‘yee-haw’ to celebrate or rally everyone up before some big venture, this has gotta be big. You gotta put your whole body into it. Like this, watch.”

Starlo cleared his throat, and, in the exact same voice as before, yelled out in an overjoyed tone, “YEEEEEEE-HAAAAAAAW!” Dalv didn’t flinch this time, since he knew that the loud noise would be happening. Starlo did indeed put his whole body into it, crouching down in the “yee” and extending and pumping his fist on the “haw”.
“See? Like that. You try!” Starlo prompted.

“YEE-HAW.” Axis attempted, barely moving his body and quickly raising his hand upwards. It didn’t exactly have the same gusto that Starlo had.
“Eh… we’ll work on it later, OK?” Starlo suggested. This clearly wasn’t Axis’ first attempt at a yee-haw.

“Am I… am I interrupting anything?” Dalv asked timidly. Everyone grouped together turned to face him, suddenly alerted by a fresh voice. Starlo looked slightly taken aback, but his smile grew upon seeing Dalv.
“Oh, howdy, Dalv! Wasn’t expecting to see you ‘round these parts today.” Starlo waved. At least he seems happy to see me, Dalv thought.
“Yeah, I didn’t tell you I was coming, but you’re always trying to get me to be a bit more spontaneous, so… I figured this would be a good place to start, haha…” Dalv attempted to joke. He was painfully aware of how nervous he sounded, but he hoped Starlo wouldn’t notice.
“Well, you’re welcome to join us, you’re not interrupting anything. In fact, this is just beginning. Check this out!” Starlo mentioned, gesturing to Axis. “We’ve got another posse member in training, ready to take down no-good criminals with the power of robot stuff!”

“HELLO, PURPLE NON-HUMAN. I AM NOW A REAL COW BOY. I SEE NO COWS, HOWEVER. THIS MUST BE AN OVERSIGHT.” Axis remarked.
“It’s just a name, Axis. Cowboys never seem to work with cows.” Moray mentioned from the back of the posse.
“Now, what’s one thing that’s always synonymous with cowboys? Guns.” Starlo explained, guiding Axis over to a guideline with a stuffed dummy wearing a cowboy hat was stood aimlessly. “Now, you see that dummy over there? This is just a quick marksmanship test. All you need is a gun. I would buy you one from Blackjack, but him and I are… kinda on shaky terms. I don’t think he’d let me in after last time. So, you’ll have to borrow one of ours…”

“NO NEED. I CAN FIRE PROJECTILES OF MY OWN.” Axis replied, going up to the line and preparing to fire.
“O-oh! Great. Well then, fire away.” Starlo said, walking backwards towards the Feisty Four. Dalv decided to take a few paces back as well, just in case. Instead of firing a few tiny projectiles, Axis, much to everyone’s shock, started charging an energy ball above his head, before launching it at the dummy with both hands. A small explosion was made when the projectile landed, causing the dummy to be reduced to a plie of ash in the middle of a charred circle. Axis turned around, looking proud, oblivious to the wide eyes and fearful looks on everyone’s faces, and asked innocently, “LIKE THAT?”

“Uhhhh… yep! Just like that! Good job, Axis!” Starlo answered, sounding nervous. Quickly, he turned to Ace and whispered hurriedly, “Ace, make sure you get a new dummy soon.”
“Will we still be doing the duel, boss?” Ed asked, still in hushed tones.
“NO. No duals today. No duals with Axis at all. I am not going up against that.” Starlo answered firmly.
“You’re still pronouncing it wrong.” Mooch pointed out.
“I’m panicked! You expect me to focus on pronunciation?!” Starlo exclaimed, still whispering. He then announced to everyone, “OK, everyone, let’s take five. Axis, when you want to start again, let me know.”
“UNDERSTOOD. STARTING TIMER FOR FIVE MINUTES.” Axis declared, standing still. Somewhat content with this, Starlo walked towards Dalv and led him away from the others.

“Okay, full disclosure, I did not expect Axis to do that. Sorry, that came as a bit of a shock to me too.” Starlo apologised.
“It’s fine, Starlo. Maybe if you get him trying to use an actual gun next time?” Dalv suggested.
“Yeah, I might have to do that.” Starlo agreed, coming to a stop by the bell tower, wiping some sweat off his forehead using his poncho, taking extra care not to take his hat off. Starlo never seemed to take his hat off, Dalv noted. Maybe it was to keep up the mysterious aspect of him. That wasn’t to say Dalv disliked the mysterious side to Starlo, he liked it very much, but he also liked the sweeter side to him, the one that didn’t need to be masked, even though Starlo had never taken his hat off in front of Dalv yet.

“You know, it was Axis’ idea to try out this whole cowboy thing. You know when Martlet and I showed him around the Wild East?” Starlo mentioned.
Dalv nodded. Starlo continued, “Well, apparently, he got so convinced to try out being a cowboy that it was basically all he would talk about. So, Ceroba got me to show him the world of cowboys. In her words, I’m babysitting a robot. I’m just going through the motions at the moment, doing training stuff. He’s got the style, he’s armed – clearly – and I’m skipping over the dual- sorry, duel. The Four’s been getting on at me about how I pronounce it. Duel. Doo-el. Need to remember that.”

Dalv laughed quietly at this. In turn, Starlo chuckled alongside him, smiling endearingly at Dalv. Dalv loved how Starlo always seemed to be smiling. Whether it was a confident smile, a joyful smile, a surprised smile, or a kind smile, he always seemed to be smiling. It made Dalv smile as well. It was infectious. It also gave Dalv a warm feeling inside themselves. Not an uncomfortable warmth like the Dunes, but a cosy one, one that felt like a hug on the inside. When Dalv saw that smile, he could feel his chest grow warm and a blush would flood to his cheeks. He felt it happen when Starlo laughed, and Dalv started to think as his body involuntarily reacted in this way. Maybe this was an indicator of some kind. An indicator of something bigger. And yet, Dalv just couldn’t get it.

Chapter Text

Axis was able to find where Starlo was waiting, exactly five minutes later, declaring, “I AM READY TO START AGAIN.” With breaktime over, Starlo summoned the Feisty Four members to the town centre, all of them crowding around Axis.
“Right, Axis, time for your next challenge!” Starlo announced. “Now, we’ve had to cut out our original plan due to… unforeseen circumstances… anyway, is there anything cowboyish you can think of that you wanna do?”
“I SCANNED MY MEMORY FILES FOR COWBOY RELATED THINGS DURING OUR BREAK. I WANT TO LEARN HOW TO USE A LASSO. MY KNOWLEDGE STATES THAT IT IS USED TO APPREHEND OTHERS, AND WHILE IT IS KINDA POINTLESS FOR ME SINCE I AM FAST, I STILL WANT TO LEARN BECAUSE I THINK IT LOOKS COOL. IN FACT, COWBOYS ARE ACTUALLY REALLY [flipping] COOL.”

“Ha! They sure are, Axis. Good to see you share my point of view.” Starlo replied, advancing towards Axis and patting his hat that sat loosely on Axis’ head. “Now, I’ve had a bit of practice with a lasso before, so I can teach ya. Does anybody else here know how to use a lasso? Just to provide extra feedback, for Axis and me. I ain’t exactly the best teacher.”
Starlo’s only response was silence. A tumbleweed even rolled by, not waving, really driving the answer home.
“Ooooooookay. Well, Axis, looks like it’ll be a one-on-one lesson. You guys can just hang about for a bit.” Starlo concluded. He turned to Dalv, looking incredibly apologetic, before saying, “I’m sorry, Dalv, I know you came to see me, but-“
“Starlo, honestly, it’s fine. I’ll get to know these guys while you’re off teaching Axis. I don’t mind, honestly.” Dalv replied, not realising he was repeating himself. Starlo gave a small smile and tipped his hat before walking away with Axis right behind him.

After Starlo left, Dalv was left with the sudden and harrowing realisation that these feelings towards Starlo may be more than what he originally anticipated. He recalled how fast his heart was beating during that small interaction the two had at the break. He recalled the warm feeling in his chest at seeing his smile. He was still blushing now, trying to hide it using the shade from his parasol. But, he didn’t hide it well enough. The Four had been noticing how Dalv acted around Starlo, and they picked up fairly quickly about Dalv’s feelings before Dalv himself even realised. They all exchanged glances between each other as they saw Dalv’s blushing face, until Mooch checked that Starlo would be out of earshot, turned to Dalv and asked, “You like him, don’t you?”

“I- wha- huh?!” Dalv stammered, startled at this sudden question.
“Mooch! At least try and be subtle with it!” Moray exclaimed, scolding Mooch.
“Well, one of us was going to have to ask him! We were all thinking it!” Mooch retorted.
“Hold on a second. How did you guys even come to this conclusion?” Dalv interrogated, feeling somewhat annoyed at being put on the spot about his romantic life.
“Well, you’re not exactly being subtle about it. You’re lucky Star’s oblivious to stuff like this.” Ace explained with a shrug.
“Well, I don’t appreciate you putting me on the spot like this! I’m still figuring things out, and you’re just flinging stuff like love at me!” Dalv scowled.
“Yeah, give him some space, guys. It doesn’t matter if we all think it, Dalv’s opinion on how he feels is the most important.” Ed ordered, trying to mediate the situation.

“Thanks, Ed. Jeez.” Dalv sighed. He sank to sit on one of the small bits of rock that jutted out from the bell tower, holding the parasol in a way that draped him in shadow. He looked down at the floor while the Four were quiet. Timidly, Dalv asked in a quiet voice, “Do you really think it’s… love?”
“It looks like it to us.” Moray shrugged. Dalv sighed and muttered, “I’ve been wondering if it’s that. I’ve been struggling to tell what my own emotions are ever since I left the Ruins. I mean, I’ve gone from having no friends to four friends in a short amount of time, and I just… it’s hard for me to tell between friendship and more than that.”

Moray walked closer to Dalv and knelt on the hot sand, their face getting slightly covered by the shade of Dalv’s parasol.
“I get that. Love can be hard to distinguish from friendship. And, don’t get me wrong, you and Starlo also have a great friendship. Friendship and love can also coincide with each other, which muddies the water a little bit, but, if you want my personal opinion, judging by how you’ve been acting around Starlo… I’d say it’s love.” Moray explained, their voice calm and analytical. Dalv raised his head slowly to look at the others, and asked them, “Do you guys think so as well?”
Dalv got nodding and vague noises of agreement in response.

Dalv sighed and returned to looking at the ground. He felt like he had just been peer-assessed, and he didn’t know how to feel about it. This was confirmation that it was love.
“It’s just… whenever I’m with Starlo… it’s different to when I’m with Martlet or Ceroba. I always feel like being with Starlo more. I know that sounds awful, but I can’t help but feel different around him. Somehow, I’m more open with him, I’m not as shy, I tell him things nobody else knows about me. Yet, at the same time, I can be even more nervous around him, I’m always blushing and I can feel my heart beat faster. Does love… make you feel like that?”

“Yup. See? I was right.” Mooch answered, before clocking the shiny golden badge Dalv was wearing. “Hey, isn’t that the badge Starlo got you?”
Dalv looked down. Pinned to his white shirt was the golden badge of a bat, the same place where a sheriff’s badge would go.
“Hm? Oh, yeah. I just wanted to wear it because, you know, Starlo got this for me and I just wanted to show I appreciate it and-“ Dalv explained, before getting cut off by Ace, who mentioned, “I’m gonna be honest, Dalv, the call’s coming from inside the house. It’s pretty obvious that you like him.”

Dalv immediately stopped talking about the badge and swiftly changed the subject, “What about Starlo? What’s he like with romance? I mean, you guys probably know him better than I do.”
“Eh… how do I put this?” Ed muttered, slightly concerning Dalv. “Starlo is… apprehensive towards love. You see, he used to have a crush on Ceroba-“
“He used to have a crush on Ceroba?” Dalv asked, confused.
“You didn’t know that?” Ed responded. Dalv shook his head. Ed continued, “Huh. Well, you don’t need to worry about it, it was a long time ago and he’s moved on since then. Anyway, he had a really big crush on her, but he never acted on it. When Ceroba got married to her husband, Starlo was so devastated that he locked himself in his room for three days.”

“But I’m not planning to reject him.” Dalv countered.
“Well, yes, but I’m just saying Starlo has an avoidant approach to love. So, my advice? Confess first. If you wait for him, it’ll never happen.” Ed concluded.
“Oh… ok. Thanks, guys.” Dalv said, still not knowing how to feel. They felt simultaneously confused at how his emotions towards Star were just revealed, but also comforted knowing he had some people to help him out. A couple minutes later, Starlo returned to where everyone else is, dragging Axis along, who had somehow gotten tangled up in the lasso.
“Okay, we’re wrapping up the third task for now. Can you guys just help Axis out here?” Starlo asked, starting to pull at the ropes. Everyone immediately got to work, including Dalv, who stood right next to Starlo. At least he could figure out how he felt now. In his head, Dalv started forming his plan on how to tell Starlo how he felt. He didn’t like the idea of him confessing, but if Starlo wasn’t going to budge, the confessing would have to be done by him.

Chapter Text

Martlet was great for getting Dalv out of his shell more. Dalv was still pretty shy on the whole, but Martlet’s more sociable nature meant that the two of them ended up hanging out outside of just going to each other’s houses. Occasionally, they would walk into Snowdin Town for the day, mostly to do a bit of shopping, but also just to appreciate the whimsy and cosiness of the town. On this particular day, the two went into town so that Martlet could return an overdue book to the library (and getting a very light scolding from the librarian) and also treating themselves to a Cinnamon Bunny. They walked back home through the snowy paths, crunching as they stepped on it, leaving tracks as they advanced.

While the two were out, more snow started to fall a bit heavier from the roof of the Underground. For the only place in the Underground that technically had weather (besides the sandstorms in the Dunes, but they were artificially made), it wasn’t always pleasant weather. Feeling snow start to pile up around them and feeling more cold seep into their bodies, the two sped up their pace. Martlet’s house was the closest, where they would be able to get warm and fend off the cold of outside. They saw the glow of Martlet’s cabin through the trees, their speedwalk turning to a run as they dashed to the door, Martlet being careful not to drop the bag of Cinnamon Bunnies. Once inside, the two laughed together at their venture while Martlet cranked up the heat and started making some hot chocolate.

Martlet’s cabin was the epitome of cosy. Dalv thought his little shack was cosy, but Martlet brought it up to a whole new level. Dalv took a seat on her sofa, a sofa so comfy that it felt like they’d sink into the cushions and be stuck there. Dalv also helped themselves to one of the many blankets draped over the sofa, feeling the heat return to his body. Martlet soon swooped over, holding two mugs of steaming hot chocolate in her right wing and a plate with the Cinnamon Bunnies placed on them in the other. She attempted to make them look nice by arranging them in a pattern, but her sliding in caused the pattern to shift a little. After Martlet placed the treats on the coffee table, she got herself comfy too, and her and Dalv started getting lost in conversation, wiling the afternoon away.

“Oh, I never asked, did you read that book I suggested to you?” Martlet innocently asked, holding a half-eaten Cinnamon Bunny in her wing.
“Yeah… I read it, but… it wasn’t the best, to be honest.” Dalv answered. The day where he read the book lingered in the back of his mind, a reminder of his true nature. He didn’t want to admit to Martlet that the book caused him to spiral and have an identity crisis, so he skirted around the topic. He kept quiet about the intrusive thoughts of biting people he was getting.
“Oh… sorry, Dalv. I thought it might be a good thing to help…” Martlet apologised, looking sincere.
“It’s fine, I promise.” Dalv quickly responded.

The two relaxed in silence for a short while, continuing to snack on their Cinnamon Bunnies and just enjoying each other’s company. After a while, Dalv asked nervously, “Hey, Martlet, is it alright fi I tell you something?”
“Uh… yeah, of course!” Martlet replied, slightly caught off guard.
“Promise me you won’t tell anyone?” Dalv asked, pointing at Martlet.
“I promise.” Martlet replied, leaning in closer. Dalv looked around to check nobody was listening (despite the fact that they were the only two people in the house), before whispering to Martlet, “I have a crush on Starlo.”

“Oooh! I’ve never been trusted with a crush secret before!” Martlet excitedly remarked. “I mean, I’ve been trusted with other secrets, but never something as big as this!”
“Is it really that big of a deal?” Dalv asked, getting slightly nervous.
“Probably not, it’s just me getting excited, haha…” Martlet replied.
“Well, whether or not you’ve been in a relationship before, I just need a little bit of advice.” Dalv mentioned.

“Hm. I’ve not really been in a proper relationship, per se, but I did ask a girl out to prom back in high school.” Martlet mused.
“Did it work?” Dalv asked, intrigued.
“Well, she accepted, but she left me to be with her friends for most of the night, so I’ll let you be the judge of that.” Martlet sheepishly admitted.
“Well, I just need some advice on how to confess to him, so I’ll say that you were successful;.” Dalv responded with a slight smile.
“Oh, perfect! Let me just think about what I did, it was a long time ago after all…” Martlet pondered.

After a moment of thinking, Martlet proclaimed, “OK, I remember now. I think I just went up to her and I went, ‘Hey! You wanna… you wanna go to prom with me? Maybe? Please?’ I mean, I was pretty dorky in high school, and I’m obviously paraphrasing here, but I think it went that way and I can’t say it didn’t work.”
“Well, do you think a straightforward approach would work for Starlo?” Dalv asked, picking up his hot chocolate off the coffee table.
“I’d say so. Starlo’s a pretty straightforward guy.” Martlet shrugged.
“Hm.” Dalv nodded, warming his hands up with his hot chocolate. After a brief moment of silence, Dalv admitted, “I’m nervous, Martlet. I’ve never really dealt with romance before, and I’m the one that needs to confess.”

“Why you? Why does it have to be you?” Martlet questioned, taking her last bite of her Cinnamon Bunny.
“Because if Starlo confesses, it’ll never happen. He dwells on stuff like this until it’s too late. I’m gonna be the one to break the silence between us.” Dalv explained, sounding a bit irate.
“Well, if that’s the case… I think you just need to get it done.” Martlet suggested. “When you’re ready, of course. But, obviously, don’t dwell on it. Once those words leave your mouth, that’ll be it. I can’t predict the outcome, but just get it over and done with and you’ll be sorted.”
“OK. Thanks, Martlet.” Dalv thanked. Martlet picked up her mug, nodded, and the two clinked them together in a moment of solidarity.

Chapter Text

Dear whomever is reading this,

Okay, so I’m definitely in love with Starlo.

I should have probably realised it sooner. Apparently, it was obvious I was crushing on him in the first place. Well, that’s what the Feisty Four told me. To be fair, being socially awkward all your life and also isolating yourself for over a year does make it hard for you to hide your emotions. Still, I never realised how obvious I was being. Apparently, Starlo’s pretty oblivious when it comes to love, so that might be a reason why I never noticed my actions. Again, this information was gleamed from the Feisty Four.

They gave me a bit of relationship advice and actually made me confront my feelings. They way they did it was a little unorthodox, but it did work. They did help me realise how I felt about him in the end, so I suppose I kinda owe them. Also, they dropped the bombshell that I would be the one confessing, since Starlo’s bad at expressing his feelings. I’m bad at expressing my feelings! This is going to be a disaster, I can feel it. So, since I was given that information, I’ve been planning meticulously what to say. I still know I’m probably gonna mess it up somehow. Why must this burden be mine to handle?

Also, another thing. I don’t even know if Starlo would like me in the first place. I mean, he obviously likes me as a friend, but would he even be attracted to me? I suppose the Feisty Four didn’t show any objection to me wanting to court him, but maybe they were just trying to entertain the thought of me dating him. Well, I’m sure if Starlo wasn’t attracted to someone like me, the Four would make it incredibly obvious. Maybe I shouldn’t worry about it too much. I mean, when I was hanging out with Martlet the other day, she mentioned how she asked a girl to prom. To be honest, I wasn’t as surprised as I thought when I heard that. I suppose people of our kind would find each other.

Martlet also gave me some advice, saying to act sooner rather than later, which I understand. From what the Feisty Four told me, Starlo dwells on his feelings, so I do not want to be doing that. Still, I’d prefer to have some time to get some stuff together rather than spring it onto both of us. I’m still rather uneasy with stuff like this. I don’t even know what to say. I’ve been considering so many things – being straightforward with it, being mysterious, telling him through a letter (kind of like this one, haha), anything. I know one thing for sure – I want Starlo to be his true self. I don’t want North Star and his confident persona, I want him to be Starlo – considerate and kind.

Tomorrow, I’m heading over to Ceroba’s house to try and fish for inspiration and trying to find out how to approach this. It seems silly that it’s taken this long for me to talk to Ceroba about it. I mean, she’s had the most experience with love, she’s been married, for goodness’ sake. I’m sure she’ll be able to give me the best advice, foxes do tend to have the most wisdom. However, I don’t think I should mention that it’s Starlo. Her and Starlo have known each other since childhood, and Starlo used to have a crush on her (apparently, that’s what Ed told me). I have no clue if she was aware of this crush, but I still think it’s best if I leave the nature of who I like a mystery. Gosh, there’s so much for me to do. Love is hard work.

Yours truthfully,

Dalv Relapmi