Disclaimer: this chapter has references to sensitive subjects such as self-harm and insanity. If you are sensitive to mentions of these subjects, read at your own risk.

Okay, quick question: do you guys like the characters I put into the story (ex. Ambrosia, Vegas, Ben), or do you think that they take away from the overall "Undertale" feel of the book? Please be honest. I like them, I think they add to my storyline and make it more interesting, but I'm worried I'm turning this book into an Ask-Frisk-and-Company situation... ;(

I don't think you're cute!!! I think you're ADORABLE ✨✨

*dies of cute*

Claire: (cute blush) Aww, you're too sweet!

Nah, mate. I ain't puttin' out no joint. *sticks out tongue like a 5 year old*

*GRABS JOINT FROM TURTLE*
TURTLE, NO
IM DOING THE ALL CAPS CHALLENGE

I'm almost 100% sure it's Turtle.

*insert evil laughter here*

Claire: (death-stare intensifies) Put. It. Out.

Ah fudge here come the shippers-

NEW SHIP

Frisk: Wtf, I'm dating Azzy o-o

Claire: We're just friends! ^^; And who's Azzy?

Frisk ur such a bean and I love you

Frisk: (le cute blush) Aww, you're too sweet! >w<

"I love children" pffff- HAHAHDBHhshhsbshv))€|!> PeDo!
I'm sorry.
*goes back to the mental asylum*

Toriel: (doesn't know how to respond) (wtf.jpeg)

Nu don't be sad dad!
(Asgore you are now my dad deal with it)

Asgore: (smiles sweetly) I have no problem with that.

Oh, Gaster. I know you can't resist good ol' fluffy boi ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Gaster: (blushes, covers his face) nO stOp thiS iS humiLiATiNg— >\\\~\\\<

Asgore: (doesn't get it) Gaster, are you okay?

* Ooo, he dropped the title~

KEEP FLIRTING DADSTER
TORIEL SHIPS IT

Toriel: (watching from a camera Flowey gave her) HEHEHEHE

GO GASTER! GO GET YOUR MAN! DONT LET YOUR DREAMS BE DREAMS GASTER!

Gaster: (can't lie for shit) Flirting, what? Pff, no, that's nonsense—

Asgore: (smirks and rolls his eyes, putting a hand on the scientist's shoulder) Gaster, you're a bad liar.

Gaster: (turns entirely purple) Wait--

* Asgore turns his head and kisses him on the mouth, tripling the skeleton's heart rate. A few seconds later, he pulls away and smiles a bit. Smooth bastard.

Toriel: (fangirling x1000)

Gaster: (in shock, blush metre at full capacity) ...wow...

* After a few seconds, the skeleton hugs the king again, surprising him, but he hugs back.

* Papyrus is treading back to the house, his clothes splattered with blood and an unconscious Sans in his arms.

*6 years later*
Pap: WHY THE FUCK YOU LYIN? WHY YOU ALWAYS LYIN'? STOP FUCKING LYIN'!

Papyrus: (looks down at his brother) (his voice is almost flat) He does lie a lot, but he tells the truth when it matters.

*hugs*
*many hugs for pap*
*hugs him into proper therapy*
*because*
*hugs can't cure depression*

Papyrus: (tries to look confused and struggle free, then sighs and hugs back tightly) I overreacted back there, big time... I'm just really protective of my friends.. and with someone as fragile as Sans, he could die with one strong blow... (tearing up a bit, hugs the asker and his unconscious brother tighter) ...things will get better. Ambrosia's learned her lesson, I know it.

* You ask why he's so paranoid. He averts his eyes, so you ask again.

Papyrus: (sighs, rubbing his eyesockets) It's a sensitive subject, but if you insist...

Papyrus: A while back, a few years after Dad died, me and Sans got into a huge fight, because he beat up some bullies who picked on me earlier that day, when I asked him specifically not to hurt them. We found out later that he almost killed one of them, and I got so mad that I must have yelled at him for five minutes straight without stopping to catch my breath. I was 12 at the time, so I didn't listen to him when he tried to explain that he was just trying to protect me. After I exhausted my breath, I just grabbed a box of cereal and closed myself in my room until he went to bed.

Papyrus: I was so mad at him because not only had he ignored my request, but because one of the bullies was a past friend of mine, Catty. Even with how she treated me, I still cared about her, because I knew she was nice. I still do care about her, we're friends again now, but she was just hanging out with the wrong crowd. Sans broke her collarbone. I couldn't get that out of my head... so I filled my backpack with my things and ditched him in the middle of the night. I left him a note on the counter, and I can still remember what I wrote...

—RETURN OF FLASHBACK—

* 19-year-old Sans gets out of bed at about 7:15 AM, not being able to fall back asleep after forgetting to turn off his alarm clock the previous night.

Sans: (walks down to his brother's room and knocks on the door) Papyrus...? (waits a few seconds for a response) Paps, come on... I'm sorry about what happened, I was only doing it because I didn't want them to hurt you... please open the door...

* When he doesn't respond, he opens the door, scared when he's not there. He quickly heads downstairs, and sees a folded paper addressed "SANS" on the side table. He opens it...

Note:
"HEY SANS.
I BET YOU'RE WONDERING WHERE I AM... IF YOU EVEN CARE, WHICH I DOUBT YOU DO. I ASKED YOU SPECIFICALLY NOT TO HURT THOSE KIDS. AND WHAT DID YOU DO? YOU SHRUGGED IT OFF AND BEAT THE HELL OUT OF THEM ANYWAY. CATTY NEARLY DIED BECAUSE OF YOUR IGNORANCE, DOMIC. SHE WAS MY FRIEND. SHE'S JUST HANGING OUT WITH THE WRONG PEOPLE. I KNOW SHE'S NICE, BECAUSE SHE USED TO BE NICE TO ME ALL THE TIME. YOU PUT YOUR OWN BOTTLED-UP ANGER OVER THE SAFETY OF ANOTHER PERSON. I NEVER THOUGHT YOU WOULD DO THAT, BUT HEY, WHAT DO I KNOW?

SEE YOU NEVER.

—PAPYRUS"

Sans: Ohhhhhhhhh no... ohhhhh nononononono... PAPYRUS!

—FLASHBACK OVER—

Papyrus: I slept in the alley the night I left. I didn't want him finding me. In the morning, I knew he'd be looking for me, so I decided to crash at a friend's place. Called Undyne, no answer. Called Alphys, no answer. After trying a few more friends of mine, Catty was the one who picked up.

—FLASHBACK TO PHONE CONVERSATION—

Papyrus: (hiding in a Snowdin alleyway, calling Catty) Pick up pick up pick up...

* 14-year-old Catty picks up the phone on the third ring.

Catty: Hello?

Papyrus: (sounds tired) Hey, Catty...

Catty: (shocked) ...Papyrus...?

Papyrus: Yeah, it's me... listen, I need a favour...

Catty: I'll do anything. I'm so sorry about what I did...

Papyrus: Hey, no hard feelings. It was my fault for telling my brother, not yours. Anyway, can I... crash at your place for a bit...? I... don't want to see my brother for a while, after he hurt you so badly.

Catty: Of course you can. You know my address. I'll be waiting at the door for you.

Papyrus: Thank you... but can you promise me something...?

Catty: Sure. What do you need?

Papyrus: No matter what happens, do not tell Sans where I am.

Catty: (hesitates) ... (sighs) I promise I won't say a word. See you soon, Papyrus.

Papyrus: Thank you so much... see you there...

* He hangs up, picks up his backpack, pulls his scarf up to cover his mouth, tightens it, and heads to Waterfall.

(A/N: i'm totally putting the brothers' backstory into its own book)

—RETURNING TO PRESENT DAY—

Papyrus: When I got to her house in Waterfall, she was waiting at the door like she promised. She had a neck brace on, and I felt so bad... Bratty was there too, since they were roommates even back then, and that was actually the second or third time I had ever even seen her. They were both super nice to me, and Bratty even gave me her bed. She slept on the couch. That afternoon, I was reported missing on the news, and Sans was apparently freaking out. Catty held up her promise, though...

* He looks down.

Papyrus: Two years.

Papyrus: I was classified as missing for two full years. About a month before I turned 14, they had given up looking for me.. and declared me dead. Sans, Undyne, Alphys, even Asgore knew I was missing. The entire Underground thought I was dead.

Papyrus: Nobody bothered to check with Catty and Bratty, which was good for me. I had Sans' number blocked from my contacts, along with all of his friends. Catty and Bratty had been home-schooling me, so I wasn't missing out on education. I was actually pretty far ahead, since they were 2 years older than me. It was mid-morning, just a week after my 14th birthday, when I turned on the news for updates, and saw that 21-year-old Sans had been hospitalized after being found unconscious and unresponsive at home.

Papyrus: (starting to tear up again) They checked his system, and found that he had taken too many antidepressants at once. They didn't even know if it was by accident or on purpose... he was alive, but not by much, and he woke up a little while after getting to the hospital... I felt like such a jerk, so I went to see him... the check-in lady saw my face, and she nearly passed out. Imagine seeing a 14-year-old kid, who'd been missing for 2 years and was recently presumed dead looking up at you from behind the counter, asking to see his big brother, who he ran away from in the middle of the night. Needless to say, she brought me to him without any further questions, and the first thing I did was drop my backpack, run up to Sans and hug him so tightly that the nurse thought I was going to snap him in half. He thought he was crazy for a minute, then hugged me back.

Papyrus: We were both crying, and when he asked where I'd been, I just said it wasn't important. He got out of the hospital about a week later, and we both went home. I unblocked him and his friends, and me, Catty and Bratty have all sworn never to bring up my little hideaway around anyone but each other. Only a few weeks after my 15th birthday, Frisk fell down the mountain, and we all know what happened from there. A few weeks after Asriel failed to break the barrier, before this book started, Dad got brought back, and it was one of the happiest days of our lives. Sans told him all about what had happened all the years that he was gone — keep in mind, he had been dead for six years now — and something tells me that he already knew. Then, fast-forward a few months, and... well, here we are! (chuckles a bit, trying to look positive) Unconscious Sans, relatively content Dadster, and me having mercilessly attacked my brother's captor like a fucking sadistic psychopath...

* He looks down at Sans, checking his breathing before sighing a bit and continuing along the path.

*backs away looking alarmed* PaPY OH GOD OH GOD *leaps on him in a attempt to hold him down and not kill anymore* DON'T KILL EVERYTHING IS FINE *takes the rest of the pills from him*

Papyrus: (starts talking really fast and panicky) Nothing is fine, nothing's ever going to be fine, I fucking stabbed someone, Sans is hurt, I'm going to get either arrested or murdered or shunned by my friends, I'm still $200 in the hole to pay the trio and my schedule is so packed that I can't find time to go to a job interview, the hybrids aren't made yet and I need to make them as soon as possible... (starts speeding up his speech and breaking down) I'm losing my confidence and I need it in order to have motivation to make this work, the fUCKING HYBRIDS COULD BE EVIL AND I COULD FUCKING EXTERMINATE THE ENTIRE MONSTER RACE BECAUSE OF MY OWN FUCKING STUPIDITY— I CAN'T FUCKING DO THIS— (covers his face, holding Sans with magic)

* A small pair of arms wrap around his waist. He looks surprised, calming down a bit, and turns to look behind him.

Ben: Papyrus, woah, woah woah woah, calm down! The asker is right. Everything is okay. Nobody's going to die, nothing's going to happen.

Papyrus: (breathing slows back down, calms down slowly) ...thank you, Ben... I needed that...

Ben: It's no problem. Now please get home. Everyone's going to be worried. (disappears)

Papyrus: (takes Sans back into his arms and keeps walking, more slowly this time)

Papy, don't pull a Cherry—

Papyrus: (sighs) Too late..

He's doing determination... I think... I'm making assumptions here

Was that a determination pill? Or was it... one of the things papYRUS MADE TO CREATE HYBRIDS—

Papyrus: (takes the bottle out of his jacket pocket) These.. are determinatin pills. They give monsters a spike of energy, at one cost. They have to use that energy until the dose wears off, or they begin to... deconstruct, and melt... these aren't very potent, so taking two gave me energy for about thirty seconds, which I used to stab Ambrosia, fight off Ginger, pick up Sans and run. I didn't lose any mass, but had I taken a larger dose, I may have killed myself... I'm alright though. I took no damage. These pills will be beneficial to keep on hand once I create the hybrids soon, as if they are sick it will boost their immune systems.

Papyrus I think you may have an issue.

Papyrus: (sad smile, somehow mimics his brother's forlorn face even without pupils) Tell me something I don't know.

Oh sweet Paps...
*visible frown*

Our body is 70% water
I am afraid that number is quickly dwindling as I am CRYING IT ALL OUT

Papyrus: (wipes the tears off of their face) It's alright... we had a happy ending in the end.

Now I'm no doctor but I don't think it's healthy to go a month without sleeping.

Papyrus: You're correct there, but one must always be ready to make any necessary sacrifices. Loss of sleep happens to be my biggest one so far.

PAPYRUS. YOU ARE DOING ME AND THE OTHER ASKERS A FRIGHTEN.

Papyrus: (remembers his wrists, then sighs and levitates Sans, unrolling his sleeves and taking off his gloves)

* His wrists and hands have bandages wrapped all around them. You assume the worst...

Papyrus: It... (sighs) ...it's a sensitive subject. But I assure you that I am alright.

* You can see clearly that he's lying. Those bandages are wrapped farther down than when he left, and you see a small bandage hanging from his scarf.

Papyrus: (notices you looking at the neck-bandage) It's alright, I promise. Just a bit sick, is all. I've been healing, but... I'm getting clumsier, too, as I go longer and longer without sleep... I've burned myself making food, forgotten where I was, tripped over my own shadow, cut or scraped myself on machinery, and... (touches his hands) ...making the hybrid's souls, which are currently developing bodies, took a lot out of me... I feel like I'm going to pass out, throw up, and just cry... my magic is weak, I'm tired all the time, I just want to sleep but I can't waste time, I...

Papyrus: (notices where he's going, shakes his head and puts on a plastic smile like his brother) But everything's okay..! I just... need to keep my head... up... (almost falls asleep where he's standing, then snaps awake) (quickly keeps walking)

* He needs to sleep before he goes absolutely insane...

THIS IS THE SECOND STORY I'VE READ WHERE PAPYRUS JUST BLATANTLY MURDERS SOMEONE

Papyrus: She isn't dead. Just a bit... (smirks a bit) ...handicapped, is all~ I could have killed her, sure, but... not only would I have gained LV and damaged the fragments of sanity I have remaining, but I think she deserves to suffer a bit longer for hurting my brother.

* You never thought you'd see the skeleton smile when talking about someone's suffering... it only leaves you to wonder about him...

Ben: (worried, watching from the distance)

Yes, he is, more mentally than physically tho...

He's... okay, I won't lie. Yes. He's mentally hurt.

Ben: I saw those bandages, he's so quickly angered, and he hasn't slept... what has he been doing...?

* One long trek back to the house, and Undyne is the first person to spot him outside the window. Bloody, carrying an unconscious Sans, and looking upset.

* Her eyes snap wide open when she notices another figure outside. Remembering an ask they were given, she responds out of instinct.

Undyne: TORIEL!!

Toriel: (runs over, looking out the window) (eyes tear up)

* A piece of paper rests on the table beside them.

TORIEL, ASGORE, GASTER, UNDYNE, ALPHYS, BASICALLY EVERYONE, YOU CANNOT LET PAPYRUS AROUND CLAIRE! HE'LL KILL HER FOR HER SOUL!

* Papyrus and Claire stand face-to-face outside, both making surprised eye contact and seem to be at a loss for what to do. Two buttons appear in front of each. FIGHT and MERCY.

* Claire chooses MERCY immediately, but Papyrus hesitates... his breathing speeds up, and his eyes spark erratically... he's seen something...

Undyne: Papyrus nononononononono don't you dare don't you fucking dare oh my god—

CLAIRE — ATK 2 DEF 2
* Looks familiar somehow...
💙FIGHT
💙MERCY

💙FLEE

* He snaps his fingers, zipping away to his brother's room.

Flowey: (just realized who Claire is to Papyrus) Oh my god...

Chara: What's wrong, Flowey?!

Flowey: That kid...

Flowey: ...he killed her in that royalty timeline...