Hey look, I did a thing :D

When you reached the coffee shop, the first thing you noticed was how different the atmosphere was. The whole restaurant seemed darker, but not in a bad way. It was just more... well, atmospheric. The tables had been rearranged so they could fit more people, secluding each one in groups of two, four, or larger tables of eight. Now the espresso counter had all but closed, and replacing Quinn behind the counter was a monster who was literally on fire. It took you a second to realize that he was made of fire and not literally on fire, and was very smartly dressed in what you assumed was kind of a bartender's uniform. He stood behind the counter polishing a glass, not setting everything on fire just by being there.

Not wanting to seem rude by continuing to stare you kept your eyes to the floor as you followed Elena across the restaurant. She stopped by the bar and greeted the monster before waving you over. "Lucky, this is Grillby. Grillby, Lucky. He'll be your boss if you ever work the night shift."

"Nice to meet you." You smiled shyly. Grillby inclined his head towards you, but didn't say anything. You glanced towards Elena, worried you'd done something wrong.

"Don't worry Lady Luck," Quinn cut in, throwing a haphazard hand around your shoulder. Elena turned back to Grillby, ordering something you didn't quite catch. You scrunched your nose up at the nickname, but didn't comment. "Grillby's the quiet sort, and doesn't talk unless he wants to." As if to prove his point, Grillby wandered towards the swinging doors and disappeared into the kitchen. A surprisingly short amount of time later, Grillby returned carrying a tray of delicious looking food. Elena grabbed two of the plates and brought them over to you. She shoved Quinn away from your side, then unceremoniously shoved the plate into your hands.

"Burger, fries. Enjoy."

"And this is why we don't let you serve." Quinn sighed.

"Like I'd want to work under your unorganized butt." Elena bit back. There wasn't any venom behind her voice through.

"Keep telling yourself that, dear sister."

Elena rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "Whatever sit where ever you want, Lucky, I'm going back upstairs." Dismissing you just like that, Elena turned on her heels and headed back upstairs.

You wondered if you could follow her, or if you should stay down in the restaurant. Before you had a chance to decide, the door jangled open, admitting Frisk, Asgore and three female monsters you didn't recognize. One looked similar to Asgore, but feminine. Her horns were smaller, her stature demurer, and her features kind. She seemed... motherly. The second was quite tall, with a thin frame and blue skin. You thought her comparable to a fish in features, you realized, and her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and a fiery red in colour. To be honest she was kind of intimidating, even from a distance. The final monster was on the shorter side, and the closest thing you could compare her too was a lizard. She had yellow skin and a pair of glasses perched on her nose, and she was holding hands with the blue fish woman. They were all dressed casually, looking comfortable in the restaurant as they greeted Grillby and moved towards one of the larger tables with a 'Reserved' sign sitting on the wood. As Frisk was pulling out her chair, she noticed you. Smiling brightly, she waved you over, pointing you out in the process to the other monsters. Asgore, upon spotting you, waved you over as well.

Nervous about meeting the larger group of monsters, you worked your way over to where the group was taking their seats. "Hi again, Lucky!" Frisk happily greeted you, pushing out the chair beside her and patting the seat. "Sit with us!" You glanced at the unfamiliar faces in the group, but after finding no hostility and only curiosity from the unfamiliar faces and getting a nod from Asgore, you placed your dinner on the table and sat down beside Frisk.

"So, who's this runt? That the kid you're letting stay at your place, Asgore?" The blue fish lady asked as she sat down at one end of the table, the lizard lady taking the seat to her right.

"Indeed." Asgore answered, taking the seat across from you, the woman who looked similar to him sitting to his right. Because the table was square, that left the two seats to your right, across from the fish and lizard, empty. Where they waiting for more people?

"It's very nice to meet you, Lucky. I am Toriel." Toriel, smiled. You smiled back, a little unsure. Had someone else introduced you and you just missed it?

"Do you really not remember ANYTHING?" Blue fish lady asked, slamming her fist down on the table. It was unnerving realizing they seemed to know you when you didn't know them.

"Undyne," Toriel warned, frowning slightly at the loud redhead. "I apologize, Lucky, she tends to be a bit overwhelming at first."

"Oh, um, it's okay." You mumbled, fiddling with your plate.

"I was just asking a question." Undyne huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back in her chair.

"I-I'm Alphys, by the way." The lady beside Undyne introduced herself.

"It's nice to meet you all." You responded almost automatically. It was then you noticed that Frisk was pilfering your fries, sneakily reaching over the table before making off with a few of the wedges. When she realized she'd been busted she just smiled sheepishly and finished off the fries currently in her hand. "But, if you don't mind me asking... how do you all know me already?" You nibbled a fry yourself, but even though you enjoyed the taste you pushed your plate a little closer to Frisk so she could snack without guilt.

"Frisk is quite the chatter box when she wants to be." Toriel answered kindly.

"And Asgore roped me into helping clear out his spare room." Undyne explained.

"I-I'm a scientist, so Asgore was hoping I could help you figure out more about your age and stuff." Alphys said. "You know, i-if you want."

That took you a little aback. Of course you wanted to know more about yourself, but would it really be that easy? Maybe it wasn't your past, but knowing your age, and more about what you were... that would be a big step. Sure, you'd been told you were a monster, but you didn't exactly know what that meant. And on top of that, you couldn't help but notice how different you looked compared to the other monsters you'd met.

"Thank you." You said earnestly. All of these monsters had banded together to help you, even before they actually knew who you were. It was heartwarming and a little humbling, but you were extremely grateful.

"Don't even think of mentioning it, my child. It simply wouldn't sit right with us if we did not step in to help."

It was then that Grillby decided to deliver plates of food towering with delicious smelling food with the help of another server. As he skillfully placed each plate to one of the table members, you realized that all of them were regulars here. You hadn't seen any of them order any food, so that was the only explanation. He even brought over a basket of fries to replace the ones Frisk had taken from you. On the note of Frisk, she hardly waited until her plate was on the table before she enthusiastically dug into the hotdog and fry meal. When Grillby was left with three plates and a bottle of ketchup, he paused and gave Asgore a look; a silent question.

"Ah, yes, they are coming. Just running a little late." Asgore said, Grillby nodding before placing the three dishes on the table. No one reached for the new ketchup bottle, as there was already one on the table. Hm.

"As per usual." Undyne grumbled, not exactly sounding bitter as Grillby headed off. You took a tentative bite of your burger, deciding right away that you liked the combination of meat, bun, and toppings. You were also relieved that it was becoming easier to remember the names of things you were seeing for what seemed like the first time.

Before conversation could start up again, a new couple entered the restaurant. You knew they were some of those the other monsters were waiting for, because Frisk abandoned her dinner to jump up and run to what looked like a very tall... skeleton? He... at least you were pretty sure he was a he... was dressed in jeans, a very vibrant and florally pattered shirt, and a red scarf wrapped around his neck. He greeted Frisk loudly and happily, his voice easily carrying over the din over conversation in the restaurant.

"NYEH HEH HEH! DO NOT FEAR, I THE GREAT PAPYRUS, SHALL TELL YOU ALL ABOUT OUR FABULOUS VACATION IN DUE TIME!" Er, Papyrus, scooped Frisk up, easily sitting her on his shoulder before parading over to the table. The other monster who came in with... Papyrus, was tall. Even taller than the skeleton. He looked very shiny, like metal. Vibrant pink, solid black, and polished silver metal. As they got closer, you realized they would positively tower over you if you stood up.

Papyrus reached the table first, greeting the others while lowering Frisk back to the floor. She scampered back to her seat, then resumed eating. With no one else to take his attention, he suddenly focused on you. You realized that he didn't exactly have pupils in his skull... which was a little unnerving because even though he didn't have eyes in the traditional sense, you knew he was looking at you.

"IS THIS THE TINY MONSTER YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER TODAY, FRISK?" You flushed at his comment about your size, but you realized quickly he didn't mean it in a bad way. It was just an observation.

"It is! This is Lucky!" Frisk quickly signed, taking a quick break from inhaling her food.

"WOWIE! SHE REALLY IS TINY!"

"Papy," The robot chastised, wrapping an arm around his waist.

"WHAT? SHE'S PROBABLY AS SHORT AS SANS!"

There was that name again.

"Yes, but you don't need to comment on it." The robot then shooed the skeleton off with a peck on the cheek and a wave of his gloved hand, before turning his gaze to you. "Papyrus isn't one to mince words darling, but he really means no harm. I'm Mettaton."

"Elena's boss?" You quirked your head to the side, making the connection.

Mettaton flipped his long back hair from one of his eyes, repositioning it before smiling. "Indeed. Although sometimes it feels like she's my manager."

"I can see that." You smiled back, remembering the shopping trip you'd taken with the surly girl.

"Ug, are you two going to hover all day or are you going to sit down and join us?" Undyne growled, smacking her palm on the table again.

Mettaton flipped his hair again, almost glaring at her as Papyrus silently counted the chairs surrounding the table. "I don't know. Are you going to pull my arm off again?"

She pulled his arm off?

"OH, NOT THIS AGAIN," Papyrus sighed before shaking his head and wandering off.

"That was one time Mettaton! And WEEKS ago!"

"Yet I'm still waiting for an apology." Mettaton replied coolly, planting a hand on his hip.

Undyne narrowed her eye menacingly at him, but to his credit he didn't back down even though you would probably wither under a stare that intense. "Undyne, we've been over this." Alphys interjected, patting Undyne's hand on the table.

Undyne glanced at her then grumbled and crossed her arms over her chest. "Sorry for ripping your arm off. In my defence, if I didn't do it, Sans probably would have."

Mettaton sighed, finally taking the seat to Asgore's right. "Apology accepted, just so long as you don't do it again."

"Don't have anymore PDOA around Sans and I won't have too."

"Please stop breaking him," Alphys sighed. "He's n-not hard to fix per say, b-but I'm the one who has to deal with his attitude in the aftermath."

"Sorry."

This was a story you really wanted to hear in full. And PDOA? You didn't quite know what that was, but you didn't really have the courage to ask. Also, what could this Sans do that was worse than pulling his arm off?

You were considerably confused.

But you were distracted when Papyrus came back over toting another chair. "OH GOOD! DID YOU TWO MAKE UP?"

"I think we've found even ground." Mettaton smiled sweetly, pulling out the chair beside him.

"FINALLY!" Papyrus grinned happily before addressing you again. "DO YOU MIND MOVING OVER A LITTLE, TINY MONSTER? WE'RE STILL WAITING ON MY BROTHER."

"Oh, sure." You blinked, kind of hoping he wasn't going to keep calling you that. But you complied, scooting your chair along with Frisk until you could fit another chair beside you on your left.

"Her name is Lucky, dear." Mettaton reminded Papyrus as he sat down.

"OH RIGHT!"

Frisk tapped you gently on the arm, getting you attention before signing to you rather secretively. "Don't worry! He still calls me 'human' sometimes."

That sounded like another interesting story, though you supposed it fit. In the entire group, she was the only human present.

The meal progressed rather normally after that, you being mostly a casual observer and listener. Occasionally questions were asked to you, which you tried to answer to the best of your ability, but you didn't have much to tell so you kept quiet as you enjoyed the atmosphere. Papyrus went into great lengths about the vacation to Hawaii he and Mettaton took, animatedly retelling the tale of how he swam with a shark. That caught Undyne's interest as she wanted to know if he punched it. Papyrus had to then explain that no, he didn't punch the shark, while Mettaton commented that Undyne looked rather like a shark herself, to which she tried to punch him.

It was all rather entertaining, and you decided right then and there that you really liked the group. You were actually rather happy you were going to be taking a spare room in Asgore's home, since it meant you'd be able to see at least some of these monsters on occasion. They all seemed to have little quirks about them, but you took that as another reason to like them.

Eventually the now empty plates were cleared from the table, including the untouched plate of the mysterious member of the group who hadn't arrived yet. The conversation continued around you, only pausing when the sever returned with a few plates of desert. You were given something Frisk called (fav/kind) cake, which she was given a plate of apple pie. Toriel and Asgore were given a plate of chocolate cake which they shared. Undyne had a bowl of ice cream, Alphys had apple pie as well, Papyrus was given a large milkshake, but Mettaton remained desert free.

The cake was delicious. Sure, this was the only cake you remember eating, but it was probably the best thing you'd eaten all day. You chatted with Frisk while you ate, learning she was the one who freed the monster from a place called the Underground, somewhere the monsters had been trapped for years. It was quite the story.

"so, what'd i miss?"

Okay, so not the longest of chapters, but hey, it's out! I felt like I prolonged your suffering long enough, dear readers, so I decided to change where I was going to end the chapter (cutting it a little shorter than intended) to get this out sooner. Do not fear though, for nothing was cut from the story. I just moved intended ending to the next chapter :D Besides, at 2598 words I though it was long enough.

UPDATE JUNE 30th: Just thought I'd throw this here instead of a whole new chapter, so I don't get people's hopes up. Unfortunately the next update shall be a while yet, as I have just started my full time summer job as a summer camp leader. Even though I had the same job last year I forgot how tiring it can be at first. I hope that once I adjust to the hectic schedule I'll start writing again. I find that the busier I get the more I want to write, so we'll see! (I get less productive when i have nothing to do oddly enough.)

Author out!