As Sans talks, I listen thoroughly and nod when needed. "...And I was showing Ink my amazing drawing skills when Papyrus came back! He looked really angry, and suddenly, he just grabbed Ink and slammed him into the wall!" At this point in the story, I send a menacing glare towards Papyrus, who looks to his left to avoid eye contact. I overhear Ink sigh behind me. "...The force cracked his skull a bit, but the Magnificent Sans took him to Undyne and helped him to heal! After that, Ink had to explain that he protects--"

"Stalks..." I hear Papyrus interject quietly. 

"--All of the alternate versions of us! We became friends, and he introduced me to Dream, which is where we formed our team - The Star Sanses!" Sans grins with pride, and I can't help but smile at the happiness he found in his friends. 

"It sounds like you guys work great together!" I smile, playfully punching Sans' arm. 

"Oh, we are a great team! One time, we fought a monster that was raging into Underfell, and it was really hard..." Sans talks quickly, and I pretend to hear him as I get lost in my own thoughts. Soon, my eyelids feel heavy, and I can't help but give into the tiredness as my eyes close.

~~~~~

The soft chirping of a sparrow slowly pulls me out of my sleep and into the world. The shining rays of the morning sun filter through the window, casting an orange tint to the living room. Yawning quietly, I push myself upright and look around. Sans is sleeping across from me, his head resting on his hand as he snores ever so slightly. A note is taped to the T.V. I stand up and take it off of the screen. It reads:

Dear Sans and Y/N, 

Ink and Dream left at about 2:00am last night, right after you guys fell asleep. I went to work early to get a few shifts in at the grocery store. There are leftover pancakes in the fridge, and the syrup is in the pantry. See you at 4:00pm.

~ Papy

I place the paper beside Sans and walk into the kitchen, opening the fridge. As promised, the pancakes from yesterday are on the first shelf, wrapped in plastic. I'm not too hungry... I think as I close the refrigerator. The wooden floor creaks under my feet as I walk upstairs and into my room. It's a mess, as usual, but it's mine. I know where everything is in here. I pick up one of my sketchbooks. Flipping through it, I feel frustration rising inside me again. The pages are almost all filled with sloppy mess-ups, rough drafts, and failed attempts at art. Sighing, I toss the book down again and yawn. I glance at my reflection in my vanity mirror. Messy H/C locks, tired E/C eyes... the usual. I pick up my hair brush and drag it through my H/L hair. Good enough...  I think, heading over to my closet to pick out my outfit. 

My favorite white sweater catches my eye, and I decide to wear that. I tug it from the hanger and slip it on over my tank-top. The permanent red paint stain on the sleeve gives this raggedy old thing a comforting, home-like feel. I decide to leave on my sweatpants and head downstairs to check the news.  Sans is still sound asleep, so I throw a blanket over him and sit on the floor in front of the couch. My foot hits something as I reach for the remote, making me stop in my tracks. Turning around, I reach under the couch and wrap my hand around the orb. Pulling it out, I examine it closely. 

It's about the size of a baseball, but slightly bigger. Paint splatters the outside, making it look like a craft made by a young child. a bit of duct-tape is wrapped securely around the object, holding whatever contents are contained inside. On one of the pieces of duct-tape, in black Sharpie marker, neat letters are scrawled. 

Paint Grenade  - DO NOT THROW UNLESS NECESSARY 

 I raise my eyebrow in suspicion of the small thing. It must belong to Ink... He seems like the skeleton who would make this kind of stuff. Maybe I'll test this thing out in the grassy field outside of town... I think, standing up and walking back upstairs. Placing the grenade underneath my pillows, I hide it safely and head back downstairs. By this time, Sans is awake and is reading the note I left beside him. His blue eyes meet mine, and he smiles brightly.

"GOOD MORNING, Y/N!" He chirps, waving. "I TRUST YOU SLEPT WELL!"

I nod. "I actually did, Sans. Thanks." I smile, grabbing the remote and turning on the T.V. 

"DID YOU ENJOY MEETING MY FRIENDS?" He asks, his eyes sparkling.

"Yeah. They were really nice," I flip to the news station, where Nabstaton is doing his daily report on local news stories - and how fabulous he was, of course. "Oh, that reminds me... I'm gonna go and ride my bike around outside in about an hour, okay?" 

"THAT'S GREAT, I'LL BE TRAINING WITH ALPHYS IN ABOUT THAT TIME!" Sans cheers. "SPEAKING OF WHICH, THE MAGNIFICENT SANS MUST PREPARE!" He stands up and jogs up the stairs, heading into his room. 

~~~

I slip a light jacket over my sweater and pull a beanie over my hair to keep warm. I head out the door and over to my bike. Before I get on and prepare to ride, I double check that I have the paint grenade. Unlocking my bike chain, I hop on and pedal away from home. The crisp, cool autumn air nips at my nose as I speed along the sidewalk. I get lost in my thoughts as I weave my way through crowds and around corners. Soon enough, I reach my destination. 

The field is desolate as always, for whatever reason. Teenagers never come here, so I've made it my personal space. Nobody bothers me while I'm there, so I take full advantage of that whenever I can. I wheel my bike up the hill and chain it to a tree before taking my lunch (and the paint grenade) with me. I set my lunch on the grass and sit next to it. Turning the grenade in my hand, I examine it some more. It's a bit heavy, and makes a splashing noise when shaken. I stand up and walk away from my lunch as I toss the small thing in my hand. Taking a deep breath, I reel back and chuck the thing as hard as I can towards the ground in front of me. 

For a split second, I wonder if anything will happen. And then, a huge blast of rainbow paint explodes outwards, sending a small shockwave my way. As the smoke clears, I examine the spot of the explosion. The once green grass is coated in rainbow paint. It shimmers in the afternoon sunlight. 

Suddenly, It begins to bubble and float upwards, shaping into... something...

I duck behind a tree and peek out from behind it at the twisting paint blob. It bubbles and thrashes around for a few more seconds before a figure emerges. A big brown scarf is wrapped loosely around his neck... and... 

Wait a second...

...Is that Ink?!