#mocha writes

The only slightly not terrible thing to come out of this is a renewed public interest in Monster Rights. The internet seems to have gone wild at the news, rightfully so. Protests have started nationwide, and you’ve read of some being planned overseas as well. Crazy shit, but it does give you a little bit of hope that maybe for once humanity can do the right thing in the beginning, can fix this before it tumbles into something worse. 

According to the news, the first discussion for an appeal is happening in your city next week, at the courthouse in Humanside. It was deemed as a more ‘neutral’ place than Ebott or other human cities. You get the logic, sure, but all it does is make you worry about your home. This renewed interest and the court case is likely to bring humans with both good and bad intentions to the area. Depending on where the hotels are in Humanside, it could only be a moderate walk to Monstertown. Definitely not far enough to dissuade some assholes from deciding it’s worth it to pop over and cause some havoc. Sure, maybe you’re being a bit pessimistic, but you feel a bit protective over your newfound home.

So, yea, you feel pretty stressed, and you spend most of your precious day off marinating in that stress on your bed. You try to watch some shows or get things done, but it feels like every ten minutes or so you’re back looking at your phone for updates. Eventually you give up, put your phone to charge on the nightstand and head into the bathroom to shower. You turn it extra hot, and hope it’ll wash away some of your stress. By the time you come out, you know it hasn’t worked, but at least you’re clean. You’re in the middle of getting dressed when your phone pings. 

Quickly you shove on a shirt and, instead of walking around the bed, make the lazy choice to just plop back on the thing and reach for it. It’s a bit of a stretch, but you manage. Unfortunately, the charging cable isn’t long enough, and with the slightest pull, it pops out only to disappear behind the nightstand. Fuck. You'll have to dig for that later.

New Message

[Undyne]: Hey!!!! You have a car right????

You’re not surprised it’s Undyne -the two of you still text quite often- but the sudden question throws you a bit. You type out a quick response. 

[You]: Yup

[Undyne]: And you can drive????

[You]: …yea, y?

It takes a moment before the next message comes in.

[Undyne]: I need to ask you something

Well, shit. That sounds serious. The words and the lack of punctuation, really. You sit up, rereading the message with a frown. Sure, you’ve been chatting with the monster for a while now, but this seems like a whole other thing. Is Undyne, Captain of the fucking Royal Guard, really asking you for a favour??

[You]: Sure, what is it?

[Undyne]: Alph will be at MTT Resort next week for the case and needs a drive to the courthouse on Wednesday!!! Will you take her????

[Undyne]: Normally Mettaton would take her but we’re both stuck in Ebott :) 

[Undyne]: Shit!!!

[Undyne]: :( !!!

Oh. You’ve heard a lot about this ‘Alph’ from Undyne since the very first time you met her. Honestly, the idea of it excites you a bit. Quickly you pull up your calendar app. Shit. 

[You]: Sorry Undyne, I’d love to help but I’m working that day.

Incoming Call : Undyne

The call comes almost instantaneously after your text sends. Suddenly you feel nervous. You stare at the phone in your hand and hesitate before picking up. Texting is one thing, but you haven’t actually spoken to this strangely intimidating monster in months. Deep breath.

You answer. “Hi Undyne!”

“Is Chandace your boss?” She asks, straight to business.  

“Yea?”

“She’ll give you the day off.” 

Um…are we thinking of the same Chandace?? You pause for a moment, confused. “Uh, I really don’t know. It’ll be a busy week for the resort. I already got one ‘all hands on deck’ text.” The text was actually a lot more blunt and essentially said that all staff were officially on-call for the next week, but close enough.

A laugh. “Oh she will.” 

… well, that sounds ominous as fuck.  “O-oh…alright then.” You concede. “I’ll ask tomorrow.”

“Good!! And-” Suddenly her voice cuts off, the phone making a loud scuffling sound. Ouch. You pull it away from your ear and look at the screen to check the call hasn't dropped or something. Yup, you’re still connected. 

“Human?” A voice on the phone. Definitely not Undyne. You hesitate. “Human?!!!” Oh shit.

Quickly, you put the phone back to your ear. “Um…hello?”

“Fucking hell-” The voice gets quieter for a moment as they lean away. “-Undyne, are you sure this is the… fine.”  Then they speak into the phone again. “Hello human. My name is Dr. Alphys, Royal Scientist.”

“Oh!” You perk up, suddenly understanding what the fuck is happening. “Hi Alphys-”

“Dr. Alphys.”

“...Dr. Alphys.” You correct, losing a bit of steam. “It’s nice to meet you!” You try to put some cheer back in your voice. “Undyne has told me a lot about you!”

“...oh, has she?” 

“All good things, I promise!” You try, hoping to pull even just an ounce of positivity from this person. “Anyways my name is-”

“I know your name, human . ” She interrupts. “What I need is to ensure you’ll be adequate transport for next week.” 

“Oh, I can assure you that I’m a great driver-”

“Shut up.” 

“...kay.” You go quiet, blinking wildly in indignation. Who the fuck does this monster think she is? Well…the Royal Scientist apparently. That sounds high-ranking as all hell. You make the probably smart decision to push down the frustration and listen to what she has to say.

“Have you ever been pulled over for any of the following: drivers license violations, dangerous driving, stunt driving, driving under the influence or vehicular manslaughter?”

…

“Well?!”

“Uh, no.” You reply truthfully. “Can’t say I have.” 

“Hm. Acceptable. Now onto the actual questions.” 

Thus began the most oddly stressful evening of your life, as Dr. Alphys continues on for over an hour quizzing you on your driving knowledge and ability. You answer the best you can, and in the end you apparently ‘pass minimum standards’ which is both a relief and kind of insulting. The monster says she’ll text you on the day and to absolutely not be late, before suddenly hanging up. 

You pull the phone from your ear to just stare at it, bewildered. What the fuck just happened??

New Message

[Undyne]: Thank you!!! Alph is  a sweetheart!!! I swear!!!

…right.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

It’s only lunchtime and you already feel like shit. Great. 

You had been right yesterday, chaos cannot describe the shift you just went through -and it’s only half done , ugh. MTT Resort is completely full for the first time since you’ve worked there, which is bad enough, but it seems like the universe itself decided to smite you by having every piece of technology you need to actually do your job decide to stop working at once. So when check-in time arrived, you were immediately swamped with already stressed and frustrated monsters who were not able to get into their rooms. Chandace came out once the yelling started, called IT, and then the two of you had to devise some sort of manual way to check guests in for the meantime. A huge fucking mess for sure. 

The first thing to come online is the phones, which immediately start ringing off the hook. The calls are half actual guests or monsters trying to book, and half either news stations wanting to speak with monsters or random ass humans asking questions. You manage to evade most questions or and take the station names down to pass down to Chandace…but you have a feeling it’s just the start. 

The only good thing about this morning is that Chandace actually does give you the day off on Wednesday. When the craziness finally died down enough to actuall yask her, she was in a bad mood already. It wasn't the best time, sure, but it was all you might get for the foreseeable future. Of course, she was immediately on the 'no' side and sounded beyond annoyed that you'd even try asking, but everything changed the moment you told her what it's for. Or rather…who it’s for. You’ve never seen Chandace go completely still the way she does when you say it's a favour for Undyne, and her fingers go up in a never before seen ‘five’ position when you say you’ll be driving Dr. Alphys to the courtroom. She immediately changes her answer to yes and orders you to tell her nothing else about it. 

All in all, it’s a fucking weird morning. One that leaves you feeling completely depleted, frustrated and with a pounding headache. Normally your go-to for a situation like this would be to visit BP in the Emporium or maybe just go to your room to lay down, but the idea of staying in the resort at all makes you want to throw up. So the moment your lunch break starts, you practically book it for the front door. 

Once outside, you immediately feel better. A placebo effect, surely, but still. You stop and take a deep breath, stretching your hands up in the sky and relishing your momentary freedom. Your spine pop in all the right ways, and you let out a satisfied sound before setting off. It doesn't take you long until you reach your destination. Just a few blocks away from the resort, is a shiny new build. A cute little cafe with the name: Muffets Bakery & Cafe. Apparently it's a new branch of a big bakery in Ebott. Monsters had been talking about it for the past month, and you're excited to give it a try.

So you walk up to the adorable building. The colour scheme is a soft purple, with a beautiful awning and the cutest little curtains on the windows. Honestly, the only 'odd' think about it is the...theming. Themed bakeries aren't exactly new, but you've never heard of one that was themed with spiders. At least it's cute spiders. The decorations litter around the building. A spider-themed cafe is a unique idea for sure, but you're up to it. Maybe they have pastries in the shape of spiders??? 

You walk in, and immediately are hit by the smell of baking pastries. Your stomach growls in anticipation as you look around. Shit, it's just as cute on the inside too. As you enter, you notice that the line actually splits into two. A sign in the middle states 'Left for Spiders' and 'Right for Not Spiders'. You stare at it for a moment, smiling at the funny way they've incorporated their theming into everything, before heading in the 'not spiders' direction.

The line isn't long, with only a few monsters ahead of you. It gives you enough time to figure out what you want. Unfortunately, there is no app or website with a menu, so the only thing you can do is try to squint your eyes at the physical menu behind the counter. Still too far away.

It get's even harder to see when you're suddenly enveloped in darkness. A shadow. The hell?? You tilt your head upwards, and come face to face with the one monster that could probably make your mood worse at the moment.

A sharp grin. “you look like shit.”

You frown, turning around to face him in line. “The fuck are you doing here?”

He raises an eyebrow bone. “what? can i not get coffee now either?!"

“You know that’s not what I mean.” You roll your eyes, but pause. Shit. Are you being a little harsh? The last few interactions you've had with the skeleton have been remarkably positive, you don't want to ruin it by being an asshole today for no reason. "Sorry, bad day."

The line moves up one. You turn to step forward.

“...so, whats put the sand in your crotch today, doll?”

“There is no sand in my-” You stop, sigh and turn back to face him. “Fuck off. The Resorts a fucking mess today. Gonna be like it all week, at least until the courtdate."

“ahh, yea. that.” He mutters, looking away.

“Yea, that .” You grumble. “I’m just glad I have one day off in the middle of it. Think I’d probably just…wither away by the end if not.”

“woah. handy actually gave ya a day off??”

Pfft! Shit! That makes the corner of your lips turn up slightly. “I don’t think she had a choice.” You admit. “Once I mentioned it was for Undyne she changed her mind pretty damn quick.” 

Sans’ previously pleased expression darkens at the mention of her name. “...what’s she got ya doing?”

“Apparently I’m playing chauffeur for her girlfriend to the courthouse.” You shrug. “I don’t mind, got me out of work, plus I haven’t been to Humanside in-”

“-wait.” He interrupts, suddenly fully focused on you. “didya say yer drivin’ alphys?”

“Uh, yea.” You respond, words coming a bit hesitant due to the intensity of his gaze. “To and from the courthouse."

A long pause, where those red eye lights stare you down. “fuck. im coming with ya.”

“Oh yes, you can come. Thanks for asking! I appreciate it.” You say, deadpan.

By now, it's your turn at the counter. You turn away from the skeleton to the lady at the cash register. Oh shit. Maybe the theming is a bit more personal than you thought. The monster in front of you is definitely a spider. 

“Hello dearie~” She greets you. "Welcome to Muffets Bakery and Cafe! What can I get for you?" 

“Hi!” You smile, a bit sheepishly. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t look ahead of time." Thanks Sans. "Is there anything you’d recommend?”

“Hmm…If you’re looking for a drink and a treat…” One of her legs goes up to her mouth in thought. “I really love the Spider Cider and the Fruit Cruffin."

"Cruffin?" You ask.

"It's a Croissant-Muffin." She smiles, a far away look in her eyes. “They are absolutely delicious~”

“Then I’ll have that!” You nod.

“ya don’t want the spider cider, doll.” That deep voice behind you.

"Dude, shush." You turn to look up at him. That's so insulting, she literally just recommended it!  “I’ll get what I want.”

He grins and shrugs his large shoulders. “don’t say i didn’t warn ya.”

Frowning at him, you turn back to the lovely cashier and pay. She takes your name, passes you a bag with the 'Cruffin' and points you down towards one side of the counter. “When we call your name, please pick your cider up here! Have a lovely day~”

Well, that was nice. You think as you make your way to a nearby table and sit. You look back at the cash register, sort of expecting to see the skeleton and the spider in some face-off after he just insulted her favourite food. Instead, you hear her giggle as she speaks to him. You can't see Sans' face from this angle, but she has two hands now in front of her mouth now, laughing. The fuck? You squint your eyes, trying to listen to what their talking about. It's no use, they're too far away.  

Once he's done ordering, Sans, surprisingly, decides to plop into a chair at your table. It's almost comical to look at really, with how opposite his 'vibe' is to this entire place. While the cafe is all cute with doilies and lace, this guy is one hundred percent edge and metal. In fact, you're actually surprised he decided to come in here in the first place. 

Shrugging that thought off -who are you to judge, really- you open the bag and take out the 'Cruffin'. It looks great, with some sort of red jam in the middle. You take a bite. Shit, she's right. It's fucking delicious. Melt in your mouth delicious. The jam is a little messy, dripping out of the cruffin and onto your hands. Quickly you lick it up, ensuring it doesn't drip onto your clothes.

"ya really can't contain yerself, can ya, sweetcheeks?"

You flip him off, before realizing you're not exactly sure what he's getting at you for this time. The skeleton is just watching you with that familiar grin, clutching his drink -a drip coffee, likely as he doesn't have to wait- now with both hands. Ugh, how the fuck are you going to spend time in confined space with this guy? You looked up the distance to the courthouse, and it's almost completely across town. You're looking at about 40 minutes. Shit.

"Why do you want to go anyways?" You ask. "To the courthouse."

"huh?" He sits back up. "eh, i'll go support my bro. it's a big appeal afterall."

Oh. “Your brother?”

Sans raises an eyebrow bone. "didya not watch the conference?"

“... that’s your brother?!”

…

“...for fucks sake, ya blind or something?” He gestures down at himself. 

Your face flames. "Uh, well, you know, I didn't want to assume!" And because you can't shut your fucking mouth, you continue. "Like I didn't want to be- I don't know- speciesist or something!" 

Sans shakes his head, chuckling. "ya lucky yer cute." 

A shiver runs up your spine and you freeze. Out of the corner of your eye, a monster at a nearby table turns to look at you both with an open mouth. The furious blush already across your cheeks spreads to your ears. What the hell??

Someone calls your name. Your drink is ready. Feeling extremely off-kilter, you stand and quickly make your way to the counter. What the hell did he mean by that?? Your face is calming down already by the time the spider monster passes you over a surprisingly tiny cup. Shit. You didn't realize you ordered the smallest size. Despite having everything you need to return to the table...you don't. Instead you give yourself a few moments to just calm down. 

He didn't mean it. He's just trying to get a rise out of me. He's an asshole. You know that. 

So you keep your expression neutral as you eventually make your way back, sitting across from him. He's not even looking at you anymore, instead typing something into his phone. You take the moment of quiet to take a sip of your drink. It's warm, which is great on this cool morning, and has a flavour you have trouble placing. It's good though. Quite good. “I don’t know what you were talking about.” You say. “This is fucking delicious. It’s small though.” 

Sans is looking up at you again. He looks delighted, grin huge on his face. "yea? ya like it?"

“What?” You ask, frustrated. “C’mon. Out with it.” 

“didya read the label on yer cup?”

Huh? You look down at the cup in your hand. Label? Pulling it up to eye-level you turn the cup in your hand until you see a cute little font. It says 'Thank you for supporting Muffets Buffet & Cafe'. Cute enough. You glance over at Sans, narrowing your eyes at his expression before looking down. The font continues 'All of our spider items are made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders!" 

…

… of spiders?!

Immediately you slam the drink down, much harder than necessary on the table. Horror is etched into your very expression. The skeleton across the table from you bursts into laughter, loud and raucous in the small cafe. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Luckily for you, the chaos dies down quite a bit in the following days. The general anxiety surrounding the monsters doesn't, and only seems to increase as the court date gets closer, but thats to be expected, and things have to move on somewhat as normal. The reception phone is still constantly ringing though, with humans asking insensitive questions or news stations looking for 'statements'. You wonder if any other monster business has to deal with this. It’s frustrating to have them consistently push and push for something they can use in their articles. You keep professional though, knowing that if you tell even one of them off it could be the thing they decide to publish. 

You have just finished hanging up another of these calls and are quietly counting down the hours till the end of the day when things suddenly get hectic again. 

-FUCK YOU!!” A female voice screams.

Surprised, you immediately stand straight up, looking around for the sudden noise. You quickly see the culprit: a pretty fish-like monster with a green body and blue hair. She comes into your line of sight from the direction of the elevator and moves through the lobby, rushing for the door. A few monsters move out of her way as she hisses at them, a scratchy sound that sends shivers down your spine. 

“C’mon baby! I didn’t mean it like that!” Another voice calls out. A familiar voice. You turn your head, equally as surprised to watch Aaron come into your line of sight, following the other monster. He catches up with the other monster just before the lobby doors, reaching for her. “Just come back to the room and we’ll talk-” She turns quickly, her face contorting into a terrifying image as she hisses at him. Shit, her teeth are sharp. Luckily for him, the merhorse seems to get the message. His hand drops, and she leaves the resort. The glass doors slam shut, but luckily do not break.

You glance around, ensuring there is nobody nearby that might need your assistance, before leaving the reception area. Walking up to the dejected-looking merhorse, you ask. “Uh…hey, is everything alright?”

Aaron finally looks away from the door, eyes focusing on you. “Oh. It’s you.”

You’d be insulted at his tone if you didn’t just witness that entire situation. “Was that uh, your girl?”

He huffs, a surprisingly horse-like sound. “Ex I guess.” A pause. “For real this time.” Somehow, you doubt that. You’ve met couples like this before. 

“What happened?” 

“We got into a fight.” He says simply. No shit. You wait for a moment, until he continues. “UGH! She wants to leave me to go gallivanting all over the country with her band. Like, how irresponsible can you get?!”

“I mean, she looks like she can probably take care of herself.” You glance around the lobby, where various monsters still look pretty shaken up from her. 

“What?!” He turns back to you. “Are you really taking her side in this?!”

“Well, no. I'm not taking any side right now...but...it’s her dream, right?” You shrug. “It's her right to chase it. Don’t you have a dream?”

He looks at you. “No.”

…

“Oookay. A goal, then?” You try again. “Something you want to achieve?” 

“Hm.” He huffs. “Well, yea. I’m tryin’ to get a twelve-pack.” He flexes.

You stare at him for a while, expecting him to go 'haha joking' and list another goal. He doesn't. 

“Well, fuck, okay, I’ll go with that.” You whisper, before raising your voice to its regular level. “How would you feel if she suddenly told you that you weren’t able to…work out or something?”

“What?!” Suddenly Aaron looks panicked. “I…I’d die.”  

Okay. Dramatic. But at least this is going the way you want. “Well…I assume she feels the same about her singing then.” 

For a long moment, the merhorse just stares at you. You're not entirely sure what to do, so you just stare back and feel awkward. It's like you can almost see the gears in his mind moving, as his shoulders drop and his entire stance shifts. Though...you're not entirely sure what it shifts to.

“You know, you give good advice, for a human.” Aaron says, moving a bit closer.. “Wanna give me more advice at the bar...tonight?"

...

"What the fuck, man?!" You take a step back. "Am I going crazy or did I not just see you and your ex break up like five minutes ago?"

"Yes." He nods. "And?" 

"And how in the hell did you think that was the time to try and make a move on someone?!"

He shrugs. "I don't like to waste my time." Ugh. You rub your hand over your face. "Okay, fine babe." Oh and now you want to hit him. "I was serious about the advice though. How about we meet after your shift in the bar and you tell me all of your ideas?"

...

"I'm not going on a date with you Aaron." 

"No not a date!" The merhorse nods. "Just a friendly hangout."

“I mean it Aaron.” You say. “Not a date.”

“Of course not, babe.” 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

You regret agreeing to this the moment you do. The idea of hanging out with Aaron feels weird, like hanging out with a fratboy or something. Still, you honour your commitments, so after your shift instead you head into the hotel bar instead of directly for the elevator.It doesn’t take you long to find him. The merhorse is sitting at the bar, looking at his phone. 

“Heyyyy!” He calls out loudly as you walk up. You glance at the two empty cups beside him.

“Started early?” You ask, sitting down beside him.

"You started late!” He counters, winking. “Now you gotta catch up, babe.”

“Hm, I don’t know about that.” You mutter, looking at the prices. Ouch. No wonder Sans wanted a drink here as a reward. Shits expensive. The bartender comes up and you order a -still ridiculously expensive- soda, deciding to just order the one and slowly sip on it. 

Aaron takes the lead in conversation, which works out well for you. You already know the guy can talk. You manage to spend the next twenty or so minutes just nodding your head or giving one-word answers. Then, his phone pings. The merhorse pauses in his sentence, and looks down. 

The vibe switches almost instantly, as he completely abandons conversation to grab his phone. You sip on your drink and watch as his face slowly turns red. 

“And now she’s trying to make me jealous, that bitch!” He exclaims, turning his phone around. You blink a few times before focusing on the screen. It looks like a new social media post. It’s uh, definitely provocative. Shit. Good for her. 

“I mean, maybe, but aren’t you two technically broken up now?” You ask.

“YES BUT-” He starts loudly, voice slurring a bit, before his voice quiets. “But still she…still she shouldn’t be…it’s so soon …” 

“Maybe you should try someone new?” You suggest. “I mean, you guys don’t seem to be healthy together-”

“You’re right!” He sits up, slamming his hands down on the bartop. You wince, hoping he hasn’t just broken his phone. A couple of monsters at a nearby table look over. “I have to make her jealous back!”

“Uh, not exactly what I was-”

Suddenly he’s leaning forward, one of his hands grabbing yours. He looks at you with a gaze full of intent. “Want to make her jealous with me, babe?”

…what? Your breath hitches, muscles in your back quickly tensing as your eyes go wide. Dread fills your stomach like a lead balloon, weighing you down till you can’t move. You’re suddenly frozen, unable to breath, unable to do anything but stare at this weird merhorse. Then, his thumb runs over your palm, and you’re free. 

“Wooah, Aaron.” You jerk your hand back. “The hell?!” 

“Aren’t ya playing hard to get?” He asks, wiggling his eyebrows.

“No.” You frown. “Not at all. Get the fuck back.” 

Heart in your throat, you glance around the room. There aren't many monsters around, and none you know enough to count as a potential ally. 

Aaron seems to deflate. “Oh. Shit. Really?” 

“Really really.” You nod, looking back at him. 

“UGH!” He leans back, turning to slam his head down on the table. “Sorry, babe, misread the signals there.” 

Relief floods your senses, and you feel like you can breathe again. An awkward silence floats between you, but you’ll take that over everything else right now. You turn back to your drink, taking a quick sip as you allow yourself to calm down. 

“Is everything okay over here?” You look up. The bartender -a bird monster- stands in front of both of you, looking critically between you and Aaron. She looks at you, eyes wide and seemingly concerned. 

Maybe you do have some allies here. You offer a small smile. “All good.” 

“Alright. But let me know if you need anything.” She nods and heads back down to the customers at the other end of the bar.

"Okay." You start, turning to look at Aaron. "We need to talk." The merhorse grimaces at your words. "In what way do you think I sent you any signals that I was interested in you?"

"Ouch babe. That hurts." Aaron grumbles. After a long moment, he continues. "I don't know...I just thought you were playin' hard to get."

"Hard to get." You repeat, deadpan. 

"Yea. I mean. You went out of your way to speak to me, to give me advice, to spend your time outside of work with me..."

"That's a friend, Aaron."

"...oh." He sits up and lets out a long breath. The two of you fall back into silence as the merhorse calls the bartender back over. He orders four shots of water magic, and pounds two of them back quickly. He pauses on the third, before looking at you. "Want one?" You shouldn't, but you saw this drink being poured and fuck if this wasn't a really weird night to start with. You reach your hand out and grab a shot, taking it with Aaron.

The silence continues for a bit. Then he speaks. "Listen babe, I don't know what you know about the underground, but it was a pretty tough place." You sit up a bit, surprised at the sudden direction of the conversation. "We didn't really have friends, and if you were interested in someone it made them your weakness. A weakness to exploit. Not a lotta monsters went that route at all. If you did...you had to be very forward about your intentions...and if the other person didn't want to...well...it was obvious." A pause. "Lots of monsters died that way."

That, uh...sounds horrible. Shit.

"Even Aboveground, lotsa monsters still have that mentality." He says. "Navigatin' a world that's had time to develop rules about shit like this, is tough. I hope I haven't put ya off me tonight."  He looks at you. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry I overstepped." 

"Um...wow." You blink, beyond surprised. "That's uh...thanks Aaron. I appreciate it."

It's a bit more comfortable after that, and you sip on your drink while mulling over what he said. Eventually, though, your curiosity does return. “I gotta ask, did you only ask ‘cause I was available?" You ask. Aaron turns to you with a confused look. You elaborate. “Aren’t I a bit different than your usual type?” With that, you gesture at your entire body, but especially your legs.

“That don’t mean much to monsters, babe.” He says. 

You blink. “Really?”

“Nah, too many different species to really think like that. I mean…we all got our preferences, but…” He squints at you. “You definitely meet mine”.

You kick him. Hard. “Stop it.”

“Owe, fuck. Sorry, sorry.” Aaron says, shifting backwards with hands up. “Shame you’re not interested though, you're a right dame.” He sighs, leaning against the bar top. “Preference or not, it’d be nice to hold that record. Definitely woulda got Shyren jealous.”

“...hold what record?”

“The first monster to fuck a human, of course!” 

…

Your mouth drops open, cheeks flushing. “That’s a thing ?!” 

“Fuck yea.” Aaron laughs. “We started talking about it on the Undernet . People were making polls and taking bets and everything.”

“...oh…” You’re not entirely sure what to do with that information. “Well…I’m sure there’s bound to be humans around who’re up to it.”

The rest of the ‘hangout’ is actually pretty fun. When he’s not being overly flirty or pissed off about his ex, the guy isn’t horrible to chill with. It's weird, to be honest. You had originally thought of the guy as almost like a stereotypical 'fratboy' and yea...he did act like it a lot...but there were moments there that he showed a lot of emotional intelligence, more than lots of humans even have.

You still wrap it up when you’re finished your drink though, ready to head back up to your room and wind down before another crazy day tomorrow. The two of you exchange numbers, and you think that you'd probably be up to do it again sometime. Aaron decides to stay longer and drown out his misery in alcohol, so you say a goodbye and head upstairs. 

It takes you a long time to fall asleep, and when you do you’re plagued by memories turned nightmares of faces you’ve long wish you could forget. 

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The humans have arrived in Monstertown. It’s sort of a weird thought…since you are very much human yourself, but still. There are not too many of them, but it’s a stark difference to how it was before. At least nobody is causing trouble. So far just ‘tourists’ walking around and pointing at people. Rude. But not aggressive. 

It still puts you on edge. It seems to put everyone on edge. The guests are constantly looking around, worried. Chandace spent the entirety of yesterday's shift outside of her office, ensuring the lobby was in absolute perfect order. Even BP is a bit off, and doesn’t seem nearly as excited as you’d expect him to be when Chandace shortens the hours of operation for the Burger Emporium. 

You’re expecting another very hectic day, so you get up early and decide to go get an actual good coffee before your shift. This time, you’re determined to ask for a drink that isn’t made of spiders. Walking out of MTT Resort, you’re hit by a cool breeze that sends shivers down your spine. It’ll warm up shortly, but right now you regret your light clothing. You walk down the steps and turn to start on your way when a voice rings out. 

“-call the police!” 

You pause, looking around for the voice. It’s early, too early for anything like this. There, at the edge of the park is a well dressed middle-aged human woman. She’s yelling at a monster… a monster in stripes… shit . Quickly, you abandon your coffee plans and make your way over.

“What’s going on?” You ask once in range, looking between the woman and the little lizard monster. 

The woman looks up at your arrival, pauses, looks you up and down critically and then speaks. “This little thing here purposefully tripped me!” 

“I didn’t!” The monster kid exclaims, looking at you. “I just fell! It’s not my fault she wasn’t looking where she was going!”

“Why you little-” The woman starts. 

“Woah, hey. I think we’re getting too worked up here.” You step in, your customer service voice coming on full as you step between the woman and the monster kid. “It was just an accident, ma’am. It happens.”

She turns to you. “An accident?!” Shit, her voice gets louder. “This thing decided to try to grievously injure me and you’re calling it an accident?!” Grievously injure? Wait...did she just call the kid a thing?!?!

Sensing the escalation, you fully step in between her and the Monster kid, hand behind your back waving at the kid to leave. “I really doubt they tried to-”

“Hey-wait! It’s leaving”! The woman shouts -way too loud in your ear, ouch- and takes a step around you. “You! Monster! You have to stay here until the police come!” Turning to look, all you can see is the kids tail as they turn a corner and disappear from sight. 

 You let out a long breath. “Well, that’s that I guess.” 

“No. I called the police." The woman looks at you. " You’ll stay here until they get here.”

You snort. “Absolutely not.” 

“Oh, yes you will!” She grabs your arm, fingers immediately digging in.

Startling, your opposite hand goes up to hers, trying to peel it off of you. “Are you fucking crazy? Let go!”

The woman says nothing, just holding on with that shit-eating grin. Seriously, what the fuck-

“ya should probably what she asks.” A deep, menacing voice behind you. It gets only darker as he continues. "or i'll make you."

Both you and the woman jump, but otherwise have completely separate reactions. Immediately you recognize the voice, and can’t help but feel just a bit calmer than before, even with the threatening tone. The woman, however, looks absolutely petrified. You can’t help but watch with glee as her face contorts into an amazing mix of disgust and horror. 

She lets go stammering “I-I-I-I-I-”. You press your lips together to hold back a laugh as she takes a step back. Another. Another. All without looking away from the monster you know is behind you. Once she’s far enough away, she turns and bolts it down the street. You watch her run, not an ounce of pity or sympathy turning in your body for her. 

Rubbing your arm, you turn around to face him. “Thanks!” You say, looking up with a smile. Oh. Huh. You blink up at him. He looks different…sharper somehow. Not just his teeth, but his whole presence. 

Sans’ eyes are still where the lady had gone. “don’ worry ‘bout it.” 

It’s then that you notice a bit of movement behind the large skeleton. A familiar yellow head pops out from behind. Oh I see… The kid steps out fully. “Thanks for getting him, kid.” You smile. They grin back. 

“what happened?”

At that, both of you are now looking at the Monster Kid. “I dunno!!” They insist, looking straight at Sans. “I was runnin’ in the park with Dee and then I tripped and this human was just yelling at me!!” 

“Did you see her before you tripped?” You ask. 

They shake their head “No!!” Then they pause. “Well… actually …” They start. “I’ve seen her before, but not today!! She’s always round here in the morning, taking pictures.”

“She’s taking pictures?” You ask. The kid just nods so you ask. “...of what?”

The kid shrugs, kicking at the concrete. “I dunno. Everything I guess.” 

…

You share a glance with Sans. That sounds bad, right?

“Can I go now??” They ask, breaking your gaze. The skeleton nods, and the kid is off…surprisingly fast for someone without arms. The two of you remain quiet, watching the kid as they run back into the park until they are completely out of sight. 

Only then do you turn back to him. “Is there…someone we can tell about this?” 

Sans sighs. “not really, unless we wanna get the royal guard fucks involved.” Oh shit. He looks down the street. “let’s spread the word ‘round town, get more eyes on it.”

“Got it.” You nod. "Uh, she said she called the police. Is that...an issue?"

He chuckles, still looking far away. "nah. police dont come here." 

"Ah. Good then." The two of you fall into a small, contemplative silence for a moment, before you continue. “Seriously though, thanks for stepping in.”

“huh?” He blinks, looking back. “i said don’ worry ‘bout it, doll, didn’t i?”

Odd reaction, but okay. “What are you doing up this early anyways?” You ask. “I didn’t really peg you for the early bird type.”

“ ‘m not.” He snorts. “the royal guard has all the sentry’s doin’ fuckin’ patrol right now.” 

“Sentry?”

Sans startles, looking at you with a slightly panicked expression. “uh, yea. the job underground.”

Well, shit...he obviously doesn't want to talk about that. And after what he just did, you don't really feel the want to push. You pocket away that information for later and move on. Pulling out your phone from your pocket, you check the time. Shit. This whole thing took longer than you’d hope. You still have time to get coffee, but not enough to sit down and actually enjoy it before the shift. Ugh.

“Well…can you patrol from Muffets?” You ask. At the skeletons confused look, you continue. “C’mon, bonehead, I’ll buy you something.” 

The confused look only grows, so you reach forward to pull at the arm of his jacket. You are definitely not strong enough to make a monster that big move, but he does. He allows you to pull him into walking with you. You let go once he's beside you, and the two of you quickly make your way back to Muffets Bakery & Cafe. It's not a long walk, but still nice. A few monsters give you really weird looks, but you just shrug it off.

Conversation doesn't start until you're in line, when he makes a jab at you for drinking literal spiders last time. You, of course, refuse to take that lying down and snark right back. It comes natural between you now. The line moves quickly though, and soon the conversation is cut short as you have to make your way back. You go to say goodbye when you realize something. Quickly you log into your phone and open the contact number.

You turn back. "Hey, give me your number."

The lazy grin is expected. "bein' forward today, huh sweetcheeks?" A pause, and he leans forward. "i like it."

Damn. That hits a lot harder after your discussion with Aaron. You ignore the warmth in your cheeks and hold your phone out. "This way I can text you when I'm there to pick you up Wednesday."

He takes your phone and enters his number before passing it back. You check it, glad you do when you see he's put his name as 'Bone Daddy'. Rolling your eyes, you change it to 'Sans' -to his obvious disappointment-, send him a quick text so he has your number and then actually need to go. You say another quick 'goodbye' and head out. 

If you're walking out of Muffets with a small smile on your face, only you would know.

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That night, just before you put your phone away to get some sleep, you get your first text from Sans. 

New Message:

[Sans]: wtf is this?!

A picture comes through next. You frown, clicking on it to load. It takes a few moments, but when it does your jaw drops. It's a screenshot picture of you in snapchat -an app that you no longer have. You're at the bar in MTT Resort, looking away from the camera. You don't have a drink yet, so its early in the night. Honestly it's not a horrible picture of you. The lighting is fine, your face is fine, everything is fine except the caption. You clutch your phone too tight as you read it:

'on a date with this hottie 🍆🍆🍆'

Fucking HELL Aaron!!