IF - Dusttale

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<h1> Character Profile </h1> ---- Please enter your name properly: <<textbox "$Name" "">> Ex: Frisk, Chara, Sans, Papyrus, Wingding <<set $playerprofile = 0>> Please enter your name in all lower case: <<textbox "$name" "">> Ex: frisk, chara, sans, papyrus, wingding Your eyes are: <<cycle "$eyecolor" autoselect>>\ <<option "green">> <<option "blue">> <<option "brown">> <<option "hazel">> <<option "gray">> <<option "black">> <<option "white">> <<option "purple">> <<option "pink">> <<option "red">> <<option "blue and green">> <<option "pink and red">> <<option "black and white">> <</cycle>>. You <<cycle "$glasses" autoselect>>\ <<option "wear glasses">> <<option "do not wear glasses">> <</cycle>>. You <<cycle "$facial" autoselect>>\ <<option "do not have facial hair">> <<option "have a beard">> <<option "have a moustache">> <<option "have a beard and moustache">> <</cycle>>. Your hair is: <<cycle "$hairlength" autoselect>>\ <<option "long">> <<option "very long">> <<option "short">> <<option "very short">> <<option "shoulder-length">> <</cycle>> , <<cycle "$haircolor" autoselect>>\ <<option "jet black">> <<option "black">> <<option "expresso">> <<option "cinnamon">> <<option "chocolate brown">> <<option "brown">> <<option "auburn">> <<option "ruby red">> <<option "burgundy">> <<option "strawberry blonde">> <<option "golden blonde">> <<option "ashy blonde">> <<option "butterscotch">> <<option "white">> <<option "silver">> <<option "gray">> <</cycle>> , and <<cycle "$hairtype" autoselect>>\ <<option "tightly curled">> <<option "loosely curled">> <<option "coily">> <<option "bouncy">> <<option "fine">> <<option "straight">> <<option "thick">> <<option "thin">> <<option "wavy">> <</cycle>>. Your skin color is: <<cycle "$skincolor" autoselect>>\ <<option "ivory">> <<option "porcelain">> <<option "rosy">> <<option "honey">> <<option "umber">> <<option "almond">> <<option "bronze">> <<option "chocolate">> <</cycle>>. You are a <<cycle "$gender" autoselect>>\ <<option "woman">> <<option "man">> <<option "person">> <</cycle>>. [[Is this you?]]

<<if $gender eq "man">> <<set $she = "he">> <<set $her = "him">> <<set $She = "He">> <<set $Her = "His">> <<set $shes = "he's">> <<set $hers = "his">> <<set $Shes = "He's">> <<set $Hers = "His">> <<set $Miss = "Mister">> <<set $maam = "sir">> <<set $lady = "gentleman">><</if>> <<if $gender eq "woman">> <<set $she = "she">> <<set $her = "her">> <<set $She = "She">> <<set $Her = "Her">> <<set $shes = "she's">> <<set $hers = "her's">> <<set $Shes = "She's">> <<set $Hers = "Her's">> <<set $Miss = "Miss">> <<set $maam = "ma'am">> <<set $lady = "lady">> <</if>> <<if $gender eq "person">> <<set $she = "they">> <<set $her = "their">> <<set $She = "They">> <<set $Her = "Their">> <<set $shes = "they're">> <<set $hers = "theirs">> <<set $Shes = "They're">> <<set $Hers = "Theirs">> <<set $Miss = "Mx">> <<set $maam = "mx">> <<set $lady = "one">> <</if>> You are a $gender with $hairlength $haircolor $hairtype and $skincolor skin. You have $eyecolor eyes and $glasses. You are $Name. [[Yes?]] [[No.]] <<if $eyecolor eq "green">> <<set $eyecolor2 = "emeralds">> <<set $eyecolor3 = "clover-colored">> <</if>> <<if $eyecolor eq "blue">> <<set $eyecolor2 = "sapphires">> <<set $eyecolor3 = "sky-colored">> <</if>> <<if $eyecolor eq "brown">> <<set $eyecolor2 = "the sweetest of chocolates">> <<set $eyecolor3 = "honey-colored">> <</if>> <<if $eyecolor eq "hazel">> <<set $eyecolor2 = "an untouched forest">> <<set $eyecolor3 = "warm-colored">> <</if>> <<if $eyecolor eq "gray">> <<set $eyecolor2 = "labradorites">> <<set $eyecolor3 = "storm-colored">> <</if>> <<if $eyecolor eq "black">> <<set $eyecolor2 = "obsidian">> <<set $eyecolor3 = "night-colored">> <</if>> <<if $eyecolor eq "white">> <<set $eyecolor2 = "moonstones">> <<set $eyecolor3 = "star-colored">> <</if>> <<if $eyecolor eq "purple">> <<set $eyecolor2 = "amethysts">> <<set $eyecolor3 = "violet-colored">> <</if>> <<if $eyecolor eq "pink">> <<set $eyecolor2 = "spring itself">> <<set $eyecolor3 = "peony-colored">> <</if>> <<if $eyecolor eq "red">> <<set $eyecolor2 = "rubies">> <<set $eyecolor3 = "rose-colored">> <</if>> <<if $eyecolor eq "blue and green">> <<set $eyecolor2 = "the ocean">> <<set $eyecolor3 = "sea-colored">> <</if>> <<if $eyecolor eq "pink and red">> <<set $eyecolor2 = "a vibrant field of flowers">> <<set $eyecolor3 = "flower-colored">> <</if>> <<if $eyecolor eq "black and white">> <<set $eyecolor2 = "the starry night">> <<set $eyecolor3 = "starry">> <</if>>

That's you. Ordinary you. You are nothing special. You have no extraordinary abilities. You are only you. Do you think that will be enough? It has to be be, doesn't it. If you aren't enough-- If you don't //think// you're enough-- [[Why are you even here?]]

Restart then. You can do that, can't you? <<click "Restart">><<script>>Engine.restart()<</script>><</click>>

You fell. Not a small fall, or a little trip. This is a plunging fall. It is a heels-over-head fall. It is an //over-a-minute-has-passed-and-you're-still-falling// fall. You are hurtling into darkness so thick you cannot even see your $skincolor fingers in front of your own eyes. The air tingles with a strange energy that envelops you entirely as you fall, providing you with the sensation of tumbling through mist. You fall and fall and fall. [[What a horrible accident.]] [[You thought this would have been over by now.]]

- Player can feel someone watching them when they walk through the snow. Player can choose to dismiss their feelings (+1) or focus on them. - Player arrives at the town. - If player feels like they are being watched they can try to rush through the town. They will be stapped in the back and die. - If the player feels like they are being watched and tries to confront the person they can see the skeleton grinning madly at them. Player has option to talk or run. Either way they'll die. - If player chose to be oblivious they can investigate the town and call out to others. They will see more ash piles but notice there aren't any flowers. - Player has to have gone into the general store to see the papers & decide to make paper flowers. +1 - Player may choose to do that or not. - Player who chooses to make flowers will again feel a gaze on them but dismiss it as them being silly. - Player can feel tired and decide to sleep in the inn. - In the morning player can choose to stay to try and investigate or leave to investigate. - If player stays, Sans will kill them. "you made flowers for yourself, didn't you?" - Player leaves. Each area the player finds ash, they leave flowers. - Player can choose to reflect or not. If player reflects & mourns for this unknown tragedy Sans will spare them. - Player makes it to the barrier. - Player can choose to leave or linger. - If they choose to leave it's the end of the game. - If the player chooses to linger they will feel something shove them through. - If the player tries to turn around suddenly (feelng someone behind them) they will die. - This tells the player that someone else might be there. - Player can choose to fall again or leave it all behind (end of game) - Player who falls again decides to bring a survival kit and survivals for dummies guide. - Player can search for Sans. - Player can find Sans in Snowdin. - If player mourned, Sans will not kill them. - If player did not mourn, Sans will kill them. "you had your chance, //faker.//" - If player is still alive Sans will offer them a handshake. - Player will accept the handshake and smile brightly at them. - "Hello," you say, "it's nice to meet you, Sans. I hope we can become friends." His grip on your hand tightens to the point of pain. "you'll leave," he says. "Not without you," you say. "Friends don't leave friends behind." "you don't know me," he says. "I'd like to," you tell him. "Will you let me?" "your SOUL is weak," he says. "you only have one chance." That's. . . an odd way to word it. "I only need the one," you say. The lights in his eyesockets go out. "okay," he says. His grip loosens. [Okay.] You only have one life. - Time forward of one day --> one week --> one month --> one year. You've been eating a lot of magically enriched food. - Player suddenly has a screen & reset button. Shows player is the new owner of this world (Frisk OG & Chara quit). - Sans asks player to reset. Player can & is taken back to the moment of falling. They are greeted by Flowey. THey are rescued by Toriel. Player is the second human to have fallen. (Player can choose to be really scared to have lost Sans if they have romantic feelings). They freely leave the underground and are greeted by Sans. Player can rush to hug him, crying that they were afraid to have lost him. - "heh. . . what's wrong, $name? got dust in your eyes?" - You hiccup that was an awful pun. - "yeah," he agrees, continuing to pat your back. "there, there," he says. "no need to cry. i'm right here." You squeeze him tightly. "you're right here," he continues. "everyone's here. you're not alone." He buries his face into your neck. "we're not alone," he whispers. "everything is okay now." Eventually your sniffles die down. "are you ready?" "For what?" "everything," he says. "As long as you're with me." / "As long as you're my friend." He gives your hand a squeeze, his grin widening. "as long as you'll have me." END Sans is a special little secret. You once mention to him getting help--bringing others--but he was so vehemently against it you never brought it up again. He is silent. Quiet. Sudden noises make him instantly alert. In the normally dead-quiet of the underground, noises are unexpected and alarming. It's never a threat--usually just a chunk of ice falling into the water, or a piece of stalacite falling to the ground--but he always immediately checks it out. At some point you stopped going home. The underground is self-sufficient, and it's troublesome to fall every time you want to return. You also hate leaving him alone down there. And then one day it appears. A screen. [RESET] It frightens you enough that you explain it to Sans. "reset it," he whispers, his voice broken. "please. for me." You fell. - You greet the skeleton. He stares at you. You swallow back your nerves. You ask him if he's the only one down here.

<<if tags().includes("bbar")>> <div id="bottombar"><div id="bbblock"><div id="bbtext">[[You]] [[Inventory]]</div></div><</if>>

You are a $gender with $hairlength $haircolor $hairtype and $skincolor skin. You have $eyecolor3 eyes. <<if $characterstatus eq 0>> You don't know what state you are in. <</if>> <<if (($characterstatus eq 1)) and ($bloody eq 6)>> You are not in any good shape. You’ve lost a lot of blood and you feel weak. If you don’t get help soon, you really could die.<</if>> <<if (($characterstatus eq 1)) and ($bloody eq 2)>> All things considered, you’re doing well. <</if>><<if ((($characterstatus eq 1))) and (($bloody gt 2)) and ($bloody lt 6)>> You aren’t doing well–head injuries are always alarming–but it could be worse. It would be best if you sought help as soon as possible. <</if>> <<if (($characterstatus eq 2)) and ($cold eq 3)>> Your injuries are healing, but now you're freezing. <<elseif (($characterstatus eq 2)) and ($cold eq 2)>> Your injuries are healing, but now you're very cold. <<elseif (($characterstatus eq 2)) and ($cold eq 1)>> Your injuries are healing, but now you're cold. <</if>> <<if $characterstatus eq 3>> You feel heavy. Your heart is breaking. <</if>> <<if $characterstatus eq 4>>You are broken. <</if>> <<if $characterstatus eq 5>>You know what you have to do. <</if>> <<if $characterstatus eq 6>> You're content. You and Sans are becoming good friends. <</if>> <<if $characterstatus eq 7>> You're in love. You and Sans are so happy together. <</if>> <<if $characterstatus eq 8>> You did it! //You did it!//<</if>> <<return>> True <<click "Restart">><<script>>Engine.restart()<</script>><</click>> Fast [[Restart|Why are you even here?]]

You have one broken phone. At least you can use it as a flashlight. <<if $hasflowers eq 1>> You have fresh flowers plucked from the flower bed you fell in. <</if>> <<return>>

It was an accident. <<set $suicidal = 0>> <<set $characterstatus = 0>> A trip up the mountain gone awry. You were scaling the mountainside of Mt. Ebott, one step at a time. There was a path that wrapped around the mountain and would take hikers up to a ledge. You intended to follow that path up to the ledge, a journey you have never gone on before. [[You’ve always wanted to get into hiking. Today seemed like a good day to try it.]] [[After everything you’ve gone through, you needed this small victory.]] [[It was the first nice day in months, you desperately wanted to soak up the chance of pleasant fresh air and warm sunlight.]] [[It was a spontaneous decision.]]

. . . <<set $suicidal = 1>> <<set $characterstatus = 0>> Just your luck, huh. . . Every part of you ''hurts.'' It’s a constant throbbing sensation of dull pain. Your limbs tingle with pins and needles, even curling your fingers sends sharp pain through you. You blink, reflexive tears burn you as your body tries to help clear your vision. Each inhale is a hiccup, a stutter of air. Your whole body has received a painful shock from the landing and it’s still adjusting. Why. . . Why couldn't you have landed on your head? You don't want to die //painfully.// There is a thought for you to sit up. To look at yourself. To see if maybe, just maybe, you could live. [[. . . Sit up.]] [[Stay down.]]

That’s right. You went out and bought hiking boots, appropriate gear, and even one of those fancy compasses. <<set $hiker = 1>> The trek up the mountain was fine. Nice, even. The fresh mountain air tasted of spring, and the sunlight warmed your $skincolor skin. The wind was consistent enough you didn’t get too hot as you climbed up. You thought you were doing a good job. The path branched a few times, but you did your best to follow the main one. . . . It did not work out that way. One wrong turn and a stumble over a root had you tumbling into the forest. By the time you stopped rolling you were in an area you did not recognize and not a path in sight. You thought that if you simply went downhill you’d be okay. Unfortunately the area you stopped in ended at a sharp drop off. There was no safe way to go downhill. You could only keep climbing up and to the side. This did not work out well for you. Your trip took the remainder of the day and left you walking in pitch blackness with only the fading light of your flashlight phone. It was disorienting, terrifying, infuriating, and overwhelming. Your legs burned, your chest heaved, and your empty stomach gnawed angrily at itself. You wanted to go home. And then you tripped into a hole that was cruelly concealed by foliage. [[You fell.]]

After a series of unfortunate losses, your mental health had hit a rock bottom. You need a victory in life. You need something //good// to happen to you for //once// this year. <<set $hiker = 0>> <<set $decision = "wish for a small victory">> Maybe if you can climb this mountain, you can handle the next disaster too. Maybe. You hope. The trek up the mountain was fine. Nice, even. The fresh mountain air tasted of spring, and the sunlight warmed your $skincolor skin. The wind was consistent enough you didn’t get too hot as you climbed up. You thought you were doing a good job. The path branched a few times, but you did your best to follow the main one. . . . It did not work out that way. One wrong turn and a stumble over a root had you tumbling into the forest. By the time you stopped rolling you were in an area you did not recognize and not a path in sight. You thought that if you simply went downhill you’d be okay. Unfortunately the area you stopped in ended at a sharp drop off. There was no safe way to go downhill. You could only keep climbing up and to the side. This did not work out well for you. Your trip took the remainder of the day and left you walking in pitch blackness with only the fading light of your flashlight phone. It was disorienting, terrifying, infuriating, and overwhelming. Your legs burned, your chest heaved, and your empty stomach gnawed angrily at itself. You wanted to go home. And then you tripped into a hole that was cruelly concealed by foliage. [[You fell.]]

You were going stir-crazy being cooped up inside. One more weekend trapped in stale, temperature-regulated, air and you were going to scream. <<set $hiker = 0>> <<set $decision = "desparte desire to enjoy a nice day out">> The trek up the mountain was fine. Nice, even. The fresh mountain air tasted of spring, and the sunlight warmed your $skincolor skin. The wind was consistent enough you didn’t get too hot as you climbed up. You thought you were doing a good job. The path branched a few times, but you did your best to follow the main one. . . . It did not work out that way. One wrong turn and a stumble over a root had you tumbling into the forest. By the time you stopped rolling you were in an area you did not recognize and not a path in sight. You thought that if you simply went downhill you’d be okay. Unfortunately the area you stopped in ended at a sharp drop off. There was no safe way to go downhill. You could only keep climbing up and to the side. This did not work out well for you. Your trip took the remainder of the day and left you walking in pitch blackness with only the fading light of your flashlight phone. It was disorienting, terrifying, infuriating, and overwhelming. Your legs burned, your chest heaved, and your empty stomach gnawed angrily at itself. You wanted to go home. And then you tripped into a hole that was cruelly concealed by foliage. [[You fell.]]

You were not at all dressed for the occasion either. The trek up the mountain was fine. Nice, even. The fresh mountain air tasted of spring, and the sunlight warmed your $skincolor skin. The wind was consistent enough you didn’t get too hot as you climbed up. <<set $hiker = 0>> <<set $decision = "spontaneous decision to go for a hike">> You thought you were doing a good job. The path branched a few times, but you did your best to follow the main one. . . . It did not work out that way. One wrong turn and a stumble over a root had you tumbling into the forest. By the time you stopped rolling you were in an area you did not recognize and not a path in sight. You thought that if you simply went downhill you’d be okay. Unfortunately the area you stopped in ended at a sharp drop off. There was no safe way to go downhill. You could only keep climbing up and to the side. This did not work out well for you. Your trip took the remainder of the day and left you walking in pitch blackness with only the fading light of your flashlight phone. It was disorienting, terrifying, infuriating, and overwhelming. Your legs burned, your chest heaved, and your empty stomach gnawed angrily at itself. You wanted to go home. And then you tripped into a hole that was cruelly concealed by foliage. [[You fell.]]

You open your $eyecolor eyes, your vision blurred.<<set $bloody = 0>> <<if $glasses eq "wear glasses">> Your hands grope around the ground until you grasp your familiar lenses. You put them back on, wincing at how stiff you feel. Even with your glasses on, your vision is blurred.<</if>> Ugh. <<masteraudio stop>> Every part of you //hurts.// It’s a constant throbbing sensation of dull pain. Your limbs tingle with pins and needles; even curling your fingers sends sharp pain through you. You blink, reflexive tears burns your eyes at an attempt to help clear your vision. Each inhale is a hiccup, a stutter of air. Your whole body has received a painful shock from the landing and it’s adjusting. You lay there in a daze of hazy discomfort for who knows how long. Minutes? Hours? You hadn’t been paying attention to the time before you fell, so even if you knew the time now it you can’t use it as a reference. Eventually your breathing evens out and the pain dulls enough that you can force yourself to sit up. You look up at where you fell. There is the barest sliver of light that peeks through the foliage. It’s far too high for you to see anything more than a silver dot. How far did you fall? It felt. . . long. That couldn’t be right though. You’re alive. Injured. Hurting. But alive. You flex your hands. It’s like someone wrapped a hundred rubber bands around each finger. You turn your neck. Oof, that’s sharp. You hiss out in pain. You try to stand up. Your knees nearly give out, they are surprisingly weak and wobbly. Your head spins faster than a twirling ice skater. It takes all of your willpower not to fall down again. With the smallest bit of light, you try to find your phone. It is not easy in this darkness, especially when every time you turn your neck you feel a sharp jolt of pain that makes you cringe. You get on your hands and knees, forced to grasp around the grass and flowers in search of the smooth plastic case around your phone. There! You’ve found your phone. The screen lights up as soon as you turn it over. No signal which is not a shock. It’s at half battery. Not bad. You turn the flashlight on and survey yourself. [[Your bare legs are a mess of scratches and bruises. The dress you are wearing has done nothing to protect you.]] [[Your bare legs are a mess of scratches and bruises. The shorts you are wearing have done nothing to protect you.]] [[Your bare legs are a mess of scratches and bruises. The skirt you are wearing have done nothing to protect you.]] [[Your thin leggings have been torn to shreds, you are a mess of scratches and bruises.]] [[Your jeans have some tears and rips in them, but are holding up relatively well. It could be much worse.]] [[Your cargo pants have a few rips in them but have held up very well.]] <<if $hiker eq 1>> [[Your hiking pants are dirty, but have no rips in them. They protected you well.]] <</if>>

The blood slowly drips down your legs. Most of the cuts are shallow enough they have already stopped bleeding. The dried blood is caked on your legs, and pulls at your skin with each movement. <<set $bloody +=2>> <<set $barelegs = 1>> You move your phone light up to your arms. [[You have cuts along your arms. Your short-sleeved dress did nothing to help you.]] [[Your sleeves are torn in several spots. Your long-sleeved dress has seen better days.]] [[Your sleeves only have a few tears. The sweater overtop your dress protected your skin decently.]]

The blood slowly drips down your legs. Most of the cuts are shallow enough they have already stopped bleeding. The dried blood is caked on your legs, and pulls at your skin with each movement. <<set $bloody +=2>> <<set $barelegs = 1>> You move your phone light up to your arms. [[You have cuts along your arms. Your short-sleeved shirt did nothing to help you.]] [[Your sleeves are torn in several spots. Your long-sleeved shirt has seen better days.]] [[Your sleeves only have a few tears. The sweater you are wearing protected your skin decently.]] [[Your sleeves only have a few tears. The hoodie you are wearing protected your skin decently.]] <<if $hiker eq 1>> [[Your sleeves are fine. The heavy jacket you are wearing protected you.]] <</if>>

Most of the cuts are shallow enough they have already stopped bleeding. The dried blood is caked between your legs and jeans, pulling at your skin with each movement. <<set $bloody +=1>> <<set $barelegs = 0>> You move your phone light up to your arms. [[You have cuts along your arms. Your short-sleeved shirt did nothing to help you.]] [[Your sleeves are torn in several spots. Your long-sleeved shirt has seen better days.]] [[Your sleeves only have a few tears. The sweater you are wearing protected your skin decently.]] [[Your sleeves only have a few tears. The hoodie you are wearing protected your skin decently.]] <<if $hiker eq 1>> [[Your sleeves are fine. The heavy jacket you are wearing protected you.]] <</if>>

Most of the cuts are shallow enough they have already stopped bleeding. The dried blood is caked between your legs and pants, pulling at your skin with each movement. <<set $bloody +=1>> <<set $barelegs = 0>> You move your phone light up to your arms. [[You have cuts along your arms. Your short-sleeved shirt did nothing to help you.]] [[Your sleeves are torn in several spots. Your long-sleeved shirt has seen better days.]] [[Your sleeves only have a few tears. The sweater you are wearing protected your skin decently.]] [[Your sleeves only have a few tears. The hoodie you are wearing protected your skin decently.]] <<if $hiker eq 1>> [[Your sleeves are fine. The heavy jacket you are wearing protected you.]] <</if>>

Nice. <<set $bloody +=0>> <<set $barelegs = 0>> You move your phone light up to your arms. [[You have cuts along your arms. Your short-sleeved shirt did nothing to help you.]] [[Your sleeves are torn in several spots. Your long-sleeved shirt has seen better days.]] [[Your sleeves only have a few tears. The sweater you are wearing protected your skin decently.]] [[Your sleeves only have a few tears. The hoodie you are wearing protected your skin decently.]] <<if $hiker eq 1>> [[Your sleeves are fine. The heavy jacket you are wearing protected you.]] <</if>>

The scratches throb angrily, your blood oozes slowly out of them. <<set $bloody +=2>> <<set $barearms = 0>> <<set $characterstatus = 1>> You go to touch your face to feel for any injuries. Your cheek stings when you touch it. Your hand doesn’t come back away with blood, so you conclude it is bruised. You touch around your head, a needle-like burn immediately pierces you when you touch the back. It comes away slick with blood. <<set $bloody +=2>> [[Oh.]]

Unfortunate. <<set $bloody +=1>> <<set $barearms = 0>><<set $characterstatus = 1>> You go to touch your face to feel for any injuries. Your cheek stings when you touch it. Your hand doesn’t come back away with blood, so you conclude it is bruised. You touch around your head, a needle-like burn immediately pierces you when you touch the back. It comes away slick with blood. <<set $bloody +=2>> [[Oh.]]

The scratches throb angrily, your blood oozes slowly out of them. <<set $bloody +=2>> <<set $barearms = 0>><<set $characterstatus = 1>> You go to touch your face to feel for any injuries. Your cheek stings when you touch it. Your hand doesn’t come back away with blood, so you conclude it is bruised. You touch around your head, a needle-like burn immediately pierces you when you touch the back. It comes away slick with blood. <<set $bloody +=2>> [[Oh.]]

Lucky. <<set $bloody +=0>> <<set $barearms = 0>><<set $characterstatus = 1>> You go to touch your face to feel for any injuries. Your cheek stings when you touch it. Your hand doesn’t come back away with blood, so you conclude it is bruised. You touch around your head, a needle-like burn immediately pierces you when you touch the back. It comes away slick with blood. <<set $bloody +=2>> [[Oh.]]

You gnaw on your bottom lip as you grab your flashlight. You look at the flower bed you land in, then you immediately spot a tunnel in front of you. <<masteraudio stop>> <<audio "dungeon" loop play>> It's the only way forward, so it's the only way you'll go. Anger makes your face twist into a scowl as you march. Adrenaline and rage makes it easier to ignore your injuries. There's only one tunnel to follow--as far as you notice--and you stomp down it, fueled by your frustration at this situation. From one tunnel to a cavern, into another tunnel, into //another// cavern, into //another// tunnel-- Ugh. Eventually you exit the tunnel and enter another cavern. . . . You almost can't believe what you see. You are in a cave. You are in a cave inside Mt. Ebott where no caverns are listed. You fell into this cave by complete chance. And. For some reason. //There is a house.// There is a house in this cavern. An actual, honest-to-goodness //house.// There are two sets of gray stone stairs that lead up to a purple-bricked house. It's such an unbelievable sight, your mind goes blank, your resentment vanishing. Huh. Wait. A house. A house means people. People mean-- //Medical supplies!// [[You pick up the pace as you enter the house.]]

You tremble. <<set $positive = 0>> <<set $numb = 1>> You're going to die. You're going to //die.// Your breathing comes out in panicked hiccups. With the light of your flashlight you frantically start to look around. You landed in a bed of yellow flowers that have grown under the the slim sunlight that peeked through. They are unlike any flowers you have seen before. They appear cartoonish with their big petals, and lackadaisical swaying in the nonexistent wind. . . . You're going to die here. You know it. You shine your flashlight around. It's shaking in your hands. The cave floor is smooth. It's a dark gray. The cave walls climb high around you, and a lot of it is also smoothed over. It looks like this area was a created tunnel, not something naturally formed. You can’t recall there being any mining operations set up around the mountain. It was nearly pristine on the outside. When was this cave carved out? . . . Could there be other people here? You're too scared to try and test that out. [[Stay silent for now.]]

You gnaw on your bottom lip as you grab your flashlight. You look at the flower bed you land in, then you immediately spot a tunnel in front of you. <<masteraudio stop>> <<audio "dungeon" loop play>> It's the only way forward, so it's the only way you'll go. Resentment makes your face twist into a scowl as you march. Adrenaline and anger makes it easier to ignore your injuries. There's only one tunnel to follow--as far as you notice--and you stomp down it, fueled by your frustration at this situation. From one tunnel to a cavern, into another tunnel, into //another// cavern, into //another// tunnel-- Ugh. Eventually you exit the tunnel and enter another cavern. . . . You almost can't believe what you see. You are in a cave. You are in a cave inside Mt. Ebott where no caverns are listed. You fell into this cave by complete chance. And. For some reason. //There is a house.// There is a house in this cavern. An actual, honest-to-goodness //house.// There are two sets of gray stone stairs that lead up to a purple-bricked house. It's such an unbelievable sight, your mind goes blank, your resentment vanishing. Huh. Wait. A house. A house means people. People mean-- //Medical supplies!// [[You pick up the pace as you enter the house.]]

You go numb. <<set $positive = 0>> <<set $numb = 1>> With the light of your flashlight you slowly look around. You landed in a bed of yellow flowers that have grown under the the slim sunlight that peeked through. They are unlike any flowers you have seen before. They appear cartoonish with their big petals, and lackadaisical swaying in the nonexistent wind. . . . You're going to die here, huh. . . You shine your flashlight around. The cave floor is smooth. It's a dark gray. The cave walls climb high around you, and a lot of it is also smoothed over. It looks like this area was a created tunnel, not something naturally formed. You can’t recall there being any mining operations set up around the mountain. It was nearly pristine on the outside. When was this cave carved out? . . . Could there be other people here? You don't care enough to try. [[Stay silent for now.]]

Right. Right! <<set $positive = 1>> <<set $numb = 0>> You can do this. With the light of your flashlight you start to look around. You landed in a bed of yellow flowers that have grown under the the slim sunlight that peeked through. They are unlike any flowers you have seen before. They appear cartoonish with their big petals, and lackadaisical swaying in the nonexistent wind. You shine your flashlight around. The cave floor is smooth. It's a dark gray. The cave walls climb high around you, and a lot of it is also smoothed over. It looks like this area was a created tunnel, not something naturally formed. You can’t recall there being any mining operations set up around the mountain. It was nearly pristine on the outside. When was this cave carved out? . . . Could there be other people here? [[Call out to see if anyone is around.]] [[Stay silent for now.]]

You go numb. <<set $positive = 0>> <<set $numb = 1>> With the light of your flashlight you slowly look around. You landed in a bed of yellow flowers that have grown under the the slim sunlight that peeked through. They are unlike any flowers you have seen before. They appear cartoonish with their big petals, and lackadaisical swaying in the nonexistent wind. . . . You shine your flashlight around. The cave floor is smooth. It's a dark gray. The cave walls climb high around you, and a lot of it is also smoothed over. It looks like this area was a created tunnel, not something naturally formed. You can’t recall there being any mining operations set up around the mountain. It was nearly pristine on the outside. When was this cave carved out? . . . Could there be other people here? [[Call out to see if anyone is around.]] [[Stay silent for now.]]

You call out. <<masteraudio stop>> <<audio "dungeon" loop play>> <<timed 5s>>There is no response.<</timed>> <<timed 7s>>You shine your flashlight around the cave. <</timed>> <<timed 9s>>You only see one way forward: the dark tunnel.<</timed>> <<timed 13s>>You enter a long, dark corridor. It is made up of dark, cracked stone. There are numerous fractured lines running across the walls and ceiling. You run your hand along the wall and find that it is rough and crumbly. <</timed>> <<timed 21s>>As you progress the dark gray color slowly transitions to a deep purple. <</timed>> <<timed 26s>>It's quiet. <</timed>> <<timed 29s>>Painfully quiet. <</timed>> <<timed 33s>>[[This cave noise is. . . uncomfortable.]]<</timed>>

You stay silent, listening hard for anything. <<masteraudio stop>> <<audio "dungeon" loop play>> <<timed 5s>>You hear nothing.<</timed>> <<timed 7s>>You shine your flashlight around the cave. <</timed>> <<timed 9s>>You only see one way forward: the dark tunnel.<</timed>> <<timed 17s>>You enter a long, dark corridor. It is made up of dark, cracked stone. There are numerous fractured lines running across the walls and ceiling. You run your hand along the wall and find that it is rough and crumbly. <</timed>> <<timed 21s>>As you progress the dark gray color slowly transitions to a deep purple. <</timed>> <<timed 26s>>It's quiet. <</timed>> <<timed 29s>>Painfully quiet. <</timed>> <<timed 33s>>[[This cave noise is. . . uncomfortable.]]<</timed>>

You can hear your heart pound in your chest. //Ba-dump.// <<audio "heartbeat" loop play>> Each step you take is echoed by it. //Ba-dump.// //Ba-dump.// //Ba-dump.// You never thought your heart could sound so loud. //Ba-dump.// //Ba-dump.// //Ba-dump.// A dozen steps down the tunnel and you start to wonder if the echoes of your footsteps are only yours. //Ba-dump.// They must be. . . right? It's only you down here. It's only you, your heartbeat, and this darkness. //Ba-dump.// //Ba-dump.// //Ba-dump.// [[You keep moving forward.]]

You leave the tunnel only to see another empty cavern. <<audio "heartbeat" stop>> A glance around shows it's similar to where you fell, albeit much larger. On the floor there is a noticeable difference in the shade of purple. A lavendar path? You drag your foot across the path. It's mostly smooth, like the rest of the flooring. Each step further in is met with an echo of your footsteps. The halls and caverns of these caves are massive and. . . empty. Someone must be around though, right? These tunnels were //made.// You aren't alone. You. . . //can't// be alone. This silence rattles your nerves. [[You walk.]]

<<cacheaudio "droplet" "dustaud/droplet.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "dungeon" "dustaud/dungeon.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "heartbeat" "dustaud/heartbeat.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "horrorpiano" "dustaud/horrorpiano.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "heartache" "dustaud/heartache.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "snowfootsteps" "dustaud/snowfootsteps.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "snowdinpiano" "dustaud/snowdinpiano.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "snowdinmusicbox" "dustaud/snowdinmusicbox.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "waterfallmusicbox" "dustaud/waterfallmusicbox.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "lab" "dustaud/lab.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "asgore" "dustaud/asgore.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "pap" "dustaud/pap.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "finale" "dustaud/finale.mp3">> <img src="dustimage/Dusty1.png" alt="dusty1" /> <img src="dustimage/Dusty21.png" alt="dusty2" /> <img src="dustimage/Dusty1Friendship.png" alt="dusty1f" /> <img src="dustimage/Dusty2Friendship.png" alt="dusty2f" />

<<audio "droplet" loop play>> The sound of water dripping down the side of the cave walls startles you. <<audio "heartbeat" fadeoverto 10 0>> Your heart jumps to your throat, your whole body tensing from the unexpected sound. //Ba-dump.// //Drip-drip.// //Ba-dump.// It is the only noise in this underground cavern. Each time the water hits the ground, its echo reverberates throughout the room. You shine your flashlight on the water and watch it fall for several seconds. The ceiling is too high up to try and spot a crack. You see the water slide down one of the stalacites, but that is as much as you can see. You let out a slow breath. Your heart returns to its normal beating. //Drip-drip.// There must be another hole above. How many ways are there into this cavern? Actually--why isn't this cavern well known? You've never heard about there being a cavern in Mt. Ebott before. The only thing the mountain is known for is its hiking spots. Some years ago there was a superstition around children missing, but that was well before your time. No one has gone missing on the mountain in a long, long time. Aha. Until you, that is. //Drip-drip.// If there's more holes at the top, then surely there's another way out. Your head throbs painfully, reminding you of your injuries. //Drip-drip.// All you can do is continue on and hope for the best. [[You move down the tunnel.]]

<<audio "droplet" stop>> Down another tunnel. <<audio "heartbeat" stop>> Your flashlight flickers. You nervously check the battery. It's halfway full, it hasn't gone down much since you last checked. You continue forward, picking up your pace as much as you reasonably can. . . . <<timed 7s>>Your footsteps crunch into something. For the first time in several minutes, you have stepped onto something other than cave rock. You look down and frown at what you see. It looks like. . . Ashes? It's a grayish-white sand-like substance. That’s. . . weird. You step out of it, an uneasy feeling in your gut. You take a look around, curious to see if you can find the source of the ash(?). All you see are dark or purple stones. Nothing around you is close to that off-white color. If nothing around you matches that color, what could have created it? <<if $terriblefate eq 1>> [[You feel. . . strange about this. You can’t put your finger on it, but this feels important.]] [[You stare at it for a long time, oddly unsettled.]] <</if>> [[Curious, but not important. You move on.]] [[You shrug and ignore it.]]<</timed>>

There's a knot in your stomach, a sense of wrongness tickles the back of your neck. You give the pile of ash a wide berth. <<if $bloody eq 6>> You almost stumble in your efforts to move quickly away from it. Ah. Your head spins from the quick movement. Have you really lost that much blood? <</if>> This situation feels uncomfortable. Not--not only because you're hurting, but you can't shake the feeling that something is wrong with that pile of ash. If this was a horror movie, this would be the time the audience learns about how the ash is really something sacred or a warning sign for some kind of horrific monster up ahead. You hope, //you really, really hope,// that's not the case for you. Monsters vanished from the world centuries ago. You doubt you'd run into them here. Really, what are the odds. . . ? [[You continue down the tunnel.]]

You carry on. You notice a few more piles here and there. It's weird--what was causing it anyway?--but you don't care. Eventually you exit the tunnel and enter another cavern. . . . You almost can't believe what you see. You are in a cave. You are in a cave inside Mt. Ebott where no caverns are listed. You fell into this cave by complete chance. And. For some reason. //There is a house.// There is a house in this cavern. An actual, honest-to-goodness //house.// There are two sets of gray stone stairs that lead up to a purple-bricked house. It's such an unbelievable sight, your mind goes blank. Huh. Wait. A house. A house means people. People mean-- //Medical supplies!// [[You pick up the pace as you enter the house.]]

<video autoplay muted loop id="myVideo"> <source src="dustaud/snowfall.mp4" type="video/mp4"> </video> <div class="content"> <h1>DUSTTALE</h1> [[Start]] [[Disclaimer]] </div>

Please choose your theme. <<masteraudio stop>> [[Default Theme.]] [[Dusty Theme.]] [[Into the Void Theme.]] [[Achromatic Theme.]] [[Underfell Theme.]]

<<removeclass "html" "theme-achromatic theme-achromatic theme-written theme-printed">> <<removeclass "html" "theme-uf theme-uf theme-written theme-printed">> <<removeclass "html" "theme-into-the-void theme-into-the-void theme-written theme-printed">> <<removeclass "html" "theme-dusty theme-dusty theme-written theme-printed">> This is the Default Theme. Cycles will look like this: <<cycle "$test" autoselect>>\ <<option "Default">> <<option "Dusty">> <<option "Into The Void">> <<option "Achromatic">> <<option "Underfell">> <</cycle>> Links will look like this: [[Example Link.]] If you are happy with this theme please click here to move on: [[Character Profile]] If you would like to return and pick again please click here: <<return>>

<<removeclass "html" "theme-achromatic theme-achromatic theme-written theme-printed">> <<removeclass "html" "theme-uf theme-uf theme-written theme-printed">> <<removeclass "html" "theme-into-the-void theme-into-the-void theme-written theme-printed">> <<removeclass "html" "theme-dusty theme-dusty theme-written theme-printed">> <<addclass "html" "theme-dusty">> This is the Dusty Theme. Cycles will look like this: <<cycle "$test" autoselect>>\ <<option "Default">> <<option "Dusty">> <<option "Into The Void">> <<option "Achromatic">> <<option "Underfell">> <</cycle>> Links will look like this: [[Example Link.]] If you are happy with this theme please click here to move on: [[Character Profile]] If you would like to return and pick again please click here: <<return>>

<<removeclass "html" "theme-achromatic theme-achromatic theme-written theme-printed">> <<removeclass "html" "theme-uf theme-uf theme-written theme-printed">> <<removeclass "html" "theme-into-the-void theme-into-the-void theme-written theme-printed">> <<removeclass "html" "theme-dusty theme-dusty theme-written theme-printed">> <<addclass "html" "theme-into-the-void">> This is the Into The Void Theme. Cycles will look like this: <<cycle "$test" autoselect>>\ <<option "Default">> <<option "Dusty">> <<option "Into The Void">> <<option "Achromatic">> <<option "Underfell">> <</cycle>> Links will look like this: [[Example Link.]] If you are happy with this theme please click here to move on: [[Character Profile]] If you would like to return and pick again please click here: <<return>>

<<removeclass "html" "theme-achromatic theme-achromatic theme-written theme-printed">> <<removeclass "html" "theme-uf theme-uf theme-written theme-printed">> <<removeclass "html" "theme-into-the-void theme-into-the-void theme-written theme-printed">> <<removeclass "html" "theme-dusty theme-dusty theme-written theme-printed">> <<addclass "html" "theme-achromatic">> This is the Achromatic Theme. Cycles will look like this: <<cycle "$test" autoselect>>\ <<option "Default">> <<option "Dusty">> <<option "Into The Void">> <<option "Achromatic">> <<option "Underfell">> <</cycle>> Links will look like this: [[Example Link.]] If you are happy with this theme please click here to move on: [[Character Profile]] If you would like to return and pick again please click here: <<return>>

<<removeclass "html" "theme-achromatic theme-achromatic theme-written theme-printed">> <<removeclass "html" "theme-uf theme-uf theme-written theme-printed">> <<removeclass "html" "theme-into-the-void theme-into-the-void theme-written theme-printed">> <<removeclass "html" "theme-dusty theme-dusty theme-written theme-printed">> <<addclass "html" "theme-uf">> This is the Underfell Theme. Cycles will look like this: <<cycle "$test" autoselect>>\ <<option "Default">> <<option "Dusty">> <<option "Into The Void">> <<option "Achromatic">> <<option "Underfell">> <</cycle>> Links will look like this: [[Example Link.]] If you are happy with this theme please click here to move on: [[Character Profile]] If you would like to return and pick again please click here: <<return>>

This was an example link, Please go back. [[Return|Start]]

Undertale is a game created by Toby Fox. Dusttale is a fandom AU created by Ask-Dust-Tale on Tumblr. A game was also created for it by Evan Streblow on Gamejolt. This version was written & programmed by Darkpetal16 on itch.io. Sound noises used were provided by Pixabay. Ambient Horror Piano Music (Royalty Free) was created by Marc van der Meulen. Heartache (Music Box) was created by Diwa de Leon (String Player Gamer) and can be found on iTunes & Spotify. Sad Emotional Piano was created by DS Productions. Snowdin (Music Box) was created by Shigurizu Chan on YouTube. Save the Wolrd (Music Box), Here We Are (Music Box), Waterfall (Music Box), ASGORE (Music Box), and Bonetrousle (Music Box) were created by R3 Music Box on YouTube. All Music Box songs were originally written by Toby Fox for Undertale. Please support the official release. <<return>>

It hurts. The impact from the fall hasn't made this journey easy. <<if $bloody eq 6>> You also have numerous injuriess. Even if the scratches are small--you don't //think// you need stitches--the sheer amount of them has really affected you. You feel weak limbed and wobbly. It's all you can do to put one foot in front of the other. The scratches on your skin sting like lemon juice on a papercut. It nettles in the back of your mind, a constant needling discomfort. Moving your muscles is a battle of wills: they throb and protest with each use. Are you making the situation worse by walking? . . . You don't even know if this way will lead you out. What if this turns into a labyrinth, and you can't go back? . . . Will you die down here? Alone. . . and in the dark? Who would find you? //Who would look for you?// Ha. . . [[What a terrible fate. You wouldn't wish it on anyone.]] [[Oh well. Everyone dies eventually.]] <<elseif $bloody eq 2>> Your head is killing you. <<set $terriblefate = 0>> . . . Hopefully not literally. Your grip tightens on your phone as you continue to walk. [[The first drop you hear makes you jump.]] <<else>> You also have several injuriess. Even if the scratches are small--you don't //think// you need stitches--the amount of them is starting to affect you. It's getting hard to put one foot in front of the other. The scratches on your skin sting like lemon juice on a papercut. It nettles in the back of your mind, a constant needling discomfort. Moving your muscles is a battle of wills: they throb and protest with each use. Are you making the situation worse by walking? . . . You don't even know if this way will lead you out. What if this turns into a labyrinth, and you can't go back? . . . Will you die down here? Alone. . . and in the dark? Who would find you? //Who would look for you?// Ha. . . [[What a terrible fate. You wouldn't wish it on anyone.]] [[Oh well. Everyone dies eventually.]]<</if>>

That's right. Everyone does. Most people can't choose how they die either. Dying down here. . . there's a decent chance of that happening to you. You could die here. Even if you don't die from your injuries, you could still end up trapped here for a long time. Long enough to die of starvation. . . . Why. . . Why are you. . . . . . . . . even trying? It hurts. Everything hurts. No one will look for you anyway. Why would they? You aren't important. You aren't loved. //You aren't anyone special.// You stop walking. Your head spins. . . . You slowly sink down. You sit and press your back against the cave wall. You look down at your phone. No signal. A dying battery. Cracked. Nearly broken. It's in better shape than you. You turn off the light. You are enveloped by darkness at once. There is no need to shut your eyes, but you do it anyway. Every part of you starts to relax as you let go. You can feel the blood drip down the back of your head and onto your neck and shoulders. It's a steady drip. The aches seem to dull. The scratches no longer bother you. This is much easier. You sag and let out a long sigh. You are exhausted. . . . When your mind starts to slip away you don't fight it. //Like falling asleep.// Except you don't wake up. True <<click "Restart">><<script>>Engine.restart()<</script>><</click>> Fast [[Restart|Why are you even here?]]

<<set $terriblefate = 1>> How cruel. These tunnels are devoid of light and life. You imagine what it'd be like to never see the sun again. . . to never know its warmth on your $skincolor skin; to never feel the wind through your $haircolor hair; to never taste the crisp autumn air; to never hear the birds singing in springtime. Even if you don't die from your injuries, if you can't find a way out that's the life ahead of you. . . . <<if $positive eq 1>> No, no. You decided to focus on the bright side. You want to remain optimistic. The situation doesn't look good, but you're alive now. You won't die alone down here. Your grip tightens on your phone as you continue to walk. [[The first drop you hear makes you jump.]] <<elseif $numb eq 1>> Why. . . Why are you. . . . . . . . . even trying? It hurts. Everything hurts. No one will look for you anyway. Why would they? You aren't important. You aren't loved. //You aren't anyone special.// You stop walking. Your head spins. . . . You slowly sink down. You sit and press your back against the cave wall. You look down at your phone. No signal. A dying battery. Cracked. Nearly broken. It's in better shape than you. You turn off the light. You are enveloped by darkness at once. There is no need to shut your eyes, but you do it anyway. Every part of you starts to relax as you let go. You can feel the blood drip down the back of your head and onto your neck and shoulders. It's a steady drip. The aches seem to dull. The scratches no longer bother you. This is much easier. You sag and let out a long sigh. You are exhausted. . . . When your mind starts to slip away you don't fight it. //Like falling asleep.// Except you don't wake up. True <<click "Restart">><<script>>Engine.restart()<</script>><</click>> Fast [[Restart|Why are you even here?]]<</if>>

You don't know why you did it. But you did it. You lived. For some reason. . . . Ha. . . Do you even really want to die? Sitting up right away is too much and you //have// to lay back down. You lay there in a daze of hazy discomfort for who knows how long. Minutes? Hours? Does it even matter? Eventually your breathing evens out and the pain dulls enough you can force yourself to sit up. You look up at where you fell. There is the barest sliver of light that peeks through the foliage. It’s far too up for you to see anything more than a silver dot. How far did you fall? It felt. . . long. That couldn’t be right though. You’re alive. Injured. Hurting. But alive. You flex your hands. It’s like someone wrapped a hundred rubber bands around each finger. You turn your neck. Ha, that’s sharp pain. You hiss out in pain. You try to stand up. Your knees nearly give out on you as they are surprisingly weak and wobbly. Your head spins faster than a twirling ice skater. It takes all of your willpower not to fall down again. With the smallest bit of light, you try to find your phone. It is not easy in this darkness, especially when every time you turn your neck you feel a sharp jolt of pain that makes you cringe. You get on your hands and knees, forced to grasp around the grass and flowers in search of the smooth plastic case around your phone. There. You’ve found your phone. The screen lights up as soon as you turn it over. It’s at half battery. Not bad. You turn the flashlight on and survey yourself. [[Your bare legs are a mess of scratches and bruises. The dress you are wearing has done nothing to protect you.]] [[Your bare legs are a mess of scratches and bruises. The shorts you are wearing have done nothing to protect you.]] [[Your bare legs are a mess of scratches and bruises. The skirt you are wearing have done nothing to protect you.]] [[Your thin leggings have been torn to shreds, you are a mess of scratches and bruises.]] [[Your jeans have some tears and rips in them, but are holding up relatively well. It could be much worse.]]

That's right. . . Why even try? You close your eyes. You're so tired. So, so tired. . . . When your mind starts to slip away you don't fight it. //Like falling asleep.// Except you don't wake up. True <<click "Restart">><<script>>Engine.restart()<</script>><</click>> Fast [[Restart|Why are you even here?]]

Your eyes are tired. They've been constantly strained from you struggling to look through the darkness. Your phone flashlight is decent, but it's still ''dark'' down here. It probably doesn't help that you hurt your head from the fall. You can feel the blood slide down the back of your neck. <<if $glasses eq "wear glasses">> You push your glasses up for a moment to rub at your eyes. <<else>> You rub at your eyes. <</if>> Re-opening them you startle when you realize you were about to step into another pile of ash. You quickly step back. Your $eyecolor3 eyes flicker around to try and spot the source. The light from your phone moves quickly as you check each area. Nothing to the left. Nothing to the right. Nothing on the ceiling. There is not a single thing around you that matches that color. It's as if someone dumped a pile of it in a random spot. A chill crawls down your spine, the knot in your stomach twists itself tighter. You hate this. You can't explain why, but this ash deeply unsettles you. As with the last pile, you walk widely around it. And then you see another one. [[You feel nauseous.]]

Trepidition keeps you on your toes as you walk around another pile. <<audio "heartbeat" loop play>> A foreboding blanket of unease settles over you. It chills your skin like a cold fog. //Ba-dump.// Every part of you is filled with dread from this ash. It is unexplainable. You have no rational reason to be so disquieted and alarmed by some ash on a cave floor. You can admit that it's odd to find, but that shouldn't warrant the level of anxiety it gives you. Your heart beats loudly in your head again, drowning out the suffocating silence of the cave. You restlessly shift your weight side to side as you stare at the latest ash mound. The light shakes: your grip on your phone is no longer steady. //Ba-dump.// [[Stepping around the pile, you go down the next tunnel.]]

<<audio "heartbeat" stop>> Apprehension prickles your mind, your whole body feels jittery. More and more piles of ash are spotted. You can't //not// notice them now. You walk around each one you find, careful not to disturb them. You wonder if you should feel silly for your concern over //dust.// Maybe that head injury is affecting you more than you realize. Maybe it's just the atmosphere. . . the unending silence and darkness. You couldn't imagine what it'd be like to stay down here for much longer. You hope you find your way out soon. A sharp throb in the back of your head makes you wince. You stumble in your walking, and nearly drop your phone. Black spots dot your vision. You blink them back. It takes several long seconds to clear your vision. A long sigh slips out of you. [[You exit the tunnel and enter another cavern.]]

You almost can't believe what you see. You are in a cave. You are in a cave inside Mt. Ebott where no caverns are listed. You fell into this cave by complete chance. And. For some reason. //There is a house.// There is a house in this cavern. An actual, honest-to-goodness //house.// There are two sets of gray stone stairs that lead up to a purple-bricked house. It's such an unbelievable sight, your mind goes blank. Hope surges through you. A house means people. People mean help. You almost run, relief carrying you up the steps and to the front door that-- --that lies wide open and beckons you inside darkness. . . . [[You enter the house.]]

From your phone's flashlight you can see that it looks surprisingly mundane for a house in the depths of a cave. In fact it looks so ordinary that you reflexively look around for a light switch. You see one on the side of the wall. Really, though, what are the chances--? You flip the switch. [[The lights come on.]]

<<masteraudio stop>> <<audio "horrorpiano" loop play>> The flooring creaks under you. The front room has a wooden floor. Ahead of you are stairs that seem to go down to a basement. To your right is a hallway, and to your left is a living room. There are railings wrapped around the stairs, and between them and you is a long high table. There are several framed pictures on the table. Your brow furrows at the occupants. There are three goat-like creatures and one human child. . . . Monsters? History told you that monsters were banished centuries ago. Banished. Could it. . . Were they banished into Mt. Ebott? Surely, something that important would have been mentioned in your history textbooks. //Unless no other human knew.// Your eyes roam to the other framed pictures. There are more pictures of the goat family with their human child. A lot of the pictures are just the children. This must be a family home. You feel shame at intruding. Given the circumstances, you hope the owners will be understanding. [[You go into the living room.]] [[You go down the hallway.]]

There is a long wooden table with a few chairs around it in the left corner of the living room. On the right there is a large, comfortable-looking recliner situated near a fireplace. There are several book cases filled with books pressed against the wall. It's seems like a cosy room. You notice a hallway near the back. Going into it, you see that it's a kitchen with a yellow-and-cream tile flooring. There's another table tucked in the corner of the kitchen with one chair beside it. [[You step into the kitchen.]]

The hallway is long and has a golden glow to it. The walls have several more hanging pictures of the human and goat child. It looks like they were very close. <<set $hallwaywent = 1>> There are three doors down the hallway. You go to open the first one. It's locked. You try the second one. It's locked. You try the third one. It's locked. . . . Strange. You wouldn't lock doors in your own home. Given that the front door was left wide open, you find it even stranger that these doors are locked. Who locked them, while leaving the front door open? [[You go into the living room.]]

As soon as you step inside you notice it. Ash. It's partially on the table, partially in the chair, and the rest is on the floor. As if someone was sitting there. As if someone had died there. [[Your heart pounds in your chest, a sickening realization coming to you.]]

It couldn’t be. . . could it? <<audio "heartbeat" loop play>> Yet– //Yet–// You feel faint. You take a stumbling step back. Ashes. //They’re remains.// They died here. That family–that family– You raise your voice and call out, panic anxiety making your voice higher-pitch than normal. You want to be wrong. You want to be mistaken. You call out as you search the house. [[But no one comes.]]

<<audio "heartbeat" stop>>You have to concede here. You have to accept this truth. The ashes are monster remains. They must have died in this cave. . . alone. Isolated. Trapped. Banished. //Unwanted.// It tears at you, jaggedly cutting into your heart. The wind is knocked out of you, your world darkening at how horribly unfair this feels. There is a lump in your throat you swallow back down. If you had not fallen here, who would have known? How cruel. Your breathing quickens, your insides being ripped apart at this tragedy. Ha. . . These poor ''SOULs''. . . You close your eyes. Your heart aches more than any of your injuries now. What can you do. . .? [[Nothing. You have to focus on yourself.]] [[Nothing. As they have died here, so will you.]] [[Nothing for yourself. But maybe something for them.]]

Despair takes a hold of you. You fall to your knees and hang in your head. . . . If they could not escape this fate, what hope do you have? . . . Why. . . Why are you. . . . . . . . . even trying? It hurts. Everything hurts. Why keep going. . . ? There's no point. You sink into the floor and let out a long breath. . . . At least. . . You open your eyes to look at the ash. You give a small, bitter smile. At least you won't be completely alone. . . . Every part of you starts to relax as you let go. You can feel the blood drip down the back of your head. You hear it splat against the floor. It's a steady drip. The aches seem to dull. The scratches no longer bother you. This is much easier. You sag and let out a long sigh. You are exhausted. . . . When your mind starts to slip away you don't fight it. //Like falling asleep.// Except you don't wake up. True <<click "Restart">><<script>>Engine.restart()<</script>><</click>> Fast [[Restart|Why are you even here?]]

You remember the flower bed. A small and little thought, but-- You can't //not// do anything. Not when you know the truth. Not when--not when they've already gone so long without this much. It's difficult for you. Arduous and painful to force yourself to start walking again. But it's not impossible for you. [[You leave the house.]]

<<masteraudio stop>> <<audio "dungeon" loop play>> There is only one way back. You are grateful that this place is not a labyrinth, at least. With some kind of purpose, your footsteps move more quickly. You know what you are doing and what you plan to do. <<if $bloody eq 6>> Although every so often you have to stop what you're doing and brace yourself against the cave wall. You are so light-headed you feel sick to your stomach. It's a testament to your willpower that you can keep moving. <<elseif $bloody eq 2>> <<else>> Although every so often you have to stop what you're doing and brace yourself against the cave wall. You keep getting light-headed. <</if>> When you reach the flower bed back where you fell, you start to pick some flowers with shaky hands. You take as much as you can carry. [[There are plenty of flowers left behind when you leave.]]

As you walk back through the cave, you place a flower at each pile of ash. You try not to miss any spots. <<set $hasflowers = 1>> They deserve this much at least. It is–it is a small thing, to place flowers at a grave. You don’t know their names, nor their faces. You have never met them. You don’t need to. They were living, breathing beings who had families and loved ones. That alone validates their existence to you. Their death should mean something otherwise it’s just. . . . . . <<cycle "$honor" autoselect>>\ <<option "You are happy to have found flowers for them.">> <<option "You wish you could honor them differently, but flowers is all you have.">> <<option "You wish you had food for them, but flowers is all you have.">> <<option "You wish you had candles to light for them, but flowers is all you have.">> <<option "You wish you had incense to burn for them, but flowers is all you have.">> <<option "You wish you had money to place beside them, but flowers is all you have.">> <</cycle>> [[You enter the house again.]]

<<masteraudio stop>> <<audio "horrorpiano" loop play>> You're shaky when you re-enter. At least there's light here. You turn off your phone flashlight and set it down. You carry the last flower you have into the kitchen. Your $eyecolor3 eyes rest on the ashes. <<set $hasflowers = 0>> You place the flower and whisper a soft //Sorry.// There is a breath on the back of your nape, a gentle exhale of warmth. //Click.// You whip your head around so quickly you almost see stars. There is nothing behind you. . . . ? Wait-- In the corner of your eye, you notice a cabinet beneath the sink is cracked open. You must have not noticed it the first time you were here. You bend over to curiously open it up. There are a few spray bottles--cleaners, perhaps?--and a white metal box. You set the rest of the flowers down so you can pull out the metal box. Opening it up you find bandages, bottles with pills inside, and several tubes of ointment. A small hiccup of a laugh escapes you. [[You apply first aid to yourself.]]

The ointment is strange. It's bright green, sparkles, and tingles when you place it over your cuts. A part of you feels reluctant to use it, but you don't have much of a choice. It's better than nothing. Probably. Once every one of your injuries are bandaged--you had to use a lot of wrapping to get the back of your head to stop bleeding--you realize you're actually very hungry and tired. You. . . feel very uncomfortable at the thought of raiding a dead monster's kitchen. You also acknowledge you don't have a lot of options. You //could// go for a few more days without eating, however that poses it's own risk. It's smart to eat and rest while you can. You know that. Yet. . . You apologize to the monster as you reluctantly go through her cabinents to search for food. You find plenty of boxed items. Some of them look vaguely recognizeable. You give them a sniff, then taste. It dissolves like cotton candy in your mouth. Strange. Not inedible--you do still swallow //something//--and it doesn't upset your stomach. You eat half a box. You test the water in the sink. It works, much to your relief, so you fill a glass and chug some water. It has a weird tingly taste to it. You do wonder what could cause it--magic, maybe?--but it doesn't deter you enough from drinking. [[Now bandaged and fed, you feel ready to rest.]]

You leave the kitchen. . . . ? The fireplace is on. You are certain it wasn't on before. The fire's warmth feels pleasant against your skin. You shiver. You had not realized you were cold until you felt the heated air around the fireplace. The whole room starts to warm up quickly, actually. . . . Perhaps the fireplace is set to turn on when the lights are on for a prolonged period of time. You've known some homes that do something similiar with the heater or A/C units. You take a few minutes to stand beside the fire, you enjoy its comforting warmth. <<if $hallwaywent eq 1>> Perhaps, you reason, the doors down the hallway operate in a similar manner. Maybe since the fireplace is on, they'll be unlocked? <</if>> You decide to move down the hallway. There is a long diamond-patterned rug that runs down the middle of it. It squashes the sound of your footsteps. You try the first door and find that it is locked. The second door, however, is cracked open. You enter the room. It's blue--very blue--and has a large bed with a tidy desk and more bookshelves filled with books. Your tired eyes are instantly drawn to the bed. Ha. . . You sway on your feet, exhaustion pressing on you. . . . You crawl into the bed. It's warm. It's soft. It smells like butterscotch. Your eyes burn when you think about the family in the pictures. When you think about the ash in the kitchen. This must have been one of their bed's. You close your eyes and swallow back the lump in your throat. [[It doesn't take you long to fall asleep.]]

You dream of the house in the cave. <<masteraudio stop>> <<audio "heartache" loop play>> Only this time when you enter the house, you are greeted by a tall goat monster with a kind smile on her face. She wears a long dark purple robe with white sleeves. There's a heart-shaped crest on the chest that has symbols on it. "Come in," she says. Her voice is kind and sweet. Her red eyes feel as gentle and warm as a fireplace. You thank her as you step inside. It's pleasantly warm and the house is filled with soft light. At once, you feel at ease. "Are you hungry?" she asks you. When you step inside, she quietly shuts the door behind you. You are, actually. She beams. "Good. I've just finished baking a pie. Would you like some?" You nod, excited to try her food. You graciously thank her. She laughs. "Don't thank me yet, you haven't even tried it." She offers you her hand. You take it. Her fur feels like felt: delicate and fluffy. The monster gives your hand a careful squeeze and starts to guide you through the living room. It's been ages since someone held you hand. Especially in such a benign manner; as if you were a small child instead of a grown adult. The monster guides you to your seat at the table. [[There's a large pie on the table.]]

You waste no time in searching the house. It's not very large. The front room has a staircase that leads down. There's a hallway on the right with three doors, and a living room that leads into a kitchen on the left. You immediately try out the doors down the hallway and find them locked tight. They don't budge at all when you give them a shake. You search the kitchen but find the cabinents are shut tight, too. Nothing opens for you. <<if $bloody eq 6>> With each one of your efforts, you feel yourself growing weaker. Blood drips down your arms--your cuts have been re-opened--and makes your grip slippery. Your vision starts to double. You swallow hard, your throat dry as your world starts to tilt. Your movements become more frantic and desparate. You search the house with a panic scramble. The only place left for you to search is the basement. You go to it, and as you take the first step your world tilts. Ah. Black dots cloud your vision as you lose control over your limbs. You've lost too much blood. You fall forward and land at an awkward angle, unable to muster the strength to even left your arms to catch yourself. //Snap.// Everything goes dark. True <<click "Restart">><<script>>Engine.restart()<</script>><</click>> Fast [[Restart|Why are you even here?]] <<elseif $bloody eq 2>> You sigh in annoyance then go down to the basement. You enter a tunnel. A long tunnel. You march down it with a purpose, your head throbbing with each step. You have to keep going. If this house can't help you, then you'll keep moving forward until you find someone--or something--that can. At the end of the tunnel there is a door. [[Go through the door.]] <<else>> With each one of your efforts, you feel yourself growing weaker. Blood drips down the back of your head. Your vision starts to double. You swallow hard, your throat dry as your world starts to tilt. Your movements become more frantic and desparate. You search the house with a panic scramble. The only place left for you to search is the basement. You go to it, and as you take the first step your world tilts. Ah. Black dots cloud your vision as you lose control over your limbs. You've lost too much blood. You fall forward and land at an awkward angle, unable to muster the strength to even left your arms to catch yourself. //Snap.// Everything goes dark. True <<click "Restart">><<script>>Engine.restart()<</script>><</click>> Fast [[Restart|Why are you even here?]] <</if>>

You open the door to a blizzard. . . . ! You're outside?! Ha! A freak snowstorm, but outside is better than nothing! You jump out into the snow. All you have to do is go down. There's a road that wraps around the mountain. If you can reach that road, you can get to a town within ten minutes. You march forward with a purpose. It shouldn't take you long to find a divet in the path. It's hard to see through the snow, but not enough of a deterrent to stop you. Not when you're so close to getting home. It's a good thing you're wearing hiking gear. Anything else and you wouldn't be able to make it so far. Not only did it protect your fall, but now it's keeping you warm through this blizzard. . . . Huh. You would have thought you'd feel yourself going down or up by now. The mountain isn't so big that it has a path this long that is flat. //Ba-dump.// A tingle goes down your spine, your heart thumps in your chest. You feel as if you are being watched. You squint through the blizzard and glance around. When you don't see anything, you refocus your efforts on walking through the blizzard. And then there is a sharp pain that pierces through your back. Suddenly, you can no longer breathe. You try to suck in air, but nothing soothes the burn in your chest. You look down and to your horror you see something blue-tinged-red sticking out of your chest. It pierced your heart. Blood splurts out of your mouth, your $eyecolor eyes frantically look around to try and see-- In front of you-- Red and blue. //Red and blue.// Your vision grows dark. You see. . . red. . . and. . . blue. . . . . . True <<click "Restart">><<script>>Engine.restart()<</script>><</click>> Fast [[Restart|Why are you even here?]]

<<if $bloody eq 6>> You are not in any good shape. You’ve lost a lot of blood and you feel weak. If you don’t get help soon, you really could die. <<elseif (($bloody gt 2)) and ($bloody lt 6)>> You aren’t doing well–head injuries are always alarming–but it could be worse. It would be best if you sought help as soon as possible. <<elseif $bloody eq 2>> All things considered, you’re doing well. <</if>> You take a tentative step forward. You move your flashlight to shine out in the darkness. You can walk. You are bleeding, in pain, and utterly alone. . . but you can walk. [[The frustration you feel at this situation cannot be overstated enough.]] [[The surge of terror you feel at this situation gives you chills.]] [[Resentment bubbles and boils under your skin.]] [[You are numb. You don’t know what to do.]] [[Your mind goes blank, you detach yourself from the situation and focus on getting yourself out.]] <<if $suicidal eq 0>> [[This could be worse. You want to focus on staying positive.]] <</if>>

It's a golden-brown pie with a burnished bronze-colored filling. Around the edges are dollops of whip cream with cinnamon sprinkled over top. It smells heavenly. Your stomach growls hungrily. You're starved. She carefully cuts you a slice and places it on the plate in front of you. "Eat up," she says. "You need to keep your strength, my dear." You pick up your fork and neatly cut out the first piece. You take your first bite, immediately tasting the butterscotch and cinnamon. The pie crust is flaky and melts like butter in your mouth. It's. . . Warm. Sweet. Delicious, really. . . So why. . . Why does it make your eyes burn? Why do you feel a sense of pain, of //grief// when you take a bite? This bitterness doesn't come from the cinnamon nor the butterscotch. What created it? It's hard to swallow, this lump of sweetness tinged by bereavenement. When you do, you feel no less hungry than before. Rather, a hollowness nestles in your heart. You look up at the monster who smiles as kindly at you as she had before. "Thank you, $Name." For what? Her demeanor softens like a mother about to embrace her child. She bends down and nuzzles her snout into your face. "For being you." [[You wake up with a stab of longing in your chest.]]

You rub at your eyes. <<masteraudio stop>> <<audio "horrorpiano" loop play>> It takes you several seconds to re-orientate yourself with your surroundings. Right. You're underground. <<set $staying = 0>> You fell. You found this house. You reach up to touch your face. You can still feel the softness of the monster's touch. . . . And how bitter that pie tasted. That dream. . . [[It felt too real to be fake. You think you met a real monster.]] [[Your mind is struggling to process all of this. What an intense dream.]] [[Was that. . . real? You think maybe so.]] [[Was that. . . real? You don’t think so.]]

Your body feels much, much better than when you first fell. You ache, but it is manageable. You stretch your arms and neck. Your shoulders pop, relieving some pressure you hadn't noticed you had. You remake the bed--it was made when you first came in, it feels rude to leave it unmade as a guest--and head back to the kitchen. The pile of ash remains untouched at the table. <<if (($dreambelief eq "It felt too real to be fake. You think you met a real monster.")) or ($dreambelief eq "Was that. . . real? You think maybe so.") >> <<cycle "$greetingtheash" autoselect>>\ <<option "Mumble a //Good morning.//">> <<option "Whisper another apology to it.">> <<option "Smile kindly at the ash and greet her.">> <<option "You thank the monster for her hospitality.">> <<option ". . . ">> <<option "It hurts to look at. You feel unshed tears prick at your eyes.">> <</cycle>> <</if>> You move to the first aid box you left on the counter. You figure you ought to change your bandages. You start with the bandages on your arms. As you unpeel the first bandage, your $eyecolor eyes widen. It’s. . . healed? You touch the skin. It feels raw, and there’s a faint outline of a scar across your skin. It’s a marvel. That strange ointment you used–it must be magical. You look at it with revised reverence. You take extra care in using it as you replace your bandages with fresh ones. The old ones are carefully thrown into the bin. You drink some more of that tingly water, and you eat the rest of the box of crackers(?) you found. [[You are as ready as can be.]]

You know going out the front door of the house will only take you in one direction. You haven't explored the basement, yet. Perhaps now's a good time? You exit the kitchen, go through the living room--//that fire still feels delightful//--and walk down the stairs. The steps take you to a long, dark purple hallway. You walk down it, and take a left at the end. A chilly wind rustles your hair. . . . wind? You pick up your pace. The end of the hallway leads to a broken door. You carefully step over its splinters. You suck in a sharp breath. [[It's cold.]]

<<masteraudio stop>> <<audio "dungeon" loop play>> In front of you a vast expansion of snow. <<set $characterstatus = 2>> OH. Snow is not something you expected to see. Trees, too! Dark pine trees line up on either side of the path. Does that mean you’re no longer underground? A glance up proves that to be incorrect. There are many stalacites hanging from a cave ceiling. Although this ceiling is significantly taller than the caverns you went through before. So how. . . Monsters. Magic ointment. Why wouldn’t there be snow underground? <<if (($barelegs eq 1)) and ($barearms eq 1)>> Although you don't anticipate having to walk through it. You are //not// dressed for this. <<set $cold = 3>> <<((elseif $barelegs eq 1)) and ($barearms eq 0)>> Although you aren't looking forward to walking in the snow with how little covering you have on your legs. Your arms will fare better. . . barely. <<set $cold = 2>> <<((elseif $barelegs eq 0)) and ($barearms eq 0)>> You are instantly grateful that you chose to dress warmly for your trip to Mt. Ebott. You would hate to have to walk through snow in shorts and a t-shirt. <<set $cold = 1>> <</if>> The snow is pristine, as if freshly fallen. Or. . . . . . like no one has walked across it in a long time. You wonder if you will find more ash. You hope not. [[You step into the snow and start to walk.]]

<<audio "snowfootsteps" loop play>> Your shoes crunch into the snow as you walk. <<set $haspaperflowers = 0>> <<set $grillby = 0>> There is a brightness to this place, you do not need your phone to use as a flashlight. <<set $snowdinatpeace = 0>> <<set $shop = 0>> <<set $inn = 0>> <<set $library = 0>> <<if $cold gt 1>> You shiver with each step. <</if>> //Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.// The air is so cold it hurts to breathe it in. Within minutes of walking, your nose starts to burn. You are more energized than before--not as hurt--so you pick up the pace. You need to move quickly to stay warm, and to either hopefully find a way out or. . . someone who can help. //Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.// It is fortunate, you think, that there is only one path to follow. The tall trees block any hope of you veering off that path. They are closely grouped together, and you wouldn't want to risk getting more lost. There's a path. It'd be stupid to leave it. //Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.// [[The hairs on the back of your neck stand.]]

<<audio "snowfootsteps" stop>> You stop walking. A tingle goes down your spine, your heart thumps in your chest. You. . . You feel as if you are being watched. [[Dismiss it and carry on.]] [[. . . Look around.]]

<<set $paranoid = 0>> You're tired. <<audio "snowfootsteps" loop play>> //Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.// You've been through a lot already. You're just imaging things. You can clearly see that the snow is untouched ahead of you. You're the only one leaving footprints behind. You continue on. //Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.// Each exhale you see your breath dissolve in the air. Your skin feels raw and dry from this constant frigid chill. //Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.// [[You walk for many minutes.]]

<<set $paranoid = 1>>. . . <<audio "heartbeat" loop play>> Your heart thumps in your chest, anxiety and fear prickling at you. You look to your left; you look to your right; you look behind you. You see nothing. You see no one. You strain to listen, but nothing changes. . . . Your gut clenches. Something is not right. Even if you don't see anything-- --something sees you. . . . [[You continue on.]]

As you cross a rickety bridge covered in snow, you take the moment to look down. This cavern is huge. This whole area is large enough to fit its own forest. Below you is even more forest and snow. It's amazing, really. It's more like you fell into another world, rather than a cave. <<if $paranoid eq 1>> A world where you might not be as alone as you think. You keep checking over your shoulder as you speedwalk through the snow. <</if>> Across the bridge, you are astonished to find more buildings. They seem to be made of wood--pine tree wood?--with snow over each roof. As you walk closer, you realize they are grouped together like a town. A town of monsters. There are many shops lined up along the main street, and behind those shops are rows and rows of houses. The style of these homes feels welcoming. This is exactly the kind of town that, at a glance, would do well in a cosy winter or children’s movie. Unfortunately, the longer you look at it, the more you realize that is no longer the case. These buildings have a wear and tear to them that only come from years of neglect. There are cracks in many of the windows, and a few of the buildings are caved in. It’s almost as if something with great power was slammed into them. You do not see anything that could cause such an impact–there are no boulders or rocks in the collapsed houses. There is only fresh snow. Was the object removed, or did the building collapse for a different reason? Lamppost lights flicker on as you approach the town. Your shoulders tense and your heart skips a beat at the suddenness. When no more lights come on, you move closer. Another light turns on. Motion activated? That’d be a good way to conserve power for street lights. No reason for them to be on if no one is around. These monsters have been very resourceful. Despite being forced underground, they’ve been able to make houses, build a town, and generate their own light. It surprises you how similar their structures are to human buildings, actually. It’s been centuries since humans and monsters have interacted. [[Not since the war.]]

You continue on. <<audio "snowfootsteps" loop play>> <<audio "heartbeat" stop>> //Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.// Each exhale you see your breath dissolve in the air. Your skin feels raw and dry from this constant frigid chill. //Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.// [[You walk for many minutes.]]

<<masteraudio stop>> You call out. . . . There is no response. Disappointment floods through you. You try to call out again, hoping maybe no one heard you. You don't want-- It's partially on the table, partially in the chair, and the rest is on the floor. As if someone was sitting there. As if someone had died there. --you don't want to find only ash here. Your voice cracks when you call out again. . . . There is no response. There is only you. [[You enter the town.]]

<<masteraudio stop>>You look around again, searching for the source of your unease. But you don't see it. . . . [[You enter the town.]]

<<audio "snowdinpiano" loop play>> What a lonely town. <<if $snowdinatpeace eq 1>> It feels colder than before. You shiver. <<elseif $snowdinatpeace eq 2>> You see the first flakes of snow start to fall. You raise a hand up to catch them. They melt instantly in your palm. <<elseif $snowdinatpeace eq 3>> The snow is coming down harder. You may have to take shelter soon. <<elseif $snowdinatpeace eq 4>> It's snowing hard and the wind is howling. It's difficult to see through this sudden blizzard. <</if>> <<if $snowdinatpeace eq 0>> [[Leave the town. You want to keep going while you have the energy.]] <</if>> <<if (($snowdinatpeace lt 4)) and ($paranoid eq 1)>> [[You can't take it anymore. You need to find whoever is watching you.]] <</if>> <<if $snowdinatpeace lt 4>> [[Enter the building with the Shop sign.]] [[Enter the building with the Inn sign.]] [[Enter the building with the Grillby's sign.]] [[Enter the building with the Librarby sign.]] <</if>><<if $snowdinatpeace eq 4>> [[You decide to take shelter.]] <</if>>

<<if $shop eq 0>> You enter the shop. You feel around and find a light switch. You flick it, golden light immediately brightens everything up. <<set $shop +=1>> It is a small general store. There is a long wooden front counter. There are several rows of shelves that are filled with a variety of items: hygiene supplies, food, first-aid, clothes, and so on. The back wall has framed pictures of monsters--many of them rabbit-like--mirrors, and more shelves lined with books, bottles, and knick-knacks. It's a general store perfect for a small, cosy town. You can easily imagine that the owner is a friendly person who likely greets their customers with a warm smile. . . . There's ash on the counter. You step closer and see that it's spilled behind the counter as well. Looking behind the counter, you notice there's two more piles of ash. They're smaller than what you've seen before. . . . You don't have any more flowers. You stare sullenly at the ashes, your heart sinking faster than an anchor. What happened to these monsters? Was it a terrible accident, or. . . ? //Did they choose this?// It's a horrible thought, and it comes to you unbidden and cruel. A life without sun or warmth is a hard life to force anyone through. These monsters built homes for themselves. You can't--you can't imagine-- --you don't //want// to imagine that it wasn't enough for them. If they chose this-- A shudder goes through you, your heart twists. . . . [[You notice something colorful in the corner of your eye.]] <<elseif $shop eq 1>> It's as you've left it. [[Return|You enter the town.]]<</if>>

<<if (($inn eq 0)) and ($haspaperflowers eq 0)>> There is only one small front room. It has creamy-gold carpet and a lumpy red couch on the right side of the room. <<set $inn +=1>> At the far end of the room is a counter with an open ledgar on it. There's a hanging picture behind the counter. . . . There's ash on the counter. You. . . You don't have anything to offer. [[Return|You enter the town.]] <<elseif (($inn eq 0)) and ($haspaperflowers eq 1)>> There is only one small front room. It has creamy-gold carpet and a lumpy red couch on the right side of the room. <<set $inn +=2>> At the far end of the room is a counter with an open ledgar on it. There's a hanging picture behind the counter. . . . There's ash on the counter. You carefully take out a flower and place it by the ash. You notice a smaller pile behind the counter. With shaky hands, you pick out the prettiest flower you have and you place it beside the smaller pile. There's a bitter taste in your mouth that you don't think will ever go away. <<set $snowdinatpeace += 1>> [[Return|You enter the town.]] <<elseif (($inn eq 1)) and ($haspaperflowers eq 1)>>It's as you've left it. You carefully take out a flower and place it by the ash. You notice a smaller pile behind the counter. With shaky hands, you pick out the prettiest flower you have and you place it beside the smaller pile. There's a bitter taste in your mouth that you don't think will ever go away. <<set $snowdinatpeace += 1>> [[Return|You enter the town.]] <<elseif $inn eq 2>> It's as you've left it. [[Return|You enter the town.]] <</if>>

<<if (($grillby eq 0)) and ($haspaperflowers eq 0)>> You aren't sure what you were expecting when you entered. <<set $grillby +=1>> It's a bar. Or, what used to be a bar. Lights flicker on when you enter, their timing too perfect to be natural. Motion-sensitive, perhaps? The floor is made out of wood and creaks with each step. On your right are several booths with empty glasses and bottles that look like booze. On your left is a poker table, the cards still laid out. At the far end is a bar counter with many stools pushed beside it. Behind it is an impressive variety of alcohol--or what you assume to be alcohol--and there's a jukebox in the corner. . . . There's a lot of ash in here. Ash on the tables. Ash in the booths. Ash over the counter. Ash in almost every seat. It's a mass grave. A knife being twisted into your chest wouldn't hurt you as much as seeing this does. You have seen small piles of ash, but never so much in one place. You suck in a sharp breath. The chill you felt from being outside pales in comparison to the horror you feel at this. It's senseless. A tragedy for no reason. No reason at all. What happened? Who. . . why. . . You shiver. What little food you have eaten has rotted in your gut. Your stomach churns violently. These poor ''SOULs''. You. . . You don't have anything to offer. [[Return|You enter the town.]] <<elseif (($grillby eq 0)) and ($haspaperflowers eq 1)>> You aren't sure what you were expecting when you entered. <<set $grillby +=2>> It's a bar. Or, what used to be a bar. Lights flicker on when you enter, their timing too perfect to be natural. Motion-sensitive, perhaps? The floor is made out of wood and creaks with each step. On your right are several booths with empty glasses and bottles that look like booze. On your left is a poker table, the cards still laid out. At the far end is a bar counter with many stools pushed beside it. Behind it is an impressive variety of alcohol--or what you assume to be alcohol--and there's a jukebox in the corner. . . . There's a lot of ash in here. Ash on the tables. Ash in the booths. Ash over the counter. Ash in almost every seat. It's a mass grave. A knife being twisted into your chest wouldn't hurt you as much as seeing this does. You have seen small piles of ash, but never so much in one place. You suck in a sharp breath. The chill you felt from being outside pales in comparison to the horror you feel at this. It's senseless. A tragedy for no reason. No reason at all. What happened? Who. . . why. . . You shiver. What little food you have eaten has rotted in your gut. Your stomach churns violently. These poor ''SOULs''. <<set $snowdinatpeace += 1>> You pull out a flower for each pile of ash. You set it down. You sniffle. Your nose was already runny from being out in the cold, but now-- . . . It feels so small and pathetic to only leave flowers. Paper flowers, at that. They deserve better. They deserve so much more. You wish. . . . . . [[Return|You enter the town.]] <<elseif (($grillby eq 1)) and ($haspaperflowers eq 1)>>It's as you've left it. You pull out a flower for each pile of ash. You set it down. You sniffle. Your nose was already runny from being out in the cold, but now-- . . . It feels so small and pathetic to only leave flowers. Paper flowers, at that. They deserve better. They deserve so much more. You wish. . . . . . <<set $snowdinatpeace += 1>> [[Return|You enter the town.]] <<elseif $grillby eq 2>> It's as you've left it. [[Return|You enter the town.]] <</if>>

<<if (($library eq 0)) and ($haspaperflowers eq 0)>>You feel around the wall and find a light switch. You flick it on. It's a one-room building with cream-colored carpet. <<set $library +=1>> There are rows of books that appear to be color-coordinated in the back. It is a small and sad library, but given their circumstances you feel that is expected. There is one table in the middle-right of the room. There are a few books on it. . . . There's ash on the table. You. . . You don't have anything to offer. [[Return|You enter the town.]] <<elseif (($library eq 0)) and ($haspaperflowers eq 1)>> You feel around the wall and find a light switch. You flick it on. It's a one-room building with cream-colored carpet. <<set $library +=2>> There are rows of books that appear to be color-coordinated in the back. It is a small and sad library, but given their circumstances you feel that is expected. There is one table in the middle-right of the room. There are a few books on it. . . . There's ash on the table. You walk closer and pull out the flowers from your bag. There are three piles at this table. You place a flower at each one. <<set $snowdinatpeace += 1>> [[Return|You enter the town.]] <<elseif (($library eq 1)) and ($haspaperflowers eq 1)>>It's as you've left it. You walk closer and pull out the flowers from your bag. There are three piles at this table. You place a flower at each one. <<set $snowdinatpeace += 1>> [[Return|You enter the town.]] <<elseif $library eq 2>> It's as you've left it. [[Return|You enter the town.]] <</if>>

You enter the inn, grateful that the building is warm. You wonder if it's similar to the previous house you stayed in--does it start to heat up when someone turns on the light, or is something else triggering it? You're bitterly cold after spending so much time out there. You shiver and sniffle. A glance out the window tells you that the snow continues to come down hard. You figure you'll be here for a while. A yawn slips out of you. You don't think you've been awake for long, but your body is tired and achy from your fall. Coupled with you constantly shivering for nearly an hour, fatigue has crept upon you. It won't hurt to rest more. <<if $paranoid eq 1>> Although you're nervous to do so. You glance at the door to the inn. You remember the feeling of being watched. You decide to lock the inn door. [[You quietly head up the stairs.]] <<elseif (($dreambelief eq "It felt too real to be fake. You think you met a real monster.")) or ($dreambelief eq "Was that. . . real? You think maybe so.") >> You take a look at the ledgar on the counter. . . . It's only polite. You approach the counter and sign your name. You smile when you see other names before yours. //Froggit// //Pyrope// //Temmie// //Vegetoid// //Knight Knight// //Undyne// //Vulkin// //$Name// You touch each name. You hope you haven't encountered any of them. You hope, very dearly, that they're somewhere else underground. Alive. You set the pen down. <<cycle "$greettheash2" autoselect>>\ <<option "You thank them for their hospitality.">> <<option "You whisper an apology.">> <<option "Smile kindly at the ash and tell them goodnight.">> <<option ". . . ">> <<option "It hurts to look at. You feel unshed tears prick at your eyes.">> <</cycle>> [[You then head up stairs.]] <<else>> [[You then head up stairs.]]<</if>>

You march forward with a purpose. <<audio "snowfootsteps" loop play>> You follow the only path out of town. You see a pile of rocks at the end of the path. [[You continue on, you do not want to stop.]]

<<set $Name = "Reneé">> <<set $name = "reneé">> <<set $eyecolor = "green">> <<set $glasses = "do not wear glasses">> <<set $hairlength = "long">> <<set $hairlength = "green">> <<set $haircolor = "chocolate brown">> <<set $hairtype = "loosely curled">> <<set $skincolor = "ivory">> <<set $gender = "woman">> <<set $she = "she">> <<set $her = "her">> <<set $She = "She">> <<set $Her = "Her">> <<set $shes = "she's">> <<set $hers = "her's">> <<set $Shes = "She's">> <<set $Hers = "Her's">> <<set $Miss = "Miss">> <<set $maam = "ma'am">> <<set $lady = "lady">> <<set $eyecolor2 = "emeralds">> <<set $eyecolor3 = "clover-colored">> <<set $barelegs = 1>> <<set $barearms = 0>> <<set $suicidal = 0>> <<set $characterstatus = 1>> <<set $bloody = 5>> <<set $sansromance = 1>> [[Oh.]] [[Now bandaged and fed, you feel ready to rest.]] [[He slips his hand into yours.]]

You turn and see paper. Bright, vivid, colorful paper. It's stacked in between craft supplies on a middle shelf. . . . It’s– It’s the thought, right? You head over to the paper and take out several sheets. It’s thick and smooth paper, perfect for crafting. [[You’re very good at arts and crafts. You use scissors and glue to carefully construct many flowers.]] [[You are very good at origami. While the paper is thicker than you’d like, you’re still able to create beautiful flowers.]] [[You’ve never done something like this, but you aren’t bad with your hands so you manage some decent flowers.]] [[You’ve never done something like this. You scrunch up the paper and tape them together into a rolled up “bouquet”. Not too bad.]]

<<set $shop = 1>> <<set $snowdinatpeace += 1>> <<set $haspaperflowers = 1>> You make flowers until you run out of paper. You've made a lot. You hope you don't have to use all of them. There is a messenger bag at the back of the shop. It's large enough you can carefully fit all the flowers inside, as well as one of the smaller first aid boxes. You put away most of the flowers. You approach the ashes in the shop. You set down a <<cycle "$soulcolor" autoselect>>\ <<option "red">> <<option "green">> <<option "blue">> <<option "yellow">> <<option "orange">> <<option "pink">> <<option "white">> <</cycle>> flower by each pile. [[Return|You enter the town.]]

The floorboards creak with each step. There is no hallway light, so it is difficult to see. You end up having to pull out your phone and use it as a flashlight instead. There is a room at the top of the stairs with an open door. You go inside. It is a small room with one bed, one end table, and a window that shows you the blizzard outside. You set the messenger bag at the foot of the bed. <<if $glasses eq "wear glasses">> You take off your glasses and place them on the end table. <</if>> You lock the door behind you. You climb into bed, relieved to find it warm. It soothes your frost-nipped skin as you curl under the blankets. You turn off your phone and hide it under your pillow. Darkness welcomes you. All the aches and pricks in your body slowly fade from your mind. Even your head injury feels like a distant memory as you settle in. [[You slip into a tense slumber.]]

The floorboards creak with each step. There is no hallway light, so it is difficult to see. You end up having to pull out your phone and use it as a flashlight instead. There is a room at the top of the stairs with an open door. You go inside. It is a small room with one bed, one end table, and a window that shows you the blizzard outside. You set the messenger bag at the foot of the bed. <<if $glasses eq "wear glasses">> You take off your glasses and place them on the end table. <</if>> You climb into bed, delighted to find it warm. It soothes your frost-nipped skin as you curl under the blankets. You turn off your phone and set it on the end table. Darkness welcomes you. All the aches and pricks in your body slowly fade from your mind. Even your head injury feels like a distant memory as you settle in. [[You slip into a light slumber.]]

It's driving you mad. You don't feel safe knowing someone--or something--is watching you. You spin around and around in the village, completely focused on trying to pinpoint where you feel the gaze. --! A glimpse of red and blue catches your attention. It's gone within a second, but you are certain you saw it. You need to leave. Now. [[You leave the town.]]

It doesn't last long. You are half-awoken by something. Your sleep addled mind unsure of what exactly awoke you. A noise? A sensation? Maybe an itch? <<if $paranoid eq 1>> [[You are immediately alert and on edge.]] <</if>> [[You stay calm, dismissing any noise as the blizzard.]]

You're tired. You want to rest. You bury your face in the pillow and roll over to get comfier. Sleep calls to you, promising happier dreams. It’s enough to make you smile to yourself. Just as you slip away, you feel the faintest brush of something against your cheek. Almost like a hand. <<if $paranoid eq 1>> [[Snap your eyes open.]] <<else>> [[You must already be dreaming. Turn your head to the touch and nuzzle into it.]] [[Ignore it. It’s probably just your imagination.]]<</if>>

There is someone standing at the side of the bed. You cannot see anything but red-and-blue lights underneath a hood. <<audio "heartbeat" loop play>> //Ba-dump.// //Ba-dump.// //Ba-dump.// You and this figure stare at one another. You-- Blood gushes out of your mouth. You've lost the ability to breathe as something has impaled you from behind and through the bed. Your heart was ripped down the middle and used its last //thump// to splurt out blood. With no heart, each breath you take is meaningless. You gasp for air, unable to actually breathe. You make a strangled noise, choking on your blood. You are rapdily losing strength. "peak a boo," the figure whispers. "//you shouldn't have seen me.//" The last thing you hear as darkness ebbs over your vision is a raspy cackle. You have died. True <<click "Restart">><<script>>Engine.restart()<</script>><</click>> Fast [[Restart|Why are you even here?]]

Ah. It’s cool against your cheek. <<set $sansromance = 1>> That feels nice. It’s more firmly pressed against you now. This is quite the vivid dream. You sigh contentedly into it. You think you hear a faint snort right before you go back to sleep. [[You dream of the town.]]

<<set $sansromance = 0>> Right. You go back to sleep. [[You dream of the town.]]

<<masteraudio stop>> <<audio "snowdinmusicbox" loop play>> Your shoes crunch into the snow as you look around the town. Monsters in winter coats, scarves, and mittens intermingle with one another. Golden light shines from inside every building, and the smell of burgers and fried food fills the air. There is laughter tossed around in the air, lighter than a feather in the wind. A monster notices you and waves. "Hey, $Name!" You smile and wave back. Another monster greets you. "Nice weather today, huh, $Name?" It is! There is a //yip// at your heels. A small white dog barks to get your attention. You turn to face the dog. You squat to get on his level. He licks your face. You laugh and wipe at your face. The dog seems pleased with himself as he dashes away. You straighten up with a smile. [[Enter Grillby's.]]

You enter Grillby's. It's as warm and lively as can be. As soon as you enter, the monsters inside greet you right away. "Good day, $Name!" "Hey, $Name!" "Thanks for stopping by, $Name." "Did you have a good day, $Name?" You beam at them, bubbly joy making you smile brightly. These monsters know you. They welcome you. Dog monsters play poker at the table and wave at you to join. Fish monsters chug their drinks at the booth and offer you a seat. "$Name," calls out a smooth voice. It belongs to a purple bunny monster in the back. She wears a lavendar tank top and a cute summer hat. She pats the stool at the bar beside her. [[Sit with the bunny.]] [[Sit with the dogs.]]

You sit beside her. She smiles at you. <<set $dream = "bunny">> "Holding up okay?" she asks you, her voice smooth like glass and warm like the sun. You nod. "It's okay if you're not," she says. "Bad days happen to everyone." You hesitate. Her lavendar gaze softens. She reaches over to gently rub the back of your head. "You've already done a lot," she says. . . . You don't think you have. You don't think you've done enough. "Enough," she says. "It's a funny word, isn't it? What //is// enough? Can anyone ever really be satisfied?" The bunny monster appears whistful. "Life down here was never enough. But when even that's taken--ha, ha--it seems like that //would// be enough." She places a $soulcolor flower on the counter. "It's my favorite color," she says. She bends forward and gives your cheek a nuzzle. "And that's enough for me." [[Your eyes burn when you open them.]]

. . . You rub at them. . . . You get out of bed and stretch. You fix yourself up, put on the messenger bag again, and head out into the town. [[It's cold. . .]]

<<masteraudio stop>> <<audio "dungeon" loop play>> <<audio "snowfootsteps" loop play>> Another fresh snow fall. Your footsteps are completely covered from yesterday. It's time to carry on. <<set $characterstatus = 3>> You walk along the only path in the town. //Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.// Each step you take, you sink into the snow. You weigh more than you did yesterday. You weigh more than you did at any other point in your life. This heavy burden on your heart pulls you down. //Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.// You carry on without much choice. There's only one path you can take. //Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.// It's hard to believe your $decision has lead to all of this. [[You’re already exhausted. You wish you were back in your own bed.]] [[You miss the sunlight. How the monsters were able to live without it is beyond you.]] [[You hate this silence. It grates on you. You miss the city noise.]] [[You hate this silence. It grates on you. You miss the forest noise.]] [[How you’re still alive is beyond you. This place is dangerous.]] [[You’ve never felt so claustrophobic before. You miss the sky.]] [[This place unnerves you.]] [[It’s such a shame you didn’t fall down before this. . . tragedy.]] [[It’s sadly beautiful here.]] [[You can’t stop thinking about the ashes. . . about the monsters.]]

It's stacked in a mound and there's a branch stuck inside. <<audio "snowfootsteps" stop>> <<if $doitagain eq ". . . you would have still gone.">> <<set $staying +=1>> <</if>> You stare at it. It is not a pile of ash. But it is no less a grave. You place a flower at it, carefully sticking it into the rocks so it won't easily blow away. Ha. . . How many more. . . You shudder, your throat tight. [[You move on.]]

You eventually leave the snowy forest and re-enter a narrow cavern. You’re back inside a cave-like structure, and the air is already significantly warmer. <<masteraudio stop>> <<audio "dungeon" loop play>> It's narrower than any of the previous areas. The walls are smooth to the touch, and embedded in them are blue crystals that faintly glow. The crystals provide enough light you do not need your phone. You’d think they were pretty if you were in the right mindset to admire that. All you can think about, however, is when you’re going to find more ashes. //More bodies.// It doesn’t take long. Each pile of ash you leave behind a flower. //And a piece of your heart.// What happened to these monsters. . . What killed them? What cruel twist of fate forced this upon them? Why? It's not fair. It's not //right.// [[It's hard to keep going, but you do it anyway.]]

It's a blur of silence, dimly-lit tunnels, and ash. You walk. You find the ash. You feel a bit of you break as you leave behind a flower. You move on. Rinse. Repeat. Again. Again. And again. [[You see a large blue flower.]]

You are finally leaving the narrow cavern and at the end there's a large blue flower. It goes up to your waist with petals as large as your face. Ah. Something better than paper flowers. You reach out and go to touch one. It shines. //“All that gives my life validation is explaining the Echo Flower... No one can know…”// You suck in a sharp breath at the voice. It comes out slightly distorted, as if being played back from a recording. You frown and touch the flower again. It repeats itself. Oh. You move to touch another flower. //“Do you think the sun is warm?”// //Oh.// You snap your hand away from the flower as if it burned you. . . . These are. . . Records of their last conversations? [[You touch the flowers as you walk. You want to hear them.]] [[You give the flowers a wide berth. You don't want to hear them.]]

<<set $youlistened = 1>> You make it a point to touch. To listen. //To understand.// It hurts you. Each voice you listen to is like digging needles in your head. They're dead, you know. Their hopes and wishes in these flowers will never be fulfilled. Their idle conversations, passing remarks, and words disappear into the air like foam off a wave. The world carries on without them. But not you. You walk slowly, taking great care to not miss any flowers. //"A long time ago, monsters would whisper their wishes to the stars in the sky. If you hoped with all your heart, your wish would come true. Now, all we have are these sparkling stones on the ceiling..."// You glance up. It is pretty. The blue crystals shine and sparkle in a way similar to stars. They pale in comparison to real stars, but they are beautiful in their own right. It's sweet that they make wishes on them like stars. One, two, ten, twenty-- You listen to each wish made. //"I wish I could be strong like Undyne."// //"I wish I could make friends."// //"I wish she would notice me."// They are wishes no different than what a human would make. From what //you// would make. Your fingers lightly trace the blue petals of these flowers. The flowers do a good job retaining their voices, too. You can tell a lot about a monster from the voice in the flower. Small, large, light, deep, raspy--you've heard it all. //"So? Don't you have any wishes to make?"// This voice is louder than the other voices you've listened to. //". . . hmmm, just one, but. . . It's kind of stupid."// This is one of the softer voices. You tilt your head to hear it better. //"Don't say that! Come on, I promise I won't laugh." ". . . hmmm. . . if I say my wish. . . You promise you won't laugh at me?" "Of course I won't laugh!" "Someday, I'd like to climb this mountain we're all buried under." "Standing under the sky, looking at the world all around. . . That's my wish."// [[A wish to see the stars.]]

<<set $youlistened = 0>> It's hard, but you manage it. This situation is hard enough. You don't want to make it any harder on yourself. [[You walk and walk and walk.]]

You wish you could see the stars with that monster too. . . . Ha. . . Ha, ha. . . It hurts. . . Your heart hurts. [[You walk and walk and walk.]]

You walk through the sparkling cavern, and through the rainy tunnels. <<set $lab = 0>> You place a flower at each pile of ash you encounter. Eventually you reach a tunnel that empties out into some place hot. The rocks and stones are a reddish-brown, and you can hear bubbles of lava underneath. You see there are many bridges connecting different areas--it’s a very wide and open area. The lava is bright enough it forces you to squint when you look at it. You walk for another minute down the path until it branches off. There are tall steps on the left path that look to lead up to an elevator shaft (you think?). The forward path goes over a stone bridge. [[Go left.]] [[Go forward]]

You tell them you’re sorry. You promise to come back if you find more paper or flowers. You don't know where you'll get the flowers, but, you'll figure something out. You promise. You //promise.// You-- You. . . . . . [[Mourn this tragedy. Weep.]] [[Mourn this tragedy. Silently cry.]] [[Mourn this tragedy, but do not cry.]]

Your tears come freely, your empathy demanding no less. You cry without hesitation, bowing your head as your tears plop to the ground. <<set $cried = 1>> Once you start you find it hard to stop. What was silent has turned into loud hiccups, sniffles, and whimpers. You apologize to the ashes, to theses monsters. You’re sorry this happened to them. You’re sorry they were banished. You’re sorry they died here. You’re sorry you couldn’t help them. You’re sorry you have nothing for them. You’re so, so sorry you have no more flowers. You apologize in every way you can think of, emptying your heart. It's not fair. It's not right. They should not have been banished. They should not have been forgotten. They deserve so much more than the meager little flowers you can give them. You're sorry. You are so, so sorry. You weep. You weep for them. You weep for this situation. You weep for yourself. Your breathing becomes hitched and hindered as you struggle to gasp for air. Your throat tightens. Your vision is gone, it's nothing but a blur of red. You sob loudly, helpless to the grief you deeply feel. [[Your tears do stop as exhaustion wraps itself around you. Your eyes are heavy and you rub at them.]]

Your tears come freely, your empathy demanding no less. You cry without hesitation, bowing your head as your tears plop to the ground. <<set $cried = 1>> Once you start you find it hard to stop. What was silent has turned into loud hiccups, sniffles, and whimpers. You apologize to the ashes, to theses monsters. You’re sorry this happened to them. You’re sorry they were banished. You’re sorry they died here. You’re sorry you couldn’t help them. You’re sorry you have nothing for them. You’re so, so sorry you have no more flowers. You apologize in every way you can think of, emptying your heart. It's not fair. It's not right. They should not have been banished. They should not have been forgotten. They deserve so much more than the meager little flowers you can give them. You're sorry. You are so, so sorry. You cry. You cry for them. You cry for this situation. You cry for yourself. Your breathing becomes hitched and hindered as you struggle to gasp for air. Your throat tightens. Your vision is gone, it's nothing but a blur of red. You sob quietly, helpless to the grief you deeply feel. [[Your tears do stop as exhaustion wraps itself around you. Your eyes are heavy and you rub at them.]]

You bow your head. <<set $cried = 0>> You apologize to the ashes, to theses monsters. You’re sorry this happened to them. You’re sorry they were banished. You’re sorry they died here. You’re sorry you couldn’t help them. You’re sorry you have nothing for them. You’re so, so sorry you have no more flowers. You apologize in every way you can think of, emptying your heart. It's not fair. It's not right. They should not have been banished. They should not have been forgotten. They deserve so much more than the meager little flowers you can give them. You're sorry. You are so, so sorry. [[You sigh heavily.]]

You sniffle as your breathing evens out. . . . Ha. . . You feel silly. You feel //tired.// Your head throbs, an invisible hammer slams into it. You force yourself to get up. . . . You whisper one more apology. [[Every pile of ash you see now, you stop at and offer a quiet apology.]] [[You sigh heavily at the ash you see now.]] [[You don't have the emotional energy to deal with this any more.]]

You’re tired. So, so tired. Emotionally and physically, you have withered away. But you keep walking. You climb the red-stoned steps and you enter a temperate-controlled area. There is a glistening fountain at the entrance. The ground is paved with a well-maintained blue brick road. There are street lights all over, each casting a soft violet-blue glow. A glance up shows a tall--//very tall//--ceiling with what look to be hanging houses. The first building you see is something with a sign that reads //MTT RESORT & SPA//. The brick road splits off on the right and left side of the building where you see even more buildings. You can’t get a good look at all of them yet. It definitely feels like you’ve entered a city in a cave. A magical city. An empty city. . . . You carry on. There is an elevator in the back of the city. You take it, and it drops you off at a tall bridge that overlooks the lonely city. The castle is built into the cave walls. Faded gold-white stone is made beside dark stone and sparkling blue crystals. There are intricate designs and murals carved into its side. You see large stained glass windows depicting the dawn. It is immaculate, beautiful, and feels terribly lonely. The doors open easily when you push them, although they loudly creak. You step inside. The front room reminds you a lot of the first house you entered. There are numerous lights that cast a warm glow around the front room, and the flooring is a golden mosaic with a white outline. The walls are a smooth cream color. You walk forward. From the front room there’s a garden of golden flowers. The light that filters in is artificial, but it still feels nice. The garden is overgrown. . . . You keep walking. There’s only one way to go. Through the garden. Pass the throne. Down the hallway. You reach the end. It must be the end, right? A huge wall of pulsating white light. It must be the barrier humanity sealed the monsters behind. Humans have always been immune to sealing magic, you doubt you'll have any issue crossing through it. [[You don’t linger. You leave.]] [[You linger.]]

You’re tired. So, so tired. Emotionally and physically, you have withered away. But you keep walking. You stop only to offer an apology at the ashes you come across. You climb the red-stoned steps and you enter a temperate-controlled area. There is a glistening fountain at the entrance. The ground is paved with a well-maintained blue brick road. There are street lights all over, each casting a soft violet-blue glow. A glance up shows a tall--//very tall//--ceiling with what look to be hanging houses. The first building you see is something with a sign that reads //MTT RESORT & SPA//. The brick road splits off on the right and left side of the building where you see even more buildings. You can’t get a good look at all of them yet. It definitely feels like you’ve entered a city in a cave. A magical city. An empty city. . . . [[Call out. Your voice cracks.]]

There is no response. <<set $characterstatus = 4>> You call out again as you walk the streets. You hope. You pray. You wish. //Don’t all be ashes.// Please, please, please. . . It's partially on the table, partially in the chair, and the rest is on the floor. As if someone was sitting there. As if someone had died there. ''Please, please, please. . . '' Ash on the tables. Ash in the booths. Ash over the counter. Ash in almost every seat. It's a mass grave. You raise your voice. You shout as loud as you can. There's ash on the counter. You step closer and see that it's spilled behind the counter as well. Looking behind the counter, you notice there's two more piles of ash. They're smaller than what you've seen before. Your throat is raw and hoarse as you call out again and again. [[But no one responds.]]

You have no other choice but to accept this silence. This unending, unrelenting, suffocating silence that drowns your screams. There is no one left. There is only you. Only you and ash. They died here in the dark. They died without knowing what the sun feels like, what the stars look like, what spring tastes like. Their wishes were for nothing. Their hopes and dreams are dust in the wind. You wander this empty city, your heart as broken as can be. The tears slip out without protest or warning. They slide down your cheek, your swollen eyes stinging from their departure. You do not stop until you see-- --a store. A crafts store. . . . [[Go inside. This is important.]] [[Keep walking. You're too tired for this.]]

The door is unlocked. You open it and step inside to a small arts and crafts shop. There's a light switch nearby that you flick to turn on the lights. You find yourself in a large room with many shelves of paper, scissors, glue, and other necessities. . . . You know what to do. You grab the supplies and take a seat. [[You work without pause.]]

You carry on. <<set $cried = 2>> There is an elevator in the back of the city. You take it, and it drops you off at a tall bridge that overlooks the lonely city. The castle is built into the cave walls. Faded gold-white stone is made beside dark stone and sparkling blue crystals. There are intricate designs and murals carved into its side. You see large stained glass windows depicting the dawn. It is immaculate, beautiful, and feels terribly lonely. The doors open easily when you push them, although they loudly creak. You step inside. The front room reminds you a lot of the first house you entered. There are numerous lights that cast a warm glow around the front room, and the flooring is a golden mosaic with a white outline. The walls are a smooth cream color. You walk forward. From the front room there’s a garden of golden flowers. The light that filters in is artificial, but it still feels nice. The garden is overgrown. . . . You keep walking. There’s only one way to go. Through the garden. Pass the throne. Down the hallway. You reach the end. It must be the end, right? A huge wall of pulsating white light. It must be the barrier humanity sealed the monsters behind. Humans have always been immune to sealing magic, you doubt you'll have any issue crossing through it. [[You don’t linger. You leave.]] [[You linger.]]

You make flowers for hours, enough to fill your bag twice over. Your fingers are stiff from your unrelenting pace, and your back is more rigid than a plank. You stuff your bag full, content that you'll need to come back for the rest of the flowers. You backtrack to the piles of ash you saw before and you place flowers at them. Every ash pile along the road, you give them flowers. You don’t go into their homes—that feels unnecessary intrusive—but you do place flowers at the front door of the buildings. <<if $staying eq 4>> You leave an entire bouquet at the LAB, uncertain how many monsters were inside. <</if>> You use up nearly all of your flowers in the city. [[And only then do you take the elevator up to the castle that overlooks it.]]

The castle is built into the cave walls. Faded gold-white stone is made beside dark stone and sparkling blue crystals. There are intricate designs and murals carved into its side. You see large stained glass windows depicting the dawn. It is immaculate, beautiful, and feels terribly lonely. The doors open easily when you push them, although they loudly creak. You step inside. The front room reminds you a lot of the first house you entered. There are numerous lights that cast a warm glow around the front room, and the flooring is a golden mosaic with a white outline. The walls are a smooth cream color. You walk forward. From the front room there’s a garden of golden flowers. The light that filters in is artificial, but it still feels nice. The garden is overgrown. . . . You keep walking. There’s only one way to go. Through the garden. Pass the throne. Down the hallway. You reach the end. It must be the end, right? A huge wall of pulsating white light. It must be the barrier humanity sealed the monsters behind. Humans have always been immune to sealing magic, you doubt you'll have any issue crossing through it. [[You don’t linger. You leave.]] [[You linger.]]

Your first day in the underground, Sans gives you a tour. From the ruins, to the castle. He tells you about each area in short half sentences. He trails off often, tilting his head to the side as if listening to something. He'll go quiet for a few seconds, or a minute, and then pick up where he left off as if he never stopped. Such as: "these are the ruins. the monsters fell here first. . . " ". . . mm-hmm. yeah, did you ever notice the old buildings?" You shake your head. You only saw the one house. Sans tilts his head again. He's quiet for a long minute. "okay," he says. Sans pushes at one of the cave walls. Blue light wraps around the wall. It fades away from view and you see a new cavern behind it. There are houses inside. You gap. When he pulls his hand away, the wall returns. ". . . houses here," he says. So it seems. Sans looks up at the air, staring at something you cannot see. "okay." Okay? "okay," he says again, looking back down at you. "hungry?" You could eat. "all the machines are operational," he says. "raw food is processed automatically and dumped at the main store in the city. keeps well." Oh. "it's all magic," he says. He stops talking and cocks his head, his red-blue eyes staring straight through you. He is silent for a full minute. "no toilets." What? "there are no toilets here," he says. "magic food dissolves completely when eaten. same with magic-laced water. no toilets." What about showers? "yeah we have those," he says. "they work." "this is grillby's," he says. "it was a lit place." Lit? "grillby was a fire monster." Oh! //Lit!// You pause. Did he sell blazed dougnuts? Sans makes that wheezing noise again. It splutters and croaks to life, then is gone in two seconds. Ah, was your joke too hot to candle? He croaks, "no i lava good fire pun." You <<cycle "$happyreaction" autoselect>>\ <<option "giggle">> <<option "crack a small smile">> <<option "smirk">> <<option "beam">> <<option "smile">> <<option "grin">> <</cycle>>. You choose the inn to stay in for now. It feels wrong to simply move in to someone else's home. It's warm. Has power. And the bed is soft. You dream of Grillby's again. You wake up to see blue-red-lights staring at you in darkness. You blink and they're gone. . . . Sans? . Your first week in the underground passes by without much remark. Sans is a flight risk. You sometimes catch a glimpse of him in the corner of your eyes and then he's gone. It's rare that he'll approach you. But you know he's there. He's always there. Somewhere. You don't want to force him to keep you company if he doesn't want to. You can't imagine what he's been through. You keep yourself busy with your project: creating proper graves for all the monsters. When you're not doing that, you're exploring the underground more thoroughly, or spending time on your hobby. You like to <<cycle "$hobby" autoselect>>\ <<option "dance">> <<option "sing">> <<option "draw">> <<option "paint">> <<option "write">> <<option "crochet">> <<option "whittle">> <<option "play on your tablet">> <</cycle>>. The only consistent time you see Sans is at night. You are very certain he watches you sleep. He vanishes too quickly for you to catch him in the moment, but you //know// you've seen his eyelights. You wonder why. Does he think you're a threat? You hope not. You really don't mean him any harm. [[At the end of the week, Sans invites you to dinner. It's the first time he's shown you his home. It's in a two-story house at the end of Snowdin. Stepping inside it has a blue-carpet flooring, a bright green couch, and a large television. The wallpaper is a burnished red, and there's a large kitchen in the back right. There are steps on the left that go upstairs to, what you assume, the bedrooms. When you enter the house it smells like. . . meatballs? It makes your stomach rumble. Sans offers you a place at the kitchen table. Your face scrunches up reflexively. Its taste is indescribable. "i followed my bro's recipe," he says. "his idea and all." It takes an impressive amount of willpower to swallow. You quickly reach for the water to wash the taste down. "he wants to thank you," he continues, unminding of your reaction. You cough on the tingly-water. Wants? "yeah Pap says thanks," he says. You glance around. "you won't be able to see him," Sans explains off-handedly. Oh. An invisible monster isn't the weirdest thing you've heard of. You $happyreaction. You're glad Sans isn't alone. Sans makes that strangled chuckle sound. Oh! You realize this could be your chance to bring up about Sans watching you sleep. IF NUZZ [[You gently bring it up. [[. . . Better not. You decide to let it go. You ask Sans why he watches you sleep. "oh," he goes. He looks away from you, scratching at his cheek. You tell him if he's afraid of you, you'd like to do what you can to help him feel more comfortable. ". . . you're harmless," he says. "no magic. no determination. just. . . a human." Then why-- //“who wants to be alone?” he whispers.// It might be presumptious of you to assume, or even ask. [[Ask anyway. Is he lonely? [[Let it go. You don't want to make him uncomfortable. If he is. . . You give it some thought. You offer to sleep together. His eyelights shrink at that. "what?" You offer to sleep together. ". . . are you serious?" Yes. You don't mind sharing a bed. "you don't know me. i don't know you." That can be changed over time. It's only an offer. There's no pressure to accept. He shifts in his seat. He turns his head away and cocks it, as if listening to someone else now. "okay," he says after several minutes. "you can stay here now." Here? He points upstairs. "my room is upstairs. you can sleep here now." You $happyreaction. You'd love to. [[The time slips by. A month has gone by. You like the underground. You've come to appreciate its silence. Although you don't think you'd like either of those things if it were only you. You're grateful to have Sans' company, even if it's not what you're used to. He is a funny roommate. He hardly takes care of himself, or his room, which leaves you to do the bulk of it. He's not messy enough to warrant more than a couple minutes worth of effort, however. Since the two of you started sharing a bed, he's less inclined to stay hidden from your sight. Some days he'll even spend the entire day with you. He doesn't always talk to you, but he will listen. He's a very good listener. Not just to you. But to the voices in his head. Because yes, you are forced to acknowledge, that Sans hears things that are not there. There are no other living ''SOULs'' in the underground, but Sans will stop mid conversation with you and start talking to the air. He does it naturally and without thought. It can be anywhere from a couple words, to a full-length argument that ends with him groaning in exasperation before doing something incomprehensible to you. There was one such argument that resulted in him trying to "solve" a horoscope. It can be odd to witness first hand. You aren't sure how to broach the subject with him--if you even should at all. The voice(s?) he hears are real to him. What he's gone through--the demise of his entire race with him as a lone surviver stuck in isolation--was deeply traumatic. You've read some notes on solitary confinement and you understand it is considered an extreme form of torture. Many go insane within the first week. Sans has been alone for years. The voice(s?) don't seem malicious, and you've never felt threatened by their presence so you've left the subject alone for now. You work on creating a proper way to honor the monsters while exploring the underground. This past month you've visited the laboratory where a monster named Dr. Alphys worked. You couldn't explore much because there was no power to the elevator, but it was still interesting. [[Time marches on. You've been underground for months. Sans is a brat. You have come to accept this fact. He is dear to you. You are dear to him. But he is a brat. Because he is a skeleton he does not generate body warmth. So when he comes to bed, he is //always// cold. That much is fine. You produce plenty of body warmth for the both of you, and if you're under the blankets the whole bed will be heated up within minutes. Sans does not wait that extra minute. As soon as you are in bed he places his frigid phalanges on you. Some nights he'll even wait until you've started to drift off before rudely awakening you with their freezing grip. He always says, "sorry." But he is grinning widely as he says it. He does not sound sorry in the least bit. And then! You will be minding your own business when //pop// he appears beside you. The first time he did that you screamed. He has since made it his mission to jump scare you at least once a day. To "keep you on your toes heheh". Oh and the //pranks!// Whoopee cushions under any seat you are about to sit in--even if you checked to make sure they aren't there, they magically appear when you turn around--or a small buzzer hidden in his hand when he pats your back or takes your hand. Condiment bottles with caps slightly unscrewed so when you use them they topple over and cover your whole meal. Lemon juice and salt mixed into your water. A surprise snowball to your back. He'll randomly play the trombome to go //wah-wah-waaah// if you trip or make a mistake in your hobby. He'll take a few of your clothes and hide them throughout the underground. It took you weeks to find your spare boots. (You know you //could// have asked him to stop or find them and he would. But he seemed so genuinely delighted by your reactions it's hard to actually be mad at him.) And OH the puns. Puns galore! Okay that one you actually thoroughly enjoy. Sometimes he'll tell a joke that makes you laugh so hard you fall out of your chair. He'll get you wheezing and gasping for air. Whenever you laugh because of him, the lights in his eyesockets shine brighter than any star. He is a menace. And you say that with affection. Your menace. [[A pillow fort He said he'd never been in a pillow fort before. It was an off-handed comment. You don't remember the conversation that lead up to it. You just remember. It stuck in your head and stewed for days until you decided to do something about it. In the morning, once Sans has gone--he's rarely home in the mornings--you get to work. You take the pillows off the couch. You grab the extra pillows and blankets kept in the closet. You make a trek to the inn and carry back even more pillows and blankets. You stack the kitchen chairs and drape the blankets over them. Within an hour you've made an impressive fort. You climb inside and manuever the extra pillows around until you've made a satisfactory nest inside. You crawl back out and grab your tablet. You wait. You don't have to wait long. Sans returns home soon enough. The blanket at the entrance lifts up. He pokes his head inside. "what's this?" A pillow fort! His blue-red eyes look around. ". . . impressive." You $happyreaction. "you really have it //covered//, huh. you a pro at this?" It's your //quilty// pleasure. His eyelights brighten briefly. You pat the spot beside you. He crawls inside and takes a seat. The pillow fort, while impressive, is on the smaller side. He sits close enough to you that you're both touching. You turn on the tablet. You ask him if he wants to watch a movie. "a human movie?" It's all you have. "sure," he says, his shoulders briefly move up before they drop back down. You pick out a movie and prop the tablet against the side. As the movie runs, Sans sits completely still. You've noticed this about him. He doesn't fidget. There a moments where he's so still you doubt he's even breathing. He doesn't need to breathe most of the time. Breathing is used as a way to ventilate his body when he uses a lot of magic. Any other time it's unnecessary so sometimes he'll stop doing it. You reach over to him and grasp his hand. It's cold to the touch. His eyelights move down to stare at your hands. He turns his head to look at you. You smile at him. "you really don't want me to touch your side in the middle of the movie, huh." His hands are //freezing.// It is an awful, horrible, traumatic experience to feel them suddenly against your bare side skin. He would absolutely do it in the middle of the movie if you aren't paying attention. You give him an innocent look. "welp," he says. "i've got other parts of me that are cold, don't you worry." . . . You think it'd be good if Sans sat between your legs actually. You can hug him from behind and warm him up! "but if i'm warmed up, how will i make you jump?" He doesn't //have// to scare you. "ehhh." You spread your legs and pat the spot in front of you. "ehhhhhhhhhh." You do a drumroll on the spot. Sans let's out a //heh// and he shifts around. He sits between you. He's cold in your arms. He presses his back against your chest. You rest your chin atop his head. He goes still in your arms, his body limp as he relaxes his weight into you. You hold him close as the two of you enjoy the movie. Then a second movie. Then a third. [[The Internet Sans likes to read. He reads a lot. He told you that he's read everything there is in the underground. He says it's because he likes to learn. It's the only thing that's kept his mind engaged through the drull. He owes what sanity he has to knowledge and the world of books. Naturally, you give him free reign of your tablet and show him all the books you have downloaded. He starts to frequently borrows it from you to read. He does it often enough, that you feel compelled to get him new books, worried he'll run out soon. You don't have much signal in the underground. The only place you //can// get a signal is near the barrier. You head up there in the early hours of the morning and make yourself comfortable. It will take a long time to download the new books. Before you came to the underground, you cancelled everything except your phone service. You turned that to an auto-pay. You have enough in your account to keep it uninterrupted for a few years. After that you'll either have to find a remote job you can finagle, or give it up. Or find a way to pirate it. You aren't sure what your options will be with the introduction of literal magic in your life. Sans finds you around noon. He stands beside you at the barrier. "leaving?" You point to the tablet. "what's it downloading?" New books. "oh." He sits beside you. Actually-- This is the first time you're able to show Sans the tablet when it has access to the internet. You motion for Sans to scoot closer. "you look too happy to up to anything good," he remarks as he obliges. You $happyreaction. You tell him you want to show him the internet. "inter-what?" He'll see. What he sees blows him away. For someone who loves to learn, the introduction of the internet is a true blessing. Bright side: you've made Sans very happy. Down side: you don't get your tablet back for a month., and only because Sans figured out how to make his own from Dr. Alphys' laboratory. [[Night Terrors Since coming to the underground you've turned into a light sleeper. You are used to the constant silence, so when there is an unexpected noise you are instantly awake. Sans is a quiet sleeper. Unless he's having a nightmare. The first time he had one when you shared a bed, it was a minor one. He shifted in his sleep and mumbled in pain. All you had to do was say his name and he was instantly awake, alert, and disgruntled. He'd stare at you tiredly, mumble a thanks, then roll over and go back to sleep. This happened a few more times, each one fixed by you saying his name. Tonight is different. Tonight you wake up to him shivering and shuddering. You say his name but he doesn't react. He is quiet, not a single whimper or mutter to be heard, but it's clear he's distressed. Magic sweat beads form around his head as his body continues to shake. You touch his face and repeat his name again. He doesn't respond. Worry gnaws at you. You get louder. You shake him gently. He doesn't react. Fear makes you sit up straight. You reach over to the night stand and turn on the light. Nothing happens. San's face stays static--he is always stuck smiling--but you can feel that he's distressed. Your heart aches as you think of ways to help him. You don't know what else to do without going to extreme lengths, and that could cause more harm than good. You pick him up--he still doesn't react--and you settle him into your lap. You tuck his head under your neck and you hold him close. It's okay, you soothe him. He's okay, you tell him. He's not alone, you remind him. You're here, you reassure him. It's only a dream, you encourage him. You rock him, your companion, as this night terror plagues his mind. He does not awaken, but you do feel him relax. With each murmur, the stiffness ebbs away from his limbs. You won't leave him, you promise him. A blue-red light sparks in his left eyesocket. When he notices you, the light widens. You suddenly feel a tight sensation in your chest and you are thrown across the room. Right before you hit the wall, your body jerks to a halt mid-air. You and Sans stare at each other. You with wide eyes, and he with empty eyesockets. You are lowered to the floor, the magical grip inside your chest gone. You let out a slow breath, your heart pounding in your chest. You glance behind you, curious how close you were to-- A chill goes down your spine. The wall is covered in spiky bones. If you had hit the wall, you would have been impaled. "right, right, right," he says. "not you. you're harmless. it's okay. ha, ha, ha. that's okay. it's good you're weak." The grip is back in your chest and you are yanked back onto the bed. Sans' eyes are still black, and devoid of light. You call out to him. "yes," he says. "ha. . . why can't you be stronger. . . no, no, it's good you're not. it's good." Sans? He clutches at his head, a thumb going into his eyesocket and pushing around the edges. "i know pap, i know," he mutters. "sorry, sorry, sorry. i'll do better next reset. i promise." You reach out for him, confused and scared at what was happening. Then you hear a //crack// from his thumb pushing into his eyesocket. Horrified you throw yourself at him, yanking his hand out of his socket. He reacts violently to your lunge. That tight grip squeezes painfully and you are thrown into the air. You almost hit the ceiling, but you are again stopped before it goes that far. "why are you still here?" he asks you. You are dropped. "run," he tells you. "go away." You shakily stand up. "i could kill you," he says. A lot of things could kill you. "i'm the most likely thing here to do you in," he says. "pity can only go so far." . . . Who said you pitied him? "ha. . . why wouldn't you, crybaby?" Maybe, //maybe//, at first, you allow. You start to walk back to the bed. But not any more. Light sparks back inside his eyesockets. He warily watches you return to the bed. ". . . forgeddaboutit, $name. don't say something you'll only regret." You $happyreaction. A good thing you won't regret this then. You embrace Sans, pulling him into your arms. He won't hurt you. "yes i will," he says. No. He won't. ". . . " You won't hurt him either. For the same reason he won't. ". . . you don't know that." You squeeze him. <<cycle "$confession" autoselect>>\ <<option "You tell Sans you love him.">> <<option "You tell Sans you'll always be by his side.">> <<option "You promise Sans you won't leave him alone.">> <<option "You gently kiss the top of his head.">> <<option "You stay silent. You both know how you feel.">> <</cycle>> His arms wrap around you. He tightly grips the back of your shirt. ". . . okay," he whispers. Okay. [[Another month goes by. Spending time with Sans becomes as easy as breathing. His menace tendencies aside, you genuinely adore the small skeleton monster. You even get along with the voices in his head. Sans tells you often that they like you. Every day is peaceful. Tranquil. You've nearly completed your memorial to the monsters, and in celebration of that Sans tells you about them. He sets you on the couch beside him at home, and then he starts to speak in that low voice of his. He tells you about Toriel, the goat monster who lived in the ruins. She liked puns and bad jokes, and she had a motherly aura to her. He tells you about Violet, the bunny monster who ran the Snowdin shop. She was warm and nice, and always liked to look after the children. He tells you about Grillby, the fire monster who ran the local bar. He was quiet, studious, and an excellent listener. He tells you about the dog patrol in Snowdin. Greater Dog, Lesser Dog, Doggo, Dogamy, and Dogaressa who loved to play a variation of poker with Sans. He tells you about the Royal Guards who would frequent Snowdin and bring toys from the city to the children. He tells you about Undyne, the leader of the Royal Guards, who was passionate in everything she did. He tells you about Dr. Alphys, the Royal Scientist, who was brilliant but constantly doubted herself. He tells you about King Asgore, the Monster King who loved garden and was far too kind for his own good. He tells you about each resident in Snowdin. He tells you every monster he knows. And then he tells you about Papyrus, his baby brother who loved puzzles and always wanted to have many friends. It's his scarf that's wrapped around the post outside Snowdin. You're crying by the end of it. Big heaping sobs as you hiccup and sniffle. He calls you a crybaby and wipes away your tears with the back of his sleeves. "why are you crying? i'm not," he says. That's why you have to. "crybaby," he teases you softly. You can't help it. "i know," he says. His eyelights flicker away from you. "i like that about you." He looks back to you and wipes away the fresh tears that have fallen. "you don't even know these monsters, but you grieve for them anyway. i could never. that heart of yours. . . it's something else." You lean forward and press your face into his chest. You curl into him. He rubs your back. "thank you," he says, "for crying enough for both of us." [[The next week he tells you what happened in the underground. Chara. Frisk. The resets. //The constant genocide.// . . . You cry so hard your eyes swell shut for the rest of the day and you get a migraine the following day. Sans jokes that it ought to be called an "our-gaine" since the two of you live together. That gets a small $happyreaction from you. Until you remember the literal hell he was put through and how he likely uses humor as a way to cope. . . . You become clingy for the next week. Sans obliges. He always accepts your touch and cuddles. <<if $confession (("You tell Sans you love him.")) or $confession ("You gently kiss the top of his head.")>> And smooches, of course. You pepper his face in kisses as often as you can that week. <<set $dating = 1>> Not that he'll complain. He loves your affection. <</if>> But as with everything. . . you carry on. You mourn the tragedy that has happened, and you do your best to keep one foot in front of the other. With Sans. [[A whole year has gone by, according to your phone. You wake up with Sans curled into you. That is not strange. What is strange is the box floating in mid-air in front of you. $Name I LV 1 I 00:00 Snowdin - Papyrus & San's Home CONTINUE I RESET* . . . What? You gently wake up Sans. The skeleton monster's eyelights spark to life at your stirrings. <<if $dating eq 1>> "whassup babe?" he mumbles, half-asleep. <<else>> "huh?" he mubles, half-asleep. <</if>> You point to the box in the air. You ask if he can see it. "see what?" You explain the box to him. He's instantly awake. He sits up. "what? you can reset?" There is a button. It has a little asterick next to it. "what happens when you hover over it?" he asks. You wave your hand over it. *RESETING WILL TRANSFER OWNERSHIP. Previous owners: Frisk (left) Chara (left) . . . Does this mean what you think it means? "you can reset?" he asks, sounding dazed. You can. . . save them? "reset it," he whispers, his voice broken. "please. for me." You. . . you can't say no. <<if $dating eq 1>> You lean down and press your forehead against him. You kiss his smile. <</if>> [[You press RESET*

// ''NEUTRAL ENDING - VISITOR - SANS IS A STRANGER''// Congratulations. You leave the kingdom of ash behind you. <<set $sansbarrierencounter = 0>> You made it out alive. Heartbroken. . . but alive. This is your ending. Are you happy with it? [[No - I wanted a happy ending.]] OR <<click "Restart">><<script>>Engine.restart()<</script>><</click>>

You had kept dismissing it, but now that you’ve found the exit you feel it again. . . . Someone is watching you. A monster? One who remained quiet when you called out? [[You don’t linger. You leave.]] [[Turn around.]]

There is a monster behind you. He is shorter than you. He wears long black sweat pants and sneakers. He has a dark blue jacket that is zipped up all the way and its hood pulled up, and a bright red scarf wrapped around. His hands are in the jacket pocket. There is an unnatural shadow covering his face from the hood. All you can see are two red-and-blue lights from inside. He stares at you. [[You stumble away from him and cross the barrier]] [[You stare at him.]]

There is a long moment of silence between you. He is a monster. A monster all alone in a kingdom of ash and dust. The last monster. [[Your heartbeat quickens. What if. . . he’s the reason for this? You stumble away from him in fear.]] [[Your heart breaks for him. You can feel your eyes burning again.]]

You can’t help it. You take a step closer to him. <<set $sansbarrierencounter = 1>> His head cocks to the side. You move closer to him, slowly and quietly. He doesn’t react further than continuing to watch you. When he is close enough, you shakily wrap your arms around him and pull him close. He’s cold. He feels like nothing but skin and bones in your arms. This poor monster. You squeeze him tightly. You hear a sigh. He pulls out an arm from his jacket pocket. He pats your back. Then his grip on the back of your clothes tightens. You are suddenly yanked away by him and tossed through the barrier. [[The last thing you see are red-and-blue lights that shine in the dark.]]

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Is this the end that you want? [[Yes. Let’s end it here. You return to your life of normalcy.]] <<if $staying eq 4>> [[No. You don’t want to end it here.]]<</if>>

// ''NEUTRAL ENDING - VISITOR - SANS IS A STRANGER''// Congratulations. You leave the kingdom of ash behind you. You made it out alive. This is your ending. Are you happy with it? [[No - I wanted a happy ending.]] OR <<click "Restart">><<script>>Engine.restart()<</script>><</click>>

You don’t want it to end there. The idea of that monster stuck in there–alone– . . . You. . . You know what you want to do. You don't want to return to a life of normalcy. What you went through changed you. The ash may be out of sight, but it will never leave your mind. You walk down Mt. Ebott, and you prepare yourself for what is to come. [[It takes you a few days to finish preparation.]]

Then it takes you another two days to find the spot where you fell. You are better prepared this time. There is no need for you to jump down. You have the right equipment to rappel down, even if it's something you've never done before. It takes you thirty minutes of careful manuevering until you reach that familiar flower bed. You adjust the backpack over your shoulders. You pull out the flashlight you have prepared and start to walk down the tunnel. Into the darkness you go. Past the droplets. You reach the house and pardon the monster for your intrusion once more. You descend the stairs, prepared to enter the cold, but you find a monster waiting for you at the end. <<if (($cried eq 0)) or ($cried eq 2)>> You step to the monster, but suddenly there's a tight grip in your chest. "you had your chance, //faker.//" You don't have a chance to speak when you are abruptly impaled down the middle by numerous bones. Your body is split into two. You die instantly. // ''BAD ENDING - SANS DISTRUSTS YOU''// True <<click "Restart">><<script>>Engine.restart()<</script>><</click>> Fast [[Restart|Why are you even here?]] <<else>> [[You step closer to him.]] <</if>>

You have a better look at the monster now. His hood doesn't shadow his face entirely, and you realize he's some type of skeleton monster. He has a wide grin on his face that seems contradictory to his intense gaze. He stares at you, and you stare at him. His eyelights flicker up and down as he assess you. Having reached a decision, he vanishes in a distortion of the air. He's gone. You grip your backpack more firmly and carry on. [[You do not see him again until the next day.]]

“sans,” he says, “sans the skeleton.” <<set $physical = 1>> You tell him you’re happy to meet him. “. . . “ he stares at you again. He looks down at your hands. You squeeze his hand. ". . . done exploring?" he asks. You shake your head. You keep finding new things, you're certain there's more to see. "there isn't," he says. Oh-- "but have at it," he says, looking away. Would he. . . mind showing you? A raspy noise comes out of the skeleton. "are you asking for a //tour?//" He pulls his hand away and spreads his arms. "welcome to the underground. everyone's dead." <<cycle "$youwince" autoselect>>\ <<option "You wince.">> <<option "You apologize.">> <<option "You cringe.">> <<option "You nervously bite your lip.">> <<option "You demurely look away.">> <</cycle>> "enjoy your stay," he says as he disappears. . . . You don't see him again for the rest of the day. [[That night you dream of the blue flowers.]]

You're on a bench in a field of those blue flowers that light up the wetlands in the underground. <<masteraudio stop>> <<audio "waterfallmusicbox" loop play>> Echo flowers. You're joined on the bench by a monster with a wide smile and only one good eye. A turtle monster with a long white beard and dressed like an explorer. "Wahaha! Settling in, kiddo?" You shrug. "Must be quite the transition," says the turtle. "Doesn't help the company you keep ain't the friendliest, eh?" You think of how to respond. [[You understand. Isolation for so long. . . it would be hard on anyone.]] [[You understand, although you wish you knew how to help.]] [[You understand. You can be patient.]]

You wake up to see blue-red-lights staring at you in darkness. <<masteraudio stop>> <<audio "dungeon" loop play>> You blink and they're gone. <<cycle "$umwhat" autoselect>>\ <<option ". . . Must have been your imagination.">> <<option ". . .">> <<option ". . . Sans?">> <<option "Um.">> <</cycle>> You rub at your eyes tiredly. [[You find it difficult to go back to sleep.]] [[You go back to sleep without issue.]]

You ask Sans why he watched you sleep. "oh," he goes. He looks away from you, scratching at his cheek. You tell him if he's afraid of you, you'd like to do what you can to help him feel more comfortable. ". . . you're harmless," he says. "no magic. no determination." Then why-- . . . You can guess why, can't you? Although it might be presumptious of you to assume, or even ask. [[Ask anyway. Is he lonely?]] [[Let it go. You don't want to make him uncomfortable.]]

You let it go and enjoy dinner. You enjoyed yourself. The following day, Sans joined you again. His company isn't consistent--you get the feeling he is creating a purpseful distance--you enjoy it nonetheless. Sans alternates between bouts of somber silence and cracking jokes. He's also a very good listener. There are no other living ''SOULs'' in the underground. It honestly amazes you how well Sans has coped with the unending silence. What he's gone through--the demise of his entire race with him as a lone surviver stuck in isolation--must have been deeply traumatic. You've read some notes on solitary confinement and you understand it is considered an extreme form of torture. Many go insane within the first week. Sans has been alone for years. You don't know how he managed. You work on creating a proper way to honor the monsters while exploring the underground. [[A month goes by.]]

If he is. . . You give it some thought. You offer to sleep together. His eyelights shrink at that. "what?" You offer to sleep together. ". . . are you serious?" Yes. You don't mind sharing a bed. "you don't know me. i don't know you." That can be changed over time. It's only an offer. There's no pressure to accept. He shifts in his seat. He turns his head away and cocks it. His eyelights go out. "okay," he says after several minutes. "you can stay here now." Here? He points upstairs. "my room is upstairs. you can sleep here now." You $happyreaction. You'd love to. <<if (((($sanshouseisamess eq "Wow.")))) or ((($sanshouseisamess eq "This is. . . sad."))) or (($sanshouseisamess eq "This does not bode well for his mental state.")) or ($sanshouseisamess eq "You have an overwhelming desire to start cleaning.")>> You pause. He has to let you clean up here though. His eyelights come back to life in his sockets. They shrink, widen, and shrink again. "okay." Great! You'll get started right away. "right away?" Sans' grin widens. "i made dessert." Is it edible? "no," he snickers. Then yes, you'll get started on cleaning. [[Or so that was the plan.]] <<else>> [[The time slips by. A month has gone by.]]<</if>>

You like the underground. You've come to appreciate its silence. Although you don't think you'd like either of those things if it were only you. You're grateful to have Sans' company, even if it's not what you're used to. He is a funny roommate. He hardly takes care of himself, or his room, which leaves you to do the bulk of it. He's not messy enough to warrant more than a couple minutes worth of effort, however. Since the two of you started sharing a bed, he's less inclined to stay hidden from your sight. Some days he'll even spend the entire day with you. He doesn't always talk to you, but he will listen. He's a very good listener. There are no other living ''SOULs'' in the underground. It honestly amazes you how well Sans has coped with the unending silence. What he's gone through--the demise of his entire race with him as a lone surviver stuck in isolation--must have been deeply traumatic. You've read some notes on solitary confinement and you understand it is considered an extreme form of torture. Many go insane within the first week. Sans has been alone for years. You don't know how he managed. You work on creating a proper way to honor the monsters while exploring the underground. [[Time marches on. You've been underground for months.]]

Sans is a brat. <<set $pillowfort = 0>><<set $internet = 0>> <<set $characterstatus = 6>> You have come to accept this fact. He is dear to you. But he is a brat. Because he is a skeleton he does not generate body warmth. So when he comes to bed, he is //always// cold. That much is fine. You produce plenty of body warmth for the both of you, and if you're under the blankets the whole bed will be heated up within minutes. Sans does not wait that extra minute. As soon as you are in bed he places his frigid phalanges on you. Some nights he'll even wait until you've started to drift off before rudely awakening you with their freezing grip. He always says, "sorry." But he is grinning widely as he says it. He does not sound sorry in the least bit. And then! You will be minding your own business when //pop// he appears beside you. The first time he did that you screamed. He has since made it his mission to jump scare you at least once a day. To "keep you on your toes heheh". Oh and the //pranks!// Whoopee cushions under any seat you are about to sit in--even if you checked to make sure they aren't there, they magically appear when you turn around--or a small buzzer hidden in his hand when he pats your back or takes your hand. Condiment bottles with caps slightly unscrewed so when you use them they topple over and cover your whole meal. Lemon juice and salt mixed into your water. A surprise snowball to your back. He'll randomly play the trombome to go //wah-wah-waaah// if you trip or make a mistake in your hobby. He'll take a few of your clothes and hide them throughout the underground. It took you weeks to find your spare boots. (You know you //could// have asked him to stop or find them and he would. But he seemed so genuinely delighted by your reactions it's hard to actually be mad at him.) And OH the puns. Puns galore! Okay that one you actually thoroughly enjoy. Sometimes he'll tell a joke that makes you laugh so hard you fall out of your chair. He'll get you wheezing and gasping for air. Whenever you laugh because of him, the lights in his eyesockets shine brighter than any star. He is a menace. And you say that with affection. [[The pillow fort.]] [[The internet.]]

<<set $pillowfort = 1>>He said he'd never been in a pillow fort before. <<masteraudio stop>> <<audio "dungeon" loop play>> It was an off-handed comment. You don't remember the conversation that lead up to it. You just remember. It stuck in your head and stewed for days until you decided to do something about it. In the morning, once Sans has gone--he's rarely home in the mornings--you get to work. You take the pillows off the couch. You grab the extra pillows and blankets kept in the closet. You make a trek to the inn and carry back even more pillows and blankets. You stack the kitchen chairs and drape the blankets over them. Within an hour you've made an impressive fort. You climb inside and manuever the extra pillows around until you've made a satisfactory nest inside. You crawl back out and grab your tablet. You wait. You don't have to wait long. Sans returns home soon enough. The blanket at the entrance lifts up. He pokes his head inside. "what's this?" A pillow fort! His blue-red eyes look around. ". . . impressive." You $happyreaction. "you really have it //covered//, huh. you a pro at this?" It's your //quilty// pleasure. His eyelights brighten briefly. You pat the spot beside you. He crawls inside and takes a seat. The pillow fort, while impressive, is on the smaller side. He sits close enough to you that you're both touching. You turn on the tablet. You ask him if he wants to watch a movie. "a human movie?" It's all you have. "sure," he says, his shoulders briefly move up before they drop back down. You pick out a movie and prop the tablet against the side. As the movie runs, Sans sits completely still. You've noticed this about him. He doesn't fidget. There a moments where he's so still you doubt he's even breathing. He doesn't need to breathe most of the time. Breathing is used as a way to ventilate his body when he uses a lot of magic. Any other time it's unnecessary so sometimes he'll stop doing it. You reach over to him and grasp his hand. It's cold to the touch. His eyelights move down to stare at your hands. He turns his head to look at you. You smile at him. "you really don't want me to touch your side in the middle of the movie, huh." His hands are //freezing.// It is an awful, horrible, traumatic experience to feel them suddenly against your bare side skin. He would absolutely do it in the middle of the movie if you aren't paying attention. You give him an innocent look. "welp," he says. "i've got other parts of me that are cold, don't you worry." . . . You think it'd be good if Sans sat between your legs actually. You can hug him from behind and warm him up! "but if i'm warmed up, how will i make you jump?" He doesn't //have// to scare you. "ehhh." You spread your legs and pat the spot in front of you. "ehhhhhhhhhh." You do a drumroll on the spot. Sans let's out a //heh// and he shifts around. He sits between you. He's cold in your arms. He presses his back against your chest. You rest your chin atop his head. He goes still in your arms, his body limp as he relaxes his weight into you. You hold him close as the two of you enjoy the movie. Then a second movie. Then a third. <<if $internet eq 0>> [[At night you dream of the town you never got to see alive.]] <<else>> [[You dream of monsters you never met.]] <</if>>

<<set $internet = 1>>Sans likes to read. <<masteraudio stop>> <<audio "dungeon" loop play>> He reads a lot. He told you that he's read everything there is in the underground. He says it's because he likes to learn. It's the only thing that's kept his mind engaged through the drull. He owes what sanity he has to knowledge and the world of books. Naturally, you give him free reign of your tablet and show him all the books you have downloaded. He starts to frequently borrows it from you to read. He does it often enough, that you feel compelled to get him new books, worried he'll run out soon. You don't have much signal in the underground. The only place you //can// get a signal is near the barrier. You head up there in the early hours of the morning and make yourself comfortable. It will take a long time to download the new books. Before you came to the underground, you cancelled everything except your phone service. You turned that to an auto-pay. You have enough in your account to keep it uninterrupted for a few years. After that you'll either have to find a remote job you can finagle, or give it up. Or find a way to pirate it. You aren't sure what your options will be with the introduction of literal magic in your life. Sans finds you around noon. He stands beside you at the barrier. "leaving?" You point to the tablet. "what's it downloading?" New books. "oh." He sits beside you. Actually-- This is the first time you're able to show Sans the tablet when it has access to the internet. You motion for Sans to scoot closer. "you look too happy to up to anything good," he remarks as he obliges. You $happyreaction. You tell him you want to show him the internet. "inter-what?" He'll see. What he sees blows him away. For someone who loves to learn, the introduction of the internet is a true blessing. Bright side: you've made Sans very happy. Down side: you don't get your tablet back for a month., and only because Sans figured out how to make his own from the LAB. You may not be able to get in, but he has "shortcuts" so it's no issue for him. <<if $pillowfort eq 0>> [[At night you dream of the town you never got to see alive.]] <<else>> [[You dream of monsters you never met.]]<</if>>

Since coming to the underground you've become a light sleeper. You are used to the constant silence, so when there is an unexpected noise you are instantly awake. Sans is a quiet sleeper. <<masteraudio stop>><<audio "dungeon" loop play>> Unless he's having a nightmare. The first time he had one when you shared a bed, it was a minor one. He shifted in his sleep and mumbled in pain. All you had to do was say his name and he was instantly awake, alert, and disgruntled. He stared at you tiredly, mumbled a thanks, then rolled over and went back to sleep. This happened a few more times, each one fixed by you saying his name. Tonight is different. Tonight you wake up to him shivering and shuddering. You say his name but he doesn't react. He is quiet, not a single whimper or mutter to be heard, but it's clear he's distressed. Magic sweat beads form around his head as his body continues to shake. You touch his face and repeat his name again. He doesn't respond. Worry gnaws at you. You get louder. You shake him gently. He doesn't react. Fear makes you sit up straight. You reach over to the night stand and turn on the light. Nothing happens. San's face stays static--he is always stuck smiling--but you can feel that he's distressed. <<cycle "$sansnightterrorreaction" autoselect>>\ <<option "Your heart aches as you think of ways to help him.">> <<option "Anxiety pricks at you as you worry for your companion.">> <<option "Concern for your friend makes you feel queasy.">> <<option ". . . ">> <</cycle>> You don't know what else to do without going to extreme lengths, and that could cause more harm than good. You pick him up--he still doesn't react--and you settle him into your lap. You tuck his head under your neck and you hold him close. It's okay, you soothe him. He's okay, you tell him. He's not alone, you remind him. You're here, you reassure him. It's only a dream, you encourage him. You rock him, your companion, as this night terror plagues his mind. He does not awaken, but you do feel him relax. With each murmur, the stiffness ebbs away from his limbs. You won't leave him, you promise him. [[A blue-red light sparks in his left eyesocket.]]

When he notices you, the light widens. You suddenly feel a tight sensation in your chest and you are thrown across the room. Right before you hit the wall, your body jerks to a halt mid-air. You and Sans stare at each other. You with wide eyes, and he with now empty eyesockets. You are lowered to the floor, the magical grip inside your chest gone. You let out a slow breath, your heart pounding in your chest. You glance behind you, curious how close you were to-- A chill goes down your spine. The wall is covered in spiky bones. If you had hit the wall, you would have been impaled. "right, right, right," he says. "not you. you're harmless. it's okay. ha, ha, ha. that's okay. it's good you're weak." The grip is back in your chest and you are yanked back onto the bed. Sans' eyes are still black, and devoid of light. You call out to him. The skeleton monster starts to chuckle, raspy and without mirth. Sans? He clutches at his head, a thumb going into his eyesocket and pushing around the edges. "it's gone on too long," he mutters. "the reset has to happen soon. i'm tired of waiting." You reach out for him, confused and scared at what was happening. Then you hear a //crack// from his thumb pushing into his eyesocket. Horrified you throw yourself at him, yanking his hand out of his socket. He reacts violently to your lunge. That tight grip squeezes painfully and you are thrown into the air. You almost hit the ceiling, but you are again stopped before it goes that far. "why are you still here?" he asks you. You are dropped. "run," he tells you. "go away." You shakily stand up. "i could kill you," he says. A lot of things could kill you. "i'm the most likely thing here to do you in," he says. "pity can only go so far." . . . Who said you pitied him? "ha. . . why wouldn't you, crybaby?" Maybe, //maybe//, at first, you allow. You start to walk back to the bed. You don't anymore. Light sparks back inside his eyesockets. He warily watches you return to the bed. ". . . forgeddaboutit, $name. don't say something you'll only regret." You $happyreaction. A good thing you won't regret this then. You embrace Sans, pulling him into your arms. He won't hurt you. "yes i will," he says. No. He won't. ". . . " You won't hurt him either. For the same reason he won't. ". . . you don't know that." You squeeze him. <<if $sansromance eq 3>> <<cycle "$confession" autoselect>>\ <<option "You promise Sans you won't leave him alone.">> <<option "You tell Sans you love him.">> <<option "You tell Sans you love him as a dear friend.">> <<option "You tell Sans you'll always be by his side.">> <<option "You gently kiss the top of his head.">> <<option "You stay silent, hoping he understands you.">> <</cycle>> <<else>> <<cycle "$confession" autoselect>>\ <<option "You tell Sans you love him as a dear friend.">> <<option "You tell Sans you'll always be by his side.">> <<option "You promise Sans you won't leave him alone.">> <<option "You stay silent, hoping he understands you.">> <</cycle>> <</if>> His arms wrap around you. He tightly grips the back of your shirt. ". . . okay," he whispers. Okay. [[In the morning he decides to cook for you.]]

<<if $sansromance eq 6>> Spending time with Sans becomes as easy as breathing. His menace tendencies aside, you genuinely love the small skeleton monster. <<else>> Spending time with Sans becomes as easy as breathing. His menace tendencies aside, you genuinely adore the small skeleton monster. <</if>> Every day is peaceful. Tranquil. You've nearly completed your memorial to the monsters, and in celebration of that Sans tells you about them. He sets you on the couch beside him at home, and then he starts to speak in that low voice of his. He tells you about Toriel, the goat monster who lived in the ruins. She liked puns and bad jokes, and she had a motherly aura to her. He tells you about Violet, the bunny monster who ran the Snowdin shop. She was warm and nice, and always liked to look after the children. He tells you about Grillby, the fire monster who ran the local bar. He was quiet, studious, and an excellent listener. He tells you about the dog patrol in Snowdin. Greater Dog, Lesser Dog, Doggo, Dogamy, and Dogaressa who loved to play a variation of poker with Sans. He tells you about the Royal Guards who would frequent Snowdin and bring toys from the city to the children. He tells you about Undyne, the leader of the Royal Guards, who was passionate in everything she did. He tells you about Dr. Alphys, the Royal Scientist, who was brilliant but constantly doubted herself. He tells you about King Asgore, the Monster King who loved garden and was far too kind for his own good. He tells you about each resident in Snowdin. He tells you every monster he knows. And then he tells you about Papyrus, his baby brother who loved puzzles and always wanted to have many friends. It's his scarf that he wears. You're crying by the end of it. Big heaping sobs as you hiccup and sniffle. He calls you a crybaby and wipes away your tears with the back of his sleeves. "why are you crying? i'm not," he says. That's why you have to. "crybaby," he teases you softly. You can't help it. <<if $sansromance eq 6>> "i know," he says. His eyelights flicker away from you. "i like that about you." He looks back to you and wipes away the fresh tears that have fallen. "you don't even know these monsters, but you grieve for them anyway. i could never. that heart of yours. . . it's something else." You lean forward and press your face into his chest. You curl into him. He rubs your back. "thank you," he says, "for crying enough for both of us." <<else>> "i know," he says. His eyelights flicker away from you. "i admire that about you." You wipe your eyes and loudly sniffle. He rubs your back. "thank you," he says, "for shedding tears for us monsters." <</if>> [[The next week he tells you what happened in the underground.]]

Chara. Frisk. The resets. //The constant genocide.// . . . You cry so hard your eyes swell shut for the rest of the day and you get a migraine the following day. Sans jokes that it ought to be called an "our-gaine" since the two of you live together. That gets a small $laughreaction from you. Until you remember the literal hell he was put through and how he likely uses humor as a way to cope. . . . <<if $sansromance eq 6>> You become clingy for the next week. Sans obliges. He always accepts your touch and cuddles. And smooches, of course. You pepper his face in kisses as often as you can that week. Not that he'll complain. He loves your affection. There are days when he won't let you leave the bed. <</if>> But as with everything. . . you carry on. You mourn the tragedy that has happened, and you do your best to keep one foot in front of the other. With Sans. [[A whole year has gone by, according to your phone.]]

<<if $sansromance eq 6>> You wake up with Sans curled into you. That is not strange. What is strange is the box floating in mid-air in front of you. $Name I LV 1 I 00:00 Snowdin - Papyrus & San's Home CONTINUE I RESET* . . . What? You gently wake up Sans. The skeleton monster's eyelights spark to life at your stirrings. "whassup babe?" he mumbles, half-asleep. You point to the box in the air. You ask if he can see it. "see what?" You explain the box to him. He's instantly awake. He sits up. "what? you can reset?" There is a button. It has a little asterick next to it. "what happens when you hover over it?" he asks. You wave your hand over it. *RESETING WILL TRANSFER OWNERSHIP. Previous owners: Frisk (left) Chara (left) . . . Does this mean what you think it means? "you can reset?" he asks, sounding dazed. You can. . . save them? "reset it," he whispers, his voice broken. "please. for me." You lean down and press your forehead against him. You kiss his smile. [[You press RESET*]] <<else>> You wake up with Sans beside you. He stole all the blankets again. That is not strange. What is strange is the box floating in mid-air in front of you. $Name I LV 1 I 00:00 Snowdin - Papyrus & San's Home CONTINUE I RESET* . . . What? You gently wake up Sans. The skeleton monster's eyelights spark to life at your stirrings. "huh?" he mubles, half-asleep. You point to the box in the air. You ask if he can see it. "see what?" You explain the box to him. He's instantly awake. He sits up. "what? you can reset?" There is a button. It has a little asterick next to it. "what happens when you hover over it?" he asks. You wave your hand over it. *RESETING WILL TRANSFER OWNERSHIP. Previous owners: Frisk (left) Chara (left) . . . Does this mean what you think it means? "you can reset?" he asks, sounding dazed. You can. . . save them? "reset it," he whispers, his voice broken. "please. for me." You. . . you can't say no. [[You press RESET*]]<</if>>

<<if $sansromance eq 6>>You find yourself seated at a kitchen table that you’ve come to know very well. <<masteraudio stop>> <<audio "pap" loop play>> It’s the table you and Sans sit at to eat. <<set $characterstatus = 8>> The kitchen looks the same, although it seems brighter than normal. “WELCOME HUMAN!” loudly greets a tall skeleton. You stare up at him with wide eyes, your eyes glued to the unblemished red scarf draped over his shoulders. Papyrus? “YES. IT IS I. THE MAGNIFICENT PAPYRUS,” he greets you. “I AM HERE TO CONGRATULATE YOU!” Congratulate? “YES. YOU HAVE SUCCEEDED WHERE I FAILED,” he says. “YOU GOT SANS TO PICK UP HIS SOCKS.” It takes you a moment to process this. You have gone out of your way to keep the home clean. Sans was little to no help in this regard. The best he could consistently manage was to <<cycle "$cigs" autoselect>>\ <<option "cigarettes butts in the ash tray">> <<option "smoke outside and kick the butts off the front porch">> <</cycle>>. You did not ask him for much else. Given the state he lived in previously–and what you have come to know about him–you understood he genuinely does not care what state the house is in. He could live in a dumpster without issue. This meant that you did all of the housework. You cleaned, laundered, and cooked for the two of you. It doesn’t bother you. It’s the closest thing to a “job” you have, and without that level of consistency and routine you would not have fared as well in the underground as you did. That being said, you did ask Sans to put his dirty clothes in the designated basket. And that. Was. A. //Struggle.// [[It started with you verbally asking him to put his jacket in the bin since it had a ketch up stain on it.]] [[It started with you pointing out that his jacket needed to be washed due to the stain on it.]] [[It started with you telling Sans to put his dirty clothes in the basket so you could wash them.]] <<else>> You sit among golden flowers. It takes you several seconds to recognize that you are in the throne room. It looks vastly different, as the flowers haven’t overgrown over everything. <<masteraudio stop>> <<audio "asgore" loop play>> There is a large monster beside you. Where you are seated at a tiny table, he towers over you as he stands. He is a goat like monster, similar to Toriel. He has a large golden beard and wears a purple cape over his armor. A crown sits atop his head. Asgore. Sans told you about him. You look around, <<cycle "$lookaround" autoselect>>\ <<option "anxious">> <<option "uncomfortable">> <<option "confused">> <<option "fearful">> <<option "distrustful">> <<option "curious">> <</cycle>> to be found here. You hit the RESET button, so why are you here? Did it. . . not work? King Asgore smiles benevolently at you. “Howdy, $Name. Would you like a cup of tea?” You slowly nod your head, uncertain about this situation. Asgore reaches for the table, a tea cup and tea pot magically appear as he does so. He pours you a cup of tea and then takes a seat across from you. <<cycle "$drinkthetea" autoselect>>\ <<option "You take a sip of the tea.">> <<option "You do not reach for the tea.">> <<option "confused">> <<option "fearful">> <<option "distrustful">> <<option "curious">> <</cycle>> The smell of the flowers wafts in the air. “Do you have regrets?” he asks you. [[Yes. A lot.]] [[A few.]] [[Not really]] [[You’re a little nervous to answer, to be honest.]] <</if>>

You get up. <<masteraudio stop>> <<audio "finale" loop play>> Surprisingly, you're a-okay. Not even hurt. You wave a hand in front of you, amazed at how unscathed you are from this fall. $Name I LV 1 I 00:02 Ruins - Start CONTINUE I RESET* Wow. You start to walk through the ruins, impressed at how well lit they are now. The sunlight from the opening above you is astonishingly bright. [["Howdy!"]]

A yellow-flowered monster pops up from the ground in front of you. The monster smiles at you. "Howdy! I'm FLOWEY. FLOWEY the FLOWER!" Hello. "Hmm. You're new to the UNDERGROUND, aren't ya? Golly, you must be so confused. Someone ought to teach you how things work around here! I guess little old me will have to do." Oh that's nice. "Ready?" Flowey asks you. You $happyreaction and nod. "Here we go!" There is a rush of something tingly that emerges from your chest. Warmth blooms out of you, pleasant and comfortable. A $soulcolor heart floats in front of your chest. "See that heart? That is your ''SOUL,'' the very culmination of your being!" Flowey cheerfully explains to you. Oh! Your ''SOUL'' flutters around at your will. You can move it slightly away from your body. How wonderful! You can't wait to show Sans when you see him again. "Your ''SOUL'' starts off weak, but can grow strong if you gain a lot of ''LV''. What's ''LV'' stand for? Why, ''LOVE'', of course!" You frown. Wait. ''LV'' for ''LOVE''? Isn't that the terrible thing that can start a genocide? Why would Flowey bring it up here? "You want some ''LOVE'', don't you?" Wait, what-- "Down here, ''LOVE'' is shared through little white 'friendliness pellets'." That does not sound right at all. You tell Flowey you aren't interested in obtaining any ''LOVE''. Flowey frowns at you. "Not as new to this as you let on, are you?" The flower monster's face morphes. "That's fine. You'll still die. In this world. It's ''KILL OR BE KILLED''." [[A fireball hits the flower monster, shooing him away.]]

"What a terrible creature, tormenting such a poor innocent ''SOUL,''" sighs another monster. A-- <span class="drunk" data-text="Only this time when you enter the house, you are greeted by a tall goat monster with a kind smile on her face. She wears a long dark purple robe with white sleeves. There's a heart-shaped crest on the chest that has symbols on it.">Only this time when you enter the house, you are greeted by a tall goat monster with a kind smile on her face. She wears a long dark purple robe with white sleeves. There's a heart-shaped crest on the chest that has symbols on it. She asks you to come inside. Her voice is kind and sweet. Her red eyes feel as gentle and warm as a fireplace. --Toriel. Sans told you about her. "--I am TORIEL, the caretaker of the RUINS," she says. She smiles at you. She's alive. Ash. It's partially on the table, partially in the chair, and the rest is on the floor. As if someone was sitting there. As if someone had died there. You did it. You really-- You really did it. Your eyes burn as tears slip out of you. "Oh my dear, don't cry," she says, hurrying closer to you. "It is all right now." Yes. It is. "Come with me," she says. "Are you hungry?" "Are you hungry?" she asks you. When you step inside, she quietly shuts the door behind you.">"Are you hungry?" she asks you. When you step inside, she quietly shuts the door behind you. You hiccup a laugh, crying harder now. You nod as you wipe at your eyes. "You poor thing," she says. "Here, take my hand." She offers you her hand. [[You take her hand.]]

She guides you through a cavern that is not at all dark. It is well lit, beautiful, and teeming with other monsters. Each monster you see makes your tears come faster. No ashes. Some give you concerned looks. Others ignore you. You don't care. They're alive. //They're alive.// Toriel takes you to her home. "Come in," she says. Her voice is kind and sweet. Her red eyes feel as gentle and warm as a fireplace. You thank her as you step inside. It's pleasantly warm and the house is filled with soft light. At once, you feel at ease, your volatile emotions starting to settle down. "Please take a seat," she says. "I can whip you up something nice in just a little bit." You thank her. Your voice cracks. "I'm happy to," she says brightly. She ushers you into the recliner by the fireplace. "Are you cold?" Not r-- She already has a blanket draped across your lap. "Be at ease, dear $Name," she says. "I'll be back shortly." You sink into the chair, your entire body relaxing. . . . Wait. Did you tell her your name. . . ? You must have. Sans said he was the only one who ever remembered the resets, and you've only ever met her in your dreams. Your entire body relaxes as you listen to the fire crackle. [[It doesn't take long for Toriel to come back to you.]]

"I've finished baking a pie. Would you like some?" You nod, excited to try her food. You graciously thank her, your voice cracking again. She laughs lightly. "Don't thank me yet, you haven't even tried it." She offers you her hand. You take it as you stand back up. Her fur feels like felt: delicate and fluffy. The monster gives your hand a careful squeeze and starts to guide you through the living room to your seat at the table. Once seated, she brings out a large pie and places it on the table. It's a golden-brown pie with a burnished bronze-colored filling. Around the edges are dollops of whip cream with cinnamon sprinkled over top. It smells heavenly. Your stomach growls hungrily. You're starved. She carefully cuts you a slice and places it on the plate in front of you. "Eat up," she says. "You need to keep your strength, my dear." You pick up your fork and neatly cut out the first piece. You take your first bite, immediately tasting the butterscotch and cinnamon. The pie crust is flaky and melts like butter in your mouth. It's. . . Warm. Sweet. Delicious. And there is no bitterness. It is everything you could want in a pie. You lick your plate clean. "If you would like, dear human," says Toriel, "you may stay here. The UNDERGROUND can be a dangerous place for humans." You $happyreaction at that. As much as you'd like to, you need to meet with someone else first. "Oh?" Yes. Someone very, very dear to you. Another monster. "I see," she says. "I can't keep you here, you are no child. . . will you. . . be back?" You promise you will. She smiles at you. "Good." [[She walks you to the exit of the ruins.]]

<<if $sansromance eq 6>>You are so used to the cold of Snowdin that it doesn't phase you when you step out. You quickly walk through the snow, fully intending to reach Snowdin within the next five minutes. You cross the first bridge right when you feel a familiar gaze on you. You stop. "human. don't you know how to greet a new pal? turn around and shake my hand." That voice. You know it as well as your own. You turn around. It's Sans. Except the lights in his eyesockets are pure white. Not a trace of blue or red to be found. And he's wearing pink fuzzy slippers instead of sneakers, You throw your arms around Sans and pull him into a hug, immediately crying all over again. "heh. . . what's wrong, $name? got dust in your eyes?" You hiccup that was an awful pun. "yeah," he agrees, continuing to pat your back. You squeeze him tightly and kiss the top of his head. "there, there, baby," he says. "no need to cry. i'm right here." You sniffle. "you're right here," he continues. "everyone's here. you're not alone." He buries his face into your neck. "we're not alone," he whispers. "everything is okay now." Eventually your tears die down. They always do when he comforts you. He pulls away and wipes at your tears with his fluffy mittens. "better?" he asks. You ask him if Papyrus is alive. "yep." Everyone? "everyone." You let out a slow breath. You straighten up and slip your hand into his. You're better now. "good. are you ready?" For what? "everything," he says. As long as he's with you. He tightens his grip around your hand, his eyelights brightening. "as long as you'll have me." <<set _img1 = "dustimage/Dusty1.png">>\ <<set _img2 = "dustimage/Dusty21.png">>\ <img @src="_img1" tabindex="0" alt="Dusty1" @style="_picPos + 'max-width: 700px; max-height: 500px; position: relative;'" onmouseover="this.src = SugarCube.State.temporary.img2" onfocusin="this.src = SugarCube.State.temporary.img2" onmouseleave="this.src = SugarCube.State.temporary.img1" onfocusout="this.src = SugarCube.State.temporary.img1"> //''HAPPY ENDING - TRUE PACIFIST - SANS ROMANCED''// [[Author's Note.]] <<else>>You are so used to the cold of Snowdin that it doesn't phase you when you step out. You quickly walk through the snow, fully intending to reach Snowdin within the next five minutes. You cross the first bridge right when you feel a familiar gaze on you. You stop. "human. don't you know how to greet a new pal? turn around and shake my hand." That voice. You know it as well as your own. You turn around. It's Sans. Except the lights in his eyesockets are pure white. Not a trace of blue or red to be found. And he's wearing pink fuzzy slippers instead of sneakers, Your eyes start to burn. You wobbly $happyreaction. "heh. . . what's wrong, $name? got dust in your eyes?" You choke. That was an awful pun. "yeah," he agrees. He holds out his hand. "let's start over. hi. i'm sans. sans the skeleton." You $happyreaction. You take his hand. You introduce yourself. His grin stretches. "nice to meet you, $name. i get the feeling we're gonna be pals." You feel the same. "heh." // ''HAPPY ENDING - TRUE PACIFIST - SANS FRIENDSHIP''// [[Author's Note]]<</if>>

You sit at the table with the dogs. There are four dog monsters seated at this table. One is massive in stature with a fluffy white face and wears shiny black armor. The other is closer to your height with black and white fur and a dog treat in his mouth. The last two sit on either side of you and are dressed in black clothes. Their white fur is pristine and the moment you arrive, they both pat your back. "Hey!" says the dog with a treat in his mouth. <<set $dream = "dog">> "Great, you're here so we can get started," says the dog on your right. She has a feminine voice. "Do you know how to play?" asks the dog on your left. "Play, play, play!" yips the largest dog. You glance down at the cards. You had //thought// they were playing poker at first but you realize these cards look nothing like the cards you know. You aren't sure what they're playing. You admit to them you don't know how to play. "That's okay! We can show you." "Yeah," says another. The largest dog at the table hands you several cards. Their face twists into a funny expression that makes you $happyreaction. "Let's play together every night." "Yeah, yeah. Come sit with us more often now, okay?" "We want to play with you more." "Don't be a stranger. You can give us pets too." "Pets are good." "Pets are very good." You ask them if they're sure they want you to come around again. The dogs at the table start wagging their tails. It thumps against the sides of the chairs. You notice that each of them has a flower tucked behind their ears. It's a $soulcolor flower. The flowers that you left them. "Yeah," says one. "You're good too." "A good puppy," says another. "Our favorite puppy." "Good puppies deserve love, don't they $Name?" You can't argue against that. "Then let us love you, $Name." [[Your eyes burn when you open them.]]

Your dreams are tinged with bright colors and a soft glow. You know at once you are dreaming, but there is something special about these dreams. Something. . . magical. <<masteraudio stop>> <<audio "snowdinmusicbox" loop play>> <<if $dream eq "dogs">> You find yourself back at Grillby's. The patrons greet you with enthusiasm the moment you step inside. This time, you decide to sit by the purple bunny who beckons you to the bar. She smiles at you. "Holding up okay?" she asks you, her voice smooth like glass and warm like the sun. You nod. "It's okay if you're not," she says. "Bad days happen to everyone." You hesitate. Her lavendar gaze softens. She reaches over to gently rub the back of your head. "You've already done a lot," she says. . . . You don't think you have. You don't think you've done enough. "Enough," she says. "It's a funny word, isn't it? What //is// enough? Can anyone ever really be satisfied?" The bunny monster appears whistful. "Life down here was never enough. But when even that's taken--ha, ha--it seems like that //would// be enough." She places a $soulcolor flower on the counter. "It's my favorite color," she says. . . . She bends forward and gives your cheek a nuzzle. "And that's enough for me." <<elseif $dream eq "bunny">> You're already seated at the poker table with the dog monsters in Grillby's. There are four dog monsters seated at this table. One is massive in stature with a fluffy white face and wears shiny black armor. The other is closer to your height with black and white fur and a dog treat in his mouth. The last two sit on either side of you and are dressed in black clothes. Their white fur is pristine and the moment you arrive, they both pat your back. "Welcome home!" says the dog with a treat in his mouth. "Great, you're here so we can get started," says the dog on your right. She has a feminine voice. "Do you know how to play?" asks the dog on your left. "Play, play, play!" yips the largest dog. You glance down at the cards. You had //thought// they were playing poker at first but you realize these cards look nothing like the cards you know. You aren't sure what they're playing. You admit to them you don't know how to play. "That's okay! We can show you." "Yeah," says another. The largest dog at the table hands you several cards. Their face twists into a funny expression that makes you $happyreaction. "Let's play together every night." "Yeah, yeah. Come sit with us more often now, okay?" "We want to play with you more." "Don't be a stranger. You can give us pets too." "Pets are good." "Pets are very good." You ask them if they're sure they want you to come around again. The dogs at the table start wagging their tails. It thumps against the sides of the chairs. You notice that each of them has a flower tucked behind their ears. It's a $soulcolor flower. The flowers that you left them. "Yeah," says one. "You're good too." "A good puppy," says another. "Our favorite puppy." "Good puppies deserve love, don't they $Name?" You can't argue against that. "Then let us love you, $Name." <</if>> <<if $internet eq 0>> [[The internet.]] <<elseif $pillowfort eq 0>> [[The pillow fort.]] <</if>>

You sink into a beanbag monstrosity. You have sunk so far down into it, getting out will prove to be a hassle. <<masteraudio stop>> <<audio "lab" loop play>> Despite this, you feel at ease and comfortable in this spot. “Oh, er, are you okay there?” a nervous voice asks you. A short monster fidgets anxiously in front of you. She is hunched over, her yellow-clawed hands squeeze a paper flower tightly. Her head is reptilian-shaped and she has spikes out the back of her head. She wears large glasses that have a crack down one lens. She has difficulty meeting your eyes. <<cycle "$alphyasks" autoselect>>\ <<option "Yes.">> <<option ". . .">> <<option "You shrug.">> <<option "You give her a smile.">> <</cycle>> "You, er, you, //er//, like it here?" she asks you. Do you? [[Yeah. This place has grown on you.]] [[Yes. There's something special about this place.]] [[No. You wish it was happier.]] [[No. But you don't plan to leave.]]

She hesitantly smiles at you. "I, uh, can understand." Can she? "Yeah, I, uh. . . I actually took over this place," she says, fidgeting with the paper flower again. You glance around. You're in a wide room with baby-blue tiled flooring and mint-green walls. There are large monitors on the walls and the air feels unnaturally sterile. You've never been here before. You don't know where you are. "It was, er, all white when I came in," she said. "White //everywhere,// I mean //everywhere.// N-No personality! No personal touch. The guy before me was as clinical and detached as Megazoid from //Mew Mew Kissy Cutie// after Mew Mew defeats Villainess who then mind-controls Megazoid's wife and--" The monster stops herself from rambling, seemingly deeply embarrassed to have done so. "--er--" She clears her throat. "--y-you know. Blank. I--I tried to do the same. Keep it the same. I thought, y-you know that's what I was supposed to do. I was s-supposed to be like that, like him. . . " She shrugs and gestures to the room. "I couldn't. I changed things. Small at first, then big stuff like painting the walls. . . I thought I'd like it b-better with color." She looks down at the paper flower. "It d-doesn't matter though," she says. "N-None of it does. What color your walls are, a-and how t-tidy you keep it." She spins the flower in her hands. "I hated it in there," her voice is barely above a whisper. "But now I c-can't bring myself to leave. White walls, green walls. . . doesn't matter. It's my home." You feel something slimy curl around your legs. You look down and see a white tendril has wrapped itself around you. You feel a shadow over you, and looking up you see another monster. Many monsters now surround you. They morph their shape with each movement, a white-sheen covers them. They each clutch a $soulcolor flower. "It's our home," she says. "Until the very end." They start to press in on you, an amalgamation of hugs. "Thanks for staying." When you wake from this dream, you find it hard to forget their warm embrace. [[The night terror.]]

She hesitantly smiles at you. "I, uh, can understand." Can she? "Yeah, I, uh. . . I actually took over this place," she says, fidgeting with the paper flower again. You glance around. You're in a wide room with baby-blue tiled flooring and mint-green walls. There are large monitors on the walls and the air feels unnaturally sterile. You've never been here before. You don't know where you are. "It was, er, all white when I came in," she said. "White //everywhere,// I mean //everywhere.// N-No personality! No personal touch. The guy before me was as clinical and detached as Megazoid from //Mew Mew Kissy Cutie// after Mew Mew defeats Villainess who then mind-controls Megazoid's wife and--" The monster stops herself from rambling, seemingly deeply embarrassed to have done so. "--er--" She clears her throat. "--y-you know. Blank. I--I tried to do the same. Keep it the same. I thought, y-you know that's what I was supposed to do. I was s-supposed to be like that, like him. . . " She shrugs and gestures to the room. "I couldn't. I changed things. Small at first, then big stuff like painting the walls. . . I thought I'd like it b-better with color." She looks down at the paper flower and spins the flower in her hands. "I c-can't bring myself to leave. Is it that special or. . . is it just because it's home?" You feel something slimy curl around your legs. You look down and see a white tendril has wrapped itself around you. You feel a shadow over you, and looking up you see another monster. Many monsters now surround you. They morph their shape with each movement, a white-sheen covers them. They each clutch a $soulcolor flower. "It's our home," she says. "Until the very end." They start to press in on you, an amalgamation of hugs. "Thanks for staying." When you wake from this dream, you find it hard to forget their warm embrace. [[The night terror.]]

She hesitantly smiles at you. "Me too. Y-You should have s-seen this place earlier." Was it. . . even more depressing? "N-Not the whole of the underground," she says. "But, uh, //this// place--? Yeah. B-Before I took it over. . ." You glance around. You're in a wide room with baby-blue tiled flooring and mint-green walls. There are large monitors on the walls and the air feels unnaturally sterile. You've never been here before. You don't know where you are. "It was, er, all white when I came in," she said. "White //everywhere,// I mean //everywhere.// N-No personality! No personal touch. The guy before me was as clinical and detached as Megazoid from //Mew Mew Kissy Cutie// after Mew Mew defeats Villainess who then mind-controls Megazoid's wife and--" The monster stops herself from rambling, seemingly deeply embarrassed to have done so. "--er--" She clears her throat. "--y-you know. Blank. I--I tried to do the same. Keep it the same. I thought, y-you know that's what I was supposed to do. I was s-supposed to be like that, like him. . . " She shrugs and gestures to the room. "I couldn't. I changed things. Small at first, then big stuff like painting the walls. . . I thought I'd like it b-better with color." She looks down at the paper flower. "It d-doesn't matter though," she says. "N-None of it does. What color your walls are, a-and how t-tidy you keep it." She spins the flower in her hands. "I hated it in there," her voice is barely above a whisper. "But now I c-can't bring myself to leave. White walls, green walls. . . neither color could have stopped what what was coming. . . wh-what we had to face for our happiness." You feel something slimy curl around your legs. You look down and see a white tendril has wrapped itself around you. You feel a shadow over you, and looking up you see another monster. Many monsters now surround you. They morph their shape with each movement, a white-sheen covers them. They each clutch a $soulcolor flower. "All we c-can do is endure until it //is// happier." They start to press in on you, an amalgamation of hugs. "Thanks for staying." When you wake from this dream, you find it hard to forget their warm embrace. [[The night terror.]]

She hesitantly smiles at you. "Y-You should have s-seen this place earlier." Was it. . . even more depressing? "N-Not the whole of the underground," she says. "But, uh, //this// place--? Yeah. B-Before I took it over. . ." You glance around. You're in a wide room with baby-blue tiled flooring and mint-green walls. There are large monitors on the walls and the air feels unnaturally sterile. You've never been here before. You don't know where you are. "It was, er, all white when I came in," she said. "White //everywhere,// I mean //everywhere.// N-No personality! No personal touch. The guy before me was as clinical and detached as Megazoid from //Mew Mew Kissy Cutie// after Mew Mew defeats Villainess who then mind-controls Megazoid's wife and--" The monster stops herself from rambling, seemingly deeply embarrassed to have done so. "--er--" She clears her throat. "--y-you know. Blank. I--I tried to do the same. Keep it the same. I thought, y-you know that's what I was supposed to do. I was s-supposed to be like that, like him. . . " She shrugs and gestures to the room. "I couldn't. I changed things. Small at first, then big stuff like painting the walls. . . I thought I'd like it b-better with color." She looks down at the paper flower. "It d-doesn't matter though," she says. "N-None of it does. What color your walls are, a-and how t-tidy you keep it." She spins the flower in her hands. "I hated it in there," her voice is barely above a whisper. "But now I c-can't bring myself to leave. White walls, green walls. . . neither color could have stopped what what was coming. . . wh-what we had to face for our happiness." You feel something slimy curl around your legs. You look down and see a white tendril has wrapped itself around you. You feel a shadow over you, and looking up you see another monster. Many monsters now surround you. They morph their shape with each movement, a white-sheen covers them. They each clutch a $soulcolor flower. "All we c-can do is endure until it //is// happier." They start to press in on you, an amalgamation of hugs. "Thanks for staying." When you wake from this dream, you find it hard to forget their warm embrace. <<if $physical eq 1>> [[The night terror.]]<<else>> [[Months go by.]] <</if>>

It's his way of apologizing, you know. Although the best he can manage are microwaved eggs and toast. That's okay. It's the thought that counts. You understand. <<if (($confession eq "You tell Sans you love him.")) or $confession eq ("You gently kiss the top of his head.")>> [[A few days go by without incident.]] <<else>> [[Another month goes by.]] <</if>>

"i can't reciprocate." What? You look up from the movie you had been watching. You hit pause on it and sit up straighter on the couch. Sans sits on the couch's arm, his red-blue gaze focused on you. "your feelings," he says. "romantically. i can't reciprocate." [[That's okay. You're happy to remain as friends.]] [[That's okay. You can be patient.]] [[Can't or won't?]] [[Can you ask why?]]

"great," he says. "let's do that." He moves to sit beside you on the couch. "what're we watchin' today?" he asks. You move to place the tablet between the two of you on the ottoman. You tell him you have no idea, you simply picked number one trending movie. "off what list?" he asks. You don't know. It was randomally selected. "so this could either be the greatest movie we've ever witnessed, or a a complete dumpster fire," he concludes. Correct. "good thing i'm fluent in trash talk." You snicker. [[Another month goes by.]]

"no," he says. "don't." <<set $sansromance +=1>> Why not? The corners of his mouth go flat. That is the closest to a frown he can make. "not interested," he says. Indefinitely? "indefinitely," he says. He tilts his head. "if you want to leave you can. i won't keep you here." You have no intentions of leaving. Even if he doesn't care about you the same way, he's still your friend. //You// still care about him. He stares at you for a long minute. "i can't care about you," he says. //Can't?// "can't," he repeats. "so don't wait. drop it now." [[. . . Okay.]] [[Does it bother him that much?]] [[You stare silently at him.]] [[You can't.]]

"//can't//," he emphasizes. He moves to sit beside you on the couch. "what're we watchin' today?" he asks. When it's clear he has no intentions of elaborating, you reluctantly move to place the tablet between the two of you on the ottoman. You tell him you have no idea, you simply picked number one trending movie. "off what list?" he asks. You don't know. It was randomally selected. "so this could either be the greatest movie we've ever witnessed, or a a complete dumpster fire," he concludes. Correct. "good thing i'm fluent in trash talk." [[Another month goes by.]]

"no," he says. . . . He moves to sit beside you on the couch. "what're we watchin' today?" he asks. When it's clear he has no intentions of elaborating, you reluctantly move to place the tablet between the two of you on the ottoman. You tell him you have no idea, you simply picked number one trending movie. "off what list?" he asks. You don't know. It was randomally selected. "so this could either be the greatest movie we've ever witnessed, or a a complete dumpster fire," he concludes. Correct. "good thing i'm fluent in trash talk." [[Another month goes by.]]

"great," he says. He moves to sit beside you on the couch. "what're we watchin' today?" he asks. You move to place the tablet between the two of you on the ottoman. You tell him you have no idea, you simply picked number one trending movie. "off what list?" he asks. You don't know. It was randomally selected. "so this could either be the greatest movie we've ever witnessed, or a a complete dumpster fire," he concludes. Correct. "good thing i'm fluent in trash talk." You snicker. [[Another month goes by.]]

"i'll consider this matter resolved then," he says. He moves to sit beside you on the couch. "what're we watchin' today?" he asks. You move to place the tablet between the two of you on the ottoman. You tell him you have no idea, you simply picked number one trending movie. "off what list?" he asks. You don't know. It was randomally selected. "so this could either be the greatest movie we've ever witnessed, or a a complete dumpster fire," he concludes. Correct. "good thing i'm fluent in trash talk." You snicker. [[Another month goes by.]]

"you can't," he repeats. <<set $sansromance +=1>> You shrug. You can't control how you feel. "hm." Sans steeples his fingers together. He rests his elbows on his legs and leans forward to stare at you. Silence stretches on for so long you start to feel uncomfortable. [[You look away.]] [[You reaffirm that you won't change.]] <<if $confession eq "You tell Sans you love him.">> [[You tell Sans you don't mind that he doesn't have the same parts as a human.]] <</if>>

"yes," he says. . . . Okay. "great," he says. He moves to sit beside you on the couch. "what're we watchin' today?" he asks. You move to place the tablet between the two of you on the ottoman. You tell him you have no idea, you simply picked number one trending movie. "off what list?" he asks. You don't know. It was randomally selected. "so this could either be the greatest movie we've ever witnessed, or a a complete dumpster fire," he concludes. Correct. "good thing i'm fluent in trash talk." You snicker. [[Another month goes by.]]

"what?" <<set $sansromance +=1>> What? <<set $characterstatus = 7>> San's eyelights shrink briefly--the equivilant of him widening his eyes. "you--what?" You frown. Is that not what he was implying by //can't//? "no! i can--" Sans starts to laugh. "heheheheh. you liked me without knowing if i physically could do anything about it? heheheh." You point out he's a skeleton. You haven't seen anything other than bones. "why would i show you anything else?" he reasonably points out, continuing to chortle. Well-- Your point remains. "that's just it, $name," he says. "i can't care for you the same way you care about me." You give it some thought. You decide that's okay. "great so we can dr--" You love him. And you love yourself. So. You'll love both yourself and Sans enough for the the two of you! Sans stares at you for a long time, his eyelights shrinking then widening; a direct display of his mind processing what you are saying. "i. . . can't argue with that," he says after a long moment. Great! He chuckles. "are you sure, $name?" Yep! He shrugs. "all right. i'll follow your lead." Really? "yeah." In that case. . . You pat the spot beside you on the couch. He moves to sit beside you. You give him a chaste kiss on the side of his head. He seems amused by you and takes your hand. "what're we watchin' today?" he asks, his thumb absently rubbing against the back of your hand. You move to place the tablet between the two of you on the ottoman. You happily tell him you have no idea, you simply picked number one trending movie. "off what list?" he asks. You don't know. It was randomally selected. "so this could either be the greatest movie we've ever witnessed, or a a complete dumpster fire," he concludes. Correct. "good thing i'm fluent in trash talk." You beam. Sans tilts his head. "and we can always do other stuff if the movie sucks too much." Other stuff? "merely a suggestion." //Oh!// [[Another month goes by.]]

"i'll consider this matter resolved then," he says. "great," he says. He moves to sit beside you on the couch. "what're we watchin' today?" he asks. You move to place the tablet between the two of you on the ottoman. You tell him you have no idea, you simply picked number one trending movie. "off what list?" he asks. You don't know. It was randomally selected. "so this could either be the greatest movie we've ever witnessed, or a a complete dumpster fire," he concludes. Correct. "good thing i'm fluent in trash talk." You snicker. [[Another month goes by.]]

He snorts. "then enjoy it one-sidedly," he says. "i've made my case. what you do is what you do." Fine. "great," he says. He moves to sit beside you on the couch. "what're we watchin' today?" he asks. You move to place the tablet between the two of you on the ottoman. You tell him you have no idea, you simply picked number one trending movie. "off what list?" he asks. You don't know. It was randomally selected. "so this could either be the greatest movie we've ever witnessed, or a a complete dumpster fire," he concludes. Correct. "good thing i'm fluent in trash talk." You snicker. [[Another month goes by.]]

Your first few days in the underground you spend setting up your "home" at the inn in the village. You set out your things, and then you get your notebook and pen, ready to make a map. <<set $characterstatus = 5>> You start to explore the underground. With your calmer mind--and lack of threat to your life--you're able to notice things in greater detail. You take note of the buildings you run across and you examine where you can find food and water. Power runs throughout the entire underground. You aren't sure how, but it looks like all of the main facilities can continue to run without issue. When you see the monster again, it's not for long. You catch him staring at you from a distance in that snow town. He holds a cigarette between two white-gloved fingers. He notices that you saw him. He flickers the cigarette and then vanishes without a trace. This cycle crepeats itself for a few more days. As you work on familiarzing yourself with the underground, he watches you. If he catches on that you notice him, he makes it a point to disappear in front of your eyes. It's hard to tell if it's a taunt, or something else. It's not as if he's given you a chance to ask. All you can do is carry on, so you do. You find where the food is made: large warehouse-like buildings in the city that rapidly grow a variety of plants. The plants are automatically harvested through huge machines and turned into a variety of food. A lot of it you recognize, but there are many things you don't. Something else to note is that you haven't needed to use the bathroom once since you started eating the food made by monsters. You aren't sure why. You hope that's normal. Every day you find something new in the underground. There are many nooks and crannies that the monsters utilized. They are. . . amazing. Were. At the end of your first week, he comes to you. He appears in the inn right as you walk down the stairs. He looks up at you. Although he has a smile on his face, you don't think he's happy. Is it permanent? The monster asks, "why did you come back?" He has a softer, and deeper voice than you expected. [[You don't know.]] [[This felt right to you.]] [[Because of him.]]

The monster does not respond. He stays silent as he stares at you. You walk closer to him and hold out your hand. You introduce yourself. He looks at your hand. He looks up at you. <<if $sansromance eq 1>> [[He slips his hand into yours.]] <<else>> [[He takes your hand.]] <</if>>

He silently stares at you. You add that you don’t want him to be alone. He makes an odd choking noise, like a rasping laugh that’s strangled and rusty. “do you even realize the danger you’re in?” You admit the fall was risky– “the danger you’re in //right now.//” You look around. You don’t see anything. He does that noise again. That. . . laugh? Chuckle? Has it really been so long for him that it sounds so broken? Your chest tightens. “right,” he rasps. “you’re already a crybaby. didn’t even cross your mind, did it?” Did what? “the reason i’m alone here–the reason i’m alive–//is ‘cause i killed everyone.//” Then why are you still alive? “‘cause you’re a crybaby,” he says, the lights moving off to the side. “get going. you know the way out.” You shake your head. “. . . why?” You don’t want to leave him alone. He looks up, laughing again. “best joke i’ve heard in a long time. a crybaby human gets clingy to a monster.” Does he want to be alone? The monster does not respond. He has fallen silent as he stares at you again. You walk closer to him and hold out your hand. You introduce yourself. He looks at your hand. He looks up at you. <<if $sansromance eq 1>> [[He slips his hand into yours.]] <<else>> [[He takes your hand.]] <</if>>

<<set $physical = 0>>“sans,” he says, “sans the skeleton.” <<set $sansromance = 0>> You tell him you’re happy to meet him. “. . . “ he stares at you again. He looks down at your hands. He immediately lets you go. ". . . done exploring?" he asks. You shake your head. You keep finding new things, you're certain there's more to see. "there isn't," he says. Oh-- "but have at it," he says, looking away. Would he. . . mind showing you? A raspy noise comes out of the skeleton. "are you asking for a //tour?//" He spreads his arms. "welcome to the underground. everyone's dead." <<cycle "$youwince" autoselect>>\ <<option "You wince.">> <<option "You apologize.">> <<option "You cringe.">> <<option "You nervously bite your lip.">> <<option "You demurely look away.">> <</cycle>> "enjoy your stay," he says as he disappears. . . . You don't see him again for the rest of the day. [[That night you dream of the blue flowers.]]

"Wahaha! Aren't you sweet?" The monster chortles, deeply amused. "Good luck! He always was hard to read." He looks out at the flowers. "Tell me," he says, "do you believe in fate?" [[Yes, you believe in fate.]] [[No, you don't believe in fate.]]

"Wahaha! Don't we all?" The monster chortles, deeply amused. "He always was hard to read." He looks out at the flowers. "Tell me," he says, "do you believe in fate?" [[Yes, you believe in fate.]] [[No, you don't believe in fate.]]

"It's a funny thing," he says. "Fate. We had our own prophecy." A prophecy? "You've seen that emblem around--the one with the triangles?" You nod. "It's got a special meaning, although the original meaning has been lost to time. All we know is that the triangle symoglizes us monsters below, and the winged circle above symbolizes somethin' else," he says. "Some would say that it was meant to represent an 'angel' who will descend from the surface and bring us freedom. Others say that freedom has a different meaning. . . " The turtle monster pats your knee. "Which are you?" <<if $physical eq 1>> [[You open your eyes.]]<<else>>[[You blink your eyes open.]]<</if>>

You are restless. <<if $umwhat eq ". . . Sans?">> Why was Sans there? It had to have been him, right? Why was he watching you sleep? <<cycle "$sanswatchesyou" autoselect>>\ <<option "You feel confused.">> <<option "You feel uneasy.">> <<option "You feel offended.">> <<option "You feel uncomfortable.">> <<option "You wish he didn't leave.">> <</cycle>> You'll have to talk to him about it tomorrow. Assuming you can get a hold of him. <<else>> It's hard to go back to sleep. You toss and turn in your sleep, never quite comfortable to fully slip off. <</if>> [[The morning brings in a snow storm and you are stuck indoors all day.]]

You settle yourself back under the covers. <<if $umwhat eq ". . . Sans?">> Although you do wonder why was Sans there? It had to have been him, right? Why was he watching you sleep? <<cycle "$sanswatchesyou" autoselect>>\ <<option "You feel confused.">> <<option "You feel uneasy.">> <<option "You feel offended.">> <<option "You feel uncomfortable.">> <<option "You wish he didn't leave.">> <</cycle>> You'll have to talk to him about it tomorrow. Assuming you can get a hold of him. Oh well. That's for tomorrow. <<else>> You slip away to happy dreams.. <</if>> [[The morning brings in a snow storm and you are stuck indoors all day.]]

<<if $sanswatchesyou eq "You wish he didn't leave.">> <<set $sansromance +=1>> <</if>> You are stuck indoors for the morning. The snowstorm outside pelts against the window. While you do have clothes that are better suited for the snow (at least in comparison to your first trip here), you know not to needlessly venture out. The inn is linked up to the shop. You have plenty of food, water, power, and most importantly you are warm and safe here. You spend your morning working on your map of the underground. You sit on the floor of your bedroom as you work, utlizing the extra space and hardwood. You think you have a good map coming along. The underground is fairly linear, and all side paths lead to a quick dead end so it's unlikely you'll get lost. You can't read all the signs. Some of them are written in a language you don't recognize, and others use standard Deltanian. As you work on your map it takes you several minutes to notice that you are no longer alone in your bedroom. Sans is perched on the foot of your bed. You only notice him because you suddenly smell cigarettes. You look up at the skeleton. "hard at work, huh," he says. Yes, you suppose so. Sans stares down at the map you are working on. "you need a map of this place?" he asks. Hey. You love your map. You'd be lost without it. "heh," he lets out something raspy and wheezy. . . . Was that. . . a //laugh?// Has it been so long since he last laughed that his voice is unused to making that noise? Over a pun. A map pun. <<cycle "$intentional" autoselect>>\ <<option "Which was not at all intentional.">> <<option "Which was definitely intentional. Could he be fellow pun lover?">> <<option "Kindred soul?">> <</cycle>> You think carefully. Knock knock. Sans sits up straighter. "who's there?" Shore. "shore who?" Shore hope you like bad jokes! "heheheh," he goes, his voice cracking. Knock knock. "who's there?" Nobel. "nobel who?" Nobel, that's why I knocked! His eyelights brighten in color. You think of any pun jokes you might know. <<cycle "$punny" autoselect>>\ <<option "I’m reading a book about anti-gravity. It’s impossible to put down.">> <<option "I’m glad I know sign language. It’s pretty handy.">> <<option "Trying to write with a broken pencil is pointless.">> <<option "I used to be addicted to soap. But I’m clean now.">> <<option "A friend of mine tried to annoy me with bird puns, but toucan play at that game.">> <</cycle>> "heheheh." He shifts around in the bed, his eyelights widening. "i want to be cremated as i go. it's my last shot at a smoking body." Oh no! That's terrible! You <<cycle "$happyreaction" autoselect>>\ <<option "crack a small smile">> <<option "smirk">> <<option "beam">> <<option "smile">> <<option "grin">> <</cycle>> anyway. Knock knock! "who's there?" Candies. "candies who?" Candies jokes get any worse? He snorts and snickers. You can't help but <<cycle "$laughreaction" autoselect>>\ <<option "giggle">> <<option "laugh">> <<option "chortle">> <<option "chuckle">> <<option "snicker">> <<option "cackle">> <</cycle>>. Your morning has drastically improved by swapping bad jokes with Sans. You two go back and forth for many hours. He even gets up to follow you when you go get a glass of water because your throat hurts so much from laughing. [[It's a wonderful day.]]

At the end of it, he asks you, "you're really staying?" That's the plan. "huh. you're pretty weird," he says. You shrug. You can't argue against that. How many others would do what you're doing? "heh. . . then. . . i guess i can invite you over," he says. "be //neighborly//." You'd love to visit! "okay," he says. "i'll meet you outside grillby's tomorrow night. we can have dinner." You agree to that. [[The following night Sans shows you his home.]]

Sans' home is the very last house at the end of the snowy town. It's a two-story house with red-and-green lights strung up outside. When you step inside, you are instantly hit with the smell of meatballs and cigarettes. The first floor has two rooms. One massive room with blue and red wavy colored carpet, and a smaller room off to the side that you can see is the kitchen. There's a staircase in the far back. He has a green couch set up in front of a television, and there's stacks and stacks of books everywhere. There are socks, shoes, and clothes strewn about. Empty bags of chips, ketch up bottles, and other instant-foots are shoved into corners without care. The table in front of the television has an ash tray that is stuffed full of cigarette butts. <<cycle "$sanshouseisamess" autoselect>>\ <<option "Wow.">> <<option "This is. . . sad.">> <<option "Kindred soul.">> <<option "You've seen worse.">> <<option "This does not bode well for his mental state.">> <<option "You have an overwhelming desire to start cleaning.">> <</cycle>> Sans ushers you into the kitchen. There's a small kitchen table that has been cleared off. You take a seat. He places a bowl of sphagetti and meatballs in front of you. It smells amazing. He sits down with his own plate, a mirror image of yours. "go ahead," he says. Although he has a permanent smile on his face, you're getting better at telling when he's actually happy. You take a bite of the dinner. Your face scrunches up reflexively. Its taste is indescribable. "i followed my bro's recipe," he says, his tone filled with cheer. It takes an impressive amount of willpower to swallow. You quickly reach for the water to wash the taste down. "heheh. you don't have to eat the rest," he says. "i've got microwaved ramen on the go." <<cycle "$firstreactiontopappasta" autoselect>>\ <<option "Yes, please.">> <<option ". . . Yes.">> <<option "No. . . no, this is fine.">> <<option "You can eat this.">> <<option ". . .">> <<option "That might be for the best.">> <</cycle>> He snickers. "i don't cook. microwave is the most i'm willing to do." [[Neither do you. You can burn water.]] [[Neither do you. You're far too lazy.]] [[Neither do you, but you'd like to learn.]] [[You actually like to cook. You're not the best, but you can manage.]] [[You actually like to cook. You're pretty good.]]

"heh." Sans takes a drink of his water. "you've been almost everywhere by now," he says. "like any spots?" Hmm. [[You like the part of the cave where you first fell. Particuarly the flowers.]] [[You like the snowy village.]] [[You like the field of echo flowers.]] [[You like the lava area.]] [[You like the waterfall.]] [[You like the city.]] [[You like the castle.]]

Sans's eyelights shrink then widen. "better than me." Sans takes a drink of his water. "you've been almost everywhere by now," he says. "like any spots?" Hmm. [[You like the part of the cave where you first fell. Particuarly the flowers.]] [[You like the snowy village.]] [[You like the field of echo flowers.]] [[You like the lava area.]] [[You like the waterfall.]] [[You like the city.]] [[You like the castle.]]

Sans's eyelights shrink then widen. "really?" Yep. "huh." You offer to cook for him. "eh. . . good food would be wasted on me," he says. Nonsense! He shrugs. "do what you want." You $happyreaction. Sans takes a drink of his water. "you've been almost everywhere by now," he says. "like any spots?" Hmm. [[You like the part of the cave where you first fell. Particuarly the flowers.]] [[You like the snowy village.]] [[You like the field of echo flowers.]] [[You like the lava area.]] [[You like the waterfall.]] [[You like the city.]] [[You like the castle.]]

Sans nods. Does he have a favorite spot? He shrugs. "i used to like grillby's." The same one in this town? "yeah. it was a lit place." Lit? "grillby was a fire monster." Oh! //Lit!// You pause. Did he sell blazed dougnuts? Sans makes that wheezing noise again. It splutters and croaks to life, then is gone in two seconds. Ah, was your joke too hot to candle? He croaks, "no i lava good fire pun." You noticed. His grin stretches wider. <<if $sansromance eq 2>> . . . You have a moment here, you think. . . Do you want to bring up that you caught him watching you sleep? [[You gently bring it up.]] [[. . . Better not. You decide to let it go.]] <<else>> [[Dinner was nice.]]<</if>>

You enjoyed yourself. The following day, Sans joined you again. His company isn't consistent--you get the feeling he is creating a purpseful distance--you enjoy it nonetheless. Sans alternates between bouts of somber silence and cracking jokes. He's also a very good listener. There are no other living ''SOULs'' in the underground. It honestly amazes you how well Sans has coped with the unending silence. What he's gone through--the demise of his entire race with him as a lone surviver stuck in isolation--must have been deeply traumatic. You've read some notes on solitary confinement and you understand it is considered an extreme form of torture. Many go insane within the first week. Sans has been alone for years. You don't know how he managed. You work on creating a proper way to honor the monsters while exploring the underground. [[A month goes by.]]

". . . come with me," he says. You oblige. You follow the last monster as you welcome your new life in the underground. It starts off with a tour. From the ruins, to the castle. He takes you to the ruins first. "these are the ruins. the monsters fell here first. . . " ". . . mm-hmm. yeah, did you ever notice the old buildings?" You shake your head. You only saw the one house. Sans tilts his head again. He's quiet for a long minute. "okay," he says. Sans pushes at one of the cave walls. Blue light wraps around the wall. It fades away from view and you see a new cavern behind it. There are houses inside. You gap. When he pulls his hand away, the wall returns. ". . . houses here," he says. So it seems. From there, you go to the snow town--Snowdin. He points to each building and lists off its name and purpose. "this is grillby's," he says outside of Grillby's. "it was a lit place." Lit? "grillby was a fire monster." Oh! //Lit!// You pause. Did he sell blazed dougnuts? Sans makes that wheezing noise again. It splutters and croaks to life, then is gone in two seconds. Ah, was your joke too hot to candle? He croaks, "no i lava good fire pun." You <<cycle "$happyreaction" autoselect>>\ <<option "giggle">> <<option "crack a small smile">> <<option "smirk">> <<option "beam">> <<option "smile">> <<option "grin">> <</cycle>>. He continues the tour. He tells you about each area in short half sentences. He trails off often, tilting his head to the side as if listening to something. He'll go quiet for a few seconds, or a minute, and then pick up where he left off as if he never stopped. [[It happens several more times. Sans looks up at the air, staring at something you cannot see. "okay." Okay? "okay," he says again, looking back down at you. "hungry?" You could eat. "all the machines are operational," he says. "raw food is processed automatically and dumped at the main store in the city. keeps well." Oh. "it's all magic," he says. He stops talking and cocks his head, his red-blue eyes staring straight through you. He is silent for a full minute. "no toilets." What? "there are no toilets here," he says. "magic food dissolves completely when eaten. same with magic-laced water. no toilets." What about showers? "yeah we have those," he says. "they work." That's good. He ends the tour at Snowdin, then disappears without a trace. Just as well. You wanted to get settled in. You choose the inn to stay in for now. It feels wrong to simply move in to someone else's home. It's warm. Has power. And the bed is soft. You carry your backpack up to the room and settle in. Your first week in the underground passes by without much remark. Sans is a flight risk. You sometimes catch a glimpse of him in the corner of your eyes and then he's gone. It's rare that he'll approach you. But you know he's there. He's always there. Somewhere. You don't want to force him to keep you company if he doesn't want to. You can't imagine what he's been through. You keep yourself busy with your project: creating proper graves for all the monsters. When you're not doing that, you're exploring the underground more thoroughly, or spending time on your hobby. You like to <<cycle "$hobby" autoselect>>\ <<option "dance">> <<option "sing">> <<option "draw">> <<option "paint">> <<option "write">> <<option "crochet">> <<option "whittle">> <<option "play on your tablet">> <</cycle>>. The only consistent time you see Sans is at night. You are very certain he watches you sleep. He vanishes too quickly for you to catch him in the moment, but you //know// you've seen his eyelights. You wonder why. Does he think you're a threat? You hope not. You really don't mean him any harm. [[At the end of the week, Sans invites you to dinner. It's the first time he's shown you his home. It's in a two-story house at the end of Snowdin. Stepping inside it has a blue-carpet flooring, a bright green couch, and a large television. The wallpaper is a burnished red, and there's a large kitchen in the back right. There are steps on the left that go upstairs to, what you assume, the bedrooms. When you enter the house it smells like. . . meatballs? It makes your stomach rumble. Sans offers you a place at the kitchen table. You take a seat and he places a bowl of sphagetti and meatballs in front of you. It smells amazing. He sits down with his own plate. You take a bite of the dinner. Your face scrunches up reflexively. Its taste is indescribable. "i followed my bro's recipe," he says. "his idea and all." It takes an impressive amount of willpower to swallow. You quickly reach for the water to wash the taste down. "he wants to thank you," he continues, unminding of your reaction. You cough on the tingly-water. Wants? "yeah Pap says thanks," he says. You glance around. "you won't be able to see him," Sans explains off-handedly. Oh. An invisible monster isn't the weirdest thing you've heard of. You $happyreaction. You're glad Sans isn't alone. Sans makes that strangled chuckle sound. Oh! You realize this could be your chance to bring up about Sans watching you sleep. [[You gently bring it up. [[. . . Better not. You decide to let it go.

By the time you had the downstairs picked up it was very late and you were tired. Sans walked you back to the inn where you crashed for the night. <<set $sansromance +=1>> Bright and early the next morning you set out to finish making San's home habital. You were making good progress. Until you saw San's room. That was a beast that took two days to conquer. But! You did it! You cleaned the house up before moving in. [[The time slips by. A month has gone by.]]

Not a small fall, or a little trip. <<masteraudio stop>> This is a plunging fall. It is a heels-over-head fall. It is a over-a-minute-has-passed-and-you're-still-falling fall. You are hurtling into darkness so thick you cannot even see your $skincolor fingers in front of your own eyes. The air tingles with a strange energy that envelops you entirely as you fall, providing you with the sensation of tumbling through mist. You fall and fall and fall. [[And then you land in a bed of sweet-smelling yellow flowers.]]

Right? <<set $dreambelief = "It felt too real to be fake. You think you met a real monster.">> <<set $staying +=1>> You can still taste that pie. [[You get out of bed.]]

Too intense. <<set $dreambelief = "Your mind is struggling to process all of this. What an intense dream.">> You hope that bitter taste will leave your mouth soon. [[You get out of bed.]]

Right? <<set $dreambelief = "Was that. . . real? You think maybe so.">> <<set $staying +=1>> You can still taste that pie. [[You get out of bed.]]

Right? <<set $dreambelief = "Was that. . . real? You don’t think so.">> You hope that bitter taste will leave your mouth soon. [[You get out of bed.]]

The sooner you get back to the surface, the better. <<set $perspective = "You’re already exhausted. You wish you were back in your own bed.">> <<set $doitagain = "you would not have gone">> Had you known your trip would have lead to this, you would not have gone. [[There's a pile of rocks at the end of this path.]]

The sooner you get back to the surface, the better. <<set $perspective = "You miss the sunlight. How the monsters were able to live without it is beyond you.">> <<set $doitagain = "you would not have gone">> Had you known your trip would have lead to this, you would not have gone. [[There's a pile of rocks at the end of this path.]]

The sooner you get back to the surface, the better. <<set $perspective = "You hate this silence. It grates on you. You miss the city noise.">> <<set $doitagain = "you would not have gone">> Had you known your trip would have lead to this, you would not have gone. [[There's a pile of rocks at the end of this path.]]

The sooner you get back to the surface, the better. <<set $perspective = "You hate this silence. It grates on you. You miss the forest noise.">><<set $doitagain = "you would not have gone">> Had you known your trip would have lead to this, you would not have gone. [[There's a pile of rocks at the end of this path.]]

The sooner you get back to the surface, the better. <<set $perspective = "How you’re still alive is beyond you. This place is dangerous.">> <<set $doitagain = "you would not have gone">> Had you known your trip would have lead to this, you would not have gone. [[There's a pile of rocks at the end of this path.]]

The sooner you get back to the surface, the better. <<set $perspective = "You’ve never felt so claustrophobic before. You miss the sky.">> <<set $doitagain = "you would not have gone">> Had you known your trip would have lead to this, you would not have gone. [[There's a pile of rocks at the end of this path.]]

The sooner you get back to the surface, the better. <<set $perspective = "This place unnerves you.">> <<set $doitagain = "you would not have gone">> Had you known your trip would have lead to this, you would not have gone. [[There's a pile of rocks at the end of this path.]]

What was it like? <<set $perspective = "It’s such a shame you didn’t fall down before this. . . tragedy.">> <<set $staying +=1>> Had you known your trip would have lead to this <<cycle "$doitagain" autoselect>>\ <<option "you would not have gone">> <<option ". . . you would have still gone.">> <</cycle>>. [[There's a pile of rocks at the end of this path.]]

It must have been even more beautiful when filled with life. <<set $perspective = "It’s sadly beautiful here.">> <<set $staying +=1>> Had you known your trip would have lead to this <<cycle "$doitagain" autoselect>>\ <<option "you would not have gone">> <<option ". . . you would have still gone.">> <</cycle>>. [[There's a pile of rocks at the end of this path.]]

These poor monsters. . . you wish you could do more for them. <<set $perspective = "You can’t stop thinking about the ashes. . . about the monsters.">> <<set $staying +=1>> Had you known your trip would have lead to this <<cycle "$doitagain" autoselect>>\ <<option "you would not have gone">> <<option ". . . you would have still gone.">> <</cycle>>. [[There's a pile of rocks at the end of this path.]]

As you walk, you pass by an empty sentry station. Peering inside, you notice some empty ketch up bottles. You continue to walk across the these hot lands, the air pricks your skin. Each breath is uncomfortable. You can feel yourself drying out with each step. Then you come across your first set of ashes in this area. You… you’ve run out of flowers. [[Leave it.]] <<if $youlistened eq 1>> [[Kneel in front of it.]] <</if>>

This path leads to a large white building with the word LAB written on the side. <<set $lab = 1>> You approach the front door. There are no handles. It doesn’t look like there’s a way for you to go inside. It’s interesting to see, though. Everything you’ve seen has had power. The monsters must have advanced their technology to the point where most–if not all–of their essential needs can be automated. <<if $staying eq 3>> You wonder. . . could someone live down here as is? It’s a thought. Not–Not that you would want to. . . . You have no reason to. . . <<set $staying +=1>> <</if>> You turn back around and go down the other path. [[Go left.]]

You’re tired. So, so tired. <<set $cried = 0>> But you keep walking. You climb the red-stoned steps and you enter a temperate-controlled area. There is a glistening fountain at the entrance. The ground is paved with a well-maintained blue brick road. There are street lights all over, each casting a soft violet-blue glow. A glance up shows a tall--//very tall//--ceiling with what look to be hanging houses. The first building you see is something with a sign that reads //MTT RESORT & SPA//. The brick road splits off on the right and left side of the building where you see even more buildings. You can’t get a good look at all of them yet. It definitely feels like you’ve entered a city in a cave. A magical city. An empty city. . . . You carry on. There is an elevator in the back of the city. You take it, and it drops you off at a tall bridge that overlooks the lonely city. The castle is built into the cave walls. Faded gold-white stone is made beside dark stone and sparkling blue crystals. There are intricate designs and murals carved into its side. You see large stained glass windows depicting the dawn. It is immaculate, beautiful, and feels terribly lonely. The doors open easily when you push them, although they loudly creak. You step inside. The front room reminds you a lot of the first house you entered. There are numerous lights that cast a warm glow around the front room, and the flooring is a golden mosaic with a white outline. The walls are a smooth cream color. You walk forward. From the front room there’s a garden of golden flowers. The light that filters in is artificial, but it still feels nice. The garden is overgrown. . . . You keep walking. There’s only one way to go. Through the garden. Pass the throne. Down the hallway. You reach the end. It must be the end, right? A huge wall of pulsating white light. It must be the barrier humanity sealed the monsters behind. Humans have always been immune to sealing magic, you doubt you'll have any issue crossing through it. [[You don’t linger. You leave.]] [[You linger.]]

Happy endings require MC to be in a certain mindset. They have to //want// to stay in the underground as it’s a big commitment. Those kind of decisions aren’t exclusive to the links at the bottom of the passages, you have to also choose the correct <<cycle "$cycling" autoselect>>\ <<option "CYCLING">> <<option "CHOICES">> <<option "LOOK">> <<option "LIKE">> <<option "THIS">> <</cycle>> choices. Okay: <<click "Restart">><<script>>Engine.restart()<</script>><</click>> [[More of a hint, please.]]

1. You chose: $dreambelief Advice: <<if (($dreambelief eq "It felt too real to be fake. You think you met a real monster.")) or ($dreambelief eq "Was that. . . real? You think maybe so.") >> It is good you had faith, keep doing that. <<else>> Next time, try choosing to have faith in what you have encountered. <</if>> 2. When thinking about the underground you chose: $perspective Advice: <<if ((($perspective eq "You can’t stop thinking about the ashes. . . about the monsters."))) or (($perspective eq "It’s such a shame you didn’t fall down before this. . . tragedy.")) or ($perspective eq "It’s sadly beautiful here.")>> That's a good perspective, keep it up. <<else>> Try selecting one of the options that focuses more positively on the underground. <</if>> 3. When thinking about if you would do this over again you thought: $doitagain Advice: <<if $doitagain eq "you would not have gone">> After selecting a positive perspective on the underground, try changing your cycle options to reflect wanting your character to stay. <<else>> You cycled to a good choice, keep it up. <</if>> 4. <<if $lab eq 1>> You visited the lab. <<else>> You did not visit the lab. <</if>> Advice: <<if $lab eq 1>> It’s good that you went forward first. Keep doing that. <<else>> Go forward first so your character can see the lab. <</if>> 5. <<if $cried eq 1>> You openly cried for the monsters in Hotlands. <<elseif $cried eq 2>> You openly cried for the monsters in Hotlands, but you chose not to make any more flowers. <<else>> You chose not to openly cry for the monsters int Hotlands. <</if>> Advice: <<if $cried eq 1>> It’s good that you showed tears. Sans is always watching and judging.<<elseif $cried eq 2>> Try making flowers for the rest of the monsters. Sans is always watching and judging. <<else>> Try choosing an option to show visible tears. Sans is always watching and judging you. He’s less likely to trust you if he can’t see enough of a visual reaction from a distance. This option is only available if you listened to the Echo Flowers.<</if>> 6. <<if $sansbarrierencounter eq 0>> You chose not to stay at the barrier and interact with Sans. <<else>> You chose to stay at the barrier and interact with Sans. <</if>> Advice: <<if $sansbarrierencounter eq 0>> Linger and reach out to Sans when he approaches. <<else>> You made the correct choice here. <</if>> Try again? <<click "Restart">><<script>>Engine.restart()<</script>><</click>>

The war didn’t start out as monsters against humans. <<audio "snowfootsteps" stop>> Many human and monster kingdoms had treaties together. The war that sparked it all was one that started out of retribution. A monster fell in love with a human. The human was murdered by a neighboring country’s lord, and the monster demanded the lord’s head. The country refused, and so the monster took her people to war. Unfortunately, it didn’t end there. For a variety of reasons the war spilled over into the surrounding countries. It stretched and expanded until a decade in, it covered the entire continent. The war spanned over a hundred years. Entire countries and kingdoms were lost to its unrelenting flames, and the ones that remained became hardened and twisted. The details get fuzzier around this point. There is a lot of lost knowledge, and historians argue over many key points. The end results are the same regardless. Humanity “banished” the monsters and used a powerful sealing magic to ensure they could never return. The exact details are vague. Banished where? With what kind of magic? Is it all monsters or only one kingdom of them? None of these are questions that humanity has been able to answer. Once the monsters were gone–banished or dead–the war ended. For a year the survivors enjoyed peace. The magic generated in the wild turned volatile, and humanity’s greatest magicians were suddenly unable to use their own magic. The wild magic would erupted into catastrophic storms and ravaged the lands for days. The kingdoms that remained were already battered and weak from the war, so many of them perished from this upheaval. The ones that survived only did so by working together and pouring all their energy into creating technology to combat and control wild magic. It was a trial and error for many decades to come, but humanity did succeed. It’s well under control by your generation. The outbursts are called “magicstorms” and are treated like a nasty tropical storm. You doubt this town. . . this quiet, quiet town has ever seen a magicstorm. <<if $paranoid eq 0>> [[Call out. Maybe someone can help you?]] <<else>> [[Stay silent. You don't. . . you can't shake the feeling of being watched]] <</if>>

Asgore grimaces, his smile softening. He speaks quietly, “While I am sorry to hear that. . . I am glad as well. You may be able to understand.” The king of monsters looks away from you. “It’s a nice garden,” he says. “My wife and children started it. The flowers here. . . they are resilient. Even without true sunlight, they grow.” [[A heavy silence fills the room. The air is thick with a tangible somberness.]]

He speaks quietly, “That is an admirable accomplishment. I envy you, human.” The king of monsters looks away from you. “It’s a nice garden,” he says. “My wife and children started it. The flowers here. . . they are resilient. Even without true sunlight, they grow.” [[A heavy silence fills the room. The air is thick with a tangible somberness.]]

He senses your nervousness. Surprise crosses over his features. He raises both of his hands up, palms facing you, in a gesture of surrender. He anxiously apologizes, “I’m sorry, I did not mean to make you uncomfortable.” You fidget in your chair. “I only wish to speak with you like the others,” he earnestly adds. The others? “Yes, I–” He grimaces. “I am sorry. If you would prefer not to–” No, no. . . talking is fine. You’re nervous over saying the wrong thing. “Ha, ha, I understand,” he says slowly, relaxing. His smile softens. “I feel the same.” He does? “You. . . you are someone I am very grateful towards,” he says. “I want to thank you. To truly thank you.” The king of monsters reaches forward and gently places his hand on your shoulder. “Thank you for falling into our kingdom, $Name. And thank you for choosing to stay.” You– A black hole appears underneath your chair. You can only <<cycle "$yelp" autoselect>>\ <<option "gasp">> <<option "yelp">> <<option "scream">> <<option "bite your tongue">> <<option "squeal">> <</cycle>> as you start to plummet. [[You're falling.]]

“okay,” he had said at the time. He had not done it by the next day. You brought it up. “i did,” Sans said. You point out that he is //literally// wearing the dirty jacket now. “yeah, i took it back out,” he said. . . . Why? His smile stretched. [[You asked him to please put his jacket in the basket–and leave it there–so you can wash it.]] [[You told him to put the jacket in the basket–and leave it there–so you can wash it.]] [[You narrowed your eyes at him. You asked him to put it in the basket and leave it there.]]

“okay,” he agreed. The next day he was still wearing it. You asked why. “you didn’t tell me when to,” he pointed out. Oh he’s being a <<cycle "$butt" autoselect>>\ <<option "butthead">> <<option "menace">> <<option "brat">> <<option "dick">> <<option "fucker">> <<option "stinker">> <<option "ass">> <<option "meanie">> <</cycle>> today. <<cycle "$deepbreath" autoselect>>\ <<option "You had to take a deep breath.">> <<option "You closed your eyes and counted to three.">> <<option "You closed your eyes and counted to ten.">> <<option "You narrowed your eyes and pursed your lips.">> <<option "You buried your face in your hands.">> <<option "You made a noise of annoyance.">> <<option "You sighed.">> <<option "You stuck your tongue out at him.">> <</cycle>> Sans was delighted by your reaction, his eyelights widened in his eye sockets. [[You poked his chest. You told him that going forward when his clothes get dirty he needed to promptly put them in the basket and leave them there. Only you were allowed to take them out to clean them. He could have his clothes back once they were cleaned.]] [[You got in his face. You told him that going forward when his clothes get dirty he needed to promptly put them in the basket and leave them there. Only you were allowed to take them out to clean them. He could have his clothes back once they were cleaned.]] [[You kept a calm tone. You told him that going forward when his clothes get dirty he needed to promptly put them in the basket and leave them there. Only you were allowed to take them out to clean them. He could have his clothes back once they were cleaned.]]

“sure thing babe,” he said with a chuckle. “whatever you want.” You added this counted for //all// his dirty clothes. “sure.” Including the sock in the living room that he kept putting back. Sans freezes at that. His eyelights shrink before going back to normal. “heh. . . okay.” [[Was that what Papyrus was congratulating you for?]]

“YES. THAT’S IT EXACTLY! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW HARD I TRIED TO GET HIM TO PICK UP THAT SOCK,” he says, nodding enthusiastically. “YOU DID IT!” You $laughreaction. Yes. You did! “IT IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPRESSIVE THING I HAVE EVER WITNESSED SOMEONE OTHER THAN ME DO,” he says proudly. That is quite a feat, especially coming from San’s brother. “NYEH HEH HEH! I’M GLAD YOU UNDERSTAND,” he says. “OF COURSE I KNEW YOU WOULD.” Papyrus beams at you. “YOU LOVE HIM AS MUCH AS I DO!” You $happyreaction. Yes. “HE IS A LAZYBONES, BUT HE MEANS WELL,” he says. “IF HE CAN CHOOSE TO BE KIND OVER MEAN, HE WILL.” You nod. “NOT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THAT,” Papyrus goes on. “NOT EVERYONE //WANTS TO// I THINK. BUT THAT’S OKAY. I DO. YOU DO.” Papyrus reaches forward to place a red gloved hand overtop your head. “AND THAT IS ENOUGH FOR ME.” He pats you. “THANK YOU,” he says. For the sock? “NYEH HEH HEH. FOR THE SOCK! //AND// FOR LOVING MY BROTHER!” You– A black hole appears underneath your chair. You can only <<cycle "$yelp" autoselect>>\ <<option "gasp">> <<option "yelp">> <<option "scream">> <<option "bite your tongue">> <<option "squeal">> <</cycle>> as you start to plummet. [[You're falling.]]

He does not speak again for a long time. <<timed 5s>>“One child. . . one human was enough to kill us,” he said. <</timed>> <<timed 8s>>Asgore raises his head, his dark eyes filled with tender warmth.<</timed>> <<timed 11s>>“And one human is enough to save us,” he says. <</timed>> <<timed 13s>>You– A black hole appears underneath your chair. You can only <<cycle "$yelp" autoselect>>\ <<option "gasp">> <<option "yelp">> <<option "scream">> <<option "bite your tongue">> <<option "squeal">> <</cycle>> as you start to plummet. [[You're falling.]]<</timed>>

That's right. You're bleeding and hurt. There must be something in this house that can help you. <<if $hallwaywent eq 0>> You immediately try out the doors down the hallway and find them locked tight. They don't budge at all when you give them a shake. <<else>> You try to the hallway doors again. They don't budge at all when you give them a shake. <</if>> You search the kitchen but find the cabinents are shut tight, too. Nothing opens for you. <<if $bloody eq 6>> With each one of your efforts, you feel yourself growing weaker. Blood drips down your arms--your cuts have been re-opened--and makes your grip slippery. Your vision starts to double. You swallow hard, your throat dry as your world starts to tilt. Your movements become more frantic and desparate. You search the house with a panic scramble. The only place left for you to search is the basement. You go to it, and as you take the first step your world tilts. Ah. Black dots cloud your vision as you lose control over your limbs. You've lost too much blood. You fall forward and land at an awkward angle, unable to muster the strength to even left your arms to catch yourself. //Snap.// Everything goes dark. True <<click "Restart">><<script>>Engine.restart()<</script>><</click>> Fast [[Restart|Why are you even here?]] <<elseif $bloody eq 2>> You sigh in annoyance then go down to the basement. You enter a tunnel. A long tunnel. You march down it with a purpose, your head throbbing with each step. You have to keep going. If this house can't help you, then you'll keep moving forward until you find someone--or something--that can. At the end of the tunnel there is a door. [[Go through the door.]] <<else>> With each one of your efforts, you feel yourself growing weaker. Blood drips down the back of your head. Your vision starts to double. You swallow hard, your throat dry as your world starts to tilt. Your movements become more frantic and desparate. You search the house with a panic scramble. The only place left for you to search is the basement. You go to it, and as you take the first step your world tilts. Ah. Black dots cloud your vision as you lose control over your limbs. You've lost too much blood. You fall forward and land at an awkward angle, unable to muster the strength to even left your arms to catch yourself. //Snap.// Everything goes dark. True <<click "Restart">><<script>>Engine.restart()<</script>><</click>> Fast [[Restart|Why are you even here?]] <</if>>

The morning brings in a snow storm and you are stuck indoors all day. You are stuck indoors for the morning. The snowstorm outside pelts against the window. While you do have clothes that are better suited for the snow (at least in comparison to your first trip here), you know not to needlessly venture out. The inn is linked up to the shop. You have plenty of food, water, power, and most importantly you are warm and safe here. You spend your morning working on your map of the underground. You sit on the floor of your bedroom as you work, utlizing the extra space and hardwood. You think you have a good map coming along. The underground is fairly linear, and all side paths lead to a quick dead end so it's unlikely you'll get lost. You can't read all the signs. Some of them are written in a language you don't recognize, and others use standard Deltanian. As you work on your map it takes you several minutes to notice that you are no longer alone in your bedroom. Sans is perched on the foot of your bed. You only notice him because you suddenly smell cigarettes. You look up at the skeleton. "hard at work, huh," he says. Yes, you suppose so. Sans stares down at the map you are working on. "you need a map of this place?" he asks. Hey. You love your map. You'd be lost without it. "heh," he lets out something raspy and wheezy. . . . Was that. . . a //laugh?// Has it been so long since he last laughed that his voice is unused to making that noise? Over a pun. A map pun. <<cycle "$intentional" autoselect>>\ <<option "Which was not at all intentional.">> <<option "Which was definitely intentional. Could he be fellow pun lover?">> <<option "Kindred soul?">> <</cycle>> You think carefully. Knock knock. Sans sits up straighter. "who's there?" Shore. "shore who?" Shore hope you like bad jokes! "heheheh," he goes, his voice cracking. Knock knock. "who's there?" Nobel. "nobel who?" Nobel, that's why I knocked! His eyelights brighten in color. You think of any pun jokes you might know. <<cycle "$punny" autoselect>>\ <<option "I’m reading a book about anti-gravity. It’s impossible to put down.">> <<option "I’m glad I know sign language. It’s pretty handy.">> <<option "Trying to write with a broken pencil is pointless.">> <<option "I used to be addicted to soap. But I’m clean now.">> <<option "A friend of mine tried to annoy me with bird puns, but toucan play at that game.">> <</cycle>> "heheheh." He shifts around in the bed, his eyelights widening. "i want to be cremated as i go. it's my last shot at a smoking body." Oh no! That's terrible! You <<cycle "$happyreaction" autoselect>>\ <<option "crack a small smile">> <<option "smirk">> <<option "beam">> <<option "smile">> <<option "grin">> <</cycle>> anyway. Knock knock! "who's there?" Candies. "candies who?" Candies jokes get any worse? He snorts and snickers. You can't help but <<cycle "$laughreaction" autoselect>>\ <<option "giggle">> <<option "laugh">> <<option "chortle">> <<option "chuckle">> <<option "snicker">> <<option "cackle">> <</cycle>>. Your morning has drastically improved by swapping bad jokes with Sans. You two go back and forth for many hours. He even gets up to follow you when you go get a glass of water because your throat hurts so much from laughing. [[It's a nice day.]]

Sans' home is the very last house at the end of the snowy town. It's a two-story house with red-and-green lights strung up outside. When you step inside, you are instantly hit with the smell of meatballs and cigarettes. <<set $sansromance = 0>> The first floor has two rooms. One massive room with blue and red wavy colored carpet, and a smaller room off to the side that you can see is the kitchen. There's a staircase in the far back. He has a green couch set up in front of a television, and there's stacks and stacks of books everywhere. There are socks, shoes, and clothes strewn about. Empty bags of chips, ketch up bottles, and other instant-foots are shoved into corners without care. The table in front of the television has an ash tray that is stuffed full of cigarette butts. <<cycle "$sanshouseisamess" autoselect>>\ <<option "Wow.">> <<option "This is. . . sad.">> <<option "Kindred soul.">> <<option "You've seen worse.">> <<option "This does not bode well for his mental state.">> <<option "You have an overwhelming desire to start cleaning.">> <</cycle>> Sans ushers you into the kitchen. There's a small kitchen table that has been cleared off. You take a seat. He places a bowl of sphagetti and meatballs in front of you. It smells amazing. He sits down with his own plate, a mirror image of yours. "go ahead," he says. Although he has a permanent smile on his face, you're getting better at telling when he's actually happy. You take a bite of the dinner. Your face scrunches up reflexively. Its taste is indescribable. "i followed my bro's recipe," he says, his tone filled with cheer. It takes an impressive amount of willpower to swallow. You quickly reach for the water to wash the taste down. "heheh. you don't have to eat the rest," he says. "i've got microwaved ramen on the go." <<cycle "$firstreactiontopappasta" autoselect>>\ <<option "Yes, please.">> <<option ". . . Yes.">> <<option "No. . . no, this is fine.">> <<option "You can eat this.">> <<option ". . .">> <<option "That might be for the best.">> <</cycle>> He snickers. "i don't cook. microwave is the most i'm willing to do." [[Neither do you. You can burn water.]] [[Neither do you. You're far too lazy.]] [[Neither do you, but you'd like to learn.]] [[You actually like to cook. You're not the best, but you can manage.]] [[You actually like to cook. You're pretty good.]]

Sans is a brat. <<set $thepillowfort = 0>><<set $theinternet = 0>> <<set $characterstatus = 6>> You have come to accept this fact. You will be minding your own business when //pop// he appears beside you. The first time he did that you screamed. He has since made it his mission to jump scare you at least once a day. To "keep you on your toes heheh". Oh and the //pranks!// Whoopee cushions under any seat you are about to sit in--even if you checked to make sure they aren't there, they magically appear when you turn around--or a small buzzer hidden in his hand when he pats your back or takes your hand. Condiment bottles with caps slightly unscrewed so when you use them they topple over and cover your whole meal. Lemon juice and salt mixed into your water. A surprise snowball to your back. He'll randomly play the trombome to go //wah-wah-waaah// if you trip or make a mistake in your hobby. He'll take a few of your clothes and hide them throughout the underground. It took you weeks to find your spare boots. (You know you //could// have asked him to stop or find them and he would. But he seemed so genuinely delighted by your reactions it's hard to actually be mad at him.) And OH the puns. Puns galore! Okay that one you actually thoroughly enjoy. Sometimes he'll tell a joke that makes you laugh so hard you fall out of your chair. He'll get you wheezing and gasping for air. Whenever you laugh because of him, the lights in his eyesockets shine brighter than any star. He is a menace. And you say that with affection. [[The pillow fort night.]] [[The internet night.]]

You and Sans get along fine. You see each other daily now. Every day is peaceful. Tranquil. You've nearly completed your memorial to the monsters, and in celebration of that Sans tells you about them. He sets you on the couch beside him at home, and then he starts to speak in that low voice of his. He tells you about Toriel, the goat monster who lived in the ruins. She liked puns and bad jokes, and she had a motherly aura to her. He tells you about Violet, the bunny monster who ran the Snowdin shop. She was warm and nice, and always liked to look after the children. He tells you about Grillby, the fire monster who ran the local bar. He was quiet, studious, and an excellent listener. He tells you about the dog patrol in Snowdin. Greater Dog, Lesser Dog, Doggo, Dogamy, and Dogaressa who loved to play a variation of poker with Sans. He tells you about the Royal Guards who would frequent Snowdin and bring toys from the city to the children. He tells you about Undyne, the leader of the Royal Guards, who was passionate in everything she did. He tells you about Dr. Alphys, the Royal Scientist, who was brilliant but constantly doubted herself. He tells you about King Asgore, the Monster King who loved garden and was far too kind for his own good. He tells you about each resident in Snowdin. He tells you every monster he knows. And then he tells you about Papyrus, his baby brother who loved puzzles and always wanted to have many friends. It's his scarf that he wears. You're crying by the end of it. Big heaping sobs as you hiccup and sniffle. He calls you a crybaby and offers you a tissue. "why are you crying? i'm not," he says. That's why you have to. "crybaby," he teases you softly. You can't help it. "i know," he says. His eyelights flicker away from you. "i admire that about you." You wipe your eyes and loudly sniffle. "thank you," he says, "for shedding tears for us monsters." [[The next week, he tells you what happened in the underground.]]

<<set $thepillowfort = 1>>He said he'd never been in a pillow fort before. <<masteraudio stop>> <<audio "dungeon" loop play>> It was an off-handed comment. You don't remember the conversation that lead up to it. You just remember. It stuck in your head and stewed for days until you decided to do something about it. In the morning, once Sans has gone--he's rarely home in the mornings--you get to work. You take the pillows off the couch. You grab the extra pillows and blankets kept in the closet. You make a trek to the inn and carry back even more pillows and blankets. You stack the kitchen chairs and drape the blankets over them. Within an hour you've made an impressive fort. You climb inside and manuever the extra pillows around until you've made a satisfactory nest inside. You crawl back out and grab your tablet. You wait. You don't have to wait long. Sans returns home soon enough. The blanket at the entrance lifts up. He pokes his head inside. "what's this?" A pillow fort! His blue-red eyes look around. ". . . impressive." You $happyreaction. "you really have it //covered//, huh. you a pro at this?" It's your //quilty// pleasure. His eyelights brighten briefly. You pat the spot beside you. He crawls inside and takes a seat. The pillow fort, while impressive, is on the smaller side. He sits close enough to you that you're both touching. You turn on the tablet. You ask him if he wants to watch a movie. "a human movie?" It's all you have. "sure," he says, his shoulders briefly move up before they drop back down. You pick out a movie and prop the tablet against the side. As the movie runs, Sans sits completely still. You've noticed this about him. He doesn't fidget. There a moments where he's so still you doubt he's even breathing. He doesn't need to breathe most of the time. Breathing is used as a way to ventilate his body when he uses a lot of magic. Any other time it's unnecessary so sometimes he'll stop doing it. The two of you enjoy the movie. Then a second movie. Then a third. <<if $theinternet eq 0>> [[At night you dream of a town you never got to see alive.]] <<else>> [[You dream of monsters you've never met.]] <</if>>

<<set $theinternet = 1>>Sans likes to read. <<masteraudio stop>> <<audio "dungeon" loop play>> He reads a lot. He told you that he's read everything there is in the underground. He says it's because he likes to learn. It's the only thing that's kept his mind engaged through the drull. He owes what sanity he has to knowledge and the world of books. Naturally, you give him free reign of your tablet and show him all the books you have downloaded. He starts to frequently borrows it from you to read. He does it often enough, that you feel compelled to get him new books, worried he'll run out soon. You don't have much signal in the underground. The only place you //can// get a signal is near the barrier. You head up there in the early hours of the morning and make yourself comfortable. It will take a long time to download the new books. Before you came to the underground, you cancelled everything except your phone service. You turned that to an auto-pay. You have enough in your account to keep it uninterrupted for a few years. After that you'll either have to find a remote job you can finagle, or give it up. Or find a way to pirate it. You aren't sure what your options will be with the introduction of literal magic in your life. Sans finds you around noon. He stands beside you at the barrier. "leaving?" You point to the tablet. "what's it downloading?" New books. "oh." He sits beside you. Actually-- This is the first time you're able to show Sans the tablet when it has access to the internet. You motion for Sans to scoot closer. "you look too happy to up to anything good," he remarks as he obliges. You $happyreaction. You tell him you want to show him the internet. "inter-what?" He'll see. What he sees blows him away. For someone who loves to learn, the introduction of the internet is a true blessing. Bright side: you've made Sans very happy. Down side: you don't get your tablet back for a month., and only because Sans figured out how to make his own from the LAB. You may not be able to get in, but he has "shortcuts" so it's no issue for him. <<if $thepillowfort eq 0>> [[At night you dream of a town you never got to see alive.]] <<else>> [[You dream of monsters you've never met.]]<</if>>

Your dreams are tinged with bright colors and a soft glow. You know at once you are dreaming, but there is something special about these dreams. Something. . . magical. <<masteraudio stop>> <<audio "snowdinmusicbox" loop play>> <<if $dream eq "dogs">> You find yourself back at Grillby's. The patrons greet you with enthusiasm the moment you step inside. This time, you decide to sit by the purple bunny who beckons you to the bar. She smiles at you. "Holding up okay?" she asks you, her voice smooth like glass and warm like the sun. You nod. "It's okay if you're not," she says. "Bad days happen to everyone." You hesitate. Her lavendar gaze softens. She reaches over to gently rub the back of your head. "You've already done a lot," she says. . . . You don't think you have. You don't think you've done enough. "Enough," she says. "It's a funny word, isn't it? What //is// enough? Can anyone ever really be satisfied?" The bunny monster appears whistful. "Life down here was never enough. But when even that's taken--ha, ha--it seems like that //would// be enough." She places a $soulcolor flower on the counter. "It's my favorite color," she says. . . . She bends forward and gives your cheek a nuzzle. "And that's enough for me." <<elseif $dream eq "bunny">> You're already seated at the poker table with the dog monsters in Grillby's. There are four dog monsters seated at this table. One is massive in stature with a fluffy white face and wears shiny black armor. The other is closer to your height with black and white fur and a dog treat in his mouth. The last two sit on either side of you and are dressed in black clothes. Their white fur is pristine and the moment you arrive, they both pat your back. "Welcome home!" says the dog with a treat in his mouth. "Great, you're here so we can get started," says the dog on your right. She has a feminine voice. "Do you know how to play?" asks the dog on your left. "Play, play, play!" yips the largest dog. You glance down at the cards. You had //thought// they were playing poker at first but you realize these cards look nothing like the cards you know. You aren't sure what they're playing. You admit to them you don't know how to play. "That's okay! We can show you." "Yeah," says another. The largest dog at the table hands you several cards. Their face twists into a funny expression that makes you $happyreaction. "Let's play together every night." "Yeah, yeah. Come sit with us more often now, okay?" "We want to play with you more." "Don't be a stranger. You can give us pets too." "Pets are good." "Pets are very good." You ask them if they're sure they want you to come around again. The dogs at the table start wagging their tails. It thumps against the sides of the chairs. You notice that each of them has a flower tucked behind their ears. It's a $soulcolor flower. The flowers that you left them. "Yeah," says one. "You're good too." "A good puppy," says another. "Our favorite puppy." "Good puppies deserve love, don't they $Name?" You can't argue against that. "Then let us love you, $Name." <</if>> <<if $theinternet eq 0>> [[The internet night.]] <<elseif $thepillowfort eq 0>> [[The pillow fort night.]] <</if>>

You wake up one morning in your bed at the inn. You see something strange. There is a box floating in mid-air in front of you. $Name I LV 1 I 00:00 Snowdin - Papyrus & San's Home CONTINUE I RESET* . . . What? You head over to Sans' house. After repeated knocking, the door opens up to a groggy skeleton monster. "huh?" he mubles, half-asleep. You point to the box in the air. You ask if he can see it. "see what?" You explain the box to him. He's instantly awake. "what? you can reset?" There is a button. It has a little asterick next to it. "what happens when you hover over it?" he asks. You wave your hand over it. *RESETING WILL TRANSFER OWNERSHIP. Previous owners: Frisk (left) Chara (left) . . . Does this mean what you think it means? "you can reset?" he asks, sounding dazed. You can. . . save them? "reset it," he whispers, his voice broken. "please. for them." You. . . you can't say no. [[You press RESET*]]

You eventually leave the snowy forest and re-enter a narrow cavern. You’re back inside a cave-like structure, and the air is already significantly warmer. <<masteraudio stop>> <<audio "dungeon" loop play>> It's narrower than any of the previous areas. The walls are smooth to the touch, and embedded in them are blue crystals that faintly glow. The crystals provide enough light you do not need your phone. You move to put your phone away. You catch a glimpse of movement in the corner of your eye. <<if $paranoid eq 1>> Oh no. //Oh no.// <<else>> . . . ? <</if>> [[You sharply raise your head to look around.]]

<<audio "heartbeat" loop play>>"in a hurry?" A voice is whispered from behind you. You turn and see nothing there. Your breathig quickens. <<if $paranoid eq 1>> You are being followed. You are definitely, //definitely// being followed. A ghost? A monster? Something else? You don't know. All you know is that you have to get out of here. [[You start to run.]] <<else>> . . . ? Was it your imagination. . . ? You slowly start to walk again, tossing glances over your shoulder. [[You walk on and when nothing else happens you calm down again.]]<</if>>

You walk through the sparkling cavern, and through the rainy tunnels. Eventually you reach a tunnel that empties out into some place hot. The rocks and stones are a reddish-brown, and you can hear bubbles of lava underneath. You see there are many bridges connecting different areas--it’s a very wide and open area. The lava is bright enough it forces you to squint when you look at it. You walk for another minute down the path until it branches off. There are tall steps on the left path that look to lead up to an elevator shaft (you think?). The forward path goes over a stone bridge. You hadn't known Mt. Ebott was a volcano. You step a little closer to the edge. "heheh." You quickly turn back around at the raspy chuckle. You see a hooded figure-- --a sudden tight sensation over your chest makes you gasp --He is shorter than you. He wears long black sweat pants and sneakers. He has a dark blue jacket that is zipped up all the way and its hood pulled up, and a bright red scarf wrapped around. There is an unnatural shadow covering his face from the hood. All you can see are two red-and-blue lights from inside. He holds out a white gloved hand as you levitate above the lava. You realize he is the reason for it. "want to have a mad time?" the figure asks you in a cracked voice. [[You desparately nod.]] [[You furiously shake your head.]]

"ha, ha. . . that sucks, huh?," he says and the grip in your chest is gone. You plummet into the lava. It is an almost instant death. True <<click "Restart">><<script>>Engine.restart()<</script>><</click>> Fast [[Restart|Why are you even here?]]

"ha, ha. . . you're an idiot," he says and the grip in your chest is gone. You plummet into the lava. It is an almost instant death. True <<click "Restart">><<script>>Engine.restart()<</script>><</click>> Fast [[Restart|Why are you even here?]]

It doesn't last long. You are half-awoken by something. Your sleep addled mind unsure of what exactly awoke you. A noise? A sensation? Maybe an itch? [[You are immediately alert and on edge.]]

You hear laughter. <<audio "heartbeat" loop play>> Raspy. Heavy. Crackling. You dare to glance behind you as you run and you see a hooded figure at the end of the tunnel. Red and blue lights shine under the hood. The figure starts to chase after you. It doesn't run like you do, rather it blurs in and out of existence. Each blink it becomes closer. You sprint, adrenaline and raw fear coursing through you. As you near the end of the tunnel an eruption of red-outlined electric blue pillars makes you stop. They block the only way forward and force you into a dead end. The figure now walks towards you, that raspy laughter fills the tunnel. "heheheheheh." You're trapped. "want to have a mad time?" the figure asks you in a cracked voice. You-- "oops," he says, a sudden tight sensation around your chest. "it's still my turn." You are thrown into the stalacites in the ceiling, impaled through your limbs, chest, and neck. Debilitating agony pierces through you as your vision already starts to go black. It is an almost instant death. True <<click "Restart">><<script>>Engine.restart()<</script>><</click>> Fast [[Restart|Why are you even here?]]

Congratulations! You got the hardest ending in the game. Way to go you!! Thank you very very much for playing this game all the way through! If you're interested in more Undertale AU games I do have a completed //UNDERFELL// game and a //MAFIAFELL// game that is in progress. Unlike DUSTTALE, they have a lot more routes haha! Thank you again for playing my game. Any future content will be bonus routes or to add additional dialogue options. Although in honor of obtaining the hardest ending in this game, please enjoy these optional bonus scenes if you like: [[Meeting Papyrus (Again)]] True <<click "Restart">><<script>>Engine.restart()<</script>><</click>> Fast [[Restart|Why are you even here?]]

Congrats on getting one of the three HAPPY ENDING'S! <<if $physical eq 0>> It looks like you and Sans are close, but maybe you could have gotten closer as friends? Or were you interested in something more? The other two endings you could have gotten are the San's ROMANCE ending or the San's BFF ending. <<else>> The other two endings you could have gotten are the San's ROMANCE ending or the San's FRIEND ending. <</if>> I only intended for this game to go to the barrier, but. . . well. I like happy endings. ;) Thank you very very much for playing this game all the way through! If you're interested in more Undertale AU games I do have a completed //UNDERFELL// game and a //MAFIAFELL// game that is in progress. Unlike DUSTTALE, they have a lot more routes haha! Thank you again for playing my game. Any future content will be bonus routes or to add additional dialogue options. True <<click "Restart">><<script>>Engine.restart()<</script>><</click>> Fast [[Restart|Why are you even here?]]

You and Sans discuss what to do next. It's been a long time since Sans experienced a "pacifist" timeline. It takes him a few minutes to remember what you have to do. "it'll be hard," he warns you. That's okay. You can handle it. "are you sure?" Yep! Besides-- "SAAAAAAAANS!" A loud voice booms down the path to Snowdin. “hey bro,” says Sans. “SANS! GIVE ME BACK MY SCARF! I NEED IT FOR MY–//IS THAT A HUMAN?!//” Papyrus shrieks as he stomps down the path. He immediately stops as soon as he spots you. “yeah,” says Sans. “i’m dating $her.” “YOU’RE //WHAT?!//” Papyrus looks scandalized. “I DO NOT KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT THIS.” “that’s cool,” says Sans. “tibbea honest i figured you wouldn’t be on board right away.” “THAT IS A LAZY PUN!” Papyrus glowers. “HOW COULD YOU COHORT WITH A HUMAN!?” “cohort,” chuckles Sans. “$she seduced me.” You can’t disagree with that. “I WILL NOT ACCEPT IT! HUMAN! I CHALLENGE YOU TO TEST YOUR WITS AND RESOLVE!” You accept. “GOOD! NYEH HEH HEH HEH!” Papyrus galvantes off. "you need any help?" Sans asks you. Nope. You can handle this on your own. You bend down to kiss your boyfriend. "independency and self-sufficiency are the two hottest traits in a $gender," Sans says appreciatively. Yep. You recall your previous meeting with Papyrus. Just one thing. "anything," he says. He has to pick up his socks. Sans stills at that. His eyelights move to the side as he pointedly looks away from you. "ehhhhhh." You warn him that if those socks aren't picked up by the time you reach Snowdin, he will never get to put his frigid little phalanges on you in bed again. "ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh." You raise an eyebrow. He said //anything.// "okay babe," he says. "you win." That's right you do. [[You see your boyfriend again near the wishing cave.]]

Papyrus is a delight. You already love him. After playing with his puzzles and "fighting" him, you won the right to date Sans. And then when he found out that you were the reason behind Sans picking up his socks he decided that marriage was now on the table. You just had to go through a marriage interview with him. Which you'll get to later. Right now you have to deal with Undyne, a monster you haven't met before but heard a lot about. You merrily make your way down the caverns that you know so well. You cheerfully encounter and spare every monster you meet. You get to the wishing caves, and you spot your boyfriend near the wall by a telescope. You move over to greet him. "hey babe," he says. "how's it goin'?" Swell! "did you have fun with paps?" Yep! You'll do a marriage interview with him later. "huh." Sans tilts his head. "uh. okay." What's he up to? "i found my old telescope," he says. "was thinkin' about getting into the telescope business once you break the barrier. it'd normally be 50000G to use this premium telescope. . . " Sans winks at you. "but for //you// i'd be happy to let you use it for free. howzabout it?" You shrug and use the telescope. You see nothing but red. Did he paint over it? You pull away. "what's wrong baby?" he asks. "not a good view?" You closely examine the telescope. You point out the red paint at the end of it. "guess i'll have to clean it up huh," he says, his grin stretching. . . . He looks too happy to have to clean something. What did he do? "me? nothin'," he says. "nada. zilch. zip." What did he //not// do then? "eh, i didn't //dot// do anything." Dot. . . ? You reach up to touch your eye where you looked out the telescope. Your finger comes back slick with paint. You call him $butt as you $happyreaction. "heheh." [[You don't see Sans again until Hotlands.]]

“sup babe,” Sans greets you at his sentry post in Hotlands. You happily greet your boyfriend. “want a dog?” he asks. You have already adopted all the dogs in Snowdin. “no, not–what?” You shrug. San’s smile stretches. “how?” When you went back to hang out with Papyrus– “for your marriage interview.” –for your marriage interview, yes. The dogs were waiting for you. They said they couldn’t get your smell out of their minds and wanted you to stay with them. “hm." What? "//hm.//" Sans' eyelights move off to the side. Oh. That's cute. He's //pouting.// There's really only one thing you can do in this situation to cheer him up. You scoop him into your arms and proceed to kiss every part of his face. Sans starts to laugh as you do, joy tinging in his voice. It's a warm laugh. A smooth laugh. A laugh filled with genuine delight. As all of his laughs should be--and //will be// as long as you're around. That's all for bonus scenes for now! I might add more later. True <<click "Restart">><<script>>Engine.restart()<</script>><</click>> Fast [[Restart|Why are you even here?]]