Chapter Text
We go down to Hotland, through the refurbished Hotel, down the elevators, and into Waterfall. I lead him down through the tunnels until we reach my house.
It’s a shanty, actually. Rickety and constructed with junk that fell into the Dump or odds and ends I stole from other people when they weren’t using them. There are other shanties around the marsh, spread out, a small village. I call out to the neighbors’ kids, who are playing swamp-tag. “Hey!! Come meet Papyrus!”
The twelve kids run up, screaming and laughing shrilly as they drag us into their game. Papyrus looks to me in helpless confusion as his hand is grabbed by a little mer. “I’m Undyne!” She says happily. She can’t be more than three years, missing the human’s fall by two.
Papyrus looks suddenly wracked with startled grief. But then he grins at her, blinking away the tears that had started to gather in his sockets. “HELLO, UNDYNE! I’M PAPYRUS!! WILL YOU SHOW ME HOW TO PLAY?”
The kids shriek with happiness when I am tagged and become the Human, chasing down my prey. Papyrus laughs and runs around with them, giving each a turn to ride on his shoulders. I stop to pant for breath and watch him. He looks like he’s honestly having a good time—the first since I’ve met him.
Eventually though, everyone gets tired and the game ends. They thank Papyrus and I for playing with them, complimenting their King with casual praise. I wait for him to notice that they don’t know who he is. When he comes back to me, his eyes are shining with stars. “UNDYNE WANTS US TO JOIN HER FAMILY FOR DINNER! IS THAT OKAY OR DO YOU HAVE OTHER PLANS?” He asks, and I know which answer he’s hoping for.
“We can’t refuse an invitation like that.” I say, hiding the fact that this was my plan all along, and his grin positively explodes with joy as he turns back to the little mer and shouts his acceptance. She shrieks and leaps up and down, clapping her hands happily.
We follow Undyne deeper into the tunnels, passing more shanties as we go. A look of concern flashes across Papyrus’s face but disappears when Undyne looks back at him to make sure he’s following her, despite the fact she has a death grip on his hand and he’s not about to make her let go.
What I’m doing here is cruel, but it’s not heartless. I hope he’ll forgive me for it.
She stops at an old rusting pile of metal sheets. “We’re home!!” She shrieks with joy. Her parents come out, two young mer with fins down their backs. They nod to Papyrus and I and welcome us for dinner.
Dinner in Marshton is a slow ceremonial affair. Everyone scavenges for anything they can find, and then builds a fire in each district to cook up stews with what each district managed to gather. Everyone takes their own bowl to the cauldron and eats one bowlful, and then takes another bowlful once everyone has had some. But they don’t eat the second bowl. They take the food out to the homeless outpost deeper down the tunnels.
Undyne’s parents hand Papyrus and I their bowls. We’re guests, so we eat first. Papyrus gives me a look of confusion as Undyne drags him to the middle of the district where the fire flares high and bright. I take vegetables I took from the palace kitchens and drop it into the cauldron. A susurration of thanks goes up from the gathered crowd, another tradition. I bow to the elder, the oldest member of the district, and then return to Papyrus’s side.
“What should I do?” Papyrus whispers, making a concerted effort to be quiet.
“Put something in the pot and bow to the elder.” I reply. He pulls out a cinnabunny and goes up to put it in the pot, then bows as I told him to. As he returns amidst murmured gratitude, a thoughtful frown is stuck on his face.
The elder gives praise to the stars for allowing them to find enough food for one more day. The children and guests go first after the communal chanted blessing. Undyne drags Papyrus forward and I walk behind him. “Eat quickly and give the bowl back to our hosts.” I whisper to him and dip my bowl into the cauldron.
Undyne ends up getting the cinnabunny in her bowl and munches on it cheerfully, still gripping Papyrus’s hand. Papyrus bolts his food down and hands his bowl to Undyne’s mother with a grateful exclamation.
I take my time, savoring the marsh water filled with various odds and ends. Then I hand the bowl to the father. The adults take their food and eat it slowly, savoring every last sip. Papyrus watches with a blank friendly smile. Undyne keeps a grip on his hand. “We’re going to feed our friends next!” She tells him happily.
When everyone has had a bowl, they return again to the cauldron and scoop the rest out into their bowls. Then begins the trek deeper into the tunnels. Other districts mingle with ours and the gentle roar of chatter echoes through the tunnels. Papyrus ducks his head down to whisper to me, “why aren’t they eating it?”
“You’ll see.” I reply. He straightens and starts to talk to Undyne about her goals. Apparently she wants to go into the Royal Guard when she’s old enough. I see an aura of nostalgic depression weigh down Papyrus even as he acts happy.
We reach the homeless outpost, where the people of Waterfall gather when they don’t have food, shelter, or money. There’s another in Snowdin, I know, and one in Hotland as well. When the excavation crew manages to break down the door to the Ruins, I’m sure they’ll find more starving people.
I can feel his pain and shock when the outpost comes into sight. It’s built like a barracks out of junk and people wander or lay around it. Some are injured. Others have fallen down. There are children running around and playing in the mud. They cheer when our procession comes into sight and they all line up. The kids each get a bowl first. Then the adults in order of need. Today there’s more than enough for everyone and some kids get seconds. Other days are not so fortunate.
Later that evening, we thank our hosts and start to return to the palace after Papyrus has promised Undyne he’ll visit. He walks in silence behind me. I don’t speak either. The trek is solemn and gloomy as we wander through Waterfall.
“ARE THERE TOWNS LIKE THAT IN SNOWDIN?” He asks suddenly.
“Yes. In Hotland too, and in New Home there’s a cavernous slum.” I reply. “And there are sure to be more in the Ruins.”
“OH.” He’s silent again for a while as we go up the elevators. “IS THAT WHERE YOU LIVE?”
“I live on the outskirts of Marshton.” I tell him. “In a shanty.”
“SOME OF THEM WERE... WERE HURT.” He says worriedly.
“There’s a couple healers in Marshton, and the food will help too.”
“AREN’T- AREN’T YOU GOING TO SAY SOMETHING SCATHING ABOUT MY IGNORANCE?” He asks.
“No.” I've turned over a new leaf. No more assholery.
“OH. OKAY.” He sounds disappointed.
“What, do you want me to?”
“IT MIGHT MAKE ME FEEL LESS SICK IF YOU DID.”
“You grew up sheltered and were kept sheltered for a significant period of your adult life, including your time ruling.” I say.
“BUT-?“ He prompts nervously.
I grind my teeth and try to focus the rage that rises easily on command. “But if you ever bothered to listen to your subjects, you would know that your people are starving and weak! You may have inspired the stronger ones to not give up, but there’s no food that comes from an inspirational speech and there’s no way to return what they’ve lost! They’ve lost strength and they’ve lost loved ones. Even so, nobody can take their hope from them, even though it puts no food on the table.”
He grabs my hand as we approach the palace and he holds on tight. “THANK YOU FOR THE LESSON.” He says. “TONIGHT WAS ENLIGHTENING.”
That night, Shyren asks me how it went. I lie and tell her it went well.