Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Nightmare never considered themself a savior. They were Negativity itself, after all. A Deity that felt no mercy or affection towards anyone. Only hate and anger. They felt no such sorrow or even pity when they destroyed peoples lives, leaving mothers without their children, sons without their fathers, Husbands without their lovers. 

No, Nightmare was no savior. 

But looking down at the desperate hooded Sans on his knees before them, practically radiating negativity, gripping their cloak with enough force to tear it and tugging at it, begging for death with sounds and whimpers. 

They felt as if they should be. At least for him. 

They slid their hands under his, gently prying his hands off of their cloak, careful to avoid the self-inflected wounds there. The skeleton shifted his crushing grip to their hands with another whimper, feeling hopeful and scared. 

" I will not give you death.. it is not your time yet" They whispered, rubbing soft and soothing circles with their thumbs on the top of his hands. 

The Sans became upset and confused before rather quickly going limp with numb acceptance. Nightmare almost took it back right then and there, hating that look on the poor skeletons scarred face. 

But they would not. No, this Sans deserved a second chance at life. A new purpose. Nightmare was determined to give that to him. No matter the cost. 

" Come work with me. I will grant you the life the creators and so called ' Heros" " They said that title with disgust " will never grant you. You will be free with me. "

The Sans stared at them. Uncertainty and fear coming out of him in waves. Before a little bit of hope crept in. It was not a lot, but apparently it was enough for he nodded quickly- Too quickly. For a moment, Nightmare was scared he'd snap his neck- But of course that was foolish. This skeleton had surprisingly strong bones for a Sans. Despite how unhealthy and chipped away his bones were. 

" Wonderful" They purred " I will explain everything in due time. For now, allow me to bring you into your new home. You will never see this universe again. " With that said, They opened a portal beside them. The Sans stared at it in awe, confusion, and a healthy dose of fear. They had no doubts Error would come destroy the universe once they informed it. 

Nightmare gently squeezed his hands and let go of one of them to turn towards the portal and lead him through it to their castle. 

Their castle was located in the remains of Dreamtale. Far away from the tree, of course... It was too inconvenient. And they couldn't stand looking at it. Nightmare, with Error's help, gained control over the little universe and turned it into a pocket dimension. No one but them and Error can access it or even find it without their permission. Not even Ink. 

The castle itself was dark and brooding, Its bricks were pitch black, most of the windows arched and framed with Ebony and various parts of of the castle were covered with overgrown thorned vines. Especially the towers. Bushes covered in all kinds of different flowers except any yellow colored lined the base of the castle, two big long rose bushes in pots stood on either side of the staircase up to the giant briar front doors. It was something straight out of a fairytale and it was Nightmares pride and joy. Nothing made them happier then just looking at the beautiful building, their home. And now, it would be the Sans's home as well. Nightmare was confident the Sans would enjoy it here, if he didn't then there was something. Very wrong in that skull of his.

Looking at the hooded skeleton beside them, they saw him looking up at the castle with wide eyes, but instead of them being filled with a manic desperation, they were filled with awe and wonder. Nightmare could feel the emotions dripping out of him and they couldn't feel more prouder. 

Yes, he will like it here. 

They let go of his hand and made their way towards the front doors, the Sans holding onto their sleeve with a death grip. They raised a hand to the right door and pushed it open with ease, leading the skeleton into the entrance hall. It was mostly empty beside a large dark teal carpet that formed an odd star shape, the kind of star you'd see in one of those silly Christmas manager set ups, that lead to all the entrances. Most of the floors had carpets going down the middle, to prevent anyone from injury if they tripped or fell more like to prevent Error from injury. The glitch was always stumbling around and complained often that their floors were too slippery and hard. Nightmare followed the middle path up the stairs, which were made of the same briar wood of the doors and flooring. They kept going till they found the floor with the guest rooms, all of them unused since the day Nightmare made them, no one came around for them to be put to use beside Error anyways, feeling the Sans's awe and mild fear all the way up.

" This entire floor is filled with rooms of various kinds and various styles of aesthetic and decoration. You may pick whichever one you like the most. " They said, turning to look at the hooded skeleton, who had already been staring at them " Before you go look around, however, you need a new name. There are way too many Sanses out there for you to stay that, it will get confusing very quickly. "

He stared for a bit, obviously thinking extremely hard and glancing towards the side, as if he were listening to someone..odd behavior but they wouldn't expect anything less from a Sans who has clearly lost his mind. Soon his mood started to sour with a numb acceptance then a bit of anxious panic, looking up at Nightmare with those swirling eye lights.

" Have you decided? " They asked

The Sans started for a moment, the panic slowly rising before he let go of Nightmares sleeve, raising his other shaky hand and messily signing a word in Korean. Which was a language Nightmare very rarely saw, especially coming from Sanses. Of course, Nightmare knew it. They knew of every language out there and are very fluent in all of them.

" Dust. Fitting considering the state I found you and your au in." They smiled, not a necessarily sweet smile but not a cold one either " You may go choose where you will be staying from now on. " with that, they sunk into the shadows beneath them and left the Sans- Dust- to do as he was told.

Chapter Text

It was midnight. Nightmare was in their office getting some paperwork done for Sci, the scientist has been extremely busy as of late so the workload was building up. It was no trouble for Nightmare, however, they were alone most of the time after all.. Well, they used to be. Now they have that Sans with them.. setting down their pen they looked up towards the door. They could faintly feel his presence in the castle, dark and numb for the most part, it seems as if he picked one of the more empty rooms if Nightmares memory was correct. They haven't checked on him since leaving him a couple hours prior. They considered checking on him now, maybe take away some of the negativity he was feeling.. but.. they did have work to do, quite a bit if they were being honest, so that'll have to wait. Perhaps they will when its his feeding time.. yes, that'll be more efficient and they'll be done with all of this by then. Nightmare picked their pen back up and continued to work.

It was short lived, however.

Nightmare suppressed a heavy sigh as they heard the familiar sound of the code ripping and soon enough the glitching. They stopped writing and looked up at Error as it was closing the portal it made with irritated mumbling.

" Error, what have I told you about barging into my office this late? " setting down the pen they folded their hands in their lap, looking at Error with mild aggravation.

" I-i-i-it's m0rnin t-t-technic4lly. " it grumbled in it's glitched out voice.

Nightmare sighed " Did Ink invade your Anti-void again. "

The god glitched in offended anger " N-n-n-no!! " So, yes. Wonderful. Just what Nightmare needed.

They sighed again and stood up. They haven't told Error about Dust yet, nor did they plan to. It was simply too early, and Nightmare would rather not have Error throw a fit and kill the mortal. Luckily Error never used the guest rooms anyway, so they didn't think glitch will accidentally stumble upon Dust any time soon. " Come on, you big baby. " they walked towards the side door that led to their chambers, Error bristling in anger at being called a baby but following anyways, muttering curses under it's breath. Nightmare opened the door and took a step to the side to let Error through.

Nightmare's room was as lavish as a room could get. The bed was located right in the middle, its ebony wood headboard against the wall and pitch black thick curtains draped over each side, currently tied open for easier access. There was a multitude of blankets of all shapes, sizes, textures, and density in a varying shades of teal, the pillows were much the same but with purple hues instead of teal. On the left side of it, a nightstand the same ebony wood of the headboard stood, its drawer knobs the shape of apples and a couple of books Nightmare was currently reading on the top of it. The right side of the room had large bookshelves that took up then entire wall, all were filled to the brim with books, mostly romance novels, except one which was filled with all sorts of collectors items. The left side had a multitude of artwork, all from artist history forgot about or long lost paintings from famous artist scholars could never find. Another door was in the corner near their nightstand that lead to their walk-in closet. In the middle of the room a large fluffy circle carpet covered the floor, designed to look like the moon.

Error immediately made a beeline for the large bed and flomping on top of it, making them sigh as the sheets ruffled a bit. They much preferred their bed to look untouched. Nonetheless they sat beside the grumpy thing, making sure not to touch it. Glitch hated being touched, especially without it's consent before hand. Not that many people could touch the destroyer, it was far above them after all. Hell, as far as Nightmare knew, they were the only person who is allowed to touch Error at all. The thought made a smug smirk come to their teeth but the quickly wiped the expression from their face. Wouldn't want Error demanding to know why they were smiling like that.

They heard muffled grumbling from Error, who's face was still planted down in the sheets. They wondered how a god like it can be so undignified at times. They sighed and said " I cannot understand you with your face in my sheets. "

Glitch reluctantly moved so its cheek was laying on the bed instead, its face towards the deity " Wh3re'd you p-p-put my choc0.." 

They sighed, it and its chocolate. They didn't understand why it insisted on calling it 'choco', when that was obviously not the name of the sweet. Nonetheless they used one of their tendrils to open the bedside drawer, taking out a chocolate bar and bringing it over to Error, dropping it in front of the destroyers face. It quickly grabbed the bar and turned over so it was laying on glitch's back so it could devour the thing like it was its first meal in centuries. Honestly, did it have any manners? .. What a stupid question, of course it doesn't. They sighed internally. At least it wasn't dropping crumbs everywhere, somehow.

" You are such a child. You could easily kick Ink out, couldn't you? " They stated

It replied with a glare " Sh-sh-sh-shut up. I c4n d-o what 1-i-i w4nt. "

" So you wanted to come here? Why would you? " Truly Nightmare did not understand why Error would willingly come here. After all, it was always complaining about how over the top everything is. It paused for a long moment before grumbling

" F0r the ch-ch-choco du-h..." It took another bite of said chocolate to prove it's point. Nightmare just sighed 

" But of course. How ignorant am I to have not of known that. "

" Y-y-y3ah very st^p1d "

They sighed again and stood " Well if that is all you came for you have no reason to stay, right? " the deity turned their head to look at the glitch who had just thrown the chocolate wrapper on the ground. Stars, it really needed to stop making such messes. 

" W3ll- that ssss-tupid painte-r-r 1s still in m-m-m-my antiv01d. "

" But we have already established you can easily get them out."

" I-i don f3el l-l-like it. " it turned back over so it could face plant in the sheets again.

" Oh stop being so lazy. " they started at it for a moment then sighed [ how many times have they sighed in the last hour? .. way too many. ]. They did know the destroyer was probably tired. Whenever it started going, it had trouble stopping. Who knows how long glitch has been out trying to do it's job? They could surely give it this. After all, it's company wasn't completely horrible..

Nightmare raised a tendril and let it lay beside Error. It was an ask of permission, if Error stayed silent or declined Nightmare would take the tendril back and go straight back to work. After a moment or so it gave a muffled confirmation and Nightmare was quick to carefully wrap the tendril around it and picking it up, using other tendrils to pull the blankets back then set Error back down to lay on the bed correctly and pulling the blankets back over it. Once it was done all the tendril receded back to them.

Error grumbled but accepted the treatment, moving to curl up in a fetus position and closing its eyes " I-I'm n0t a b4by.. "

Nightmare scoffed, a fond smiling appearing on their face " Sure, glitchy. Don't mess up my bed too much. "

" I w0n't, je-e-e-ez.. fffuckin.. ocd 0ctop-p-p-us... "

" That's not how ocd works and you are very aware of it " they rolled their eye and turned to leave, already feeling Error drift into a deep sleep. It wouldn't be up for a while, Nightmare knew this very well. They turned the light off and shut the door as they left. Maybe they should check on Dust.. he hasn't fallen asleep yet. But looking at their desk they remembered their original plan and decided to stick to it. Nightmare walked over to the desk and sat back down to continue on with their work. They do wish Error hadn't set them back, but no matter. They could still finish this all before it was time for Dust to eat.

Chapter Text

Nightmare set down their pen, picking up the paperwork they had just finished and tapping it on their desk to make sure it was perfectly aligned before opening a drawer and neatly setting them down into it. They looked up at their customized grandfather clock on the other side of the room while they closed the drawer. 5:15 am, they hadn’t even noticed the hours fly by, having been completely immersed into their work. Well, the time seemed reasonable enough and a quick check on Dust’s aura told them he was awake. They weren’t sure if he had fallen asleep at all, his emotions were the same since they last tuned into them a few hours prior. Nightmare was certain such behavior was unusual for a mortal, the emotions bit at least. They knew very well how much mortals, and even some gods, love to torture themselves by staying up late for whatever reason. Nightmare was an exception, of course. They had important work that needed done, sleeping was simply a waste of time. Well, no matter. As long as Dust was functionable they couldn’t care less. They did hope he had showered at some point in the night, Dust had been covered head to toe in- well, dust.

The deity stood, walking around their desk and through the door. They knew they could swiftly merge with the shadows and appear right at Dust’s door, but they had the time and they enjoyed walking through their castle. After all, what was the point of making sure their castle was the definition of raw elegant beauty if it was not admired like it deserved to be? So Nightmare walked there, arriving at the door no more than 10 minutes later. They went to open the door before catching themselves and lifting their arm to rap their knuckles against the door instead. It was incredibly rude to enter someone’s dwelling without permission, and this room was no longer theirs. The deity felt the Sans’s fear spike, quickly turn into confusion, and slowly the recognition settled in then his emotions settled to being negative. But there was no answer. Was he- ignoring them? Their anger started to rise up before they quickly snuffed it out. No, he wouldn’t. Dust has been alone a long time, Nightmare wouldn’t be surprised if he forgot what to do if someone knocked. Besides that, they weren’t even sure if Dust was capable of speaking. By his emotions, Dust didn’t appear to be indecent so they announced they were coming in then opened the door and stepped inside.

The room Dust picked was one of the few plain rooms. There were only 3 in total, and Nightmare honestly couldn’t comprehend why someone would choose this over any of the other lavish rooms. There was a simple king sized bed located in the middle of the right side of the room- obviously untouched-with a large, thick, dark red blanket neatly tucked in and black pillows and sheets. The headboard was a simple rectangular shape made of dark wood and a matching dark wood bedside dresser stood on its left side. At the foot of the bed was a small black leather couch with a singular round white pillow perched against one of the arm rests. The floor was made of dark wood and a white, circular, fluffy carpet was in front of the sofa. The bathroom door was located straight across from Nightmare. This room was also one of the dimmer rooms, the only source of light being the lamp on the dresser. Truly, Nightmare did not see the appeal. But to each their own, they supposed.

Dust [ who had clearly not showered.. They’d deal with that later, he didn’t smell and wasn’t dropping dust every step so it could wait. ] was currently sitting in the middle of the carpet, legs splayed like a child's and a hand on his cheek, seeming to have been scratching at it before they walked in. The glove belonging to said hand on the ground in front of him. When Nightmare had met Dust the day prior, he had been wide eyed, crazed, and desperate. Visibly losing it a little. Now, he simply stared up at them, looking tired and indifferent. They stared a moment before speaking “ Come. I believe you require food at this time, yes? “

Dust stared a long moment before nodding, slowly lowering his hand to pick up the glove on the floor and standing up, gripping the glove tightly. Nightmare nodded back in acknowledgement and turned to leave, feeling Dust follow behind them.

“ Be careful of my potted plants. “ they warned. They had large vases with all kinds of mythical and dark themed plants all over the castle. They were quite fond of them, most of the plants they owned were very rare, some not even heard of. “ If you break any of them, or any other item, in fact; you will be severely punished. Understood? “ They turned their head to look at him, seeing him nod and look down at his feet. Now being extra careful of where he stepped. Satisfied, Nightmare looked away from the hooded skeleton.

It occurred to them that they should check if Error was awake, and check if it was located in the kitchen. It often raided Nightmare’s fridge whenever it wanted, knowing that the deity kept all it’s favorite foods in stock. Neither of them needed to eat, but Error quite liked eating. Nightmare felt for glitch’s aura and was pleased to feel it still fast asleep. They hoped it was one of those days where Error slept the entire day. Glitch often reminded them of a cat, in this aspect and many others. It was cute… odd. They internally sighed and pushed Error out of their mind to focus on the task at hand.

The two entered the kitchen. It very much resembled a kitchen one would see inside a large cottage, but with a more gothic twist. Some would use the term ‘ dark cottagecore ‘ to describe it. The cabinets and counter were made up of ebony wood, the top of the counters being made of dark wood to match the floorboards. The walls were made up of bricks, painted black of course, and a small, brown, candle lit chandelier hung from the roof in the middle.

“ You can take a seat over in the dining room. “ They said, gesturing to the doorless entryway that led to said dining room. “ I will prepare your food. “

They felt their sleeve get tugged and turned around to see Dust sign ^ I don’t feel hungry ^

Nightmare raised a brow “ When was the last time you’ve eaten? “ The skeleton shrugged after a brief pause “ Then it’s obviously been a long while. Mortals need food, at the least, once a day. Now go sit down. “ They turned back around and started looking through the fridge as Dust went into the dining room.

The deity couldn’t recall what types of foods mortals usually ate when they woke up, so they settled for fruit. They made a mental note to make sure to start buying double the food so Error would have nothing to complain about as they worked, getting a couple grapes into a bowl and slicing a banana. If they recalled correctly, which they were sure they did, if a monster is starving they cannot go back to eating in normal quantities, they must work themselves up so they don’t put their soul into a fit. This shouldn’t be too much for the hooded skeleton, afterall, Nightmare didn’t think he was starving too badly… they should bring him to Sci once Error has left. Just in case there are any medical issues Nightmare cannot sense and to make sure they can treat Dust accordingly. For now, they would play it safe.

Picking up the now fruit filled bowl they walked into the dining room where Dust was currently sitting criss crossed on a chair at the end of the table. The deity set the bowl down in front of him “ Eat all of it. I don’t want a single bit to go to waste. “ They stated.

Dust stared at the bowl for a full 5 seconds then pushed the bowl away. Nightmare tsk’d and pushed it right back to him. He glared at the bowl and pushed it to the side, crossing his arms.

Nightmare scoffed and used a tendril to push the bowl towards Dust yet again “ Eat it. “ 

He shook his head, rather violently. Nightmare let out an aggravated sigh “ Why not? “ After a long pause Dust shrugged. 

“ If you cannot think of a reason then there is none. “ They tapped the bowl a smidge closer, silently beckoning for him to eat. He just huffed and turned his head away. They were starting to get really pissed off, it was just. Food. They didn’t understand why he was being so difficult.

“ You are not a child. “ They stated, barely hiding the anger from their voice “ You have no reason not to eat it, it is not rotten and it is healthy for your soul. “

Dust shook his head again ^ It looks gross. ^

His choice of words hinted at the fact he’s never tried these fruits before, which was absolutely absurd- they were quite common fruits. “ I find it hard to believe you’ve never had grapes and bananas before. “

^ I have ^ he huffed ^ The type of fruit isn’t the problem. “

“ Then what is? “

He shrugged aggressively ^ It just looks gross. ^

Nightmares patience was running out. They simply did not understand what the fuck Dust was on about- “ It’s. Fruit. Just fucking eat it and be done with it. “

^ No. ^

They slammed their hand on the table, causing the bowl to rattle and Dust to jump. They took a deep breath before stating “ You are not to leave this room until you eat at least one piece of fruit. I doubt you’ve had food for quite a while. “ and turned around and left. They didn’t trust themself to not lash out at him physically, they needed to calm down.

So they headed over to their room, seeing Error still fast asleep on the bed. It was curled up in a very tight ball, making Nightmare, once again, question Error's positions of comfort.

They sighed and decided to join it. Errors presence tended to calm them in times like these. The deity took their coat and shoes off and laid beside Error on their back, feeling Error’s fizzling body heat beside them. Glitch had an abnormally high body temperature, and often felt as if it constantly had a fever. Nightmare didn’t mind too much, if anything it felt nice was beneficial to them. Their own temperature was abnormally low, freezing, even.

They let out a sigh and turned their head to look at it, putting an arm behind their head. They stared at it till they finally closed their eye and fell asleep beside it.

Dust stared at the fruit filled bowl in front of him. It’s not like he didn’t want to eat it, he remembers that he used to love grapes, but something about it.. It just.. Grossed him out. He didn’t even understand why- he knows he used to know, that this wasn’t the first time something similar like this has happened, but he couldn’t rack his brain. It was too loud- unbearably loud, the voices were yelling at him- all at once, all saying different things all around him. He squeezed his eyes shut. His head ached, it felt like someone was consistently hitting him in the skull with a hammer, too much was happening at once- fuck it was so loud-

He brought his knees up to his chest and opened his eyes to stare at the bowl again, mentally begging all of them to shut up shut up shut up- he couldn’t think- he needed to think, he needed to figure this out, he needed to remember- he needed them to shut up.

He blinked and realized there wasn’t a bowl in front of him anymore. He quickly looked around to find it shattered on the other side of the room. Fruit was spilled everywhere and one of his bone attacks was embedded into the ground. Did he do that? Fuck- shitshitshitshit-

He quickly took his gloves off and got on his knees to pick everything up, dissipating his attack. His hands were trembling violently and in his panicked thoughts he begged them to stop- of course they wouldn’t listen though. Stars, he’s such an idiot- stupid stupid stupid- You remember what Nightmare said? They’re going to be pissed. 

Dust’s hands were shaking too much to keep hold of anything, he also distantly realized they were covered in cuts, but he really didn’t care too much about it. He was too focused on what they were saying, on the panic, the thought of what Nightmare would do to him if- not if, when they found out. Would they send him back? He didn’t want to go back.

‘ You deserve it though ‘

Shut up- please just shut the fuck up- I know that, just let me fix it, I can fix it- I will fix it.

Chapter Text

Distantly, Nightmare heard voices- no, a voice. Errors voice. They slowly opened their eye to see Error on its back next to them, its hands neatly folded over its chest and muttering to the ceiling. It was probably talking to the creators. It and Ink [ inadvertently or not, Nightmare never asked ] took turns having the creators reside in each other's heads, One day, Error would have to deal with them, the next Ink would and so on.

Error seemed slightly annoyed and they watched as a dark blue hue came across its cheeks, glitch huffing and saying something in a defensive manner. Nightmare found they quite enjoyed that look on its face..

They shook their head slightly, deciding to ignore the thought and opt for asking “ What are they saying? “

Error jumped, clearly it hadn’t noticed they were awake, and turned to look at them “ Stars- d0n’t d-d-d-do th4t- !! “ It exclaimed angrily

Nightmare chuckled “ Do what? I simply asked a question. “

“ S-tartl3 me d^mba$s !! “ It huffed and sat up

“ I have just woken up, how was I supposed to be aware that you were jumpy today? Now, mind answering my question? “

Error grumbled “ Wh-w-whatev3r. And 1t was nnn-othin. “ it looked away “ Ju-st the n0rmal t3as1ng. “

Nightmare knew that wasn’t all, Error always looked away from the person it was talking to when glitch lied, but they elected to ignore it and shrugged “ If you say so. “

The deity sat up with a sigh, they opened their mouth to tell Error about their plans for the day before shutting it. Right. The glitch still didn’t know about Dust yet. Perhaps they should tell it now? No- no that would be a bad move on their part. They at least needed to get Dust to Sci, make sure there was nothing wrong with him and figure out why Dust had acted the way he did when Nightmare tried to give him fruit earlier. After that, if everything went smoothly, they will tell glitch.

Speaking of Dust- they did a quick check on his aura, finding him still in the dining room and feeling numb. They definitely needed to check on him as soon as possible- after all they doubt he has eaten, and by the feel of his emotions he wasn’t -

“ Uh- y0u g-g-good? “

Errors' slightly concerned tone brought Nightmare out of his thoughts “ Hm? Oh, yes of course. Just lost in thought. What are your plans for the day, if I may ask? “

As if they flicked on a light switch, Error's mood instantly soured “ Uggghhh, w-w-why w0uld yo^ rem-m-m1nd me?? I’ve g0t more f-f-f-fuck1n wOrK.” It flopped dramatically on the bed, thoroughly pissed off. Nightmare just rolled its eyelight.

“ You were going to have to do so anyway. “

“ y-y3ah but I c0uld’v3 pro-pro-procr4stinat3ddd !! “ 

“ Oh, stop your whining. There is no point in procrastinating. “ Despite their stern tone, they couldn’t help but smile. Error's antics never failed to amuse them.

“ Au^uughhhhhh, f1n3. “ Glitch jumped off the bed, landing on its feet beside it “ 1’ll s-see ya l4ter-er-er. “

They nodded “ I’ll be here, most likely. “

Error opened a portal and went through it, said portal closing behind the glitch. Nightmare sighed and stood up. Time to check on Dust. They got dressed and decided to take the quick route and merged with the shadows, appearing to the side of the doorway to the dining room. They paused and took a deep breath to mentally prepare themselves for a possible outbreak, and to remind themselves to stay calm, before entering.

Dust was sitting in a corner, mumbling [ so he can speak.. ] to the.. air. The only people they’ve ever seen do that was Error and, in battles, Ink talking to the creators. It struck at Nightmares curiosity, could Dust speak to them as well? No.. no that didn’t make sense, Error and Ink would be aware of his existence if that was the case. Then again, Error always said they said things that simply did not make sense and rambled about people glitch has never even heard of. Perhaps it was aware of him, but didn’t know it.

They blinked, realizing Dust had stopped talking and was staring at them, his emotions a mixture of fear, uncertainty, confusion, and a numb acceptance. They sighed inwardly, they needed to stop getting so caught up in their thoughts. To be fair, Nightmare has been alone for a long time, and usually did not have to worry about paying attention to other people. They glanced around the room and their eye settled on the pieces of glass and fruits on the table. Did Dust break the bowl? They turned their gaze back to him, his fear spiking up a little more.

“ Did you do that? “ Nightmare pointed towards the now shattered bowl, trying to maintain calm. It was a bowl, they had no need to be unreasonably angry.

Dust hesitantly nodded, quickly signing ^ On accident. ^

“ How. “ They demanded.

He started to sign something then he looked to the side and slowly lowered his hands after a moment of pause, shrugging instead.

Nightmare sighed, whatever Dust was talking to clearly influenced this action. They definitely needed to get Sci to look into this as well. For now they used their tendrils to pick the glass and fruits up and approached the skeleton “ I am not angry with you, “ mostly “ now get up. We have things to do. “

Dust's fear turned into relief mixed with a lot of confusion. Still, he stood up and followed Nightmare when they walked out, throwing away the mess in a trash can beside the fridge in the kitchen. They lead him over to the entry hall, stopping in the middle of the room and turning to look at Dust.

“ I will be taking you to get looked over by a.. “ they paused, choosing their words carefully “.. colleague of mine. His name is Sci, he is the Sans of Sciencetale. “ There was a large overflow of suspicion and hatred, which Nightmare ignored. It was quite common for Sanses to have negative reactions to anything regarding scientists. “ There are many alternates of Sciencetale, but this one is the most successful and one of the few open to the multiverse. Sci is a very skilled scientist and doctor. He is much more versed in the knowledge of anything regarding health then I am. “

Dust did not seem happy ^ I don’t want to go. ^

“ I’m afraid you do not have a choice. I expect you to be on your best behavior and to cooperate. Otherwise there will be severe consequences. “ they warned. They would not have Dust fuck this up, it was extremely important.

The hooded skeleton made a very angry noise but nodded, crossing his arms. They hummed, satisfied for now and trusting Dust to keep his word. “ Stay by my side unless stated otherwise. Sciencetale is large and there are many people there, monsters and humans alike. It will be a shock to you, so prepare yourself. “

Dust hesitantly nodded, now more nervous then angry, though he still very much was. Nightmare opened a portal and walked through, the skeleton following behind them.

They appeared at the front door of an extremely massive building. It was 3x the size of Nightmare’s castle width wise, and it was just a bit smaller than a skyscraper length wise, that is, if you aren’t counting what lay underground. Even Nightmare didn’t know what went on down there, and they knew this place like the back of their hand. They helped build it, after all. Sci is adamant on keeping anything that happened underground extremely hidden, saying stuff like “ The multiverse isn’t ready for that kind of knowledge yet. “ Though he has assured them that nothing massively horrific went on, Nightmare wasn’t sure just how much they trusted this to be true, but it was not their job to pry. Besides, Sci was valuable to them just as much as he was dangerous. It is not worth possibly getting on the scientist's bad side.

Besides the building, there was nothing else in the au. Only hard packed dirt for miles around. The deity looked at Dust to see him staring through the clear glass doors at the people, most being scientists, running around in there. His anxiousness was consistently rising, drowning out his previous anger at being forced to come here.

Nightmare sighed “ You will be fine. “ They hesitated, they didn’t want to give Dust some kind of anxiety or panic attack. Even just standing outside the door seemed a little much to him. He seemed to be adjusting to the small change quite quickly, but Nightmare wasn’t sure they wanted to risk this. It frustrated them immensely at their ignorance of mortals, an ignorance they weren’t aware they had until they decided it’d be a good idea to try and save this Sans. Honestly, they had no idea what was, and still is, going on with them… perhaps they should get Sci to look at that as well. Later, though. First, they needed to get this over with, Dust was staring at them in confusion, no doubt wondering why Nightmare was staring at him so intently.

After another moment they said “ You wait right here. I will go inform Sci we are here and come back for you. “

Dust blinked, a bit of relief mixing in with his confusion, and nodded.

Nightmare found a shadow and merged into it, leaving Dust staring at where they once were, and appeared right in Sci’s office, their head almost hitting the roof of the ceiling. The room was specially designed for Sci who, like most Sanses, is quite short. Sci himself was sitting in front of a large computer, typing away. He didn’t seem to notice them so they cleared their throat, making him look up with a small smile.

“ Ah, hello Nightmare. What brings ya here? Ya have my papers? “ Sci rolled his chair away from the computer so he was facing Nightmare instead.

They made an odd noise in the back of their throat, they had completely forgotten about the papers- too focused on Dust. “ .. No, I don’t. It seems I forgot them. However, I came here for a different reason - “

They were interrupted with a curious statement “ Forgot? Well, that’s quite unlike you. “ He tilted his head “ Is there something serious going on? Is your magic acting up again? Negativity depletion? “

Nightmare sighed, Sci really loved to ask questions. “ No, no- nothing of the sort. I would appreciate it if you would cease with the questioning for now, you will be doing plenty of that, “

The scientist leaned forward in interest “ Is that so? Please, indulge me in what you’re talking about. “

“ I have recently.. Hired. A Sans. “ Sci raised an eyebrow at the statement but stayed silent. For now “ Who is not in great shape. So far, he doesn’t seem physically damaged but I would still like for you to personally look him over, as well as help me understand certain behaviours he has shown. He is very obviously mentally unstable but I feel there is more to it than that. “

Sci pushed up the light blue circular glasses up a bit higher on his nose bridge “ Certainly. I can give them a physical and mental assessment. But can I ask why you decided to hire someone in the first place? Mx. Edgy lone wolf lord? “ Sci grinned a bit at his last statement while Nightmare shot him a glare.

“ None of your business. “

He sighed “ Fine, I’m sure i’ll find out eventually. What’s the name of the Sans’s universe? “

They pointedly ignored the first comment “ Dusttale. Which is quite fitting, seeing as he ended up choosing ‘ Dust ‘ as a name. “

Sci nodded and rolled back to his computer, starting to type on it and saying “ Bring- him? “ Sci glanced over and the deity nodded “ Him to room 55 on the ‘ Medical ‘ level in the ‘ Check up ‘ section. I’m sure you’ll be able to find it but if not ask Ali. I will let you inside the room shortly. “

And with that Sci went silent and Nightmare left to retrieve Dust. He seemed to have been mumbling to himself again but went silent when he saw them.

“ Come on. “ They held out a hand. Dust hesitated before slowly grabbing it- well, grabbing a singular finger. Nightmare took Dust with them through the shadows and appeared beside the room Sci instructed them to go to. They looked at Dust who seemed quite dizzy and a little nauseous… perhaps Nightmare should’ve warned him before dragging the mortal into the shadows. It couldn’t have been pleasant for him. They faintly noticed the few people around them purposefully scooted away and avoided them- which was a little odd considering most people were not so cautious around them here.

“ Sit down. “ They gestured over to the plastic white bench beside the room’s door “ I apologize for not giving you a warning. “

Dust let go of their finger and slowly sat down on the floor. In front of the bench. Nightmare blinked at him “.. There is a perfectly stable and clean bench right here. Why would you sit on the disgusting floor?? “

The hooded skeleton looked up at them and shrugged ^ Comfy. ^

“ How is it- “ They sighed “ Nevermind. Get off the ground and sit on the bench like a proper, normal monster. “

He glared slightly but did as told, moving to sit awkwardly on the bench, looking very much uncomfortable. Honestly- one would think he’d never sat on a bench before. Nightmare sighed and just stood there, hands clasped behind their back. After a few minutes Sci came walking by, clipboard in hand.

“ I see you’ve had no trouble finding the room, good. “ Sci looked towards Dust, a curious and intrigued look coming across his face “ And you must be Dust? “ The hooded skeleton nodded, glaring at Sci with a deep distrust. Sci hummed and went to the door, unlocking it and opening it. “ Ya can go ahead and enter, Dust, and get used to the scenery. I would like to talk with Nightmare for a moment. “ he took a step back to let Dust through. The hooded skeleton stared at the open door for a long moment before getting up and going through, Sci closing the door behind him.

Nightmare raised a brow at him “ Yes? “

“ Well, first off, you should’ve told me how unusual he looked. What’s with the shadow over his face? And why is only his eye sockets visible? Is it magic, or is his skull simply colored that way? Or perhaps- “

Nightmare cut him off before he could continue rambling “ I do not know. Nor do I care that much. You can do your own research on it if you wish. “

Sci huffed at the interruption but accepted it “ Alright then- secondly, I did some research on Dusttale and found out what happened there. Do you wanna know or do I keep this between me and Dust? “

They thought for a moment then nodded. “ Only a brief rundown, and nothing too personal. “

Sci stared at them in a questioning manner but proceeded “ The most basic rundown is: Sans snapped from the constant resets and killed everyone in the underground to kill the human. However, from what I can tell, his LOVE and magic seems much too high for him to have only killed off the underground. Either, I am misinterpreting his aura, which I heavily doubt- anyone could feel that unstable magic from miles away, or we have faulty information. Regardless, I will make my final assessments after I have examined him and will look more into his universe. “

Nightmare hummed and nodded. They actually hadn’t felt this aura, but they assumed that was because they themselves had quite the strong aura, most monsters always felt.. Lower, in a sense. Well, at least they knew he was strong, that would prove to be very helpful.

“ And lastly, is there anything specific you want me to be looking for? “

They shook their head “ I do not believe so. Just a general look over to inform me what is wrong with him and why he behaves as he does. “

Sci nodded and made a note on his clipboard “ You can sit on the bench while you wait. Or stand over everyone like always, doesn’t matter to me. “ He pushed his glasses up and walked into the room Dust was in. Nightmare sighed and sat down on the bench, out of spite, and waited.

Sci entered the room, his mind was running with questions. Why would Nightmare, of all people, take in a Sans? And even more so, why would they actually care enough to make sure the skeleton was okay? How long have they known him? How is the Sans- Dust- so ridiculously powerful? He is almost on tier with Nightmare, the embodiment of negativity themself. Well, almost was overstating it, but he was definitely up there. What was up with Dust’s face? Why was the top half of it pitch black but his eyes were still visible?? Was it a spell? Could he be an odd mixture of a Sans and River person? Perhaps a child of theirs? That didn’t seem too unlikely, the creators loved shipping Sanses in particular.

He hoped the examinations would be able to answer some of these questions. But for now, he should focus on the task at hand, not a bunch of what ifs [ even if the what ifs are highly intriguing ]. He looked around the room to see Dust sitting on the floor in the corner, hugging his knees to his chest and mumbling- to himself? That seemed most likely but you never know. Nightmare did say he was mentally unstable. He wrote down a note in the clipboard before walking a few steps towards him but stopping a bit of a distance away. A lot of Sanses didn’t take well to scientists or medical areas, and from the way Dust has been reacting to Sci so far, he was one of them. He could very well be from a ‘ Handplates ‘ situation.

“ Hello. Dust, right? “

Dust jumped and went quiet, looking up at Sci for a moment then glaring, obviously pissed at the scare.

“ Ah- sorry, didn’t mean to scare ya. I’m Sci, as i'm sure you know. I'd like to think of myself as a friend of Nightmare’s. They asked me to do a mental and physical assessment to find out everything that is wrong with ya so they can treat you accordingly. If you would sit down on the examination table? “ He gestured to said dark blue table.

Dust hesitated before slowly unfurling himself and moving to sit on the edge of it, his hands visibly shaking.

“ Thank you. Can ya take off those gloves and jacket? “ 

He quickly shook his head, raising his hands to clutch at his hood.

“ You don’t have to take off your hood if you don’t want to, just take your arms out of the jacket. “ He said, trying to sound as gentle as he could. All he got was a long glare back. He sighed and made a note on the clipboard “ Alright, we’ll start with the easiest bit then. “ 

Sci set down the clipboard on a nearby shelf and took a stethoscope modified for skeletons out from a drawer “ I’ll be using this to check your soulbeat. I will have to get close, so I kindly ask that you don’t stab me. “ He gave a small smile and walked forward. Dust went tense but didn’t move. He checked the hooded skeletons' soul beat and went to write it down on the clipboard. It was slightly accelerated due to anxiety, but otherwise normal. 

He thought it’d be best to dawdle for a moment to give Dust a bit more time to calm down and hopefully get used to him. He looked up to see Dust still glaring. Honestly, he would’ve expected some kind of outburst by now, at the very least be cursed at, but he was… oddly quiet. Perhaps he was a selective mute?

“ Alright, do you mind taking your arms out of your jacket now? I’m afraid it’s crucial for the next bit of my examination. You can put it right back on once I am finished. “

The hooded skeleton glared for a long moment but did actually go through with it, being very careful to not let the hood slip from his head.

“ And your gloves? You can set them down on your lap, I will make no move to take them from you. “ He added, raising his hands palm up as if to show he meant no harm. After another long moment [ He seemed to do that often, it could be a reflex issue.. His mind might register things slower. Sci made a mental note of it ] he complied and dropped the gloves in his lap. Satisfied, Sci walked back over.

The first thing the scientist noticed was the color of Dust’s bones and the fact that they were covered in monster dust. They were a light grey color, most likely from the dust plus malnourishment. He slipped on some rubber gloves and gingerly lifted Dusts arm to examine it more closely. His bones were thin and Sci noticed that there were cuts all over them, some old scars, others quite fresh, most likely from the night before or this morning. They were all obviously done by Dust himself. His fingers also had fading cracks in them.

He hummed “ Did you cause these? “ Sci gestured to the various cuts.

Dust stared for a moment before roughly jerking his arm away from Sci then signing in a language that frankly surprised him ^ Fuck off. ^

“ Oh, that’s a language I haven’t heard- or, should I say, seen- in quite a while. Not many people know Korean, much less the sign language. That is interesting.. I am assuming you do not know the English sign? “

Dust blinked and shook his head.

Sci nodded, it was odd and definitely inconvenient for Dust. He was very lucky Sci knew about it “ I recommend learning. Not a lot of people know sign language, and even less know it in different languages. Plus, it would give you something to do with your hands. “ He suggested, writing information on the clipboard “ You can put your gloves and jacket back on now. “

Dust immediately did so, crossing his arms and going back to glaring. The scientist moved away and grabbed a reflex hammer “ Alright, I'm going to check your reflexes. Please refrain from using any magic, I wouldn’t want anything in here to be damaged. “ he walked back over “ I’ll hit your knee cap with this “ he waved the hammer “ and when it registers, kick. “

Dust huffed ^ Not a baby bones. I know how to do this shit. ^

Sci shrugged “ It’s simple information. Some people have never had a check up in their lives. Besides, I didn’t want to startle ya. “ He hovered the hammer over Dust’s knee and after a moment hit it down, Dust reacted almost instantly.

Sci blinked “ Well that was fast..hm.. “ he had assumed with how long it seemed to take Dust to process things, his reflexes would be a bit slower. Maybe Dust liked thinking things through extensively. That, or, he was slow on purpose. The scientist did the same thing to the other leg and got the same result. He wrote the notes down then looked at Dust.

There was still much more Sci was supposed to do, but he didn’t want to push Dust. Sure, he was somewhat calm and cooperative now, but there was no telling when or if he would snap. So he offered an alternative.

 “ Okay, usually, this would be the time I would start asking you questions about your physical health. However, since we will be doing a mental assessment as well, we can add those to that section and you can have a small break if you like. “

Dust paused, thinking it over before giving a stiff nod.

“ Great, give me just a moment “ Sci wrote something down on the edge of one of his papers and then ripped it off, holding the small piece out to Dust “ There is a break room on the 25th floor you can go to. If you do, give this to a person named ‘ Baxter ‘. Xeir name will be on a name tag on xeir chest. “ Dust stared for a long moment before hesitantly grabbing the paper “ Though I will warn you, if you go you will have to go alone, I need Nightmare to stay here so we can chat. “ Sci walked to the other side of the room to sit on a spindly stool “ Thank you for cooperating with me as much as you have. “ He smiled at Dust “ You can go now “

Dust quickly got off the table and left the room, leaving Sci to look through his notes and wait for Nightmare.

It was. Oddly quiet.

Well, quieter then it usually is. Dust could hear the hustle and bustle of the people around him, but he couldn’t hear any of the usual voices. All of them had gone quiet when he had seen Sci in the room. And even now, most of them were still quiet. Except Paps, of course. He could never be quiet. But for now Dust ignored him, instead focusing on Nightmare, who had stood up when seeing Dust rush out of the room

“ Finished? “ They asked. Dust hated how this octopus god thing towered over him, it reminded him a bit too much of someone. Maybe that’s why he was so damn compliant with this.

‘ Or you're just too scared. It’s so rude and just straight up awful of you to be so scared of our home!! ‘ 

Dust shook his head Not now, paps. You can get on to me later. 

“ If you aren’t finished, why have you left? “

^ Break. ^

Nightmare paused, an odd look coming across their features before they asked “ …For how long? “

He shrugged, then hesitated. Is he supposed to ask permission to go somewhere?

‘ Don’t be stupid, just go! It’s not like they’ll care. No one cares about you. ‘

Dust looked down at the ground. Paps wasn’t lying, but he still felt the obligation to ask regardless. After all, Nightmare was his boss thing or whatever..

Without taking his eyes off the ground he signed ^ Scientist guy said I can go to this break room thing. Can I go there? ^

Nightmare thought for a moment before answering “ Yes, you can. Just do not cause any trouble, understood? “

Dust looked up and nodded. He didn’t actually think they would say yes-

‘ They probably just want you to leave them alone. You're being super annoying right now. ‘

He shrugged I still get to go, so who cares? And walked off, leaving Nightmare beside the horrid ass bench. 

He walked around, looking for an elevator or stairs or somethin, making sure to avoid touching anybody that passed by. He really hoped there would barely be anyone there. After all, everyone here seemed to be quite busy and it WAS a break room. Paps was ranting on and on about everyone around them, criticizing them for little things that Dust, personally, couldn’t care less about. Who cares if some random Alphys had a little stain on her coat?

‘ Well of course you don’t! You're disgusting enough as it is! Look at you!! You haven’t showered in forever!! ‘

He sighed, Paps was usually a little nicer if Dust talked to him verbally, even if Dust really didn’t like it. He couldn't right now though, there were too many people around. What’s the point? I don’t have skin and I’ll just get dirty again anyways.

‘ The point is cleanliness, sis!! ‘ He held back a flinch ‘ You should scrub at your dirty bones with a soap soaked rag until they’re raw with how dirty you’ve let yourself get!! Stars, Sans, you’ve really let yourself go.’

Dust scoffed as he turned a corner and ignored Paps. The building was like a fucking maze. Where the fuck is an elevator?? They HAVE to have a elevator in here somewhere-

‘ Of course there is! These scientists aren’t stupid like you. Remember when you were a scientist? '

He felt his shoulders tense more. Don’t start this today. Not here.

Of course, Paps didn’t listen. He never did. ‘ You were the ROYAL scientist at that! Following in our fathers shoes, just like you should! Afterall, he was so successful!! ‘

Dust brought a hand up and clenched Paps scarf tightly. Why do you have to bring him up every time you talk about scientists-?

‘ Because he was one! A very successful one! If he wasn’t successful, he wouldn’t have gotten away with what he’s done to us. You deserved that treatment though, didn’t you? He had to have known what you’d do. What you’d become. So he treated you accordingly! Like a fucking. Monster. An artificial one at that. In so many different ways. Don’t you agree, sis? ‘

He faintly felt Paps hands on his shoulders. He nodded slowly, holding the scarf so tightly he felt his fingers dig into the palms of his hands through the fabric

 “... yeah.. Guess so.. “ He whispered.

‘ There is no guess so!! You know so!! ‘ He snapped ‘ You are and will never be a man, Sans. You’re not even a real skeleton. ‘ Other voices started to chime in, all saying something degrading. He only kept walking. He couldn’t even remember what he was walking towards, so focused on trying to tune them all out. ‘ I still love you, sis. No matter what your delusions lead you to believe, for that’s all they are! Delusions! They’ll fade eventually. Like the blood of all those innocent monsters on your hands. My blood. ‘

“ I- I had to- you know that, I had to do it- ‘ He whispered frantically

‘ Did you really though?? Did you really HAVE to do it? Are you sure it’s not just your unnatural brain making up dumb excuses so you can try and glorify your disgusting desires? Make you out as the hero? ‘

“ N-no- no no, it’s not- I didn’t want to I had to- I had to do it, they wouldn’t stop. I had to do it I had to- “

‘ Your a fucking liar, you know that? You always were. Maybe-’

 “ Oh my stars, are you okay?! “

Dust blinked. He was.. Sitting on the floor? How did he end up on the floor?? There was someone standing in front of him. He slowly looked up to see a skeleton staring at them with very concerned blue eyelights, their hands hovering over him as if he wanted to help Dust up but wasn’t sure if it would be welcome.

“ A-are you okay??? “ Dust’s silence seemed to have only worried the skeleton more “ You hit the ground quite hard-“

Ah, that made sense. He must’ve zoned out really badly- and most likely rammed right into him. He didn’t know how fast he was going, he could’ve been straight up running. He couldn’t remember..

“... Do you not speak-? I know sign language if you don’t or can’t!! “

Dust stared at them. Sci said not many knew Korean Sign Language, so he doubted this skeleton did. He looked.. young. Dumb. But then again, looks can be deceiving.

“ Or if you don’t know Sign, I have a notebook and some pens you can use if you don’t have any of your own! Oh- “ He face palmed “ How rude of me! I haven’t even introduced myself or offered my help!! “

… Loud. He was quite loud. Like- Paps loud. Dust wasn’t sure he liked that.

“ I’m Swap! A lot of people call me Blue, and you can too if you like that better! I don’t mind! It does roll off the tongue better then Swap does “ He said, holding out a hand to Dust. He just stared at it. “ Uhm.. Are you okay with me helping you up? “

‘ …. ‘

“... I’ll take that as a no then- That’s alright though! I understand not many people like being touched, especially by friends they just met!! “ Swap clasped his hands together in front of his chest, grinning.

.. Friends? More like strangers. He was disliking this Swap guy more and more. Dust slowly stood up. He was so much like paps- even their build was similar. Wide shoulders and thick bones, though Blue’s were a bit thicker than his was are, and he wasn’t nearly as tall, only a few inches taller than Dust.

“ I’m the Sans from Swaptale! The original timeline, that is. Are you a Sans as well? What’s your name?? “

Bitch you already guessed that I don’t talk and can’t use sign language [ at least not english ], why are you asking questions you dumbfuck??

“ Oh right- can’t talk haha” He laughed a little nervously grabbing a mini notebook and pen from his pocket “ Sorry, I tend to forget things like that when I meet new people- I’ll try to remember from now on!! “ Blue held out the notebook and pen. “ The pen is red, but I can get you a different color if you want! “

Dust stared at him for a long moment. He really didn’t want to talk to this guy, especially after what just happened. So he simply turned around and walked away, ignoring Swap when he called out after him in confusion.

“ H-hey, wait up!! “ The blue fucker ran ahead of him, turning around to block his path. “ Did I do something wrong?? “ But he didn’t stop walking, so Swap compensated and started going backwards. “ I gave you a way to speak to me, why won’t you??? “

‘ You’re being a real ass, you know. Why don’t you talk to him?? I quite like him! He seems fun! ‘

Dust stopped, glaring at him. They tentatively held out the items and he snatched them harshly. He quickly scribbled down a simple phrase then threw both the pen and notepad to the side.

“ Wha- hey!! That wasn’t very-”

He roughly shoved passed him and continued walking, not bothering to listen to the rest of his sentence.

I really don’t give a flying fuck about that guy, Paps.

‘ Hmph. Retard.‘

He shoved his hands in his pockets so no one would see him clench his fists. Luckily, the little blue fucker didn’t continue to follow him. Guess he got the message and fucked off. Hopefully he’ll never have to see him again.

Finally, he found the damn elevator in what looked like a waiting room. A couple of monsters were scattered here and there but he didn’t pay them any mind, just made a beeline for the giant ass blue doors. Why is there so much blue??

‘ Well that Sci guy is the Sans here, right? Maybe it was his decision! I remember you used to quite like blue! That was, before you started going batshit. Why did you decide to murder me again? ‘

Dust repressed a sigh as the doors opened and he stepped in, going over to a corner and leaning against the wall. You know why.. I had to stop the human.

‘ They were only a child, sis! They didn’t deserve that. ‘

A murderous child. A child who killed you over and over and over and over again.

‘ You did the same thing, didn’t you? You’re just as bad as them. ‘

….

“ Hey-? “

Dust jumped, barely suppressing his magic from shooting out and stabbing the dog monster standing in the elevator's doorway.

“ Woah, sorry man-” They held up their paws. “ Didn’t mean to scare ya- but uhm.. You doing okay? “ He just stared at them with wide eyes. “.. That’s alright- you don’t gotta answer.. You do realize you need to press the floor button you want to go to to get the elevator moving, right?? “

Dust blinked. He totally forgot- he was so wrapped up with Paps. Again. Maybe he should ignore him in public-

‘ Don’t. You. Dare. That’s so unfair! Stars, you’d think I didn’t exist! ‘

… Right.. Yeah, sorry I even thought about it.

‘ You better be. ‘

He blinked again when he noticed the monster waving a paw in front of his face “ Hello?? Damn, you zone out pretty hard, huh? “ They gave him a small smile.

He glanced up to get a better look at them and noticed the name tag on his chest. So this was Baxter- he thought xe was supposed to be in the break room? Unless he remembered it wrong.

‘ You probably did. But that’s what I’m here for, right?? ‘

He nodded absently. Baxter obviously assumed that was targeted towards xem and responded “ That’s alright, I get it. I have a little sibling who does that a lot. Which floor were you headed to? “

Dust walked over to the buttons on the other side of him. There were so many of them- at least over 40 buttons. He wasn’t even sure if all of them were floors or not. Just how big was this place? He scanned some of the numbers before finding one that was labeled ‘ 25 ‘ and pressing it.

Baxter tilted xeir head “ You're not an employee, are you?? “ 

Dust looked at him and shook his head, momentarily confused before he realized the number was under a plaque that said ‘ EMPLOYEES ONLY AREAS ‘ in big bold black letters. He quickly pulled out the note Sci had given him and handed it over. Xe took a minute to read it before saying “ Ah, I see. Big man himself gave you permission? “

Dust nodded and went back to his corner. He felt more tolerant to this guy then he did Swap. He had a suspicion it had something to do with xeir looks, xe looked like xe came right out of a angsty teen novel and Dust was kinda here for it.

‘ Well I’m not. He looks like he drinks baby's blood or some shit! ‘

He made a face Ew- what the fuck Paps?? It’s just clothes.

‘ Demonic looking clothes! I mean, look at those sharp spikes!! Xe could poke someones eye out! It’s outright dangerous and inconsiderate! You shouldn’t get too close with xem. ‘

Dust rolled his eyes. You’re being dramatic, they're not even long enough PLUS they're obviously dulled.

‘ Whatever. I still say to not befriend xem. ‘

Wasn’t going to anyways, Paps. 

‘ Good! Besides, you don’t need new friends, you have me and everyone else! '

He shrugged Yeah, you’re right. No one would wanna be friends with me anyways.

‘ I’m always right! ‘

Dust jumped for what felt like the millionth time today when he heard a loud ding and the elevator doors opened. He noticed Baxter was staring at him oddly, but he ignored it and left the elevator.