Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Wait, wait! Don’t-“

A loud thunk, as the old TV was thrown into the dumpster along with other heaps of trash.

The human, a large, grumpy one, wiped their hands of dust and dirt, scoffing at the grime on their hands. The TV could only helplessly watch as it was left there, the human turning their back and walking away.

“Wait! Come back!” The TV cried out, to no avail. No one could hear his woes, yelling feebly to nothing. “Don’t leave me here! Do you not like my programs? I’ll spice it up! I’ll show the 6pm show at 5!”

Still no response. The human was gone, leaving nothing but the buzzing of the city from outside the alley. The TV wasn’t used to this, to the strange new sounds. He was only used to his human’s quiet apartment.

…his human. They were coming back, right? Surely this was a mishap. Surely they didn’t mean to leave them here. They meant to get rid of that skinny doppelgänger! That fraud, trying to replace him!

He’d like to see how far she’ll get! She’ll get thrown out someday, too!

…

It felt so quiet, despite the noise of honking cars and chattering humans and monsters, shuffling to and fro. His human could have at least turned him on before abandoning him. He thought his shows were quite tasteful, thank you very much!

…

“How long has it been?” The TV asked himself aloud. He didn’t like not having anyone to talk to. No one he talked to could hear him anyways, but that didn’t make him enjoy it any less.

He felt lonely. His human was taking a long time.

“…are they coming back?”

…

It was nighttime now. Light rain was pouring steadily down from the sky.

Was it safe for him to get wet? Why didn’t his human close the dumpster cover!? What if he short-circuited!?

…well he was actually glad it was open. He could look up at the sky from here. And it was better than darkness.

“…I hope you’re back soon…”

…

The sun was rising again. He felt cold and damp, but alive. That was something, right?

But his human… they weren’t back…

“…they’re not coming back, are they?”

…no. It had been so long. They weren’t coming back.

He felt stupid. What did he do wrong!? Was that skinny imposter really so much better than him!? What could she do that he couldn’t!? Nothing, that’s what! He was already perfect! His human was brain dead for thinking otherwise!

“I’ll see how far they get without me!” The TV snapped! “Soon they’ll come crawling back! I’ll wait!”

…he’d wait a long time.

…

It was nighttime again. The moon was nearly invisible, barely shining any light.

…

It was midday. The cars on the road were honking like crazy. What was going on? He wished he could see.

…

Sunrise. The air smelled of barbecued street food.

…

Midnight. The moon was full.

…

It was too cloudy to see what time it was. It was snowing.

…

Midday. The snow was gone.

…

Too much trash was piled on top of him. He couldn’t see.

…

.  .  .

The world felt like it was passing by in a blur at this point. It had been so long. He knew his human wasn’t coming back at this point, but somehow, he still managed to cling onto the smallest sliver of hope.

The dumpster was probably nearly full. He couldn’t see anymore, heaps of garbage blocking his view. Was the trash collector coming?

Dread suddenly welled up inside of him. No. No, I can’t be taken away! That was a stupid thought! The dumpster’s barely full! No need to take it out this week!

He didn’t want to spiral. It had been so long since he felt anything, the sudden fear inside him was overwhelming.

A noise suddenly snapped him from his thoughts. It sounded like a human. A young one. It was crying.

The noise approached, loud, heavy footsteps following behind.

My human!! His heart leapt in delight. They’re back! They’re finally back!

The crying of the younger human clouded his excitement. It sounded so desperate, so scared.

“D-don’t cry-“ he struggled to find words. It had been so long since the TV last spoke.

The crying was very close to him now, practically above him. It made his heart ache. He wished he could see what was going on.

A loud bang suddenly sounded from above, making him jump. What was that!?

The crying still continued, but he felt as if the older human was no longer here. What’s happening!?

“H-hey, it’s okay. Please stop crying.” He tried reasoning with the empty wall. The crying continued.

Did his human… leave a child here?

First him and now a child!?

It felt like bile was rising in his nonexistent throat. That heartless bastard.

The more the young human cried, the more his heart wrenched. He didn’t want this. He didn’t want this at all.

No one had to suffer the way he did.

Chapter Text

A long while passed. The baby human wasn’t crying anymore. He hoped the silence would calm his nerves, but it only seemed to make it worse.

Was the child dead? How long can baby humans survive without food? Or water?

He tried thinking back to those science channels, but it all came up blank. His human didn’t watch those types of shows. They mostly watched the news and hockey.

His human…

Before this, he was so desperate for their return. He’d daydream about being dusted off and given a formal apology. He’d be plugged back in, and he could go back to doing what he did best.

But not anymore. The thought of his human returning only made him feel disgusted. The heartless monster threw away a child.

…was the child okay?

“…h… hello? Human?”

He didn’t expect a response, yet he continued.

“Do you wanna watch something? I… I have Teletubes.”

He couldn’t turn on anyways. That was a stupid question.

He was stupid for thinking he was wanted anymore. Soon enough, he’d be hauled away to the landfill with the poor kid.

…not the kid part. The thought only made the ache in his heart intensify. He was just an old CRT, he had lived past his glory days.

But the kid… they were young. They were alive. The living had more rights to go out there and live than inanimate objects like him.

But, even if he didn’t like it, he couldn’t do anything. He couldn’t move, couldn’t speak, nothing. He was hopeless, just like the poor child.

…

The baby human shifted occasionally, calling out in gibberish to the empty air. Sometimes they started crying again. He didn’t like it when they cried. He didn’t like the fact he couldn’t do anything.

He really, really hoped they wouldn’t starve. Someone had to be coming, right? The trash collector wouldn’t just see a baby in the trash and throw it away!

…

The baby was crying again. “Please stop crying,” he called out again. “It’ll be okay.”

…no, no it wouldn’t. He wasn’t a fool.

He heard the engine of a car over the infants' sobs. He always heard cars, the city bustling with life. But this one was closer.

The engine suddenly stopped. If any more noise was being made, the TV couldn’t hear it over the baby.

He suddenly heard a creaking. Then a loud gasp.

Was someone here!? Please, help us! Help the kid!!

“Oh, you poor, poor thing!” A woman’s voice called out, wracked with emotion. Yes! Help us!

Suddenly, he could see a bit. Part of what obscured his vision had been lifted. By the Angel, it was bright, the TV needing to squint to get used to such light.

“What terrible creature could leave behind such a poor, innocent youth!?” The woman continued, talking over the child’s continued sobs. “There there, little one, I will keep you safe.”

The light was still too bright, shining on his screen painfully. The woman’s voice roused him from the discomfort, however.

“Oh…? What’s this…”

He could see a white paw. A monster? He’d never actually seen a monster before, aside from the few that showed up on his channels.

He felt as if his screen adjusted, blinking up at the sky. He had almost forgotten what it looked like.

“…a TV?” The woman asked. She was some type of white furred monster, with long, droopy ears and short horns.

…wait. Wait wait wait.

She could see him.

WOULD SHE TAKE HIM!? FINALLY, AFTER WHO KNOWS HOW LONG!!!

The woman seemed to be lost in thought and HE DIDN’T CARE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE TAKE HIM AWAY FROM THIS HELLHOLE!!!!

She glanced back at the human child. “…you poor thing… I’ll take care of you, little one.”

She turned to walk away.

No… NO! NO NO NO!!!!!

“ COME BACK!! ” he screamed as loud as he could. For once, he wished he could be heard. The thought of being left here to suffer left him desperate, terrified.

Seconds felt like hours. Was she coming back!? Please, PLEASE!!

“ PLEASE DON’T LEAVE ME!!! ”

The woman returned, but his desperation remained.

“TAKE ME WITH YOU!”

He could tell she was thinking. Sometimes he hated it when people thought silently. He wanted to know what she was thinking, but she didn’t know that, so she kept her thoughts inside her mind.

She suddenly leaned down toward him.

“YES! PLEASE! ”

Large paws grabbed his sides, hauling him up with a grunt.

YES!! FINALLY!!!

He could tell she struggled with the old CRT’s weight, but he couldn’t care less. Finally… FINALLY! After so long! He thought he’d never see the light of day, that his glory days were gone. But hope suddenly swam through his wires. This could be his second chance!

He was plopped down in the trunk of a car. He didn’t care to pay attention to what was happening. He felt almost hysteric. Finally, finally, finally…

He watched the clouds pass by from the window in the back of the car. By the Angel, clouds! How long has it been since he last saw those!?

He could still hear the baby human behind him, the crying never really stopping, just quieting down. He suddenly felt selfish. That kid was way more deserving than he was. He should be feeling happy for them. They were finally being given a chance, meanwhile this was his second.

“Shh, shhh,” the woman hushed the child softly. “It’s alright, little one.”

“Everything will be okay now.”

Chapter Text

The movement of the car felt weird. For the longest time, he had remained stationary in an aluminum box. But this metal container bounced and rumbled, making him feel sick.

But he didn’t care. He didn’t care in the slightest. Finally, after so long, it was time for his comeback!

The woman seemed to be driving pretty hastily, but the only thing he could see was the sky outside the car's back window. All these new sights, it was almost overwhelming. How long did he spend in darkness?

Too long. But not anymore! Things were finally looking up!

He could still hear the young human, the sounds always making his heart wrench. The poor human had suffered the same way he had. Not for as long, but long enough. He could sit around forever, but living organisms needed sustenance to survive.

That was probably why they weren’t quieting down. The poor thing was probably starving.

“Please drive faster, lady!” He called out. “The human needs food!”

The drive was still taking a while. Wherever the lady lived, it was likely very far away.

…he hoped it was nice.

His human’s apartment was nothing short of a disaster. They left random trash everywhere and didn’t care to clean up after themself. If being a TV taught him anything, it was that being tidy was of utmost importance. This group of channels is cartoons, this is reality TV, this show runs from 9am to 9pm on Sundays, Monsters got Talent always starts with a triple buzzer…

He didn’t feel the need to go into detail. It was a simple enough premise, no need to explain it to himself.

…were they there yet?

The car's pace felt slower than it had before. Maybe they were close. He hoped they were close. The human needed food, and the TV needed to get out of this sickening box.

Some more time passed. It felt like forever. Despite all the time he spent alone, unplugged, not playing anything felt so weird. He was a TV! He was supposed to play shows! To entertain mostly others and, admittedly, himself.

The car suddenly came to a halt. Were they there!?

He heard a door open, but it wasn’t the trunk.

Okay… he could wait. He’d been waiting for so long already! What hurt was a few more seconds?

“Come here, my child,” he heard the woman again. “Don’t worry. We’ll get you fed and taken care of. You’re safe now.”

The car door closed. He was alone. Again.

It was fine. He could be alone.

…

He didn’t feel fine.

He didn’t want to be alone again. Something about the quietness didn’t sit right with him. He felt like he did when he was abandoned. Alone and clinging onto a desperate hope.

But I’m not anymore. He thought to himself. I’m not abandoned anymore. Someone out there still wanted me.

He just had to wait for her to return. It made sense. The kid was the top priority. They were practically on the brink of death, but he could last as long as he wanted and then some.

He just… needed to wait.

…

…it was warm in here. Why was it so warm? It was snowing just a day or two ago, wasn’t it?

…was that a day or two ago? He had lost track of time in that Angel-forsaken garbage can. Was that a month or two ago? A year or two ago??

Probably not that long. …hopefully.

But now he was curious. How long had it been? How much did everything change while he was stuck there? That thin TV his human bought to replace him, she was super new and innovative. Was her model more commonplace now? He really, really hoped not. He didn’t need any more of that dumb TV.

The trunk suddenly opened. Yes, finally! No more waiting!

There was a new monster here, instead of that woman. His horns were much longer, and he had golden hair and a stubby looking chin. He looked down at him, scratching his head thoughtfully.

“Dumpster’s the last place I expected Tori to go shopping,” he said with a light chuckle.

He couldn’t help but frown. “Yes yes, very funny.”

The new monster, much stronger than the other one, picked him up from the trunk. He managed to carry him under his arm as he reached up and closed the trunk door.

The TV got a nice look at the monster’s house. His house. He’d finally have a home.

He got a good view of the interior as the man opened the door. There were a few couches, and a dining table and kitchen. He spotted a closed door and a staircase, and couldn’t help but wonder what was over there, beyond his line of sight.

The man put him down on a small dresser in the living room, giving him a decently good view. It wasn’t great, but he’d take it over a dumpster any day.

The man looked over towards the kitchen, his brow furrowed in concern. “You said you found it in a dumpster?”

The other monster hesitated to respond. He couldn’t see her, but he could still sense the sympathy in her tone. “…yes, the poor thing. It’s parents must’ve abandoned it.”

“You got anything to feed it?”

“Yes, some of Azzy’s leftover baby food.”

Azzy? Was there a third one?

His audience had suddenly quadrupled in size! He couldn’t wait to be turned on. He had such great things to show everyone! Gone were the days of living in a garbage can.

…he hoped nothing eroded.

Chapter Text

He heard quick, light footsteps from the direction of the kitchen. It sounded like someone small.

“Momma!” A young voice suddenly exclaimed. He couldn't actually see what was going on, but he felt the younger monster pause, likely in confusion. “Momma, what's that?”

The lady responded. The burly man called her Tori, if he remembered correctly. “Good morning, Asriel.” Her voice was patient and warm. “This is your new baby sibling.”

The man glanced over at the kitchen from where he idly watched, his brow furrowing “You sure we can keep it, Tori? You can't really just take a kid and call it your own. That would be a little thing called a kidnapping.” He added that last part in a hurry, sensing Tori's disapproval and trying to add some light humor to the situation.

The TV still couldn't see Azzy or Tori, but he could still tell that Tori didn't seem too happy with the man's words. “We're not going to throw it away again, Asgore,” she spoke with a hint of authority, as he could practically sense the growing tension. It was a shock to him to hear her so stern, Tori usually coming off as calm and collected, at least from what he had seen so far.

“...besides,” her tone grew somber, “that may be how it works for human adoptions, but monsters aren't as cared about.”

He could sense the continued tension in the room, but it felt sadder with Tori's words hanging in the air. Were monsters treated poorly? It was hard for him to imagine. This place was practically a pristine palace compared to the pigsty his human lived in.

...he didn't like thinking about his human.

The silence in the room continued for a moment, until he heard Azzy speak again. “Can I go to Dess’ house, momma?”

“Of course, dear.” The warmth in Tori's voice returned.

He saw a small monster walk into his line of sight. Azzy looked like a mini version of the man, and moved with a cheery skip in his step. Seeing someone who looked so happy and carefree was almost like a breath of fresh air, especially after the hell he had to endure for who knows how long.

Azzy glanced his way, the two of their eyes meeting. He smiled, giving the young monster a light wave. "Hello there!"

...well, no he didn't. He couldn't do anything but sit there, but still, he could imagine. And he could speak, even if no one could hear.

The young monster glanced at his father, pointing at the TV. “Hey papa, what's that?”

The man - Asgore, apparently - smiled down at him. “That's a TV, Asriel. Mom found it. You can watch things on it.”

Azzy- Azzy? Asriel? He heard the two names used interchangeably. He didn't necessarily know why. With what he was used to - the people he was used to entertaining and the shows he was used to playing - you had one name.

…unless you were him. Then you had zero names. Sometimes he wished he had a name like the living.

Azzy/Asriel was staring at him when he came back to the present. He wished he could show him something besides the little monster's own reflection in his dark screen.

Asgore took his son's paw in his own. “Why don't we go visit the Holidays like you wanted? I'm sure Dess and little baby Noelle would love to see you.”

Azzy looked back up at him, smiling with excitement. “Okay! Let's go!” The young monster tried pulling Asgore along, but it seemed to have zero effect on the large man. Before leaving, he glanced back at Tori. “You sure you can take care of the human?”

“Of course, dear.”

Asgore nodded, looking back to Asriel. He pretended to be pulled along by the young monster. “Woah, Azzy! When did you get so strong?”

That was the last thing he could hear from them before the two were out the door, leaving the house in a calming silence. He knew Tori was still in the other room, caring for that poor kid. He knew the living were top priority, but he still couldn't help but feel restless, impatient for when he could finally be plugged in and used again.

“...you poor thing.” He suddenly heard Tori speak from the other room. “Don't worry, you're safe now.”

She was talking to the kid. For some reason, it took him a moment to realize, almost thinking she was talking to him.

It always felt weird whenever he heard people talk to themselves. Listening to passing conversations was easy, but listening to people talk to themselves felt intrusive, like he was eavesdropping on a private moment. But it wasn't like he could do anything about it. He had no ears, and no hands to cover them with, either.

Tori continued cooing to the baby, and he continued listening, not having much else to do. Her voice was so calming and disarming, at least when she wanted it to be. He could tell just by her deminor how gentle she was being, like she was nurturing an injured bird back to health. Or, y’know, an injured human.

“Everything will be alright, little one.”

He knew she was talking to the baby, but he still couldn't help but feel she was talking to him, too. Their two situations were very similar. But he wasn't alive. He wasn't supposed to be cared for in the same way the living was.

…but he still listened.

“You are safe now. And you are loved.”

Chapter Text

Tori had gone upstairs with the kid, leaving him all alone in the living room. He was used to being alone. He had been three times before.

He had gotten pretty good at waiting, he thought. He waited in the store, in a dumpster, in a car, and now here. It would only get easier.

…at least, that’s what he thought. He thought the more he waited, the easier waiting would get. But not now. He was so close to being back to what he was good at. If only Azzy didn’t want to leave, or Tori didn’t have to deal with that kid. Then he’d be plugged back in and be back to entertaining and being watched. He was so so close.

But he had to wait.

So he did.

…wishing Tori didn’t have to deal with the kid was kinda mean. The living were more important than the inanimate. They got top priority, however he felt about it. Besides, he couldn’t die, at least not easily, but babies definitely could.

But feeling bad didn’t make waiting any easier. In fact, it made it worse. He didn’t want to be left to deal with his own thoughts.

He looked around the room, hoping to distract himself. All he could see was the living room. Honestly, he wished he could see more. For the longest time, all he had ever known was darkness, but now he was able to see the world, and he was stuck with a bland living room.

He didn’t really know what he was expecting, though. Even before being thrown out, he had only ever seen a gross apartment. TVs like him just weren’t very mobile. TVs were stationary, stuck in whatever spot they’re put in. That was one of many things he just had to accept.

Like waiting. He always had to wait.

…what he thought made him curious. TVs were stationary… were there others like him? Who could think and see?

He knew that TV his old human replaced him with, but the two of them never actually talked. But could they? Was it something he had to learn?

He couldn’t really finish that thought, as Tori walked into the living room. She didn’t have the kid, so he could only assume it was upstairs somewhere. In bed probably?

Now that he was thinking about it, he didn’t actually know what you do with babies.

…that was a weird thought.

Like- where you put them. They can’t really function on their own. Do they just sit in bed? Not knowing things always irked him. He always had questions, but no answers, at least none that his channels could answer. Where did his old human even get a baby? Where did they come from? And why did such an awful person wind up with one??

“Alright… now how do you get a TV to work?”

Tori broke him out from his thoughts. She was staring at him with a perplexed look.

…really? Who didn’t know how to plug in a CRT?

“You just need a power cable,” he responded.

He seemed to be both lucky and unlucky in a sense. His cable wasn’t attached, so you could get just about any cable and use it. Plus, if his cable was attached but it broke then they’d be in a whole new predicament.

But not having a cable attached likely meant they’d have to buy one, which would result in more waiting.

… great.

Tori looked behind him, turning him a bit to see his back, likely in search of any cords or plugs.

“You need to be plugged into something…” she spoke to him. Or rather to herself.

“That’s what I said.”

She stepped back again. He was looking at an angle now, facing the front door. Tori walked out of his line of sight, in the direction of the kitchen. Whatever she was doing, he heard some clicking. The sounds stopped, and there was a moment of silence. He wished he could see what she was doing, but, from his viewpoint, he could only guess.

“Good evening, Mrs. Holiday. It’s Toriel,” Tori finally spoke up. Was someone else there? He wished he could see. “Have Asgore and Asriel arrived? Wonderful. May I speak to Asgore please? Thank you kindly.”

Another moment of silence. What is she doing??

“Hello Asgore dear, do you by any chance know how to plug in the television? Will they allow you to use the computer? Oh, dear, are you sure you should leave him? Well, if you’re certain. See you soon. I love you too, dear. Goodbye.”

Another click. …well, he didn’t know what the hell just happened. How was she speaking to Asgore? Who’s Mrs. Holiday?

He could hear her footsteps returning. She straightened him out again, letting him see normally again.

She stood there a moment, just staring at him. He could tell she was thinking. He still hated it when people kept their thoughts to themselves. …but people saying their thoughts aloud felt intrusive. That was ironic.

She eventually walked away again, leaving him alone. Again.

He was still thinking about what she had done. She spoke of someone named Mrs. Holiday, but then started magically talking to Asgore? Didn’t he and Azzy leave? How the hell was she talking to them just now?

Tori eventually returned, carrying a book. Wordlessly, she sat beside him and began reading.