Responses to whump prompts with characters of mine, usually in specific fandoms.
...okay, usually in Undertale.
I write about heavy topics sometimes; I don't condone them.
Click here to learn about the characters!
So something most of you probably don't know (and frankly, not your fault! I usually don't talk about myself on here) is that I really love Billie Eilish. Realized today that she released a new song and holy shit the mental PMV for this -
Anyway, as such, say hello to a whump songfic :)
Sometimes you look the same / just like you did before the accident
It's been years since Gaster died, years since they've all been finally, finally free of that man. So much has changed - Asriel can walk again, mostly without help. Kat is smiling again and purring as strong as she ever had. Ky is physical, and as ever, Brooke's best friend - and yet so much is the same. Looking over at her husband's sleeping face, she smiles. Sometimes, especially when they're asleep, it's just like when they were kids having sleepovers at Asgore's, huddled together in a cuddle puddle.
God, she loves him so much. She loves them both so much. She sits up, careful not to disturb either, and heads into the bathroom for her morning routine.
When you're staring into space, / it's hard to believe you don't remember it
She catches a glimpse of herself in the mirror as she splashes water on her face and pauses for a moment, halfway to reaching a washcloth. Out of the three of them, she feels she looks the most different. She's grown her hair out, a personal act of healing, since she usually kept it short during the rebellion. She still has a scar across her cheekbone that strains to reach the bridge of her nose - a souvenir from a particularly annoying run-in with the Secret Police. There's lines marking her skin, testaments to her aging. Remarkable how fast that seems to happen for someone in their thirties.
Brooke shakes her head, her hand finishing the motion of grabbing the washcloth to dry her face off. She proceeds to use the toilet and then shower. She's been getting lost in the past a lot lately, thinking a lot about the rebellion, about things that could've been, could've changed. About Kat in the hospital, all but lifeless, struggling even with the hope Ky brought. About Asriel and his hobbies, the track meet he never got to attend because of the accident. She doesn't know if he remembers it that well. He never claims to.
Woke up in the ambulance; / you pieced it all together on the drive. / I know you don't remember calling me, / but I told you even then you look so pretty. / In a hospital bed, / I remember you said / you were scared, / and so was I
She sat in the chair next to his bed, more numb than she wished she was. He wasn't awake yet, and she just waited. It felt like hours, weeks, seconds, before he finally spoke.
"Hey B."
She glanced up, shifting to sit straighter. "Hey fluffy boy." She managed a weak smile, which he returned.
Silence prevailed for a while. "Your mom's doing okay," she finally said.
"I know. She came in earlier. She doesn't really remember how we crashed; people seem to think it was a drunk driver."
"Do you?"
He paused. "I don't really know what else it could've been," he responded. "Mom didn't just randomly lose control. Or have an episode. They usually don't happen when she drives, y'know?"
"Yeah." Brooke had a suspicion that was partly a product of Gaster's doing. As ever when it came to him, though, she had no proof. "At least you get to rock a hospital gown."
He cracked a smile. "Leading the fashion front this year."
"You totally could. You could rock anything." She smiled in return.
He laughed a bit. "You're biased 'cause you love me."
"Maybe so, but that doesn't mean I'm wrong."
"If you say so."
They fell into a comfortable silence. After a moment, she asked hesitantly, "Do you remember anything about it?"
He shook his head, wincing a bit. "No. I know it was bad, though. Couldn't even heal me with magic."
"Guess that rules out the upcoming track meet then, huh?" Brooke tried for a bigger smile. She knew he would be fine, he'd come back from worse. He came back from dying so many times; whatever injuries came from the crash, he'd get over them easily.
He looked away. There was a beat before he responded. "Might not do track next year."
"You'll be better by then," she shrugged.
Asriel sighed then. "No. I don't think I will."
"C'mon, Azzy. It's not like you to be pessimistic," she frowned.
"I'm not being pessimistic, Brooke. You know I'm not." He looked back at her, green eyes holding a world of exhaustion.
"I don't know that, actually." She felt anger starting to bubble up, brought from annoyance. "Cause it really sounds like you are."
"I'm really not. Doing track next year would be a miracle," Asriel persisted.
"I don't see how. You're gonna heal up in maybe three months tops, and I know you're gonna be itching to get back into it."
"Stop it," he said.
"Stop what? Trying to remind you you aren't hopeless?" Brooke's voice rose. "I'm not doing that, Azzy."
"Stop trying to act like everything is fine," he said, voice hardening.
"Everything is fine! Not now, but it's gonna be!"
"No it's not. Stop acting like it."
"I'm not gonna stop, Dreemurr! You're not acting yourself!" Heat and anger were seeping into her voice.
"I'm not going to be able to do track, Brooke! Not ever!" It was his turn for his voice to rise.
"One car crash isn't the end of the world; Jesus!"
"How am I supposed to do track when I'm paralyzed, Brooke?" he shouted.
She froze, the sudden silence deafening. "You're what?" she managed.
His anger still showed on his face, despite his voice returning to an inside level. "You didn't know?"
"I - no. No one..." It was like the anger was punched right out of her, replaced by shock.
"Well. Now you know." He looked away again.
Brooke tried finding something, anything to say. Finally, she managed, "I'm sorry."
He shrugged bitterly. "Sorry isn't gonna fix me."
"I know." She was quiet.
After several minutes, Asriel spoke again. "You know, I've lived through so much. Done so much, things I'm not proud of. Lived through so many timelines. But I think right now I'm something I haven't been since... Since Chara died, and that whole - fiasco." He finally looked back at her, and the vulnerability she saw there broke her heart right along with his next words. "I'm scared, Brooke."
She went to respond, to hold his hand, to offer reassurance. She never got the chance as a nurse entered, looking concerned. "Are you alright, Asriel? I heard shouting."
"Yeah. We're fine." His voice had returned to the tired tone from before.
The nurse took a look at the heart monitor, then at the clock on the wall. Addressing Brooke, it said, "Asriel needs to rest. It's getting late."
"Okay." She glanced at him. He had returned to looking at the wall. She got up. "See you tomorrow?"
"Sure." He tried to smile at her. She offered one back.
Brooke nodded thanks to the nurse as she left. She felt tears prick her eyes and fought them back.
In a standstill on the 5, / thought it was unusually early traffic; / usually I don't panic. I / just wanted to be on time. / When I saw the ambulances on the shoulder, / I didn't even think of pulling over. / I pieced it all together late that night
Brooke still remembers that conversation more vividly than she wishes she did. It was such a hard thing to accept. Especially when she'd realized that night that she'd seen the ambulances around the crash site on the way to visiting Kat.
Her mom had rocked her as she'd cried on the couch. They were sixteen at the time - she felt so childish for needing the reassurance, the comfort - but it was nice to be held after Toriel's call. Her mom knew how much Asriel means to her - they'd been dating, of course he meant so much to her.
And I know you don't remember calling me, / but I told you even then you look so pretty. / In a hospital bed, / I remember you said / you were scared, / and so was I
The worst part had been being the one to tell Kat. The small monster had been in love with Asriel since... Well, none of them are really sure. Brooke thinks it was when they were going through the Underground, Kat thinks it was when he regained his body, Asriel thinks it was sometime long before either of those. Brooke and Kat disagree with him on the basis of him getting time confused a lot where the Underground is concerned, aside from when she'd been there.
The look on Kat's face had been pure devestation. Brooke couldn't even hold her hand because of the restrictions the ward had, and that still hurts to this day. She'd had her own mother, but Kat couldn't even be comforted by her best friend. The best she could settle for was asking for updates, and she did, constantly.
Brooke dresses and pulls her hair into a ponytail to dry, heading for the kitchen. She casts a glance at the bed as she passes - Asriel and Kat are still asleep, with the latter snuggled up to the former, as always. Brooke smiles a bit and continues on so she can make breakfast.
What if it happened to you on a different day? On a bridge where there wasn't a rail in the way? Or a neighborhood street where the little kids play? Or the Angeles Crest in the snow or the rain? What if you weren't alone; there were kids in the car? What if you were remote, no one knows where you are? If you changed anything, would you not have survived? You're alive, you're alive, you're alive
She gets to work on some hash browns, choosing to make them from scratch instead of grabbing the bag from the freezer. It's not something she does often - usually Azzy is the one to put more effort into food - but it feels right today.
Her mind continues to think about the past, stubbornly centering around Asriel and the accident. Even today, they don't know how the crash happened. She, Kat, and Ky are pretty certain it was engineered by Gaster - Asriel lost his ability to reset around the same time, not that he tried to use it much once they left Mt. Ebott - but whatever investigation went on was quickly wrapped up, and there was never enough evidence gathered to be conclusive. So the official statement is that it was a drunk driver hit and run.
In some ways, Brooke is glad that it happened near the town hall. Night Vale is many things, with many different levels of danger in any given area. The town hall is relatively safe. He and Toriel could've been out by route 800, somewhere where there wasn't a railing, and they could have gone spiraling into the desert. It could've been near their house, where kids have always been known to run around and play. It could've been out in Desert Bluffs, so vastly different from Night Vale at the time, when they had a blizzard or pouring rain; it could've been somewhere on the way to a different town entirely, somewhere they didn't have connection to Night Vale, somewhere no one would be able to find, it could have been in Radon Canyon where few can survive without masks or air, they could've been destroyed by the day's calamity, anything could have happened and he would've been gone right alongside Toriel, two people who have been there for her and loved her even if she wasn't a monster or had any obligation to them and how could she have lived and how could Kat have lived she loved him so much she loved Toriel so much it would've destroyed her Brooke could've lost her too and she's panicking now she knows she is it's okay Asriel is alive he's alive he's alive he's -
A gentle touch to her back has Brooke whirling around to fight because here, now, it's inevitable with Gaster in charge, and she's already holding something so she swings and -
She finds herself immobile and then turned carefully, sees the brown-tipped ears come into view followed by the cream head and baby blue pajamas and then she turns and -
It's just Kat, looking at her with a face full of concern. "Brooke?"
As she takes reality back in, Brooke recognizes a burning smell, and a burning sensation in her hand. She reflexively drops whatever she's holding, and it clatters to the floor.
And I know you don't remember calling me, / but I told you even then you looked so pretty / in your hospital bed / I remember you said / you were scared. / And so am I
"Are you okay, love?"
Kat, sweet Kat; always concerned for others even when she could be in danger. Brooke tries to get her mouth to work properly, but it won't cooperate. She dimly recognizes she has full control of her body again, and that she's leaning against the counter.
Kat moves to rest against her, both supporting her and giving her the ability to ground by purring and letting her run her hands through her thick, soft fur.
"The hash browns," Brooke finally manages.
"I moved them, don't worry babe." Kat butts her head gently against her wife's.
"Thanks."
Kat nods, hopping off the counter and taking Brooke's hand. She leads the human over to the couch, where she proceeds to cuddle up and continue to purr. Brooke resumes petting her, feeling the anxiety slowly ebb away.
"I was trying to make the good ones," she says after a moment. "Did they burn?"
Kat hesitates. "I think they did," she admits. She sits up, reaching for Brooke's hand. "I think you burned your hand, too."
"It's fine," Brooke says, flexing it and immediately feeling the burn flare up.
"May I?" Kat glances up at her.
Looking at her wife, Brooke can't find a no in her, so she nods. Gently, always gentle, Kat takes her hand in her paws. They glow for a moment, and Brooke feels the pain fade. It helps to bridge that last bit between her and reality as well, and she kisses the top of the cat monster's head. "Thanks babe."
Kat smiles at her, but it fades quickly. "Are you alright, Brooke? You weren't answering me, and you were really startled."
The human exhales slowly. "I... Got a little too caught up in the past," she says, adding quietly, "Thinking about Azzy."
Kat nods, leaning against her. "He's okay now. We all are. More or less," she adds as Brooke snorts.
"Yeah. Yeah, I guess we are." Brooke smiles faintly. "He up yet?"
Kat shakes her head.
"Good. I don't want him to know about the hash brown failure."
That gets her wife to giggle. "He'd eat them anyway, you know he would."
"Yeah, but he shouldn't," Brooke snickers. She gets up. "Wanna help me with something simpler?"
Gaster is in the middle of interrogating her - so, of course, it's more like a torture session - when Kat's phone starts ringing. He pauses, looking at her.
Kat doesn't move, feeling like her heart just froze. She doesn't know exactly who it is, but she knows it has to be one of her siblings.
Shit, Ky curses. Shit. Shit.
Kat hopes to the stars that Gaster just chooses to ignore the interruption at best, take her phone at worst. But of course, that doesn't happen.
Seeing her clear reaction, Gaster smiles. "Why don't you answer it, dear one?"
She doesn't move, even as the ringing stops. He tsks, holding out a hand. "Fine then. You will give it to me."
She still doesn't move. Don't, Ky warns. Fuck - shit - don't fucking - shit!
The panic is shared between them, and as Kat continues to stay frozen, Gaster simply sighs. With a simple flick of his wrist, she's immobile and lifted into the air. "Since you are unwilling to comply, my dear, I will simply take it myself."
"No," Kat manages.
He chuckles, but there's no warmth in it. "It seems you have forgotten that you do not have a choice in the two years you were able to evade me, Katherine. I am taking your phone."
It's not hard for him to find the device, especially when it starts ringing again. Kat is set down, and Gaster glances at the screen. A smile full of delighted malice splits his face, and he shows her who's calling.
Sans.
No, no, no, no, no, fuck. Fuck, he can't - Ky's panic nearly rivals Kat's own.
"I will give you another chance." Gaster holds the phone out to Kat. "Why don't you answer it, dear one? On speaker."
Kat's gaze is fixed on the phone, and she slowly reaches out to take it. She fumbles for a moment, trying to hit the answer button, before finally succeeding. She manages to get the speaker button as well. "H-hello?"
"holy shit, kiddo, you had us worried," Sans breathes. "jeez. where are you? you missed pickup."
"Yeah. Yeah, sorry," Kat replies, her gaze repeatedly flicking between the ground and Gaster. "I, um, ran into a bit of trouble."
"you okay?"
Kaylee's voice cuts over Sans'; clearly, she's also on speaker. "Why didn't you call us, then?"
"I kinda... Couldn't?" Kat glances at Gaster, who still is smiling like a child on Christmas. She's trying to ignore Ky panicking just as hard in the background.
"You couldn't? What happened? Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm - I'm fine. It's - it's a long story." Kat adjusts the phone a bit.
"Okay, well, where are you? We can come pick you up. Are you safe?" Kaylee seems to be calming down a bit.
Kat hesitates, looking at Gaster again. He simply raises an eyebrow. She has to lie - she can't let them run into Gaster. She knows he won't kill her; she doesn't have the same reassurance for them.
No! Tell them the truth! They can come get us, Ky argues. They did once! We can be out again!
"Y-yeah, I'm safe," Kat answers.
Kat, for fu- Ky returns to pacing and freaking out.
"Where are you?"
"I - I'm safe, Kaylee, don't worry. I - I couldn't get to the safe house, so I went somewhere that - that I knew was safe," Kat says, glancing between Gaster and the floor again.
"That's not an answer, Kat. Where are you?" Kaylee asks, getting worried again.
"I'm safe. I- I'll be at pickup soon, okay?"
The other side of the line is silent for a while. "hey, kiddo? you said you're safe?"
"Yeah, I'm safe, Sans."
"okay." Another pause. "are you alone right now?"
Kat's gaze is fixed on Gaster, terrified of the grin still on his face. "Yeah," she lies.
A shorter pause. "is it him?"
Gaster chuckles, plucking the phone from Kat's paw as Ky screams curses. "I see you're as perceptive as ever, Sans," he says smoothly.
"you bastard," Sans growls.
"Why, I'm hurt." Gaster's expression hasn't changed. "I don't see what the issue is, my dear. I did not go looking for Kat; as a matter of fact, she came to me."
"she wouldn't fucking do that and you know it."
"And yet, you are aware that I am not lying. So here is the deal I am going to make with you." Gaster's eyes meet Kat's, the triumph in them causing her anger to rise right along with her fear. "I will be keeping Katherine here. She is officially my daughter, after all, and I have been needing someone to look after Quinton. He's getting older, you know, and I am quite busy."
"and you're keeping her as a hostage." Kat can practically feel Sans' rage through the phone. "what's the rest?"
"If you wish for her to stay alive, you and your band will not come into town again."
Kaylee starts yelling before Sans obviously switches speaker off. "you don't know everyone who came with us."
"Oh, I am aware. But as I have Katherine here, I have easy access to the information. Isn't that right, dear one?" His gleeful smile is turned on her, and she freezes.
"she wouldn't just give that information up."
"She will not have a choice. Those are my terms, Sans. Are we in agreement?" Gaster's tone is pleasant, an obvious mask to the delight he's feeling.
No. No, shit - shit, no. He wouldn't. He - what am I talking about? Ky's laugh is terrified. Of course he would. I - shit, if he does -
Hide. I don't care if I - just hide, Kat responds.
Silence stretches for a while.
"I could simply kill her right now," Gaster offers. "Not before getting the information I want, of course, but that would not take very long. You could witness it all first hand, even."
"okay. fine. you have a deal." Kat doesn't think she's ever heard Sans sound so defeated.
"Excellent. One more thing - I am going to learn who is in your little band right now, and you will stay on the line. If you do not, well. I am aware of one of her siblings still in Night Vale - Neal, was it not? I would so hate for him to have a terrible accident."
We can't - no! Fuck, no, no, Kat don't tell him, please don't tell him!
Ky, haven't you been listening? He'll kill Neal! I - I don't have a choice!
Silence for a moment. "fine."
Gaster nods, turning to a still-frozen Kat before pausing. "Oh, and put us back on speaker, won't you, my dear? I would imagine Kaylee would love to hear all this herself as well."
"haven't you demanded enough?" Sans snaps.
"Oh, my apologies," Gaster says, feigning surprise. "I was under the impression that you cared more about her siblings' wellbeing."
I hate him. I hate him so much, I - Ky resumes pacing.
"god - fucking - fine!" The microphone is covered as they hear, albeit muffled, Sans angrily explain what's going on to Kaylee, who starts yelling again. There's a muffled 'pop!' and then Sans speaks again. "okay. we're listening."
"Kaylee?" Gaster's gaze is on Kat.
"Yeah, I'm fucking here," she says, growling.
"Excellent. I am glad we're able to be civil about this."
Kaylee starts yelling again, but Sans cuts her off. "just get this over with."
Kat sees Gaster's gaze focus on her, his smile sharpening. "Let me lay out your rules, my dear. You will not lie to me. You will tell me everyone who is in their band, and if I believe you are trying to deceive me, I have no qualms about finding the memories myself, no matter the damage it may cause you. Is that clear?"
Kat nods, and he raises an eyebrow. "I require verbal confirmation, Katherine."
"Yes," she manages to push out.
"Excellent. Let's begin, then." He sits and gestures for her to begin speaking.
"I - there's, um. Sans. Kaylee."
"We are aware of this, yes. Continue." Gaster doesn't break his stare.
"Kelly. Keili. Noah. Um." Kat is trembling. "P-Papyrus."
"And that is all?"
"Yes."
Gaster's scrutiny doesn't let up, and after a moment, he tsks. "I gave you fair warning, my dear."
He stands and moves closer, starting to chant. It takes a moment for the spell to take effect, with there being just enough time for Ky to wall herself off with a hissed Shit!, but when it does, there's a splitting pain in Kat's head. She clutches it as memories from the past few years are jerked around, some simply flashing by (the first time it rained on the surface, hanging out with Brooke and Asriel, cooking with Toriel, gardening with Asgore,) others feeling like she's experiencing them again (the spells Gaster tried on her in the hospital, the overwhelming grief of finding out Toriel and Asriel are dead, throwing a brush at Muffet and the consequential pulling of a couple claws.)
After what feels like an eternity of this, with Kat finally screaming from the pain, Gaster stops chanting and steps back. Kat is left a heap inside the bloodstone circle that contains her. He sits down once again.
"Are you going to answer me honestly now, Katherine?" he asks.
She barely manages to prop herself up on one arm. "Yes." Her voice is like a whisper.
"Good." He turns his attention to the phone for a moment. "I hope you have sufficient evidence that I am not going to be lenient on these terms, my dears."
The silence is abruptly shattered with Kaylee being mid-yell, and Sans answers tightly, "we didn't need it." Kaylee's yelling is cut off again as he puts it back on mute.
"Perhaps," Gaster replies. "But I've always thought it best to reenforce things, don't you?"
No response, and he returns his attention to Kat. "Now then. Go ahead, my dear."
"Sans. Kaylee. Keili. Kelly. Noah. Mettaton. Papyrus." Kat's gaze is firmly fixed on the ground, voice flat despite it trembling.
"And that is all?"
"Lizzy. Min." Kat hesitates a moment. "Kids."
Gaster's smile returns with an edge of incredulity. "Did you say children?" he questions.
Don't fucking answer! Ky screams. Kat, please!
I'm sorry. Kat manages the tiniest of nods, tears sliding down her face.
"I must admit, this is quite the surprise," Gaster says, standing. "To whom do I owe my congratulations?"
There's no answer from anyone, and his smile grows. "Is it perhaps you and Kaylee, Sans?"
Still no answer, and he laughs. "Oh come now, my dear! There's no reason to be shy. If I am correct - your silence has always been incredibly incriminating, my dear Sans, you really must work on that - you seem to have quite the relationship."
"are we done here?" Sans' voice is tight. Kaylee isn't even saying anything anymore.
"I believe so."
"okay. then let's add a stipulation: we don't come to town, kat stays with you, you don't kill her or any of the other hopes still there, and you leave us the fuck alone."
"I thought that was implied, but as you wish," Gaster says.
"nothing is fucking implied, not with you. not unless it's a threat."
Gaster just chuckles. "We have a deal, Sans. I have the information I need, confirmed by Katherine herself, and you know that I keep to my promises. I expect you to tell your siblings of the stipulations as well, Kaylee."
"Fuck y-"
Sans cuts her off. "yeah. we will."
"Excellent. Goodbye."
The line goes dead, and Gaster's smile is once again turned on Kat. "Well then, my dear. Why don't we talk about what I expect from you living here?"
The ear-piercing scream in the dead of night has Asgore in the hallway, trident in hand, in an instant. Several attempts of regicide during his, ah... Unfortune era of rage, so to speak, has made him alert to every and any sound in his house that he knows full well should not be in the soundscape.
Seeing nothing initially in the red light from his trident, he walks carefully through the house, listening intently. Nothing is out of place, no monster hiding behind any furniture, not a single sign of anything being wrong or contributive to the scream that awoke him. Keeping the weapon in hand, still wary, he makes his way back to his bedroom, still trying to catch any out of place sound.
As he passes the room that had been for his children, he pauses, brow furrowing. There is the sound of... Crying?
Ah. That is right - he is housing Katherine, Asriel's friend. The memories return to him in a flood.
It's been almost two weeks since he agreed to take care of her, and he admittedly still knows very little about her or why his son wants her to stay with him. She cannot say, and Asriel will not. It's frustrating, but Asgore supposes he can't really blame him, not after his centuries-long cycle of abuse. It's been just over two months, and he still has a lot to work on, which is, in itself, frustrating.
That aside, he's hesitant to enter the room. It has been so long since he has had anyone in his care - he doesn't know Katherine's circumstances, but he can glean that they were not great, even after the 'curse' broke. He is... Afraid. He is not sure he knows how to effectively be a parent anymore. Would it hurt more to try, or do nothing?
As he stands there deliberating, the door cracks open, then quickly closes again. He can hear paws scampering across the floor, and the creak of the bed as something is quickly hurled onto it, and that makes it easier for him to make up his mind.
Exhaling, Asgore opens the door, being slow and careful so as to not frighten Katherine further. The red light from his trident casts a fuzzy shadow of him across the floor, and the second he realizes it is still in his hand, he dissipates it, opting to turn on the lamp still in the room all these years later. The new, brighter light shows a small lump under the cover of the bed, one that curls tighter when the lamp is lit, and more so when he gingerly sits as close to the edge of the bed as he can.
"Are you alright, Katherine?" he asks.
There's no response aside from some sniffles, and he tries to not let his frustration mount. He knows she cannot speak, but is she truly that terrified of him? So terrified that she cannot provide a simple response when he is only trying to help?
He takes a deep breath and releases it slowly, trying to remember the days when he had children. Asriel had nightmares sometimes. Chara more often. He would... Talk, he thinks. Make jokes. Sing a lullaby with Toriel. Or was that when they were put to bed? It is hard to remember. He searches for what feels like ages trying to find something to say, something to do.
"Have you ever been told of the Surface?" he finally asks.
Still no response. He chooses to keep talking.
"I suppose it would be strange if you had. None of the monsters currently alive have ever been there. I believe I may be the only one." He pauses. "Perhaps my wife as well, if she is still alive. And perhaps also Asriel, if he has retained those memories. I do not know how his... Existence works."
Asgore looks at the ceiling, dredging up old, old memories. "The sky on the Surface is a remarkable blue. On days where the sun is shining brightly, that sky is like a pool of water. Sometimes there are clouds, white, thick, and fluffy, but sometimes scarce, thin, and transparent, or densely packed and grey. When the sky is covered with those grey clouds, it means it is going to rain. Do you know what rain is, Katherine?"
As he speaks, he sees the tiny lump that is the cat monster slowly moving toward the pillow, her head poking out just enough for her eyes to be visible by the time he asks her that question. He turns to see her response, which is a hesitant shake of her head.
"Rain is like the snow that falls in Snowdin, except it is more like water than ice. If it is pouring, you will likely be soaked in minutes. With snow, if it is a blizzard, you will not be soaked for a much longer period of time." He can't help the slightest smile, despite the... complicated emotions the next thought brings. "My wife loved when it would rain. She would say that it was like the world was being cleansed. Everything would have a fresh scent when it was over, and I would agree with her."
Katherine hiccups a bit, but seems a good deal calmer than when he first entered. Asgore offers a smile.
"Did you have a nightmare, Katherine?" he asks.
She doesn't meet his gaze as she nods, and he nods in return. "They can be difficult to deal with sometimes. They can linger, and make you feel... Horrible. But would you like to know something?"
She hesitates before nodding again, and he raises a hand to pet her, pausing for a moment in a silent question. She butts her head into his hand without seeming to realize it, so he continues both his action and sentence.
"You do not have anything to fear, dear one. While you are with me, I will do my utmost to protect you and ensure your safety."
They sit in silence for a while, aside from a rough and quiet purr that starts after a minute or two. He continues to pet her, a silent form of comfort, before he finally notices his small charge struggling to keep her eyes open.
"Go back to sleep now, Katherine," Asgore says. "And do not worry about nightmares. No one and no thing can hurt you while you are with me."
The tiny smile that lights up her face is enough to dissolve all his previous frustration, and he smiles in return as he gets up, turning the lamp off before exiting the room.
"Goodnight, Katherine," he whispers as he closes the door.
The study is lit only by the dim light of the candles in the ritual circle. Scrolls are scattered about the many desks. In the corner, cupping a candle with a bright blue flame in their hand, Nehale sits with their back to the wall. Their dark skin seems to almost shimmer with sweat and a faint sheen of magic. They're as beautiful as ever, but in this moment, they don't look human.
Amari and Hazel try to convince their love to come out, to take care of themself, to come away from the edge they're so clearly teetering on, and Nehale refuses. Hazel tries to start a spiel on how whatever they're seeing in the web of magic isn't true, isn't the full reality, but the words are caught in their throat. They have so much love for their soulmate; they've been through so much together and Hazel knows Nehale better than themself. They know their fears, worst qualities, annoying habits, hopes, goals, the reasons they laugh and what every one sounds like - Hazel could pick out the sound of their sneeze in a crowd without a second thought.
And despite all of that, despite their tremendous love and knowing Nehale inside and out, Hazel is afraid. For them, of course. They're mages, they have powerful enemies; there's times where they're constantly afraid for them. But right now, in this moment where Nehale is beautiful and terrifying and everything they know and nothing like that at all? Hazel isn't afraid for them. They're afraid of them.
Nehale's eyes meet Hazel's. Through the mental connection shared by soulmates, Hazel experiences a dizzying bolt of perspective. They see the world Nehale does: the stirrings of fate and fortune, order and chaos swirling around each moment. And beyond, the entropy. The force seeking to tear it down. It's horrible. A hand flies to Hazel's head, the other to the nearby wall as they briefly lose their balance from the power of what Nehale just showed them.
Nehale puts the candle down and rises to their feet. Another bolt of perspective strikes Amari, and she stumbles, blood trickling from a nostril. As she falls, a swirl of fortune ripples around her. The blade she carries on her thigh unsheathes. She lands directly on the blade.
"My liege..." Amari's voice cracks. The love and longing of centuries shakes loose from her control and fills her voice. "Nehale. This life doesn't have to end like this."
"No," Nehale agrees. Their eyes meet Hazel's again. "If you want to keep this life, run."
--
There's silence as they cut peppers, aside from the crackle of the fire and the sizzling of food in a pan. Once they feel they're done with the peppers, they scoop them into a bowl and slide it closer to the pan, getting started on some tomatoes as Amari adds the peppers to the cooking food. When Hazel finishes with the tomatoes, they set those in the bowl Amari returned to them, and then lean against the counter, waiting quietly while she finishes up with the food in the pan.
Amari takes it off the fire and tips the pan over another bowl, scraping out the food and setting the pan aside to cool so it can be washed. “It's ready, my liege.” It doesn't need to be said, but Hazel knows better than to say it to her face by now. Instead, they set two plates by the filled bowl and divide it evenly, adding the tomatoes on top and handing one to Amari.
They sit together and eat in silence, though Hazel can't help studying her. These past few months have been hard on them both, but they know that she's been taking it especially hard. They know she blames herself for not trying to intervene with their love earlier, even though Hazel has told her countless times that she's not to blame. Amari is stubborn - they know that. They know that despite their assurances, she won't accept it.
Hazel can see just how exhausted Amari is, though she would never admit it and would insist she's fine and can keep going for days, still. They can see just how dark the circles under her eyes are, the nicks and bruises from her solo training and the little mistakes that stack up. They can read her better than they know she's ever comfortable with - it's not something that can be helped, after centuries of being together life after life - and they can see just how much she's still haunted by what happened that night. They know that despite their assurances and insisting, she's been pushing herself too far, never sleeping, looking into the future more than she necessarily needs to.
They clean up together in silence, and when they're done, Amari turns to them. They can see the little tells of how tired she is; When did she sleep last? A few days ago?
“Is there anything else that needs to be done tonight, my liege?” Formal as always. Hazel prefers it, to an extent. They haven't exactly been coping well - neither of them, actually. They have a definitive unspoken agreement not to talk about it, and the formality is helpful in forgetting, sometimes.
“No.” They pause, amending, “Well, there is one thing. You look pale. I think you should get some rest.”
They're expecting exasperation, refusal, Amari's trademark stubbornness. They're expecting to have to fight their friend tooth and nail to get her to sleep, take a break. They're expecting to possibly have to resort to magical means, if absolutely necessary, though they hate going for that option.
They're not expecting the polite bow. “Of course, my liege,” Amari replies. She promptly collapses on the ground.
Startled, Hazel drops to their knees next to her. “Amari?”
No response. Quickly, they check her pulse, her breathing, any possible issues. Aside from what they could already see, they can't find anything wrong with her. Pressing a hand to her forehead, they frown, then sigh.
“Of course you'd push yourself much too far,” they murmur. Being careful not to wake her, they manage to pull her into their arms, and, with some effort, they head for her bedroom. Once there, they ready her bed and make sure she's comfortable, proceeding to grab her some water and a wet cloth in hopes of helping the fever break more quickly.
These past few months have been hard. Hazel can't say they're looking forward to the endless years before the next life, but at least they don't have to do this alone.
Well. I wasn't expecting to jump into a brand new universe here, but I saw a prompt and uh. Here we are. (The prompt will be the next post; this is just so you, as readers, will have somewhat of an understanding of what's going on.)
This universe was brought about by a ttrpg that never got past the first session, but my partner and I talked about our characters together quite a lot, and we ended up making an au of this game that never happened.
One big thing to know here is that these characters reincarnate. The system we were meant to play is Mage: the Ascension, so they have magic. There are, I believe, nine spheres - magic categories - total; I'm still not familiar with all of them, so I'll only be explaining the ones the characters use in their introduction-explanation. The last thing to know is that when a mage Awakens - gains the ability to use magic - if they reincarnate, they also usually get their memories of past lives.
So, without further ado, here's the characters you'll be meeting!
Hazel: Though they all cycle through birth sexes, Hazel almost always falls back to feminine pronouns. There's times where they will be okay with masculine, but for the most part, they use she/her or they/them. Hazel is generally kind-hearted and willing to help whoever needs it in whatever way she can; you'd expect their main sphere to be life - more or less the healing sphere - but it's actually matter (manipulation of, well, matter.) Her minor spheres are forces - kind of a sister to matter; deals with light, heat, vibration, gravity, etc. - and correspondence - space and spacial awareness. Her goal throughout all her lives is to get whatever political power she needs to make things better for anyone she'd oversee, and hopefully one day make the world at large a better place for everyone. The methods they use aren't always the most ethical, though...
Nehale (neh-hall-ay): Similarly to Hazel, Nehale tends towards feminine references, but more consistently prefers they/them. They're the most charismatic, often being able to get what they want how they want. Their main sphere is entropy - luck, essentially - and their minor sphere is mind (exactly what you'd imagine.) They're not quite as altruistic as Hazel, though they do want the world to be a better place. They're more willing to sacrifice a few lives, or step on or manipulate whoever they may need to.
Amari (uh-mar-ee): The one out of the three who could truly be considered genderfluid; they often will go with their birth sex's pronouns, though just as often they will go with the opposite or neutral. Their main sphere is time - manipulating, of course, but more emphasis on a seer aspect than manipulation - and their minor sphere is matter. They're the protector, always taking the bodyguard role and rarely trusting their own judgment in things. They're an efficient assassin, when needed/wanted, and often have a cold and distant appearance. In the words of my partner, they see themself as a weapon, and they take pride in that.
The relationship between the three is a little complex; Nehale and Hazel consider each other soulmates, and Amari is also in love with Nehale, though it's one-sided here. With them choosing to always find each other in every life, the lines between platonic and romantic can seem blurred since they know each other so well.
One last thing before I send you off to the prompt and story - mages can sometimes look a bit too deep into their magic/get too swept up in it, and when that happens, they often lose themselves. With this trio, it often means that whoever went off is killed, since otherwise it ends up with one of the others - and other mages and non-mages - dead as well. It's always hard on the other two when this happens, but they at least have the comfort of knowing they'll see them again in the next life.
Welcome to the universe my partner and I dubbed Queen Hazel, and happy whumping!
This is a roll call, I'm very curious too see how many Whump Blogs their is on the hellsite.
If you're an active Whump blog would you please take a moment to interact with this post to also help people find other Whump Blogs and possibly make some new friends along the way!
If you are writing a book, or just have a fictional world inside your head and need help developing it or would just like an ask about it, reblog this post and I will send you an ask about your world for you to answer!
Sooooo haven't really started with a bang, but don't worry! I will participate in Whumptober! It just might. Take me a second. It has been a Long Week.
The caretaker attempts to connect with the silent whumpee in some way. Sharing hobbies, speaking about books or movies, or working on projects near them. They haven’t found anything yet, but they’re still searching. One day while they’re in the garden, the whumpee comes out and stands by them. The caretaker tells them what they’re doing and asks if they wanna join.
Katherine is... Interesting, in many ways. If he's honest with himself, Asgore is astonished she agreed to stay with him in any capacity. It's true that Asriel promised them both that they would each be fine, but after all he has done, he wouldn't be offended if she turned down the offer.
The last few months have also been... Interesting. That is, admittedly, putting it very nicely, but true nonetheless. Ever since he declared that his anger-fueled and hatred-bent war is off, and that he is stopping the cycle of violence, the kingdom has been both more calm and more chaotic than he could safely say he remembers it ever being. Violence is no longer seen as necessary, which some took as a cause to celebrate, and others seem to have taken as a personal insult. His days are often filled with court meetings, not unlike so long ago, consisting of arguing and insults, meant both for the other party arguing and himself. He tries not to react to them, knowing that they are well deserved, but to say he's often drained by the end of the day is an understatement.
When he can, though, he takes time for the small cat monster that has come to live with him. He doesn't know much about her; she herself doesn't talk much, and Asriel simply asked if he'd be willing to take her in. He didn't say much about her family or why he wanted her to live with him. He just allowed her to give him a hug before disappearing under the ground again; to do what, Asgore still doesn't know. He still hasn't gotten a reason from Katherine either, though he is starting to suspect she is as unaware of what it might be as he is.
Still. He tries to connect with her in small ways, offering to read a story to her, or teach her how to cook a simple meal, or telling her about what he can remember of the Surface. He still hasn't found a way to get her to talk to him, but he hopes that is simply because she is shy, and not because of him.
He has doubts that make that hope waver, however. Any time he moves too fast, or talks too loud, or hits something by accident, or nearly runs into her - small and silent as she is, sometimes he doesn't know she's nearby until then - she will dart to a wall with an expression of fear. He always stops whatever he is in the middle of in order to reassure and comfort her, apologizing for whatever it is he may have done to scare her.
His time with her is often limited, unfortunately. He would love to spend more time with her, to help her gain some confidence and to work on reducing his angry tendencies that he let reign him for at least a century. Court doesn't exactly help with that, though he will at least admit that he has gotten better at controlling his outbursts than when the curse broke.
Today, though, he is taking a day off from his duties. Ferni, the Final Froggit that has accepted his offer of secretary/advisor, has instructions to let him know if there is an emergency, but otherwise, he's spending the day with Katherine.
Right now, he is tending to some small, hardy flowers that he transplanted from his throne room to sit in front of his house. He's ensuring they have enough light - not sunlight, not here; the throne room is one of the few places that the sun can reach, but the flowers seem to do okay with the magical light of the Underground - and water, and that whatever weeds try to spring up are pulled, so the flowers can bloom unimpaired. It's an activity that helps to keep him calm, bringing memories both good and bittersweet of days long since past.
The relative silence is broken by the squeak of the front door. Looking up, the king sees the tiny cat frozen, barely framed by the doorway. He does not know what she is expecting, but he smiles at her anyway.
"Howdy, Katherine."
As usual, there is no response. Her eyes flick from him to the inside of the house, and it seems she's about to close the door again.
"Would you like to join me?"
Her gaze returns to him, and he sees an ear flick. After several moments in which he is almost certain she is just going to close the door and return to whatever she was doing inside, she cautiously opens the door more and steps outside.
Asgore continues to smile at her. "I have just been taking care of these flowers. Do you want to help?"
Her tail swishes for a moment, then she sits. The king returns his attention to the plants, narrating his actions for her. "I am checking for weeds and how healthy these flowers are doing out here. They normally only grow on the Surface, and so the ones that have been doing the best have been in my throne room. They get just enough sunlight there, but they seem to be doing just fine with the magical lights out here. I will need more time to say so with confidence. In the meantime, I simply make sure they have what they need."
Katherine nods, and after pulling out a few more weeds, Asgore offers her the watering can. "Would you like to water them?"
She blinks at him, then hesitantly takes the offered object. He ensures she is able to hold it on her own before continuing. "The easiest way to use this is to have one hand - or paw - on the bottom to steady it as you tip it." He gently guides her, helping with the weight a bit, in the action.
It takes a few tries, but soon enough Katherine is able to water the flowers without his help. "That is wonderful!" he smiles. "Thank you for helping me, Katherine."
She offers a hesitant smile herself, looking more relaxed than he thinks he has ever seen her. That isn't truly saying much, especially considering the margin is still small, but it makes his heart swell in a way it hasn't for decades.
"I know I am not often able to spend time with you, but if ever you want to help with this garden, I would be more than happy to show you more," he rumbles.
Katherine nods, and he stands. "Would you like to help me make dinner?"
She offers a shy smile and nod, and he smiles in return.
They haven't gotten far, it's true, but he has to admit that he's quite fond of the little monster. There is still a long road ahead of them, but he is certainly glad that Asriel brought her to him. He cannot imagine his house without her anymore.
Welcome to Whumptober 2021! May the Whump be with you :)
To all of you who participated last year - we have changed a few of the rules, but overall things have stayed the same. To everyone new: WELCOME!
Please make sure to read the Event Info carefully, most of your questions will be answered there already. For everything else you are welcome to come to our ask box or ask questions in our Discord server here.
This year’s AO3 Collection can be found here.
With that being said, we’re very excited to see the community come together once more and be a wild, chaotic bunch of creators and consumers of whump. We wish you all the fun!
(All 31 Themes + Prompts, Event Information, and FAQs are posted below the cut!)
Yall know what time it is! The time of the year where I come out of the woodwork for a month and then go straight back in!
This year you might be able to expect some different universes! I haven't fully decided on that and it depends on how I'm feeling with each prompt, but it is a possibility.
[id: a tweet reading “Reply with a fic premise that 100% sounds like the kind of thing I would write, and I’ll tell you how embarrassingly accurate it is.”]
I feel like this needs to be said because I keep seeing stuff like ‘if you rb from me too much i’ll block you’ in people’s bios.
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO REBLOG FROM ME AS MUCH AND AS OFTEN AND AS QUICKLY AS YOU WANT!! My tagging system was developed specifically because I know what it’s like to have a hyperfixation and want to sift through every single post about that thing. I tag every post for that exact reason. You aren’t bothering me. The notifications don’t bother me. It’s all fine.
Seeing someone reblog a whole string of posts from me, especially when it’s clear that they clicked on one of my tags and wound up going through 27 pages of it, delights me in EXACTLY the same way as seeing one person kudos all of my fics in one fandom. I did good! I supplied the content they got hyperfixated on tonight! Good job me!!
Who's the whumpee and who's the caretaker? You decide :)
Tw: none I can think of, ask to tag and I'll gladly add it.
Toriel finds herself in a space that shimmers like mother of pearl, and though partly aware of the fact that she's definitely asleep, she feels very much awake. The feeling is odd, and she's not sure what's happening.
Tentatively deciding to explore, she finds quickly that despite the fact that the endless space is very well lit, there's no way to tell where the light is coming from. The entire situation unsettles her, and she wishes she could wake up. For all she knows, this could be something Gaster is putting her through. It wouldn't be a surprise to her.
When she has that thought, she frowns. Wing is her husband; awake, she knows he'd never hurt her.
But then, she isn't awake, is she? Knowing what he's done to her comes with both resignation and anger - the former because she knows she can't do anything about it, and the latter because she's married to an abomination. The feelings and thoughts don't send her into a panic, as she would have suspected they might. Perhaps this part of her, awake while sleeping, is the part of her that has always been aware of what has been happening. The instant she recognizes the thought, she knows it's true.
So, then. Awake in a dream, inside an endless space, what is she to do?
The answer comes swiftly, as there's soft sounds coming from somewhere behind her. Turning around, she sees a small, pure white cat cautiously exploring the endless space. Toriel watches for a moment, seeing how with every step the other takes, they make sure there's ground where they intend to place a paw. Watching them, she has the thought that everything about the other monster reminds her a lot of Kat.
That thought brings heartache. Kat, her sweet daughter... It's been almost a year, and she still regrets ever letting Gaster convince her to send the little cat away. Awake, she'll never remember the thought, though sometimes the regret will come back.
She pushes the thought aside, focusing on the cat in front of her again. They're sitting now, looking in her direction uncertainly, nose twitching. Toriel gets to one knee, holding a hand out. "Hello there, little one," she says.
Unexpectedly, the cat flinches and scrambles backward, and Toriel can see what this small monster is wearing now - a striped sweater and long pants.
"I - I'm not old enough yet, please don't - leave me alone," the cat pleads, holding a paw out as if to shield themself.
Toriel frowns. "I am afraid I do not know what you are talking about, my child."
"Don't pull that. Please don't. I just - I'm not old enough. Please just leave me alone," the cat repeats, ears flat against their head.
"Alright," Toriel replies, confused and concerned. She moves from one knee to a sitting position, and the cat's ears twitch and swivel like satellites, much like she's seen Kat's do when she's nervous and wants to be sure about what's around her. Their eyes don't move, though their nose keeps twitching along with their ears.
After a few minutes of silence, the cat hesitantly sits up again, gaze unmoving. "You're... Really just gonna leave me alone? No tricks?"
"I do not understand what you have been talking about, but yes. If you would prefer to be left truly alone, I can leave," Toriel says gently.
The cat hesitates for a while, nose and ears still twitching. "I... Guess you can stay. You'd really leave if I asked?"
"Of course. I do not wish to cause you distress, my child." Toriel's concern is growing. This cat is acting much like Kat did when she first came to live with Toriel, and that sends up many red flags.
"Alright," the cat says, still seeming uncertain. "Um... Who are you?"
"My name is Toriel. It is nice to meet you."
"Toriel... Like the old queen?"
"Yes, though I suppose in some ways I am still a queen of sorts."
"Oh." The cat's tail flicks.
"What is your name?" Toriel asks after a moment with no further response.
"Oh. Um." The other monster again hesitates, then says, "Katherine."
Toriel's breath catches for a moment. "Katherine... Hope?"
"Y-yes?" Katherine seems nervous again.
My stars... No wonder this monster reminded her so much of Kat. She is Kat, somehow. But yet, she's not. The only things she shares with her adopted daughter are stature and eye color. She lacks the lisp Toriel has come to love so dearly, and she lacks the nicks and scars across her body from so many years of abuse.
It takes several minutes for Toriel to realize she's just been staring, and the Katherine across from her seems to be trying to figure out where she is and what she should do.
"Forgive me, Katherine. You simply..." Toriel struggles to find the right words for a moment, finally saying, "My daughter is also named Katherine, and she is also a cat monster."
"You have a daughter that's a cat monster?" Katherine frowns, head turning back toward her. "I thought the royal family were goat monsters."
"Yes, that is correct. I did not give birth to her, but I love her as dearly as if I had," Toriel explains.
"How did that happen?" Katherine asks cautiously.
"That is... Quite a story, little one."
Katherine's ears pin themselves to her head briefly, and she looks directly away from Toriel. "Please don't call me that, Your Majesty," she mumbles.
"Ah, alright. I apologize, my child," Toriel says. It seems this Katherine has bad memories as well, and that makes her heart ache for her.
Katherine takes a few minutes to respond, finally exhaling and turning somewhat towards Toriel. "Anyway. It's, um. It's nice to meet you too, Your Majesty."
"Oh, ah, there is no need to call me 'Your Majesty', my child. I am not truly queen anymore."
"You're not?"
"No." Toriel shakes her head. "I am married to the man who has proclaimed himself king of the city we now live in, but I have not truly considered myself queen since my son first died."
"You... Had a son?" Katherine seems to be relaxing slowly.
"Yes. He is no longer the same, but I have him back."
"I don't understand, Your - Toriel," she amends. "I didn't know the royal family even had children. How did you have a son who died and came back?"
"That is quite the story, Katherine."
"I'm okay with that. I like stories." Katherine moves from sitting to laying down, the movement again reminding Toriel of her Kat.
"It is... Not the happiest of stories," Toriel warns. "I would not wish for you to wake upset."
"I mean, it can't be worse than my nightmares." Katherine shrugs.
Toriel pauses, studying her in concern. "I do not wish to pry, my child, but how old are you?"
"No, I'm twelve," Katherine insists, shaking her head. "I'm not old enough for the injection and won't be for a while."
Toriel pauses again. Katherine has mentioned not being old enough several times, and she isn't sure what she's referring to. If she's honest, she's not sure she wants to.
"I do not understand what you are referring to, Katherine. I simply..." She pauses, looking for words again. "Most children do not have nightmares that are bad enough to warrant such a phrase."
Katherine shrugs, refusing to look at her again. "I'm fine. I wanna hear the story, if you wanna tell it."
"Alright," Toriel finally says.
She's not sure how long telling the entire situation takes, but by the end of it, Katherine is sitting up again and has had a myriad of emotions cross her face, ending with concern.
"So you don't realize that he's a horrible person when you're awake?" Katherine asks.
Toriel nods. "Unfortunately. If I did, I would be helping my daughter instead of leaving her to wither." She exhales. "I wish I would remember while awake. Kat does not deserve how she has been treated."
"Yeah," Katherine echoes. "I don't think she'd blame you, though."
"Perhaps."
A silence falls, and Toriel sees Katherine's ears and tail twitching in a way that Kat would do when debating something.
Finally, Katherine says, "I'm blind. I was born that way, and I never had a problem with it. Not until..."
She exhales. "It sounds like we're from entirely different worlds. In my world, there never was a prince. The queen disappeared one day after their last attempt was stillborn. It's... Not a great place. Not for some. People will take advantage of others, just because they can." Her tail wraps a little tighter around her paws.
"I am sorry, my child," Toriel says gently. "I do not know what you have been through, nor should you feel obligated to tell me, but I am glad to have met you."
Katherine gives her a half-hearted smile. "I'm glad I met you, too."
There's some hesitation, then she asks, "Do you mind if... I mean if you're okay with it, can I... Can you hug me?"
"Of course," Toriel says with a warm smile.
Katherine scoots closer, and the motherly goat monster gently enfolds her in a hug, equally gentle as she starts petting the small cat's head. Katherine starts purring after a few minutes, the sound warming Toriel's heart.
They stay like that for a while, then Toriel feels something about the space shift. It takes her a moment to recognize that she's starting to wake, and she turns to Katherine. "I am afraid I must leave, my child. I am beginning to wake up."
Katherine's purr tapers off. "I'll miss you," she murmurs. "You're really nice. I hope one day you can be with your daughter again."
Well, what do you know! A post in a time that isn't whumptober!
I've been thinking about this particular timeline a lot lately. I may add it to the page at some point, but for now, enjoy with what context exists!
Tw: eye horror(?), swearing, implied suicide mention, very long post (6k words!!)
Ky doesn't have a good sense of time, stuck in the lab. She has a very rough idea of a schedule and how many hours pass in between events and tests and whatever the hell else Gaster decides to put her through, but as for actual time, she'd have to take almost anyone's word on it.
This, of course, means she's not sure how long she's been here, though she is certain it's been at least a year. She can occasionally talk with Kat through the link she's ensured Gaster has never found out about, and thus can't break, but most of the time, her twin's mind is too shattered to respond with much more than vague feelings. The few things she's picked up on have been big feelings, ones that persist and don't let go, no matter how coherent Kat is that day. Grief was a big one about... If Ky had to guess, she'd just estimate it to several months ago. There aren't many people that would cause such a strong reaction, and Ky desperately hopes that the answer to her sister's grief is none of those candidates. They've already lost so many people that they love.
Today has been a quiet day. Ky has picked up on a bit of curiosity or maybe excitement when she's reached out, but otherwise, today seems to be a bad one. Kat is very much lost in her past, and Ky sighs. She misses her sister. They've been separate for way too long. At least when they were one and the same, Ky had a better feel for what her twin was trying to say; now it feels like she's just wandering Waterfall.
Ky settles on what passes for her bed, wondering if the bastard is going to be back anytime soon. Sleeping is getting boring, and it's not like he's ever given her anything to entertain herself. She only has the cot and thin blanket because she's behaved just enough to keep them. The way he will give her things only if she repeatedly does as he says both irks her and ensures she continues to do the opposite. She honestly would have killed him by now and brought an end to everything he's done - and she has tried - if he weren't so damn powerful with the magic he wields. He was able to erase Asriel's and Asgore's memories, probably make sure Asriel can't recover from being paralyzed while Gaster is alive, break Kat without even being in the room, and he was somehow able to separate their fucking Souls, something Ky has never figured out how to do, let alone try. They had been getting to a point where they thought such an act would kill them both, but instead all it's killed is her eyes and whatever optimism she might have left about a future on the Surface.
Off in the high above distance, flickering and faint, she can feel someone using magic to pass through. If she weren't so bored, she probably would've missed it entirely. It's not a rare occurrence, exactly, but most people who return to the Underground are monsters, and usually that's either to retrieve something hidden or a few other reasons Ky has never been interested in. Sometimes humans and monsters alike will be dared to come down, as far as she knows from what little she was able to overhear whenever Brooke came to visit Kat, but altogether, the old kingdom is abandoned. It's likely one of the reasons Gaster kept her here, the asshole. No one would even think to come looking for her here, not that anyone would know to even try. The only ones fully aware of her existence are Kat and Brooke. She'd add some of their other siblings to that list, but most of them they haven't seen in... Something close to a decade, she'd guess.
A decade. Stars above, Gaster has been a menace for ten fucking years. They've been fighting him for ten years - probably longer, though Ky wouldn't say that with absolute certainty, given the aforementioned issue with time. They've lost so much in ten years. In ten years, she and Kat have lost their entire teenage years and a chunk of their young adult ones. Kat lost her ability to stay in the present due to, and probably ensured by, the bastard's magic. Ky lost her biggest protection of being a secret. They've lost Asgore, their siblings Kelly and her... Boyfriend? Husband? It's been ten years, so if they had still been together by the point they died, then Ky figures it's a safe bet to call Min Kelly's husband. They've lost Neal, and Brooke lost her own brother. So many people have died because of Gaster. And despite her best efforts, Ky has a feeling she's going to end up on that list.
The flicker of magic feels closer this time, though still high above. Wonder what they're up to, Ky thinks, shifting to lay on her back. Idly, she starts grooming a paw, and once she notices the motion, she quietly wishes she were with her twin again. Kat hasn't been able to do it herself without a brush in ten years and hasn't seen their siblings in about six or seven. God, Ky misses her. She misses her so much, her soul aches more than she could ever express. She doesn't think she'll ever get to see her again. She doesn't think she'll ever get out of here, and not for lack of trying; Gaster warded the lab so most magic doesn't work down there, and even if he hadn't, Ky has to reluctantly admit that she doesn't know if she could get to a place where she could get help. Not in her condition.
The flicker feels closer again, and Ky pauses her grooming for a split second. It almost felt like that magic was pretty much directly above her. She knows that most of the time, people have to come near the upper part of the lab - the part Alphys mostly used - to get to the rest of the Underground, but that didn't feel like it was just near the lab. It felt like it was in the lab, and no one has really stepped foot in there since the Barrier came down and everyone left. Maybe that's part of the dare. Get into the lab, vandalize something, get out without being caught. Dumb ass dare, if true, she thinks. I'm probably the only one who would catch them, and that's impossible.
God, she's bored. A part of her, despite herself, wishes Gaster would just come in and do whatever the hell he's going to do. At least that would break up the monotony of staring at nothing and give her someone to talk to, even if it's just catty insults.
She can hear some sounds from somewhere in the lab. Reluctant relief spreads through her; finally, something to break this oppressive boredom. She doesn't move much, though. Not much point since, despite said boredom, she has no plans to just go with Gaster quietly or calmly. The tests hurt sometimes, and she frankly hates being in pain.
Ky?
Hey Kat. You doing okay?
Miss.
Yeah, I miss you too.
Miss. There's a strange sense of urgency there; Ky can't quite pick up what her sister wants.
Have you had visitors today? she decides to ask.
Friends are coming to watch. Hope I do good.
You'll do great. You always do. Seems it was just a brief moment of lucidity, then.
You'll help? You're better at remembering.
Of course I will. You'll be fine though.
Take.
Nah, you've got it.
Take. There's that urgency again, and the sounds in the lab that disappeared - Ky had assumed Gaster was getting something; it's not exactly unusual - get closer. It... Sounds like voices. And none of them are Gaster's.
Ky sits up. Hey Katie-bug? You said you had visitors today, yeah?
Friends.
Friends. As in multiple. Ky isn't sure what to make of that; she definitely doesn't want to get her hopes up.
The voices get closer, and she can almost make out words now.
Miss. Miss. Need...
Hey, hey, take it easy. Don't want you to hurt yourself.
Gonna be fine. It's choreographed, remember? Practiced a lot.
Yeah I know, but still. I just want you to be safe and okay.
I know.
"...te being back here," she hears.
"It's fine. That was a long time ago."
"Trauma lasts a while, Azzy," that very familiar voice comments.
Ky immediately springs off the cot. She knows those voices. She knows them almost as well as her sister's, and there's - this has to be a trick, right? Theres no way they're here. Gaster would have to be dead for them to really be here, and they've been trying to figure out how to do that for a decade. Still, the thought of it being real - holy shit. She hopes with all her soul that it is.
"You're sure we're in the right place?" Asriel asks.
"I know backstage pretty well, silly. Don't you trust me?"
Ky feels tears welling up when she hears that voice, knowing that this has to be either the cruelest trick Gaster could ever play on her, or this is actually real, because there's no other way she could be here. She chooses, for once, to be optimistic, and she starts pounding against the locked door. "Asriel? Brooke?" she shouts.
The voices stop for a moment, then she hears Brooke respond. "Ky?"
"Yeah! I'm in here!" She keeps pounding against the door, and soon enough it sounds like they're on the other side of the door.
"Ky?" The voice is quieter, shaky, but fills her with so much warmth and love, she could cry. She's close to it, but fighting the tears back.
"I'm here, Katie-bug," she manages.
"Holy shit," she hears Brooke say. "I - holy shit! Ky, are you okay?"
"I mean aside from being a lab rat for... Fuck, I don't even know how long it's been; yeah, I'm alright," Ky responds, managing to get her voice under control.
The handle starts jiggling. "Yeah, it's locked. I sabotaged some projects when he left it unlocked one time and he decided that wasn't a good idea anymore," Ky says proudly.
There's a shaky laugh. "Still doing the good work even from down here, huh Sky Blue?" The code name gets a grin from Ky.
"You bet your ass, Cloudwall," she responds.
"I - I think I can get it," she hears Asriel say, clearly shocked. "Um. Stand back."
"Got it." She climbs back onto her cot.
"C'mere Kat," Brooke urges.
After a second, something rams against the door. Once, twice, thrice. The door holds fast.
"No, I'm fine. I got this." There's determination in his voice now.
More ramming, then finally, the door gives in, the final shove sending the door crashing against the floor. Cautiously, Ky gets up and walks into the doorway. There's two sharp inhales, and wobbly footsteps, and then Ky feels arms around her that she hasn't felt in what feels like forever, and tears falling on her shoulder. The technically-older twin returns the hug, purring hard and unable to stop her own tears from flowing.
Hey Kat.
Ky. Ky. Ky.
Yeah, I'm here. I'm here.
After a while, Ky gently pries her sister off her enough to shift the hug to the side, as both twins are unwilling to be separated for now, wiping her face with her now-free paw. "How did you guys know to come find me?" she manages to ask with a relatively stable voice.
"Kat," Brooke answers. "We went to get her out of the hospital and she kept tugging at my hand. Mentioned your name. She seemed..." The human hesitates in finding the word.
"Lucid?" Ky offers.
"Yeah." Brooke snaps her fingers. "Yeah, lucid. I thought you two were still together, but."
"Yeah, no. I don't know how long it's been, but I'd take a stab at about... Two or three years?" Ky pauses. "It... It wasn't long after..." She exhales. "After Kelly and Min died."
"Oh." She can hear the sympathy, then a hand gently rests on her head. Her ears flatten momentarily out of reflex, but she doesn't react otherwise. "It's been about two and a half years, yeah," Brooke says quietly, starting to hesitantly pet Ky's head.
"Yeah. I think the combined losses were pretty hard on Kat," Ky says, nuzzling her sister. Kat is humming quietly, seemingly content now that they're together again. "She was pretty much only in the play headspace for... A while. A couple weeks or months, I think."
"Yeah." The hand moves from her head, and silence falls.
"I - I can't believe you're real," Asriel murmurs after a while.
One ear flicks in annoyance. "Yeah, you never believed Kat much, huh, Asriel?" Ky remarks.
She doesn't have to see to know he flinched.
"Ky, he's been through a lot too," Brooke says, not exactly reprimanding, but not gentle either.
"Yeah, yeah. Got paralyzed, I know." She pauses, softening a tiny bit. "I am sorry about that. You don't deserve that."
"You don't deserve what he did to you either," Asriel replies quietly.
Ky shrugs. "So are we gonna bounce or what? I'd kinda like to get out of this hellhole."
"Please," Asriel responds immediately.
"I thought this place doesn't bother you much," Brooke teases.
There's silence from him; Ky is assuming he's making a face at the human.
"I'm gonna need some guiding. I love Kat dearly, but I don't think she's in a state to be giving me directions right now," she says, hearing a soft annoyed sound from her twin. She just bumps her head against Kat's gently.
"I didn't wanna say anything, but uh." Brooke clears her throat. "Why do you have your eyes closed, Ky?"
Ky exhales, amiable smile disappearing. "They're not closed, Brooke."
"What do you mean?" the human frowns.
"I don't have eyes," she says bluntly.
There's silence, followed by a soft, "Oh."
"Yeah."
More silence, then she gestures to where she knows the main room of the lab is. "Anyway. Let's go."
Ky ends up leading the way to the elevator, since Asriel and Brooke get a little turned around due to not knowing the lab very well, and Kat is still firmly glued to her side. Once they're in the upper lab, she turns left, but a hand gently guides her to the right. "The elevator is on this side," Brooke says.
"Thanks." Ky starts heading in that direction, Kat still clinging to her. It makes it a bit hard to walk, but she's not going to complain. Not after being unable to see her twin for almost two and a half years.
Speaking of which... "Hey, Gaster is dead, right? Like, I kinda figured since Kat is here and all, but for all I know you came to break me out before that."
"Yeah no, he's dead, as of a couple hours ago," Brooke confirms.
"Damn, so you really didn't come get me for the fight? Some friend," Ky huffs in mock offense. She gets a laugh from Brooke, at least.
"Yeah, sorry. Would have, but got a little lost between the magic needed and summoning allies, and not really knowing you were separated." There's clearly a smile on her face.
"That's all semantics, but fine, you get a pass. This time." Ky grins, then trips over a divot, nearly eating the hot dirt.
Someone - it feels like Asriel, unless Brooke is wearing a fuzzy sweater - manages to catch her before her face hits the ground, Kat yelping as she nearly goes down with her. "Thanks," Ky says once both twins are stable on their own paws.
There's a beat before Asriel answers, "No problem." It's an easy connection to make; he forgot she can't see.
"Here. Azzy, can you guide her? I can hold Kat." Brooke gently works on prying Kat away from her twin, not without reluctance from the former and a hissed "I'm gonna miss my cue!" to which Brooke just assures her that she's got her covered and she will still be able to see Ky. That seems to get her to settle down, though not without a bit of reluctance.
Asriel hesitantly takes Ky's paw, but she pulls it back. "I'll hold on to the chair," she says.
"Okay." He reaches for her paw again, and this time she lets him guide it to his wheelchair.
With that settled, they get walking. Asriel will quietly mention when there's a divot so she's prepared, but other than that, there's silence as they get to and in the elevator that takes them up.
"We should probably figure out where you two are gonna stay," Brooke says as they exit.
"I always thought we were gonna go live with Mom again," Ky comments.
By the way Asriel's chair abruptly swings in front of her, she guesses there's something she's missed. "What?" she asks in the ensuing quiet, frowning.
Neither answer for a moment, then Asriel says quietly, "Mom died about five months ago. She... It..." He takes a shaky breath. "We just found dust in the bathroom."
That hits hard, and all Ky can say is a very quiet "Oh."
After a moment, she can feel Brooke's hand on her head again. "I'm sorry, Ky."
Toriel is dead. That shouldn't hurt as much as it does; Ky never even met her. But Kat did, and Kat loved her so much. Despite herself, Ky did too. She was kind and loving and never punished Kat for the tiniest things. She was their mom, in the way Kayla never had been. It shouldn't hurt because Gaster had to be the one who did it. Toriel wouldn't just...
"If there's any kind of hell after all of this, I hope he went there," she says in a low voice.
"It wasn't him," Brooke says quietly. "He was at a press conference at the time."
"He broke Kat's mind from a distance. He could've killed Toriel too," she insists.
"He didn't. Ky, I know it's hard to accept, but it was Toriel's own choice. Gaster didn't-"
Ky cuts Brooke off. "Like hell he didn't! He has a hand in everything!" Her tail lashes.
"I know, I know, but he didn't kill her." Brooke is still quiet.
"Bullshit." Ky is shaking, whether from anger or the tears running down her face, she doesn't know. It doesn't matter.
"Ky." The soft sound of her name from her twin, coupled with the quiet feeling of affirmation that Brooke and Asriel are telling the truth, is what breaks the dams, the blind cat sinking to the ground as she just cries. She cries for Toriel, for Neal, for Kelly and Min, for Asgore. For everyone lost to that bastard of a tyrant.
And she cries for herself. For never getting to meet her siblings, for never getting to meet Asgore, for never getting to meet Toriel. For her lost eyes and lost years. For her lost twin.
She feels two sets of arms enfold her as she sobs - one set familiar and warm, and the other smooth and strong. Brooke and Kat let her bury her face in their shoulders as her body is wracked with her wailing, Kat managing a somewhat broken purr as Brooke rubs Ky's back.
How long she cries doesn't matter. When she finally finds it in herself to pull away from her friend and sister to get up again, she finds that she's incredibly tired. "Let's just... Let's get out of here," she mumbles, gesturing to where she thinks the path is.
"Okay," Brooke responds. Asriel touches her shoulder, and she holds out her paw. He gives it a quick squeeze, then rests it on his wheelchair again.
After a couple minutes, which is long enough for the hot dirt to turn to cooler concrete, signifying their entrance into New Home, Ky speaks up again. "So. Where are we gonna go?"
"You could still live with us," Asriel offers. "I... Know I haven't always been there, but I promise I'm going to be from now on."
Ky snorts. "Are you, Asriel?" she says, failing to hide her bitterness.
"Yes," he insists.
"Okay, but are you actually?" she demands, stopping. The others follow suit quickly. "'Cause in the past, oh, seven years, I don't remember you being there for Kat. No, sorry, not seven years; in the past decade."
"I visited," he objects, hurt evident in his voice.
"Yeah! You visited her in a place that was hell to her and made it pretty damn clear that you thought it was good that she was there." Ky knows she's hitting the weak points, and she should feel bad. She would, usually. But she has about six years of resentment built up towards a lot of people, him included, because of all people, he should know how to tell when someone is lying through their teeth. And he of all people should know damn well, that skill aside, that Kat wouldn't lie about something that big.
"I never said that!" Asriel says, starting to get heated.
"You didn't have to, Dreemurr," Ky says, spitting out the last name like it's poisoned. "Your actions spoke loud and clear. You never believed Kat until it was shoved in your face, didn't you?"
"Ky," Brooke starts, a stern tone to her voice.
"Brooke," Ky snaps back. "I've had to be hidden my entire life, first because it would just get Kat punished and/or killed, and then to protect us both, and then to make sure no one could find me so the bastard could do whatever the hell he wanted. I've always had to watch the world through Kat's eyes, and now that I have my own body? I never can with my own. I know how she feels about everyone and everything and experienced everything she did. The only person I've ever had has been Kat, and she thought Asriel would always be there for her, so I get to speak my damn mind, since she can't and never will."
"Look, I'm not denying that, and I'm sorry you had to g-" Asriel starts, but Ky cuts him off with a hiss.
"I'm not finished yet, Asriel," she growls. "You never believed Kat, and you were probably the one person who could have tipped the scales. Instead? Instead, it took ten goddamn years for Gaster to die."
"What Gaster did wasn't my fault!" Asriel snaps.
"Of course not!" Ky shouts. "But you could've helped us in the rebellion! I know how good he was with magic, I know he kept Mom in a state that made it so she was dependent on him, I know he crippled you to do similarly, but you could have listened and let her give you the evidence. She loved you more than anything else in this entire world, Asriel Dreemurr. She pined over you to the day her mind broke. Maybe she still does, I don't know. But instead of listening, instead of helping that girl who would have defended you to the ends of the earth, who would have done anything if you only asked, who would have fucking died for you? Instead, you did absolutely nothing."
"And I regret it!" Asriel yells, voice cracking. "I regret it, okay? I know all of that and I regret not listening. You don't know how much guilt I feel for everything that's happened because you're right, Ky. If I had listened, maybe so much of this could have been prevented. Maybe Mom and Dad wouldn't have died. You probably wouldn't be blind. Kat would have her mind intact. Steven might still be alive. Neal. So many others. I probably wouldn't have my brothers, but maybe something else would have happened. Maybe Mom and Dad would've gotten back together. But I don't know, and I can never find out. Knowing that Kat was right all this time, so much of this now feels like my fault, okay? So yeah, I'm sorry I never listened. I'm sorry I never helped. I'm sorry I was never there. But I promise I will be from now on."
"Don't make promises you don't intend to keep, Dreemurr," Ky growls.
"I'm not."
She glares at where she's assuming he is. "My guess is you're not gonna have time. You have to take care of your bastard brothers."
"Ky, that's enough," Brooke snaps before Asriel can retort.
"Look at me and tell me I'm wrong, Brooke," Ky demands.
"I won't, because I can't see the future," Brooke says, unyielding. "And regardless if you are, Asriel has been through a lot too. You've been fighting for a decade, but you don't need to anymore, and you don't need to fight with Asriel. He isn't at fault here, and you've spoken your mind. Let's just move on and get outside."
"Need I remind you I've been fighting for much longer than that?" Ky spits. "Kayla and Nick weren't exactly comfort-and-cherish."
"That has nothing to do with this, Ky," Brooke says, finally letting her anger bleed into her voice.
"Nothing to do with this?" The cat monster barks out a laugh. "Yeah, okay, sure, it's not like they're the reason for Kat's scars. It's not like I learned to be just as bad to her from them. It's not like they were complicit in whatever Gaster did, because I know that once their sentence was up, they had to have joined him. I know they'd do whatever he wanted. And you know what, I'd bet you they're the reason our siblings are dead! And yours too. This world has always been kill or be killed, only the options changed to kill Gaster or be killed trying. And yeah, sure, he's dead now, but you really think I get to stop fighting now, Brooke? I never get to stop fighting. I don't get to rest just because he's dead. I am going to be fighting for my entire fucking life, and you get to just sit back and relax."
A hand slaps her, and she stumbles a bit with the force, nearly falling over.
"No. I don't. Because someone has to pick up the pieces of what Gaster has done, and it's clearly not going to be anyone else." Brooke's voice is shaking with barely controlled rage. "You aren't the only one who's suffered, Kylee. You aren't the only one who can never stop fighting. So pull your head out of your ass and drop the fucking argument."
Ky has had a lot of conversations with Brooke, but rarely has she ever heard the human like this. She's rarely heard Brooke swear. And she's never seen Brooke hit anyone when it wasn't out of self defense. And despite Ky's words, she feels some of the anger leave her, because yeah, Brooke probably has been through the most, after her and Kat. Maybe even surpasses them; she isn't sure what exactly has happened in the last five or so years.
"Fine," she finally mutters, tail still lashing a bit.
The silence that follows them through the rest of castle is tense, the only sounds being their footsteps, the occasional small noise from Kat, and the wheels of Asriel's chair.
Reaching the remnants of Asgore's house feels like it takes ages, and once outside it, the dead leaves beneath her feet a giveaway to that, Ky pauses. She hasn't been here since... Well, technically, she's never been here. Kat was last here the day before the barrier broke, and Asgore was still alive. He was still there for them, caring and as kind as he could be.
"You alright?" Brooke asks after a moment.
"Yeah. Yeah, just..." She exhales. "Yeah." She starts heading inside, Asriel quickly wheeling forward to keep pace.
Ky can feel the thick layer of dust underneath her paws that has built up in the house the second she steps inside, but other than that, she feels like it's exactly the same. She can hear open space all around her, shaped slightly differently where the walls are. Part of her feels like she could just go into the next room and find Asgore reading a book about flowers. But he's been gone for much longer than even Kelly.
"I wish I'd gotten to meet him," she murmurs, breaking the quiet that has fallen.
"You would have liked him," Asriel responds, equally quiet.
"I did like him," Ky corrects, though despite her words, there's no bite anymore. "Just because you couldn't see me doesn't mean I wasn't there. I just... I wish he'd known me. He was so kind."
"Yeah."
Ky hears footsteps that are trying to be quiet descending the stairs that will lead them out. She just takes slow, careful steps toward the living room, and after some hesitation, she hears Asriel follow.
Ky feels her way around the room, seeing that nothing has changed since they were here for the last time. The bookshelf is right there with many books about fauna, the big chair is right next to the cold fireplace, the table is still set with a vase of flowers long dead.
She makes her way over to a corner where there's a pot with a fake plant, likely the only one aside from a few in the hallway. "I loved when he and Kat worked in the garden together, you know?" Ky says, crouching next to the pot. "I - we didn't like, switch then, so I never physically did, but I liked imagining it was me working with him. Just feeling the dirt in between my paws and planting something beautiful."
"It's a nice sensation," Asriel agrees. "I think he would've loved you."
"Maybe," she says softly. "Maybe."
She feels her way back to the great big chair, initially going to climb up it. She rethinks the action, though, choosing to sit in front of it instead. She idly runs a paw over the floor and the fabric of the chair behind her.
"I'm sorry for what I said," she says at last. "It's just... Both of us have been through hell. And I don't blame you for it. I really don't. It's just... You don't know what my existence has been, Asriel. Every heartbreak she went through, I felt. Every time she had a success, I was cheering right there with her. When she was afraid, I could help her. Every time she hurt, I hurt. Being torn apart was hell on both of us. And knowing how in love she was with you, and seeing you completely oblivious and not even helping her? It hurt. Cause I know you're a good guy, and I've always liked you, but that felt so much like you were condemning her to that hell."
"I know. I really am sorry," he says quietly.
"I know you are," she exhales. "I just... I wish things had been different."
"Me too."
Silence falls for a few minutes, then Asriel says softly, "I don't know what exactly happened, but I'm sorry about what Gaster did to your eyes."
"He didn't do it," Ky replies, turning her head away.
"He didn't?" She can hear his frown.
"No. I formed this way."
"Oh." Asriel is quiet for a moment. "I mean... It still is his fault, I guess. He tore you apart."
"Yeah, maybe." She shrugs. "I don't think me forming any other way would have changed this, though. Everything has consequences."
"What do you mean?" he frowns.
Ky sighs, rubbing her face. "I wasn't kidding when I said I was as bad as our Hope parents, Azzy. I'm pretty sure those consequences caught up to me because me being blind is just painfully ironic." Her laugh is hollow. "I saw everything when I was incorporeal, so my punishment for all that now that I am corporeal is never seeing anything ever again."
"Ky..." She hears him move closer, feels him rest a hand on her head.
"I was awful to Kat for so long, did you know that?" she continues. "Even when you met her and helped her, I was awful. I kept trying to make her go back because I thought that was where she belonged, because I thought that fear was how you loved someone. That the training they were always put through was how you showed that love. I was awful to Kat, Azzy. You know why she would hurt herself when she lived with Mom? Because Mom didn't punish her like Kayla and Nick? She did it because I insisted punishment had to be a consequence of a mistake, no matter how small. I insisted that being hurt had to be a punishment. I think the one good thing Gaster ever did was get her to stop."
Ky rubs her face. "You... really don't know how long it took me to unlearn that," she says quietly. "I would stop telling her it pretty quickly, but actually unlearning that kill or be killed mentality? I honestly don't think I have, even now. And we're - what, twenty-five?"
"In a couple weeks," Asriel supplies weakly.
"Yeah. We're adults and I still haven't unlearned that mentality." She exhales a bitter laugh. "I got better to her. For her. Because she deserves that. She deserves a sister who is kind to her, who supports her, is there for her, will defend her to the ends of the universe. And ours would, but I'm her twin. I'm supposed to be that for her, like she would for me. Like she always was for me, our entire lives. Like I wasn't, until you and Mom and Dad."
"Yeah."
Ky exhales again, silence falling.
She turns to him after a few moments, a thought hitting her. "Do you love her, Azzy?"
"Kat? Absolutely." He sounds taken aback.
"In what way?"
"I mean, she's - she's my best friend. She's so sweet and caring and kind to a fault. She means a lot to me."
"But you don't love her like she loves you?" she says.
Asriel exhales. "I don't think I can."
"That's not an answer, flower boy." The nickname gets a soft snort.
"No, I don't. Maybe in a different time, but..."
Ky nods a bit. "And Brooke?"
"Same thing. And besides, she and Tamika are dating."
"That's right; forgot about that. They're still going?"
"Yeah," he confirms.
"Good for them."
There's a moment of quiet, then Asriel asks, "What about you?"
"Hm?" One ear flicks at him.
"Is there anyone you're interested in?"
"Nope. Not really one for romance. I think it's great y'all can be lovey dovey with someone, but that's just not me."
"Gotcha."
There's more silence, then Ky slowly releases a breath. She gets up and turns back to the hallway. "Come on. Let's get out of here. Brooke is probably wondering if we're like, kissing or something."
That gets a weak chuckle. "Yeah, maybe."
Asriel takes her paw again, guiding it to his wheelchair, but she just keeps hold of his arm. It's a silent offer of an olive branch, and given that he starts wheeling along, it's one that's clearly accepted.
They make it down the stairs with a bit of difficulty, since Asriel is in a wheelchair and all, but end up at the bottom safe enough. Maybe with a few bruises between them, but overall alright.
"I half thought you were gonna kill him," Brooke says jokingly on spotting them.
"I considered it," Ky jokes back. "Way too much paperwork. I mean, seriously, killing the prince of monsters? There'd be so much shit to wade through. I'm not interested in dictating answers to a billion questions."
She gets chuckles from both of them, then they start heading down the hallway to exit the only mountain that exists. Ky idly reaches out to her twin. Hey Kat?
She doesn't get a response, so she asks aloud, "Is Kat asleep?"
"Yeah. She fell asleep sometime in between the entrance to the castle and that golden hallway," Brooke answers.
"Cool." Ky nods.
She can feel the air warming up incrementally, and she slows, hesitating.
"What's up?" Asriel asks, both he and Brooke pausing.
"Nothing. Just... I've never been outside," Ky admits softly. "I... When Gaster separated us, I never... Kat and I would switch sometimes, but that didn't really start until she got locked up, and this body has... Well." She exhales. "I've never been outside the lab. Or the hospital, technically. I don't know what to expect."
"We're right here with you," Brooke promises. "The sun is shining right now, and it's really warm. You're whiter than usual."
"Genetics, I think."
"Makes sense I guess." Brooke's comment gets half a laugh from the cat monster, albeit very shaky.
"I'm really free, right? This isn't just a dream?" Ky asks. "Because I really want this to be real and I might actually try to kill the bastard again if it's not."
"It's real," Asriel promises, petting her head. "Are you ready for genuine freedom?"
Ky takes a deep, shaky breath. "Yeah. Yeah, I think I am."
With Asriel leading her, they all step out into the sunlight. Ky can feel it instantly, the warmth spreading over her. She tilts her head up a bit, her face growing warmer. A light breeze ruffles her fur, and in the forest covering Mt. Ebott, there's birdsong. She can hear the leaves rustling in the wind, and this is all so much and she wants more. She takes a few steps on her own, Asriel catching her paw. "Careful," he cautions. "There's a cliff right here. A path winds down to Night Vale, it's much safer."
Ky nods. "Yeah, okay." She lets him lead her, heading down the mountain.
"What do you think so far?" Brooke asks as they go along the path.
"I think I'm glad to be alive." Ky smiles a bit. "And glad to be here with you both."
Asriel squeezes her paw, and she feels Brooke ruffle the fur on top of her head. She tilts her face up to the sky again.
