Favorite chapter 5 moments PART 2 and final thoughts
Spoilers again obvi
Actually hollered
And finally
TUMBLR MENTIONED?!!! iykyk but CAN SOMEONE FIND THE OP FOR THAT JOKE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE TAG THEM THEY NEED TO KNOW THAT TOBY KNOWS
Anyway, this was a great—nay, fantastic chapter! All the Undertale references made me so happy, and saying goodbye to the flowers made me tear up! Then Flowery’s death and Susie’s “home” finished the job lmao 😭😭🥺
Can’t wait for chapter 6!!!! Although I don’t know if I’m looking forward to chapter 7…I don’t want deltarune to end 🥺
tw liminal spaces, forensic stuff, corpse (kinda), workplace abuse
"Do you have to go?"
Tenna's sad voice tugs at your heartstrings. He delicately holds your hand, his antennas drooped forward and stature sulked in a rather pathetic display. If he could make puppy-dog eyes, he would.
You chuckle. "Don't worry, it's only for a few hours. I'll be back before you know it, Tennie."
His tail begins to wag at the sound of the nickname, and his pouty lips can't help but curl up into a smile. "I know, but..." Tenna lets out a dramatic sigh before continuing, "I'll be so lonely without you!" He nuzzles into your shoulder, planting small kisses into your neck. You squeal, giggling as you struggle to push him back. He does eventually pull away, but not before kissing you on the cheek. "You'll be alright," you say, "I won't be long."
"Okay, just...be safe."
"You know I will be." You give Tenna a peck on the tip of his nose, snickering as a flower blooms there a second later, and wave goodbye as you depart.
Luckily, your destination isn't too far away.
You pull into your designated parking space, the doors of your car making a dull click as you lock them. As you fuss with your clothes, smoothing out wrinkles and picking off lint, you turn your eyes to the building in front of you.
A grand structure, built from marble and granite, stands proudly amidst the more industrial city surrounding it. The architecture is ornate and detailed, murals of powerful warriors chiseled into the side walls. Large stone pillars line the entrance, the plinths of each engraved with a word.
COURAGE
BRAVERY
INTELLIGENCE
STRATEGY
STRENGTH
SACRIFICE
You swallow, your eyes following the pillars up to the pediment. There, another engraving reads:
GUARD AND PROTECTION AGENCY
Steeling your resolve, you approach the large wooden doors, the shadow of the GPA Headquarters looming over you. You go over your mental script one more time, take a deep breath, and enter.
Cold air runs across your skin, forcing you to suppress a shiver. The interior is as minimalistic and dull as you remember; gray chairs, dark wooden tables, and various abstract decorum are placed meticulously around the reception area. The air here seems thinner, and you struggle to take a full breath.
You head to the reception desk. The surface is spotless, newly dusted, and yet it does not shine. Papers are stacked in neat piles, pens and pencils lined up in a perfect row. A coffee mug sits alone on a coaster, the drink inside black and bitter. The only bit of color is the desk bell, a rusted bronze with specks of wear on the plunger. You press down, and the bell responds with a hollow and resonant clink.
Silence. Then, the faint sounds of heels on tile.
The door behind the desk swings open, and from it emerges an unfamiliar face.
"Hello! Welcome to the Guard and Protection Agency Headquarters!"
The Pippins receptionist smiles at you, her grin unsettlingly wide. You instinctively tense up. She sits down, her chair creaking in protest. "How can I be of service today?" Her voice is shrill and fake, grating at your ears with every word. She tilts her head, unblinking.
You clear your throat. "Agent _____, reporting for my meeting with Lead Forensics Fort."
She waits an uncomfortably long second before rifling through the papers on her desk. A few moments later, she nods, her smile unchanged. "Welcome back, Agent _____. Doctor Fort is ready for you." She gestures to the office doorway and, before you can ask any questions, retreats back to where she came.
You make your way through the hallways, walking past door after door, dodging glances from coworkers commuting elsewhere. Eventually, you arrive at a door you know well. You knock.
The door swings open quickly. A familiar face peeks out, adjusting his glasses. The Bloxer looks around and quietly beckons you inside.
Once the door closes, Fort heaves a sigh of relief. "Am I glad you're here, _____," he says, his voice as hoarse as ever. "I'm a-assuming you got my message?" Before you can answer, he chuckles to himself. "Who am I kidding, of course you did. Why else would you b-be here?"
You chuckle. "You know me so well. So, what did you find?"
Fort freezes. "R-Right." He swallows, fidgeting with the pins on his lab coat. He gestures you to follow, leading you through the morgue.
The air is heavy with the smell of stale dust and stone. The walls are lined with containment units, most laying open and empty. You know what's inside the few occupied ones.
"H-He didn't have much on him," Fort says, squeezing his forefinger as he walks, "but there was one...item of intrigue. I'm not sure what it is exactly, but...it might be important."
You shiver. "What do you mean, 'might be'? What is it?"
"Again, I-I'm not entirely certain. It seems to be a...token of s-some sort. I don't know what its significance is, but it...must have been important to the subject. Because...w-well..."
Fort stops, turning to a window. Following his gaze, your heart turns cold. Atop the cadaver table lays a body encased in stone. Sprawled out, its empty, lifeless eyes stare back at you. Two bullet wounds mar the otherwise perfect preservation: one on its leg, and the other on its radio head, right between its dead eyes.
That damn DJ.
"Before you enter," Fort says, startling you from your daze, "I ask that you put on some gloves. I d-don't want you getting fingerprints on everything."
The door of the cadaver lab closes behind the two of you. The room smells like isopropyl alcohol and latex. The fluorescent lights above you hum.
Fort opens a drawer, grabbing a plastic bag and holding it out to you. "Be c-careful with it." You nod. Reaching inside, your fingers wrap around the disk. You pull it out and hold it in your palm.
It's bigger than you expected, about the size of the bottom of a soda can, and a bit heavy, too. The token's dirty copper-brown color shines in the bright lighting, the reeded edges leaving marks into your gloves. In the middle, etched into the metal, is a strange symbol. A ring within a ring within a ring, almost like a ripple in still water. And written around the outermost ring:
DOWN WITH THE LORD OF SCREENS - ALL HAIL THE SYGNALCATE
"What the hell...?" You mutter.
Fort shrugs. "I'm not sure what the s-significance of it is, but it could be important. Maybe a good luck ch-charm or a badge?" He reaches over and grabs a clipboard from the countertop. "Analysis shows fingerprints m-matching the subject. There are also prints that I...cannot identify. I wish I could be of more h-help, but this is all I can do." He taps his fingers against the clipboard nervously, hiding his face behind it. "S-Sorry I dragged you all the way over here just for a dud. I've just wasted a b-bunch of your time, haven't I?"
You stammer. "Fort, this is...well, not what I was expecting, but still a huge clue!" Upon hearing your praise, he lights up. You continue. "Do you have any information on this...name etched in here?" You point to the coin.
Fort hums. "Sygnalcate...that name d-does sound kind of...familiar." He pauses before shaking his head. "I don't know. If you give me some time, I might be able to find something...I hope."
"That would be a big help." You hand over the coin. "Thank you, again. I wouldn't have found this without you." Fort laughs shyly. "J-Just doing my job, _____. But...you're welcome."
After saying your goodbyes, you begin making your way back to the reception area. The halls are quieter than before, the air holding a faint tension, like an empty meadow after the animals fled from a booming gunshot. You force yourself to swallow.
Then, the silence is broken by a deep, powerful voice, sending a shiver down your spine and tying your stomach in knots.
"Agent."
You turn around.
A hulking darkner looks down at you, her gaze cold and calculated. Broad shoulders make way for brutishly muscular arms, crossed stoically against her chest. Her presence alone drains what little warmth remains in the area, and you can't help but shiver.
Quickly, you straighten your posture and raise a salute. "D-Director Belkin, sir!"
She doesn't reply. Instead, she leans down, looming over your--in comparison--small form like a lion over her prey. You hold your breath to stop your shaking.
"I heard about that little...incident."
Her voice rumbles in your ears, her frigid breath prickling against your cheeks. Your throat dries up as you begin to speak. "Sir, I can expla--"
Before you can finish your sentence, Belkin's hand shoots for your salute, clasping your wrist in a bruising grip. You yelp.
"I am beginning to lose my patience, Agent _____."
You fight the urge to struggle as she growls in your ear.
"We have already lost one valuable asset due to your negligence, and we nearly lost another."
Her words pierce you right where it hurts. You cannot stop shaking.
"If anything like that happens under your watch again, it will be your badge." She pulls you a little closer, locking eyes. "Am I clear?"
You try to speak. "I-I--"
Belkin tightens her grip, your hand tensing as your skin cracks under her hand. You fight back a scream, biting your tongue.
"Yes, sir," you blurt, "I understand, sir!"
After a brief moment, she lets go. "Good," she replies. She turns, giving you an opportunity to survey the damage. Your fingers tremble inconsolably, the plastic skin of your wrist decorated with fractures. You can feel your heartbeat in your hand.
Belkin looks over her shoulder. "Do not disappoint me."
And with that, she leaves.
You breathe a heavy sigh as you return to TV Studios. Right as you enter, you're suddenly scooped up into a hug by two large arms.
"_____! You're back!"
Tenna's voice makes your heart flutter with joy, the vibrant colors and distinct floral scent of the studio giving the space a comforting glow. You feel warm for the first time in hours.
You laugh. "I told you I'd be back, now put me down!"
Tenna cuddles you for a few seconds longer before obliging. Thinking quickly, you fold your hands behind your back to hide your injured wrist. "It's good to be back," you say.
Tenna whirrs happily. "I'm sure you're hungry," he replies, "so I'll let you have lunch a little early."
You weren't hungry. But Tenna was clearly dying of loneliness, so you agreed. You needed a distraction.
Alas, while the warmth and comfort of TV Studios was nice, and Tenna's affection and kindness made you happy, you couldn't stop thinking about that coin.
Down with the Lord of Screens, all hail the Sygnalcate...what does it mean?
You wish you had answers. But you didn't know where to look. It was all up to Fort now.
All you can do...is wait.
-------------------------------------------------
guess whos back, back again
sorry ts took so long, work's been busy, life's been busy, and honestly i was kinda running out of ideas for this fic
i mean, i had ideas, but i didnt know what to do with them
but i love how this chapter turned out!! and bringing back H I M will let me do something a little silly later :3 this is a threat btw
also i learned so many new terms today, so feel free to look up any word you dont know lmao cus i didnt know they existed either
anyway ive been writing for four fuckin hours so imma end it here
Guard Dog - Tenna x Bodyguard!Reader - Mini Chapter
Placeholders
Today has been slow. Boringly slow. Tenna had arbitrarily decided to take the day off, so the studio was at a standstill. Employees busied themselves with smaller tasks and projects, but as for you and Mike, there was nothing to do.
"Booyah! Another win for me!"
Well, maybe there was one thing to do.
You and Mike were in the main Green Room, playing that old racing game together. Mike gloats in his victory, as he had done many times before. You roll your eyes with a smirk. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. Just start up another round already, I was so close to beating you!"
Mike gasps. "You? Defeat me?" He scoffs playfully.
"Hey, I got third place last game! I'll dethrone you before you know it, man!"
Mike laughs. "You're on!"
"Would you two keep it down over there?!"
Lanino's voice cuts through the competitive air, prompting you to turn around. He's sitting at a nearby table with Elnina, who also looks irritated. They're sharing a drink, because of course they are. "I'm trying to stare lovingly into my sweet dewdrop's eyes, and you're ruining the mood!"
"Then...move?"
The duo go silent. They eventually gather their things and leave.
And so, you and Mike continue.
Several races later, you still hadn't beaten Mike. The room is silent, other than the sounds of the game. No one else is around. Just you and Mike, mindlessly racing each other.
"So, there's, like, more than one Mike, right?"
Mike nearly jumps out of his skin. "Wh-huh-What makes you think that?!"
You chuckle. "Really? You change all the time! How can there not be more than one Mike?"
He stammers. "Uh...magic?"
"We don't have magic, nerd."
"It's a...d-darkner quirk? Like how Mr. Tenna can grow and shrink?"
"Why are you asking?"
Mike freezes, clearly out of excuses. You smirk. "I am right, aren't I? There's more than one of you."
He glances around, checking the room, before whispering, "Just...don't tell the boss, alright?"
You hum. "Fine, fine, I won't." You pause. "How many of you are there?"
"Three. It was just me for a good while, but my friends...noticed I was having trouble keeping up. So, they joined in. We've been Mikes ever since."
"Huh. Good friends."
Mike chuckles. "Yeah...don't know where I'd be without them."
You look at him. He's...different now. His usual wide grin is more relaxed. His voice has changed, though it still sounds familiar. You're not sure why. And as he lets his shoulders untense, you see it; a small gap between his head and body, a sliver of porcelain white showing through.
You clear your throat. "So...is that 'body' a...suit?"
Mike nods. "Made it myself, actually. Gets really stuffy in here, though."
"I bet. How long has this been going on?"
"Since...Spamton left. We don't know why, but when that mailman ran away, Mike--the real Mike--disappeared too. Tenna was really upset, and started...taking it out on us. So, I stepped up and filled Mike's spot. It's been like this ever since."
"Woah, wait, what do you mean Tenna took it out on you? What did he do?"
Mike shrugs. "Just a lot of yelling, nothing physical. I don't blame him. Him and Spamton were super close, and to have someone like that just...abandon you like that? I'd be pissed too."
"I...I guess that's fair. I've done some unpleasant things in the past, too."
"Haven't we all?"
You give a little laugh. As you do, the race ends. You won.
"Oh, hey! Would you look at that!" You laugh harder.
"Wh--That doesn't count! You distracted me!"
"Whatever you say, man."
Mike opens his mouth to retort, but a ringtone shuts him up. He clears his throat and places his finger on the side of his head. "Yeah, boss?"
Just like that, he's back in character. He nods a few times before giving a half-hearted, "I'm on it, boss." and hanging up. He sighs. "Sorry, _____, duty calls."
You nod. "Before you go," you say, "we're still friends, right?"
Mike pauses. "I mean, yeah. If you still want to be."
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