Part 1 | Segment 0.6.7 | Snowdin Town, huh…

I shook my head, trying to clear dream out of my head, and reached over to turn on the lamp. But as the light flickered on, I froze.

There, standing right next to my bed, was a monster.

"Bad dream, huh?" It spoke.

I screamed, a burst of panic overtaking me. My foot shot out instinctively, connecting with the monster and sending it flying across the room. It slammed into the wall with a dull thud, the force nearly cracking the plaster.

"Get out! Ya weirdo!" I yelled, my voice trembling as adrenaline coursed through me.

The monster groaned, dragging itself up from the floor. Now that I could get a good look at it, I realized it was shaped like a small flying saucer, complete with three dull spikes protruding from its head. Its long, narrow arms dangled awkwardly, and its swollen lips gave it a constant pouty expression. I stared at it, realizing it must be Jerry. He must've been lurking around this entire time; why was he in my room? And more importantly, why?

I shook off the shock and focused on the numbers flashing in my mind—50 damage out of his 80 HP. I knew I'd gotten stronger, but this was… a lot. I pulled the blankets off and stood up, still feeling the adrenaline from the dream and the surprise visitor. Where was Mani? She was acting strange before, trying to convince me to sleep all of a sudden. "What the hell? Where did Mani go? Probably back to that Zell guy," I muttered, grabbing my jacket before heading out of the room. "What's her deal?" I shrugged it off, figuring I'd find out soon enough.

Downstairs, the inn was as quiet as ever. Lora stood behind the counter with that same calm smile, her expression so normal it was almost unsettling. "How much time passed while I was asleep?" I asked, still feeling the lingering effects of the dream.

"Only an hour and a half," she replied, her tone flat but polite. I could almost hear her inner monologue—I hope I get a different job.

"Really??? Only an hour and a half?" I echoed, surprised. "Must've been one hell of a power nap."

Lora just nodded, offering the same polite smile. "Need anything else before you go?"

"Oh, uh… yes!" I dug into my pocket and pulled out all the gold I had left—16G—and placed it on the counter. "See ya!" I called out as I exited, the chimes of the bells ringing behind me.

"Uh… thank you?" she replied, a bit startled. Her inner voice probably screaming, "What kind of tip is 16G? But hey, not complaining."

Outside, Snowdin Town was bustling with more monsters than before. I pulled my jacket tighter around me, my eyes scanning the crowd for Mani, but she was nowhere to be seen. "What's going on?" I muttered. I checked my stats, and what I saw made me freeze.

Polly

FL - 2

LV - 1

HP - 25/20

ATK - 30 (4) | EXP - 0

DF - 15 (2) | Next - 10

Weapon - Legendary Stick

Armor - Cropped Jacket (Toriel's Warmth)

Gold - Broke | Kills - 0

SP - 4/6 | Next - 2/6

Item - (2) Candies, Toy Knife, Faded Ribbon, Orange Bandanna.

Storage - 3/10

 -"Whoa! My ATK went up by a lot! How?! Why? … Is this normal?" I wondered aloud, my mind racing.

 -"What if it's from that orb I got earlier... And..."Broke"?? Oh wow.. You just had to rub it in, didn't you?"

"Hey kid."

I turned around, looking for the voice. A rabbit man with normal white fur and a weird-looking tiny mustache stood nearby, watching me.

"Uh, yeah?" I answered, still distracted by my stats.

"That lady over there…" he said, pointing in the opposite direction. I followed his finger and saw another rabbit lady that looked awfully similar to Lora, down to the type of clothing and smile.

"Uh-huh. And?" I raised an eyebrow, not exactly in the mood for random chit-chat.

"Something about her disturbs me…"

I sighed, "So?"

"Look, I'll give you 20G if you figure out what's up with her."

I glanced at him, unimpressed. "Why don't you just ask her yourself?"

He shifted nervously. "I don't know…"

"Are you scare-"

"Look kid, ya want the G's or not?"

"... Fine, give it here."

I took the G's and walked up to the lady, who seemed to be walking her… pet? Bunny? I squinted, realizing the oddness of the situation. "Is that coward on to something here because that is weird," I thought to myself.

"Hello!" she greeted me with a bright smile, her voice bubbly.

"Yo! Um… So, what's your name? Mine is Polly, I don't have a last name, at least I don't remember it."

"Polly is a lovely name! My name is Eva! Nice to meet you!" She grabbed my hand and shook it excitedly.

"Isn't my son just the cutest? The little cinnamon he is!"

"Oh? Where is your son?"

"Right here." Eva pointed to the bunny she was walking with on a leash. I immediately understood the problem and started sweating a little.

"Hehe… he, Pfft yeah I knew that. Well, isn't he… Adorable?"

"You think so as well? Bun-buns are so adorables."

"Hehe, well-uh... Nice meeting you!" I said quickly, backing away.

"Bun-bun-bun-bun~" Eva said in a musical rhythm as I stepped away, walking back to the rabbit guy, Lake.

"So, what did she say?" he asked as soon as I got back.

Shaking my head. "Her name's Eva. She's walking her… uh, son."

He frowned. "I knew something was weird."

"Yeah, well, whatever. I'm outta here."

"Hey, wait. Name's Lake, by the way. Like the lake near Snowdin?"

"Yeah, cool. See ya, Lake."

"An extra 10G for you," he said handing it out before I walked off. "Alright, don't mind if I do," I muttered, pocketing the cash.

I wandered through Snowdin, seeing a few more monsters than before. A decorated tree caught my eye—something that looked an awful lot like a Christmas tree, with a bear monster setting up presents under it. A few others joined in, placing gifts that all had specific names on them, but none with a "from" label.

My family never really celebrated Christmas. We just didn't believe in it, so we compensated by giving each other gifts here and there.

"It wasn't always like this. It was recent that we started doing this. I'd say around 5 years or so," a voice said from behind me, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Storytime? Really?" I muttered under my breath.

"Awful teens tormented a local monster by decorating its tree-like horns. So we started giving that monster presents to make it feel better," the voice continued.

I turned to see who was talking—a monster named Zander, apparently.

I blinked at him, half listening. "That's… nice, I guess."

"And now, it's a tradition to put presents underneath a decorated tree," he finished.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"It's Zander. Yours?"

"My name is Polly."

"What a weird name," he replied bluntly.

"Well, excuse you, huh…" I shot back, rolling my eyes.

Before I could respond further, a little yellow monster with no arms, a tail, and spikes on the back of their head came running around the tree, only to trip and fall face-first in front of me. "Yo! You're a kid too, right?"

"I really don't have time for this," I muttered, walking around the big tree, trying to ignore the little monster who was now following me.

"W-wait for me!" he called out.

I sighed. "Sorry, kid, I've got somewhere to be." I insisted, but the monster was persistent.

"I can tell you're a kid like me 'cause you're wearing a striped shirt!" he exclaimed, only to trip and fall on his face again, muttering, "I wonder if that weird skeleton is an adult or a kid?"

I stopped for a moment, pondering the thought. It was a little interesting, but I shrugged it off and moved forward. Soon, I found myself outside a place called "Grillby's," which looked like a pub for monsters to eat and hang out. I peered in from the window, curious, when another monster, a bear dude with an orange jacket, did the same.

"Y'know one thing about this town is that it doesn't have a mayor," he said suddenly.

"But if there's ever a problem, a skeleton will tell a fish lady about it," he added, as if that explained everything.

"Thaaaaaaat's politics!" he concluded, leaving me even more confused.

I decided entering wouldn't be a great use of my time, so I continued exploring Snowdin. I met a mouse-looking monster and another monster wearing a fiery-looking cloak. They both talked about the grimness of the underground, but despite this, they shared hope and a smile. For some reason, I felt like their freedom might come sooner than they think. Not that I know why…

As I moved to the northern part of Snowdin Town, I saw a neighborhood and ended up coming across more interesting conversations and facts about Snowdin. The town seemed to have a story hidden in every corner, a quiet charm that made you feel like you were part of something bigger.

Eventually, I came across a buff wolf monster tirelessly throwing huge ice cubes into the water. The ice cubes seemed to be endlessly generated from somewhere, and he made it look effortless. "He makes it look effortless. I wonder if he ever stops or gets a break," I mused, watching him for a moment.

I continued up further and found an empty water passageway with a boat parked there. A note was attached to it that read, "Tra la la... Which means don't take this boat, please. - From River Person."

I chuckled under my breath, shaking my head. "Trust me, I wouldn't know what to do with it even if I wanted to use it," I muttered, shaking my head with a small smile before turning back.

I headed back down into the main part of town and continued on, starting to see the end of the town a little bit ahead. Just as I was about to move on, I spotted the library—or should I say, Librarby. I paused, blinking at the sign. "Is it a typo, or did someone get creative with branding?" I wondered aloud, curiosity piqued.

I stepped inside, finding the place quiet and filled with shelves of books lined up neatly. It was a small library, but it felt packed with knowledge, like it held secrets just waiting to be uncovered.

A librarian greeted me as soon as I entered. "Welcome to the library. And before you say anything—yes, we know. The sign is misspelled."

I couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Well, I wasn't going to say anything, but thanks for clearing that up," I replied with a grin.

I wandered through the rows of books, eventually stopping at a red color-coded bookshelf. There, I saw a Loox monster with no arms, somehow managing to read the contents of a book.

The Loox Monster looked up at me, studying my face. "That look in your eye… You're someone that… I don't know? Finds puzzles relatively easy."

I shrugged, a small smirk forming. "You wouldn't be wrong about that," I said, thinking back to the puzzles I'd solved so far.

After spending a while in the library, I left the cozy space, the snowy landscape of Snowdin slowly giving way to something less wintry as I ventured toward the town's exit. Along the way, I passed a large home with two mailboxes out front. One was crammed with letters, practically spilling over, while the other sat nearly empty. I eyed the names but found nothing revealing. "'Guess someone's popular," I thought, moving on.

The road ahead stretched longer than I'd expected, the sound of my boots crunching against the snow the only thing breaking the silence. Slowly, a dense fog rolled in, growing thicker with every step until my vision was completely obscured. I stopped, squinting into the mist, when I heard it—soft, deliberate footsteps approaching.

I tensed, my hands instinctively curling into fists, ready for whoever—or whatever—was coming. The footsteps drew closer, and soon, a dark figure emerged from the fog, their outline sharp enough to make out the shape of their tall frame. A silhouette of a persistent someone... 

I froze as recognition hit me.

"Papyrus?" I asked, my voice cautious but steady.

The figure stepped fully into view, and there he was: Papyrus, his scarf billowing slightly in the faint wind. His skeletal form was as regal as ever, but something in his posture made me feel like this wasn't just a casual encounter.

"HUMAN," he began, his voice loud and dramatic, as if he'd been rehearsing this moment. "ALLOW ME TO TELL YOU SOME COMPLEX FEELINGS."

"No. Not interested, I'm leaving this place now," I said flatly, turning away.

There was a pause, then an exasperated shout: "WAIT, JUST HOLD ON A MOMENT, HUMAN! I AM BEING ROYALLY SERIOUS."

"Cool," I replied, already moving. "And I'm just gonna 'royally' exit the scene."

"YOU WISH TO LEAVE THE UNDERGROUND, DO YOU NOT?" He said in a convincing tone, lowering it as if that was some secret I couldn't reject to. 

That made me stop. I glanced back, my curiosity piqued despite myself. "…Go on. I'm listening." That being said, it didn't stop me from hearing him out anyway as that IS my goal.

The figure straightened, squaring his bony shoulders. With an overdramatic clearing of his throat, he began. 

"AHEM! AS I WAS SAYING... COMPLEX FEELINGS! LIKE THE JOY OF FINDING ANOTHER PASTA LOVER! ADMIRATION FOR ANOTHER'S PUZZLE-SOLVING SKILLS! THE DESIRE TO HAVE A COOL, SMART PERSON THINK YOU ARE COOL! THESE FEELINGS… THEY MUST BE WHAT YOU FEEL—"

"No. Not really." I really couldn't be bothered to entertain this guy. Something about him just felt off and I just wasn't vibing with it.

"AT LEAST WHAT YOU FELT THE FIRST TIME—" He attempted to say, when I shut him down with a swift, "Nuh-uh."

"AHEM! I CAN HARDLY IMAGINE WHAT IT MUST BE LIKE TO FEEL THAT WAY."

"Wow, how thoughtful." I said blandly, sarcasm oozing out of me as if were physical barrier to his unnecessary dialogues.

"NYEH! AFTER ALL, I AM VERY GREAT. I DON'T EVER WONDER WHAT HAVING LOTS OF FRIENDS IS LIKE. BUT I PITY YOU… LONELY HUMAN."

"Pity?" I muttered, irritation beginning to creep into my tone. "This skeleton is starting to piss me off.." I thought, feeling kind of hurt but also very impatient, I mean, what was he even talking about? 

"YES, I PITY YOU, HUMAN… BUT WORRY NOT!!! YOU SHALL NOT BE LONELY ANY LONGER! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL BE YOUR…"

His voice faltered, and he shuffled back a step, his once-bold demeanor cracking just slightly.

"... NO... NO, THIS IS ALL WRONG! I—I CAN'T BE YOUR FRIEND!!!" He said, not believing the things he was saying and implying up till now. It finally seemed we were on the same page for a moment. "I wasn't asking you to." I replied.

"YOU ARE A HUMAN!"

"…Yeah, and?"

"I MUST CAPTURE YOU!!!" He announced.

"Oh, right. That." I said feigning shock, but at the same time IN shock as well. 

That being the shock factor only kicked in when I noticed he had actually remembered his goal, again. "What does this mean? He doesn't mean BATTLE, right?" I thought, making my stance firm again.

His retreating footsteps changed rhythm, becoming deliberate and measured. The air around us grew still, the silence stretching. He was preparing for something; I could feel it.

"THEN, I CAN FULFILL MY LIFELONG DREAM! POWERFUL! POPULAR! PRESTIGIOUS!" His voice echoed confidently.

I heard a faint sound—was that a leap? "Is he going to drop down on me?" I wondered, bracing myself. Moments later, Papyrus landed with a solid thud that shook the snowy ground, sending the thick mist scattering into the air.

Now I could see him clearly. He struck an unmistakably cool battle stance, his scarf fluttering dramatically in the faint wind.

"BECAUSE THAT'S PAPYRUS!!! THE NEWEST MEMBER… OF THE ROYAL GUARD!"

"Okay," I said, unable to hold back a smirk. "I take back everything bad I said about you. That was cool." Normally, I'd be against dramatic sequences like this but this sent chills down my spine in a way that if felt... good. Whatever the case I couldn't help my acknowledge the coolness in that. Maybe... Just maybe... Papyrus could put on a interesting front.

"NYEH HEH HEH! GET READY, HUMAN, AS I BLOCK YOUR WAY!"

The world around us shifted, flashing stark black and white. My senses sharpened, and as the familiar sensation of a [Battle] took over.

"I guess we're really doing this…" I muttered, my eyes locking onto his. "Well then, I look forward to this, PAPYRUS!"

[Enter Battle]