Do you ever wonder where we would be if we'd have tried a little harder? (open)

[duststainedbones]

Papyrus has gone through the forest beyond the Ruins so many times, he has a tendency to go into autopilot mode during his patrols. The walk is short, taking no more than fifteen minutes from one end to the other, but it's easy to lose himself in thought with how silent and uncharacteristically peaceful the little forest is. That's why he doesn't immediately notice the trees thinning out into a graveyard instead of ending at a massive, locked door. By the time he does notice, it's only because he's standing in front of a faded gravestone.

What the...

He looks around, noting all the other gravestones — and then the castle, which is obviously not Asgore's castle. Where is he? Abruptly on guard, he starts to stalk toward the castle, ignoring the tiny bones that line the pathway.

Comments

Hope this is okay!

[sansational]

The graveyard is far from Sans' favorite place to be in the castle, even and perhaps especially because it was where he'd first woken up as well. But he's come to find that it's a good place to go when he just...needs to be alone to think and dwell and be morose for a little while. These days, he's surrounded by friends and people who want him to be happy. There's miles and miles of difference between where he is now and where he was when he first woke up in an empty grave like a particularly tasteless joke.

But occasionally, Sans still finds his steps and his thoughts leading back here. Maybe his incessant need to pick at the mystery of this place hasn't gone away quite as thoroughly as he'd promised S-4 that it had. Maybe it's just because it's a good reminder if anything is that his circumstances could be much worse. Or maybe it's just because, today, one of the echoes in his head that he usually tries to ignore is particularly loud.

Papyrus will still probably notice the silhouette through the fog before Sans becomes fully aware of the familiar soul, however. For Sans, it's like flipping a switch - one step, and he's lost in his own thoughts. Another, and the presence in front of him is impossible to ignore.

The smaller skeleton's gaze snaps up, and for a moment, hope has such a grip on his soul that he can't speak, can barely breathe or think...and yet, something (someone) makes him see the differences much more quickly than he did last time. He knows that shape, he knows that soul, but the stance isn't right and the eyes really aren't right, and, and...

"...hehehe." Sans grins weakly up at his almost-brother, burying his hands deep in his pockets as though to physically hold himself back from doing something embarrassing. At least this time, there can be no mistaking that this one isn't his. "you're a long way from home, bro."

[duststainedbones]

Yeah, he knows that soul too, even from a distance, and for a moment he's ready to snap at Sans for being away from his sentry post (especially since he'd just checked on him before going into the forest) but then he sees him and it's Sans, but... not? Why is he wearing blue? Where is his gold fang? Papyrus stares hard, confusion making him tense, particularly when the not-Sans speaks, calls him 'bro'. His own Sans hasn't called him bro in such a long time, the word sounds almost unfamiliar. These days it's 'boss'.

Eyes narrowing, he takes a step toward the not-Sans. "WHAT DID YOU DO?" It's only natural to assume this other skeleton (who looks so much like his brother but can't be) is the reason he's at some graveyard isn't of the Ruins door where he should be.

[sansational]

And when Papyrus tenses, Sans can't help but tense, too - in sympathy, and something like dread that lays especially heavy on his soul. Maybe it's just because, this close, it's still even easier to pick out the differences in the figure in front of him, even through the fog. His brother is wearing black and his battle body really is as spiky as it had looked and he's tense to begin with and those...those are fangs.

When Papyrus takes a step forward, Sans finds himself taking a step back, his gaze darting this way and that.

"wasn't me. i got brought here just like you obviously did. a lot of monsters from the underground have...even if it, uh, wasn't from 'your' version of the underground." Sans finds himself looking away, then shuffling a little anxiously, as his nerve well and truly fails him. The words stick in his throat, so that he has to drag them forth. This...this is surprisingly difficult to even begin to explain. Especially considering the practice he's had, as of late.

[dustless]

Through the nearest window, from his height, Papyrus just might be able to catch a glimpse of someone in a striped shirt ambling down the hallway inside.

Frisk is considering where to go today, a small apple clutched in their hand with a single bite taken from it. They're barely awake, but they really don't like sleeping too much. Maybe they'll go out and visit the edge again, play in the fog. They hum to themselves consideringly.

[duststainedbones]

Papyrus does catch movement in one of the windows, and he pauses, eyes narrowing. Another monster? Perhaps they know how he got here (and, for that matter, where here even is). Heading in the same direction the figure was heading, he hopes to either catch them or cut them off at some point.

[dustless]

He'll have a chance before too long. There's a door--or what remains of a door, anyway, half the wood's rotted away--where they'll practically stumble over each other.

He won't need to chase them, though. As soon as they spot him out of the corner of their eye, they whirl and freeze. They know his shape even in the scraps of foggy cloud drifting by, and while this is a Papyrus, this is...a spikier one. Unless S-4 found some armor to try on.

Frisk tilts their head up at him, seeing what he's going to do first. It's good to be careful sometimes.

[lightofthestars]

Tauriel has been spending much less time in the woods as of late, for reasons both good and bad: Esfor and Estu have come to rely upon her, and she has need to keep watch at Chara's tower. It is strange to be so often inside, though, and so from time to time, she slips away to wander through the trees.

She quickly notes the new person travelling along the path, and though she sees their harsh movements, she steps into their sight all the same. She has met so many here whose frightful appearances belie a warm heart. Surely this will be true for this person as well.

"Greetings," she says to them. "Are you lost?"

(She knows that they are, but she asks all the same.)

Normally Sophie would be accompanying Grune but Chara has given her enough trauma for a while. :D;;

[lostinmyway]

The woods are very pretty. Even if they're not very large, the trees are still tall and green and doing their best, and the shade feels nice and cool. Some days, she goes to pick up the small bones along the path and find a safe home for them, but today, she's only wandering about where whim takes her.

After a while, she notices someone tall through the trees. At first she thinks it must be S-4, because they look like a tall skeleton, but...S-4 doesn't move like that. He moves like he's worried he's going to hurt someone.

She doesn't think this new person worries about that the way S-4 does.

"Hello," she calls out as she comes closer.