Chapter Text
You remembered the day that the monsters arrived. Or rather, they bloomed forth from along the expanse of small mountains about five years ago. Everyone knew the legends about the creatures who lost to humans in a magical war. Their punishment was to forever live under the great Mt. Ebott, sealed by a magical barrier. The only indication that this could even be remotely true was the fact that anyone who went into Mt. Ebott never returned. But that should have been it. A legend.
They never returned, except for the child named Frisk. They couldn’t have even been ten years old when they returned, a slew of monsters in tow. No one could believe how they had survived, and that human in this day and age could use magic to any degree. There was backlash. There was change. It was a hard time. More than anything, it was a revelation and the driving force to encourage monsters to live among humans.
If you have something to give, people will take it, you remember thinking at the time.
It was a tough transition. Many of the monsters chose to stay close to Mt. Ebott. It was simpler that way. You happened to live in a particularly good area for monsters to settle.
You worked hard to be welcoming. But there was only so much you could learn so quickly. Monsters were not like humans. Monsters weren’t even like other monsters. Magic was their only common denominator. They were just as different from each other as they were from you. They also didn’t know much about humans except from legends. Some people worked hard to help. Others were not so kind.
But time moves forward. Some prejudice stays and some goes. People and monsters learn to live with what happens around them. That’s what makes this world so unique. If you don’t adapt, you never move forward. And if you don’t move forward, it tears you apart.
With time, you grew older. You moved away and starting attending the university in the city. Science took over your education without you realizing, becoming the main focus. Biology, infact. At the start of your junior year you were offered a lab position at the medical division, paid.
This is where we start.
“Good news!” You were waiting at the front desk in the medical sciences building. It was foreign to you, slightly offset from the main campus, far enough that you had to drive. It was an unspoken rule that undergrads did not go in. The medical professional students didn’t enjoy overzealous distractions or so you’ve heard. “I’ve got your research position assignment right here.” You recognized the clerk from some of your classes. Blonde, bouncy, all smiles.
You smiled back as you gripped the printouts in your hand. You would be working with Dr. Alphys, as you already knew from the acceptance email, but that was it. The room was on the third floor but the building was large. You weren’t even sure where the elevator was and the clerk was already on the phone with someone. A student was hunched into the floor, settled into her oversized hoodie. You wondered how long she had been in the building. She probably knew it pretty well then.
“Excuse me…” You felt uncharacteristically timid.
“Hmm?” The student picked their head up, almost like they were in a daze. “Oh hi! I’ve never seen you around here. You looking for something?” Ah, these creatures aren’t as scary as you were lead to believe.
“Yes, actually. I’m the new research assistant for Dr. Alphys, do you know where the lab is?” You showed the student the room number, but she started laughing. She stood up, setting all of her study material on a side table.
“No way, you’re the one working for Dr. Alphys? She’s been so excited all week! Her lab just got enough funding for an assistant. She does awesome stuff. I’ll take you up there!” You were beaming. This was already turning out to be better than you expected.
“I’m Aria by the way. Second year medical student.” Aria was extremely animated, giving your hand a firm shake. The elevator made an odd whirring noise.
“I’m…” You tried to introduce yourself but the elevator buzzed when you hit your floor. Aria sped from the door, ushering for you to come with her. You were glad Aria was accompanying you, because the research floor was a twisted maze of hallways and doors. You had to speed walk to keep up. Aria was at least 5 inches taller than you.
“You know your way around really well.”
“I wander when I’m bored. Plus, I like visiting everyone. Alphys’ lab is a ton of a fun, not sure if I’d want to work there though. You gotta worry about her co-worker mostly.” Aria winked as she opened the only door in the hallways that metal plated.
The lab was enormous. It expanded over two floors, giant machines buzzing with electricity. Electric conducting tubes lined the walls flashing in different colored, sparkling lights. Most of the machinery was plated in shimmering chrome. Some it resembled medical equipment like MRI machines and bone scanners, while others were completely alien with exposed wire and tubing snaking all over the floor and up the walls.
“Well if it isn’t the comeback kid?” A voice laughed from the second floor.
“Gee Sans,” Aria folded her hands over her chest, purposefully trying to sound girly and smitten. “You know it just too much to for me to keep away. Also, don’t call me that.” Aria responded, following her maiden antics by flicking off the unknown body.
“I knew it. Couldn’t get enough of me, huh? You were only here an hour ago.” Walking down the stairs was a completely sentient, walking, talking, kind of unprofessionally dressed topped with a disheveled lab coat, skeleton.
“Don’t flatter yourself. I’m on a delivery. Meet Alphys’ new assistant.” Aria pushed you forward. You must have looked like a scared freshman, the way you were gripped the life out of your printouts, and the fact that Sans was eyeing you up, smiling, but looking none too impressed with you.
Sans was just a bit taller than you, which wasn’t saying much. You nervously kept darting your eyes to the ground and back to Sans. Interacting with monsters was nothing new for you, but the pin pricks of lights in Sans’ eyes boring into you made you uncomfortable, his smile slowly started to turn down. Aria made something akin to a huffing noise. “Well, are the two of you just going to stand there being weird, or is someone gonna get Alphys?”
“O-oh! Yes, I’m right here! I’m so sorry for being late! I simply couldn’t leave until I saw the results from the centrifuge.” Dr. Alphys, leader of groundbreaking research on the medical health of monsters was a monster. You wanted to punch yourself in the face. Of course she would be a monster. How stupid could you be not to realize. She scurried through a metal archway, round glasses almost sliding off her snout. She was almost quite small, but very dinosaur like with golden colored scales. She was very sweet looking though.
“I’m so glad to have you here!” Dr. Alphys was practically glowing as she vigorously shook your hand. She was shaking a little bit, but was strong for someone so stout.
“I, I’m so excited to get to work with you! Thank you choosing me to work here!” You were kind of shouting in response to her nervous energy. Out of the corner of your eye, you could see Sans and Aria trying to hold in laughter.
“A perfect match!” Aria says through the hand trying to cover her laugh. She straightens up and smiles. “Anyways, I’ve got derm to learn and as much as I’d rather hang around here, I need to go throw up about some mycetoma and bullous impetigo.” She reaches around your shoulders, pulling you in. “And if you ever feel like distracting someone, come find me. I’m always around, anywhere on the first floor or the anatomy lab. TA privileges.”
“If you learn some anatomy so bad…” Sans starts, but Aria knocks him in the head with her elbow.
“I’d rather hang around with those deadbeats than go anywhere near you. See ya later!” Aria shoots finger guns before she leaves.
Dr. Alphys smiles meekly. “Aria can be a lot to handle, but she’s very nice. She’s been a good friend.” You nod in agreement.
“W-well, you’ve already met Sans.” He waves, still with that grin plastered onto his face. You crack half a smile to show, yeah you get it. He’s supposed to be funny. “I-I’m Alphys, you don’t have to call me doctor. As I’m sure you know,” Alphys starts to lead you through the lab. “Monsters are fundamentally different than humans. Bodily injury to monsters can be devastating. If-if we’re injured to badly, we can turn to nothing but dust.” Her voice is solemn.
“B-but! I’ve been working on ways to treat monsters using medicine and magic t-together! Not much is known about monster physiology, but it’s coming along. Perfecting this may save a lot of lives in the future.” She shows you a small vial of what you assume to be viscous, liquefied magic. It’s tinted yellow. “I was hoping to have a human working with us. I think this will greatly h-help.”
Alphys goes on to explain what your duties will be while you’re working. Nothing seems too complicated. It’s similar to working in a chemistry lab, except the magic part which worries you a little bit. Still early in the process, Alphys asks Sans to help you out. You aren’t exactly thrilled at the prospect.
In the middle of attempting to pipette a few millimeters of orangey-pink magic to mix with some raw bone marrow, Sans decides it’s a good time for a conversation. “So, why’d you pick to apply for this lab? Most humans aren’t quite on the bandwagon yet for monster healthcare.” He eyes you, maybe suspiciously? You can’t tell, but the fact he makes facial expressions at all already goes against any human physiology you’ve learned. Then again, he wasn’t a human skeleton.
“I’ve always thought monsters were…interesting.” You scrunch your face up. That’s not the word you wanted to use, but you can’t think of anything else. “Besides, it’s going to happen sooner or later. Why not learn about it while it’s in the process of making history?” Shit, you took too much of the magic. It rips through the marrow sample, disappearing into a ball of sparkling smoke. Your skin crawls a little bit.
“Alphys is gonna have a bone to pick with you.” You whip your head over. You realize by his facial expression, still so weird, Sans is kidding. You know you’re frowning, but you’re not use to this type of environment. It’s like he’s trying to get under your skin, watching every little thing you do, waiting for you to…you aren’t even sure what. Messing up is normal in research. What else could it be?
When it’s finally time to leave the lab, you rush out into the hallway after a quick goodbye and thank you to Alphys. You don’t say anything to Sans.
As you’re headed down to the lobby, you see what must be the library. The wall is mostly glass and you can see Aria was planted at a large desk with another person, neither speaking to each other, both scribbling away. She picked up her head and spotted you, giving you a quick gave, followed by a gesture to wait where you were.
“Hey,” She pushed open the glass door. “How was it?”
You kicked at the ground. “It was alright. Super cool, but I don’t think Sans likes me very much.” You admitted. You hoped that was okay to say, since Aria and Sans seemed like they were fairly close.
“Really? That’s surprising. He’s usually on his best behavior for cute girls like you.” Aria was kind of speaking to herself, and didn’t notice you flush and shrink back. “Either way, if he’s being an ass let me know. Here.” Aria hands off her phone to you. “Put your number in, I’ll send you a text with mine.”
After punching in the numbers, Aria takes it back and shakes with quiet laughter. “Man, am I dumb or what? I never actually caught your name. Well, now I won’t forget it.” She grins ear to ear. At least someone in the building was looking out for you.
Aria waves as you as you walk out of the front door, the sky already turning to night.
“See you later, Chara!”