Strange Soul In A Strange World

The Lab and Sneaky Gifts

In a laboratory only found in Hot Land, the pair of brothers were seeking help from a friend of theirs. A shy yellow reptilian type monster with the title of royal scientist that goes by the name Alphys. She's also the only known scientist within the Underground.

Sans himself has a background in the field of science but prefers to go unnoticed and look after his younger brother. In truth, he would rather examine the mana crystals himself but the current equipment of his personal lab within their basement is rather limited. So with no other choice he and Papyrus brought over a mana crystal to their scientist friend.

"Th-this is re-remarkable! I-I've never seen anything like this in m-my time as the royal scientist! Just one of these is enough to power the entire Underground fo-for tens of thousands of years!!! It's amazing for something so small t-to have so much power. The level, the type of magic and its purity sh-shouldn't even exist in this world in th-the first place!!! H-how did you guys even g-get this in the first place? This is even the most stable energy source I've ever seen and it's better than what the c-core can produce! This could even be the breakthrough we need to break the barrier!" Alphys says as she took Sans by the hem of his jacket and shook him violently.

"Now, Now, Alphys, Please Calm Down. My Brother Doesn't Have As Much HP As The Rest Of The Underground, So Please Refrain From Shaking Him Into A Pile Of Bones. Also, Might I Add That The Crystal You Are Currently Holding Is A Gift From An Alien Friend Of My Brother And I. Our Friend Wrote That He Doesn't Want The Crystal To Be Used For Anything Other Than Improving Me And My Brother's Physiques and stats, Especially My Brother's Own Pitiful Stats And Physique! Though I Understand Their Sentiment And Concern Since I Myself Am Concerned For This Lazy Bones Brother Of Mine," Papyrus says as he carries a disoriented Sans high above and out of Alphys' reach.

Once Sans got out of his dizzy state, his expression took on a serious look as his eyelights disappeared and shadows covered his skull. "Alphys, the one who gave the crystal to me and my brother is someone whose trust we won't ever betray... And the reason I'm saying this is, well... I'm pretty sure you know of the age-old piece of history about the two types of connections, right?" Sans says casually as his expression slowly returns to his normal relaxed self, but his countenance only grows sharper.

It took time for Alphys to fully register what Sans had just said before she froze, her eyes widening in surprise. She squealed in a high-pitched voice and began to hop around while shaking her tail. "OH MY TOBY FOX! AAAAAAAAH!!! YOU FOUND YOUR OTHER HALF! A DREAM EVERY MONSTER AND HUMAN LONGS FOR, SOMETHING THAT'S LIKE FINDING A SINGLE PEARL IN THE VAST OCEAN! DO YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS?!" Alphys screamed without stuttering, surprising the skeleton brothers greatly. Sans was gently set down onto the ground by Papyrus as their minds tried to wrap around the fact that Alphys had said all that without a single stutter. But Sans, being the sharp judge he is despite the lazy mask he puts on in front of everyone around him, caught onto the words "other half," which made him think more about the words written in the book he once read about connections. Sans couldn't help but narrow his sockets as his left socket lit up ablaze.

"Alphys, do you know something that we don't? You mentioned "other half", I don't recall either connection being referred to as "other half". You have some explaining to do." Sans said with a monotone voice, completely devoid of any emotion.

Papyrus and Alphys were completely surprised by the sudden seriousness in Sans's demeanor, especially Papyrus. Alphys had already seen Sans become like this in the past when she was still just an assistant. She remembered the time when King Asgore wanted to appoint Sans as the royal scientist, but Sans completely refused since no one would have been able to look after Papyrus if he had accepted the position at the time. Still, seeing Sans get serious like this again after so many years took her by surprise.

"Brother? You're Looking Rather... Disconcerting When You're Serious. Could You Perhaps Tone Down The Seriousness In Your Expression A Bit So Alphys Could Be Relaxed Enough To Explain This Whole Other Half Topic To The Both Of Us?" Papyrus says as he looks at his brother with a slight bit of apprehension.

Sans schooled his features into a softer and calmer expression as his eyelights returned to normal. He calmed the storm brewing in his soul with practiced ease.

Seeing this surprised both Papyrus and Alphys again. It was rather unnervingly frightening how quickly Sans could change his expression. It was a skill that takes years to learn and master, but it is also something natural for those born with a particular mindset.

"Alphys, I think it's about time for you to start explaining. I'm sure you know how important this is for my brother and me, considering how extremely rare it is for such a phenomenon to appear in reality, right? So please explain how and why such information wasn't exactly widespread and well-known," Sans asked Alphys in a level tone, without his usual humorous and lazy demeanor.

Alphys doesn't know where to start. She's slightly scared that if she were to explain it wrongly, it may trigger Sans' rage or fury. She'd rather not risk being skinned alive by a monster who can oh so efficiently dismember you at a moment's notice. It's a conundrum to say the least. "I-I don't k-know where to start... I th-think it's b-best if you g-get the information from the k-king's private li-library." She stuttered out.

"Lead the way then, there'll be no trouble if you brought us there anyway since the king gave me permission long ago. It's about time I checked it out." Sans said rather calmly though there was a slight barely noticeable bite to his tone.

In the meantime, our main gal was sneakily moving about and speedily renovating one of the rooms in the skeleton brothers' home. It was the kitchen, to be exact, and let's just say that it was becoming something to admire and gawk at, especially since it was a combination of both modern and fantasy aesthetics.

"Alrighty then, time to put some paint on since all the hardware, cabinets, countertops, etc. have already been upgraded with high-tech technology and higher-grade materials. Hmm... Maybe I should try painting a forest by a lake with some fairies fluttering about using glow-in-the-dark paint? That would create the illusion of the night sky with the northern lights the moment they turn off the lights. I should probably also try making a sunny, nearly cloudless sky as a part of the illusion when the lights are on." With that said, I get to work and began painting the walls with breathtaking yet hyper-realistic scenery at a rapid pace.

After five minutes, I was done painting; I even used a bit of my power to dry the paint once I was finished. After that, I just went about replacing the tableware with those made of colorful diamonds, non-toxic crystals, and mithril for both aesthetics and durability.

After everything was said and done, I filled the pantry, the refrigerator, and some of the shelves with a large variety of spices and ingredients, most of which were things you wouldn't be able to find underground.

I looked around at my work, happy with the results, especially considering that the walls, hardware, and other items in the kitchen were practically indestructible. This was important since Papyrus could be described as a bit of a messy and destructive cook, especially whenever I remembered some facts about him in the fandom.

I then put a note along with a few thick recipe books on the table before storing away the old tableware in a box and placing it in a storage closet I found in their home, along with a label saying 'old tableware.'

I went around the house, studying each room and planning how I would renovate each of them according to my knowledge of Sans and Papyrus. The house of the skeleton brothers will probably end up having one room secretly renovated every time both brothers are away as a surprise. My eyes were drawn to a certain room before a grin appeared on my lips.

"Looks like I have found my next target. All I have to do is wait for the brothers' next trip out before I get cracking. Those boys might end up panicking when they get home later after seeing the kitchen, but it'll be worth it if I can make their home a better place for them to live in, especially in the safety department." As I said that, I tapped my foot on the ground to check the whereabouts of the brothers through a special form of soul tracking.

"Looks like the two are heading further into Hotland. Probably towards New Home. Hmm... I wonder why? Well, I better leave while I can. I don't want to be here when Sans might suddenly take a shortcut here; that'll be a nightmare for me." With that, I headed home sneakily without being seen by the residents of Snowdin.

Sigh "One day... I hope I can meet you all face to face with the real me..."