The Time Before (Undertale)

17 ~ Unforseen Consequences (pt 3)

It was sheer desperation that led Sans to his actions.

It had been three weeks since the Determination incident, and by unspoken agreement, the DTW project was on hold, at least for the time being. The most any of the lab employees were able to get out of Sans was that he and Gaster had been working on "a thing" that had backfired and hit Sans in the face, and while they had thought he was okay at the time, he evidently wasn't, which led to his jaw being fused to his skull, smile permanent on his face.

After Gaster's comment about living on ketchup and mustard, Sans had started carrying around a bottle of one or the other, and made a point of weirding everyone out by drinking the raw condiments.

But he tired quickly of said condiments.

For a little while, Gaster made the same solution he had back when Sans was still S642, but Sans had never realized then just how bland that stuff was.

"it tastes like..." Sans trailed off as he and Gaster entered the break room. He glared at the offending glass of the stuff in his hand. "like paper. but more boring. boring paper."

They had tried once or twice to add flavor to it, but that had failed rather dramatically, and after said failed attempts, Sans had decided that he did not need flavorful food solution.

That didn't stop him from complaining about it, though.

"can you imagine that?" He lamented to Jeff, who happened to be in the break room. "eating boring paper for the rest of your life."

Gaster just gave him a dry look as he walked over to the refrigerator. "Boring paper, as opposed to exciting paper?"

Jeff chuckled a little, despite his sympathy for Sans. Sans just groaned as he sat at the table.

Gaster, meanwhile, pulled a hotdog out of the fridge.

"okay, now that's just cruel."

"We could stick it in a blender or something."

"what, and have hotdog goop? that's pretty gross, dings."

"Why? It's all the exact same stuff, just... mushified. It would probably taste the same. You could probably eat it."

After a second, Sans let out a roar of frustration, standing up so quick he knocked over his chair. He stalked over to Gaster and snatched the hotdog out of his hand. With a loud proclamation of "i eat what i want, how i want it!!" he shoved the hotdog towards his mouth.

He was quite astonished to find that the hotdog did not smash against his face as he thought it would have, but instead somehow fit into his mouth.

Sans spent a moment contemplating that as he ate the hotdog, reveling in the not-boring-paper taste, then grinned up at Gaster, who looked rather surprised. "whaddya know, i can eat things!"

Gaster just stared, a sort of what the heck look on his face. "What the heck, Sans."

"Okay," Jeff called from his seat at the table, eyes wide, whiskers trembling, and fur poofed out, "that was horrifying. Please don't ever do it again in front of me."

Gaster just reached into the fridge for another hotdog, which he shoved at Sans, a grin growing on his face.

"Do it again!"