Bitter Berries

Chapter 3

"You're late."

Muffet said in a huffy tone, her many arms crossed as her eyes narrowed at me as if I committed some sort of sin for being a minute late. The audacity of me really.

"Sorry, Muffin, I was busy getting my shins abused by my brother. It's very time consuming."

"It's Muffet, not Muffin. You know this."

I deliberately frog blinked at her, taking a moment to reply. "...Yeah. That's what I said, Muffin."

"Muffet."

"Right, Muffle."

Muffet lifted her hands, all four of them flexing like she was resisting the urge to throttle me. I grinned innocently at her while Papyrus huffed behind me, amused by my antics even if he'd never admit to it.

She sighed harshly, rolling her shoulders. "Fine, fine. Whatever. Come on, we need to start cleaning tables." Muffet said as she tossed a cloth at me, it smacked against my face and stuck there till I pulled it off. Papyrus snickered as he ambled off to his claimed table to hang out there, and by hang out, I mean take a nap.

"Yes ma'am." I saluted at the young spider monster, earning an eye roll that looked too amused to be super annoyed.

"Fuhuhuhu~ you're so lucky my mapa pities you."

"What can I say? My sad little poor orphan lifestyle seems to entice pity into the people." I replied cheekily as I shrugged off my jacket, leaving me in the bar's uniform which was extremely simple, it was just a pair of slacks, a button-up shirt with a vest over it. I hung the jacket on the coat rack. "I'm not complaining though, of course. I get free treats from it."

"Of course you do."

I scurry around the bar, weaving through the monsters so I could reach the empty tables to wipe them down. Working at Muffets wasn't hard and it paid good, it also let me take Papyrus inside with me to hang out during the days he didn't have school since I couldn't really leave him alone on a good conscience.

Actually, does Child Protective Services exist here?

I paused mid-swipe, leaning against the table. I mean, probably right? This is a whole society, there's no way there wouldn't be some kind of social services around here.

Then again, Papyrus and I are able to live alone and take care of ourselves and everyone actively tries to kill the human children that fall down here so...wait-

Oh my fucking god, I forgot about the fallen children! I grimaced and started wiping the tables down again.

When are they even gonna fall down here? It's not like the game ever gave a timeline for them, just that they all came before Frisk- or Chara in this situation, and came after Frisk and Asriel died.

...When did those two die?

I couldn't recall anything from the original Sans' memories that indicated the death of the two royal children so either it hadn't happened yet, the children weren't told, or it's already happened but before Sans' was born or could retain the memory of it.

Well, that's real helpful.

I huff softly as I move on to another table.

It's not like it'd matter much anyways, right? I'm not gonna be able to stop those kids from getting slaughtered, probably, and I only really have to worry about Chara- you know, the one that can RESET everything and commit as many crimes as they wish over and over again.

In conclusion? Worry when I get older. In other words, not my circus, not my clowns.

"BROTHER..? ARE YOU WELL? YOU'VE BEEN STARING AT THAT TABLE FOR A WHILE."

Speaking of clowns.

I blink and turn my head to look at Papyrus.

"Oh, don't worry, I'm fine. This is just a very interesting table."

"...OKAY?"

"Mhm. Very throwable and concussion-giving, good qualities for a bar table."

There was a moment of silence between them as Papyrus seemed to need a moment to collect his thoughts.

"SOMETIMES I WORRY FOR YOU, BROTHER."

"I worry me too sometimes."

Muffet had herself known as she stared at me with many narrowed eyes. "If you throw that table, or any table in my mapa's bar," she starts in a deceitfully sweet tone that made Papyrus sink down in his seat, "I'm gonna turn your skull into a new room accessory and the rest of you into bone marrow."

Huh. Points for creativity.

"At least you're putting my remains to good use."

"..Just wipe the tables, Sans."

"Yes, Madam Muppet."

I ducked my head in time to avoid getting smacked with the broom head.