"If you don't mind me asking, my dear," Toriel asked as Alphys checked Circe's vitals. There was a large robotic tattoo going from her peft shoulder to elbow and a circuit tattoo on her right forearm over the veins.
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"Would you mind telling me exactly how all this happened?"
Circe instantly tensed up and her heart rate spiked. The air hummed and crackled with electricity. "I'd really rather not, if it's all the same to you."
"You're cold, Kid. You know that?" Undyne was leaning on her spear. "You're cold and you're strong. You're naturally a fighter. If it's all the same to you, I'd like to see what you're made of."
"Not now, Undyne," Sans groaned. He locked eyes with the goat queen. "Tori? Can I speak with you for a sec?"
"Of course."
As soon as the two left the room, Circe tore off all the monitors and everything and made a beeline for the door. Papyrus put a hand on her shoulder. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Get out of my way," her voice was trembling and her fists clenched.
"No! You're going to go out there and you're going to try and kill yourself ag-"
"Do you know why I had a shock collar on, Papyrus?" She roared. "Because my parents were sick," she poked his chest. "and tired of me trying to kill myself and take the 'easy way' out! It was a fail-safe, dumbass, one I couldn't get off even though I can do this!"
She held up her hands about a foot apart, red-brown electricity crackling between them. Vengeance and determination. She was changing and it wasn't for the better. Nobody moved. Papyrus was growing scared. He remembered dying now. So did the others. They weren't nearly as scared as him, but they knew one thing for sure. Kill Papyrus and you signed your own death warrant.
"The fail safe's gone," she gestured with her hands. "and I've gone to the verge of death enough times to know what I'm doing, so excuse me if I finally want to put myself out of this fuxking misery, then why can't you just fuxking let me?!"
Splish
A fat teardrop fell to the ground as Circe began to break. "I mean, for Christ's sake, you have absolutely no idea what I've been through!!!" She counted off. "I have been whipped, branded, cut, stabbed, I've had boiling water poured on me, and I mean scalding water, Papyrus, not just like fuxking shower temperature! I've been hospitalized more times than I can count and I've had enough!!!" The air was silent, pardon the sound of Circe's heavy breathing. "So excuse me if I'm looking for a way out because I don't know how much longer I can take this!"
Papyrus said nothing but his gaze softened. Undyne muttered under her breath, eye wide as she processed what she just heard. Alphys as well.
"I'm gonna go," she mumbled, moving for the door again. This time, Papyrus didn't block her.
She was only three steps out the door. "It's not your fault." He said quietly.
"Yes, it is."
"No, Circe, it isn't. It's not your fault." He slowly turned to look at the back of her. "Your parents were monsters for doing this to you."
"You're monsters."
"Not all monsters do monstrous things," he took a half step forward. "I've been through unspeakable horrors with my brother when we were children. I've watched him wake up with every new restart. I watched the hope and light drain from him with each passing day. I've been there for every time he tried to end his life, just like you're doing now. He blamed himself for letting this happen. It wasn't his fault then, and it's not your fault now."
"I could've stopped them," she was mirroring Sans' words and she didn't even know it. "I could've stopped them out I didn't. I just played along and hoped for the best. I was such and idiot for letting them, and that's not up for debate."
"Circe," she turned around. "It's not your fault."
"Yes it is."
"No, Circe, listen to me." He took another step forward. "It's not your fault."
Silence.
She cleared her throat and shuffled her feet in the snow, looking down. "I know," she mumbled.
"See, now, I don't think you do." Another step and he was now standing right in front of her. "It's not your fault."
"I know."
"It's not your fault."
She pushed against his chest, enough to send him back a step, but not enough to actually accomplish anything. "Leave me alone!"
"Circe," he put his hands on her shoulders. "It's not your fault."
Another fat tear rolled down her face. "Papyrus, I'm warning you..."
"It's not your fault."
"It's not your fault."
"It's not your fault."
That was it. She broke. Practically collapsing into his orange sweater-covered chest, Circe began to sob, completely defenseless and broken.
"Sans?" Toriel put a hand on his shoulder as the two watched from the staircase. Fat streams rolled down his cheeks and dripped either onto the floor or his clothes, one one golden orange on vibrant blue.
It's not your fault...
"I'm fine, Tori. I just need a minute," he whispered.
She put an arm across his shoulders and hugged the fragile skeleton. "Oh, Sans... I'm sorry..."
"It's okay." He hugged back. "It's not your fault."
