Shy Comes Back

🌸 Flora -

🌸 LMFAOOOO IM HOLLERIN

Carmen -

* what up

🌸 Flora -

🌸 Hey so

🌸 This is hard to explain but it's really funny

🌸 You just have to promise not to freak out

Chance -

* I have to see this.

Carmen -

* ok

🌸 Flora -

🌸 just, gimme a minute i need to do sm Convincing

🌸 were making this hapen.jpeg

🌸 Flora -

[BIG KNOCK on the door]

🌸 Hey we're coming in!

Carmen -

[Soft yell from upstairs as Carmen comes down.]

* alright, alright--

🌸 Flora -

[Do you have a concussion? Or are you just seeing double?]

⚗️ Shy & 🐟 Dyne -

[ ⚗️  Peeks out]

Carmen -

[....blink.]

⚗️ Shy & 🐟 Dyne -

[ ⚗️ definitely goes and hides behind Flora. also definitely still holding onto her hand.]

🌸 Flora -

🌸 Uhhh Yeah so this was the explaining part

🌸 Meet.......... your Alphys?

[The Biggest of Toothy smiles; She gives Shy's hand a lil squeeze.]

Carmen -

* you.. actually found her. holy shit.

Chance -

[Tall, dark, and floral snooping about behind Carmen, curiously.]

⚗️ Shy & 🐟 Dyne -

[ Worried peeking]

🌸 Flora -

🌸 hey, 's okay. It's been a while, but this isn't so bad....

[Pat pat. Squints at Chance]

Carmen -

[Approaches them slowly, a genuine smile on his face. Peeking at Shy a little.]

* long time no see, buddy..

⚗️ Shy & 🐟 Dyne -

[very, very quietly..]

⚗️ ...hi........

Chance -

[He squints back, letting out a quiet chattering noise before moving back out of view. Trying not to scare one lizard, no matter how much he wants to mess with the other one.]

🌸 Flora -

[Comforting tail curl. She shuffles a little bit to let Shy get Oot and aBoot a little more. Resisting urge to make faces at the Plant. .. Barely.]

Carmen -

[Doesn't really know what to say, just.. kinda opens his arms in a lil offer of a hug..?]

⚗️ Shy & 🐟 Dyne -

[Shy actually looks at Carmen, right in the eye, and sniffles...]

[.. and then walks right into the hug (minus the gand that's attached to Flora). She is trying very hard not to cry.]

Carmen -

[Very gently wraps his arms around this sniffle lizard. Quiet.]

⚗️ Shy & 🐟 Dyne -

[okay now she is crying, trying to be quiet about it.

🌸 Flora -

[slightly dragged along?? She ends up on the periphery of the Hug Radius. Small back rubs.]

Carmen -

* it's okay... don't gotta hold it in...

[soft voice.]

⚗️ Shy & 🐟 Dyne -

⚗️ don *snf* don't want to, to make .. 

[she hiccups and pulls away, retrieving her hand to put her face in both hands, one over her eyes and the other over her nose. still crying.]

⚗️ to get all gr- gross.

Carmen -

[Rubs her shoulder a little.]

* i don't think you can get me any grosser than i already am. heheheh.

* here, let's sit you down.. you want anything to drink or eat..?

[Gonna try to lead her over to a kitchen chair.]

⚗️ Shy & 🐟 Dyne -

[She lets him, wiping at her eyes and.. holding her breath, it seems? Trying to stop crying.]

⚗️ wwater, maybe....?

🌸 Flora -

🌸 Here, let me get it.

[Time for... Bustling. She putters over to the cabinet to retrieve a cup before Carmen can Distangle Himself.]

Carmen -

[Sits with her, then.. just gonna keep her company.]

Chance -

[Peeking out from around a corner]

* I can make it gross to make you feel better.

⚗️ Shy & 🐟 Dyne -

[jumps and curls the 👏 up]

🌸 Flora -

[ Filtered water ofc. Tap is for plebs lazy guys. She sets the cup down as gently as she can. Tiny clink.]

🌸 You ca- (head snap towards the plant. FORGOT ABOUT THIS GUY)

Carmen -

[Soft cooing. Gives Chance a Look.]

Chance -

[He bares his teeth, giving a wheezy little laugh as he sinks back out of view.]

⚗️ Shy & 🐟 Dyne -

[ Shy unrolls a little bit to look over where Chance had been, then looks back at Carmen for a split second before reaching for the water. Stress lizard.]

Carmen -

* don't mind him. he's harmless.

Chance -

* Hey, I regrew my arms already. I wouldn't call me 'armless.

[Calling out from somewhere. He's probably hiding in a cabinet.]

🌸 Flora -

[Squints. .. She does crack a smile, though.]

🌸 hhhoh my god, low hanging fruit. 

🌸  .. It was nice filling in. I'm really glad you decided to come, though. ..These dorkuses need their Alph-a Nerd to round out the pack.

Chance -

* (Lewd.)

⚗️ Shy & 🐟 Dyne -

[sputters into the cup, tail curling around the chairlegs.]

Carmen -

[Snickering a little.]

* i do appreciate you filling in. thanks.

⚗️ Shy & 🐟 Dyne -

⚗️ she's.... great. better than me at all this stuff, at least.

Carmen -

* she is pretty great.... but i prefer the original.

[Little patpat, with a grin.]

🌸 Flora -

[Oof. comedic grimmace. she bunps Shy's shoulder affectionately.]

🌸 Oh, I see how it is. 

🌸 Tossed aside... How will I live. (pf.)

🌸 I'm already... Ohh no. Fading away.

[ She tip-taps backwards, into the living room, flopping onto the couch as if she's been shot. Blargh. ]

🌸 Go on without me, sweet cocoa- i mean shyyyy... Live! Live in this curs-ed world

[Plays dead. Last gasp feather ruffle and all. Deceased.]

Carmen -

[.. snort.]

⚗️ Shy & 🐟 Dyne -

[Shy watches her go, confused and then just ??, and she lets out the tiniest laugh]

🌸 Flora -

[Not being the favorite......... A FATE WORSE THAN DEATH. She guesses she can give up the title. Just this once. Notable exception. Lil sniff. Just in this one case. Protect that lizard (over there; the one in the chair. Yeah that one. Protecc her.) ]

Carmen -

[they're BOTH his favorite. you fool.]

* dead dramatic lizards aside.

* you doing okay? you got a place to stay up here..?

⚗️ Shy & 🐟 Dyne -

[turns back to Carmen and looks down at her hands and the cup.]

⚗️ yeah i've.. i've got a place. a little place, a little far away i think..?

Carmen -

* ah, alright. as long as you got one. heheh.

Chance -

[Chance... he protec.

But he also attac.

but most of all.... he have a snacc.

You can hear crunching sounds from one of the cupboards.]

Carmen -

[Soft squint.]

Chance -

[Come get me squint boy.]

Carmen -

[Goes to open the cabinet.]

Chance -

[He's got his muzzle and mandibles buried into a saltine box. He pauses, before continuing, locking gaze with Carmen.]

Carmen -

[... slaps the fuckign box out of his grasp. those are for CHIZU.]

Chance -

[He SQUEALS, crackers and crumbs flying through the air. His jaws twitch as he chatters irately.]

⚗️ Shy & 🐟 Dyne -

[ shy is Watching.]

Carmen -

[Reaches into another cabinet. Gives him a bag of dorites.]

🌸 Flora -

[muffled guffaw from the couch at the SCATTERCRACKER sounds]

Chance -

[Another small whine, but he takes those as compensation.]

* Ya jerk-k-k.

Carmen -

* says the gremlin eating all my crackers.

[puts the cracker box in a different cabinet.]

Chance -

* I was only eating half of 'em.

Carmen -

[Slowly closes the cabinet door on Chance.]

Chance -

[The sound of a plastic bag squeaking open, and then...............

Cronch cronch.]

Carmen -

* yo dyne you awake

⚗️ Shy & 🐟 Dyne -

🐟 No. Whaddya want?

Carmen -

* you should come downstairs.

Chance -

* There's a high-capacity lizard alert in the immediate vicinity.

⚗️ Shy & 🐟 Dyne -

🐟 What????

🐟 Fine I'm coming downstairs

Chance -

* I'm sounding the alarm as we speak. It just so happens to sound like cheesy indulgance.

🌸 Flora -

🌸 sweats

⚗️ Shy & 🐟 Dyne -

[Down the stairs comes a sleepy fish, phone in one hand, covering a yawn with the other. She waves at Flora dozily.]

[In the kitchen, Shy has tucked her feet up on the chair and coiled her tail around an entire chairleg. She's tiking her clawtips against the cup and just barely peeking at Carmen.]

Carmen -

[Just sits back down with Shy, glancing to Undyne...]

⚗️ Shy & 🐟 Dyne -

[Dyne turns into the kitchen and.]

🐟 Carmen, what'd you.. want. to show me......

[And Shy nearly knocks the chair over, dropping the cup on the table with a clatter (it doesn't break, thankfully).]

Carmen -

[ah,, makes sure that cup doesnt spill. Just lets them be, but he's watching..]

⚗️ Shy & 🐟 Dyne -

[Shy bolts out of her chair and around the table, ducking below it to hide. Dyne is now very awake, and her face is hard to read, but she advances towards the table, catches Shy's wobbling chair, and sits in it.]

🐟 ....Carmen.

Carmen -

* dyne.

[Puts his hand under the table, as if offering it to Shy so she can ground herself with it. It's okay. You're okay.]

⚗️ Shy & 🐟 Dyne -

[Carmen gets tentative fingers on his, a light ghosting touch. Dyne eyes him gently, and then peers at the other end of the table.]

🐟 ....Shy, where did you go? 

🐟 Do you know how long I've been looking for you?

[There is quiet tippy tapping from under the table. One handed texting.]

🌸 Flora -

🌸 [pvt to Cocoa Neutral Anxious Lizard Wizard] moral support from the couch brigade

⚗️ Shy & 🐟 Dyne -

⚗️ [pvt to goodphy] i didn't?? know ?? she was here when did she

🌸 Flora -

🌸 [pvt to Cocoa NALW] i didn't know she was here EITHER believe me

🌸 [pvt to Cocoa] ohhh no

⚗️ Shy & 🐟 Dyne -

⚗️  [pvt to goodphy] what do i even do she's not wrong i just

🌸 Flora -

🌸 [pvt to Cocoa]  I don't know?? I've had my fair share of disappearing acts but no one ever called me on them

🌸 [pvt to Cocoa] .. it got overwhelming, making it this far, huh?

Carmen -

[Carmen gives Dyne a mildly pleading look.. be gentle with this fragile lizard. His hand gives off a comforting warmth.]

Chance -

[The cronching has calmed down, but it's not immediately apparent that he's fallen asleep.]

⚗️ Shy & 🐟 Dyne -

[Radiant stress from under the table. Dyne traces a scuffmark on the tabletop. Her hair is moving slowly, wafting like tidewater.]

🐟 I couldn't find you. Couldn't contact you.

[Shy grips Carmen's fingers tigher, leaning firmly against the table.]

🐟 I didn't know where you'd gone.

Carmen -

[... starting to regret this decision.]

* ... dyne, m'sure she had her reasons..

⚗️ Shy & 🐟 Dyne -

[Dyne leans her chin on her hand.]

🐟 Same as I had mine. But I didn't change my number and not tell her. Nor did somebody not know where I was if I needed to be found.

[Shy is vascillating between launching herself up and trying to dig through the floor.]

⚗️ ......................i was scared

Carmen -

[Unease... regret. Squeezes Shy's hand, as if apologetically.]

⚗️ Shy & 🐟 Dyne -

🐟 Okay. That's fine.

[Dyne gets up, a smooth fluid movement, and walks around the table. Shy is desperately clinging to Carmen with one hand and her phone with the other, eyes scrunched shut as Dyne kneels down on the floor in front of her.]

🐟 ....but you didn't have to be scared alone. You could've contacted me and I would've been there in an instant, helped you with whatever it was.

Carmen -

[He slides down from his chair to stay at eye level with both of them and comfort the poor scientist, eyelights sharp and focused. If they start arguing... he's more than willing to port Shy away from Dyne.]

⚗️ Shy & 🐟 Dyne -

[Dyne catches Carmen's eye and flicks an earfin in acknowledgement. Shy is mostly out of arm's reach from Dyne, but she's tucked herself into as small of a ball as possible, tailtip curled around her ankle a few times for security.]

⚗️ it was, it was just so, so so so much and i. i couldn't! i couldn't anymore! Flor- Flor??

[Shy untwists enough to turn to look over at the couch, then exhales. still there.]

🌸 Flora -

[Shift- sit up. In view of the kitchen doorway. Definitely not playing possum anymore.]

🌸 Still here C. 

🌸 Want me to- ..?

Come over. Port out? Fluff up? All of the above?

Carmen -

[Just listening for now.]

⚗️ Shy & 🐟 Dyne -

[Dyne is still, hair calm waves. Shy stays twisted, holding onto Carmen like a lifeline, looking over at her more competent self.]

⚗️ Flor fixed it. made it so i didn't, so i didn't have to be there, every second of every every day, working

[Shy snaps to look at Carmen, upset.]

⚗️ nobody noticed..? nobody noticed i was gone? that it wasn't me anymore?

⚗️ ........well it was me. sort of.

Carmen -

* ... i did notice. but i didn't want to bring it up.

* i didn't know if you had been swapped out from the resets, or if you'd died, or... ...

[Looks a little ashamed.]

* i'm sorry.

🌸 Flora -

🌸 It was-  . my idea, originally.

🌸 ...It was.. like an escape? For both of us.

[She twines her claws together; squeezes.]

🌸 I didn't mind, and it was nice to pretend. It felt too strange to explain it then.

🌸 I never thought-! .. i never thought it'd be.. a problem.

⚗️ Shy & 🐟 Dyne -

⚗️ it! it wasn't! it was.. so so nice to not.. have expectations, to not be managing every day when, when i would've rather just-

[She sniffles again, and scrubs at her eyes. Dyne is just watching her, earfins down.]

⚗️ you did so much, Flor. do so much. i can't ever... i can't....-

Carmen -

[He's withdrawn a little, after being snapped at..]

⚗️ Shy & 🐟 Dyne -

[Now she's actually bawling, ugly and snotty and hiccuping. She can't repay Flor for the good she's done, and quite literally facing Dyne again is literally the least thing she'd ever expect.]

🌸 Flora -

[ b oly fuck tears, ohhh No. ... Shy gave her a place to stay , that was.. .. well if . If you can't help yourself, who can? She had just looked so.. Unhappy, back then. How easy was it to switch? Just wait for one jump in the system and- .. Not the time or the place to think about it. She gets up and clicks over, joining the floor party.]

🌸 ..Hey. Hey, Shy. Can we get you off the tile..?

🌸 Onto the couch, at least. (a very, very quiet "do you wanna go home...?" mouthed next to her.)

Carmen -

[Keeping to himself, quiet, hands now stuck in his pockets. Why does he always fuck this shit up..?]

⚗️ Shy & 🐟 Dyne -

⚗️ th-this is my ho- home!

[She sloppily gestures to Carmen, Flor, and Dyne, choked up. She's not curled so tightly anymore, and could be coaxed into standing if gently tugged.]

⚗️ i'm s- supposed to be here, this is my s-sans, you're me, a- and i coul- couldn't just go but i did and- and Dyne-

⚗️ *snif* well, it's his, his home, really. house.

🌸 Flora -

[That one stops her for a second.]

🌸 .. no one's saying it isn't, shy.

🌸 ... this is your home, if not your house. .. Re-try. 

[She reaches out- slowly- for the other's hands. Off the floor, sad nugget.]

🌸 Let's just get a little more comfortable, okay? Baby steps.

Carmen -

[Finally speaks up again, though he's.. meek.]

* .... can live here, if you.. wanna..

🌸 Flora -

[ 👀 at Dyne. nervous frown lines]

⚗️ Shy & 🐟 Dyne -

[Dyne is being actually entirely passive, watching Flora with an expression that isn't.... disinterested? Impartial. Shy latches onto Flor's hands, repeating 'baby steps' under her breath. There's still tears comin, but they're slower.]

⚗️ i have a, have. an apartment, a nest it's safe and mine and..

[Dyne casts her gaze Carmen-ward, earfin perked.]

Carmen -

[Just murmurs a soft little 'okay'.]

🌸 Flora -

[Tug... tug tug. .over to the couch. together now. Easy does it.]

🌸 ..you want your nest, just tell me.

⚗️ Shy & 🐟 Dyne -

⚗️ mmh

[Shy looks at Carmen as they pass him and whines quietly. Come with? Dyne stays on the floor, though she rearranges herself to be actually sitting. ]

Carmen -

[He glances to Dyne before slowly following after the lizards.]

⚗️ Shy & 🐟 Dyne -

[Dyne sit, and closes her eyes (shy is alive, she's not dead, she doesn't... well she does still kind of want to disappear, but-). Shy sits carefully in the middle of the couch, fidgeting and sniffing.]

🌸 Flora -

[descend lizard -flomph-. Nurse, get me a blanket- stat. ... Blanket on standby. It's offered, one handed; other hand is currently engaged in... pats.]

Carmen -

[He sits on one of the other couches, but still close to them.]

🌸 Flora -

[thankful, squinty blink at carm]

Carmen -

[Cat squint.]

⚗️ Shy & 🐟 Dyne -

[Blanket acquired. She wraps up in it and huffs real quiet. Too many emotions, she is Exhausted, and she yawn.]

🌸 Flora -

fuck, tactical yawn. no, god, don't do i- hhhyyyaaaaaaaaawnhgsrhgm

⚗️ Shy & 🐟 Dyne -

[curls up even more and gently leans on Flora... she snoze real quickly. Dyne sneaks past them, heading upstairs.]

Carmen -

[..quietly gets his phone.]

[eventually curls up and sleeps, but not very well.]

🌸 Flora -

[decidedly less graceful whuffling and quiet, occasional snores. Passed tf outtie.]

Carmen -

[pvt to dyne] * i'm sorry.

⚗️ Shy & 🐟 Dyne -

[pvt to Carm] 🐟 ....You couldn't've known.

[pvt to Carm] 🐟 ........at this point I'm just glad she's not dust.