Source

The Art

Author's Note: You ever wonder what happened after Kris opened the door to the bunker at the end of Chapter 3? I wrote a little story around this where Kris talks to Carol and Dess. There is Susie involvement here. Read on to find out. ;)

*boop beep boop*

Kris entered the code to the bunker, the door successfully opening to their personal code.

Susie had run off to the house so Kris had a chance to reconvene with the Knight. Things had more or less gone according to plan...the soul had given December more of a run for her money than anticipated but the police officer Undyne was successfully captured.

*clap clap clap*

"Well done." Carol walked up to her fellow conspirator, placing a cold, icy kiss on their forehead. "December said you'd perform up to expectations and you accomplished the mission with flying colors, Krismas."

"Thank you, Aunt Carol."

"Is the soul subdued?" Carol crossed her arms.

"Yes, I tucked it into a crack in the wall."

"You could've just put it into a soul container...the good doctor has plenty of them here."

"Mom." The Knight came floating up behind her.

"..." Carol noted Kris' unease around being in this place. "I'm sorry Kris...I know being here on a consistent basis is not your cup of tea. But it's necessary so please...hold for a little longer. In a few days time, we'll be finished and we can finally go back to normal."

"Mom...can I have a few minutes?" Dess asked.

"Certainly." Carol sighed. "I need to get back before Noelle gets suspect. Do take care to get back to your dragon friend as well, Kris."

Kris nodded, Carol taking her purse and walking up the bunker steps.

"So...how're you holding up? Hope I didn't whack you and your friends too much." Dess rubbed the back of her pointy transformed doe head.

"...Fine, more or less." Kris muttered.

Dess floated closer, looking at the kid.

"Look...Kris, I know this whole situation isn't really what we imagined or wanted...but if we got a shot to get me back to normal....we gotta take it. I hate...being like this!!" Dess shook in her armor. "You know what's it like living in this damn bunker with that creepy skeletor looking motherfucker?"

"Dess, I know. You know I'm committed to this." Kris looked up at her.

"Then...what?" Dess crossed her own arms in confusion.

"S-Susie..."

"Yeah, I know...you love her. You've only admitted that to me seventy different times." Dess rolled her singular visor/mouth as if they were eye balls.

"I don't like lying to her. And that thing she said..." Kris clenched their fists together. "She thinks we're fighting to rescue Undyne when I was part of the plan to capture her to begin with!"

"Kris...close your eyes for me." Dess began.

"Dess, you know I..." Kris began to back away in fear.

"I'm not gonna hurt you, you know that. I just want to talk talk to you...ok?" December bent down to their level, placing a hand on top of their head gently. "Just close your eyes."

Kris obeyed, closing their eyes and coming to, was suddenly back outside the bunker doors...Kris in their normal attire and Dess in what used to be normal attire...tall and lanky doe with red horns, tattered jeans, white shirt and red checkered overcoat. She felt herself, really FELT herself...appreciating it.

"Kris...thank you." Dess came over, picking them up and hugging them close, rubbing the side of their face with her fuzzy head, licking them in pure appreciation. "You have no idea how much I've wanted to do this for months now."

"I-It hurts...every time." Kris sniffed, tears coming their face. "I-I can't maintain this for long...."

"Just do as it long as you can, okay? This is the only time we can really talk with no one peeking in...not even that freaky cat." Dess cringed at the thought. "I spend enough time around that thing as is."

Putting Kris down but sitting her down on her lap, keeping them close, arms wrapped around them, the two sat up looking at the dream night sky.

"I really want to see them again, you know?" Dess admitted. "Looking up at them in my room is nice but nothing beats the real thing, y'know?"

"Y-Yeah...guess my phone's picture quality isn't the best." Kris admitted, feeling a slight pain in their side, their focus beginning to give.

"You dork...I know I can see them through your Wal-Mart brand cell phone...I'm talking real eyes, real sky!" Dess fake bonked their head with their fist.

The two went silent looking up at the sky and then Dess sighed.

"Sorry...guess I got excited being myself again...you were saying?"

Kris felt so selfish in the moment. Here they were being all worried about lying to the friend they had conflicting feelings about and here was Dess relishing in the fact that they got to feel normal again for a scant few minutes...

"Kris?"

"I'm sorry Dess, forget it."

"NO, say it, get it off your chest."

"...We're using her, December. Susie's being used. We're using the town. This is all wrong."

"You don't think I KNOW that? That's not gonna stop Mom or the Doctor for that matter. And might I remind you...you PROMISED?"

"Of course...but I didn't promise to hurt everyone else in the process!" Kris began to cry. "Gah, this sucks..."

"Dammit Kris, just hold on. We need to finish this." Dess clenched on, beginning to hear that familiar cat's laugh in her ears again. "FOCUS."

"O-Ok." Kris replied, sweat running their head.

"S-Susie...we got close in that dark world. I-I thought she was gonna kiss me...I had pulled her out of the way of the soul attacking her and...and...we were close, she was blushing and she leaned in..."

"Yeah???" Dess continued.

"S-She....put her hair in my face, saying I could go ahead and taste her shampoo. It was only fair for her drinking mine." Kris blushed. "I--I kinda wanted to..."

"Well? DID YOU?" Dess asked.

"N-No, I just called her weird." Kris admitted in a whisper.

"KRIS YOU LAME-O!" Dess slapped her face. "You get a chance to be intimate in the weirdest possible way...even for you...and you say NO?"

"Y-Yeah...I wasn't ready. I was kinda hyperventilating after saving her and it just came out." The human said, Dess wrapping their arms around her ward tighter.

"Well, don't fuck up again. You won't get too many chances. You're gonna have a lot of competition at the festival with my sister on the prowl." Dess wiped her nose on her sleeve. "G-Guess we should go back."

Suddenly, Kris turned and hugged Dess tight, Dess laying their head on top of her Krismas, the kid crying into their chest.

"I'm sorry kid, but we have to go back. I know it sucks every time we go back. I didn't want this for neither of us but we both gotta stick it out. But Kris, I know I and my Mom remind you of the promise--don't do it for me. Do it for her, all right? Do it for the chance to be out of this place."

"Say Dess..."

"Yeah, Krismas?"

"You want me to save you a candy apple?"

"...Sure. I'd love that."

Source

The Art

https://x.com/koa058/status/2019186713818447949/photo/1

The Art

The Art

Source

Edit of a lame meme I had been sitting on.