Whisper [Undertale Multiverse] - Chapter 8 - DeadEnDead (2024)

Chapter Text

Whisper’s POV

The marketplace was rather busy. There were so many different tents and stalls set up, though most of the people seemed to be socialising as opposed to actually selling or buying anything. The people here had a lot of variety in their clothes, though cloaks and scarves were extremely common. Reaper was definitely right though - white would have stood out far too much in a place like this. With the boring neutrals he had provided, you blended in with ease.

You weren't all that rushed with finding a guard yet. This place was new and different, and as anxious as being around so many people made you, you wanted to just be able to observe a little bit, to see how people are. Sure, you were being cautious, but you were curious. There was no harm in taking your time, right?

A lot of the interactions you witnessed seemed to be friendly, like old friends reuniting after a long time spent apart. A few seemed a bit more argumentative, but not outwardly violent. Actually, nothing was outwardly hostile. That was probably a good sign. One thing you did come to notice was that almost everybody seemed to be in a group, whereas you were completely on your own.

You took a moment to see if anybody else was by themself, observing with more intention this time. You spotted a few. Interestingly, they all seemed to have yellow or purple cloaks, and it seemed they had a face marking to match it. They must have been from the kingdoms Reaper told you about, you realised. Were these the guards, maybe?

Although unintentional, you found yourself staring at one in purple. This one was a dog monster of some sort. The deep purple colour of their clothes was familiar to you, somehow. So was the moon symbol on their face. Subconsciously, your hand went towards the top of your skull, and you expected to meet the cold metal of your circlet, only to find nothing. Wait… what circlet?

You were pulled from your thoughts as a stranger brushed against you, almost making you fall. They didn’t bother to stop, to offer an apology or see if you were okay, and that made you frown. You said nothing, though - sure, it was rude, but it wasn’t worth starting anything over.

Your gaze fell back to the guards that were interwoven with the crowds. Why were they just sort of watching, not talking to anybody? Their statures made you feel like they had been trained. Formal, sort of stiff, they moved with purpose as opposed to those slowly meandering about. Why would guards be necessary in a place like this? Were they watching over everything to prevent conflict, maybe? Did this place have issues with fighting?

You must have been staring for too long, again at a guard with purple, because their orbs met yours and you heard a loud scoff. They seemed displeased with your staring, even if it was harmless. You raised your hand and gave a small wave, hoping to be polite. They rolled their eyes and moved through the crowd, away from you, never returning your wave.

You were a tad disappointed to be disregarded so quickly. Did you miss some sort of social rule? Was it rude to acknowledge them, maybe?

“Don't mind them. Folk from the Moon Kingdom aren't too social,” a voice called from your side, causing you to visibly jump. “Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to startle you! Are you alright?”

You gave a small nod. “O-oh, yes, you just startled me is all,” you let out in shy admittance, taking a moment to look over at the stranger. They were a skeleton like you, colourful stars painted over his face. He wore a cream coloured sweater and smelled strongly of coffee.

“I’m Ccino. I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before, are you new?” he hummed out with a friendly smile.

You gave a small nod in response. “I am,” you confirmed quietly. “I was hoping to look around more, but I’m… starting to get a bit overwhelmed.”

“Yeah, that makes sense. It gets really busy in the mornings. Not everybody is good with crowds,” he hummed understandingly. “How about you come sit by my tent for a little while? I’d be happy to make you a coffee, maybe share some snacks?”

The offer seemed nice enough, though you were uncertain if he was wanting something in return. The people here were selling and trading things, right? You didn’t have anything to offer in return, so you decided to be up front about that. “Oh, I don’t have any, er… currency,” you mumbled.

“Currency? You mean gold?” he let out with a chuckle. You could tell it wasn’t intended as mocking. You filed that away for future knowledge though, that the local currency was gold. “I wasn’t going to ask you to pay, actually. It’d be my treat. I just thought it might be nice to chat for a bit.”

“Oh! Well, uhm, in that case, I would like that,” you hummed with a smile.

“Alright!” he hummed, offering his hand for you to grab. You hesitated to grab it, and he withdrew. “Not a fan of touch? That’s fine. Feel free to grab the end of my cloak if you’d rather. Otherwise just stick close so you don’t get lost,” he explained.

You nodded, following close to him as he walked. You were deep in throught as you did so. Why did touching Reaper feel okay, but not Ccino? Was it because Ccino was new to you? A stranger? Or… was it because Ccino wasn’t a god? Maybe touching other gods was just more comfortable for you?

The crowds were harder to difficult in some areas due to how dense they could be, but the moment you ducked into the tent, you were met with a space that was both empty and comfortable. It looked like it was set up to cater only a few people at a time, spacious but in a calm and orderly way.

“Are you okay with cats, by the way? I, uh, ended up with quite a few on my travels. Cute little things, though none of them were planned,” he explained.

You hadn’t actually heard his question, already completely enamoured by the various cats that had come to greet you. So cute! You quickly scooped up the one that was insistently headbutting your legs for attention, holding them to your chest petting their soft fur. You giggled as the cat climbed into your cloak, basically laying around your neck as though it were a scarf.

“Guess that answers my question, then,” Ccino let out with an amused chuckle. “That one is called Splotch because of the black spot on his cheek. The one that is trying to climb up your leg is Spooky. They’re not usually this social,” he exclaimed. Spooky kind of reminded you of Reaper, in a strange way. “So! Where are you from?”