itsladykit:

@soratayuya​ …I think I have to concede defeat. I’m sorry. I don’t even know what this is.

Rating: M

Summary: You’ve been asked to help with the monster integration project. You’re more than delighted to assist.

Notes: Reader insert

Warnings: Body horror, medical experimentation, manipulation, othering, forced application of societal norms, mentioned/implied character death.

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You were ecstatic to receive the master Magus’ summons. She briefed you on the details of her current project and passed over a dossier. “Do you understand what I expect of you?” she asked.

“Yes, Magus,” you said, nodding eagerly. You clutched the dossier to your chest, trying to remain professional, but a grin broke through regardless. It was just so exciting! Monsters returning to the surface after millennia locked away? Helping them integrate into human society? What a time to be alive! What a time to be numbered among the Magi—even if only as an apprentice.

The Magus surveyed you, smirking. “I understand your excitement, apprentice,” she said, eyes sparkling with amusement, “but please try to contain yourself.”

Sheepishly, you ducked your head, still grinning. “Yes, Magus. I understand, Magus.” She just shook her head, smiling indulgently.

“Come along, then. We’ll keep the meeting brief today, but you might as well introduce yourself to the patient.” Nearly giddy with excitement, you followed her through the double doors and into the decontamination room. “For now, we need to be extra cautious,” she warned you, “We don’t want to introduce any unfamiliar pathogens. We barely know anything about their immune systems, and it would be a shame to lose any of our patients so early in the program.” She ordered you to place all your equipment and personal items in one of the lockers, then guided you through the decontamination procedure and instructed you to put on a Tyvek suit, gloves, booties, and a facemask. Personal protective equipment in order, both of you stepped out onto the ward floor, while she continued to fill you in on the relevant details.

The scent of disinfectant was strong on the floor, and in the distance, you could hear muffled screaming. The Magus looked in the direction of the screams, but she didn’t seem concerned. “Nothing to worry about,” she said, when you hesitated, “If there was any kind of security breach, these lights would flash.” She pointed to one of the red lights that dotted the hallway. “And an alarm would sound. We haven’t had any real problems yet, and we likely won’t. Monsters are delicate, remember? We’re a greater danger to them than they are to us. At this stage, at least.”

Swallowing nervously, you followed her down the hall, some of your excitement deflated as the reality of the situation sank in. “I’d like to start you with one of our easier subjects,” the Magus said, “Non-violent. No LV. Shows every sign that he’s capable of integration, though he does seem resistant regardless.”

You faltered, just a little. “Resistant, Magus?” That honestly didn’t fit how you’d imagined this project might go. You were excited to help a wayward monster find their place on the surface…but you hadn’t expected to face any resistance. Not from the monster, at least. The picket line outside the coven’s quarters and the Magi Institute had seemed a more likely source.

“No more so than the others,” the Magus said brusquely, waving away your concerns, “They’ve all been less than cooperative. It’s unfortunate, really. Ah, well. Hopefully they’ll come to understand in time.”

“Yes, Magus,” you said, nodding firmly, even if you were becoming more and more unsure. Still, you weren’t going to waste such an opportunity. Not for anything.

Finally, she found the door she’d been searching for. Pulling the clipboard off the wall, she rattled off his case number and said, “He says his name is Sans, but he also answers to Blackberry.”

Face almost pressed against the glass of the observation window, you blink, then turn to look at her. “Those aren’t names.” Belatedly, you realize your error and add a ‘Magus’, remembering your manners.

“That will be part of your job,” she said, passing over a small book of baby names as well as the clipboard. “Convince him to chose a name for himself. Something normal. Something human.” You nodded firmly, looking back at the room and the monster inside. Unlike some of the monsters you’d passed, he wasn’t strapped down or sedated. He seemed to be sitting up in the bed, flipping through a book. “You’re ready?”

“Yes, Magus.”

“Good luck then,” she said, “I’ll leave you to it.”

You bowed as she passed, taking a deep breath to steady yourself before straightening. The patient was staring at you. His ‘eyes’ nothing more than pinpricks of light set deep in his empty sockets. You plastered on a smile and knocked on the door, trying to ignore the way your heart had started hammering when your gaze met his. He didn’t answer, but you entered away. “Good morning!” you said cheerfully as you stepped inside. “How are you today?”

“Where’s my brother?” he asked, and then you realized that you’d been wrong. He was bound, somewhat. His left hand was encased in a steel-mesh cuff. Given his sharp teeth, you suspected that they’d rejected cloth restraints, concerned he might chew through them. He was not otherwise bound to the bed, though, and your heart started hammering as you realized that you were in the same room as a sharp-toothed, clawed skeleton monster.

You had to take a deep breath, reminding yourself of what the master Magus had said. Monsters were delicate, and you were a much greater danger to him than he was to you. Smiling broadly—and hoping that it didn’t look forced—you said brightly, “I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to discuss other patients.”

He sniffed, bright blue tears beading in the corners of his sockets. “Please,” he said, “I just-I just need to know if he’s okay. Please, can’t you tell me anything?”

You blinked. You really hadn’t been expected that. For some reason you hadn’t thought that they would form familial attachments. You turned to your clipboard and scribbled down a note about familial bonding and needing more research. Then you glanced at the notes, but as you’d expected, there was nothing there about a brother. “I’m sorry—“

“Please,” the small skeleton said, sliding from the bed and onto his knees. “I’ll do anything you ask. Just, please, tell me what happened to my brother.”

Carefully, you maintained a neutral expression, then you tucked the clipboard under your arm and considered him. He was shaking in his loose hospital gown, hard enough to cause his bones to rattle. The tears fell freely from his sockets then, and you smiled sadly. It was amazing, really, how human they were at times. “I’ll make a deal with you,” you said, keeping your voice gentle, “why don’t flip through this book of names and we get to know each other a little. Then, before I come back tomorrow, I’ll find out what I can about your brother. Does that seem fair?”

He looked at you, sockets wide and head shaking slightly. “Please. Can’t you find out about my brother now, and we can do that later?”

You remembered what the master Magus had said and made a note on your clipboard. ‘Patient is non-cooperative.’ When you finished with your notes, you looked back up at him and said, “I’m afraid that you need to show me that you’re willing to work with me first.” He searched your features, his small ribcage rising and falling rapidly.

“I—“ He choked, then his sockets slipped closed and he looked at the ground. “I’m not changing my name,” he said grimly.

“I’m not asking you to,” you said patiently, “I just want to look through this book. See if there are any in here that strike your fancy.”

Still looking at the ground, he nodded. “Fine. Deal.”

“Why don’t you get back up on the bed? It can’t be comfortable down there.”

Sockets shut and his whole body shuddered, he let out an explosive breath like an aborted sob. He covered his sockets, body shaking. You waited patiently, allowing him to get himself under control before climbing back up on the bed. After that, you sat on the chair beside the bed and handed him the book, positioning the clipboard so you could take notes without him seeing. Beside your first note, you scribbled, ‘Open to negotiation. Seems over-emotional. In need of mood-stabilizers?’

That first visit was relatively short. You barely got into the ‘B’ names before he started asking about his brother again. You began to see why the master Magus had called you in. Your main trait was patience, after all. When it became clear that the patient wasn’t going to cooperate any further, you stood and left the room, promising to be back tomorrow.

You were a mage of your word, though, even if you were only an apprentice; you sought out any records on the small skeleton’s brother, only to come up empty-handed. You’d hoped that he was among the other monsters in the program, but it looked like he might have been one of those deemed too aggressive for integration. That was unfortunate. You’d thought you might be able to use him as a reward for good behavior, but not if he was too dangerous to interact with safely. It was even possible he’d already been euthanized, but to find that out, you’d need to search out his records, and that seemed like a good deal more effort than it was worth. Especially if he wasn’t going to be of any use to you anyway.

No. The small skeleton was your concern. The other didn’t matter.

So you typed up your notes and sent them to the Magus, hoping that she would be pleased with your progress. It seemed she was, because she replied with orders to return the next day and continue to build a report with him. They were ready to proceed to the next stage of the project, but they wanted to see some positive changes in his behavior first. He hadn’t really been eating properly, and he was uncommunicative. It would be your job to get him to eat and to start talking more openly. They needed you to gain his trust and cooperation before they could initiate the next stage.

You were practically giddy when you received those orders. It was a difficult task, no doubt, but the Magus had confidence in your abilities, and you were ecstatic to be given the chance to prove yourself. Perhaps you could even write a case study on him, with the Magus’ approval, of course. But wouldn’t that be something? Getting published in a real, peer-reviewed journal before you were even out of your apprentice’s robes? The very idea was enough to make your heart hammer. No surprise at all that you weren’t able to sleep much that night.

The next day, however, the small skeleton was there to prove to you that this wouldn’t be all fame and glory. There was some hard work required before you could bask in your accomplishments. “Where’s my brother?” he asked as soon as you walked in.

You paused. “I’m sorry. I can’t find his records. He isn’t part of the program.”

The small skeleton froze, and you could practically see him turning those words over. “So…he’s free?”

No. He wasn’t free. You were almost certain of that. But…. “I can’t say. We have no record of another skeleton monster. He is a skeleton, correct?”

“Yes,” the smaller skeleton said, relief making him giggle. For a moment, you would have sworn that his pinprick pupils morphed into stars. “He’s—“ He covered his mouth, laughing again. Straightening, he looked at you and said, “Thank you.”

You smiled back at him. “You’re welcome.” You took a seat beside his bed again and offered him the book of names again. “I was thinking we might—“ But he didn’t take the book. Your smile froze on your face. “Continue. Where we left off yesterday.”

“My name is Sans,” he said simply, “Sans the skeleton. Comic if you’re being formal. Blackberry if ‘Sans’ is a bit too confusing.” He giggled at that, like he was sharing a private joke.

You set the book in his lap, ignoring the way your heart-rate kicked up. It would be all too easy for him to reach out with those clawed hands or snap at you with those razor-sharp teeth. “Those really aren’t…names,” you said delicately, “Among humans. If you’re going to be part of human society, you need to—“

He turned to you, eyelights flaring in his socket. “I’m not human,” he reminded you, “Having a human name isn’t going to change that.”

“No,” you said carefully, “but it’s a good place to start.”

He stared at you, then brought his knees up to his chest and looped his arms around them. The book of names tumbled from his lap and onto the floor, the paperback cover bending carelessly. Any other attempts at communication that day were met with silence. When the afternoon meal tray was brought in, he eyed it with suspicion, then shunted it to the side, untouched.

You had your work cut out for you.

Over the next several weeks, you took your time, trying to wear down the small skeleton. He was stubborn, but you were patience incarnate. At some point, you figured out that he would eat the cookies or the tater tots they served on the trays. So you got approval from the master Magus, and started to bring in a few treats when you came to visit him. A small bag of chips—or ‘chisps’ as he called them—and a cookie. A muffin. A donut. These small offerings were met with suspicion at first, and he resisted when you tried to use them as leverage. Eventually, though, his resistance started to wear down. He accepted the chips with a small smile, and he agreed to look at one or two pages of the book of names. He nibbled at the donut and asked if it was made with spiders, while you hid your horror and revulsion at the question.

Progress was slow, but finally…. “Why don’t you ever use my name?” he asked, taking a sip of the tea you’d brought for him. His posture was more relaxed, one leg up and his bound hand resting on the knee, the other leg extended before him.

“I told you,” you said, “It’s not a name. ‘Sans’ means ‘without’. Do you really want me to call you that? That doesn’t seem a little negative to you?”

He looked away, clutching the mug against his sternum. “…tell me about the surface?” he asked.

You smiled and brought out a gardening magazine you’d picked up just for him. “Here,” you said, passing it over, “I thought you might like to look at this.” He tentatively took the magazine and flipped through it.

“Do all humans have gardens like this?” he asked, skeletal fingers smoothing over the page.

You laughed, thinking of your own patch of yellowed grass and weeds. “No, not all…but I know plenty of people that keep beautiful gardens.” He nodded, studying the pages as you described what it was like to walk through the neighborhood in spring. The smell of jasmine floating on the wind. The taste of nectar from a honeysuckle flower. The buzzing of bees. The beauty of a well-tended garden. He listened in silence, looking at each page.

“You know,” you reminded him, “it’s going to be spring soon enough. If you’re willing to work with us….” You reached out, clasping his shoulder—and ignoring the way your skin puckered into gooseflesh, feeling raw bone under your hand as you squeezed. “…you could be out there come spring time. We don’t want to keep you imprisoned here,” you said, “Integration is our goal. But you need to work with us.”

“Barry,” he suddenly said, and you cocked your head. He’d drawn his legs up to his chest again, but he had the magazine pressed to his chest protectively. “Call me Barry. That’s…that’s a name, right?”

Your smile could have lit up a dark room, you were sure.

In a matter of days, the master Magus approved Barry for the next stage in the program, and then agreed to allow you to remain in the observation booth as he underwent the next phase in the program. He was understandably nervous, but you did your best to reassure him, saying that you’d be right there the whole time, even if you couldn’t be in the same room with him. You waved at him from the observation station, and he waved back tentatively.

“Is this going to hurt?” you asked the Magus.

She shrugged. “We’re not sure. The procedure is easier with the others. Many of them needed to have certain features altered or removed. With him, however….” She shrugged. “It’s about addition rather than subtraction.”

You nodded and approached the glass, watching as a pair of Magi stood to either side of him. They raised their hands, magic glimmering between their fingers. Barry closed his sockets as the magic started to wrap around him. You raised a hand, touching the glass as his soul—a beautiful dark blue—appeared in his chest. His sockets opened and he touched his sternum, apparently confused.

He looked at you, and you smiled encouragingly as dark blue magic started to leak from his soul. It pooled first in his abdomen…then it started to coil and curl. The Magi stepped closer, one of them lowering his hand to focus his magic on the twisting magic in Barry’s abdomen. Barry cried out, but the other Magus caught his hands before he could curl in on himself, holding Barry’s hands over his head.

You squinted, focused intently on the swirling mass in Barry’s abdomen. Then you smiled openly as ropes of pink started to emerge from the blue magic. The second Magus knelt down to make sure the intestines were coiling properly as Barry started to buck and kick. The Magus pressed the microphone attached to his lapel and asked, “Can we get a gag and some restraints in here?” he sounded annoyed and bored, though you were nearly bursting out of your skin in excitement.

Most of Barry’s internal organs had formed now. The ropes of intestine were bundled neatly in his abdomen, and his lungs and heart—the physical organ overlaying the inverted heart that composed his soul—were nestled perfectly in his ribcage. Pockets of protective fat started to pack around the organs, as an orderly wrestled a gag into Barry’s mouth. Tears coursed down his cheekbones, though you couldn’t tell if he was actually crying or if his newly formed eyes were starting to water due to his lack of eyelids. Blood vessels sprung out of his freshly formed heart, connecting it to his new organs.

Ropes of muscle started to wrap around his bones, tendons anchoring them to his joints. The muscle faded from a dark blue, born once again out of Barry’s rich magic, to a deep, angry looking red. Each fiber was stretched taut as Barry fought against the restraints, screaming into the gag. You and the other Magi watched passively as a new layer of subcutaneous fat padded out his raw-looking muscles.

The master Magus chuckled a little. “Your boy’s a bit on the chubby side, apprentice.”

You smiled back at her. “He’s just big-boned,” you retorted, earning another chuckle. You only looked away, blushing a little, when his genitals formed. “So can we call this a success?” you asked.

“We’ll see how he adjusts to the changes,” she said, but there was a smile tucked into the corner of her mouth. “But tentatively? Yes, apprentice. I’d call this a success.”

A smile broke over your features and you turned back to watch Barry, grateful one of the orderlies had thought to wrap a towel around his hips. Dark blue patches of magic were forming over his muscles, but the blue was fading to a deep brown as it spread over the raw flesh. Soon enough, Barry—still gagged and held upright by an annoyed-looking orderly—stood before you. Human enough…even if his eyes remained an unnaturally dark shade of blue and his teeth were still unnaturally sharp. The teeth could be filed down, at least, though you didn’t think much could be done about the eyes.

With the transfiguration complete, the orderlies removed the gag and released him carefully, stepping away as he sank to his knees, staring at his hands. His breath hitched, and he ran a hand down his arms, his chest, his face. He shook his head, starting to shake. When he dug his fingernails into his flesh and started to scrape at the skin, though, one of the Magi motioned for an orderly and they bound him again. Through the glass, you thought you read the word ‘tranquilizer’ on a Magus’ lips.

“We’ll begin re-education after he’s started his physical therapy,” the Magus said, jotting down a few notes, “I’ll keep you updated on his progress, if you’re interested, but I’d prefer to assign you to another monster for the time being. We don’t want either of you to form any undue attachments, you understand?”

“Of course, Magus,” you said, still smiling, “I understand completely.”

Later, you thought, you’d bring up the possibility of submitting your experiences as a case study. For now, you were happy enough to bask in the feeling of accomplishment.

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I’ll post this to AO3 when/if I decide I actually like it.

I love how you write horror, Kit. Even if you weren’t entirely happy with this one, you can only improve! I can’t wait to see more like this from you.