AN: Hello, my loves! I hope all is well with you. I was in a bad car accident which resulted in a loss of employment so I have hit a rough patch. I've been trying to find work near my home so I can walk if I have to. Wish me luck!
Sansational!
Part 11: Soul 2 Soul
Sans
Beach blankets: check. Cooler filled with snacks and drinks: check. Beach chairs and umbrellas: check. Punny t-shirt with matching swim trunks: check. Beautiful wife in a bathing suit: double check. Hyped up kid with a water resistant cast and sling: check. Coolest brother in all existence: triple check. Disgruntled little soulless flower: big fat check. Welp, the family was all set for a trip to the beach on July 4th.
It was going to be a family affair. We planned to meet up with Alphys and Undyne, Asgore and Eliza, and Terrell and Richelle and all of their respective kids. Frisk was clearly excited about the outing. It would be their only break from being grounded until their broken arm was fully healed. The other kids involved were grounded as well, but July 4th was going to be their brief glimpse of freedom for the time being. There were still restrictions though. They couldn't go anywhere on the beach without at least one adult.
As expected, Sea Glass Beach was pretty crowded already. It was mid-afternoon after all. The crowd consisted of mostly Monsters, but there were a few humans. Most of the humans there were military families. No surprise there since the military base wasn't far from the beach. The Naval base personnel had set up a small carnival and a sound stage. The Marine Corps Band was scheduled to perform as well as a local group called the Undercover Cover Band. Never heard of them. Hopefully they sound good. Heh, maybe they'll need a trombone player. If not, maybe I could join the Marines. Then again I'm more of a thinker, not a fighter.
We managed to find a nice spot on the beach and claimed it, our huge beach umbrella acting as a flag to mark our territory. The umbrella displayed the delta rune, which would make it easy for the others to find us. Tori, Frisk and I had laid out the beach blankets and propped up the cooler just as Asgore arrived with his lovely lady and her son. Frisk greeted them quietly as they clung tightly to my right arm while snuggled between me and my wife, the Flowey pot nestled between their legs. Flowey looked a bit annoyed for some reason.
"you're acting awfully clingy today, kiddo. you ok?" They nodded as they rested their head against my collarbone. Hmm, it wasn't like Frisk was starved for affection, so I still thought it was a little odd. "how about you, little bud? ya doin' ok there?" Flowey didn't say anything, just shot me a look that told me he was in no mood for friendly banter…or flower puns. To each his own, I guess.
Next thing I knew a bat-dragon boy practically fell on top of Toriel to give her a hug. What's with these kids today? Tori was laughing hard as Damian squeezed her tight while squealing, "Ms. Tori, I missed you!" I know Daymie is just a kid, but damn it, I was uncomfortable over the way he was clinging so close to my wife. Oh fuck, I think I just got jealous over a child hugging Tori. I guess I can't blame him though. She's very huggable. Thankfully NiNi pulled her son off of my wife and apologized with a shake of her head.
"'Ello, everyone!"
"'Sup, NiNi?"
"Oh, ain't nuthin but a ting, Sans. Just enjoying a lovely day at 'da beach. Nice t-shirt, by the way."
Naturally, she was referring to my 'Life's a Beach' t-shirt. You're welcome. After a moment of chit chat the familiar baritone of the lovable Goat Dad could be heard.
"Umm…I could use a little help here, please," Asgore grumbled while carrying a stack of supplies. Eliza and Damian rushed over to help him set everything up. Soon both our families were set up side by side sharing a meal of ketchup burgers and chisps. Who knew that ketchup burgers taste even better cold? Paps opted out on the ketchup burgs though. He brought a much less greasy homemade pasta salad. Lunch was fun, in spite of Flowey seemingly trying to start an argument with Damian with some baited questions and comments.
"Say, Damian, why do you call Asgore 'Dad?'" Flowey had an expression the was a mix of genuine curiosity with a hint of deviousness. I really hoped he wasn't about to stir up any trouble.
"Because he helps my Mama take care of me and treats me like a son." Damian shrugged in an 'it's not that complicated' sorta way and went back to eating.
"What happened to your real dad? Did he fall down or something?"
"He's around. I see him from time to time." Damian gave Flowey the side eye, probably wondering what the point of this conversation was. I was wondering about that myself.
"Humph. He sounds like a crappy dad to me. No wonder Asgore pretty much took his place."
"My papa is trying to do better. So far he's been keeping his promises. It's just kinda 'ard since he and Mama aren't together no more."
"Making excuses for him. Pathetic…"
"That is enough out of you, Flowey," Tori interrupted. "Now hush and stop trying to instigate and agitate."
That's when I heard the bratty plant mumble, "How else am I supposed to get entertainment?"
Seems that was a rhetorical question, since Frisk stuffed a chunk of ketchup burger in his mouth.
Toriel
Not long after we finished our lunch, and some of us took a dip in the ocean, we got more visitors. Mettaton showed up dressed to the nines in a sparkly pink swimsuit, fashionable wide brim hat, and huge sunglasses with his usual entourage filming his outing.
"Afternoon, darlings! Everyone is looking so fantastic. I do hope you'll join me at the center stage for some musical entertainment. In case you were wondering, the Marine Corps band will be performing as well as some newly signed talent, The Undercover Cover Band."
"AHH, YES! THAT IS THE BAND MENTIONED ON THE FLYERS!" Papyrus stated. I had to admit I was curious about the band and who was a part of it.
"Mettaton, dear, who exactly is in the band?"
"My sincerest apologies, my lady, but I can't reveal that. It would ruin the surprise after all. But don't fret, my loves! They are a quite talented and eclectic group so you shan't be disappointed. The show starts at 6 PM. See you there, my beauties!" With that Mettaton sashayed towards the stage with his crew in tow.
Not long after that Undyne and Alphys showed up with their family along with the Jamesons. As we all happily greeted each other Frisk suddenly got up and left in quite a hurry, Flowey firmly cradled in their left arm. I called after my child but they completely ignored me. Sans and I managed to catch up with our child at one of the concession stands. I immediately scolded them for running off. Although we were enjoying a family outing, Frisk was still semi-grounded and not permitted to go off by themselves.
"My child, you know the rules! Now why did you run off like…that?"
By now Frisk had turned to face me with tears streaming down their face.
"kid, what's goin' on? what's with the tears?"
"Did you see it?" Frisk sniffled.
"See what, my child?"
"They were…they were holding hands."
"who ya talking about, kid?"
"MK and…Oshay."
Oh dear. How did I miss that? No wonder Frisk was so upset. I could imagine how Damian was feeling as well. I knelt down to pull my child into my loving embrace as Sans stroked their hair.
"It will be all right, dear one." I could imagine how hurt Frisk must have felt seeing their crush holding hands with another girl, but I did my best to assure them that this too shall pass. I'm sure someone as loving as Frisk would meet someone special to share their life with. They were young and had plenty of time to meet someone.
"c'mon, kiddo. let's get some nice cream."
Frisk seemed to cheer up at that. Sans and I treated them to some strawberry nice cream. Flowey requested peppermint flavor. I had Rocky Road, while my husband passed on the nice cream since they didn't have ketchup flavor. Oh, that man of mine.
As we enjoyed our snack NiNi and Daymie showed up. Frisk offered to share their nice cream with Damian, who looked like he could use some cheering up himself. While Damian finished off Frisk's nice cream, my child took over feeding Flowey the rest of his. Nini sat and talked with us for a few minutes while Damian ate in silence. It turned out that Daymie was also a little bummed about seeing his crush holding hands with another boy, and said boy being one of his best friends.
"The concert doesn't start for a few hours. You guys want to check out the carnival?" NiNi suggested.
"That's sounds like a wonderful idea!" Flowey chimed in with an unexpected cheery tone.
"Yes…it certainly does…" Eliza agreed followed by an awkward pause as Flowey graced us all with an oddly forced smile.
"welp, we'd better get going. the ferris wheel ain't gonna ride itself."
As we got up from the table I noticed Asgore and Papyrus out of the corner of my eye.
"AHEM! ALTHOUGH I DON'T MIND GUARDING OUR BELONGINGS, I ALSO DON'T APPRECIATE BEING LEFT OUT OF THE FESTIVITIES. I'M SURE HIS MAJESTY IS NOT FOND OF IT EITHER. THAT BEING SAID, THE GREAT PAPYRUS SUGGESTS THAT WE STORE OUR THINGS SECURELY IN OUR VEHICLES BEFORE GOING TO THE CARNIVAL."
"That's a great idea, Papyrus!"
"WHY THANK YOU , LITTLE FLOWER! AT LEAST SOMEONE APPRECIATES MY BRILLIANCE!"
Flowey's empty flattery aside, we all agreed with Papyrus and stored our belongings in our respective vehicles. The carnival was small, but it did have a nice variety of rides and booths. Frisk's broken arm made it from extremely difficult to impossible to play any of the target games, so Sans, being the good father he was, rode on the Ferris wheel with our child. I watched from the ground while holding Flowey, who was a bit miffed that he couldn't go along for the ride. I thought it best that Frisk and Sans had some father/child alone time.
Sans
My kid and I had a good time at the carnival, in spite of Frisk's limitation with a broken arm. Neither one of us had even been on a Ferris wheel. Looking over the beach from up high was a pretty cool experience. Not as dramatic as from a plane, but still interesting. While the ride was paused I took time to talk to my kid.
"so, how ya feelin'? havin' fun so far?"
"Yeah, Dad. This is great! I can see the stage, more than half the beach, and even the parking lot! Oh…there's Tsundereplane!"
Sure enough the airheaded airplane monster soared by right above us. I complimented on how cute she looked with her ribbon, and as expected she snapped back about how she wasn't cute and that I was an idiot before flying off all flush faced. Frisk and I had a good laugh at that as the Ferris wheel began to turn once again.
"Dad?"
"yeah, kid?"
"Are you avoiding talking about MK and Oshay?"
"wha…?"
"I mean, yeah I was upset when I first saw them holding hands and stuff, and I still am, but I still wanna talk about it. Ya know, to help me deal."
"oh…ok. so, uh, what exactly do you wanna talk about?"
"I need some advice about how to deal with this so I can help Daymie."
"help daymie…?"
"I know he's putting up a strong front, but I can tell he's upset about his crush, too."
"huh? he's got a crush on mk, too?"
Frisk groaned as they slapped their left hand against their forehead.
"No, Dad. He's got a crush on Oshay."
"oh. well isn't that interestin'. he's hidin' it pretty well."
"Not from me. The big clue was Daymie eating the rest of my nice cream."
"so?"
"He hates strawberry flavor, Dad. He even passed on Uncle Metta's delicious strawberry syrup."
"oh. i see what you mean. he must really be upset to scarf down something he doesn't even like."
"I know, right?"
"tell ya what. he likes music, right? he can hang with us at the concert. maybe that'll cheer him up."
"Hey, that sounds like a great idea, Dad. I'll ask him as soon as I see him."
After we got off the ride to meet up with Tori, we found her sitting at a picnic table nearby hanging out with Flowey.
"Now, now, Flowey. There's no need to take drastic measures. It's just a crush, after all. I'm sure there will be other crushes in the future."
"Why is it called a crush if you can't crush the one that broke your heart?"
Tori didn't even grace that with an answer. She just shook her head and gave Flowey a withering glare. Heh. Withering. There's one for the books.
"Flowey, whatever you're planning the answer is 'no,'" Frisk scolded.
After walking around among the booths for a while we located some of the others at the Duck Hunt booth. Damian and MK were shooting the moving duck targets while Asgore, Eliza, Didimus, Gabe, Undyne, and Alphys cheered them on. MK hit just one more target than Damian so he won that round. While MK received his prize (a huge giraffe plushie), D-boy looked so damned defeated. I mean he lost to the same boy who got with the girl he likes, so how could I fault the kid for that? Fortunately the booth operator offered Damian a prize as well, although it was much smaller. Daymie chose a small koala plushie which he promptly gave to Frisk with a big ol' smile. That kid is sweeter than a wad of cotton candy.
Soon our group, which now included Didimus and Gabe, gathered at one of the sound stages. The Marine Corps Band was performing and they sounded great. Man, I really wish I had brought my trombone. I usually carry it with me in my inventory, but it unfortunately slipped my mind while I prepped for the day's outing. The band was currently playing the themes for each of their four major military branches. The military families present were already worked up for a friendly rivalry. The Jamesons showed their love for Terrell's branch when the band played the theme for the U.S. Air Force. I have no doubt Oshay cheered the loudest. She's so proud of her dad and it shows.
Some of the numbers performed sounded familiar to me, like the William Tell Overture and the Star Spangled Banner. Most of them were robust and upbeat marching band tunes. It was a pretty cool experience hearing all this live for the first time. The previous July 4th celebrations we had gone to weren't this big and weren't hosted by the military. They were at the houses of some of the humans Tori worked with and there was no live music, just recordings on a planned playlist. Personally, I prefer live music so much more.
During the intermission we all fetched our beach blankets and chairs to settle down for the next performance. After a brief intermission the larger stage platform bustled with activity. Knowing that MTT's show was about to begin, our group of Monsters and humans made sure to snag a spot near center stage. I noticed Frisk stayed close to me and Tori, and Damian stayed close to NiNi, Asgore and Didimus. They were both clearly avoiding MK and Oshay, which I thought was kinda petty, but they are kids, and kids can be pretty petty. I really hoped the kids could patch up their friendships and not let their weird love rhombus or whatever ruin everything.
Around dusk Mettaton introduced the opening act, which was Snowy. His ice puns were on point and his standup routine was pretty good. A big improvement from his amateur act in the Underground. I'm sure his parents were proud.
After the opening act MTT took to the stage again to present the Undercover Cover Band (I love that name, tibia honest). Mettaton did what he does best; he got the audience hyped with all the fanfare and flashing lights until the band took the stage. The first thing I noticed was that the band was made up of all monsters. Three singers, a lead guitarist, bass guitarist, drummer, and a keyboardist. I recognized at least one of the singers. The lead singer was definitely Birdy, one of Grillby's regulars. I had no clue that she could belt out a song like that though! The band did a cover of 'Takin' Over' by Martha Wash. NiNi once told me that she would blast this song while cleaning and that it was her favorite song to clean to. After thinking about that for a few seconds I started laughing, confusing Eliza. She didn't even realize the pun just sitting there in her face. Welp, at least Tori appreciated the joke.
Eliza
When I heard the opening bars of one of my favorite songs I squealed with joy like a little girl in a toy store with a hand full of money. I wasn't really focused on who the members of the band were. I was just enjoying the music. The band was so good they had the audience, including myself, going off…in a good way of course. Obviously, I wasn't the only Martha Wash fan in the crowd. I was so into the song that at first I didn't notice my son losing his shit nearby. Somehow, in spite of the loud, high energy music and cheers of the crowd I managed to overhear Damian shout, "Frisk, look! It's my Glamma!"
That immediately took me out of enjoying the music. I scanned the stage and sure enough there she was, mid-stage left near the drummer playing lead guitar. It had been years since I had seen my mother, Zihr. I wondered if she had noticed me or my son in the crowd. The way Damian was jumping up and down waving I don't see how she couldn't. Eventually she gave Daymie a wink and a nod in the middle of the performance before she noticed me. I acted as if I hadn't noticed her nod of acknowledgement by talking to Didimus.
I gotta admit that the band's performance was phenomenal, in spite of my feelings toward my mother. They performed three songs, including a cover of 'Purple Rain' for which Mettaton sang the lead. That was definitely a crowd pleaser. The Undercover Cover Band definitely didn't half ass it, and I'm sure people would be talking about them all over.
After the concert there was a fireworks display. I had seen fireworks on TV, but this was the first time seeing them live. I realized something about fireworks. They are loud, colorful, and dramatic…kind of like Mettaton, the Star of the Underground. I didn't enjoy the fireworks display as much as I enjoyed MTT, but the flashing, booming lights were entertaining.
After the fireworks display was over and all the venders and entertainment were packing up I was ready to go. Unfortunately my son had other plans. He wanted to go back stage to hang out with his grandmother, whom he hadn't seen in quite some time. He even wanted to introduce Frisk to her. It was clear that I was less than enthusiastic than Damian about seeing my mother. I had my reasons. Even Asgore encouraged me to go along with Damian.
"Uhh…I don't know if that's a good idea, Big Papa."
"How about I accompany you?"
"No, no, for the love of all that's good and pure, no!"
"NiNi…I know your relationship with your mother is a rocky one from what you've told me, but I would like to meet her."
"Asgore, I'm not even looking forward to seeing her again, so why would I put you through that uncomfortable shit?"
"Is she…really that bad?"
"Let me put it this way. My mother can be quite a hateful bitch. That being said, I'm going to make this quick, but only for my baby boy's sake. I'll be back in a few."
Sans
After the fireworks were done, Tori, Frisk and I went to the band members' trailers behind the stage to talk to my friend, Birdie.
"i had no idea you could sing like that. you sounded amazing!"
"Aww, shucks, Sans. Thanks. I think the band is so fortunate to have Mettaton's help getting exposure. If it wasn't for his promotion I doubt anyone would have even heard of us."
"welp, speaking for myself, i'm glad MTT gave you that exposure. i can definitely see your band going places. if you ever need a trombone player just give me a call."
"I'll make sure to have you on speed dial," Birdie chuckled. "I'll have to put in a good word about you to Zihr, since she's the head of the band."
Hmm, that name sounded familiar. Birdie pointed her out. She was a bat monster sitting near the buffet table set out for the band members and MTT's stage crew. She wasn't alone. A happy looking Damian was sitting on her lap while Eliza stood to the side looking quite the opposite. In fact she looked like she'd rather be anywhere else but there. Wonder why? Frisk nudged me to get my attention.
"Dad, Daymie told me that's his grandma."
"Oh, yeah. Zihr did mention her grandkid a few times. So you know him?"
"Yup. He's kinda my step-brother."
"Oh. Wait a minute. How…?"
Just then Damian called us over.
"see ya later, birdie."
"Ok, Sans. Don't be a stranger!"
As we headed over to the trio of bat Monsters I racked my brain to recall why Zihr looked so familiar to me. Damian spotted us and jumped up from his grandmother's lap to introduce us.
"Hey, everybody! This is my Glamma Zihr. She plays lead guitar. Glamma, this is Mrs. Toriel, Missa Sans, Frisk, and Flowey."
She stood to shake each of our hands (and one of Flowey's petals), pausing to give me a good looking over.
"I recognize you. You're that prodigy that used to work with my late 'usband at the Core Lab."
Holy shit! That's why she looked so familiar!
"you're dr. klaus's wife."
"I most certainly am. And you're the adorable lab assistant that used to tease Klaus about his singin'." Zihr chuckled, bringing back memories of Dr. Klaus singing 'Don't Worry Be Happy' to boost morale. He was a pretty cool guy.
"nah. i never teased him. that was my…uh…boss that did that."
"Oh. That's odd. I remember Klaus telling me about a skeleton jokin' about his spirited singin'. You're the only skele I remember working there. Unless I'm mistaken."
Skele? Really? Oh yeah, it was all starting to come back to me. I may have liked Dr. Klaus a lot, but I wasn't a fan of his wife back then. I remember why.
"nope. i really enjoyed dr. klaus' singing."
That's when the flower put his two cents in.
"He probably sang to drown out your awful puns! Hah!"
"Flowey! That is not nice! Now apologize to Sans," Tori scolded.
"Aww, do I hafta?"
"Yes!"
Flowey mumbled an apology, his leaves dropping like a wilted daisy.
"So you make puns, eh?" Zihr asked with what I wasn't quite sure was a smirk or a sneer.
"eh, i dabble." Tori and Frisk had a good giggle at that while they had a little snack at the buffet table.
"Heh, I see. NiNi would make puns every now and then, all about chemistry. If she had gotten that internship I think you little nerds would have gotten along fine. Maybe the two of you would have gotten together to make a couple genius babies."
What the fuck…?
"Mama, please don't start…" Eliza grumbled with a warning tone.
"Tch. Am I wrong for saying that, gyal? He would have been a better choice than DiDi the doofus."
"Ma!"
"Then maybe my glamson wouldn't have turned out like his father…dumb as a box of rocks."
Holy fuckin' shit! This lady just flat out called her own grandson an idiot, all while Daymie was within earshot! What a bitch! Obviously NiNi was done with this crap. She quickly and quietly cussed her mother out, grabbed her son (who had stuffed his face with Monster candy) by the hand, and left. I don't blame her.
Turned out Tori had overheard some of what Zihr said so she gave that crazy bat monster a piece of her mind, in spite of Flowey's raucous laughter.
"How could you talk about your own grandson like that? You ought to be ashamed of yourself!"
That's when something unexpected happened. Zihr looked my wife right in the eye and shrugged off her berating like water off a duck's back. She seemed nonplused. I don't know if it was because she didn't care or she was some kind of psychopath.
"I mean no disrespect, Milady, but I don't believe in sugar coating the truth or coddling my daughter or glamson. I been like that ever since my 'usband fell down. Don't get me wrong. I love that boy and my gyal. I just prefer to show them tough love."
That lady has a knack for pissing people off. She even got my kid worked up.
"Tough love is ok, but you're just mean! You should tell Daymie you're sorry!"
Zihr casually set her guitar in its case then strolled over to the buffet table.
"Did D-boy say he was sorry for dropping you and breaking your arm?"
"Y-yeah."
"Well, he may not be the brightest bulb in the box but at least he has good manners. See, I said something nice about him."
Flowey's screechy laugh rang out for all to hear.
"Golly, I love this lady's sense of humor! Can we take her home with us?"
"Absolutely not! Sans, Frisk, let's go."
Zihr gave us a halfhearted wave goodbye as she bit into a spider doughnut. Man alive, NiNi's mom is a real piece of work!
Asgore
After waiting about fifteen minutes, I spotted NiNi and Damian returning from behind the portable stage. My lady looked furious. I could only imagine why. Damian, on the other hand, appeared reluctant to leave.
"Mama, please lemme go back! I want to spend more time with Glamma!"
"After what she said about you? Hell no!"
"But Mama, she wasn't lying."
Eliza stopped in her tracks to look at her son in disbelief.
"Daymie…stop. You don't know what you're talkin' about."
I placed my hand on NiNi's shoulder to get her attention.
"What happened, my love?"
"I really don't want to…"
"My glamma said something about me that got Mama upset. I'm not upset because it's true."
"Damian! It is NOT true!"
"Yes it is, Mama!"
Their back and forth was starting to irritate me a little.
"Would one of you please care to explain?"
"Let's just go home, Big Papa. It's late and…"
"She said that I'm a dummy…and she's right."
I was shocked into silence as I processed what the child said. His grandmother said that to him? It seemed unbelievable to me. Damian continued.
"I know I'm not smart, and that's ok. Everybody can't be smart, right?"
I knelt down so that I was eye level with the boy.
"Son, I wish you wouldn't say such disparaging things about yourself. You are an intelligent, talented, loving young man. Anyone who says otherwise is terribly mistaken."
He bowed his head, avoiding eye contact. He glanced back up with such a conflicted expression. Before he could speak again, Toriel and company showed up. Without a word Frisk went straight to Damian to give him a one armed hug.
"Don't worry, Daymie. We all know you're not stupid."
"Look, Frisk, I know you're trying to make me feel better, but I'm fine. My glamma didn't lie, and I can accept that. I'm not gonna pretend I'm some genius. So can we just drop this and go home?"
"But…"
Damian didn't hang around to hear what any of us had to say. He took flight towards the parking lot leaving the rest of us pretty speechless.
Toriel
The ride home was pretty awkward. I was still fuming over whet Zihr had said about her grandson. Frisk was quiet as well, but I could tell my child was still upset too. Papyrus seemed confused since he wasn't present during that fiasco. My husband seemed contemplative. I decided to ask him what was on his mind after we got home. Everyone in the house hold bathed and showered to rid ourselves of a day's worth of sand from out bodies. Sans and Papyrus cleaned up a lot faster than Frisk and I. Sand doesn't cling to bone very well. Unfortunately, my fur and Frisk's hair and skin were a haven for the abrasive substance. It took us twice as long to clean up compared to the Skeleton Brothers.
Soon everyone in the household settled down for the night. I read a few pages of a novel in bed while Sans read Fluffy Bunny to Papyrus, Frisk, and Flowey. Once the trio fell asleep my husband came to bed. As Sans snuggled against me I briefly pondered how a skeleton managed to be so cuddly. Monster magic I suppose.
"you know, tori, Frisk is a good kid with a good heart."
"That is so true, my love."
Sans sighed, bowing his head slightly, his boney lids halfway closed.
"they asked me why damian's grandma was so mean. couldn't answer cuz I don't know why. then they asked me what my parents were like. threw me off. wasn't expecting that question. heh…"
"Let me guess. You couldn't answer that question either?"
"actually, i did."
Well that was a surprise. Sans and I are quite close yet he always seemed to avoid certain topics, especially anything about his past.
"Oh. What did you tell them?"
Sans gazed up at me with a far away look, his eye lights slightly twinkling.
"my mom's name was gigi. She was sweet, kind and a bit frail. she liked to write poetry and make jokes. she had a pretty sharp wit. that is until she got sick. paps was still little then so I doubt he remembers her. He was only two when she... disappeared."
"What do you mean by that exactly?"
"we woke up one day and she just…wasn't there. she must have wandered off while everyone else was sleeping. dad looked everywhere for her while i watched papyrus. dad found no trace of her. not even a speck of dust."
"Oh, Sans. That's so sad."
I wrapped my arms around him to kiss the crown of his skull.
"thanks, tori."
"No need to thank me, my love. You deserve the support."
He acknowledge my affection with a sound between a sigh and a purr. I swear my husband must be part cat.
"Dearest, would it be too much to ask about your father?"
He grew quiet as he nuzzled against my breast before speaking again.
"tor…can i ask ya somethin?"
"Of course, darling."
"Do you remember the former royal scientist?"
"Do you mean Dr. Alphys?"
"no, babe. i mean before alphys."
I paused to think about that, but no one came to mind. Which was confusing because based on conversations I had with Alphys and even Eliza, and that unpleasant conversation with Zihr, there had to be a royal Scientist prior to Alphys. Then I had a thought. Sans said he had worked at the Core Lab in the past, and even mentioned working with Dr. Klaus Niong. Could it even be possible that…?
"Sans…were you the former Royal Scientist?"
Sans sat up from my bosom to look up at me with a shocked expression, his eye lights slightly dimmed. He then laughed and shook his head.
"nah. that honor belonged to my dad."
What?
"does the name dr. w.d. gaster ring any bells, tor?"
I pondered on his question for a moment. That name did seem familiar yet unfamiliar. Though fuzzy, I could sense some kind of memory in the back of my mind.
"It's like my mind wants to remember…but it's unclear…kind of like…static? I suppose that's the best way I can explain it. I hope that makes sense."
"that's understandable."
"Why do you say that, love?"
"welp…it seems that i'm the only one in existence that remembers him. at least the only one that i know of. paps doesn't even remember him. for the longest time it bothered me that no one except me remembered my dad. i didn't even get how i was able to remember him."
"Sans, I don't understand. What happened to your father?"
"remember when nini said there was an accident at the core?"
"Yes. She said that lead to her father's demise."
"yeah, well…my dad was at ground zero, along with a few others…including me." Sans paused to gather his thoughts I suppose, his perma-grin faltering a bit. "dad fell into the core which caused a uh chain reaction. a few other team members who were close by got caught in the aftermath. i wasn't as close as they were, but apparently there were residual effects."
"Does this have anything to do with your shortcuts?"
"uhhh, kinda. it may also have to do with why i'm the only one who remembers him."
"I see…"
"i miss him, tori."
I held my husband close. Although he was still smiling, I could feel a wave of sadness emanating from his soul. I couldn't imagine how it would feel to witness something horrible happen to your parent. My parents passed peacefully. It was sad but not a surprise like Sans' father's sudden demise. Words of comfort failed me at the moment so I simply held my husband against my bosom.
"ya know, sometimes i envy paps for not remembering our father."
"Why?"
"because missing him and thinking about him does something to my soul."
"Could that be part of the reason why…you only have one HP?"
Once again Sans went silent. I could feel a damp spot growing where his skull rested on my bosom.
"never really thought about that. funny thing is you may be right. heh."
I quietly wiped away his tears as my own threatened to spill.
"Sans. Bring out your soul."
He didn't hesitate to comply. He may have trusted others before me to touch his body, and even his love wasn't exclusive, but while we dated he told me I was the only one he trusted with his soul. Besides my ex-husband, Sans was the only one I trusted with mine.
I cupped my husband's soul in my hand. I noticed that it lacked it's usual brightness. I could see some tiny fissures scattered throughout. That wasn't surprising to me. My soul was in a similar state. Emotional trauma can cause that to happen to a monster soul.
I gave Sans' soul a soft kiss, releasing some healing magic at the same time. I heard him gasp with pleasure and he leaned into me a bit more.
"Sans, I…want to thank you."
"what for?"
"For finally opening up to me about the rest of your family. I can tell it's not easy for you to talk about. Though I'm not happy about the tragedy that befell them, I am glad you trusted me enough to share it."
As soon as a finished my statement Sans knelt on my lap to kiss me, causing his soul to press against my chest. I could feel his soul reaching out to my own. I could sense his desire so I brought out my own soul in answer to his unspoken request. Immediately I felt myself enveloped in love, though there was a hint of sadness. The sadness abated once I released a bit of my healing magic. To my surprise I detected Sans' release of some of his own healing magic. It wasn't as potent as my own, but it did have the desired effect. We were slowly but surely healing each others' souls as we kissed. What an amazing feeling!
"tori."
"Yes, love?"
"i love you so, so much."
"I know. I love you as well."
We stayed up a little longer to talk a bit more. Sans told me more about his parents and what it was like working with his father and Dr. Niong. It turned out that Dr. Gaster wasn't too crazy about Dr. Klaus's singing.
"i don't know why dad was like that. dr. klaus had a great voice. maybe dad was a little jealous of his talent. heh. who knows?"
We shared a chuckle at that before retiring for the night.
Sans
It felt so good to finally tell my wife about my parents. They had been on my mind a lot lately. Becoming a family man might have been a contributing factor. Besides that, our souls were tied so that made it difficult to keep secrets from Tori. Though she couldn't pick up on my thoughts, she could sense my emotional state. Vice versa was also true. I didn't totally spill my guts though. I didn't tell her how I had a feeling my dad might still…exist…kinda. There were signs of him here and there in the Underground, including the cryptic murmurings of the Riverperson, and that time I came across that gray door in Waterfall. I kinda wish I hadn't given up trying to complete our last major project together in my secret lab in Snowdin. The countless sleepless nights and constant failure killed my motivation though. After talking to my wife and kid I sorta felt a spark of motivation come back. Perhaps I found a worthy summer project. Maybe it's about time for a trip to my old address to get the ball rollin' again.
*Next Chapter: Part 12: Kazoku
I know it took a long time for me to post this chapter, but I'm going through a hell of a lot right now, my loves. My job search is really difficult right now because of my lack of transportation. Hopefully things will get better soon. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Requests are still open!