Two Worlds, Two Souls
Chapter 14: I Am (Not) Forthcoming
Frisk's Point of View:
I didn't like the fact that I couldn't go out after my sister and Sans returned on Saturday morning with breakfast for me. I was starved at that point, but the fact that we couldn't leave the room, or at least the building, was the most frustrating.
Angel had explained it to me as there was a monster visiting town that really was after humans. As much as that frustrated me, I listened to my sister. I wanted so badly to walk down the street and explore, see the tree that was covered in crystals or go out to Grillby's for a meal like my sister had, but she had begged me to hold out until the crazy lady who was more likely to kill us was gone.
During those two days where we were cooped up, Sans visited us a lot. He brought us food, joked around with me (much to the frustration of my sister) and showed us some of the better channels to watch in the underground. I was surprised to see they had multiple channels on their TV, most of them seemed to be about the king or an actress named Mettaton, a robot with a soul. There was also a few other channels such as weather or news, which is what Sis and I watched the most besides some channels that focused in on the school and their plays and some reruns of monster movies.
Sans told us that Papyrus actually liked to watch Metteton the most on the TV when he wasn't out patrolling for humans or training with Undyne. I watched a show with Sans and my sister, however, it was too flashy and ridiculous for my liking as well as my sister's, so we changed the channel from then on.
When the morning of Monday finally came to, I was eagerly up before the crystals would brighten for the day to show it was day time. I was practically bouncing on the bed in anticipation if it wasn't for how tired my sister was. Sans had brought her a book the day prior to learn about more history of the town of Snowdin itself that left her tired and sleeping in past eight when Sans would be here to greet us.
My sister had set an alarm to wake her up before it got too late in the morning, but unlike herself, she hit the alarm and rolled back over, too tired to get up. I tried waking her a few times, but my sister was too exhausted to hear me. After I while, I simply let her be and took her cell phone so I could call Sans to let him know.
I had already copied his number into my own phone, but I didn't think that Sans would pick up if I had called him from my own, so grabbing my sister's phone, I called the skeleton monster who I thought was cool, and probably had a crush on my sister.
"Hey Precious, I'm just headin' up there ta meet ya and yer sis."
"Actually…" I started out but wasn't sure how to continue. I'd never spoken to the monster without my sister before. I was a bit worried.
"Frisk? Is everythin' okay?" Sans was quick to ask and I heard him stop moving on the other side of the phone, or at least, I thought I did.
"Um… Angel stayed up late reading your book last night. I've tried to wake her up, but she just won't get up. I don't think she'll be up in time for breakfast…"
Sans paused for a moment to think. "Can ya feel her forehead for me, Frisk? Does she feel warm?"
"Uh…" I held the phone carefully in my hand before crawling onto the bed to feel my sister's forehead. "Yeah, I think she is…"
"Alright kid, hang on. Open up the door for me, I'm right outside." I turned around and hurried over to the door. With the phone still in hand, I turned the knob and pulled to see Sans standing there with a bit darker expression as he looked over to my sister. Sans reached forward to check on my sister and see what he could feel. He waited there for a few moments before he pulled his hand away and checked the color in her cheeks.
"Well, she's warm, but not like a fever. It's possible she caught that bug I warned her about. Seems to cause exhaustion and a constant need for sleep. Might have finally hit her last night." Sans sighed before he pulled up the covers around her. "I'll give Bernie a heads up that one of her guests caught the bug and she'll keep an eye on yer sister while we go get some food for us and her. Sound good?"
"…Okay."
I couldn't help but feel a bit nervous as I was going to be by myself while I went out. I knew Sans to a certain degree, and I knew my sister trusted him, but that didn't let the feelings of uneasiness inside me stop growing. I'd never been out on my own with someone without my sister in a long time. When we were above ground, she would lead me to the library where I'd hide out for the day and study or read while she would work. But she was always there to lead me to and grab me afterward.
I always felt nervous around new people. My sister was always on edge after we left… home. She didn't trust anyone since she was afraid we'd be separated. Even our landlady that allowed us to stay with her Angel didn't like nor trust that much. It had been like that for a long time, ever since our parents died of course.
Sans glanced at me with a raised eye socket, which I thought was really weird since he had no eye brows like others, but he didn't seem to pay much mind to it. He seemed to be focusing on my sister a bit more to help her out. She was the one we were both worried about at the moment.
I was okay with the fact that he wasn't worried about me yet.
"Why don't ya get her some water and I'll go get Bernie, okay?" Sans' voice was gentle, even though I know he was a bit stressed from the way he looked. I simply nodded to him, happy to have something to do and help my sister, before going off and completing the task. I figured that cold water would be better since my sister was warm, so that's what I got in the glass for her.
I placed the cold water on the desk just as Sans returned with a bunny monster who I'd seen at the desk downstairs where my sister and I would meet Sans on occasion when he came to visit us. She clicked the back of her tongue before she looked over my sister.
"Yep, she's got that bug." The bunny monster sighed. "That's the fifth one this week. I'll get one of the girls to come check on her every so often while you're gone, but she'll probably sleep right through your outing."
Sans saluted her. "Thanks Bernie, yer the best."
The woman twitched her nose at him. "You owe me Sans."
Sans snorted but nodded to the bunny regardless. "I got it Bernie, ya'll have it later. Now, I got a kid ta feed and brin' back some food for her sister." Sans gestured to me to follow him. "Come on Frisk."
I hurried after the monster then, latching quickly onto his hand much like my sister would have demanded of me. I was surprised just how warm his appendage actually was as he walked away from my sister. I couldn't help but look back once or twice at the angry bunny that stood outside our door. Yet, at the worried look on my face, she softened it and waved to me, trying to calm my nerves.
That just seemed to make it worse.
Sans and I stepped out into the cold in Snowdin to head out toward the place where our food normally comes from. It was a place called Grillby's that my sister seemed to love when she was there last, but it was my first time coming out. I was supposed to be out with both her and Sans, and while I thought he was cool, I couldn't help but be nervous as I was out here alone with him.
I'd never been with anyone without my sister. It was so weird.
"Sorry 'bout that Frisk." Sans rubbed the back of his head while we walked. "Bernie doesn't like me all that much after a joke gone wrong upset her son."
"Joke gone wrong?" I raised my eye brow at him. "That doesn't sound like you."
"Eh… it was an off day when that happened." Sans pulled his hand into his pocket, taking my hand with him. He didn't realize until he'd nearly pulled me off the ground that we were attached and he tried to pull his hand away. "Oops! Sorry kiddo. Forgot I was holdin' ya."
"Don't let go!" I quickly reached back for his hand and held it in an iron grip. Sans seemed stunned by my actions as I clung to him. "Sis never lets me go… so I shouldn't let go of your hand until we get there, right?"
Sans thought about it for a moment before I felt his fingers close around my own. "Well, if that's what yer sister wants, I ain't about to argue with her. But… I had Pap doin' the same thin' when he was yer age."
"Really?" I blinked up at him. The change in subject was quick and strange, but I didn't argue against it.
"Oh yeah," Sans used his hand that wasn't holding mine to gesture as we walked. "Pap was always glued ta me as a kid. It wasn't until he was a year or two older then ya before he started ta pull away and train so he could become part of the royal guard."
I flinched at those words. "Does that mean he wants to hurt us?"
"No, no, Pap's harmless." Sans waved that off quickly, looking worried he'd upset me. "He couldn't hurt anyone, he never did when ya came thought his puzzles, right?"
"I guess not…" When I thought back to those tiring hours we spend with his brother, Sans was right in the fact that we didn't get hurt. Papyrus actually was kinda hesitant to use his puzzles on us in the end of that day.
"What's the matter Frisk?" Sans pulled us to a stop and kneeled down to place his other hand that wasn't holding mine on my shoulder. "Normally yer more spunky and energetic. Ya worried about yer sister that much?"
I looked away from him. "She's…"
The words died on the top of my tongue. I wanted to tell him, but at the same time, was it wise? My sister was always so careful, so cautious of others, and yet, Sans seemed to put her at ease. Do I trust him? Do I not? I felt so exposed without my sister. I wasn't sure if I felt safe or not…
"Ya don't feel the same without her here, do ya?" Sans looked at me with a softer gaze. "I'm sure it ain't easy kiddo, but don't worry. Once we get food into us, we'll have Grillby make her a soup ta get her back on her feet. We'll go back and take care of her too, okay? We'll be back within the hour and ya can yell at me if I don't ta get my old boney butt movin'."
As worried as I was, Sans got a snort of a laugh out of me. "You're not that old… right?"
He chuckled with my slightly better mood and rose to his feet and we began to walk again. "Only if ya think twenty-five is old."
"Not really, Angel is gonna be twenty." I paused for a moment before a sudden thought hit me. "Angel's birthday! I almost forgot!"
"Her birthday?" Sans questioned. "It's comin' up soon?"
"On Halloween!" I yanked on Sans' arm, dragging him to a halt. "How many more days do I have left?!"
"Uh… I think ya have a couple of weeks." Sans rubbed the back of his head at the sudden one-eighty on my emotions. "It's only the tenth."
"Okay… maybe I can scarp something together and make her something…" I thought good and hard about what I could do for my sister, suddenly trying to plan for her birthday when a mischievous thought came to me and my pervious nervous behavior left me. "I could always give her you for her birthday. She'd like that."
I squealed with laughter as the color of Sans' face turned bluer then his coat was. Even as we laughed, Sans continued to lead us down the road toward Grilby's before we entered the building. Grillby picked up on my laugher as soon as we made it in the door and that was when I wiggled my fingers out of Sans' grip and hurried to the counter where my sister had told me she sat before.
"Grillby!" I jumped over the counter and was quick to grab onto the flaming man that my sister told me about, no longer afraid and enjoying the high of being mischievous. "Save me from Sans!"
Grillby looked at me for a few moments before glancing over at his friend. Sans stood there in the door, his hood covering his head and face which was a darker blue then I'd ever seen before. "This ought to be good…"
"I asked Sans if he wanted to be my sister's birthday present!" I snickered before turning to face the distraught skeleton. "Since they like each other so much~"
Grillby let out a hearty laugh, even as Sans seemed to come to life then with a growl escaping him. "I knew I like you set of sisters. Speaking of sisters, where Angel?"
"Sick I'm afraid. Or else I'd been saved from this humiliation." Sans scowled at me as he approached the counter. "If ya get a chance Grillbz, a soup of yers would be needed for her."
"I'll get on that while you two eat." Grillby stepped back and walked to the kitchen. He set me down on the other side of the counter where I pouted at my ruined fun, but I was hungry. My fun could wait a bit. "The usual you two?"
"No mushrooms!" I cheered while Sans shook his head. I didn't hear Sans' reply to his old friend, but Grilby left us then, waiting in the early morning light with no patrons other than ourselves.
"Ya certainly picked up yer mood." Sans commented while he sat there. I glanced over at him and noticed that he was trying to hide the blush of his behind his hand.
"You're really blue, is that your blush color? Is it due to your magic?" Sans sat up and watched me as I bounced on the bar stood. "If you're a skeleton, how can you eat? I know you have teeth, I can see those, but you don't have organs, right? What about a tongue?"
"Easy there kiddo…" Sans held his hands in surrender. "Everyone's magic is a certain color; it just is more prominently seen in skeletons since we lack skin, muscle or blood. My magic color is blue while Pap's is orange. Here, let me show ya."
Sans hand turned blue then. It covered his white appendage and I saw him take hold of my soul. I gasped as I saw it float out of my chest, but it only became visible, it didn't go very far from me. Sans didn't tug it very hard, but once it was out, his magic coated it and a bit of my body to look a bit darker in color than normal. I saw Sans' left eye glow blue, while the other remained its small white dot while he moved his hand and I moved with him. I gasped when my feet left the barstool and Sans had me floating in the air.
"Woah!" After being stunned with the magic being used to move myself and my soul around, I squealed with laughter as Sans began to move me throughout the air. I felt like was flying. It was so uplifting as the air from the force flew through my hair.
"Sans!" Grillby stuck out his head from the kitchen with the flames burning a bit more hotly on him then when I saw him just moments ago. I was yanked to a stop as Sans was fully paying attention to his friend. "You will be cleaning my restaurant head to toe if so much as speck of dirt or snow lands on my counter."
"Sorry Grillbz." Sans sighed and slowly lowered myself down onto the bar stool where I sat initially and pouted. When my chaperon saw this, he petted the top of my head comfortingly, much like my sister did sometimes. The anger left me as soon as he did that all that was left was disappointment from our fun being ruined. "Sorry kiddo, we'll do more of that once we get back ta the inn, okay?"
"Okay…"
"Now back to business, didn't ya say yer sister's birthday was coming up soon?"
"Oh yeah!" Just as I'm sure the skeleton was hoping for; my sadness was banished and I was happily chatting again. "I haven't been able to get her a good birthday gift in years! Maybe I can get a cake too! But… that costs money… and I don't have a place to bake either…"
"You uh… any good at bakin' kiddo?" Sans questioned softly.
"Not really, that's more Angel's thing. I was always the taster if she wanted to try out something new." I pouted at that. "Dang it… and I wanted to do something nice for Angel… its gonna be her first birthday where we're not running like we have been…"
Sans tilted his hand into his boney fingers. "Like from the humans above?"
"Yeah…"
"Why was that? Angel said ya were runnin' from bad people, but she didn't say much more."
I hesitated with that, how much was okay to tell him? If Angel didn't say anything, should I keep it vague? Angel was always so cautious when it came to new people, but she really liked and saw Sans as someone who could help us.
I could give him just a bit of information, right?
"Angel never really said, but… over the years that we've run, I think she did something bad to keep me safe."
It was truly all I knew to be perfectly honestly. I didn't want to press my sister with something she felt really bad about. I hardly remember much besides that or what I've put together over the four years we've been running. That first night, she told me to run and hide under my bed, like we always did with that man. But then… she hollered for me afterward, some time later after she told me to hide and grabbed me, hiding my face in her neck before she ran, taking me with her.
I never saw that man again.
I looked back nervously at Sans. "Am I gonna be taken from Angel?"
"No, no. That's not happenin' Frisk." Sans reeled back on his question and held his hands up in defense. "Sorry, I was just curious."
"…Oh."
Sans took that moment to sigh before he seemed to try and appease to me again. "But let's forget that, let's talk about Angel's birthday. I can help ya get a present for her and a cake if ya want."
I hesitated for a moment, it seemed like Sans was quickly trying to move us off the topic of being taken from Angel. He said it with a lot of confidence that we wouldn't be separated, but I wasn't dumb. There were still some people down here who wanted us or wanted us dead. I was deathly terrified that I'd be separated from my sister if we managed to move any further then this little town rather then any of the busy locations as we approached the king in the other side of the entire underground.
Yet, at this moment, he was the only one we really could rely on, and I knew my sister trusted him. I had to give even some faith if my sister trusted him enough with this. It was just so hard and so against what Angel had taught me all these years.
She told me never to trust others, they only wanted the reward for bringing us in…
So my only option was to play along, watch and see how others would respond to us. Angel liked him, and Sans was cool, but even he was being cautious of us to a certain degree. He might be open with my sister, or it might be that the two of them don't even realize just how open they really are with each other. Yet, it was different here. Sans did think of me as a younger child and didn't seem as cautious as he would any adult he was trying to pry for information. He kept trying to follow my mood, when I was emotional, trying to discover what I would say while brining up happier topics as well to keep me distracted or keep me from focusing on finding out the truth.
So even the amazing Sans was cautious to a certain degree. Not that I could blame him, we were strangers, hated humans who just suddenly arrived to the underground without warning. We were people that they needed in order to free themselves, our souls to be precise. I couldn't understand why it was that he hadn't killed us when we first met, and I'm sure those thoughts plagued Angel's mind once or twice too. It was also strange when we arrived that not a single monster seemed to approach us and question us on anything, such as was I a human and why was I with a monster? Why wasn't I being taken to the capitol?
It made me think that the monsters of Snowdin either didn't care or were too polite to ask. Perhaps Sans was taking it upon himself to keep any eye out for the people of Snowdin in case we were actually bad people? If that was the case, then that made a lot more sense for how much he stuck around us besides just the strange attraction he seemed to have to my sister. His brother also lived here, and he seemed so gullible that I'm sure that if the right person who would want to hurt others came along, Papyrus wouldn't lift much of a finger against them. He would be taken from Sans so easily, so it made sense that the older brother wanted his younger brother to be safe. That made them no different than Angel and I.
I just hoped that it would all work out so we didn't have to tiptoe our way around each other forever, I was cautious of Sans and what him knowing too much might cause, but I liked him, he was cool and very older brother like, helping my sister out with what he could when wasn't flirting with her…
"Yeah, I'd like that."
I didn't mind that he was willing to help, but I still had to be careful. Even though he was so cool… I didn't want to give away all of my secrets yet, and I'm sure Angel hadn't either. She couldn't have… not with the way we raised each other these last four years…
Grillby thankfully came out in that next moment with our breakfast then so I could let the darker thoughts about my chaperon file to the back of my mind. I hated to think anything bad about him, but I couldn't help but just cautiously wonder.
Were we really safe?
"That soup is almost ready for Angel," Grillby noted as we ate away at the delicious food before us. "She loves mushrooms, so I put together chop suey for her. I cut back on the pasta so she could have more nutrient rich vegetables and what not. Its Sara's best recipe for those who aren't feeling their best."
"Sara?" I questioned. "Who's that?"
"Grillby's wife." Sans commented while he ate away at breakfast sandwich before him. "She caught the same bug yer sister has right now and hasn't been feeling well either, or else we'd be seeing her around as well."
"Oh…" I munched at my food while I processed the information given to me. It took me a moment to remember that Grillby had a daughter too. Did she get sick? "What about Fuku?"
"She had a small problem with that illness, but Fuku has a stronger immune system then my wife. She only slept one of her weekend days away before she recovered." Grillby shook his head. "That girl… sick as her mother in the morning, but was up and helping me here at night, all recovered, even when I told her to rest."
"Hey, ya know how she gets." Sans chuckled at his best friend's worry. "She's always been a little spitfire."
"Sans…" Grillby's tone was irritated, but not yet angry. Sans held his hands up in defense.
"Sorry Grillbz,"
"Can I meet her sometime?"
The two older men stopped to look down at me. I shyly looked up at them before glancing over at the little girl in the photo. "I think I'd like to meet and play with Fuku sometime… if that's okay...?"
Grillby hesitated for a moment before he turned to Sans. "I don't see much of a problem with it, but I guess that'd be a question for Angel. I don't know how she'd feel about her sister hanging out here when she ain't around and stuff."
I felt a hand land on the top of my head, ruffling up my already messy locks. "Don't worry about it kiddo, I'll talk to yer sister and see if she minds. We're also going ta be goin' by some of the local houses where kids will play after school. We can see if maybe any of them will let ya join them."
"Really?!" I couldn't contain my excitement as the thought of making friends or even having someone else my age to play could be possible. I'd never hung out with anyone my own age in years…
"Ya bet." Sans used his magic to turn me back around to face my food. I grabbed the counter to hold me so I didn't fall from the quick turn. "Now let's finish up yer food and I'll throw ya around outside on the way back ta Angel. I'm sure she'll be hungry soon."
Oh yeah… for only a moment, I'd forgotten my sister was back at the hotel, sleeping off the illness she was stuck with. I hurried to eat the few final bites I had on my plate so could hurry back.
"Thanks for the food Grillbz." Sans waved at him with the soup in hand and my two little mitts grabbing at his other one. "Gonna go see how Angel's doing and brin' her the food. I'll probably be back with Frisk later tonight for more food or somethin'. I'll give you a call if we need more soup. Put this on my tab."
"Fine…" the fire monster sighed before I felt him reach over the counter and place his hand on my head, rubbing at the messy strands on my head. "See ya soon, Darlin'."
"Bye Grillby!" I waved one of my hands back at him before I followed Sans out into the cold and held his hand tightly.
Later that Morning:
"Angel?" I carefully opened the door when Sans and I arrived back at the inn, not sure if my sister was up or not. I was greeted by something I hadn't head before, a grunt of acknowledgement. "Angel?!"
I hurried over to our bed, crawling on top of it to see my sister laying on her back with an arm over her eyes. I carefully pulled back her appendage and saw lidded eyes looking back at me. They blinked once, twice, a few many times as she tried to focus in on my figure.
"…Frisk?"
"You're awake!" I dove into her arms for a hug. A startled yelp came out of her when I did that, but it hardly lasted long before I felt her hug me close, even if her grip was nearly non-existent. It was there, and that was all I wanted in that moment.
"Hey there Precious," Sans strolled up next to the bed with the soup Grillby had prepared for her. "How hungry are ya? We brought ya soup from Grillbz."
My sister tiredly blinked at him, not responding. I couldn't tell if she simply didn't have the energy to do so or she just didn't care. She yawned and sunk down into the sheets once more, allowing her eyes to close.
"Oh no you don't Angel!" I smacked her and she whined. Her eyes opened back up to most likely glare at me, but I only got an exhausted look out of her. "You need to eat! You haven't eaten since last night!"
"Easy there Frisky," Sans was quick to pull me back a bit from my sister while he looked over her and felt her forehead for a temperature again. "Remember, she's not well. So she's not quite thinkin' all the strait. But it would be nice if ya ate a few bites Angel. Make us feel a hell of a lot better."
Sans opened the thermos that Grillby had prepared for us and my sister smelled at the air. Whatever it was that the fire monster had crafted was apparently enough to rouse my sister into eating. She sat up in her bed, propped up against the pillows she was resting against, albeit she was moving at a snail's pace. It irked me, but I stayed quiet. It wasn't often my sister got sick, I could only wonder if she felt this way whenever I got sick…
If that was the case, or even if it wasn't, I needed to be more patient…
Sans poured my sister a small bowl of soup which she gingerly ate at, only a bite every other minute or so. Yet, I was happy with the fact that she was at least eating something. My sister didn't say all that much, but the lacking look in her eyes was still there, she was still tired.
"Ya don't gotta eat it all in one sittin', Precious. Just a few bites is better than nothin'." Sans commented a bit later once my sister had eaten the small amount he'd given her. He didn't bother to give her more as she curled back down into the sheets and drifted back into dreamland within moments of her head hitting the pillow. "Her fever's about the same, but there wasn't much of one ta begin with. She'll just need some more rest."
"That's good, I guess…" I wasn't sure exactly what the monster was telling me, but I knew that no fever was good, but my sister had one, but it wasn't bad? I was never very good at the medical stuff that Angel tried to teach me. She wasn't bleeding or anything, so that was good, right?
Sans chuckled as he tucked away the thermos along with a new clean bowl and spoon for my sister if she got hungry again later. "Don't worry about it, Frisk, I can give ya a hand. Now," Sans whipped out a deck of cards from his jacket pocket. "Ya know how ta play 'go fish'?"
Witch's Note:
Holy Moley! What a chapter! So, what did you all think of that one?
One thing I'd like to point out is that line from Frisk? Did you all catch it? She noted how "Angel did something bad to keep me safe." Do any of you have guesses on what Angel could have done? Mystic Girl begged me for many, many days and chapters until it was revealed almost thirty chapters later. She was so pissed I made her wait so long, but you guys will have to do the same!
I'm so excited to hear your words and comments about what you think of this latest chapter! And some lovely playful moments between Frisk and Sans, while the two of them are secretly trying to get information from the other.
Now onto our most recent reviewers!
RoseCentury: Glad to hear it! How about this week? What did you think of the Frisk and Sans' interactions?
Ceoko: Thank you! Love to hear that you don't mind binge reading our story! Hope you like this newest chapter! Would love to hear your comments on it!
Love you all and see you next week! Please don't forget to review and comment! Love to hear your thoughts!
Halloween Witch
