Two Worlds, Two Souls
Chapter 46: Feel the Music
Angel's Point of View:
It was a beautiful day, one that we rarely enjoyed without the company of my skeleton roommate. Sans had quickly noted to me that he had to run off and report to the king after checking in with all other jury members with reports for the last month. Mine was the lengthiest due to the changes I had to make in cells between my three arrestees.
In the last couple weeks. Slick and Sly had been separated from Harry, given new rooms to call their own, and the two of them were quickly working on their own to gather whatever money they could to earn their freedom. The two of them also were the most likely two that seemed to be understanding and taking in the reform well. Harry was the least likely and still was just shouting and not doing any of his work. Some nights, that man horse starved due to his stupidity. His old friends did much better and were transferred to different jobs, learning new skills and appeared to be changed men.
We just had to see if that would hold up, Slick I was more than certain that he would reform. I was still a bit hesitant on Sly, though hopeful that all of this crap that they've gone through has shed some light on him and what he was doing was wrong.
While Sans went off to give those reports to the king, Frisk and I were enjoying some down time where I was happily painting for a new client, Hops of all people. My fellow juryman had requested I do a painting or two for his secondary business. He wished for something more cartoonish and that would catch a child's eye, or their parents. He needed a new design for some of the new flavors he was putting out in the next month or so. His seasonal ones coming back, and he hoped a new fresh look would bring in more customers for that.
Hey, I was happy to oblige since he was paying.
As I worked, my sister played by my side. She had out her ball, though at that moment she was more using it to balance on while she played some games that Alphys had downloaded for her.
Yes, our little lizard friend had gone and updated both my and Frisk's phones since we'd first met. My sister wasted no time getting all sorts of games that tested problem solving, as well as it was her way of listening to music.
My sister had always been a fan of the arts of music. When our parents still lived, she was a young prodigy when it came to using instruments. Easily she was able to learn and play them, having near four different types under her belt by age eight before our family was lost and her instruments no longer available for use. It was difficult to use them while on the run…
Though it also didn't help when our own uncle destroyed them right before her younger, tender eyes…
My sister loved how she was able to listen to music again, and even more so when she could do it from her phone. Sans and Papyrus had helped her download as many songs as the poor new phone could handle to keep her entertained while I worked. The music wasn't a bother, the varieties and styles amused me and slightly affected how I painted. I found it invigorating, and music had always been such a large portion of our lives. Our parents always believed that we should learn of the arts and work with them.
It just so happened that Frisk and I happened to be good at least one of them.
While I worked over the piece carefully, my sister seemed to glance out at the small crowd of people in Waterfall square that day. It was the middle of the day, most folk were at work or school, so only those with lucky jobs of usual hours or those free to play were out. Among those out there, one of them caught her eye that caused her to put away her phone and stop her multitasking.
And that was an awarding feat if there wasn't food placed in front of her.
The person I saw my sister focus on was a ghost, actually. A small one that looked more like a sheet had been placed over its head and was coated with a white haze. Large, vacant eyes without color stared endlessly forward while a large set of headphones rested on their head. They slowly floated through the thin crowd, hardly glancing at their surroundings.
"Blooky!"
At my sister's holler, the ghost stopped. It then turned to look back at us and saw my sister waving, though they looked confused at her cloak covered body. Granted, they still slowly approached until they were within ten feet of us.
"Do… I… know you?"
Their words were slow, very low in volume, but I could quickly tell from the tone that this ghost was a boy. Granted, his shy nature made me want to classify him as a girl so badly…
"We met in the ruins! Almost a year ago!" My sister giggled at him. "For obvious reasons, I can't lower my hood, but I know you'd recognize me."
"In… the ruins…?" The ghost seemed to think back for a short while before their eyes widened a tad more in what I assumed was realization. "Oh…"
"I'm Sitka out here, but you know me." She then gestured to me behind her. "And that's my sister I told you so much about."
I was thankful that Frisk was leaving out our true names as she went about talking to this person she apparently knew.
"Yes… I remember…"
"It's good to see you again! I think you told me you live out here, right?"
"Yes… next to… the snail farms… to the… north…"
"You live up there? That's so cool! I've never been since my sister and our friend don't let me explore too much just yet."
"That's… best. To keep… you safe…" The ghost seemed to hesitated as he turned to me. "Undyne… comes through… often… there…"
I nodded to him. "I see…"
"Would you… like… to… come over?" The ghost gave us a curious look. "She's… on patrol… in the… capitol…"
"Oh yeah!" Frisk turned to me quickly with an eager jump to her step. "Can we Ravie? Can we?"
I glanced back at the nervous ghost. "Are you sure? We don't wish to impose…"
"Its… fine…" The ghost seemed to show a rare form of emotion and gave us a small smile. "Its… for friends…"
I slowly nodded, sighing. "Very well. Allow me a moment to let our roommate know where we're going and pack up, and then we can head out. Okay?"
"I can help!" Frisk was eagerly gathering my brushes to go wash out in the public bathrooms while I wrapped up all my jars and the portrait itself.
I rolled my eyes while carefully taking care of my items. "It will just be a few minutes, if you don't mind."
"Oh no… take your time…"
Later that Day:
"Wow! That's such a cool house!"
A house of very intriguing design sat before us. The ghost's house was leaning somewhat, looking almost like a house version of the ghost himself that floated beside us. His home was in the heart of an adorable neighborhood that showed off many little homes that lined the streets.
Honestly it made me think of a safe little place for trick or treating…
His little home was surrounded by a rich law of a blue looking grass (that could have been something different, though I couldn't tell from the lighting…) and he had a little outside eating area under the cover of half of his house. The covered section had pillars that held up the leaning house and the windows all over the different levels reminded me of eyes. It was a bit spooky, in all honesty. However, I would admit that it was cool looking.
I knew Frisk was getting quite the rise out of it from looking at it herself.
"Oh… thanks…" Blooky had replied once we got to his front door. "I'll go let us in… the door is locked… It's normally only me… I'll unlock the door now…"
The little ghost vanished into the house quickly and my sister eagerly waited for the lock to turn and be allowed inside. While he did, I thought back to my conversation with Sans.
The older skeleton had been okay with us going off so long as I could send him the address to meet up at once he got to leave the capitol. He was still knee deep in paperwork that had to be filed and completed. I could only imagine my friend was very thankful this was a once a year thing.
Sans was a bit worried about this new person, but quickly decided otherwise. Apparently Sans knew Blooky just roughly from some of the concerts they did together. Sans provide comedy on the edge of the capitol and Blooky was a musician and DJ. Sans wasn't all that worried about the ghost, stating that Blooky would faint into himself before he'd cry wolf.
And since Frisk had already met him and they were friends, it made it all the more easier to not worry about being exposed.
When the lock sounded, Frisk eagerly hurried inside. I closely followed on her heels before we were led into a small living room space that combined with a kitchen. Spiral stairs led up to a second floor while they also led to a basement. The room we were inside was decorated with beautiful hard wood floors and some worn looking furniture before a TV.
It was honestly very homey, all it was missing was a nice fuzzy rug and fireplace and I'd feel right at home…
"Well… here we are…" Blooky floated over to the middle of the room. "The curtains are all drawn… you can remove your cloaks here… only if you want too of course…"
My sister waited not a second longer to throw it to the couch and reveal herself to her friend. "Blooky! It's been so long!"
The ghost smiled as my sister hugged him tightly. "Hello… Frisk…"
Smiling at my sister, I followed her example and pulled off my own cloak and gloves. Setting them on the back of the couch, Blooky turned to give me a look over once I was de-robed.
"And I'm Angel, Frisk's older sister." I reached out a hand to shake with his. "Thank you for being a kind friend to my sister."
"Oh… it's nothing… Frisk is very nice…" I felt a hardly existing hand in my own before the ghost pulled back slightly. "Frisk and I… we bonded over music…"
"Yeah Sis! He's got some cool tracks that you've got to listen to sometime!" Frisk eagerly whipped her head back and forth between the two of us. "Hey. Didn't you say you had recording equipment here? And instruments?"
Oh boy… here we go…
"…Yes… You want to see?"
"Please!"
"…This way…"
The ghost led us over to where the stairs were and just before he got there, he drifted through the floor. My sister, however, was right on his heels. She leapt at the stairs and practically slid down the spiral stairs to catch up with her ghostly friend.
"Frisk! Don't slide like that! It's dangerous!"
Hurrying after her, I popped down into the lower level of the basement where I could see my sister ogling at the equipment around. She wasn't kidding when she said that Blooky had a lot of equipment. Large recording machines, cameras and instruments lined the studio that appeared to be out here. A current song seemed to be up that Blooky must have been in the midst of working on before he left the house and ran into us. I could see lots of colorful lines and hear some soft music that came from the speakers.
"Oh wow!" Frisk eagerly looked around to the many items Blooky seemed to have. The ghost watched the wide eyed sister of mine as she carefully made her way to a electric keyboard that was tucked into a corner. Her fingers glanced over the keys and she happily played a few notes for her silent audience. "Can… can I…?"
"Do… you wish to play?"
Frisk could hardly hold back the squeal before her fingers landed easily on the keys and a joyful melody floated into the air. I couldn't hold back the smile on my face as I watched her eagerly play with the keys, something she hadn't been able to do since we lived with Mrs. White. The kind woman who housed us last had allowed us to use her piano for Frisk to practice every now and then when other tenants weren't there. She didn't want it getting out that she was housing homeless people or runaways…
"I… met Frisk a few times… back in the ruins…" Blooky mumbled some words to me that I almost didn't catch over my sister's soulful playing on the key board. "She liked my music… we sometimes played… It was very fun… but then she told me she was leaving… I…"
The ghost paused and with what little he told me, I didn't surprise me that we must have given him a fright. We haven't lived in the ruins for a long time now, opting mostly to stay with Sans and Papyrus instead to become more integrated in the underground culture and ways of life.
"A kind pair of skeleton brothers have been housing us for the last six or so months. We moved in with them back in October. They live over in Snowdin, where we have the entire town knowing about us and are quite friendly."
"I see… I'm glad to hear that…"
"Blooky! You have so many instruments to play here!" My sister quickly held up one of the ones she'd always wanted to learn about, a guitar, a trombone and a clarinet. All of which she somehow managed to carry at the same time without damaging any of them, but holding them close enough for both Blooky and I to see. I could see multiple other instruments that she had set aside in almost what seemed to be an order in which she wished to try them out. "Can you teach me how to play sometime? Maybe the next time we come back over?"
"Next time...?"
"If you'll have her of course." I narrowed my eyes at my sister at inviting herself without an invitation first. That was incredibly rude. Frisk quickly shifted awkwardly under my gaze before her eyes lowered to the floor.
"It's okay… I'd like that…" Blooky floated over to where she stood and pulled the guitar from her hands. "Would you… like your first lesson?"
"Yes!" Frisk's mood quickly changed and I sighed. I quickly sat down at the table while she and the ghost talked.
I pulled out my phone. I'd better message Sans before I forget…
Oh damn it… how do I unlock this thing again?!
Early Evening:
"Ey!" A call rang out into the air when we heard someone walking above. "Where's the tiny terror and her sister?"
A snort escaped me as I was the only one who noticed. Frisk was still too eagerly involved with Blooky in her lessons on playing the guitar and had managed to perform a few simple cords. She currently was attempting to play as much as she could before needing to leave, as she roughly knew she would soon.
"Down here Sans!" At my call, my skeleton roommate appeared right by my side in the basement. One quick survey of the area had the skeleton grinning beside me. In the time it had taken him to finish his paperwork and make it back to Waterfall, Frisk was eagerly playing a few different songs of an easier level for the guitar, all of which she'd learned in the last couple of hours.
She was certainly a musical prodigy…
"Now who would'a thunk that Blook over there would be friends with yer sister?"
"Not me, but I'm glad none the less." The two of us continued to hover to the side while Blooky continued to give out details or hints for Frisk as she practiced. "It's one less person to fight to prove that we're not terrible creatures hell bent on making their lives miserable."
"Yeah, yer gettin' a hell of a lot more popular, Precious."
"Thank you, Darling. It feels good to know that we're slowly changing more opinions of the underground."
Sans joined me on the couch that I sat on and watched my sister intently. She briefly saw Sans had showed up and offered him a smile before returning to the song she was playing. She was so focused that she refused to stop, even for a friend.
I'd have to talk to her about that later…
"Do you think I'll ever really do it?"
"Hm?" Sans glanced over at me, his smile breaking a tad when he saw the more solemn look on my features.
"Do you think I'll ever fully have the underground not hating me or my sister?"
"There'll still be people that will hate ya, that's not gonna change overnight or even in the next few years. It ain't ya personally, but humans have done a lot of shitty thin's to us, even before we were locked down 'ere." Sans huffed as he thought of more unpleasant memories. He leaned back into the cushions of the couch while glancing at anything but me. I felt bad bringing up the subject, but it was difficult sometimes to keep it at bay. "Lot of us lost family, close friends and what have ya to war, disease, and bein' trapped. They ain't gonna forgive that easily. It's gonna take time and others who have already accepted ya to help. Ya already got such a large group of monsters behind ya. And it's still gettin' bigger. Hell, I gotta say, I never thought we'd get as far as we have, but we did."
"I know, it still astounds me to this day…" I sighed and leaned back with him into the cushions. "Since we're on the subject, I wanted to talk to you about trying to get others involved in our little friend group as well. A few others I'd like to reveal myself to and your opinion on that."
It was moments like these where I wished I could be as poker faced as the skeleton across from me.
In the seconds after I'd asked Sans that question, he turned fully to face me and leaned closer, putting himself within my own personal bubble. My face quickly flashed red and I struggled to keep the ugly color from my cheeks. The look on his face was humorous, he enjoyed making me uncomfortable on occasion, but I could still see the faint underline in his boney skull that he was nervous about who I wished to suggest to him.
"Lay it on me, Precious."
Witch's Note:
Ooo! So we get to learn about Frisk's obsession with musical instruments! Did anyone think she was a prodigy in the musical department? I can't wait until we get to some later chapters to get more into some of the things she really loves or works well with!
And who could resist the lovely Blooky? He's absolutely adorable! Another little filler chapter down and only a few more to go! You people don't have long until the DRAMATIC chapters start coming! But what IS coming?! You better review and guess before its too late to get a sneak peak!
And now to respond to our reviewers!
NotAShadyGuy: I KNOW! Shady Guy! Loved Deltarune second chapter! Oh my GOD! Did you see the ending of it? Or the Snowgrave route? Holy Fudge!
And I'm glad you loved how I worked with Alphys. I loved her shy nature, but I also felt like she should have contributed a bit more to the underground society and should have been shown more as assisting with a lot of either inventions, side projects and other realms she could be involved in. I hope you enjoy the lengths that I involve her in, in the future. You'll be able to see some of those side projects in time and see the descriptions from them!
(In the background behind Halloween Witch, Mystic Girl quietly follows the last orders given to her by her partner. Waiting while the rest of her people hide among the shadows, she waits, she listens, she learns.)
RoseCentury: My lord… your even doing classes in the summer? Talk about a go getter. But I guess I'm no different when I'm pulling extra hours at my job on Saturdays. Trying to get all the overtime and learning!
Phew! And another week is done! Mystic Girl stop moping in the back ground! (I snapped at my best friend while she ignores me. I sighed.) Oh well, onto the next one! Oh! That's right! After this chapter, only one more filler chapter after this before we get to the crazy stuff! Better move your butts and strap in people cuz its gonna get wild starting October 9th!
(In the background it can be seen that Mystic Girl is leaping for joy at the mention of the chaos. With a bright grin she is seen shaking me in her excitement.)
Mystic Girl: Its coming! It's coming!
I know that!
Love you all and see you next week!
Halloween Witch
