Snow crunched beneath the 'armored' shoes. Moving to the fated encounter with the skeleton. The last two encounters playing through the mind of the child. Contemplating all that had gone wrong, and why. Attempting to come up with a plan of action for proceeding forward to...well, hopefully find Toriel sooner rather than later.
First time, the issue was that they didn't see him coming. Literally. It seemed the skeleton wouldn't attack right away if observed. But then, he seemed to know Flowey. She hummed at this, making a note to ask him about it while walking.
Second time, well, she hadn't intended to survive that time. The sacrificial life still made her feel awful, but it revealed some important things. The skeleton wasn't 'aware' of her ability to |CONTINUE| after death. But he wasn't...not aware of it, it seemed.
Given his strength, and attacks, fighting him wasn't gonna work out. At least, not without a lot of deaths she didn't want to...deal with. She pondered, recalling his odd sense of humor. It wasn't...too different in some ways from her own.
Her attention snapped back to reality. The pair arriving at the stick. Stopping there, she knew the skeleton was nearby. Had to be, in order to break it.
Chara asked Flowey about Sans.
"Hey, Flowey, do you know any skeletons?" Chara inquired.
"Huh?" Flowey thought back. "I uh...I used to. Like, two anyways." He glanced over. "Why?"
"Oh-" She knelt down and tried to pick up the branch. "cuz it'd take a skele-ton of effort to pick this up."
"Wow." Flowey groaned, making her snicker.
Chara considered, while starting to walk. "Sorry, I found it-" She winked. "humerous."
Flowey let out a loud. "Chara no!"
She thought she heard a snicker from the trees, the pair moving ever towards the bridge and...'gate' thing in the distance. She thought up a different style of pun. Her plan of attack formulated, the epic knight drawing a mighty sword...of uh, puns, to win the day. Hopefully?
"Hey Flowey-" She began. "how does an ant greet a human being?"
Flowey sighed. "How, Chara?"
"A microwave" She replied.
"I don't think that one makes sense." He replied.
"Hmm, how about-" She hummed, the pair getting nearer to it. "Why was the cow afraid?"
"Why?" He indulged.
"He was...a cow-herd." She joked.
Flowey rolled his eyes, keeping a watch behind them. Not that he really saw anything of note. The Flower letting out a long yawn, the sound of the stick snapping as he did so.
"Uh...hey Chara-" Flowey nudged her, quietly.
"I know." She whispered. "It's probably nothing."
She wanted to tell Flowey about the source of their deaths. But she sort of needed him to...not anticipate things. It'd probably work better that way.
Flowey for his part, was rather unnerved by the breaking of the stick, alongside the feeling that he wasn't aware of what they were walking into. Since it was clearly going to be something dangerous. His failure to keep an eye on the stick, just that one thing though, it made him feel like an impossible failure. Especially given his belief that their recent deaths may have somehow been his fault.
It didn't take too long before they came to a sort of game, stretched over a pit. A rickety looking bridge before them, acting as the only way to progress. The gate thing appeared to be very good at its job, making the process of crossing nearly impossible. If it weren't for the gap near the center, rendering it functionally moot. Flowey glanced back, noticing she wasn't moving, looking it over instead. The sound of footsteps coming to his attention. Turning and finding a form stepping up towards them, kept in the shadows the trees cast. A figure who shifted their posture some when being observed by the Flower.
As they neared, and Flowey was able to make out who the figure was. He felt a highly uneasy sense of dread overtake him. The skeleton, wearing a dark hooded jacket smiled some. Ever so nefariously, and sly.
"heh...human-" The voice began from behind her. "don't you know how to greet a new pal?" She started to turn. "turn around, and shake my hand."
He'd barely finished his sentence, before she turned. Hand extending to take his own. The result being...a mild shock, or a buzz. Catching her by genuine surprise, given it wasn't what she was expecting. A smile spreading on her face, what a curious thing to happen.
"heheh. the old joy buzzer in the hand trick." He pushed his hand back into his dark jacket. "it's ALWAYS funny."
"Sans?" Flowey asked for confirmation.
"oh, if it ain't the flower. hey bud, how's it going?" Sans asked. "feels like it's been ages since i saw ya last."
"Oh, it has been a while, hasn't it?" Flowey muttered back, with a nervous laugh.
"woops got distracted. okay friend, wanna try that handshake again?" Sans offered his hand.
She took it. This time, Sans fold cold against his hand. Following this, there was a distinct noise that followed. It was long, whiny, and very, very much like a fart. Chara had grabbed a whoopee cushion. Sans had grabbed a snowball. These two little pranks in the palm of the others hand, with the child snickering in response.
"heheh...the old whoopee cushion in the hand trick." He grinned some. "it's ALWAYS funny."
"Right?" She smiled some. "And I snow, you didn't that coming."
"heh, I'll admit, it was an ice prank." He replied, chuckling. "always nice when someone lends you a hand, huh?"
"I didn't want you to leave empty-handed." She smirked, prompting the Skeleton to snicker.
"i've gotta hand it to you kid-" He replied. "that was a cool, trick."
Flowey let out a. "Stahhhhhhhhhhp." Adding. "Sans...why do you even have both of those?"
"have what?" The skeleton asked, making the flower snarl at him. "anyways-" Sans refocused on Chara. "you're a human, aren't ya?"
"Yeah." She replied.
"W-what?" Flowey asked in alarm. "What are you doing?" He whispered angrily. "Don't-"
"that's hilarious." Sans replied, with a slight smirk.
"Sans-" Flowey began, anxiously.
"as everyone's favorite lilacable flower keeps sayin, my name's sans. sans the skeleton." Sans introduced himself. "i'm actually meant to be on watch for humans right now."
"Why's that?" She asked.
"dunno, it's just the job." He lied.
"Your job?" Flowey asked in surprise. "Wait...are you-"
"that's right bud. applied to the royal guard." The skeleton commented. "guess they had a skele-ton of work needin done. cuz they actually hired me."
Flowey went paler than his usual colors. "What?"
"but, i don't really care about catching anyone." Sans suggested. "sounds like way too much work."
"Sans..." Flowey began nervously.
"now, my brother Papyrus, on the other hand...he's invested in it. fanatically." He explained. "but hey, it's kinda his job to be."
Flowey gave him a stern look. "Isn't it your job too?"
"probably." Sans replied.
"Y-you said it was!" The flower declared indignantly.
"neat." Sans said, with little care or concern, hearing Chara chuckle. "anywho, i know he's a ways up ahead." He motioned. "ya might wanna keep a look out for him."
"Thanks for the warning, Sans." She said, adding. "Wanna hear a joke?"
"hmm, i've got a minute." He shrugged.
"Why didn't the skeleton mind the wind?" Chara asked.
"cuz it went right through him." Sans answered, asking back. "why didn't the skeleton like fast food?"
"Cuz, he didn't have a stomach." She answered, making him chuckle. "How do you imprison a skeleton?"
"a rib cage." He replied knowingly as she laughed more. "heh, those are some bad jokes kid. awful, really."
Flowey sighed some. "They are, you're both...ughhh."
Sans seemed content some. "tell ya what, kid, i've got an idea. go through this gate thingy." he motioned, as she glanced. "yeah, go right through. my bro made the bars to wide to stop anyone."
Chara elected to oblige the skeleton, who followed behind them. The bridge creaking some as they walked. She made careful steps, not fully trusting it. Coming out to a small clearing area, with what appeared to be a small structure, and a couple large snowballs laying around the space. A path heading directly forward.
Looking down the road, she could see someone headed their way. Though, evidently, she wasn't the only one to notice it. Sans humming some, and tsk'ing.
"huh, i think that's my bro up ahead." Sans commented.
"WHAT?" Flowey exclaimed in alarm.
"relax petals." He glanced at Chara. "quick, behind that conveniently placed sentry station."
Without any better ideas, she decided to heed the suggestion. Hurrying over, and around back of it. Briefly checking for traps, before sliding under the counter. She was surprised to find a decent quantity of ketchup, mustard, and a few things that resembled hotdogs. Was this a food stand too? Peaking over the top, she watched as another skeleton, taller, wearing some strange kind of armor came wandering in.
She got a look over them both. Sans was wearing some casual looking pants, that were black in coloring. Ending in a pair of untied sneakers. He had a red sweater, with a black jacket overtop. With similar fluff and fur on the inside of the hood as her own. Only, a lot more fluff and fur, overall. He had sharp teeth, and a cracks around his left eye. He was also only a little taller than she was.
The newcomer, who she believed to be Papyrus, was a bit more intimidating looking in her opinion. Wearing what appeared to be a dark coat, with black pauldrons, and a chest piece of similar coloring. Alongside black pants. Contrasting these were crimson boots, and gloves. And finally, a long red scarf, that flowed a bit past his neck, like a regal cape, almost.
His features were scarier than Sans, with sharp cheekbones, and teeth. He also had cracks around an eye, but it was his right one. She felt nervous.