[[ OKIE DOKIE, HERE YOU GUYS GO! Someone pointed out to me through message, and I realize I may have forgotten to say anything to you all, so... I've removed the Prologue (what was chapter 1) and have decided to post it separately, so it'll make things easier with naming/posting. I hope you all enjoy! This chapter is mainly through the point of view of our lovely little Ven, the monster child OC that Lena had trouble with before. It's to promote character development for him (and others), to give unique perspective, AND to open up opportunity for next chapter, which will be written more through Lena's and Sans' perspectives. Lots of new content, though, I promise. It'll be another whole new view of a situation! Enjoy! ]]
Worrying about a human was the last thing on his mind. In fact, he wouldn't be caught dust even thinking about a human being, outside of threatening or hateful thoughts. He didn't like humans, and he never would. It wasn't that he was scared of them! He wasn't afraid of anything! They were just terrible beings, full of hatred and cruelty. He didn't understand why anyone cared about humans at all. The only human he didn't totally despise was Frisk, and even then...their friendship was uneasy, at least, in his eyes.
Even thinking any of this was a waste of time. The only reason Ven was thinking about it at all was because Frisk, the little determined diplomat that they were, had approached him and told him to 'behave himself'. His lips had pulled back into a sneer and he narrowed his eyes, tail swishing in agitation behind him. "Why should I?" The human child huffed a sigh, shoulders dropping, and their hands began to move in fluent, easy signs.
"She's not feeling well today," was all they offered, and he wanted to laugh. Why would it affect him any just because his teacher wasn't feeling well? If anything, it made him want to try even harder to get under her skin. All humans were the same. They all lashed out and got angry eventually. He just had to keep pushing, and he'd prove it. Prove that she's just as disgusting deep down, no matter how nice she appeared.
Then the human actually walked in and...she was smiling still, as if she hadn't a care in the world, and, for whatever reason, it only pissed him off more.
"Good morning, class!" she said cheerfully, looking more tired than he'd ever recalled seeing her, and...was she wearing her hair differently today? That was weird. The human usually had her hair back in low pigtails, but today it was pulled over her shoulder in a weird kind of low side pony... Not that he gave a shit! "Today's going to be a pretty easy day. Your instructions are to read over Chapter 12 in your text books until lunch. A small murmur of confusion arose from his classmates and she actually looked guilty. "I know, I know. I promise, I'll make up for such a boring day today. But for now, I'm afraid I'll need you all to be patient. If you can finish reading the chapter before lunch then I'll see about us getting a special something as a treat on Friday!" Her tempting worked, and almost everyone immediately pulled out their books to begin reading. Frisk, however, was still staring at her in that searching way they did, and Ven swore he saw her smile slip for a second. Then they were turning around to look at him, two fingers pointing at their eyes before turning to point at him, and he rolled his eyes. It was with a resigned huff that he pulled out his own textbook, flipping idly to the correct page.
The room was relatively quiet, save for a few little bits of conversation between students. She allowed them to talk amongst themselves so long as they kept reading or discussed the material, though that didn't apply to Ven. Being one of the oldest in his class, he didn't necessarily have many people to talk to. That, and many of the other children, be it monster or human, usually steered clear of him. He was well known for starting trouble. The only ones who ever really bothered him were Monster Kid and Frisk, and even then, it was an unlikely friendship. He hadn't necessarily sought them out as friends...more like they stuck around despite him pushing them away.
Come to think of it, wasn't that how pretty much all of his relationships were? A flash of an orange soul filled his mind. He felt a small tug in his soul and he fought down the tiny smile that tried to curve up on his lips, defiantly glaring down at his textbook.
When the bell finally sounded for lunch it was with a sharp cry, and Ven felt his eyes fly to the front of the classroom to seek out the source of the noise. His teacher was sitting there, a hand resting against her chest, looking horribly startled. He snorted derisively and rolled his eyes, 'Who gets scared by the bell?' She laughed to cover her slip up and waved the few concerned glances away, as though telling them not to worry. "Alright, I'll see you all after lunch! We can talk some more about the chapter once you all return." The scraping of chairs against the linoleum filled the room, the sound grating and loud, and Ven's ears folded downward to try and block out the noise. Sometimes he hated having exceptional hearing. One by one, he watched as his classmates began to file out of the room, turning out into the already crowded hall and heading toward the cafeteria. Frisk knocked gently on the surface of his desk and he stiffened, realizing he'd spaced out for a moment. He looked up with a small frown, brow raised in question, and their hands moved in a flurry of movement.
"MK and I are going to eat outside today!"
"That's cool," he said simply, slumping further back into his chair. The human child rolled their eyes and moved their hands more purposefully, forming the signs slowly, as if they were overly emphasizing every word.
"You're welcome to join us." It wasn't an unusual invitation. In fact, Frisk invited him to eat lunch with them every day. Their lunches were so domestic looking, and they always seemed to have so much food packed. Too much for one person. Maybe Queen Toriel knew they shared and wanted to make sure everyone had enough...or maybe his human friend was just exceedingly lucky and was spoiled. 'That's more likely,' he thought bitterly, heaving out a sigh despite already getting out of his chair.
"Yeah, alright. It's better than hanging out in here with them." He didn't miss the furrowed brows and frown that Frisk sent his way, but he pointedly ignored it, walking around the desks and shoving his hands into his pockets as he strode out into the hallway. He already knew where they were going to be setting up camp for their little outdoor lunch, since it was the same place they did every time they ate outdoors. It was just far enough from everyone else that Ven felt comfortable, and he was alternately thankful and irritated that Frisk even thought that far into something as simple as eating outside. The little corner of the school yard that was shaded in trees, just past the four-square field and hopscotch trail, was a little statue that had been dragged up from the Underground. Ven recalled seeing it several times in Waterfall, sometimes with an umbrella placed over it. Rumor was that, if you shielded the poor abused statue from the rain, it would sing for you... He wasn't certain of how true it was, but it had gone mostly ignored until Frisk showed up. He could remember following the human around, watching as they uselessly placed the umbrella over the sad-looking stone statue. They'd had a knowing look on their face, a touch of sadness in their eyes, and he insisted to himself that he imagined the soft music that began to play after a few, startlingly silent moments.
That very same statue was in that little isolated corner of the yard now, placed under the shade of a few trees, with golden flowers planted all around. As always, Frisk would stare long and hard at the flowers, as if looking for something, before they'd smile and set out their lunch. Ven sat a couple feet away; close enough to reach the food, but far enough away that he wasn't...too close. Frisk was a human, but they weren't grouped into the same category as them in his mind. They had proven themselves. The rest of humanity, however, had not. Lena had not. He refused to believe that she wasn't just another selfish, self-fulfilling human. There were plenty that were 'kind' for their own gains, and she was just another one of them. He was going to expose her for the liar that she was.
He just...was having more difficulty exposing that fact than he thought he would. After their little "encounter" in the classroom, she'd been very careful when approaching him in what he assumed fear. 'Good,' he'd sneered to himself, 'The human had better be afraid!' After a little while, though, when he actually regained the ability to look her in the eyes, he didn't see fear there... No. Instead, he saw concern, and his soul burned angrily at the thought, that she was worried about him. She must be an idiot, he decided, to hold concern for the person who hurt you.
The cold feeling that wormed its way into his chest had most certainly not been guilt of any form, but he shoved it away, regardless.
"Man, Frisk, your mom always makes the best food!" Ven snapped to attention suddenly, glancing around to see that MK and Frisk had already sat down to join him in their little corner, munching on what looked like club sandwiches. He opened his mouth, about to ask where his was, but spotted a perfectly-made sandwich sat directly in front of him on a napkin. Had he been so lost in thought that he hadn't noticed? A small flush of violet passed over his cheekbones before he could push it away, snatching the food up and taking a vicious bite. He was irritated. Irritated that a human had taken hold of his thoughts so easily. 'I hate her.' He continued to eat with angry vigor until, alas, the sandwich was completely gone, finished in a few over-sized bites. Frisk perked up and held out a small bag of popato chisps to him, but he shoved it back, standing and brushing off his pants before shoving his hands into his pockets. "Hey, what's up?" Monster Kid asked, brow quirked as his face screwed up into a silly expression, tongue trying to wipe away a bit of mustard at the corner of his mouth.
"Gonna go for a walk. Don't wait up." Frisk caught his attention and their hands moved silently, a frown tugging at their lips.
"You're not going to go prank Miss Lena, are you?" Ven growled and his lips curled back into a sneer, eyes narrowing to slits before he turned around.
"No, I'm not. She's not worth the effort," he bit out, stalking across the yard and back toward the building. A few younger children saw his approach and deviated from the path, leaving a wide berth between themselves and him, and he ignored the small sting it gave him. He was used to it. Being intimidating was what he'd pushed for, so he shouldn't expect any less, right? 'Better fear than pity.' Once again he found himself feeling anger at someone who wasn't even present, and his hands curled into tight fists within his pockets. As he made his way through the building, wandering the relatively empty hallways, he found himself relaxing just a bit.
"...-think that's really true, do you?"
The hushed voice of another teacher caught his attention and he realized that he was passing by the staff workroom. His larger ears perked up at the sound and he stopped to lean against the wall. Eavesdropping wasn't the worst thing he'd ever done, and he felt no guilt for doing it. Several voices were coming from inside, the slight scuffling sounds of feet against linoleum mingling with the industrial-sized copy machine that, he was certain, was supposed to be acting as cover noise.
"Her Majesty did say that he was going to be starting work here sometime next week..."
"Do you really think that they're together? I mean, really? That lazybones?" A few groans, and they quickly retracted. "I didn't mean it as a pun, honest!"
"Guess we'll have to get used to hearing them soon enough, though I have no idea what he's going to be doing."
"Um, nothing, if I know him at all." The group laughed amongst themselves lightly, though it was tense. "Lady Toriel did seem rather distracted earlier. The last thing I want to believe is that she's really been marked, but-"
"Shhh! We're not supposed to say anything about it!"
"Sorry, sorry! It's just... Even though she's a human, I really rather like her. It's a shame that she's been..." They trailed off, and the atmosphere suddenly felt very dark.
"...may the Angel have mercy and spare her from such a fate."
The shuffling of footsteps approaching made him jerk away from the door, quickly resuming his trek down the hallway as he did his best to look nonchalant. A couple of the teachers that left gave him wary glances but, otherwise, said nothing to him. They probably knew he had heard, but they didn't care. He was just a trouble making brat, after all.
His feet carried him further still, up flights of stairs, down various hallways, making circles as he walked out his aggravation. The only sounds that really stood out were the clicks of his boot heels against the smooth linoleum flooring, the brush of fabric from his pants that swished against one another as he walked, and his breathing. In through his nose... 'This is stupid.' ...and out through his mouth. 'Why am I still thinking about this?' ...In through his nose... 'God damn it all.' ...and out through his mouth. 'I hate her!' ...In through his nose... 'I wish she would just disappear!' His breath felt like it caught strongly within his chest, like it snagged on a sharp, jagged hooked claw, pulling it in deeper, not allowing him to release it and draw in fresh air.
"I hate humans." He raised a hand to grasp gently at his throat, fingers trembling slightly as he still tried to exhale, despite the force fighting him. "I hate her!" Were these thoughts even his? They felt foreign in his mind, like the way a word leaves your tongue feeling funny the first time you ever say it aloud. "They all deserve to die-"
"No, Sans, I can't tonight." A familiar voice cut through the static of fear and sudden, startling darkness and, despite his mind telling it otherwise, he felt his soul pulse weakly in a way of reaching out for it. Not necessarily the voice or the person, but the comfort it offered. A small pain in his head was the only reminder of the thoughts presence' at all, and images of smiley face emojis drawn in red. He shook his head quickly, violet bangs brushing his forehead as he slowly came back to his surroundings. Where was he again?
"...I know that, but I have to stay late tonight." It was Lena's voice. He'd apparently walked for so long that he wound up in front of his classroom again. She gave a small huff of a sigh and his ears picked up on it far more acutely than it should have. He found himself standing just outside the door, listening in again. "Look, I know that. ... No, really, I do. But I need to get all these papers graded, and there's an after-school faculty meeting." She paused, and her voice sounded just a tad strained. "Yes, it's mandatory. ...Look, I have to go. Lunch hour is just about up, and- ..." Another sigh, the squeaking of the rolling chair that's sat behind her desk, and Ven cautioned a peek inside. She was leaning with her head propped up on her elbow, looking far too tired to be the teacher he knew. "Sans, please... I'll call you when it's done, okay?" She drew in a steady breath through her nose and tugged her fingers through her hair, and it moved aside just enough for him to see-
Black ink. An ugly black splotch staining her skin, and his ears laid back flat, eyes widening as he was suddenly overwhelmed with realization. 'She's been marked... They're gonna get her.' He pulled himself away from the doorway and continued walking in the opposite direction from which he'd been headed, gnawing on the inside of his cheek thoughtfully. This was what he wanted, right? One less human to pollute the world, to oppress him and his people? The claws on his hands bit sharply into tender palms, and he tasted blood from where he'd bitten his cheek.
...Why wasn't he happy about it?
The rest of the day dragged by, but he could hardly tell. It was as if he'd been separated from his own body. None of the things he touched, he actually felt, and none of the things he read he actually saw. Disassociation. He knew of it, knew well enough to understand that's what he was going through, but he almost preferred it. It was better than the confusion and dizzying one-eighty his soul was trying to do on him. Something about the color black had changed his mind, made her seem so much lighter in comparison...but, then again, maybe it was just the fact that she was sentenced to death that had him trying to sing a different tune.
He didn't want it. That tune could shove itself into Jerry's Ass and fuck straight off. He hadn't asked to see what he saw, to hear what he'd heard. For the first time, he found himself regretting being an eavesdropper.
Ven was pulled from his thoughts by a gentle hand on his shoulder, and he was so out of it that he didn't flinch away when he looked up and saw who it was.
"Ven...are you alright? The final bell rang some time ago..." Was it just him, or had her eyes seemed brighter every other day before? Why did she look so...tired? Had she already resigned herself to the fate that awaited her? Did she have so little Determination that she wasn't going to fight it? She frowned deeply, slowly withdrawing her hand to tug at her hair. "Do I need to call Kupa for you..?" The familiar name made his soul tug in his chest and he shook his head, averting his gaze to glare stubbornly out the window.
"No, 'm fine." In the distance, he could see clouds rolling in, bringing with them a warning of rain. The atmosphere outside was turning dreary, the only thing cutting through the metaphorical smog being the bright clementine-colored buses full of students that slowly pulled away from the building, making their way down the street before disappearing around the first turn they took. A small shuffling noise pulled his gaze from the window and he noted, indifferent, that she had moved to sit at the desk next to his. She wasn't looking at him, her eyes centered on the blackboard at the front of the room. They lacked focus, though, as if she were there, physically, but, mentally, she was somewhere far, far away.
"I can see why you hate humans so much..." she murmured after a long, long silence, and he flinched as something like a shadow passed over her eyes. It was gone as quickly as it appeared, though, and he felt his brows furrowing as he narrowed his eyes at her.
He 'hated her,' but he hated that look in her eyes even more.
His chair clattered noisily as he stood up abruptly from his desk, his palms slammed flat against the surface. She jumped and glanced up at him worriedly, her lips parting to ask a question that he didn't want to hear. "Kupa's here," he bit out quietly, grabbing his bag roughly and throwing it over his shoulder as he stalked across the room, pausing just at the doorway. "...See ya tomorrow, Miss Lena." With that farewell he continued walking, allowing his feet to carry him toward the light, comforting presence of a familiar soul.
He didn't consider himself an all-knowing monster, but there was a certain sureness in his soul that allowed him to say that he was fairly observant. His voice was soft and, despite his size, he did very little to assert himself into a situation, leaving him open to sit back and watch without bias. So when Kupanda arrived at the school to pick up his charge and the smaller monster merely stared at him in silence, he knew something was wrong. A flash of violet in Ven's amber eyes and he was flying, a small pair of transparent amethyst wings sprouted from his back, until he threw his arms around Kupa's long neck. His magic dissipated almost instantly and the comparatively tiny monster buried his face into the other's shoulder, claws grasping tightly at his t-shirt.
Immediately the towering monster's mind filled with worry. What could have possibly happened that would upset his charge so much? As much as his mind burned with a desire to know the answer he kept quiet, glancing up at the building as he turned. He caught sight of a familiar human standing by one of the topmost windows, her expression weary, tired, and he felt his soul clench within his chest with concern. ...But he had someone right in front of him who needed him, and it wasn't his business to pry into the lives of others. He turned and made the short trip back to their apartment, one arm supporting Ven's bottom effortlessly while the other pulled his phone from his pocket, scrolling through the mass of orders and messages he'd gotten.
Ven didn't say anything when they got back, nor did he say anything all through dinner. It was an uncharacteristically quiet night, and, despite how peaceful it might've seemed to an outsider looking in, Kupanda couldn't remember the last time he felt so tense.
It was just before bed and, despite his patience, the larger monster decided that he'd waited long enough. Something was very obviously on the younger's mind, and he was going to at least reach out. He sat on the couch where Ven had curled up, fingers mindlessly tapping on a video game controller. A large hand reached out and settled on top of the child's head and, giving him a patient smile, moved just close enough that his arm brushed against his side. Almost immediately, Ven tossed the controller down, face screwing up in frustration.
"I fucking hate her!" he shouted, voice wavering across the word 'hate' in a way that made Kupanda sigh. It wasn't the first time he'd said something like that, and though, normally, he'd remind him of his language, he stayed silent. "Sh-she's so goddamn happy all the time, always smiling at us, making us notice when she's not doing well! I hate her!" It was unsurprising when lilac-tinted tears welled up in his golden eyes, and Kupa was quick to reach forward and wipe them away.
"So you saw..." It was more a statement than a question, but the way the child flinched bodily and scrunched up his face was answer enough.
"I...I-I hate her! Getting marked like that, 's all her fault! It's her fault for bein' so nice to monsters all the time! Why can't she be like all the others!?" he cried, his voice ragged, breaking over the last word as if it shattered into pieces. To anyone else, Ven doesn't make sense. He's just an angry child with behavior problems, one who is violent and causes trouble for no reason.
Kupanda saw past that. As he should, being his soulmate.
There was a slight tug and Ven's eyes widened, falling silent as his own soul was summoned forth, floating between them. It was small, so tiny compared to Kupa's large hands. He could easily curl his fingers and encase it within his palm. As he cupped it like it was something fragile, he looked down into it, deep beneath the flowing purple hues, to a small circle of gold. Within that, an inky blackness, dark as pitch and violently writhing, but the golden aura kept it in check, not allowing it to spread.
'He doesn't hate her, not really... She's shown that she's not like the 'bad' humans, and he doesn't like that. Even more so, now that she's been marked...it reminds him too much of this little bit of darkness in his own soul that he shamefully tries to keep hidden. He feels pity for her...he just doesn't know how to express that.' With a sigh Kupanda returned the child's soul to his chest, unfazed as Ven clambered onto his lap and buried his face in his chest, shoulders shaking with small, shuddering breaths that wet his t-shirt. As he carried the confused and upset child to bed, he gave a firm reminder to himself to ask for an audience with Lady Toriel.
[[ And there you have it! Please please PLEASE leave me comments to let me know what you think, message me here on , OR you can follow me and this fic on Tumblr (life-sans-sin dot tumblr dot com)! I love you guys! ]]