Chapter 4
(Snowdin/Skeleton Brother's House)
I watch Sans, holding my gaze evenly. Inside my body is in chaos, my heart beating erratically, my soul flaring with unknown energy. He closes his eye, catching the artificial bone as it disintegrates into nothing.
"NIX HUH? THAT SOUNDS NEAT-O! NOT AS NEAT AS MY NAME MIND YOU BUT NEAT ALL THE SAME!" I remove my attention from the skulking skeleton, focusing on the animated one before me. His eye sockets appear wider than before, the grin on his face stretching up into his zygomatic bones.
"AS I HAVE SAID BEFORE I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS!" He points to himself with a bit of flair, the cape wrapped around his neck flickering in a non-existent breeze. He picks up Frisk despite the child's whines of protest, settling Frisk onto his clavicle.
"THIS SMALL HUMAN IS NAMED FRISK! THEY, MUCH LIKE YOU, FELL DOWN HERE!" Frisk rolls his eyes, patting the skeleton's skull.
"AND THAT LAZYBONES OVER THERE IS MY OLDER BROTHER SANS!"
"Heh bro, you beat me to the punch." I shiver, feeling the cold gaze turn its attention in my direction. 'A reminder in the form of a threatening pun. Classy skeleton. Classy.'
"NOW THAT NAMES ARE OUT OF THE WAY!" Papyrus takes a glance over his shoulder, his sockets bending down as the frontal bone pushes down much like eyebrows.
"AH…IT APPEARS AS THOUGH MY GREAT COOKING HAS GONE TO WASTE! BUT FEAR NOT NEW FRIEND! I, THE GREAT CHEF PAPYRUS, CAN WHIP UP ANOTHER BATCH OF SPECIALTY PASTA!" Frisk shivers, a sickly color washing onto their face.
"A…actually Papyrus, not that I don't love your cooking but it's getting late." Papyrus turns to his brother who nods in agreement.
"Yeah bro. It would be bad to keep everyone up pasta bedtime." A simultaneous groan sounds from the group.
"THAT WAS A HORRIBLE PUN BROTHER!"
"But you are smiling."
"I AM AND I HATE IT!" I chuckle along with Frisk, only earning a mock hurt glare from the skeleton.
"DO NOT ENCOURAGE HIM!" I put my hands up in defense, stifling my giggles behind my teeth.
"Hey Paps, can I get down now? My butt is starting to hurt."
"BUT OF COURSE HUMAN FRISK!" Papyrus is careful to put the child down, holding their back until they gain stable holdings. Frisk smiles up at the skeleton, giving his arm a gentle pat.
"How 'bout Grillby's?" The skeleton suggests from his foreboding corner. I glance between Frisk and Papyrus, watching as the kid's face lights up while Papyrus' face falls to a grimace. Papyrus opens his jaw, ready to protest when the shorter skeleton appears next to him. A faint hum of magic surrounds his body, thrumming out in a harrowing beat.
"'S fine Pap. Grillby knows whatcha like." He gives a wink somehow with his eye socket as though a muscle resides there. "Watch the kid for me. I'll be back." A white pupil glances over at me from the corner of his endless void. It stares for a long moment, slowly disappearing until darkness remains. A second later and the skeleton ceases to exist where he stood.
"How…?" I gape, glancing at the spot. 'It was like a fucking magic trick…hah magic.'
"MY BROTHER CAN TELEPORT HUMAN! IT IS COOL BUT NOT AS COOL AS MY ABILITIES!" I look between Papyrus and Frisk. Papyrus looks proud of himself, his ribcage sticking out heroically. Frisk giggles in their sleeve, as though it is a joke. 'I hardly doubt this skeleton could cause even a snowflake harm.' I snort, covering it with my hand.
"Ah…" My eyes scan the room, examining the various overturned fixtures and broken glass. "We should probably clean this up before food gets here." The two nod in agreement. They stand, going to opposite sides of the room. I push myself off the ground, feeling the bones beneath creak at the strain. A few pop quietly beneath the surface eliciting a delicious, satisfying hum. 'Guess I should start on that side.' Numerous shards of glass encase the base of the right wall, some of the shards sliding as far as into the kitchen. A few wooden frames face down onto the floor, hiding the faces beneath. I squat down, carefully picking up the first one. It is a picture of Papyrus with a blue fish woman, their arms wrapped around his skull in mid noogie. He looks slightly annoyed in the picture while the fish woman beams a pointed smile at the camera. I carefully place it onto an end table that miraculously survived through the damage.
I begin to stack the larger glass shards into a pile, leaving the smaller ones for a broom to sweep up. A second picture is accessible, this one in a worn wooden frame. This particular one has two skeletons in the picture, one in a little bundle and another holding the bundle. 'Sans and Papyrus' is scrawled roughly into the bottom of the frame. "They look cute…" I mumble, gently touching the picture with a finger. Little Papyrus smiles for his older brother, his mandible partially open in a wide smile. Little skeletal arms poke out of bright orange fabric, they look like they are flailing. Younger Sans sits hunched over, his body looming protectively over his little brother. His gaze is soft however, the eye light visible stares at the younger skeleton, a wide realistic smile caught on camera.
'I wonder when all of that happiness changed to make his brother such an ass.' I sigh, placing the frame with the other one. 'Then again, being locked up in the Underground for god knows how long could change a person too.' One more frame lays in the way of a total clean up. This one is bent nearly out of shape, age looking less than a good color on the decaying frame. Hesitantly I pick it up, wincing as a piece of frame falls to the floor. It is another picture of the brothers, their arms wrapping around...
'Is this picture…damaged?' I furrow my eyebrows, eying a clear tare in the middle of the photo. Scotch tape holds the two end together, appearing as though the brothers are hugging each other. 'But the placement is off…the hands…' I glance at their shoulders. Slightly larger skeletal hands hug both shoulders, the tips digging slightly into their clothing. There is a faint semi-circle cutting into the hand allowing the backdrop through. 'I wonder who was in this picture? Why were they removed?' The thoughts float aimlessly, demanding an answer that cannot be otherwise given. The frame joins the other two on the table, leaving chips into their backsides.
"HUMAN! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Papyrus' voice screams, causing my body to jump. I look over my shoulder at the skeleton, his hands perched on his hips like a scolding mother.
"I am helping clean up the mess." I point to the glass pile.
"YOU SHOULD BE RESTING! A FRAIL BODY SUCH AS YOURS SHOULD NOT BE STRAINING ITSELF WITH THIS TASK!"
"Papyrus I understand what you are…"
"NO BUTS HUMAN! YOU MUST REST UNTIL WE ARE FINISHED CLEANING! I INSIST!"
"Just listen to him Nix," Frisk's voice appears out of nowhere, eliciting another jump. I turn to my other side, giving him a pout. He giggles, hiding the tremors behind his oversized shirt hands. "Papyrus always gets what he wants." I sigh, opening my mouth to protest. The kid shakes his head, gesturing to the fixed couch.
"Fine…" I grumble, pushing off the floor. "Do you have anything for me to pass the time with?"
"There might be some cards in the kitchen drawer." Frisk pipes up, pointing into the bright yellow kitchen. I give him a thankful nod. The kitchen, much to my disappointment, is as dark as the living room. The same ugly shade of maroon runs along the walls, hiding behind a few older appliances. A basic silver refrigerator stands no competition next to a sink that not even Papyrus can reach. Counters line the left wall, running into an older looking stove at the end. The tiles blend the whole room theme of dreary with brown and orange checker tiling.
Poking into the first drawer, I begin rummaging. Trinkets and bits of things line the drawers like a hoarder. Rubber bands, various writings utensils, wrappers of something called a glam burger, pictures of a robot with a fancy cursive signature at the bottom. 'Aha! There they are!' My hands grasp at a box at the back of the drawer, pulling it through the crap blocking it. The playing cards pull out easily enough, the box tearing in some places with a few dented corners. The box cover is nothing fancy, a simple white backdrop with thin black lines wrapping around an image. In the center, a heart takes up most of the space, a line fracturing between the two colors. Orange covers the left half of the heart, cyan blue on the right half. The heart is being held together with a red vine wrapping protectively around it.
"Curious…" I mumble, shutting the drawer. Two sets of eyes stare into my back as I walk toward the now upright puke sofa. Once I sit, their eyes dissipate, returning to the task in front of them. I open the pack, sliding the cards into my palm. The first card to greet is the ace of spades. A metal clad warrior stands erect in the middle of the A's, a blue pointed spear in their left hand. Two gold beady eyes poke out from under the brim of the helmet. I fan through most of the cards, noticing each one has some form of monster or location on it. There are a variety of figures from gelatinous jello looking ones to a conglomerate white and black blob outlining dogs. One in particular catches my attention. A familiar goat woman sits passively on the card, her hand extended outward with a little flame sizzling in her palm. Her amethyst eyes reflect a happier time. Queen of Hearts is her card title; the little hearts illuminate with a green glow.
"Interesting. They are of the people in the Underground!" I mumble in disbelief, searching through for another familiar face. Froggit stares dully on his card, a mere eight of clubs as his number. A few pegs down, Papyrus appears in his signature hand on hip pose, his other hand holding onto a bone. His position a Jack of Clubs. Towards the end of the stack, I find an Ace of Hearts. The only image available is a pixelated red heart with a giant 'D' in the middle. I furrow my brow, looking through the cards once more.
'The second skeleton brother appears to be missing from the cards.' I shrug, reaching over to grab the box. 'I guess he really is nothing important.' Glancing down at my lap, two little heart shaped backs pop against my legs, the cards nearly forgotten. My fingers flip them over lazily. 'They are most likely the Joker cards. Usually taken o…' A familiar figure stares menacingly back, a singular cyan eye flaring to life against a dark backdrop. His boney humerus stretches forward, pushing the bones in the background forward. The word 'Joker' is scratched out with a black marker, the wording replaced with 'Pun-master'. I snort, shaking my head. The other card causes my brain some discomfort. There is no text on the card, only odd symbols that can be best described as emojis. The card lacks an image, opting for a black square. 'The text looks…familiar. Perhaps it is some emojis I have used while texting?' Little arrows, smiley faces, and various other symbols stare back. The longer my eyes stare at it, the more the pounding increases behind my eyes.
"HUMAN! WE HAVE FINISHED CLEANING!" The voice snaps my gaze from the cards. Papyrus and Frisk loom over the sofa with bright smiles. I hesitantly hold the cards up, a smile forming on my own face.
"Anyone up for Go Fish?"
"HUMAN! I DO NOT HAVE ANY THREES. YOU MUST GO FISH! NYHAHA!" I roll my eyes at the perky skeleton, drawing a card from the pile. An ace of spades joins the ever growing pile within my flushed hand. A sigh escapes my lips, my knees curling up to allow my arms a rest. After explaining and showing Papyrus the base rules of the game, he eagerly embraced it, determined to be the 'best Go Fish player in the Underground.' Five games and about an hour later, we are still at it with Frisk winning the bulk of the games.
"ALRIGHT! HUMAN NIX! DO YOU HAVE A SIX?" Papyrus turns his card to me, showing a six of hearts. I shake my head, gesturing the pile.
"Go fish Papyrus." The large skeleton groans like a child, flinging a large bony arm at the card pile.
"Alright…Nix…" I glance at the child. Frisk folds his remaining cards onto the floor, glancing up at me. His cheek mushes against his propped up head; his feet kick lazily in the air. A smug little grin reveals his plans.
"Do you have a…three?" I roll my eyes, tossing the card his way. His smirk widens as he neatly places yet another pair in front of him. He hums happily as he neatly places down the pile. With the same smirk, he turns to the perky skeleton.
"Papyrus…Do you have a…six?" Papyrus' mandible falls open, a gaping void filling the otherwise empty space.
"HUMAN FRISK! YOU ARE SO GOOD AT THIS GAME!" Papyrus hands over his card. "I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, MUST LEARN HOW TO GET BETTER AT THIS GAME SO THAT I MAY BEAT YOU!" The two of us chuckle at the glimmer of determination within his eye sockets. The void less sockets are still unsettling, but not as…
The front door slams open with a 'thud!' allowing the night air in. Footsteps scratch against the carpet, the steps dragging more so than walking. Frisk and Papyrus whip their heads in the general direction, but my body remains frozen. Fear prickles down my spine, tensing my muscles. 'Turn around you idiot! Do not let him detect your fear!' With a little bead of determination from within, I turn to look at the skeleton. 'Is he…?'
"SANS! HAVE YOU BEEN DRINKING AT GRILLBYS AGAIN?!" Papyrus throws his cards down, immediately standing. Frisk sighs, placing his cards faced down as he too begins to stand. I look between the two, confusion swimming within my mind. 'Again? Does that mean he does this often?' I glance at Frisk who appears genuinely concerned for the short skeleton. 'Is this even healthy for the kid?'
"'s fine Paps…" The skeleton slurs, gaining my attention once more. A faint blue blush covers his cheekbones, his eye lights lazily scanning around the room in a blurry daze. A decently sized brown paper bag hangs within his phalanges.
"IT IS NOT FINE! HONESTLY SANS WHAT IF SOMETHING HAPPENED TO YOU?"
"Papyrus is right Sans. You need to be more careful with yourself." Frisk walks up, carefully taking the food from the skeleton while Papyrus swoops him up bridal style.
"'s not my fault you brought a defective human in." I blink, staring at the skeleton wide eyed. 'Defective?'
"You should've seen her soul Paps. It's not normal. She is dangerous."
"THAT IS ENOUGH OUT OF YOU SANS! OBVIOUSLY IT IS THE DRINKS TALKING AND I WILL NOT HAVE YOU INSULT OUR GUEST A MOMENT LONGER!" Papyrus walks swiftly by, his brother hanging like a doll over his arms.
"Ya should . . Save ya from the threat." His eye lights dim as he directs his drunken gaze on my passing figure. They completely disappear, leaving empty sockets. I feel small fingers wrap around my wrist, squeezing painfully tight. I glance down at Frisk, his eyes alight with rage.
"Sans!" The skeleton chuckles on his way up the stairs, his head poking over his brother's arm.
"Kid, do ya got a bone to pick with me too? Cause of your human buddy?"
"Get rid of it or I will." The sound of a door slamming open upstairs resounds followed by it slamming shut. A few beats of silence pass, neither one of us speaking.
'A defect huh?' I chuckle, shaking my head. 'So there is a word for a weird soul such as mine. Defective.'
"Nix…?"
'Maybe that is why I did not quite fit in on the surface. Everyone is a well-oiled machine with all its working parts while I am a defect in the link.'
"Nix…your eyes…" A little hand tugs forcefully at my shirt, snapping the thoughts from my mind. I glance down at Frisk, furrowing my brows in confusion. His face is one of shock, staring up as though he sees a ghost.
"What about my eyes?" He shakes his head, beaming a grin up.
"Nothing is wrong with your eyes silly! Come on! Sans got us some of Grillby's famous burgers! Can't let them go to waste!" The child pulls at my wrist, his gaze anywhere but behind. Something faint glows next to him, the letters blurry against our movement. Just as quickly as it appears, it disappears leaving only the air. I shake my head, pinching my eyes close for a second. 'Hallucinations. Must be from the shock of today.'
Frisk lets go of my wrist, digging eagerly into the brown paper bag. His face falls into a frown as he pulls out one burger and what appears to be some sort of pasta dish. Frisk mumbles something under his breath, digging into the bag once more. His fingers come up empty handed once more. The ever increasing frown on his face is all the indication I need. 'The skeleton only got food for Frisk and Papyrus. What a way to send a message.'
"Here Nix. You can share the burger with me!" I sigh, ruffling his head.
"No kiddo. You need it more than me. You are a growing child. I am an adult. I can go days without food." To protest back, the gastral intestinal juices gurgle out in protest as the aroma of the burger hits my senses.
"I AM BACK HUMANS!" Papyrus shouts from behind, his footsteps stomping across the room. Frisk hesitantly pulls the burger back, reaching for Papyrus' food.
"Here Paps. Looks like Sans got Grillby to make you a pasta dish." The skeleton squeals in delight, taking the plastic container.
"HUMAN NIX! WHAT OF YOUR FOOD?" Dryness hits my mouth in that moment. A large, uncomfortable lump of mucus decides to stick itself within my throat.
"I…" I swallow roughly, scratching up the back of my throat. "I ate it already Papyrus." From the corner of my eye, I watch Frisk open his mouth to protest.
"In fact, Frisk here was telling me that your favorite show was coming on soon and wanted me to see it." The child glowers but says nothing, clenching his burger wrapper.
"OH THAT IS RIGHT HUMAN FRISK! COOKING WITH METTATON SHOULD BE COMING ON SOON!" He lifts the child up, running over to the sofa. Planting them down, he goes over to the television set, flipping the screen on. I walk over, pressing a hand into my intestines in a weak attempt to stop the hunger growls.
The two begin to eat at their meals as a square looking robot appears on the screen. They are wearing what appears to be a chef hat, their arms waving all over the screen as they talk.
"Welcome my beauties to Cooking with Mettaton!" A shrilly voice comes through the speakers. I wince. 'I honestly cannot tell if it's a boy robot or a girl…Can robots have genders?'
The show continues with the shrill voice, their arms throwing things together in a bowl while advertising their products. Every now and then, I feel a set of eyes staring at me, the feeling of determination radiating off of them.
The episode draws to a close, Papyrus begins picking up after their meals, throwing most of it into the garbage can. I sigh, finally looking at the child.
"What is it Frisk?"
"Why did you lie to Papyrus?" I shrug, leaning up against the cushions. Why did I cover for the skeleton?
"Papyrus looks like he holds…a high regard for his brother. I did not want to tarnish the image."
"But…" I place a gentle hand atop of his head, stroking my fingers through his locks.
"It is better for a stranger to keep the peace than to start a war. Wouldn't you agree?"
"HUMAN FRISK! IT IS TIME FOR BED!" Papyrus' shadow looms over the small child, the television serving as a back lighting. I take my hand off, giving him a reassuring smile. Papyrus takes this moment to scoop the child up, heading toward the staircase on the left side of the room.
"FEEL FREE TO USE THE COUCH HUMAN NIX! ALTHOUGH OLD IT IS RATHER COMFORTABLE!" I nod.
"Goodnight Papyrus. Goodnight Frisk. May your dreams be pleasant."
"AND YOU AS WELL HUMAN!" The two ascend up the stairs, the soft click of a bedroom door filling the quiet space. Mettaton continues to quietly babble in the background about some sort of news. 'I will…miss them.' I sigh, glancing around the home once more. Despite the turn of the day's events, it could have gone a lot worse. Standing from the floor, I make my way to the front door, allowing the night to seep into the house. A dark inkiness looms over the sky, only what appears to be a moon of sorts breaking the darkness. The winds have ceased, allowing the slumbering monsters to rest soundly.
A cold gaze penetrates through my backside, sending a cold shiver up my spine. My hand is hesitant, unsure if leaving is the best option. My mind on the other hand reasons this is the best thing to do. A smile makes its way to my face, my body refusing to acknowledge the figure staring.
"Goodnight to you as well Sans." The cold outside knob twists under my grasp as I pull the door close.
