Player Drama

"Is there a t-town ahead yet? I d-don't think I c-can keep this up..." Player's sleepy voice came out softly, breath barely visible. She leaned against Frisk, her energy having been spent on solving puzzles, talking to skeletons, dodging monster attacks, and petting dogs. No game overs either! Her body shivered, vibrations shaking off snowflakes.

Trying their best to keep her on her feet, Frisk strained their eyes. There, the smokey silhouettes of buildings in the fog gradually coming into view. They jostled the girl to get her drooping head to take a gander. A relieved smile broke through upon hearing her shuddery chuckle.

They had to be quick now. Player's body was becoming heavier with exhaustion, which Frisk thought would be dangerous if she fell asleep in the cold. No longer able to hold her up with their arm alone, they leaned her back into that arm and swung the other under her knees. Carefully, but swiftly, they lifted her like she weighed nothing (she really was light), close to them to keep her warm. Just by how soon she had lost consciousness worried Frisk into running into Snowdin.

Monsters turned their heads at the sound of hurried, fumbling steps crunching loudly through the snow. At first, it was confusion, next was alarm as a child carried another child(?) into town. The one in stripes appeared scared, a hint of helplessness in their eyes. It seems to be that their friend in black needed attention of some kind. This sleeping child did not show any signs of being in a critical condition. Then again, none of the monsters there knew much about humans or what was considered troublesome to them.

A crowd gathered around the children, the striped one begging for help. They seemed to believe their friend was dying from the cold. Skepticism rose amongst the monsters, but, again, what did they know? Still under the impression that the girl was simply sleeping, a few monsters still offered to take a look.

Her skin was icy, but that was to be expected from such weather. There was still some flush to the pale skin, though her nails were turning purple. Well, that is nothing out of ordinary. If the striped human should be concerned, it should be about getting the girl out of the cold. Yet, something told them that the human would not be satisfied without a full report.

So, to humor the thought, a rabbit humanoid stepped out from the crowd to offer her service. Not wanting to frighten the already shaken human, she got on her knees with a reassuring smile. "Let's take a look at your souls, sweetie." Her palms faced Frisk, her head bowed slightly as to show her lack of malice.

The world kept its eternal winter, but a red heart still revealed itself to the ring of monsters, who gasped with oddly calm expressions. The bunny's soul hovered in front of her chest, also a heart, but light gray in color. If her soul had been one shade lighter, it would have been white. She nodded her approval of Frisk's healthy, bright soul.

Now, she slowly stretched her arms out for Player.

Frisk looked unsure, clutching the body closer reflexively.

"I won't hurt her, I promise," came the bunny's sweet whisper. With the child in black in arms, she focused onto reaching out to the soul residing within.

Once more did the soul reminiscent of dust expose itself. However, there was no other soul to greet it. Confused, the lady poked and prodded gently at Player's upper chest to coax the soul out. There had been a flash of silver, then nothing. Her eyes went wide with disbelief. She poked again. Another burst of light, then more nothingness.

The other monsters must not have seen the soul since many muttered questions of what was wrong. Of course, she dismissed them with a smile.

Turning to Frisk, she suggested "Maybe we should get her somewhere warm first."

...

Player's mind woke before her body did. She shook, groaning. "Nngh...Curtis...Hey, Curtis, what time is-?" Her hand that had been patting the space beside her found nothing but blankets. Unable to feel the very kid she was hoping to find, her eyes snapped open, body launching upright in bed. "Buddy?" She nearly screeched, looking around.

Thoughts plagued with anxiety piled one after another in her head, making her chest constrict. Where was she? An inn, judging by the clean smell and faint snoring of neighbors. She wanted to relax, but could not help but worry about how she got there. Well, the kid probably got the room. Did they go out to find money? Yes, of course they did. Her breathing began to regain its natural tempo, the terror melting away the more Player convinced herself that she was safe.

Even still, she had doubts eating her little mind.

Not entirely comfortable with any of this, she hesitantly got out of bed and left the room. Her footsteps barely made a sound on the wooden floor, but made small creaks on the stairs. The lobby's silence bothered Player as it allowed more voices to yell at her within her cloud ridden mindscape. She headed towards the front desk, where a pinkish rabbit smiled at her. "Excuse me, but did a boy come through here?" She squeaked the question.

The rabbit raised a brow. "I don't know about a boy, but if you're talking about your friend, yes. They left two hours ago. You've been asleep for a while."

"Did they say where they were going?"

"Well..." the innkeeper thought.

"They went to find gold!" A small rabbit child hopped from behind the desk.

Giving a quick smile, Player rushed out the door. Shocked by the cold, she hugged herself tightly. Her eyes darted this way and that, looking for a sign of Curtis - as she knew them. She let her legs take her around town aimlessly, feeling her soul shake for once. Uneasiness set in with the eyes of local monsters watching her from all angles, some whispering. She thought one of them called her title. Shivering, she brushed it off as simple paranoia. The frosty breeze worked as a reminder that it was certainly too chilly for Player to be walking around with just a turtleneck for warmth.

She pushed through the first door she saw, feeling the tingling sensation of her fingertips defrosting upon touch. A puff of a happy, relieved breath escaped her, the small smile carrying her into the building. Immediately, she was welcomed with the embrace only a fan of heat would enjoy. While she could not place a proper description for how she felt, Player glanced around at the familiar dog guards sitting off to her left and other monsters drinking to her right. Quick-stepping her way to the bar, she waved sheepishly to everyone, who then looked away. They acknowledged her and she was fine with that.

Taking a seat, she rested her head into folded arms, sighing. It felt as though she could sleep right there inside this roasting atmosphere...but found it hard. Something was right in front of her. It was hot, but not. Safe, but also dangerous. She raised her head, confused about how everything blurred as though she got hit in the face. Then, she realized that it was a fire she was staring at...and it was staring right back with a glaring light lost somewhere within. She felt it was a mutual curiosity between them. The orange flames danced gracefully. Mesmerized, Player could not look away.

Someone cleared their throat. She ignored them. They tried again, louder this time. Player almost wanted to growl at them, but kept quiet. Then, someone else said: "Grillby said you're making him nervous."

Snapping out of some kind of spell, Player blinked. She looked the flaming man up and down, the fact that he had been the fire she watched finally set in. Chuckling in her usual awkwardness, she sat upright and placed her hands in her lap. This was one of the rare times Player had gotten the need to show she could be ladylike. "Hey, hottie, have you seen another human around? He wears a striped sweater," the words came out with the rush of recovering embarrassment. Her face suddenly lost its nervous charm, twisting into a sort of panic. Had she just called this fire...man...bartender...waiter - Grillby - what she thought she just did? Oh great, first impression: Hi, you're made of fire, so I'm going to possibly offend you by being pun-a-riffic with the flirtation because why not?

Picking up on Player's humiliation, Grillby made to get her a drink, but hesitated. Was she a child or an adult? Unable to pinpoint the girl's age, he decided to answer her question by pointing out the door. However, she did not see this since her head found its way back on the counter.

Where was that kid when she needed them? Sure, she had not gotten yelled at for being offensive, but she still had no idea where she was. At least she was warm and safe. For now. Even Grillby's presence gave her some peace. He was an easy sight for sore eyes. Well, maybe not literally, but it was still a plus. Yet, Player found herself feeling lost deep within her soul. It was like her soul yearned to be near Curtis. Err...the kid. Since Player did not know their real name, neither her or her soul could call out for them.

Meanwhile...

Frisk closed yet another book about monsterkind and sighed. They put the book back in its place on the shelf, sat on the floor, pulled out their coin purse, and began counting coins. It would be a while before Player wakes up, Frisk thought. They had left their friend at the inn to find gold buried in the snow for the fee. Seeing as they had enough, they got up, pouring the coins back into the purse. Frisk left quietly, not wanting to disturb anyone. They walked through town, hearing monsters whisper about the human and Player.

Someone had called for Player. It was a familiar voice - energetic and confident. There was a flicker of red before the inn door closed. Intrigued, the child entered, surprised to see Papyrus looking up the staircase in concerned disbelief. "Are you sure she's gone?" He asked the innkeeper.

"Yes, she left not too long ago looking for..." the rabbit's eyes shifted to Frisk. "You..."

"She left?" Now it was Frisk's turn to stare.

Papyrus turned to face them. "Human! I have an idea!" He ushered them gently out despite their argument. "We should search for Player. You look around here and the Great Papyrus shall patrol over there," he pointed further east of Snowdin. "Remember, if I find her first, I get to capture you both! Nyeh heheheh!" With that, he ran off, obscured by fog.

Puzzled, Frisk went back inside the inn to pay off Player's fee before truly wandering. They wondered why Papyrus had dropped by, and why he called for the girl. Had he already searched for her in this section and came back just in case? That felt like the true answer. After all, she could not have gone far. Not in this weather.

Having paced around for some time landed them in front of a sort of diner. They peeked through the window, feeling heat radiating from the other side. There. Player was sitting slouched over. Happy to see her, Frisk threw open the door, instantly bombarded by hot air, and jogged inside. They slowed to a tiptoe as they approached.

"Hey...Sorry, I left you." Slowly, they reached out a hand to shake her.

Their wrist was seized by her hand. "Dude..." she mumbled, locking eyes. "At least leave me a note next time." No other words left her now quivering lips. Her arms wrapped around the child's shoulders.

Clicking their tongue in a pitiful way, Frisk held her close. "I was studying at the library. The sign's wrong. Heh..." They guided her off the bar stool, smiling up at Grillby. "Thanks for watching over her for me!"

Huddled together, the duo walked through town, munching on cinnabuns. Frisk told little fun facts about certain parts and a very odd knocking scene to Player on their way to the docks. Then, a thought occurred to the striped child. They remembered the horrified expression of the nice bunny lady. This made them wonder about Player's soul. "Hey, so...can I-?"

Ringing cut off Frisk, grabbing the children's attention. Player answered the call. A strange voice came through the grainy audio: "Hello? Can I speak to G-?" A slight pause. "Wait a second...Is this the wrong number?" What followed was a cutesy wrong number song before Player hung up.

"Okay...That happened..." she chuckled. "Hope they find the right number!" Even though that phrase meant the end of that, her eyes held a curious twinkle to them. That meant something was occupying her thoughts.

This destroyed all the hope Frisk had of getting to finish their question. They really did want to ask if they could engage her in battle. It was their only idea they had to getting to see Player's soul.

...

Dense fog made it nearly impossible for the humans to see anything ahead. Player squeezed Frisk's hand just to ensure they were still there. Snow no longer swallowed their feet with each step, and the air felt warmer. They both continued, stopping once a tall silhouette appeared.

"Papyrus?" Frisk breathed.

"Papyrus!" Player called out, a pebble in hand. Was she really going to throw it?

The shadow shook. "Humans!" Ah, so he heard. "I see you've found each other. Good, good for you! But, I'm afraid I cannot let you pass through..." An outline of a large, what Player guessed, femur came out of thin air in his hand. "As much as you have shown to value the same things as the Great Papyrus, I cannot be your friend. I must capture you to fulfill my lifelong dream!"

The fog vanished as the world lost its color within the darkness of battle. To the children, this did not seem to fit the bright, upbeat skeleton in front of them. Having the first turn, Player checked Papyrus for his stats. His signature laugh caught her off guard, causing her to laugh, which got Frisk to join in. Three bone-shaped bullets strolled slowly towards their soul. The child merely stepped to the side.

Still lingering in the ACT menu, the pair looked at the other options. Both made a disapproving face at the insult button before staring at the one beside check. Frisk gave Player a mischievous smirk, teasingly pushing down on the flirt button painfully slow. With the button pressed, she had no choice but to say something.

"Hey, sexy bones, is that all you've got? C'mon, there's no need to be shy!" Player seriously wanted to punch herself for saying something that awful. Even her little wink and attempt at making her voice seductive failed to meet her standards. When Frisk's voice and actions mingled with hers, she felt defeated. This kid had all the confidence in the world to pull of the beckoning pose, and an expression that just disturbed Player.

It sure caught their target off guard. "What? Fl-flirting?" Papyrus took a while to get his usual smile back. "So you finally reveal your ultimate feelings! W-well...!" Okay, is he just going to keep stuttering? Seeing this was actually...really cute. "I'm a skeleton with very high standards!" He said this matter-of-factly in a way that deflated Player's already low self-esteem.

"I...I can make spaghetti..." she offered. Yet, somewhere in the back of her mind really wanted to tell her opponent that she had zero redeeming qualities. Frisk knew this from the way she stared at the ground.

Yet..."Oh no! You're meeting all my standards!" got her head to whip back up with pleased shock. Papyrus posed in defeat, gracefully and somehow playfully. "I guess this means I have to go on a date with you...?"

Snapping to full attention, the skeleton sent three more bones. "Let's date l-later - after I capture you!"

Side-stepping again, Frisk pressed the spare button, setting their stick onto the ground. Both children raised their hands up as if to surrender as they took a step back. They bowed their heads slightly, smiling.

Papyrus drummed his fingers on his hip thoughtfully. "So you won't fight..." Nodding, he seemed to be preparing another attack. "Then, let's see if you can handle my fabled 'blue attack!'" He sent out several light blue bones in a disparity of sizes.

Recognizing what that color meant, the two stood still. As much as it tickled, they had to remain motionless while the bones phased through. When all the odd bullets vanished, Player huffed a proud breath. She was about to comment on how easy that was to Frisk when both of them fell straight to the ground. Their bodies felt incredibly heavy, like a weight had suddenly been thrown onto their backs. She glanced around for an answer, her eyes settling onto her partner's soul. It was a deep blue.

Before either child could react, a small bone strolled right into Frisk's soul.

"You're blue now."

The music playing from somewhere got an upgrade. Player would dance had her body not felt like it weighed a ton.

...

Sitting on a plush dog bed, Player picked up a dog bowl full of spaghetti. She chuckled softly to herself. "I'm really bad at this..." Her eyes fell onto Frisk, who was balancing a bone chew toy on their nose. "I'm sorry, bud. I got us captured, like what, four times?"

Frisk let the toy fall in order to talk to her properly. "Well...we could escape, try again, and see if we can make it to the end."

"You said that already..." Player mumbled through the spaghetti in her mouth. She was too upset to be bothered by the burnt portions. As she nibbled, she wondered if she should still eat after having eaten the previous dishes of dried food and cut up hot dog.

A text box popped up above her. It read: *You can feel yourself getting fat as you eat away your sorrows.

Disgusted by the truth, she pushed away the empty bowl angrily. "Okay...one more try. Though, judging by this note, we probably...should stop." She waved the paper full of scribbles in front of Frisk. Mimicking Papyrus, she repeated the message: "Humans, if you want to live here, why didn't you say so? Wait, I wrote that last time. Nyeh..." The rest of the note had been frustrated chicken scratch.

The two nodded a silent agreement as they walked back to the foggy area. Upon seeing a slightly bonetrousled, tired, but still prepared Papyrus waiting for them, the children felt equally so. He approached them this time, unable to decide on appearing peeved or surprised. "Why do you still come back here? I really don't think I can keep fighting you, honestly. After all..." he slumped with a sigh. "You both seem very determined to see me, yet you continue for a fight. Do you just want to train? Even so..."

Cutting him off, Player dropped her toy knife. "Papy," she began in exhaustion. "We're tired too. Look, we miss seeing your face, we like being around you, but I just want to prove to you that I am strong. Strong enough to make it to the end!" Her arms, which had been waving around like crazy, fell to her sides. "Let's be friends so I can spare you any more bullshit I've got."

Both Frisk and Papyrus stared at her in confusion. She had spoken so quickly that the only thing that registered was an offer of friendship. They smiled at her, and she smiled back. "We haven't even had our first date yet and I've already managed to hit the friend zone! Wowie," was what left her new bone friend.

So done with all of it, Player flopped backward into the dwindling snow. When her friends bought into the act that she might have passed out, she threw her arms around Papyrus, who was too tall to hug standing up. He stood up, practically cradling her. She could have just tried to get this result by hopping like a child until he picked her up, but this was less work than being cute.

"Let's have that date..." Frisk heard her mumble in her sleep.