Being Watched

While every timeline is interesting by way of being one or two variables off, this one was certainly peculiar. There was a single key element that usually existed in ways it really shouldn't: the girl called Player. The observing man knew "Players" had their ways of entering worlds, but he couldn't remember ever seeing one enter one like this girl had. Instead of taking Frisk's soul into her own and replacing the child, she simply decided to attach herself to them so she may journey alongside them. How curious. He could see the thread of Determination linking the two together. It flowed strongly between them - perhaps a little more than it should. She must not even be aware of the link, therefore giving more energy to her Frisk than needed. He was not particularly surprised when she fainted the first time. It was bound to happen. However, that is not the only reason why his interest was captured by this timeline and its inevitable alterations. No. The world was still stable. That is the issue. A "Player" and his or her Frisk cannot exist at the same time like they do here. Or so he had thought.

Her "character" also didn't follow the usual recipe as the other Frisks either. This one has long hair that reached their shoulder-blades, was not quite so...intimate as others had proved to be, and really liked to be just a pair of eyes in the background. Perhaps the girl had something to do with it. After all, Frisks and "Players" could act, look, and speak however which way they came. This "Player" must have chosen to mold her Frisk to keep her on track, seeing as she was very distracted or just plain dumb. They were meant to get her from point A to point B. At least, for the time being. He felt that this Frisk would change at some point. Humans were always so indecisive with what they wanted. This "Player" had that sort of gleam in her eyes.

Oh, how he shivered at the thought of her next Route. As much as he and other Monsters wished for a happy ending, he was too smart to believe in it. He had seen it time and time again - the other side of "Players". While some were content with seeing everyone happy, others wanted more. The stories held very similar conclusions: "Players" get bored, they cling to the locals, they search for every little difference, they try to make the world their own, and...they leave. Of course they can drag out their adventure as long as they wish, but they will eventually grow tired of this world. Then, the world bursts into a new life no RESET could ever do - not even a True one. The world is birthed anew from an entirely different mother: the next "Player's" files. Only he holds this knowledge of the continual rebirths. He figured it out whenever he got that eerie feeling that something was not right with the world; that something was off. That was when he paid close attention to the most minuscule details. His answer had been in the Frisks. That's when he finally understood that there were "Players" guiding these striped children.

A wide smile cracked along his face as his unblinking eyes tracked Player. He knew her secret. He knew her future. His mind began to map out every path she could possibly take, each little step she would have to take to get there, and his torn apart soul pulsed painfully at the chance of seeing hers.

[It would seem you have even my attention...]

...

This hallway felt twisted, smothering Player with its oppressive darkness. She felt unseen eyes following her, sliding their gaze over every curve on her body, causing her to shiver against her partner. A chuckle echoed in her head though it seemed to originate from beyond the dark rock walls. Paranoia wrapped around her with ribbon arms, tying her up as a present. The more it covered her, the louder the laugh, and the bigger the eyes grew as they encircled her. She squeezed her eyes shut, clutching Frisk's arm like a lifeline.

Concerned about their friend, they pulled out the phone to dial Papyrus for help. They thought calling Toriel would be better, but she didn't answer the last two times. Frisk halted halfway through the hallway, oblivious to the strange atmosphere that weighed down onto Player, to wait for the skeleton to pickup.

At the third ring, a click sounded. For a moment, the pair smiled. Those expectant smiles turned into confused terror in the form of big-eyed, open mouthed stares. Rather than the cheerful voice, a tired, raspy one came through with little interference. It came out perfectly clear as if the speaker were right behind them. "Oh my...Hello. Tell me, do you have the right number, dear child?"

Squeaking, Frisk hung up and tossed the phone as if it were on fire. They took a step back quickly for they did not expect such a response. "Let's g-go, Player. We don't need a phone, and we shouldn't be talking to strangers either!" They added a chuckle to lighten the mood.

"Well, isn't that hypocritical of you? What do you think you've been doing all this time?"

Heart beating in their throat, the child tugged at the girl's arm. "Let's just leave! Please!"

Player wasn't listening. She stared at the phone with a new expression filled with fear, intrigue, and...yet appeared affectionate. Slowly, she bent over to pick it up, put it to her ear, and strained to smile. "I'm so sorry, sir. This isn't the right number after all," she laughed. "Please, forgive us. Have a wonderfully beautiful, magical, good day," the smile faded. "Fucker."

And she hung up, walking out the hall with Frisk in tow.

Pressing on towards the blue glow, the child regarded their friend with a newfound respect - Or maybe just a renewed one - as she speed dialed for Papyrus. By looking at her, they never could have guessed that she had been frightened moments ago. Her face remained calm as though nothing had happened. Yet, they could still see a trace of being entertained by the slight grin in the corner of her lips.

With an annoyed click of her tongue, Player hung up. "No response." She was about to sigh when she stumbled, her foot grazing a sign post. Luckily, Frisk had caught her on their arm. Patting their head as thanks, she glanced around. "Yay...We're gonna get wet," she pointed to the wide rushing murky river a few feet away.

While Frisk rolled up their pant legs, their friend watched the rocks fall. She didn't bother with her pants, nor did she remove her socks and shoes as they did. The water appeared deep; yet she was already taking minute steps towards it. They hopped up to stop her, shoes currently taking up a free space in their inventory.

Her eyes met theirs. "Um...You don't wanna ruin your socks, do you?" Frisk gulped while facing her silence. Smiling, they guided her by the shoulders behind them. "I can carry you across, if you'd like."

"There's something behind the waterfall. Can't you hear it?"

Listening closely was the same as just hearing. There was only the loud roar of water, the splashing of rocks hitting the river, and the whispering breeze. They shook their head, shrugging. That did not bother Player. She pointed to the center of the waterfall, choosing the destination. Once she was securely holding onto Frisk, they carefully walked through the cool river. They wondered if they would have to carry her the entire trip through Waterfall.

The watery curtain crashed down on their heads briefly. Soaked, the pair slipped apart, brushing drenched bangs from their faces. Everything stuck uncomfortably to their skin, droplets dripping where they shouldn't. Player's cold hands slid down to Frisk's hips before they could rub the blur from their eyes. They looked down to see a ruffled pink tutu hugging them, and her fingers leaving it there. Her glistening face smiled proudly at them. In her hand now was a dripping bandage. Oh...now it's gone. No, it's sticking to the back cavern wall.

Frisk carried her across the river, shivering. They felt her slide off, her feet crunching on the black dirt. She caressed their cheek when passing by, grabbing their hand as though she were leading a string of silk. Both jogged into a field of tall grass, stopping at the sound of footsteps. Someone above was getting closer. They kept quiet, crouching low with their arms around each other.

Footsteps...

They stop.

"H-hi, Undyne!" Papyrus could be heard saying. His naturally loud voice seemed at a normal volume at this distance. "I'm here with my daily report. Um...Regarding those humans I called you about earlier-"

Someone else shot back muffled words.

"Huh? Did I fight them?" The skeleton mumbled, a bit surprised. "Y-yes! Of course I did - I fought them valiantly!"

Another quick question.

"What? Did I capture them?" Papyrus went quiet for a moment. "W-well, no," he began again. "I tried very hard, Undyne, but in the end...I failed."

"No you didn't..." Frisk heard Player sigh in time with the breeze.

The drama above continued. "What? You're going to take the humans' souls yourself?" That panicked shout caused the children to sink deeper into the grass. Footsteps crunched the dirt and pebbles. "But Undyne, you don't have to destroy them! You see...You see..." his voice trailed.

There were vile muted words that Undyne had spat followed by a great pause.

"I understand..." Papyrus responded, defeat evident. "I'll help you in any way I can." Then his footsteps began again, fading out in Snowdin's direction.

Having been squatting for so long, Player's legs chose now to give out. She lost her balance, toppling over onto Frisk. The patch of grass they were hiding in rustled angrily at being crushed. Metallic clangs resounded as Undyne approached the edge of the cliff. The duo saw the large aqua spear point down at them, a looming head peering into the darkness with a golden gleam. They held their breath until the spear and figure retreated, until they no longer heard the metal armor.

Feeling preyed upon, they rushed out from the tall grass in a frenzy. Another body slammed excitedly into their backs. "Yo, did you see the way she was staring at you?" A voice panted. It was the Monster kid from before. His eyes were wide, sparkling with envy. "That...was awesome!" He jumped up with a smile. "I'm so jealous! What'd you do to get her attention?" His laughter gave the pair a weird sense of relief. It sort of dismissed the whole fact that Undyne was practically on the hunt for them. "C'mon, let's go watch her beat up some bad guys," the little yellow monster ran off chuckling. Then he face-planted, got up, and continued as though he hadn't.

Letting loose a half-hearted laugh of their own, Frisk tugged Player along, passing by a save point. They both came across a plant called a Bridge Seed. Planting four along the gap in the path formed, as one would expect, a stable flowery bridge. Not a big deal if only Player didn't make such sad faces for stepping all over the flowers.

It was still dark here, yet a faint blue light from beyond beckoned. Frisk was eager to find its source, about ready to chase after it when the shadows closed around them. Player's awkward giggles echoed throughout. She faced a muscular seahorse, staring down at her options. Joining her side quickly, Frisk's soul fluttered in between them.

A very odd flexing contest issued. Eck, seahorse sweat.

"I didn't think you had muscles..." Frisk muttered afterwards. They looked at their friend's thin arms, her long sleeves having hid them for so long.

She gave them an incredulous look. "What? Yeah...uh...I was helping pack a while back when we moved, and I woke up the next day with little hills. Shocking, isn't it? Weightlifting works!"

Forming another bridge, the child smiled at her. "Hills?"

"Hills."

The phone rang.