Kit - Spooky scary skeletons send shivers down your spine~
Chapter Seven
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It was a good while before Frisk was calmed down and Toriel had continued on their path, unable to get the reasoning out of Frisk as to why she'd been so terrified in the short time she had been left alone. She had continued on anyways, squinting her eyes a small amount as they stepped out into a vast snowy forest. The world around them was dulled and silenced to just the breeze whistling through barren trees, while the white world blinded them for seconds before they were adjusting bit by bit, snow seeming to be falling in light amounts around their new world.
Crisp, cold air filled the lungs, drawing out steam from their bodies in a way that proved that the place they were in had been well named. "Snowdin should be just up ahead. Not too far a walk from here, I believe." Frisk nodded, shivering as she tucked herself closer to Toriel. She didn't know there'd be actual snow here. "Would you like to walk for a bit, or would you rather stay in my arms? I believe children quite enjoyed 'snow days' last I was aware." And right... Right, that was a thing she could do. She could play in the snow! And have fun! And make a snow angel that looked like Toriel- Frisk was squirming in Toriel's arms to get down.
A genuine, warm laugh and Toriel was setting the girl down, letting her loose. "Say close to the path, young one. I would not want you to get lost in such a vast place." Although she let Frisk have her space, letting her rush off ahead and enjoy herself. With the past day or so she had been having...she had earned some fun.
Frisk laughed, running ahead and picking up a stick on the ground she waved it around, swinging it like a sword. Using a fancy spinny type move, she turned around just in time to see...a shadow? She glanced again, only seeing Toriel following her from a distance. Huh. Weird.
She was a bit curious but was distracted by so much more snow- She could make a snowman if she wanted! Running forward to the perfect snow mound she slightly flinched as she stepped on another stick, wincing and- There. She hadn't been seeing things. There had definitely been something- But...it wasn't yellow. So whatever it was couldn't be...too bad, right?
Coming to a bridge, she stopped to tip her head back, looking at the entire archway. Then there was the sound...of boots crunching on snow. She knew the sound well enough from winter in her home, but...Toriel hadn't been wearing boots, or shoes... " n." That sounded...not nice. She froze up, feeling the hair on the back of her neck stick up. "Don't you know how to greet a new pal? Turn around and shake my hand."
From behind again, there was a new noise, this one much more familiar. It was the sound of a very irritated parent defending her child. "AHEM." At that, Frisk turned around in time to see the other turn to face Toriel.
"Wha- Oh, geez, okay, look, I was just joking. Whoopee cushion, see?" The monster did seem to be holding something out in his hand which was just...bone. The hand was nothing but bone. "I wasn't actually gonna hurt the kid or anything. Jokes, puns, all that? Sorta my whole shtick and...and, ah... Ah..."
Toriel rose an eyebrow, her arms crossed as she tapped her foot on the ground. "And?" The new monster - a shuffling had Frisk seeking that it was a skeleton (A spooky scary skeleton at that!) - was sweating and looking rather nervous and...almost a mixture between frustrated and scared.
"Tori...el." It didn't sound like much of a question.
At that, Toriel narrowed her eyes further at him, trying to place the voice. When she did, it had her blinking and snapping out of 'mom mode.' "Sans?"
"Aaa...aaaaa... Aaah-huh. Uh-huh. Yes. That. That is me. Hi. Yes. I am Sans. Sans the skeleton." What the fuck was going on why was Tori here Tori should not be here this should not be happening. Frisk was skittering back to hide behind Toriel, clutching tightly at her robe and giving it a small tug along with a muttered word before she was whispering to the woman.
"He's a skeleton." Toriel seemed slightly startled and thrown off because that muttered word- That had been- She could have sworn... Shaking it off, she gave the child a reassuring smile as she rubbed at her head.
"Yes, he seems to be. But he is very nice, from what I have heard of him." Sans looked to be silently having a mental breakdown, very confused and what the fuck.
"Ah, Tori-el. Toriel, that...that is a human...right?"
"Yes, she is. You remember what I made you promise, I hope?" She looked stern, but also a bit hopeful, still trying to calm Frisk down.
"Aha, of course. Never forget a promise, me. 'Specially one from a fellow lover of puns. Memorized, that promise. Yep. Ha." Frisk noticed the skeleton was looking at her rather strangely, and...hesitantly. Almost as if he was...scared of her. Of her. "So, ah, human, what...is your name?"
Frisk scooted herself further behind Toriel until only her eyes were peeking out as she softly answered him. "Frisk." There was a visible sigh of relief, Sans giving a bit more of a smile to her.
"Hiya, Frisk. Nice to meet ya, and all that. So, ah, you're...a bit young...to be down here." Sans was trying to get some form of control because no, no, no, no this was not right. The Frisks were always children, sure, but...never this young. And Toriel never came out of the Ruins this soon! Just what was happening to this timeline... Had the Reset been damaged or corrupted? The Save files messed over? The Load broken? There had to be an explanation as to why...this had happened...
Frisk shuffled her feet shyly before she glanced back up at Sans. She tugged on the robe again, lowering her voice. "Is it bad to just be made of bones?"
"Aw, what? No way! It's the best thing ever. To be honest, it's actually a little humerus." Sans seemed rather proud of himself, which, yes. Ability to pun still in tact. That was good. While Toriel tried to hide a snort of laughter, Frisk only tilted her head, her brows furrowed in confusion. "Don't worry about it, kid, not everyone one of them is a bone-fide genius joke and all." That got a giggle out of the child as she hid further behind Toriel. San's was only a bit broken because jesus. ...This kid was the cutest thing he had ever seen he and he was about to start being protective. Ugh. "So, ah, Toriel, what, ah...I didn't think you'd ever come out from behind that door of yours. My knock-knock jokes simply too much to handle?"
Toriel gave a hum, running a hand through Frisk's hair. "I suppose that's a way of putting it." She gave Sans a look that very clearly said 'We'll talk later.' Sans only gave a slow nod, glancing back to Frisk.
"So, kid, exactly how did you end up all the way down here? I mean, it is called the Underground, so, heh, underground and all that."
"I climbed the mountain. And then I tripped and fell down."
"Not a very tall mountain, then." Because tiny small creature. And if she had fallen down and not died...no wonder humans occasionally found this place. "I hope the trip wasn't too rocky for ya." Frisk gave another laugh, looking amused.
Toriel cleared her throat, looking strict and raising an eyebrow. "She's been trying to be a bit bolder, lately." That got a 'snerk' sound out of Sans, the skeleton looking very amused. And, yes...yes, alright, so things weren't completely derailed, but still... What had happened during Resets to cause something like...like this? "So, I remember you telling me you had a brother, then? Papyrus?"
"Hm? Oh, yeah. He's doing what I'm supposed to be doing, on watch for humans right now and all. But, y'know, I don't really care about capturing anybody. Now, Papyrus, he's a human-hunting fanatic." A gesture shot to Frisk that could have been a wink. "Don't worry, though, he's a softy. Well, as soft as bones can be. He wouldn't really want to hurt anyone. Especially such a cute little kid like you." Okay, cute hadn't been planned to say, but...the kid was kind of adorable.
"Is- Is he a skeleton, too?"
"Yup! He's a good one like me, though, so no need to be shaking to the bones, and all that."
"Are...there bad skeletons?" Frisk was looking less scared, one hand still clinging to Toriel's robe fiercely as she shuffled out from behind her, a small amount.
"Hmm..." A scratching at his cheek, Sans looking to be thinking before he shrugged. "Not any that I've really met, but if there are bad ones, they're probably a bit rattled up in their head."
Frisk gave another laugh, looking incredibly amused. "You're a bonehead." Sans couldn't help but give a laugh at that, and, yes. Yes. This child was a punster. Yes. Whatever was going on, this kid couldn't be all bad.
"Guess I am, huh? So, I guess you two are trying to get to Snowdin, right?" Because they could only be going to the Barrier, but still...so very different from before. While Frisk nodded, Toriel only inclined her head.
"For now, yes. Is there somewhere there we'd be able to stay, for the night?"
"Yeah, there's a place near the shop. Named Snowed Inn- Well, really it's just known as the Inn. But, really. Still, if you need to stock up on anything, the shop next to it is run by the sister. Pretty sweet girls. A bit hare-y if you ask me, though."
Toriel gave a chuckle. "Thank you, Sans. You're quite the gentleman." Turning around, she scooped Frisk up into her arms and shifted her so she could easily carry her. Frisk gave a sneeze and paused, looking to Toriel with a nervous laugh. Toriel only ruffled her hair and nuzzled her temple, trying to warm her up while Sans only looked a touch amused.
"Aw, what? I'm just a bag of bones, here, Tori. You know, Pap should be coming around soon, so maybe delay going there just now." A pause, Sans tilting his head and looking a bit amused. "Hey, actually, I think that's him over there. I have an idea. Go through this gate thingy." Frisk looked at the gateway, then back to Toriel, who was obviously a bit too tall. "Yeah, go right through. My bro made the bars too wide to stop anyone. Tori can even just duck if she wants to." Toriel gave a nod, going through the bars and looking to Sans, raising an eyebrow at seeing the conveniently shaped lamp.
"Been planning for this, then?" Sans only looked a bit shocked, gesturing to the lamp in surprise.
"Oh, look! A conveniently-shaped lamp! How about, ah, Frisk here, hides behind the lamp, and you hide behind the stand?" Toriel set Frisk down, nudging her towards the lamp before walking over to the sentry station.
"Sans, I'm not sure how well this will work. It's very easy to see her-"
"No, no, it's fine. Trust me, it'll be fine." There was a squeaky sneeze from behind the lamp. "Totally got this."
"SAAANNNS!" Sans gently nudged Toriel the rest of the way down before giving her a thumbs-up, seeming to be back at his original spot without having even moved. He then gave a grin over to the skeleton that was approaching, looking perfectly at ease.
"Sup, bro?"
"You know what 'sup,' brother!" A taller skeleton came into the clearing, a red cape tied around his neck and making him look like...a superhero. "It's been eight days and you still haven't. Recaliberated. Your. Puzzles!" Before Sans could get a word in, Papyrus stomped around in a small circle, similarly to a child throwing a tantrum. "You just hang around outside your station!" He stopped to face Sans, looking exasperated. "What are you even doing?!"
"Staring at this lamp." Sans seemed perfectly at ease, looking rather amused by his brother. "It's really cool. Do you wanna look?" He coughed at the same time there was a sneeze from the hiding Frisk. Toriel glared at him fiercely from behind the stand, her arms crossed.
"NO! I don't have time for that!" Papyrus stomped his foot into the ground again. "What if a human comes through here?! I want to be ready! I have to be the one to capture a human! Me! Then I'll get the respect and recognition I deserve! I'll be part of the Royal Guard!"
"Hmm..." Sans scratched under his chin, glancing to the lamp again and good, tiny Frisk could stay still when she needed to- Although that lamp was a bit too big for her, but, really, Sans hadn't accounted on the child being so...compact. "Maybe this lamp will help you."
"SANS! You are NOT helping, you lazybones!" Papyrus was even worse than Frisk, when she'd thrown her 'tantrum' in the Ruins. "All you do is sit around and boondoggle!" There was a tiny giggle from behind the lamp at the strange word, Sans only smiling at Papyrus.
"The lamp giggles. Seriously, bro. It's a cool lamp."
"UGH! You get lazier and lazier every day!"
"Hey, take it easy. I've gotten a ton of work done today." A grin that could only mean one thing coming graced the smaller skeleton's face. "A skele-ton." Two sets of laughter, from both Toriel and Frisk.
"SANS!"
"Come on. You're smiling." And, yes, triple reaction. Pun combo.
"I am and I hate it!" Papyrus seemed to have calmed down, giving a weary sigh. "Why does someone as great as me have to do so much just for a little recognition?"
"Wow, sounds like you're really working yourself... Down to the bone." More giggles, with even Papyrus holding back a laugh.
"UGH! I will attend to my puzzles. As for..." He glanced to the lamp, and the sentry station. "Your work? Put a little more," Papyrus paused to snort out a laugh. "Backbone into it." He walked away snickering, and sounding incredibly pleased with himself. Sans only gave a quiet chuckle himself, looking a bit amused and fond.
"Ok, you can come out now." The moment the words were said, Frisk was sitting down on the snow, a small cloud of powdered snow puffing out around her. Sans chuckled, walking over to brush off some of the flakes that had landed on her hair. "You two oughta get going. He might come back and if he does...you'll have to sit through more of my hilarious jokes."
Toriel sighed, collecting Frisk as she conceded, "Your yolks do tend to crack me up." Sans' grin seemed to widen, the skeleton looking amused.
"I guess you could say I'm pretty egg-cellent."
"Ooh, I don't know, that one didn't turn sunny side up, for you."
"I know, it's like I'm a bit scrambled, today."
"Too chicken to come up with anymore?"
From Toriel's arms, Frisk interrupted. "Omelette!" There was a pause from the two monsters, Sans finally giving a snort as he pet the child's head, giving it a small scratch.
"That was a good one, kid. Almost had me cracking a rib." With that, he pulled out a bone that looked like it could be one of his ribs but was very obviously fake. Frisk gave a little eep, hiding her face in Toriel's sleeve as best she could. Sans only blinked, giving it a squeeze before the bone squeaked. "Too much?"
"A skele-ton too much." Frisk tugged on Toriel's sleeve, making grabby motions for the snow on the ground. Toriel easily set her down, adjusting her sweater a little so it covered more of her body.
"To be fair, my audience is usually a bit...less compact," Sans shrugged apologetically, the toy giving another squeak in his grasp before he was balancing it on Frisk's head. Frisk shook her head, causing the toy to go tumbling to the ground. She was only getting together some snow into a ball in her hands. Once she was satisfied, the snowball was being thrown at Sans' head.
There was a bit of startled silence from Sans before he was grinning, blue energy wrapping around the girl and levitating her in the air a foot or two off the ground. "Very funny, kid. Keep that up and you might get a lump of cold in your stocking." As she hovered in the air, Frisk was blinking before giving a squeal of laughter and squirming as much as she could.
Toriel, on the other hand, looked rather panicked and worried. "Ah- Sans- What are you doing?!"
"Havin' fun." Sans hummed, levitating the girl a bit higher before dropping her in a fluffy mound of snow that caused absolutely no pain to her. "Really should get going before Papyrus comes back this way, though." Frisk was still giggling from where she sat up, looking like she was having the time of her life. Her cheeks and nose were both flushed as she scrambled to her feet.
"Do it again!" Sans beamed and did so, a faint blue glow to his left eye as she was lifted back in the air - although he was very careful to keep her above mounds of snow and not too far off the ground. Toriel only sighed and rubbed at her eyes, looking exhausted as she started heading for town, Sans snickering.
Although it was nice. Seeing Frisk have fun, and the convenience of the snow mounds filled her with DETERMINATION.
When Toriel was just out of earshot, Sans was lowering Frisk to speak a bit quietly to her. "Hey, I hate to bother you but... I was thinking, my brother's been kind of down lately... He's never seen a human before, and seeing you might just make his day."
"But...he's a skeleton. And he's really loud." Frisk fidgeted a bit, looking nervous.
"Don't worry, he's not dangerous. Even if he tires to be." Sans looked a little amused, and Frisk noticed the energy around her now had...a touch of warmth to it. "So, you up for it? I know for a fact it'll turn out fine." Frisk looked back at Sans, staring at him for a moment before giving him a warm smile and nodding. Sans grinned back. "Thanks a million." With that, she was being dropped into another mound of snow, something almost...shiny, beside her. "I'll be up ahead with Tori when you wanna catch up."
"Do you see them, too?" Sans paused, looking to see the girl was looking at the Save point. Tilting his head, he scratched at his chin before sighing.
"Yeah, kid, I can see them."
"What are they?" Frisk batted at it. Sans only hummed, looking a bit amused.
"Tell you what, kid. We meet after Snowdin, and I'll tell you then." With that, he was walking off, still looking rather amused. This Reset was going to be very...interesting. Scrambling after him, Frisk was whining and trying to catch up, Sans slowing down to allow her so. Frisk paused just long enough to glance at the lamp she had hidden behind, giving a smile.
The convenience of that lamp still filled her with DETERMINATION.
SPOOKY SCARY SKELETONS
