Kit - Sans is a softie when it comes to Frisk.
Chapter Twelve
::
Frisk hopped over to Papyrus, giving him a wide smile as she giggled. Papyrus only beamed back and gave a laugh of his own. "So, you have come to have a date with me! You must be very serious about this matter!" Sans was beside him and looking like he was regretting everything, face buried in his hands. "Come! Let our play date begin!" There was an audible sigh of relief from Sans and woo, okay. Crisis averted. The girl laughed, looking around their house as Papyrus let her in. She explored for a moment before giving a small gasp and sitting down in front of the television.
"TV." Sans raised an eyebrow and looked rather amused, Papyrus nodding, proud of his 'date's' choice in activity.
"Marvelous idea, child! The television is a great way to bond! We shall watch my favorite game show!" With that, Papyrus was sitting down next to Frisk and turning the tv on, Sans snickering and going to the kitchen to dig up some snacks. When he came back out, Frisk was leaning against Papyrus, yawning and looking upset.
"This show is stupid." Papyrus looked rather pouty, upset at there not being any show.
"Odd. It usually is on at this time of day... I suppose we shall simply have to watch something else!" Something else proved to be some rather strange video clips of various monsters going about their daily business. While they watched, Sans was checking over Frisk, making sure she didn't have a fever or was too bad. It seemed like a light cold, so a bit of food and rest and she'd be right as rain in the morning, most likely. Frisk gave a small sneeze, smiling at Sans before she curled up a bit.
Five minutes later, after a few snacks, and the girl was asleep, half-laying in Papyrus' lap and looking content. Papyrus looked rather startled, looking to Sans in confusion. "What...do I do-"
"Just let her sleep." Sans waved off, bustling around for a few moments before returning with a blanket and throwing it over the sleeping child, settling down on the couch next to Papyrus and looking amused. "Well, seems your date went well."
"Yes! Incredibly well. We will have to have more playdates." He paused, smirking at Sans. "Speaking of dating, brother. How are things with Tori going?"
"...You're dead to me." Nooo. He couldn't even get revenge because Frisk was in Papyrus' lap and blocking Sans from destroying his irritating brother.
Still looking completely asleep, Frisk muttered quietly, "Sans and Tori sitting in a tree..." Papyrus beamed, picking up the little ditty in a sing-song tone.
"K-I-S-S-I-N-G- Why, brother! How scandalous of you!" Sans only pulled his hood over his head, blushing horribly and looking to be in pain and really. He was a good person, sometimes. He didn't deserve this bad a punishment! There was a pause, and a moment later, Frisk was shifting and squirming until she was laying in Sans lap, curled up and looking satisfied, settling back down. Papyrus realized in that precise instant that there was nothing to protect him. "Now, Sans, let's just-"
He didn't even get to finish before Sans was looking at him with a wide smile and a glowing blue eye.
::
When Toriel dropped by to pick Frisk up, it was to the sight of Papyrus stuck to the ceiling, face against it and a blue aura around him. Sans was on the couch and absently watching the television, eyes glowing a dull blue and hand coated in the same light aura. The one that wasn't being used to torture his brother, was instead carding through Frisk's hair, lightly scratching at her scalp as an almost absent minded gesture. When Toriel strained her hearing, there was the sound of very quiet humming, Sans looking rather...peaceful. Toriel smiled, walking towards the two and trying to pick Frisk up. Instead, the girl only whined and clung tightly to Sans, curling up further.
Sans looked a bit startled, rolling his eyes before nudging Frisk a bit, humming stopping. "You know Tori's here to get ya, right, kid?" Frisk only clung to his hand, settling down a bit more. Sans shook his head with a sigh, shifting and tucking the girl closer to him. "Sorry, Tori, looks like she's gonna be clinging a bit longer."
Toriel smiled, giving a shake of her head. "Bring her back in the morning. I trust you with her." She kissed the top of his head before turning around and leaving. There was a bit of silence in the house before there was a squeaking grunt from Papyrus, who suddenly hit the floor, and a little snuffling sneeze from Frisk. Sans was still sitting on the couch and maybe blushing a bit horribly and oh...okay. She trusted him. With what she saw as her child.
Not like he needed his emotional stability, or anything. "Sans? Are you alright?"
"...Bro. I'm so doomed." He knew he had been doomed. But now he was realizing it and aw...aw man. "Bro. Bro, there's no more hope for me."
Papyrus glanced from Frisk, to the door, then back to the child in Sans' lap. "...No." Because Sans, besides towards Papyrus, was never really much for...family.
"There's no hope." Sans looked utterly broken, snapping out of his mood at hearing Frisk give a tiny whimper and sneeze, easily moving to curl around the child more and wrap the blanket around her warmly. He then seemed to realize what he had done. "...Aw man..."
"Oh, you are." Frisk calmed down rather easily, looking sound asleep. Sans only looked to Papyrus pathetically.
"Be honest with me, Pap. How bad is it?" Papyrus only looked to Sans, and then back at Frisk.
"Bad."
"Wonderful."
"Adorable."
The only response was a rather heavy sigh.
::
In the morning, Frisk and Toriel were off to the waterfall. Seeing one of the Save points, the child brushed her fingers against it and nodded. Just to be safe. After all, never knew what could happen in a place like this! "...Sans?"
There was a flash of blue from a few feet away - Toriel rather distracted by figuring out their latest puzzle. When she looked over, it was a little blue flower that seemed to be saying something quietly. Frisk tilted her head, walking over towards the flower. Before she could hear what it was saying, familiar boney hands were picking her up, turning her, and setting her back down a foot or so away. "Trust me, kid, you really don't want to hear what that Echo Flower is saying."
"What's an Echo Flower?" She looked at Sans curiously, giving a quiet hum.
"They're these blue flowers. They pick up what they hear from others, and then say them back on repeat. It's like overhearing a secret and repeating it." A pause, Sans grinning. "See, watch." Walking over, he whispered something to the flower, nudging Frisk towards it after he was done. Frisk bent down to the flower, and listened carefully.
"I guess you could say that we're a bit hard to leaf alone."
Giggling, she looked up at the skeleton, silent for a moment as her smile fell. "Do...all flowers talk?"
"Hm? Nah, just the echo flowers here," Sans answered, giving a small pat to the petal. "Why you ask?"
"...No reason." She skipped over to Toriel, standing at her side with a hum. Toriel only patted her head and gave her a smile, back to trying to figure out how to get past the waterfall safely. She dreaded the thought of poor little Frisk getting hit by one of those falling boulders... Frisk frowned, tugging on Toriel's robe to get her attention. "Can't we just get Sans to help us?"
"Sans? My child, he is back in Snow-" Toriel suddenly cut herself off, glancing back to see a waving Sans, who was giving an innocent smile.
Frisk paused, looking to Sans and running back over to him. "You told me you'd tell me how to Load." Sans suddenly looked like he was regretting his entire life.
"Aha...so I did." And, dammit, Toriel had probably heard that and was now pondering the strange phrasing and wondering what Loading meant. Dammit.
Pouting at seeing he looked like he was gonna back out, she tugged on his shirt. "Saaaaans, you saaaid!"
"Friiiiiisk," Sans whined pack, ruffling her hair. "Fine, fine, I'll explain. Hey, Tori. Mind if I borrow Frisk for a little bit? I'll even return her fed and everything." Toriel watched them for a moment, narrowing her eyes at Sans before giving a nod. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of her. Come on, kid, I know a shortcut and everything." Frisk grinned, continuing to hold onto his shirt and tug on it when he was walking too slow for her taste.
"Come on, come on, come onnn!" She closed her eyes to give the full whining effect, opening them to see that they were in front of Grillby's, which was in...Snowdin.
"See? Told you I knew a shortcut."
"...How'd you do that?"
"Magic," Sans responded, giving a little gesture with his fingers for dramatic effect. Grinning, he dragged her into the bar, greeting everyone with ease before looking back to her and helping her onto a barstool seat. "You want fries or burgers?"
"Fries, please!" She grinned, kicking her legs where they were so far off the ground. Sans grinned and pulled himself into a seat next to her.
"That sounds pretty good, actually. Hey, Grillby! Double order of fries, if you would!" The monster nodded and went to get their food, Sans looking to Frisk. "So, whaddya wanna know first?" At the opportunity to have her questions answered, Frisk shrugged. "Alright, let's start simple. Those Save points you've been using? They 'Save' the moment you touch them. Think of it...like putting a bookmark in your life the second you touch them. When you Load, you're flipping back to that bookmark. That precise moment in time."
"Oh... So it's just like a video game." She'd seen her brother play enough, and he'd tried to teach her about it, a bit. But she wanted to know how to Load. Sans gave a nod, blinking at seeing their fries set down in front of him. Usually he'd start drinking the ketchup but he was a bit concerned making sure Frisk knew how serious this was.
"Sort of...only it's much more real. When you Load, you're flipping back to that moment. You remember what happened in that amount of time, but no one else does." A pause. "Well, almost no one else."
"You do." Frisk said, more as a comment of understanding than anything as she munched on the fries. Sans nodded, giving a small smile.
"Yeah, one or two others might, but you probably don't have to worry about them. Basically, when you want to Load, you have to be near a Save point. You might be able to Save and Load without the points later, but for now, it'll probably be a bit too difficult. To Load, you have to touch a point, think about going back to your last Save, and then it just...happens."
"...Okay." She nodded, looking as though she understood his words. And this time, she did! And it sounded like Loading was...not fun. Unless...
"Yeah, it's pretty...serious." Sans flipped his full fries with her now empty ones, giving a small smile. "But you seem pretty DETERMINED, so I'm sure you can handle it. It's especially helpful if something...bad happens. You can flip back to the last moment you Saved and have more time to react to what's going to happen."
"That makes sense." She kicked her legs, smiling as she munched happily on the fries. Sans only hummed, watching her for a moment before speaking curiously.
"So, kid, besides those echo flowers we saw...have you heard any other talking flowers?"
"Nn... Why? You said they were the only ones that talked." Frisk went silent, looking down as she ate her fries. Sans was about to speak before he paused, seeing the look on her face and she looked...terrified...
"...Nevermind, just a silly question, really." If she was this terrified...just what had that thing said to her? Or done... "Almost done with your fries?"
The girl glanced to her plate, blinking in startlement. "Uh, yeah." When did that happen? Sans only ruffled her hair, giving her a smile.
"Alright, let's get you back to Tori, then. She's probably got that puzzle all figured out, by now. Grillby, put this on my tab, yeah?" At the nod, Sans was nodding and scooping Frisk up, hugging her closely as he headed for the door. "So, think you understand the whole Save and Load stuff now?"
"Yeah. So I should Save again at the Waterfall, right?" A shrug from Sans, Frisk closing her eyes at the harsh light that reflected off the snow of Snowdin once the door was opened.
"If you want to, sure." When she opened her eyes again, they were back at Waterfall next to the Save point she had last used. "It's a good habit to get into, at least." Frisk reached out towards the Save point with a nod, smiling at Sans.
"Sans, could you help me for a moment!" Sans looked up at hearing Toriel call him, the skeleton setting Frisk down and going over towards her.
"Sure, what's up?"
"Oh, I just need you to- Sans, could you help me for a moment!" Sans blinked at seeing he was...holding Frisk in his arms...
"You didn't."
Frisk frowned, tilting her head and looking confused. "Didn't what?"
"...I'm finally losing my mind." Shaking his head, Sans set her down, sighing and looking worn as he headed over for Toriel. "Ah, yeah, Tori? What's up? Need help with the puzzle, or something?"
"Oh, yes, I just need your help with this. We need to make sure it is safe for Frisk to cross, before we proceed." Sans nodded and followed after Toriel, walking where she directed as he was a sort of 'Frisk stand-in'. They got halfway through before Sans was nodding, looking up to Toriel.
"Yeah, I think this will be just fine."
"Alright, then- Sans, could you help me for a moment!" There was a quiet silence from Sans, who looked utterly defeated as he looked to the girl in his arms, not saying a word. Frisk only blinked at him, glancing to Toriel.
"Aren't you gonna help her?"
"You're coming with." Setting her down, Sans led her by the hand to Toriel. "Tori, I think Frisk is feeling a bit lonely...maybe you should hold her for a while."
"Ew. But she has Sans cooties."
"Technically, you do too, after being picked up by me so much," Sans snorted, looking amused.
"Yeah, but you can't cross cont- cant- You can't mix things like that!" Sans only picked her up, handed her to Toriel, and then nodded. Frisk pouted, giving a huff and crossing her arms.
"Why are you being so fussy, my child?"
"Cause I can."
"Tsk, tsk," Sans clucked his tongue. "Is that any way to speak to your mother?" Frisk only remained as she was, absolutely silent. Though her glare did lessen, a small amount. "Excellent. Now, let's blow this popstand." And though she was feeling conflicted, Frisk couldn't help but feel a sense of DETERMINATION as they solved the puzzle.
Besides, there were always other Save points.
Kit - Come on, guys, of course it was a play date!
