Chapter 49: Freedrake
The next day after she had finished with her work at Grillbys, Frisk was walking back when she spotted Kid lurking outside the skeleton's house.
"Hey, what are you doing standing like that outside the house?"
"Oh, since you're working at Grillbys I was hoping you could help me with a problem I had," Kid said.
"What kind of problem?"
"I don't know how to cook and I wanna learn."
Frisk sighed.
"I don't know how to cook either."
"Really but you're working at a restaurant."
"Skeleton alert," Chara said.
"hey."
Frisk turned and saw Sans was just coming back from work.
"Hey."
"so what's that kid doing here?"
"Acting like an idiot," Chara said.
"Oh you mean Kid? He wants to learn how to cook."
"that all?"
"Yeah, I wanted them to teach me but they don't know how to cook," Kid said looking towards Frisk.
"Why do you want to learn how to cook anyway?"
Kid's face turned red and he turned avoiding their eyes.
"I seen Barby in her maid uniform and thought it looked fun working at a restaurant."
"Gee, what a pervert," Chara said.
'Takes one to know one.'
"i have just the thing that'll help ya," Sans said. "follow me."
Sans ushered Kid inside and Frisk followed them inside.
Papyrus was already in the kitchen.
"hey bro."
"OH HI SANS," he said turning to glance at them. His eyes immediately caught sight of the short yellow monster with them. "WHO'S THIS?"
"That's Kid," Frisk said.
"this little kid wants to learn how to cook. can you teach him bro?"
"What?!"
'What?! Is he crazy?'
"Um, wait a minute. Papyrus excuse us for a second," Frisk said before pulling Sans into the living room.
"Where do you get off with Papyrus trying to teach that kid to cook? What if he winds up teaching the kid how to poison his parents?"
"I know right," Chara added.
"relax, they'll be fine."
"Oh and you'll pay the funeral if it goes south?"
"That got dark really fast," said Chara.
"if it's any consolation, i'll teach him the proper way afterwards."
Frisk groaned.
"Whatever."
"look don't tell papyrus i'm gone."
"Why not?"
"well he'd have a bone to pick with me if he found out i was going to grillbys."
"Really?"
"he wants me to cut off on the fast food."
These lessons continued through the weeks. Several weeks had passed and Frisk had nearly paid off her debt to Sans. It was one particular day as she was heading out that she spotted a monster that looked like Snowy heading into Grillbys.
Just as they entered the building, Frisk was heading to the item shop before running into Snowy as he was about to head inside.
"You-"
"What's the matter? You're looking kinda pale," Snowy said.
"I saw a monster who looked just like you."
"Oh did they wear shades?"
"No, they looked different."
"So it isn't Chilly then? Where were they headin'?"
"They just entered Grillbys."
"Oh no," Snowy said.
"What's wrong?" Frisk asked.
"It's my dad."
"What's he doin' here?" she asked.
"Every now and then he stops by Grillby's for a drink. Guess work must have been exhausting," Snowy said bitterly. "If he finds me here, I'm history."
"What are you going to do?"
"Look you got to keep a secret for me," he said. "Don't tell him where I'm going. I'm headin' across the river. You can tell Avian to pick me up when he's gone. Oh and don't tell Cal or Barby either."
Frisk nodded.
"Alright."
After Snowy left, as Cal appeared minutes later coming out of the item hop.
"Oh it's you. I thought I heard Snowy back here."
"It's just me."
"I see."
The two headed out.
"Man, Barbs must be busy today. She's usually here by now," Cal said once they reached their usual spot. "Guess it's just you and me today since Avian has to finish her chores. So how you like it here so far?"
"It's good I suppose though I can't really complain. It beats the problems on the surface at least."
"You keep mentioning these problems. I can't help that they are to connected to the reasons why you fell down here."
"Could be," Frisk supplied. "I don't really remember much of what transpired before I fell down here in the first place. It's still pretty murky though from what I remember it probably was for the best."
"Won't your parents worry about you though?"
"No. I'm sure they're looking for me this very instant."
'I know they would be if I had any.'
Melody and Bill were only one couple out of many people who had tried to adopt her. Her first experience with the adoption system wasn't the best after being sent to an abusive family. After that she had developed the tendency to run away from any family who tried adopting her after that.
Though there was one other reason why she ran away.
During that time she had managed to get roped into a life of petty crime as it was the only way to survive whilst living out on the street.
It was also safest from the DMCR, a group of people that wanted to capture her and her mother for some reason. They had managed to track her multiple times through various leads much to her dismay.
These people were also the ones responsible for the incident leading to her mother's death.
"You mean you don't even have a mother or father?" Chara asked.
'I had a mother but I don't really know about my father. My mother always told me he was a bad man.'
"I can't say I'm not surprised. I mean humans are just the worst but surely you have other relatives that could have took you in."
'Nah, maybe my father but they couldn't get ahold of him or his relatives. I was never told about any aunts or uncles. My grandpa's dead, he has no living siblings or anything and no one can find my grandma. She just disappeared off the face of the earth the moment grandpa died.'
"If that's the case maybe you should stay here. No use risking your life when there are people that worry about you."
"Hey Cal."
The two turned and there was Drew.
"Where's your brothers?" Cal asked.
"They had chores."
The three played for a while until Drew had to go and then they headed to Avian's place.
From the corner of her eye, Frisk saw Snowy's dad flutter out of town as they headed to the cave south of town. Avian was waiting outside her place.
"So you're finally finished?" Cal asked.
"Yeah."
"Then we can play."
"Aren't you gonna ask Tsunderplane to pick up that comedian?" Chara asked.
'Oh, that's right. Say why do you call them tsunderplane and comedian?'
Chara winked.
"Simple, doesn't he like to make jokes and that plane seems to love playing hard to get with you."
Frisk sighed before she slowed down to enough to walk beside Avian who was in the back.
"Hey Avian," she asked. "Can you do me a favor?"
"What is it, human?"
"Snowy said he wanted you to pick him up," she whispered. "he's on the other side of the river."
"Can't he just fly across."
"He could but he wants to ride on your back."
Avian's nose turned red.
"Baka, how thoughtless can you be?"
"Now look what you made them do," Chara said.
'What did I do?!'
Suddenly missiles flew towards Frisk.
"What the-"
She jumped around trying to avoid the missiles which exploded around her.
"Sorry, I'm sorry alright? I didn't mean it like that? Snowy just wants you to pick him up."
"But why me?"
"Well he told me to ask you. Look don't tell Cal alright? You think you could do that for me?"
Avian's cheeks flushed before she snored.
"I want something in return."
"What do you want?" Frisk asked.
Avian's cheeks turned a darker shade of red.
"How about a kiss?"
"My my, what a lady killer," Chara said.
"On the lips?"
"No you baka. On the cheek."
"See totally a tsunderplane."
"You want it now or later?"
Avian fired another missile at her.
"Watch where you're aiming that."
"Later of course, you baka," she snapped.
"Well I'm not the pervert asking for a kiss," Frisk retorted.
Avian avoided her eyes.
"Cal," she spoke loudly.
Cal turned.
"Yeah?"
"I gotta do something real fast, I'll meet you over there," Avian said before flying away.
"So where was that kid who was with you a couple of weeks ago?" Cal asked.
"Oh you mean Kid?"
"Oh was that his name?"
"Yeah, he comes over every day to cook with me and Papyrus."
"Oh really, does he love to cook too?"
"Yeah," she said.
'Best not to mention about Kid seeing Barby in her waitress outfit.'
"You'll invite me to cook with you guys,' Cal said.
Frisk heard Avian return with Snowy.
"I'm back," she said.
Snowy noticed she avoided the human's eyes.
The four played for a whle before Cal and Avian had to go.
"Human, wait up," Snowy said as Frisk was walking to the skeletons' home.
She waited until he caught up with her.
"Thanks for helpin' me earlier."
"Why didn't you tell Cal anything?" Frisk asked.
Snowy snorted.
"She's determined to get me to talk to him."
"So why don't ya?"
"I'm not ready yet. If I met him now I'd probably cuss him out." Snowy asked
Frisk chuckled.
"Well I'll see ya later."
"Bye," she said.
The next morning, Frisk met Cal outside the item shop.
"Are you headin' Grillbys today?"
Cal felt her face heat up.
"Oh fiddlesticks I almost forgot."
She quickly ran to Grillbys with Frisk following her close behind through the back entrance.
The two quickly changed.
Cal headed to the bathroom for privacy while Frisk changed.
"You know you're kinda lucky being a guy. I mean the only thing you have to worry about is changing your shirt," she said.
"Well that's because I'm already wearing black pants but I still have to change my shoes. I don't think Grillby will like it if I'm wearing my sneakers."
Frisk removed her shirt. Luckily she wore a white tank top underneath it, the binding she wore underneath did a sufficient job in hiding her assets though they weren't really much to begin with. Still it was a comfortable alternative to being extorted for her gender.
They did horrible things to women in her field of work.
"Who even wears an undershirt under their shirt in their first place? That's kinda girly don't ya think?" Chara asked.
'Oh, is this your way of getting me to conform to your standards? Don't ya think conformity is just another word for insecurity. I never thought you were so insecure in your gender, Chara.'
"I'm not," he snapped.
'Do you wear an undershirt under your clothes?"
"No but-"
'Then please, feel free to use this time to tell me why.'
"You're evil. Fine, you win. I give up. The reasons I don't do it because it's gay. You just don't wear stuff like that unless you're homosexual or something."
'So you admit in conforming to social standards from the humans that you supposedly despise then.'
Chara felt his face heat up.
'Still there is nothing wrong with that but if you want to express yourself in a more feminine way it shouldn't be treated as a bad thing. So what if you like men, homosexuality is embraced on the surface for the most part. At least you don't need to worry about people killing you for that. You need to worry more if you disagree with it. People get killed everyday for that.'
Chara floated to where Cal was changing.
'You better not be doing anything naughty, Chara.'
He sighed.
"You're no fun at all. Still the surface is a complete 360 from what I remember."
'Well humans on the surface aren't exactly moral creatures anymore. In fact good luck on finding anybody who isn't some selfish hustler trying to con you out of your daily living. It's like Charles Darwin met Cleisthenes and Adam Smith before killing them. Most of the places on the surface have a totalitarian government combined with theocracy. You may think that it's fine until you're killed for any moral belief that isn't connected by their god.'
"You say that and you still don't hate humanity?"
'I'll admit it's hard at some points to like them. I don't exactly like myself either but it's so easy to hate everything yet people still have friends. It's harder to tolerate someone you despise but isn't it more gratifying when you do? I mean I don't know about you but I love a good challenge.'
"You're weird. I mean for being shady as heck, you're awfully nerdy. Who the heck is Cleisthenes and Adam Smith anyway?"
Frisk shrugged.
'If you don't know that maybe you should go back to school. You look like you died before you even got to attend high school though from your perverted tendencies I'd say you're probably in your teens and that's stretching it.'
After Frisk was finished, Cal headed out dressed in her maid uniform.
Together they headed to the front of the pub through the flames in the kitchen.
Cal got a good look at her once they were in the front.
"I'm not gonna lie you look kinda hot dressed like that."
"Isn't that the point?" Frisk asked.
"Hey get a room you two," Barby said. She was seated on one of the stools towards the front fo the pub.
Sans dropped by later that afternoon whilst Frisk had been preparing an order taking his usual spot next to Honky.
She could hear him say one of his jokes to the bird monster next to him. It was kinda hard to miss him with the way his voice was loud and obnoxious.
"Looks like that skeleton's here again."
"I see you teleported here again," Frisk said.
Sans turned with a grin on his face.
"hey kid."
"Doesn't Papyrus usually fix breakfast around this time?" Chara asked.
'Probably ditched him again not that I blame him. His cooking is awful.'
"Eating breakfast here again. Papyrus is going to get mad at you. You know how he hates ya eating over here."
Sans chuckled sheepishly.
"ah let 'em."
Frisk chuckled.
"You're crazy. You really like to test your luck don't ya?"
Just then Freedrake fluttered inside. He nudged past Sans taking a seat next to him.
"Hey have any of ya folks seen my son?"
"nah, though if i was him i wouldn't stick around the bad company if you get what i'm sayin'," Sans said.
The monster gave Sans a frosty glare but the skeleton appeared to be unphased.
"grillbz, can you get me my drink? y'know the usual," Sans asked.
"Looks like Sans and that bird might have some kind of grudge towards each other," Chara said.
Grillby dished out a glass of the stuff he had told her was 'Indigo Dream,' a type of monster liquor that can get even the toughest monsters plastered.
Are you sure it's fine for him to be drinkin' so much?" Frisk asked glancing at Grillby.
"Grillbz says there's no stoppin' him when he's on a mission," Honky said.
Sans held it close to him.
"Ha i know what you mean. the audience must have had mercy on you after always telling them those awful puns," Freedrake said.
"oh but when has your son ever come home laughing?"
"You bonehead."
"i like to think i'm big boned," Sans retorted.
Sans took a drink.
"Ha, and after all that I should have known you'd tune me out with the liquor."
He shoved his drink at Sans completely drenching him.
"i'm not worried at least i don't have to wait to dry. how long is the walk to hotland without any flight? one or two hours?"
"Well I'm not wet so-"
Sans tossed the rest of his drink at the monster.
"Grillbz says you two better knock it off or he'll kick you out," Honky said.
"Let him," Freedrake said.
Sans conjured a gaster blaster on him. It looked like some kind of dog-like skull with white eyes lights in it's sockets.
'What the h-ll is that?'
Frisk cut in.
"Knock it off," she said pushing them apart.
Sans stopped however. The creature disappearing instantly in a puff of smoke.
With a huff, Freedrake walked out.
Honky looked at them with concern.
Sans at some point stumbled, his cranium resting on Frisk's back.
"Hey what are you doing?"
"My-hic-head hurts."
"Well you can't rest on me."
Honky glanced at Grillby in concern.
Frisk turned and caught the skeleton's hands.
"Grillbz says you should take him home."
'What a pain.'
"Alright. I'll return the uniform tomorrow."
Barby had come from the kitchen with her coat.
"Thanks Barbs."
"Gee you steal the heart of every woman who meets you, don't you?" Chara asked.
"Take care alright," she said.
Frisk put on her coat before she slung Sans' right arm over her shoulder before he stumbled against her.
"Hahaha, looks like he's leaning on you again," Chara said between trying to stiffle his laughter.
'Lovely.'
Once they headed out, Frisk stopped.
The wind was swift, blowing snow in her eyes.
"This is bad." she said.
"oh? what is it?" Sans asked groggily.
"I think there's a storm. You want me to call your brother to come pick you up?" she asked.
"Oh, are you getting embarrassed that the skeleton is getting cuddly with you?" Chara added with a smirk.
San chuckled.
"you want to tell him that i'm wasted. you're so heartless."
"Ah lay off. He didn't do anything wrong," Chara said.
'You're enjoying this way too much, Chara."
"I'm not the one who got drunk."
"like you wouldn't do the same thing."
"Of course not. I have self-preservation. It's obvious you were tryin' to upset that monster as much as he was you."
"you gonna scold me?"
"Nah, it ain't my business. How do you know him anyway?"
"hic, he's a coworker. hasn't been the same since his wife died. can't remember much other than that."
"What did he do to you to make you hate him so much?"
"don't know. there's a reason but i can't remember."
"Are you sure you don't want me to call your brother?"
"Hic-in this storm? why don't you just take me home? ya know where my house is."
"I can't."
"Oh? And why can't ya?" Chara asked.
'Look around. There is a storm and the snow is already past my knees. Plus I need to get this debt paid off. I have things I got to do.'
"can't or don't wanna?"
'Sh-t.'
"What do you mean by that?"
"it's obvious ya don't like me but are you really gonna leave me like this?"
"What are you talkin' about?"
"ya know exactly what i mean. the distance you place between us. it's obvious that it's deliberate."
"You're being ridiculous. I'd have thought you'd want as much distance between us as possible. I've killed monsters for crying out loud."
"still despite that, you can't be that bad."
Frisk snorted.
"You are a fool."
Sans grinned.
"i know. but despite myself i still like ya anyway."
Her face heated up.
"You're blushing," Chara said.
Frisk sighed in exasperation and she let him go causing him to fall face first into the ground.
"that hurt y'know."
Frisk propped him up against the wall outside Grillby's.
"Wait here, I'm going to call Papyrus."
She glanced at him for a moment before removing her coat.
"Ah, so cute. Taking care of the skeleton. You like him don't you?" Chara asked.
"Here," she said.
"No reaction huh?"
'Were you expecting one along the lines of melodramatic denial?'
Chara felt his face heat up.
Frisk smiled slyly at the ghost. He was so fun to tease.
Sans' face turned a faint blue.
"huh? are you sure it's alright?"
Frisk snorted.
"You look like your bones are gonna turn to icicles any minute. Do you have Papyrus' number?"
"huh? oh yeah."
Frisk took out her phone and handed it to him. Sans dialed his number before handing it back.
Once he had wrapped himself in her jacket, Frisk walked to the corner of the pub and brought it to her ear.
"Hello?"
"OH? WHO IS THIS?"
"I'm the person who's staying with you. Listen I need you to open the door and wait for us. I'm taking Sans, home. He's very plastered right the minute and I don't trust him to walk home by himself."
"I SEE. I THOUGHT I TOLD HIM TO CUT THAT HABIT."
"We'll be there in five or ten minutes."
"ALRIGHT."
With that Frisk hung up the phone.
She headed back, relieved when she saw Sans was still propped up where she'd laid him but now he was sound asleep.
"Hey!" she called out knocking on his skull. "Wake up, I'm carrying you home."
"ow geez, i'm up already."
"Give me your arm," Frisk said.
Sans handed her his left arm which she slung across her back and her arm pulled him up to his feet.
She held him steady.
"No puking on me, got it?"
"got it."
Once the two were inside, Papyrus caught sight of Sans slung on Frisk's shoulder.
"WHAT HAPPENED?"
"He got drunk," Frisk said.
"AND HE ALMOST REACHED A NEW RECORD. HOW DISAPPOINTING. HERE LET ME TAKE HIM OFF YOUR HANDS."
Frisk handed him to Papyrus.
Papyrus carried him up to his room.
"ya know paps, that kid's not innocent either. he was being awfully mean to me and almost let me freeze to death."
"I'M SURE HE WAS. IS THAT WHY YOU'RE WEARING HIS COAT?"
Sans froze as Papyrus set him down on his bed and covered him.
"ah how disappointing. it's no fun getting tucked in by your little brother."
Papyrus said nothing and wrapped Sans with his covers he picked up off the floor.
"SANS, NEXT TIME CLEAN YOUR ROOM. IT'S A DISASTER."
"i love you too," Sans said with a wink.
"SANS."
Papyrus glanced back at him but he was sound asleep.
"Is he gonna be alright? If I drank as much as he did I'd have a hangover in the morning."
"WELL THERE IS A HANGOVER REMEDY BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW TO MAKE IT."
He handed Frisk the recipe from the kitchen.