The sun was warm on her scales.
Her only eye burned when she looked at it, but she stared it down anyway, accepting its challenge. It was strange how the light spread across the horizon; it reminded her of melting butter on rice, the only dish she could cook without causing a fire in the kitchen. The soft yellows reminded her of Alphys's soft and kind soul, but the radiant red hues made her think of Asgore, too.
The kid was looking not at the sunrise, but at their faces, grinning. Undyne looked down at her, returning it.
"So ya got all of us to the surface. Nice one, squirt," she said gruffly. Frisk gave the tall warrior a hug, her small arms only reaching her thigh. Undyne reached down and patted Frisk's hair, frowning a little and wondering why the statement seemed to make something break behind the child's eyes.
There was the feeling of plunging through ice cold water again, and the falling sensation shocked Holly enough to come out her daze. A second later, her feet hit the pavement of a driveway; a red sports car was parked near them. They were back at Toriel's house.
Holly pulled away from Sans and wrapped her arms around herself, fingers digging into her own arms. She suddenly had deep misgivings about allowing Alphys and Undyne to continue living in the apartment complex after seeing that message written on the wall. She suspected the attackers chose the bedroom because it was the most personal room, and invading that space broke the feeling of security the most. The thought caused a violent tremor that shook her whole body.
Sans caught notice of this. He grabbed one of her hands and dragged it away from her arm to get her attention.
"Holly," he called. She shivered. The tears had stopped, but her face was still wet. "Holly, c'mon. Come back. We're at Toriel's," he said. His voice was firm and it made her focus on her current surroundings. She looked down at their hands, focusing on the touch instead of her own thoughts.
"Breathe, buddy."
She realized her breaths were choked and uneven, so she closed her eyes and focused on making them more rhythmic. After a minute of this she took one final deep breath and released it, feeling almost as if her upset was a physical thing she breathed out of her chest. She opened her eyes and glanced at Sans.
"Thanks," she told him finally. He dropped her hand.
"No big," he said, watching her again with a careful expression. "Ready to go in now?"
"Y…yeah. I think so," she muttered, wiping her face. They went inside.
As they headed in, Sans split off from her to go join the monsters that were chatting on the back porch, muttering a 'see ya later'. Holly frowned but let him go without comment, wondering if he felt awkward around her after what had just transpired. Even so, the brush off was a little cold… She made her own way to the living room.
Alphys was still on the couch, Undyne right next to her. The pair of them seemed to be fairly unseparable; not that anyone could blame them. Holly handed them the clothes from the messenger bag, leaving her laptop inside.
"Here ya go, guys. I just picked out what Undyne asked for, but maybe later I could go to your place and grab more of your stuff to bring to mine," Holly said, giving them a smile. She felt Undyne scrutinize her expression, seeming to know that she wasn't as okay as she sounded. Thankfully, however, the fish monster didn't say anything in front of Alphys.
"O-oh, thanks Holly! And thank you so much for letting us stay at your p-place, Undyne told me that you invited us t-to stay," she stammered, her face grateful. Holly didn't miss the fidgeting claws.
"You're welcome."
Quiet fell between them. Holly studied Alphys, seeing the tenseness in her expressions, jumpiness, and rigid posture. Her tail had been curled around her body since she'd woken up here at Toriel's. Holly noticed after a few moments that Undyne was eyeing her, as if trying to confirm everything she was thinking about Alphys's mental state.
Holly took a deep breath. Later, when everything had settled, she'd spend a lot of time with her first monster friend. She was determined to make sure Alphys felt better, felt safe. She owed her that much for being so kind, and for being the first link to all the people who had so quickly taken to Holly like family. Maybe they could dance again… it seemed to be something monsters loved doing.
The idea took root more firmly in her head and she decided that, yes, dancing was a great idea—she'd even start practicing regularly. It would keep Alphys's mind off of things and the exercise would be good for them both anyway. If dancing brought them closer and made them all happy, then it was something Holly would definitely do. Feeling better about having a goal in mind, she gave the two monsters a more genuine smile.
"We'll be okay," she said aloud. Undyne gave one of her huge, pointy grins. Alphys's smile was soft, but the lines between her brows smoothed somewhat.
Remembering that it had been some time since she'd talked to her sister on the phone, Holly grabbed her cell from her pocket and checked the time. Only fifty minutes had passed since then, which was surreal—she shook the thoughts from her head and called out to Toriel and the others, who were now playing cards on the back porch.
She saw Sans glance at her and she suddenly had the thought that maybe he'd purposefully left her alone to be with Undyne and Alphys for a few minutes. So, maybe he hadn't been cold, after all? She frowned, unsure what to make of it.
"Guys! Come inside for a minute!" she called. She saw Papyrus perk up and say something Frisk before getting out of his chair and making his way over, the others following close behind.
"Is there something the matter, child?" Toriel asked, and Holly shook her head.
"No, no! My sister called earlier and she wants to meet everyone on Skype!" Holly explained. Toriel looked confused for a moment, but Sans spoke up.
"It's the computer program where you can talk face-to-face, Tori," he said. She lit up with recognition.
"Oh! Well then," she said, turning to Holly with a big smile. "Of course we'd love to meet her."
"Awesome, hold on—"
Holly set her laptop up on the coffee table, booting up Skype. She got the wi-fi password from Frisk and logged in; Michelle was already online and waiting.
11:54AM Holly: hey everybody's here! You ready?
11:54AM Michelle: yeah go ahead and call, I got the cat too :D
She looked around at everyone and waved them over towards her. They gathered behind and around the couch, Papyrus and Toriel both tall enough to have to bend down when Holly showed them the camera. Undyne and Alphys took either side of their human friend, allowing her to be in the center.
Holly grinned and hit the video call button, hearing the familiar ringtone specific to Skype. Michelle picked up two rings in, her oval face filling the screen.
Her hair had gotten a lot longer since the last time Holly had seen her. The thought made her eyes mist over but she couldn't put a finger on why.
As expected, Michelle had immaculate makeup that accented her face and eyes. Her hair was loose, but carefully brushed and pulled over one shoulder in a casual beachy wave that Holly knew she'd spent hours on that morning. She wore a pastel pink sweatshirt, and squirming in her arms was a fat, sandy-striped tomcat, his ears flattened in clear annoyance.
"Hi Mish!" Holly said, waving. She saw her own face in a tiny window beside her sister's, reflecting a big, toothy smile. It was the only time Holly ever saw her own real smile and it always caught her a little off-guard.
"Hey Holl…" Michelle began, pausing when she saw everyone. Her eyes got wide. "Monsters?" she said aloud, gaping, before she clapped a hand over her mouth apologetically. "Uh, I mean, I'm so sorry, I've just never—"
"Hey, it's cool," Undyne piped up, shoving Holly aside to fill the screen with her face. "We ARE pretty terrifying!" She gave one of her toothy grins, yellow eye flashing.
"Undyne! Honestly, I'm sure it is just a little unnerving when she has never seen a monster before," Toriel interrupted, putting a large paw on Holly's shoulder so she could lean down better. She gave a gentle smile. "Hello, Michelle, is it? I am Toriel. This is my child, Frisk." The boss monster gestured towards the teenager, who wiggled in place with a grin.
"HELLO NEW HUMAN! I am THE GREAT PAPYRUS!"
"I'm Undyne! Your sister won't shut up about you!"
"Undyne, oh my god," Holly protested, blushing through her silly grin.
"I-I'm Alphys, um, and sh-she really does talk about you a lot."
"Noooo Alph not you too…"
"The name's Sans. Sans the skeleton."
"I, uh. I gathered that much," Michelle retorted to the last introduction, though she was smiling now. "I'm Michelle, but I guess you guys already knew that. And this is Miki!" She held up the cat by his flabby little arms and wiggled him around. He whined in protest.
Holly laughed, and for a moment she forgot how upset she was less than an hour ago. "Oh my god so I didn't tell you the whole story behind how me and these two nerds met—"
"OI! WHO YOU CALLIN' A NERD! That's my nickname for you guys!" Undyne went for a noogie and Holly ducked out of the way, screeching with laughter.
They spent an hour on Skype, in which Toriel and Frisk left to run errands and stories were told through gales of laughter. Holly explained the importance of dancing to monsters with the help of Alphys, who seemed to be feeling a bit better, at which Michelle expressed her jealousy.
"Man, that sounds so fun! Monsters and magic and dancing… I wanna dance with you guys," she pouted. Papyrus, who had been interjecting with stories and comments, spoke up.
"Nyeh, well, human-sister! I shall have to give you a proper monster dance when you come for a visit on the not-Internet!" he stated importantly. Michelle lit up.
"Oooh yeah that'd be fun! What's your dance, Papyrus?"
Holly turned to look at the tall skeleton, too, curious to know what the languid movements were from his sparring with Undyne.
"Nyeh-heh-heh! That's a secret until you get here, human! The Great Papyrus doesn't share his secrets with just anyone, you know," he told her, putting a hand on his puffed-out chest. He seemed to like the attention.
"Awww, well what's yours, then, Sans the skeleton?" she asked the shorter brother, who had found a seat on the arm of the couch. He shrugged.
"Eh, I don't dance anymore," he said casually. Holly looked at him, surprised.
"What, really? I thought all monsters did?"
"Nah. Too lazy," he said with one of his skeleton winks.
"That's my brother for you. Always lazy! No wonder you always depend on me to take care of you," Papyrus sighed in exasperated affection, but there was a flicker of sadness in his expression. Holly's brows furrowed.
Sans raised his shoulders in a shrug. "You got me, bro."
There was a windy rush of static as Michelle sighed. "Well... I need to head out. I actually have some stuff to move into my new place, still," she said with a tone of slight dread.
"Aww, okay. It was really fun to talk to you, Mish," Holly told her.
"You too, Holl! We'll talk again soon, hopefully," she replied. Holly ended the call, a fond smile tugging the corners of her mouth.
Seeing her sister was always a joy, but there was something bittersweet in not being able to wrap her arms around her, cuddle up and watch movies together with homemade hot chocolate in their favorite mugs, catch the scent of her sister's perfume of the month. Holly missed having someone to lay awake all hours of the night, talking about anything and everything, never running out of anything to say… She missed having someone who knew her worst secrets and loved her anyway, someone who knew just what to say to make her laugh, to piss her off immediately, to make her feel better on her worst days—
"HUMAN!" Papyrus shouted suddenly from behind them, making everyone but Sans jump in surprise. "I feel that now is a good time for you to have a formal dance with me, The Great Papyrus!"
Holly's eyebrows both shot up in surprise. He'd somehow produced a rose and was brandishing it dramatically. "Uh… right now, Papyrus?"
"What reason have I to wait?! You have been a good friend to Undyne-who is an excellent judge of character, though not as good as I am! So I invite you, Miss Holly, to be my dancing partner," he said importantly, puffing and placing a hand over his sternum.
Holly couldn't help but grin at his grand words. Clearing her throat, she stood up and stretched out a hand. "But of course, Papyrus the Handsome and Just," she began, and Papyrus's face suddenly lit up with orange. "This humble human would be honored to have this dance with you. But um," her voice dropped to be a bit quieter. "I'm not really sure how to dance very well."
"Have no fear, human! I will teach you," he assured her, taking her hand. He bowed, still holding it, and Holly followed suit with a clumsy approximation of a curtsy.
"SANS!"
"Yeah, bro, I gotcha covered," Sans said before Papyrus said anything. To Holly's extreme bewilderment, he was clutching a trombone. He put it to his teeth and did a few test notes. The image was absurd, to say the least—a skeleton man holding her hand and acting like an over-the-top gentleman, wearing battle armor and holding a rose, and another skeleton man in fuzzy slippers playing a trombone through his teeth.
'Monsters,' she thought with both exasperation and fondness. She laughed as Sans began to play, Papyrus dragging her against him in ballroom dancing formation.
She stepped on his feet countless times, but Papyrus was a surprisingly graceful and earnest dancer. The outfit he wore accentuated his long limbs that swept and moved around Holly, acting like a frame to show her off while simultaneously being flashy and showy himself. His hips and shoulders moved with fluidity; it was mesmerizing to watch him, though Holly didn't have much of a chance to do so. Soon she caught on to the simple rhythm at the base of the dance, and after a few minutes of awkward movement, she figured out that it was best to let Papyrus lead her in the dance.
It suited him; this sort of dance seemed showy at first, focusing all on himself, but when you really looked at it, the dance helped support and showcase the dancing partner just as often. Holly thought about how he spoke so highly of himself and how proud he was of his accomplishments. She thought of how he thought of everything as important, how he made up for his doubts with grand words that bolstered his confidence. And she was also reminded of how deeply he cared for the ones he loved; how he fussed over his brother, how he looked up to Undyne and tried to impress her, how he always seemed to be loud and in-your-face right when you were feeling down.
He twirled her, snapping her to a stop. Holly's shirt flirted at her belly when she changed directions and she started feeling herself get really into it. Latin dancing made her feel pretty and graceful, somehow, and she could see why Papyrus liked dancing it himself. Her heart pounded in her chest with the effort of all the broad movements, and a moment later she felt the now-familiar warmth in her chest. Her soul resonated, the violet light seeming brighter than it had with even Undyne, and she saw a mirthful orange color surround Papyrus.
"Nyeh heh heh!" he laughed, the sound so genuine and happy that Holly felt a huge rush of affection towards the skeleton. He was like a second sibling, someone she could care for, someone she could rely on. She smiled back up at him happily, and there was a big flash of light in which she clearly saw two heart-shaped lights glow intensely. Flashes of feeling—pride, love, unbridled joy—they beat against her mind like strong ocean waves, ebbing rapidly as their movements slowed.
They stopped, Holly having been somewhat startled by the feeling. It was far more intense than with Undyne or Alphys; she suspected it had something to do with Papyrus's matching intense personality.
The tall skeleton was beaming. "That was amazing, Papyrus," she said simply. The orange blush came back to his face, but he seemed pleased.
"Yeahhh you guys were GREAT!" Undyne shouted, grabbing both of them in a big bear hug. Papyrus's eyes bugged out and Holly felt her spine crack in a few places.
"Breathing would be nice, Undyne," Holly wheezed, and the monster dropped them with a scoff.
"Aw don't be such a weenie," she said, but her face was split in half with a giant, pointy grin. The moment was perfect; Holly didn't think she'd been this happy in a very long time. She smiled at her new friends fondly, when a thought came to her. She froze, turning her eyes suspiciously to Sans.
"The trombone is a pun, isn't it."
He turned his eyes away, shrugging, but his smile made his eyes crinkle.
"SANS, DON'T—"
"Tibia honest, I didn't think you'd catch onto that."
"SANS!"
A/N: I'm making it a bad habit of posting these last minute without beta readers. Sorryyyyy. This chapter is sort of short, too, but hopefully you enjoyed its contents~