Each step carried her closer, snow crunching beneath the 'armored' shoes.
Chara imagined that even with the time they'd spent doing something else, it was highly unlikely their skeletal stalker wasn't lurking somewhere. Waiting to turn the good mood into something bitter.
In order to locate Toriel, they would definitely need a method past this threat. And physically overcoming it hadn't really worked last time. Even if it did tell her quite a lot about this enemy, without telling her a lot about him.
The first time, she had no idea that he was there, and no good way to see him coming. She learned that falling into the pit wasn't ideal. Given it was a death-trap. It also introduced her to the concept of being thrown around by whatever the aggressor was doing.
The second time, she hadn't intended to survive. She learned the skeleton was less likely, or wouldn't attack right away if he was observed. Further, he seemed to know Flowey, which also likely mitigated the chances.
Internally, the sacrificial life still made her feel awful, but it accomplished everything she intended. Revealing several important things. Including that the skeleton wasn't 'aware' of her ability to |CONTINUE| after death. However, strangely, he didn't appear oblivious to the idea either.
Originally she wasn't even testing for that possibility. It was only when his actions changed the curiousity she did her best to shake that off for now.
Given his strength, and attacks, fighting him wasn't gonna work out. At least, not without a lot of deaths that she didn't want to deal with. She pondered, recalling his odd sense of humor. It wasn't too different in some ways from her own.
Her attention snapped back to reality. The pair arriving at the stick. Stopping there, she knew the skeleton was nearby. He simply had to be, in order to break it once they went passed.
"Hey, Flowey, do you know any skeletons?" Chara inquired.
"Huh?" Flowey thought back. "I uh...I used to. Couple of boneheads." He glanced over. "Why?"
"Oh-" She knelt down and tried to pick up the branch. "cuz it'd take a skele-ton of effort to pick this up."
"Wow." Flowey groaned, making her snicker.
Chara continued. "Sorry, It tickled my funny bone." She winked. "I just found it humerous."
Flowey let out a loud. "Chara no!"
After telling her little string of jokes, she thought she heard a faint snicker from the treeline. The pair continuing along towards the bridge, with something notably different having occurred. Namely, the heavy branch, didn't find itself broken. At least, not as soon, anyways.
As they drew nearer to the gate, she contemplated her plan of attack. Delving deep into her bag of tricks. Like a witch rooting around for a potion. Like a knight preparing to draw a mighty sword. Only, they were just bad jokes she thought were funny.
"Hey Flowey-" She began. "how does an ant greet a human being?"
Flowey sighed. "How, Chara?"
"A microwave" She replied.
"I don't think that one makes sense." He replied.
"Hmm, how about-" She hummed, the pair getting nearer to it. "Why was the cow afraid?"
"Why?" He indulged.
"He was...a cow-herd." She joked.
Flowey rolled his eyes, keeping a watch behind them. Not that he really saw anything of note. The flower letting out a long yawn, the sound of the stick snapping as he did so. He jerked, and noted the branch had been snapped in half.
"Uh...hey Chara?" Flowey nudged her, quietly. "T-the uh...branch-"
"I know." She whispered. "It's probably nothing."
While he already knew some of what had happened, she didn't want to reveal the 'source' of their deaths, as it might change his response. It'd probably work better with him being unable to anticipate who it was.
On the flipside of things, Flowey found himself unnerved by the broken stick, especially in combination with not knowing what they were walking into. He did his best to prepare himself for whatever danger this was to be. Feeling guilty at the prospect of failing to monitor the stick, lending to his own belief that their recent deaths were more his fault than hers.
Finally the pair came to a stop, at the gate. It stretched across a pit, with a rickety looking bridge leading across, acting as the only method of progression. The gate itself was finely constructed, with no easy way through.
However, the center had a slight gap that seemed like someone could squeeze through it. Rendering the otherwise imposing obstacle meaningless. Flowey pondered who could have made such a blunder, though he did admit, most monsters were decently sized. So perhaps they just didn't know better.
Chara was moving, instead, she had taken something from her pocket. A piece of paper, and was pretending to look it over. He wondered if she was waiting for something to happen, only to hear the crunch of snow.
Flowey refocused, and found a form stepping towards them, keeping to the shadows the trees cast. The figure shifting their posture upon observing him, lowering their hand. Shoving it back into a pocket.
As this interloper drew forth, he was able to make out and determine the origin of this entity, and who it was. The realization brought unease, a small amount of dread, and realization. The skeleton wearing a dark hooded jacket smiled some, ever so nefariously and sly.
"heh...human-" The voice began from behind her. "oh c'mon, don't you know how to greet a new pal?" She started to turn. "turn around, and shake my hand."
He'd barely finished his sentence, before she turned. Compelling action, her hand extending to take his own. The result being a mild shock, or a buzz.
It was a bit painful, genuinely, but wasn't so bad as to be overwhelming. It caught her genuinely by surprise, as she had been expecting something else. A smile spreading on her face, more on instinctive response than anything else.
"heheh. the old joy buzzer in the hand trick." He pushed his hand back into his dark jacket, the girl chuckling. "it's ALWAYS funny."
"Sans?" Flowey asked in confirmation. "W-what are you-"
"oh, if it ain't the flower. hey bud, how's it going?" Sans asked, his sharp teeth grinning a little wider. "feels like it's been ages since i saw ya last."
"Oh, it has been a while, hasn't it?" Flowey muttered back, with a nervous laugh. "Wait...what are you doi-"
"woops got distracted. okay friend, wanna try that handshake again?" Sans offered his hand to the girl, who briefly hesitated. "what, think I'm gonna trick you again?" He tilted his head. "what's wrong, don't trust me?"
At this suggestion, she took it. The feeling of the hand was cold against his own, the skeleton a bit surprised by this. However, the grasp was promptly followed by a distinct noise.
A long, whiny far noise. The pair taking note of what was in the others hands. While Chara had grabbed a whoopie cushion, Sans had grabbed a snowball. Earning a stiffled laugh from the girl.
"heheh... not everyday someone pulls one over on me." He admitted.
She smiled some. "I snow, you didn't that coming."
"I'll admit, it was an ice prank." He replied, chuckling. "always nice when someone lends you a hand, huh?"
"I didn't want you to leave empty-handed." She smirked, prompting the skeleton to snicker.
"i've gotta hand it to you kid-" He replied. "that was a cool, trick." He added. "you're a natural at this. i can feel it in my bones."
Flowey let out a. "Stahhhhhhhhhhp." Adding. "Sans...why do you even have both of those?"
"have what, oh you mean the sneakers?" The skeleton asked, making the flower snarl at him. "i got em on discount. beat the old slippers i used to walk around in. anyways-" Sans refocused on Chara. "you're a human, aren't ya?"
She considered this and responded. "Yeah. Well, last I checked anyways."
"W-what?" Flowey asked in alarm. "What are you doing?" He whispered angrily. "Don't-"
"that's hilarious." Sans replied, with a slight smirk.
"Sans-" Flowey began, anxiously.
"as everyone's favorite lilacable flower keeps sayin, my name's sans. sans the skeleton." Sans introduced himself. "ya know, it's sort of funny. i'm actually meant to be on watch for humans right now."
"Why's that?" She asked.
"dunno, it's just the job." He lied.
"Your job?" Flowey asked in surprise. "Wait...are you-"
"that's right bud. applied to the royal guard." The skeleton commented. "guess they had a skele-ton of work needin done. cuz someone was enough of a bonehead that they actually hired me."
Flowey went paler than his usual colors. "What?"
"but, i don't really care about catching anyone." Sans suggested. "sounds like way too much work."
"Sans..." Flowey began nervously.
"now, my brother Papyrus, on the other hand...he's invested in it. fanatically." He explained. "but hey, it's kinda his job to be."
Flowey gave him a stern look. "Isn't it your job too?"
"probably." Sans replied.
"Y-you said it was!" The flower declared indignantly.
"neat." Sans said, with little care or concern, hearing Chara chuckle. "anywho, i know he's a ways up ahead." He motioned. "ya might wanna keep a look out for him. after all, human like yourself, you'd just end up captured or killed."
"Thanks for the warning, Sans." She said, adding. "Wanna hear a joke?"
"hmm, i've got a minute." He shrugged, digging around for a cigarette from his pocket.
"Why didn't the skeleton mind the wind?" Chara asked.
"cuz it went right through him." Sans answered lighting the cigarette, asking back. "why did the skeleton quit going to eating competitions?"
"Cuz, he didn't have the stomach for it." She answered, making him chuckle. "How do you imprison a skeleton?"
"a rib cage." He replied knowingly as she laughed more, taking a drag somehow. "heh, those are some bad jokes kid. awful, really."
Flowey sighed some. "They are, you're both...ughhh."
Sans seemed content some. "tell ya what, kid, i've got an idea. go through this gate thingy." he motioned, as she glanced. "yeah, go right through. my bro messed up on the bars. I bet you could just squeeze through."
Flowey suddenly found this idea very nerve-wracking. "And you wo-"
Chara replied. "You think so?"
Sans nodded. "sure do. you'll be fine." He focused on the flower. "c'mon. you can trust me, can't ya pal?"
Chara obliged this, wagering that even if it meant death, at least she'd have made progress. Each step across the creaking bridge marked with twin feelings. Anxiety, and hope. Maybe their conversation meant something? Maybe it had swayed whatever violent impulse was guiding the skeleton?
Pushing through the hole in the bars, she slid through. And proceeded to the otherwise, which was a small clearing space. It seemed to have a small structure that she promptly recognized as a sentry station, and a couple large snowballs laying around the space. The main path leading directly forward.
Looking down the road she could see someone headed in their direction. She briefly felt a flicker of hope that it might be Toriel, but dashed that belief given the shape. She heard a hum, and a tsk from nearby, glancing to see Sans.
"huh, i think that's my bro up ahead." Sans commented.
"WHAT?" Flowey exclaimed in alarm.
"you should learn to relax petals." He glanced at Chara. "quick, behind that conveniently placed sentry station."
Lacking any better ideas, she promptly heeded this suggestion. Hurrying over, she stopped near it, double checking for traps, before sliding under the counter. She was admittedly surprised it wasn't a trick.
The next thing she noticed was a decent quantity of ketchup, mustard, and a few things that resembled hotdogs. Were it not for Sans statin it was one, she might had felt wrong about assuming it was a sentry station. She wondered if it doubled as a food stand perhaps?
Peaking over the top, she watched as another skeleton, taller, wearing some strange kind of armor came wandering in. Her eyes briefly seeming to widen upon observing him. A little gasp escaping her lips.
It was here she got a good look at them both. Sans, for his part, was wearing casual looking baggy black pants. A pair of untied sneakers that did admittedly look comfortable. A rather simple sweater-shirt that was red in color. And a black jacket over top of it, which was clearly the most complex part of the outfit.
It had a fur-lined hood, that was fluffy and comfortable looking. She briefly envied this concept, as her own hood lacked it. He also had sharp teeth, and a crack around his left eye. Only being a little bit taller than she was.
The newcomer, who she believed to be Papyrus based on context clues, was far more interesting in her opinion. He had a naturally intimidating presence to him, and wore black pants and a crimson sweater-shirt as well. However, he also had a chest piece over top of his shirt, and proper black pauldrons running down into armguards along his sleeves.
He had crimson boots, and gloves, which seemed both stylish and protective. And finally, had a long red scarf that flowed behind him. The ends a bit torn, leaving it flowing in the snow and breeze, like a regal cape. His features were scarier than Sans, with sharp cheekbones, and teeth. He also had cracks around an eye, but it was his right one.
Flowey expected her expression to be as nervous as his was, yet she seemed more focused. Awed, perhaps? He felt he must be reading that incorrectly.
