Undertale
Multiverse.
One-shot.
Summer Haze
Frisk x OC
Based on "Kagerou Daze"
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-[Fragment 1: A summer morning]-
"Frisk, wake up dear! Its lunch time already!"
Feeling himself being called out by a familiar voice, the brown-haired boy was pulled out of the dreamlands by none other than his mother, the young teenager opened his eyelids lazily at first, his head came out of the depths of his bed, turning it around to look at the bedroom he shared with his twin sister and older brother; both their beds were perfectly made.
Like always, they had woken up before him, and had mercy upon his soul, allowing him to sleep even if just a tiny bit more, something that, even if not saying it out loud, Frisk greatly appreciated. A smile appeared on his face as he stretched his arms out, before jumping out of his bed and walking towards the curtains, opening them up so the sunlight hit him right in his face.
The sky was clear; Frisk rose his hand to his face as his eyelids opened up slightly, looking through the window how some young children were running and playing with a rubber ball, a couple of monsters from Hotland were enjoying themselves; clearly the Vulkins were having a sweet time on this season, he could've complained about it, but he didn't. He wondered if the monsters that long ago used to live in Snowdin would be having a hard time… maybe. Maybe not.
It wasn't his place to think about it, not like he could change the Season or something. The thought about having the ability to control the weather made him chuckle slightly, as he turned around, walking towards his nightstand and picking up his phone; the screen showcasing a photo of him surrounded by his friends from the Underground, taken at the 3rd anniversary of the Barrier's break.
The date was August 15th, 11 AM.
Right under the date, the menu with his pop-ups was filled with many alerts from a couple of apps; what caught his eye was the red number 1 on his Undernet feed; someone had sent him a message at 9 AM, reading the nickname of the contact caused him to smile once again, but this time, out of joy.
Blue Star wrote: "Morning, Red Sky. Had a good night? Hope you don't read this too late, I know your mother will wake you up around lunch time, so… lets hang out! I'll wait for you at the Park until 1 pm. Don't leave me hanging, alright?" ~9:04 AM
A small blush covered his cheeks at that brief moment, his thumb pressing itself against her profile picture. Even if it was nothing but a bunch of pixels, every time he saw her face looking back at him while winking an eye and those blonde hairlocks on her forehead, it filled his Soul with determination. Well, that, and butterflies.
"Morning Blue Star. I'll dress myself first. See you soon" ~11:10 AM
He didn't wait for an answer; instead, he walked towards his closet, pulling out a blue, sleeveless hoodie with pink strips, a red shirt and some brown shorts alongside white sandals; quite the unusual set of clothing but at this point, Frisk would take anything to try and fight off the overwhelming heat Ebott City was going through at this time of the year. He threw his outfit into the bed, Frisk scratched his chin for a brief moment before an imaginary bulb appeared right above his head.
Of course. He almost forgot the most important part.
The necklace. He couldn't forget it. It would be the first thing she'll notice after seeing him, more than likely this was how Asriel and Chara felt back when they were still alive. Seeing himself ready, he picked up a towel and walked out of his room, an exquisite smell hit his nose at that very moment.
Mother was making Lunch.
There wasn't much time left before 12 PM, coupled with the fact that she asked him to wake up at once, it meant that more than likely it would be ready soon. He threw himself into the bathroom as fast as he could, showering himself in record time but also using extra soap, he had to look himself presentable for his date after all, both internet, anime and a couple of advices from his parents growing up taught him everything he needed to know.
If only he had know that when he and Papyrus had their "date" back in Snowdin… well, date was being too generous.
A quick dry, some cologne and then he was more than ready to walk downstairs. The first one in greeting him was his twin sister; Francis rose her left arm with an excited smile, sitting in front of the TV, apparently watching some sort of cartoon he couldn't quite pinpoint. The youngest of the Murakawa Family greeted back, making a peace-sign towards the pink-eyed girl.
"Hey, little brother! Good morning! You overslept again, lazybones. Are you trying to imitate Sans or something?"
She jokingly asked, before pulling her tongue out; a loud "He better not be!" came out of the kitchen at that very moment, causing Frisk and Francis to laugh loudly almost in synchrony. Welp, that was their mother. Also her overreacting at the idea of him possibly being influenced by Snowdin's Jokester meant one thing.
The show was on.
"I am no Lazybones, Frannie… I just administrate my time way differently than what you, Mom, Dad and Richard do. But that doesn't mean I'm a lazybones. Plus, what else could you expect? I'm an ambassador, of course I'm sleepy"
He replied, taking a defensive stand instantly, just because he ended up picking one or two habits from Papyrus' older brother, didn't mean he was becoming lazy. And even then if he wanted to laze around, no one would allow him to. Not Mom, not Dad, nor any of his siblings. Heck, Toriel at school would put a stop to such behavior instantly, and if by some miracle he managed to bypass them all… she wouldn't let him continue.
Not a chance, not in a million years timelines.
PFFFT
The only response she could give him back was making her tongue sound, childishly before turning her head back to the T.V, as a way to concede him victory this one time, but even if he had won against her, same couldn't be said about their older brother.
"With all due respect, brother, all I can hear are excuses! You've been infected with the Sans syndrome; we need to contain you immediately before you infect us all!"
Shouted Richard Murakawa Lone, the oldest of the three children with a difficult tone, using all his strength in order to try and win against his father in arm-wrestling while they were both waiting for their plates, and as one would expect, even while using Perseverance in his favor, his father's Integrity had the advantage. After all, he was nothing against an adult in his late 30s, but even so… even so… his purple eyes shone even harder and brighter, sweat falling from his chin at that very moment while his fingers squeezed his father's palm.
"NO! I AIN'T LOSING! I AIN'T! NOOOOO"
"Uuuuuuu- HA!"
With a loud bang and a small yell of delight, the patriarch of the family announced his victory as his son's knuckles hit the table, causing the plates and silverware to tremble and jump slightly, the eldest of the trio started to complain immediately, shouting at his father for a rematch before crossing his arms, Frisk smiled at the interaction while looking at his Dad's smile, who was obviously basking himself in the feeling of victory and pride. Only then Jonathan seemed to notice his baby boy's reaction, looking at him with excitement.
"Come join us, son! Just because you're younger than your brothers, doesn't mean you're the weakest. Show your old man what you're made of!"
Frisk, who had been looking the entire interaction with a drop of sweat on his nape moved his hands slightly in denial, rejecting the proposal right as his mother's voice caused them all to stop.
"Game's over, its lunchtime now."
The "matriarch" spoke, bringing in the Pot filled to brim with spaghetti, having used her authority as both a mother and wife to ensure neither her Husband nor her older child continued to play around. Also her frowning face was more than convincing; Frannie walked towards the table with a smile, and lastly, he himself did so.
Angelica, however, was the first one to notice her baby seemed to have put more effort into his clothes and fashion sense that day, not only was he wearing quite the interesting set, but also his mood seemed to be different from usual. Her intuition as a mother had already given her an idea of what was going on, but better to be safe than sorry.
"Why so elegant, Frisky? Something's going on?"
Her sixth sense was going crazy right now, and she was also this boy's mother. She could tell with no effort whenever one of her three children had something going on, not only that, but the smell was a clear giveaway; he had used cologne in order to fight off the sweat caused by the horrible and revolting heat.
The user of determination coughed a little bit, choking himself with his own food upon seeing himself being questioned by Mother. What's worse, his reaction seemed to catch the attention and pick the curiosity of his siblings and father as well, making his current predicament ten times worse than it already was.
The accusatory gazes of the four members of his family told him all he needed to know; there was no way for him to escape this. No amount of determination or convincing would be enough to save his skin… as they say…
He who owes nothing, fears nothing.
"I'm going to hanf ouf wifh Faufine, 'om"
He replied, even if they all could understand him perfectly, that didn't mean she wouldn't be angry. The way his mother frowned was a sign that the time for the daily scolding had come, of course, of course it wouldn't be skipped. If it wasn't he who ended up getting in trouble, it would be either his father… or Richard. It was her duty as a mother, after all, to ensure the house's rules were respected.
"Frisk Keppler Murakawa Lone, don't speak with your mouth full!"
Richard burst out laughing upon seeing his little brother's blushed face, accompanied by Frannie although she did so less loudly, the Ambassador of Monsterkind sighed before swallowing his food, just as his mother ordered him to; he definitely needed to learn how to keep himself in check, unless he wanted to be scolded by mother until the age of thirty. Now that would be embarrassing.
"I said I will go out with Pauline, Mom"
Since he was already on Summer Vacations, what better way to spend his free time than going out with his friends, playing videogames and going out with the person he loved the most? Frisk wasn't someone to brag, but the fact that his former childhood friend ended up becoming his girlfriend was something Frisk still couldn't quite grasp yet… even if they'd been together for around an entire year by now.
Francis, always the cheerful one, couldn't help but quickly start clapping her hands at the idea of her brother doing something else that wasn't just staying at their house playing videogames or watching movies. Frisk may be an excellent politician and student despite his young age, but the fact that he was taking way too much of an advantage to do whatever he pleased whenever he had the chance, wasn't something she was willing to approve.
He had a reputation to uphold, after all; Asgore and Toriel pointed him as the representative of all of Monsterkind.
"Oh, what a relief, Baby Brother! You're finally gonna do something productive other than play games all night? You should buy some headphones, hearing your shots and explosions isn't as funny nor interesting as you think"
She gave and attacked him using her point of view, causing the Determined boy to scratch his cheek while he nodded, between smile and laugh, the conversation continued until they all went to wash the dishes together; Frisk came out of the house at 12 o'clock alongside his father, although both of them going in different directions.
While the man of the house went to work, he was going to enjoy his teenhood.
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-[Fragment 2: Tragedies upon Tragedies]-
Nice Cream Guy had his eyes fixated on his cart, a smile on his face as his blue ears moved with excitement; not many monsters from the Underground loved Summer, he should be one of them considering he was covered in blue fur… but that wasn't the case. Just like any Ice cream vendor, this was the season where he had the most success. It filled his soul with joy to see not only his kind laughing and playing around with humans as fathers and mothers bought children some of his merchandise…
But the couples as well.
"Here you go, little Frisk! Only the best for my best client!"
He shouted with an excited smile, his red nose moved as he handed over the brown-haired pacifist not one but two cones filled to the brim with mint flavored and lemon-flavored balls of ice cream, each of them having two. A small giggle escaped the ambassador of monsterkind as he let go off 60G, grabbing both cones before bowing slightly.
"Thank you, Nicey. Make sure to save something for later, the afternoon is so hot its suffocating"
The human spoke, causing the inhabitant of Snowdin to nod, before resuming his walk, starting to ring the bell of his small cart in an effort to attract more customers. The eight fallen quickly walked towards the swings right across the street; the chains continued to creak as the blonde girl swung herself slightly, up and down, raising her legs from time to time in order to get a better impulse and reach even higher. Patience stopped herself at that very moment, seeing her brunette friend arriving.
Her feet went into the floor, lifting a small cloud of dirt as Frisk sat right next to her, smiling towards him, he smiled back with a slight blush on his cheeks.
"Sorry for the wait. I hope you aren't too hot… why didn't you bring your hat, though?"
Frisk gently asked towards her, Pauline let out a small hum as she picked up her mint ice cream, the teenager sinking her lips into the cold delicacy, pondering about her boyfriend's question. It was true that it was extremely hot today, but compared to the times when she had visited Hotland alongside him during their journeys back to the Underground… or during the peak of the season, today wasn't that bad, so…
"I just didn't felt like it. But I did brought two bottles of water for later."
The girl with cyan eyes replied to, looking back at Frisk as she blinked, the Ambassador's lips curved slightly into a smile, a sense of peacefulness washing over him, fueling his soul with determination and happiness, right as Pauline's soul beat with patience and joy in perfect synchrony. The couple continued to eat their dessert in silence; although halfway through it, Patience extended her right hand towards his left, intertwining their fingers as her she gave her ice cream a small bite.
"… You know… I really… really hate summer"
Starline stated, while looking at her friend. Her hand seemed to intensify the grip she had on his own, Frisk tilted his head slightly, replying with the same strength and possessiveness as he himself started to bite his cone. He had explicitly asked Nice Cream guy to give him and Pauline edible ones, rather than his usual paper-cones with motivational messages, all in order for their bellies to be filled by the time they were ready so they could go and have a nice sparring at the forest. The wind made her beautiful, bright blonde hair flow slightly alongside Frisk's own hair. A small air of pessimism appearing between the two, before she quickly turned back to look at him fully, catching him by surprise.
"But that doesn't mean I hate being with you, Frisk. Whether it is Winter, Fall, Spring or Summer… I don't care as long as we're together, you know?"
"Pauline…"
Speechless, all he could gently say was her name, that came in the form of a whisper. Pauline Solene Starline Orilleye… to him, she was what, he was sure now, was Asriel to Chara. His Star. The bright light on the horizon. The reason as to why he overcame every obstacle life threw at him back in the Underground; what made him be who he was. And he knew she felt the same. If not, he wouldn't be her favorite person, after all. They'd been together since preschool, and from the bottom of his scarlet-colored soul, he prayed to the heavens it continued like that.
"Meow~"
Surprise, surprise. Right after they finished their snack, a third party decided to show up. A black, small kitty seemed to jump from a nearby tree, landing right into the blonde's lap. A gentle "Hey!" escaped from her lips as her eyes shot open, before Frisk let out a low laugh. The kitty, quite small, couldn't be more than a few weeks old. Maybe a month and a couple of days. It stretched his body, before resting his head on his newly found human seat, to which she started to caress his head, right behind its ears.
Well, that was… something. Not many stray cats were that trusty of humans; especially one so small as that one, but neither him nor her could waste the chance. Although in this case, rather than staying true to himself, Frisk decided to pick another page from Sans' book and make a small little prank, heavens forbid.
"Oh? Who's your friend? Replaced me already, Starline?"
He smiled slyly and accusingly at that very moment, knowing full well he hit a weak-spot; Pauline's face changed into one of shock before frowning, of course that after becoming a couple, they would've stopped being best friends, but no. She wouldn't want such fate in the slightest, in her own statement, she was his trustiest partner and confident. The one who'd always support and be with him, no matter what.
Frisk often pondered what would've been different had the two of them fallen into the Underground together. His friends really did liked Pauline, everyone knew her already, so things could've played out just fine… either way; those were the reasons as to why comments or jokes from that style were completely forbidden. She didn't like, one bit, in such situation… the most reasonable thing to do was to pout, filling her cheeks with air.
Starline's eyelids squinted slightly, avoiding contact with him.
"Don't be an idiot, Murakawa"
She quickly replied, using his father's surname right as he did with her, but with an obviously angry, annoyed tone. A gentle "Hmph!" escaped her lips at that exact same moment while she extended her hand in his direction; coating her index finger in cyan magic, Pauline ended up flicking Frisk's forehead, causing a red mark to appear on his skin as he let out a "Hey!" filled with pain.
Replace him… yeah, sure. As if that could be even a remote possibility. If anything, her world would be drowned by darkness and obscurity if he were to disappear. The prospect of him dying for real was a genuine concern and constant source of fear for her. For Frisk to have been the lucky one to return from the Underground was a miracle of its own, one she always thanked the heavens for.
"As if I could ever replace you. Its just a cat: he can't listen to me. He can't talk with me. He can't spar with me… he can't make me smile, laugh or flirt with me… nor can he make me feel excited about coming out of bed everyday…"
The sheer honesty and intensity of her tone as she continued to express every single thing he made her feel was a good way not to just shut him up, but leave him agasp. Yes, Frisk multiple times had been called the "Flirt master" by his friends, and he flirted with most if not every single monster he met back at the Underground… but it wasn't serious. It never was… however… when it came to Pauline…
She was the only being on the entire planet who could make him feel flustered, unable to respond, and feel his hands sweaty. That's why he avoided eye contact with her after that little speech, trying to slowly take his hand away from hers out of shame… but she wasn't having it. Patience squeezed Determination's hand as gently but tightly as she could, not before smiling at him.
It made him wonder about what she said before. She hated summer, but why? Was it because of the suffocating heat? The sweat? The brightness of the sun? or did she missed school and learning more about magic with the teachers… ? well, he couldn't blame her if that was the case. She had always been a prodigy when it came to Magic training, maybe that's what she missed, because he couldn't picture her doing her homework left and right.
She was Patience, for the love of god. Not Perseverance!
"What I said before... that being with you is more than enough for me, regardless of the season... that's one reason as to why I was so happy you wanted to hang out; I hate summer… but being with you is all I need to have fun, anytime of the year"
Overkill. That's the only word fitting for such last phrase. Overkill. Frisk closed his eyes as he showcased his teeth, right now he felt like a fool for not bringing his sweater; it was the perfect moment to sink himself into "sweater town" so she couldn't see his reddened face, more than likely his cheeks were just like Chara's right now. Pauline, of course, had a perfect view of his expression… even when he tried to hide away.
"Aw, you're embarrassed?~ You totally are embarrassed, aren't you!"
"I ain't!"
"Yes you are, let me see!"
She yelled, giggling as he complained, those type of reactions were what made Frisk such a cutie patootie, no wonder monsters couldn't harm him, who could hurt such pretty face? It made her want to pinch his cheek, hug him and spin around in one of her legs like a ballerina until they both fell to the floor because of dizziness. Eventually he stopped resisting and allowed her to see the result of her flirt; both his cheeks and his nasal bridge were completely red, to the point he looked like an apple.
But rather than keep laughing… she just smiled at him, silently. Her cyan eyes were filled with Love and comprehension, while his brown eyes were shyly hiding away from her peering gaze. At least until she tilted her head to the left. The gentle kiss she gave his cheek was the icing on the cake. A nice, genuine and innocent finishing touch that finally made him smile.
He loved her so much...
"Meowww~"
Their constant chatting and sudden movements seemed to finally alert and scare away the third wheel; the black kitty raised his head to look at the pair, before he jumped away from Pauline's legs, starting to run away from the duo. Almost as if it was a reflex, the golden-haired girl stood up, laughing as she shouted for him to come back. Frisk didn't think about it in the slightest, following her with his eyes for a moment before he himself stood up.
Now that he thought about it, he hadn't seen a single ca-
His world stopped at that very moment. Almost as if the world seemed to enter in slow motion; a truck appeared right at the bottom of the street at full speed. Frisk's heart sank right as he saw Pauline running, seemingly unaware of her situation; she hadn't realized that the Traffic light changed into red just a moment before she got closer to the street. Her gaze was fully focused on that cat.
She was going to get ran over.
"PAULINE, STOP!"
He shouted, a red tint appearing on his eyes right as determination fueled his movements; trying to use some of his magic in an effort to impulse himself and push her to the other end of the street, but he wasn't able to. He wasn't able to. Right as the driver honked its horn in a last-ditch effort to try and save the girl's life, but it only made it worse.
BEEEEEP BEEEEEP
The expression of shock she had as her face turned to face it at the very last second got engraved into the depths of his soul.
She didn't even manage to scream. The sound of her bones cracking mixed with the screeching tires as the vehicle finally stopped; Pauline's body got sent into the air a couple of meters before it finally stopped; her beautiful blue dress got stained with blood; not only the pavement, the truck itself, part of the windshield and bumper were bloodied as well.
"NO! PAULINE! PAULINE!"
His voice was more like a primal scream. He wasn't rational; nor did he cared about the fact that part of her beautiful face had been deformed beyond any sort of recognition; all he cared about was the fact that her soul hadn't cracked. Tears started streaming down his face as he finally got to her side, his arms gently wrapping themselves around her broken body; her eyes were still open, looking into nothingness while her expression seemed devoid of any sort of emotion.
"SOMEONE! PLEASE HELP! AN AMBULANCE! CALL AN AMBULANCE!"
The ambassador demanded, looking around as the driver finally got out of his vehicle, monsters and humans started to scream and gather around the scene while he felt his soul starting to ache. In a poor, ditch effort to try and bring her some solace he brought her face closer to his chest, right where his soul was: whether it was more to calm himself or calm her it didn't matter, all he cared about was the fact that her soul hadn't broken yet.
If only… if only he had put more attention to his Healing Magic classes… ! The brownhaired teenager cursed under his breath as his bloody hand continued to caress his girlfriend's golden mane; her blood was warm just like his tears, the smell of the perfume she put on earlier this morning was mixing with it, he could barely breathe… the entire situation seemed to worsen as he rubbed their foreheads together, barely able to contain his sobbing.
Then it happened… a cyan-colored splendor emerged from her chest. Frisk froze at that very moment as he saw how Pauline's soul emerged from her chest; a chill ran down his spine when he saw it start to tremble as it moved violently from side to side, the red, scarlet color that took over his irises started to fade away.
No… no… please…
This couldn't be happening. It couldn't be real. It just couldn't be real. The world seemed to darken with the only light coming from the beautiful heart floating in front of his eyes, as the cracks started to appear more and more from the sides, reaching the center just like a mirror being hit with a baseball bat.
PLEASE!
The world didn't listen. A loud, deafening "crack" echoed in his ears as the soul finally shattered, and with it, his determination. His hope. His sanity. The pieces seemed to spread everywhere as her body finally stopped responding, not even her fingers moved; the coldness of death spread across her body, he couldn't breathe, he couldn't breathe— it felt like he would puke at that very—
"This isn't a dream; nor can it be changed"
A voice seemed to call out to him across the street, Murakawa rose his head from the corpse of the girl he loved; noticing among the crowd the small shape of a boy with black hair, clad in clothes of the same color looked back at him with a peaceful expression, despite the fact that someone had died right in front of him. The scariest detail? The way his lips curved out of glee.
Frisk couldn't find it himself to reply.
Air wasn't going into his lungs despite his efforts, and soon enough he started to feel sleepy. The exhaustion, the pain, the sadness, and how the adrenaline seemed to kick off, the last thing he saw before his head hit the floor were those pitch, dark eyes as he continued to hold the corpse of his childhood friend.
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"Frisk! Wake up dear, its lunchtime already!"
Feeling himself called out by a familiar voice, a brown-haired human opened his eyelids slowly and lazily, his eyes getting accustomed to the light as he quickly realized: mother's voice had pulled him out of the dreamlands, apparently, he overslept… again.
His gaze focused on the rooftop of his room, what time was it? His head hurt like hell, probably he still needed some extra time to sleep, but he couldn't blame nor hate mom for worrying about her youngest child, he wasn't as inconsiderate as to raise his voice for something as meaningless as waking him up.
The right hand went after his phone resting on the nightstand, the date was Sunday, August 14th, 12 o'clock, a couple of notifications from his apps… and a message alert from the Undernet from a couple of hours ago.
Blue star wrote: "Good morning my Red Sky! had a good night? Normally your mom wakes you up so… wanna hang out? I'll be at the park for a while, but I'll take my leave at 2 PM. Come and see me, alright?" ~9:56 AM
Quite the coincidence, one in a billion or maybe even more… but he wouldn't let a stupid nightmare ruin his day; so he stood up and went after his clothing, a quick shower and some cologne would do the trick, he'd go see Pauline immediately after washing the dishes, he wasn't as cruel as to leave her alone for the rest of the day, much less during summer break.
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"Are you ok, Frisk?"
Solene's voice took him out of his mind with a simple yet worried question; more than likely he had a concerning expression, thus triggering her protective feelings, he swore on his word he wouldn't let that nightmare ruin his day, but there was a big difference between saying something, and doing it.
Even more considering that, out of all the parks Pauline could've chosen to be on, she chose exactly this one. The same one from his nightmare, where she died bleeding out in his arms, unable to mutter a single word.
"You know… its kind of strange… I've had a bad feeling ever since I woke up"
He spoke, a sense of dread present in his voice as his eyelids opened up; allowing her to take a full, excruciating look into his eyes. Its true that the aura and overall mood surrounding Frisk was weird, darkened. Heavier. Something wasn't good with him, it wasn't natural. Almost alien. Out of the two, he was meant to be the optimistic one, so Pauline knew… she just knew it had to be serious. Determination didn't wait for Patience to ask him again, no. He needed to vent out, and she had always been a friendly ear.
"Yesterday I… had a dream. A nightmare. We were hanging around this exact same park, but—"
Fate wanted him to stop. The cat, imitating the actions of its dream counterpart, jumped from the arms of his beloved; too many casualties, he thought. This was the same park. The same season. Heck; even if he had decided to change his attire, Pauline was wearing the exact same clothing of his dream.
It was better to not push his luck, which is why the moment he saw Pauline stand up, before she could follow after the animal, he grabbed her by the wrist with enough strength to make her stop. The blonde rose her eyebrows in an expression that mixed shock and intrigue due to the way he was holding her hand; possessively. Protectively. Strong yet painless.
Starline's daughter tilted her head, waiting for a moment for him to explain himself. Frisk had a face that seemed to be silently begging for her to listen and obey him, even if he hadn't say squat. The aura and mood surrounding him were so heavy… so… heartbreaking, it seemed to pull the strings of her heart, quite ironic considering her magic was mostly specialized in chains.
"Hey… what if— what if we just… go and watch movies with my siblings at home?... please?"
He asked, quite sure they would be able to find something worth watching with his family on the internet, heck, if she didn't wanted to watch a movie, they could play Monopoly or even do homework. Whatever, anything was fine, anywhere was fine but not here. Was it stupid, to worry about a dream? Yes. But Frisk used to be the World Master, with the power to Reset the world and change fate as he saw fit during his adventures through the Underground… but not anymore. The power to Reset this world was long gone, so he could never be too careful.
That's the type of mindset that kept him, and those he loved, alive and well. Pauline thought about it a little, it wasn't a big deal honestly… it had been quite the while since her last visit to the Murakawa household, and maybe Frannie and Richie would indeed like to play with them as well.
"Hm… sure… I don't mind"
She truly didn't. What she did care about, was his wellbeing. His mental, emotional and physical wellbeing, that is. A situation that pretty much was shared between the two; whenever one wasn't doing ok, the other wasn't either due to worry and stress. It was a perk of their relationship, to be mutually supporting each other like the duo they were. That's why she decided to accept with a gentle smile, in an effort to ease up his burden.
It did wonders, because a sigh of relief escaped Frisk's lips as he started to walk with a steady pace, even then… his rhythm was fast, quick. The brown-haired teen turned his head around, looking at the black kitty who disappeared around a corner. He should've felt relieved. He should've started to ease up and relax… but for some reason… rather than being happy for not being able to see or know where that cat was…
It made it all way worse.
"Frisk… hey… Frisk"
She called out to no avail; his gaze fixated on the road ahead as he continued to walk forward. Soon enough they reached downtown, so the amount of people; both monsters and humans in their way, made him way more nervous due to slowing his pace. Multiple people recognized him waving their hands or calling him out in an effort to get an autograph, or maybe simply just chat for a brief moment.
The disadvantages of fame.
"Excuse me… excuse me… let me pass please…"
He continued, using his free arm to push people away in an effort to clear his way so they could find a less populated street. Frisk's fingers intertwined with Pauline's even more, so focused he was on his task that he stopped paying attention to the fact that his hand was soaked in sweat; his rough behavior and the aura surrounding him was starting to get on her nerves.
He clearly had no intention of letting go of her, by any means necessary. The young mage squinted her eyes as her blonde eyebrows frowned; what the heck was going on with her boyfriend? What wasn't he telling her? It made her angry. She may be Patience, willing to wait for a big amount of stuff… but not when it came to his emotions. It hurt her, because this meant that Frisk didn't trust her enough to open himself up about his problems.
And that was something she wouldn't forgive.
"FRISK!"
It was her scream that finally managed to make him stop. For a brief moment they were the center of attention, before the civilians resumed their own routines and activities. Yes, this was a public place, right in the middle of the freaking street, it was no place to cause a scandal or have a "Heart-to-heart" right now… but he needed it. Frisk Murakawa turned around to face Pauline Starline, completely ignoring the fact that his eyebrows were curved in an expression of pure fear, the word "anxiety" written all over his face.
It was obvious he had a bad feeling. Every cell inside his body screamed at him to run towards his home, and of course he would… but only with her.
"W-what is it? Come on, let's go!"
"What is it? You look insane, that's what it is! Take a look at your face!"
She replied, before rising her index finger coated in cyan magic to make her point across; A small chain with a pointed tip extended itself until it reached the boy's chin, gently pushing it so he could take a look at his reflection in the glass from the store they were standing in. It was then that Determination saw his own appearance; part of his hair was messier than usual, he was soaked in sweat due to the speed of his walking, heck… even his own face was red like a tomato, not because of embarrassment or something of the sort, no… but because he was basically running like a madman.
Pauline ceased the use of her magic, only now crossing her arms under her armpits before she started to walk around him, Frisk tried to back away, but there was nowhere to hide. Pauline kept looking at him from all angles as her fingers gently stroked her chin, before she rose her index finger to one of her cheeks, studying him as if he was some sort of specimen or fossil in a museum.
"What's gotten into you, my Red Sky… ? ever since you arrived you've been acting weirdly"
It was an honest, genuine, love-filled question. Pauline started to step constantly using her left feet, her blue gaze completely fixated on his face, freezing him in place as if ice was her element. Frisk felt part of his determination crumbling away while he lost himself in the blue sea that were the eyes of his Blue Star, how could she explain it to her? Even if he openly said what he felt… "I had a nightmare where I saw you die, and I don't want it to happen" would make him sound and look even crazier than he already did.
What to do… what to do… In moments like these, he would've wished Chara was still a part of his soul so she could give him some advices in how to deal with these types of situations… but then again, could she even help him? Chara was Asriel's best friend, not Pauline's. Just like how Frisk wouldn't know how to deal with Azzy, the Princess of Monsterkind wouldn't know how to deal with Blue Star.
The only thing that he could think of… was being honest. Friendship and love were founded on blind trust, after all.
"… Pauline… I— "
Criiink~
A loud, metallic sound invaded his ears and stopped him dead in his tracks. Frisk didn't realize what happened, not at first. To him, seeing Pauline's expression turning from one of concern and slight anger into one of pure shock and horror as she looked upwards, made him know something wasn't right. Not only her; but everyone around him started screaming and point to the sky. What the heck was going on?
It couldn't be that—
Oh…
Steel beams. Steel beams were falling at full speed in his direction; the crane that had been carrying them broke, an accident alongside casualties were inevitable. His death was inevitable. But not only his, he realized, by the how the shadows were growing bigger and bigger at full speed, it wouldn't be just him who would die right now, she would as well. His mind was set in motion, it wasn't important to save himself. No, if he was quick enough he could still—
Magic coated not just her palms, her feet as well. Pauline frowned as her fingers went around Frisk's neck, causing him to lose air as he felt his girlfriend squeezing his throat with full strength, his first reaction was to grab her wrist before he felt himself being thrown into the air; his body spun around a couple of meters; she threw him with such force, enhanced by her Patience magic, that he ended up across the street. Was it painful?... yes. Fatal? No, not quite… yet, even if his body and back hurt… it was nothing compared to the pain his heart felt as tears started to stain his cheeks.
NO!
"EVERYONE, TAKE COVER!"
With a metallic crash, one by one the steel beams fell to the ground; not one, nor two, but multiple ones fell right on his best friend's body; he could see it. Her skin tearing open as blood, gut and organs came out; her mouth open wide as blood escaped from her insides as the rest of her body got crushed under the weight of the construction objects. The screams initiated instantly once everyone was safe.
Monsters, humans, everyone who knew a thing or two about magic started to run towards the scene in an effort to lift up and save the little blonde, Frisk saw with his reddened eyes how the puddle of blood increased its size as the seconds passed. Even while her entire frame was buried under tons and tons of metal, she was still alive… barely. Her soul came out of her chest, shinning brightly like a star in the dark; cracking more and more as her fingers stopped moving. It happened so fast, so fast, her entire beautiful soul, her blonde hair, her dress, everything that made Pauline Starline be her was buried under a rain of metal as the claws of death came for her again.
Even while everyone was sobbing or trying to help in order to save her, it was Frisk's scream that sent the entire street into panic again, running in her direction as he ignored the fact that one of his feet were broken, how? how could this happen? What kind of hell was he going through? He had just tried to save her and protect her, and even now despite all his efforts she—
He couldn't reach her.
An arm stood in his way. It shoved him, right back into the floor causing him to hit his head, not only causing him pain but also bringing in the dizziness. The smell of Pauline's fresh blood, the emotional stress, the adrenaline, it all felt way too awfully and painfully familiar, Frisk's gaze went upwards, once again… it was him.
The boy with black clothes.
"This isn't a dream; nor can it be changed. I already told you."
Just like before, oxygen wasn't reaching his lungs or brain whenever he looked at him; he was falling into unconsciousness again; the world was blackening and he couldn't avoid it. His body stopped responding him, so many people was gathering around him, around Pauline, children crying, parents recording, he could even hear the sounds of a siren, indicating an ambulance finally arrived the scene… even among the crowd, he could see her.
Pauline used the last of her strength… to smile… seconds before her soul cracked.
.
.
"… !"
This time, he woke up on its own, feeling his lungs invaded by air in despair; his body was coated in sweat; for the love of god… Frisk stood up, his right hand going to his chest in an effort to squeeze the place where his soul was; he could feel it, not only it was beating wildly, his heart was frantically hitting his ribcage out of pure fear and adrenaline. This time he rejected the thought of taking a shower or even eating lunch.
No, there was no time; he just dressed up, not caring enough to grab his phone neither his necklace.
No answer nor any reply came for his parents or his siblings as they greeted him, before screaming at him to stop and eat lunch; instead, he opened up the door and ran as fast as he could trough the streets towards the park, he knew she was there even if he hadn't checked that freaking device, there was no use doing so nor he had any doubt of it.
Two instances, two times, they were too much of a coincidence.
What's going on… ? is someone resetting?— is that boy a World Master?
He thought, he certainly wasn't the one controlling the timeline anymore, not right now nor ever after coming out of the Underground. If he had any more time he would've gone to Sans, Gaster, Asriel or even Chara in search for answers, but that couldn't be. His priority was keeping his friend safe.
Just as he expected, Pauline was sitting on the swing; however, the moment her blue eyes fell on his, a smile appeared on her face, quickly standing up in search for a hug.
"Frisk! You received my message, can't believe you made it so quick— HEY!"
She couldn't finish; his hand squeezed her wrist strongly as they both started running, Murakawa had no idea where he was taking them, "the street is a no-no" was his only thought, looking around while sweat stained his face; part of his hair was sticking to his forehead alongside his shirt, his lungs were burning and soon enough, his legs and feet started to hurt too, but he wouldn't— couldn't stop.
There has to be a safe route back home… where to— ah!
"Hey! FRISK! WHAT'S GOTTEN INTO YOU?!"
Her words didn't reach his ears. Frisk started to take Pauline across some stairs, a triumphant smile appearing on his lips; his eyes looking around at the people; monsters and humans surrounding them both, searching for any sign of the black-haired child, but there was nothing. Good, he thought, a small glint of hope appearing on his eyes at that very moment, the constant beating of his heart drilling his ears alongside the sound of their footsteps.
"Frisk, that's enough!"
She shouted, quickly slapping his hand away after they finally stopped, him being the first one in reaching the end of the stairs, the ambassador turned his head around so violently she could've sworn she heard his neck crack slightly, his eyelids opening up to show his brown pupils trembling just like the rest of his body. He wanted to protest, he wanted to say something, to demand and beg for her to follow him without asking any question nor pausing… but instead… what greeted him was a pained expression, as she lifted her wrist for him to see the consequences of his actions.
"Look… your fingers are marked on my wrist… "
Indeed, on her beautiful white skin, his thumb, palm and the other four fingers left a reddened mark due to the strength and tightness of his grip, a clear statement of him having crossed the line, there was a limit to how crazy someone might act before it was too much to ignore… and if one asked Pauline, Frisk had crossed that limit a long time ago, because magic or not, her feet also hurt, part of her arm did as well, but it all paled compared with her concern about his wellbeing.
"What's gotten into you? Look at your face, for the love of god… you're sweating everywhere; your entire body is shaking… if I didn't knew you, I'd say you've gone crazy"
"Paranoic" would be the correct answer.
"Pauline, j-just come with me! Lets go home! please!"
It wasn't a question. Despite him having screamed the word "please" at her, it was a demand. A begging one. Frisk gave two steps, determined to start going down the stairs to pick her hand up and resume their small marathon, he stopped right before giving the third step, he stopped his leg in mid-air because of a shiver coursing through his back. The small shape of a boy wearing a black hoodie, resting his back against the railing and hands inside his pockets greeted him; there was no words this time.
No. All he did was smirk gently at him; as Frisk's mouth opened slowly, his lip trembled before his gaze went back at his best friend. The dark devil seemed to giggle, although he contained his voice right as Pauline arched her eyebrows, worrying about him even more after seeing his face filled with pure horror and shock, her own kindness drove her to take one more step upwards.
"Frisk… Red Sky… you know I'm here for you, right? If there's anything affecting you, just tell—"
But it was nothing short of a fatal mistake.
Her foot slipped; and everything went into slow motion; he saw her starting to fall backwards as the reassurance in her features got replaced by fear and shock as she felt gravity doing its work. Even here, in such a quiet, calm place, she would... ?
The feminine face continued to stare right back at him, her hand extended upwards as if she was still trying to intertwine her fingers with his, and he tried it. He really tried it; grabbing himself from one of the bars. "Help me!" her eyes told him, but their hands just… slipped.
CRACK
Her body fell to the floor; but there was no hope. They were high enough for her to fell on her neck; it broke alongside one of her arms and her Soul, leaving a trail of blood behind: her beautiful face now eternally frozen in an empty stare.
Once again... he failed.
.
.
-[Final Fragment: A summer loop]-
Knock knock knock~
"Frisk! Wake up already dear, lunch is almost ready, take a shower and dress yourself."
Mother's voice forced him to wake up; his eyelids were heavy, and his movements were so slow even a tortoise might've managed to move faster than him. Frisk frowned as his head moved to his nightstand, where his cellphone was, and then denied to himself in a tiring motion. His body lifted him up from the bed as he walked towards his closet, picking up a red towel and then walking into the bathroom to shower himself.
Ten years.
The loop had been going for over ten years.
As he finished putting on his clothes and going downstairs, he ate lunch with his family. His answers or replies to whatever his siblings and parents were talking about were vague and short. He had tried everything, to the point his determination had finally and seemingly run out; from staying in his home and trying to sleep away, to even going as far as to pay a visit to all his monster friends, everything imaginable, all choices one could take, he exhausted them all in just… ten years.
Those weren't Resets, no.
Gaster and Alphys analyzed the timeline multiple times per his request, the first twenty loops they did so, he couldn't believe it. The timeline was stable; so whatever was going on that made him be permanently stuck on August 14th and August 15th, it had nothing to do with the World Masters; neither him, Chara, Asriel, or that boy with black hair were at fault. Christ almighty… he even tried to tell them what was going on, multiple times. Did they try to help? Of course, god damn it.
Keeping Pauline safe wouldn't work either. Something as simple as a discreet gas leak no one would notice would do the trick. Or how about an explosion because of a short-circuit somewhere? Sometimes things turned out even worse; a car trip would end up with all of them dead, except him.
Him, him, him.
He always survived, no matter the circumstances. This is how Chara and Flowey must've felt back at the Underground, he thought as he bought two nice-creams and then silently sat himself at Pauline's side, not on the swings, but on the Slide. Back-to-back, he rested against her and she rested against him, he had no more tears to cry.
It was cynical, but he was slowly yet surely becoming like Sans. Accustomed to the fact that everything was beyond his control, and that his choices didn't matter. Pauline died, over and over and over again, and August 14th and 15th would continue repeating themselves, her blood would stain his clothes and her beautiful soul would crack in front of him no matter what he did, who he asked for help, or where they were.
"What's wrong?"
The blonde asked lovingly yet with a low tone to her better half; sinking her lips and her teeth in her mint ice-cream starting to lick it as she felt her sweat starting to make her dress and hair stick to her forehead and the rest of her body. Pauline casted a small Fan with her magic, starting to blow herself and Frisk some wind in an effort to fight off the heat. Frisk's eyelids were closed as he licked his snack repeatedly, the cold taste of lemon as it melted, dirtying his fingers and making his hand feel sticky made the situation all the more revolting.
"Nothing… its really hot, isn't it, Blue Star?"
Frisk asked, his hand rising to his face so he could wipe off some sweat from his forehead with his wrist. One bite, two, three, soon enough he started to finish off his meal, before letting out a tiring sight. His knees went upwards, hiding his face between both of his legs, Pauline looked at the sky as she herself started to get closer and closer to finish her own ice-cream, having an unreadable expression on her face.
"Yeah… its really hot today."
She insisted, not even the wind managed to help them ease up in the slightest, but the constant fanning she did seemed to do the trick… slightly. Starline finally ended up eating the entirety of her ice-cream, there was nothing else to do but enjoy the silence and peace that came with being together, just the two of them. The Eight fallen gazed towards the street for a brief moment, and then focused his eyes on the sickening, cloudless blue sky of summer season.
"You know… I think I hate summer…"
He stated, a small and rhetoric "Oh yeah… ?" escaped from her lips as a response. The position changed; as Frisk rested his back against the Slide, Pauline imitated him, so their heads were side to side, each of them with a different expression. Her was a smile of melancholy, while his was a tired one now. Her hand went upwards, searching for his own; Frisk's arm moved upwards as well, eventually their hands found the other, intertwining their fingers as the Patience Soul closed her eyelids, letting the hair on her forehead rest.
Ironically enough, this was the exact same situation they found each other back when the Loops started, when she was ran over by that damn truck ten years ago. What were her exact words back then… ?
Oh, yeah.
"But that doesn't mean I hate being with you, Pauline. Whether it is Winter, Fall, Spring or Summer. I don't care as long as we're together"
He continued, a small speech, the exact same speech she had given him back then. Frisk couldn't see her reaction; nor he wanted to. He wanted to try and live the moment… yes. He had given up. Those brief seconds between each of her deaths were scarce and fleeting, but after all these years, and after the massive load of psychological torture he had on his shoulders, his words were truer than ever.
Even in this hellhole of a world they were stuck in… as long as they were together, everything would be alright.
"Meow~"
A cat jumped on the slide, startling the couple as the feline turned his head around to look at them both for a brief moment. Frisk tilted his head for a second, knowing full well what was going to come now. Pauline would follow after it, and then she would get ran over by the truck that would seemingly come out of nowhere, the cycle starting all over like the sickening groundhog day it was, honestly, couldn't fate at the very least give them one more minute or something… ? its not like—
… An idea appeared on his head at that very moment… and then came the smile.
"Wait here."
"Huh?— Frisk! Wait!"
Cyan called out to Red, watching him stand up and start running towards the street, she couldn't see it, she couldn't see it. But he had finally figured it out— the best way to end it all, the answer had been in front of his very eyes all along… the words of that boy resonated within his mind like an echo, "this isn't a dream, nor can it be changed", if it wasn't a dream… if it couldn't be changed, then all he had to do…
Was self-sacrifice himself.
"FRISK! WAIT! THERE'S A—"
BEEEEEP BEEEEEP
Right on time, as he crossed the street tailing the little kitty, the sound of the horn that had started it all so long ago, Frisk turned around just on time to look back at Pauline; from across the street, resting with his back against a tree, the same child with black clothes was looking at him with an expression of genuine shock… he had… switched places with her.
This time, it meant his victory.
"FRIIIIIIISK!"
She called out, her arm stretching in his direction in a last-ditch effort to try and save him; a cyan chain extended itself to try and pull him into her arms, but it was useless. Her beloved's body got hit by the truck at full speed and force; blood coming out of his body as the vehicle stopped with a "screech", the smell of cologne and shampoo mixing up in the air alongside the red, vital liquid that had stained the windshield, the bumper, and part of the pavement.
Tears started streaming down her eyes as she shouted his name; Frisk had closed his eyelids once again, one would think he might've gotten accustomed to pain after having suffered all kinds of magic attacks down at the Underground, but no. It still hurt, now more than ever because he could feel his body starting to fail. His legs and arms weren't moving nor responding, it felt as if his lungs were drowning in blood… did… did his ribcage broke and stabbed one of them? That would explain why he couldn't breathe.
"No… no… NO! FRISK! LOOK AT ME! FRISK!"
Pauline called out, kneeling down as she started to scream at him; magic coating her hands as she desperately held him close to her chest so the warmth of her soul could ease him up, desperately trying to use what little she knew about healing magic in an effort to save him, but it wasn't working. It wasn't working. His soul had lost its beautiful shiny red color in its entirety, now having turned into a grey, trait-less heart that was cracking more and more with each passing second. Starline started to sob louder and louder as her fingers went after his hair, caressing his head and face over and over again.
One kiss, two kisses, nor him neither her were counting them. She showered him with affection as her lip trembled while she cradled his body against her chest, his eyelids were trembling, opening slightly so his brown eyes could look at the beautiful sky-colored pupils of the woman he loved the most. Frisk didn't knew if the warm liquid on his face were her tears… or his own blood mixing up with his sweat. Perhaps it was a mix of both? As painful and sad as it was to accept it, this was the end of the road for him…
Ah… I wish I could still speak to say my last words… Pauline… oh… Pauline…
What could he say? Tell her about the loops? That he had been stuck on August 14th and 15th for over ten years, watching her die endlessly? How much it would hurt him to let her go? To watch her end up with someone else that wasn't him?... god, how selfish would that be, Sans was right all along… what would happen after he died? Who would pick up the mantle of ambassadorship? Papyrus? Toriel? Chara? Asriel?... what would happen or change between the relationship of Monsterkind and Humankind after the Savior who broke the barrier died… ?
So many questions, so many answers, so many possibilities… and yet, as Frisk felt his consciousness fade away more and more, all he could think of was…
You have… most beautiful pair of eyes I've ever seen...
Frisk thought as darkness slowly started to swallow him whole, his soul was trembling, cracking, his life was fading away… and yet… the last thing he saw while he kept looking at Pauline, was how, right behind her… the ghost of a girl with white clothes and white hair smiling at him, and then at Pauline, as her arms closed themselves around her neck.
.
.
-[Epilogue: Another summer morning]-
Knock knock knock~
"Pauline… ? wake up dear. Your mother did breakfast."
Her dad's loving voice woke her up from her slumber. It was Sunday, August 14th. The Soul of Patience moved slightly on her bed as her eyes opened up, the first thing she did was take her hand towards her cheeks; she woke up, having cried in her sleep… like always. The blonde student of Ebott sniffed gently as her hands squeezed her bedsheets.
It was 9 o'clock.
Pauline's lips trembled; despite having just woken up, she was exhausted, mentally, physically, and emotionally. Not only she felt the desperate urge to go back to sleep, but even something as simple as keeping her head looking up was proving to be too much of a task for the young teenage girl. Her nose moved a couple of times due to the sobbing, before she finally let go and started to cry in silence.
"Once again… "
She muttered under her breath, before her hand extended to her nightstand, where her necklace rested; opening it up, Frisk's photograph greeted her with a sweet smile and a gentle gaze, the inscription "Red Sky" next to it imprinted in the metal of the frame, her thumb moved gently and slowly on it, as if she was actually cuddling him.
It wasn't working… it wasn't. Pauline put her hands on her eyes, wiping off her tears yet they wouldn't stop. Her soul kept hurting, and her voice continued to break as her emotions crumbled with each passing second.
"I failed him once again... !"
Pauline Solene Starline Orilleye cried out, for her beloved childhood friend and boyfriend Frisk Murakawa had died right in front of her eyes, as the white girl laughed and mocked her from across the street, knowing full well her efforts in trying to prevent it had been for nothing.
The end.
Original date of publication: Saturday, July 27th 2019
2024 Creation date: Monday, September 23th 2024
Date of completion: Thursday, October 17th 2024
Estimated production time: 24 days.