MurderVictim

Determination[TopSpeedOfSound & MurderVictim] HIATUS

Finding the kitchen as empty as she expected, Frisk wandered back into the living room and was faintly surprised to not find Sans on the couch. Eating, napping, or just watching television, the skeleton wasn't there. After grabbing the remote and switching the television off, she stole a glance up towards the balcony to peer at his bedroom door. Spotting the note on the door, she headed up the stairs and plucked it off. She read it. Then read it again.

Were her eyes playing tricks on her..Or did Sans really write that he was going to be training? She had to read it again just to be sure. Honestly, she understood. With that glitchy version of Sans lurking just outside of their dimension, there was no time to waste. Preparations had to be made, even if it forced a lazy guy like Sans to train. While she was impressed and appreciative of the lengths Sans was going to go to keep everyone safe, it only cemented how dire the situation was in her mind. This was no playful joke.

With that in mind, Frisk put the note back and went to grab the day's outfit. She chose a sweater that was a bit thicker than the others, knowing the day was going to be cold even by Snowdin's standards. She quickly showered and dressed, finishing her morning routine as usual. As she headed back downstairs, she threaded her fingers through her damp hair and contemplated what to do. She could lounge around the house until the brothers got home...Or she could go find Sans. If he was out training, then so should she. He couldn't fight this new threat alone. She was out of practice, had very little strength and defense, and that made her vulnerable. She nodded to herself and looked up.

The house seemed so empty with just her there. Suddenly, Frisk understood why Sans always left the television on, why he always needed noise in the house. Because the silence was heavy and lonely, and it had taken the young woman that much time to realize that. She sighed and turned the TV back on.

Frisk didn't know where Sans was training. He had to be deep in the forest, far enough so no one could see or cross the line of fire. Part of her didn't want to disturb him, but if she didn't she feared he'd never consider letting her train with him. If she asked at home, he might just blow her off and teleport. No, she had learned several times over that the key to getting what she wanted from Sans was by giving him no other choice. This time, she was going to use that discovery for a far better reason.

So, she simply walked in the nearest direction. Her search would have been so blind and futile, she would have completely missed him...If she hadn't seen the wisps of blue magic in the distance. It bounced off the snow and shone bright, flickering before burning out. Sometimes, it amazed her how easily she could find Sans. Was it coincidence, or was there a sense left from their long history together? Either way, she had found his magic. She smiled and rushed towards it, remaining alert for any stray bone attack.

By the time she got to his position, he was already done. She saw him laying in the snow, appearing to be worn out. She wasn't sure how long it had been, but he must have worked incredibly hard. Again, she debated with herself on whether to disturb him or not. But her determination soared, and she started to make her way over to him. Her shoes crunched heavily in the snow, making her presence well known.

"You know, Sans...I was thinking. We should train together."

Determination[TopSpeedOfSound & MurderVictim] HIATUS

Frisk, at first, regretted sharing her dream. Seeing Sans' tears, she was sure she had ruined their perfect morning. The surface was a hard thing to think about for the monsters. As much as everyone was nice and friendly, they were still prisoners. Their population was squished together under the mountain, and no one should lie about times being difficult. Things had gotten easier in the many, many years they had to adjust, but still. They all deserved to see the sunshine.

But then she saw his smile. His real smile. The sight of it made her want to tear up as well. He was always faking his smiles, despite his face being constantly frozen into a big grin. She could see it in his eyes - his pain, his anger. Right now, all she saw was joy and warmth. She could even see the faint glow of his soul, though she kept from staring to avoid being rude. Still, he was happy. Papyrus was happy. She was happy.

Finishing her food, Frisk stood to gather Sans' plate and was pleasantly surprised when he took his plate to the sink himself. It must have been a good morning if the lazy skeleton was picking up after himself! Smiling to herself, she cleared the rest of the table and plopped everything in the sink. "Don't worry about the dishes, Paps, I got them!"

As she got to work cleaning up, Frisk softly hummed. It was a tune she had often heard Toriel hum, so often that it was burned into her memory. But it was a nice song, even if she never heard the words.

It didn't take her long to finish. Once the last dish was clean and put away, she dried her hands and turned around. At that point, she wasn't expecting either of her favorite skeletons to be in the kitchen. Papyrus had training with Undyne, and she was sure Sans would have wandered off to find a comfortable place to take a nap.

Determination[TopSpeedOfSound & MurderVictim] HIATUS

Frisk was finishing pouring three glasses of orange juice, when she saw Papyrus walk into the kitchen. She looked up and smiled, adoring the sight of the two brothers hugging. Compared to the absolute dread from last night, their warm interaction was incredibly welcome. She nodded when Paps noticed the food, a slight blush on her face. "Well, I thought you deserved someone cooking for you for a change," she said, a bit bashful as she turned to put the juice carton away. "Especially since I woke up so early."

Honestly, she couldn't remember a better morning. Their mornings were either full of blissful ignorance, or the quiet aftermath of a night full of nightmares. But this morning was calm and peaceful. It lacked any true heaviness, and for once Frisk felt honestly and truly happy. If only every morning could be like that.

After dropping the last pan into the sink to soak, Frisk plopped herself down at the table and grabbed the syrup. She ate quietly, enjoying every bite. She didn't burn anything, or mess up the pancake batter. She was normally such a klutz when she tried to take on adult responsibilities, so it was nice to know that she was figuring things out.

"So I uh...Had a pretty interesting dream last night." She stared down at what was left on her plate. Frisk didn't normally speak of her dreams, even if Papyrus was often curious as to what sort of images could cause her such fear at night. And she never wanted to force Sans to relive a genocide timeline. So she kept them to herself, but this dream was so unusual, she couldn't help but share it with both skeletons. "Everyone was in it. I don't know where we all were, but it was beautiful...Really bright and yellow." She paused, remembering the warmth on her face. Her mind must have snagged that from a moment from her childhood, before she fell - a time she could no longer remember at all.

"We were on the surface."

Finally, she looked up and glanced between the brothers. She didn't say anything else, but her gaze fell on Sans. She had such a hard time remembering every reset, so she couldn't tell if she had ever gotten them to the surface or not. She hoped she hadn't, if only for the fact that their perfect ending would have been stripped away. Now, to achieve such an ending would take more drastic measures. Her window of time to get them last the barrier had just about closed, and the only way would be for her to give up her soul.

She shut that thought down. No, she wasn't going to ruin their wonderful morning. Instead, she smiled lightly and looked back down at her breakfast. "I never really dreamed of the surface before...It was nice."

Determination[TopSpeedOfSound & MurderVictim] HIATUS

Frisk smiled up at him. She couldn't recall the last time Sans appeared so well rested. He had his better nights, sure, but she could have sworn he looked so much healthier. A massive weight had been lifted from her shoulders, a weight she hadn't known even existed. Apparently, she stressed about Sans and his health far more than she realized.

"Nah, nothing happened. You weren't out for too long. But you might want to reassure Papyrus when he gets up." And that's when it dawned on her. How early was it? She sat up a bit, loosening her grip on Sans as she peered up at the taller skeleton's bedroom. The door was still closed. For once, her and Sans were up before Paps! She didn't want to imagine just how early it was, but she wasn't going to waste such a perfect accomplishment!

Frisk gave Sans one more beaming smile before she completely pulled away from him. "I have an idea!" She stood, straightened her clothes a bit with the note to change out of her pajamas soon, and turned to head into the kitchen. She didn't say anything else, though the brisk way she walked gave off her excitement and happiness.

Despite her several years in that timeline helping Papyrus cook, Frisk hadn't made anything herself in a long while. Papyrus normally beat her to the punch when it came to making meals, which she didn't complain about at all. But it was time that she do the cooking, especially after all the turmoil and tears the small family had gone through the last few days. The skeleton brothers definitely deserved it.

Pancakes were simple enough for her to remember, along with bacon and hashbrowns. She moved pots and pans around she she went about cooking breakfast, trying to keep their heavy clanks quiet so as not to disturb Papyrus if he was still sleeping.

It wasn't long before she had the food ready and served on the table. She was no master chef like the Great Papyrus, but she certainly made a good meal.

Determination[TopSpeedOfSound & MurderVictim] HIATUS

Frisk stood at the center of a field. It stretched for as far as her eyes could see, fading off into the horizon. Tall blades of grass tickled at her clothes. They swayed with the breeze, soft and alive despite their yellow shades. The field was so bright, golden even, yet there wasn't a single flower petal in sight.

She had never had such a dream before. The air was so crisp and clean in her lungs, like there was nothing to get in the way. The unseen birds around her sang so beautifully, their songs clear and shrill. The sunlight was harsh on her face. The sun made everything so much brighter, almost blindingly so.

The sun.

Frisk lifted her head to spot the yellow orb glaring just off the horizon. The heat was stifling, yet it felt so nice, so unfamiliar after so many years. She looked down at her hands, seeing how the natural light bounced off her skin. She curled and stretched her fingers, admiring their golden glow. She sucked in another breath and realized why it felt so crisp. She wasn't in the Underground. There weren't miles of rock and dirt and glowing moss above her head. She was on the surface. She inhaled again, held her breath, and let it out slowly.

But where was she? She looked around, squinting in an effort to see past the sunshine. There were silhouettes, their darkness a steep contrast. She couldn't make out any color, but could name each one just from the shapes alone. Sans. Papyrus. Alphys. Undyne. Toriel. Asgore. Frisk smiled.

They were all there, all of her closest friends. Her family. The barrier was gone - the monsters were free. The sight brought tears to her eyes and a heaviness to her heart, though both were out of joy and relief. That was the greatest happiness she had felt in a long time. A very long time.

Something moved. The wind stopped.

Everything faded. Frisk watched as her friends' silhouettes disappeared, and turned to see the sun blink out of existence. Just as the field began to follow, she blinked her eyes open and found the fabric of the couch in her face. She blinked a couple more times and found a couple tears at the sides. She wiped them away and started to position herself to sit up, when she noticed her awkward entanglement with Sans.

"Oh, sorry!" She lifted herself so he could move his foot, and tried to sit up to put a line of space between them. Her movement wasn't as smooth as she wished it was, though. Sitting back against the armrest, Frisk rubbed at her eyes. Mid-motion, she finally noticed that her favorite short skeleton was awake. Sans was awake! She gasped and looked up at him.

"You're awake! Oh my god...Sans, I was so worried!" Without warning, Frisk scooted over to his side of the couch, practically flying as she wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "Are you okay? How are you feeling?"

Always looking for long-term partners!

@Aline

No worries! I'll get a PM sent to you soon! :D

Pine Trees and Doritos, anyone? (Gravity Falls)

@Ri Rin

Of course! My general interest thread is right here. Thank you! :D

Pine Trees and Doritos, anyone? (Gravity Falls)

Bump! I got a decent starting post for this, and I'd hate for it to go to waste ;3

Determination[TopSpeedOfSound & MurderVictim] HIATUS

The silence that hung in the air made Frisk uncomfortable. Deep down, she knew she had no reason to fear Papyrus. In all her years and timelines, she had never managed to actually get on his bad side. She'd playfully tease him until he got annoyed, but it was always in good fun. She couldn't recall a single time that Paps had gotten angry with her, or gave her any reason to fear him - aside from the first time she met him. She dreaded fighting him, up until she realized he stopped every time he got close to crushing her soul.

Papyrus was all that was good in the Underground. There was no need to worry about him. Still, she was relieved when there came the knock at the door. Knowing it must be Alphys, Frisk reluctantly released Sans' hand and scrambled to get up and out of the way. She gave the royal scientist a smile, though it wasn't as warm as she hoped it was.

Her thoughts went back to Sans. She was quiet, watching with some interest as Alphys began to remove her friend's jacket and shirt. She couldn't keep herself from blushing, suddenly curious though trying not to blatantly stare. Despite all her time spent around monsters, Frisk still had a hard time remembering some of their etiquette. Souls were still so foreign to her, she found it hard to look away when one was within view. That, and it wasn't at all often that she saw Sans like that...if ever. She tensed.

Papyrus tapping her was another welcome relief. Frisk nodded and followed him without a word. She sat down and stared at the table while Paps got the hot chocolate ready. She tried to think of something else to say, something that would lighten the atmosphere a little. But everything she thought of would be ineffective at best, and hollow at worst. So, she stayed quiet.

The hot chocolate tasted wonderful, as it always did, yet Frisk had a hard time focusing on it. She glanced up at Papyrus every other moment, wishing she had better communication skills. She took another sip of her hot chocolate. It made for a good distraction, yet she finished it much sooner than expected. She went to take another drink, only to find the mug empty. She stood and placed it in the sink.

While she was up, Frisk looked over her shoulder at Alphys and smiled at the good news. She allowed herself to let out a long breath and relax, glad to know that Sans hadn't pushed himself past the point of no return. She finished up at the sink and came into the living room just as the door shut behind Alphys. Her eyes were on Sans, yet quickly moved to Papyrus when he spoke her name. That alone got her attention, and she smiled as she heard what he had to say. She shouldn't have expected anything else from him, even if she still didn't think she really deserved it.

She hugged him back tight, finding so much comfort in the embrace. She tensed a bit when he said he still believed in her - the memories of those very same words stung like hell, and it took her a moment to relax and come back to the current timeline.

"Thank you, Papyrus. You're the greatest."

She stood like that for a moment. To her, Sans' hugs were always so firm and protective, while Papyrus' were gentle. It never ceased to amaze her how different they were - the only thing they had in common was being skeletons. She wondered that for a moment, cherished the hug for a second longer, then finally backed away.

Despite Pap's insistence for her to sleep in his room, or perhaps take Sans' despite the mess, Frisk chose to curl up on the other side of the couch. She told Pap it was to keep an eye on Sans, both for his health and in case he had a nightmare - and she wasn't lying. But she also didn't want to disturb the tall skeleton's rest. It had been a trying day, and Pap had training with Undyne in the morning. With a smile, she gratefully accepted a blanket from his room.

"Good night, Paps," she whispered before settling down on the couch. Careful to not disturb Sans, she curled into the corner and drapped the blanket over herself and him. She knew he couldn't really feel the cold, and he had his jacket, but...well, that was just another weird human thing she did. Satisfied, she got as comfortable as she could before shutting her eyes.

Morning came quickly. Frisk slept soundly, her mind too exhausted to conjure up nightmares. She still seemed comfortable enough, despite how twisted her body was from the strange angle. Her arm was draped over the side of the couch, while her face was buried against the arm of it.

Determination[TopSpeedOfSound & MurderVictim] HIATUS

Frisk could only throw Papyrus a hopeless stare as she moved out of the way. She gave him all the space she could while still hovering near the couch, wringing the front of her sweater nervously. Her gaze went from Papyrus to Sans, then back to Papyrus. She watched him as he left and came back with his phone, no doubt calling Alphys. Her heart sunk at that, knowing that this really was serious if the royal scientist had to be disturbed. The idea that Sans just needed a few good hours of rest completely flew out the window.

The young woman fidgeted with her hands, faintly aware of her fingers and knuckles popping softly at the motions. Her attention had once again drifted to the unconscious Sans, but snapped back to Pap when he addressed her. She saw the smile he forced, and attempted to return it yet could only nod. In a time like this, she knew she had to be strong for Papyrus. The skeleton lying motionless on the couch was his only true family, had been his only support system for so long. If he lost Sans...

If he lost Sans, what would happen? In all the timelines, Frisk never recalled such a scenario. In truth, it chilled her to the bone to think about. She'd do anything in her power to not find out. Right now, she had to be strong for him. He didn't need her breaking down too, though that was what she was desperately fighting against.

Taking in a deep, calming breath, Frisk lowered herself to the edge of the cushion beside where Paps was kneeling. She hunched over as she took Sans' other hand in both of hers, relishing the warmth the bones gave off. It always surprised her how his hands could be so warm, when she expected them to be cold and hard like any other bone. If she focused, she could feel the light hum of his soul, much like anyone would be able to feel the pumping of her pulse. For a small moment, that was all she knew. She held his hand tightly, squeezing it as she ran her thumb over his knuckles.

Frisk looked up only when Papyrus spoke again. The sheer pain in his eyes dragged her heart down to the pit of her stomach. She looked at him for a long moment, trying to think of some kind of excuse, something that would make Papyrus feel better while still keeping him out of the loop. She tore her eyes away to stare at the bony hand in her grasp. She took in a breath, licked her dry lips, opened her mouth and...

And was this how Sans felt? Is this what raced through his mind when similar questions were asked of him? He wanted to protect everyone. He wanted to keep his family safe from things he didn't fully understand and likely never would. The crushing weight of it all was numbing and unforgivable.

"I...I do know, Papyrus. And it's all so much more than anyone other than Sans and myself can handle. You don't want to know, Pap. Trust me, you don't. Our regrets are...They're heavy." Frisk swiped tears from under her eyes. "This world is so messed up. And if there's one truth I can tell you, it's that it's all my fault. I did horrible things, Papyrus. To you, to everyone, and especially to Sans." Finding that she could no longer look at the tall skeleton, Frisk again put her gaze on Sans' exhausted face. "But I'm doing everything I can to make it up to all of you. And I will until the day I die." She gave her friend's hand another squeeze.

"Right now, Sans needs you to stay here with him. I think that's all he can ever ask of you, and it's the best thing you can do for him. If you do that, he'll always be okay." She gave him a smile, warm despite it being forced.