Chapter Text
Humming.... soft humming. I groaned rolling over pulling whatever soft material I could get my hands on, pulling it over the top of my head to try to null the soft humming. Sleep was so nice.
The humming turned into deep softly sung words.
Annoyed that instead of being able to roll over and go back to sleep, the noise was increasing. I growl softly, chucking a pillow at the offending sound. A dull *thunk* letting me know, I've hit my mark.
I shift, purring when the sound finally quiets, burrowing deeply into the comfortable, amazing smelling refuge to roll over to dream land once more.
A bellow of laughter pierces my skull, I swiftly sit up not recognizing the deep laugh and the sight I'm met with is Sans' brother, lazing on my cot, feet propped up and everything- the same guy who I had briefly met this morning, snickering and laughing hard. My cheeks instantly heat in mortified embarrassment. Great this guy, who seemed offended when he discovered that him and his brother weren't the last of their sub species.
"nyeheheh lil lady, you have a problem with me or somthin?" He calls casually, holding the sides of his rib cage, the pillow i had thrown at him laying on the floor in front of him
"I don't... have a problem with you" I tell him, turning away from his judging eye sockets squinting with suspicion... I'm in Sans' cot, I look around searching for Sans, not finding him.
Humming I turn back to Papyrus. "Where has Sans gone?"
"what that eager to get rid of me so fast?"
I shake my skull. "No I need to apologize to him for this morning."
I rub my arms, an old habit when I feel nervous.
He shrugs, pulling an unopened lollipop from the inside of his hoodie, pulling the wrapper off and popping into his maw, leaning back against my pillows; he seems unsatisfied with his level of comfort when he flicks his hand out like one would do when making finger guns, the tip of his phalange lighting up, being enveloped in a honey colored haze as the pillow that I threw at him lifts from the ground; finding its way behind his narrow skull.
That seemed... lazy? The pillow was right there on the ground. With his long arms he could have easily reached it. The expression on my face must have betrayed me.
"if you keep your jaw open like that, it might just get stuck like that" he gestures his hand lazily towards my general direction
I quickly snap my mouth closed.
"sans had to leave with the queen, he'll be back sometime later" he sighs "are you ready to get up, lil lady- or are you staying in bed all day?" he chuckles "i don't mind either way but i promised sans to teach you some basic magic tricks" he emphasis the word magic with jazz hands.
I feel instantly giddy at the proposition, throwing off the blankets I have pooled around my legs, I jump up to grab a plain black tee shirt, a beanie, socks and a pair of shorts- opting to once again throw on my black sneakers today. "No offense but can you leave so I can get dressed?" I lay the clothes I picked out on Sans cot since my own is currently being occupied.
He shrugs again before disappearing with a soft *pop* I quickly change, slipping on my socks and shoes and adjusting the beanie on top of my skull before quickly ducking into my duffel to pull out a breakfast bar and a bottle of water turning to the flap in the tent, already unwrapping the bar and munching on it. Making my way outside and a gust of warm air hits my face, it smells like fall, the changing of the season, my favorite time of the year. I sigh nibbling more on the bar, and quickly taking a drink of water before realizing I have no idea where Papyrus is or where his tent even is.
I groan, a frown forming on my face. 'What is up with this guy?' I chuff, pouting. So I start walking- there are other monsters here and I've had no opportunity to talk to anyone yet, Papyrus will find me on his own, right?
Walking up to where some other tents are residing closer to Sans' tent than the ones that surround the Queens' tent, a large brown bear monster kneeling on the ground is going around the tent, checking the stakes keeping the tent in the ground.
"Uh hello!" I greet with a gentle wave, water bottle still clasped in my waving hand. This startles the brown monster who jumps a bit looking back towards me, big brown, amber eyes meet my eye lights.
"Ah hello dear! I've heard about a new face around!" They exclaim clapping their big fuzzy hands together before they raise to their full height. Wow monsters are incredibly tall, they seem to be taller than the queen. "My name is Toby!" He introduces himself, holding a hand out in greeting.
"I'm Opal, it's nice to meet you!" I flash a bright smile, feeling my sockets scrunch with how big my grin gets. "Opal, what a beautiful name dear! How have you been settling in?" he rumbles.
"Quite well actually, Sans' has been incredibly kind to me, and I feel like I've been able to make some lasting friendships even though I haven't been here but a few days. Everyone has been so incredibly kind." I gesture to the direction I came from.
"Ah yes, the lieutenant is a good man... He's always willing to help out" he chuckles "Even though when he was younger, he used to get into all sorts of trouble" he rubs his snout. "My mate and I used to care for him when his parents were working, good monsters those two were" he sighs. "He's a lot like his mother, that one."
"You used to care for him when he was a child?"
"Ah yes, he was a bright kid, always learning and running around." he chuffs at the memory "he always did have a lot of energy" he chuckles softly "not like that brother of his though"!
"ah toby, don't go slandering my name to the good lady" a deep chuckle sounds from behind me a skeletal hand landing on the top of my skull.
"Ah Papyrus, how are you doing dear boy? I know you've been busy with Undyne lately!" he turns to the skeleton standing behind me "And good boy, I'd never slander, just stating how can be" he squints an amber eye at the skeleton.
"i won't argue with that" he shrugs lazily closing an eye socket and grinning before reaching into his hoodie and pulling out a phone, my phone- handing it to me. "it was going off in your tent, figured i'd bring it to you when i found you."
"Oh, thank you Papyrus" I take the phone from his offered hand, checking the notifications. Gran and Ruby, both of them called me. I say farewell to Toby and walk far enough away from the conversating two monsters before hovering over the call button to call gran.
I nibble on the malleable bottom bone on my mouth, rubbing the arm not holding the phone.
"Gran?" I say into the phone when it connects.
"Baby how are you doing?" her old frail voice sounds rougher than normal. Bad day then.
"I'm alright Gran, how are you feeling today?"
"Oh baby I'm doing just fine, I just wanted to hear your voice. I miss you so much baby. So so very much." she hesitates for a moment "Baby I'm real sick." Tears prick the corner of my sockets.
"What do you mean Gran?" my voice wavers.
"I don't know how to explain it baby, but I've been real under the weather. I've been dreaming of your Pawpaw again, telling me how much he misses me- and before I can grab onto his hand... I wake up." she hums "I wanted to make sure I heard your voice again, just in case. You know how fickle life can be baby, Gran just wants you to know that when my time does come I want you to be a strong girl, that you'll be alright and when I do see Pawpaw again, I'll always keep my eyes open for you baby."
"Gran please don't talk like you're going to just croak over, you've still got so much life left." tears fall silently from my sockets at her sobering words, she really believes she's just going to cease to be any moment. "You'll be around for years to come" my voice cracks.
"Baby don't cry, I just wanted to hear your voice- I didn't want to make you sad. None of that now, tell me how you've been baby."
"Oh, Gran I've been wonderful, I made some amazing new friends lately." I sniffle trying to dry my tears before hesitating "I also moved, I know it's really short notice and I didn't tell you."
"Ah so what baby, your young and bound to make some crazy decisions." she giggles in a rasp "I was young and spry once" another soft laugh "I raised you well" she decides on with glee "Oh baby I'll call you later, it's time for lunch, and take my meds alright?" he kisses into the phone.
"Oh alright Gran, I love you so much" I tell her, meaning every bit of it.
"I love you too baby, be good now. Y'hear?" she blows more kisses into the phone before the line goes dead.
I sigh holding the phone into my chest, holding it like a lifeline, squeezing my sockets shut tight.
"everything alright, lil lady?" I sigh, slowly nodding my head.
"It will be."
"well are you ready to learn some magic lessons?" his voice is low.
I turn around facing Papyrus, he has a hand outstretched towards me
"take my hand then, i know a shortcut" he winks a socket at me.
I take his offered hand and he pulls me in close to him wrapping his arms around me, enveloping me and then we fall.
*SCREEEEEEEECHHHHHHH*
A static gasp of worry sounds far away, but at the same time too close.
It's too loud, the arms around me flinch and grasp me tighter a loud gasp of shock.
Its darkdarkdarkdarkdarkdarktoodarktoodark-GETMEOUTOFHEREPLEASE-
Pain blossoms out from my sternum. My marrow feels like it's on fire.
I'm screaming. Wet gushing out from my sockets, my eye lights feel fuzzy and distorted.
I'm hunched in on myself, on my hands in knees- both my hands are pulled up over my skull protecting myself.
"opal i'm going to need you to calm down" a strained voice calls from in front me.
I open my sockets; pain radiates from my chest.
I'm sucking in air, unable to breathe in enough.
"opal i know your scared right now but i need you to calm down before you accidentally kill us both" he grunts and I look up at him, his socket engulfed in an orange ethereal glow, and he seems to be defending us from... two bone wolves?
They're massive and seem to be crawling towards us with deadly intent, their growls shaking through my core they snap their sharp maws towards us before one is leaping towards Papyrus and as quickly as it happens a flash of blue barrels into the leaping construct grappling and throwing the wolf across the field we're situated on.
Sans is a flurry, righting himself and running over to me.
"Breathe Opal, Breathe. In And Out" he coos at me reaching his hands towards me grabbing me and pulling me up into his embrace.
I breathe in feeling the exhale and inhale quench the fire in my bones.
The wolf facing Papyrus disappearing in a ethereal plume of blue light.
I sob into Sans chest; Papyrus comes over to both of us.
"i-im so sorry opal" he's stuttering and it makes my chest clench tighter turning my sobs into body wracking cries.
It wasn't his fault. He didn't know.
Sans picks me up, holding me bridal style pulling me as close to his chest as he can- still cooing and whispering reassurances to me.
"What Happened Papyrus?" he asks his brother in a tone that says 'I mean business'.
"i-i took her in a shortcut we were coming to start working on the basics of her magic" he shrugs tensely "i don't know bro... something in the void... it was loud" he looks down at me, crying pitifully in his brothers arms "it scared her, real bad" he rubs the back of his skull, then makes a sweeping gesture with his arms "and then this"
Sans sighs, turning to start heading towards his tent, flipping his head over his shoulder looking at his brother he grins "Come On Papy, We're Going To Have A Sleepover!"