MurderVictim

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"Mom, are you sure this is going to work?"

"I don't think this is going to work..."

"This isn't going to work."

Frisk stared at herself in the mirror. Toriel beamed at the human's reflection, but all Frisk could do was sigh. "Sans is never gonna go for this."

"Hush." Toriel smiled and poked Frisk's nose. "You look lovely, dear. Have a little confidence in yourself." She ran her paws through Frisk's hair, gently fluffing it up. She had trimmed it a little, and shaped the bangs so they fell to the side rather than flat in front of the girl's face. Now, her hair framed her face nicely.

Toriel reached into a drawer and pulled out a bow with a barrette on the back. It was a mix of purple and blue in color, with a heart stitched around the center. She brushed part of Frisk's hair to the side and clipped the bow in. It sparkled in her hair, complimented nicely by the natural brown tones.

"How does that scarf fit, Frisk?"

"Really nicely." Frisk smiled as she felt the new accessory around her neck. As was expected, it was also purple and blue, the colors swirling together. It rested elegantly against her chest and shoulders, fitting perfectly. Like many of her other clothing, Toriel had knitted it for her. But it was clear that the queen had meant it as something nice for Frisk to have, something to make her feel dolled up without worrying about a fancy outfit.

Frisk had changed into another sweater that fit her a little more snugly. This one was a plain lightly blue color, with a beautifully stitched heart placed right over her actual one was. Tori's skills were very impressive, but Frisk had already known that.

Frisk had mentioned make-up before, if the queen had any. What a fur-covered goat would do with make-up, Frisk wasn't sure. But it didn't hurt to ask. Toriel had only shook her head with a tsk. Even if such luxuries were available, Frisk didn't need anything like it, she had said. The young woman was naturally gorgeous. Chemicals and unnatural colors would only hinder her appearance.

Frisk had tried to argue. Compared to other humans she had seen on television, she was rather plain. Of course, that only led to Toriel shushing her firmly.

Truthfully, Toriel's advice was as motherly as one could get. The changes she made were so subtle, not meant to transform or overpower anything Frisk already had. It was only to draw more attention the human's way, make the eye appreciate her like it should.

Now, Frisk was brushing her fingers through her bangs. She didn't want to mess them up, but couldn't help playing with them out of nervousness. She opened her mouth to say something, but was effectively cut off by Sans' sudden voice.

"Oh, he's here!" Toriel looked towards the hall, then quickly brought her attention back to Frisk. "Let's,not make him wait, my child!" She patted Frisk's shoulder reassuringly.

Meanwhile, Frisk felt like she was going to throw up. Her heart was racing so fast she thought it was going to burst. A cold chill ran through her body, freezing her to her seat before Toriel took her hand and guided her to stand. She could only imagine what sort of reaction Sans would have. Maybe he wouldn't have any...Maybe he wouldn't notice.

Toriel planted a soft kiss atop Frisk's head, then gently nudged her out the door.

"H-Hey, Sans! I didn't think you'd be back so soon." Frisk gave him a shaky smile as she appeared from the hall behind him. "Hear anything good from Alphys?"

She fidgeted with her hands, trying not to chew on her bottom lip as she waited for Sans to turn around and see her.

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"Of course!" Toriel smiled in a way that told, no matter what, Frisk was staying for at least a few hours. She wasn't going to let her human child pass through her paws that quickly. "We'll see you later, Sans." The queen gave a small wave to the skeleton before she stood and gathered their empty plates.

Frisk pouted for a moment, not pleased that Sans had ditched her so fast. But she wasn't surprised. As lazy as Sans was, he was a busy guy. He couldn't stick around an old goat and human for too long, she reasoned. Still, she wished she hadn't made things so awkward. Those kinds of moments had been happening far too often lately.

Thinking of which...

"Mom, um...Can I talk to you for a minute?" Frisk stood and trailed after Tori into the kitchen.

"What is on your mind, my child?" Toriel plopped the dishes in the sink to wash. "Does this have something to do with Sans?" She looked down at Frisk with a knowing eye, and laughed softly at the shocked expression she received as a response.

"Well...Yeah." Frisk looked down at the floor. "I think there's something wrong between us. With...With me."

Toriel paused. Her paws lingered on the plate she was currently rinsing off. She stared ahead, looking like her soul had just stopped. A hint of fear played over her eyes. Something wrong? Oh, how Toriel dreaded those words. They brought back horrible memories. She couldn't lose another one. Not now.

She couldn't lose Frisk.

"Mom?"

The kitchen had gone silent, save for the water running from the tap. Frisk looked up at Tori with a mixed expression of concern and confusion. She wasn't entirely sure what she had said that caused her mother such distress. "Are you okay?" She put a hand on the queen's arm, hoping the touch would offer some comfort.

"Y-Yes, my child!" Toriel snapped back into action. She pulled the plates from the sink and set about drying them. Her movements were tense, like she still wasn't fully there.

Frisk watched her for a moment. Maybe this wasn't the best time to bring this up.

"What were you saying, Frisk? About you and Sans?" Toriel glanced at Frisk, seeming to be recovering. She offered the human a small smile, though it was shaky and nervous.

"Um...I think something's wrong."

Toriel tensed again, but carried on with a nod. "How so, my child?"

"Well, I...I don't know!" Frisk clenched her fists at her sides, sudden irritated as she realized that she couldn't really explain her emotions. Every word that could help her evaded her tongue's grasp. "We've been okay for so long. More than okay! He's like a big brother to me!" Frisk's sighed. "Or he was."

"Oh? Did something happen?"

"I don't think so. Nothing that I can remember, anyway." Frisk shrugged, and let her shoulders slouch in defeat. "I don't even know when it started. All I know is, sometimes, when I see him, I feel weird."

Toriel paused again. This time, a sly smile spread on her face. All the tension left her body. "Mm-hmm," she hummed as she put the dishes away.

"It's like...Like I can't even look at him without feeling awkward! My heart races, I sweat, I shake. It's gross and embarrassing, and I don't know how to stop it!" Frisk swiped the recently cleaned forks from the counter, and placed them in the silverware drawer. She closed it a little more firmly than she meant to. Flinching, Frisk rubbed at her face with an exhausted sigh.

Toriel turned to look at Frisk. "And it's only when you're around Sans?" There was a knowing tone to the older woman's statement, but Frisk didn't pick up on it.

"Yeah! And it's putting a huge strain on our friendship. You should have seen what happened last night, Mom! It was so bad that Sans had to leave the house in the middle of dinner!" She rubbed at her face again. "I felt so bad. I mean, it's better now. But still!"

Toriel hummed in understanding, now standing in front of Frisk. She held her paws at her front, keeping a patient and regal posture.

"When he's around, sometimes he's all I think about. I can't think of anything else, even if I try. I could...I could be on fire! I could literally be on fire, and still wouldn't be able to think about anything but Sans standing right in front of me!" Frisk gave an exasperated sigh. "Am I sick, Mom?"

Toriel's only response was to laugh warmly.

Frisk looked up, confused and a little annoyed. This was serious!

"Oh, sweetheart," Toriel finally said. "You are not sick, my child. You are lovesick."

Frisk's heart skipped a beat. Alphys' words came rushing back to her. She was sure the scientist was just being a goofy romantic, but now she wasn't so certain. "But are you sure? I don't think..."

"I'm sure. Everyone in the Underground adores Sans. I foretold you feeling the same towards him, but I never imagined you actually falling for him." Toriel chuckled again.

"How do you know, Mom?"

"I was young once too, dear."

Frisk slouched. "What do I do? I can't just come out and tell him. What if he doesn't feel the same? Then our friendship really will be ruined." She felt paws grip her shoulders, and looked up at Tori.

"My child, your friendship with Sans is so much stronger than you give it credit for. Everything will be fine." Toriel brushed Frisk's cheek warmly, and the two smiled at each other. Once the human nodded at her words, Toriel straightened up and took her hand.

"Now, let's see if we can get lazy bone's attention." She began to pull Frisk towards the bathroom. "We're going to rattle his bones so bad, he won't ever be able to look away from you."

Frisk gave a sheepish smile as she allowed herself to be dragged into the bathroom. She had never seen this side of Toriel before. She wasn't sure whether to be terrified or excited. Maybe both.

Determination[TopSpeedOfSound & MurderVictim] HIATUS

Toriel chuckled as she disappeared into the kitchen.

Frisk sat up and leaned against the armrest. "Yeah, she is," she said in a light tone. There was no arguing or denying it. Toriel babied Frisk anytime she got the chance. Frisk couldn't bring herself to refuse Tori's motherly side, especially now that she wasn't living with her anymore. It was the equivalent of a young adult finally living on their own, who still wandered back to their parents for a chat and a place to do laundry.

In all honesty, they both needed it. Toriel got the chance to have a child to raise and love forever. And Frisk got a mother who actually gave a damn about her. It worked for everyone.

Frisk looked up at Sans. "But I don't mind. It's nice having a mom who cares." She stopped herself there, freezing as she stared at Sans. Those words had tumbled out of her mouth so fast, that she hadn't had time to stop them.

It wasn't often that Frisk alluded to her previous life. She didn't like talking about the world she left on the surface, or why she had climbed Mount Ebott in the first place. After all the resets and years, she hardly remembered it. But there were still flashes of...something. Memories? Childhood fears? She wasn't sure. But she did know that she was in a far better place, with people who loved her so much more. Still, it was a touchy subject.

Pausing for a moment, Frisk looked away from Sans. "I, um...I'm gonna go help Mom." Just as she always did when the subject came up, she ran away from it. She ran away from whatever reactions she recieved. Quickly, Frisk stood and headed straight into the kitchen.

Toriel's voice chimed soon after, but then lowered into a hushed tone.

"Frisk...Sweetheart, is something wrong?"

"N-No! Everything's fine. Here, let me take those."

Moments later, the two re-entered the living room with plates of freshly baked, warm pie in their hands. Frisk carried two, while Tori carried one and the forks. The queen handed a plate and fork to Sans, then made her way to the couch where Frisk handed her a plate as she sat down.

Frisk was quiet as she poked at her slice of pie, her mind on other things. Toriel, to take any attention off the human, smiled at Sans. "So, how is Papyrus?"

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As the two continued into her home, Toriel watched them. She had noticed how flustered Sans had been during their hug, and could see how Frisk walked at a small distance from him. One could argue that she was only having a tough time keeping up, but the old queen knew better. She hummed to herself as she carried on behind them.

As soon as she was upstairs, Frisk inhaled the comforting, warm scent that surrounded the living area. It brought back memories, ones of her first time in there and of her childhood. The home never changed much, which didn't surprise Frisk. Her old crayon drawings were still stuck to the walls, and a couple old toys were still placed beside the chair.

The human settled down on the overstuffed sofa Toriel had acquired not long after Frisk had moved in with her. She stretched and made herself comfortable, soon looking to the stairs as Toriel came up.

The side of Toriel's warm smile twitched at the mention of Asgore. "We've been...talking," was all she said. But that answer was far better than what it could have been before.

Frisk sat up with a curious look on her face, yet didn't say anything about Asgore. Instead, she smiled and changed the subject. "Something smells really good, Mom! Is it ready yet?" As hard as she tried, Frisk could never refuse any of Toriel's cooking, even if she had just eaten.

Toriel smiled brightly and nodded. "It sure is, my child! It's your favorite, butterscotch pie." Her old soul nearly burst at how excited Frisk was at hearing that. No matter how old the human got, Toriel was delighted to know that she never lost her enthusiasm.

"I'll go get us some." Just as Toriel turned to head into the kitchen, she stopped and looked at Sans. "You do want a slice of pie, right Sans?" She gave a teasing smile, raising an eyebrow.

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Frisk smiled and opened her mouth, wanting to say that her sweater was doing a decent job at keeping her warm, but was cut off by the sudden squeal. She jumped and inched closer to Sans, throwing her gaze over her shoulder. When she found that it was only Alphys, who seemed just as flustered as Frisk was startled, the human quickly relaxed. She exhaled the breath she had been holding.

When the scientist approached, Frisk offered a smile and a wave. Of course, both fell when the term "love birds" left Alphys' mouth. She tensed, a blush instantly blooming on her cheeks. She shook her head, more and more embarrassed as Alphys continued to speak.

Luckily for her, Sans put an end to it. She looked between the two, hoping the awkward encounter would be over soon. Her and Sans? Love birds? Her recent feelings were strange, sure. But certainly that wasn't it. Sans would never see her like that, anyway. Alphys was watching too much romantic anime, again!

Frisk could only give a nervous smile as Alphys hurried off. She looked at Sans, but by then he was already continuing down the path. She wiped the smile from her face and carried on just the same. Her heart pounded, and she secretly wished that her blush would fade soon.

They walked on in silence, and Frisk didn't seem too bothered by that. In fact, she preferred it after such an event. Her mind was still reeling from such a subject. Alphys didn't know what she was talking about. She just had to tell that to herself.

Fortunately, the door to the Ruins came into sight faster than she anticipated. Not only would it save her from being alone with Sans after what Alphys said, it would also be nice to get someplace warm. The cold was starting to bite through her sweater, and she didn't have the nerve to ask for Sans' jacket.

Walking up to the door, Frisk knocked and then stood back to patiently wait. Before, she would consider calling Toriel to tell her that they were there. But she had learned long ago that sounds carried well in the hall beyond that door. Toriel didn't need anything else to know of their arrival.

It also seemed that the queen had a sixth sense about her when it came to Frisk. Hardly a moment went by before the door creaked open. Frisk smiled brightly as Toriel came into view, and hugged the older woman before she could say her greeting.

Toriel chuckled warmly as she wrapped her arms around Frisk in a tight hug. "It is so good to see you, my child." She gave Frisk a squeeze, then looked up to see Sans. "And you too, Sans!" She lifted an arm from Frisk, put it around Sans' shoulders, and gently pulled him in to join the hug.

"You too, Mom!" Frisk let herself melt in the monster's arms. She stepped back and straightened out her sweater.

Once the hug was over, Toriel stood up straight and stepped aside. She gestured with her arm for the other two to continue towards her home, while she closed the doors behind them.

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"Ugh! Sans!" Just as the skeleton predicted, Frisk pouted as she tried to shoo his hand away from her hair. "C'mon, that's not cool." Of course, she couldn't help but laugh, even as she was forced to bring her brush back to her hair to straighten it out. Her hair was always kept to a short length, so it wasn't too difficult to tame, luckily for Sans.

"Okay, I won't be long," she said as she set her brush down. As Sans left, she grabbed her toothbrush. She continued her usual morning routine, following it with washing her face and putting on fruity smelling body spray.

Frisk looked at her reflection, and again was forced to pause. That was her reflection, her face. There was no doubt about it. But how many times in previous resets had she seen someone different? Sometimes Chara stared back at her with a wide, crazed grin. Sometimes it was still Frisk, but with a cold and blank expression. Sometimes she only saw a girl with a terrified look in her eyes, not knowing what she had gotten herself into.

It was nice to see just...Her. Normal Frisk. She hoped with all her heart that this would stay. Not just for her sake, but for everyone else's.

Frisk might have stayed there a while longer, if Sans hadn't called out to her. Snapping back to what she had been doing, Frisk set her body spray down and looked to the door. "Yeah, just one more sec!"

Leaving her reflection behind, Frisk hurried out of the bathroom and to Pap's room, where she had left her shoes.

"Okay, I'm all ready!" She smiled at Sans. It'd be nice to walk with him to the ruins, right where it all started. Quality time with one of her favorite skeletons was something she hadn't had in a while, and hopefully it wouldn't be ruined by her flustered emotions.

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Frisk giggled and snorted at Sans' joke.

She thanked Papyrus for taking her plate, then stood. She stretched and went to straighten out her shirt, pausing when her fingers found the hem of Sans' jacket. It was so comfortable, fit so naturally on her frame, that she had completely forgotten that she was wearing it. The events of the previous night came flooding back, leaving her unable to stand there with a blank stare on her face.

The nightmare had felt so real. They always did, as they should. They weren't mere illusions, or over exaggerated fears. They were memories of the past, forever burned into her skull. No matter what timeline she was in, how good she behaved, she would never be able to forget.

It was for the best, really. Those nightmares were a harsh reminder of her sins, a desperate plea from her conscience to be a true pacifist. They were also one of her few punishments. Karma was going to smack her no matter how many times she reset. And Frisk knew she deserved any and all consequences she was given. To her, she wasn't given enough.

Why was Sans trying to pretend that nothing had ever happened? Why was he okay with her living with him and Papyrus? Dammit, why didn't he hate her! As appreciative as Frisk was for Sans' forgiveness - if one could even call it that - she knew it wasn't right. After all she did, after all the damage she caused. Hell, if she concentrated she was sure she could still feel Papyrus' dust between her fingers. It disgusted her. Didn't she disgust Sans, too?

Frisk looked up to the second floor, eyeing the part of Sans' door that she could see from where she stood. Deep down, she knew she'd have to talk to Sans about all of this. She had to talk to him about a lot of things. But she was too afraid of what would become of such talks.

Sighing, Frisk drew her arms around herself in a light hug, pressing the jacket closer to her. She buried her face in the fabric, ignoring how the zipper poked at her. After a moment of standing there, finding comfort in Sans' jacket, Frisk straightened up and headed for the stairs.

Her clothes were kept in a side closet at the end of the hall. She kept the different stacks as neat as she could, keeping them distinguished between what was dirty and what was still clean. The monsters around Snowdin, as well as Toriel, were all kind enough to lend her clothes and give her whatever fell from the surface. Toriel even knitted her sweaters and scarves with her signature blue and purple stripes. That was the easiest way to recognize Frisk, afterall. Just look for the blue and purple stripes.

While Papyrus was busy in the kitchen, Frisk quickly ducked into his room to change. It was bothersome not having her own room, but they all made due and worked things out fairly well. She reluctantly switched Sans' jacket for one of her sweaters.

With jacket in hand, Frisk made her way to the bathroom. With the very same comfort one would expect between old roommates, she headed inside the open door and reached around Sans to grab her hair brush. "You need to be more careful with your jacket, Sans," she said with a grin. "I almost stole it for the whole day, again."

While smoothing out the tangles in her hair, Frisk offered the hoodie to its owner.

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Frisk always felt bad when Sans took the most burnt food. She knew he was doing it for her sake and Papyrus', so they could enjoy one of their few meals of the day. The few times she had snagged the less desirable portions of the food, she ended up not being able to eat all of it. The last thing she wanted to do was insult Papyrus' cooking, but everyone had their limits.

Now, it was like a wordless agreement. She didn't feel any better for it, though. Sans deserved to fully enjoy his breakfast like everyone else.

Frisk followed the brothers back to the couch, easily taking her usual spot between them. Unlike the previous night, she was feeling relaxed and comfortable. Sans was sitting right next to her, yet she was perfectly at ease. It had to have been from her nightmare - the mornings after such dreams were often easygoing if she woke up with Sans. Her fears and guilt were momentarily vanquished, thanks to the short skeleton.

Frisk looked up as Papyrus spoke, glancing to Sans when he answered. She smiled, looking back down at her food before she answered. "Yeah, same here." She flashed an appreciative look at Sans, then took another bite. A moment went by before she said anything else. "Oh," she chimed before swallowing the food in her mouth. "Toriel called me yesterday and asked if I could visit her soon. I think she texted you, Sans?"

Toriel never beat around the bush when it came to her wanting to see Frisk. Before, it was a little embarrassing. But now Frisk felt warmed by it. Toriel was more of a mother to her than her own biological mother, who she couldn't even recall the face of. The older she got, the less time she could make for Toriel. So she visited whenever she could, or jumped right to it when the queen asked.

"I probably shouldn't make her wait," Frisk said with a small laugh.

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Frisk was engulfed in comforting warmth. Her dreams were blank, consisting of just an empty void where she couldn't move or speak. But she didn't struggle. She simply let herself float, content to stay right there. It was like she was wrapped in a thick blanket, or snuggled in one of Toriel's hugs. There was something more, however. A hint of blue magic crackled in front of her every so often. It popped and sparked, yet completely harmless. Was that where she was? In a void of blue magic?

Before she could go deeper with that thought, Frisk found herself startled by a voice.

---

In reality, Frisk grumbled in her sleep at Sans' first attempt at waking her up. It certainly wasn't unusual behavior for her. Sleeping in was one of her favorite things, as she was nowhere near a morning person. That morning wasn't going to be any different, especially given where she was sleeping.

Unfortunately for her, she probably should have woken up the first time.

Upon hearing Sans' teasing words, Frisk shot her head up with a snort. She scrambled back so she could sit up, hurriedly brushing her messy bangs out of her face. One side of her hair stood up in a funky bed-head style, while the other was a little frizzy. Without a doubt, Frisk always woke in the most hilarious ways.

Most notably of all was the blush on her face. "Hey," she said, drawing the word out in an attempt to seem casual. "I mean, uh...Good morning? Maybe? What time is it?" She frantically smoothed out her hair and clothes as she looked to the kitchen, finally noticing the smell of food. What a perfect distraction!

"Oh hey, food. Let's go get some." With a nervous grin, still trying to play off her embarrassment, Frisk stood and headed for the kitchen. Once there, Sans would be able to hear her compliment and thank Papyrus for making such a delicious looking breakfast.

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Frisk paused for a moment after her heard Sans' joke. Did he not remember? No, he always remembered! Besides her, he was the only one who the resets didn't fully affect. He had never alluded to that fact, though. Frisk wasn't sure why, as surely he had similar nightmares and night terrors to her own. Was it to protect her, or keep the peace between them? In some timelines, despite her taking the kinder path, Sans still appeared to hate her. He wouldn't touch her, hardly joked with her. It was like all he saw was the monster dust on her hands, specifically Papyrus'. Frisk couldn't say she blamed him.

She'd give anything to never see that side of Sans again. Apparently, pretending it never happened was the best way to achieve that. So, she smiled. It was small, but it was genuine. She sniffled as she looked up at him, put at ease by his laidback nature. She was finally starting to see why she had such powerful feelings for Sans.

His jacket smelled like snow and pine needles, undoubtedly from his time spent in the woods. There were traces of hot dog and ketchup too, and it all mixed together in a scent that was undeniably Sans. That very jacket brought back memories of that timeline, of every time he let her wear it. As a child, she practically swam in it. Sometimes she'd steal it from him, giggling as she playfully dared him to take it back.

She snuggled up against him, letting her weight lay on him. Her brain always expected hard, cold, uncomfortable bone. Yet, to her, his entire body was warm and soft, like she was lying with another human.

It didn't take long for Frisk to doze off. As she did, soft words tumbled from her mouth, completely unrestrained. "I don't know what I would do without you, Sans."