[intro] EVERY DOOR A WINDOW

[hauntedxholy]

Kris Dreemurr has had a pretty long day.

The sort of day that people could probably make really weird game demos about. The sort of day that feels like it came out of Aesop and the Grimm brothers' surrogate lovechild's feverdream. Or whatever. Long day. They're tired. Time to yeet a soul.

Or like, that was the plan. As soon as they get home and open the door to their room, they lose their balance on the edge of literally *nothing* and end up falling- falling-- oof. Ok. Not falling anymore.

In a kitchen.

Not their kitchen.

Their skin is its usual color, but they're in their Dark World regalia, which is either a good or a bad sign. There's no one else around, though, and there are a few baskets full of fresh-looking fruit and bread and stuff on the counters.........

Fuck it! Time to raid a pantry.

Comments

AW YEAH HERE WE GO

[hauntedxholy]

They remain silent as Frisk thinks. Remain stoic when Frisk looks to them. Don't move as Frisk steps through the door.

Why can't Kris stop them?

Unlike Frisk, Kris' choices haven't seemed to matter in any world. A moment later they're stepping into the void themself. And in the space between worlds -- between SAVEs, between HOPE/DREAMS/LIGHT/DARK -- Frisk might hear the fading echoes of a song, if they're listening. It might even sound familiar.


...
...
...



They end up in Kris' room. The house is quiet with nighttime, and Kris themself is sprawled over the floor next to their bed, back in their usual sweater. They don't move.

[dustless]

"Oh my god," Frisk whispers, paralyzed in the center of the room.

This isn't the Castle. The Castle doesn't have carpets like this. Or lamps that need electricity. Or glowing star stickers on the walls.

Kris is on the floor. They're not wearing armor. They're maybehurt, they need help up.

Frisk can't move.

The Castle is home, the Castle is a prison.

"Kris," they croak. "K-Kris. Y-you...a-are you 'kay?"

Frisk's not.

They're smiling, shakily. They're crying, quietly.

[hauntedxholy]

Oh, right.

This isn't a dream.

Every part of their body strains as they climb to their knees, and they grit their teeth against the reply waiting on their tongue- nope. No. Nah! Testing the grip of their hand, they press it against the chest of their sweater, and reach--

in--

"GKGGKH," they say, and then as the weird fuckin parasite soul thing flashes in their grip, "uh, yeah, peachy." They glance over at Frisk's face, looking away quickly when they see the tears there.

[dustless]

The smile is off their face in a snap.

They barely hear their own shriek of "KRIS!"

They want to say DON'T DO THAT or ask HOW CAN YOU TOUCH YOUR OWN SOUL, only their throat can't take yelling. Burying their face in the crook of their arm to smother the disgusting hacking, they stagger forward in primal, terrified instinct. Oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no--

[hauntedxholy]

They don't know how they're gonna explain this to Mom. It's not like there are any otherOH SHIT WHAT THE FUCK

Startled, they toss the soul into the cage where it belongs and scrabble to their feet, trying to meet Frisk halfway. "SHHH SH SH it- it's okay, Frisk-"

They kind of take Frisk by the shoulders, trying to steady them. Oh god, why are they coughing so much. That sounds bad. Why is this happening. Their body is still heavy, still numb, which makes it hard to tell how strong their grip is. "Y-you nnneed to calm down," they whisper. If they can't, Kris might have to get their mom. Glancing at the door, they wonder if she might not be on her way already.

[dustless]

Oh no oh no oh oh okay, they're not dead or anything, but what's going on. Frisk is shaking against their fingers. It kind of hurts where they're holding. They don't care about that.

Their head tips forward. It's hard to stop coughing when they can't calm down. Way too much just happened in the last thirty seconds than they can fully process. They were never supposed to leave, a SOUL is to live, how and why the hell did they do that.

They do manage it, after a horrible time that feels like hours but is probably about a minute. By the time they can look up to stare at Kris wildly, the white around Frisk's gold irises are shot utterly pink.

[hauntedxholy]

This is awful. This just plain old sucks. Kris is really not...good...with people, even at the best of times, and this really isn't the best time for either of them. Are they supposed to say something here? Is there a procedure for this??? All they can do is flounder, kind of, and support Frisk's weight when they need it. Which--

Oh, heaven below, that pink just does not look good. "Uh." They glance at the door and back again. "Maybe a stupid question, but are- are you like, okay?"

[dustless]

Frisk turns their head to look at the SOUL in the--cage.

Why is there a cage.

They breathe a few long, scratchy breaths. They're still crying, too, and that's just another distant layer of gross. They are not taking their world being turned upside-down twice in a row well! Why couldn't they just've gotten stabbed or something, that's something they could be handling just fine.

"Me? What 'bout you?" they rasp, frantically looking between Kris and the cage.

[hauntedxholy]

Kris follows their gaze to the... oh right.

When they're sure that Frisk isn't about to topple over the second they let go, Kris heads over to their bed, hastily stripping off one of the blankets and kind of rambling the entire time. "Oh I'm great nnnow that- that I got that off my chest. Ha, get it, cuz- look, it's fine." See, now there's a blanket over it. Like it doesn't exist! All good. "I can explain later, but mmy mom's probably about to come check on--"

Aand those are footsteps. Cool! They're back at Frisk's side just in time for the knock at their door.

"Kris, are you alright? I thought I heard-" Toriel opens the door, still wearing the clothes she wore to teach today. "Oh dear! What in the world?"

[dustless]

Their mouth's open, rows of fangs glinting, to try asking another series of possibly-nonsensical questions--and then they hear mom and stuff's moving fast and the door opens.

Toriel. Been a long time since they saw her. Any her. This'd be nice under different circumstances.

Frisk yanks the basket up in front of their face, which hides their mouth and some of their eyes. Not enough to hide their view of Toriel and her face, to see if she's going to freak out. Last thing they need, but they can bolt and regroup if they have to.

"...Hi," they say. It's all they can get out without their voice doing something weird.

Can't think of any conversation topics now, anyways.

[hauntedxholy]

So. Things just keep happening, they guess. Kris takes a step forward.

"Uh, Mom," they say, "this is Frisk. Frisk, this is...my Mom. W-we, uh, there's a- the- fuck-" Yep, that's not working. They take another step forward and switch to using their hands. They don't know if Frisk can understand, but if they can, they'd see Kris sign something like, Sorry and they're my friend and need a place to stay for a bit and like, super tired right now, wow.

Toriel's expression grows more and more bewildered. But when Kris is finished, she looks between them and the smaller anxious child standing in the middle of the room, and a warm smile grows across her face.

"Kris, you should have told me you have a human friend. I would've had you invite them over much sooner!" She directs the smile at Frisk next. "I know it is very late, but is there anything I can get for you?"

[dustless]

They get some of it from the edge of their vision. They've gotten a lot of practice with sign at the castle.

"Um?" They actually would like something to drink now. What they want more, though, is for Toriel to go away. They like her and they were friends, but Kris and their SOUL is something that screams more important right now.

So they shake their head quickly. "No. Thanks," they mutter.

It's good Kris can sign, 'cause they're not going to be able to talk after this.

[hauntedxholy]

She looks for all the world like she doesn't believe them, but after a moment of consideration, she thankfully decides not to press. "Alright. I'll be heading to bed, so the kitchen is all yours if you change your mind." The look she gives them both then is a little sharper. "We'll have plenty of time to speak more in the morning."

"G'night, Mom," Kris signs, somewhat lamely.

Kris turns to Frisk as soon as the door closes behind her. "That...went well," they say. "Um. You should- should sit down." Or something. Before they like, pass out.

[dustless]

They nod. Probably would've raided the fridge (carefully) later if she didn't give permission, but it's nice she did. And a whole night is definitely enough time to think up an excuse.

They nod again at Kris after she's gone, shakily walking over and sitting on the bed by the cage.

"Okay," Frisk breathes. The basket is abandoned on their lap to free their hands. 'Why is your S-O-U-L out. How did you do that. How are you alive.'

...Is that even their SOUL?

[hauntedxholy]

"'s not-"

Sigh.

Standing in the middle of the room, Kris looks at Frisk and the rug under their feet and then the cage, still covered by the blanket. There's a faint red glow from underneath it. Amazing.

Their hands clench at their sides once, twice, three times before Kris brings them up to sign in return. "It's not mine. Dunno whose it is. D'you want it?" They grin, a little stiff. "Comes with free possession."

[dustless]

Frisk spreads their arms helplessly. Not the answer they wanted! Or hoped for! Or...anything! Plus something feels nauseatingly familiar that they slam back into the 'for later examination' box.

Kris could be lying about the 'dunno', but they'll take that at face value for now. If they're some weird warped human version of Flowey, they're being remarkably polite. 'Where'd you find it? It controlled you? I can take it?'

If Kris wants them to steal it, they will, if not letting...it?...in them. They scoot down the bed before they can even get an answer, plucking the blanket up with a pinch of just two fingers--as if it's gross--to get a clearer look.

[hauntedxholy]

Maybe there are better ways to explain this whole thing. Kris doesnt know what that would be, though, and it's not like they've ever told anyone before. So they say nothing. When Frisk lifts the blanket, the soul is visible hovering inside, somewhere near the bottom, and as they watch it veers up towards the light, nudging against the bars.

Neat!

Kris glares at it as they stalk up. "This thing came out of my nightmares." They lift the blanket off the rest of the way, glaring some more. "Kind of. About being made into a vessel, and then I wake up and suddenly something else is making all my choices for me." Frowning, they look over at Frisk. "And it...knew about you."

[dustless]

'...My S-O-U-L is mine.' They keep staring at it, something in their chest clenching. 'I shared. With a kid named C-H-A-R-A. But they didn't control me.'

But. But, but, but.

Another Chara. One who cut their throat, one from a place like where their brother-Sans came from, one that almost killed the whole Underground. They said something like this. About a third.

'What did it tell you about me?'

[hauntedxholy]

....

So is soul sharing like, a common thing? Have they been left out of the loop this whole time?

"It didn't say anything to me. It's what it said to you." They drop the blanket back down on the bed, and collapse on top of it with an oof. "The SAVEs, the- under the ground or whatever, that was..." They motion over to the birdcage, and the soul inside it.

[dustless]

"...Don't like that," they rasp. Understatement of the year. Their skin crawls, so they take a moment to rub their arms.

'I don't know it. I don't think I do. The only SAVES I knew were from S-O-U-L-S underground. And those are all dead...people. Toriel's never talked about underground? Asriel, A-S-G-O-R-E? Mt. E-B-O-T-T?'

Frisk resists the urge to reach towards the SOUL. They've had enough of that kinda accidental infestation, and rattling the bars probably won't do anything even if it's satisfying for a second.

'A S-O-U-L's supposed to stay in your body unless you're dead or a monster pulls it out in a fight.'

[hauntedxholy]

Dead people? Other SOULs??? Kris' life might be pretty weird, but what the hell is going on with this kid?

"Uh, no? What does that weird mountain have to do with anything?" Looking over at their brother's side of the room, they're reminded not for the first time how long it's been since they heard from him. Their worst fear at this point is that he's gotten caught up in all this somehow, and Ralsei being....Ralsei, hasn't really helped with that. "You said that- you met Asriel there?"

[dustless]

Frisk's not crying anymore, so they scrub at their face to wipe the tears off. And then they leave their hands there for a minute.

This is not the first time they've had to explain everything to somebody. They just thought they wouldn't have to with Kris.

A groan is muffled before they drop their hands again. 'Yes. Where I'm from, monsters and humans had a war. A long time ago. Monsters lost and got locked up and humans forgot. Mt. E-B-O-T-T was where they were forced to live under. Stuff and people could get in, but not out. Toriel and A-S-G-O-R-E were the queen and king. Asriel was born a lot later underground. And I fell down a long time after that.'

They kind of hope Kris doesn't press about Asriel.

'And that!' They point at the symbol on the carpet as a distraction, and maybe it's a clue. 'That's the...the...D-E-L-T-A R-U-N-E. It was supposed to be about monsters going free from the Underground.'

[hauntedxholy]

What...

What???

War?? Imprisonment? Kris could barely imagine their mom and dad as royalty. Could only try to wrap their mind around everyone being trapped under a freakin mountain.

Could only wonder--

...what happened after all that.

Luckily for Frisk, the Delta Rune tends to serve as more than enough of a distraction for Kris.

"...There's another world, connected to this one," they say. "The Dark World. A...a friend there told me Delta Rune is a legend about three heroes, sealing away the Angel's heaven, or something. But here it means...something else." Looking over at the soul in the cage, they fold their arms over their chest. "Just another thing that- that's different here, I guess. No war or anything. Mom's a teacher. Dad's a florist. You--" They pause for a second. "You're sure you never...or who you shared with, you never felt like you weren't always...in control?"

[dustless]

Huh. No barrier. No war. That sounds...pretty awesome.

...A teacher and a florist. A swell of fondness cuts through the urgency--that really fits them. Frisk hopes they're happy.

They wonder what happened to the rest of the humans, though. Where's Chara? Where are the dead kids, presumably not dead? Where's this world's Frisk?

Anyways.

'...Maybe sometimes?' There were a couple times when they felt like they were being influenced. Not going to FIGHT Toriel, which'd make sense for Chara. The video tapes in the Lab, which they kept trying to get away from with Chara too, but thought their own curiosity overwhelmed them. 'I mostly felt like me the whole time.'

[hauntedxholy]

Hm. Maybe sometimes. That's a pretty far cry from Kris' own situation. Maybe that's a good thing? It's not like they want anyone else to be dealing with all this like they have.

Though it keeps bringing up the question of why and how and what.

"Well, it really wanted you here." They didn't even know it could open the doors like that. "The only other person I've seen it interested in before is, uh..." Shit. What was his name. They hold up a hand over the floor, approximate height. "Skeleton dude. Told me a your mom joke and gave me a phone number to a hotline for idiot babies."