KNOCK ON WOOD - Ruins 2 (Ch.8)

Frisk cautiously held their stick out in front of them, unsure what to do. It had been days since the Dummy’s lesson, and aside from the brief encounter with that first Froggit no other monster had battled them. All they could really remember was that fighting was bad.

The ghost was obviously on the verge of tears. Frisk felt awful about that, but after dealing with a lot of Whimsun the past week they felt like they had a good idea of how to deal with sensitive souls.

>Comfort.

Speaking in a soft voice, you apologized for disturbing the ghost’s sleep.

The ghost’s eyes flickered to the side, and they grimaced. “haven’t i gone through enough?” They started crying, and white tears rained down… and then swerved midair on a direct path for Frisk’s Soul.

Remembering Froggit’s flies, they directed their Soul away from the danger. The drops veered to the side, trying to follow it, but they failed, missing by a wide margin.

A few spare drops hit Frisk’s actual body, some splashing against their face. They felt… odd. Not like real water, but cold, and oddly heavy. Their face felt wet for a split second before the sensation vanished, and where they were hit their skin itched, irritated--

and where it touched their skin it sizzled and burned

Frisk blinked, startled, but shook the loose thought away. Whatever that was, they’d deal with it later. Right now, they had to deal with the battle. They weren’t sure what to do, though, and they squinted at the ghost as they thought.

>Check

Napstablook - ATK 12   DEF 8

This monster wishes they were down in the dumps.

Napstablook frowned, eyes narrowed. “oh, s-so you think it’s f-funny, do you?” they asked, voice catching.

What? Frisk didn’t know why they said that, and before they could try to ask, the ghost attacked again. This time the tears came fast, too fast to dodge, like standing under a massive shower. Frisk moved their Soul to the edge of it, but still caught a few drops, gasping as they hit.

16/30

Napstablook is lashing out.

Frisk cupped their hands around their Soul protectively, its size leaving it still quite exposed. The ghost was turned away from them, murmuring angrily.

What could they do here? They didn’t have a clue. The ghost clearly wanted to just be left alone. They were upset, and part of Frisk wanted to help them, but they also didn’t want to get hurt again--those bullets hurt!--and they weren’t used to controlling their Soul. They didn’t know if they’d be able to figure out what to do before something… bad…happened…

Frisk frowned. Something about that thought felt odd. Toriel said the monsters in the Ruins wouldn’t hurt them, and no one they’d met so far had really tried to hurt them, except that Froggit, who apologized. This ghost wouldn’t actually hurt them, right?

Napstablook was glaring at them now, waiting impatiently for them to do something. Frisk wasn’t sure why they were still here, since they clearly didn’t want to be here, but at least the time they’d spent thinking had given the ghost a chance to calm down, so they tried to say something.

“D… You…” Frisk coughed. “D’you… feel…”

You ask the ghost if they feel okay.

Napstablook’s form rippled like an untuned TV set. Their answer came in the form of more bullets.

Frisk learned that if they tried to put their body between the attacks and their Soul, it didn’t work. The red heart stayed firmly in the ghost’s line of sight despite their best efforts, and nothing they did could stop it. They got hit again for their trouble, and that same ethereal itching from where it hit their body made them shudder. Their heart pounded in their chest from the feeling, but they managed to stay calm.

A stray teardrop hit the Pip-boy on their wrist, producing a single click in response.

Acid rain, dark and black and radioactive.

They trembled, remembering their brief time in the Vault. Frisk’s Soul pulsed twice, glowing weakly, and a dull ache filled their tiny frame.

3/30

Napstablook is hurt and upset.

“what do you know?”  the ghost spat, for no apparent reason.

Too much was happening, and Frisk didn’t know what was going on. Was it raining again? Why did they feel like they were back up top struggling to close the doors? What--

Frisk forced themselves to focus. They couldn’t win this battle, they had no idea what to do. The only thing they could do was run away. They needed to find Toriel, Toriel would make everything better. They turned to flee--

--and bounced off an invisible wall as they reached the edge of the battle area.

You can’t Flee this fight.

Wait, seriously? This thing is a boss? You’ve gotta be kidding me--

“i didn’t ask for this! stop making fun of me!”

Frisk didn’t hear the ghost speak, because even when they were shouting they whispered. No, instead they had their hands pressed against the barrier keeping them in place, panicking. The last time they couldn’t get through… the last time…!

Behind their back, tear-shaped bullets his their Soul, and it cracked in half.

And they were falling.

They fell backwards, numb, and black filled the edges of their vision. Upside down, they saw the horrified look on the ghost’s face, all traces of anger gone. Frisk took a distant comfort from that, at least, as they faded into darkness. They didn’t like to think someone would kill them on purpose.

And they were falling.

The ground fell out from underneath them, or at least that’s how it felt. Not that they could feel much of anything.

And they were falling.

The red glow from their Soul flickered and wavered above them, cracks spreading through it. Their eyes rolled in their sockets, and they caught a glimpse of a yellow, smiling face. Flowey?

“i’m sorry i’m sorry i’m so so sorry,” the ghost whispered. They leaned over them as best they could while keeping their distance from the Soul. From Frisk’s perspective, Napstablook looked like a light at the end of a tunnel, vanishing into the distance.

And the Soul shattered, and they were gone.

…

……

………

…………They didn’t want to die…

------------------------------

…R.! S... …..….D!

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October 31st, 2077

SAVE Loaded

Frisk spent some time trying to figure out why there was a table with fossilized cheese in an otherwise empty room.

Was it monster food? It wasn’t fuzzy or cracked like they’d seen old cheese get before, but the spiders told them that monster food didn’t go bad. But the cheese was hard as a rock--and, from the sound it made when they tapped their stick against it, had the same consistency as one as well. It made the same sound as it did when they tapped it against the wall, which concerned them.

They couldn’t even lift it off the table to take a bite, because it was stuck fast, and they couldn’t reach it with their mouth. Kris would be so disappointed in them.

Frisk scowled at the thought, but pushed it away and turned to the mousehole. They wondered if it was a normal mouse or a monster mouse. There was a dog that they occasionally saw in Refuge Row that looked like a normal dog, but displayed quite a few un-doglike properties, such as melting into the cracks in the walls, or sliding around in a sitting position, or vanishing from view when Frisk blinked. The dog had eaten Toriel's phone earlier in the week, only for it to turn up in her pocket three days later without her noticing, despite still being covered in slobber.

Despite Frisk’s best efforts, they hadn’t managed to get close enough to pet the dog. It always vanished before they could reach it.

Was the mouse a monster too? It had managed to chew a hole through solid brick, after all, but Frisk half-remembered hearing regular mice could do that too, they thought.

They bent down to peek into the hole, and heard a tiny squeak. They pondered for a moment if it was safe to get so close to a potentially wild animal’s home, then stuck their arm inside up to the elbow. It was surprisingly spacious; they couldn’t feel anything but open air on the other side.

Oh, wait, no, there was something. Something small and furry passed over their hand, and left something cold behind. There were a limited number of things that could be, most of them very not good, but thankfully it turned out to simply be a gold piece, stamped with the familiar goat-head-man.

They stood, examining the Gold.

And then they sagged against the wall, gasping for breath.

Knowing that the mouse might one day leave its hoooooly sh--shoot. Dang.

Where were they? What happened? Were they dead? Was this what being dead felt like?

Frisk patted themselves down, the stick dropping out of their hand and clattering to the floor. They were dry, they were whole, they weren’t in pain. Their heart was beating a mile a minute, but given how confused they were that was hardly a surprise.

So far, being dead felt a lot like being alive.

They slid down the wall into a seated position, hand on their chest. The pounding of their own heart calmed them down, assuring them they really were alive after all.

“Wh… What just h-happened?” they asked aloud, hoarsely. Frisk’s own voice startled them. In an unconscious movement they slapped a hand over their mouth. Unfortunately, the arm they used was the one with the Pip-boy on, and the bulky computer smacked into their face at speed.

29/30

Amazing work, buddy, bravo.

The mild pain broke whatever trance they were in, and Frisk found themselves giggling to themself. Relief replaced shock, and they relaxed against the wall, shoulders shaking. They shook so much they actually fell over, which set them off even harder. Tears, completely normal, wet, non-magical tears fell onto the ground, and they wiped the rest of their face.

Laughing, crying, and hiccuping, Frisk stood up with the help of the wall and their stick and walked to the table on unsteady legs. Once there, they grabbed one of the table legs and used it to brace themselves as they took a long, deep breath.

It took a few minutes, but eventually they were nice and calm, and not crying at all.

Most people in Frisk’s position, after going through what they just had, would be tempted to dismiss it. People didn’t die and then come back. It would be very easy to play it off as a dream, or a hallucination, or even a vivid daydream. After all, aside from their mental distress they were perfectly fine. Nevermind that dreams were never that detailed, or painful. Maybe they would have assumed that they managed to eat the cheese after all and it made them see things.

Frisk was not most people. Children have big imaginations, true, but they’re just as likely to see what’s really there as not, less burdened by any ideas of ‘normality’ that an adult would have had a lifetime to grow accustomed to. More importantly, Frisk had recently had their entire world upended and what sense of normalcy they possessed was utterly shot.

The world they knew was gone.

Monsters were real, and friendly.

They had died, and now they were alive. Okay, sure.

That settled, Frisk’s next question was what to do next. A peek into the next room showed them that Napstablook was still inside, flat on their back and pretending to be asleep.

The ghost had ki--hurt them, but they were okay now. It never happened. The smart thing to do would be to turn around and go back to the Row. Ignore the ghost, don’t provoke them again, don’t get hurt a second time.

But on the other hand.

Frisk, very quietly so as not to be noticed--

Agility Check: 3. Passed. Oh boy…

--took another look at the ghost. They hadn’t noticed them, and so, straining their ears, Frisk could just hear Napstablook softly crying; they stared up at the ceiling, tears tracking down their sides.

The ghost hurt them… but they hadn’t meant to, and they were so miserable.

Frisk knocked on their stick. They’d come back once, right? It could happen again.

Flawless logic.

Frisk thought so, too. Napstablook was hurting, and they needed to help.

They stepped fully into the room, and the ghost clammed up, murmuring the letter ‘z’ over and over again.

Frisk stood over them patiently. When the ghost’s eye cracked open to check if they were gone, Frisk smiled and waved.

“H-h-hello,” they managed. “A-are y-y--you… kay?” Ugh. They sounded like a little kid.

Napstablook sighed heavily, rising off the ground. “oh, why can’t i just be left alone…”

“Sorry.”

The ghost pouted, tears already falling. Frisk flinched at the sight of them, then again when the world faded sluggishly into black and white.

Here comes Napstablook.

Frisk smiled in what they thought was a kind manner. “S-sorry for b-bothering you,” they said again.

>Comfort

“haven’t i gone through enough?” Napstablook asked, just like before, and their crying jumped in intensity. The first volley wasn’t too difficult, and they avoided it easily.

>Comfort

You ask Napstablook if everything is alright.

The ghost’s eyes flickered to the side, which--huh. Frisk thought they did that the first time, too, but they hadn’t thought much of it then since they were too worried about the battle. They looked over their shoulder to try and see what the ghost was looking at. When they turned around, they realized this was a mistake, because the bullets were already heading toward them.

On reflex, Frisk held up their arms to try and block the attack. It actually did work to protect their Soul a little--only one drop got to it--but aside from the uncomfortable feeling of the bullets hitting their body, something else odd happened. When the teardrops hit Frisk’s Pip-boy, it produced a rough clicking sound.

When the attack ended, Frisk stared at the computer with concern. What had caused that? With a cautious look up to the monster, Frisk tapped the Pip-boy’s screen, but nothing happened. It looked fine, except…

Huh. A light on the side was flickering on and off. Frisk hadn’t noticed it before. What did that mean? Napstablook was still waiting impatiently for their turn, so they flipped through the Pip-boy’s functions, looking for anything odd.

Honestly, Frisk didn’t actually expect anything; for all they knew that light had been there the whole time without them noticing. But then they got to the radio.

Right there, under the radio station they’d reached back in the Vault, was a listing that was just a string of random symbols. Some of the symbols were even layered over each other. Curiously, they switched to it.

You fiddled with the radio, “but noth--urk!”

There was a harsh burst of static and feedback, and then a bouncy, jazzy tune began playing.

Napstablook gasped, eyes wide. Slowly, he floated over and listened intently, seemingly not even noticing Frisk anymore. Frisk didn’t say anything, too curious to say anything.

The tune was pretty short, starting over when it got to the end, and on the second run Napstablook hummed along with the melody. A pair of nubby arms poked up from the ghost’s form, one tapping their side while the other waved as if conducting.

Frisk beamed. This was much better than before!

Napstablook started crying again, and the kid tensed, but they fell straight down without even trying to reach their Soul. On the third replay, Napstablook blinked and suddenly remembered they were there. The ghost backed off rather suddenly, looking sheepish.

“oh no… i’m sorry, but that song is so… it’s just so… me. it speaks to me.” They sighed, but there was a happy tone to it. “i really needed that. i’m sorry for getting upset.”

“I-It’s okay,” Frisk promised. They hesitated. “Are y-you, okay?”

Napstablook frowned, and Frisk cringed, thinking they’d said something wrong. But the ghost just shook their head. “no, not really. i’ve… been through it.” They smiled, slightly. “but… thanks, for asking. no one ever does.”

The battlefield faded, and Frisk’s soul returned to their chest. The lively music faded with it, to Napstablook’s disappointment, but a different song replaced it. After listening to the mellow tune for a moment, they nodded, satisfied.

“i like that one, too,” they said, floating down until they were at eye-level with Frisk. “do you have a copy i can borrow?”

Frisk blinked, then shook their head sadly. “It’s… r-radio.”

“oh… well, it’s just as well,” Napstablook sighed sadly. “it’s not like i could play it on anything.” They sat down against the wall, eyes watering again. “oh… all my tunes, my pc, my house…”

Sitting down next to them, Frisk tried to comfort them with a reassuring hand. Unfortunately, they passed right through and awkwardly froze in place, hand inside the ghost’s chest. Napstablook coughed, and Frisk hurriedly pulled away.

That got the ghost to smile at least. “oh… hey, you showed me something cool, so let me try…” Their tears shifted direction, flowing up instead of down. Frisk watched, wary but fascinated, as the white magic liquid gathered on top of the ghost’s head, solidifying and taking shape. “i call it ‘dapper blook.’”

The white top hat sat jauntily on Napstablook’s head. It shimmered in the meager light of the Ruins, glowing with the same soft white as the ghost themself.

“do you like it…?” they asked, looking worried.

Frisk smiled wide and flashed a thumb’s up, giving them an enthusiastic “C-Cool!”

And Napstablook relaxed. “oh gee…” they said, bashful. “after losing my home, i really just wanted to be alone… i’m glad i met someone nice instead.” They looked towards the opposite side of the room. “oh no… was i in your way? let me just--”

But Frisk shook their head. “J-Just ex… ex…” They huffed and typed, “Just exploring. You lost home? Lots of monsters have. Come to Refuge Row?”

Napstablook read the screen with a look of mild worry. “refuge…? oh, i don’t know… if there’s lots of monsters there… but i guess i have a cousin who lives in the ruins,” they added, when Frisk looked disappointed. “they’re a ghost who lives in a dummy.”

Frisk brightened. “I know that guy! It helped me out a while ago!”

“small world… if you know where they are, then i guess you can visit… if you want to…”

Frisk grinned, and with a shy smile the ghost faded into invisibility, and as they left so did the music. Frisk’s smile faltered at the sudden disappearance, but still, they were glad to have helped Napstablook cheer up, even if it was an accident.

They had originally planned on making their way back to the balcony and see Toriel’s house for themselves, but now, well. That was kind of a trial to go through, and they were a little tired. Maybe instead they’d trek back and make sure Napstablook found their way to Dummy.

They turned around and started making their way back to the Row.

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YOU WON!

You gained 0G, and 200 PP!

You leveled up! (Lvl.3) Oh boy!

I think you need… Aha.

Dodgy☆

(AGI4) They can’t hit you if you aren’t there. Duh. You’re now better at dodging.

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Frisk paused in the doorway, and stared at their wrist.

Vault Boy stared at them from the screen… or was it Vault Girl? It was hard to tell, and it didn’t really look like either. The figure waved at them and then winked out.

Curious. They wondered what that was about?