Crystal?
A small hand tugged at the smooth, dry digits of the Monster, opening Sans turned his attention down to the young girl at his left side, “Hmm?” The skeleton tilted his head, a contented smile in place, though the prominent eye teeth and those around looked more fang like then with human teeth. It was and wasn’t a scary sight, the normal to the part were getting used this new Monster to the area that seemed happy to people watch, and watch the little girl that came with him to play on the playground.
Unlike most of the other parents and caretakers, this monster didn’t hover over his charge, nor get absorbed in a phone or pad. The skeleton monster wasn’t the best of fashion sense, but his fur lined jacket was the envy of many in the chilling fall weather. Also a few looks from those that couldn’t resist the cute when the monster wrapped his charge in his jacket when carrying her home, or comforting after a big enough tumble that she ran to him.
Right now Sans was shifting his full focus onto Frisk as he saw her expression, a frown dipping her brows and a flicker of uncertainly washing through the magician field around girl’s soul that he could see and sense. “What’s wrong?” he asked, both eyes wide open as black voids and bright white orbs that were like pupils, checking for any new scuffs or cold mud.
“...ah,” Frisk looked down then up, hesitated and tugged on the boney hand again, this time to get the bigger monster to move then get his attention.
“What are doing?” A bemused Sans asked, staying rooted to the spot it seemed like.
“You gotta come,” the girl finally said, looked all around and then in a not so quiet voice of the young added, “It’s a secret.”
“Oh really?” Sans arched an eye ridge, finally moving to let the shorter child lead him off. He relaxed as she seemed to be just fine physically that it.
“Yes.” The girl tugged, leading with enough enthusiasm that Frisk was leaning forward at an agle to try and pull Sans along faster.
Catching on that she may want to talk more privately, as this wouldn’t be the first time Frisk was too shy to ask any other monster or adult a question. Sans stopped and stooped, picking the girl up and tucking her under one arm, grinning at the yelp and then giggling protests, but he held onto the wiggling child. “There,” the male said after blinking to another place, swinging the girl up and around in order to plop down in the chair in his back yard. “S’up kiddo?”
“Sans...can, I want... please?” The girl stumbled over her words, shifting in the Monster’s arms.
Frisk hid her face against the visible fur lining on the blue jacket, giving an almost over dramatic sigh, then looked up, “Can you help me Sans?” at the arched ridge she added, almost shy, and that was odd for her now, after a year and a half living with the monster and the others. “I wanna... want to see it.”
“...what?” Sans asked, baffled.
“My soul.” Frisk said, looking down at her chest as she was still enough that she could almost feel the subtle rise and fall of the monster’s rib cage. Sans didn’t exactly breath like a human, he did, but it was slow and shallow.
“Your soul?” Sans asked, tilting his head, “You’ve seen it, several times in the underground.” The Monster winced a little, Frisk had been forced into too many situations that exposed her soul, and Sans didn’t want the girl to have to go through that.
“Well,” Frisk shifted, leaning back on Sans’ supporting right arm, looking up at the Monster’s face, “We’re been learning history this week in school! Mommy was helping from the underground point of view,” Suddenly the child was rambling out, her words in a rush, “But Miss Jackie, and Miss Rea’ who came to school were talking about history from the humans and monsters on the surface-” Frisk paused to gasp in a breath, thinking of her human teacher and the other monster who came in sometimes to help, “And they keep talking about gem souls, Miss Jackie said that everyone has one and that almost non are alike. And Miss Rea said that monsters can draw out human souls- I knew that, but she said that that was rude and mean and monsters on the surface don’t do it unless their working with doctors or something to do with grown-up deep friendships. What is that? Mom won’t tell me... Then I asked why some souls are dull and just bright but they said souls aren’t like that. Sans, is there something wrong with me? My soul wasn’t like the pictures in all the books!”
It took a moment for Sans to react, to absorb the rambling and the skeleton fully scooped up the girl as he realized tears was forming. Wrapping her up with his arms and jacket in a protective hug that was as fluffy as well as hard as Frisk was pressed against the Monster’s rib cage, “Hey, hey, there’s nothing wrong with you kiddo.” Sans ducked his head, his ever exposed teeth pressed against the top of the girl’s head as Sans nuzzled her, a few fangs catching some strands of hair, with a spark of magic. It was his only way to give a version of a kiss.
“But I’m not like the pictures, or the paintings!” Frisk clutched at her chest, sniffing but responding to the affection offered.
“I think… that’s because you only saw it in the underground.” Sans said thoughtfully, he gave another small nuzzle as he thought of similar things he had been learning from a local human witch he had been spending some time with at a nursery just outside of town.
“...underground?” Frisk asked, looking up as a boney hand pet the back of the girl’s head, but she didn’t looked like she believed him.
“Ahh...” The Monster hesitated, lifting his head to look around, glanced down at the stressed and worried expression on the child’s face before sighing. Sans shifted her around to lower Frisk back down, “...don’t tell Torry about this.” The skeleton ordered, his left hand pulling down the girl’s hands, eyeing the girl until Frisk nodded, sniffing.
Sighing again, Sans’ left eye changed from white to blue, he reached out with his magic to get a grip on Frisk, feeling her shiver as his hand moved back to her chest. The Monster skeleton touched the girl’s caller bone and pulled back, being as gentle as he could with Frisk so trusting.
Sans paused, staring as Frisk gasped, but from surprise then any pain that might have been induced in his grip. Sans was taken aback as he looked at the small soul that glittered softly from under and between his phalanges. The glow was much dimmer now with sun out, but it was there, and different. Lighter in shade, not red but soft pink between his fingers, and as Sans moved his hand his expression softened at seeing the transparent, pink soul, glittering from within and from reflecting the daylight, with soft red swirling up one side and a two winding maroon colored veins were hair thin.
“There’s nothing wrong with you Frisk.” Sans said, with all the confidence in the world, smiling wide as he looked at the girl in the eyes, and winked as she gripped his fingers. “It’s the sun kiddo, souls look different in the sun.”