POV: Blue, Christmas Eve
I HONESTLY DIDN'T SEE THE MERIT IN THIS HOLIDAY MISS HUMAN CALLED 'CHRISTMAS' AT FIRST. BUT WHEN SHE EXPLAINED IT TO ME, I REALIZED HOW IMPORTANT THIS EVENT IS! IT IS A TIME OF SHOWING GRATITUDE AND CARE FOR LOVED ONES BY EXCHANGING GIFTS AND SHARING TIME TOGETHER! I WAS EAGER TO BEGIN DECORATION, BUT MISS HUMAN INSISTED ON WAITING UNTIL 'THE LAST MINUTE' TO SURPRISE EVERYONE.
HOWEVER, I WAS NOT CONTENT TO WAIT! SO I RECRUITED INK AND WE PLANNED TO SURPRISE HER WITH A CHRISTMAS PARTY! IT WAS MY IDEA, OF COURSE.
SO WE GATHERED OUR FRIENDS TO HELP OUT! DUST AND FELL WERE THE MOST RELUCTANT (SURPRISINGLY, HORROR QUICKLY COMPLIED, LIKELY BECAUSE WE MENTIONED THAT FOOD WOULD BE INVOLVED), BUT WITH SOME 'ENCOURAGEMENT,' WE ALL MANAGED TO CONVINCE THEM TO LEND A HAND!
I PUT INK AND DUST IN CHARGE OF DECORATIONS, ERROR AND HORROR IN CHARGE OF FOOD PREPARATION (BECAUSE EVEN I KNOW THAT HORROR CANNOT BE LEFT ALONE IN THE KITCHEN), CLASSIC AND FELL IN CHARGE OF GAMES, AND LILAC AND I IN CHARGE OF GIFT SHOPPING!
IT FEELS SO STRANGE TO CALL HIM THAT...
BUT ANYWAY! EVERYTHING WAS GOING QUITE SMOOTHLY! INK WAS FINISHING HANGING THE LAST OF THE LIGHTS, THE FINAL BATCH OF COOKIES WAS BEING MADE (I SAW HORROR SNEAKING TASTES OF THE BATTER, BUT I ELECTED TO STAY QUIET), AND FELL AND CLASSIC WERE GATHERING THE STRAGGLING PACKAGES FOR LILAC AND I!
IT WAS ABOUT MIDNIGHT, AND NO ONE WAS COMPLAINING.
THEN...WELL...
MISS HUMAN CAME STUMBLING DOWN THE STAIRS.
EVERYONE FROZE AND LOOKED OVER AT HER. I'M FAIRLY CERTAIN INK WAS TEETERING ON THE TOP STEP OF A LADDER, TRYING NOT TO FALL (AS HE WAS HOLDING THE LAST STRAND OF
LIGHTS). HE HAS EXCELLENT BALANCE!
SHE WAS WEARING A RED LONG-SLEEVED SHIRT WITH GREEN CHRISTMAS TREES ON IT, AS WELL AS GRAY PAJAMA PANTS. HER FACE WAS MISSING HER NORMAL GLASSES, HOWEVER.
HER EYES WERE CLOSED, AND SHE WAS SNORING SLIGHTLY. WAS SHE DOING THAT ACTIVITY CALLED...SLEEPWALKING?
SHE NEARLY FELL DOWN THE STEPS, BUT SHE MANAGED TO CATCH HERSELF IN TIME AS SHE WANDERED OVER TO THE BAR AND FLOPPED OVER IT.
NO ONE MOVED OR BREATHED. IT WAS PROBABLY BECAUSE WE DIDN'T WANT TO WAKE HER AND RUIN THE SURPRISE.
"Sleepy, sleepy," SHE MUMBLED. "Sleepy skeles."
WE ALL STARED AT HER.
"Very nice skeletons...friends? I guess?"
SOME OF US SUCKED IN SOME AIR. I COULDN'T TELL WHO, BECAUSE MY EYE SOCKETS WERE ON MISS HUMAN.
"Maybe..." SHE MUTTERED. "I mean, are they friends? Some of them...I mean...well..."
SHE REACHED OVER AND, AS IF BY SOME MYSTERIOUS INSTINCT WITHIN HER, SNATCHED A WARM COOKIE FROM A TRAY, SHOVING IT INTO HER MOUTH AND CHEWING THOUGHTFULLY.
"Good cookie. Good cooks. Nice skeles..."
SHE STOOD FROM HER SEAT, STILL CHEWING, AND STAGGERED BACK OVER TO THE STAIRS, CLIMBING UP ON THEM ON ALL FOURS.
"I wonder...how...they feel...?" WAS THE LAST WHISPER FROM HER.
AND SHE DISAPPEARED AROUND THE CORNER.
WE ALL LET OUT A COLLECTIVE BREATH.
AS I LOOKED AROUND AT US, I REALIZED THAT EVERYONE'S FACE WAS THEIR OWN COLOR.
FROWNING, I FELT MY OWN FACE. IT WAS WARM. WAS I BLUSHING, AS WELL? WHY?
"that was...unexpected," FELL MUTTERED UNDER HIS BREATH, AND WE NODDED IM AGREEMENT.
"QUICK QUESTION," I SAID, RAISING MY HAND. "WHY ARE WE ALL BLUSHING?"
EVERYONE'S HANDS WENT TO THEIR FACES, AND THE BLUSHES TURNED DARKER.
"d-dunno, blue."
"y-yeah, couldn't say why."
"not sure, blue."
I KNEW THEY WERE LYING, ALL OF THEM. BUT I WASN'T SURE WHY THIS OCCURRED MYSELF. WHAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THIS FEVER IN ALL OF US? WAS THERE A PANDEMIC?!
STILL A BIT PERTURBED FROM MISS HUMAN'S VISIT, WE ALL WENT BACK TO WORK.
<Time Skip: Christmas Day>
I WOKE UP, EXCITED AS EVER. TODAY WAS CHRISTMAS!
LEAPING OUT OF BED AND INTO A HOLIDAY OUTFIT (CONSISTING OF A LIGHT BLUE SWEATER WITH SNOWFLAKES, DARK BLUE SLEEPING PANTS, AND SUPER FUZZY WHITE SOCKS, AS WELL AS MY BANDANA), I RAN DOWN THE STAIRS AND GRINNED AT OUR HARD WORK.
IT LOOKED MAGNIFICENT!
THE TREE TOWERED IN THE CORNER, FULL TO THE BRIM WITH ORNAMENTS AND LIGHTS AND POPCORN STRINGS AND CANDY CANES AND EVERYTHING WE COULD THINK OF, AND MORE! LIGHTS LINED THE CEILING, FUZZY BLANKETS WERE THROWN OVER EVERY SURFACE, AND I GRABBED THE REMOTE FOR THE TV TO TURN IT ON TO WHAT WE HAD LEFT IT AT LAST NIGHT: A ROARING FIREPLACE ACCOMPANIED BY CHRISTMAS MUSIC!
I BOLTED BACK UP THE STEPS TO WAKE EVERYONE. SURPRISINGLY, MOST OF THEM WERE EXCITED FOR TODAY AND WERE EAGER TO BEGIN!
I MADE SURE THAT THE LAST STOP WAS MISS HUMAN'S ROOM. I MADE SURE TO QUIET THE CHUCKLES AND MISCHIEVOUS WHISPERS FROM MY COMPANIONS BEFORE RAPPING ON THE DOOR.
THERE WAS A MUFFLED SHUFFLING, BEFORE HER VOICE CALLED OUT, SOUNDING AS IF SHE WAS GRUMPY AND STILL EXHAUSTED. "Who is it?"
"BLUE!" I TRIED FO SAY QUIETLY, BUT FAILING SOMEWHAT. "CAN WE PLEASE SHOW YOU SOMETHING?"
"We?" I HEARD HER MUMBLE BEFORE THE DOOR OPENED. HER GLASSES WERE ON HER FACE THIS TIME, AND SHE HAD MORE 'BEDHEAD' THAN BEFORE, BUT OTHERWISE, SHE WAS THE SAME AS SHE WAS LAST NIGHT.
SHE GLANCED BLEARILY AROUND AT THE OTHERS. "Oh. You brought company."
"ya remember what day i'is?" HORROR ASKED.
SHE SCRATCHED HER HEAD WITH A HAND. "Uh...no. Not that I can think of. Is it someone's birthday or something?"
TECHNICALLY, SHE WAS CORRECT, IF MY INTERNET SOURCES WERE TO BE BELIEVED, BUT THAT WASN'T IMPORTANT! WHAT WAS IMPORTANT WAS THAT SHE DIDN'T SEEM TO REMEMBER THAT TODAY WAS CHRISTMAS. WITH THIS AMOUNT OF JOY FROM ONE HOLIDAY, I FIND IT ODD THAT SHE WOULD FORGET THAT IT WAS THIS SPECIAL DAY!
"COME ON!" I INTERRUPTED, PULLING HER OUT OF HER ROOM AND TUGGING HER DOWN THE STAIRS. "WE HAVE TO SHOW YOU SOMETHING!"
"Excellent," SHE MUTTERED.
WHEN WE MADE IT TO THE BOTTOM OF THE STAIRS, SHE BLINKED.
"Oh."
I FROWNED, LOOKING BACK AT HER.
I HADN'T NOTICED THOSE BAGS UNDER HER EYES BEFORE. SHE MUST HAVE HAD MORE THAN ONE SLEEPLESS NIGHT. WAS SOMETHING WRONG?
SHE NOTICED THE SILENCE, AND SHE TRIED TO PULL HER FACE INTO A SMILE. "I mean, it's amazing! I love it! It's just..."
HER SMILE GREW TENSE. "...I usually spend Christmas alone...and don't put up any decorations...and do nothing..."
I GRINNED AT HER. "WELL, THIS YEAR CAN BE DIFFERENT! THIS YEAR, YOU HAVE US! WE CAN CELEBRATE TOGETHER!"
THAT ANXIETY IN HER EXPRESSION DIDN'T QUITE GO AWAY AS SHE TURNED TOWARDS US. "Oh. Thanks, Blue. Thanks, you guys."
SOMETHING WAS WRONG. I COULD FEEL IT.
<Time Skip: One Hour Later>
MISS HUMAN HAD BEEN HOGGING THE COOKIE TRAY FOR THE LAST THIRTY MINUTES. HORROR WAS VERY DISPLEASED, BUT SHE NEVER GAVE IT UP.
ALSO, SHE HAD BEEN ESSENTIALLY AVOIDING EACH CHRISTMAS ACTIVITY WE HAD SET UP! I ALWAYS FOUND HER SITTING IN A CORNER, STUFFING HER FACE WITH COOKIES.
IT WAS THE MOST RECENT OF THESE THAT FINALLY MADE ME SNAP.
I SEARCHED THE HOUSE AND FINALLY CORNERED HER IN A CORNER OF THE UPSTAIRS HALLWAY. THE TRAY NEVER SEEMED TO EMPTY, EVEN AS SHE SHOVED THREE INTO HER MOUTH AT ONCE.
HER EYES WERE SHOWING SOMETHING I WASN'T SURE ANYONE ELSE COULD SEE.
FEAR.
SHE LOOKED UP AT ME, WIPING AWAY THE CRUMBS ON HER FACE WITH A SLEEVE. "Yes, Blue?"
"ARE YOU OKAY?"
MY TONE WAS MUCH STERNER THAN I INTENDED IT TO BE.
"Oh, I'm just hungry. I promise that I'm fine, Blue."
I STARED HER DOWN, AND SHE LOOKED AWAY. I SIGHED.
"DID YOU KNOW THAT 'I'M FINE' IS THE MOST COMMONLY TOLD LIE IN THE WORLD?"
SHE LOOKED OVER AT ME, SHOCK TAKING OVER HER FACE. "Huh?"
"I KNOW YOU'RE NOT ACTUALLY FINE. YOU'RE STRESS EATING THOSE COOKIES. YOU'RE AVOIDING LARGE SPACES, TOO MANY PEOPLE, AND LOUD NOISES. YOU'RE EXPECTING AN ANXIETY ATTACK, AREN'T YOU?"
HER MOUTH DROPPED OPEN, AND SHE LOOKED PREPARED TO SAY THE ONE PHRASE I HATED TO HEAR. 'I DIDN'T EXPECT THAT OUT OF YOU, BLUE!'
IT WAS ALWAYS THAT. NO ONE EVER EXPECTS ME TO UNDERSTAND. I'M NOT AS OBLIVIOUS AS THEY THINK.
SHE CHUCKLED, LOOKING DOWN AND KICKING AT THE FLOOR. "That's pretty observant of you, Blue. I...I'm glad you noticed. At least someone did."
THAT...WAS NOT WHAT I WAS EXPECTING AT ALL.
"UH...TH-THANK YOU, MISS HU—I MEAN, R. OR Y/N?"
SHE QUICKLY LOOKED BACK UP AT ME, EYES SHINING SO BRIGHTLY THEY WERE STARS. "R would be great, Blue-Blue."
BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP.
"O-OH, OF COURSE, R!"
SHE TOOK A DEEP BREATH, AND AS SHE LET IT OUT, I NOTICED HOW SHAKY IT WAS. HER ATTACK WAS EVEN CLOSER.
"CAN I HELP YOU, IN ANY WAY, DURING YOUR ATTACK?"
SHE APPEARED UNCOMFORTABLE, BUT SHE NODDED.
"I should probably warn you. Panic attacks aren't pretty. There's some—"
"OH, WORRY NOT! I AM WELL VERSED IN THE ART OF DEALING WITH PANIC ATTACKS! NOT ONLY CAN I CALM DOWN UNDYNE, BUT I HAVE ALSO CALMED DOWN ERROR IN A COUPLE OF HIS."
SHE GLANCED TOWARDS THE STAIRS WITH THIS LOOK ON HER FACE THAT I WASN'T FOND OF IN THE SLIGHTEST. "He has them, too?"
"...YES."
EVEN I WAS SURPRISED AT THE DRYNESS IN MY TONE.
I SHOOK MY HEAD, TRANSITIONING BACK TO MY USUAL CHEERFULNESS.
"ANYWAY! IS THERE ANYTHING THAT I CAN DO TO AID IN THIS FUTURE PLIGHT?"
QUIETLY, SHE EXPLAINED EVERYTHING, AND I SILENTLY LISTENED.
<Time Skip: Two Hours Later>
WE WERE PLAYING A CARD GAME (ALL OF US, INCLUDING R) WHEN SUDDENLY, HER (EYES) WENT WIDE, AND HER CARDS SPILLED FROM HER HANDS.
HER GAZE DARTED OVER TO ME, AND SHE WAS TAKING HEAVY BREATHS.
I STOOD IMMEDIATELY, TAKING HER HAND AND LEADING HER AWAY.
"wait a sec, what's happening?" CLASSIC QUESTIONED, STANDING AS WELL. THE OTHERS ROSE TOO, BUT I IGNORED THEM, HURRYING HER UP THE STAIRS AND INTO THE BATHROOM, MAKING SURE TO LOCK THE DOOR.
HORROR WAS HEAVY ON HER FACE, AND THE SECOND I LET GO SHE SHRANK AWAY, SCURRYING INTO THE TUB AND CURLING INTO A BALL, STARING AT THE WALL AND CRYING LIGHTLY AS SHE STARTED TO HYPERVENTILATE.
I CLIMBED INTO THE TUB WITH HER, TILTING HER HEAD SO SHE WAS LOOKING INTO MY EYES.
I TOOK A DEEP BREATH, THEN SAID SOFTLY, "in for 4, hold for 7, out for 8."
I REPEATED IT, OVER AND OVER AGAIN. IT TOOK A COUPLE MINUTES, BUT SHE BEGAN TO FOLLOW, HER UNFOCUSED EYES FINDING A STABILITY. THERE WAS A SECURITY IN THE RHYTHM AND CONTROL.
I GOT HER TO SIT UP, AND SOON SHE WAS LUCID ENOUGH TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
"do you want water?"
AN UNSTEADY NOD.
"do you want your medication, as well?"
A MORE STEADY NOD.
I FETCHED THE BOTTLE FROM THE CABINET (RED AND YELLOW WITH WHITE TEXT, SHE TOLD ME) AND TIPPED OUT TWO PILLS. THEN I TOOK A SMALL WATER GLASS AND FILLED IT. I SAT DOWN BACK NEXT TO HER AND PASSED HER BOTH.
I KNEW SHE WAS FIGHTING A MUCH TOUGHER BATTLE IN HER HEAD, AND I COULDN'T HELP BUT ADMIRE HER BRAVERY AND HOW STRONG SHE WAS TO BE ABLE TO LIVE LIKE THIS.
"i'm just going to sit here until you're better, okay?"
SHE NODDED ONCE AGAIN, LETTING ME HOLD HER HAND FOR REASSURANCE.
WE LIKELY SAT IN SILENCE FOR TWENTY MINUTES. I DON'T THINK I HAD EVER BEEN THIS QUIET, BUT I SUPPOSE THERE'S A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING.
"Th-thank you," SHE FINALLY WHEEZED, LEANING HER HEAD ON MY SHOULDER.
MY FACE TURNED A LIGHT BLUE, GLOWING SOFTLY, BUT I SMILED, SQUEEZING HER HAND.
"of course, r. you're too important to lose on christmas."
AFTER LETTING HER CLEAR HER HEAD ANOTHER FEW MINUTES, WE REEMERGED, SOON GETTING SWAMPED BY THE OTHER SKELETONS. I COULDN'T HELP BUT STAND IN FRONT OF HER PROTECTIVELY.
THINGS WERE EXPLAINED, APOLOGIES GIVEN, AND FESTIVITIES CONTINUED. IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR ME TO NOT SIT NEXT TO HER FOR EVERY EVENT, SO I DID.
DESPITE THE HICCUPS, WE ENDED THE NIGHT WITH HOT COCOA AND SOME HOLIDAY CLASSICS, AND IT FELT LIKE SUCH A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS.
(Merry Christmas, everyone!
Hey guys! Lunar here.
I rushed this chapter. I wanted to get out earlier, but I guess this gift had to come a little later than intended. But Merry Christmas anyway, and a Happy New Year.
Love y'all.
Ciao, Lunarlings.
Lunar, signing off.)