Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“You know, it’s just a skip and a hop from here to the school. We could go after we’re finished eating if you like,” Noelle said.

Susie shifted to look at Kris. 

“Maybe,” they said as they absentmindedly read the message on the back of that photo Susie returned. She was happy that she was helping, and that her help required less talking and more fetch-questing.

“Though the thought of it is already making my chest tight,” Kris said, softly chuckling.

”Well, I know I would like to visit sometime soon. I have some words for pea-brain down there, and you’d make a good chauffeur,” Noelle laughed.

”I don’t know if, uh, ‘pea-brain’ would appreciate that,” Susie said.

Noelle removed her gaze from Kris and laid it upon Susie, “Why?”

Susie… didn’t think that far ahead, “Well, I… he, uh…”

”You know how he is,” Kris interjected, elbowing Susie in the side, “He himself probably wouldn’t mind, but some of the Darkners are still afraid of Susie and he can’t stand that. Drives him insane. And… well,” Kris shrugged.

Susie rubbed the spot where she was viciously attacked, refraining from retaliating when she processed everything Kris had said.

”Oh. It’s nice of him to think of me, but I’d still like to visit, if need be we can grab that disguise I made when Queen was being… Queen,” Noelle took a sip of her hot cocoa (with extra candy cane) and smiled at Susie. 

Susie barely noticed, Kris’s elbow attack seemingly scored a critical. She smiled back, on what felt like muscle memory before correcting herself. She took nearly a fistful of the mush she made by mixing everything on her plate with mayo and devoured it, smiling at Noelle with a mouth full of goop. Noelle chuckled.

“You know what? We’ll go, not today though. Tomorrow’s easier,” Kris said, scooping eggs off their plate with their (comically sized) spoon.

”But you’ll have to give me and him some time first.”

”Well duh, I’m not stupid,” Noelle exasperated, “Where’d you get that spoon?” Noelle asked, confused.

”Oh, Dad got into metalworking after everything in his shop happened,” Kris shrugged and flipped the picture back over. Susie rolled her eyes, that poor picture must’ve been ready to throw up by now. 

“He got really into making spears for whatever reason, can’t really complain they sell well and he’s doing better financially. Chief Undyne really likes them, he made her a full suit of armour and everything. Goes around calling herself the ‘Spear of Justice’,”  Kris chuckled.

”So… your dad made it for you?” Susie asked.

”Oh, uh, yeah.”

“Coulda just said so, dumbass,” she snorted.

”Think he could make me a fork? Dad used to make this really nice salad and the only thing that could make it better is a bigger food-per-bite ratio,” Noelle said.

”Yeah, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind,” Kris said.

Susie felt a malicious smile slowly grow on her face, “Think he could reforge his marriage?”

”Susie!” Noelle quiet-yelled, laughing uncomfortably.

”I mean, maybe not the marriage thing, but Mom is at least friendly towards Dad now, we all have dinner on Sundays again. So, yeah? Kind of I guess. Sure as hell couldn’t make you less of an orphan,” Kris said.

Susie had to keep herself from laughing, loudly at least, she looked over at Noelle whose jaw was dropped.

”You two are horrible!” Noelle exclaimed. 

“We’re not horrible, she’s an orphan, and I’m a child in a broken home,” Kris said with a sly smile.

”You know what I mean!” Noelle said, almost with a harumph.

Suddenly, it hit Susie just how long it’s been a while since they all just sat together. Eating or otherwise. There were times when Berdly would join them, but Kris put an end to that rather quickly. After she put an end to his borderline harassment (and Noelle did the same) he shifted his attention over to Kris. She still remembers the first time he made a move, Kris nearly burst a blood vessel and burst one in Berdlys nose. Beak? She didn’t know what to call it. When that didn’t stop him, Kris pulled him aside after class when everyone had left. When Kris emerged from that room, Berdly followed looking as if he had been frozen solid and was clearly very afraid. How they got him to shift his sights back on her must’ve been amazing, if annoying. She still hasn’t managed to get Kris to spill the beans. 

While her thoughts were on beans, she managed to find a handful in her pile of food goop. She was just gonna get her usual, but she decided to try something new. She regretted it. Seemed that the people with the funny accents Kris would make at tea parties really couldn’t cook. Beans on toast? For breakfast? Are they even people? Alas, it was nothing gross, disgusting mayo couldn’t fix.

”Festivals soon, your brother coming again?” Susie asked, mouth full of food goop.

Kris took a moment to respond, mouth full of food and attention on Ralsei’s message, “Yeah,” they said with their mouth full. 

They took another moment to finish their food, “Sorry, uh, yeah, yeah. He should be here. Said he met someone at school last I talked to him, wants me to meet them.”

Noelle perked up, “Oooo, they got a name?”

Kris shrugged.

”Well, I’m gonna need a name. Does he still go by godof-“

”Don’t. Say it. Still can’t stand his username,” Kris sighed, “But yeah, send me any of the sweet sweet detes he gives you,” Kris said.

”Deal.”

Susie started playing footsie with herself, she’d never really been the third wheel before. She kind of enjoyed it. Free food was always nice and the conversation had less weight, not needing to always chime in to keep it alive.

”You bringing Rals, Kris?” Noelle asked.

”Uh…” 

“Can he even come up here?” Susie asked.

”I… don’t know. I assume no, otherwise he would be here with us right?” Kris said.

Noelle took another sip of her cocoa, ”Sure, but like, have you ever tried? Opening fountains doesn’t count.”

Susie felt Kris’s gaze shift to her, as her own shifted to lock eyes, both dumbfounded that they haven’t even bothered to try.

”I mean he’s never even tried and all the other Darkners were just random things up here, so…” Kris said.

”Yeah, but he’s weird,” Noelle laughed.

”She’s gotcha there Kris,” Susie said, shrugging.

”Guess I’ll have to ask him about it tomorrow. Fingers-crossed I guess? I don’t know. I’m not getting my hopes up,” Kris sighed, grabbing a spoonful of hash-browns which Susie had been eyeing for a while. Damn that oversized yet enticing spoon.

Noelle played with her food, resting her head on her hand, “Guess I’ll be going alone…”

Susie, once again wide-eyed, decided to act distracted by her food, but she felt Kris look at her.

”Sucks to suck I guess,” Kris half-mumbled.

The long, uncomfortable silence was almost unbearable, “I’ll go with you, just don’t make it weird,” Susie mumbled.

”Really?” Noelle almost shot out of her chair.

”Yeah, yeah,” Susie said, poking an odd-looking baked bean.

“So it’s a triple-date!” Noelle squealed.

”Not a date,” Susie groaned.

”And only a triple if Rals can get up here,” Kris said.

”Let me have my moment!!” Noelle exclaimed.

Kris rolled their eyes, leaving money on the table for all their food, as well as a hefty tip.

”Where do you even get all that money?” Susie asked.

”Between couch cushions,” Kris said without a hint of irony, “Think you could get us into the construction zone, Noelle?”

“Yeah, if we’re going triples we might as well scout out the place,” Susie added.

”Guys, just cause my mom-“ Noelle cut herself off when she saw the look she was getting from Susie and Kris.

”Alright, grab your things.” 

She didn’t know what to expect, she skipped all of the town's festivals after what happened at the first one she attended. It seemed pretty tame, though even she would admit it would probably look nice at night with all the lights. She already found herself attracted to the concession stands, disappointed that there was nothing she could raid. Not even deep-fried butter, which seemed a bit TOO much even for her, was there for the munching. When she managed to peel her gaze off the food, she saw that Kris and Noelle had wandered ahead without her. She quickly caught up.

”No, no, he said that he wished he-“ Kris was cut off by a punch to the shoulder.

”Leaving without me asshats?” Susie snapped.

”Oh, we just- sorry.” 

“Better be, walked right past the concession,” Susie scoffed, “Anything here even new?”

”Oh, yeah there’s always something new. Think they’re doing a field of flowers this year, Kris’s dad had an abundance of the pinks and reds, so why not use them,” Noelle said.

”Aren’t they redoing that tunnel of love this year?” Kris asked. 

“You feeling nostalgic?” Susie snorted. 

“I guess, would be nice to have that moment with Rals and actually have a say this time.”

”Sorry to disappoint, but no. The field is taking its place. Apparently, there’s more to it but I was only told about the flowers by your dad. It’s supposed to be nauseatingly romantic,” Noelle swooned.

”Ever wonder why festivals always have an obligatory romance attraction?” Susie asked.

“No,” Kris and Noelle answered in unison.

Susie just mouthed ‘okay’ to herself and kept on thinking about how lame this place is.

”Who’d they get for the concert this year?” Kris asked.

“Don’t know, still hoping for that Green Day concert that’ll never happen but a girl can dream,” Noelle kicked a rock.

Kris smiled, “They’ll hear you crying aloud eventually. All the way across town even.”

”Shut up,” Noelle said, stifling a laugh.

Susie wasn’t paying attention to their conversation anymore, the lameness of the place took over her consciousness completely.

”This place sucks,” Susie groaned.

”Didn’t YOU ask to come here?” Noelle said.

”No, I simply heard Kris say something that sounded fun, and mindlessly agreed.”

”True,” Kris said.

”I mean, like, when someone says construction, I think danger. Big hammers, nails, jackhammers waiting to be stolen and forklifts for joyriding. Not whatever this is,” Susie said, falling into a slouch.

”Dude, it’s like 7 am, they start at noon. That stuff's way too expensive to leave sitting there. Most of the time.” Kris said.

”Well, this place sucks and I'm leaving. Have fun talking to whatshisname tomorrow.”

Susie started the walk home alone, a long, arduous and boring walk that would surely be the end of her. She severely overestimated how much more boring this place would be walking through it alone. Luckily, Noelle appeared next to her seemingly out of thin air.

“Hey!”

”Gah! Where’d the hell you come from?” Susie nearly screamed.

”From where you left us!”

”Where’d Kris go?” Susie asked.

”Home, said their mom was making pie and they needed to sit in bed and panic about tomorrow,” Noelle answered.

“Pie? That hoarding-“ Susie mumbled, “Anyways, couldn’t walk home alone or somethin?”

”You could say that. More wanted to ask if you’re really okay with going to the carnival with me.”

”Yeah, not one to lie like that,” Susie shrugged.

”Susie, it’s just-“

”Dude, don’t make it weird. Just doing it 'cause triples sounds fun.”

”Cool,” Noelle said, visibly disappointed.

The rest of their walk was silent, Susie appreciated silence sometimes. Noelle started violently shivering at one point, to which she gave Noelle her jacket. She always wondered why she got cold so easily if she liked Christmas so much. Eventually, Noelle went her separate way and she was again left alone. She wasn’t far from home, though sometimes it felt like the town spanned a few hundred kilometres across. Eventually, she stood right outside her door, but as her hand twisted the doorknob she decided to double back towards the school and down into Castle Town.

She looked around for Ralsei, careful to avoid the most fearful of the Darkners. It wasn’t long before she found Lancer, laughing at the Prince who seemed to be balancing multiple pieces of pottery, and barely managing. He held one in each hand with another on his left bicep (if you could even consider it a bicep), another on his right foot and knee and the last precariously perched on one of his horns. Everything looked rather valuable, she found herself resisting the urge to disrespect the pottery.

”Look, I don’t wanna know,” she said, pointing at the pottery on Ralsei’s horn,  “But, uh, since I’ve been playing personal messenger for both of you dweebs thought I’d let you know Kris is coming tomorrow.”

She was surprised she didn’t even get a thank you. But Ralsei’s face said it all, she snorted when she saw the look on the poor boy's face, eyes wide with joy and terror. Whatever value the pottery had Ralsei seemingly forgot sprinting towards the castle, probably to pick a dress and prepare his makeup. She personally thought he needed to include more spikes in his dresses. She also revelled in the previously intact pottery being ever so slightly less intact. Giving Lancer a high five and biting pieces of the broken crockery, Susie eventually left for home.

When she made it home she kicked her feet up and watched violent movies, fingers crossed that everything would go well between Kris and Ralsei. She had very few doubts, but you never know.

For now, however, she would simply count the days as they pass and as the festival drew closer.