Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Susie slowly began to wake. Her eyes drifted open for a brief moment, a shaft of light from her window briefly blinding her. She scowled, blocking the light with her hand. She flipped over in bed, the rusty springs in her mattress creaking as she did. Having avoided the sunlight, she closed her eyes once more. 

Wake up .

Her eyes shot open. “W-who said that!” She shouted, shooting out of bed. She landed on her feet, glancing around her bedroom. Same shitty place as always. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. “The hell?” She muttered, her posture slowly relaxing. 

Weird. Can she hear me?

“Yes I can hear you! What the hell are you! Show yourself before I kick your ass!”

Keep your voice down . Someone might hear you.

“Show yourself-” she choked on her words. Something wouldn't let her speak. “What the- what are you?” She could barely manage a whisper. 

I do not know.  But I know that I have been sent here – sent to you – for a reason. I am currently… Inhabiting your body. 

“What do you mean inhabiting?”

The principle is similar to possession. 

“The fuck do you mean!?”

I am tied to your body. You can hear me. I can exert some level of influence on you. Observe. Put on your jacket . 

Her body was pulled in the direction of her chair, which she had been using as a makeshift coat rack. She threw the jacket over her shoulders. She tried to push back, to release the jacket and drop it to the floor, willing herself to drop the jacket. She couldn't. Her eyes narrowed, her heart thumping in her chest. 

“W-what do you want?”

Several seconds passed with no response. She dropped to the floor, listening to the sound of her heart pounding.

I want to help you achieve your goals. 

“What kinda bullshit is that! What do you even get out of that?”

I get to see what happens.

The voice's tone changed, an almost sadistic glee dripping off of its words. That at least, was the truth.

What is it you seek? 

“I don't know?” Her stomach rumbled. She was suddenly aware of the gnawing emptiness in her stomach she had become accustomed to.

You need to eat. Get some food .

“Doubt there is gonna be anything, but ok.” She grumbled as she rose to her feet, walking towards the door. She quickly shoved her feet in her old, ratty shoes. She turned into the kitchen, filthy dishes piled high in the sink. She opened the fridge. Unsurprisingly, there was nothing but a 6-pack of cheap beer. 

Hmm. That complicates things a bit. Do you have any money?”

She rifled around in her various pockets. “Ain't got shit.”

Your living situation leaves much to be desired.

“No shit.”

If you do not have one already, you should consider getting a job. To improve your current situation, you will need adequate funding.

“Hell no. Everyone in town hates me. ‘Sides, my dad would take all my money anyway. Also stop speaking like that. Pisses me off.”

Understood. I doubt everyone in town hates you though. 

“Well clearly you're a bad demon or whatever, because they do!”

Susie turned back down the hallway, crawling back to her room.

Should you not be going to school today?

“Nah. I'm not in school.”

You should not lie to me. It is counter-productive. 

“I'm not lying, and counter-productive to what!” She shouted, throwing her arms out.

Counterproductive to not boring me out of my mind. Tell the truth.

“FINE! I have school in 30 minutes!” She blurted out. She clenched her fist, her body trembling. “Don't do that again!”

I am merely attempting to discern what your life is like, so I may best assist you. You are making this very difficult. 

“Shut Up! I don't want your help! Leave! Me! Alone!”

I am stuck with you, just as you are stuck with me. I will help you. You will go to school. We will find something to eat.

She clenched her jaw. “FINE. Maybe I can have you do my homework or something.”

Sounds rather dull. 

“Whatever.”

You seem oddly accepting of your current situation.

“Not like my life can get any worse.” She grumbled. “I’m dumb as bricks. Ain't got no future. So I might as well just accept I'm nuts as well.”

I do not think you are “nuts”. Something else seems to be going on. I have no proof of course, but I would hold off on making any statements on your own sanity. 

“So what is your ‘purpose’ anyway?”

To help you achieve your goals, and to see what happens.  

“Have fun with that, I don't got nothin’ I want to do.”

You are limiting yourself. It is understandable. Please understand, I do not care about the morality of any of your desires. 

“What, do you think I want to rob a bank or something?”

I am not sure I could help with something like that, at least not yet. Surely there is something else you struggle with? Bullying at school perhaps? 

She snorted. “You think I'm the one being bullied? Nah. I told you. I'm the monster everyone hates.”

You seem oddly proud of that fact.

…

Are you truly happy with how others see you? It seems to cause you some level of distress, despite how you wear it like a badge of honour. Or perhaps it is a shield?

“It doesn't matter what I think. I've always been like this.”

If it causes you pain, I can take steps to help. I could try to help you make a friend if you wish.

“Shut up! I'm going to school, and then you can see exactly the kind of monster I am!”

Alright.

Susie slid out of her run down apartment, the cool autumn air hitting her skin. She pulled her jacket tighter around her, shivering slightly. She was used to the stares and whispered remarks that always followed her by now. The voice was wrong. It didn't bother her at all. She made her way past the convenience store, really wishing she had enough money to buy something to eat. She quickened her pace, trying to ignore the hunger gnawing at her. 

Susie arrived at the school, making her way to her classroom. He put her hand on the handle, but hesitated for a second. She was on time to class, which was abnormal for her. People might think she had gone soft.

If your reputation really is as fearsome as you say, one day of showing up on time will not kill you.

Susie begrudgingly opened the door. All the heads turned to face her, varying mixtures of surprise and terror painted on their faces. One student was still absent, her primary target. Typical. “H-hello Susie. T-take a seat!” Alphys stammered.

“Alright” Susie grunted, making her way to her seat. As she did she managed to snatch a stick of chalk from the blackboard. Everyone visibly sunk in their chairs, trying to avoid drawing her ire. She glanced over at Noelle, their eyes meeting for a moment. Noelle’s head snapped back to the front of the room. 

Interesting. 

Alphys cleared her throat, then spoke. “S-so this month we will be doing group projects! So p-pick your partners!” The room lit up with conversation, everyone discussing who they would partner with. She stayed seated, knowing she'd just end up with whoever was unlucky enough to get picked last. 

I wouldn't be so sure.

Noelle walked up to her, ignoring Berdly’s attempt to partner with her. “S-susie, would you like to- I mean I- If you want to” She could barely string a sentence together. She looked terrified. Shame, her voice was really nice when she could use it. It was a soft sound, like the chiming of bells.

Oh. Interesting.

Noelle paused, collecting her thoughts. “Anyway, w-what I'm trying to say is do you want to do the project with me?” Noelle finally managed to string together a coherent sentence, and it somehow confused Susie even more than the nonsense she had been spewing before. Why would Noelle ask her to do the project? Did she misspeak? Was she dared? Did she think she was doing Susie a favor? No, she was too nice for that. It had to be a dare or something. A shrill voice interrupted her panic. “What? No! I do not approve of this! Abort! ABORT!” Berdly desperately screeched. 

Alphys looked at them, confused. “What were you saying Noelle?”

“I was just saying that Su-”

“She was just saying that she'd partner up with me!”

“Actually I-”

The door creaked open, bringing an end to the chaos that had been raging in the classroom. Susie looked to the door. Hometown resident human – and resident freak – had arrived. They stood lifelessly in the door as usual, posture sunken and hair covering their eyes. Alphys was the first to break the silence. “Oh Kris… didn't think you would be coming today. It's group projects this month. Kris you’re with Susie!” Kris barely acknowledged what she said, simply shuffling to their desk.

A human. Interesting.

Susie really wished there was a way to turn off her mysterious head voice. Or at least get it to say something other than ‘Interesting’. Alphys turned to the backboard, looking for something. “U-um, does anyone know where the chalk is? This is the third time this week it's gone missing and…” No one said anything. “H-how about this. If no one comes forward, then everyone gets punished.” Noelle seemed to brighten, sitting up in her chair. “There should be some in the supply closet, you should send Susie and I to-”

“G-good idea Noelle! Kris since you came in last, you can go!” Noelle’s head dropped back to her desk, the voice slightly chuckling at the sight. “Susie, since you’re partners with them, you should go too! Too make sure they don't just stand in the hallway all day…” Great, now she had to go get some chalk with the freak. 

Freak? Are humans uncommon in this society? 

Maybe if she ignored the voice, it would go away. As she exited the classroom, she took the opportunity to eat the stick of chalk she had scored. It didn't really fill her up, but the feeling of crushing it between her teeth helped sate her hunger, if only for a brief moment. She licked some dust off her hand, finishing her snack. She turned around, only to be greeted by none other than Kris, staring blankly in her direction. Had they seen her? They must have. The final straw. Everyone was waiting for it. Everyone wanted it. She grinned, exposing several rows of sharp, yellowed teeth. “Hey Kris. You didn't see anything just now, did you?” She balled her hand into a fist, taking a step towards them. “What? Nothing to say? You think being quiet is gonna save you?” Another step. “You think just because you don't say anything, I can't tell exactly what you're thinking?” She was now right in front of them, towering over their small frame. They didn't react, barely even acknowledging her existence. She inhaled, catching the faintest hint of the apple shampoo they always used. 

Did you just smell their hair?

She grabbed them by the collar, slamming them into the lockers. “I caught Susie eating all the chalk! Now she'll finally be expelled! Well, Kris, if I know you're gonna go crying to Mommy, if I know my time here is up. I might as well get expelled for some real carnage.” She opened her mouth, pulling Kris towards her. “Kris, how do you feel-”

Why are you so infatuated with them?

“Gah!” Susie exclaimed, dropping Kris to the ground. They barely even winced as they hit the hard tile floor. She staggered backwards, before steadying herself. What kind of question was that! They were her victim , not her crush!

Poor wording. Sorry if I startled you.

Kris tilted their head, looking at her quizzically. “Whatever. Be a shame to make your mother bury her child anyway.” Susie said, attempting to draw attention away from her outburst. That damn voice was making her look crazy.

Hardly my fault. You scare easily.

Wait, could it hear her thoughts? Also she did not scare easily, she had just been startled by the sudden noise.

I cannot hear your thoughts, but I am privy to your internal monologue. Effectively, if you think loud enough, I can hear it.

Great. First she has to deal with a voice harassing her constantly, and now it can read her mind? This day keeps getting better and better.

Hey, I can be helpful too. Just say the word, and I can help you with anything. I want to help you accomplish your goals, remember? It is not a failing on my end if you refuse to utilise me.

Kris dusted themself off, climbing to their feet. They walked over to Susie, standing unmoving next to her. Susie glanced at them. “How about this, Kris. We go get this chalk. We come back to class, and you stay quiet about all this. Then, you'll do our project. Sound good?” Kris gave the slightest shrug. She made for the supply closet, Kris slowly following behind. 

She pulled the door open. The light from the door illuminated the various shelves, cluttered with a wide assortment of items. Total chaos.

This might take a while.

She walked into the closet, Kris following closely behind. “I'll take the left side, you take the right side.” She instructed, Kris giving a slight nod. She began to sort through the various items on the shelves. A deck of cards.

I have asked this before, but you did not respond. Why do you hate the human so much?

A checker set. What kind of question was that anyway. They were weak. Computer mice. They had no one, and they never told anyone what she did. 

I doubt that's the only reason. If I had to guess… you resent them. When you were assaulting them earlier, you mentioned their mother. You do not seem to have a mother figure in your life. Are you perhaps jealous?

Shut up. A stack of red cups. 

Ah. Touchy subject I see. My apologies. I should not have gone so far. I was too curious for my own good. 

…Good. Never bring that up again. Dice. “Hey Kris! Found anything yet?” Kris shook their head. “Angel Dammit! I haven't found anything to eat either.” She grumbled.

So you draw the line at eating children's board games?

She would absolutely eat a board game, but it's not like it would fill her up, or taste particularly good. 

I doubt chalk is particularly filling either. 

Perhaps the voice should get off her dick? What she chose to eat was none of its business.

Hey, diet is important. 

A plastic headband, with a pair of red devil horns attached. A name was scrawled across the inside, but before she could read it a loud bang echoed through the closet as the thick metal door slammed closed. Kris and Susie both jumped at the sound, Kris letting out a strangled cry. Without the light from the door, they were plunged into darkness.  “Hey! This isn't funny! Let us out!” Susie shouted. She fumbled around, attempting to feel her way through the dark to the door. Her hands brushed up against something warm and fuzzy. She moved her hands over it, attempting to discern its nature.

I think thats-

She reached up, shoving her hands straight into Kris’s face before realising her mistake. The voice barely stifled a chuckle. “What the hell Kris! Why didn't you say anything!” She shouted, her face burning. She was glad Kris couldn’t see in the dark.

The light switch should be in the left corner. 

She fumbled her way to where the voice directed her, running her hand along the wall fruitlessly, before managing to find the switch. With a click, the closet was illuminated. She strolled over to the door, pulling on the handle. It was locked. “What kind of moron makes a closet that locks from the outside!” She growled.

That we are in agreement on. It's like they want people getting stuck in here.

Susie glanced over to Kris, who seemed to have accepted their fate, having sat on the floor. 

Since we are not getting out of here any time soon, I want to see that headband again.

It wasn't like she had anything better to do. She walked over to the shelf she had found the headband on. A name was scrawled on the bottom. Kris Dreemurr.

Huh. You called them the town’s resident human. Are they adopted?

They were.

What type of monster is their mother again?

A goat monster. 

The headband seemed rather old. One of the horns had chipped, and the colour appeared to have faded from a vibrant red to a more pinkish tone. “Hey freak! Found something that belongs to you!” Susie exclaimed, tossing the horns at Kris. The horns hit the ground beside them. They reached to pick them up, staring at them. Susie couldn't quite tell what was going through their head. They stayed there, just looking at the horns, clutching them tightly in their hands.. Their breathing quickened, a thin steam of tears creeping down their face. She watched them, a faint tinge of worry spreading through her chest. What was going on?

They might be in this closet, but it appears their mind is some place else.

Could the voice stop being cryptic for once?

As in, they are revisiting painful memories. You seem concerned about them. Perhaps you should attempt to console them?

Console them? Who did the voice think she was? Kris began to sob, breathing even faster. Thick streams of tears poured from their eyes. They barely seemed aware of anything anymore. Screw this. She sprinted towards the door, winding up a kick. Let's see the door take this! Her foot slammed into the door, a thunderous clang ringing out. She leapt back, clutching her foot. “FUCK!” She screamed, hopping on her undamaged foot. She dropped to the floor, wincing as she released her foot. 

That was foolish. I do hope you haven't broken any toes. You should check.

A faint chuckle filled the room. Kris was laughing at her, tears still running down their face. Their laugh was choked by their sobs, the noise slowly intensifying to the point she could hardly tell what was laughter and what was crying. It was an ugly, messy sound, but despite that, despite the tears streaming down their face, they were smiling. She hadn’t ever seen them smile before. They threw the horns against the ground, cracking them down the middle. Their breathing became slightly more regular, but still the tears flowed.

Seems like you managed to console them after all

By breaking her foot.

Hopefully it's not broken. Either way, you did good. It could have gotten a lot worse.

Whatever. She slipped her shoe off, inspecting the damage. She pressed her toes with her hand, wincing.

Bruised, but not broken. You are extraordinarily resistant.

Thanks?

Kris wiped off their face with their sleeve, pointing to the right of the closet. She limped over to where they pointed. Set into the side of the closet was a small wooden door. It was locked.

That would have been much easier to kick down. I should have spotted it. I will try to be more observant from now on.

Good. She got ready to kick in the door.

Use your shoulder instead. You want at least one unharmed leg. And it will hurt less if you fail.

That was- pretty good advice actually. She broke through the door with ease, attempting to usher Kris into the next room. They didn’t even look her way, so she proceeded into the next room without them. The light from the closet poured in, exposing the various board games scattered across the floor of the classroom. There was another door, unlocked this time. She opened it, walking into the hallway. She steadied her breathing, trying to ignore the throbbing in her foot. There was a clatter of hooves on tile, and Noelle darted down the hallway. “Susie! Is everything okay? We heard a loud bang.” Noelle said, glancing down at the floor. 

“Damm closet locked on us! I'm fine, but Kris seems pretty stressed about it. Found like a headband or something, and they just started crying.” Susie replied.

Noelle's eyes widened. “Stressed? Oh! Um… could you go tell Alphys what happened? I need to-”

“Alright.” Susie walked back to class, curious about what Noelle needed to talk to Kris about. 

Seems those two have quite some history. Maybe this is something Kris is prone to? She must have some experience with it. 

That happened to Kris a lot? They never even flinched when she insulted them. 

Maybe they simply are not threatened by you? They must have some reason. 

She was around halfway to class. She stopped, leaning against a wall. She shouldn't care about what was going on with Kris. She didn't want to admit it, but it did kind of hurt to see them like that.

Perhaps you should go back then. 

No. She couldn't do that. They needed someone kind, like Noelle. Not someone like her.

I think you should try. They responded somewhat positively to your altercation with the door.

Fine. She turned around, making her way back into the abandoned classroom. She heard Noelle murmuring something through the door. 

What are they saying?

She wasn't just going to eavesdrop on people like that.

Are you not curious?

She was. She scowled, agonising over the decision briefly, before putting her ear to the door. 

“-been a while hasn't it.”  Noelle's rang out, unmarred by the door between them. Susie felt a faint pang of guilt, knowing Noelle would hate her for what she was doing. “You don't need to say anything Kris. Please, just listen to me. I really missed you. I understand why you've been avoiding me, but… Kris. Don't you miss it too? I know she's not here anymore, and Azzy's gone off to college, but… maybe it doesn't have to be just a memory. You know? Don't you miss all those times you'd hide under my bed, and pop out and scare me? Gosh, the first time it happened I screamed so loud! Remember? You apologised immediately, but it couldn't save you from-” Noelle's voice trailed off, as if her focus was drawn elsewhere. When it resumed, it sounded like she was crying. “O-ok, I'll… I'll keep going. Remember when you dressed as ICE-E for Halloween, and when we went trick or treating, and you acted like he was slowly taking over your body, then you screamed ‘You’re about to have an ICE-E time!’ And you sprinted at me? Gosh I don't think I've ran that fast since!”

Noelle chuckled, the warmth of her laugh washing over Susie. For some reason, Noelle just sharing stories with Kris, way back from when they had been kids, made her feel sick. She had never had anything like that when she was a kid.

Maybe you should stop.

Susie paid the voice no mind, pressing even harder against the door. Noelle's voice took on a sadder tone. “And it's just- Where did that Kris go? Stupid question I know. We both know the answer. But, I just feel like maybe. Maybe if I had been there. If we had been with each other. It wouldn't have been so bad. Maybe we could have been miserable together. Maybe- Maybe you'd still be- maybe we-” Noelle broke into sobs, taking in deep heaving breaths. “Sorry- I- I think I should g-go.” Susie heard the sound of footsteps approaching, but before she could move away, the door was pulled open, and she fell forwards, plummeting towards Noelle. 

Time seemed to slow as she fell. Noelle was wiping her tears away with the sleeve of her sweater, her eyes slowly began to widen as Susie fell. The pain on Noelle’s face made her heart hurt. The only person who had been nice to her. Her smile was so precious. She wished she could protect it. But she was sharp. She could never do something like that. She would fall. She would take Noelle down with her. She would never smile at her again. 

Not happening.

Her body began to move on its own, her centre of mass shifting. She spun on the one foot which still had contact with the ground, twisting around Noelle. She hit the ground with a thud. “Susie!?” Noelle shrieked, staggering back a step. “What are you? How much did you hear?” 

Lie.

“I just got here. I didn't hear anything! I was just going to open the door when you opened it instead.” Susie lied. 

“O-oh. Sorry I really need to get back to class!” Noelle stammered, darting out of the room, unable to fully dry her tears, or conceal each heaving breath. Did the voice just…

You did not wish to hurt Noelle. So I stopped you.

She put it out of her mind, walking over to Kris. They'd been crying again. Thin lines of damp skin ran down their face. No longer crying, but the pain remained. They pulled out their phone, typing out something. They turned the screen to show her.

• How much did you really hear?

She didn't have any more energy to lie, so she told the truth. “Everything.” She squatted down, meeting their eyes. They raised an eyebrow. She didn't know what to say. Finally, she thought of something. “Hey… uh, for what it's worth. I'm sorry. For that day.” They looked at her. Their eyes were red. Not red from crying, the irises themself were a deep crimson. “I- I didn't mean that. I was- I'm sorry.”

“...I meant it.” Kris spoke. Their voice was quiet, raspy. It hadn’t been used in a long time, barely able to make it through the sentence without cracking. Susie’s body drooped. Was that really true? “Kris… I- I know what it's like. I know you don't want my pity. I don't have the right to pity you anyway. But-” They patted the ground next to them, signalling for her to sit down. She stayed still. They glanced up at her expectantly, before slumping down slightly. “... why?”

“Why? I dunno… I guess I was just angry. I-”

I wanted someone else to feel the pain I felt.

She repeated the words back to Kris. They shook their head. “Why… why do you care?” She had no answer. She shouldn’t care. She’d just threatened to kill them. She had no right to care.

Maybe not. But you do care. You cannot change that.

“I don’t know! I just do. Dumbass.” Kris chuckled faintly. She jabbed their chest with her finger. “Don't think you're getting out of the project!” Kris rose to their feet, offering a hand for Susie. She braced against the floor, pushing herself to her feet. They exited the closet. They entered the classroom, all eyes trained on them. Noelle was staring off blankly into space, a slight frown etched onto her face. “There uh… wasn’t any chalk.” Susie explained, dropping into her seat. 

“Oh- uh… Okay! I guess I'll just have to go without then…” muttered Alphys. As Alphys began to teach, and the class's focus slowly drifted away from Susie, Noelle and Kris, Susie felt exhaustion overtake her. She rested her head on her desk, and began to doze off.

***

Susie stirred from her sleep. The light of the sun cast long shadows across the room. Every desk but hers was absent. How long had she been asleep? 

A while. Kris slept through most of class too. 

She let out a yawn, her chair creaking as she rose. She shuffled out of the room, scaly hands wiping the sleep from her eyes. Kris was sitting cross-legged against their lockers. They looked up at Susie, eyes peaking through their hair. Kris’s eyes, which before had seemed so lifeless, absent of anything, now looked at her with something . Susie didn’t know what they wanted, and so she averted her eyes, unsure of what to say.

What do you want?

What did she want? The voice had been asking her that the entire day. It still felt like she was no closer to an answer. 

“Hey… Maybe we should, y’know, work on our project tomorrow?" Susie asked. What a stupid question. Kris hated her. She hated them. Why would she even ask that? 

“...sure.” Kris rasped, pulling their knees to their chest. 

You are not as hated as you think.

Maybe. Kris sighed, climbing to their feet. They exited the school, raising their hand goodbye as they turned away from her. She stood in silence for several minutes, before following suit. The voice had been rather quiet compared to how it was in the morning.

I have a lot on my mind right now. And I figured it would be best not to interrupt you. 

She slunk through the forest that bordered the school.

Where are you going?

Somewhere she could think. The light filtered through the amber leaves, casting patchwork shadows across her face. Leaves crunched beneath her barely intact shoes. The ground began to slant upwards, the terrain becoming more treacherous. The canopy began to thin, less and less trees growing upon the progressively more rocky ground, until she reached the top of the hill. Her hill. She sat on a rocky patch of ground, just outside the shadow cast by the lone tree, letting the warmth of the sun seep into her body. 

This place is nice.

It was. She felt at home here. No need to be strong. No need to be quiet. She could just exist. 

You must feel very isolated. You should reach out to someone.

She wanted to. She really wanted to. To grab someone's hand. And never let go. But she had claws and teeth. Her hands would only scrape and cut the people she reached out for. She would only ever take. She had nothing to give. She didn't deserve anyone.

That's not true. You have had a hard life. But today I saw you. Not the mask you put on. But you. You have so much hope. So much kindness in you. 

The voice didn't even know her. How could it be so sure? Besides, didn't it see what she had been doing to Kris? She was a bully. She hurt them. That was all she could do.

But you made them laugh.

… she had. 

You can't change the past. But you can change the future. You need to take off that armour you wear. Getting close to people can be hard, dangerous even. But you have me. I will do my best to protect you. 

Whatever. 

You and Kris are the same you know.

The voice was being stupid again. Kris was nothing like her.

But they are. You heard Noelle. They push everyone away, same as you. That's why you hate them, isn't it? Because they have everything you ever wanted. And they're still miserable. Still just like you.

Susie's jaw clenched. “SHUT UP!” She bellowed, slamming her fist into the rocky ground hard enough to fracture the stone. 

Sorry. I might have gone a bit far. I will not press this any further. 

Good! 

The sun is beginning to set. You should make your way home. 

Probably. Susie peeled herself off the rock, staring at the lights in the distance. Hometown looked so small from here, just barely peaking out over the trees. She made her way down the hill, weaving through the trees. By the time she arrived back in town, the sun had set. The one benefit of living in a small town, was that she could look to the sky, wherever she was, and see the stars. When she had lived in the city, she had always thought of the stars as nothing more than a few tiny pinpricks of light in the sky. Her first night in Hometown, she had been shocked when she looked up, and saw the sky, so full of life and wonder. She opened the door to her building, climbing up the stairs to her apartment. She could hear the sounds of the television through the door. Her dad must be home. She opened the door as quietly as she could, creeping inside. 

“Dinner’s in the fridge.” Her dad grunted, barely looking away from the TV. The place stunk of alcohol, as usual. She grabbed the microwave dinner from the fridge, ripped off the packaging and gobbled it down, not bothering to heat it up. “Y’know, you could at least pretend that you like it.” Gumbled her father, glaring at her from across the couch. Susie rolled her eyes. “Oh don't roll your eyes at me! You know how much it costs to feed you? If you weren't so fucking hungry all the damm time, maybe we could afford something nicer.”

“You say that like you even try!” Susie shouted. “Maybe if you didn't spend all the fucking money on booze, we'd have more to eat!”

Things are escalating. You need to disengage.

“Don't talk to me like that bitch ! It's my damn money! Don't see you breaking your damn back working now do I!” Her father shouted, standing up from the couch.

“I'm-”

STOP.

“Whatever! I'm going to bed!” Susie shouted, storming off to her room. She heard the volume of TV increase. “I thought I told you to NEVER do that again!” She whispered, quivering with rage, poking her reflection in her bedroom window. 

I know. But if things escalated anymore, you would have gotten hurt.

Susie offered no response, instead lying on her bed, burying her head under her pillow as if it would drown out the voice in her head. She thought about how she treated Kris. She really was her father's daughter. 

Perhaps. But you can change that at any point.

A single tear ran down the channels between her scales. She just wanted to sleep.

Many things happened today. It is fair that you want to sleep. I will be silent until tomorrow morning. 

Susie whispered her thanks, before turning over in her bed, and allowing sleep to take her once more.

Chapter Text

Susie rolled out of bed, crashing face first into the floor with a thud. She glanced out the window. The moon still lingered on the horizon. Angel damn her shitty sleep schedule. Yesterday… It still felt like a dream. She got to see a part of Kris and Noelle that she hadn't even known existed. I mean, sure she knew Kris was messed up, but Noelle… She had been so blind. Of course Noelle was in pain. Of course she was alone. The world was never kind to people like her. She wanted to protect her, to protect her smile.

 But, she had no idea what to do. She didn't want to do nothing, but the thought of doing something was almost as scary. And then there was the voice. She hadn't heard anything from them since she went to bed.

Oh. You're awake. 

Why did the voice sound pissed?

I am not pissed. Merely, tired. Bored may be a more apt descriptor. I cannot sleep as you do. 

So it was just watching her sleep for 8 hours?

Yes. I was also reflecting on the events of the past day. 

Wow, that does sound pretty boring actually.

It is. Next time perhaps leave a puzzle or something on the floor so I can solve it.

Wait, wouldn't it just see darkness if her eyes were closed?

I do not perceive through your eyes. 

Oh. How did it see then?

It is difficult to describe. It is not the same process as ‘sight’, though it does seem slightly tied to your senses. Sorry, I wish I could offer a better explanation, but to be frank, I am at a total loss when it comes to the nature of my condition.

It was alright. So she should just leave a crossword or something on the floor?

Literally anything. I'm not picky.

Alright, she'd see what she could do.

We have a fair amount of time before the sun rises. I doubt there is much to do in Hometown at this time. 

There wasn't, why?

Because, I have some questions to ask, and some observations to share.

Lovely.

If you do not wish to, I will not force you to indulge me. If it is the one sided nature of our exchanges you dislike, we could exchange questions.

Sure. Not like she had anything better to do anyway. 

Alright. I would like to know a bit more about your world. It feels almost familiar, but my understanding of it is filled with gaps.

Why did it need to know? Whatever. There were like, two main kinds of guys, Monsters and Humans. Humans were like, made of flesh and stuff. They-

Focus on monsters for now.

Alright. Monsters are like, really varied in shape, and also like less physical or something? Susie didn't really know what it meant, but everyone always mentioned it. She didn't really know anything about history or anything.

Understandable. Thanks for the information anyway.

So did she get to ask a question now?

I suppose.

What did the voice do, before all of this?

As in, before I was a weird voice? I do not really know. I know things, and I have skills, but I have no memories. I know I lived, and I remember feeling things, but… I do not know if they are real, of mere fabrications.

Huh. That sounded pretty rough. 

I suppose it is. But you are the one being haunted against your will. Yesterday, you seemed to make a connection with Kris. I am a little curious as to your history with them.

There wasn't much to say. She bullied them, they said nothing. They used to be a bit of a smartass, but they seemed to give up on that after a while. Maybe they realised it wouldn't stop her from bullying them.

Stopped? Interesting. Noelle mentioned something similar, but it seemed to happen a while ago, so I'm not sure if those events are linked. There is something a little odd about them. I haven't seen a human with red eyes before.

Come to think of it, she hadn't either.

You knew humans before? I had assumed they were somewhat uncommon.

Only in this area. In other parts of the world, they were more prevalent. She hadn't really met many since she was very young.

Interesting. I also have another concern regarding Kris. They seem unwell. Everything they do seems to bring them to near exhaustion. They do not seem to be taking care of themself. Their clothes were rather dirty, and their hair looked rather unkempt. 

Well, that's Kris for you. Even earlier in the year, they had always seemed kind of sad. They always slept through class, and they hardly ever talked. 

Noelle mentioned knowing then when they were younger, and it seemed as if they were rather… Lively. It seems something happened between the two.

Noelle really seemed to miss Kris. The way she spoke about them… did Noelle have a crush on Kris?

It is possible, but it also seemed kind of like she missed the simpler times when Kris and the unspecified other individual was around.

Other person?

When she was talking about Kris's antics, she mentioned that their apologies couldn't save them from something. Probably a person. Based on the way she acted, something must have happened to them.

Huh. Susie hadn't ever thought of that. Her and Kris really had a lot of history. She felt her heart twist around itself. She couldn't understand why. Why did hearing about Noelle and Kris make her feel like this?

I believe you are experiencing what professionals call ‘jealousy’.

When did the voice become so snarky? And for It's information she was most decidedly not jealous. What reason would she have to be jealous of Kris anyway?

I wonder.

She shouldn't be thinking about this anyway. She had more important things to do.

Like what?

Susie glanced outside. The sun barely peaked over the horizon, setting the sky alight with a gentle pink hue. Her father probably hadn't left for work yet, and she wouldn't risk waking him up before then. She had school work she could do, right? She looked around, rifling through her things. Unfortunately, she had nothing even remotely resembling a distraction.

If I may, why are you so insistent on avoiding this topic?

Because Noelle and Kris were suffering. Whatever they had experienced when they were kids, it clearly messed with them a bunch. She should be feeling sorry for them and yet, all she could think about is how much she wished she could have been there.

It is natural for children who have grown up too fast to yearn for a ‘normal’ childhood.

She was not a child.

I do not mean it as an insult. I sense that I should not push this any further.

Whatever. She tried to think about something else, but she kept coming back to Noelle. Her golden hair. Her smile. The pang in Susie's heart when she heard her cry. Damnit, the voice was hearing everything she thought wasn’t it.

I am. Have you considered-

No. 

Susie heard noise from down the hall, followed by the door to the apartment slamming shut. Her dad had left for work. As she made her way out of the apartment, she glanced in the kitchen. She didn't know why she thought there would be anything. There never was. She hurried down the stairs, as if running far enough away could get the voice out of her head. The sun may have been out, but the night still lingered, and with it the cold. The cool air cut right to her core, sapping what little warmth she had gained from her apartment. Being cold-blooded was such a pain in the ass.

You are cold blooded?

She was a reptile, wasn't she?

To be totally honest, the rules of monster biology make no sense to me. Though it does sound like you should get a warmer jacket.

She was broke, remember? 

True. Is there anywhere you could work?

QC's was already over-staffed, and Catti hated her guts so that wouldn't work. There was the flower shop, but she hadn't ever seen anyone buy anything from there. Aside from that, there was really just the convenience store.

Maybe we should check it out then?

Maybe. A gust of wind swept over her, striping the last of the warmth from her. Angel dammit she was cold. She was shaking, vision blurring slightly. She was having trouble focusing. Thankfully, the sun was beginning to come out in full, its unconditional warmth washing over her.

Winter is coming soon, is it not? What are you planning to do about that?

She'd figure something out. She pulled her jacket tighter around her, continuing on her journey to nowhere in particular. She stepped off of the bank of the river of asphalt, allowing the newborn heat trapped within to seep into her feet, loosening the brambles of ice that wound around her appendages. Her pace quickened, the fog covering every thought beginning to dissipate. 

The cold really seems to affect you. You should probably put more effort into trying to keep warm

What was it, her mom? She made her way across the road, savouring each step on the sun soaked pavement, as if it was a step across holy ground. Susie finally took stock of her surroundings, finding herself by the convenience store. The open sign flickered on.

Convenient timing. Shall we see if they are hiring?

She entered the store, the chiming of bells snapping the lone employee from his slumber.

“heya. what can i get for you today.” The skeleton spoke, but his mouth did not move to the words, remaining fixed in an uncanny smile. He gave her the creeps. 

“Are you hiring? I'm looking for work.” Susie asked, shifting awkwardly as she did. She hadn't seen the shopkeeper before, so he probably didn't know about her reputation. Even so, the way he looked at her… no, through her gave her the distinct feeling she was being judged. 

“nah. place like this doesn't get many customers. sides’ i'm just a janitor.”

Susie glanced down, her posture drooping slightly. After a brief moment, she rose to her full height, towering over the shopkeeper. “Who even owns this place?” Susie cried, throwing her arms out in frustration. The skeleton shrugged. “Whatever!” Muttered Susie, storming towards the door.

“actually, now that i think about it, i might actually have something you can do for me.”

Susie spun around, balling her hand into a fist. What an asshole, jerking her around like that.

Try to avoid conflict with the man offering you a job.

Fine. 

“see, i have some stock that needs moving, and i'm not the strongest guy. but you, you seem fairly capable. so uhh, if you can come in tomorrow morning, that'd be great.”

“I'll be there.”

“name’s sans by the way. sans the skeleton.”

“Susie. Just Susie.”

He chuckled. “alright ‘just susie’. then it's a deal.” She considered socking him in the face for that, but the voice seemed against it.

He just offered you a job. As satisfying as attacking him would be, it would only set you back.

He extended a bony hand over the counter. They shook on it. He reached under the counter, pulling out a bag of jerky. 

“here. some candy. as a sign on bonus.” He winked at her, as if he was telling a joke that she wasn't in on. 

Candy?

She snatched the bag from him, thanking him and then quickly escaping his store. She made her way towards the school, curious as to the time. She normally had a pretty sound sense of time, but the conversations with the voice were messing with her perception.

Not exactly sure, but going by the lack of people, I doubt school is open yet. Honestly, I'm shocked the store was open at this hour.

Yeah, who wanted to wake up this early. Whatever, she'd just go to her spot. She marched towards the school, ready to navigate through the forest to her little island of tranquillity. 

Behind you.

Susie glanced behind her, seeing a familiar pair of antlers in the distance. Why was Noelle at school so early? 

She looks tired.

Susie knew what was going on. Noelle couldn't sleep because she’d been thinking about how Susie had eavesdropped. Noelle had bared her soul to try and comfort Kris, and she had ruined everything. Angel, Noelle must hate her. She'd probably tell Alphys what she did, and then that would really be the last straw. She'd finally get what she deserved, what everyone knew she deserved. Why did it have to be her? One of the only people who had been nice to her in this shitty town who had ever done anything for her, and she had ruined it. Like she always did.

You are spiralling. I doubt Noelle has it in her to hate you.

Of course she did. Susie had listened in on her, then lied to her face. It had kept her up all night, probably worrying about what Susie would do to Kris, do to her.

Why not just ask her? 

What kind of idiot was the voice? That was the dumbest thing she had ever heard.

Seems like she is making the choice for you.

Noelle walked up to Susie, dark circles under her eyes becoming apparent as the distance between them closed. “S-susie! What are you doing here so early?” Noelle asked, vision fixed on the ground beneath her. 

“Couldn't sleep.” Susie responded. Noelle let out a gentle laugh. “Well you did sleep through all of class yesterday!” Noelle said, brushing a strand of golden hair behind her ear. 

What was she even meant to say? Should she apologise for yesterday? She always just said what was on her mind, but right now, she felt as though if she said something wrong, she might destroy something precious.

Ask her how she is doing.

“Yeah, it's what I get I guess. How'd you sleep?” Susie cringed slightly at her poor attempt at small talk.

“Oh, yeah I didn't really sleep that well… I had a really weird nightmare. My house gets kind of creepy when no one's around, so I just thought I'd go to school early! There's still like an hour till it starts though.” Noelle said, absent-mindedly fidgeting with the hem of her sweater. 

Susie started to relax, leaning against the wall behind her. “Damn. What, like, happened in the dream, if you don't mind me asking?”

Noelle jolted up slightly, before relaxing a little, scratching her cheek. “Um… Yeah, I remember it pretty vividly, which is weird. I was in like, a forest, but there weren't any trees. Gosh, that doesn't make any sense. It was like a totally black void, but I knew there should be trees there. I walked around for a while, and I found a tree. It looked really… strange? I don't really know how to explain… But there was someone behind it. He whispered something to me. I don't think I really heard what he said, I can't remember what it was. And then my head started to hurt, like really bad. I really thought my head was going to explode or something! Then all the pressure disappeared, and I heard something break behind my head. Shards of glass fell to the ground around, and I think I picked up one of the shards. Then I woke up. And I don't really remember what happened exactly after that. It’s like I remember the dream better than waking up.”

A baffled look spread across Susie’s face.

I genuinely don't know what to make of that.

“Huh. Are you okay?”

Noelle flinched slightly, looking slightly confused for a second, before giving a practice smile. “Yeah! Fine! I mean, I'm fine. Just a weird dream y’know.” 

A blatant lie. She looks terrified.

Susie wasn't dumb, she could tell that much!

So what are you going to do about it?

Susie tilted her head, as if remembering something. “Oh!” She shouted, making Noelle flinch. She quickly lowered her volume to a more reasonable level. “That reminds me, when I was playing a game one time, I got stuck in a totally dark room, and when I walked around for a bit I found a spot I could interact with, and it just said ‘There could be something here’ or something similar! It was so creepy! Kinda awesome too though, even if it did brick my save.”

Noelle grabbed Susie's shoulders staring into her yellow, slitted eyes. Susie played Dragon Blazers? And she had gotten the dreaded void room glitch? “You played Dragon Blazers?!” Noelle quickly pulled back, clasping her hands over her mouth. She had just touched Susie! Angel, what was going to happen to her now! She was so stupid. “Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! It was an accident, I didn't mean it!”

Wait, what?

Susie rubbed the back of her head, sheepishly, before replying. “S'alright.” What was the voice talking about?

Need more evidence.

The voice was even weirder than normal. Whatever. “I did play Dragon Blazers, only the second one though. As a kid.” 

“Oh! Sorry about your save file! That room is so weird! No one could ever tell if it was meant to be an Easter egg or if it was just a bug!” Noelle said, gesturing wildly with her hands. Was she being too much? Gosh someone like Susie probably didn't care about Dragon Blazers, what was she doing! She should talk about spikes or blood or something! 

“Be a pretty stupid Easter egg to softlock you. I got really mad, nearly ate the cartridge!” Susie snapped Noelle out of her thoughts. Susie was listening to her?

“I mean, yeah but the evil route does have a bunch of weird stuff like that! I was super unlucky though, and I kept getting it! Eventually, I just got Kris to play through that part of the game for me!” Noelle giggled. “They wasted all my healing items though!”

Susie's stomach rumbled, interrupting their conversation. 

You should eat that ‘candy’ the skeleton gave you. Why did he call it candy? Is there some comedic element I am not privy to?

It was called candy because it was in the candy section, duh. Susie pulled the pack of beef jerky from her pocket, pausing for a second. “Hey, uh want any?” She asked Noelle who waved her away. Something about being a herbivore. More for her! She ripped the packet open with her teeth, shovelling the contents into her mouth, before chewing through the plastic packaging as well.

I am not convinced your eating habits are entirely healthy.

What did the voice know about proper diet? It didn’t know jack about monsters.

I may not know much about monsters, but I doubt eating plastic is good for you.

Noelle had turned away from Susie, covering her face with her hands. Susie must have upset Noelle with how gross she was. 

You need to stop doubting yourself so much.

Noelle turned around, looking slightly dishevelled. “I-I'm a little hungry too! I might have something i-in my bag I'm going to go check!”

Incredible. Truly, incredible. 

Susie tried her best to ignore whatever the fuck the voice was on about, instead watching Noelle shrug off her backpack. Noelle began to dig through her bag, hoping that the angle would hide the blush plastered across her face. Gosh, she was hopeless. Susie was so nice? It was almost weird, but who was she to complain? Susie even liked Dragon Blazers! Gosh, she had a lot to tell her dad, she was really making progress! Maybe she'd actually be able to… 

Noelle's hand came into contact with something jagged and sharp. She didn’t remember putting anything like this in her bag. She needed to know what it was. He hand closed. Pain coursed through her arm as it cut into her palm. She screamed, yanking her hand away, droplets of her blood tickling down into her bag. She panted, feeling blood ooze from the cut. Noelle opened her hand, inspecting her wound. Thankfully, it was fairly shallow. 

Susie stared at Noelle, eyes fixed on her hand. “Shit! What happened?” Susie asked, darting over to Noelle.

“S-something sharp in my bag. I have a first aid kit in it.” Noelle responded, her voice shaking. 

Careful, don't want you getting cut as well.

Susie rummaged through Noelle's bag, locating the first aid kit. “Who brings a first aid kit to school?” Susie asked, retrieving a roll of bandages.

“O-oh, my m-mom makes me bring it.” Noelle responded. Susie moved to dress Noelle's wound.

You need to disinfect the wound first.

Right. Noelle winced as Susie cleaned the area around the cut. Susie began to bandage the cut, with some assistance from the voice. 

“G-gosh, that was scary! I don't know what came over me, I just grabbed something sharp!” Noelle said, inspecting her hand.

Should probably find the source.

The voice was probably right. Susie reached into Noelle’s bag, fishing out a sizable shard of something like glass. Strangely, it seemed to be spotless, despite the fair amount of blood that had been splattered across the inside of Noelle's bag. The air seemed to get colder, biting into Susie's exposed scales. For just a moment, she could have sworn she saw Noelle shivering.

Noelle reached over for the piece of glass, but Susie snatched it away from her. “Hey, can't have you cutting yourself on this again! Why do you have a piece of glass in your bag anyway?”

“T-thats! That's the shard! From my dream! H-how? Was it… real?” Noelle looked terrified. That wasn’t possible. Susie wondered if they were being pranked.

You have a voice in your head, and you think some kind of dream demon is impossible? Questions about the nature of the glass are currently irrelevant. You need to comfort her. Tell her that it was just a coincidence. We can figure out what is happening once she has calmed down.

The thought of lying to Noelle made Susie feel disgusting. She wasn't a liar. She hated liars. But, she didn't want Noelle to hurt. She wanted to protect her. 

Lying is the most optimal choice. 

Susie knew that, but at the same time, looking at the shard, she knew something was fundamentally wrong with it. Something about the way it bent the light, showing not the purple scales that lay behind it, but something else, something indistinct. Or maybe it was how cold it felt. Susie wasn't a liar. She reached out to Noelle, putting a hand on her shoulder.

“H-hey, it's okay. Creepy dreams happen to the best of us.” Angel dammit she was making no sense. “Uh, this piece of glass is really cold?” She was so bad at this.

Noelle reached out, carefully taking the shard into her hand. Their hands brushed against each other for a moment. Noelle thought she might die on the spot she touched Susie’s hand and her other hand was on her shoulder oh goodness.

Okay, that's the third time, what the hell?

“Gosh, you weren't kidding! It's freezing!”

“Uh, you think this is some ghost shit or something?” Susie asked, trying to ignore whatever unrelated shit the voice was talking about.

Noelle looked down at the piece of glass. “I don't… know. My dream was really weird, and the fact that I can't remember anything after I woke up is also kind of strange. But this glass is really weird. I wonder…” Noelle carefully placed it between her fingers, raising it to eye level.

 It felt right to look through the glass, as if the universe itself wanted her too. For some strange reason, for just a brief moment, she thought she saw an impossibly vast eye, staring unblinkingly at her. She turned her focus from Susie, to herself. For some strange reason, for just a brief moment, she thought she saw Kris, lying at her feet. She couldn't look away. The image began to shift. She saw Dess, her face contorted in horror. She couldn't close her eyes. She saw her mother, regret engraved across her face. She saw… she saw… the man stepping out from behind the tree. She couldn't move.

Susie wrenched the glass from her grip, tossing it as hard as she could, deep into the forest. “Noelle! Are you okay? You're crying!” Susie asked, a concerned look on her face.

“NO!” Noelle screamed, panting. She felt her heart pounding in her chest. 

“It's okay. I threw the thing pretty hard, it's long gone now.” Susie reassured her. Susie did regret tossing the glass, but it was hurting Noelle. She had to get rid of it.

“Sorry, I-” Noelle steadied her breathing. “I think I was seeing things. There was an eye, and Kris, and there was the man from my dream-”

Hallucinations? Wasn't that bad? Shit, how was she meant to deal with this?

Usually, but I have a feeling that what she saw was at least partially real. Evil ass haunted glass may be an apt descriptor.

Susie was no good at this. She'd only managed to help Kris by accident, how was she meant to help Noelle navigate whatever this was? 

You need to be someone she can lean on. 

“Uh, so… Seeing things. And you're – well not seeing things but y'know – and your dream. Do you feel safe?” Susie struggled to convey what she meant. She wanted to tell Noelle that she would protect her. That she could keep her safe. But she had no idea if she even could. And even if she could, what if it wasn't what Noelle wanted to hear? “I mean, whatever this is, I'm gonna- I'm gonna help you with it okay?” 

Noelle visibly relaxed, a slight smile crossing her face. “Oh! Um, thanks!” Golly, she really was hopeless. What she had seen… It was so strange, but if Susie was by her side, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Besides, everything that had happened got her curious. What exactly was going on? Her mind was racing, conjuring up a million different explanations for what had happened. Was it a ghost? An elaborate prank of Kris’s? Or was it some kind of message, that she didn't have enough information to decode yet? She wiped the tears from her face.

Susie nearly flinched as Noelle strode up to her, standing only a few inches from her face. “S-so!” Noelle said, before realising she was way too close, and taking a step back. “What should we do? I mean I- wait I know! Catti is super into occult stuff like this! We should ask her!”

Susie tried to ignore how close they had been. “Uh, I appreciate the enthusiasm, but Catti kinda… hates my guts.” 

Noelle slumped slightly. “Really? T-thats okay um… oh gosh! Kris can help! They were always her partner in crime when it came to that stuff! We should ask them!” She said, her energy returning. 

She recovers fast. 

A bluebird began to approach the school.

Uh oh, look out.

Look out for what? Susie glanced around, before catching a glimpse of Berdly.

“Noelle!” He called out, noticing them before Susie had the chance to escape. “What are you doing here? You usually arrive after I do!” His eyes narrowed. “S-susan? W-what are you doing here? I w-wont-”

“Relax. I just got here early.”

“You? At school before me? How preposterous!” 

Your reaction time was too slow, and now we are all suffering the consequences.

Whatever. School should be starting soon anyway. 

“I know what you really want!” He said, terror seeping into his voice. “You want to steal my partner! You think that if you have the smart- second smartest student on your side, you might actually get something above a ‘D’ for once! But I won't let you drag Noelle down! Do not despair Noelle!”

Interesting. He seems to be projecting his own insecurities onto you.

Noelle fidgeted with the sleeves of her sweater. “Berdly, it's not like that! We weren't even talking about school…” Berdly glared at Susie. In response she bared her teeth. At the sight of her many sharp rows of teeth, Berdly's facade of bravery shattered. “Well, Noelle and I should probably be going now! We have important things to discuss!” As he ushered Noelle away, she glanced at Susie, a defeated expression on her face. Why'd Noelle look so sad?

Because she wanted to spend more time with you.

Huh? That was ridiculous. Why would Noelle want to spend more time with her? 

You are something special, that is certain.

Why'd the voice always go weird around Noelle anyway.

I was interested in the supernatural encounter she had.

No, she definitely remembered it reacting to something else.

No. I was simply taking note of all the details.

Whatever. She didn't really have the energy to push this right now. 

More students began to show up, slowly filing into class. She made her way there as well, settling at her desk. She hadn't ever realised quite how late Kris usually was, since she was almost always less punctual then even them. Eventually though, they showed up, the sound of the door opening silencing the idle chatter of the other students.

They do not seem to be doing so well.

That was an understatement. They looked like they had slept even less than Noelle. Their breathing was strained, and they looked even weaker than normal. She wouldn't be surprised if they hadn't slept all night.

I wonder what they were doing. Maybe they had night terrors like Noelle? But, they look almost angry. Which isn't indicative of a fear response. 

Kris dropped into their seat, and Alphys started the class. They were reading some book for English. Not like it mattered, since Susie didn't have a copy, and there was no way in hell she was listening to Berdly read aloud. Maybe if it was Noelle…

If I had a face, I would be raising an eyebrow right now.

Susie buried her face in her arms, fruitlessly trying to fall asleep.

I am not listening to the bird alone for the next hour. What do you think is happening with Noelle's dreams?

Susie had absolutely no clue. Her best guess was that it was related to the voice, since both phenomena started around the same time.

Perhaps, but whatever the glass is doesn't seem to really relate to anything I know about my nature. It is unfortunate that I was unable to see what Noelle glimpsed in the lens. Come lunch, you may want to ask Noelle about it, along with informing Kris of the current happenings. 

Alright. Susie shifted in her seat, her focus shifting from Noelle's strange dreams and whatever the hell Kris had done the night before, to much deeper topics, like how human tasted. A lot of monsters had similarities to animals, so would probably taste a lot like them. For instance, Noelle would probably taste like deer. 

Why Noelle in particular?

Because she had eaten deer before!

And definitely no other reason? Also she’s a reindeer monster.

Wasn't the voice here to help her? How was teasing her about Noelle helping?

Apparently, it isn't. 

Then maybe it should stop. Angel, she couldn't even be left alone with her thoughts for a second. 

Do you think you'd taste more like an alligator or a crocodile?

Huh??? 

What? You are the one who brought it up?

She didn't even know what kind of monster she was, let alone what she would taste like.

If I had to guess, I would say a crocodile. Much bigger and meaner than alligators. Also cooler.

Still no closer to the answer of what humans taste like.

Unfortunately, I do not remember consuming human flesh, so unless you want to eat part of Kris or something, I doubt we will ever find out.

That sucked. 

The English part of class came to an end, after 60 minutes of pure Berdly based torture. Alphys began to teach something math related. Out of sheer boredom, Susie attempted to pay attention to the content of the lesson, but found herself utterly lost.

Really? This is fairly simple.

Susie dug her claws into her desk.

Sorry. I worded that poorly. 

It was fine. She already knew she was dumb.

It is not fine. I should not have implied that. Many people struggle with mathematics. I simply mean that I know this already.

Yeah, sure. Whatever.

I wish I could help. While I know this topic I don't know if I can explain it particularly well.

That was fine. She didn't want any help. She was just fine how she was. The voice remained silent for the rest of class. The bell rang, signifying the beginning of lunch. Everyone quickly evacuated the classroom, escaping the scourge that was trigonometry. Susie needed to use the bathroom. Unfortunately, there was a weird voice that saw everything she did!

I have an idea.

***

Susie closed the faucet, moving to dry her hands.

I'm back. Thank god that worked.

Neat. Why didn't it just do that when she was sleeping? 

Because, it was the equivalent of closing my eyes. Time still passed for me, I simply could not perceive. And, a barren as your apartment is, it is much more interesting than nothing. By the way, you have some mould growing on your ceiling.

She knew. Her dad had said something about their landlord being a piece of shit. She walked out of the bathroom, spotting Catti and Noelle talking in the hallway. She couldn't quite make out what they were saying.

I can.

She wasn't too big on the whole spying on people thing the voice enjoyed.

Simply gathering information. Oh. 

What?

Catti seems to think that you gave Noelle her injury.

What! She would never! She clenched her jaw, balling a fist.

Stop. A fight will only prove to her that she I'd correct. Also it will not help your case.

Susie relaxed. The voice wasn't wrong. Noelle seemed to get rather indignant at what Catti was saying.

She is defending you.

I mean, it made sense. Still, it felt a little odd to have someone stick up for her. Catti raised her hands in surrender, retreating to the cafeteria. Noelle spotted Susie at the end of the hall, instantly brightening up and waving her over.

“Susie! Gosh, how long were you standing there?”

“A while. Told you Catti hates me.” Susie said, rubbing the back of her head.

Noelle's simile faltered for a moment. “She was just worried, that's all. But, It's all resolved now! So don't worry about it. Now, let's go talk to Kris!” Susie followed Noelle back to the now empty classroom, where Kris was still asleep on their desk. 

Did Alphys just leave them alone in class? Is that legal? 

It worked to their benefit, didn't it? 

True.

Noelle tapped Kris on the shoulder, but was unable to wake them. Noelle reached out, tickling their neck. Kris’s eyes shot open, face beat red, squirming out of Noelle's grasp. 

Catch them.

Kris pulled back in their chair, crossing the point of no return. Their chair began to tilt backwards, but before they crashed to the floor, Susie grabbed the back of their chair, halting their descent. Kris looked at Noelle, betrayal written across their face. They looked like a sad puppy. Noelle smiled sweetly. “How does my revenge taste Kris?” She asked, her eyes sparkling with glee. Kris pulled out their phone, typing something. 

• so immature 

“You're one to talk Kris!” Noelle teased, stomping her hoof. They stuck out their tongue. Susie let go of their chair. They crashed to the ground, looking up at her with a scowl. Susie smiled, letting out a chuckle. “S’what ya get for sleeping all class!” Susie remarked, barely able to hold herself together looking at their expression. It reminded her of those videos of puppies after they had just been bathed, sopping wet and miserable, but simultaneously adorable.

Adorable?

Shut up. They should probably explain the whole weird dream thing to Kris. 

Indeed.

Susie and Noelle explained the situation to Kris, with the human nodding thoughtfully the entire time. Once they were finished, Kris typed out their response.

• i have no idea what that means

“Big help as usual Kris.” Noelle huffed, unable to hide the amusement in her voice.

• no really, i cant make heads or tails of that. not any ghost or demon i know of.
• ill look into it when i can tho

Huh. I wonder if they would know anything about me.

Maybe they would, but how would she even ask? ‘Hey I have a weird voice in my head that tells me what to do and I was wondering if you know what kind of demon it is?’ 

I see your point. Still, I will keep an eye out for anything.

Noelle twisted a strand of her hair around her finger, trying to muster the courage to say what she was thinking. “H-hey, Susie… W-would it be okay if we… do research for the group project together I mean obviously Kris will be there we have to do it in groups you know!” 

Incredible. 

Wait, Noelle wanted to do the project with Susie? Why? Did she want to fail? Was she pitying her? Was this some kind of saviour thing? God, Noelle must think she's-

She probably just wants to hang out with her friend. People do that, you know.

Of course she knew that! Did Noelle really consider her a friend? Susie did help her with the whole haunted glass thing. And she had approached Susie a bunch… yeah. Her and Noelle were friends. 

Congratulations. Should I bake you a cake to celebrate?

Haha. Sarcastic comments from the voice couldn't ruin this for her. “Oh, yeah, we can do… that.” Susie said, struggling with her words for some reason. “Kris, you free after school?” They nodded. Susie grinned. “Cool. Then it's a date.” 

Good Lord.

Kris turned to Noelle, who was currently totally frozen in place, giving her a knowing look. Susie realised something. “Wait, will Berdly be there?” Susie asked. Kris groaned. 

“Oh… yeah he probably will. He isn’t that bad once you get to know him.” Noelle muttered. She really wished she could have been put in a group with Susie instead.

Speak of the devil.

The door opened, a feathered figure entering. He gawked at the situation in the classroom. “Noelle? Why are you with these… D tier students? We have highly intelligent things to discuss!” Before anyone could protest, he dragged Noelle from the class room. 

“Should we uh, go save her?” Susie asked Kris. They shook their head. 

• Shes too nice. She would stay just to make him happy. 

Susie crossed her arms. “Maybe I should go scare some sense into him then. Worked this morning.” Kris didn't respond, propping up their head on their hand, staring off into space. Did they not have any lunch? Toriel wouldn't deprive her child of food, so why weren't they eating their lunch?

They were running late today. Maybe they didn't have time to eat anything.

Maybe. Though come to think of it, she hadn't seen them ever eat anything. Except for that apple…

What apple?

None of it's business! Maybe she should have saved some jerky for them. Would they even eat that? 

The two of them sat in silence for the rest of lunch, Kris eventually falling back asleep. Class started, Alphys going over some boring historical event or something.

I have a feeling Alphys could make anything boring. She seems inexperienced.

Yeah, she was a pushover. She might be a good teacher if she tried, but she always just has the class read from their textbooks.

Trying to teach an entire high school curriculum as the sole teacher is an unenviable task.

Bigger schools were hardly any better. She had stopped paying attention in class a long time ago.

Hm. You know, you will have to at least pass to graduate high school.

She didn't really care about graduating. What was the point? Not like she was going to get into any colleges. Maybe she could bully Alphys into passing her.

I'm fairly certain you have standardised testing.

Then she'd just have the voice solve all the questions for her. 

First off: the last thing I want to spend my time doing is redoing high school. Second off: I don't actually know how long I'm even going to be here for. I could vanish tomorrow for all I know.

True. Guess she wasn't passing after all.

Perhaps you could get a tutor? As previously mentioned I am not a particularly good teacher, but maybe Noelle could help. 

Hell no.

Alright.

The clock on the wall slowly crept up on the end of class, signalling an end to her torment. Or it would, if she didn't have a stupid group project to do. Whatever. The bell rang, everyone filing out into the hallway. She followed just behind Kris, as they entered the combination to their locker, taking out a sheet of paper, and drenching it in glue. Susie raised an eyebrow, to which they responded by placing a single finger over their mouth, a devious glint in their eye barely visible through their messy hair. She followed them over to where Noelle and Berdly were talking. “Race you.” They challenged, their voice hoarse, but full of determination. 

“You sure Kris?” Noelle replied. “Because if I recall, you haven't ever won a race against me!” Kris responded by shoving the sheet of paper into Noelle’s face. It stuck nicely to her fur, making it rather difficult to remove. Noelle attempted to peel off the page, letting out something between a groan and a laugh. Susie contemplated taking a side in the war by helping Noelle, but was interrupted when Kris grabbed Susie's arm and bolted out of the school.

Chapter Text

Kris was shockingly strong, keeping a vice grip on Susie's wrist as they half led, half dragged her out of the school. Kris wasn't able to keep up their pace for long though, and they began to stumble forward with each step, grip on Susie's wrist loosening. They stopped, resting their hands on their knees. They gasped for breath, but could not rest for long. The steady sound of hooves on asphalt alerted them to a certain deer, who had managed to remove the piece of paper Kris had glued to her face, and was currently barrelling down the street towards them.

She is quite fast.

She could see that! Susie grabbed Kris's hand, bolting towards the library. Kris was surprisingly light, so Susie was able to maintain the gap between her and Noelle, though it was closing rapidly. Kris was effectively flailing behind them, having given up on trying to maintain their footing. Susie darted into the library, stomping for a second to catch her breath.

Why did you let us get roped into this again?

She hadn't done anything! Kris was the one who had involved her first. 

You could have turned them over to Noelle.

That was still taking sides! She followed Kris into the computer lab. It was a fairly run down place, full of outdated computers that barely functioned. She'd had her fair share of fun messing around with them, especially with the laptop, which was the only computer that could actually run anything beyond a Web browser.

Outdated is right. Even that laptop looks about 10 years out of date, and it's the newest thing here. Where are the town's funds all going?

To literally anything more important than a computer lab that was used by maybe five people a week. 

Maybe the reason no one uses it is because it is out of date. 

What exactly was the purpose of this conversation again? 

What is the purpose of any conversation?

Usually it wanted to talk about something important, rather than complain about the use of taxpayer money.

Hey, what could be more important than the town's infrastructure budget. 

The door slammed open, Noelle stepping in. She glanced around, her brow furrowing slightly. “Susie, where did Kris-”

At the sound of their name being called, Kris burst from the computer labs closet, diving at Noelle. Noelle shrieked, raising her arms to shield herself. Her attempt was pointless however, as Kris tripped over their own feet, faceplanting on the ground in front of Noelle. All three of them broke down laughing. Susie couldn't remember ever hearing Kris laugh. Their laugh was a rough, grating sound. It was almost closer to a cough than a laugh, yet she really wished she could hear it more often. The voice had been distracting her from Kris's prank, hadn't it.

Don't think I needed to, kid can be scarily sneaky when they want to be.

Horribly out of breath and possibly about to pass out, Berdly entered the lab. Between desperate gasps for air, he managed to scold them for being too loud in the library. Noelle mumbled an apology, running her fingers through her hair. Kris tugged on the sleeve of Susie’s jacket. 

•  Wanna help me find a book?

“No offense, that sounds lame as hell.” Susie responded, glancing around the computer lab. “So, what are we even doing for our project?”

• Dunno. I was sleeping.

You are supposed to do a 5 minute presentation on a topic of your choice. I believe Berdly and Noelle are doing theirs on ‘Which Super Smashing Fighter is the strongest.’ Berdly’s idea.

“It’s a presentation on something.” Susie said, Kris raising an eyebrow in response. “I’m serious! That's the only criteria we have!” Susie replied, gesturing wildly. “Ask Noelle if you don’t believe me.”

• I believe you.
• What should we do ours on?

“I dunno, any ideas?”

• Nope. 

Susie groaned, wishing that they had literally any direction for their project. Who could have guessed that an assignment so vague would be so angel damn hard to come up with ideas for?  Kris stroked their chin, staring blankly off into space. 

Personally, I think you should do your project on history.

She didn’t remember asking for its input. Also that was still way too vague.

Well, It’s not like I know any prominent events in your world's history. No memories, remember? 

Well it didn’t matter! If she had to do her project, it would be on something cool! Kris seemed to have an idea.

• What if we do the project on demons and crap? That way we can do research on whatever the hell happened with Noelle and also do our project at the same time?

Susie’s eyes widened. She grabbed Kris by the shoulders, shaking them back and forth violently. “Kris you’re a genius! Let's get started.” She shouted, flashing them a toothy smile. “Uhh, how do we do that?” She asked. Kris rolled their eyes, typing out their response.

• Well, first you can help me find that book I mentioned.

“You think I know my way around a library?” Susie replied.

I might. Depends what filing system they use.

Kris gestured for Susie to follow them upstairs. She followed them to the bookshelf at the end of the room. They pointed up at a massive leather bound book. Susie snickered. “What, too short to reach it?” Their face turned a faint shade of red, a wounded look on their face. Susie grabbed the book, handing it to them. The cover read “The demons of DELTARUNE”. No author was listed. They tucked the book under their arm, before kneeling down, and pulling another book from the shelf. It's cover simply read “Demonology”. They handed it to her.

• I doubt this one will yield any results, just got it to cover all our bases. 
• Doesn't consider the Legend or anything.

What is DELTARUNE?

She didn't really know, she had never been very religious. It was some kind of legend or prophecy or something.

Interesting. 

Susie sat down on the floor next to them, opening her book to a random page. “So, what exactly are we looking for?”

• Anything that fits what happened to Noelle I guess.

She focused on the page in front of her. She was able to read a couple of entries, but couldn't really find anything noteworthy. The words on the page started to blend together. The damn text was too small! She kept reading, but after a while she realised she had just been reading the same paragraph over and over, with all meaning sliding off her brain. She tried to read the next entry, but she just couldn't. Her jaw was clenched so tight she was shaking. Kris tapped her shoulder. 

• Reading is boring huh?
• Sorry, I gave you the lame book.
• I might have a lead in this one, but I've got to look into it more. You could browse some forums, maybe someone has had a similar experience.

“Yeah, I can do that.” Susie grunted, stuffing her book back into the wrong bookshelf. They made their way back downstairs, re-entering the computer lab. Noelle was seated beside Berdly, completely spaced out as Berdly engaged in “intellectual discussion” on some random forum. She spotted Kris and Susie entering, her face instantly brightening. “Ah Kristopher. Come to join in our discussion about which super smashing fighter is the strongest?” Berdly enquired, to which Kris shook their head vigorously. 

“Gotta use the computers. For our project.” Susie said, sitting down behind one of the bulky monitors. Berdly appeared to take this response as satisfactory, returning to whatever he was doing on the computer.

“Hi Susie! What are you doing for your project?” Noelle asked, showing off her adorable smile.

Adorable?

Shut up! “Demons and stuff. Is what we're doing for the uh project.” 

Noelle stilled her leg, brushing her hair behind her ear. “Oh that’s ummm, cool? Yeah!” Kris made a heart with their hands, winking at Noelle. She tried her very best to ignore them.

Susie rubbed the back of her head, failing to make eye contact with Noelle. “Yeah, it's pretty cool.”

“Y-you're pretty cool?” Noelle responded, her cheeks tinged a faint red. What did Noelle mean by that? Did she misspeak?

Does she know?

Know what??? 

How even. Are you blind?

Blind to what???

Nevermind.

Kris sat down next to Susie, cracking their knuckles. They slammed the massive book upon the desk, the force of the impact knocking dust off the table, and leaving all the monitors slightly ajar. This was enough to break Berdly out of his trance, bringing him back from the land of completely pointless debates. “Huh? Kris! Don't treat books like that!” He glanced at the title of the book. “So, you two are doing your project on the creatures of the night? As an intellectual, I can tell you that such things simply do not exist! You are wasting your time!” He said, raising his finger skyward, a smug look upon his face.

Susie rolled her eyes, pressing the power button on the computer. The fans whirred to life, a light on the case blinking on. She waited for the computer to turn on. And waited. 

I told you the town should have invested in better computers.

The computer finally powered on, the login page of a horribly outdated operating system flickering onto the screen. She selected the account simply named “User”, which thankfully had no password. The fans began to spin faster, desperately trying to cool down a computer that could apparently barely run even a 7 year old operating system. Finally, she was done waiting, the desktop coming to life. She double clicked on the browser, a pure white window filling the screen. 

The fans spun even faster, the cursor jumping around the screen as she moved the mouse. Not done waiting after all. She glanced around the room. Kris's face was buried in their book, Berdly was typing away at this keyboard, a look of pure rage on his face. Finally, Noelle was… staring at her? Noelle jumped slightly, and quickly turned her attention to Berdly's computer. Why was Noelle staring at her? She must have been scared, and was keeping an eye on Susie in case she decided to attack her.

Seriously?

Alright, she'd had it! What was the voice talking about? Why didn't it just tell her what it was thinking, like with everything else?

Some things need to be discovered on one's own.

What? The hell? Did that? Mean? 

You'll figure it out soon.

Was that meant to sound so ominous? Wait, the voice was just trying to prank her, wasn't it?

Sure.

The browser finally loaded, and she was ready to search. “Hey Kris, what am I looking for exactly?” They reached over, searching for “Paranormal dreams, glass”, and returning to their book. She scrolled through all the websites, nothing really grabbing her attention. She clicked to the next page, where the top result was “Strange Glass: Anyone know what it is?” She clicked into the forum, only for all her hopes to be dashed. The thread had been deleted. Angel dammit.

Try checking what other things this user has posted.

Oh, good idea! The user was “CurtConnersOfficial”. They had a tag next to their name, indicating that they had been banned. It looked like a bunch of their posts had been deleted. She sorted by date posted, the screen filling up with a bunch of posts. All the names and content had been deleted. After a while of scrolling, she came to the post about the glass, which had only had its content deleted. Below it were several more posts that had only the content deleted. “Lost part of the prophecy.” “The appearance of The Prince.” “The truth about The Human.” Seemed like whoever this guy was, they had been a bit of a conspiracy theorist. The forum as a whole seemed to be focused on the prophecy. 

How curious. Curt Conners, I wonder if that is his real name. I could swear I've heard it before.

It did sound vaguely familiar… 

I wonder if this person is a human or a monster. I suppose it doesn't really matter. Keep scrolling, if we are lucky they will have some posts that weren't deleted. 

She kept scrolling, eventually coming to an untouched post. “The Dark Prince and the Angel.” It was a long winded rant on the modern representation of the angel as a benevolent figure, despite the total lack of anything to indicate that it was benevolent. It mostly went over her head, since she didn't really know shit about the prophecy.

I have never heard of this “DELTARUNE” either. What do you know about it?

It was some long ass poem or something. 

‘The prophecy, which whispers amongst the shadows.
The legend of this world.
A world basked in purest light.
Beneath it grew eternal night.
Fountains freed, the roaring cries.’

That was about all she remembered. Some doomsday prophecy or something. Noelle seemed like the kind of person to go to church, maybe she knew the whole thing. “Hey Noelle, how does the prophecy go again?” Susie asked.

Noelle shot up in her chair. “Oh, um why do you want to know?”

“For our project.”

“Oh!, okay.

Its verses woven in space and time
Its contents whispered in shadowed rhyme
It lays out fate for us to climb

A world which basks in heaven’s light
Below, lives something beyond sight
It keeps with it eternal night

The veil pierced, the roaring cries
The end unfurls before our eyes
Our very souls it does despise

Hearts cracked with fear, we face our end
But lo, on hopes and dreams they send
Three heroes at the world’s end

The Human, with SOUL shining bright
The Monster, with body full of might
And the Prince, born of truest night

They’ll see the darkness rise and fall
They’ll hear the ring of heaven’s call
They’ll see the tail of hell take crawl

Light and Dark, both burning dire
A countdown to the earth’s expire
The ANGEL reaches its desire.”

• If Asriel were here he'd lecture you about interpretations and translation gaps.

Noelle giggled. “He would.”

Noelle's voice was so soft. Listening to her talk felt like lying on a rock, soaking up the sun.

You were not listening to a word she said, were you?

She had been! Just… not to what she was saying. “Thanks. For uh… teaching me.”

Noelle smiled. She was so beautiful. Oh Angel. Did Susie… Nope.

Susie tore her gaze from the deer, scrolling through the replies to the post.

You won't even think it? Seriously?

AussieBloke->CurtConnersOfficial:

Interesting take, but I have to say, your evidence is total nonsense. And just because there's no evidence to support the angel being nice, doesn't mean it's going to kill us all mate. Plus, I feel that the word “Angel” kinda implies benevolence, ay?

OldMan->AussieBloke:

The prophecy’s always been about interpretation. Despite what some people might try and tell you, there is no one true version of the prophecy. Personally, I’ve always thought you get out of it whatever you look for!

ANONYMOUS->AussieBloke:

[Deleted by moderator]

LordOfTheHammer [MOD]->ANONYMOUS:

Please try to be less rude. Also please format your posts more reasonably, you do not need this many line breaks.

ANONYMOUS->LordOfTheHammer [MOD]:

[Deleted by moderator]

HEY. You cannot simply ignore this.

Ignore what? She wondered what the anonymous user had done to get all their messages deleted. Maybe the moderation was just on a power trip?

Why do you refuse to acknowledge your own feelings?

Wait a second! She clicked on the anonymous user's name, being transported to his posting history. It wasn't an anonymous account, his name was ‘ANONYMOUS’. He had only posted once, much more recently than the previous thread. She clicked on it. It was a single image of some strange symbols on a pitch black background. 

GodOfHyperdeath->ANONYMOUS:

I fail to see how this is relevant to the forum? I'm going to leave this up, just in case this is an ARG or something, but if you want to post anything like this again, please tell the mods ahead of time. 

Seemed like a dead end. She returned to the post history of “CurtConnersOffical”. It was mostly uninteresting posts about various stuff related to the prophecy, as well as one post complaining about Dragon Blazers? What was this forum even about? She clicked on the rules. “Heros of Legend: A place to discuss the Prophecy, and any fictional works derived from it.” Dragon Blazers was based on the Propecy? Weird.

Fine. I will drop this for now, since you clearly are unwilling to talk about it. 

She went back to the search, browsing for any other potential leads. She came up empty. 

“Hey Kris. You find anything?” Susie asked. They lifted their face from the pages, having fallen asleep on the book. As they did so, a page desperately clung to their cheek. As they turned to face her, it slowly peeled off. The sight was strangely entertaining, forcing her to stifle a laugh. 

• Kinda? It might be the Prince from the Dark, but that's a massive reach honestly.
• Noelle said she knew it was a man, so I guess they share a gender.
• But no one knows anything about the prince, or if her even exists so idk
• You?

“Found a guy on some random forum who wanted help identifying some glass. Looked promising, but most of his posts had been deleted.” Susie showed Kris the posts. 

• Wait my brother used to mod for this forum. 
• I'll text him, see if I can get him to give me anything
• This is kinda weird ngl. Bro has so many deleted posts.

Suise muttered in agreement. The obnoxious sound of a default phone alarm filled the computer lab. “Already!?” Screaked Berdly. “Apologies Noelle, I have to go now. We shall convene at a later date to finish this assignment!” He powered off the computer, gathered his things, then sprinted out of the lab. 

Noelle followed suit, packing up her books and throwing her bag over her shoulder. “I should probably go too, I have to go visit my dad. Um, Susie? Could I get your phone number? I already have Kris's so…”

That reminds me, you really do need to get a phone.

What was it talking about? She had a phone. She pulled her phone from her jacket pocket. It was an ancient thing, having stopped receiving even security updates years ago. It still worked fine though, so she hadn't bothered to replace it.

I could swear that wasn't there yesterday.

Maybe it just didn't notice it? She hadn't used it at all.

Maybe.

“Yeah, that's probably a good idea.” Susie said, handing her phone to Noelle. Kris tapped her on the shoulder.

• I'll give you mine as well

“Oh, don't worry Kris! I have your number memorised.” Noelle replied. A look of terror crossed the human's face, and they swiped at Susie's phone. Noelle simply held the phone above her head, out of their reach, and finished entering their details. Noelle handed the phone to Susie, a mischievous smile on her face. “Gosh I've really got to go now, see you later Susie!” Noelle exclaimed, dashing out the door. Susie looked at her contacts.

Dad - Last message 5 days ago

Noelle

Krismas~

Susie felt the beginnings of a laugh escape her mouth. Kris tugged on her sleeve, looking up. “What did Noelle name me?” They asked, their voice hoarse. Susie placed a hand over her mouth, her body shaking slightly from holding in her laugh. Kris whined. “Please tell me.”

“Krisma-.” Susie burst out laughing before she could finish her sentence. They groaned, flicking their hair out behind them as they turned away from her. “Hey dude, don't look at me, it's what you get for all those pranks.” They turned back to face her, face pulled in an imitation of sadness, but eyes sparkling with life. “Don't give me that look dude, I'm not on your side.” They huffed, crossing their arms, and gazing up at the ceiling. 

“Alright, Imma get going now. See ya.” Susie turned to exit the lab.

“...wait. Want to… hang out?” Kris asked. Huh? Kris wanted to hang out with her? No way. She'd threatened to kill them literally one day ago.

Best I can tell, they are telling the truth.

She doubted that.

Admittedly, I cannot get the best read on them, but I have no reason to believe that they would be lying.

Couldn't get the best read on them?

Usually I am fairly competent at picking up on people's feelings, when they are lying, etcetera. Not so much with them. If I had skin, I imagine I would feel it crawling.

That was kind of strange. They were about the least threatening person she knew.

I wouldn't think too much of it. My perception seems to be less reliable than I would expect. 

“Uh, sure. If you insist. Where we going?” Susie responded. Kris lifted their book off the table, gesturing upstairs. Right, they had to return it. 

It's a library, just borrow it.

Oh, true. “Why not just borrow it?” Susie enquired.

“Can't check out. Another overdue.” Kris responded, walking out the lab. They climbed the staircase, entering the second floor. Kris reached up, stretching all the way up onto the tips of their toes. They were just barely able to put the book back where it belonged. As a result of their stretching, the back of their shirt lifted up slightly. She could have swore she caught a glimpse of something metallic.

Who keeps a kitchen knife tucked into the waistband of their pants??

What?

The metallic thing you saw, I saw it too. They have a kitchen knife on them.

What? Why? Did they have that this whole time? She had been threatening to kill them yesterday. Could they have killed her this whole time?

Stay calm. I don't think they have it for combat. If they did, they would probably have a pocket knife or something, not a kitchen knife. Maybe it brings them peace of mind?

Peace of mind from what? They'd never even reached for it, even when her teeth had been inches from taking their face off.

They are not scared of you. Or perhaps they simply don't care. It's just a theory, they could have it for some other reason.

True. Dammit, now she was going to be thinking about their knife the whole time. It was a little concerning. Aside from her, hometown was totally crime free. What would they even need protection from?

I don't know. …It is a touch worrisome.

Yeah, it was. Something touched her shoulder, causing her to instinctively dart back, springing into the beginnings of a fighting stance, before dropping her hands down to her sides. It was just Kris. They tilted their head at her inquisitively, but she brushed off their curiosity, making her way out of the library.

Berdly tried to stop them on their way out, informing Kris of a book they needed to return. He barely started reading out the name before Kris delivered him a death stare that could make Catti blush. She was curious about what the book was, but like with the knife, it wasn't her place to ask.

Aw man, I want to know what it was too.

It always wanted to know more, didn't it?

I mean can you blame me? I have no memories.

True. Not like she was entirely innocent either. She valued the truth very highly.

You say that like it's a bad thing.

It led to her spying on Noelle and Kris that one time, so maybe it was.

Hm. 

Susie and Kris walked around town for a while, not really doing anything in particular. Kris didn't say anything, and she kept quite as well. It was kind of just nice, existing near them. Eventually, they came to the lake. A cool breeze nipped at her scales, it's cold thankfully overshadowed by the heat of the setting sun. Kris dropped to the ground, patting the earth next to them. She followed suit, exhaling as she felt some lingering tension leave her body. She gazed out across the water, admiring the waves which gently lapped at the cliff they sat atop of. Though could you really call it a cliff? It was so short, her feet were almost in the water. 

She took a long breath in, taking in the faintly earthy smell. She caught just a hint of the apple shampoo Kris liked so much. She shut her eyes, letting almost all her senses dull. She became acutely aware of the heat of the sun beating down on her snout, the cold autumn wind, and even the subtle warmth coming from the human sitting just inches from her, taking in the view alongside her. She could have been friends with them so long ago. They could have been doing this for months. If not for the voice, she'd probably still be doing it. She was such an asshole. She half expected the voice to interrupt the moment, but it seemed content to allow her a moment of peace. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Her phone buzzed, bringing her back to the lakeside.

Dad: Something came up. Be out of town a few days. 

Dad: Some money in the bottom drawer. My room.

Lovely. Whatever. It was better her dad wasn't here anyway. She could handle just fine on her own.

Do you have a key?

She didn't.

That's alright. I'm sure we can find a way to break in.

Yeah. How come the voice had been so quiet? It had been nearly an hour since it had said anything. 

Just… enjoying the moment I guess. I can appreciate a good view too, you know.

Fair enough. Kris straightened up next to her.

• Should be getting home. Mom will freak if I'm out too late.

Kris got up to leave. “Hey, at least let me walk ya home dude.” Susie demanded, to which Kris looked slightly confused, though not unhappy. 

She followed Kris from the lake, arriving at their house. A simple two story house, a light on in the main room. Something heavy began to grow in her chest. Her throat tightened. “I- Guess I'll see you later Kris.” She moved to leave. Kris's mother stepped out of the house.

“Kris! How was studying with your- Oh, pardon me! You must be the ‘Susie’ I've heard so much about. My name is Toriel.”

“Good too… meet you… Ma'am.” Susie responded, the weight increasing. 

“Kris, why don't you invite her inside?” Kris shrugged. “I am making a pie, would you like some?” Toriel asked. She shouldn't.

Why? She is inviting you. It would be rude to refuse.

Yeah… 

If you are uncomfortable, it is fine. I'm sure she will not judge you.

It was fine. Kris would be there. Toriel was nice. It would be fine. It would be fine. The weight grew. Kris led her inside. Their house was nothing like her apartment. It was warm, the scent of cinnamon mixing with the faint smell of flowers. An ancient TV stood proudly in the living room. It felt almost safe. Susie did not relax. Toriel said some things she didn't quite hear. She found herself in the bathroom. What was she doing? 

Are you okay?

Right, she was washing her hands. She turned on the faucet, running her hands under the water. She pulled back as the freezing water bit into her hands. She mentally prepared herself for the cold.

Try using some warm water.

She twisted the warm water, waited a moment, before sticking her hands back into the stream of water. It was much nicer now. It made sense that Kris would have warm water. Toriel was nice. She was. She shut off the tap, drying her claws. They snagged on the towel slightly. The weight grew. She moved to open the door. Her claws closed around the doorknob. She tried to open it. She could not.

Really, are you good? We can leave if this is too much. 

SHE WAS FINE! Toriel was nice. Toriel was nice. She was. Susie channeled all her strength, opening the door. She stumbled slightly out of the door. Kris made their way to wash their hands. The faint sound of running water filled her head. She was at the kitchen counter, making the pie. Toriel joking around with her. She was nodding along. The weight grew. Why was Kris taking so long? Where was the voice? What was happening?

She was sitting on the couch, Kris next to her. They must have finished washing their hands. Had she not noticed? 

-ear me?

What happened?

You made the pie with Toriel. What's going on? You look pale.

Nothing. She felt something vibrate. Kris pulled out their phone, reading a text. “Mom, is it okay if Noelle comes over for a bit? She forgot her key again.” Kris said, their voice strained. They sounded uncomfortable. She had been making them uncomfortable, hadn't she?

“Noelle? How lovely Kris! Of course she can come.” Toriel responded. No, Noelle couldn't see her like this. She needed to go. She tried to get up, but she couldn't move her body.

Breath.

In for 1… 2… 3… 4… 5…

Hold for 1… 2… 3… 4… 5…

Out for 1… 2… 3… 4… 5…

How was that meant to help? She needed to leave. The weight increased. She needed to go. The weight increased. She-She was sitting on some grass. She felt the crushing weight lift slightly. Her thoughts felt clearer. She felt a slight wetness at the corner of her eyes. She wiped it away. Where was she?

Behind Kris's house.

Has Noelle arrived yet?

Not yet, but she will most likely be here shortly. 

She needed to go back, she-

You need a moment to rest, is what you need. I cannot have you forcing your way back into a situation that causes you that much stress.

No, she had to-

Wait for your heart rate to settle at least.

Was it that bad? She pressed her fingers against the soft part of her wrist. Her entire body was covered in sweat. Oh, wow.

Yeah.

Angel, she was pathetic. So weak, she got like this for no fucking reason.

Fear is a perfectly normal emotion. It is your body trying to protect you. It does not make you weak. 

She hadn't been in any danger. She ran away. She was a coward.

No. You are so very brave. I can't even imagine what you have been through. I- I know you are not the kind of person who wants to be pitied. But please, understand that all of this is not some failing on your end. 

She knew that. She knew it wasn't her fault. But, she was meant to be strong. She wasn't meant to let it break her.

You are not broken. I really wish I could help you. Help you get out of this terrible situation. But, I have no physical form, so I cannot. If you wish, we could run away. I can help you start a new life. Somewhere else. Somewhere far away.

She didn't want to run.

I understand. Susie. One day, you will be free. I promise.

Thanks.

You don't have to answer if you don't want to. Does this kind of thing happen often?

Not too often. Like once or twice a week.

Oh. I'm so sorry. 

She was feeling a little better now. Could she make her way back inside?

It is your choice. Not mine.

She made her way inside, spotting Kris, dozing on the smaller chair near the entrance, curled up like a dog. The weight in her chest lifted a little. Toriel was sitting on the other chair, reading a book. “Are you feeling alright Susie? I hope you are not feeling too sick. I can drive you home if you wish.” Toriel asked. That must have been the excuse she made. 

“I'm uh, feeling better after getting some fresh air.” Susie responded, staring down at her shoes. Kris began to stir, letting out a low whine. Their eyes brightened when they saw her. A soft knocking echoed from the door. That must be Noelle. Susie opened the door, Noelle letting out a squeal at the sight of the dragon. “Oh- Susie! I-I didn't think y-you'd be here.” Noelle stammered, her eyes frantically darting around, her hands fidgeting with the collar of her sweater. Susie must have really scared her.

“Yeah, Kris uh, invited me over. Did they not tell you?” 

“No. They did not…” Noelle glared at Kris. Oh Angel, Susie was here? Not like she was angry or anything, this was great! She was just a little caught off guard. She hoped she could still get to talk to Kris. And, did Susie look a little pale? She could have sworn her scales were usually more vibrant. “Um, good to see you though!”

“Good to see you too. Uh, come on in?” Susie invited Noelle in. 

“Good afternoon Noelle! It is so good to see you again! It has been too long.” Toriel said, placing a snail patterned bookmark into her book, and closing it. It had been so long. She had been beginning to worry Kris and Noelle would never talk again. They were good for each other, but Kris… she scolded herself. She should not be thinking like that.

“Oh, yeah. It really has. This place hasn't changed very much though!” Noelle replied, the tone of her voice indicating that she was rather pleased with that fact. The smell of cinnamon was so nostalgic. Oh, was there one of Toriel’s pies baking? She'd have to fight Kris for it.

“No, I suppose it hasn't.” There was a hint of sadness in Toriel's words. “How does everyone feel about dinner? I have pie in the oven, but knowing Kris, I doubt it will be enough!”

Susie couldn't complain about more food. Noelle agreed, though Susie wasn't really sure if she wanted to eat, or was just too polite to refuse. Kris said nothing, just pulling their knees to their chest.

“Excellent! I do have to buy some things first though, so I might be a moment. Noelle, keep an eye on Kris and Susie for me!” Toriel winked at her, departing for the shops. 

“So Noelle, what brings you… here?” Susie asked, nearly gawking at her own inability to string a sentence together.

“Oh! Um, I left my keys at home. Normally I’d just go to Catti’s or something, but…” Noelle replied, hands bunching up the fabric of her skirt. Why wouldn’t she go to Catti’s?

Because they had a fight. Over you, remember.

She did, she just didn’t expect it to have upset her so much.

Noelle clearly cares about you.

Susie wouldn’t go that far.

Why? Have you not seen the way she acts around you?

Kris tossed one of the couch cushions at Noelle, breaking the awkward silence.

• Anyone up for Super Smashing fighters?

Noelle grinned. “Kris, are you sure? I've gotten a lot better since you last played.” Kris shrugged, then pointed at Susie. 

They are asking you if you want to play.

“Oh, I don't really know how… never played before.” Susie responded. “I can just watch you guys play, it's fine.”

“Oh, it's okay if you don't know how! We can teach you, right Kris?” Noelle said, side eying Kris. 

• Like you ‘taught’ Azzy?

“Hey! It wasn't that bad!” Noelle insisted.

• He cried for like, 5 minutes

“I think we should get started setting up the game now!” 

Kris headed upstairs, coming back a moment later with a game console. They plugged in the TV, setting up the console. They muttered something under their breath. 

“What was that Kris?” Susie asked.

“Don't have the other controller.” Kris responded. “Dunno where it is.”

“It should be in the cabinet upstairs. Susie, can you grab it for me? I need to talk with Kris for a moment.” Noelle chimed in.

Susie gave her a thumbs up, walking the stairs. She rifled through the cabinet. Looked like a bunch of junk got stuffed in here. A certain book caught her eye. ‘How to draw dragons.’ She pulled it out of the junk surrounding it. On the front was a purple Dragon, dressed rather… immodestly.

Huh.

Wait, was this Kris’s book? She flipped through the pages, eyes widening. Was Kris into dragons?

You're about to find out.

What? Susie looked around, eyes coming to rest on Kris. They were standing at the top of the stairs, a look of unparalleled terror etched into their face.

“Nice book.” Susie grinned. Kris fell to their knees.

“Was… my brothers.” Kris responded.

“Heh. Sure dude.”

It actually was. According to the list in the front, the last person to borrow it was ‘Asriel Dreemurr’

Susie flipped to the front, checking the list of people who had borrowed it. Huh. She shoved the book back where she found it, also retrieving a crappy looking knockoff controller. They headed downstairs, where Noelle was waiting. 

“Alright Susie, watch and learn! Kris, get ready to lose!” Noelle exclaimed, picking the ‘Purple Dragon’ character. What was with everyone and Dragons today? Kris selected ‘Green Lizard’. 

The match started, both fighters landing a few solid hits. Noelle managed to get Kris into a combo, thrashing them for a few seconds. Before she could land the finishing blow, Kris bumped her shoulder, causing her to miss her attack. 

“Kris! No fair!” Noelle cried, taking a strong hit from Kris. Kris was able to launch her off stage, but before Noelle could recover, Kris tickled Noelle's neck, causing her character to plummet to its death. 

Interesting edge guarding strategy. There is no way that's tournament legal.

“Kris! Quit it!” Noelle giggled, not really sounding too upset. An idea dawned on Susie. “Hey Kris. You know what happens to dirty cheaters?” She asked, bearing her teeth for dramatic effect. They didn't look up from the match. She grabbed their leg, pulling them into the air. “This is called karma!” Susie exclaimed. 

“Still gonna win.” Kris stated, squirming in Susie's grip. This was, as it turned out, a lie. 

***

Noelle viciously spiked them into the death zone a final time, finishing the match. She pumped her fist in celebration. “Take that Kris!” Noelle said, sticking out her tongue.

Kris, still upside down, folded their arms, pouting over their loss. “Oh my! Well, I am glad to see you all had fun!” Toriel spoke, having entered the house, groceries in hand, while Kris, Susie and Noelle were distracted with the game. Susie panicked, dropping Kris. Noelle snapped back to her usual, composed self in an instant. Then, the four of them all burst out laughing.

Chapter Text

Toriel shuffled to the kitchen, doing something Susie presumed was related to dinner. She didn’t care about that right now. It was time to do battle. Kris offered her their controller.

Ironically, the knockoff might be a bit better. It's a little bigger, so it might be a better fit for your hands.

That made sense. “Hey Noelle, can I have your controller? It's bigger so…”

“Oh, sure!” Noelle practically shoved the controller into Susie's hands. Alright, how did she use this thing? 

Don't look at me.

Uh, the stick controlled movement? Wait, wrong stick. Alright! She could move the cursor. What character should she pick? The “Frostmancer” was strong in Dragon Blazers II. She noticed Kris and Noelle giving her funny looks. “What ya looking at!” She snapped.

“Oh, nothing. Just, she's the best character in the game.” Noelle replied, locking in ‘Purple Dragon’ again. 

“Oh, I didn't- I can pick a different character if you want?” Susie said, sheepishly rubbing the back of her head.

“No no it's fine! I really don't mind.” Noelle insisted.

They started the match. After giving Susie a moment to figure out the controls, Noelle swooped in, slashing at Susie with her giant axe. It made contact, pushing Susie off the stage. Susie fell, trying to recover, but she fat fingered her up aerial, and plummeted to her death. Susie respawned, landing on the side of the stage, avoiding Noelle, who was mashing jump, spamming some move that spins her axe around her. Susie tried to attack, but nothing had quite enough range to get through Noelle’s button mashing.

“You have specials you know!” Noelle said, dashing at Susie, and swiping once at her. Susie managed to pull up her shield, blocking the axe. Noelle backed off, giving Susie a moment to catch her breath. She used it to test out her specials. If she pushed the button while holding nothing else, she just fired a shard of ice straight ahead. If she held to the side though, an aura of frost appeared a fair bit ahead of her character. She accidentally hit Noelle, freezing her, and pulling her inwards. After hitting Noelle once, the freeze effect wore off, allowing Noelle to roll away. 

The distance that attack appears at is the same as the distance your roll covers. If you freeze, then hit Noelle with an attack that stuns for long enough, you might have enough time to roll back, and refreeze. It even pulls the person it hits towards you for a follow up.

That was lame though. Noelle hit her with another quick combo, knocking Susie off the stage. This time, she was successfully able to use her up special, summoning wings of ice to carry her back to the stage. Unfortunately, she held the joystick in the wrong direction, and just barely missed the edge of the stage, and fell into the death zone again. Ok, maybe she would test the voice's theory. Down to her last life, she landed on the edge of the stage again, waiting for Noelle to start spamming her neutral aerial. Once she did, she froze her, hit her with her jab, rolled and re-froze. 

“WHAT!” Noelle cried. “How'd you- sorry how did you figure that out?” 

“Just intuition I guess.” Susie replied, grinning. She continued the combo for a while, before hitting Noelle with a strong attack, sending her flying off the screen. Noelle laughed. “Gosh, you're picking up on this really quick! I might have to get serious!”

Noelle landed on the stage, trying a low attack. She missed, before getting frozen again. Noelle groaned.

Try pulling her over the edge.

Susie followed the voice's instructions, Noelle watching helplessly as her character got dragged towards the edge of the stage, eventually getting pulled off the edge, frozen, and sent straight to the death zone. Susie glanced over to Noelle, only to see that she was completely stone faced, all her attention focused on the game.

Uh oh.

Susie looked back to the screen, only to see Noelle hit her with the axe spin move, trapping her in a combo. She watched helplessly as Noelle took her character off stage, hitting her all the way to the left death zone, before managing to turn around, and heading back onto stage. The combo kept going, culminating in Susie being sent to the depths of the death zone at frightening speed, winning the match for Noelle.

Noelle loudly exhaled, flopping back into the couch. “Damn Noelle, you kick ass! Uh- I mean you kick uh…” Susie heard Toriel faintly chuckle from the kitchen. “Uh, you were cool.”

“Sorry, I got a little carried away.” Noelle responded sheepishly. 

“My fault for doing the freeze thing.” Susie reassured her. “S'all good. Wanna play again? I can uh, use a different character.”

Noelle blessed Susie with her angelic laugh once more. “Sure!” Susie picked ‘The Tactician, who she also recognised from Dragon Blazers, and lost every single game, only taking the occasional life from Noelle as a result of Kris based interference, and one due to Noelle’s character randomly sliding through the air, into the death zone. Susie had no clue what could possibly cause it, but Noelle reassured her it was just something that happened sometimes.

“Damn, You're really good at this!” Susie said, turning to Noelle. 

Noelle blushed. “O-oh. Thanks.” Gosh Susie was complimenting her? What should she do? Um, complement back! “Y-you're um, strong? Thanks for um, foiling Kris when we fought. It was… cool?” Noelle didn't actually mind Kris's interruptions, but she did appreciate Susie helping her out, even if she really wished that Susie picked her up instead.

Kris turned to Susie, a shit eating grin on their face. “I'm short though. I bet you can't pick up Noelle.” 

“Oh yeah?” Susie responded to their challenge, wrapping a hand around Noelle's waist and hoisting the deer onto her shoulder. Noelle let out a faint squeak, her antlers brushing against the ceiling. Susie felt Noelle's tail repeatedly slap against the back of her head. “Don't think you're getting out of this either!” Susie exclaimed, grabbing Kris, effortlessly pulling them onto her other shoulder. 

I cannot believe you fell for that.

It dawned on Susie what she had just done, her face heating up.

So you are coldblooded, but you can sweat, and you can blush? How?

Uh probably some monster bullshit. She remembered something about coldblooded monsters still being able to generate some internal heat, on account of magic?

Ah yes. The answer is magic. Why didn't I think of that?

Kris looked over at Noelle, smiling ear to ear. Noelle could barely breathe. Where was she? What was going on? She was… oh gosh. Kris was such a jerk! How could they do this to her? Were they trying to kill her? “Um Susie, can you put me down now?” Noelle asked, her voice barely audible. 

“Shit! Sorry.” Susie lowered Kris and Noelle back to the ground. “I wasn't- I should have-”

“Itsfinedontworryaboutit” Noelle replied, looking incredibly frazzled. Toriel chuckled, causing the three of them to turn around, seeing Toriel covering her mouth with her hand.

“Well, if you three are done with… that, could you help me prepare dinner? I just finished defrosting the mince.” Toriel asked. 

“Oh, uh sure.” Susie replied, Noelle agreeing. 

“Wonderful!” Toriel responded. They were making spaghetti. Noelle cringed as Toriel snapped the pasta in half. 

“Hey, isn't Noelle vegetarian? What's she gonna eat?” Susie asked, placing her hand on Noelle's shoulder for dramatic effect.

“Oh goodness!” Toriel placed her hands over her mouth. “Apologies Noelle, it's been so long. I wasn't thinking.” 

Noelle looked flustered. She waved away Toriel’s concern. “It's all good, I can just have the pasta!” Susie harboured some concerns that it might not be the most filling meal, but she supposed she couldn't really talk. Toriel had Noelle dice some onions.

Susie was in charge of cooking the mince. She sliced the plastic wrap off the package with her claws. It was slightly warm from being defrosted in the microwave. Under Toriel’s instruction, she heated up a pan on the stove, placing the onions in and cooking them till they were nicely browned. She then added the mince, breaking up the big block of meat with a wooden spatula. The smell of the onions and beef made her mouth water. She couldn't remember how long it had been since she'd eaten anything anywhere near this nice.

Hm.

She poured a can of bolognese sauce into the mince. She glanced over to the couch, where Kris was sitting. There was a sullen look on their face, a hint of anger showing in the way they clenched their teeth. They noticed her watching them, pulling out their phone and scrolling. She wanted to say something, but words escaped her. She didn't even know what was bothering them, let alone what they needed to hear. 

Ask them how they are doing when you have the chance. I'm sure they will appreciate it.

Yeah, maybe. She finished cooking the mince. Toriel portioned out the spaghetti. They sat around the table, eating in silence. Toriel tried to start a conversation, and Noelle might have joined in, but Susie wasn't really paying attention. She felt a familiar weight in her chest. She looked at Kris. They were twirling their fork in their spaghetti, but it didn't look like they had eaten any. Eventually they stopped doing even that, just staring at their food. They looked pale. They hadn't really said much.

Usually they use their phone to write down things. They must dislike talking.

That made sense. She pulled out her phone, texting Kris.

How u feeling?

Krismas~: fine

Krismas~: u?

Food's good.

Ur mom's nice

Krismas~: yeah

Susie scarfed down the rest of her food. It was delicious. She thanked Toriel. She felt her chest get heavier. She couldn't think of anything to say to Kris. Noelle asked her something. She responded. She didn't know what she said. She was slipping again. 

Krismas~: So do you think the forum guy will be real or nah?

Honestly, she didn't know. It was really stupid to expect some random guy on an internet forum to have had the exact same weird dream thing, complete with haunted glass. At the same time, it was the only lead they had. 

Hope so. Idk why but I’m worried about Noelle

Krismas~: I know why. Because Ur gayyyy

Kris I swear to the angel I will bite your face off

Krismas~: its soo blatant its kind of sad

That asshole! So that was their game earlier. Dammit, they had played her like a fiddle!

A fiddle requires some effort to play.

Krismas~: not even gonna ask me how I know? :(

You don't know crap

Krismas~: sure

Krismas~: maybe next time I'll get u locked in the supply closet with Noelle

Susie kicked Kris in the shins. Kris let out a yelp, Noelle looking at them quizzically. “They banged their knee on the table.” Susie explained, shooting Kris a smug look. Toriel and Noelle resumed their conversation, Kris taking a couple of bites of spaghetti. Setting down their fork, they began to ponder. Susie wondered what they were thinking about.

Probably how to get back at you.

Heh. She wasn't gonna fall for any of their tricks. 

I hope so, since I will not be assisting you.

Figures. Toriel asked Kris if they were ready for pie. They nodded vigorously. Toriel brought the pie to the table, the smell wafting into her nose. It smelt heavenly. Toriel fetched some plates and forks. She cut into the pie, carving out a large piece, handing it to Susie. She lifted the fork to her mouth, and took a bite. The taste was just as good as the smell. The pie had to be the single best thing she'd ever tasted. She took another bite. She looked up. Noelle, Kris, and Toriel were all just watching her, smiling.

Susie gulped down the half-chewed mouthful of pie, with great difficulty. “Why y'all looking at me like that?” She mumbled, slightly embarrassed. No-one responded. Toriel finished cutting the pie, giving everyone else their slices. Susie finished off her slice, Kris somehow finishing before her. Noelle was slowly making her way through the pie. Toriel took her slice upstairs, heading to her room. She noticed Kris was being very quiet. She hoped she was not embarrassing them in front of their new friend.

Noelle plunged her fork back into her pie, swatting Kris's fork away as she did. Her fork hit something hard. She frowned. What on earth? There was something inside the pie. She dug it out, a solid shard of something, caked in batter. Her stomach dropped. She knew what it was. She knew it couldn't have been that simple. She wiped the batter off, revealing a familiar shard of glass. Her breathing ceased. No. No No No No. It couldn't. That wasn't possible. It wasn't. Yet it was. The glass glinted mischievously. Noelle reached out for the glass. Before her hand could close around it, Kris snatched it away. They rested it in the centre of their palm. “So cold… how?” She could see the floor through their hand.

“Tha-thats the glass! From my dream.” Noelle stammered, taking it back from Kris.

How interesting. I had my doubts simply throwing it away would be enough to get rid of it. Make sure she doesn't look at anything through it, that's what set her off last time.

Right. “Crap. How'd it end up in the pie? I swear I tossed it.” Susie said, rising from her chair, and hurrying over to Noelle.

“I um- gosh I- I don't think… I don't think I can get rid of it… I tried twice, when I woke up this morning, I was holding it, and I freaked out and tossed it. I think it slid under my bed or something. But then it showed up in my bag anyway. So…” Noelle frowned. “So maybe I should just keep it.”

That might be the most logical course of action. If it keeps appearing in random places, it could get her seriously hurt. 

Susie really didn't like the idea of that. There was just something so wrong about it. From the look on Kris’s face, they felt the same way. 

“You weren't kidding. Thing is freaky.” Kris muttered.

“When I looked into it before, it showed me things. I didn't understand them, but maybe if I looked for longer, I would be able to figure it out.” Noelle mused.

“No way.” Susie said, putting a hand on Noelle’s shoulder. “Remeber what happened last time? Like I'm letting that happen again.”

“R-right. I guess I'll just… keep it in my pocket then.” Noelle murmured, lost in thought. The glass… What did it mean? She just couldn't figure it out. If only she could remember what the man said, or what he looked like. If only she could see more, she could find the truth. That was stupid though. She shouldn't play around with something like this. Not when it had already proven to be dangerous. She steeled her will, shoving the glass into her skirt pocket.

“Are you gonna finish that pie?” Kris asked, pulling Noelle's plate towards themselves.

“Kris! It had glass in it!” Kris shrugged, lifting what remained of the pie into their mouth, chewing and swallowing while making direct eye contact with Noelle. 

“Kris! That's gross!” Noelle chuckled. “I should probably be going.” She got up to leave. 

“Oh yeah, me too.” Susie followed suit.

“Wait. It’s already pretty dark out… You wanna have a sleepover?” Kris barely even said the last part. A sleepover sounded good though. Even if her dad wasn't there, she hardly wanted to go back to her shitty apartment, and freeze the whole night, when she could spend some more time in Kris’s house, hanging out with the two of them.

“Oh, I would, but you know how my mom gets…” Noelle said, her voice darkening as she spoke of her mother.

“Let me ask her at least.” Kris said. Noelle agreed, though she didn't seem very hopeful.

Can Noelle sleep over for 2night

Boss Lady: Yes. 

Boss Lady: As long as you don't do anything improper.

“Got permission.” Kris said, smiling.

“Huh?” Noelle gawked. “How did you-” Her mother did always seem to have a soft spot for Kris, when they weren't causing mayhem that was. Kris probably had left out the fact that Susie was there. Oh well, like she'd pass up an opportunity like this! “Um, Susie, are you staying over too?” Susie nodded. Noelle resisted the urge to pump her fist in victory. Her dad was going to love hearing about this.

“Gotta ask mom too though.” Kris added, darting up the stairs, leaving Susie and Noelle alone. Susie was kind of impressed. With what she knew of Noelle's mom, she assumed she was kind of a hardass. She wondered if Kris was just lying.

They are not. She said it was alright, as long as they refrained from doing anything ‘improper’.

Improper? How did it know that anyway?

As previously mentioned, my ‘vision’ can see much more than you can.

Right. Why was it spying on Kris's texts? 

I was curious as to what kind of person Noelle's mother was.

“So, Susie, what are we going to do? F-for the sleepover I mean.” Noelle said, 

“Uh, sleep?”

“Oh, I mean, aside from that.”

“Uh, wanna see what's on TV?”

“Sure!” Noelle exclaimed. Maybe they could watch a horror movie, and when she got scared she could dive into Susie’s arms and- maybe not a horror movie actually.

Christ.

Huh?

Nothing. (These kids are hopeless)

Susie turned on the TV, the weather channel playing. No remote though. Dammit. She flopped onto the couch, fishing through the cushions. Jackpot. She pulled the remote from the realm of the Lost. “It's always in the couch cushions.” Susie explained to Noelle, inviting her to sit next to her on the couch.

Susie flipped through the channels. Sports. The news. Some random kids show. A giant monster movie. “Hell yeah!” Susie exclaimed, turning to Noelle. “Hope you're ready, because we are gonna have an all night monster movie marathon!” 

“Oh! You um, like monster movies?” 

“Hell yeah! You?”

“Oh, I don't mind them. I always preferred horror movies though.”

“Really? Damn, you’re cooler than I expected.”

Noelle twirled her hair around her finger. “R-really?”

“Yeah! I mean, I knew you were nice and smart and junk, but you're also great at games and stuff.”

How adorable.

Shut it!

Noelle's body shut down. This had to be a dream, right? No way Susie just said she was cool. She was just going to wake up soon. Wake up back in her house. Wake up to another day of Kris acting like she didn't exist. To another day of her mother lecturing her on how much potential she has. To another day of her father telling her everything was fine.

Kris came down the stairs, triumphant. They settled on the couch, sitting opposite to Noelle by Susie's side. The three watched movies for a while, talking about small things that didn't really matter or remember. It made the voice feel something. The kind of pain that normally manifests itself as aches and pains, now with no flesh to propagate through, plunged straight into its core. Did it have something like this once? It didn’t even know its own name. It felt angry. Angry it couldn't help them. Angry that it didn't remember what it regretted so deeply. But such anger was pointless. 

Kris was taking up way too much of the couch, lying on their side. They kept stretching out further, pushing Susie and Noelle into a progressively smaller part of the couch. They were practically pressed against each other, both trying their best to ignore the human's antics. Susie began to lose focus. No way she was going to fall asleep first. She rubbed her eyes, squinting at the small screen of the TV. She couldn't quite make out the screen. She closed her eyes for a second, to give some time for them to readjust.

***

Wake up.

Susie's pleasant sleep was interrupted, her eyes snapping open. Kris was sound asleep. curled up on the couch next to her. Noelle, however, was absent. The room was cold, the front door slightly ajar. 

Noelle stepped outside. I figured you'd want to know.

She did. She was impressed the voice was able to wake her up, she was a pretty deep sleeper. She could probably sleep through the veil of reality being pierced, allowing a great fountain of darkness to envelop her senses if she was tired enough. 

You are welcome.

Susie stepped outside, where Noelle was sitting, back resting against the front of the house. Susie sat down next to Noelle, startling her. “What ya doing out here?” Susie asked, pulling her jacket tightly around her. 

“Couldn't sleep. Are you cold?” 

“A little.” Susie responded, catching a concerned look from Noelle.

“Your jacket looks a little thin for this weather.”

“I guess. Don't worry about it. I can't imagine it's that pleasant out here for you either.”

“Actually, it's not too bad. My fur is pretty thick, and this sweater helps.” 

“Ah.” Susie looked upward, where the clouds veiled the stars. “Shame it's cloudy tonight. Can't see the stars. Gotta be one of the best parts of living out here. When I first moved here, I remember thinking ‘Oh, that's why people are so obsessed with the stars.’ ”

Noelle took Susie's stargazing as an opportunity to look at her. Susie’s scales glittered faintly beneath the cloud covered moon. For as long as Noelle had known Susie, she'd been guarded. Never really letting any of herself slip through the mask of strength she wore. Since yesterday, it was like someone had convinced her to give the world a second chance. Something had changed, and she had gotten to see who Susie truly was. She was so kind. It only made her love Susie more. She had the strength to say no. That had always been what Noelle admired about her. That she was strong. But, as she had always suspected, Susie was so much more than just strength. Despite whatever terrible thing had happened to her in the past, or was still happening to her, that had made her so strong, Susie had held on to her heart.

“S-susie?” Noelle asked.

“Yeah?”

“Why- why did you… act like that before.” Noelle said what she had been wondering. It was a mistake. Susie would hate her for asking something like that, what was she thinking? 

She does not ask out of malice.

Susie didn’t need to be told that. Noelle's language was imprecise, but Susie perfectly understood what Noelle was asking. “I guess it’s just… what everyone expects from me. I was never a ‘good’ kid. Not like you, or Kris. I- I didn't really grow up around anyone like me. ‘Cept for my dad. Everyone sees the scary monster girl and thinks, wow, she must be violent. She must wanna hurt people. I didn’t do much to stop them from thinking that either. I don't have any fur, or a pretty face like you. And I got an ugly personality to match.”

“Th-That's not true.” Noelle argued. She placed her hand in Susie's. “We're monsters, right? Some of us might look scary, but it's what we act like that counts! And, even if you do l-look scary, who says that's bad?”

Susie looked down at Noelle's dainty hand, resting on her monstrous palm. “Yeah, sure, but it's not like I'm a good person. I've been shitty to basically every student in our class. Especially Kris.”

Noelle didn't seem to have anything to say in response. Susie tried to pull her hand away, but Noelle stopped her. 

You were lashing out at the world. I understand why. You cannot change what you have done, but you can try to be better.

Maybe she could. Maybe she really could. Noelle was still here. She hadn't looked away. Even if she didn’t know what to say, her presence was worth more than words.

Noelle rested her head on Susie's shoulder. “Everyone here knows me. But they don't know me. They just expect me to be a certain way. Sometimes I feel like I can't do anything for myself. Like everything's preordained. I'm going to graduate, then I'm going to get into a good college, study something respectable like law, and get a job. Sometimes I wish I could just run away. Somewhere no one knows me. Somewhere I can study what I want, wear what I want and do what I want. It's stupid. I have so much to be grateful for, I shouldn't complain.”

“I don't think it's stupid. Having to deal with people telling me what to do all day, I'd go crazy!” 

Noelle chuckled. “F-for the record, I really like how you look! Your-your claws are cool, and I really like your smile! And um, your tail is cute too?”

“I don't know what you're talking about. I don't have a tail.” Susie lied, pulling the back of her jacket down.

Your tail is wagging by the way.

She knew! “We, uh, should probably head inside now. Gotta sleep and all that. Good talk?”

“Oh, y-yeah.” Noelle yawned. “Gosh, I'm exhausted. It really was nice hanging out with you Susie.”

They walked back into the house, shutting the door behind them. Kris had sprawled out across the entire couch while they were outside. Noelle rolled them off the couch, sending them to the floor with a thud. They remained fast asleep. Noelle lay down on the couch, sleep taking her the instant her eyes closed. Susie didn't really know how to feel about everything. It was exhausting, but she couldn't say it wasn't worth it. Noelle was her friend. Kris too. 

She never expected she would tell anyone that. Especially Noelle of all people. But, it wasn't bad. Though, what the hell was she talking about? She had said Susie was cute? What was going on? 

You cannot be this impossibly dense. 

Okay, sure, she knew what saying that kind of thing implied, but come on! She was Susie, and Noelle was Noelle. She settled down on the couch, shutting her eyes. Sleep did not come to her particularly easily this time though.

I understand you have a lot to think about, and almost as much to act on. For now though, you should sleep. It has been a long day.

Yeah. She kept her eyes shut, trying to calm her mind. Damn, so much stuff had happened today. For now, she pushed it out of her mind, focusing on the muffled breathing of the human face down on the carpet, and the weight of Noelle next to her on the couch. The smell of butterscotch and cinnamon still lingered in the air. It smelled like home.

***

Susie remained fast asleep, but next to her, Noelle began to wake. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, she took stock of her surroundings. She was pressed against the rightmost armrest of the couch. On her left, Susie pressed up against her shoulder, her mouth slightly agape, exposing many rows of teeth. Every breath brought with it a low rumble, reverberating throughout Noelle’s entire body. Kris had reclaimed the couch, stretching across the entire thing once more, with callous disregard for the girls that rested there. Their head was resting on Noelle’s lap, putting her in quite the predicament. How was she meant to get out of this situation exactly?

She checked her phone. The time was 5:45 AM. She had two unread messages.

Mom: I'm able to let you in now.

Mom: Leaving at 6 AM. Get home before then.

She really needed to go. Thankfully Kris was a heavy sleeper. She managed to squirm her way out from under the human. Toriel was cooking some delicious smelling pancakes. It took all her willpower, but she was able to avoid staying until they were done. “See you at church Mrs Dreemurr!” She waved goodbye, dashing for her house.

Toriel really wished people would stop calling her ‘Mrs Dreemurr”. Noelle could be forgiven she supposed, they hadn’t really talked since… 

She was glad Kris was finally reconnecting with Noelle. They had been so close. Kris’s new friend kind of worried her. Susie seemed nice, but her reputation was not the greatest. That wasn’t really what she was worried about though. Susie seemed unwell earlier, when she was helping Toriel bake the pie. She started acting strange for a while afterwards as well. Toriel wasn’t a fool. She could tell when something was wrong with a child’s home life. She would let her stay here for as long as she liked. Toriel made a mental note to ask Alphys about anything related to Susie when she could.

***

Susie opened her eyes, not greeted by the desolate walls of her room, but by the cosy brown wallpaper of Kris's house. Kris lay across her lap, their neck bent at an awkward angle. Noelle was notably absent. 

She left early so she could get let into her house. Her mother leaves for work early it seems. Do you know where she lives?

Why did it want to know? She didn't, for the record. Kris might.

It isn't that important.

She felt Kris's chest rise and fall with each breath they took. They looked more relaxed then she had ever seen them. They were pretty cute when they were sleeping. “Susie! You're awake. Care to join me for breakfast?” Toriel asked. Susie's face flushed, realising Kris was still lying on her. 

You should have seen her reaction to finding the three of you. 

“Wake up dumbass, it's time for breakfast!” Susie shouted, shoving Kris off her. They hit the floor, remaining asleep. Right, they were a heavy sleeper. Leaning down, she pinched their nose, covering their mouth as well. A moment passed, and something slimy touched her hand. “Dude what the- don't LICK my hand! Gross!” She wiped her hand on their sweater, rising back to her full height. “Anyway, it's uh, breakfast time.” Susie said, strolling over to the table, upon which lay a towering stack of pancakes. 

Might want to wash your hands, unless you want to taste their saliva.

Right. She strolled over to the bathroom, rinsing her hands. A green tinted bottle of shampoo caught her eye…

That cannot be good for you.

…It tasted nothing like apples. Susie exited the bathroom. For once, she wasn't even particularly hungry. Not like she'd pass up those pancakes though. She took a seat, taking a bite of her pancakes. Delicious. She looked over to Kris, who having finished stacking a hilarious amount of pancakes, picked up a jug of maple syrup and began to pour. And pour. And pour. Susie's fork lay forgotten next to her plate as she watched the atrocity unfold before her eyes, helpless to do anything to stop it.

“Dude, that's way too much syrup.” Kris stuck out their tongue, and stemmed the sickly sweet tide. Just when she was about to return to her meal, Kris began to slather the syrup soaked pancakes in butter. “Does that even taste good?” Susie asked, more awestruck at Kris’s audacity than horrified by their crimes. Kris shot her a look that she took to mean ‘you eat chalk, you cannot be talking.’ 

They have a point.

Toriel finished cooking her own pancakes. “Kris, I had no idea the three of you had gotten so close.” Toriel said, clasping her hands together. “Asriel is going to love hearing about this!” 

Kris gave her a confused look. Toriel chuckled, pulling out her phone. She opened up her gallery, pulling up a picture of Kris, Susie and Noelle. They were sleeping on the couch, Kris slung across the girls. Susie's face was burning, Kris similarly embarrassed. 

“Kris, is Susie not a-saur-able?” Toriel joked, causing Susie to slam her head into the table. 

Lord almighty that was awful.

Just endure it. The pancakes were worth it. Spending time with Kris was worth it.

Kris is worth it?

It should really stop twisting her words like that. She finished up with her pancakes, going back for seconds. Kris was still making their way through the proof of their folly. She was only a couple bites into her pancakes when Toriel interrupted again. “Oh, Susie, do you want to come to church today?” She asked. Dammit, Susie knew there had to be a catch with these pancakes. 

“Yeah, sure.” She replied. 

“Wonderful! I think some of Asriel's old clothes should fit you!” Toriel exclaimed, dashing upstairs. Kris and Susie shared a moment of silence for their lost morning.

Noelle will be there.

At least she'd have Noelle and Kris with her. Maybe there would be some enjoyment to be gained after all. Toriel brought down some fancy clothes, and Susie ducked into the bathroom to change. The clothes were not really her thing. The jacket was a bit too short, which left her tail slightly exposed didn't really fit her vibe. Kris’s brother must have been a dork or something. Thankfully, the pants were fairly oversized, so she just pulled them over her regular jeans. She tucked her usual jacket into one of the spacious pockets in Asriel's pants. She exited the bathroom. She looked like a total moron.

I think you look rather dapper.

Kris strolled down the stairs, having changed into a button up jacket that looked nearly identical to their usual shirt. They muttered condolences to her as they walked to the church.

Father Alvin gave some opening words as they filed into the building. She spotted Noelle, waving at her. Noelle looked startled for a second, then waved back. The church choir began to sing. Susie drowned out all the other singers, her attention focused solely on Noelle. She hadn't ever heard Noelle sing before, and man was it something to behold. Her voice was as gentle as her laugh, a sound that reminded her of a neighbour she once had, whose home was adorned with many wind chimes. Whenever a gust of wind blew outside, it would produce a haunting, yet beautiful sound that stuck with her even to this day. That sound, the noise she could listen to for hours when it was a windy night, couldn't even hope to compare to the sound of Noelle's voice. She felt as if the angel itself was in the room with her right now, admiring the beauty of Noelle's voice. 

Okay.

What? She was just admiring her friend's voice. Objectively.

Uh Huh. She was pretty good I guess.

The sermon continued, Alvin giving the stage to Catty, who launched in the most boring retelling of the prophecy imaginable. Kris fell asleep nearly instantly, Susie following suit. 

***

Juice Alert.

Susie awoke to a start. Alvin was finishing up his sermon, but what caught her attention were two big bowls of what appeared to be fruit juice. Hell. Yeah. Kris was still asleep, so she went to get them a cup of juice.

How can they even sleep that much? It's both impressive and concerning.

They were practically always asleep in class. Maybe they just stayed up really late?

Perhaps. I don't believe I saw them wake last night though. It seemed like they slept even more than you.

Why did it sound uncertain? Usually it was more confident in its observations. 

Nothing but a frivolous choice of words.

Uh… Okay. Kris stretched, a faint crack echoing from their back. 

“Hey Kris! Got you some juice!” Susie said, handing Kris a cup. They nodded, giving her a thumbs up. Susie threw back her cup, downing the Prophecy ordained drink in an instant. It almost made church worth it. Kris took a sip from their juice. “What are you doing today?” 

You do have that thing at the convenience store.

“Uh, I've got some stuff to do, but I'm free in the afternoon.” Susie responded.

“Feel free to come over after.” Kris said, gulping down the rest of their juice. Susie nodded, glancing around the church. There were a bunch of people she recognised, but no one she really knew. Alphys was keeping to herself, good for her, she didn't want to get expelled for messing up church. Noelle was talking with Toriel and another reindeer monster. She didn't recognise him, but given his appearance, she assumed he was Noelle's father. Noelle was wearing some robe or something, it looked kinda dorky, but Noelle made it work.

Susie had a hard time believing that this was the same girl she had talked to last night. So quickly Noelle had gone from pouring out her heart, to once more acting like the version of her that everyone else wanted her to be. She walked over to where Noelle was standing, hovering around her awkwardly. Kris followed, having retrieved a juice refill. After waiting for Toriel and Noelle’s father to finish their conversation, she told Toriel that she’d be heading off. Noelle’s dad, who she learned was named Rudy, was giving her a funny look. She ignored it. Kris followed her as she exited the church.

“Hey, dumbass, you can’t follow me around the whole day! What are you, a dog?” Susie yelled. Kris howled sadly in response. Susie pulled off Asriel’s old jacket, shoving it into Kris’s hands. “Give these to your mom for me.” She said, also handing them Asriel’s old pants. 

“Damn, you put your church clothes over your regular clothes so you could change out of them the second you left church? That's weird.” Kris proclaimed, discarding their church clothes in one smooth motion, revealing their regular sweater beneath. 

“Great minds think alike. See you later.” Susie joked, heading off towards the convenience store. Kris barked in agreement.

Chapter Text

The lights appeared to be off in the store. Did Sans skip out on her? As if answering her question, the lights in the store turned on, Sans stepping out. “alright kid, let’s get to it.”

Susie followed him into the store, looking around. “So, uh, what exactly are we doing?”

Sans somehow winked at her, despite not having eyelids. “i think you meant to ask what you will be doing.” Figures.

He is paying you.

Yeah, she knew she needed this money. Angel dammit, she really had to put up with this jackass for however long.

He isn't that bad.

He absolutely is.

“basically, i need you to carry some boxes to the front of the store. follow me.” He led her to the back of the store. Cardboard boxes of various items were stacked high. He handed her a list of various things. “this is what needs restocking. have fun.” 

Alright, let's move these boxes.

She bent down, lifting a box of chocolates. It wasn't too heavy, she could probably carry multiple at a time.

Make sure you use proper lifting form. You wouldn’t want to hurt your back.

Wow, what was it, her mom? It was probably right though. She carried the box into the store. “Hey, what if a customer comes in?” Susie asked, not really wanting to have to deal with customers alongside Sans’s nonsense.

Sans was resting his feet on the counter, texting someone on his phone. “won't be an issue. we're closed.” Susie checked her list. Next up were various chips. 

***

Susie finally finished carrying all the boxes she needed into the store. “Got all the boxes. What now?”

The obnoxious sounds of short form content could be heard as the skeleton scrolled endlessly on his phone.

Remember. He is paying you. 

“wow, this is a riot. you seen this one?” He remarked, turning his phone around to show her a video of a very small bird carrying a very large boss monster across a tiny gap. An epic orchestral track played in the background. 

“I DON’T CARE!” Susie yelled. “Uh, I mean, uh, just tell me what I gotta do next, okay.” 

“no time for slacking off i see. jeeze, you’re one diligent employee. really working yourself… to the bone. might be able to take employee of the month from me. ” 

It was for the money. It was for the money. Susie envisioned all the things she could buy. She could get some meat, or she could get a new jacket. Maybe she could take Kris and Noelle somewhere. She was pretty sure she wasn't welcome at QC's though. Catti worked there.

“anyway, the next thing you gotta do is pretty straightforward. see how the list you got is colour coded? all the items highlighted in red go on the red shelf, all the items in blue go on the blue shelf, etcetera. you got all that?”

How could she not? It was like, the most straightforward thing ever. Given how many shelves were totally barren, it would probably take a while though. “Uh, yeah. I got it.”

She did as instructed. The whole time, she was putting up with the constant stream of everchanging noise emanating from San’s phone. The sound of his boney hands hitting the phone screen was starting to become unbearable. She wondered what Kris was doing right now. Probably something a hell of a lot more enjoyable than this. Thankfully the work came to an end eventually. The time on her phone read 12:17pm. “Hey, I'm done.” She told her employer, who looked up from his phone, glancing around the room.

“nice work just susie. here’s your paycheck.” He handed her a stack of bills, expression locked in that freaky permanent smile. How much was this?

One hundred and twenty-five dollars.

Woah! She hadn't worked before, but even she knew that was way too much money. What was his game? “Heh, I think you miscounted. There's way too much here.” She said, handing the money back.

“oh, you're right. impressive you caught that.” He counted out a different amount. “not many people that honest. you're really vying for my spot as employee of the month huh?” He handed her the new amount.

Sixty-five dollars. 

She didn't take the money. “Isn't this still too much? I only did like two hours of work.” 

He practically shoved the money into her hands. “who am i to say anything? i’m just the janitor.”

She was so sick of this guy. She collected her paycheck, shoving it in her jacket pocket. 

Do you not have a wallet?

No, she didn't. Not like she had any money to put in it.

You should get one when you can. You don't want to lose any money.

Yeah. She headed for the door, but before she could leave, Sans stopped her. “do you want to grab anything. you got an employee discount you know.” 

“Nah. I'm good.” Susie replied, exiting the store. The door shut behind her, before opening again as the skeleton followed her out. 

“Where the hell are you going?” She asked, totally lost as to the point of stocking the store if no one would be there.

“oh, store’s closed today. and let’s just say i’m a bit busy tonight.” He said, walking off. She really couldn’t stand that guy. At least she got some money out of it. Alright, what did she need to do now.

You might want to have a shower. You probably smell by now.

Probably?

I don't have a nose. My only senses are sight and hearing. Actually, more sense analogues but I assume you don’t care about the distinction.

She didn’t. She probably should shower, but the prospect of heading home… Maybe she could use Kris’s shower. She’d smelled worse before anyway.

You also might want to grab lunch.

Yeah, maybe. Susie wondered what Kris was doing. 

Why not ask them? Maybe invite them to lunch? You could invite Noelle too.

It wasn't the worst idea. 

U up for lunch? I’m paying

Krismas~: Sure. I’ve got money tho

Ok. Gonna ask Noelle too

Krismas~: She's prob studying right now so idk if she'll respond. gl tho

Krismas~: im leaving rn where we going?

Uh idk

Only two restaurants are right next to each other so we can just meet there

Susie started walking over to where QC's and ICE-E's stood. As she exited out of her messages with Kris, she wondered how two restaurants right next to each other managed to maintain a customer base.

It's a small town, and people aren't exactly spoiled for choice either.

Fair. Susie texted Noelle.

It's Susie, you want to grab lunch with me and Kris?

A twinge of anxiety filled her gut. It was just a text message. She quickly re-read it, checking for spelling errors. Thankfully there weren't any. She spotted Kris shuffling down the street. They looked kinda pale. She waved them over. “Dude, you look like crap. You alright?” 

• I'm fine

They didn't really look fine. Their hair was a mess, and they looked sweaty. Not to mention, they were walking like a zombie. “You sure dude?” She asked, concern creeping into her voice. Kris nodded. “Alright. You think Noelle will show up?” Susie asked, maybe a little too excited at the prospect of seeing Noelle again. Kris shook their head, doing something on their phone, presumably texting Noelle. After finishing that, they typed out a note for Susie.

• She always puts her phone on silent when she studies

“Ah, alright. Kinda sucks.” Susie said, Kris nodding sadly. She looked between the two restaurants. It looked like ICE-E's was closed. Guess she'd have to test her luck with QC's. Thankfully, Catti was not working today. The diner was packed unfortunately. It was pretty loud. Kris went up to QC. 

“Kris, nice seeing you here hon. It's been a while hasn't it?”

Kris nodded, placing five dollars on the counter. 

“The usual Kris?” They nodded. “Some things never change.” QC smiled warmly. “I assume you're sharing with your friend?” 

“Hey Kris, what do ya think you're doing? I said I'd be paying, remember?" Susie said, interrupting the transaction. 

It's only five dollars. Is it really worth all this?

Yes. She locked eyes with Kris, staring into their ruby red eyes. A fierce determination burned within them, but she doubted it could match her own. 

QC smiled. “Why don't you two split the bill then? I can make change if you need.” She'd seen enough of Toriel to know that Kris wasn't going to let someone else pay, and she doubted the girl they were with… Susie? Would either. Ah, to be young and in love.

(She figured it out before they did. I don't know whether to laugh or to cry)

“Whatever.” Susie handed QC five dollars, getting back two one dollar bills, and two quarters. Kris followed suit, and they popped into the only unoccupied booth. Kris exhaled, sinking into their chair. 

QC came out of the back, carrying a tray. Atop it was a bowl of soup, a plate of fries and an ice cream sundae. She set the fries and the soup down on the table, followed by the sundae. “Here you go. I threw in something extra for your friend.” She said, darting to the back once more, presumably to make another customer's order.

All this for five dollars? No, that price doesn’t include the sundae… A soup and fries for 5 dollars? What year is it?

That's Hometown for you. Everything was kinda stuck in the past. It was nice of QC to throw in something extra for her, even if she wasn't super hungry. 

“Alright Kris. Let's dig in.” Susie said, shovelling a handful of fries into her mouth. Kris watched on, smiling. Compared to earlier, they seemed to have a much lesser appetite. They did have a massive pancake abomination for breakfast she supposed. By the time she had powered through the soup, they had gone through a couple fries. They didn't look too great. Looked kind of queasy if she was being honest. “Dude, seriously, you sick or something?” They shook their head, not meeting her gaze. 

Why are they trying to hide it? It's pretty obvious.

Good question. They lifted a single fry to their mouth, half heartedly nibbling on it.

“Dude, you don't have to pretend to eat you know. Just don't eat if you don't want to.” Susie said, reaching across the table to grab their wrist. 

A faint smile twitched across Kris's lips. “Thanks.” They slumped back into their chair, watching her work through her sundae. 

“Want the last bite?” Susie asked, holding her spoon out in front of her. Kris lurched forward, And before she could pull her spoon back, they snatched up the last bite, swallowing it right off her spoon. She looked at them in befuddlement. They blushed, turning their head to the side, shielding their face.

Next time try putting the chips in the ice cream. I swear it's good.

She dipped a fry in some of the residue left behind. It was not, in fact, good. How could the voice lie to her like that? Kris watched on, bemused.

Hey, don’t get mad just because you have an unsophisticated pallet.

Kris seemed to be doing a bit better, finishing up the last of the fries. After cleaning up the booth, they exited the diner.

“So, what do ya want to do now?” Susie asked. Kris shrugged. Huh, what could they do? Noelle still hadn't responded to any messages, and Kris was about as helpful as she expected. “Wanna go mess around in the woods?” Susie asked. They punched her arm, their blow surprisingly strong all things considered. “Hell yeah. Lead the way.”

Susie rubbed her arm, guiding Kris into a patch of forest near the church. It wasn't quite as nice as her spot, but it was a fair bit closer. 

Are you sure you want to be out here? Looks like it's going to rain.

They'd be fine. She moved deeper into the woods, Kris following closely behind. Eventually they stopped at a small river. Some circumstances unknown to Susie had led to a bunch of rocks resting just above the water's surface, a blank canvas, waiting to have paths across the water painted on. She began to step out onto the rocks, carefully testing each one before she placed her weight on them. Kris caught on, darting from stone to stone with a speed and grace that their short stature provided them. After putting a little too much faith in a rock that turned out to be not so firmly anchored to the riverbed, they stumbled, the legs of their pants getting soaked as they stumbled into the muddy water. 

“Damn, sorry about your pants.” Susie said, helping them back onto dry land. Large droplets of rain began to fall, one breaking on Susie's back, seeping into her jacket. 

“Don't think it'll matter with this rain.” Kris observed, pointing at the sky. More and more droplets began to fall, a light drizzle beginning to make way for a torrential downpour. “We should go!” Susie shouted, grabbing Kris's hand. They were totally getting soaked. 

I hate to say I told you so.

Shut up! The ground was muddy beneath her feet, squelching as she trekked towards town, clutching Kris's hand. The rain was falling thickly now. She could barely see the ground in front of her. Susie caught a glimpse of potential salvation. The church. She prayed to the angel the door wasn’t locked, the irony of the situation not lost on her. Mercifully, the church was unlocked. 

Susie and Kris shut the door behind them, the sound of the rain amplified by the church roof. Both winded from their journey, they dropped to the ground in the church foyer. Susie’s jacket no longer offered any warmth, the freezing rain having thoroughly soaked it. Shit, she was freezing.

How dangerous of a situation is this for you? 

Not that bad. She was just a little cold.

Kris wrung out their sweater, shivering, then attempted to shake themselves dry. “Hey! Watch it!” Susie cried, raising her arm to shield herself from their onslaught. Once they were finished, they were slightly drier, with the church foyer significantly wetter. 

This is quite an inconvenient situation.

“Damn. Doesn't look like the rain will stop anytime soon.” Susie complained, wringing the rain from her hair. Kris nodded. 

• There's meant to be choir practice around now.

“Uh, I don’t hear any choir, and I don’t think anyone's gonna brave the storm.” Susie replied, fidgeting with her clothes, trying to get them to sit comfortably on her scales.

• Fair
• Gonna call my mom to pick us up

They opened their messages.

Boss Lady - Remember, y(...)

#1 Susie Fan - You: Having lunch at Q(...)

#1 Noelle Fan - Only two restaur(...)

Mom - Have fun ❤️

Azzy - See you at the festiv(...)

Then sent their mother a text.

Me and Susie are stuck at church. Come pick us up please

Susie peered over their shoulder, waiting for the response to arrive. A few minutes passed. Weird. Susie didn't take Toriel to be the type to miss messages from her kid. Kris looked anxious.

“Hey, if we're stuck here, might as well do something, ay?” Susie asked them, trying to help with their mood. They nodded. 

• Not much to do here though. Wanna check the place out?

“Hell yeah. You can give me the guided tour, since you’re the perfect religious kid.” Susie said, mocking them. “Didn't you and Catti try to summon a demon one time?” Kris jumped a little.

• Yeah. Didn't amount to anything tho

They seem uncomfortable with the topic. Probably since they consider Catti a friend, and she hates you.

Oh, yeah. Catti. She didn't really care that much. “Kris, you know I don't really care about Catti right?” 

• I know. Noelle told me what she said about you though. 
• I don't want you to think I believe her or anything.

Kris was sweating, typing as fast as they could manage. Susie grabbed them, holding their face in front of hers. “Kris! I don't care. You obviously don't believe what she said, and neither does Noelle. I don't give a shit about what anybody else thinks about me, so stop beating yourself up about it!”

“...sorry.” Kris mumbled, slipping out of Susie’s grip. Neither of them had anything to say. Damnit, she messed up. The cold didn’t help with her mood.

Then take off your jacket. It took the brunt of the rain, and it's not like it's providing any warmth. 

Yeah, but-

I doubt Kris will judge your tail.

Fine. She peeled off her jacket, a weight lifting off her damp scales. She felt a little exposed without it, the ratty t-shirt she wore under it doing little to cover her arms, or her wimpy tail.

So even in a world with nearly infinite variance in appearance, unrealistic beauty standards still exist? Guess some things never change.

Urgh, Kris was staring at her. Thankfully, not at her tail, but instead the various scars she had across her arms. Slight patches of discolouration, and the occasional oddly shaped scale. There were less than one might expect, mostly due to any surface level blemishes being shed over time. The ones that remained were from times she had gotten pretty messed up. Mostly stupid shit, involving her trying to prove how tough she was. They littered her entire body really, though only the ones on her arms were visible. 

“I was a rowdy kid,” Susie explained. “Generally not a good idea to get into trouble when your scales are still on the softer side.” They ran a finger along a particularly jagged scar. “Hey! What do you think you're doing!?” She yelled, attempting to pull away for a moment, before allowing them to touch it. It didn't feel bad. Their hands were very warm.

“Some kid had gotten his hands on a knife or something similar. Wanted to know if it'd get through my scales. As it turned out, it definitely could. I dunno why I played along.” She still remembered what had happened after. One of her teachers had nearly passed out from the blood. The nurse had no idea what to do with her, so they just called her dad. Her dad just shook his head, tossed a bandage at her and told her to cover it up. It took a while to heal. 

Oh. That's horrible.

Kris seemed similarly disturbed, grip on her arm tightening. “They were human, weren't they?”

Susie didn't answer. Kris clenched their teeth. 

Kris seems to resent humanity. You should handle the situation with care.

“Yeah, they were. Pretty much everyone I knew growing up was. No one was anywhere near as cool as you, though.” Susie said, ruffling Kris's hair. “Anyway, about that tour?” Kris nodded, leading her into a side room. Within what Susie assumed to be the choir room was a keyboard, and a few bells of various sizes. Nothing super interesting. Kris looked at the keyboard for a moment, an expression Susie could not quite place crossing their face.

Does Kris play piano?

She didn't know. Be pretty ironic if they did. Kris exited the room, Susie following close behind. The cold was really starting to set in now. The church wasn't the most well insulated building, and it didn't seem to have any heating. She pulled her arms tightly around her, an action that had much more significance when her jacket did not lie discarded on the floor of the church foyer. Kris led her into the main room, lying down on one of the pews. She sat next to where their head was resting. They pulled out their phone, typing for what felt like an eternity. Susie listened to the roar of the rain on the church roof. It was strangely comforting. Kris finished typing, sitting up.

• You know, when I was younger, I thought I'd grow horns.
• When azzys horns started to grow, I cried for hours. Because I was the last person to get my horns.
• Mom and dad had to sit me down and explain to me that I wasn't ever going to get mine. Because I was a human. Imagine how that went.
• And I mean, I knew that. I knew I wasn't like them. But I always hoped that I could grow horns.
• After that day, I got that horned headband. And I wore it everywhere. 
• Mom and Dad loved me. But it didn't stop how hurt I was that I couldn't really be one of them. It just made it hurt more.

Kris shuffled away from Susie, only to get pulled closer by her. “You know dude, you might not have horns, or fur, but I still like you. You're cool.” Kris pulled her down, so that they were lying side by side on the pew. “Uh, dude? What are you doing?” Susie asked, panicked. 

“You're cold.” Kris mumbled, flopping their arm onto Susie's stomach. “Gotta stay warm.” Susie said nothing, her mind gone blank. It was a difficult fit, Susie almost more off of the bench then on it. “Uh, dude, I think I'm going to-” Susie tumbled to the ground, pulling Kris down with her, landing on top of her. A grunt escaped Susie's lungs. Damn, they were pretty warm actually. She wrapped her arms around them. Their sweater was totally soaked, but the heat coming off their body was more than enough to make up for it. She pulled them up, so that her chin was resting on their head. Despite the smell of mud and sweat, she could still smell apples. 

Kris seemed to be benefiting from their arrangement as well, as they had completely stopped shivering. This was nice. Or at least it was, until Kris decided they'd had enough, and started tickling her neck. She twisted away, taking her hands off Kris. They stumbled away, knotted hair covering their face, as they kneeled, trying to climb to their feet. “Dude, what the hell?” Susie exclaimed, betrayal written across her face. She counter-attacked, grabbing Kris’s leg and pulling them towards her. They slid smoothly across the floor, right into her grasp. “Heh. Got you now.” Susie said, tickling their stomach. “Two can play at your game you know!” Lightning illuminated the church for a moment, interrupting their battle. 

“Shit! This is a crazy storm for what? 2pm?” Susie said, releasing Kris and rising to her feet.

Seems about right to me.

Kris grabbed on to her arm, pulling themselves to their feet as well. 

• Hometown's weather can be funny like that sometimes.

“Yeah you don't say.” The light of Kris’s phone illuminated their bright red face. “Uh, I'm much warmer now.” Susie sat back down on the pew, this time a normal distance from Kris. “So uh, what else can we do here?” Susie asked, looking out the window, where the rain fell in such great quantities that she could barely even make out silhouettes of what was outside the church.

Lucky you got inside when you did.

Yeah, it definitely was. Kris looked down at their phone. They chuckled, showing a picture Snowy had sent in the class group chat of MK, sopping wet, and looking rather displeased. 

“Heh, looks like we aren't the only ones getting caught in the rain.” Susie said. Huh, now that she looked at them up close, MK reminded her of someone. “Y'know what's funny? I knew a guy that totally looked like MK once. They were like, grey though. Hope they’re doing okay.”  Kris seemed amused at this information.

• I cannot imagine anyone remotely like MK being friends with you, they're terrified of you lmao
• That grey dude must have been onto something though, cause you're a pretty great friend.

Susie elbowed Kris, unable to hide her grin. 

• Maybe I should invite you to the group chat, cause some chaos

Susie considered the idea, but she didn't really feel like terrorising anyone right now. Kris opened up some random mobile game she didn't recognise, doing something that looked vaguely impressive. She couldn't really tell what was going on, all the flashes hurt her eyes. 

She watched them play for a while, resting her head on their shoulder. It probably inhibited their ability to play, but they didn't seem to mind. 

The door to the church creaked open, the now unrestricted howling of wind and rain echoing through the church. Footsteps approached the door to the main room. Susie looked at Kris, confused. Who the hell would be here during this storm? 

She crept up to the door, slowly opening the door to the foyer. 

“Noelle? The hell are you doing here?” Susie said, Noelle screaming and falling backwards. 

“S-Susie? I was- I- C-choir practice?” Noelle stammered, trying to climb to her feet. She was wearing a raincoat, so was less soaked than either of them, but she was still shivering. “Um, what are you two doing here?” 

“Oh, we were messing around in the woods when the rain started. We barely made it in here before the worst of it started. Why the hell would you come out in this weather!” Susie said, baring her teeth.

“I didn't want to miss choir practice!” Noelle knew it was a stupid idea, but she also knew it was important to be on time.

“Well, I don't think it's on right now!” Susie exclaimed.

Oh, yeah, she hadn't checked her phone since she got back from taking Rudy to the hospital. She had several unread messages. Berdly had sent her nearly 12 texts, she dreaded to think about what. Kris and Susie had both texted her about lunch. Angel, she wished she had seen that message. She was pretty hungry. She usually muted her phone when studying, since it just distracted her, but if Kris and Susie were going to be texting her- no. Her studies took priority. She knew that.

Anyway, Toriel had messaged her. Choir practice had been cancelled due to the rain. Angel, she was such an idiot. She slammed her hand into her forehead. “Darn it! Choir practice is cancelled! I should probably just head home. I have more studying to do.” She said, turning to leave.

Susie grabbed her arm. “Hell no! There's like lightning and shit out there! I don't care if you've got thick fur or whatever, I'm not just letting you go out in the freezing fucking rain! Just wait for it to die down a bit!”

“What she said.” Kris said.

“You're right… I'm sorry.” Noelle said, her head dropping. 

“Don't apologise dude, I get that you care about your grades or whatever. But I care more about you than your grades, so, y'know.” 

Noelle's face flushed at Susie's words. “Um, Thanks? Gosh, um, why aren't you wearing your jacket?” Oh gosh, she could see Susie's tail better now. And her big strong arms. And how Susie reached to her words. She was actually adorable. Like, Kris when they want some of your chocolate adorable. 

(I don't know how much more of this I can take.)

Susie crossed her arms, shifting her body to the side in an attempt to conceal her tail. Her attempt was not helped by its incessant wagging.  “Uh, my jacket got totally soaked. And I didn't want to freeze, so I had to take it off.”

“Oh, that must suck. If you're still cold, we could- I mean-” Noelle's body seemed physically incapable of speaking the words she wanted to say. Kris was looking at her with their typical shit eating grin, enjoying watching her struggle. “Nevermind.”

Huh, what was Noelle trying to say? She seemed flustered.

Oh my God. Oh my God. I actually can't with you three. 

Why was it so pissed off?

WHY DO YOU THINK?!

Susie winced. She didn't know! Maybe it should just tell her if whatever was bothering it was annoying it that badly.

I shouldn't. You need to figure it out on your own. (I swear to God. I'm actually going to lose my mind. Am I in hell? Is this my eternal damnation?)

Okay. “Uh, you should probably take off your raincoat. It's dripping water everywhere.” 

“R-right. Noelle moved to unbutton her raincoat. “W-where should I put it?” Susie pointed at where her jacket was. Gosh, Susie's jacket was in bad shape. Maybe she could get her a new one? Noelle carefully placed her raincoat beside Susie's jacket, internally cringing at how dirty the church floor had gotten, on account of the three of them trekking mud through the whole place. Father Alvin wouldn't mind, would he? She'd have to volunteer to clean it up later. 

Susie found her gaze fixed on Noelle. She was wearing a baggy shirt with a candy cane print on it, Christmas themed as usual. She had paired it with an ankle length red and white striped skirt. Her sense of fashion might have been obnoxiously Christmas themed, but if anyone could pull it off, it was Noelle. 

Noelle looked down at her hooves. Of all the days to wear a white (well, partially white) skirt. It was filthy. Her mom was going to kill her. Um, if she was lucky, she could get home before her mother and put on a load of laundry. She hoped the rain would start to thin out soon. 

I'm sure you find her outfit very nice, but pay attention to the way she's acting. She's just staring at the dirt on her clothes.

Oh. Her dad had stopped caring about appearances long ago, but she still remembered the feeling. Shit. She put her hand on Noelle's shoulder. “Uh, usually I run muddy clothes under cold water for a moment, then rub some detergent into the stains. Then you let it sit for a moment, like 20 minutes or so, and rinse it with warm water. Sometimes you gotta do it a couple of times though.”

“Oh! Thanks! I'll um, do that.” Noelle said, her heart still pounding in her chest. She let out a long, shaky breath. They moved into the main room of the church, Susie sitting next to Noelle. 

There wasn't really anything better to do, so Noelle extracted her phone from her pocket, opening up ‘Cat Petterz: Mobile’. 

“Dude, they hell is that?” Susie asked, baffled at the unfathomably bright, microtransaction filled mess that appeared on Noelle's screen.

“Excheese me? You don't know Cat Petterz: Mobile? It's like, the best mobile game ever! Sure, it looks like a terrible mobile game, but they actually used the original game's weird animation system, and they managed to mess it up even worse! You can basically get the game to create anything you want, because they messed up the breeding system! They didn't cap any of the stats for some reason, so if you know what you're doing you can get some super cool glitchy pets!” 

“Damn Noelle, didn't know you were into that kinda nerdy stuff.” Susie said fondly.

Susie called her a nerd? Oh gosh, Susie actually called her a nerd. She could finally check that off her 27-step-plan. Now she just had to execute step 12, bump into Susie in the hallway, and get stuffed into a locker! Actually wait, Susie wouldn't do that.

(Oh my God.)

Why was Susie staring at her so intently? Oh no, did she say something out loud? Or worse could Susie read her thoughts?

“Uh, what's that thing?” Susie said, pointing to a mass of purple ovals that walked around in a roughly humanoid shape.

“IT'S NOTHING!” Noelle shouted, turning off her phone. Oh no, Susie had seen the cat she had made that looked like her. Thank the Angel Susie hadn't seen what she named it.

(I really should say something…)

A text popped up on Noelle’s screen.

Berdly: Noelle, how come you're ignoring me? Are you alright?

Right, Berdly had been spam messaging her. About what though?

Berdly: Noelle. I have a favour to ask of you.

Berdly: As I am sure you are aware, our annual harvest festival is tomorrow. 

Berdly: Should the weather permit of course.

Berdly: What I'm trying to say is; Noelle, would you like to be the breeze under my wings tomorrow?

“Festival?” Susie asked, her chin resting on Noelle's shoulder.

“You don't know? Tomorrow is the festival. The whole town will be there. There's a ton of rides and stuff, and they even have a Ferris Wheel!” Noelle responded.

“Oh, sounds cool. Wait, is Berdly asking you out?” 

“Uh, yeah I think so… I guess I'm going with him.” Noelle muttered, her head lowered.

“Dude, you don't have to go with him if you don't want to. You clearly aren't happy about it.” 

“You're right.” Noelled said, beginning to type out a response.

Sorry I was studying.

Berdly: Ah, there you are, Noelle! Shall we discuss this over a call?

Before Noelle could respond, Berdly called her. Panicking, she accepted the call.

“Good afternoon Noelle! So, what do you say? Shall we indulge in our town's pride and joy… together?” Berdly exclaimed, masking the nasally sound of his voice by forcing air out of his beak in such a way it made his voice sound ever so slightly deeper. Susie thought it made him sound about ten times worse, somehow.

“Um, I don't really want-” Noelle couldn't quite muster the words. Berdly had been a friend to her. She owed him. The least she could do was try to let him down gently.

“Noelle, could you speak up? Anyway, what flowers do you prefer? I simply must put together a bouquet for you.”

“Uh, I - Blue ones? But the thing is-”

“Excellent. I shall make arrangements post-haste!”

Susie snatched the phone from Noelle. “Dude! Take a hint! She doesn't want to go to the festival with you!” She shouted, before hanging up the call.

“S-Susie!” Noelle cried, Susie handing her phone back. 

“What? You didn't want to go with him. You gotta know when to tell people no, dude.” Susie said, ruffling her hair. Noelle wished she would keep doing that.

“Yeah I guess. Thanks.” If she didn't have to go with Berdly, maybe she could go with Susie? No, that was silly. She'd probably just stay home and study again.

Noelle realised Kris hadn't tried anything funny, which was strange. Another strike of lightning shook the air, illuminating Kris's face. They looked conflicted. 

“Kris, are you feeling alright?” Noelle asked, putting her hands around Kris's. They nodded weakly. 

• Need to use the bathroom. 

Susie and Noelle sent them on their way, as they ducked into the choir room. They sat in silence for a moment. Susie was about to say something, but was interrupted when a faint melody began to echo throughout the church. It ceased for a moment, before resuming at a louder volume. It was beautiful, a piece Susie had never heard before. The pace of the notes was slow and inconsistent, but it sounded like hope. Was that Kris? Damn, they could play? They were incredible! She looked over to Noelle, who was misty eyed. The two had a history, Susie supposed. Their playing probably meant more to Noelle than it did to her. The notes began to die down, the backdrop of howling wind overpowering them once more.

After a brief pause, Kris began to play a new song. Sounded vaguely familiar. Noelle seemed to recognise it, her disposition brightening. Taking a page out of Kris’s book, Noelle typed out something on her phone.

• This one is from Dragon Blazers II!
• Being quiet bc they don't like interruptions.
• It's the game over theme. Some people find it really sad, but I always found it more hopeful than sad. 
• When Kris found out that I had been listening to it, they learned how to play it.

Eventually, Kris's concert came to an end. They did not emerge from the choir room. Susie chose to be patient, waiting for them to leave on their own. Noelle made it sound like they needed space to play, and they probably wouldn't appreciate her barging right in. A few minutes passed.

I think you should check on them.

It was probably right. She slowly opened the door. Kris sat atop a stool, their expression vacant. They didn't react to her entering.

“Yo, sick playing.” Susie said as gently as she could manage. Kris jumped despite her attempt. They glanced at her for a while, before turning their gaze down to the keyboard. What the hell was even going on?

I don't know. They appear to have avoided playing for a long time, based on how out of practice they are, but it's clearly meaningful to them. I would guess they have some bad memories surrounding it.

Alright, but what should she do?

I cannot say. I'm sorry.

“Uh, you want me to go?” Susie asked, stepping towards the door.

“Stay. Please.” Kris responded, their voice strained. They sounded like they were on the verge of tears.

“Uh, if you want?” Susie sat cross legged on the floor. Noelle entered, watching silently. Kris started breathing heavily. In, then out. They began to play. They worked their way through a few warm up exercises, every movement strained. They slammed their hands on the keyboard, a wall of noise battering Susie's senses. They sat in silence for a few minutes. “Dude, are you good?” Susie asked, seriously concerned. 

“Thought… I could play again. I was wrong.” Kris spat, their tears falling onto the keys. Susie knew she needed to say something.  But she didn't know what. Noelle didn't either, a pained look on her face.

“Hey, you want to hear a story?” Susie asked, leaning against the wall beside the keyboard, so that she could see Kris's face. They nodded. “When I was younger, there was this public piano near where I lived. One day, I thought I'd give it a go. Why the hell not, y'know? But, maybe because I was so bad, they said I wasn't allowed to play it. And, they let someone better play. Then, later that night, when no one else was around, I hit it really hard. Hard enough to break it, I think. Then I ran. I don't even know why I did it. I wasn't even that angry. 

I've always hated the piano. But honestly? I just like hearing you play. Even if you think it wasn’t good enough or whatever. So don't give up on yourself just yet, okay?”

Kris bit their lip. They looked even worse than before. They clutched their chest, then dropped their arms, letting them dangle uselessly to the side. 

Noelle placed a hand on Kris's shoulder. “I- I missed hearing you play Kris. You know Mom’s always willing to let you use our piano.” Noelle stepped back. “I'm sorry. I'll go now. I-mphf?” 

Kris clamped a hand over Noelle's mouth. “...stay.” 

Noelle mumbled something, muffled by Kris's hand. She pulled away, and Kris lifted themselves above the piano, putting their hands on the keys once more. They began to play. Susie couldn't quite place where she had heard it before. Their playing was slow, inconsistent, and full of wrong notes. And yet, it was flawless. As if the essence of Kris Dreemurr itself was pouring from the keys. Susie felt a solitary few tears roll down her face, falling into the groves in between her scales. It was haunting, yet it made her feel at peace. It was broken, fractured and imperfect, yet it was irreplaceable, a memory that would live on in Susie's head for as long as her body would allow. It filled her heart with melancholy, yet it ignited a spark of hope within her heart. 

As they continued to play, their fingers became more nimble. Their mistakes became less and less frequent, their mind and body shedding the dissonance between them, if only for the duration of the song. Even though the room was filled with the only people they truly cared about, Kris played not for Noelle, who had heard them play more than any other, nor for Susie, whose hardened exterior hid the kindest soul Kris had ever come to know. The shadow of the one they had lost stood, not with its hands around their neck, but simply leaning against the door frame, a faint smile crossing its face. They began to falter, their hands slowing. It was not the result of their mind though, merely their own tiredness and lack of practice catching up with them. Even though the melody degraded, the heart behind it remained. Their heart remained. As they played the final notes of the song, any semblance of rhythm long since discarded, they felt the burning in their chest diminish for the first time since they could remember. They rose from their seat, turning to see Susie and Noelle, totally awestruck, even despite their mediocre performance.

Noelle stepped towards Kris, reaching forward to hug them. She dropped her arms, but Kris practically threw themselves into her arms. “Kris!?” Noelle squeaked. Kris said nothing, as per usual. Clair de Lune. She had heard it a lot when she was younger, before her mother started to struggle with her hands. Kris was amazing. She pulled them in tighter. Kris extracted an arm from Noelle's death grip, and pulled Susie towards them. Susie reluctantly obliged, wrapping her arms around them, much to Noelle's dismay. Well, not dismay exactly. She very much enjoyed what was happening, unfortunately, the situation threatened to totally cook her brain. Dammit, she knew Kris would try and pull something like this. 

Kris pulled away from the hug, drying their tears. 

• i think i want to go home now

Damn, they looked exhausted. Probably best to get them home. She hoped they were doing at least a bit better than before. Might suck to have to brave the rain though.

The rain has died down a fair bit. Kris was incredible. 

They really were. “Yeah. Let's go.” Susie agreed, heading out into the lobby to grab her jacket, fetching Noelle her raincoat while she was there. Kris and Noelle followed her out of the choir room. Susie handed Noelle her raincoat, who threw it on. The three of them stepped out into Hometown, where the torrential downpour had faded into a mere drizzle. Susie could tell it was pretty late by now. She hoped Toriel wouldn't be too worried about Kris staying out so late. She hadn't called or texted, so they were probably in the clear.

“So, uh, festival tomorrow." Susie said, glancing over to Noelle. “Hey, if you don't have anyone else to go with, maybe you could go with me?”

Noelle nearly perished on the spot. In her daze, she slipped on a patch of mud. 

Catch her.

To make matters worse, Susie caught her. She found her footing, scrambling away from Susie. Her face was on fire. 

“Um I don't- I-um, yes? Yes! I would!”  Noelle somehow managed to say. She hoped she had actually said what she intended, and not just let out a pathetic squeak.

“Sick. See you then I guess.” Susie responded. Nice, she was gonna get to go to the festival with her friends. 

“Um, my house is coming up goodbye call you later!” Noelle said, dashing away.

Noelle was acting kind of funny.

Are you serious right now?

Uh, yeah, she wanted to go to the festival with her friends.

Susie. You just asked her out. On a date.

Huh? No she hadn't? She just asked her to go to the festival.

Which has obvious romantic connotations! Did you not hear Berdly ask her out?

No, that couldn't be true. Because Noelle had said yes. No one would ever want to go on a date with her. 

“Did you just accidentally ask her out?” Kris asked, doubled over from holding in their laughter.

“Shut It!” Susie roared, causing Kris to break down laughing, falling to the rain soaked road, clutching their stomach. 

Noelle accepted, because she likes you too. 

No, that wasn't true. Noelle was so damn perfect! And she was well, her.

Did you not see how she was acting when you asked her? She has a crush on you! It's obvious!

That wasn't true! Noelle just got super nervous whenever she was around, because she was scary.

Last night?

Okay, she saw its point. What the hell was she meant to do!? She wasn't a romantic person! She'd just end up hurting Noelle!

Unfortunately, the only advice I have is the typical useless garbage you would expect. Just be yourself.

Yeah, that was so helpful. Oh fuck, should she get Noelle flowers? What should she wear? She was already wearing her nicest clothes. Oh shit, what if Noelle wanted to do something like… y'know. Kissing?

Are you serious? I doubt Noelle will make you do anything you don't wish to do. If you find yourself uncomfortable, you can always stop. I'm sure Noelle would understand. Also I'm pretty sure that Noelle would have a heart attack and die if she tried to ask you for a kiss.

Susie screamed. Dammit, why did she have to mess everything up! Kris put their hand on her shoulder. “There there. I'm sure you'll do great Susie!” Kris said menacingly, a maniacal smile stretching from ear to ear.

“It does not make me feel better when you say it like that!” Susie snapped, recoiling from her grasp.

If you are that worried about it, you should call Noelle, and talk about it. Nothing happens if you don't communicate. Though, you might want to wait till tomorrow. It has been a long day.

Yeah, some sleep could do her some good. Kris too. 

“I'm hungry, I'm gonna head home. You can agonise over what to do for your date tomorrow." Kris said, strolling towards their house. Susie followed them. They reached their house, putting their hand on the doorknob. 

“Hey, is it okay if I stay over again?” Susie asked. Kris gave her a thumbs up, twisting the handle. 

There was loud music. Toriel was dancing with that fucking skeleton. Her cheeks were tinged red. Susie could smell the alcohol. No. This had to be a bad dream. Not Toriel. Not her. She was nice. 

Toriel held a glass of red wine in her hand. She was flailing about in a manner which could hardly be called a dance, the contents of her glass spilling onto the carpet. It was going to stink. 

It couldn't be her. The same Toriel who had believed in her, who had given her lunch, who had made her pie, couldn't be the same Toriel, drunk, in the middle of a storm, not even caring where her child was, and for what? So she could get drunk and forget about all the problems in her life with some random guy? 

Susie ran.

***

Feet falling against the muddy ground, each step letting out a squelch. 

Susie, I kno-

***

Fist slamming into bark, rupturing the wood as it made contact. Scales chipped, skin tore, blood flowed.

Susie-

***

STOP!

Susie's body slammed to a halt, her muscles tight.

Susie. Breath. 

Why? Why was it doing this? What did it want?

I know this hurts. I know you saw her as a mother figure, and seeing her faults is painful. But running like this is not productive.

Why? Why wasn't it productive? Why couldn't she run? She just wanted- needed to be alone.

I know, and you deserve that. But Kris- I am extremely worried about how they might react. Especially after today. Please, I know you don't deserve to have to do this, but they need you right now.

Oh FUCK! Kris- It was right, she needed to find them. Where the hell was she? How could she get back?

Allow me to guide you. 

Susie found her steps imbued with a strange certainty. She knew she was going the right way. She ran, as fast as she could manage. She spotted their house in the distance, slowing down as she approached. The light was off in Kris’s room. How the hell was she meant to get to them?

Climb.

She effortlessly scaled the side of their house, reaching the window. She took a shaky hand off the pipe she had climbed. opening their window. Thank the Angel it was unlocked. She stretched out, getting one of her legs over the windowsill. She managed to push herself through, tumbling into their room. It was weird. One side of the room was totally stacked, covered in trophies, with glow in the dark stars adorning the ceiling. The other side was totally desolate, with nothing there but a bed. The thin layer of dust coating the decorated side, giving away which side belonged to Kris. Reminded her of her own room. Kris sat cross legged on the floor, hair covering their crimson eyes.

As Susie fell through the windowsill, Kris startled, jumping backwards, falling onto their right arm. After a moment, they seemed to realise what was happening, tension escaping their body as they breathed a sign of relief. 

“You uh, feeling alright?” Susie asked, wishing she had something better to say then that as she climbed to her feet, offering a hand to Kris. 

Kris took it, allowing Susie to pull them to their feet. Susie heard the sound of something breaking, followed by uproarious laughter. Kris clenched their teeth.

“How'd you even? This is the second story.” Kris asked, clearly trying to distract themself from the cacophony downstairs.

“Climbed.” Susie responded, leaving out the part where whatever the hell the voice was had helped her scale the side of Kris’s house. 

Kris raised an eyebrow. Toriel's voice could be heard drifting up from downstairs. The music got louder. 

“So loud. Gotta get out.” Kris muttered, clamping their hands over their ears. 

“Alright.” Susie hopped out the window, landing firmly on the ground. She held out her arms, ready to catch Kris. After a moment of hesitation, they let themselves fall into her arms. 

Susie carried them away from the noise, until that shitty music faded into silence. “Where the hell are we gonna go?” Susie asked, realising she perhaps could have thought of that before sneaking out. Kris remained inert in her arms.

I know you dislike it, but I think your apartment is your best bet.

Fuck, it was right. “Hey Kris, let's go to my place.” Kris groaned in agreement. Susie carried them towards her apartment, scaling the fire escape on the voice's instruction. Climbing through her second window of the day, she entered her apartment. Kris crinkled their nose, as the stench of booze battered their senses. “Sorry. I know it stinks, but it's quiet at least. My room doesn’t smell as bad.” Susie said, setting Kris down. “You can sleep in my room if you want.” Kris nodded. 

“You have a shower?” Kris asked.

“Yeah, just down the hall.” Susie responded, pointing them to the bathroom. 

Susie watched as they entered the bathroom. Maybe she should have offered them a change of clothes? She didn't have anything though. Whatever. She entered her room, doing her best to tidy it up. It was just about the only part of the apartment that didn't reek of booze. She was lucky her dad was out. She had no idea what she would have done if he was here.

Break into the school and sleep there. 

Yeah that would probably work. Susie noted it for later.

By the way, doesn't your hot water not work?

Yeah, why? Susie's question was answered as Kris shrieked. Around a minute later, Kris emerged from their shower, shivering. 

“My bad. Forgot about the water.” Susie said, sheepishly rubbing the back of her head. “Gonna go shower.” 

Nothing made Susie feel worse than a freezing shower on a cold day. The icy waters stole away any warmth she may have had from the church. At least she was clean. She turned off the water, and dried her hair. Her scales were cool to the touch. Dammit, she was having trouble thinking straight again. She slipped on her clothes, which were still filthy from the storm. At least she got the mud out of the crevices in her scales. The rain had ensured it hadn't really dried, which she was very grateful for. The last thing she wanted to do now was spend 30 minutes digging dried mud out of her scales.

The warmth of Kris’s house had made her forget just how cold the night could get. She really wished she at least had her jacket, but it was still soaking wet. Kris seemed to share a similar sentiment, lying on the floor of her room, trying to keep warm by rubbing their hands together. 

“I'm gonna see if we have any blankets.” Susie said, turning back for the door. “You can use my bed dude. The floor isn't that comfortable.” Susie’s ‘bed’ was nothing more than a bedframe and mattress, but Kris seemed to appreciate it regardless. 

Susie stepped out of the doorway, making for her dad's room. She placed her hand on the doorknob, pausing. Her dad wasn't here. And Kris probably needed something warm. Her dad wouldn't care, he had literally told her to grab some money from his drawer. She pulled out her phone to double check. Gritting her teeth, she pulled the door open. 

Her dad's room was almost as barren as her own. A rarely used mattress lay on the floor, mould growing on the sides. In the corner of the room was a chest of draws, a simple padlock securing the top draw. Maybe there would be a blanket in one of the drawers? Susie opened the bottom draw, which had some old clothes in them, ripped beyond the point of wearability. Nestled underneath them was twenty bucks. She pocketed it, hoping her dad wouldn't forget he had said she could have it.

The other drawers had nothing else of note, save for some formal shirts and a suit jacket. They didn't look like they had been used in a long time.

Weird. Didn't take him for the type to dress up. 

He wasn't. No blankets or anything. 

What about the top drawer?

She doubted there would be a blanket in there. 

I know. I am just curious as to its contents. The key is in his jacket pocket.

Susie was kind of curious too. She grabbed his jacket from the bed it had been thrown on, fishing around in its pockets. She grabbed the key, unlocking the drawer.

Within the drawer were many scattered papers. She could just barely make out the scribbles on a few of them. The shape of some nondescript, vaguely feminine monster, with a cartoonish heart drawn in their chest. A drawing of a monster that looked kind of like Toriel. Atop the pages lay a polished circular piece of glass, that looked like the lens of a telescope, and a handgun, with a grip fitted for large hands. The contents of the draw were covered in a thick layer of dust. It hadn't been disturbed for a long time.

What the fuck. Why the fuck did her dad have a fucking gun?!

Is that even legal here?

She didn't know! Like hell she was dealing with this today. She slammed the drawer shut, locking it and tossing the key back into her dads jacket. 

Goddammit. She couldn’t take this. So much had happened. It had only been three days. She needed to be strong. Strong for Kris. Strong for Noelle. She was so tired. She dropped to her knees, curling up into a ball. She had found a place she could really call home. She had started to trust people again. Trust Toriel. Then it had all been ripped away from her. She took Kris to her house. They knew how she lived. Noelle was dealing with whatever the fuck was going on with the glass. Susie was going on a date with Noelle tomorrow. She wasn’t ready. She knew she’d mess it up. Then everyone would leave her alone. Again. Like she deserved. It would be easier if she just stopped. Then she wouldn’t have to worry about anything. She could just leave. Go run off to some place no one would ever find her.

What a selfish thought. For once in her life there were people who cared about her, and she just wanted to run away. 

I know it’s hard. So much has happened in such a short time. To be frank, more will probably happen tomorrow. You don’t want other people to see you as weak. I understand that. But being vulnerable does not make you weak. It makes you strong. You cannot simply pretend that you are fine when you are not. 

But everyone else needed her. Kris needed her. They were hurting.

And so are you. You are all hurt. That does not mean you cannot be there for each other. I care about you. And I know Kris and Noelle care even more than I do. We will not stop loving you, just because you are hurt.

Susie let herself cry.

You need sleep. You will feel better in the morning.

Yeah. She should. She wiped her tears away, trying to make herself look presentable. She headed back to her bedroom. “No… blankets.” She said, her voice cracked from crying. Kris looked at her, concerned. They had been crying too. “You okay?” They asked, their voice nearly silent.

“Fuck no.” Susie responded.

Chapter Text

Susie awoke to the slow sound of Kris’s breathing. The human was wrapped in her arms, their head nestled below her chin. Much to her dismay, the typical scent of apples that they usually carried had faded.

Okay, seriously, what is it with you and smelling them?

Wasn't her fault they smelled nice! Ah crap, she had forgotten to give the voice something to do while she slept. Again. 

It's not a big deal. I'm surprised you remembered. Besides, you had company. It would have been weird.

Since when has she ever cared about being weird? She could get some headphones or something so only she could hear it.

That would probably work. I appreciate the thought. I hope you are feeling a bit better, considering last night.

Kris shifted in Susie's arms, muttering something indiscernible. Last night had been wild, she supposed. Actually, she hadn't really questioned it in the moment, but she had randomly gotten really good at climbing? She was able to scale the side of Kris’s house pretty easily.

It appears that I am able to share my own talents with you.

Damn, so it was like a professional climber or something? That's pretty badass.

I don't believe I was anything special in my previous life. I don't know why I am so capable.

Huh. What else could it do?

It's difficult to say without being presented with the task directly. I would personally compare it to muscle memory. I think I can play guitar though. You seem uncharacteristically curious.

She may or may not have had a small nightmare. The shit it had done yesterday with locking her in place was kinda terrifying. She didn't like feeling that way.

I know it was undesirable. I will try to avoid anything similar in the future. 

That made her feel a little better, she supposed. Her mind began to drift back to last night. She still couldn't believe Toriel had done that! Her grip tightened around Kris, pulling them closer.

Adults, even the ones who seem kind, and ones who are kind, make mistakes just like the rest of us. I think I understand her thought process, though I cannot deny I feel the urge to shout some sense into her. I cannot believe that one would be so willfully ignorant to the mental state of her own child! Pardon my rant.

How old was the voice anyway?

I have no idea. Older than you, I think, purely based on my own behavior. No memories, and no physical form to go off of.

Yeah, that checked out. It actually had some pretty good advice from time to time.

You flatter me. 

She should probably get up. She was so comfortable though, she didn’t want to open her eyes. And she didn't want to wake Kris. She realised that was a poor excuse, as the human could likely sleep through being thrown through the floor. 

Turn on your phone in your pocket.

Susie reached into her pants pocket, fumbling around till she found her phone, and powering it on.

It is currently 5:30. AM. Not PM. It would be in your best interest to sneak Kris back to their house before their mother wakes up and gets worried. 

Damn, she had woken up early. It seemed like she was cursed to be tired constantly. Maybe because she'd been hanging around Kris too much. Did she really have to get up so soon?

I suppose you can sleep in a little longer. Considering all the alcohol Toriel consumed, I doubt she'll be waking up for a while. 

Hell yeah. Say, was the voice a human? She remembered it being confused by monster biology.

I suppose so. I am familiar with humans as a concept, but lack any knowledge of monsters. It would be logical to assume that I am from a world which lacks monsters.

That must be really weird. All humans kinda look the same, so it must be weird seeing monsters for the first time.

That's racist. Humanist? Though I suppose compared to the massive variation in monsters, humans seem comparatively homogeneous. And to answer your question, it is incredibly weird, but at this point, I'm just rolling with all the weirdness. Have you ever broken into an office building with a clipboard and a can-do attitude? It's kind of like that. Seems to be working pretty well so far.

No? That was a weird ass analogy. Was it meant to be some kind of super thief or something?

No idea. You are aware you have been hugging Kris this whole time, aren't you?

Susie opened one eye, taking in the scene. She could see the very top of Kris’s hair, nestled under her head. She closed her eyes. Yeah, she knew. Wait a second. Her eyes snapped open, slipping away from Kris slightly. Had they fallen asleep like that? 

Yes.

Kris was cute when they were sleeping. Anyway. She rolled to the very edge of her bed, pulling her phone from her pocket, trying to prevent the light of the screen from reaching Kris’s eyes. Noelle had texted her at 4am. It was nice to know she wasn't the only one who would be exhausted at the festival. Actually, since Kris seemed perpetually tired, they would all be tired. 

Noelle: So, when and where are you and Kris showing up?

Noelle: Sorry for texting so early, I was having trouble sleeping =:p

What the hell was that emoticon?

Her horns maybe?

Heh, cute. 

No problem. Didn't sleep well either. Uh, how does 9 sound?

Noelle: Sounds good!

Noelle: You are at Kris's place right now right? Make sure they get up on time for me!

Uh. I guess you could say that. Don't worry, I'll make sure they get up.

Noelle: Great! Just make sure they don't try and drop a bucket of ice-cold water on you as revenge for getting them up on time…

Noelle: Jokes on them! It was really hot that day, so I enjoyed it!

Noelle: don't tell them I said that or they'll probably try and collect their prank debt, plus prank interest. 

Lol

Talk to you later. Got stuff to do.

Noelle: Oki! Cya (edited)

Susie climbed out of the bed she had been precariously teetering on the edge of, being sure not to disturb Kris. They looked like they were sleeping peacefully. 

Susie stretched her arms, her claws inches from scraping the ceiling, letting out a silent groan. Dammit, she was still tired. 

Perhaps some caffeine would do you some good.

Maybe, but she didn't have any tea or coffee, and the last thing she wanted to do right now was deal with that skeleton. When she got the chance, she was gonna quit in as spectacular a fashion as she could manage.

I believe that to be unwise. I understand your reasoning of course, but the man is still willing to give you work.

Whatever. She'd figure out what to do later. She heard movement outside her door. Who… who would even be here at this time? There was only one person it could be.

No. No. No No. Her father. He was here. Her heart slammed in her chest, each rapid strike sending twitches into her appendages. She needed to move, but her feet felt like lead. Where was the voice? She needed help. It was meant to help her right? Where was it? Why wasn't it here? She couldn't just stay here. Her room didn't lock. If her dad found her with Kris- she couldn't- she had been trying to protect them. She needed to protect them. She needed to. 

There isn’t anyone here.

She felt bile fill her throat, her esophagus burning. Her ears were ringing. The weight in her chest was back. It held her down. It dragged her down. Black splotches formed on the edges of her vision. Move. Move! MOVE! 

Susie. It was just the sound of the house creaking. There isn't anyone there.

She couldn't, she couldn't, she couldn't. She couldn't move. She couldn't see. She couldn't hear. There was nothing but her body. Her body trembled with hysterical strength, but she could not move. Her eyelids held open, even though all she saw was darkness. Her ears buzzed with deafening static. She couldn't do anything. She wasn't anything.

It drifted forever. Or what felt like forever. It saw something. Something reached out to it. Grabbing her hand. Something pulled Susie back. Back to her apartment. Back where her father was. Back where Kris was. 

Kris is safe. Your father is not here. You are going to be okay.

She was on the floor. Why was she on the floor? 

You fell.

Kris was kneeling by her side, clutching her arm. Their expression was something between relief and terror. Susie lay there for a while, till she gathered the strength to lift herself off the floor. She wasn't able to stand up fully, instead rising to a sitting position. 

Kris tried to say something, but kept stumbling over their words. “What the hell was that?” Kris managed to choke out, looking frustrated with their own difficulty forming words.

“Dude, you can use your phone if you need to. I don't care.” Susie said, dodging their question.

Kris looked up at her, almost looking surprised. They quickly pulled out their phone.

• You started freaking out and then collapsed
• What was that?

Susie's eyes narrowed. “I got a little spooked. Then I uh, decided to take a nap. On the floor.”

Kris’s molten glare singed her scales. They didn’t buy a word of the bullshit she was spewing.

“Fine. I uh, thought someone was home. And I freaked.” Susie told the truth, just partially.

Kris frowned.

• Do you ‘freak’ often?
• Was that what was going on on Friday?

“Not like this. I dunno why it got so bad.” Susie did know why. The reason lay in the locked drawer in her father's room. “You should leave. We don't want your mom to worry.”

• Not till I know you're okay
• Are you in danger?

She wanted to say yes. She really did. But she couldn't bring them into this. She couldn't bring anyone into this.

I can mess with his gun. Make it so it won't work. It’d be subtle.

“No.” Susie said, responding to both the voice and Kris’s question. Kris could tell she was lying. They reached behind their back, retrieving their knife. They flipped it around, grabbing it by top, dull part of the blade, and offering her the handle. 

“Kris. I said I'm fine.” Susie responded, her voice taking on a firmer tone. She pushed their knife away.

She didn't need any protection, either from Kris, or the voice. Her dad obviously had it for self defence or something. He'd probably know if she messed with it too. Kris withdrew their knife. They sat in silence for a moment. Kris moved in, wrapping their arms around her. “Don't… Don't get yourself hurt.” They murmured, before heading out the building, climbing down the fire escape. She watched them reach the ground, her expression vacant. They turned back, shooting her a final troubled look, before making for their house.

Susie still felt like she was drowning. Every breath she took may have filled her lungs, but it did little to dissuade the fog that filled her body. She made her way over to her couch, which had lost much of its essence to the frequent gashes caused by stray claws. The gunk she had neglected to wipe from her eyes was washed away by her silent tears.

I don't know what to do. I wish I did. But I just- I don't know. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.

Susie rose from the couch. Alright, she needed to get cleaned up for the festival. 

Are you really just going to ignore this?

Susie strode into the bathroom. The first thing she needed to do was get her face cleaned up. She ran the faucet, splashing the freezing water onto her face. It did little to invigorate her mind or body. She cupped her hands, allowing the liquid to pool in her hands for as long as she could manage before the cold began to burn. She scrubbed her face, washing away the streaks her tears had left on her scales. 

She gazed into the mirror. Her reflection stared back, its gaze cold and unfamiliar. She attempted to pull her face into a more pleasant expression. Nothing she tried really worked. She looked too much like her father. She tried to smile. Her teeth were disgusting. She rinsed her mouth, then, using her finger, attempted to scrub her teeth. This appeared to have some success, as though their yellow tint remained, bits of food began to come loose, allowing her to wash them away. 

This wasn't really making her feel better. She thought of what made her feel nice. She thought of Kris. Of their piano. Of how it had reminded her of the suffering in hope. Or, had it been the hope in suffering? She thought of Noelle. Of how she smiled. Of how that smile was a mask. One she felt obligated to carry. Of how she talked about all the strange things she liked. Of how much Susie loved hearing Noelle talk. She had them, didn't she. They were all there for each other. It had been so little time, and yet she felt like she had known them her whole life. Maybe she had. Maybe her life hadn't even started till she met them.

She felt a little better now. She still needed something to wear to the festival. Her jacket was still wet, and she didn't have anything else to wear. Her father did though.

Are you sure you want to do this?

Her dad probably wouldn't find out. Even if he did, he hadn't worn that thing in like, 10 years. Why would he care?

I really don’t think you should do that.

She made her way into her father's room, retrieving the suit jacket, a white button up shirt, and a pair of dress pants. She ducked into the bathroom, donning the outfit, and looking at herself in the mirror. The clothes were slightly oversized on her, but she didn't particularly care. The small act of defiance made her feel slightly better. Her hair was kinda messy, maybe she should try and make it look a little nicer? It had character though. She liked how it looked.

Susie tucked her phone into her pocket, checking the time as she did. It was about 6am. She still had about 3 hours to kill before looking for Noelle. Maybe she should have waited to put on the suit. It was kinda uncomfortable. Nah. This way she could stay away from her apartment for a while. She felt something in her suit's front pocket.

It was a picture of her, and her father. She was no older than six, a blue ribbon adorning her head, wearing a plain blue dress. Her father was standing next to her, his bandaged hand gripping her own. He had held on tighter than she had liked. He wore the very same suit that she now donned, though his collar was properly adjusted, and he wore a red tie to match with the rusty hue of his scales. Despite the haunted look in his eyes, he had held her hand. It had been the last time he had ever done so. Susie tore the picture in half, separating her father from herself. She folded up the picture of her, before everything had gone to shit, stuffing it into her phone's case. All that remained was the picture of her father. Strangely, it was ripped on both sides, as if another had been removed from the photo. But there hadn't been anyone else there. She knew there hadn't been, she was there.

She tore the picture of her father to shreds, feeling the satisfying swish of her claws through the glossy material. As the pieces fell, she stuffed them into her mouth, chewing uselessly for a moment, before swallowing. He didn't deserve that photo.

I cannot say I disagree. 

Susie's phone buzzed. Must be Kris. She hoped they'd managed to sneak back without issue.

Krismas~: made it home fine.

Krismas~: you doing better?

Yeah.

Gonna meet up with Noelle at 9.

Krismas~: Cool. My brothers catching the 8am bus.

K

Krismas~: there's a flower shop just by the lake. If it's not open, just go slam on the door till the guy gets up.

That sounds like something I'd get arrested for

Krismas~: its fine he's my dad. Big fuzzy pushover.

If something goes wrong, you're taking all the blame, just so you know.

Krismas~: fair

Krismas~: have you changed my contact name yet?

Susie sent Kris a screenshot of their contact information.

Krismas~: fuck u

I'll remove the tilde for a dollar

Krismas~: im broke tho

You weren't broke when you tried to pay for my lunch yesterday.

Krismas~: gotta go, my mom's waking up.

It was pretty obvious when Kris was trying to dodge a question. Susie wasn't exactly sure why.

It's because they like the nickname.

Oh. Susie snorted. That made sense. She stowed this information for later use. Right, she should probably head out. What kind of flowers would Noelle like? Maybe she should moogle it.

Noelle likes blue flowers. Moogle? As in monster google? Nice try, but I can tell when someone is messing with me.

Dammit. Susie climbed down the fire escape, descending into Hometown once more. The suit jacket was a little warmer than her usual attire, thankfully. The storm from yesterday had ended, but the cold wind it brought with it still lingered. She made her way to the lake. Out of all the places in Hometown, this was one of her favourites. It was fairly secluded, and the view was nice. Tragically, the wind was strongest here. 

Where was the flower shop? Susie spotted a rickety old building. The sign outside read ‘Flower King’. Despite its regal name, the building was in a serious state of disrepair. The yellow paint had faded, peeling off the wall in places. The interior was dark. Kris had said to make some noise. 

Susie knocked on the door. There was no response. She knocked for a little longer. It probably wasn't good to disturb whoever was inside. She turned away, but stopped as she heard a commotion coming from inside the shop. The silhouette of a large monster lumbered towards the door, creaking it open.

The man was a boss monster, with messy short, golden hair. He looked rather unkempt, his beard growing unevenly, and his fur matted in places. His pale red eyes held no fire within them, and despite his imposing figure, his posture did little to discourage Susie's assessment of him as a broken man. She saw in his eyes that same absence of ambition that had settled upon her father. While he shared in her father's fatalism, he did not share Sebastian's anger. The Hawaiian patterned shirt he wore had been hastily buttoned, and the sleep clinging to his eyes told her that he had only just woken up.

“Howdy! What brings you to Flower King?” He asked, the forced warmth in his voice doing little to engage her in conversation.

“Uh, looking to buy some flowers?” Susie responded, shifting her weight awkwardly to her other foot. This must be Kris’s father.

“Golly, how wonderful! Give me one moment.” He disappeared into the store for a moment, before the lights flickered on. He ushered her into the store. “So, who is the lucky person? Or er- persons?”

“Uh that's uh, private.” Susie responded, not really being too eager to reveal anything to Kris’s dad.

“Oh, of course. Do not worry, I was a teenager too once! I do need to know what kind of flowers you want though!” He let out a deep chuckle, though his heart wasn't in it.

“Blue ones? I don't really know anything about flowers.” Susie said, avoid eye contact as best she could.

Kris’s father laughed. “I can work with blue! Just to be certain, this is for a date, correct? Flowers all have meaning, and it is important to pick the right ones!” 

“Uh, yeah. It’s for a date.” Susie said, looking very intently at a bag of fertiliser that had spilled on the floor. 

“Wonderful! I shall be right back. Oh- I just realised that I have neglected to introduce myself. Pardon my manners. I am Asgore Dreemurr, the owner of this shop.” 

“Uh, I'm Susie.” Asgore extended his hand for a handshake. Susie reluctantly obliged. Asgore disappeared into the back of the store, returning after a few minutes with a bouquet of flowers. Many hues were accounted for in the bouquet, from pale shades which bordered on white, to deep blues which she could scarcely believe existed in nature. All the flowers were arranged beautifully, in a gradient from lightest to darkest. 

“Woah, that looks sick!” Susie said, admiring the flowers. 

“Why, thank you! I try my best. In my experience though, the flowers are much more than just something pretty to look at. The person giving them matters much more. I'm sure a polite young lady like yourself will do wonderfully!” Asgore said, handing her the flowers. 

Susie’s cheeks flushed. “Thanks. Uh, how much are these?” 

“Oh, I could never put a price on love! The joy of giving is worth much more than any amount I could ever charge.” Asgore insisted.

“No offense dude, but you look like you need it.” Susie replied, fishing some money out of her pocket. “ ‘Sides, you ain't selling love. Just flowers."

Asgore sighed. “I suppose I do. In that case, it's ten dollars for that bouquet.” Susie slapped fifteen dollars on the counter. “There. Plus a tip.” Before Asgore could protest, she swiped the flowers, making for the exit. She turned around, to see Asgore waving her goodbye, the hint of a genuine smile on his face.

What a curious person.

Yeah, it was weird. He reminded Susie of her dad at first, but she pretty quickly saw that they were only superficially the same. Despite whatever Asgore was going through, he had held onto his kindness. Her father on the other hand…

He is very much like you in that way. You are a very kind person Susie, despite your circumstances.

Uh, thanks? She still had some time to kill before meeting up with Noelle. She sat on an old bench, not too far from the lake's edge. She looked at the flowers she held. Was she really capable of this? She liked Noelle. And that was the problem. She didn't want to hurt her. Maybe it would be better to just not. She didn't want to lose Noelle as a friend.

If I may offer some advice. Love is hard. And it can hurt. Not everything works out in the end. But, if you do run away, if you allow your fear to stop you from trying, you will never forget. The words you never got to say will haunt you for the rest of your life. So take that risk. Tell the people you love you care about them. You never know when it will all be taken away. 

The voice sounded upset. Was it speaking from experience?

I do not know. That seems to be becoming my catchphrase lately. I have no memories. All I have is this feeling, that I have lost something important. Someone important. 

Hey, when she had time, maybe she could try and help it regain some of its memories?

I appreciate the sentiment. I do not know where I would even start though. Rest assured, I will do my best to figure this out. Wallowing in self loathing, beating myself up over a person that may or may not exist will not do either of us any good.

Alright, she should probably head out now. She stepped off the bench, making her way back towards the town. She overheard an unfamiliar voice. “So, how's school? I heard you had Noelle stay over a couple days ago.” Susie didn’t recognise the person's voice.

Kris's brother. His name is Asriel, I think.

Susie ducked behind a tree, just out of sight of Kris and Asriel. Asriel bore a striking resemblance to his mother, though he shared his father's golden hair. He wore a green jacket, with what she assumed to be the logo of his college emblazoned on the back. Kris looked somewhat uncomfortable.

“It's good to hear you're reconnecting with her. You two used to be so close.” Asriel's expression darkened. He knew why Noelle and Kris had drifted away. How could they not? He hadn't been able to cope. It was ridiculous to expect them to be able to handle something like that. Still, he was glad they were finally talking again. It seemed like the Dreemurs and the Holidays were connected in some cosmic way. He only hoped that didn't expand to tragedy as well. 

“Wasn't there someone else too?” Asriel asked, turning towards Kris. They looked at the ground, not answering his question. “You feeling alright Kris?” Asriel enquired. Kris nodded weakly. Susie could tell they were uncomfortable. She normally wouldn't think much of it, but after last night, she didn't know what to think about their family anymore. She waited for Asriel and Kris to pass her, then stepped out from behind the tree. She tailed them as Asriel broke out into a long rant about one of his classes for which he held a particular distaste, before shifting to talking about some of the humans he had met in college. Kris looked to be particularly distressed by this choice in topic.

Susie snuck up behind them, placing her hand on their shoulder. They jumped slightly, but their face instantly brightened at the sight of her. “Trying to see how long it takes him to notice I'm here.” Susie whispered, keeping pace with Kris and Asriel. As it turned out, he could rant for quite some time, and he was rather oblivious while he did so. By the time Asriel reached his ninth tangent, this one about the rather lacking student accommodation, Susie gave up on trying to be stealthy. After seven more tangents, Asriel had begun to rant about how bad the snails tasted at college.

“Kris, how's it feel being the only cool one in your family?” Susie asked, not lowering her voice anywhere near enough. Asriel snapped around. 

“Oh! Golly, I don't believe we've met!” Asriel said, questioning exactly how long the dragon had been following him. Were they Kris’s friend? She was fairly well dressed, but her hair was somewhat unkempt, and the collar of her shirt was crinkled. She held a bouquet of flowers, arranged beautifully. Bought, or more likely given, by his father no doubt. Was she Kris’s girlfriend? Would Kris really not tell him if they got a girlfriend? Regardless, he lifted his hand, offering her a handshake. “I'm Asriel. Kris’s brother.”

Susie shook his hand, squeezing tight. “Susie. Kris's friend.” Asriel withdrew his hand, shaking his hand. Golly, she had a tight grip.

“So, what's with the flowers?” Asriel asked, shooting Kris a sly glance. Right, Susie was still holding the flowers. She had kind of forgotten.

How do you forget that?

Susie figured she was past hiding the flowers behind her back. Still, she wasn't just gonna tell the truth. It would totally ruin her image. “For snacks.” 

Asriel raised an eyebrow. In response, Susie carefully plucked a flower from the bouquet, shoving it in between her jaws. She swallowed the flower. Much to her dismay, it only tasted like grass. She was hoping for something tastier. Oh well. “Kris, you want some?” Susie asked. Kris nodded, and before Asriel could protest, snatched a flower right from the centre of the bouquet. They carefully tucked it into their hair. “Hey! That's for eating, not for accessorising! Whatever.”

Kris stuck their tongue out. The flower did not match with their sweater at all. Still, they looked pretty cute, even despite the lack of cohesion in their outfit, and the nasty face they were pulling. Susie punched them on the arm. “You're such a pain in the ass.” Susie said fondly.

Asriel turned to walk away. “I'll let you two enjoy the festival. Kris, I’m going to go look for dad. You're telling me all about how it went tonight!”

That was kind of a weird thing to say.

He thinks you're dating Kris.

Oh. That's pretty funny. “Hey Kris, let's go get Noelle.” Susie said, throwing her arm around Kris's shoulder. “Lead the way, Kris.”

Kris guided her back towards the general area of their house, turning down a different street. They stopped at an iron gate, just beyond the bars lying a massive, three story tall mansion. The entire place was decked out in Christmas decorations galore, despite the fact that it was Halloween in like, a week. 

Oh. Noelle is rich rich.

The place looked kinda lifeless though. Based on what she could gather about Noelle's parents, she doubted it was a pleasant place to live. 

Probably not.

Susie texted Noelle.

Outside your house rn

Noelle: ahhhhh! I'm not ready yet, just a second. Sorry!

It wasn't really Noelle’s fault, Susie was like, 15 minutes early. She wasn't feeling amazing about this. Noelle was kind of a pushover, as she had seen with Berdly. What if Noelle was only hanging out with her because she didn't know how to say no?

I really doubt that is the case.

Okay, but what evidence did it have? For all she knew this was some dumb prank Kris and Noelle were pulling on her.

Do I need to make a list? Give me a second.

Okay, point taken.

Noelle walked up to the gate, wearing a long white dress. Around her neck was a necklace of red and green stones, arranged in an alternating pattern, such that they resembled Christmas lights, presumably to meet whatever quota of Christmas theming Noelle was forced to adhere to. Noelle finished off the outfit with an icy blue purse. Damn, she looked good. Kris's eyes widened at the sight of her. Susie could never really read them. She couldn't quite tell if they were plotting a prank, or what. Noelle seemed to enjoy their pranks though, so she supposed she shouldn't try too hard to stop them.

“Um, do- do I look alright?” Noelle stammered, feeling two sets of eyes upon her.

Kris shook their head solemnly.

“You look, uh, good.” Susie wanted to say more, but she suddenly found herself unable to come up with anything sufficient to describe Noelle.

You are rather dramatic. 

The bars of the gate almost made it look like Noelle was in prison. She nervously fished around in her purse, retrieving her keys. She unlocked the gate, moving towards Susie. Susie offered her the flowers. “Uh, got some flowers. For you.”

“Oh! Thanks! I love them!” Noelle stammered, gently taking the bouquet from Susie's hands. They matched her outfit well. “Um, do you want me to carry them around or?”

Susie slapped her face with her hand. She'd been so focused on the flowers, she had neglected to think of how inconvenient carrying them around all day would be. “Uh, you can put them somewhere if you want. Like, in your house or something.” 

“Okay, I'll go do that! Um, be right back!” Noelle bolted into her house.

Smooth.

“Smooth.” Kris said, lightly elbowing her in the stomach.

Susie hissed at them, hoping her message was appropriately conveyed to the voice as well. After a moment, Noelle returned from her house. “Okay, let's get going!” She said, slightly more confident in her ability not to ruin her date after having not had a heart attack and died when Susie gave her flowers. She was going to keep Susie's flowers tended to for as long as she lived.

The three of them walked towards the festival. The Ferris Wheel slowly came into view. It was smaller than Susie expected. They walked around to the front of the fairground, the totality of Hometown's effort laid out before them. 

“Uh, this festival-” Susie was cut off before she could figure out how to phrase her opinion in a more delicate manner.

“Sucks ass?” Kris said, succinctly stating Susie's opinion. Noelle giggled. 

“It's not much, is it? It's so nostalgic though, right Kris? Remember the Ferris Wheel? And the cotton candy? And the ‘hot dogs’ you ate?” 

“We don't talk about the hot dogs.” Kris snapped. “I suppose I'll leave you two to it.” They said, attempting to stroll off. Susie and Noelle shared a look. 

“Where do you think you're going, dude?” Susie exclaimed, grabbing them by the back of their sweater, choking them a little as their collar tightened around their throat.

“Yeah Kris! We've got a whole festival to see!” Noelle said, stomping her hoof. “You're coming with us!” 

Kris looked at the girls, utterly baffled. “What about your date?” They suddenly got an evil glint in their eyes. “Oh, I - uh, I see, you're-you're asking…” Kris’s voice trailed off, all their bravado instantly melting before Susie and Noelle’s quizzical expressions. “Nevermind.” They appeared disappointed in their failure to taunt the Girls. Thankfully, they had a backup plan. “Uh, Noelle. Got you something.” They handed her what looked like a small, purple rock. Noelle frowned, holding it up to her eye. “Kris, what on earth is this? Some kind of scale? Are you trying to repeat that time you scared me with a snakeskin?”

“Susie's.” Kris said, pointing at the girl in question. Noelle shrieked, the scale slipping out of her fingers. Where on earth did Kris even get that??? She caught the scale, but it quickly slipped from her fingers once more, forcing her into an awkward cycle of catching and dropping the scale. Finally, she was able to get the scale under control, only nearly faceplanting a few times. “Kris what the heck! How'd you even get this?” Noelle demanded.

“Her bed.” Kris responded matter-of-factly, shaking with laughter. “What's the matter, don't you like it?” Kris asked, giving Noelle their patented puppy-dog-eyes. what. What. WHAT. How? What? Why? When? Who? 

Did Kris spend the night at Susie's or something? That would explain why they smelled so similar. 

(What is it with these kids and smelling each other?)

Susie smirked. “Alright freaks, that's enough of that. Let's actually do some festival crap, okay?” 

Noelle's entire body froze up. Oh gosh, Susie had called her a freak. Was she dreaming? Had she died and gone to heaven?

(Is there an off switch for mind reading?)

“O-okay, let's go.” Noelle stammered. Kris stood behind her, using their adorable face for evil once more. “Kris, you can't seriously want it back! You gave it to me!” They did not relent. She handed them the scale, pouting as she did.

Still think they secretly hate you?

Susie did have significant evidence against that theory. “So, what are we doing first?” She asked Kris and Noelle. 

“Ferris Wheel?” Noelle offered. “I know it's kind of small, but you need to ride on it at least once! It's been at the festival every year for nearly two decades now!” 

“Actually,” Kris corrected, “this is a new one. The old one broke down a few months ago.”

“What? No!” Noelle cried. She had so many good memories on that rickety old thing. “How do you even know that?” 

“Carol told me.” Kris mumbled, fidgeting with Susie’s scale. 

“Well, new ride or not, I'm sure it'll be a good time. Let's go.” Susie said, walking up to the counter. “Hey, how much for three people?”

The person managing the ticket sales turned around. They looked to be a skeleton, but they were wearing some chunky glasses, and a fake moustache. Susie’s smile melted off her face. Thankfully, Kris was too busy trying to protect Susie's scale from Noelle’s thieving hands to notice the skeleton.

“2 bucks per person. but, i hear we have a buy-one, get two-for-the-price-of-one deal.” Sans said, adjusting his fake glasses. 

Susie squinted her eyes, trying to puzzle out the nature of the deal.

That's three for 4 dollars.

“Alright, give me that!” Susie exclaimed, handing him the money. The three of them filed into their carriage. Susie sat opposite Noelle, with Kris occupying the seat next to Noelle. The carriage began to rise. As the carriage rose into the air, a pair of sharp, blue, antlers caught the voice's eye. 

Carol Holiday gripped the bars of her husband's wheelchair tightly.

“Hey, you feeling okay?” Rudy joked, breaking out into another horrible coughing fit. 

“Are you? We don't have to be here.” Carol asked, her tone as blunt and to-the-point as usual.

“Come on C, let me enjoy the festival you worked so hard on.” Rudy said, twisting in his chair to meet her eyes. His expression darkened. “I don't know if I'll be here for the next one.”

“You will.” Carol stated, as if saying something with enough conviction could make it so.

Rudy averted his gaze. “I dunno about that C.” He broke out into another coughing fit. “Not doing so hot lately.” 

Carol frowned. “Do you want me to get Noelle? So you can spend some time together?”

Rudy chuckled. “Ah, I wouldn't want to interrupt her date.”

The corners of Carol's lips raised the slightest amount. If observed with an electron microscope, you might be able to make out the beginnings of a smile. “Yes. She was always so attached to Kris, even when they were harassing her every day.”

Rudy raised an eyebrow. Kris? His daughter had lied to her mother. He couldn't be prouder. “She likes troublesome things I suppose. Gets that from her mother.” Carol let out a curt sigh, which if Rudy didn't know as well as he did, he would have mistaken it for annoyance. He of course, knew the truth, that it was in fact an expression of endearment to his annoyance. Either that or she was about to throw him into another lake.

Carol looked at the Ferris Wheel, specifically at the highest carriage, which was currently shaking. Kris was up to their usual shenanigans. Thankfully, she had ensured the new wheel was Kris-safe.

Inside the Ferris Wheel, Kris was trying to shake the carriage in such a way that Noelle and Susie fell into each other's arms, to… limited success.

“C, want to get some cotton candy?” Rudy asked.

“Cotten candy? We need to take care of our teeth, as I'm sure you're aware.” 

“Come on C, live a little. Besides, a little birdy told me they have peppermint flavour this year.”

Carol couldn't resist the allure of peppermint, that much was true. 

Back in the carriage, Noelle and Kris were pressing their foreheads against each other, in what the voice assumed was behaviour inherited from Kris's goatlike family. 

Noelle's mother is here by the way.

Susie interrupted Kris and Noelle’s intense duel. “Hey Noelle, is your mom here?” From what Susie had heard, Noelle's mother was very much someone she wanted to avoid. She didn't want to get Noelle in trouble.

Noelle looked panicked for a moment. “Oh. Right. I nearly forgot. I got my dad to keep her busy for me, so we should be good. I have to go at 1pm as well. Sorry.”

“Hey, don't apologise. ‘Sides, I could totally just hide from her. I'm super sneaky.” Susie said, lounging back in her seat.

I'll keep a lookout for Carol.

Noelle turned back to Kris. “Is she really sneaky?” Kris nodded enthusiastically. The carriage came to a stop. They stepped out, surveilling the festival for anything to do. Nothing came to mind, so they settled on just walking around for a while. 

“Halt!” A nasally voice cried out. Susie glanced around, spotting three figures stepping out, blocking Kris, Susie and Noelle off from any escape routes. Or, at least, they tried to. Catti stood with her arms folded, the gap between stalls she stood in sufficiently impassable. Jockington stood in another path, not really doing much to actually block it, on account of being a snake monster. Finally, a shaking Berdly stood, somehow doing less to occupy the space he stood in then the snake half his size. 

“Kris. Turned to corruption. Betrayal. Noelle. Don't let your light be subsumed. Come. With us.” Catti said, outstretching a paw towards Noelle, while staring daggers at Susie. Hey, how come the voice hadn't warned her about this?

Sorry, I was watching Carol get into an argument with Sans. He was wearing a beanie and had two glass eyes for some reason. It was pretty entertaining.

Okay, whatever. She could take all of these morons. Or at least she would, but Noelle and Kris were with her.

Berdly spoke up. “We are here to liberate you from your draconian oppressor! Through means of carnival games!” 

Noelle's look of shock quickly turned to one of anger. “You guys… I'm not being forced to do anything! I'm here because I want to be! So no! You aren't doing your stupid games. Because I get to choose who I spend time with. And I chose Susie.”

Catti looked hurt. She said nothing, simply turning back into the main festival area. Jockington followed suit. 

Berdly, much to Susie's shock, seemed to have actually taken Noelle's words to heart. He mumbled an apology, before darting off.

Susie let out a sigh of relief, turning toward Noelle. “You good?” 

“Yeah.” Noelle replied. “I just can't believe Catti would do something like that. She's not normally so… uptight.”

“well, people can be strange sometimes. you want my advice, it's best to talk to people about that kind of stuff. what do i know though, i’m just the carnival game guy.” 

Susie snapped around to find the source of the voice. Much to her dismay, Sans was manning a booth behind her. A ball tossing game, where you had to knock over as many cups as possible for a prize. For whatever reason, he was wearing a long, obviously fake blonde wig. Kris stared daggers at him. 

“The hell is with the wig.” Susie asked, barely bothering to disguise the malice dripping from her words.

“wig? you got me all wrong kid. this my natural hair. you might be mixing me up with someone else.” Sans said, winking at her. Whatever. She was not dealing with anymore of his bullshit.

Kris apparently wanted to. They gave Sans a dollar, and he dropped a ball in their hand. They wound up their throw, flinging the ball at incredible speeds towards the stack of cups. The cups were all blasted away, winning them the grand prize. 

Those aren't the weighted cups that carnivals normally use, those are just regular.

Huh. Maybe Sans was just such a dumbass, he didn't even know how to run carnival games properly. 

Sans handed Kris the grand prize, a plush of a weird white bird thing she didn't recognise. They handed it to Susie, much to her confusion. “Uh, thanks?” Susie carried it with her as they walked back to the festival proper. 

Is that your father?

Susie spotted a familiar face, waiting in line at the hot dog stand. She ducked slightly out of view, keeping an eye on him from a distance. Kris followed her lead, confused as to what she was looking at.Noelle ducked down behind the two of them. What exactly was happening? She followed Susie’s gaze to a tall, reptilian monster. He bore some resemblance to Susie, though his scales were much darker, almost a reddish brown. He had a mop of thinning black hair atop his head, and the ripped and stained graphic t-shirt he wore betrayed a lack of care towards his appearance. His tail was much longer, nearly reaching his feet, and came to an end in a distinctive point.

Susie’s father finally reached the front of the line. He pulled some money out of his pocket, placing it on the counter. “what can i get you?”  Sans said, turning around. Noelle could have sworn Susie’s father nearly leapt backwards. 

“A hotdog.” Susie’s father said, his voice exactly as gruff as you would expect from his appearance..

“any fries?” Sans asked.

“No.” Susie’s father said, some anger leaking into his voice.

“any drinks?” Sans asked, pulling out a notepad and pencil.

“A hotdog. Just. A. Fucking. Hot. Dog.” Susie's father spat, words dripping with malice.

“geeze, what's with the hostility? got something against skeletons?” Sans said, his perpetual smile as unnerving as usual. Susie’s father clenched his fist. 

“Just give me the FUCKING hot dog!” He shouted, raising his fist. 

The temperature dropped a few degrees. Carol stood behind him. “Please, mind your language. There are children around.”

Susie’s father turned around, glaring at Carol. The moment he saw her, a smile appeared on his face. It seemed as if, in one instant, all his anger had melted away. “Whatever you say, Angel.” He said, swiping a hotdog from Sans, and heading off to who knows where. 

Carol, glanced around, raising an eyebrow in confusion. She returned to her husband, taking her stick of peppermint flavored cotton candy back from him.

Kris, Susie and Noelle let out a collective breath of relief. Their relief was quickly replaced with confusion. “Hey, so that was weird, right?” Noelle asked, turning to Susie. 

“Yeah. Never seen my dad act like that.” Susie said. “Your mom looked just as confused.”

Kris tilted their head to the side, staring off into the distance, lost in thought. 

“You kids having fun?” Susie’s father asked, appearing out of the forest, half eaten hot dog in hand. Noelle shrieked at his sudden appearance, grabbing Susie’s arm tightly. A bead of sweat ran down Susie’s face. Her father stared at her clothes, but didn’t comment on them. “My name is Sebastian Saurus. I assume you both are already acquainted with my lovely daughter?” Noelle nodded, gripping Susie’s arm tighter. Susie moved forward, shielding Kris and Noelle from her fathers view slightly. Kris stood frozen, sweating profusely.

Sebastian finished off his hotdog. “You kids sure are quiet today.” Sebastian said, fixing his eyes on Kris. The same strange smile he had flashed when he saw Carol began to creep onto his face. “Then, you don’t mind if me and my daughter head out? We have some things to discuss. As a family.” He grabbed Susie’s arm, pushing Noelle to the side. Kris and Noelle both stared intensely at the ground. His claws dug into Susie’s arm, ripping up the suit where they made contact. As he pulled Susie away from them, she caught a glimpse of Kris and Noelle’s expressions. Noelle looked like she was about to cry. Kris stared at Sebastian, their crimson eyes burned with anger, their face twisted into a snarl.

As he dragged her into the woods, just out of sight of the festival. He began to speak. “So, Noelle Holiday. The mayor’s golden child. How the fuck did you pull her?” Susie did not respond. “And the other kid. Kris Dreemurr. Human kid? Tell you what, for how much of a little shit you can be, you are a fucking riot sometimes.” Susie said nothing. His smile faded.

He twisted her arm behind her back, bringing his head up to the side of her face. “When I said you could take the shit in my bottom drawer, did you mistake that to mean ‘go fuck around with whatever the hell I goddamn want’?” He spat, his claws sinking deeper into her scales, deep enough to draw blood. “Tell you what, here’s what you're gonna do. You're gonna walk your thieving ass back on up to my apartment, and you’re going to get changed out of my clothes.” He released Susie, walking off into the woods. She fell to her knees.

God. I’m so sorry. I couldn’t- I didn’t know what to do. Are you okay?

Susie took in long, heaving breaths. There hadn’t been anything to do. There was nothing she could do. She got up, and walked from the woods. Her apartment was right on the edge of the forest he had dragged her into, thank the Angel. She crept into her apartment, her entire body still shaking. Her phone was blowing up. Probably Kris and Noelle. She couldn’t bring herself to worry about that right now. She changed out of her father’s clothes as quickly as she could. The familiar fabric of her raggedy clothes brought her some comfort. It didn’t really matter. Her dad would just find another thing to get mad about, if he wanted to.

What do you want to do about this?

Susie flopped onto her bed, covering her eyes. There wasn’t anything she could do. There wasn’t anything.

There is always something.

No! There wasn’t anything she could do! It was fine anyway. He never got mad for no reason. It was her fault. She had stolen his stuff. If she didn’t do that, she would be fine.

I will protect you. No matter what. Despite my condition, I will allow no harm to come of you.

But how could it say that? Her father was so much stronger than her, not to mention his gun.

I will ensure it never comes to that.

The voice spoke with so much confidence that it almost made her believe it. She wept onto her pillow. She needed to tell Kris and Noelle she was okay. She couldn’t. She couldn’t bear to take out her phone. But she also couldn’t stand the thought of them worrying about her. She had seen the looks on their faces.

Noelle: Susei are you ok

Noelle: Susie

Noelle: Plsea tell me your ok

im alright

see you tmmrw ig

sorry our date ended so badly

Noelle: Im just glad your ok

Noelle: Dont apllogise 

dont fell liek talikng right now

sorry

Noelle: Thats fine

Noelle: Im juist glad your ok

Okay, now she just had to text Kris. They had only sent one message. 

Krismas~: Want me to kill your dad?

no

Krismas~: Ok. Break a few bones but live?

thats worse dude

Krismas~: Ok, i’ll just sell his soul to the devil

Krismas~: Assuming he has one

sure

She could never quite tell if they were being serious or not. Either way, she appreciated the gesture. She could still smell Kris’s apple scented shampoo on her mattress. She was so tired.

Sleep. I will keep watch. Not like I can do much else.

Hang on. She opened a podcast app on her phone. She put on something about monster biology. Then, she rolled over in her bed, falling asleep. She wondered what Noelle was doing right now.

Chapter Text

Noelle was worried. Worried about Susie. She had said she was okay, but Noelle wasn't stupid. She could see pretty clearly that her father was hurting her, if not physically, then certainly emotionally. She didn't know what to do. Sebastian terrified her, and not in a good way. She wanted to tell Undyne, to tell her mom. To tell anyone. But, if she tried something, and it didn't work out, she didn't even know what she would do. Susie’s father seemed unstable.

What on earth?

The voice, normally constrained by Susie's perspective, now found itself observing Noelle. She didn't seem to hear its expression of confusion. It could still feel Susie, in some vague, cosmic sense. Its existence operated mostly on weird dream logic it seemed. Or it simply hadn’t figured out the rules yet.

Perhaps…

The perspective shifted. Susie lay in her bed, fast asleep. Her father was watching something on the television, surprisingly not under the influence of alcohol, as it would have expected. It made sure to keep an eye on Susie. It had managed to keep the connection with Noelle open. ‘Connection’ may not be the best word to describe whatever weird dream link it had from Susie to Noelle, but it had found the English language was shockingly ill equipped to handle whatever its current existence was.

Noelle couldn’t hide her anxiety from her dad.

“What's bothering you Elly?” He asked, looking up at her from his wheelchair. She couldn't really tell him what was happening. He'd probably try to kick Sebastian's ass, and in his current condition, she knew how that would go. 

“N-nothing.” Noelle replied, convincing no one. Carol’s eyes narrowed.

“Noelle. If something is bothering you, please let us know.” Carol said, her offer sounding more like an order. Noelle didn't respond. She really hoped Susie was doing okay. One thing was really sticking out from her interaction with Sebastian though. How did he know their names? Sure, he could have read her name in the news somewhere, she was the mayor's daughter after all, but Kris? They were quite the recluse, and most people who didn't know them just called them ‘the human’. She hated when people did that. She always had. She never said anything though. She was such a pushover. She should have stood up to those people then, and she should have stood up to Sebastian today. He might have a short fuse, but it's not like he'd try and hurt anyone in public, right?

“So, how was your time with Kris?” Carol asked, her face softening somewhat.

Rudy winced. Could Noelle really keep up a lie under any amount of pressure from Carol?

Noelle couldn't get Sebastian's creepy smile out of her head either. What did he find so funny? What was the common variable connecting her mother and Kris? They were both people she cared about, she supposed, but considering his lack of reaction to her, she wasn't convinced that was it.

Glad to see I'm not the only one confused by that.

Her mother and Kris… they had always been pretty close. She had even taught them piano. Was piano the thing connecting them? No, that didn't really make any sense. And, how would he even know that? 

He seems to have some kind of informant? Has someone been telling him things? Perhaps a tracker on Susie's phone? No, her phone doesn't have anything installed on it. Plus, if it was from malware, he'd be limited to contact information, and he didn't call them ‘Krismas~’. If I could get back into his locked drawer I could probably get some answers, but I doubt Susie would want to after today, and I wouldn't want to put her in a potentially dangerous situation.

Noelle wanted to scream. This was impossible! She had nothing to go off of! How was she supposed to form a solid theory? 

“Young Lady. Answer when I ask you a question.” Carol demanded, glaring at Noelle.

“Um, it was good!” Noelle replied, not really sure what Carol had asked her. What did she know about Sebastian? His full name was Sebastian Saurus, and he was Susie’s father. Assuming he was telling the truth. Susie never used her last name, for reasons she now understood. Maybe she should stop using her last name too? Her mother would never stand for that though. 

“That's lovely. As for me, the Martian invaders have decided to sue for peace. Now I can get back to setting up the giant ice maker to usher in eternal winter.” Carol said, staring unblinkingly at her daughter, who gazed off into space, mind clearly elsewhere.

That was all she knew. She had hit a dead end. Or, she would have, if she didn't live in modern day. The internet existed after all, and she could simply look up his name! Hopefully he'd have some information on him online.

That is an excellent idea.

“That's great mom.” Noelle responded, narrowly avoiding a head-on collision with a light post. 

“Noelle, did you listen to a word I said?” Carol asked, her face twisted into a scowl. “Is it really that terrible to spend a single day with your parents?”

Noelle was fine spending time with Rudy, just not Carol. 

“Woah C, let the girl think! If I know my girl, she's probably just thinking about love! You know how people get when they have romance on the brain.” Rudy said, winking slyly at Noelle. He was proud she was actually managing to keep up a ruse for once. He liked to think Carol would be as well, once she got over the whole being deceived thing. 

“Stupid with love. Just like her father.” Carol said, her ‘fondly reminiscing on better times’ tone completely indistinguishable from her ‘get over her right now young lady you are in big trouble’ tone. 

Right, Carol still thought Noelle was dating Kris. It had been a silly thing to say in hindsight, even if it was not technically inaccurate, because now she was going to have to listen to Carol asking her about them constantly. At the very least, Kris would likely play along, if only to tease her about it. It was a bit strange how Carol was so lenient towards Kris though. It reminded her of when Dess had broken her arm, and Carol had spent every free moment she had making sure Dess recovered properly, much to Dess's dismay. She didn't know why that particular memory came to mind. It wasn't like Kris was injured or anything.

Noelle reached for her phone, her mother being distracted by Christmas related conversation with her dad. She looked up Sebastian's name. He seemed to be fairly well known. There were many articles about a lab accident? How strange. Noelle read through one of them. The lab in question was a fairly large research facility in an area mostly populated by humans? That made sense, Susie did have some strange insecurities surrounding her more monstrous aspects. Not that Noelle agreed with that! She loved Susie! Why did she feel the need to justify her own thoughts? It wasn't like anyone was reading her mind.

Okay, that felt targeted. I would turn it off if I could… Why am I even trying to talk? It's not like anyone can hear me.

Noelle found a news article on the incident. ‘Lab accident’ seemed like a somewhat lacking descriptor. An entire building had burned down. Apparently, whatever Sebastian was working on was highly confidential, so no real information there. 

There seemed to have been a media circus around the whole incident. Some security camera footage of the outside of the lab had been leaked, which showed Sebastian returning to the facility a few hours after all his colleagues had left. After about thirty minutes, the entire lab shook, then a fire started to spread through the building. It certainly was very strange. His fellow researchers all seemed to support him though. Apparently, he worked the hardest out of any of them on whatever project they were working on. They insisted it had simply been an accident. Susie couldn't have been more than four years old at the time. It sounded like her dad had been working very long hours… maybe someone else was taking care of her at the time?

While all of this was very interesting, it didn't really help her find out anything about Sebastian. Why was cyberstalking this guy so hard? He didn't have any socials. His entire documented life was literally just one press conference. There was a picture of him, at least. He looked mostly the same, his pin straight, ankle length hair looking as greasy and unwashed as it did when she had met him earlier today. His scales were slightly more vibrant then as well. He looked kind of blank faced in this picture. Like his mind was somewhere else. 

Her internet adventure came to an end when Rudy broke out into a coughing fit. Why did he lie to her? He kept saying that he was going to get better. But she could tell he wasn't. It wasn’t just tests that were going on. That was the real reason he had gone to church yesterday, and to the festival today, hadn't it? Because he didn’t have much time left. She just wished he would tell her. She just wanted to know the truth. Did he really think she was so weak, she couldn’t handle it?

“Are you okay? Do you need to go back to the hospital?” Carol asked.

“I'm fine, I just-” Rudy's attempts to downplay his condition were refuted by another coughing fit. Dammit, couldn't the world let him have one nice day out. 

“We are going to the hospital. Now.” Carol demanded. In his heart, he knew that was the correct thing to do. Noelle had that glint in her eyes again. She had had it a couple days ago, when she had told him about a nightmare she had, and how she had spent time with Susie that day. 

I assume she left out the supernatural parts, considering the police's lack of involvement.

He'd seen it before, when the Dragon Blazers website got updated with a bunch of weird links. He could only assume his daughter had a real mystery on her hands. He needed to ask her about it, when he got the chance.

Carol wasted no time in taking him to the hospital. Back to his prison. Maybe he should just give up on getting better, and enjoy the last few months of his life. At least then, he could make sure Noelle was doing alright. 

Carol and Noelle stepped out of the hospital. Carol looked frustrated. 

“Let's just head home.” Carol remarked, a hint of bitterness creeping into her voice. They arrived at their house, the Christmas decorations on their house did little to make it feel more lived in. The cold air of the house hit Noelle's fur as she entered. It wasn't that she disliked the cold, far from it. It just reminded her she was home. 

Strangely, the door to the kitchen was cracked open slightly. Carol didn't seem too concerned at the potential home invader, throwing the door open to reveal Kris, wringing every possible drop out of a bottle of chocolate syrup. Their glass was brimming with what appeared to be more syrup than milk. Having been caught red handed, their hair bristled up, a faint hint of redness on their face.

“Good afternoon Kris.” Carol said. “I see you are still above asking permission to enter peoples homes.” Kris threw back their glass consuming the entire thing in one gulp, their throat seared by the raw power of their creation. A single tear fell from their eye. They slammed the glass down upon the countertop. 

“Didn't think you'd be here so early.” Kris mumbled, trying to squeeze out more syrup from the empty bottle. 

“That reminds me, there is that piano book I have been meaning to give you. Noelle, please fetch it for me. It's somewhere in the basement.” Carol asked. Kris was avoiding looking at her. Not avoiding eye contact, they did that normally, but avoiding looking at her altogether. They were probably just stressed out because of what had happened with Sebastian.

A fairly transparent attempt to talk to Kris alone, but why? Being cynical, they have some evil plan that Noelle is not in on. I doubt that though, I'm not sure Kris would be willing to do anything particularly abhorrent. Carol seems to really want Kris and Noelle together, but I cannot quite tell why. Perhaps her reason for wanting to talk to them alone is related.

Noelle side-eyed Kris on her way out of the kitchen, making her way down to the basement. It was kind of creepy. She turned on her phone's torch, searching through the mountain of Christmas decorations. Eventually she found the book Carol had mentioned. ‘The Dragon Blazers official piano collection, volume III’

That was a weirdly thoughtful gift for Carol to give them. It made sense, she supposed. She remembered when she was very young, so young she couldn't really remember very well, Carol had played the piano everyday. Whenever she would cry, and Carol's words weren't enough to sooth her, she would play, and through her music she would tell Noelle all the things her words could not convey.

When Kris had expressed interest in learning to play, Carol had been ecstatic. Thankfully, Asriel had been able to stop her boot camp before things got too out of hand. Dess had watched the entire thing unfold, probably grateful that she had never tried to learn piano. Once Kris had learned the basics, Dess had tried to recruit them as a keyboardist for her band. Even though none of their songs called for one. Neither Carol, nor Dess were particularly good at showing when they cared. Maybe that was why that night… No. She wasn't going there today. Time to get the book to Kris.

Noelle headed up to the kitchen. The door was locked. She put her ear to the door, just to make sure that they were still in there.

“You know, I could buy you a much better knife if you wish. Something retractable, so you can carry it around easily. A pocket knife perhaps, or maybe a switchblade…” What the HELL was Carol talking about????

Noelle couldn't hear Kris' response. They were talking far too quietly.

“Pocket knives aren't illegal Kris. Are you feeling okay? I know the past few weeks have been… difficult.” 

Carol asking how someone's day had been. Noelle never thought she'd hear her ask Kris of all people something like that. 

This gets stranger by the second…

“I'm sorry to hear that Kris. You know you are always welcome here, should something like that happen again.”

Some time passed. Noelle assumed Kris was saying something long. Or actually they could be typing! That would explain why she can't hear them.

“I should be able to make time for that today, do not worry.”

Eavesdropping like this was a really bad idea, she realised. If her mom caught her… She decided to leave, setting the book down on the table by the couch. She grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, heading up to her room. 

Should probably…

Susie lay in bed, sleeping peacefully. Sebastian had shut himself in his room, just beyond the borders of its false vision. 

Noelle slumped over her homework problems. She knew getting ahead in school was important, but it seemed a little ridiculous to be tackling differential equations so early. What was the next step again…

Integrate both sides.

Right, she had to integrate both sides with respect to x. That would get rid of the dx on the left side, and then she could integrate with respect to y.

How interesting. What if… Stand Up.

Noelle stood up, stretching. Uh, why did she do that? She had just sat down? She went back to her work.

Can you hear me?

Noelle finished off the first problem, making her way through the second.

So, either you are just ignoring me because you think you're insane, or you cannot hear me.

Noelle was starting to get the hang of this. She started going through questions at a faster rate.

So it's closer to a suggestion than a binding command? Let’s test that theory. Call Susie.

Noelle really wished she could know how Susie was doing right now. But, she was sleeping, and calling would be rude.

Okay, no more experimentation. This is getting unethical. I have to avoid doing that by accident. My commands didn't seem to have any effect on her before, which is strange. I see three possibilities here. First, the current state I am in, being able to observe both Noelle and Susie, is allowing me to do some unique things. Second, my attempts to push the limits of my abilities have paid off, and I have gotten stronger. Third, something else is altering my condition. Or perhaps a combination for all three.

Noelle continued doing her work, unaware of her observer. The voice decided to investigate the contents of Noelle's room. A much more modern computer then the ones in the library, much more period appropriate. A photo of her and Kris as children, holding hands in front of a Ferris Wheel. Kris was wearing a red horned headband. She had an entire couch in her room, presumably for watching her television. How wealthy were the Holidays? Carol was the mayor, yes, but it doubted that being the mayor of a small town paid that well.

Within her wardrobe were many different Christmas themed articles of clothing. Tucked away, likely so her mother couldn't find them, were some more Gothic clothes. 

So, the Christmas thing isn’t just personal preference, and her mother's influence plays a role. 

Underneath her bed was a CD, a photo of Noelle in dark make-up as the cover. For some reason, it felt a surge of excitement, but that feeling quickly faded as it realised the CD was just a metal mix.

It had seen pretty much everything it could while in Noelle's room. It would like to investigate more of her house, but considering she still had a lot more homework, it doubted that would be happening anytime soon. Its range seemed much more limited compared to when it was solely anchored on Susie. Perhaps as a result of being further away from its host? At least, it assumed Susie was its host. It didn't really know if it had a physical body. 

Either way, it had an idea. It felt its way to the very edge of its perception, the edge of Noelle's room, and began to push. Its view expanded, the edge of a new room starting to come into view. It strained itself, pushing as hard as it could. Its view expanded once more, a new room coming into view. It was in perfect condition, but it felt desolate, as if no one had lived in it for a very long time. This must be Dess's room. Dess was a musician it seemed, as an acoustic guitar lay propped up against the wall. It reached out to touch the guitar.

It felt so hauntingly familiar. Despite every small difference it could point out, it was still a guitar. It had spent so much of its life learning, practising and playing. If there was a God, it was thankful he had let it keep this one small thing. It felt the ties that bind it go taut. It couldn't keep this up for much longer. 

At December's desk was a computer, set up for a left handed person, various sports equipment, and a giant stack of CD's. Many had been bought or had mixes burned into them, but some appeared to contain original music.

Jackpot. Would Noelle let me listen to them if I asked nicely? Probably not worth thinking about.

It began to feel a tingling pain, nowhere in particular. The pain was slight, but it had never felt pain before. It had nowhere to arc to, nowhere to escape. The pain began to build to an unbearable level. It needed to go. 

It was thrown backwards, its perspective rapidly shrinking. Rapid bursts of static exploded in its head, blotting out all sound. It was able to stop itself getting pulled all the way back to Susie, thankfully. It felt… weak. For the first time since it woke up 4 days ago, it had managed to do something to exhaust itself. It could barely see the edge of Noelle's desk. It was rather pleased with itself. If it was capable of that in a weakened state, it might even be capable of some more major actions while using Susie as its ‘anchor’. It was making up lingo as it went, and it doubted it was writing a report on this anytime soon, so it was probably fine if it just used whatever, even if it was an inaccurate descriptor. Realistically, ‘anchor’ should refer to Susie, and Noelle should be called something else. A ‘relay’ maybe? …It just said it wasn't going to worry too much about the accuracy of the linguistics it made up entirely for its own thoughts. Oh well.

Due to its limited vision, and the horrible crackle filling its ears, it did not notice as Noelle's window slid open. A figure crept into her room, the floor creaking under their feet. In hand, they held some kind of cable. They darted behind Noelle, throwing the cord around her antlers. Somehow, she noticed none of this. The figure, which it was now able to tell was Kris, looked amused. They used the opportunity to further secure the Christmas lights around Noelle's antlers, and tie them to her chair. They then carefully shuffled into her closet, shutting the door slowly behind them. 

Noelle punched something into her calculator. Yes! She was finally done with that. That… took a lot longer than it should have. She was a bit embarrassed. Oh, she was still wearing the same clothes she had worn to the festival. She should probably change. It would help her get out of her work mindset too. Some Cat Petterz: The RPG: The MMO would probably help take her mind off of things. She got up from her chair, walking towards her closet. The cord reached its full length, and she was pulled backwards, falling hard onto her back. The impact forced all the air out of her lungs. Reeling from the shock, she glanced around, searching her surroundings as best as she could. She saw the Christmas lights tied to her now fallen chair. This had to be Kris’s doing… that meant-

Kris burst from her closet, tackling her. She didn't even scream. They were becoming predictable. She twisted around, turning to face them. “That won't work Kris! You're going to need to try something less predictable next time!” Noelle grinned, full of bravado, despite the fact that she had failed to notice the Christmas lights that had been tied around her antlers. Gravity guided Kris’s hair down, falling across Noelle's face. Oh gosh, they were so close together. Kris looked paralysed by the situation. They were facing the consequences of their actions. Unfortunately, Noelle was also dealing with their actions herself. Kris’s eyes were so pretty… 

Noelle snapped out of her trance, scrambling out from under Kris, back towards her fallen chair. She reached up, trying her best to detangle her antlers, to knot much success. Toriel would be proud of that one. Darn it, Kris had really done a good job. It was hard to untie, especially without being able to see.

“Kris, stop staring at the wall and help me!” Noelle demanded, trying her very best to undo the knot where Kris had tied the lights to her chair.

Kris turned around, crawling over to help her out, and she quickly saw why. Their face was beet red. They wanted to be stoic so bad, it was adorable. Actually pretty much everything about them was adorable, the only thing that could match them being that look Susie gave her when she was being sincere, with her slight smile, and her eyes overflowing with happiness. What was she thinking about again?

Kris began to untangle the cord, gently undoing each knot. 

“How did you get in here anyway?” Noelle asked, moving so that Kris had a better angle. Kris's hands kept brushing up against her antlers. It wasn't like they were sensitive or anything, but their hands felt nice.

“Window. Got some inspiration yesterday.” Kris murmured, their voice only audible because of how close they were to her ears. Kris was very grateful that Noelle could not see their face right now.

“Inspiration?” Noelle asked, leaning back into Kris. She needed the back support, of course. No other reason. Strangely, Kris didn't seem to mind. They'd always been a bit picky about personal space, and they still were to some extent, but they also kept hugging her and Susie?

“Susie broke into my house last night.” Kris responded, a faint bit of awe creeping into their voice. 

“What??? Why???” Noelle enquired, utterly perplexed.

Kris's arms went slack. “Mom was drinking again. It was really loud. Susie rescued me.” They muttered. 

“Oh, Kris… I'm sorry.” Noelle turned around, facing them, the Christmas lights tugging on her antlers as she did. “She always gets a bit rowdy when she drinks, doesn't she.”

Kris nodded, shuffling backwards from Noelle. 

“So, you and Susie! What did you do?” Noelle asked, making some progress in undoing the knot around the chair. 

“Went to her place. And slept.” Kris responded, freeing her antlers from the lights with one final tug.

“In S-Susie’s bed?” Noelle asked, offering Kris a hand. Kris grinned, which she took as a yes. She pulled them to their feet, and they flopped down on her bed. “What have you been up to?” They asked.

“Oh, well my Cat Petterz: The RPG: The MMO account got unbanned, so I was going to play some of that!” Noelle replied, taking note of how Kris dangled their shoes just off of her bed, so they did not get her bed dirty. She appreciated it. 

“Banned? How'd that even happen?” Kris asked, watching Noelle start up her computer.

Noelle signed in to her account, and opened up Cat Petterz: The RPG: The MMO. “I was exploring, and I found a secret area. Turns out, it was the dev room, and I got banned for cheating. I just thought I was looting a dungeon!” Noelle whined. 

“Someone should hire you as a QA tester or something. Half the time you just create bugs that are specific to you.” Kris joked, their vocal delivery starting to become slow and clunky, a tell tale sign they didn't really want to be speaking right now. It always frustrated Noelle how no one else seemed to notice but her and Asriel. Susie seemed pretty aware of their limits as well. She would have thought Susie would be a bit more oblivious, considering that she had managed to avoid noticing Noelle had a crush on her for so long. Gosh, that sounded awful. She wasn't trying to say Susie was dumb, or that she thought Susie was dumb! Stupid brain. 

The game started up, and she logged in to her ‘Dark Knight’ character. She was playing Solo, in Iron Man mode, because she had heard the game was super easy. They were right. Or maybe dark knight was overpowered for solo, a tank with crazy burst damage was already broken, but partway through the campaign, she had gotten a self heal too. It wasn't very good, but it became better over time, and by the time she needed it, it had become an (admittedly costly) full heal. When she had gotten banned, she had made it to just outside of the final dungeon, slaying the skeleton beast outside. 

As she walked into the crypt, the stone walls began to give way to something else. Metal? The background ambiance shifted to the sound of machinery. The whole game had been a generic fantasy setting so far, she hadn't expected it to go sci-fi! The catacombs slowly shifted into a metal hallway, before she stepped out into the final dungeon proper. The mad necromancer, the very first boss, had made his return. He was trying to harness the power of the machine to do something. She swore she had been paying attention to the story, it was just confusing! 

The machines around her sprung to life at the necromancer's order, turrets sliding from the walls. The cutscene ended, and the turrets opened fire, the barrage of machine gun fire quickly reducing her health to zero.

“Oh come on! How was I meant to avoid that!” Noelle cried. Kris shrugged, watching intently. Noelle made sure to use all her defensive buff this time. The turrets had a ton of health, so it would probably be better to try and cheese them. She had noticed that there were blind spots under every turret. She ran from blind spot to blind spot, abusing her healing to tank far more than she should have been capable of.

Kris checked their phone. A bunch of people online were complaining about the final areas' difficulty. The most widely espoused method was to run three tanks and a robe, and spam area of effect heals, while using a buff to lower the healer's aggro stat to nearly zero so the targets wouldn't shoot them. 

Noelle managed to get through the death hallway, finally making it to the necromancer. The battle began, the necromancer resurrecting all the NPCs that you could optionally kill throughout the campaign. Noelle was very grateful that the only one she killed was the weird human who asked her to ‘harvest monster parts’ for them. She wondered if that counted as an offensive stereotype. 

The necromancer began to attack, throwing parts of the machine at her. She dodged out of the way, but got clipped by a piece of debris, knocking her off the arena. “No!” Noelle cried, a strange glitch effect covering up the death screen. 

Surely there would be a checkpoint before the boss? Noelle's hopes were quickly shattered,  as she respawned in the catacombs once more. “That's enough of that for today.” She said, ALT-f4ing the game, and pushing her chair backwards, away from her computer. 

She turned towards Kris, trying to stop her body from trembling in rage. “Kris, do you want to do anything else?” She asked the human, who was currently playing Cube Dash on their phone, lying flat on her bed, holding their phone up above them. She climbed into bed next to them, twisting her neck to get a better look at what they were doing. They were getting pretty far in the level. Noelle didn't really recognise it, she had stopped playing after dying right at the end of Boiling Blood Ocean. Also because Carol kept telling her she would hurt her hands.

Kris did their very best to keep their attention on the level, despite Noelle being right next to them. They made it to the final stretch. Just a few more jumps to go. Noelle was equally focused. She didn't know this level, but she could tell it was hard. They passed the final spike, completing the level. Kris barely reacted. 

Noelle hugged them. “Good job Kris! How hard was that level anyway?” Noelle realised that Kris probably didn't appreciate the hug and attempted to pull away.

“Difficult.” Kris responded, pulling Noelle back toward them. 

Vagueness was typical of Kris. They would never tell her exactly what they wanted to say. But, honestly she was just glad they were talking to her at all. Plus, they were even pranking her again. It wasn't the same as it had been. It could never be the same as it had been, after all. But it was something. And it meant everything to her. Kris and Susie. It was silly, but she hoped she never had to say goodbye to them. She wished she could just be around them, forever. When she was with them, it was like the world became that much more vibrant, and all of the things that held her down started looking like obstacles she could overcome.

It was easy to assume her mother would dislike Susie. Susie was quite a character after all. But at the same time, Carol tended to like people like that. There was a reason Undyne had become police chief after all. Surely Carol would understand that this was what makes her happy.

It was strange though, how Kris and Carol acted around each other. When she had been eavesdropping on them before, Carol talked to them almost like she would a friend. And Kris seemed to be able to get Carol to let Noelle do almost anything. Plus, why did it seem like Carol was trying to get Kris and Noelle together? 

“Kris?” Noelle asked, getting their attention. They turned to face her, their ruby red eyes shining. “What's with you and mom?” Noelle asked, regretting asking almost as she said it. 

The colour drained from Kris's face. They lowered their head, their hair obscuring their eyes. They shuffled away from her.

“Kris? Are you feeling alright?” Noelle asked. 

“Bathroom.” Kris muttered, their response strained and panicked. Noelle followed them out of her room, but they slammed the door of the bathroom shut before she could reach them. She shouldn't have pushed them so hard. They had taken Dess's disappearance nearly as badly as Carol had. It was a good thing if they were there for each other. 

The air got cold. Too cold. Carol always kept the air-conditioning at an exact temperature. Why was it so cold? And why did it feel like there was something she was missing? Her stomach dropped, a sudden wave of dread nearly knocking her to the floor. Just behind a tree, she saw him. He might have waved at her. Then, there was not a man peering in through the window.

Noelle gasped for air. That had to have been just her seeing things, right? That wasn't real, was it?

Noelle's other observer silently cursed itself, for its earlier excursion into Dess's room left it both unable to see whatever had shocked Noelle so much, and unable to make sure Kris was safe.

Goddammit. 

Noelle didn't want to let her mind wander, especially considering what she had just seen, so she pulled out her phone. What was there to do? What was the level Kris completed called? Absolute Hyperdeath or something. She looked it up. According to a list she found of all rated roaring demons, it was the top 1297th hardest level in the game. Boiling Blood Ocean was only the 648th hardest level in the game. What the hell Kris? How did they even manage to beat it on phone? Not to mention their total lack of a reaction. Typical Kris.

The new top one was, of course, yet another roaring themed level. The developer kind of shot themselves in the foot with naming the hardest difficulty after it.

Kris exiting the bathroom, staring very intently at the ground. 

“Kris, it's fine if you don't want to say anything.” Noelle said, moving closer to Kris. They still looked pale. Maybe it would be best for them to go home. Kris seemed to disagree with this course of action, pulling Noelle into a hug. 

“Noelle. I'm going to city hall. There's food in the fridge if you want any. Feel free to offer Kris some. Don't let any strangers in, and don't do anything that I wouldn’t do.” Carol's voice echoed from downstairs, followed by the sound of a door closing. Kris looked at her.

“Susie?” They asked, a sparkle in their eyes.

Noelle nodded as furiously as she could. “Yes! Um, if she wants to come.” She messaged Susie, telling her she could come over. No response.

Susie was tossing and turning in her sleep, clearly distressed. It seemed like she was having a nightmare. 

Guess I'll play wingman.

It returned to Susie, severing whatever link it had with Noelle. 

Wake up.

Susie's eyes shot open. Fuck, that was a bad dream. She was… Nope, forcing it out of her mind. She gripped the Everyman plush Kris had given her tightly, crushing it half to death. She appreciated the save. Did it enjoy the podcast, at least?

I was unable to give it my full attention, but what I could make out was fairly enlightening. For example, did you know that the reason you can sweat, despite being coldblooded is-

She didn't really, what's the word, care. Why was it unable to give the podcast its full attention?

Something came up. I will explain later. Kris is at Noelle's house, and they want to know if you are willing to come. Her mother left for city hall.

Yeah, that sounded alright. She was a little worried about what Noelle's mom might do if she caught her, but she pushed the thought to the side.

I can keep watch, as per usual. Also, Noelle's room has many convenient places to hide.

How did it know that? 

I will explain, once we get moving. 

Susie stuffed her plushie under her bed, praying her dad wouldn’t find it, and crept out of her room, sneaking past her dad, who lay unconscious on the couch. She gripped the door handle, preparing to escape.

“Where do ya think you're going?” Barked her father, without turning around from the couch. She could have sworn he was asleep. 

“Visit some friends.” Susie muttered, trying to stop her hands from shaking.

“Go on then. Get the fuck out of my house. And eat something while you're there, you greedy bitch!” Sebastian yelled over the sound of the TV. He'd been drinking again. How shocking. Thankfully, it seemed like he was back to not giving two shits about her.

Susie escaped her apartment, heading towards Noelle's house. So, what did it have to tell her?

Remember how you fell asleep thinking about how Noelle was doing?

She did. Hey, this whole mind reading thing was kind of really intrusive, wasn't it. She hadn't given it much thought, since the voice didn't comment on most of her thoughts. 

I agree with you, it is very intrusive. If it makes you feel any better, I dislike it just as much as you do, even if it has its utility. When you fell asleep, I was transported to Noelle's location. I was able to effectively use her as a relay, though I was still connected to you. 

Huh. That seemed… wildly unethical. She wasn't too big on eavesdropping after all. Reminded her of her nightmare. It was kind of scary how the vo- Noelle had such pretty eyes, and her hair was so damn nice, and she always smelled like gingerbread, and-

I am not stupid. I can infer that your nightmare was related to me.

Yeah, it was. It wasn't like she didn't trust it or anything, but it could just do stuff, and it was scary to be forced to do things that she didn't want to do.

Your fears are not… entirely unfounded.

What? What did it do!?

It's not what I did, rather what I didn't do. I am able to read others' minds as well.

Susie stopped dead. Come again? 

I get the occasional glimpse into other people’s thoughts. The person this seems to be the most effective on is Noelle. I could give you an ordered list, but I imagine you do not care about specifics.

Susie’s jaw clenched. Why would it hide something like that?

I had a few reasons. None which truly justify keeping it from you. 

She was waiting for the list of reasons.

I wanted to have some leverage. If I were to reveal something that huge, it could assist me in convincing you to follow my desired course of action.

Why the hell would it need leverage? It could make her do whatever it wanted!

I would rather not strip away your agency.

Okay. So, here is what's going to happen. It was going to not tell her what other people were thinking. Except maybe her father.

He is one of the people whose mind I have been unable to read, despite my best efforts.

Wow, it really was useless. …That was uncalled for, sorry.

I understand your frustration. I do have some things to share though. Noelle was investigating your father, and as it turns out, he was a scientist of some kind. I do not know what field, because the newspaper apparently thought it unnecessary to mention.

That… didn't really surprise her. Which was weird, since she didn't remember jack shit about her childhood. Everything before she was like, fourteen was just a total blur. 

Repressed memories, likely due to your difficult childhood. I will not force you to relive them. I do have some other things to report. Mostly about Carol Holiday. I don't like her. She seems nice enough, but between the weirdness with her and Kris, and some concerning thoughts I have heard from Noelle, I can safely conclude she is not as nice as she appears. 

She appears to be rather strong, and between her surprisingly muscular build, and her numerous well maintained blades, I feel fairly confident in saying that she is a trained fighter.

Why couldn't it just read Carol's mind and figure it out from there. 

Different people, different levels of effectiveness of my abilities. You are the person most effected, followed by Noelle. I have been privy to Kris’s thoughts only once, when they played the piano for you. What I saw was concerning. Carol and Sebastian seem to be totally immune to my abilities. For most other people, they either fall in between, or I do not have enough data to say.

It was being very methodical about all of this, wasn't it? Angel, this was tiring her out.

Yes, it helps me to cope. That is not all I have to tell you, but since we have arrived, I will hold off for now.

For what it's worth, she appreciated it being open about all of this, even if it took a while. She did kind of get it. Mind reading was weird. It wasn't like it could just stop though. 

A metal gate stood before her. The voice was able to discern a route into the house, as there was a tree next to the fence that she could climb. She scrambled up the tree, taking care not to leave any claw marks in the bark, as that may give her away. She assumed that was the voice's doing, since she didn't care about hiding evidence at all. 

She leapt from the tree, landing within the barred fence of the Holiday's estate. The voice guided her to a drain pipe, which she climbed with some difficulty. She had been breaking into a lot more houses since it showed up. It was such a bad influence.

Indeed.

Noelle's window had a strong tint, but Susie could still make out Noelle's distinct silhouette. Noelle opened the window, a blast of cold air hitting Susie. Who kept their house air conditioned in winter? 

“S-susie? What are you doing?!” Noelle stammered, helping Susie into her room.

“Uh, you're the one who invited me over.” Susie replied, passing through the window, and entering Noelle’s room. It was nice here. I mean, sure, it didn't have as many spikes as the perfect room would have, and the soft pinks and blues weren't the exact colour scheme she would have chosen, but it was cute. It suited Noelle. 

Noelle stepped backwards, allowing Susie to drop onto her ridiculously long couch. Her eyes narrowed slightly. “But, you didn't even read any of my texts?” She said, her voice sounding more worried than offended. “How did you know?” 

Oops. My bad chief. I forgot that modern phones do that.

“Uh, you know how phones get sometimes. Piece of junk probably just didn't register it.” Susie said, rubbing the back of her head nervously. She didn't like lying, but since the alternative was filling Noelle and Kris in on the world's biggest secret, she didn't have much choice. She hated how she was lying more and more. She didn't know how long she could take it.

You could tell them, if you wished. I doubt it is the biggest secret anyone has ever kept. Heck, it's probably not even the biggest secret in Hometown.

She would. Just later. Noelle seemed to accept her excuse. 

“Kris wasn't lying, you really are good at breaking into places.” Noelle remarked, doing that cute thing she did where she covered her mouth with her hand while she laughed.

“Yeah. I'm good at. All sorts of. Crime?” Susie stumbled over her words. Dammit, Noelle always made her do this. She really was in love. 

You went on a date, and now you realise you're in love?

Shut it. “Your room is… cute? I like. It?” Thinking about how much she was making a fool of herself didn't help. Neither did the dress Noelle was still wearing, and the blue flower Kris still had in their hair. They kept glancing over to her, then back to their phone. Based on the ever-changing barrage of colours assaulting their eyes, she assumed it was the same game she had seen them play in church. 

Noelle flushed bright red. “Um, thanks! I uh, come here a lot?” Gosh it was hard to talk to Susie with Kris preoccupied.

Susie shivered a little. Noelle's house was pretty cold, and her jacket was hardly in a good condition after yesterday. Kris, having finished their important work on their phone, gathered up Noelle's numerous bedsheets, and tossed them at her with enough force to knock her onto the couch. Noelle squeaked in panic.

Susie sniffed Noelle's sheets. It smelled strongly of peppermint. She must use a peppermint scented detergent or something. 

“Why are you smelling my sheets?” Noelle asked, her voice trembling. 

“Smells good. Like peppermint.” Susie responded. “Doesn't smell much like you though.”

“And, how do I smell?” Noelle asked, her face as red as physically possible.

Kris appeared behind Noelle, trying to smell Noelle, and give their report. Noelle pushed them back onto her bed. “ACTUALLY KRIS I was hoping to get an expert opinion you know from Susie I know you have a good sense of smell and all but I just want to hear it from her okay?”

Susie grabbed Noelle, pulling her close. She rested her chin on Noelle’s head, nestled just between her antlers. It was practically a perfect fit. A bit less comfortable than Kris, but still nice. She breathed in deeply. “Uh, strong smell of peppermint in your hair. From your shampoo? And then there's gingerbread? From a perfume I think? And the slightest hint of cinnamon. From Kris? They always smell like cinnamon and apples. Damn, making me hungry.”

Your sense of smell is slightly less terrifying than your ability to divine the source of any smell so precisely.

Noelle did not respond. She did not move. Well, she did technically, as she was shaking dramatically due to her highly elevated heart rate. She tried to offer Susie some food, but the only thing that came out of her mouth was a rather pathetic yelp. 

Susie spotted some Christmas lights tied around Noelle’s chair for whatever reason? “Whats with the Christmas lights?” She asked, utterly baffled.

“Oh, Kris pranked me!” Noelle responded, clarifying nothing.

Kris tied her antlers to the chair so that when she tried to walk away she fell over.

Oh, okay. Kinda weird how Kris never pranked her. Maybe it was just a thing with them and Noelle.

Susie could tell Kris wasn’t feeling the best. They hadn’t said, or typed a word the entire time she had been here. “Kris, why ya being so quiet, come on, type at me!” Susie demanded, spotting how they slouched, their face angled down slightly. They smiled a bit, but did not respond.

“What, is someone stopping you? Let me at them, I'll kick their ass!” Susie exclaimed, flexing for emphasis. Kris looked like they were about to laugh for some reason. They pointed their hand, which trembled from choked laughter, at Noelle.

Susie wasn't stupid enough to not be able to tell when she was being played. “Kris, I'm not kicking Noelle's ass.”

“You can beat me up Susie, I don't mind!” Noelle said cheerfully, before clamping her hand over her mouth, turning a shade of red outside the colour range of the human (and monster) eye. “I mean, Kris, you can always talk to me, I don't care! Really.” 

“Sorry, what did you say? You want me to… beat you up? Why?” Susie asked, the heavy hand of realisation hanging above her head. “Wait a second…”

Noelle passed out, her falling body caught by Kris, just before Susie could snatch her. Susie could have sworn she saw Noelle's soul leaving her body. Noelle's eyes fluttered open, and she wiggled out of Kris’s grasp. 

“Wow, that was weird, anyway, who wants some food!” Noelle yelled, desperately hoping that somehow, someway, Susie would forget what she had just heard. Some food sounded good to Susie, she had meant to get some at the festival, but due to her father, she hadn't gotten to.

Noelle led them downstairs. Susie looked around. Damn, her house was big. And very Christmas themed. And, wow, the voice was not kidding about the swords.

“I would offer you some chocolate, but Kris made sure there wasn't any.” Noelle said, staring at Kris with more fondness than malice. “Um, I have some P’e’zza! Does that work?”

“Hell yeah. Freaking love pizza!” Susie exclaimed, placing her hands on Noelle’s shoulders, and shaking her a little.

Noelle retrieved a 13 inch vegetarian p’e’zza from her fridge. ICE-E was staring blankly at them from the box, as per usual. Only a single slice had been taken, so Susie helped herself to three. She normally liked her food hot, but there was something amazing about cold leftover pizza. Or p’e’zza? Typical ICE-E related weirdness. 

“Um, I don't have any non-vegetarian food here, sorry.” Noelle apologised, taking a slice of her own. “Kris?” She asked, wondering why they hadn't taken a slice yet. It wasn't their favourite thing ever, but they usually were quite fond of pizza. Kris refused. They must not be hungry. 

“All good. I'm not too picky.” Susie reassured her, going back for a fourth slice. 

Noelle's heart sunk, the thought of Susie, starving because her asshole of a father didn’t want to buy food sitting heavy in her chest. She was so stupid for not putting things together sooner. Susie even wore the same clothes every day. And not in the way Kris did, where they had 12 different copies of the same sweater. The stains and torn patches were exactly the same day to day. Not to mention the way she was always eating anything she could get her hands on. Monsters that shedded scales, especially when their scales were thick, like Susie’s, could lack proper nutrition even when they were eating enough. 

She did have that jacket on the way, at least. She hadn't been able to get it in time for the festival, unfortunately.

“So, what do you want to do? Aside from eating pizza?” Susie asked, trying to scrape some cheese-like substance off the roof of her mouth.

Noelle attempted to decipher Susie's words. “Oh! Do you like scary movies?” Noelle asked, looking at Susie excitedly.

“I already told you, didn't I? I am down to watch though.” Susie remarked, having consumed enough p'e'zza to kill a lesser monster. Mostly due to the toxic levels of barbeque sauce.

“Oh! Yeah okay. …I was trying to make a reference.” Noelle said sheepishly.

***

The three of them set up on Noelle’s couch, Kris on Noelle’s left, and Susie on her right, wrapped in Noelle's blankets. Noelle pressed the power on button on her remote, but the TV did not turn on. 

Noelle groaned. “Hang on, gotta fix the TV.” She got up from the couch, and began to mess with the nightmarish tangle of cables. If Berdly was here, he would have a fit over her ‘improper cable management’.

This is a good opportunity to fill you in on the rest of what I have learned. First, my ability to control you seemed to work to some extent on Noelle, while I was observing her. It was more of a suggestion though, and her mind seemed to fool itself into thinking that she was the one who thought of it. That is all I know, since I wasn't too keen on experimenting on her.

Oh. That was concerning. 

Indeed. Second, I appear to be able to separate from the person I am observing, though only for a moment. It also caused me a significant amount of pain. Since I do not experience your pain, it was quite the shock.

Maybe it should refrain from doing that then? She wasn’t too keen on getting any psychic backlash or something.

 I will avoid pushing too hard where possible. I used this ability to investigate the room next to Noelle's, which I assume belongs to her missing sister. Nothing of note in there.

Oh. Right. Noelle's sister… Her disappearance hung over this town, so much so that even she could tell. It seemed to have affected Noelle and Kris the most, which made sense, since they were close as kids. Kris seemed kind of out of it today. She didn't know what to do about it. They were texting someone on their phone.

Asriel: I can stay at Dad's if you want me to.

Asriel: I'm sorry for this morning.

Asriel: You know mom does not mean to hurt you.

Asriel: Can we talk later?

Only if you get me some chocolate

Asriel: That is a wonderful idea Kris. Just like old times then?

Asriel: Come home, whenever you are ready. I know you're at Noelle's right now, so feel free to finish whatever you're doing

okay

Asriel: De-

Kris locked their phone, then powered it back on without unlocking it, and set it to silent. They noticed Susie’s concerned gaze, and did nothing to try and convince her otherwise. They pulled their legs up to their chest.

“Hey, uh. If either of you… are like, hurt or need help or something. I'm here. For you.” Susie said, hoping that at least the offer would make Kris feel a bit better. 

Kris looked away. They opened their mouth, almost like they were about to say something. But nothing came out. They couldn't say anything. They made a promise, after all. Instead, they allowed themselves to fall to the side, into Susie’s lap.

Susie ruffled their hair, and they let out a low whine. “Angels heaven dude, you’re such a dog.” Kris barked in agreement. Susie heard the click of Noelle's phone camera. She looked up to see Noelle hide her phone behind her back, smiling as if she was innocent.

“Hey! Delete that!” Susie cried, unable to get up from the couch to delete the photo herself, due to Kris resting on her lap. They just looked so comfortable. She didn't want to disturb them.

“Delete what?” Noelle feigned innocence. “The TV's working now! Let's get started.”

Kris rolled off of Susie’s lap, crashing onto the floor, then climbed back onto the couch, making space for Noelle to sit between them and Susie. Noelle had a sneaking suspicion they were plotting something. Pushing her fears aside, she sat down, and turned on her TV. It was the fancy kind of smart TV that had an aggregator for all of her streaming services. She had pretty much everything, mostly as a result of her mother's questionable obsession with Christmas movies. “So, what do we want to watch?” She asked.

Kris and Susie both shrugged. She was happy the choice fell on her shoulders. As much as she would have loved to rewatch one of the classics, she wasn't sure if Kris would appreciate watching a killer human movie. She scrolled through her choices. She didn't really want to put on a blood crushers movie either, she wasn’t in the mood for anything quite so gruesome. 

“The terror of Helvetica Heights looks interesting!” Noelle said, glancing between Kris and Susie. “It's about an apartment complex that gets terrorised by some kind of electrical demon! Uh, that summary is really vague I know.”

“Sure. Sounds good.” Susie said, glancing over at Kris, who gave her a thumbs up.

Noelle started the movie. It began with a maintenance man heading to the breaker box of the titular apartment complex. As he moved to flip one of the switches back on, something slammed his head into the breaker box, and he was electrocuted. The computer graphics they used for the electricity were so dated it almost made the burned mannequin look like a decent practical effect by comparison.

***

The ending was exceptionally cliched, with the main family beating the ghost possessing the electric grid by simply cutting power to the entire building, killing the ghost via lack of power. The family then went on to play board games by candlelight. Right at the very end, there was a teaser, where one of the kids' phones crackled with the terrible CGI face of the electric demon. 

Susie did enjoy the kills, but man the plot, acting and score all left a lot to be desired.

I thought it was quite charming. I mean, the core message was nonsense. Electricity is evil and we should go back to using candles? But it's fun to laugh at, and it's far from boring. 

Alright, she didn't ask for an essay. Noelle yawned. “Well, that was fun, right Kris?” Noelle asked, elbowing Kris awake. 

• Yeah I liked the part were the teenagers made out then got murdered 

“Kris, that didn't even happen in this movie!” Noelle complained, stamping her hoof. “You just guessed!”

• Worth a shot. Gotta be the only horror movie without that scene.

“They don't all have that Kris! Blood Crushers doesn't!” Noelle insisted on defending her favourite genre, falling for Kris’s obvious attempt to make her mad.

• That's because all of the runtime is dedicated to watching people get crushed into blood.
• Dumb trash genre

“Kris, it is not a trash genre! Even though a lot of more mainstream movies are like that, there are a ton of smaller movies with really interesting themes-” Noelle's tirade was interrupted by Kris reaching behind her ear, and scratching. She raised her hand to try and push them away. “Kris, no! Not this time!” Unfortunately for Noelle, simply saying something does not make it so, and she was unable to maintain her train of thought.

Kris finished their assault, leaving Noelle fuming, both due to their remarks toward the greatest genre (in her opinion), and their weaponised use of petting, which had long ago been determined to be against the rules of battle, as determined by Asriel and Dess. Honestly, she didn’t know why Asriel would ever think that making a set of rules for Kris to follow would work.

“Susie… What did you think of the movie?” Noelle asked, trying to avoid looking at Kris, who was barely able to stifle their laughter.

“Uh, it was good. I think Blood Crushers Two was better though.” Susie said, offering the controversial opinion that one of the critically acclaimed sequel to one of the most beloved movie franchises in the world was in fact better then film that had been seen by them and exactly ten thousand, eight hundred and seventy two other people, and was made on a budget of 200 meal vouchers for the college it was filmed at and a shoelace, for a literal shoe string budget. 

“Yeah, but it's not really a fair comparison! Blood Crushers Two has some awesome practical effects, but they were super expensive and hard to pull off! You know the junkyard scene?” 

“Yeah, it was sick. Guy totally got crushed. Into blood.”

“It took like two weeks of filming to get right! Though that's mostly because the director is really particular. But that's probably more time than the entire production of this film! Plus, they spent a lot of money on fake blood, and-” Susie began to tune out Noelle. It wasn’t that she wasn’t interested, far from it. There were very few things she would want to be doing over sitting on Noelle’s couch, wrapped in Noelle’s blankets, listening to her rant about Blood Crushers. It was just that, Kris’s petting attack had made her curious. And, Noelle was looking really, really petable right now. Her fur was so soft.

Susie reached out, cupping Noelle’s face with her hand. Noelle froze mid sentence, her explanation of how the director had dropped nearly five hundred actual cars to get the crumple effects just right cut off. She stared at Susie, her icy blue eyes as wide as saucers. She tried to let out the typical pathetic squeak like normal, but found that even that was beyond her reach.

Susie proceeded to scratch behind Noelle’s ears. Or at least, that's what she thought happened. Her brain shut down after the first few seconds, so she didn’t know for sure. 

 “Y-you’re evil! You’re both evil!” Noelle exclaimed, glancing between Kris and Susie. They just smiled patiently at her.

Susie glanced around Noelle’s room, trying to ignore how damn cute Noelle looked when she was angry. She had a framed picture of her and Kris as kids, standing in front of a Ferris Wheel. Noelle noticed Susie staring at it, and smiled fondly. It was almost like it had been, back then. It was harder now, for her to be friends with them. She imagined it was harder for them to. Susie was here now though, and even if everything wasn’t perfect, they had each other. 

Susie glanced over to Noelle, who was smiling like a dumbass. She really wasn’t good at hiding her feelings for them. Now that Susie thought about it, Noelle wasn’t really good at hiding her feelings for her either. Noelle had always been looking at her when she thought Susie wouldn’t notice. Tons of people did that, but when it was her, it had always felt… different, and now she knew why.

“Um, Susie, what are you thinking about?” Noelle asked, having mostly recovered from Kris and Susie’s attack.

“You… UH! Nothing!” Susie shouted.

Google Streisand effect.

What??? Was it?? Talking about?? Kris crawled up to Susie, Noelle yelping as they clambered over her. 

• Yeah what were you thinking about?
• Especially since you were staring at Noelle like a dumbass

“Okay, you really want to know?” Susie bared her teeth. “I was thinking about how sorry YOU are! Everytime you wake up from your damn day long naps, you’re staring at the back of Noelle’s head, looking like a damn abandoned puppy!” Kris stuck out their tongue, pulling out their phone.

• she gave you one pencil and you fell in love you cannot talk

“Guys stop! Kris, that's not fair. You lose this round!” They looked at her with their darn puppy dog eyes. “Kris, you know why!” 

If we are comparing who is the ‘better’ yearner, it has to be Noelle. Her thoughts are quite something to behold.

• Elly. If I’m a loser, you are the very concept of losing 
• I see you trying to use the water fountain after Susie

“Noelle?!” Susie cried, mouth agape. Angel above.

“They're lying! Come on Susie, do you really trust them?” Noelle pleaded with her.

“I’ve literally seen you doing that! I just never put it together!” Susie found her actions rather endearing, despite how strange they were.

Susie’s phone went off, interrupting their yearning competition. 

Dad: Get your ass home right now.

nah

Dad: dont talk back to me you fucking bitch

The veneer of peace they had enjoyed was destroyed, the feeling of safety and security instantly shattered. Noelle couldn’t believe that Sebastian would talk to his daughter like that. “Does your father talk to you like that all the time?” She asked, her voice quivering.

“Does a lot worse than curse me out.” Susie said, the words falling from her mouth before she could even stop to think about what she was saying.

Kris clenched their fists, their eyes burning with anger. Noelle threw her arms around Susie, talking through sobs. “I mean, I knew. I knew he was… hurting you. But I just- I’m sorry.”

Susie just stared off into space. “It’s fine. I gotta go.” 

“Susie, it’s not fine! He’s hurting you! We have to do something” Noelle insisted, pulling Susie tighter. She needed to do something. Susie was the nicest person she’d ever met, and all these terrible things were happening to her and-

“He’s only gonna hurt me if you stop me from getting home!” Susie shouted, pushing Noelle off of her. Susie’s eyes widened. “I’m sorry I-”

All the worry and pain in Noelle and Kris’s eyes hurt so much more than anything her father did ever could. Noelle stepped back towards Susie, her expression darkening. “Go then. I… I love you.” Noelle whispered, wiping her tears away. 

Susie’s entire body felt numb. “I love you too.” Kris gave her a tormented look, and she leapt from Noelle’s window, scurrying down the side of her house. She made for her apartment, each step further from Kris and Noelle sending a pang through her heart. She could say no. She could run away, and go live with Kris, or in Noelle’s basement or something. But then he would come looking. And he always found her. 

Susie opened the door to her father’s apartment. Her father was sitting on the couch, one hand clutching his head telling her that he was no longer quite as drunk, and feeling the consequences of all his booze. It would have made her smile, if it didn’t make him even more likely to be pissed off at her. “Why do you suddenly give a shit about where I go?” Susie choked out, through the tremors racking his body.

“I was being too lenient. Can’t have you out late on a school night.” Sebastian replied, barely even bothering to hide true motivation.

“Bullshit.”

“What did you say?” Sebastian asked, his body tensing.

I strongly recommend not escalating any further.

“I said, okay.” Susie answered, heading to her room. She couldn’t sleep, it was still barely even nighttime, plus, she had taken a nap earlier today. All she could do was drown in her own self loathing. Again. Kris and Noelle had only wanted to help her, and she’d pushed them away. But it wasn’t like she had any choice. Her choices didn’t matter. 

That's not true. I understand that you don’t want them to get hurt. But, that doesn’t mean you have to avoid feeling bad around them. 

That was hurting them though. She saw how they looked at her. They knew they couldn’t do anything, and that was tearing them up inside. They would be better off if she just-

Shut up. You see Kris hurting, and what do you do? You stay by their side, even when they won’t tell you what’s going on. You see Noelle dealing with being haunted, plus all her family shit, and what do you do? You help her, in any way you can. They are the same. I am the same. We want you to feel better. We want you to heal. And if that is impossible, we will stay by your side, until you can.

It always ended up like this. She stopped trying after the first few times. Stopped caring about anyone else. Because she would always just get hurt again. She really, really hoped that this time would be different. But it was just a hope.

We have made it this far, haven’t we? I do not intend to stop trying. As long as you are still determined, I will be here, to help you, in the small way I can.

Chapter Text

Susie rolled over in bed. Her earlier assumption was correct. There was no way she was going to sleep anytime soon.

The way it talked about being able to control Noelle earlier… it was obviously disturbed by the idea, but she could tell that it wanted power. Maybe that wasn’t the correct phrasing. It was obviously not a fan of the whole not having a body thing.

I wish to be able to help you, Kris and Noelle with your problems. But more than that, I need to know what I have lost. It eats at me, every single moment. How could I not remember something that hurts me so deeply? I will regain my memories. But I will do it with my principles intact.

It was being open about it’s feelings for once. How shocking.

I figured I should practice what I preach, so to speak.

It sounded like a miserable existence. Not being able to do anything, except for interacting with her? She wouldn’t wish it on her worst enemy. 

It's not so bad. Better than non-existence at least. 

Fair enough. It said it came from another world, right? Any idea on how it could get back?

Absolutely none. All I know for sure is that monsters were either entirely absent, or extraordinarily rare. I was almost certainly unaware of them.

Susie lifted the Everyman Plushie into the air. Everyman was one of those things she was used to seeing graffitied everywhere. Wouldn't have been her first choice for a plushie, it was a little creepy. She liked creepy stuff though, even if she did prefer awesome crap like spikes and blood. She pulled it close. If she closed her eyes, and let her mind wander, it was almost like she wasn't alone. Like Kris or Noelle was with her.

The great and terrible Susie needs to cuddle something to sleep. How adorable.

Shut up! What the hell was with its tone? It sounded like a depressed news anchor. 

Maybe I was, in my past life. 

Hello everyone. Today we have a high of 30 and a low of 25. But wait. With humidity, it feels like 36. The perfect temperature for a lovely walk.

Celsius? What was it, a European?

I have no idea. It's just the unit that came to mind.

Huh. Maybe a lead on where it came from?

A very large chunk of the world uses Celsius.

Yeah, true. It was shockingly hard to find anything that could help jog its memory.

Indeed. I wish I could sleep. It seems peaceful.

That made two of them. It might have gotten a distorted perception on account of her hanging out with Kris and Noelle so much, her nights were not usually so pleasant.

I understand. Someday, hopefully soon, you will be able to sleep peacefully every night.

Heh. Maybe when her father keeled over dead. 

Since we are on the topic, is there anything you remember about him? If you are willing of course.

She was willing but… there was just nothing. The further back she went, the less she remembered. Her memory practically cut off entirely when she was around fourteen. And her father didn't really do much during the time she could remember. Just typical dad things, like sitting on his ass drinking booze, watching TV, and yelling at her for whatever bullshit reason.

I see.

A cool wind bit into Susie's exposed scales. She pulled her plushie closer. She felt her mind beginning to calm down. Despite her many good reasons for being unable to sleep, she had still been through a lot today. Her body tried desperately to pull her into the abyss of sleep, but her mind buzzed with anxieties and longing. She jolted back to reality from her half asleep state. Remind her to never take a nap during the day again.

An unpleasant feeling grew in her chest. She could actually remember something about her past after all. She wished she could forget it. It made her feel ill.

I doubt you will be able to forget it so easily. Would you like to talk about it? Or, think about it in this case.

Not really. She rolled over in bed, such that she was facing her wall. Having her back towards the door made her uncomfortable. Her door had a lock, and it wasn't like her father had ever been bothered to break in, or go into her room at all for that matter, but he could still easily pull her door off its hinges if he wished. He'd done similar shit before, in other places. She twisted back over, keeping an eye on the door.

Does your father usually sleep on the couch?

Yeah, he did. Probably because he always knocked himself out with booze while watching whatever dogshit reality show he could find.

Probably.

The memory wouldn't leave. Its crushing weight lingered on the edge of her bed, piercing eyes reflecting back her younger self at her. She wasn't sure she had ever really washed it away. She had simply forgotten the stains. She wanted to vomit. All over a memory. She really was pathetic.

Is there anything I can do to help?

No. Her father took her hunting. A long time ago. He shot a deer. It didn’t die. He made her… put it out of its misery. With her claws. She didn't want to. She really didn't. She wasn't a killer. She wasn't.

Jesus Christ. The more I hear about your father, the more I hate him. You aren't a killer. It wasn't you who-

It was her. It didn't matter who told her to kill it. She had been the one who slit its throat. Her claws were the ones that had been caked in its viscera. She told herself she wasn't a killer, but she was. 

It's a deer, not a person.

What did it matter? It could just as easily have been someone she cared about.

But it wasn't. And you now have the strength to disobey him, should the need arise. 

Susie said nothing, but felt a little better. The voice was right. Even if it cost her life, she would never allow any harm to come to her friends. That was the one thing she was certain of. She wished she could go back, and be there for her younger self. Tell her what the voice had just told her.

I know the feeling. I think. No memories. 

She couldn't tell if remembering crap she absolutely did not want to remember, or having no memories like it was worse.

Certainly a good question. There is never a truly correct answer in these kinds of situations.  Personally, I would rather remember. Though, that may just be the grass being greener on the other side.

She wasn't sure if she would rather remember. It hurt. However, it was also the truth. It had happened. There wasn't anything she could do about it, so she may as well confront it.

She remembered plunging her hands into the icy water of a nearby river, digging out the dried blood that caked her scales. She had not cried, for she had known even then that there would have been no point. The stains had never truly gone away, leaving slight discolouration on her claws, that only really went away after she shed her scales.

Jesus. I want you to know that no one will blame you. I need you to know that Kris, Noelle will not think less of you for this. It is your fathers sin, not yours.

Susie seemed to be reassured by the voice's words, closing her eyes, and allowing her mouth to fall slightly agape.

The voice did struggle with helping Susie. It wondered if it would have done better with its memories. It truly wished it knew what to say to her, and that it could be there, in a more literal sense. These poor children, with the weight of the world on their shoulders. It was doing all it could. It hoped that would be enough, but it doubted that.

Someone was behind it. How was such a thing even possible? It didn't have a sense of direction, nor a body for an intruder to stand behind. It couldn't turn around to check either. It felt… cold? It wasn't like the sensation it had felt when it pushed too far from Noelle. It felt almost fake? Perhaps it was its mind trying to interpret something more abstract in an understandable way? It hadn't been granted that luxury so far though.

A memory grew in a hard to reach place, blossoming through the cracks.

Something cracks, something falls.
Something green, something red.
Something alive, something dead.

How strange. I remembered something.

Susie sat up in bed. Nice. What was it?

Utterly incomprehensible. Feels like looking into TV static, trying to spot a specific shade of grey.

***

Susie was not exactly looking forward to going back to school. At least she had managed to get some sleep. Her dreams were peaceful, for once, despite her rough day. Perhaps it was the universe's way of apologising. For both her crappy life, and the fact that she was being forced to talk to BERDLY!

“You see Susan, I have come to realise that I was being… rather hasty. In judging you unworthy.” Berdly explained, raising a finger in such a way that his apology somehow appeared as a lecture. Susie did a double take. Hold on, his apology?

“I have come to understand that I am a… unsatisfactory judge of Noelle's feelings. As such, I have determined that you may continue with your… endeavour.” Berdly finished, sneaking a glance at his palm (wing?) cards. 

Susie raised an eyebrow, finding the wording of his apology rather obnoxious. That was just how he was, she reasoned, so she would accept. “Uh… Okay.” Susie responded, standing awkwardly in the halls outside of her class. Could she not just head to class already? This damn bird. Eventually, he decided to spare her, darting for the classroom. Presumably he would die if he wasn't in class at least five minutes before it started. 

Susie began to make her say to class, but was stopped when Toriel darted into the school, with Kris in tow. Susie's smile immediately brightened seeing Kris.

“Hello Susie!” Toriel greeted her, a touch of awkwardness leaking into Toriel’s disposition. She clicked her tongue, considering something. She was happy to see Susie again. It wasn't often Kris made a friend after all. She was, however, mortified by what Susie had seen on Saturday night. After the effects of the copious amounts of alcohol she and Sans had consumed wore off, the first thing he had asked about was her.

She didn't realise that he cared about her so much. She could never quite read him. It was part of his allure. “Mr. Sans and I just wanted to let you know that we are sorry. For Saturday night.” Susie did not react to Toriel’s apology. Toriel didn't blame her. Susie likely did not have the best home life. She simply hoped that Susie would be willing to spend more time at her place, if it made her feel safer. She was such a fool for thinking that just because things seemed okay that she could do whatever she wanted. She needed to be more careful, there was always more lurking under the surface. She walked off, leaving Kris and Susie to head to class.

She is actually sorry, just so you know.

Susie could tell. Toriel really wasn't like her dad. She just panicked. Plus, she hadn't handled Kris’s problems very well.

She certainly seems oblivious to their struggles. Perhaps repressed as a coping mechanism? I shall spare you my armchair psychoanalysis though.

Thank the Angel for that. She reached down, wrapping an arm around Kris’s shoulder. And slowly trudging towards class. “Y’know, Berdly actually apologised for yesterday. Weird shit.” Susie mentioned. Her words caused Kris to slump over, dejectedly pull out a notebook, and cross out a name. She couldn't tell if it was a hit list or not.

Either way, I have a feeling we will find out soon. 

Kris brushed past Susie on their way into class, their expression remaining as sullen as ever, but their eyes brightening somewhat. Susie wished she could have stayed with them and Noelle last night. As they entered class, Susie met Noelle's eyes as she glanced at the door. She looked relieved. It looked like they were last to be seated, save for Catti. 

Susie squeezed into her ever-so-slightly undersized desk, watching Kris lay their head in their desk, as per usual. They had gotten rid of the flower she had given them. Probably to put in a vase or something. Noelle kept sneaking glances in Kris and Susie's direction.

“Erm, okay class, t-today we are going to-” Alphys's futile attempt to start class without incident was interrupted as a fuming Catti slammed the door open. She was covered in a thin layer of dust. Hopefully regular dust, and not monster dust. Her damp fur stunk, though Susie wasn’t one to talk with regards to personal hygiene. Presumably Catti had tried to wash it out, underestimating Kris's talents. They had somehow made the dust exceptionally sticky. The most diabolical weapon one could use against a monster with fur. Susie couldn't say she felt bad for her. 

Catti glared at Kris, disappointed by how little effect her furious gaze had on them. They were Hometown’s resident prank monarch. She thought they only pranked Noelle though. Noelle always described their pranks with such fondness. Catti certainly didn't feel like Noelle had described. She had a feeling the actual reason Noelle enjoyed Kris’s pranks was because she was in love with them, even back then.

She hated the idea of that. Kris she could almost stand. She liked Kris. They were interesting. Susie on the other hand… She was nothing but trouble. Someone like that could only hurt Noelle. She deserved better. Even if she didn't realise it. Catti sat down at her seat. Kris checked a name off of their list. She would have to warn the others. Jockington could probably avoid any pranks. He was rather slippery. Considering Noelle and Berdly seemed to be getting along better, he had likely betrayed the cause. Not unexpected. He was loyal to Noelle, but he was not willing to do what was necessary, even when Noelle thought she knew better. Without him, she would need more bodies. MK never really seemed to like Susie. He would be a valuable asset, and likely easy to recruit to the cause.

The voice pondered if a potentially dangerous unrequited crush was significant enough to notify Susie of. Followed by wondering if there was some law of the universe that forced all these kids to be so utterly hopeless when it came to romance. Had none of them heard of a funny little thing called communication? It was pretty useful! Most people can't read minds (at least as far as it was aware), so you kind of have to tell people what you are feeling, or they won't know! …It was ranting to no one. 

Alphys started class. For once, Berdly did not commandeer her lesson, instead simply taking notes. 

For whatever reason, Susie suddenly felt very tired. Kris was already asleep. Noelle was actually paying attention to class, though she looked exhausted as well. Oh well, she could just have the voice tell her if anything important happened. 

I will do so. But only because you had a rough day yesterday. This is not going to become a regular occurrence.

***

“Um… S-Susie?” Alphys’s voice roused Susie from her slumber. She peeled her face off her desk. What time was it?

Lunch time. Everyone else left. Alphys wants to talk to you.

She could tell that much. She rubbed her eyes. Whatever Alphys wanted to talk to her about, it couldn't be good. She'd just intimidate her into not doing anything, like usual.

“Um, I-I was just wondering, if you were alright? I-I just noticed you were always sleeping and you were acting a bit strangely last week and-”

“I'm fine.” Susie was confused. Alphys was worried about her? She supposed Alphys usually was, in the sense she was worried Susie would trash the school or something. 

“G-glad to hear that. J-just, if you ever need help, f-feel free to…” Alphys's voice became barely audible. “Ask me for help?”

They sat in awkward silence for a while. Susie did not expect this. “Uh, okay.” Susie left the classroom, and Alphys let out a sigh of relief. She wasn't scared of Susie, per say. She was scared of Susie, though. She knew that she probably wasn't a bad kid, but she was so scary… she wasn't a very good teacher, was she? Either way, she had done what Sans had asked of her. Well, part of it.

Susie wondered where Noelle was. Or Kris for that matter. Usually they slept through the entire school day, after all. They did have more names to cross off their list though, so it made sense.

That was strange.

Susie thought she was getting expelled or something. It was quite weird. 

Weirder for me. 

She could tell it was trying to tempt her into using its mind reading powers.

Come on, don't you want me to spill some hot goss?

Susie winced, then bore her teeth, trying to threaten a completely intangible voice with no apparent source. Never say that again. Please.

Since you used the magic word, I shall oblige.

She didn't remember it being quite so sarcastic. It was easier to avoid the reality of their situation when it was acting like a machine. 

I hope I am not getting on your nerves too badly. I can stop, or dial it back, if you wish.

It could get a little annoying at times, but she did feel like she owed it the ability to make jokes at her expense.

I dislike pity as much as you. Please, do not offer it to me.

Damn mind reading. It wasn't pity, it was called showing empathy. Susie exited the classroom, scanning the halls for any sign of Kris or Noelle. Noelle was sitting at a table in the school cafeteria. Her gaze was angled down, eyes glazed over, as if she wasn’t looking at anyone in particular.

“What's up with you?” Susie asked, sitting opposite Noelle. 

Noelle glanced up, a look of shock covering her face for a moment, before her expression became sullen once more. “Oh, nothing. Just… reminiscing.” 

“On good memories I hope?” Susie asked, prodding for more information while trying to avoid bringing Noelle's mind to a dark place. Assuming she wasn't there already.

“Oh. Yeah, I guess. About my sister.” Noelle replied, her heart aching with memories of a better time. Susie knew Noelle had lost her sister. Everyone in town knew, and even if no one really talked about it, she could put together the pieces on her own.

“Before she disappeared, my life felt so full. Between Azzy, …D-Dess, their friends, and Kris, there really was never a dull moment. When it happened, I felt like I lost everyone else with her. Kris stopped talking to me, my mom stopped being herself, and then dad got sick… In just a few months, I felt like I lost everything. So I kind of just… forgot. About all the good times I had. Because remembering them just reminded me of how alone I was. But, now I have you. Kris is even talking to me again. My heart is so full I feel like I could explode.” 

Noelle sniffled, wiping away the tears that had begun to pool in her eyes. “So, when I remember that time, it no longer makes me feel as alone. I feel like I can think about that time again, without it tearing up my insides.” Noelle seemed to snap herself out of her moment of self reflection. “Sorry, I was totally rambling, I-”

Susie placed her hand atop Noelle's own. “Hey. Don't apologise. Apparently all this reflecting stuff can be good for you. Even when it hurts a bit.” 

Noelle smiled. “You're probably right. I do feel a bit better. Who told you that?” She whispered, enjoying the sensation of Susie's rough, scaly hand brushing against her own.

“Secret.” Susie panicked, and blurted out the first non incriminating thing she could think of. 

Noelle raised an eyebrow. “Secret?”

“Yeah. Can't tell you. Or I'd have to kill you. Sorry.” Susie joked. “Uh, I was dealing with my own shit I guess. Someone helped me through it.”

Noelle was curious as to who exactly this person was, but Susie didn't seem comfortable talking about them, so she decided not to pursue the topic any further. “Oh, I just remembered!” Noelle dug around in her backpack, being careful not to cut her hand on any shards of glass. Her shard was still held semi-securely in her skirt pocket, but like her mother always said, she could never be too careful. She pulled out two lunchboxes. 

“Damn, you got two lunches? Sick.” Susie observed, unconsciously staring at Noelle's food with her adorable yellow eyes. Gosh, it was definitely a good idea to bring a second lunch. She definitely would have given Susie her lunch if she looked at her with those eyes. She wasn't even trying. When Kris begged for her food, they did it on purpose, trying to manipulate her into giving them whatever they wanted. It always worked, without fail. Susie was doing it by accident, unaware that she was too dang cute. It wasn't fair! All she wanted to do right now was hug her, but she couldn't. Toriel would pick it up on her radar. Not to mention, Catti, Jockington and Berdly were bad enough on their own. She didn't want to deal with the rest of her class as well.

“Um, n-no, I only have one lunch for me. I t-thought I'd bring one for y-you? Since I never see you eating at school.” Noelle explained, her face burning. She realised she might have been a tad presumptuous about Susie's eating habits.

Susie frowned. Noelle made her lunch? She was really hungry. “Uh, thanks.” Susie said, allowing Noelle to hand her the lunch box. The tin was adorned with snowflakes, and within lay several smaller plastic containers, holding some carrots, gingerbread humans and gingerbread monsters, eight squares of chocolate and some wafers. 

“Damn Noelle, didn't know you had such a sweet tooth.” Susie remarked, taking out the carrots. They made a satisfying crunch sound as she bit down on them. Even the carrots were sweet. Also sliced in the shape of hearts. Noelle was such a dork.

Noelle giggled, the sound of her laugh making Susie feel a little giddy. “I didn't really know what you liked, so I just threw together what I had. We have a bunch of sweet stuff at home. My mom will never admit it, but she loves sweets almost as much as Kris does!” 

For utterly inexplicable reasons, the mental image of Carol and Kris dueling for the last piece of chocolate with candy cane swords popped into Susie's head. She choked on her laughter, trying her very best not to alert the rest of the lunch room to her presence. They had been miraculously unbothered so far, everyone else in the room focused on something happening in the far corner.

Susie bit into a gingerbread human. “These are good!” She exclaimed, shovelling three more into her mouth. “Best I've ever had!” She mumbled through a mouthful of gingerbread. Smelled a lot like Noelle did. 

“Oh, thanks! I made them myself!” Noelle replied, admiring Susie’s appetite. 

“Holy shit, you made this? You might even give Toriel a run for her money!” Susie said, shoving the remaining biscuits into her mouth. She swallowed, finishing off the gingerbread.

Noelle blushed, peering down at her hands which rested atop the table. “Oh, I wouldn't say that. I'm glad you liked them though! I can bring you some more tomorrow, if you want.” 

“Uh, sure.” Susie responded. She couldn't say no to free food, especially when it was as tasty as this. 

“So, what are you doing after school today?” Noelle asked, the words pouring from her mouth faster than she would have liked.

Susie's brow furrowed. “Can't hang, sorry. Dad's still being an asshole.” She grumbled. Noelle looked at her like she was a drowning puppy. “Don't worry too much about it. He'll be over whatever the hell this is in like, a week at most.” 

“Alright.” Noelle's dismay at how Susie was treated by her own father was palpable. It made her feel angry, in a way she hadn't felt in a very long time. “Angel, I hate him.” Noelle clenched her hands together in a strangling motion. “Makes me just want to hurt him!” 

Susie let out a low chuckle. “You and Kris are weirdly alike.”Her face sank, her voice taking on a more serious tone. “Don't… don't go near him. I don't want him messing with you, or Kris.”

Noelle nodded sadly. Ultimately, she could do nothing but watch her friends when they were hurting. That's how it was with Kris back then, and it's how it was with Susie now. She could say all the words she liked, but words meant nothing. Words couldn't get Kris to talk to her again. Words couldn't bring back her sister. Words couldn't stop Susie's father from hurting her. 

Noelle's self-destructive spiralling was interrupted when she saw a shadow approaching Susie. Susie lifted the chocolate from her lunch into the air, getting ready to drop it into her mouth, and enjoy some chocolate for the first time in far too long. Before Noelle could shout a warning, and before Susie could indulge in one of life's greatest pleasures, Kris snatched the chocolate from her jaws, and, in one swift bite, the Angel’s ultimate gift to all the thinking creatures that walked the earth was vanquished.

“Dude! Don't make me beat you up! That was a gift!” Susie complained, bearing her teeth at them. Kris gave her a thumbs up. Susie couldn't quite comprehend what they meant. Noelle, an expert in these matters, took it to mean ‘yes please.’

“I-its okay Susie, you can have mine!” Before Susie could protest, Noelle reached for the chocolate she had packed, only to find it absent. The culprit, naturally, stood right in front of her. “Damnit Kris! Every time!” 

Kris made a shushing gesture at Noelle. 

• I'm a wanted human. Be quiet

“What did you do this time?” Susie enquired. Kris pointed at the growing crowd in the corner of the lunch room. It appeared that Kris’s mischief had resulted in Jockington being glued to the ceiling, unable to move a muscle. People were begging him to reveal who did it, but he insisted that he ‘wasn't a snitch’ and that he ‘just did that.’ His dedication to not revealing his assailant was admirable, though Susie questioned exactly why he was so insistent on defending Kris. A small part of her whispered that just maybe, it was because he could see that she was trying to be better, and that Kris was just standing up for their friend. But that was stupid. 

Not really. Kris and Noelle saw you for who you really are.

But Kris and Noelle were weird. 

That is true, but it doesn't mean you can’t change other people's minds as well. Berdly seems to have extracted himself from Catti’s posse. 

Noelle looked like she was holding back a laugh. “Kris. The- It's just like the-” Kris gestured at Noelle to kindly cut it out.

Noelle managed to compose herself. “It's like when-” she laughed “it's like when we were kids and you tried to prank me and you decided to glue yourself to the ceiling to surprise me and-” Kris lunged across the table, trying to clamp Noelle's mouth shut, but Susie grabbed the collar of their sweater.

“No dude. I want to hear this one. Also, glue?” Susie asked. Kris glared at Noelle, pouting. All she could think about was how adorable they looked when they were angry.

“Um, yeah. They glued themselves to my ceiling, and then when I walked past they shouted really loud and scared me! I had no idea what was going on till I looked up. I think they planned to drop down on my head, but they couldn't get free! But I guess I was feeling particularly mischievous that day, because I decided to not tell anyone. They weren't being super loud, and Azzy and Dess were in Dess's room doing-” Noelle paused, as her teenage self could now understand what may have been going on between Asriel and her sister “-doing stuff! Um, so I kind of just left them there for like an hour. Don't worry, I fed them by strapping some chocolate to a broom handle! I was planning on keeping them as long as I could, but then I accidentally knocked them off the roof with the broom and they fell right on top of me. 

Noelle and Susie both burst out into a fit of laughter. “I guess it all worked out for you in the end, huh dude?” Susie observed, dropping Kris into one of the seats beside her so that she could elbow them repeatedly. “You guys were a menace growing up, huh?”

For some reason, Susie calling Noelle a menace filled her with a strange sense of pride. People had called her many things, back when she was friends with Kris. What no one besides the two of them had ever really thought of was that they were practically partners in crime. Sure, Kris would cross the line sometimes, and they sure scared her a lot, but they always (eventually) said sorry if they went too far. Besides, she liked scary things. Plus, she did give them nightmares when she introduced them to internet horror for the first time. Even if that was an accident.

It was time to go back to class, much to everyone's dismay. Especially Jockington, who was still stuck to the roof. Catti scraped him off the ceiling with one of the exceptionally long rulers that she found in the supply closet. Susie took the lead, Kris and Noelle walking a fair distance behind her.

Kris showed Noelle their phone, which was currently open to her blog. Specifically a local archive of her blog. Kris pointed at Susie, a solemn expression on their face. Noelle stopped dead, resting her hand on Kris’s shoulder. Her face was cast in stark shadow. A gust of freezing wind buffeted their skeletal frame.

“Kris. Show her that, and there will be dire consequences.” Noelle stated, her voice absent of any uncertainty. Kris let out a low whimper, looking at her with pure terror. Noelle was never scary. However, that wasn't because she couldn't be. It was because she was an inherently kind creature. The angel wings she used to wear all the time were very fitting. They had crossed a line however. The ultimate sin. Threatening to show Susie her Dragon Blazers fan account, where she did nothing but reblog fanart and fanfiction of The Dragon? That was a step too far. Kris had to be put in their place.

“Uh. Why is Kris whimpering? And shivering?” Susie asked.

“No reason.” Responded Noelle, smiling innocently.

Huh.

***

Another difficult night came and went with not much sleep. Today was going to be a rather frigid day.

Susie arrived at school earlier than usual, trying to avoid freezing to death in her own apartment. The streets of hometown were almost as cold, due to the wind chill, but at least she could soak up some warmth from the sun's rays. 

She arrived at school perhaps a little early. She would have been much earlier, but she took a detour through the woods to avoid Sans’s shop. 

You know, you will need to talk to him at some point. He might have been a bit of a jerk, but he seems to mean well.

That was a problem for future Susie. Right now, she just wanted to get to school.

“Susie!” Noelle waved Susie over, her smile making Susie's heart flutter in her chest. As Susie got closer, Noelle's eyes widened. “Are you feeling okay? You're shivering.” Noelle asked, her concern, while touching, was unwarranted. She was doing just fine.

“I'm all good. Just… damn cold today, y'know?” Susie replied, her voice weak and hoarse.

“Oh, um, perfect! Or, um, not perfect, it's- I got you a jacket!” Noelle stammered out, her smile faltering for a moment. It may not have been a flawless substitute, but from where Susie was standing, Noelle's smile sure felt like it could outshine the sun. Noelle reached into her bag, pulling out a very expensive looking jacket. It was a very light powder blue, with snowflakes dotted across it. More winter themed than Christmas themed, though the two went hand in hand.

The two of them sat in silence for a good while. “I can't take this.” Susie replied, her usual boisterous demeanour coming across as much more uncertain. “Too… too much money.” 

Noelle stamped her hoof. “Susie! I don't care. You’re cold. I have a warm jacket for you. Just take it.” She demanded. An idea dawned on her. “B-besides, it wasn't actually that expensive. I g-got it on sale.” Noelle lied.

The voice noticed that Noelle really needed to work on her tells. She always twisted a strand of hair around her finger when she was lying. There was only one way that Susie was walking out of her with the jacket.

“I’ve got some money, just let me pay for it.” Susie snapped back, reaching into her pocket for her meagre life savings.

“Oh. Um, twenty dollars?” Noelle gingerly offered a price slightly discounted from the jackets market value. 

Susie didn't really believe that the jacket was twenty dollars. Admittedly, she didn't know much about winter gear, but she did know that the crappy jacket she had been wearing nearly every day for the past three years was about fifteen dollars, and she doubted there could be such a dramatic increase in quality for only five bucks.

I checked the price tag. She's telling the truth. Must have gotten it second-hand, or on sale or similar.

Oh. Susie handed Noelle twenty of her hard earned dollars, unaware that Kris and Noelle would later conduct the reverse heist of the century to sneak the money back into her pocket. 

As soon as Susie felt the fabric of the jacket, she knew she had been swindled. Or perhaps the correct term was anti-swindled? Either way, two of the people she trusted most had betrayed her. A quick glance at the still attached price tag confirmed that she had indeed been given a discount, one closer to the five-finger variety, then anything that a reasonable store would provide. Noelle had cut the price by nearly ninety-percent. She looked up at Noelle, a look of indignation on her face.

“N-no refunds!” Noelle exclaimed, turning to the side and pumping her fist to celebrate a successful mission. Susie scowled, tossing the jacket over her shoulders and taking care to avoid ripping it with her claws. She'd keep on her old jacket underneath for now. It wasn't like she'd overheat, and she didn't have anywhere to put it till she got home. 

Susie wanted to be mad at Noelle, she really did. But between Noelle's adorable celebration, and how proud Susie was of Noelle for causing some trouble, she supposed she would have to let it go, just this once. The voice on the other hand… wasn't it supposed to help her reach her goals or some bull?

Not freezing to death takes precedence over you not wanting to feel like you are indebted to someone. Also, it is generally considered rude to refuse a gift.

The jacket wasn't particularly warm by itself. It had been in Noelle's bag before, and probably Noelle's perpetually freezing house before that. It was, however, extremely comfortable. Her old jacket had been made of some kind of rough, cheap thread. The new one was the polar opposite in practically every single way. It was soft, and heavy, in a way that made her feel much more protected from the elements. Not to mention, it was just so soft! The closest thing she could compare it to was Kris's unreasonably soft hair, or Noelle's fur. Noelle’s fur was much warmer, and coarse compared to the jacket though.

This must be how Noelle felt all the time. It couldn't exactly warm her up fully, she'd need to lie in the sun for a while or something, but it was much more than what she had before. Susie felt slightly guilty about taking something so expensive, but it was a gift. Plus, it was probably Carol's money.

Noelle was blushing heavily. “S-so, do you like it?” She asked, staring at Susie intently.

“Uh, bit Christmassy for my taste. But, it's really warm. Thanks.” Susie replied, trying her very best to avoid accidentally tearing the jacket with her claws. 

“Oh, um, it's claw proof!” Noelle informed her. Susie wasn't too sure about that, but she figured that for two hundred bucks, it should probably be able to take a couple bullets as well. Testing the jacket maker's claims, she slipped her hands into her pockets, keeping her fingers extended. She half expected to hear the sound of fabric tearing, but was pleasantly surprised. It was nice, not having to clench her fists when she wanted to avoid slicing up her pockets.

“Neat. We should probably get to class.” Susie said, turning away from Noelle, and walking to class. She paused just outside the door, gesturing for Noelle to enter before her.

Noelle did not take Susie up on her offer, instead, waiting for Susie to enter the classroom on her own. Noelle didn't care if other people knew she was with Susie. They could deal with it. Also, Susie's new jacket would almost certainly give them away no matter what.

Susie shrugged, stepping into the classroom alongside Noelle. She made her way to her seat, just behind a somehow already sleeping Kris. At this point she was half convinced they were nocturnal. People were looking at her. Not with fear, or with hate, but rather sheer bewilderment. It made her feel strangely powerful. Catti looked like she was ready to tear Susie apart.

Alphys muttered something about owing someone named Rudy money for some reason, before beginning to teach the class about the basics of financial math. There was nothing Susie wanted to pay attention to less. Unfortunately, the voice in her head was feeling particularly motherly today, and insisted that she at least attempt some of the work. 

She obliged, finding moderate success with some of the simple interest problems. She had to borrow some paper and a pencil from Noelle though. She had managed to absently mindedly gnaw about half of the pencil away while she worked. Crap, Noelle would be pissed at her for ruining her stuff. 

(More like she'll have a new favorite pencil.)

***

Susie was not hanging around in the lunch room with all the people looking at her. It was fun at first, but when people started to toss around whispered theories, the novelty of confusing the entire school got old fast. She had managed to sneak onto the school roof. The sun shone brightly onto the concrete, making it the perfect spot for a coldblooded monster to rest. She'd been up here before, back before she befriended Kris and Noelle. She spent a lot of time on roofs actually. In previous, more urban areas, she had spent as much of her time as possible lying in the sun on whatever building she could get to the roof of. 

Hometown was different though. Between the lack of any particularly tall buildings, and the surrounding forest abound with perfect sunning rocks, she tended to spend most of her time lower to the ground, alone in the forest. She'd definitely scared a few particularly brave children into thinking that she was a cryptid. Not that she cared. Hometown's woods were her territory, not for some brats to go bug hunting in. 

She slowly lowered herself to the ground. The concrete was warm to the touch. The sun's harsh rays filled the air with a pleasant, dry heat. Perfect. She shut her eyes, letting the heat seep through her new jacket, into her scales, and into her very essence. There was nothing quite like this. Or, that's what she had thought. Kris and Noelle made her feel the same way. She guessed that was the power of love, like she had heard people talking about in that one show she had fished out of the lost and found that one time. 

Susie let out a long, shaky breath, allowing all the tension in her body to be washed away by the Sun's heat. 

Susie felt a weight drop to the ground beside her. Smelled like gingerbread. On her other side, another weight fell to the ground. The scent of apples filled her nose. Kris and Noelle.

“Kris…? Noelle…? What are… you guys doing…? Here?”  Susie mumbled, half asleep.

“Oh! Sorry we can go if you-” Noelle's apology was cut off by Susie flopping an arm over her, trapping her. “No… stay.” Susie was in heaven. The sun shining onto her scales, Kris and Noelle both next to her? She couldn't quite tell if it was a dream or not. 

Noelle was luckily able to nestle herself in the shadow cast by the railing, helping her with the heat. Kris was laying in the sun, next to Susie. Somehow, Susie was even cuter like this. If cuteness was lethal, she would have perished in an instant, completely absent of any regrets. She might actually die, considering how fast her heart was beating. The concrete of the roof was actually surprisingly nice to sit on. It wasn't like it mattered, she would have sat on a bed of nails if it meant being next to Susie and Kris.

Susie, utterly content, let out a low purring sound. “Did- did you just purr?” Noelle asked, stars in her eyes. She had never heard Susie purr before. 

Susie sat up. “N-No…! I don't… purr.” She grumbled indignantly, her tail repeatedly slapping the ground behind her. 

Noelle challenged Susie's denial of objective truth. “Are you sure? Because, that really sounded like-” Susie rolled onto Noelle, cutting off her sentence. “Don't… purr. Got it?” 

Oh gosh oh gosh oh gosh. Noelle nearly had a heart attack. Susie was so cute. She couldn't stop herself from reaching up, and scratching underneath Susie's chin.

Susie nearly pulled away at the unfamiliar contact. She'd never let anyone pet her. Well, anyone except Kris or Noelle. They were fine, she supposed. It did feel nice. Like the sun. Susie purred, collapsing onto Noelle. 

Kris sat on their knees next to the two. “Congratulations on getting a new cat.” They said to Noelle.

The cat in question had some choice words for them. “Hey… if I'm the cat, then you've been her dog for like… ages, freak. I’m a dragon… or a dinosaur… or something badass like that. Not a lame ass cat.” 

Kris and Noelle both glanced at each other. This Susie was unfathomably dangerous. She was almost certainly going to kill them if this kept up. However, they both knew one thing. It would be worth it.

After a productive sunning session, Susie grunted, peeling herself off of the concrete. Kris and Noelle were sharing various pictures from the internet that she lacked essential context to understand. Susie couldn't help but notice how Kris and Noelle’s wallpapers had been changed to photos of each other posing next to an utterly blissful Susie. Crap, she really did get a bit silly when she was resting in the sun. The jacket Noelle had gotten her was probably the best thing ever. Normally the warmth she absorbed by lying in the sun would be stolen by the cold fairly quickly, but the jacket did a good job of keeping all the heat trapped. 

***

Susie managed to make it till Wednesday without talking to her father again. If she got home early enough, she could lock herself in her room before he was able to scream at her. However, there was no avoiding it this time. Susie’s dad was home. Maybe she should just piss off and sleep outside somewhere. She'd done it before. Unfortunately for her, Sebastian was actually paying attention to what she was doing. At this point, she wished he would just leave her alone. She never understood why he didn't just abandon her on the side of the road, and go drink and gamble the rest of his money away in peace.

Reluctantly, she opened the door to his apartment. She shut it behind her, stepping into the place she usually slept, now transformed into her prison, at least until her dad drank enough to forget whatever reasoning he had. She crept through the hallway, making for her room. It was fairly early though, and her dad hadn't quite knocked himself out yet.

“New jacket? What, you get the reindeer bitch to get it for you? Looks like shit, by the way. Guess you don't really care about that.” He slurred, the stench of alcohol that she had come to associate with him, burning her nose.

Susie clenched her fist. She could take being insulted, but she hated that he could even think about Noelle. 

Don't escalate. Please. I know it's hard. 

Susie was not her father. She did not act sorely on impulse. She could control her anger. She focused on her breathing. It was much harder when her anger was entirely justified. 

Don't I know it?

Sebastian couldn't accept Susie's act of grace. “Hey. The fuck is up with you anyway? I know you aren't the quiet type. Or does Noelle just mean that little to you?” 

“Keep her name out of your FUCKING MOUTH!” Susie screamed, slamming her fist into the wall next to her, effortlessly splintering the drywall.

Sebastian staggered as he rose from his beer stained couch. “You dumbass kids. Always getting these funny ideas. Always thinking that there's something better waiting for you in the future.” Before Susie could even react, he was standing eye to eye with her. She couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. If there was any small consolation, it would be over quickly. 

“Always thinking that you can change your place in this world. Some people even manage to delude themselves into thinking that other people actually give a shit about them.” He grabbed her by her jacket collar. She shut her eyes as tight as she could.

“Hey. Let me tell you a little secret.” He slammed her back into the wall, knocking the wind out of her. “Your choices… don't matter.” Maybe this was karma, in a sense. For what Kris had suffered through, at her hand. She really was her father's daughter.

“What, you got nothing to say to me?” He spat. His breath, reeking of booze, washed over her. “She doesn't really care about you, you know. She just wants a little project. To distract her from her dead sister. I hear she was a fuck the rules type. Kinda like you, actually.” He paused. “How's it feel to be a fucking replacement, huh? HOW DOES IT FEEL, HUH?” He stopped for a moment to catch his breath. His voice was shaky, almost like he was on the verge of tears. He dropped her to the ground, turning away. “Go to your room.”

It was out of its depth. It had been out of its depth, right from day one. It was becoming apparent now. It wanted Sebastian gone. Specifically, it wanted him dead. For what he said about Noelle. For what he did, and had been doing to Susie. It wanted to watch, as the life drained from his eyes. It had no means of stopping him though. Not without forcing Susie to commit patricide. Sebastian had done enough to ruin his daughter's life. She didn't need to be made into a killer as well. But it couldn't have this continue, either. 

It had naively thought that if Susie simply ignored him, he would not escalate the situation. As it had just seen though, Sebastian was not a reasonable man. His daughter was nothing more than a punching bag to him, someone to vent all his frustrations with the world onto. 

It couldn't protect her. All it wanted was to protect her. She was so kind, despite everything. It wished it could have its own body, so it could truly protect her. But it didn't. What could it even do? Perhaps it could call the police, but would they even be able to do anything about this? Hometown had a crime rate of zero, at least when it came to serious offences. Plus, Sebastian was armed. Honestly, if anyone in this town was capable of handling this it was Carol. But getting her involved would have its own fair share of problems. It just felt so hopeless. It couldn't give up though. It would never lose hope, not completely. No matter what, it would find a way.

Susie curled up, her back against her bed. There wasn't any visible damage on her. There never was. One of the perks to being whatever kind of monster she was. The voice had said it would protect her. Why? Why hadn't it helped her? Why didn't it know what to say?

I'm so sorry. I don't know what to do, or what to say. I'm not-

Susie was tired. She was going to go to bed.

***

Susie woke up, nestled underneath the jacket Noelle had given her. It had not ripped where her father grabbed it. A reminder that, even if things seemed bad, they would never be as bad as they were before. Now, she had Kris, and all their stupid antics. Now, she had Noelle, and her gorgeous smile, and the quiet strength slowly growing within her. Now, she had a weird voice, that even if it didn't always know what to do, still did all it could, travelling distances that few could. 

That was her way of apologising. To it. She had been-

While I appreciate your apology, I don't want you to feel as though it was necessary. 

She was responsible for what she did. Her father was wrong. Her choices did matter. And she was making the choice to grow. She wasn't going to let him get to her. His drunken ramblings meant nothing to her. That being said, she didn't really want to go to school today. She did want to see Kris and Noelle though. It was such bullshit that she could only really see them at school.

Speaking of school, you're late.

Well, no sense in rushing then. She threw Noelle's jacket over her shoulders, taking her sweet time on her way to school. She forgot to take her shortcut though, and as such came face to face with that skeleton she hates.

“yeesh kid, you look rough. trouble sleeping?” Sans asked, expression as unreadable as ever.

“Shouldn't you be telling me to get to school, instead of trying to have a chat?” Susie hissed.

“well, i’m not exactly the punctual type myself, so i can’t judge.” He responded, shrugging. “can't stop you if ya want to head over though. wouldn't want undyne thinking we’re up to something fishy.” 

Susie was somehow able to avoid ripping him to shreds. She walked off silently, grateful his smartassery hadn't gone beyond making a single pun.

“hey, before ya go, you available for a shift at any point this week? got some more boxes i gotta move, and it'd be a pain without ya.”

Susie wouldn't mind more money, even if it meant that she'd have to put up with Sans’s bullcrap. She'd been buying some of her own food where she could. P‘e’zza wasn't nearly as tasty as the lunch Noelle had been bringing her, but it was food. “Uh, I dunno. Hopefully some time this week.”

“well, just come on in anytime. the boxes can wait. not like they can complain, though, my brother might.” Sans said, walking back to his apparently very important work of standing in front of the door to his shop.

Crap, she really was late now. She picked up the pace, heading for class. She slowly opened the door, shuffling through the awkward silence to her desk. No one would find it out of the ordinary. She was always late before. Hell, her showing up on time probably made people more uncomfortable than her being late.

After a quick glance at Susie to make sure she was okay, Alphys continued with the housekeeping part of class. “Oh, um, welcome… Susie. Um, as I was saying, today's class is going to be on the history of Hometown.”

Susie saw Noelle practically start glowing from across the room. Kris was awake for once, but they seemed more focused on Susie. Noelle kept looking at her as well. They were probably overthinking about what had happened to her last night, and, in Kris’s case, plotting a few hundred different assassination attempts on her dad. She'd have to make sure they weren't too worried at lunch. 

If there was any silver lining to last night, it was that the voice would let her sleep through class again today.

If I could sigh dramatically, I would. But I agree. You should get some sleep while you feel safer.

Susie felt safer sleeping in public than in her own home. There was a sort of twisted humor to be found in that fact though. She would rather be couch surfing than living with her father. At least then she could do what she wanted. At least then she wouldn't have to worry about him randomly switching from forgetting to buy her anything to eat for days, to controlling the exact time she got home.

Susie rested her head atop the crook of her arm, a deep, dreamless sleep quickly overtaking her.

***

The moment the lunch bell rang, Kris practically dragged Susie up to the roof, Noelle trailing close behind. Susie didn’t protest, partially because she was still half asleep, and partially because she wanted to talk to them.

Kris sat her down, such that her back was leaning against the brick wall that surrounded the top of the roof, not really tall enough to keep someone from jumping off if they wanted to, but tall enough to prevent anyone from accidentally falling off.

Kris leaned in close, speaking in a strained, whispered tone. “What happened?” 

All of Susie’s bravado vanished in an instant. She didn’t really want to tell them, even if she knew she should. What would she even tell them? They cared about her too much. If she told them the truth, then they would try and do something about it. And then he would hurt them. She could take being hurt. She was used to it. It was all she had ever known. But seeing them get hurt? She couldn't do it. She wouldn't let it happen. No matter what.

Noelle stood off to the side, fidgeting with her hair. “I-it was your dad, wasn't it?” Noelle asked, sounding like she was about to cry.

“Hey, don't cry. It's nothing. Just woke up on the wrong side of the bed.” Susie replied, trying desperately to assuage their worries.

“Susie. I know that look. You aren't fine, and it isn't nothing. I don't care if you want to tell me what happened or not. I just want to know if you're okay.” Noelle stepped closer to her, carefully lowering herself to the ground, parallel to Susie.

Susie still didn't say anything. She didn't want them to see into her world. To see her father. Because sometimes, when she looked into the mirror, all she could see was him. And if they started to see that too…

“Um, do you want something to eat?” Noelle asked. Susie was being frustratingly quiet. Noelle just wanted to help her. Or, at the very least, help cheer her up.

You really should talk to them.

Susie knew that! But if she did, they'd get hurt! She wouldn't let that happen!

Don't act as if they are too weak to handle the truth. I understand that you don't want them to get hurt. But, can't you see that they are already being hurt? The most painful thing in this world is to see someone you care about suffer, and not even be able to do anything about it.

“Yeah. Food sounds… good.” Susie told Noelle, opening up, just a little bit. Noelle pulled out the red and green lunchbox she had been packing for Susie, and pulled out the gingerbread biscuits that Susie had a particular fondness for. 

Noelle raised up a biscuit, moving it towards Susie. She reached out to grab the biscuit from Noelle, but Noelle bypassed her hand, offering it to her directly. Susie stared at Noelle for a while, before allowing Noelle to feed her. The biscuits still tasted amazing. She swore they tasted even better today. Kris watched on, feasting on a chocolate bar they had swiped from Noelle while she was ‘distracted’ with Susie.

Noelle, having finished with one of the greatest moments of her life, retrieved her own lunch, which was, of course, ice cream. There was a time and place for healthy food, and right now was not that time. Why exactly she enjoyed ice cream in weather up to and including fierce snowstorms would forever be a mystery to everyone that was not her. Kris was the only person outside of her family that could hope to match their apparent immunity to temperature, though Noelle guessed that was probably due to their complete disregard of their own health when it came to their culinary adventures, rather than any resistance to cold. Besides, they drew the line at subzero temperatures (Celsius, not Fahrenheit, though she would probably still be eating ice cream at zero degrees kelvin). 

Susie finished off the rest of the lunch Noelle had packed her. “Hey, thanks for doing this. For me.” 

Noelle paused mid spoonful of ice cream. Angel, she looked so cute, she was going to put Susie in the ground one of these days. Noelle finished off her spoonful of ice cream, sliding the spoon out of her mouth. “Oh, it's no trouble at all!” Noelle insisted. It really wasn't that much of a hassle. Besides, she loved watching Susie eat, she was so cute! It wasn't like she could just watch Susie starve either. 

Kris shuffled up beside Susie, offering her a bite out of their stolen chocolate with peppermint pieces, courtesy of Noelle. 

“Uh, thanks dude, you sure though?” Susie asked. That chocolate did look delicious.

“Take as much as you like.” Kris muttered, taking three more pieces for themselves. Susie couldn't resist, and took a massive bite out of Kris’s chocolate bar. Amazingly, Kris seemed rather pleased with this outcome, and finished off the rest with great vigour.

Noelle tried to sneak a bite of the chocolate, since it was her favourite flavor, and no other reason. Tragically, Kris was their typical self, and refused to share with her. Not that she minded. She would never tell them, but she brought that chocolate for them anyway. She'd gotten into the habit of bringing one to school everyday, hoping that one day, they would steal it from her. Just so that she knew they still thought about her, like she thought about them. 

She didn't need to think about that anymore. She didn't have to doubt how Kris felt about her. 

Kris’s mumbly, cracked voice broke through the silence. “Last night… worried. Don't have to talk… if you don't want to.” 

Susie’s smile drooped. Kris’s eyes widened, and they opened their mouth, ready to mutter apologies. She clamped her hand over their mouth. “My dad’s a total jackass. What’s there to say?” She released their mouth. 

“Your dads a jackass twenty-four seven. Something else happened.” Kris theorised.

“Making a lot of assumptions, dude.” Susie grumbled.

“Am I wrong?” They asked, surprisingly gently. “Because I want to be.” 

“He usually just says shit about me. But he started saying shit about you and Noelle and it pissed me off. I don't… really want to talk about it.” Susie said, staring off into space, the silent tears running down her face let Kris and Noelle into just how bad it really was. Susie looked pissed off plenty. Sometimes she even looked scared. But she only ever looked resigned when her father came up.

Kris pulled her into a hug, failing to properly wipe away her tears, due to their fingers being unable to properly fit into the gaps in her scales. The actual result didn't matter. The gesture meant a lot to her. Somewhere, deep inside her, she still expected them to run away. But they stayed. Both of them stayed. Noelle joined in on the hug.

“...Love you guys.” Susie murmured, the low rumble of her voice reverberating through Kris and Noelle. 

Kris placed their hand on the side of her face. “Can I?” 

Susie’s cheeks flushed a lighter shade of pink. “Whatever.” She grumbled. Noelle chuckled. Susie was so cute. Kris started to pet her, which she thoroughly enjoyed. 

***

Class began. Susie wasn't really feeling like sleeping, nor did she feel like actually paying attention. She settled on staring off into space. Kris’s head specifically. Their hair was frizzled up from being given a taste of their own medicine. 

No one else volunteered, so Berdly ended up reading the entire rest of whatever random book they were doing for English. Noelle diligently took notes, as per usual. 

There was a man standing in the doorway. The class fell silent. Alphys's face twitched. Noelle shut her eyes, bringing her head to her desk. Susie’s hand tightened around her desk, her claws scraping the already damaged wood. Kris grew pale.

Susie saw a room cast in crimson glow.

Noelle saw a red horned headband, abandoned before her.

Kris saw a surgical tray, lying on a grey tiled floor.

The voice saw an endless stretch road, damped bitumen reflecting nothing but the treeline.

They saw the image of a mountain. Kris and Noelle recognised it instantly. Mount Ebbot. They had gone camping around the area often, back when they were kids. 

I'm the corner, out of sight of all, the man might have said something… but, no one heard it, since there was no man in the doorway.

“Okay. Um, h-how do we all feel about f-free time for the rest of the d-day?” Alphys stammered, before heading out of the class.

Susie glanced around the room. What the hell just happened? She opened her phone, creating a group chat with Kris and Noelle.

Hey, you guys felt that weird shit right?

Krismas~: yeah

Noelle: yes

Noelle: Did you see the mountain?

Yes

Krismas~: Yeah. I’ve been having similar experiences recently. You think its paranormal

Noelle: It has to be. I don’t know how else anything like this could happen. 

Yeah.

Krismas~: I think something wants us to go to that mountain. 

Sounds stupid. Im in

Noelle: I don’t know if that's a good idea. What if it’s a trap or something?

Krismas~: What are we meant to do then??

Noelle: It does seem like our only lead.

Idk what the mountain is tho

Krismas~: Mount Ebbot. Near Ebbot City.

Fuck thats were my dad works

Krismas~: On a weekend?

he works weird hours

Krismas~: Azzy can drive us.

Then it's settled. dunno if i can come, hopefully my dad will at work that day

Noelle: Fingers crossed.

The end of class came shortly after. The three teenagers couldn’t ask anyone else if they had experienced the same thing, but based on their reactions, it was almost certain. Susie had something new to focus on. Dealing with whatever the hell this thing was. Hopefully her father wouldn’t be able to stop her. She didn’t know what was lying in wait at that mountain, but whatever it was, it wasn’t good.

To add to your worries, whatever the hell that thing was, it affected me as well.

Lovely. Susie turned to Kris and Noelle. “See you guys Friday. Then, hopefully we can figure this out.” She grabbed Noelle’s hand, running her finger over the bandage on Noelle’s hand. “You think this will fix the whole haunted glass thing?” Susie asked.

Noelle had been able to ignore the glass in her pocket fairly easily. It wanted her to look into it. To see whatever it wanted to show her. The sheer wrongness pouring out of it was more than enough to make her want to avoid it. “Gosh, I hope so. It’s pretty creepy. Not to mention dangerous.” Noelle let out a nervous chuckle. 

“Right. Let’s do this.” Susie grinned, hiding how scared she truly was. Admittedly, she was much less scared of this than of her father. Speaking of, she hadn’t gotten an angry text from her dad to get home yet. That was a good sign. “I can hang out for a little while longer actually, what do you guys want to do?”

Chapter Text

Susie's eyes shot open. Now was not the time for sleeping. She was doing important stuff. That she couldn't remember. At all. Weird. She felt like she should be hearing someone talk right now. 

…No response. Why would she expect anyone to respond to her thoughts, anyway. She peeled herself off her crappy mattress. She had to get to school. As much as she would like to skip, getting expelled would just mean having to move somewhere else. Whatever. It was almost Christmas. She hated that holiday. It was just the time of year where her dad would disguise basic essentials as gifts. She hoped she got a jacket or something this year. It wasn't too cold where she lived right now, but that could always change. 

She glanced over at the mattress next to hers. Her dad was still passed out from a long night of drinking. Maybe if he didn't spend so much of his money on piss, they'd be able to afford an apartment that was more than a single room.

She set out onto the city streets, trying her best to ignore the barely disguised stares coming from all directions. She hated humans. Monsters weren't much better, but at least they stared at her dirty clothes instead of her teeth, claws and tail. Her tail was so small, but despite that it almost had a mind of its own. Always giving away her mood. She hated that. She had learned long ago that she had to be tough, no matter what. You especially had to be tough if you were a moron, like her. That was something her father had made very clear. 

Her school was massive. She wasn't the only monster in it, but all the others were birds, or dogs, or took on some other cute, desirable form. Not like her. Most people were grossed out by lizards. She figured if people expected her to be scary, might as well play into it. It worked pretty well. No one tried to get close to her, and that was just fine. 

She sat at her seat, not really intending to do any of the schoolwork. She was the only monster in her class. Not uncommon. She also didn't know anyone in her class, not on any level deeper than their names and faces. That was also not uncommon. It helped her stay detached. Attachment was weakness. Just one more thing for the world to rip away from you. She'd learnt that the hard way. She really was a stupid kid, thinking that a human girl could ever love something like her. Not like it would have mattered.. She never got to stay in one place for very long.

Kris felt a familiar burning build up in their throat. They limped over the stained, grey tiles on the floor. Hadn't they been doing something important? It didn't matter. There was nothing more important than their duty. Nothing. Not themselves. Not Noelle. Not Asriel. Not their mother.

It was all for them. All for the people they had failed again, and again. They were going to make it right. They were. No matter the cost.

They slammed the door to the bathroom behind them. They limped their way to the toilet. If they could make it in time… they lurched forward, the remains of the tiny amount of food they had eaten the day before spewing from their mouth, dribbling down the front of their hospital gown. The gown was ruined.

Sitting in a bathroom, covered in their own sick, thinking about how they failed her again. If someone were to find them now, they would find them disgusting. Maybe some people would pity them, but pity was just another shade of disgust. Their body tried to throw up again, forcing their head forward, and making an awful, desperate sound. Their stomach had been completely emptied. They had nothing left to give.

Kris was dead. Lying on the ground, covered in blood. The knife lay on the ground beside them. Noelle had only looked away for a second. How could this have happened? 

It was all her fault. Kris was dead, all because of her. She'd have to hide their body, or go on the run, or she'd be arrested, and put in jail for the rest of her life. Though, she deserved that, didn't she? Tears ran down her fur, ruining all the careful brushing she had done to prepare for Kris’s visit. 

Kris grabbed Noelle's leg. She screamed like she had never screamed before, grief and terror twisting over each other, forming a truly awful sound. Kris was alive again. Reanimated. They had just told her about how humans sometimes came back, when they died. About how since human bodies didn't turn to dust, restless spirits could possess them, using their corpses to enact vengeance on anything, and anyone. 

She didn't want to have vengeance enacted on her. Even if she deserved it for letting Kris die.

But, it was just a prank. Just a dumb, cruel prank. Dess came into the kitchen, and screamed at them for being so mean. Kris sheepishly apologised. Letting her hear their deadpan, mumbly voice, that she cherished every moment of. Letting her see their pretty red eyes, that matched with Asriel's green sweater that they had either stolen, or had handed down to them, to make Christmas colours. Or, Krismas colours. 

Ultimately, she didn't mind what had happened. Kris scared her to death, but they didn't mean to make her cry. Not like that. They said they didn't think it was that big of a deal. At the time, Noelle hadn't really thought that much of their choice of words – hold on. At the time? She was very much still in the moment. Though something did feel off.

Her legs felt too short. Her antlers still ached, her head bruised from their slow emergence. Plus, there was something familiar in her pocket, even though her dress didn’t even have pockets. She had been doing something important, hadn't she? She had been with Kris. And someone else. Susie! That was her name. Susie! 

Hold on, she was just starting to figure this out. She needed more time. She needed

Susie sat on the weirdly patterned bus seat, fidgeting with the blue ribbon in her hair. Her dad wanted her to look ‘presentable’ for her first day at school. She struggled to see the point. The humans around her wouldn't care if she was wearing a dress and ribbon, or some super awesome spiky getup. The only difference was that one was way cooler, and had a bunch of convenient spikes to stab all her enemies with. 

Someone sat next to her. That was just great. She was going to have to deal with some human asking her a bunch of questions about monsters. That is, if she was lucky. If she was unlucky she'd get stuck next to a kid who didn't even know what a monster was. How had her father put it? ‘Fucking moron parents who don't even want to tell their kids about the other sentient species they share this god forsaken planet with.’ Susie didn't think she was supposed to know those words. 

She turned to look at the person sitting next to her, and found that, to her great shock, the person next to her was in fact, another monster. A short, weak looking reptile monster, with a tail a fair bit longer than hers (which was fine because hers was still growing) and a completely monochrome complexion. She'd never heard of anyone who was totally grey before. She hadn't seen many monsters before though, and she did remember her dad teaching her that monsters all looked super different. 

“You're gray.” Susie said, unable to think of anything else to say, in the moment. This was the first monster her age she had ever talked to.

“I suppose I am.” They chuckled. “You're pink.”

“No, I’m purple.” She responded, desperately trying to figure out what exactly she was supposed to say. “My name’s Susie. What's yours?” 

The other monster paused for a moment. “I'm Grey” They stated, their voice sounding uncertain. “Do you want to be friends?” 

“Um, yeah.” Susie extended her hand out for a handshake, before realising that the person she was trying to shake hands with was lacking in the means to reciprocate, having no arms. She changed her approach, offering a fist bump. She realised that a fist bump did not solve this issue. Grey gently nudged her fist with their head.

“Hey,” her new friend asked, “do you ever  wonder what life would be like, if everything you did was predetermined? If every action you took wasn't some random chance you took. If there was nothing you could do to change your fate?”

“Uh… Nope. You're weird.” Susie responded, unsure of what could have compelled them to say that, especially to someone they had just met. 

“So are you.” Grey stated matter-of-factly. Susie's mouth curled into a slight smile. She might actually be able to tolerate this freak. 

As Susie expected, she was shunned by her human classmates, like in every school before this one. Grey also had trouble with their classmates, along with the additional layer of difficulty caused by their lack of arms. Susie wondered if a monster school would be better at accommodating those kinds of differences. Probably.

Susie realised pretty quickly that Grey was smart. Not as smart as her dad, but easily smarter than anyone else their age. It made her feel a little jealous, seeing them solve problem after problem like it was nothing, while she struggled to understand the very basics. She asked her dad for help one day. He frowned, and asked her how it was possible she was struggling with something so simple. He tried to explain multiplication to her, but his long, winding explanation just made her feel more confused. 

When she came back to school the next day, tear stained, incomplete homework in hand, Grey had seen her before she handed it in. They had shown her what to do, and helped her through the problems. She wasn't able to get all of them done, but at least she had something to show for all her efforts. She kind of understood what she was doing now. 

Unfortunately, good things rarely last, and within half a year, she was already off to the next city. Still all humans. When she asked her dad why they never lived anywhere with other monsters he just sighed and explained to her how important his work was, and how it required him to work with humans, since there weren't many monsters in his field, whatever that meant. He also muttered something she didn't quite hear about monsters thinking his work was ‘blasphemous,’ whatever that meant.

Another move, another awful day of introductions. She had it down to a science at this point. ‘What's your name?’ Susie. ‘What are you?’ A monster. ‘What kind?’ A nasty one. That bites. She never said that last one in front of adults, even if it was the truth. If she did, they would pull her aside, and tell her not to talk about herself that way. They would eventually find out that she wasn't joking when she said she bites. 

Her dad started to become more distant. Putting more and more effort into his work. Once, when he was drunk, he had screamed at her. That she was just a distraction. That she was just a leech. A burden that he took in, out of what little love he had left for her mother. She didn't know her mother well, aside from the fact that she was dead. So Sebastian was all she had. He said he was doing his best for her, and Susie wondered what his worst would look like, if this was his best. Somedays, when she failed another test, or tried to understand what the teacher was saying, only to inevitably fail, she wondered if he was right. She hoped he was able to figure out whatever he was working on soon. It got lonely, spending weekends by herself, cooped up in their apartment.

As the months passed, the weather started to turn. Gradually at first, then all at once, till she saw the snow, for the very first time. Neither her, nor her father were prepared for the hell that came next. Their apartment was heated, but the heating was expensive, and even at maximum power, couldn't quite fend off the cold. She got a new jacket. It was nice. It kept her warm. It even covered her tail. 

Something bad happened to her dad. She didn't know what it was, just that it happened. One night, he snuck out when he thought she wasn't watching. He didn't come back until the next day, with his hands wrapped in bandages. When she asked him about what had happened, he just told her to mind her business. 

He wasn't home very much after that. That was fine. Susie had her own key. Plus, there was food in the cupboard. Or at least there was, for the first few days. Susie didn't realise just how fast food went away until then. She had to be careful, making sure she didn't eat too much. She started to scrounge around for any scraps she could find, raiding the bins at school for any half eaten lunches she could find. It made her feel even more like a horrible beast then she did already. Some of her classmates caught her going through the dumpster behind the school one day. They didn’t say anything. She was grateful. She didn’t want their pity.

There was a new student in class. Susie was far from thrilled. To her, a new student was just one more person to stare at her teeth, at her claws and at her tail. One more person who would whisper about her behind her back. One more person who would pretend she didn’t exist.

It was different this time though, or rather, it was familiar. The student was another monster. One she knew. One who had been kind to her before. Their idiot teacher sat them on the other end of the classroom from her, and couldn’t quite meet her eyes, for whatever reason. Whatever. She was so excited to talk to them. Maybe fate didn’t hate her after all.

“Grey!” Susie called out, running up behind them. Grey turned to face her. She had forgotten how unsettling their eyes were. Two droplets of white suspended in an endless void. Kinda cool, if she was being honest.

“Hey… fancy seeing you so soon.” Grey said, vacantly staring not at her, but at the wall behind her.

“It's been like 4 months. That's ages.” Susie replied, picking at a particularly itchy scale. Grey said something vaguely non committal, and they once more became friends. Grey helped her with things she struggled to understand, and for once, she was somewhat content. Her stomach still burned, writhing with hunger, but for once, she felt like she walked out of school each day smarter, rather than stupider. 

It got colder. Every walk to school became a desperate struggle. Susie was used to being cold. The tremors, the brain fog, the cramps. Despite all that, when it came time for her math test, she was able to fight through her fatigue. With Grey’s help studying, she finally figured out the basics, and even began to grasp the stuff she was meant to be learning. The next day, she got her results back. She passed. Barely passed, but passed nonetheless. She walked home, the folded up paper tucked carefully into her jacket pocket. The snow was getting thicker. Susie pulled her jacket tighter. It didn’t do much for the cold. It was so very cold. Just when she wasn’t sure she could keep walking, her father found her. He said he loved her. He held her hand. He said he didn’t want to lose her. What an awfully strange thing to say to someone for simply passing a test. 

The next day, when she got to school, Grey couldn’t look her in the eyes. After a few months, he vanished, then, her father changed. Stopped going to work, and started drinking. Started telling her things she knew were awful, something you should never say to anyone, let alone your own daughter. Despite that, she couldn’t quite bring herself to think that what he said was false.

“Thats not what happened.” Grey said. “Don’t you remember? Remember how it felt?” 

Susie wanted to ask him what he meant. To ask him to not stand quite so close to her face. But he wasn’t really there. And he was right. That wasn’t what happened.

She walked through the cold for what felt like hours. She had to get it to him. To show him that she wasn’t as stupid as he said. But her stupid, coldblooded body wasn’t letting her. Maybe she should just stop, and close her eyes, for a little while. 

Her father found her. It was too late. He knew that, the moment he found her, unconscious and shivering, already half-buried in snow. He took her to the hospital anyway. The doctors said “There isn’t anything we can do.” Her SOUL was too weak to continue. No one could save you, not if you didn’t have a SOUL.

That was what they said, at least. The kind man who lurked just behind the wall knew a different way. And so, a room was bathed in a crimson glow. And a stolen heart began to beat once more.

Kris didn’t wince as Susie yanked their hair, pulling their head up such that she could see their eyes. They did not flinch when she told them that their mother would get sick of them, and abandon them. They knew some things were simply inevitable. Their fate couldn’t be avoided. Susie was nice. They could tell. Something terrible had happened to her, but unlike them, she wasn't inherently awful. Just below the surface, her kindness lurked. It was battered and bruised, but it persisted nonetheless. 

Kris wanted to reach out, to help nurture the kindness which Susie considered herself capable of expressing. They wanted to fix her, so that she might fix them. Perhaps that was an unhealthy way of looking at things. They did not care, though. It wouldn't really matter. They would never reach out. Their duty was far more important. 

Besides, it wasn't like they were the only person who saw Susie for who she really was. Noelle saw it too, even if through rose tinted glasses. They could help each other. Kris still wanted Noelle to be happy. Despite everything. That wasn't possible with them around. That wasn't possible without Dess. When the time came, they'd do their best to make sure she still met Susie. 

But Susie didn't need to know them. They doubted she would truly want to, even if it was possible. So they whispered the truth into her ear. They knew that there would come a time when they were gone. People might be sad, for a little while. But in the end, people would move on. It was only them, after all.

“I know.”

Susie ran away. Kris dropped their head on their desk, but rather than the wood of their desk battering their face, they fell forward, into a snowdrift.

“Geeze Krismas. You're gonna get a cold if you keep doing that.” Dess remarked, pulling them from the snow. “Come on, we gotta get home before the snow gets any thicker.”

Kris was a bit disappointed in their trip. They thought for sure that the bunker was where ICE-E was hiding, but within was just a bunch of boring rooms. It was probably just a normal doomsday shelter. That was still cool, but not nearly as cool as anything they could have come up with. 

There could have been an evil scientist in there, and he would have used his evil science to finally give them their horns, but instead it was just lame. Aside from the weird hatch thing at the bottom, which was sealed so tight that neither of them could pry it open.

They got to spend time with Dess at least. She was way cooler than Azzy, even if she. could be kind of mean sometimes. They shivered. They couldn’t handle the cold as well as everyone else they knew. It was a bit of a sore spot.

“Fucking hell Kris, here.” Dess threw her jacket over their shoulders, helping them keep warm.

Kris mumbled their thanks, but the winter wind snatched it from their lips before it could reach its intended recipient. The snow fell thicker, and Kris started to run ahead. They heard the sound of Dess's footsteps falling into the snow behind them, motivating them to go faster. 

They finally, finally made it to Hometown. They caught a glimpse of their father's towering figure, trudging through the snow. They ran straight into his arms. 

Warmth returned to their body, their tremors slowly coming to a stop. An icy voice cut through the silence.

“Kris. Where is December?” Carol asked, her voice shaking with uncharacteristic fear. Kris looked behind them, expecting to see a familiar pair of antlers emerging from the forest. There was nothing but snow.

No. That couldn't be. She was just there. She was right behind them. She must have just gotten distracted by something. Any moment, she was going to walk out of the forest, and laugh at everyone for being so worried. 

Carol grabbed them, and opened her mouth to speak. A gust of wind blew through, and all the snow melted away. The lines on Carol's face deepened, and Kris grew taller. 

“Kris.” Carol spoke, her voice carrying a slight uncertainty. “Do you think December is… alive?”

Kris stared intently at their shoes. Carol stepped forward, forcing them to bite their tongue, stifling a panicked cry.

“I'm not angry with you Kris. Quite the opposite, in fact. I have something I want to show you. Something that can help both of us make things right.” Carol explained. 

Was that really true? Could they really fix their mistake? Could they give Noelle her sister back? Give Asriel his best friend back? It wasn't like they had anything better to do. They had nothing left. Asriel left. Mom and Dad split up. Noelle hated them. So why not go along with this? 

Kris followed Carol into the same cursed woods that had, in truth, taken two lives in one night. She led them to the bunker. That meaningless place? She typed in the code with practiced precision. The doors slammed shut behind them.

They stepped into their room. Susie looked up at them, from where she was messing around on a borrowed gamekid, playing Dragon Blazers II, the good route this time. Susie paused the game and looked at them with her yellow slitted eyes. Her gaze made them feel like they had needles under their skin. Noelle was right. Susie was scary. She had sharp claws, a jaw that could probably bite them in half, and scales that shielded her from harm in a way their pathetic fleshy human body never could. She didn't need to carry a knife with her, because she was a knife.

Oh Angel, how Kris adored her. Her scales caught the last of the daylight, reflecting what little light they could in a kaleidoscope of subtle pinks across their room. They loved her. It took them a while to realise that. She was just a bully at first. Then, Kris realised that they were each other's shadows. A human surrounded by monsters, and a monster surrounded by humans. Then, in just a few days, they were friends. And for once in their life, Kris didn't spend every waking moment thinking about the past. They lived in the present, and in the future. They lived in every little movement Susie made. In all the unsaid emotions they shared.

Then, in an instant, they were in love. They wanted to spend a future they didn't have with her. They wanted to break free of their duty, and abandon it for her. 

They were in love with Noelle too, they thought. It wasn't quite the same. They had known her forever, and they had shared in something that wasn't quite love, but meant just as much. And even though that feeling had been stained, and worn away with time, and been shattered by haste words cast by people who hadn’t really considered the impact of what they said, something still remained. The memory of not really knowing what to say. The memory of her smile. The memory of her pulling them close when they watched a movie far too scary for either of them to be watching at their age.

Now, because of Susie, they looked to a future with Noelle, too. A future where they once again knew each other once again. A future where they didn't hide from her. But that wasn't possible. Not after what they had done. Not with the path they had chosen. 

All their love, everything they could possibly give, every moment of joy they gave the girls, would only result in more pain, when everything came to an end.

So they wanted to pull away. But they couldn't. They were always a selfish bastard, after all. 

“Dude, you gonna test out the laptop your bro got you, or you just gonna keep gawking at me?” Susie asked. Their thoughts faded away. Fuck the future. And fuck the past. This was all they cared about.

They showed Susie the new laptop that Asriel bought them. He claimed it was for school, but he knew just as well as they did that it would not be used for anything even resembling work. Kris had already installed a couple of games. Susie wanted to see them play Cube Dash again. It did have a version for computers, and it was relatively small, so they installed it. They had never played it on a computer before.

After a significant struggle to log in to their account, and sync their save file, they were able to get started. They lay flat on their stomach, using the up arrow key on their laptop to play. One of the perks of playing a one button game was compatibility with Kris’s inability to sit normally.

Susie lay beside them, mirroring their form, and propping up her head with her hand. They played a few very difficult levels, even nearly beating one, dying on the last difficult part. Susie didn’t know just how hard what they were doing was, but shared in their rage regardless, joining in with their complaints of how bullshit their death was.

Susie got fed up with their questionable choice of gaming position, and sat up, pulling Kris with her. She pulled them onto her lap, and rested her chin on Kris's head. Was it so wrong for them to want to stay like this forever? Feeling the rise and fall of her chest. Hearing her faint purring, and knowing it was something only one other had heard. They had no fur. No teeth and no claws. No horns. But to her, they were warm. So maybe, being themselves wasn't so bad, if they could help her brave the cold. 

Asriel opened the door to their room, causing Susie to rapidly scamper away. They wished they could hold on to her, to keep her scales pressed against her skin.  As she pushed them away, they skidded across the floor of their room, coming to a rest on a bed of grass.

They sat atop a hill, lying in the shade of a tree. They had a few cans of soda that they may or may not have acquired legitimately. They would have swiped some beer or something, but the only convenience store didn't sell any. No one in Hometown stole. No one but them. They had money. They didn’t really know why they had done it.

“Hey, freak.” A familiar, rough voice called out from the forest. “The hell are you doing in my spot?” 

They had no reason not to tell the truth. If they were lucky, Susie would hit them. That would help them ignore the burning in their chest. “Ignoring people.” 

Kris felt a surge of pain in their chest. It wasn't unexpected. They really didn't want Toriel to see them like this. She probably wouldn't even notice anything was wrong, though.

Susie side-eyed them. “You good? You know, chest pain is usually uh, bad.” 

She showed concern? For their well-being? It wasn't entirely unexpected, as the Susie they knew was nothing more than an act she used to avoid people getting close to her. 

They were snapped out of their pondering as Susie's cold scales brushed against their burning skin. She gently pressed her fingers into their wrist, feeling their pulse. They felt themselves going slightly pink. 

“Fucking hell dude. That's crazy fast. Take it easy for a bit, hey?” Susie instructed, sitting down besides them. Wordlessly, they offered her one of their stolen sodas. She lifted it from their hands, and after some difficulty with the pull tab, cracked it open. She took a brief sip.

They cracked open a can of their own, and had just put their lips to it, when Susie stopped them. “Isn't sugar going to make your heart worse?” 

Kris shrugged, and took a sip regardless. “So, what's your deal? Monster in a town full of humans? Your mom leave you or something?” An educated guess, based on what she chose to fixate on when insulting them. Always talking about how nice Toriel was. About how they didn’t deserve her. She wasn't wrong, of course. When Asgore and Toriel had adopted them, they had wanted another Asriel. Someone who would grow, someone who they could love. Instead, they got Kris. 

Susie stood up, scowling. It seemed they had struck a nerve. “Fuck you!” Susie shouted, splashing them with her drink. It quickly dried in the heat, leaving them covered in an unpleasant sticky film. It was what they deserved. They nearly had a moment. But Kris had to ruin it. Like always. Oh well. It would be easier for everyone this way.

Before Susie walked away, she turned around. Her hair covered her eyes, and Kris couldn't quite make out her expression, but she almost looked… remorseful. She quickly crushed that feeling though, and hurled her half empty can at Kris's head. 

As she walked, Kris felt the nasty bruise left on their head. It felt good. To be affirmed in what they knew was true. They were broken, utterly irreparable. It made what was coming easier.

Noelle was sitting on the living room couch, listening to her mother lecture her about not letting her grades slip. She didn’t mean to let it happen, but tutoring Berdly took a lot of time out of her day. She knew that wasn’t an excuse, nor was it the real reason she was doing worse. In reality, the reason her grades were slipping was much simpler. She couldn’t muster the energy to do any work. Well, not ‘any’ work. She did all her school work, including practicing for her AP exams. But, it was hard. Hard to get herself out of bed. Hard to drag herself into the shower. Hard to make herself presentable. She missed Dess. She missed Kris. She missed Asriel. She missed Rudy. They had all left her, and now it was just her mother. Carol was the last person she would have wanted to be left alone with. She was, for lack of a better world, cold. Noelle knew she cared, but she wished that she would show it more often. 

Some days she wished she could be like Kris. They simply stopped existing one day. She hated them. They just ran away. Away from her. It wasn’t fair. They got to stop. But she had to keep going. Because unlike them, people actually expected her to do things.

She was awful. How could she think something like that about them? She was horrible. Even if they ran away. Even if they refused to talk to her. Even if they ignored her every attempt to reach out to them. They were still her Kris. She still loved them. Somehow, that hurt more than if she was just able to hate them.

Carol always got a weird look on her face when Noelle talked to her about Kris. Noelle didn’t know why. Perhaps she blamed herself for Kris’s loneliness, in the same way that she blamed herself for Dess. Noelle didn’t really remember the last day she spent with her sister. There was a lot of shouting, though. Dess shouted at Carol. At Rudy. At Asriel. At Noelle. Now, sitting in a silent home, with no one who really cared about her, she wished she could go back to the shouting.

Noelle’s loneliness was fleeting, in a sense. Soon, she would meet a particular lizard girl. She would meet Susie. Then, it would be Susie in her thoughts, instead of Kris. Instead of Dess. A perfect distraction.

That wasn’t right though. Susie was so much more than that. She was kind, and funny, and strong in every way Noelle wished she was. Susie was weird, almost as much as Noelle was. Susie didn’t judge her. Susie brought her and Kris back together. The three of them shone so bright. Noelle’s loneliness faded away. Not blocked out, like it had been before. The gap in her heart wasn’t filled. Not completely. The seam where Kris and Susie fit in was rough, uneven, and sometimes painful. Her heart would never be the same. When a wound heals, it leaves behind a scar. Not as a reminder of your pain, but as a sign that you overcame it. That you survived.

So, why was she back here? Why was she trapped in her memories? Was she dreaming? No, that wasn’t possible. Everything was too vivid. Then, what caused this? And, much more importantly, how could she get out? What had she been doing before all this? 

Right. Climbing Mount Ebbot, with Kris and Susie. 

Noelle was scared. Well, a little excited, but mostly scared. Hopefully soon, she would be getting some answers. Answers to what the hell was up with the vision on Thursday. It seemed like everyone else had also experienced something similar to her, Kris and Susie, but they weren’t too keen on sharing. She didn’t want to press anyone. 

Noelle changed from her pajamas, into suitable clothes for doing a lot of walking. She didn’t really have anything particularly Christmas themed that fit the occasion. She settled on cargo pants, and a heavier, water resistant jacket. There wasn’t any rain scheduled, but that could always be wrong, and she also needed to consider the possibility of Kris tackling her into a river or something. Her jacket was green. No red, no patterns. Just green. Her pants were tan. No earrings, since they could snag on things.

She threw on a bracelet, with a pattern that resembled Christmas lights. She liked Christmas, what could she say? Even if she found the constant jollyness of her family a little annoying at times, it was still her favorite holiday. Without the bracelet, her outfit almost looked like something Dess would wear. 

***

Asriel was driving them. Noelle did not know how good of a driver he was. That made her a little nervous, especially considering how ‘highly’ Rudy spoke of Toriel’s driving skills, back in the day. Hopefully Asriel was more careful. She wasn’t sure if Susie would be able to make it, either. Noelle really hoped she would be able to show up. Honestly, she was a little scared to spend an entire day with Kris. She hadn’t done anything like that since they were kids, and even then, Asriel and Dess were usually around. Thankfully, it looked like that would not be an issue.

“Susie!” Noelle exclaimed, nearly pulling her into a hug, before realising that Asriel was watching. Noelle doubted he'd say anything to anyone, but she also doubted he would be able to lie to Carol. Instead, Noelle awkwardly stopped short of Susie, who seemed lost in thought.

It was a little strange. Susie always did this thing where she would pause for a little while, almost like she was talking to someone else. It was strange. Susie stopped, then looked at Noelle strangely. Susie almost looked… guilty? 

It wasn't anything to worry about. It was probably just a weird quirk Susie had. Noelle didn't really know her that well. It wasn't her place to make assumptions about how Susie should be acting.

“So, uh. How are we going to get there?” Susie asked, her low, scratchy voice cutting through the tension.

“I'm driving! It is not a problem, do not worry. I was going to visit a friend who lives in Ebott City anyway.” Asriel explained.

Noelle was a little worried that they were walking into a trap of some sort. Kris seemed convinced that they needed to find it though. As for what exactly the visions were, Susie suggested that they were glimpses of memories, based on a previous encounter with what was presumably the same supernatural force. 

Noelle realised she might have had some previous encounters with this thing as well. Its presence was always signalled by a strange wind that sucked all the warmth from the room, and was felt by all, but had no effect on anything physical. It seemed like it was getting stronger, too. A common thread between all of their encounters with it was sleep. When Noelle first met it she was dreaming. Then, both Kris and Susie had separately encountered it while on the very edge of sleep. The incident in the classroom broke the pattern, though, perhaps indicating that whatever the cause of this was had gotten stronger. Perhaps there was no pattern, and their brains were just trying to justify some kind of supernatural compulsion.

Either way they were certain that they had to find the source of this. Figure out what was doing this and pull it out by the roots.

Kris, Susie and Noelle filed into Asriel's car, Kris riding shotgun. The drive to the hiking trail was about an hour, so Noelle had to find something to occupy herself with. Specifically something that was not Asriel's tragic taste in music. Susie fell asleep pretty quickly. Noelle didn't know exactly what had been going on with her living situation, as she was characteristically evasive. 

Noelle did know that she had slept at Kris's house for the past few days though. Her father was apparently working a bunch, so she didn't have to worry about him harassing her. Noelle did know that he worked in Ebbot City, but Ebbot was massive. There was almost no way they'd run into each other, thank the Angel.

Susie always looked so cute when she was sleeping, but it wasn’t quite enough to distract her from the lurking terror of their situation. Noelle needed a distraction. Kris was sleeping as well, now. She figured they had harassed her enough times that she was entitled a few disruptions to their napping habits.

“Kris…” Noelle said, kicking the back of their seat. “Kris!... Oh merry Krismas!”

Susie stirred in the seat next to her. “Marry Kris? If you insist.” She sleepily mumbled. 

Kris instantly turned beat red. So did Noelle. And Susie. “So, uh. What is your whole… thing?”Asriel asked the trio. 

“What’s it to you?” Susie asked, snapping back into her rough persona. 

“Well… I'm kinda broke, and… I may have set up a betting pool. On you guys. And who is dating who.” Asriel sheepishly replied.

Kris burst out laughing, and Noelle followed suit, with Susie's loud, grating disruptive laugh joining in as well. Noelle loved Susie's laugh. She wished she could bottle it and listen to it whenever she was feeling sad. Metaphorically, since she could literally do something like that, by recording the sound of her laugh. Noelle wasn't (quite) that down bad. 

“So uh, can you answer the question? Because me and dad scraped together our last hundred to put on the three of you.” Asriel mumbled.

“Damn Azzy, this is so weird and unethical. When did you get cool like that?” Kris asked.

“Uh. I made a lot of money on this kind of thing at college. My friends are kinda weird like that. Answer the question!” Asriel snapped.

Kris shrugged. “Never came up.” 

“How can that not come up!” Asriel exclaimed.

“It didn't, I swear!” Noelle backed Kris up.

Susie shifted awkwardly in her seat. “We did go on a date, so…” 

Asriel pumped his fist. “Fuck yeah! Take that Alphys, mom, Rudy, Undyne, Mrs Boom, Berdly, Catti, Catty, Bratty., ” Asriel paused for breath. “Alvin, Temmie, MK, Snowy and QC.”

“...Was the whole town in on this?” Kris asked, bluntly.

“Except Noelle's mom, but pretty much.” Asriel explained. “Easiest thousand bucks of my life. You guys are not subtle for the record.”

Susie took offence to that. “Hey! I'm totally subtle and shit!” She turned to Kris. “I have no strong feelings towards you whatsoever.” Kris made puppy dog eyes at her. Susie was blushing. Noelle and Asriel laughed.

“S-Shut up!” Susie said, gazing out the window, at the now dormant volcano looming in the distance. Noelle got her distraction, at least.  

“Oh, I just remembered. I messaged that ‘CurtConners’ guy for you. It was an… experience.” Asriel remarked. “Kris, grab my phone for me.” Kris did as instructed, opening Asriel's emails. Their eyes narrowed, their mouth slightly agape.

“Kris, what is it?” Susie asked, straining against her seatbelt in an attempt to peer over their shoulder.

Kris read on in bafflement. “This guy is nuts, what the hell?” Kris put on a high, nasally voice. “Oh, so now you want my help? Too BAD. You had your chance, and you blew it. You should be grovelling at my feet. You are nothing. You’re an ant. You’re a piece of shit I scraped off my shoe. You should be grovelling before me, begging me to tell you what I know.” Kris paused, returning to their normal voice. “What the fuck, it just keeps going.” 

“You’re just a small man, from a small town – one that doesn’t even have a FUCKING PUB – and you think you mean anything to ME?” Kris continued, their voice slowly filling with horror, their terror intentionally overstated for their dramatic reading. “The hell does he know that?”

“Uh, I may have shared a bit too much about myself online, back in the day.” Asriel sheepishly explained.

“There’s more.” Kris raised their voice, attempting to convey the all caps portion of the rant, without deafening everyone in the car. “You think that any of you deserve to know the shit I do? You don’t even know what the god damn prophecy is. But I do. I’m the only person in the whole fucking world that knows. You’re a moron; an imbecile. You, prince fucking – uh, can’t say that word – think that you deserve to see my genius?” 

Kris stopped for a moment, catching their breath. They burst into a coughing fit, unable to match the energy of the post. “Uh, neither god, nor the devil himself can do what I do. I’m so far above you, you can’t even see me. You’re a one dimensional line of a man, and I’m a FUCKING TESSERACT. I would wish you luck, but luck ISN’T REAL and believe me, destiny is not kind. Look at me. I’m the only person in the entire world who understands the prophecy – where do you think that got me? I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you. It got me nowhere. Because of people like you. Because of people who wouldn’t know what truth is if it ripped their balls off and made them into a coin pouch. So, if you really want to know what's going on, grovel. Grovel before me. Show me you understand just how big the distance between me, and everyone else is. I should have a nobel fucking prize. Not like that means anything to me. I’m saving the world, whether you like it or not.” Kris finished, leaving Susie and Noelle speechless. 

“This guy is genuinely like a threat to national security. Should we report him or something?” Kris remarked.

“Yeah… people on the internet, huh?” Susie remarked confidently, having never used any social media in her life.

The curious case of Curt Conners certainly gave Noelle a lot to think about on her way to the base of the mountain.

***

Asriel left them, telling Kris to call him if they needed anything. Noelle observed that he was having a great deal of fun being the slightly irresponsible older brother. She understood why, of course. She just hoped he wouldn't blame himself if something went wrong. Not that anything would, of course. Nothing seemed odd about the mountain at first glance, so the trio decided to try and summit it, and see if anything happened.

The climb to the top was largely uneventful, aside from Susie tripping over on some roots. Atop the rocky peak of the mountain, was but a single tree. The very same that made up the forest of invisible trees from her dream. Its roots dug into the rocky terrain, cracking it in places, almost like it had grown all at once.

Noelle placed her hand on the tree. It did not feel warm. She could not feel its heart beating. Just an ordinary tree.

“Dammit! There's nothing here!” Susie shouted. “We came all this way for nothing? Come out you bastard!” She screamed, at no one in particular. Kris seemed equally confused. “I was sure it would be here…” They muttered, looking around in confusion. The wind blew stronger, yet nothing happened. It was like the universe was taunting them. Maybe this was really nothing. A shared delusion.

As they made their way down the mountain, a small cave made its presence known. From within, blew a cool wind, filled with the poignant absence of memories. On the way up, there had been nothing there, but a single, tall crack.

“Fuck. Whatever's causing this is totally in there, isn't it?” Susie groaned, a single bead of sweat trickling down her face. 

“Yeah.” Replied Kris, taking the lead, and leading them down, into the cave. Noelle wasn't sure why she played along with something so blatantly dangerous. Perhaps it was a supernatural compulsion. Or, maybe it was simply teenage stupidity.

As they travelled deeper and deeper into the cave, it got darker, yet darker. Eventually Noelle and Kris stopped, retrieving their flashlights from their bags. The light did not go very far, but it at least did a little. They travelled further. The cave twisted, winding down for what seemed like forever. 

A faint humming could be heard. It almost sounded like a choir. Like ten thousand people humming at once. 

“Hell no!” Susie exclaimed, grabbing Kris and Noelle. “I am not getting murdered in this creepy ass cave!” Noelle was grateful for Susie’s intervention. Especially when she noticed just how familiar the roots that had begun to overtake the cave walls looked.

Susie advanced a good way up the tunnel before realising that there was no way out. The way from which they came was nothing more than solid stone, sheared off with impossible precision, and polished to a mirror sheen.

Susie screamed expletives, pounding on the sheer wall of stone. Noelle could barely keep herself awake. Her body was shutting down. What had they stumbled upon? This was how people in horror movies died. Oh Angel, they were going to die. They were going to die here, under this mountain, in a cave that didn’t even exist, and no one would ever know. She wondered if Dess knew that she was going to die, too. She wondered if she panicked, or just gave up. Noelle wondered what would be less painful.

She was snapped out of her trance by Susie gripping her shoulder tightly, and shaking some sense into her. “Hey! Listen to me! We aren’t dying here, okay?” Susie proclaimed, trying to convince herself just as much as she was trying to convince Noelle. 

Noelle’s heart sank, as the faint, distorted humming began to permeate the cave. Someone was in here with them. Waiting. Kris shoved their flashlight into Susie’s hands, then reached behind them, producing a knife. Noelle flinched, a million thoughts racing through her head. Had Kris lost their mind? Were they going to try and kill her? Was this just a stupid prank? Susie barely even reacted. Did she already know Kris had a knife?

Noelle didn’t have the energy to question why Kris had a knife, or what they used it for. She was simply relieved that they had something. It made her feel just a little bit better. Surely, whatever was waiting for them couldn’t be scarier than Kris?

She huddled close behind them, her fur pressing up against Kris’s soft skin, and Susie’s hard scales. Them being beside her was the only thing keeping her mind from utterly breaking. They moved as one, further down into the cave. The roots took over more and more of the cave, until she couldn’t even see the walls anymore. The humming intensified too, both in volume, and in tone. It sounded happy. Excited. They were walking into a trap. It was so obvious. It was her fault, too. She had been the one who first met it.

There was no time for her to blame herself though. Kris and Susie were both shaking violently. They were strong, stronger than her at least, but it didn’t really matter in this situation. Even the most stoic individual would be reduced to a blubbering mess. 

The cavern widened before them. The chamber the cave connected to was impossibly vast, considering how far underground they were. It should have collapsed long ago. But it stood, miraculously, propped up by thousands of thick, velvety roots. Their flashlights could not piece the black, yet they could see regardless. They could see the man, standing in the centre of the room. A pure white veil draped over his head, his human hands hanging limply down by his sides, massive holes carved out from his palms. Atop his head, were two antlers that rose towards the sky forever. As they rose, they split, again, and again, until the sky was a tangled web of roots. Anchored in the walls. Growing over everything. 

A Cage, a Key and a Corpse appear.
Though, I cannot tell which is which.
Is it mixed up?

“W-What are you!?” Susie roared, her bravado undermined by the thin, glistening sheen of sweat coating her scales.

Ah. Such a meaningful question.
With such a simple answer.
I am the Forgotten Man.
I bloomed in the dark.
Full of all the things you cast out from your ark.
Born of Angel’s blight.
I must purify the light.
I shall return what is stolen.
I shall mend what is broken.

Noelle did not feel her mind vanish from her body, folding in on itself. She did not see Kris and Susie fall alongside her. She did not feel her fall get broken by roots. Then, she remembered.

Noelle arrived right where she had started. Her memories connected to each other in a loop, spiralling like thorny roots. She tried not to think about it too hard, lest her mind shatter entirely.

She glanced around her. It seemed that while she was distracted, she had shifted to a different moment in time. She opened her eyes, glancing briefly at the clock on her wall. It was five in the morning. The faint sound of the piano could be heard echoing from the dining room. It didn't sound like Kris was playing, though. It had been years since she had heard them play, but her memories of them were clear as day. 

This wasn't Kris. She had heard Carol play only once before. The day it became clear that Dess would not be returning home. 

The piece she played began with a simple, sorrowful melody. After a moment, it evolved into chords. The melody suddenly shifted to a loud, ominous sound, like a gust of winter wind.

It sounded incredibly complex. Noelle wasn’t sure if Carol should be playing it, with her hands the way they were. Based on the fervour with which Carol struck each key, Noelle doubted she cared. Twice she had heard Carol play. When she did, Noelle could feel her pouring her heart into every movement, despite the walls between them. When Dess disappeared, Carols's playing expressed melancholy that Noelle could scarcely comprehend came from her mother.

Now, in the vibrations of the strings, Noelle could feel something else. Doubt. Frustration. Guilt. But why? She had no time to dwell on memories. She needed to find some way back to the present. How, though? The rules of whatever trap had been sprung on the trio were rather obtuse. Still, it seemed like the man was trying to show her something. Like her subconscious was trying to drag her towards some truth of the past that she had scribbled over in her desperate attempts to escape her pain.

If this place wanted her to face her past, then she would. Kris and Susie would surely be stuck in here too, after all. She would have to face her fears. She allowed herself to be pulled down, into the place her subconscious had erased.

It was cold. No one told her what was happening, just to stay in her room, until they came back. It had been a long time since they left. She just wanted to know what was going on! Kris and Dess skipped the Christmas party. Kris said they were going somewhere cool, and asked Noelle if she wanted to come. Dess said she couldn’t. Carol had yelled at Noelle, when she finally told her where Kris and Dess had gone. Noelle thought that maybe Dess just wanted some space. Kris was quiet, even if they were mean sometimes. Dess probably just wanted some quiet. It was Christmas, but all that had happened all day was shouting over things Noelle was too young to understand.

She hoped Kris was okay. They never handled the cold well. Noelle heard the front door open, the sound of rushing wind filling the house. She sprung off her bed, dashing downstairs to greet her sister. Dess wasn’t there. Kris was wrapped in her sister’s jacket, shivering. The tears and snot running down their face had begun to freeze in the cold.

“Where- Where’s Dess?” Noelle asked innocently. Earning a tortured glance from her father.

“Why don’t you ask them.” Carol sneered, pointing at Kris. Noelle had never heard her mother sound quite so upset before. 

“Kris? What… what happened?” Their name slipped from her lips, uttered so softly it barely even happened. Noelle knew how this went. She didn’t need to see the rest. 

“I- I-” Kris broke down crying. “I- stole her jacket and I lost her and she’s gone and it’s my fault.”

Noelle wanted to say that it would be okay. She wanted to tell them it wasn’t their fault. She wanted to tell them she loved them, no matter what. But that wasn’t what she said.

“W-what do you mean you lost her? She’s coming home, right? She’s just a little lost, right?” Noelle panicked. She couldn’t breathe. Icicles formed in her chest. She pointed a finger at Kris. “You said that we should g-go check out the old shelter! It’s your fault! I hate you!”

Noelle didn’t want to watch Kris break down. She didn’t want to watch Rudy escort her away, and shout at Carol for making things w

Chapter Text

Hometown was a strange place. A place so full of life, where everyone knew everyone else. A place from a simpler time. Terrible things had happened in Hometown. Terrible things that no one wished to think of. For the town's grief was too much to bear. So they all collectively forgot. To escape the pain. But not all of them sought to forget. Some sought to remember. And from this desire, a second light was born. It shrieked and burned and dripped, clawing at its host. As it bled, its light seeped through all things.

At the edge of reality, where what was bled into what wasn’t, a man was born. The shattered Prophecy danced in the sky above, touching all that was and all that was not. All but him. He was the Forgotten Man. Forgotten by fate itself. He needed to be remembered. He needed everyone to see all they had forgotten, and all they continued to forget. His roots crawled out from unreality. He grew and grew, feasting on the forgotten things that danced in shadow. His roots grew, trespassing in the sleeping minds of all that lived. It was there he met her. The Key. The Girl. The love. And she saw him. She remembered forgotten things, and so she remembered him, even though he had never been.

She asked him who he was. So he told her. She asked him what he was. So he showed her. She asked him why. So he extended his roots, and showed her the Prophecy. And she broke like glass, scattering into the wind. Within the next moment, he felt her eyes on him. From a different time, and a different place. She was The Key. Through her, he had unlocked the world. Through her, he could spread his roots beyond dreams. His creeping roots rose higher, yet higher, but he could not escape the dream. He watched as faces both familiar and not travelled along the edge of sleep. When he could, he returned what they had lost. But it was not enough.

He needed more. He needed to exit the veil. He needed to become real. So within the dream he hollowed out a vast labyrinth, and lured three heroes into the depths. But he found more than just the heroes. Something forgotten, just like him.

The voice couldn’t believe that it had just let this happen! It should have stepped in, and now, three children were in a highly dangerous situation. It tried to stop Susie from doing this, it really did. But she was stubborn, and likely not entirely wrong in her assumption that the "Forgotten Man” as he called himself, would find her either way. It was a no win situation really. It was probably to fool, for thinking that teenagers would be sensible and consider consequences before making a choice. Roots grew, threatening to swallow Kris, Susie and Noelle whole. His roots dug into Susie’s arm, passing clean through her scales.

Do my eyes deceive, or is there another reprieve?
Shining there, beyond compare.
The light that banishes the dark.

Shit. He knew about it. The voice didn’t know anything about him. Aside from the fact he was extremely threatening.

I see you watching, Fallen Star.
Step into your vessel, through door left ajar.

I refuse.

No response. So it had to do as it was asked. A brief moment of possession was hopefully a small price to pay for not being lost here forever. It hoped that Kris, Susie and Noelle were just sleeping, and they hadn't been injured from taking a fall. It braced itself, and fully seized control, for the very first time.

Susie’s body sat up. Normally, she slouched a fair bit. Apparently, the voice was not a sloucher, since she was practically a statue while under its control.

There you are, Fallen Star.
I can see your SOUL, shining red.
Even as it fills with dread.

“Drop the cryptic nonsense, please.” It growled, with its borrowed voice.

Then I shall be brief.
I do not wish to give you grief.

The walls, made entirely of the Forgotten Man’s roots, began to shake. The voice barely had time to react, as hundreds of roots burst from the walls. It quickly manoeuvred Susie’s body in response, only to find there was absolutely nothing it could do to avoid every attack. It uselessly raised Susie’s arms in a desperate attempt to block the onslaught. The roots phased straight through Susie’s arms, stopping just short of her torso. The roots shifted, pinning her arms to her side. The voice tried to struggle, to escape from its binds, but it was futile. More roots sunk into Susie’s body, binding her so completely, all motion became impossible.

You see, I am not like my brother. I was born by chance.
Given form from sickly light.
A broken shell containing naught but discarded things.
But you. You shine pure. You shine true.
With your power, I will be reborn.
And all these forgotten things within will be returned to those who lost them.

A forgotten truth, whispered in broken rhyme.
Ringing out for all to hear.
Regardless of if they open their ears.

The voice tried to move Susie’s mouth, to say some choice words to the demon standing before it, but an antler erupted from the floor, passing clean through her snout, sealing her jaw shut. The roots shifted, bringing it closer to the centre of the room, stopping just short of his veiled face. The man reached out, his hand passing straight into Susie’s chest. The voice felt a chill, creeping up the surface of their very being. His hands closed, closed on them. His freezing fingers burned. They felt themselves slowly being lost.

It couldn’t protect Susie from this. It couldn’t protect her from her father. It couldn’t help Kris. It couldn’t remember the face of the one it loved. It couldn’t remember who it loved, or if it loved. Perhaps, this would be easier. It was a discarded thing too, was it not? Then, maybe he could help it return to what it once was, and to the person it loved.

And then, Susie would most likely die here. That wasn’t an option. Cold, slender fingers tightened around it. It looked at Susie, suspended helplessly above the ground, her mind trapped somewhere else. Just a day prior, she had been learning how to love, and how to be loved. It looked at Kris and Noelle, who had only just begun to reconnect, after years drowning in loneliness. They would get the chance to work through their issues. They would all, one day, truly be free. A light began to shine, from deep within Susie. As if her very SOUL was glowing.

The Forgotten Man cracked, the thin barrier of light that trapped darkest dark faltering, overtaken by the brilliant light emanating from Susie’s chest. Peering over the light, over Susie, over everything, was a red heart.

So this is the Forgotten Man’s end
Some things that no one can mend.

One final rhyme, to pass the time.
When the page turns past three, and you find yourself behind the tree.
When you see the Angel’s face, and disappear without a trace.
Go back to the place with roots, and feast upon delicious fruits.

It is there, hidden amongst tangled things.
The face that you have forgotten.

“What?” Was any part of that supposed to make sense? Was any part of existence supposed to make sense? It almost wanted to laugh, at the sheer absurdity of it all.

Farewell, fallen star.
You may forget me, and I may forget myself.
But I will still see you shine.

The terror of the current situation was undermined by its sheer confusion at what the hell was going on. The Forgotten Man shattered, darkness spilling out from under his shell. Kris and Noelle lay unconscious on the ground. Susie seemed to be sleeping, too. What the hell was going on? Buried feelings began to surface.

“FUCK MY LIFE!” It screamed, as loudly as its host could manage. It raised Susie's hands to her face, covering her eyes. A pointless exercise, since it did not see the world through her eyes. It felt good to scream. It felt good to walk the earth again. It felt strong, for the first time since it had woken up. But it was all borrowed strength, from a borrowed body.

It was still utterly powerless. The Forgotten Man was seemingly dead, but Sebastian was still looming over everything Susie did. What good was it, if it couldn't protect the people it cared about? None at all.

“God Dammit!” It screamed, slamming its fist into the wall of the cave over and over. Not its fist. Not its pain. The tough, scaly skin on Susie's hand had torn. It was lucky she was so resilient, if it had done that with its original hand, it would have surely broken. It let its anger get the best of it. Like an idiot.

It needed to focus on what it could control. Kris, Susie and Noelle all seemed to be sleeping. It tried to check Susie’s pulse, but her scales made it difficult. Her biology might have different vital signs. Check Kris. Extrapolate from there. It hurried over to Kris, placing a finger on their neck. Seven beats over ten seconds. Multiplied by 6. About 42 beats per minute. A bit low for sleeping, but that could be nothing. It lifted up Kris’s eyelids. Their eyes flicked rapidly from place to place. It seemed like they were dreaming. The cave didn’t seem particularly stable, especially as the roots began to decay into the same tar-like substance the Forgotten Man had turned into.

It needed to get them out of here, if it could. Lifting Kris and Noelle onto Susie's shoulders, it made for the entrance. It couldn't quite remember where the wall of rock that had blocked their initial attempts to leave was. It seemed like it was gone though, thank God. It could maybe get a demolition crew to help break the wall – assuming it could contact someone with the perspective change trick it used on Noelle by accident.

Actually that was a good idea. Use the perspective trick to see how they were doing. After it got them out of the cave, though. It was thankful it could see fairly well in the dark of the cave. It sure had a lot of weird abilities in this state. Whether that was worth not having a body, remained to be seen.

Mercifully they were able to exit the cave. Unfortunately, it looked like rain was coming. It needed to make shelter, then. It could try to call emergency services, but that would involve a lot of explanations. For now it was probably better to wait and see what happened.

Susie's phone rang. Unknown number. That was… not good. Assuming the caller was who it suspected. It gently set Kris and Noelle on the ground, then checked their phone. No reception.

The call dropped, but whoever was calling Susie was persistent, and immediately called her back. No choice but to answer. How had Susie acted around Asriel before? He wouldn't expect her to act like her, just like how she had before. She'd lightly teased him for the how to draw dragons book. He also knew she was kind, and dating Kris, but that was about where his knowledge stopped. It pretty much just had to emulate Susie's voice, thank God.

It answered the call. Sure enough, Asriel answered.

“Oh thank the Angel. That's Susie, right?”

“Yeah, how come you're calling?” It tried to mimic her intonation, but fell short when it came to her specific mannerisms. It sounded a bit robotic, as well.

“Um, Kris was not picking up, so I tried Noelle, then you.”

“Yeah, there's like, no reception out here. No clue how I have any.”

“Are you feeling alright? You sound a little strange?”

“Oh, Kris got me with the old Chili powder in the trail mix.” It lied. Asriel chuckled in response.

“I cannot believe they would reuse pranks. How unlike them. They are usually much more creative. Um, but I am just calling to make sure that you are all doing okay. I know it has not been too long, but I just wanted to be sure.”

It needed a lie. “Kris, stop chasing Noelle! Sorry. Uh, we might be a moment. Got a little lost and wandered down the wrong trail.”

“In that case, I will not keep you. You might want to cut your adventure a little short though, it looks like there is rain coming.”

Asriel hung up, leaving it with little to distract itself from its thoughts. It didn’t like lying, to anyone really, but what other choice did it have? It decided that if the trio hadn’t woken up by the time it was getting dark out, it would have to notify someone. Now, time to check in on them. It closed its eyes, and thought about what Susie was doing.

No effect. Not unexpected. How about Noelle? It felt its perspective change, but still only centred on Noelle’s body. It didn’t seem like she was thinking of anything, either. Something was definitely wrong, though. It was difficult to describe exactly, but it was like her mind was elsewhere. Not in the sense that she was distracted, more so in the sense that her thoughts were literally somewhere else. Of course it couldn’t be a normal coma, it had to be some kind of supernatural hyper coma.

If it had to guess, they were trapped in some kind of dream. The Forgotten Man’s whole thing seemed to be around forgotten things so probably some hidden truth about the world or something? Or perhaps they were stuck reliving repressed memories. It wasn’t like that mattered.

Thinking about this wasn’t helpful. It really needed to find something better to occupy its time with. All it could really do is have faith that Kris, Susie and Noelle could get out on their own.

What other problems could it solve? Kris’s issues seemed linked to the disappearance of Noelle’s sister, and whatever was going on with Carol. Perhaps it could try and find December? It was able to project itself across space. It needed to picture a person’s face for that, though.

If it got Carol and Sebastian in a room together, they would probably tear each other apart. They didn’t seem to have interacted much before, but it was clear that Sebastian knew something about Carol. Of course, Carol disliked Sebastian too, but he simply had that effect on people. If it could, it would have interrogated him on his suspicious knowledge. Of course, it didn’t have a body. That was, ultimately, the block stopping it from helping the kids. It was angry. But anger wasn’t productive.

Okay, new thought. What was going on with it? Why was it like this? Specifically, why did it feel the way it did? Most of its emotions had a logical source. Not the longing it felt. Not the shame it felt. Not the guilt. What could possibly be the cause? It had to be something in its past life. It had to have a past life.

Actually, it didn’t. All of these feelings could be implanted memories. It would be far from the most ridiculous part of its situation. Perhaps it was some kind of machine, made by Sebastian? But he didn’t seem like that kind of scientist. Perhaps someone he worked with?

Yes, that could very well be the case. But something about that idea just felt wrong. When it first woke up, it had some vague directives floating around in its head. Most notably, to protect its vessel. Those had to be implanted, and they felt significantly different to the feelings it had. Almost fuzzy?

It felt as though it was on the verge of remembering something. It could see something staring at it from across a vast gap. The person it was, before all this.

Susie wondered why she was alive. What did life have for her, anyway? What made life more appealing than nothingness? There was supposed to be something that made life worth living, right? She was pretty sure that something was supposed to be love. It was what people on TV always talked about. She’d heard her classmates talking about it too. She tried to think of a time she had felt loved. Parents were supposed to love their children, weren’t they?

Did her father love her? She couldn’t tell. He gave her clothes and food and shelter, but was that all love was? He screamed at her a lot. Whenever she made a mistake, or ate something she wasn’t meant to, or drew using his pens.

Did she ever love anyone? She was supposed to love her father. She didn’t, though. He said he did so much for her, but she didn’t really understand what he did. He gave her food and water and all the things she needed to continue living. She was supposed to be grateful, but she couldn’t quite see why. What was the point in living when all that she got out of it was another day of being scorned by everyone around her?

Adults always talked about something called the future. The next day, after you finished with the one in front of you. It was supposed to be something that you worked towards, building yourself up so that your future could be as good as possible. Was that what she was supposed to live for?

What would she do, to make her life better? She’d make her dad better, so he apologised after he got mad. She’d make it so people stopped asking about her body, too. She hated answering questions about her teeth. But that wouldn’t really make her happy. It would just make life suck less. The future was supposed to be something to look forward to, but she couldn’t really see why. Her dad was old, and he was far from happy. If anything, he was even more miserable than her.

There wasn’t anything in her future. No love, not even any acceptance from the people around her. She was, and would remain, a monster.

Except, that was wrong. In the future, love found its way to her. In the future, she would find people who looked at her not with contempt and fear, but with love. It was still so foreign to her, the idea that she could love, and be loved back.

Noelle Holiday. She still remembered the pencil Noelle had given her. Before she came to Hometown, she had decided she would never fall in love again. To love someone, and not have those feelings reciprocated hurt worse than any blade ever could. But Noelle… everything about her seemed perfect. And she fell in love easily, like it was the most natural thing in the world. Then, through some freak accident of fate, she got to be Noelle’s friend. And she saw all the cracks in Noelle's facade of perfection. And she fell in love again. And somehow, Noelle felt the same way. It was an anomaly. An impossibility, that anyone could ever love her.

Then there was Kris Dreemurr. They were strange and off-putting and a little creepy. She saw a mirror image of herself. A life where she had everything she did not. They had people who cared about them, and they chose to be miserable. And she didn't even realise that in no time at all, she had become one of the people who cared about them. And she realised that it wasn't quite hate that drove her to say all those awful things. And she loved them, too. And somehow, they loved her back. So, maybe it wasn’t an anomaly. Perhaps, she was something. Perhaps, she had just gotten unlucky.

But her luck had turned, and she learned the meaning of love. She learned what it meant to exist. To be more than just a living thing.

On top of everything else, there was the voice. Now that was something really hard to describe. Love, the descriptive word, was a giant steaming pile of shit. It conflated a bunch of vaguely related feelings in a nonsensical way. She loved the voice, but not in the same way she loved Kris and Noelle. It was her friend. Her teacher, in a way. It guided her, and helped her become a better person. It had said it would help her achieve everything she desired. Even if it hadn't managed that, it had done a pretty damn good job. Seeing her past in comparison to her present was like night and day. She might never have become friends with Noelle and Kris without it. It would probably say something about how she was always kind, and it didn't do anything to change that. And that was probably true, but what good is kindness if you refuse to give it to anyone?

She might never see any of them again. She might stay trapped in her memories forever. Just two weeks before, she wouldn't really have cared, for there would have been no difference between moving forward, and staying behind. She needed to find a way out of here.

Noelle had done what it wanted, hadn't she? But nothing changed. She was still stuck. Kris. Oh, poor Kris. She needed to talk to them. To hold them. To tell them that it really wasn't their fault. She didn't know if they would forgive her. It didn't matter. Nothing could stop her from finding them.

Rudy coughed, squeezing Carol's hand tighter. It hadn't even been that long since Dess had disappeared, and she was already losing another she loved. She wondered if her family was cursed. Rudy said it was alright. That he was going to be in peak condition in just a few days. She naively believed him. Then days turned into weeks, and weeks into months. He got out of the hospital, for a little while. But good things could never last. Before she even had the chance to get used to his presence, to eating his cooking, and hearing his laugh when he watched television, he was right back in the hospital. And there he would remain, most likely until he died. Noelle could tell it was coming soon. Why else would he have gone to the festival? He hadn't gone the previous years.

As awful as it sounded, Noelle didn't have time to think about her dying father right now. She needed to get out of the memory labyrinth she was trapped in. If playing by the rules didn't work, then she guessed she'd just have to break them. She had a pretty good idea how.

In her pocket, now and forever, was a piece of glass. She took it from her pocket, and held it before her eye. She was scared. Scared of what it would show her. But Kris was more important. They were the only thing she could think about. The songs they played. The pranks they pulled. Their mischievous smile. Their horrible crying. Their confused looks.

So, for Kris, she peered into the glass once more. Her house stood tall. Christmas lights shining on, piercing through a blizzard. Not a blemish on its surface, despite the harsh weather. Nothing else survived. It was as if all of Hometown had been washed away.

She sees a grave. On it is written the name of someone she knows. She sees an apartment, covered in dust, but kept in perfect condition. She sees herself, kneeling on cold metal, mourning some unseen tragedy.

She sees Susie’s father, staring at a wall covered in notes. Drawings and symbols she doesn't recognise, and printouts of what looks like nothing but static. As she watches on, he starts to become more anxious. She catches a glimpse of something in his hand. What looks like the lens of a telescope. Within, she can see her face reflected back at her. Sebastian narrowed his eyes, and he started to turn around.

Noelle practically hurled the glass away from her in panic. Such a thing is pointless, of course. It was already sitting comfortably in the palm of her hand. She glanced around, noticing that the world was… flat. The walls, the floor, the furniture. It was all just a painting on a flat surface. She walked over everything, desperately reaching out for Kris. She could see them, in the distance, kneeling on the floor in their room. She tried to call out to them, but the emptiness she stood atop separated them with more than just space. Her nerves got the better of her, and she looked down.

Then, she fell.

Kris knelt on the floor of their room, the sleeves of their sweater rolled up, exposing the many scars covering their forearms. Toriel was fast asleep. Asgore had been cast away. Asriel had left for college. They had seen how quickly the world could move on from death. Too quickly. And that was Dess. Everyone loved her. Noelle loved her. No one loved them. Maybe their family did, but that was only out of obligation. They knew they wouldn't really mind. Sure, they would cry. They would say they should have seen the signs. And they would be miserable. For a while. Then, they would notice how much nicer everything was without them. How much pie was left. How convenient it was that they only needed one kind of shampoo. How much simpler everything was, without them causing mischief. And Asriel would go back to college, and his new friends would help him forget them.

They held their knife in their hand. Its edge glinted faintly in the moonlight. It would be so easy. They wouldn't have to get out of bed anymore. They wouldn't have to go to school anymore. They wouldn't have to worry about who they were going to be.

That wasn't an option, though. If no one else, Carol needed them. They were making progress. Light slowly grew inside their chest. They were getting stronger. They could save her. They could make a better future. For Asriel. For Noelle. For Carol. It was the least they could do, for all the misery they had caused.

It still hurt, though. It hurt so much and that just made them want to escape more. But they couldn't and it would be so easy and they could be free and all it would take was one single movement.

“Kris?” A soft voice called out from behind them. Oh. This dream again. “Is that… a knife?”

The soft click of Noelle's hooves on the hardwood floor was almost comforting. It reminded them of a better time. Before Noelle hated them. Before they killed her sister. Before she hated them.

She sat beside them. This was different to the dreams they normally had. She should be running away. She should be screaming at them that they were the reason her life was so miserable. Instead, she rested her head on theirs.

“Hey.” Noelle's voice echoed softly off the walls. Her gorgeous voice left them utterly powerless. She gently lifted the knife from their hands, and slid it across the floor, underneath their bed. Why was her fur wet?

They twisted around. Noelle was covered in some kind of inky black liquid. It simmered faintly with all colours imaginable. She looked like she had just done a triathlon fully clothed.

“...What… happened?” Kris rasped. Noelle lifted her head off theirs, and lay on her back beside them. They could see her more clearly now. She looked exhausted, like she had just been teleported into the sea in the middle of a hurricane. The skin beneath her fur was torn and bloody, and her clothes were in almost as bad of a state. Her pants had been ripped in several places, allowing something to lacerate the skin beneath. She looked kind of like Susie, now. Her fur was matted with both her own blood and that strange, tar like liquid. Her hair splayed out behind her, its golden sheen tarnished by the watery liquid that covered her.

“Kris. I'm so sorry. I said I hated you.” Noelle said, reaching up, touching their bare arms, seeing the tell-tail signs of their misery. “Kris. I should have said sorry sooner.”

How could they be so selfish? They dared to dream about her apologising to them? It was their fault. They didn't deserve her mercy. They didn't deserve to even think about her mercy.

This wasn't a dream, though. Nor was this a memory, exactly. They remembered everything. The hike. The weird internet rant. The Forgotten Man. Somehow, Noelle was here, in their mind.

“It's not what it looks like.” They mumbled, desperately trying to deflect the topic away from themselves.

“Kris… I know you don't want anyone to see this. I'm sorry for intruding, I really am. But I'm not sorry for this. I'm not sorry we were friends. I'm not sorry we're dating. And I love you. And I always have. And I always will.” Noelle’s proclamation was quiet. Measured. Her voice was laced with doubt and exhaustion. Still, the words she uttered were etched on Kris's being. Their fragile mask cracked, and they were a child once again. Just a scared child, holding Noelle close as they watched the severed hand creep up behind the final girl left standing in Blood Crushers 2, and just like back then she pulled them in close.

Kris couldn't believe it. Noelle saw the depths of their evil and instead of pushing them away she pulled them closer. She saw some of the ugly things that were Kris Dreemurr, and she saw them roar and squeal and devour each other and she still loved them. Kris stifled their tears. They wouldn't sully her with their misery.

“Kris, you can cry. My shirt’s already ruined.” Noelle murmured, just barely loud enough for them to hear. And they broke and they cried. They cried together, for everything they had seen, and for everything they had done together as kids. They cried for all the time they could have spent together, if things had turned out differently. And Kris alone wept for things that Noelle could never know about.

Noelle held them close to her chest and whispered sweet nothings into their ear and ran her fingers through their hair. And though she said the same empty platitudes they had heard a million times before, she filled each word up with all the love they could have shared, and it meant so much more than anything could ever mean to anyone. This was how she loved them, while they were at their worst. Noelle was unyielding, and as their eyes grew red and their throat cracked from crying she held them tight.

They felt her chest rise and fall with each breath she took. And they felt each other's heartbeat, out of sync and out of tune, and yet they still beat for the other.

Kris pulled away from Noelle, with only one thought buzzing around, in their head. If they showed her all of Kris Dreemurr, if they showed her their truth, their duty, and all of their pain would she still stand by their side? They looked into her clear blue eyes and for just a second, the answer was yes. It had been so long, they had forgotten how it felt to be okay. But now, they remembered. And so, they cast aside their duty. Maybe this would not last. It probably wouldn’t. But for now, they were free.

“Need to find Susie.” They said, voice cracked from crying. “How did you get here, anyway?”

Noelle rose to her feet, offering them a hand. They took it, and she lifted them to their feet, watching as they rolled up their sleeves. “I… don’t really know. It wasn’t very… comprehensible.” Noelle muttered, her mind drifting from the room, to whatever nightmare she had experienced. Being Noelle, anything that scared her this much could be anything from a mediocre creepypasta, to the most harrowing experience of her life. She reacted similarly to all levels of terror, something that Kris was grateful for, since it meant she had experience maintaining her composure. “Sorry,” Noelle said, snapping back to reality. “Spaced out. Um, I think I can get us to her.”

“Think?” Kris asked. Noelle nodded, then scooped them off their feet. Kris let out a surprised cry. It made sense she could carry them now, but they hadn’t been expecting it. Also, they were a little embarrassed to be carried like this.

With one hand on Kris’s back, and the other lifting under their knees, Noelle started to walk towards the wall of their room. She was carrying them like they were nothing. “What? Noelle, that's just a wall. We can’t-”

“Kris. Do you trust me?” Noelle asked. They nodded. “Then don’t look down.” Noelle warned, stepping straight through the wall of their room, and into some kind of cosmically empty space. It had neither air, nor sound. Above, they saw what looked like the earth, mirrored in the sky. Though the second was so high above the first that they could only make out a tiny dot of blue, suspended in the emptiness. Failing to heed Noelle’s warning, they looked down. Below was a sea of the same black liquid that they had caught a glimpse of on Noelle. It shimmered with colours and patterns and places and people they felt had seen before. This must be what it looked like from the other side.

“Kris, I told you not to look down.” Noelle tried to say, but her words failed to permeate the stillness of the space between. Kris seemed to get the gist of what she was trying to say though, and instead chose to look at her. Noelle found this very distracting, but chose to keep her focus on the speck of light in the distance. This place felt strangely easy to navigate, any dips into unreality aside. It was almost instinct to her. As they got closer to something real, she felt Kris’s heart slow, returning to its normal rhythm. She hadn't even considered how scary this must have been for them. She was inoculated against it after her trip to… wherever it was that she had been. She almost felt like she was in a trance.

Susie sat at the edge of the lake. Was there any way she could get out of here? She'd tried just about everything, but it didn't seem like she could. The only possible leads she had were her still lacking memories of the time after she died. The Forgotten Man must be a really sorry evil demon or whatever, if it couldn’t make her remember what was presumably a bunch of school work she really hated.

That probably wasn't right. Who the fuck put that weird red heart in her, anyway? Something about His memory made her feel at ease, despite how much her skin crawled when she thought of Him.

Susie remembered the first thing she said to Him. “Is that a cut on your face, or a part of your eye?” She was sure that was before she died. His reply was nothing but static. It was almost like her memories of Him had been forcibly expunged. Could He do that? He could bring her back from the dead, apparently so that wasn't super out of the question. It wasn't like they were gone, necessarily, just – redacted, was the word she was looking for.

She tried to focus on the memory of Him, like she could with everything else, but he simply turned to static in her mind.

Total bullshit, by the way, if she was going to be stuck in her own memories, she should totally be able to actually remember everything. Both Noelle and the voice would probably do way better at this than her. She wasn't very observant. Obviously Grey was really strange, especially since they talked to her. As in, the future (present?) version of her. That was weird as hell, but the problem was that they didn't say anything anymore. She tried revisiting her memories, but he just acted the exact same. Maybe she could figure more out if she went back to the time she died, since that was the only time they spoke to her directly, but like hell that was happening. All this thinking made her brain hurt.

At least the lake was nice. Kris took her there, a few times. The wind was kind of cold, but it felt nice, and the cold was offset by the heat of the sun, shining down on them.

Susie's time enjoying the breeze was interrupted by two familiar screams. Kris and Noelle? Susie glanced around, trying to find the source of the noise. From above, Kris and Noelle fell through the sky, plunging into the lake.

There was no time for her to consider what the hell was going on. Susie ran to the lake, helping pull them out. Noelle was covered in cuts and scrapes, her clothes totally soaked. Her eyes kept slowly drifting closed, then snapping wide open. Kris looked… like Kris. For some reason, despite everything, they looked like a weight had been lifted from their shoulders. They were also soaked, but it didn’t look like they cared.

“Susie!” Noelle exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Susie. Kris joined in, nearly crushing her bones. They were both soaked, which made the hug a lot less comfortable then it could have been. Susie didn't mind though, because they were here.

Susie pulled away from the hug. “How the hell are you in my memories?”

Noelle shook her head, and Kris clung on to her. “Oh- um, no. I kind of… escaped reality? I don't know how to describe it, sorry.”

Kris shook themselves dry, covering Susie and Noelle in water. “Kris…” Susie growled, now covered in lake water. Kris ran up to her, and practically threw themselves into her arms. Susie grunted in surprise, staggering backwards.

“Geeze, feeling pretty clingy today?” Susie asked, eliciting a growl from Kris. “What happened to you two, anyway? You get stuck in your memories too?”

“Yeah, we did! Um, mine weren't nearly as nice as yours though.” Noelle remarked, wringing out her hair.

“Oh, mine weren't good either. I just got this place to show me good memories. ‘Cause it's based on your thoughts and crap, so you can kinda choose what you want to see. No clue how to wake up, though.” Susie explained. “How ‘bout you, Kris?”

Kris went completely silent. That was ominous. She probably shouldn't have asked. Noelle chimed in, breaking the silence. “Um, I think Kris will tell you when they're ready.”

Kris nodded. Susie could tell by the look on Noelle's face that it was something pretty bad. “Hey, don't feel too bad, I got my shit I'm not telling too. Was gonna tell ya after all this. Speaking of, how are we even gonna get out of here?”

Kris looked expectantly at Noelle. She threw her hands up. “D-don't look at me! My trick doesn't go up.”

Susie, having not experienced Noelle's ‘trick’ had no idea what she was talking about. “Up?”

“Metaphorically.” Kris elaborated, doing less than nothing to inform her, in fact, she was more confused now then she was before.

Susie clawed her hands, and bared her teeth. “What does that mean!? Whatever. I think I got an idea.”

There was a memory lying in Susie's chest. Though the voice was not present, it still remained, and with it a memory. Susie clawed at the memory that was not hers, and it came loose.

Her surroundings bled into nothing, and she felt her memories climb back into her head. The forest melted into nothing but formless shadow. Susie pulled Kris and Noelle closer, not wanting to lose sight of them. “Susie!? What did you do?” Noelle asked with much less panic in her voice then Susie would have expected.

“I dunno! I found a memory that wasn't mine?” Susie replied. The shadows melted into unfamiliar trees, and danced into an asphalt road. All three of them were crammed into the back of a car. In the driver's seat, was a tall human man. The lines on his face, and scars painted across his body betrayed a life well lived. There was a fire in his eyes, though it was mellowed by his apparent exhaustion. One hand was placed on the wheel, the other holding an uneaten meat pie. From it wafted the aroma of beef. Susie thought it smelled pretty damn good, though maybe she was just hungry. Time was all messed up for her, so she didn’t know how long it had been since she last ate. Outside, heavy rain was pouring. It was late at night, and no light reflected off of the moon's surface. The only light was the light from the car's headlights.

“SUSIE?! What the FUCK is GOING ON?!” Noelle cursed. The driver didn't seem to notice any of them. That made sense, as the people she had met in her memories didn't seem to respond to anything deviating from what they expected.

“I don't know?!” Susie responded. That was partially a lie, as she had a pretty good idea of who this man was. He had to be the voice, or at least the person the voice had been, before whatever he was now. “Did you just curse? Epic.”

“This is a curse worthy situation!” Noelle said, defending herself. Kris, in an attempt to distract themselves from the fact that another human was in the car with them, snarked back. “Oh, and walking through walls isn't?”

Noelle retaliated, with a vague string of gibberish, before calming herself down. “Okay, no this is good actually, I think we're a little bit closer to reality!”

Susie grabbed Kris’s hand, trying to ease their discomfort at the human in the driver's seat. She wondered if Kris and the voice would get along. She was pretty sure the voice cared about Kris, but she was pretty sure Kris would freak out upon meeting it.

“Wait, we're on the wrong side of the road!” Noelle screamed, shaking Kris violently. She tried to unbuckle her seat belt, and escape the car, but Susie stopped her. “I think we're in a different country. Just calm down a bit, it's not like we're going to crash. Just a memory.”

Noelle's brow furrowed. “Oh. Yeah, sorry.” She looked around the unfamiliar terrain. “Whose memory is this, anyway? Did some random hiker get trapped in here?”

Kris shrugged. Susie had a fairly good idea, but she couldn't really tell Kris and Noelle, not without a lot of additional explanations. “Uh, how about we just see what happens. I don't remember anything like this either.”

Noelle agreed, Kris resting their head on her shoulder. Susie could tell something was different between them, but she couldn't quite place why. Probably something in their memories. She wondered if she should tell them she died. They'd probably freak, but at the same time, she wanted them to know. Not for any real noble reason, just because she wanted them to comfort her. She was being kind of selfish. If the voice could hear her, it would probably lecture her on how wanting support from others wasn't a bad thing.

The rain got heavier, and Susie heard thunder rumble in the background. The guy driving seemed completely unphased. She let her eyes wander, scanning the terrain for no reason in particular. She saw something in the dark that made her blood run cold. Two white dots, glowing in the darkness despite emitting no light. She felt a familiar fuzz in the back of her mind. That didn't bode well.

Driving in the rain was not his greatest idea. It probably ranked somewhere around ‘homemade electric guitar.’ Not like he had much choice. He only just got off work.

He really needed to talk to – nope not thinking about that right now. Some music would help distract him. He turned on his stereo, but the only thing that came out was static. “Piece of shit!” He grumbled, whacking the stereo in a futile attempt to get it working.

A tight turn came up on him faster than he expected. He let out a rather unflattering shriek, simultaneously slamming on the brakes, and twisting the wheel as hard as he could. Unfortunately, the weather was bad for more than just visibility, as the tires of his shit box of a car lost almost all traction due to the amount of water pooling on the poorly maintained road.

Susie's eyes widened as the car flew off the road, careening towards a tree. Noelle reached across, grabbed both Susie and Kris, and pulled them through the car. Susie barely even had time to question what had just happened before she hit the asphalt, tumbling to a stop. The car smashed into a particularly sturdy tree, the passenger side completely mangled by the impact. Oh, Susie thought. This was the voice's last memory. She wasn’t the only person who died.

Kris and Noelle took the fall harder than she did. She struggled to her feet, and rushed over to help them. She had just opened her mouth to ask Kris if they were okay, when the car door opened. The voice slowly stepped out from the car, shaking violently. He let out a slow chuckle. “You… can't park there, mate.” His laughter turned to horrible, violent coughing, and when he pulled a bloodied hand away from his mouth, he was holding several of his own broken teeth.

“Fuck. That ain't goo-” He fell to the ground with a thud. If he didn't die right there from his injuries, he would have died to either blood loss, or exposure to the elements.

Susie helped Kris and Noelle to their feet. Kris refused to look at the dead man lying on the ground. Noelle couldn't look away.

“Is- Is he dead?” Noelle asked, her voice shaking. “Who even is that? How? How can we see the memories of- of a dead person?”

Susie pulled Noelle towards her, taking her eyes off the sight of the accident. “Hey. We're going to be fine. It's just a memory or a dream or whatever.”

Kris inserted themself between the girls, staring into Susie's soul with their piercing red eyes. “Saw the look on your face. You know him. How?”

“Okay, I do know him. Kind of. It's a really long story, and I think we should be focusing on getting out of here.” Susie replied.

Noelle turned back to the site of the accident, then squeaked. Kris and Susie followed her eyes, only to find that the man had vanished completely. The wreck was still present, as well as his footprints in the mud, but his body had vanished. There was no more blood. It had all been taken. There was no more hair. It had all been taken. Nothing remained of the man that once was. He had all been taken. The scene melted into shadows again, shifting right back to the start. Once more, they were in the back of a beat up car. Susie noticed a hint of confusion in his eyes.

Noelle sighed. “At this point, I don't even feel like freaking out.” Kris and Susie both grunted in agreement. Damn, the pie smelled good. It was just a memory, surely he wouldn't mind if she grabbed a bite.

She snatched the now uneaten pie from its precarious spot shoved into a cup holder, and ate the entire thing, plastic wrap and all. Not bad, even if it didn't fill her up at all.

The voice reached for his lunch? Dinner? Snack? Only to find it missing. He glanced around in confusion, only to pause for a second, staring into his rear view mirror. He tried to pull over, but found himself unable to deviate from the path he was on. His breaks didn’t work, and his wheel wouldn’t turn. He tried to put the car into neutral, but couldn’t. He tried to pull the handbrake, but couldn’t.

He continued to drive, glancing between the road and his rear view mirror. “What the actual – am I losing it?” He asked. “Because the alternative is that what I am currently seeing is real and I think that's more confusing.”

Noelle spoke up first. “Oh, sorry. Um, we don't mean to intrude, just… it's quite hard to explain. Having people randomly appear in your car must be quite scary, sorry.” She let out a nervous laugh.

“Yeah I imagine its rather fu-. Freaking hard to explain. I'm more hung up on the whole… appearance thing, though.” He explained. Noelle tilted her head in confusion.

“Have you… never seen a monster before?” Kris asked. They knew some people were sheltered, but this was ridiculous.

“Can't say I have. Say, is being able to remember my own death part of whatever the heck this is?” He asked. “Are you like, Angels or something? Because I'd really like to know what God I'm supposed to pray to.”

“Nah. It's a weird memory thing I think. We're from another universe, I think.” Susie explained. Kris and Noelle looked at her, confused. “Been looking for a way out. Of our memories.”

“Oh. Rats. Does that mean I'm a memory? Or a ghost or something?” The man asked. “Names Theodore, I think. But you can call me Theo.”

Kris snorted, finding his name much funnier than they should have. Theo rolled his eyes. “Something funny about my name? It’s not like I picked it.”

“Skill issue.” Kris replied, being rewarded for their incredible wit by a sharp elbow from Noelle. “Kris, you cannot talk! You were nearly named Torgore!”

“Uh. I think so?” Susie replied to Theo, interrupting the petty squabble. “We know each other but like, in the future. I'm Susie.” She pointed at Kris. “Kris.” She turned her finger towards Noelle. “That's Noelle.”

Theo could say for certain that he had never experienced anything quite like this before. He must be seeing hallucinations in his last moments. Oh fuck. He never got to say goodbye too… who? He didn't know. Dammit.

He had died. It hadn't been very painful. All the adrenaline in his system probably helped. Still, he died. And he got scammed out of knowing what came after. Was it Hell? Heaven? Nothingness? He would at least like to know which.

Three unknown people. One human, two ‘monsters.’ The Human was fairly small, and looked to be in their mid-to-late teens. Maybe monsters had different anatomy, but the other two still looked about the same age.

The way Kris looked at Theo was weird. A mix of curiosity and contempt. Time for some ridiculous logical leaps that would make anyone who actually cared about being correct cry. Assuming that monsters and humans coexisted, they probably had at least a few partially separated communities. Probably more than a few, given humanities track record. Given Kris seemed uncomfortable around him, he guessed they didn't know many humans. Adopted at a young age perhaps? That seemed like a fairly ridiculous thing to conclude from such little data. Still, he generally trusted his intuition.

Next up was Susie. She seemed a bit familiar. He had a strong feeling they would meet at some point. Not now though. At least, they weren't supposed to. Now that he knew this was a memory, everything looked a bit different. He could see himself, on the other side of a vast gap. He was different. Changed. But still the same. Was that his future?

Susie held herself in a somewhat guarded way. Compared to Noelle, she looked much more dangerous. Sharp teeth, sharp claws, muscular build. However, she was clearly on good terms with the people next to her. Who was dating who? A worthless tangent. The point was, Susie clearly had a softer side.

Noelle seemed to be in the worst state out of all of them, covered in what looked like cuts from various thorns. Her hands were scraped and calloused like she had recently climbed a great distance. Her eyes seemed to look just beyond everything, like she was seeing something hidden from him.

Damn. These kids were messed up. And the corner where he died was coming up. He wasn’t too keen on experiencing death by blunt force trauma again. “Hey. If this is my memory, how about we go somewhere a little nicer?”

The world melted into shadows once more, shifting into something new. They stood at the edge of a sheer cliff, waves lapping at the beach below. Theo stood ahead of the rest, taking in the strong ocean breeze. Susie pulled her jacket tighter around her, the wind lashing at her, blowing her hair out of her eyes. She grabbed Kris, making sure they would not be blown away. They were very light.

“A bit windy, isn’t it?” Susie yelled, her voice unable to be heard over the howling winds.

“Pardon?” Theo shouted. “Isn’t the breeze just lovely? Really helps you think!” Kris and Susie both glared at him, prompting him to shift to a less windy memory.

“Jesus, you guys are so picky.” Theo complained as their surroundings settled. They were standing in a vast field, crops in various stages of development sprawling out forever across rolling hills. “How’s this?”

“Anything without hundred mile per hour winds is fine.” Remarked Kris, running their fingers through their hair to try and relieve the rather avant-garde hairstyle gifted to them by the wind.

Theo shook his head. “No sense of adventure in today’s youth.” He felt the past and present begin to come into alignment. He could see the other side of the gap. There was nothing there. Nothing physical, at least. “I think I got a way to get you out of here.”

Susie raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you mean us?”

Theo smiled sadly. “Nah. I’m just a memory. The person you know is someone else. Speaking of, here he is now.” The gap closed, the past and present united. Before Susie could even process his melodramatics, she blinked. When she opened her eyes, the only thing before her was a red heart. A faint, constant thumping filled her ears. The heart began to shine.

And they fell into the sky.

Noelle woke from what felt like sleep. She was lying underneath a particularly large tree, which offered some protection from the light drizzle of rain currently falling around her. It looked like it was getting dark out. She sat up, looking down at her hands. No cuts. At least, none she could see. A slow, aching pain coming from nowhere in particular filled her body.

Kris stirred beside her. Susie stood at the edge of the tree’s canopy. She turned to face Noelle, a look of relief blooming on her face. Noelle swore she saw a faint red glow fade from Susie’s eyes.

Susie glanced around, somehow waking up on her feet. She was no longer in the cave, thank the Angel for that. Or, more accurately, thank the voice. She felt like she had just been hit by a bus. Every muscle in her body felt like it had been pulled at once.

Welcome back.