Chapter 1: Such a Friendly Town
"You're going abroad to Ebbot for your placement this semester. You are to write journal articles periodically about your experiences and try to relate them to conceptual theories as much as possible. This placement is graded on a pass/fail basis provided by your supervisor." The professor paused and put a pen to his mouth. "No need to worry about accommodations while you are there. Toriel, your supervisor, has all your accommodations figured out." He shoved a series of papers towards me as his brow arched indicating he needed a few signatures.
"Any questions Frisk?" His gruff voice asked as I began signing my name on the waivers in front of me. Dr. Brown was always one to cut to the chase. Not many can see past his abrupt exterior but once or twice I've seen his compassionate side. I paused for a moment as I racked my brain for questions, my brow wrinkled in thought as I couldn't come up with any that weren't already previously addressed.
"You'll be fine Frisk. You're a great student and this is a wonderful opportunity." Dr. Brown paused for a moment, sympathy briefly flashed across his face. "You can call me if you have any issues… You still have my card?" I nodded putting him at ease momentarily. I knew he was referring to the fact that guardianship in my life has been pretty non-existent but being on my own hasn't been that bad for me. I've been able to support myself, provide the basic necessities for myself and still accomplish my goals. For me, that's really all I need. I'll admit, working full time and focusing on school was daunting but the finish line is so close I can almost taste it – and it's quite rewarding.
"Dr. Brown, with all due respect, please don't worry too much about me. I like to think I'm quite adaptable. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous, but I will most definitely try my best." I flashed a toothy grin at my professor dismissing his concern with a gesture of my hand.
"When does my placement start anyways? I'll have to contact work and give them confirmed dates." I asked.
"In 2 weeks you'll start your 6 month placement until April 30th. Don't forget to hand in your graduation paperwork beforehand so we can ensure that you will be in the ceremony." Dr. Brown reminded me as I finished signing the last consent form.
Once Dr. Brown made sure all the forms were signed to his standards, he handed me plane tickets and a boarding pass before sending me off with a curt nod, paper copies, and small smile.
I slugged off the plane with my book-riddled bags. It was a surprise I even got through the weight limit at the airport with the amount of textbooks I brought. The air was cold and abrupt against my face as I walked into the quaint airport just outside of the capital town in Ebbot, Snowdin. It wasn't hard to find my driver as the airport was practically deserted. None the less, I was soon on my way to the Snowdin Inn until morning where I would get an overview and briefing from Toriel herself. My stomach flipped in anticipation as I nestled into the cotton sheets of the Inn and attempted to sleep.
I woke up eagerly before my alarm, the foreign sun peeking through the curtains in biting anticipation. Quickly, I got ready for the day and ran to the Inn lobby for some courtesy breakfast.
"How'd you sleep, traveller?" A gentle voice asked as I sipped my coffee delicately. I looked up from my cup to see a middle-aged woman with folded arms stare at me kindly.
"Very well thanks for accommodating me." I stood up and shook her hand with an attentive smile. "I'm Frisk, I'll be doing my international relations placement here." She nodded as I continued. "Anything in particular I should know about around here?" I pulled out my notebook eagerly wondering what kinds of cultural traditions or nuances there could be.
I watched as her face turn slightly suspicious before resuming a faint smile. "There's nothing out of the ordinary here dear." She patted my head and abruptly left to go tend to the laundry that was beeping in the nearby room. "Strange."
Before I could follow and ask more questions, I was interrupted by a chill from the front doors. Before me stood a kindly lady with white hair and a plump, delicate face. "Good morning, my child." Her eyes warmed as they met mine. She quickly shut the door and walked over towards me. I waved and smiled politely even though I hadn't the faintest clue who I was addressing.
"Welcome to Snowdin!" She began, "My name is Toriel, I will be your guardian for the next while." She announced proudly and with mother-like authority.
I shook her hand and exchanged pleasantries. She smelled like butterscotch, I wondered vaguely what I smelt like. "Probably textbooks and highlighters." After another cup of coffee and polite conversation about the town and my expectations we were off on a tour of Snowdin.
Snowdin was quaint and friendly, all the houses were built from log and overlooked the water. The air smelt clean and the people were very generous with their pleasantries. Within minutes I couldn't help but smile as I took in the minimalist nature of the town. The greenery was covered in a thin blanket of snow and everything looked so picturesque I was almost afraid to go indoors in fear it would vanish. Such a friendly town. I thought to myself with a smile. After visiting all the stores and landmarks we finally arrived at Toriel's house, strangely named "The Ruins".
"Be careful, my child. The door sometimes sticks." Toriel warned as she swung open the door with a surprising amount of strength. For someone who was supposed to be the head of the country, her house was a pretty plain 3 bedroom.
"I live within my means so that the town can prosper." Toriel claimed as if she was reading my mind. We entered her living room. I nodded in understanding as my eyes flitted over the room. It was cozy, consisting of 2 simple armchairs, a book shelf, and a small fireplace. Toriel gestured for me to sit and get comfortable which I gladly did. She disappeared for a few moments only to later return with 2 plates of butterscotch pie.
"So" I began in between bites. "What kind of problems can I help address while I am here?" I asked; eager to gain experience.
Toriel thought for a moment, choosing her words delicately. "Well my child, things are quite complicated. Though we have a strong foreign policy that is almost identical to the West. We don't have a strong relationship with them. There is little trade, harsh immigration laws between us, and mobility from Ebbot into the West is very inaccessible." She paused. "That's probably one of the reasons why the airport was so desolate when you arrived, and I won't be surprised if you had to sign a hefty amount of paperwork to boot." She gave a small smile, almost as if she was ashamed.
"That doesn't make much sense." I said waving my spoon for emphasis. "We are neighbouring countries and your ideals and values are almost identical to ours. Plus, it seems (from what little I've observed) that there are plenty of natural resources to utilize here for trade. I can't really see why international relations with the West are as poor as you say. Ebbot is a new country and just found its independence. This may sound harsh but it's rare that no one wants to capitalize on you." I chewed thoughtfully on the last few bites of the pie. "Seems kind of strange actually." I thought out loud.
Toriel scrutinized my logic before nodding in agreement. "You're observant. Not like the others. I don't expect you to change everything but myself and Asgore would love to hear your thoughts and recommendations towards fostering a better relationship with the West. We could really use your help, Frisk." Toriel flashed me a caring smile before taking my plate to the kitchen.
"On Mondays we have our council meetings, you should attend and I'll introduce you to everyone." She called from the kitchen, continuing conversation. I responded eagerly and bounded in to help her clean up only to be shooed out. "Why don't you go explore the town some more? But don't be too late or I'll get worried. Oh! Here is my phone number in case something happens." She stated with motherly authority.
"T-Thank you" I stammered back in response, I could feel my cheeks slightly redden. No one has ever shown this much concern for me before. "Is this what a mother is like?"
I tightened my jacket around my body as my breath came out in white wisps. The evening chill was something I'd have to get used too. The snow crunched under my feet as I walked. One step, crunch, two step, crunch, three step, crunch, crunch. "Wait. Why was there a second crunch?" I stood abrupt for a moment and darted my eyes back and forth. I hadn't seen anyone else on the trail. I readied the cell phone in my pocket just in case of emergency and I stepped forward slowly assuming a more natural stride as I walked closer towards the town. Just as I was about to cross the small bridge I heard a voice from an intimate closeness.
"Hey Kid." My body froze. "Turn around a shake my hand." It was identifiable as a male voice riddled with sarcasm. I took a deep breath and turned around to face my perpetrator, determined to examine him thoroughly just in case I had to identify an attacker later.
He was a little shorter then me and had a stocky but muscular frame. One hand was stuck inside a blue hoodie, "was he armed?" and the other one was outstretched towards me. He wore a smug expression that showcased his blue eyes. His hair was dark brown and messy, almost as carefree as his expression.
"Oh god, what's behind you?" I said trying my best to express shock. Which wasn't that hard considering I was probably going to be attacked anyways. I pointed a shaky hand past his shoulders in attempts to trick him so I could escape.
"Wha-" he began, startled. Just as soon as he looked away I ran past the bridge as fast as I could, determined to escape his reach. I had done a lot of running in the past and I was confident I could easily outrun a short, stocky criminal. My confidence wavered as I felt a weird sensation tickle my ankles and before I could adjust, I fell over face-first into the snow. A chorus of laughter erupted from behind me.
"Here Kid. I'm not going to hurt you." The man said outstretching his hand to help me up.
"Well then don't approach strangers alone from behind like that!" I affirmed, standing up on my own. Still confused as to how I fell down in the first place. I huffed angrily, wanting to make my frustration noticeable.
He grimaced slightly, almost apologetically. Then scratched the back of his head. "Hey, I think we got off on the wrong foot." He looked down to my feet with a smirk as if to mock my recent fall. "Want to start again?" He outstretched his hand for a third time.
Not wanting to be rude, and also partly because I needed to make a good impression on all residents, I shook his hand only to be rewarded with a small pffffff of which made him keel over with laughter again.
"The old whoopee cushion trick." He stated, teary eyed.
"You snuck up on me just to do that?!" I exclaimed, my cheeks turning warm despite the chilled air. "You're trouble." I laughed in disbelief. He seemed to take it as I was laughing at his joke. He placed his hand on my shoulder.
"I'm Sans" he said with a small half-smile.
Though his sense of humor may be immature, he seemed like a relatively harmless guy.
"Frisk" I replied indulging him further with a smile. "I'm on placement here studying international relations between Ebbot and the West."
He shrugged unsurprised. "I figured. We heard there would be an exchange student coming. Not a lot of people come by here so it wasn't hard to figure out it was you. Everyone in Snowdin's been talking about you all day. My brother and I missed you this morning though during your introductions."
"Shame that I missed your jokes earlier." I replied flippantly with blatant sarcasm. Sans responded with a chuckle.
"Have you been to Grillby's yet?" He asked nonchalantly.
"No, what's that?" I asked, genuinely intrigued.
"Local pub, tonight is Jazz night too." Sans replied. "Wanna check it out? I was heading there anyways before I saw you."
I nodded, accepting the invitation. Unsure if I agreed was because I liked jazz, wanted to get out of the cold air, or if I found San's wit endearing. Probably a combination of all three. Soon, our backs receded towards town as flippant jokes and sarcastic remarks chorused about the winter air.