Tra la la.
The water is very wet today.
I've rode the head of the Royal Guard to Hotland. She's been going there a lot more frequently lately. I doubt it's just checking on those two Guards that she's sent there the other day. She also talks a lot about that nice lizard girl from before. Maybe she's going there to visit her? But she's constantly complaining just how much she hates to go there. Then why she goes anyway? It's confusing.
But in the end, it doesn't really matter. As long as I earn Gold from my job, she can say whatever she wants.
"Thanks for the ride!" she yelled as she gave me the piece of Gold before bolting in the direction of the stairs, and probably the lab that loomed in the distance. What a strange laboratory indeed, in a place like this.
"Excuse me," a deep baritone voice snapped me out of my musing. "Could you, please, give me a ride to Snowdin?"
I looked to the side, then up, just to be met with a gentle smile of a huge figure, dressed in the costume of Santa Claus and a big sack of… somethings, on his back. A pair of huge, curved horns was sticking out of his a- bit-too-small hat.
"Tra la la. Of course, your majesty." I replied simply.
The king smiled down at me in response. "Thank you," he said before he sat inside my boat. Once again, I summoned my magic into action, and the boat moved slowly forward, despite the opposing flow of the water, and in the direction of our destination.
"Tra la la. The piano plays the tinkling song. Hmm… tinkling…" I said as I remembered a pretty song I heard in my dock at Waterfall earlier today, not taking my gaze from what was in front of us. The river underground had nothing my boat would crash into, and the steam was steady as it would ever be, but I've never looked at someone directly longer than it was necessary. I didn't want to risk anyone seeing what I was hiding under my hood.
King Asgore chuckled heartily in response. "I assume you heard Undyne play on her piano, did you not?" So it was her who played the song.
…It doesn't really matter.
"That child can play quite skillfully, if she wants to. Although she could use some lessons in cooking." I could hear warmth in King's voice. It wasn't surprising. He practically raised Undyne, as they say. Then, a sad tone rang in his voice. "I wish my wife was still here to teach her. I miss her cooking. Especially her butterscotch-cinnamon pie…"
I remained silent as the king trailed off, seemingly drifting off into the land of memories. It wasn't the first time someone shared their life story with me. Monster community was relatively small, and anyone knew everyone here, so nobody really minded talking about their lives, and I didn't see the need to stop them if they wanted to do so. Besides, it was a good way to pass the time through the ride.
The ride with our king to Snowdin was quite nice. King Asgore is nice.
And so, we finally arrived at Snowdin. The king paid me the usual amount of one Gold with a smile and a 'thank you' before he made his way over to the monster school further in town, as I was told once. I also noticed him pause in his walk to talk to the shorter of skeleton brothers, Sans, if I remember correctly the name, before he disappeared behind one of the buildings.
I didn't have to wait for another passenger to arrive. Although it was quite an… excited one.
Off to the side, I noticed a small dog monster dressed in armor standing not far from my ferry, looking at me expectantly.
"Tra la la. Would you like to ride in- Woah!" a small shout escaped my lips as Lesser Dog jumped inside my boat, causing it to shake violently enough to make me lose my balance for a split second. There was a moment of stunned silence, with me stretching my arms sideways, almost making my lower body be seen. Almost."… I guess you want."
Lesser Dog barked excitedly in response. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Sans the skeleton watching me carefully. It seems the commotion caught his attention. I tried to act like it didn't matter, although, to be honest… it did. I dreaded the thought he saw some part of my body from under the cloak. I didn't let it show, though, as I asked Lesser Dog calmly. "Where to?"
After I got my response somehow, I set off towards Waterfall. This time, I settled for soft humming during the ride. It didn't matter if Lesser Dog responded to it in any way. "Tra la la. Tri li li. Tre le le."
I felt suddenly something fluffy rub against my hand under the cloak. Looking down quickly, I was met with a pleading gaze of Lesser Dog. I knew instantly what he was asking me of, but I hesitated nevertheless. Dog monsters weren't that harmful of creatures down here, and I doubt if Lesser Dog said anything about me if I petted him, but still, I didn't really want to reveal myself. To anyone.
"…Fine." I finally said with a small sigh, pulling out my hand barely out from under my cloak. Tiny, purple scales on the back of my hand and a bit long claws glinted slightly in the deem light of Waterfall, while pale pink skin on the inside touched the fur of the dog monster's head as I petted it gently.
His tail started waggling wildly at the motion, and his neck stretched out ever so slightly. Intrigued, I kept petting Lesser Dog, and his neck kept stretching and stretching until I barely could touch his chin.
Deciding that was enough, I hid my hand back under my cloak, returning to my duty as a Riverperson. Soon, the docks in Waterfall came into view. Once Lesser Dog jumped out of my boat, he gave me a generous lick to the side of my hood, since I didn't allow him to do so to my face, and one piece of Gold.
As the dog monster disappeared to God knows where, I was met with the sight of a familiar blue hoodie and dark eye sockets eyeing me up from around the corner before they disappeared as well. There it is, that mysterious ability of the short skeleton to appear at places far much quicker than he should. It sort of starts to intrigue me. Does he, perhaps, have some sort of special ability…?
I wonder if Sans noticed something back in Snowdin. I would like to say it doesn't really matter. But it does. Because if he did… I may end up dead, sooner or later.