"Can I-"
"I'll be with you soon."
"But-"
"There are others before you. I'll be with you soon, I said."
Asgore's almost knocked off his seat as a family of six squeezes past him. He surveys his surroundings. It's almost as packed in here as it was during the parade. It took him fifteen minutes just to worm his way to the bar, and his cloak was almost dragged off his head numerous times.
"Order fifty five of Seven Sowls?"
She seems to be very busy tending to the, almost, hundred of guests practically leaning over the counter with bowls waving in their hands.
That new sign Asgore bumped his head into outside must've been the reason.
'In service to the Royal Family'
Asgore sees it waving outside in the blazing orange of the setting sun over countless heads. Someone else must've bumped it as well. A second later an armored guard comes into view of the window, massaging his head with his helmet in his hand. Asgore turns his back against the window, moving the fabric a bit more over his muzzle. He's gotten back some of his beard now, so he has to be a bit more careful, his muzzle tucked back to hide as much as possible.
Maybe he should come back another day? There's a constant influx at the moment. Monsters pouring in from the constantly opened door. Just getting out is gonna be a problem, but it's better to cut this loss sooner rather than later.
Soon he won't be able to move at all.
He'll retreat for now, a tactical setback. Plan for another day when this has settled down a bit.
/
Toriel wakes up with her entire body aching. Yesterday was a chore, more than usual. She knew that the sign extension would bring in more customers, but so many? There wasn't a second she could catch her breath on. Constant serving, constant cooking, constant moving. Never has she felt so tired as she did yesterday evening at closing time. Never has she felt such a sense of pride and accomplishment though.
All of yesterevening was the fruit of her experimentation with the soup, her declining the Royal Family's offer, and her putting her back into every movement she did.
It's aching though, maybe she put a bit too much back into it.
Her pain washes away as she sees the overflowing bag of coins on her drawer though. She has to get a bigger pouch, a much bigger pouch. If this continues she'll be able to get to the University by the end of the year! The thought overwhelms her, sending it concentrated out of her eye in a heavy tear that runs down the entire length of her smiling muzzle until it drops off, and landing in her palm.
She inhales, proud and pleased.
This is what she's been working for, this is finally her proving herself to herself.
She exhales, proud and pleased.
It should be time for her to get up and go to work now, but it isn't. She's deserving of a day off, and she's gonna snuggle up every minute of it, every last second. Then she's gonna go back tomorrow, fresh, and ready for more!
But for now she'll close her eyes again, and let the early morning birds sing her back to sleep.
/
"No, Toriel doesn't work today. She's on a day off."
What!
"I see," Asgore says after swallowing his shock. It's hard, and takes a toll on his throat. "Thank you."
"We still serve the sou-"
The friendly informing disappears behind the thick wooden door Asgore closes behind him. Day off? Of all the unlucky! He sighs, leaning back on the door. He pushes off it immediately after. No! Unforeseen consequences, he should've prepared for that. Nothing he can do now but walk home and sneak back inside.
If anything the travel is giving him plenty of time to think, so when he finally do catch her attention he'll be more prepared. Silver lining.
Golden lining as well. Diamond, even. He knows her name now.
Toriel.
And what a lovely name it is.
"Toriel," Asgore mouths quietly to himself. He feels his tongue articulate every letter of it. It dances in his mouth, gently brushing against the roof and floor like the most daintily maid. "Toriel," he repeats.
He feels his soul fluster as it can finally put a name onto the feeling Asgore's been searching the entire town for. It feels good to have accomplished something by himself. He saw a situation, planned, and executed his own strategy out of his own volition. The spoils are for him alone, and the best is yet to come.
He doesn't feel excited for it though. Well, he does, immensely so, but it's dwarfed by another feeling towering skies above his excitement.
Asgore holds out his hand, seeing it quiver, shaking like a scared child. He balls it into a focused fist, but it keeps shaking. What is he afraid of?
The answer is clear to him, very much so.
What will he do if she says no?
Try again until it works?
No, the scrolls were very clear to remove the knife if it starts digging deep and causing pain. He'll have to go over his plans again tomorrow again to make sure it doesn't happen, and then another time, just to be sure.
If only he could practice with someone, but doing so would require Asgore to confess to things that would have Gerson pop out of his shell with fury.
No, this is a one prince operation. To be done by the prince, for the prince. Asgore will prove to himself that he can act independently, that he can be the king that his people want.
Asgore punches into his open palm, scaring a nearby monster. He'll get through this, he's determined to.
Just need to get back to the castle and go over his plans, again. Pop down to the library quick to see if there are any more texts to help him prepare, again. Run through some plausible scenarios with his figurines, again.
And finally, go back and try again, again.
This he swears, as a prince, and a future king!
/
"Welcome back, Toriel! How was your day off?"
Toriel feigns a yawn as she stretches her arms up behind her head. "I did nothing but sleep." A real yawn sneaks up on her, and her jaw opens further. She hastily moves her hand over her mouth to quell it, but it keeps going, almost unhinging her jaw like a snake. Once it finally fades she's forced to dry some tears away from her eyes.
"Looks like you slept a bit too much there," Toriel's boss laughs out while handing her some water which she gladly accepts. "You can go home and sleep some more until the dinner rush if you want."
Toriel shakes her head while drinking. "I'm fine," she says after swallowing. "Just gotta get going, that's all."
"You don't mind making a batch of your soup? We had some patrons yesterday that asked for it, and you as well."
Toriel finishes tying her apron's strings with a furrowed expression. "Me? Why?"
"Some lady wanted to know your recipe, others wondered where you were since they came in for some of the soup, and then there was this hooded person asking your name."
"Again, why?"
"He'd heard wrong. He was looking for someone else with a similar name to yours, and went wrong."
Toriel can't do nothing but shrug at that. "Alright then. Anything else?"
Her boss shakes his head after some thinking. "No, not really. There was some minor complaining about your snoring making it all the way here, but that shouldn't really bother you now."
Toriel sends over an unamused eyebrow raised high. She gets three playfully bouncing back, and her serious facade fades into a leisurely scoff. She receives an encouraging pat on her back as she heads down to the kitchen to begin her workday.
/
Asgore needs to sit down a bit. He landed a bit weird on his foot as he dropped down. Not broken, and not enough to have him worry, but he feels like he needs to stretch it out a bit before continuing.
He finds a stone bench on an oval overlook, and sits down carefully. After some careful stretching he turns around to stretch out the front of his ankle. He leans over the stone wall, and is forced to squint as the low sun hits him right in the eyes.
Once they adjust themselves, he almost drops his jaw.
The rolling green hills, with the long and slithering rivers dancing like thick veins throughout them, all coming together to form the crystal clear lake just over yonder that sparkles like precious gems in the sun. The city below is bustling, with the glimmers of candle lit windows almost mirroring what the stars will be in the upcoming night sky.
This is the place. This is where he will take Toriel. It'll be perfect, as it almost matches the view from the castle.
Asgore takes in his surroundings, mentally marking what kind of houses are, and how this place is in regards to certain main roads. If only he could see the tavern from here then he'd have an easier time finding his way back to it. It would mean a bigger chance that Toriel would've seen it by now though.
Higher risk, higher reward.
Asgore's not afraid of a challenge.
His ankle feels as springy as ever now as well.
Tonight is the night!
/
"Oh this outta be good."
Toriel sizes up the swaggering stranger that just entered the tavern. His brisk step swaying his flowing robe, with a hood bouncing with each confident step, revealing a white muzzle dragged into a cocky smirk in the midst of a beard that flows like sunshine.
She turns her back to him as to not reveal her amused smile growing out of control.
Jyuona leans over the bar. "I can taste his intentions from all the way over here," she whispers to a giggling Toriel. "Like five whole cans of spices."
"Stop it," Toriel whispers back harshly, her voice cracking from her snickering.
The stranger seats himself on a bar stool, leaning his impressive weight onto his elbow with his forearm bent in towards him. It's not long before he catches the attention of Toriel again, who approaches him with a friendly smile, having exhaled as much giggling as she's able to.
"What can I get you today?" she asks while brushing her hands off her apron.
"Tell me," the patron says while straightening his back out in all its impressive length, making sure that his chest expands like the bellows used to fuel the crackling hearth in the middle of the tavern. "If I told you your body was beautiful," his deep and smooth voice asks with a supple pause to breathe in wishfully, "would you hold it against me?"
Toriel calmly, yet firmly, points towards the door. "Please leave."
/
…
/
"I thought that it was a good one," Jyuona comments with an impressed frown as the door is closed behind a head heavy as a mountain upon a pair of shoulders weak like twigs. She takes a swig of her tankard. "I've never heard it before. Although, I'm not really in the lane of that as much as you are, Toriel."
She snaps her finger. "Exactly. If I'm being coy it'll only bellow their egos, so when it eventually pops it'll be a much louder sound than if I just say no to begin with." Toriel nods to a waving patron a couple of tables away. She starts rounding the counter. "Better to cut them off before they start getting attached. It's the more humane option."
"You're such an angel, Toriel. Protecting the men from themselves."
Toriel leans in towards Jyuona as she passes her. "Exactly."
"He looked cute though," Jyuona whispers back, only to get an amused scoff in return.
"Yeah, sure."
/
No! No! No!
Asgore leans onto the wall, almost slipping down as he stares blankly up into the pink sky.
All of his plans, like dust to the wind. He's done so much, only to have it come crashing down at the first hurdle. His mind has been occupied by all of this ever since the parade. Not a single moment has passed without him thinking how to approach, what to say, when to say, who to say.
All gone.
He's failed, despite his best efforts, despite his determination to see this through. He's taken so many risks getting here, but it's all for nothing.
He can't remember feeling as stunned as when he did just a moment ago. He did everything like what his research had shown would work. He was confident, he was straight to the point, and he had a good ice breaker. It was textbook, it would've been applauded, but all he got was an open palm pointing in the direction of the door.
Her voice, ice cold. Her words, like venom. When she repeated herself, Asgore could do nothing but cower. Worse than Gerson, worse than anything Asgore could've planned for. Her statement shook Asgore to his very core, to his soul. Still now it flusters in a state of half panic.
"Please leave."
Her voice rings like loud brass bells, tolling for him to leave.
"Please leave."
An echo, stronger than before. A derivative more powerful than its origin. Her repeating that statement commanded more authority than Asgore's ever done in his entire life.
He chokes, but instead of him sliding down more, he extends his back. He drags his arm hard across his eyes.
No! He won't cry over this! He will steel himself! His plan is in ruins, so that means that he has to figure out a new one, and quickly! He will not falter because of this! He will learn, adapt, like a true Royal.
But how?
/
"He's still standing there."
Toriel peeks up from underneath the bar. "Who?"
Jyuona points to the window next to the front door. What looks to be an elbow is bobbing slowly up and down, the shadows from the patterns of the window following gently along.
Toriel's eyes narrow hard. "Guess that's the reason why it's so slow today."
"Or it could be because it is slow that he's still standing there?" Jyuona retorts with a quick shrug.
Toriel almost fills her chin full of splinters as she drags it hard across the bar over towards Jyuona. "Or it could be the scary dark hooded stranger standing next to the door with his arms folded?"
Jyuona heaves a quick shrug. "With a face like his I wouldn't be afraid to get a little closer."
Toriel throws her head towards the front door. "Go right ahead then, Jyuona. I'll comp a round for you two if you get him away from there."
Jyuona taps her finger on her cheek as she thinks. She swivels side to side on her bar stool, loudly humming. "Nope," she finally says, punctuating by spinning around full circle. "I want you to go and woe him away."
"Ok?" Toriel's eyebrows shoot up into the roof. "Why?"
"Because I saw you hesitate for just a moment before asking him to leave." Jyuona wiggles her brow playfully. "Never seen you do that before, so there must be something about him that struck you as well."
"Yeah," Toriel nods once while looking over to the peeking elbow, "his dark robe and hood coupled with that awful pickup line." She dives back down the bar to continue sorting the bottles.
"It wasn't awful."
"Yes it waaaas." Toriel lifts her index finger above the counter. "Very much so."
"Have you heard it before?" Jyuona pries.
"No, but-"
"Then it wasn't awful."
Toriel's loud sigh is amplified by the empty space underneath the bar, like a guitar. "When you've heard as many as I have you start to get a feel for when it's awful."
"He was cute though."
No answer.
"Ha!" Jyuona leans over the bar. She pokes Toriel on the top of her head. "Knew it!"
Toriel swats Jyuona's hand away. "He wasn't bad looking, that's all I'm gonna admit."
Jyuona keeps her leaned posture, crossing her arms underneath her torso for support. "So what's the damage, really? Judging by the fabric on his robe he must be somewhat rich. Worst case is that he's boring."
"Or a murderer," Toriel adds irritably.
"As if anyone could lay a finger on you without your permission. Well, except me." Jyuona flicks Toriel's horn, and earns a very stern look that would have anyone else flinch their soul out. "Anyways, you've been looking for new kinds of bottles to stock the bar with, so why not lean in on him to fetch some new ones the two of you can taste. He'll be the one paying, so why not?"
Toriel's unamused face slowly rises up from underneath the bar. "You're insane, Jyuona," she states very clearly.
"I'm just trying to help you, Toriel. If you're planning to attend the University then you need some experience in dating." Jyuona throws her open hand towards the door. "You have one now literally waiting on your doorstep. He's one of yours, he's cute, he's rich, he came for you. He's gonna melt in your hands if you as much as sigh in his direction."
"She's right, you know?"
Toriel glares at her boss. "You're not seriously agreeing with her, are you?"
Her boss shrugs before descending down the stairs. "Whatever makes you all puffy like this, Toriel. Always a treat to see your horns almost popping off."
"See?" Jyuona puts her hand on Toriel's back. "Now out with you." Toriel doesn't move, despite Jyuona putting in all her weight on her push.
"Make sure to have him buy something expensive!" Toriel's boss advises from the kitchen.
God damn every one of you to hell.
Toriel sighs heavily. "Fine, but I'm kicking him to the curb at the slightest wrong."
"No," Jyuona leans in for a final push, "you wont."
/
No, that would probably have her call for the guards. Can't have them find out that it's Asgore dancing on one of the tables. How about-
"Hey."
Asgore flinches away from the voice. His horns bump the sign, and he's forced into a bow. He massages them underneath his hood while breathing through clenched teeth.
/
Toriel catches the sign extension flapping violently from the stranger's scared recoil. This is gonna be worse than she thought, and she curses Jyuona under her breath.
/
"H-hi." Asgore finally manages to say as he notices who the voice was from. "I-It's you."
She nods. "Yes, it's me. I could hear your thinking from all the way inside. What are you doing?"
Asgore tries his best to stand up normally. "I was just...thinking, as you said." A quick laugh escapes him despite him not summoning it willfully, which prompts another one.
/
Ok? Is it even possible to blush as much as he's doing right now? Toriel, for some reason, finds it a bit endearing. Here's this big, broody, intimidating figure, giggling like a child. Wait…
"How old are you?"
Just to be safe.
/
"I became an adult not so long ago," Asgore admits bashfully with his hand behind his neck in an attempt to hold his head upright. "Is it obvious?"
/
Does the sun rise every morning?
/
"I'm sorry if I in any way caused you unease." Asgore tugs a friendly smile. "I see now that my studying might've caused me to assume a bit too much."
/
Wait, wait, wait, wait. "You studied what? How to approach women?"
The stranger nods.
"Like, books? Scrolls? Scripture?"
He nods again, now blushing like the reddest of sunsets.
Toriel puts a hand up to her forehead. "Oh my god." She scoffs. "So this is your first time trying this?"
A very weak, yet also very guilty, nod is followed by a smile that's trying to save the red face it's stuck to.
Why did she waste her 'Oh my god'? Dear oh dear, this guy is more green than fresh grass! He looks as if he's been fighting off girls his entire life, but he acts like Toriel is the first one he's talked to!
Jyuona was right, but not about him being cute! He's just-
/
Asgore feels a cold chill run up his spine as Toriel quickly averts her eyes while clearing her throat. He might as well cut his loss now rather than later. He's way in over his head, and-
/
"Listen-"
Toriel recoils back a bit as the dark hood spins around quicker than she can react. She shakes her head to get back on track.
"It's pretty obvious that you're in too deep for your own good, and that you don't can't even begin to fathom how to swim."
"I can swi-"
"Thank you for proving my point," Toriel interrupts quickly. "Thing is though that..." Toriel cranes her neck back as she hates herself for not being able to shake this feeling off. She'd carve it off with the dullest knife possible if she could. He is though...but she can't say that! "I think that makes you a bit..." Argh! What to say? "I don't know…Interesting? Not repulsive? I mean, it's the first time I heard your pickup line, so I guess there's that. It's wasn't too bad, I have to admit. Guess that puts you above anyone else that have tried."
Why did she admit that?
/
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
/
"Just a bit though," Toriel adds immediately after with haste. Mostly to herself. "You seem quite rich with your fancy robe and all that, so I feel that to repay that favor you can spend an hour or two looking for some fancy wine for us two to share?"
/
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
"Sounds good to me."
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
/
"Do you want to meet here...um?"
Yeah, what is his name?
/
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH-
Oh yeah, what is Asgore's name?
"My name's A-"
IDIOT! Don't use your own!
"I'm...Are."
WHY?
/
Hold on a minute here! Something's fishy.
How does he pronounce it?
"Are? As in, Áre, or Aré?"
/
Just pick one! It doesn't matter! Well...it does, but not in that way!
"Àre."
/
"Right. Wanna meet me here in two hours, Are?"
"Actually," Are points up to towards the city, "I passed a place that I thought was very nice. Maybe we can meet there?"
Why not? "Sure." Toriel nods. "Where is it?"
/
…
No.
…
No!
Think! Think! Where is it?
"It's...um…" Just something! "You don't happen to know about that frozen treat stand a bit ways up?"
"Matter of fact, I do," Toriel answers with a smile. "You think he's open by now though? Don't now if frozen treats sell well during the night."
"No, no, no, no!" Asgore exhales a relieved laugh. He knows the way from there at least! "We can meet there, and then walk from there! The place has a beautiful overlook over the city, I promise you!"
/
Toriel can't help but smile at his enthusiasm, some of it even slips over to her. "I'll see you there then after I'm done working, Are."
/
"B-by the way!"
/
Oh he must be catching on to that it works now, he just has to.
/
"W-what do you want to drink? M-might be a bit strange hearing someone else ask you that, right?"
/
Alright! He knows!
God dammit…
"Something I can't find here in the tavern would be nice. Something new to my palate. You wouldn't know though, come to think of it."
/
"I-It's fine! I'll figure something out."
/
Fair enough.
"Great. See you there then."
"Yes, see you."
From inside, Toriel's boss does her an immense favor by calling her over for help. She closes the door after a small wave with her hand to Are.
/
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
No! Stop! Focus!
Asgore's can't let this slip out now! He's so close! Where can he find wine at this time of day? Wait, where can he find wine, period? He doesn't know any markets! The only bottles he's seen are…
Asgore's eyes move up to the castle.
How long did Toriel say? Two hours? He'd have to run all the way up, sneak inside, and then out again, and again run all the way to the stall.
And even that would take-
No! Again! No! Focus! Do what has to be done for the plan to succeed! So close now! Can't let it slip away!
Asgore breathes in calmly for the last time these coming hours. He pushes off the wall, and starts running.
/
"Look at him go!" Jyuona points out the window while pumping her other fist in the air. "He's so fast!"
Toriel slinks quickly past her.
Jyuona doesn't let her pass without a quick tug at her shoulder though. "Told you he deserved a second chance!"
Toriel clears her throat. "He's paying for the wine he's bringing, so I got what I wanted out of it."
Jyuona nods without being convinced in the slightest. "Sure…" She keeps nodding, with increasing levels of condescending. "Which is why your voice shoot all the way to the moon when he suggested that beautiful overlook."
Toriel's lips pout into a scowl, but she does so to mask the smile that she feels building up.
"And just a bit adorable?" Jyuona scoffs loud for all to hear. "Please!"
"So I fell into your master plan, Jyuona!" Toriel smacks her towel over her shoulder a bit too hard for her not to hide it having an effect on her. "I hope you're happy."
"And I hope that you are."
The sincerity in her voice catches Toriel off guard. She lets the smile loose. "Thank you."
"You need some time for yourself, even if it is with someone else, but you know what I mean. I admire you working this much to be able to go to the University, Toriel, I really do." Jyuona puts her fist on her chest. "I wish I could as well."
"You can. Just-"
Jyuona puts her hand up to Toriel. "Don't interrupt me while I'm singing your praises, alright?" She puts it down again on her half almost empty tankard, which explains why she's so emotional all of a sudden. "Anyways," Jyuona quells a burp, "for as much as I admire you working yourself to the bone yet still coming back the next day with a smile."
"Same here!" Toriel's boss shouts up from the kitchen.
"I believe that going from working a hundred and fifty percent over to the University will be such a jarring shift of tone for you that you'll snap. Ease down a bit before going there, that's what I'm trying to say here."
She is so drunk.
"I'm fine, Jyuona." Toriel says while carefully easing the tankard out of Jyuona's hand. "I appreciate your concern though."
"You do?"
"I do."
"Great!" Jyuona's head slams down on the bar.
"And there we have it." Toriel puts her shoulder underneath her friend's arm and eases her around to the small storage room behind the bar.
"I put Jyuona in storage, can you throw a bucket of water on her if she doesn't wake up before I leave?" Toriel asks down into the kitchen.
"Sure thing!" her boss replies. "Just let me know when you have to go to your date."
Date?
Does Toriel really have to call it that?
