Kris takes a half step away from Ralsei's side, hoping he won't be offended. Asriel and Dad are pulling into the driveway, faces betraying...something, Kris can't quite place it even though they can see it on their faces as far away as the house.
Even from the porch, Kris can just tell they've been talking about Ralsei. They're starting to think they've made a mistake bringing him here. They don't let it show on their face, though. Ralsei is still standing beside them.
They really want to spend more one-on-one time with him, though.
Asriel rolls his window down. "Hey, Kris, Ralsei," he calls, poking his head out the window and nearly scraping his horns against the top.
Kris tilts their head in his direction. Ralsei waves shyly.
"Get in!" Asriel says, waving them closer.
Kris obliges, Ralsei trailing behind. "There isn't enough room for four people," they point out.
Asriel throws open the door and hops out. "You and I can ride in the bed of the truck, you know, like we used to."
Ralsei frowns. "Is- is that safe?"
"Of course it is! And I already texted Mom on the way, so we're good to go!" Asriel beams, and it looks like their fate has been sealed.
It's impossible to talk in the back of a moving truck, so Kris kills time by pretending to look at their phone the entire way to the diner. If they didn't know any better, they might buy their brother's pretense of trying to be polite to their guest.
But they do know better. Asriel obviously still doesn't like or trust Ralsei, and this is all an excuse to get him alone with Dad so Kris can't answer questions for him.
They've really fucked up. This is usually the part of the lie where they would come clean (partially, anyway) and at least give out some of the truth.
But how are they supposed to just tell everyone there's a whole other world in their school? They can see Mom's disapproving face now.
You are too old to be playing make believe, Kris, she'd say. You need to tell the truth.
Funny. The one time they want nothing more than to tell the truth is the one time where nobody would believe it. Maybe that's karma for all the lying. Though, really, what kind of karma would it be to bring Ralsei into this mess? It's not like he's done anything other than let Kris lead him along.
Of course - and Kris hates that they're thinking this - it's not like Dad has ever had much of a spine. Even if he doesn't like Ralsei, it's not like he'd try to make Mom send him away. They hope.
Maybe it's just them projecting, but Asriel looks anxious, smoothing over the same non existent wrinkled spot in his pant leg over and over again. He seems to notice Kris watching him, and gives them a, for him, reserved smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. It strikes them that this is the same expression stuffed animals are forced to wear. Kris tries to remember the last time they saw him smile like that and finds they can't. It's wrong, seeing that kind of smile from their brother aimed at them.
Asriel isn't even trying to be slick about this. What other way to split them up and ensure that someone can question Ralsei without Kris being available to intervene and concoct convenient lies on the fly? It's the kind of stunt Kris used to help their brother pull, and having it turned around on them, well, they're growing increasingly regretful of their tendency to lie.
Their phone informs them it hasn't been more than fifteen minutes, but it feels like ages for them to reach the diner. As soon as the truck slows down enough, Kris jumps out over the side, wanting to get to Ralsei as fast as humanly possible.
The front passenger door opens. "-nds lovely!" Ralsei is finishing as he carefully climbs out of the truck. He's doing a good job at smiling, but Kris can tell he's tense, and Dad probably can, too.
Kris saunters up beside him as casually as they can muster, stopping just short of touching him. Really, all they want is to be close to him, maybe even close enough for that soft looking fur to just gently brush against their skin-
"Kris?" Dad asks, cutting through all the images beginning to stir in the human's mind with a jolt at the same time Asriel calls, "Uh, Ralsei?"
Asriel and Dad have both already managed to reach the diner's frosted glass door, while Kris and Ralsei have been awkwardly standing by the truck, staring at each other. Smooth.
"O-oh," Ralsei startles. "Right," he says, smile slipping for only a half second. Luckily he has the sense to avoid eye contact with Kris as they both hurry to the door.
"Did you not sleep well last night, Kris?" Dad asks as the group enters, subtle as a brick to the face.
"Asriel kicks," they lie, a little too fast.
They reach what used to be their regular booth, Dad and Asriel both taking opposite sides immediately, and Kris wonders if that's intentional.
"Then let's sit on the same side of the table so I don't kick you," Asriel grins at them.
Well, they definitely walked into that one.
Ralsei wakes up to see Kris looming over them.
"You have to leave," they say, face blank and voice flat.
"What?" Ralsei asks, blinking tears or either tiredness or a forgotten nightmare out of his eyes.
"You need to go," Asriel says, also standing over him. His horns somehow look sharper, deadly, even. Has always been this intimidating?
"Bu-"
"You can't stay here," Asgore booms, standing in the doorway. His horns are almost as tall as Ralsei, and they scrape against the ceiling as he walks closer.
"You're not one of us," the three say in unison.
Ralsei turns his head to look at Kris and beg them to reconsider and let him stay, but the words die in his throat when he sees that Kris has sprouted horns already, and he watches, paralyzed, as they grow, taller and taller, until they're taller than the human they belong on, turning and curling in as they reach the ceiling, and before he can even move there's nothing but him and the horns.
Ralsei wakes again, sighs, and stares up at the horn-free ceiling. It seems like he has nightmares every night in the Lightner's world, and it's getting old, fast.
He doesn't even have to turn and check to know that Asriel and Kris are still in their bed, deep asleep. Letting out a small huff, he throws the blanket off him and tentatively stands. He's pretty sure he's not supposed leave the room after bedtime, but there's no point staying in bed if he can't sleep.
In the Dark world, time really doesn't mean anything; there's not really any kind of sun or sky or, well, light, so everyone keeps their own hours. Ralsei's always relied on his bodyclock, but here? It's a crapshoot at best.
So he gets up, taking care to be quiet as possible so he doesn't wake Kris and Asriel. Luckily, being a goat, his night vision is excellent.
He creeps downstairs and is standing on outside before he even realizes he's going there, pale moonlight lighting his fur silver. It's pretty. Tiny shining bugs - Kris called them fireflies - dance lazily, floating gently in the warm haze of the night. It's all very serene.
Ralsei can't shake the nagging feeling that he doesn't belong here.
"It's beautiful out here tonight, is it not?"
Ralsei jumps. He apparently let himself zone out so bad he didn't hear Toriel approach.
"It is," he agreed.
She moves to lean against the railing, watching the fireflies dance.
"You met Asgore today, correct?"
Despite the humid warmth in the air, he shivers, just a little. "Yes ma'am."
For a painfully tense moment, the other goat doesn't respond. And then she sighs, sounding older and more tired than she probably should.
"There is no reason to be so nervous around us," she says.
"I'm n-not, I'm just-"
There's something disarming about this woman.
"I just feel like I don't belong here," he says, and it's not really a lie, is it?
Toriel hums to herself, thoughtful.
"Kris didn't tell me their family were all goats," he continues, her silence seemingly tearing the words out of his mouth.
"Well, it's not terribly surprising, I suppose," she murmurs, more to herself than Ralsei.
"What's not?" he asks, lost.
Toriel shakes her head. "It is nothing. It's late. You should go back to bed," she says in a tone that, while gentle, also leaves no room for argument. She reaches over to pat him on the back. "If Kris wants you here, then you belong, Ralsei," she tells him, so sincere it's almost tangible.
