A/N: I'm back. A bit later than usual in the day, but I'm back.
This week was pretty interesting. Went out for an interview. Got dunked on the day after said interview. Joined a writing forum - mostly going well there. Got an awesome bit of insight into my original fic. Working. Getting ready for NaNoWriMo in general.
...eh. It all sounds really boring, when I put it like that. Oh well.
Anyways, thank you AxZi, for your comments. Thank you AngelEnnatar for following. And thank you guest for leaving Kudos.
-~o0o~-
The house was quaint, and looked small - at least from the outside. Nice and cozy, as your Mom would put it.
The thought hit you like a bolt, reminding you of home. For a moment you yearned to go back.
"Look, I don't want to fight." She says tiredly, not even flinching as its attacks float closer.
"Please don't pick on me." The monster says back, voice sounding shy.
"Pick on you?" Finley says in surprise, mostly that the monster even talked. "Why would I pick on you?"
The monster just sighs in relief, seemingly relaxing. "Finally, someone gets it."
The fight stops soon after that, for which she was thankful. If Finley wanted anything at the moment, it was to not see any more fighting.
She was still in the perspective puzzle room - or rooms, she should say. It was a bit like in the game, where signs in different rooms ask you to pull levers you had to remember the locations of, based on where they where in the last room, but more challenging. The correct lever, while clearly visible from the perspective standing in front of the sign in the last room, where hidden behind pillars when standing in the new room in front of the next plaque. And there where a lot more than three switches scattered around - there had to be dozens on dozens - and Finley had the sneaking suspicion that some of them change from room to room.
She would say it was interesting, a good challenge, if she could bring herself to focus on it. Usually she'd put effort into remembering where each of the switches where, but right now hear heart wasn't in it.
And besides that, all the while, a voice incessantly chatters in her head.
So you're not actually a kid, right?
Finley sighs, pushing down the switch halfheartedly before continuing on the to the next room. She put everything she had into ignoring it, hoping to quell the storm of chatter.
There was no such luck. You really where upset when you woke up like this. I mean, I didn't notice anything at first, but... They finish, uncertainly. The next switch is behind that pillar, by the way.
Finley's steps falter, and she felt irrationally irritated at the sudden 'assistance', before giving in and checking behind the pillar. She blinks at finding the blue switch, before mindlessly pulling it.
...Do you think it has to do with how you ended up down here? You said you didn't know how that happened, either.
Finley blinks as she walks towards the lowered spikes, spotting a hallway on the other side. A familiar hallway. She took a few tentative steps, spotting a cross-shaped pile of leaves. I must be near Toriel's house.
Yep! Her house is just to the left. She probably already started the pie - you might just catch her before she leaves the house.
Finley frowns, glancing to the left, before looking down to the end of the hallway.
The hallway leads to the rest of the Ruins, eventually. There's a nice view that way, but I wouldn't go there - it's too easy to get lost while exploring, and you don't want Miss Toriel to worry.
Finley had hazy memories of the similar details, in the game. It was just a short walk to get the toy knife and a view of the Ruins in the game, but who knows how long it'd take in real life, if the rest of the Ruins was any indication? The voice was right - probably way too long.
But, more importantly, Finley didn't want to listen.
She took a step forward, continuing straight.
Um, what are you doing? Don't you want to go see Miss Toriel?
She steps around the pile of leaves, continuing on the path easily.
Hey, where are you going?
Finley just kept going. The voice audibly (subaudibly? mentally?) sighs.
The hallway continued on straight, without doorway or turn. Finley had to wonder how big this place really was, to contain so many different hallways, before dismissing the thought. Finally it came to a doorway and, feeling adventurous, she peeks though.
Finley blinks, before stepping out to get a better look. From what looks like a rooftop terrace, expanding out all around her, was a dark expanse of what looks to be an old city. She steps out of the doorway, onto the terrace.
She'd never seen a city so... dead, before. Nothing moves. No wind, no wildlife, no trees or wandering crowds or traffic or... anything. Just stillness filling each cross street and building. She could almost pretend it was nighttime, but for the stillness and the old, musty air.
As she walks towards the edge of the terrace, her feet kick something. Finley blinks, looking down. There covered in ages on ages of dirt and grime, was a knife - a plastic dagger, or tiny sword. She reaches down, picking it up and wiping it off. placing her flashlight on the edge of the terrace wall as she did.
It was definitely a toy. One solid piece of plastic, with the handle simply painted a different color, the blade was dull and blunt. The very idea of using it in anything other than a pretend fight was stupid. but then again, Finley snorts derisively, you managed to kill a monster with a plastic flashlight.
It was only then that she notices that the voice had gone strangely silent. She raises an eyebrow, before mentally shrugging her shoulders. Whatever. A moment of peace was a moment of peace. She drops the toy knife back onto the ground, picking up the flashlight.
She turns to the side, taking note of what looks like a gap in the wall around the terrace, and approaches. Looking down, she quickly spots a ladder, leading down towards the street. She considers going farther into the ruins of the city, but decided against it - in all likelihood she really would get lost, if she tries doing that.
She went back the way she came, down the hallway towards the pile of leaves. Taking the turn she neglected last time, she immediately spots a bare tree.
Whenever it gets leaves, they just fall off. No one knows what's wrong with it.
Fascinating. She thought flatly, glancing past the tree towards the house. It was... nice. Quaint. Homely. She'd think it was just a regular old house it it wasn't smack dab in the middle of the Ruins. Though, she quickly corrects herself on walking closer - if it wasn't in the Ruins and it wasn't so oddly out of proportion. What human would need a front door that big?
Yeah, it is kinda big, isn't it?
Finley sighs, hesitating a moment in front of the door, before reaching up to knock. She barely got the first rap out before the door was quickly yanked open. She flinches back, before blinking up into the surprised face of Toriel.
Toriel looks at her, eyes wide, before seemingly collecting herself. "How did you get here, my child?" She asks urgently. "Are you hurt?" She quickly looks her over, taking in mussed hair and skinned knees, frowning in concern. "Oh, there there, small one-" her arms came down on Finley's shoulders, clutching at them firmly, "-I will heal you."
Suddenly, Finley is surrounded in a bright, aqua glow, which radiates out from all over and around her body in a warm tingle, pulsating soothingly across her skin. It sank into her skin, the tingle turning into something of an itch across her torso and scattered over her body. The light then fades in brilliance, falling away from her body like a shroud as Toriel removes her hands.
Toriel sighs as Finley blinks, too shocked to articulate properly what had just happened. Finley looks back up as the woman spoke. "I should not have left you alone for so long. It was irresponsible to try to surprise you like this." Toriel stalls for a moment, catching herself. "Err..." She shook her head. "Well, I suppose I cannot hide it any longer." Toriel pushes the door wider, motioning inward. "Come in, small one!"
Finley quickly steps after her into the house. "Do you smell that?" Toriel asks. "Surprise! It is a butterscotch-cinnamon pie. I thought we might celebrate your arrival." She says, looking down at her dotingly, smiling. It made Finley feel embarrassed. "I want you to have a nice time living here. So I will hold off on snail pie for tonight."
"Thank you." Finley says, fidgeting slightly, trying to convey her ernestness.
"Your welcome." She says, smiling. "Here, I have another surprise for you."
She takes Finely's hand, leading her down the hallway to the right, but Finley is preoccupied with something else. Because suddenly, she's turns her head and it's there - the awkwardly placed set of stairs leading out of the Ruins. But she barely has time to glance them over before being steered down the hallway towards the rooms.
"This is it..." Toriel says, stopping in front of the first door. "A room of your own. I hope you like it!"
Finley takes a moment to glance the door over. It's plain wood reveals nothing to her, though, even knowing what's behind it. Something touches the top of her head and she flinches slightly Wha- Oh. She remembers this part, now. She fought down any further reaction, feeling awkward as Toriel strokes her hair. She was relieved when the hand finally pulls away. "Is something burning...?" Toriel is already rushing down the hallway before she catches herself. "Um, make yourself at home!" Finley turns watching Toriel as she rushes down the hallway, before turning to the room.
It was off, walking around a house that wasn't your own, and being treated as more than a guest. Your brain tried to process the words as they tumbled out of Toriel's mouth - "I want you to have a nice time living here."
When the hand touched your head, familiar but so, so alien, the wrong person in the wrong place, you knew you'd have to break Ms. Toriel's heart to leave.
...And that's what you did.
You had to.
You Promised.
-~o0o~-
A/N: Yep. Not much to say, this time around. See you next week?