(08)
Had Toriel been asked if Snowdin was a sight for sore eyes after the trek through the forest, she would have said that it was an understatement. She was ready to get out of the snow now. Despite being a monster of the furred variety, and one with fire magic at that, she wasn't enjoying this cold anymore, and she was beginning to feel tired after her rather strenuous day. The undead didn't seem to care about the temperature, he was totally unfazed by what would be biting-cold metal armor pressed against him. Something was worrying Toriel though.
"I do not believe walking into town with our human friend here is the best of ideas, Sans." She eyed the towering, conspicuously well-armed and armored man. He was already drawing some of the people's attention, even though they were still at the town's limits.
Sans looked at him as well. "nah, i bet he'd be able to walk right past most of these people. they might think he's a Royal Guard or something, might get my bro jealous. you're gonna wanna keep your hood lower though, you won't pass for a monster with that mug." The undead silently took his advice and drew his armor's hood further over his face, seemingly obscuring what was beneath in shadow.
Sans' skeletal smile got a little cheekier. "just like dogamy and dogaressa, with tiny's armor." With a wave of his bony hand, he then made to leave the duo.
Toriel needed to ask him… "Sans, hold on for a moment." Once she had gotten his attention, she continued her question. "...Where may we get out of this cold? I am not familiar with this town…"
The undead could have sworn he saw faux remembrance flash across Sans' face. "oh yeah, that's right, you don't get out much. well, there's grillby's, mine and papyrus' house… and the inn, right over there. mine and papyrus' shifts aren't over yet, grillby's will be pretty packed right about now, and the inn'll cost ya eighty gold to sleep in, which actually works out. when me 'n papyrus were setting up that last trap, all those dogs the human kept petting gave me something to hand off to you when they passed by us heading into town, nearly forgot though… nearly. heh." Sans pulled a cloth bag out of his coat pocket and tossed it to the undead, who deftly caught it out of the air. He opened it up, finding it filled with small gold coins.
"not saying I counted it or anything, but i think there's like ninety gold in there. anyways, you two stay… cool." The short skeleton gave the two a wink and headed off through town. Toriel couldn't help but chuckle at Sans' pun, and the human seemed amused, but he still remained silent.
She looked to him, still smiling a little. "Something the matter?"
The undead crossed his arms, drawing his cloak in around himself. "Hrrm… I have not been around this many… 'normal' people before…"
Needless to say, her smile faded. "Oh. Well, do not worry. Just… act natural, like you are simply another Royal Guard passing on through, how Sans suggested. Now, to the inn?"
She got a nod accompanied by a quiet "Yes" from the undead.
Toriel took the lead with the silent undead following behind. The first building of the town was actually a conjoined one, made of what looked to be two small in-home style businesses, a shop, and the aforementioned inn. It was rather small…
Once they were inside the pleasantly warm and toasty building, the owner of the establishment politely asked them to wipe their feet on the doormat, Toriel doing so without hesitation, and the Undead worried his ornate boots might ruin the mat, but he tried his best. They got caught on the fibers more than a few times.
The two approached the bunny woman's counter, and they could tell she was a bit wary about the tall armored figure of the undead, despite his efforts to conceal his identity. Toriel decided to do the talking, and she let the owner do her thing.
"Welcome to the Snowed Inn, one room for the night is eighty gold…" She looked down at the sign-in sheet before her before continuing. "And we just so happen to have one room left! It's got a large bed that I think will accommodate the both of you just fine if your… husband... took off that armor."
The undead's fully hooded head shifted a little at that and Toriel could feel her face trying to redden, but she fought it back. "There are none with separate beds?" She got a head shake from the owner.
She couldn't quite keep the red away... 'Of course, one awkward ordeal after the other…'
"Toriel, it is fine, you take the room. I do not need the sleep, you do." The owner honestly seemed a little startled at his gravelly voice, but it passed quickly. She seemed a bit confused though.
Toriel looked away from the counter and to his covered face, looking right through the shadows of his hood. "You are the one who earned the gold…"
He remained stock still and adamant. "Yes, and you are the one who actually needs the sleep and privacy."
Toriel wasn't about to have the human out wandering the cold streets just because she couldn't handle having him in the same room as her… even though she was sure he wouldn't be able to catch a cold, or really care about the temperature at all. But he could still get in trouble, or get into a fight!
"You could just… erm… stay on the floor?" She was really feeling the blush now, and the owner was getting even more confused.
The undead's hood moved and looked at the stairwell, avoiding Toriel's gaze. "...Fine." He handed Toriel the bag of gold so she could pay the owner. After counting out the due coins, the owner asked them their names for the sign-in sheet.
"Toriel."
"...L."
Toriel actually looked a little surprised at the undead calling himself something. The owner took down their names under the room number, handed them their key, then wished them a good night's rest. After they went upstairs, the bunny rested her head on her hands and huffed.
"What a weird couple."
vvv
Once they were in their room, Toriel locked the door behind them, and the undead immediately went over to the room's corner farthest from the large bed. He removed his gear belt and sat in the corner in the very same position he sat at bonfires with; left leg flat, right knee up, right arm resting upon the raised knee, and head low.
Toriel took her cloak off and hung it on the room's coat rack. She noticed the undead had his head low, his hood covering all of his face, the opening not facing her. She was a bit awkward about it, but she quickly took off her robe and set it next to the bed, getting under the covers with only her undergarments on. The human was in the same position as before, he hadn't looked. He was still respecting her privacy, and she didn't even have to ask.
He had rather good manners for someone who'd spent so much time on what sounded to be a rather hellish surface.
After getting adjusted to the large and comfy bed, she turned out the light and turned over. She was a bit unnerved knowing the undead would be awake all night, but she was also relieved in a way. She could tell he was actually a good person, and if anything went wrong he'd be more than capable of putting a stop to it. He'd make sure she was safe.
She was about to try and nod off when she remembered he had actually called himself something. "So, L?"
The human's dark shape still didn't move an inch, but he responded. "Ever since you healed me, I have been remembering and seeing things more clearly. Before, I would have struggled with staying focused and my keeping hold of memory, but thanks to you, I feel I have regained quite a bit of myself. I am also remembering my name, and I am certain it starts with an L."
She had no idea her simple healing had done that much for him. She had no clue why it would mentally unblock him, though…
'Block… that strange blockage on his inner soul, maybe?'
"When I healed you and checked your soul's condition, I saw a… hole, in its very center, about the size of a normal soul, surrounded by what looked like a kind of scarring. Your vast outer soul encases that empty center, and the center was unblocked after I healed you. I have no clue why, but it worked… could you feel anything while you were unconscious?"
"Yes. I felt warmth passing over me periodically, I assume that was you healing me."
Toriel sat up, still covered. "I only healed you once, but I did check up on you numerous times… have you felt that 'warmth' any other time?"
"...Yes."
"When?"
The man's hooded head shifted downwards to the floor. "..."
"L?"
More silence.
Toriel wasn't quite sure why he clammed up so suddenly. She felt she should change the subject, perhaps to something else he'd said downstairs. She shifted under the covers a little, trying to see the man's shape in the dark.
"Earlier you said you did not need to sleep… does that mean you have gone hundreds of years without sleep, rest, anything?"
Still motionless. "I do rest, but only at a bonfire either I or a Fire Keeper has lit."
The answer seemed rather nonsensical to Toriel at first, but she then recalled L had vaguely mentioned fires when he first awoke under her care, so she inquired further.
"What exactly is a 'bonfire,' and why can you only rest when seated at one?"
L changed his sitting position to lean against the wall, and was no longer looking down, his hood opening pointed vaguely in Toriel's direction. "Well, the way bonfires function is somewhat mysterious, but it is just common knowledge for the more collected undead that bonfires are the closest thing to a place of respite they can get."
L held his hands out before himself, somewhat miming warming his hands at an imaginary bonfire before him.
"The fires are magical things, they're temporarily lit by undead using special Embers or kept alight more or less permanently by a Firekeeper. They provide a place of rebirth should one fall, and healing in the form of simple proximity or portable Estus."
L pulled his healing Estus Flask from the belt beside him, then held the glowing orange container up for Toriel to see, giving it a shake to agitate the bottled bonfire energy within, then replacing it in his belt.
He got back into his more comfortable sitting position before continuing. "As for why undead such as myself rest at them, you have already observed just how radically altered an undead's body is. Most processes for living cease after the first death and rebirth, and this includes the need for sleep or rest, yet the bonfires provide a kind of rested and rejuvenated feeling. I have heard it compared to returning home, but..."
While Toriel could not see it, L was glancing sidelong at her from underneath his hood. 'In light of recent events and sensations, it would not be surprising to find that such feelings are entirely fake.'
Toriel was considering the new information, but in the end, just added it to the ever-growing pile of surface-world oddities being revealed to her by L. With a sigh, she laid back down and stared at the ceiling above, and L likewise lowered his head once more.
A kind of contemplative silence fell over the room, interrupted only by oddly rhythmic snoring coming from a room over, but soon even that ended, and only the soft sound of Toriel's breathing could be heard.
The silence was finally broken when Toriel decided to ask L another question. She knew she would likely get a no in response, but she felt it necessary to ask him.
"L…"
"Yes, Toriel?"
She was still staring up at the ceiling trying to figure out how to word her inquiry, as this was probably going to be a very heavy question for him. "Do you think it is possible that humans, perhaps even the whole surface, could be saved somehow?"
Sure enough, a few moments of drawn-out silence on L's part elapsed before she got a response.
"I… am unsure. What it would take for mankind to be restored, I am at a loss. Perhaps if the source of the curse could be found…? But even then, what could be done to reverse the damage done? It may be permanent. The surface is another issue entirely, what with all the dangerous creatures roaming it. In short, I am inclined to say no, it would not appear to be possible."
"Oh, I see…"
Again, a sad pang struck Toriel's heart. Her mind wandered to thoughts of the good and innocent humans who were tossed into a horrific world with no recourse. This vein of thinking eventually led her to thoughts of the children trapped on the very same surface, the idea alone made her shudder and end the thought process before it continued any further. She turned over and decided to get some sleep.
"Goodnight L."
It took a few moments for him to register what she had said, as he himself was deep in thought as well. "...Hmm? Ah, goodnight, Toriel."
With that Toriel allowed herself to drift off, and L was left alone with his thoughts for the whole night.
(08)
