"-AND WE WILL READ MY MOST FAVORITE BOOK ABOUT COMPLEX PUZZLE CONSTRUCTS, AND PLAY PUZZLE GAMES AND OTHER SUCH ACTIVITIES, AND I WILL SHOW HIM MY NEWEST ACTION FIGURES SO THAT WE MAY BEGIN TO STRATEGIZE AND PUT TOGETHER ALL NEW AND IMPROVED BATTLE PLANS, AND-"
Lena listened closely, a warm smile spread across her face as she sorted through the basket of clean laundry at her feet. Papyrus was sat cross-legged on the floor in front of her, carefully and neatly folding the towels that she tossed into his pile. It wasn't like she had asked for the help, necessarily. The skeleton had knocked loudly, already spouting energetically about his sleepover with Frisk that he was going to have that night. She'd been in the middle of folding laundry and, as soon as he saw this, he just sat down and started helping, never missing a beat as he/continued to talk on and on. She found herself wondering just when this started to feel like the most natural thing in the world to her, living among monsters, feeling like they were family.
"-AND SANS SAID THAT HE IS GOING OUT TO BUY MONSTER CANDY AND OTHER SNACKS, SO THAT WE MAY HAVE THEM TO EAT WHILE WE WATCH A MOVIE MADE FOR CHILDREN!" he finished finally, and Lena half-wondered how he wasn't out of breath, until remembering he didn't have lungs.
"That's great, Pappy! It sounds like you guys are going to have lots of fun!" He nodded so quickly that his skull was little more than a white blur, wringing a blue bath towel in his eagerness. After all of the towels in his pile were impeccably folded and set in neat stacks (organized, even, by size, type, and color- impressive), he pulled the cloth mesh bag of socks over to his lap and unzipped it, waving off the objection that Lena had opened her mouth to give. The massive skeleton began the dainty task of matching up and folding her socks, and it was so strange a sight that the human had to fight back a giggle.
"WHAT WILL BE YOUR PLANS FOR TONIGHT?"
"Well, since it's a Friday night, Brit was wanting to get together for a few drinks." Pausing, Lena pulled her phone out of her pocket and pressed the small button on the side, turning on the screen to check the time. "It's already almost four o'clock! I'll have to start getting ready here in a little while." Just as she was about to put her phone away it started vibrating, startling her enough to make her jump and nearly lose her grip on it. The name and picture of the queen showed up on her phone's screen and she smiled, accepting the call and bringing it to her ear to answer it. "Hello?"
"Ah, ehm... Y-yes, hello, my chi- Lena! This is, ah, Toriel," she stammered, sounding so incredibly nervous and unlike herself that Lena couldn't help but the frown of concern that pulled at her lips. Papyrus raised a browbone curiously but, when he got no answer, returned to his valiant act of sock folding.
"Hey Tori. What's up?"
"Well, I...I was hoping that I might be able to..." she paused, and the sound of shifting came through the other end of the phone line. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble, could you, ehm, come and help me get dressed?" Lena raised a brow at this,frown deepening. Was she hurt? Did something happen? "I um... Oh... Just, if you please, come over right away!" The other woman hung up then, and Lena found herself staring at her phone in confusion for a moment before silently putting it away.
"IS SOMETHING TROUBLING YOU, HUMAN?" Papyrus suddenly asked, looking up at her with curiosity written plain as day across his skull, though his hands never stilled nor slowed in their task.
"That was Toriel, and she...needs my help with something. I'm gonna go do that real quick," she said, standing and dusting the tiny flecks of dryer lint from her green plaid pajama bottoms as she headed for the door. "Feel free to take a break while I'm gone!"
"FEAR NOT, HUMAN, FOR YOUR LAUNDRY SHALL BE DEFEATED AND FOLDED INTO SUBMISSION BY THE TIME YOU RETURN!" She rolled her eyes and laughed, giving him a nod as she closed her front door behind her. The air outside was surprisingly warm for being toward the end of December, just nice enough that you could sit in the sun and not need a heavy coat, and Lena was loving every moment of it. Though their snow sculptures had begun to melt, as Papyrus and Frisk had so sadly informed her, it made going out for walks far more enjoyable. 'I've been needing the exercise anyway...'
The walk to Toriel's apartment was short, considering they only lived about a block away from each other, and by the time she arrived at her destination it had only been a few moments. She raised a hand to knock on the door, only for it to open inward on its own, revealing a very nervous-looking Toriel. "Oh, good! You are here!" Before Lena even had the chance to open her mouth, she felt her wrist being grabbed by a warm paw and she was pulled inside. For how gently she always spoke and acted, Toriel was...strong, though perhaps that shouldn't have been so surprising. Lena allowed herself to be pulled in, reaching behind her to push the door closed hard enough that it latched behind them with an audible 'click'. "I am sorry to trouble you, my child, but I... I need your help."
"Of course, Tori, I'm here for you! Whatever you need." The queen released a breath, sighing in relief. "So...what is it exactly you need my help with? You were a little vague over the phone." Lena will never get over how breathtakingly beautiful Toriel looked, all grace and poise, her cheeks prettily flushed a light shade of rose pink. Brit's voice showed somewhere in the back of her head, 'Is she hot?'and she quickly shook her head, dispelling the thought.
"Well, you see... Asgore has asked that I accompany him to dinner." Frowning slightly, she raised her paws to tap her claws together, shoulders hunching slightly as she curled inward. "...Alone. Just the two of us."
"...You have a date?"
"It- ...is not a date," she mumbled softly, the blush tinting her cheeks growing just a tad darker. (How can she even blush with fur? ...Magic.) "I-It is just two old friends going to dinner. Nothing more... Really!" Lena realized that her skepticism must have been showing on her face, because Toriel's last word was said earnestly, flustered, and the human couldn't help but smile.
"So you'd like help finding what to wear?" Toriel was grateful that the conversation had moved on as she nodded. "No problem! It's nothing to be embarrassed of. Brit and I dressed each other up for dates all the time! ...Well, I dressed her up for dates with her husband. She dressed me up and dragged me out to try and find me a date...heh."
"It has been a very, very long time since I have last um...'dated'. I am afraid that I would not know what to wear..."
"Well that's what I'm here for! Let's take a look-see." The queen led her to her bedroom and Lena wasted no time in opening up her wardrobe and closet, going through all of the items hung on wire hangers with a critical eye. 'If I had to guess, it'll probably be a formal thing...' Keeping that in mind, she pulled out a soft violet dress made of crushed velvet. The length and neckline were both modest, but when Toriel saw the low shoulders, she frowned slightly. "No good...?" She shook her head quickly, then paused, reaching a hand out and running a clawed fingertip along the sleeve.
"I am not so young as to wear this sort of thing... It has been far too long, my child..." With a small smile, she pushed the dress into Toriel's hands, turning back to the closet and digging around.
"Aha!" came the triumphant cry from within the closet and, seconds later, Lena emerged with a delicate-looking cream colored shawl, holding it up to inspect it for herself. It was made with an intricate pattern, rather than a solid piece of fabric, but it was thick enough to keep warm outside. "This will go nicely, I think...see?" With a little expert maneuvering, she managed to throw the shawl around the tall monster's shoulders, turning her around to face the mirror mounted on the wall and holding her hands so that she held the dress in her hands up in front of herself. Toriel looked a little surprised at her own reflection for a moment, but only for a moment, before a genuine smile spread across her face.
"It...seems like it suits me, does it not?" Her question was hesitant, and a small laugh followed it when Lena nodded firmly. "I was not wrong to ask for your advice. It has been so long, and I had very few to ask..." she trailed off, expression looking the slightest bit guilty. She supposed it made sense, though, considering the only other women she seemed close to were Undyne and Alphys, and thinking about asking them for advice on dressing for a date seemed...well, it seemed like it would be full of embarrassing teasing, at the very least. "I cannot thank you enough."
"Don't worry about it! I'm happy to help. You really should be more confident, though. You'll look amazing, and I'm sure Asgore will think so."
The two of them shared a little idle chatting back and forth, sat on the edge of Toriel's bed. It felt like being a young girl again at a slumber party, having 'girl talk'. Though she did have other female friends, Brit was definitely not one for the usual 'girl' things... She'd missed things like this. Toriel was a precious friend and someone she looked up to, and she hoped that maybe someday she could make her friend see herself as Lena saw her.
| sans:* got the monster candy. anything else you want me to grab while i'm out? |
| Papyrus: FRISK SAID THAT THEY LIKE STRAWBERRY SODA. AND KOOL-AID. AND WE DO NOT HAVE ANY COOKIES OR OTHER SMALL SNACK FOODS. |
| sans: * sure that won't be too much? it is just the three of us. |
| Papyrus: NONSENSE! ONE CAN NEVER HAVE TOO MANY SNACKS! IF IT ABSOLUTELY COMES DOWN TO IT, THEN WE SHALL SAVE THEM FOR TOMORROW! |
| sans: * sweet. |
| Papyrus: ...I CANNOT TRUST YOU ENOUGH TO KNOW IF THAT PUN WAS INTENTIONAL OR UNINTENTIONAL. |
| sans: * heheheheheheheh |
| Papyrus: GOSH DINGUS DARN IT! I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER THAN TO THINK YOU'D EVER LET A PUN SLIP BY UNNOTICED...|
| sans: * care if i grab a bottle of wine too while i'm out? |
| Papyrus: FRISK IS NOT OLD ENOUGH TO CONSUME ALCOHOL. UNLESS YOU MEAN FOR US TO DRINK IT OURSELVES? |
| sans: * yeah, figured it'd be grape to have a bottle lyin' around for those nights when lena comes over. |
| Papyrus: STOP RIGHT THERE |
| sans: * a glass of red with our spaghetti sounds divine. |
| Papyrus: THIS CONVERSATION IS OFFICIALLY OVER. THE HUMAN FRISK WILL BE HERE IN HALF AN HOUR. |
Sans felt his shoulders shaking with mirth as he shoved his phone into the front left pocket of his sweats, glancing around with his lazy grin as he read over the signs hanging over each of the aisles in the grocery store. Papyrus hadn't been too terribly particular with their 'list', but he had a vague idea of what sorts of things to get. From the items he had been told, it was 'things sugary and sweet' on the menu. Couldn't be too bad. The kid loved Tori's butterscotch-cinnamon pie, and it was pretty sweet. This was his line of thinking as he grabbed a cart and piled item upon item into it. The bags of monster candies hit the bottom first, then they were covered with a couple bags of marshmallows, then a bag of cinnamon chips, chocolate chips, chocolate bars, caramel bites... Once he passes the baking aisle, it's on to the cookies. Chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter sandwich cookies, Oreos, fig newtons, something called 'Pocky' (he didn't know, but it was dipped in chocolate, so it couldn't be that bad) joined them. Once he got to the drink aisle, he snagged a few bottles of the strawberry-flavored soda, bubbling and artificially hot-pink in its bottles. Packets of cherry kool-aid mix slipped in afterward. When he felt satisfied that he'd gotten enough to appease his brother and the small human, he pushed the now much heavier cart up to the checkout lines.
Weird looks were something to be expected, being a monster and all, but when it was another monster giving him looks, he couldn't help but feel the slightest tick of irritation. "Somethin' the matter, bub?" he asked, browbones raised slightly as if in question, eyesockets narrowing slightly when he saw the monster (a smaller bunny-type monster) shake their head quickly. "Good." He was given his receipt and he snagged it to shove it into his pocket before he contemplated hauling all of the bags home himself. It was true enough that it wasn't all that heavy, not really...but the thought of carrying them out to his car, only to drive it back, then have to carry them back inside was too much. "Hey, 'm leavin' my car here overnight, so don't tow it," he turned and said, only feeling a little guilty as the little rabbit monster flinched at his voice. They nodded and, with that settled, he squat down and looped all of the grocery bags over his arms, closing his eyes as he felt himself blip out of existence.
The walk through the void wasn't very long at all, more like one big, slow step. The faraway cries of...things, living or not, echoed endlessly in the vast darkness, and he was more grateful than he'd ever let on when he found himself standing in their kitchen at home, surrounded by familiarity.
The time had flown by far faster than she'd expected it to, and as she excused herself, being guided to the front door by a flustered and apologetic Toriel, she felt a warmth and comfort settle itself in her chest. She really was so blessed to have found such wonderful friends. The smile on her face was easy and natural as she made the brisk walk back to her apartment. She opened her front door and found herself face to face- or, face to chest, rather- with Papyrus, his gloved hand outstretched as he'd been reaching for the doorknob. His eyesockets widened slightly in surprise.
"OH, HUMAN! I WAS BEGINNING TO WORRY YOU HAD GOTTEN LOST ON YOUR WAY BACK!" She couldn't help but shake her head, laughing. "WELL THAT IS GOOD. I HAVE FINISHED FOLDING AND PUTTING AWAY YOUR LAUNDRY FOR YOU."
"Oh, Papyrus, you really didn't have to do that..."
"I WAS DOING NOTHING ELSE, SO IT WAS NO TROUBLE."
"Yeah, but, still..." She frowned slightly, feeling no small amount of guilt for having one of her chores done for her. A quick glance around told her that Papyrus had also dusted and cleaned up a bit. Had she really been gone for that long...?
"I WAS HAPPY TO DO IT FOR YOU, HUMAN. YOU HAVE BEEN HELPING US IN MORE WAYS THAN WE CAN COUNT, SO CONSIDER THIS A SMALL MEASURE OF REPAYMENT FOR YOUR KINDNESS," he said, an amount of sincerity seeping into his words that made her heart swell and her eyes feel wet with grateful tears.
"There's really no need to repay me for anything... I'm just doing what people should do."
"YES, BUT PEOPLE DO NOT DO WHAT YOU DO. YOU ARE ONE OF THE FEW KIND HUMANS WE HAVE MET, AND HAVE BECOME A VERY PRECIOUS FRIEND." She felt her cheeks ache with the width of her smile, one he mirrored easily, and she nodded.
"I'm glad. You're a precious friend to me, too, Papyrus." He looked slightly surprised, though he quickly covered it with a joyful "NYEH", gathering the human up into his massive arms and hugging her. She laughed and threw her arms around his large shoulders, her arms just barely long enough to reach around to his shoulder blades. He swung her around a couple times before he gently set her back down, patting the top of her head with a heavy gloved hand.
"DO YOU NOT NEED TO PREPARE FOR YOUR EVENING WITH YOUR VULGAR HUMAN FRIEND?" The innocence with which he said it made her sputter, snorting loudly as she tried and failed miserably to cover up her sudden outburst of laughter. "WHAT? WHAT IS SO FUNNY?" She could only shake her head as she struggled to regain her composure, taking a few slow breaths.
"It's nothing, don't worry...heheh! I uh, I do need to get ready though, you're right."
"HMMM... VERY WELL! I SHALL LEAVE YOU TO THAT, THEN. THE HUMAN FRISK SHALL BE AT OUR HOME SOON ENOUGH, AND I MUST MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS READY FOR THEIR ARRIVAL!" He struck a pose, hands on his bony hips, prompting another giggle from Lena as she nodded, watching as he then tore out of her apartment and towards his own. Even something as strange of this, she realized, was beginning to feel normal to her. To think, if she hadn't had the little push from her friend that she did, she wouldn't be here, experiencing this.
The smile spread across her face is fond now, feeling her heart swell with affection for the people she calls her friends and treats as family.