[[ I'm sorry for the sudden month-long break. I genuinely was trying to work on this chapter and trying to plan out the beginnings of Act 2, but financial stress and kid stress and just having-to-adult stress in general bogged me down. Not to go too deep into shit, but I've been struggling a lot more lately with depression, anxiety, and dissociation, so writing kinda took a back seat. I was drawing a lot more, though, because it was a lot easier, for some reason... Anyway, this chapter got done, and it's probably a little scattered, but here it is. I'm gonna be working my best on doing regular updates, but I can't promise anything right now. I hope you all enjoy this latest installment! ]]

"Frisk."

The first streams of pale sunlight were just barely beginning to trickle their way between the curtains, splaying across the bed and warming its occupant into a deeper sleep. A sharp, agitated sigh split through the serene quiet of the morning, followed by the soft scrape of something solid against wood. Frisk felt their hair being mussed with…something, though they weren't sure what. Sleepily, they raised a hand to halfheartedly bat away the offending object, only for it to snap back and flick across the back of their hand, sending the smallest twinge of pain across their skin. Flinching slightly, they sat up and rubbed the sleep from their eyes, blearily opening them to look around their bedroom. The lights were still off but, with what little sunlight that managed to peek its way into the room, they could see everything well enough once their eyes had a moment to adjust. Another impatient sound came from beside them and they glanced at their bedside table.

"About time. I thought you were going to sleep all day!" a small golden flower resting inside a small terracotta pot groused, leaves crossing in front of its stem in a way similar to how one might cross their arms. The expression on the flower's face was annoyed, though only slightly. Frisk yawned, fully intending to lay back down and go to sleep as they were already used to Flowey's moodiness. "Hey!" the flower growled, summoning a vine that sprout from the soil in his pot and using it to tug at the blankets Frisk tried to curl back into. "Get up! Aren't we supposed to be doing something terribly 'important' today?" The child frowned for a moment, their still sleep-addled brain sluggish as they tried to remember…until it came to them with clarity, their eyes widening and a smile tugging at their lips as they began to sign rapidly. "Yeah yeah, calm down! Geez."

"Good morning, Flowey!" they signed happily, their smile not being returned as Flowey simply huffed a sigh, his leaves crossing even more firmly in front of himself. They threw the covers back and hopped out of bed, practically skipping to their closet as they prepared to change for the day. They pulled on a blue and pink striped t-shirt and a pair of short overalls, taking a moment to look themselves over in the mirror. After a few moments of deliberation, they grabbed the faded pink ribbon from their dresser and carefully tied it around their head in the fashion of a makeshift headband. Their light-up space themed sneakers rounded out the ensemble and they grinned back at their own smiling reflection.

"You ready yet or what?" Flowey asked, frowning as he looked over the eager child practically bouncing on their lighted heels before him, and all he could manage was a small shake of his head as they nodded and scooped up the pot he was planted in. Just as they turned to their bedroom door it opened, swinging inward and revealing a freshly-dressed Toriel, mouth already open to speak, but she closed it and smiled at the sight of Frisk and Flowey all ready.

"Good morning, my children! I just came to wake you for breakfast, but it appears that you are ahead of me," she said, stepping forward and reaching out to straighten the bow in Frisk's hair before smoothing a paw across their chestnut-colored locks. "You look wonderful, my child, as always." Frisk shot her a brilliant smile, one that said 'thanks' and 'I know' all at once, and their mother couldn't help but chuckle. "Everyone is already here, except for Mettaton. I'm afraid that he will not be able to make it this morning." The expression on their face faltered slightly, brows drooping as they felt disappointment well up within them.

"Great, one less idiot to have to listen to," the flower grumbled, and Toriel shot him a soft but stern look, to which he mumbled and looked away moodily. She reached out to pet her child's hair gently, her smile patient and kind.

"I know that you were looking forward to everyone being here, but I am afraid that he had work out of the country again. He said that, as soon as he gets back, though, that he is going to take you out. Does that sound alright?" The bouncing beneath her paw answered that well enough, and she laughed as Frisk nodded their head. "Good, I am glad. Now, why don't we head out into the dining room so we can say hello to everyone?" They took off like a rocket down the hallway, leaving her standing in mild surprise before she smiled fondly, listening to Flowey scolding them for running so quickly while holding him. She followed, the soft, padding footsteps of her large feet muted by the carpeted hallway.

"Heh, mornin' to you, too, kiddo."

"YES, GOOD MORNING, HUMAN FRISK!"

"Good morning! I hope you slept well!"

"Heya punk! G'mornin'!"

"M-morning…"

"Howdy there, Frisk! Good morning!"

The familiar voices of familiar friends greeted her as she entered the dining area and she was not surprised the least bit to find Frisk all but attached to Lena, their head resting on her shoulder as Flowey tried to scoot himself further away within his pot. The auburn-haired woman chuckled kindly and pet their hair until they pulled away to take their seat between her and the empty chair reserved for Toriel. The taller of the skeleton brothers was conversing with Undyne about something having to do with integrating puzzles into local law enforcement (yikes!) and Alphys looked like she wanted to have a heart-attack just at the thought. Undyne, however, was eagerly chattering in return, getting so thoroughly excited that she began to raise her voice without meaning to. She slammed a hand onto the table and all of the plates clattered noisily, the precarious stack of waffles tilting the slightest bit at the disruption. Toriel watched as the soft lights in Sans' eye sockets flitted over to the source of noise calmly before returning them to his mate's face. She could remember a time where he would have stiffened, the fastest little flash of fear crossing over his face as his magic flared defensively… 'She really has done wonders for his soul,' she thought with a smile forming on her muzzle. Taking a deep breath, she rested her paws on her wide hips and shot Undyne a softly chiding glance. The aquatic monster grinned sheepishly and moved her hands slowly to her lap before continuing her conversation, albeit on a (slightly) calmer level.

This was what she'd always dreamed of. When they had all woken up with The Barrier finally broken and gone, nothing left to hold them down, this was the one thing she'd pictured first. An easy, simple, domestic breakfast with everyone. Maybe their life wasn't the easiest, and it was far from being the picture-perfect 1950s rendition of 'The American Dream' that so many magazine inserts from the garbage dump had depicted, but it was theirs. It was theirs, and it was real, and her child was there.

…Her children were there.

A small leaf smacking away an offered bite of waffle caught her eye and she gave a slow sigh through her nostrils, reminding herself that, though he may not be her Asriel, he was her son. There was still much she didn't know for certain of the bitter little flower, but the fact that he was what remained of Asriel was the single, grounding thing she did know, and it was what kept her patient with him through all of his fits and tantrums.

And there were many, many fits and tantrums…

"Alright everyone, let's settle down and eat!" Tori finally says, just loud enough for everyone to hear her over the combined chatter of voices, and almost immediately everyone quiets down. The feeling of having a family to sit at the table with again, a full, complete family, was almost too much for her soul to bear. There were the smallest traces of tears gathering in the corners of her rubiescent eyes as she took her seat, looking around at all the people she loved and feeling, for the first time in a long while, that her life was full.

Despite how pleasant the meal had been, however, it didn't dismiss the concerns that were still very present on everyone's minds. The looming shadow, although more distant than it had been previously, still lingered overhead, and everyone had it ingrained within their thoughts to be cautious. Asgore and Toriel both, as leaders among the monster community, had made a statement regarding the happenings of the fateful night at the warehouse. A few monsters cried out ill will against humans as a whole, but a stern look from the former Queen reminded them all of their place, and many felt shame as they remembered that it had been Frisk, a human, who had freed them from their prison beneath the earth.

Doctor Alphys (as she was one of the very few monsters able to get their degrees accredited Aboveground) was given the task of monitoring the souls of the monsters in the area. It wasn't something they were accustomed to, but now she found herself busy with performing 'check ups'. Being a doctor of a different science, she had naturally tried to protest, but Undyne's spirited pep-talk and Papyrus' belief in her left her with little way to refuse.

The doctor let a small sigh slip as she pulled up the monitor resting on her desk, a digitized image of the small, inverted heart-shaped soul appearing on the screen. A series of numbers and statistics appeared beside it, and her eyes glanced over them with a practiced quickness before she glanced up from the device. She met the nervous canine expression and tried not to roll her eyes at the pathetic whimpering. (Even she thought it was kind of pathetic, considering who it was she was dealing with.)

"Th-there's no need to worry, Dogamy, everything l-looks fine!" she said cheerfully, and Dogamy breathed a heavy sigh of relief, turning and nuzzling his wet nose against his mate's belly. A gentle growl from Dogaressa had him pausing but, when she returned the affection by nudging her muzzle against his ear, he continued it whole-heartedly. The female canine monster held a paw against her massively swollen belly, the action both fond and protective. Glancing up from her mate, Dogaressa fixed Alphys with a curious look, her head cocked the slightest bit to one side.

"Would you mind checking on their growth as well?" she asked, gesturing down to her pregnant belly with a soft white paw, and the reptilian monster was quick to recalibrate the sensors with a short muttering of 'yes, of course'. The screen flickered briefly as the sensors switched from searching for Dogaressa's soul, and the monitor was suddenly flooded with six nearly identical soul-images. She knew well enough what to look for and, when she saw that one of the souls was slightly smaller, its pointed end more rounded, the crests less defined, she suddenly wished that Dogaressa had never asked. "What is it?" The other female's voice broke Alphys from her concentration and she flinched, the monitor clattering slightly to land on her desk as she fidgeted with her hands. Dogaressa was watching her pointedly, ears laid back slightly and her expression guarded.

"Ah, um, w-well, they l-look fine…" She tried to think of how to continue and, when she saw that her lingering was only making Dogamy more nervous, she blurted out, "b-b-but one is smaller th-than the r-rest and I-isn't as well sh-shaped!"

"Oh, is that all?" the male canine said, his ears perking up slightly as he breathed another relieved sigh, and his mate barked a laugh.

"That's common to monsters who have litters like we do. In animals here aboveground, as well!"

"O-oh…" Alphys mumbled, claws clicking against the desk as she glanced between the screen she'd dropped (and thankfully had not broken) and the monster couple. "W-well, if that's the case, then you have f-five healthy souls, and one, erm…"

"Runt," both dogs offered, and they leaned forward to nuzzle their noses together affectionately.

"R-right, five healthy souls and o-one runt… W-was there anything else you needed?" The two dog monster glanced at one another, clearly communicating through the silence and their met eyes, and Alphys began to tap her clawed fingers against her desk's surface, waiting anxiously for them to- well, saying that she wanted them to leave was rude. …She did, though. They were her last appointment of the day and she wanted to go home. Being out and about was nerve-wracking.

"Hmm… No, so long as they're healthy, that was all we were worried about." A sigh of relief, and the doctor gave them a nervous smile. "Thank you for doing this, Alphys. We know that it must be difficult, checking over every one like this." Dogaressa leveled the reptilian monster with a seriousness in her gaze that made Alphys stop fidgeting. The warm smile that curved up on the other's muzzle was genuine and sincere, and it filled her soul with warmth. "We won't keep you. Do you have anyone escorting you home?"

"Ah… uh, y-yes. Undyne is coming t-to pick me up h-here soon." The canines gave an approving nod before turning to one another again, noses brushing against one another in a definitive nuzzling motion as Dogaressa slid down from the exam table and pulled her shirt down over her swollen belly. Giving the replaced shirt a gentle pat, Dogaressa glanced up at the doctor with a cocked brow, lips parted in a somewhat sly grin that showed off her pearly white fangs.

"So…when are you and Undyne going to give Monsterkind an adorable little fish-lizard hybrid?" Yellow scales immediately burned a deep reddish orange as Alphys blushed deeply, hands flying to her face as she rested them on her cheeks, sputtering unintelligibly. The Dogi just laughed heartily and gave her an affectionate parting pat on the shoulder, their paws feeling heavy as she curled in on herself.

…Honestly, though, it isn't like it's something she'd never even considered. Not like there were sketches hidden away deep in her stash of drawings and OTP-related notes of what sort of children they might have. Doodles of different types of aquatic monsters, or ones with physicial traits based off of different breeds of lizards on the Surface filled the margins of every page, all of them with the same stunning soul as her mate. The thoughts filled her soul with an odd twisting sensation and she felt a shiver run through her that left as a twitch of the very end of her tail.

"...-phys? Hey!" The scientist whirled around, soul pulsing heavily within her chest at the startlingly sudden voice, and the tails of her lab coat went flying about her as she turned and looked up to find- oh, good, it was just Undyne. She's so glad that she was the one to catch her mid-daydream about having future babies with her.

…Can a narrative be sarcastic?

The scales above her cheeks reddened even more and Alphys quickly gave a nervous smile. "O-oh, um, sorry U-Undyne, I was just, uh…" The fish-woman quirked a brow at her expectantly, obviously waiting for an answer, but the words on Alphys' tongue died off, so she was left floundering (ugh, Sans would've been proud of that one) and gaping as her mind tried to grasp for words and failed. Apparently getting impatient Undyne barked out a loud laugh, a hand flying out to pet one of the scaled crests on the top of her head with webbed fingers.

"Hey, don't worry about it! I know you've been super busy with all of this doctor-y stuff." Well, that wasn't a complete lie. "Anyway, Dogaressa and Dogamy left a little bit ago. I tried waiting out in the lobby for you but I got sick of that and came to get you anyway!" It was so typical Undyne that Alphys felt herself relax, a small chuckle escaping her as she reached a clawed hand up to rub along one of the crests along the side of her head. "Anyway, c'mon! Papyrus is coming over to our house tonight, so we gotta get everything ready!"

"Oh…again?" she asked, and the taller monster looked down at her with a sly smirk. Alphys' mouth turned up into a giddy smile, her cheeks aglow with a small blush.

"Yeah, again. At least we had some more warning this time. Someone really oughta tell Lena to be quieter-"

"U-Undyne!" Alphys cried, though she was practically giggling with absolute glee. The laughter increased as she suddenly found herself hefted up into a pair of strong, familiar arms, and her soul's beats soothed in the presence of its mate's own confident pulse. "Well, w-we could always try and g-get him started on Dr-Dragon Ball Z…" Undyne made a small, thoughtful sound, mouth screwing up into an expression of contemplation.

"...Wasn't there some anime that had this tall skeleton dude? We could totally talk Papyrus into cosplay if we show that to him!"

"O-oh! I think I know what you're talking about! …Pfft- b-but Papyrus would look ridiculous with an afro." With her mate in her arms, Undyne helped to make sure the office was locked up and secured good and tight before they started on their trip back home.

"This is awfully sudden… Are you sure that you have everything you need? Do you want me to go with you?"

Papyrus grabbed a spare pair of gloves and folded them before placing them neatly into his suitcase, right on top of his favorite "RADICAL SKELETON" t-shirt that he had made himself. The bottom where he'd cut it to be shorter was beginning to fray, loose strands of thread hanging here and there as the garmet tried to unravel. He'd have to make a visit to their friend Kupanda at some point. There wasn't a monster he knew that was better at making clothing than him and, despite not knowing the towering monster very well, he was almost eager to talk to another fashion-conscious soul. He glanced around his room and caught sight of an errant sock (with a hole in it, no less!) and felt his browbone twitch in mild annoyance. The smile that spread across his face outweighed it, though, and he heaved a dramatic sigh as he closed his suitcase with a sense of finality, zipping it closed.

"IT'S QUITE ALRIGHT! I'M JUST GOING TO BE SPENDING THE WEEKEND AT UNDYNE'S HOUSE, I DON'T NEED TO BE DROPPED OFF," he said with a certainty as he lifted the bag effortlessly from his mattress. It wasn't necessarily a long enough stay to warrant packing a whole suitcase, but…what if they wanted to go out to dinner? And what if it was a nice place? He'd need clothes suitable for that sort of event! And there was an occasional chance of Mettaton showing up to see Alphys about something or another, and he'd want to look his best! He grabbed the handle for the suitcase and it extended, the base of it landing wheels-first on the carpet with a dull thump. "THAT WAY YOU AND SANS CAN BE HOME. …ALONE. …WITH NO ONE ELSE WHO MIGHT OVERHEAR ANYTHING." The human's pale skin slowly morphed to varying shades of red, spreading right across the bridge of her nose and her cheekbones. She spluttered quietly and he couldn't help but chuckle. It was times like those that he could see why his brother was so taken with her. She was an awfully adorable human. Papyrus reached a gloved hand out and pat her on the head, sending her a reassuring grin. "WORRY NOT! I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO GIVE YOU YOUR NECESSARY CANOODLING TIME! EVEN IF I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT MYSELF, I WON'T JUDGE YOU FOR WANTING TO…nyeheh…BONE MY BROTHER." A loud snort pulled from the human's throat and she looked up at him, eyes wide with shock even though she was already trying to resist the urge to double over laughing. His chest puffed proudly at his joke, very, very grateful that Sans was nowhere around to hear it.

The perfectly dressed hotdog had just been passed over to his patron- a human couple that showed more PDA than an electronics store (heh, good one)- when something made him break out into a grin. There was no prompting it, really, and there was no reason for it that he could think of, but something just seemed to tickle his funnybone. Shaking his head with a small chuckle, he sat back on his stool behind his hotdog cart and kicked his slippered feet up to rest on the cart's handle, leaning back against the park fence he was sat in front of.

It was time for his federally mandated break, afterall, and as he closed his eyes, he figured that a nap wouldn't hurt anything. He'd wake up if there were customers.

With all that had been happening recently within the monster community, school had been put on a small hold. It was only a week, but the pause was meant to be a little break for the instructors, time for them to come to terms with all of the information they'd been given and to also prepare to deal with their students. There were several monster children within their school that had lost someone, and, though grief was spread throughout all of them as a society, it would most certainly weigh on their less experienced, more delicate souls more heavily.

"Be prepared to give them counseling," the ex-Queen had said, a sad smile curving up on her muzzle as she clasped her hands in front of her. "Be patient with them, and be willing to try and explain as much as you can. They will have questions, and, I am certain, many people will not wish to answer them. If any of our children are struggling, please, send them to me. Asgore and I can try and explain in kind words what is happening and why. The last thing we want, though, is for them to feel left out. Young or not, they are still citizens, and they deserve to at least be aware of what is happening, and why we are keeping everyone on such tight watch."

Naturally, the initial reason for this 'break' was so that Lena could recover, but it would also give them a little time to think and plan for the upcoming future, as unforseeable as it might be. But a week had quickly turned into three, very nearly a month, and the children still had yet to return to class. And, as it turned out, it had very little to actually do with their human teacher. Toriel had quite the talk with everyone when she had returned from the Underground with Flowey in tow, and to such varying reactions. The happiness in Frisk's face was burned into her soul and she could never regret bringing them such happiness…but Sans' reaction had worried her. The distrustful way he would glare at the little flower was concerning but, considering everything he and Frisk had told them, it was understandable. …Still, the spike of protectiveness it brought forth in her was startling, and she had to wonder if it was because of who she now knew he used to be, or if it was because of Frisk.

Either way, bringing up the subject of having Flowey start attending class with Frisk was a difficult one.

Sans had disagreed and refused outright, without so much as giving her a chance to explain, and it took Papyrus and Lena both scolding him and her pleading for him to listen before he quieted. She understood his dislike and distrust, but still, this was her child, and Sans had to accept that. Being her best friend, she had hoped he would be more understanding… Though, from what Flowey had done in the past, she could see why he was so resistant to having him in Lena's classroom.

Flowey seemed just as against it, bitterly saying that he'd seen and done it all already, that there was nothing new for him to learn. Still, Lena welcomed him with open arms, and the flower seemed almost startled for all of half a second before he turned away, petals curling in around his face as if he were hiding. The human had been very understanding, though she was obviously wary of the little flower and his abilities. His bitterness and his abrasiveness when it came to conversation was enough to turn anyone away, and it was exhausting, but Frisk seemed to not be affected by any of it. There wasn't anyone else who could handle him, and if anyone could get him to ease up and become more open and kind, then it was Frisk and Lena.

"So what you're saying is that you're gonna be in our class?" Flowey sighed in irritation from his flowerpot, glancing around at the small circle of children who'd gathered around him with a frown. Frisk was sitting practically squished up against Monster Kid's side, the reptilian monster glancing between him and the human so fast that it looked like his head would pop off. On the opposite side of them sat Ven, his arms crossed over his striped vest and a skeptical look in his eyes. Forcing a sweet smile onto his small face, Flowey's petals perked up and he raised his leaves with a little wiggle.

"Golly, that's right! You must be the smart one!" Ven immediately scowled, showing off sharp fangs and his fingers curling, tightening and loosening into a fist. Frisk's hands began moving as they apologized for Flowey's attitude, and he wasn't really watching, but the words 'grouchy gardenia' came across loud and clear, and he turned to the human child with a hiss. Monster Kid all but fell backwards as he leaned away from the flower and it took him a few seconds of rolling to get sat back up again.

"Whatever, just don't start any shit, got it? If you cause Frisk or Miss Lena any trouble, you're mulch." The bat-monster sent the flower a steady glare, pointedly ignoring Frisk's wide smile. Flowey snorted.

"What, you mean that human the smiley trashbag is with? Why should you care if I cause her trouble?" Silence was his answer, and he scoffed. "No, don't tell me you're fond of her too!" A slight violet hue touched just above Ven's cheekbones as he sat, gritting his teeth and trying not to tear apart the stupid mouthy little flower that was apparently Frisk's best friend. Flowey threw his leaves up into the air and groaned. "What is it with her anyway? Why do so many monsters seem to like her? She's nothing special- ow!" Frisk had reached out and bopped the little flower on the 'head', wagging their index finger at him with a small frown.

"You don't say things like that about Auntie Lena!" they scolded, MK echoing this with an enthusiastic 'yeah', but the flower was too transfixed on what he'd just been told, his face scrunching up in disgust.

"You're telling me that she and the smiley trashbag are, eugh…a thing? They're seriously together?"

"More than that. They're bonded."

"WHAT?! I knew he had garbage tastes, but wo- ow! Hey, cut it out!" Flowey hissed and spat as Frisk stared them down, arms crossed firmly over their chest. "Fine, whatever! I can't promise anything, though." The human rolled their eyes and huffed a sigh, signing something to MK, but Ven had already checked out of the conversation. He didn't like this flower, and he didn't like how he talked about people…but if he was important to Frisk, then he could put up with it. He'd wanted to ask more about how she was doing, but with Flowey here…

He'd just ask Kupanda when they got home.

| Brit: I wasn't going to tell you until a little later but I bought you something. |
| Brit: It's a present that I think you're reeeeeally gonna liiiiiiike~ |

| Lena: What? You didn't have to get me anything! What for? |

| Brit: Did your Gran raise you to question a gift? |
| Brit: How does that saying go again? |
| Brit: 'Don't lick a gift whore in the mouth' or something like that? |

| Lena: …Yeah, something like that. |
| Lena: Well you really didn't have to… There's nothing that I need. |

| Brit: I know I didn't need to, but I wanted to. Gotta spoil my bae. |

| Lena: Don't use the word bae. |

| Brit: Anyway it should be arriving in the mail by today. I had it sent to your apartment. |

| Lena: Thank you, really. I appreciate it. |

| Brit: Ayy don't worry about it. Make sure you text me to let me know it gets there, though, okay? |

| Lena: I will, thank you! I have to go for now. Tell the kids I love them! |
| Lena: And I love you too. |

| Brit: Dude that's hella homosexual. |

| Lena: Shut up. (heart) |

| Brit: (heart) |

| Lena: I hate you so much. |

| Brit: I take it you got my little gift? |

Lena wanted to cry. Her face was burning from the inside out with the intensity of her blush, her freckles all but blurred from sight, and she suddenly wished that she'd never answered the door at all. The open box that lay in front of her was so unassuming, so inconspicuous, so innocent, it never looked like it would have contained what it did. She supposed that explained the delivery-person's odd behavior, their inability to meet her gaze.

| Lena: I'm going to kill you. |
| Lena: How could you do this to me |

| Brit: Hey, that's no way to thank a friend who just bought you a gift! |

Groaning, Lena shoved the box away from her, practically jumping out of her seat when she heard it begin to rattle across the table rather loudly. Her cheeks burned and her thumbs punched across the touchscreen keyboard on her phone.

| Lena: What kind of friend buys someone a sex toy?! |

She could practically hear her friend's laughter from across town. She tried to think positively. At least she hadn't been dragged out of the house to guy to a store and buy it. She'd have to destroy the box so that nobody knew. 'Nobody must know…' Her phone was set down so she could grab the migrating box, fumbling inside to grab what looked like a remote and hitting the power button. Already her phone was dinging with message notifications and she sighed loudly.

| Brit: What? I'm just looking out for you. |
| Brit: If you don't want it, send it back my way! I can always add to the collection. |
| Brit: I even custom ordered it and made it blue. |

That she did, Lena couldn't help but notice, and even though it wasn't quite the right shade of cyan, it was still close enough that… She shuddered and tore her eyes away from the box and its contents, glaring at her phone.

| Lena: Okay, fine. You went to all this effort, I can't possibly turn it away… |

| Brit: :) |

| Lena: No, shut up! I just don't want to hurt your feelings! |

| Brit: ;) |

| Lena: I gotta go. Text you later. |

She closed out of the messages and pressed the button on the side of her phone to shut off the screen. The instant it went black she set it screen-side down on the table, folding her arms next to it and laying her head on them with a sigh. Her best friend was a weirdo, but she always meant well, so her oddities could be overlooked. She only acted out of love, anyway. Glancing up, she curiously pulled the box closer to her, feeling her cheeks tingle with a blush as she glanced inside. Smooth and blue, translucent, the color of the sea…was it weird to think of a sex toy as 'pretty'? Probably. She hesitantly reached inside to pick it up, feeling the smooth silicone beneath her fingers. She bit her lip.

…It would be rude to turn down a gift, right?

[[ OKAY I'M SORRY FOR LEAVING IT THERE BUT IN MY DEFENSE IT'S 11PM AND I TOOK MY PILLS TWO HOURS AGO SO I'M STARTING TO GET SUPER SLEEPY AND THAT'S TOTALLY LEADING INTO SOMETHING SUPER GREAT OKAY I PROMISE JUST BEAR WITH ME

God it feels so good to be able to say I updated... I keep imagining that you guys are unfollowing or whatever, or thinking that the update isn't worth the wait, and I feel really, really guilty for taking so long to update anymore. Life just sucks sometimes and not being able to do the things I love like write or art sucks and I want to do nothing more than be able to churn out fics as I'm able to think of them flawlessly and perfectly timed but that's not how life works so yeah. I'm sorry, but thank you to anyone who still stuck around through that month-long absence and is still here reading this. You guys are awesome.

As usual, go follow me on tumblr (life-sans-sin dot tumblr dot com) and send me some asks, message me, whatever! I'm totally chill and hey, I take requests for doodles/drabbles...you got nothin' to lose!]]