Toriel felt some level of rejuvenation when she stepped out of the family van and looked up at the grand sight of Newer Home's School for Humans and Monsters. It was her pride and joy, the result of everything she'd fought tooth and claw for those first few months after arriving on the surface. Though the land Newer Home had been built on, and was still being built on in some places, was given over to the monsters through an early agreement, legal and political turmoil halted a lot of process for certain projects. This school being one of them.
Darkly, she thought back on that vile group of human women who worked for the local government, the ones who seemed so keen on trying to uproot everything she'd built for herself. Remembering their words always brought sparks of anger to the back of her throat. The way they'd tried to say a monster like her could never raise a human child, the way they had tried to find Frisk's previous abusive family with no regard to her child's feelings. All of that had, thankfully, been shot down pretty quick, especially with Frisk's pull with their role as ambassador.
But even then, they hadn't stopped with antagonizing her, going after her plans to build this school and plan others for the newly freed monster kingdom. They especially hated that she had, of course, applied to teach human children as well as monsters. She remembered well how they had embarrassed themselves and everyone around them attempting to shout her down at a meeting on the subject, citing how one of the "devil's creatures" would only corrupt children's minds. It certainly brought to light, in her eyes, how poorly humans and religion often seemed to mix. That much had not changed very much from the old days, unfortunately.
Getting this place approved and built in spite of their efforts felt like a victory in more ways than one, and she took immense satisfaction in seeing their enraged reactions to the news. It turned out that a great deal of humans found them just as ridiculous as she did, and had even offered her their help in reaction to all the hostility she had faced. It had been a wonderfully touching experience and she had gained some of her first adult human friends out of the otherwise messy affair. Those women had mostly left her alone after that, and it was hard not to feel just a little smug about the whole thing. It stirred her soul with a warm sense of pride as she began the walk up the path towards the building, holding Frisk's small hand in her paw all the while.
The child let out a soft yawn, blinking lingering sleepiness out of their eyes and holding Flowey's pot close with their free arm. Being the teacher's kid meant they had to arrive early when she did around 9AM. It didn't seem to bother them though, and their smile returned quickly to their face as they looked up at her. Compared to most human children they probably were better rested than others getting up for school on this lovely Monday morning. Toriel had been more than a little critical of the human standards for educational facilities, including the start time.
8AM? Surely that was far too early. Children needed their sleep for their minds to develop after all. To her, 10AM was a much better alternative, and led to everyone feeling much better about attending class each day. That among other things she had changed to better suit her standards, and based on what she'd seen during the months the school had been in operation, she'd say it was a success.
But no matter how late the school day started, it would have no effect on the exhaustion weighing on her soul at the moment. She was oh so tired… as she knew she would be. But hell, was it ever a struggle to deal with in the moment. It took a lot to keep up her usual bright smile as she walked towards the building. She paused briefly when she spotted someone among the hedges of the front lawn, someone she really didn't want to see at the moment.
Asgore glanced at her over his shoulder, pausing in his trimming of the large topiary shaped like Papyrus' face. The flash of pain in his eyes was impossible to miss, and he lowered his garden shears and turned towards her. Toriel felt a faint chill run down her spine, smile withering as her grip on Frisk's hand unknowingly tightened slightly. The two boss monsters just stared at each other for a another moment, the uneasy emotions in both their eyes seemingly taken in by the other. Then Asgore forced a sad smile and gave her a small, polite inclination of his head before waving to Frisk beside her. She looked away, guilt pricking at her soul.
"I cannot do this right now… I am not ready to face him again after all that…" She thought miserably, the beginnings of a headache blooming at the crown of her head.
But then, she noticed Flowey looking up at her with an… odd expression. He looked angry. Not grumpy or moody like he usually did but legitimately angry, eyes dark and fangs flashing in what was almost a snarl. It was strange, but not wholly unusual. He often seemed to get heated when the subject of her and Asgore's strained relationship was brought up, but usually he masked this with cruel snide comments and embittered sarcasm, always with cruel grin on his face. Why he cared so much once again left her deeply confused, but seeing that anger from him gave her a spark of… something. And it drove away the whisperings of her insecurities for the moment.
No, she needed to at least try to apologize for what had happened, she'd ignored the issue long enough. Perhaps that what Flowey's dark look was about, as disgusted with her cowardice as she herself was. She made brief eye contact with the flower monster before taking a deep breath and turning to face her ex-husband again. He, Frisk and Asgore all seemed quite surprised when gently released her child's hand and began marching over to him, expression flat and stiff.
"Wait here a moment, my child… I need to take care of something." She said over her shoulder to Frisk, who gave a small, still slightly stunned nod.
She stopped a few feet from the King of monsters, swallowing against the rising unease in her throat before speaking.
"G-good morning… Asgore…" She said, voice dull.
He blinked at her in faint shock, bi-colored eyes wide.
"G-good morning!" He managed to reply in turn, smile becoming far more legitimate. He paused, clearly still working through the surprise of the moment. "Um… l-lovely day… isn't it?"
She still struggled to keep eye contact with the other boss monster, mind wanting desperately to plunge into her usual dark thoughts regarding him, but she stayed the course. She cleared her throat and adjusted her reading glasses before replying.
"Yes, it is…" She agreed, still in a subdued voice. "But that is not why I wished to speak to you…"
After a pause, he lowered the shears more, letting the tips poke into the grass in front of him and resting his paws on top of the handles. A soft morning wind tousled his flower patterned shirt and blew some leaf clippings into his beard and mane. In the old days, she would have found that endearing. Now, it just made her feel all the more guilty for being so uncomfortable around him.
"I… I wished to properly apologize for what transpired this weekend... " She said, going on in a stronger voice before he could say anything. "I have not been in… the best state of mind lately and I fear that on top of everything else led me to reacting the way I did. And I should not have… treated you the way I did afterwards... "
There was a pause and he just stared, mouth opening and moving slightly as though he wished to say something but just not finding the words. She shot a nervous glance back at Frisk and Flowey, who were watching her from the path. Frisk's expression was pleasantly neutral as usual, with a spark of more visible happiness in their eyes. Flowey still looked surprised though, watching with a far more genuine expression of interest than she expected. She drew another deep breath and went on in a quieter voice, ensuring the children did not hear her.
"I am not... "well" Asgore…" She admitted, and the words burned on her tongue. "I still have yet to heal in regards to what happened between us… and what happened to the-"
She cut herself off, closing her eyes briefly as she curled her paws into fists and then uncurled them again.
"No, don't talk about that, don't think about it. Just say what you came to say be done with it." Her mind ordered her, and she reluctantly obeyed, releasing the sudden tension in her body through a sigh.
"I just hope that… my behavior has not made your attempts at making a better life for yourself more… difficult." She went on, in a steadier voice. "I… I know that you have been taking strides towards that... I just fear that I am…"
Again, her words died in her mouth and her confidence in all this seemed to drain from her. Admitting this to him of all monsters was hard enough as it was, going further into detail seemed to be too much for her at the moment. Asgore seemed to perceive this, and got the chance to speak at last, his expression softening
"I understand." he assured her, eyes warm. "Do not worry about any of that. All you've said… it… it means a lot to me."
He paused briefly to wipe at his orange eye with a paw, and only just now did she noticed there were tears there. It brought more cold, painful emotions to her soul, but she willed herself not to let them show on her face. His expression sobered up a bit as he went on.
"I know I hurt you far too deeply back then for things to ever be fully okay between us again... and I don't expect you to forgive me Toriel, for any of it. You and I will never be able to regain what we had before… and I agree that it is best for us both to move on. But… I do hope in time that we can at least try to be friends again… when you uh… get to feeling better, of course."
She blinked in response to his words, letting them sink in for a moment. None of what he said was truly new, he'd either expressed these sentiments before or she'd picked up on them from the hints that were difficult to miss. But hearing it all like this, well… it did lift a bit of weight off her soul, though it also reignited her guilt despite his reassurance. Her expression remained stiff and she eventually averted her eyes, feeling as though all the moisture in her mouth had dried up. Her unease didn't seem to phase Asgore though, he just went on in a gentler tone.
"I know you are still not ready to talk about everything that happened… and that is fine Toriel." He said, regret creeping at the edges of his voice. "Take all the time you need. I will always be here if you do feel up to it… Just like I said in the note that I left you."
Her mind flashed back to that note, all it's remorse, all the apologizing it contained, and again felt more guilt flood through her. But she eventually managed a nod in response, eyes even brightening a bit.
"Alright…" She replied, quietly. "I will… keep that in mind… and I appreciate your understanding in all this."
He shot her another warm smile and picked up his shears again.
"Of course, have a good day Toriel, and best of luck with your lessons for today." He said, now seeming to radiate happiness as he turned back to the hedge sculpture and began clipping away again.
She remained in place for a moment, wondering if he was really done talking. Her mouth opened to say something else, but no words came and she shut it again. Finally she turned away, thoughts spinning around in her head like water flowing down a drain.
That was perhaps the first real successful conversation she'd had with him in stars knows how long. It felt… well, she wouldn't say it felt good per say, but she supposed that it did make her feel a little better. Though if she was tired before, oh stars was she exhausted now. As usual, speaking to her ex-husband was terribly mentally draining. She felt so weary in that moment that she hardly even bothered to put on a smile for Frisk and Flowey as she trudged back over to them, rubbing at the side of her head with a paw.
She stopped at Frisk's side and was about to say something to them, but paused when she suddenly felt two arms, and the edge of a pot, wrap as much as they could around her legs. Looking down, she found her child attempting to give her a hug, pressing against her and gripping on to her dress lightly. She knelt down to their level at once, fearing for a moment they were upset about something. Frisk pulled back a bit though and their usual small smile was in place. They lifted their free hand to sign to her as best they could with one hand, while Flowey seemed to be actively avoiding her gaze.
(You looked like you needed a hug.) They said, brown eyes soft.
Toriel blinked, then her expression shifted into one far closer to her usual maternal warmth. She pulled them back into her arms, nuzzling their cheek and feeling her soul thrum with happiness as they giggled in response.
"I did." She said, voice strong again. "Thank you, my child."
Even now, with everything she now knew about them, all she knew they'd done, her soul still felt warm with love inside her as she held them close. Did that make her a hypocrite? If it did, she was too tired to dwell on it further. She just relished in the embrace and the emotions flowing from their powerful soul.
"Ugghhh…. alright, enough already. Can't you leave me out of this?!" Flowey spat, somewhat crushed between them because of the hug.
Both she and Frisk gave another soft laugh at that. She gave the two children one last thankful squeeze before all three of them headed for the school's grand set of doors. Papyrus was there to meet them in the main hallway as they stepped inside, pausing in his straightening of some billboard decorations as he noticed them.
"GOOD MORNING MS. TORIEL! FRISK! FLOWEY! ARE YOU READY FOR ANOTHER SPECTACULAR DAY OF ENLIGHTENING AND INSPIRING THE YOUNG MINDS OF THE NEXT GENERATION?" The skeleton asked, beaming brightly.
His energy and enthusiasm only served to highlight how tired she felt, but she forced up her best smile regardless.
"Good morning to you too Papyrus, and of course." She replied, whilst Frisk gave a thumbs up and Flowey rolled his eyes with a groan.
Papyrus clapped his hands together and straightened up with an even wider smile.
"EXCELLENT! I HAVE ALREADY UPDATED THE CALENDARS, HALL POSTERS AND OTHER ACCESSORIES TO LIVEN UP THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AND I HAVE PREPARED MY PERSONAL OFFICE SPACE FOR MY SCHEDULED MEETINGS TODAY! IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO DO BEFORE THE CHILDREN GET HERE, MS. TORIEL?" He asked, positively brimming with eagerness.
The rush of words hit her like a freight train, but she steadied herself again with some effort. Sometimes that skeleton's way of speaking was really difficult for her to keep up with, not helped by her current condition. She managed to keep her smile in place though, more than happy to encourage her favorite "assistant".
His help was always appreciated and he had many roles in the school beyond assisting her too. He was the unofficial mascot, as proclaimed by himself at least, as well as the school's guidance counselor, helping troubled or wayward students with their problems and giving them the encouragement they needed. Indeed, it was hard for anyone not to feel motivated and cared for after a impassioned speech from the exuberant skeleton. He was truly great with the kids, and she was so very grateful for all the work he did.
"No Papyrus, you have done wonderfully as always, thank you. Feel free to take a break before going out to greet the children as they come in. I will join you shortly." She said, even knowing full well what his answer would be.
Before he said anything though, she released Frisk's hand and told them to go ahead into the room to wait for her, perhaps play a game on one of the computers. They nodded and happily hurried off, holding Flowey's pot close all the while. As they rounded the corner ahead, Papyrus' bombastic voice drew her attention back to him.
"A BREAK? NONSENSE, I WILL SIMPLY GO ASSIST ASGORE UNTIL THEN. I AM SURE HAVING THE WONDERFUL VISAGE OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS TO MARVEL AT IN PERSON WILL CERTAINLY HELP HIM CAPTURE MY ESSENCE IN FULL." He said, gesturing to himself dramatically.
She gave a light chuckle in response, the laugh helping to ease the still lingering tension in her soul a bit.
"Very well then, see you in a few minutes." She replied, moving to begin down the hall.
Though when Papyrus didn't move himself or reply further, she paused, glancing back at him in mild confusion. He noticed and his smile weakened a bit as a far more uncertain expression crossed his features.
"UM… WAS SANS… UP WHEN YOU LEFT? DID YOU MANAGE TO SEE IF HE IS DOING ANY BETTER TODAY?" He asked, rubbing his gloved hands together nervously.
That spark of guilt shot through her soul again, hating the fact that she had to lie to him. Her thoughts raced for a moment to find the right words, and she tried not to sound as uneasy as she felt.
"No, I am sorry, he was still asleep. I could hear the snoring coming from his room. The door was still uh… locked. But I am sure he will be fine, my friend. He needs the rest more than anything right now. I will call him during my lunch break and make sure he is doing okay. Try not to worry."
The lie made something akin to heartburn flare up in her chest as it left her, but she managed to keep her smile in place regardless. Papyrus blinked at her, expression saddening until he let out a sigh.
"OF COURSE, HE ALWAYS LOCKS HIS DOOR. EVEN WHEN HE'S HAVING THOSE AWFUL NIGHTMARES. EVEN WHEN HE'S SICK AND INJURED LIKE THIS…" The skeleton made a small sound laced with anxiety and frustration. "I DON'T KNOW IF I SHOULD HAVE LEFT HIM ALONE MS. TORIEL... AGAIN… HE TOLD ME HE'D BE FINE BUT HE ALWAYS ALWAYS SAYS THAT. HE'S STILL SO…"
He cut himself off, then blushed a bit and grimaced as if realizing how much he was talking. Rapidly, he forced up a nervous grin.
"EH, SORRY! UH, NEVERMIND ALL THAT!" He sputtered, waving his hands in a dismissive manner. "I'M OFF TO GO BE A FANTASTIC MODEL! NYEH HEH HEH! HEH… HEH…"
With that, he rushed for the door before she could say anything more, leaving her there with her mouth hanging open slightly. As the door shut with a resounding echo against the brick walls, it felt as though the sound waves also penetrated her soul with a spike of pain. Oh how she hated to lie to him, especially with just how worried for his brother he was. He didn't deserve all this manipulation and deception…
But there was nothing she could do for it. She just couldn't tell him the truth, no matter how much she wished to. Her lips were bound by her promise, and by an instinctual desire to protect her friend from all the devastating truths she now carried. Truths that, from what Sans had told her, he would be unlikely to believe anyway. So with a soft, weary sigh, she turned to walk down the hall towards the school's main classroom.
As she did, she passed by Papyrus' small office, seeing through the window that it was, as expected, carefully decorated and cleaned thoroughly. Seeing the pride he took in his duties usually warmed her soul, but today it could only manage to bring a lump to her throat. Beyond the tepid thoughts though, it reminded her that the rest of the school's staff would be arriving shortly and that she should get ready before they did.
Papyrus wasn't the only one she had more or less employed at her school over time. Indeed, the whole thing had become quite the family affair.
Asgore of course came as often as he could to serve as groundskeeper in his free time, keeping the school's decorative and educational gardens well cared for. She had done her best to hide her discomfort with the idea back then. She couldn't very well bar him from being part of it all though, that would be far too mean-spirited, even given their history. And she had to admit, he did the job better than anyone else, ever the fantastic green thumb.
Undyne worked as a gym teacher, and a dearly beloved one at that. Toriel wasn't too fond of the way she'd "bench-press" the children as an activity, but with time she'd accepted the fish monster's methods as the children did seem to enjoy them. Her creativity with the different ways to make exercise fun for the students was quite admirable. Plus it gave her a more constructive and less… violent outlet for her energy and physical skills than she'd had while in the royal guard.
Alphys had chosen to utilize her knowledge and skills in a new way, serving as the school's nurse while also occasionally speaking to the class on science and technology related subjects. She was still quite nervous and unsure of herself when presenting, but was steadily growing more confident in that regard. Toriel was glad the former royal scientist had accepted the offer, as she felt it was in some way an act of repentance for firing her from her old position before.
Mettaton occasionally stopped by when he was in town from his touring and talked to the children about drama and theater, as well as hosted a newly established annual talent show. Those were days no student dared to miss. And while the actual value of his lessons was… questionable, given he that usually ended up talking about himself more than anything else, the children still enjoyed his visits immensely.
And then there was Sans of course. On days he wasn't "sick" like today, he worked here as well. And just like when he lived Underground, he didn't have any set job. Rather, he did various little things around the building from managing the school's paperwork, to maintenance and janitorial work, and even worked in the school's cafeteria sometimes. He was also quite the beloved substitute teacher on occasion, but mostly because he always brought in movies and such for the students to watch on the days he covered for her. Getting him to actually teach a full lesson still seemed off the table for now though, as he had casually dismissed the idea whenever she brought it up.
And of course, he often punctuated all his duties with the occasional nap. Finding him asleep standing up, leaning against the vacuum or a mop, still ever smiling was always especially funny to her. She probably should be a bit more disgruntled about all his sleeping on the job, but the work always got done, so she couldn't really complain. Though admittedly, she probably did have a tendency to be a bit too soft on him at times…
Of course, everyone had their own ambitions and hobbies outside the school walls, and this setup they had now likely would prove to be temporary in the long term as some eventually left to pursue further passions and opportunities now open to them on the surface. But for now, it was so very nice having the extended family all work together like this, uniting and bonding through the experience more than ever.
Apart from them, she had hired various other monsters and a select few brave humans to ensure everything ran smoothly, so the school was soon to be abustle with various staff. As their semi-leader in all this, she needed to push through her exhaustion and ensured this school week started off right. With that in mind, she steeled herself and hurried off to the main classroom to ensure all was ready before she joined Papyrus outside.
Greeting the students at the start of every school day was always such a joy to Toriel, no matter how worn down she was. They came up the path sometimes one by one or in groups, in every shape, color and size. She was sure to give a pleasant welcome to each and every one. Some of the more reserved children simply returned her greeting or just nodded politely in response. While others were far more excited to offer a "Good morning Ms. Toriel!" as they arrived. Some even came up to hug her, Papyrus, or both before heading inside. She had made an effort to get to know each and every one of her students, and by now knew all their names and at least a few key things about them. All the greetings this morning were full of warmth and familiarity, and they helped calm the still unsettled magic of her soul.
One group of children in particular brought an especially warm smile to her face as she watched them approach. Three human children, twin brother and sister, and another younger girl came up the path, joined by Kid who chatted up a storm beside them. The twins were dark skinned, had lovely curly black hair and soft brown eyes. The boy was named Devon and the girl Kayla, and though they were twins, they had seemingly opposite personalities. Kayla was a stoic and level headed bookworm while her brother was quite the excitable and adventurous social butterfly. Both had been quite the talk of the school when they'd first arrived, being the only humans besides Frisk to attend at the time. Though now their "otherness" was hardly ever mentioned anymore, fully accepted by their monster peers.
Their parents were some of the first humans to move into Newer Home, a pair of two moms who apparently made the move along with their adopted children to "make a statement." They were quite nice people, if a bit too boisterous and loud at times, and their values concerning peace between humans and monsters as well as adoption made Toriel feel a good connection with them. While the other human girl, a very pale and somewhat sickly child named Ana, Toriel had never met her parents. In fact, the shy human girl was perhaps the student she knew the least about, due to her later arrival and reluctance to speak in class. She had joined mid-year, leaving her not only the new kid, but a new human student as well. The stress of that clearly weighed on her and Toriel made an extra effort to make the nervous child feel accepted however she could each day.
She shot Ana a warm smile with that in mind as she and the others in the group approached. The child met her with a weak smile of her own, though she quickly ducked behind her long pale blond hair again before uttering out a small "Good morning Ms. Toriel…"
The twins also greeted her with an, in unison, "Good morning Ms. Toriel!" Devon's naturally louder voice nearly drowning out his sister's. Kid did the same, ensuring she noticed they were wearing the poncho she'd made for them before strutting over to Papyrus. The other children followed suit, greeting the skeleton as well and watching with varied levels of amusement as Kid excitedly hopped up in down in front of him.
"Yo Papyrus! Did you bring me the scarf? Didya? Didya?" They asked, tail wagging a mile a minute.
Papyrus chuckled and puffed up his chest before dramatically reaching behind his back.
"INDEED I DID, NUMBER ONE FAN! HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY!" He announced before pulling back his hand holding… nothing.
Everyone stared at him blankly for a moment, before Kid broke the silence, tail slowing to a stop.
"Uh, dude, there's nothing there..."
Papyrus' expression morphed into surprise and then guilt, but it looked very… forced.
"ALAS! HAS THE GREAT PAPYRUS TRULY FORGOTTEN THE GIFT FOR HIS GREATEST ADORING FAN?" He said in a overly dramatic tone, laying the back of his hand against his forehead.
He then leaned forward and placed both hands on Kid's small shoulders, still with his culpability on full display.
"CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME KID, FOR THIS MOST GRIEVOUS ACT OF NEGLIGENCE AND WRONGDOING?"
The monster child tilted their head a bit, about to speak when suddenly Papyrus was tying a bright red scarf around their neck. Toriel assumed he must have been hiding it in his glove somehow, but he had taken it out so fast she hadn't even seen it happen. Finishing off the neat knot around the front, the skeleton straightened up again with his usual bright grin restored.
"NYEH HEH HEH! I GOT YOU! THOROUGHLY JAPED BY THE GREAT PAPYRUS! I WOULD NEVER FORGET SUCH AN IMPORTANT GIFT FOR SUCH A GREAT FAN. WITH THIS SCARF, I DECLARE YOU THE SECOND COOLEST MONSTER OF ALL TIME!"
The whole stunt brought out laughter from everyone, even a tiny bit from Ana. Kid's eyes lit up like a fireworks show and they jumped up and down in an excited frenzy, utterly elated.
"Yo! Yo! Thank you Papyrus! Thank you! I love it so much!" They exclaimed, with the a smile sweet enough to induce a sugar high.
The skeleton mirrored their joy, and Toriel could tell beneath his attempts at being cool and collected in front of his fan, he was just as excited on the inside.
"YOU ARE MOST WELCOME!" He said, patting the monster child's scaly head before straightening up and putting his hands on his hips. "NOW, WHO IS READY FOR ANOTHER DAY OF FUN AND EDUCATION?"
All the children in the group, save Ana, replied with a cheer, though it was more from just the excitement of the moment than actual anticipation of the lessons. They all headed inside, Papyrus leading them with another "NYEH HEH HEH!"
After a quick glance at her checklist, ensuring that all the students were now present and accounted for, she turned and followed the others inside. She caught a glimpse of Undyne and Alphys in the hallway, chatting next to the entrance of the nurse's office. Both of them noticed her and Alphys offered her usual nervous little wave. Undyne narrowed her eyes at Toriel a bit and her facial fins twitched, but she eventually raised a hand in greeting too as she went by. Toriel returned the gesture with a far more convincing smile, not allowing the clear signs of the fish monster's anger towards her to affect her. She would surely deal with that later anyway, no need to show how much it was affecting her in the moment. She left the couple behind her after that and headed for the main classroom.
She found the room buzzing with energy and chatter as she entered, the thirty or so students mulling around conversing with the others or already seated at their desks. Frisk was standing with Kid and signing to a light pink sheep monster named Annie and a pale blue Ice elemental named Blanche. Flowey and his pot were already sitting atop Frisk's desk, watching the scene with his usual bitter look on his face. Frisk and Kid posed dramatically in their matching ponchos, prompting laughter and compliments from the other two monsters. Toriel got her child's attention and they quickly signaled to their friends to all sit down in response. Such a help they always were.
Stepping further into the room caught the attention of everyone else, and a slow hush fell over the room as they all hurriedly got to their seats. Though she had already greeted them all outside, the first thing she said once standing behind her desk was a kindly "Good morning everyone."
"Good morning Ms. Toriel!" The students responded in practiced unison.
Toriel looked over the room of young humans and monsters with a warm sense of pride welling up in her soul. Before her was a symbol of all of her greatest hopes and dreams, of peace between the two previously warring species and safety for the children of both sides. Those thoughts briefly faltered though, when her eyes landed on Frisk's smiling face, remembering the true fragility of the situation in a flash. All of this progress, all of what she and many others had fought so hard for, it could all be destroyed in a moment at her child's will, and they wouldn't even know it…
"No, stop thinking about it, you have a class to teach." Her mind snapped at her, and she was too tired to argue, forcing all her energy back to the task at hand.
She adjusted her glasses and picked up a piece of chalk before walking to the board and purposefully keeping her eyes away from Frisk and Flowey for the moment.
"I hope you all had a wonderful weekend." She began, beginning to write on the board in a neat, practiced manner. "Especially you Kid, happy birthday to you once again."
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the monster child blush lightly and then flash a great, big, toothy grin in response. The other students rose a brief chatter of agreement, many of having been attendees to Kid's party. It died down again before she continued speaking. As she described each part of the schedule, she wrote it on the board for all to see.
"This week in class, we will be addressing many exciting topics. For math, we will be learning to read different kinds of charts and graphs and how to create them ourselves. For science, we will be looking into the states of matter and mana. There will be many interactive activities for that. For reading, we will discuss a few famous short stories and assign the upcoming assignment where you all will read and report on a short story or poem of your choosing. And for history, we will be discussing the earliest origins of magic and monsters, with a guest lecture later this week from Ms. Alphys. I hope you all look forward to it."
A general sound of cheery agreement came from the students, some perking up at the mention of certain upcoming lessons more than others. With that, Toriel pushed back her exhaustion as best she could and launched into the first lesson of the day.
Despite her initial worries, everything went surprisingly well. Aside from a brief incident where the slime monster Goobert kept annoying the student in front of him with some sneaky bubble attacks. Apart from that, she was able to get through the math and science lectures for the day with ease. As well as oversee the activity that coincided with it, where the students saw how different conditions affected different types of mana and shifted them between forms. Physical in the form of bullets, liquid when summoned but not given the energy or focus to form, gaseous when exposed to air without a magic source for too long, and as pure energy when within a living being's soul. It had been quite insightful and enjoyable for the students, much to Toriel's satisfaction.
With that done, the students were off to lunch, then recess and then later PE with Undyne. Toriel would have a break for a while, and thank the stars for it, because the small reserve of energy born from will and her morning coffee was proving empty by this point. She slumped into her desk chair with a soft sigh once the last student had left, rubbing her forehead against the aching weariness. Or at least, she thought they'd all left. The soft sound of a familiar voice clearing their throat drove her attention to her side, finding Frisk standing beside her, Flowey's pot in their arms.
"Oh, sorry my child, I did not see you there." She apologized, willing her smile back to her face as much as she could.
Frisk regarded her somewhat uncertainly, clearly noticing her fatigue but eventually choosing not to comment on the matter. Instead, they placed Flowey's pot on her desk and lifted their hands to sign to her properly.
(Flowey doesn't want to go to lunch, says he's not hungry.) They said, casting a somewhat sad glance in the flower monster's direction.
Flowey paid the human child no mind, facing away from both of them and looking somewhat… droopy. It was only then that Toriel really realized he hadn't said a word all class. His avoidant attitude wasn't out of the ordinary for him, but he usually proved to be quite chatty and argumentative in class. With a full room of students to watch over, it was sometimes difficult for her to notice when one was acting differently than usual. Even if Flowey wasn't technically a student, she still should have paid more attention to him. She looked sadly at the flower monster for a moment, soul gripped with conflicting emotions until Frisk moved their hands again to get her attention.
(Could he stay here with you until I get back?) They asked.
She tried not to let the spike of unease the question brought her show on her face. Oh stars, she just wanted to be alone for a while and relax, things that would surely be impossible with Flowey here. But she couldn't think of any excuse to deny the request in her exhausted state, so she nodded in reply after a moment.
"Alright my child, he can stay. Now off to lunch with you, I packed you some leftovers I think you will really enjoy." She said, winking at that last part.
Frisk's eyes lit up, clearly understanding what she was hinting at. They gave a quick nod then hurried off after their friends, leaving Toriel alone with Flowey. A strained silence stretched between the two for a moment, before she slowly rose from her chair and crossed the room over to where the sinks were. She could feel the flower monster's gaze boring into her back as she picked up a small watering can resting on the rim of the sink. A bright yellow can painted with red heart specifically made for Flowey himself. The silence continued as she filled the small can and carried it back over to him, finally meeting his gaze.
"Don't even think about it." The flower monster growled at last, narrowing his eyes at her.
Toriel blinked down at him in response, exasperated. Stars, she was too tired for this.
"Flowey, you do not look like you have been watered today. Your petals are drooping. At least let me give you a little, than I will leave you be." She said.
He continued to glare up at her for a few seconds more before deflating with a low snarl.
"Fine, whatever. But you better not just dump it on my head."
If she were in better spirits she may have laughed a bit at that, but as it was she simply heeded his request without comment, lightly watering the flower monster around his stem until the soil was dark and moist. Once done, she set the can down and went to sit back in her chair. The flower monster did not turn to face her, simply curled up in his pot and decidedly facing the window. She honored her word and left him be, deciding now was a good as time as any to check up on Sans. Not wanting to risk the potential problems a phone call could cause, she decided to try texting him. She hastily typed out a message, keeping watch of Flowey out of the corner of her eye.
To Sans: ( ´ U ` )
(Dear Sans,
I am on break now, and thought I should check in on you. Are you awake? How are you doing?
Sincerely,
Toriel. )
She felt a great sense of relief when her phone pinged less than a minute later, signaling his reply. She got sucked into the conversation after that, forgetting everything else around her as she and Sans messaged each other back and forth.
(hey tori, yah i'm up. woke up like an hour ago. and i'm fine, thanks for gettin me the day off. u the best. hope you aren't too tired tho.)
(You are most welcome, I am glad to hear you are feeling better. Do not worry about me, I am tired yes but it is nothing I cannot handle. What are you planning to do with your day off? )
(y'know, go full couch potato mode. can't exactly go to grillby's or anything when i'm supposed to be sick.)
(True, I suppose I cannot fault you for that too much, hee hee. ]: ) There is leftover dinner and dessert pie in the fridge if you get hungry.)
(way ahead of ya there t.)
(I should have guessed, well try not to eat all of it. I would like to save some for Frisk's and Flowey's school lunches.)
(um… oops... )
(Oh never mind it, I should have said something. I will simply have to make more sometime. Hope you enjoyed it at least ]: ) )
(sorry t, but yah it was great. couldn't resist when i remembered it was in there. would be a real pie-ing shame to let that go to waste.)
(L-O-L good one funnybones! ]X D Are you watching that documentary you told me about?)
(yup, its good so far, haven't fallen asleep again at least. pretty cool stuff. i'll show you the best parts later.)
(Oh, I would love that! Well if you are doing well, I will leave you to it then. Enjoy your day off and feel free to call if you need anything.)
(k tori, see you later then. hope school day goes good.)
(Thanks, all has been well so far! See you later. Oh, and be sure to text your brother something too, he is worried sick I am afraid.)
(right, thought so… will do. thanks.)
The last thing she sent was another one of the pun pictures she'd amassed in her photo gallery, just as an extra gesture to hopefully make him smile. It was an adorable otter with a space helmet on, floating amongst the stars with the caption "Otter Space." He replied back with quite the happy emoji and a thumbs up, so it was fair to say she had succeeded in that regard. She was pulled back to reality then by the harsh sound of Flowey's voice.
"You texting that smiley trashbag?" He asked, drawing her eyes to him.
The momentary respite she'd enjoyed evaporated as she met his unsettling grin. Feeling her own smile wither, she adjusted her glasses and laid her phone back on the desk.
"Yes, I was." She said, pointedly, unsure why she felt the need to defend the action to the flower monster.
He straightened up a bit on his stem and leaned a little closer to her, smile stretching wider.
"How's the poor little skeleton doing?" He asked in a mocking tone. "Did he fall and crack his skull again? Is he too sick to even move and is begging you to come save him?"
Toriel just shot the flower monster an annoyed glance, trying not to let her tiredness shorten her temper. She pulled the class schedule across the desk so she could look it over again, if only because she needed the distraction.
"No, he is feeling a lot better. I just wanted to check up on him." She said, tapping her pencil idly against the side of the paper.
Flowey chuckled and she could see him leaning closer in her peripheral vision. When he spoke again, he lowered his voice to just above a whisper and his tone became icy.
"Really? Because I have my doubts that he was ever sick at all."
Toriel practically felt the world tilt beneath her. The air vanished from her lungs and a terrible chill seemed to lock her whole body in place. She couldn't stop herself from meeting his gaze again though, eyes widening despite herself. Beneath her fur, she was surely going pale. Flowey seemed delighted by her response though, giggling and wiggling his leaves a bit.
"Golly! Looks like I hit the mark on that one huh?" He asked, tilting his head on his stem. "I've seen him act like this before, all the nightmares, the suspicious injuries, the sneaking about… and it definitely wasn't because he had a bug."
In that moment, she knew it was all over. She had been found out and there was no escaping it. Her soul clenched tightly with despair, unable to even ponder what had given her away. The guilt was so intense it nearly brought tears to her eyes, but all she could do in the moment was stare at him as he continued speaking, still numb with shock.
"He told you didn't he? I can see it in your eyes." The flower monster went on, confirming her worst fears without mercy. "I'll bet he finally cracked didn't he? Did he cry like a idiot and beg you to believe him? That's what he did with his brother way back when, loads of times."
With that, his face morphed and twisted into a callous imitation of Sans', complete with fake tears.
"Papyrus you have to believe me, I promise i'm not crazy bro!" The flower monster imitated Sans' voice in a cruelly mocking tone. "I keep waking up in the same day over and over! It's that damn flower! It's messing with the world somehow. Please, you gotta believe me!"
His display of scorn trailed off into a peal of devious laughter as his face shifted back to normal. Toriel finally found the will to speak, glancing with gripping anxiety at the door before she did so and praying the fact it was closed was keeping this conversation private. Playing dumb at this point would be pointless, though the temptation was overwhelming. She swallowed hard, curling her claws into the wood of the desk.
"Yes… he did tell me." She managed at last, just loud enough to hear. Flowey beamed.
"Ha! I knew it! So you know now then! About the resets, the timelines…" He sounded far too happy about this for her liking, practically gushing over every word. "Golly, he hasn't done something this interesting in ages! Though clearly he kept his word and didn't tell you everything. About me, at least. if he had, you'd be a sobbing broken mess on the floor right about now. I've seen it before."
That brought her pause, even through the still numbing roar of despair gripping her. But it was clear from the brief expression of bitterness that crossed his face that Flowey clearly had no interest in discussing that further. Still, a response escaped her almost subconsciously as her gaze drifted to her phone, and her thoughts to the monster she loved.
"Yes, he did not tell me anything about you other than that you could… reset… He said you had a right to your secrets…" She murmured, feeling the sting of tears prickling at her eyes.
Stars above, what if this was what ruined everything? What if all this led to another reset? Sans was finally starting to show some improvement, if his texts were any indication. How could the universe be so cruel as to have everything start unravelling now? By the stars it would destroy him. He would never trust her again, not after this. He may not trust anyone ever again… That level of despair could be enough to make him fa-
That thought halted when she felt a vine lightly brush her face, and flinched to see Flowey staring at her with a slightly more neutral expression. Though the grin he had on his face still was enough to make her shudder.
"Hey… Don't worry, I won't blab to Frisk about your little secret." He crooned, feigning a friendlier smile. "Believe it or not, I actually don't want them to reset either… Not that I think this would make them though, they've been pretty strict on shutting down any suggestion or mentions of resets from me this run."
It took a bit for what he'd just said to really sink in and she truly wondered if he somehow had read her mind. Relief welled up within her soul instantly but it was somewhat tempered by the equally intense feeling of confusion that accompanied it. She shot him a questioning look, prompting a softer, less spiteful laugh from the flower monster.
"Yah, being on the surface is much more interesting if nothing else. I've experienced everything the Underground has to offer, so i'm in no hurry to go back. I might just die of boredom if that happens."
He leaned in close again, regarding her as if she were some fascinating bug he'd just discovered. She grimaced and backed up a bit in her chair, rather uncomfortable with the whole situation. If he noticed, he didn't care.
"Plus… With you specifically. This is the furthest I've seen you go in regards to making up with Asgore. That's definitely new! What you did this morning was the closest you've come to a real conversation about everything that happened! No way I'd sabotage seeing where that is going… even if it means seeing you flirt with that… yech… smiley trashbag."
Any apparent joy the conversation had brought him dissipated quickly in that moment. He retreated back into his pot with a bitter, disgusted scowl on his face again. A brief period of silence followed and Toriel just, couldn't find the will to say anything, not that she would know what to say even if she did. Her head was in a whirl as her eyes dropped back to her class schedule, not helped by her terrible exhaustion and the fact she was now missing her lunch because of this. Stars, worrying about such trivial things now seemed so pointless. Everything seemed so pointless when under the shadow of all this.
As before, those thoughts only halted when Flowey spoke again, catching her slightly off guard.
"You know that he is a child killer too right? He must of killed Frisk dozens of times." The flower monster said, a small grin splitting across his face again.
She drew in a deep breath and forced herself to meet his gaze again, scarlet eyes heavy.
"I know, Flowey." She replied softly, voice dull.
Sans had never explicitly told her that, but it hadn't been hard to figure out with all he'd said. The thought made her soul ache terribly… for Sans and for her child. It was a bitter mix that made her feel vaguely ill. Flowey was clearly displeased by her answer, petals flaring as he drew himself to his full height again.
"Then why are you so -ugh- mushy over him?! You should hate him just as much!" He spat, baring his fangs at her. "Why do you treat D-... Asgore like garbage and not him?"
The question once again took a moment to register, especially with his odd hesitation with Asgore's name. But before she could answer, his face twisted into something dark and even… hateful, as he spoke in a strange, resonating voice.
"You are a dirty, rotten hypocrite."
This time his words did not shock her into silence, and she drew herself up a bit, working up a stern expression. Like with a lot of things, a spark of anger was a good tool in getting her to refocus, and this case was no exception. But she kept her cool and kept her voice calm and controlled as she replied.
"Flowey… are you telling me you do not see the difference here?" She asked, coolly. "Are you honestly trying to tell me that what Sans did then was not an act of self defense?"
That definitely took Flowey by surprise and his confidence deflated as he did, sinking down a bit into his pot. He grumbled as he tried to find some counter to her words. Frustration won over in the end though.
"W-well... so what!? He still killed them! Loads of times! You should still hate his guts! Aren't the lives of those human kids the only thing you care about?" He snapped, glaring her down with his dark beady eyes.
Her own lips twitched with the beginnings of a snarl, but she maintained control. She shot him a look as though he had just spouted utter nonsense, and to her, he had.
"Of course not… Do not be ridiculous." She shot back, but minding the volume of her voice.
She shook her head in exasperation before looking at with him with even a hint of pity in her eyes.
"Flowey, do you truly see me as being that irrational? I do not know where you got these ideas, or why this bothers you so much… but I sincerely am sorry that you feel this way."
Her words once again seemed to surprise him, a strange mix of emotions flaring behind his eyes. But the fire had not died down within him and he went on without hardly missing a beat.
"What about me, huh?" He asked, a manic smile stretching across his features. "You know now, so you know what I did. I am probably a million times worse than Frisk and the trashbag combined. I've killed them both, you, and everyone else more ways and more times than I can count! So do you hate me, Toriel?"
The words hit her like strikes from magic bullets, draining her already fatigued soul even further. The implications set her imagination running wild. Still, she kept her stance, firmly shaking her head after a few moments.
"No Flowey, I do not hate you. I know what you did, yes. And I am sure it was all just as terrible as you say. But I do not hate you. Or Asgore, or anyone."
His smile briefly faltered at that, before returning along with a dark glint in his eyes.
"Hmm, is that so? Guess he must of spared you of the details then, no way you'd say that if you knew what I did to that trashbag, personally that is." He went on in a deceptively more pleasant voice.
Toriel felt the chill of dread return to her and she swallowed hard again, not liking at all where this was going. Flowey did not miss the gesture, leaning closer again with a wickedly pleased expression.
"I am the one who messed him up so badly you know. I am the reason he started having all those night terrors, the reason he is such a worthless wreck half the time, the reason he gave up."
He spoke those last words in that strange discordant voice again, letting them hang in the air for a moment and seeming to relish in her pained expression before continuing.
"You could say he was my favorite of you all for a bit near the start of my… experimental phase. Having a monster to play with who actually remembered events between resets and kept damage from them was just so interesting and different! I would target those he cared about specifically just to see how it would affect him and how he'd try to explain it afterwards… I'd reset multiple times in a single day, just to mess with him! Then i'd let the run stretch on for a long time without showing up, and oh man, seeing the paranoia slowly drive him crazy was just…"
He trailed off into another fit a giggles again, wiggling his leaves a bit as he seemed to think back on it all.
"And oh, he tried to stop me at first, fought me more times than I could count! And slaved away at that stupid machine of his, convinced it held the key to ending it all, but it was just as useless as he was. Eventually he stopped trying to stop me, didn't hardly react at all no matter who I offed in front of him, even when it was his brother! He just sat there and watched without a word, sometimes he didn't even bother coming out of his house unless I dragged him out myself!"
Flowey let out a sigh, sounding very much like a bored child in that moment, rather than someone admitting to multiple acts of murder and torture. Her soul pulsed violently within her, willing her to speak and make the flower monster stop talking. But she found she couldn't move or speak.
"He stopped being fun after that, i couldn't really get him to react to anything I did. I found out that his brother is much, much more interesting anyway, as a monster and as a subject to mess with. And I had ensured Sans knew better than to try to interfere with me anymore by that point. So in the end I just tossed that trashbag aside and forgot about him for the most part… after all…"
He met her eyes again, tilting his head with a truly insidious, soulless smile.
"Where's the fun in playing with a toy that's already been broken?"
As before when he'd first revealed that he'd figured out the truth behind their ruse, she felt as though the world would fall away beneath her at any moment. But beyond that, his words enflamed that spark of anger that had been burning like a single hot ember within her soul, sending it roaring to life. How dare he…
In a flash, she was on her feet, shoving her face mere inches from the flower monster's and baring her fangs in a fierce snarl. Her claws dug into the table, smoke curled from her nostrils and her eyes flared with rage.
"Shut. up." She growled, deep in her throat.
That elicited quite the flinch from Flowey, who recoiled down as far into his pot as he could manage. All traces of that cruel sadism was gone, replaced for the moment with only childish fear and confusion. Something about his expression was so… familiar… and it stirred some foggy part of her memories, like an itch that manifested deep within her mind. It made her remember herself and she drew a deep, slow breath before stepping back and composing herself as much as she could manage.
"Stop." She said again, in a softer, if still clearly angry tone. "You have no right to be speaking about him this way, revealing things that he may not want me to know. He had the decency to honor your request in keeping your past to himself, can you not offer him that same respect?"
Flowey stared up at her, still fairly stunned, before averting his eyes with an expression that was difficult to read. Finally he drew himself up again, not quite to his full height though, and she didn't miss the faint tremble in his leaves.
"Fine…" He said quietly, voice dull.
There was a pause, then he lowered his head a bit more. A single word escaped him, so quiet she nearly didn't hear it.
"...sorry…"
Toriel sighed, sinking back into her chair and resting her head in her paws. She didn't know what to think about that apology, she didn't know what to think about anything right now. She wanted to just… pass out right here and go to sleep, forget all this. But she knew that was not acceptable, and that even if she did sleep, it would not offer her any escape now.
Eventually, once she felt her emotions had evened out within her again, she lowered her paws and looked back at Flowey. His head was hanging low, in a way that one could easily mistake him for a normal, wilting flower. The gesture made him look genuinely remorseful, though she had doubts that that was truly the case. She knew she had to say something, even if she really didn't want to.
"I… appreciate your apology." She said softly, voice slightly hoarse. "But… you know I am not the one you should truly be apologizing to…"
Flowey stiffened, but said nothing and did not face her. That odd tingling sensation within her memories came again and it drove her, to both their surprise, to reach out and cup the sides of his pot with both her paws. As she pulled him a little closer, it prompted him to look up at her again, wincing slightly as though he expected to be struck.
"Flowey…" She said weakly, not really knowing where the words were coming from, but not fighting them. "I do not know who you are, why you did all these terrible things, why you seem to delight so much in hurting others… But I do know that my child sees good in you, something that I cannot. And there are rare instances where I think I can see it too..."
Her claws tightened against the pot momentarily, and her eyes grew heavier as she went on.
"I want to believe them, and I am not the only one… Sans may not have told me about who or what you are… But… He did tell me not to give up on you, nor turn my back on you.."
Flowey's eyes widened and darted around as he began to shiver. Toriel had never seen him look so… distraught.
"Why?" He choked out, sounding near tears. "Why?! I don't… I don't understand…"
Her eyes softened at that, briefly glimpsing the reality of the frightened, broken child before her. Even with the anger still lingering at the edges of her soul, she was able to feel some sympathy for him again. She looked away out the window for a moment, conjuring up the image of her dear skeleton in her mind.
"I do not know…" She admitted softly, with a touch of warmth. "That skeleton… he certainly has a far greater capacity for forgiveness than I do… perhaps more so than anyone I have ever met, monster, human or otherwise. Stars knows I could stand to learn a thing or two from him..."
She shook her head, both to break from that line of thinking and to turn back and meet Flowey's gaze again.
"But I intend to honor his request, and continue to let you live here with us, be part of our family, learn to grow, and be a better person… The question is, are you willing to do that? Any of our efforts will be fruitless if you have no desire to try."
Flowey stared back at her, the faintest hints of moisture at the edges of his eyes. Then he let out a long sigh, and a more grumpy, tired expression formed on his face. He looked defeated, but not necessarily in a bad way. There was a hint of… something in his dark eyes that kept him from looking too pitiful. It wasn't quite warmth… but it was something more positive, enough to give them a soft, almost pleasant shimmer.
"Yeah, sure…" He relented, avoiding her eyes.
And though the words were not as appropriately serious for the situation as she would have liked, there was just enough genuineness there to satisfy her. After a pause of hesitation, she cautiously reached up a paw and ruffled his petals gently in an affectionate gesture.
"Thank you Flowey… " She said simply, feeling it was all that was needed.
To her surprise, he did not pull away this time, allowing the gesture with only an irritated grumble and what could only be described as a pout. The sight brought a small amused smile to her face as well as a fond memory, vividly dancing through her mind as though it had only happened yesterday. Flowey glowered up at her, clearly misjudging her amusement.
"What's so funny?" He asked, a touch defensively.
She kept the smile on her face as she pulled her paw back into her lap. Tears stung faintly at her eyes again, but not for any negative emotions this time.
"Sorry… It is just... you... you reminded me of my son just then." She said, wistfully.
The flower monster flinched, and a concerning amount of shock shone briefly in his eyes before he composed himself again.
"Wh-what? How?" He stammered.
Toriel didn't pay much mind to his reaction, chalking it up to more of his usual odd behavior and losing some of the potential impact of it due to her own exhaustion. She simply smiled down at him with the same warmth in her eyes.
"Oh... he used to pout the same way you do when he was upset with me, with his fangs poking out and his face all scrunched up…" Her reminiscing faltered as she remembered who she was talking to and she averted her gaze.
"Sorry, do not mind me…"
Flowey offered no response for a bit, the only sounds filling the room being the faint, muffled sound of staff and students in the hall, the calls of cicadas outside and the soft, rhythmic ticking of the clock on the wall.
"Well, your son sounds like he was an idiot… a real crybaby." The flower monster said at last, in an uncharacteristically quiet voice.
Those words should have made her fall back into anger, but despite their inherent harshness, there was no real malice behind them. Flowey just sounded so… sad. So her soul stayed calm, and the reply she offered reflected it.
"He was a wonderfully kind and thoughtful child…" She murmured, feeling one tear run into the fur on her cheek. "I think… he would have wanted me to forgive you too."
Neither said anything after that. Flowey eventually turned away back towards the window and this time Toriel followed his gaze to see he was looking at the distant shape of Mt. Ebott, looming over all of Newer Home as it always did. They both kept up their silence until the door to the classroom reopened again. Papyrus stood in the doorway, with a bagged lunch and… a good portion of the staff in tow. Looks like they had chosen today to surprise her with a group lunch break.
Oh stars, this was going to be a long day.
