"Bonny!"
The wide and decorative arms of the Monster Mage Kry enveloped the monster doctor with a hearty laughter enough that Bonny was forced to drop his luggage to grab onto the flowing fabric whipping at him with from Kry stopping in his hurried tracks to greet with as much love and endearing warmth as only good friends could do.
Especially good friends who had not seen each other in years.
"Kry," Bonny greeted back into the fabric crashing over him like a wave. He became lost in the purple, with only the golden trims to give a semblance of form among the color, to hopefully navigate out of before Bonny drowns in the hug from his friend. "I didn't expect you at the entrance."
Bonny didn't expect anyone at the entrance, really. Someone, sure, but none he'd know the name of. A Royal Guard if anything, but not Kry himself. He was not gonna make a complaint about it anytime soon though.
"You're an important guest today, Bonny," explained Kry as he opened up his arms from around Bonny. Like clouds parting away from the sun Bonny was forced to squint at the drastic brightness from the glistening wall of Jarasevo Castle. "Of course you're important each and every time you visit, of course," came a quick correction from the deep voice sounding more like King Asgore's than it did the last time the two old friends met, both in tone and demeanor.
Both meanings of tone too.
Perhaps Kry would sprout a beard like Asgore too in due time? Bonny would have liked that. Not only would it have fit very well on Kry's square chin and cheeks, but also it would have given some more hints about the more deeper connection with the Monster King that made him a Monster Mage. Kurant too should be experiencing some more Toriel-like behavior too compared to last time, Bonny reckoned.
"Let me take your bags," Kry offered which he then immediately made good on without waiting for an answer from Bonny. Interestingly enough he didn't use stasis magic, but instead hooked the handles with a cyan magic of sorts. "I'll be gentle, don't worry," he told with calming confidence to Bonny's inquisitive stare. "I don't want to have any magical residue on your instruments if you're to use them."
Kry's caution was appreciated, but more than unnecessary normally. Understandable on the day though, however, since the reason for Bonny's visit was quite the opposite of normal. While he still planned on doing a regular checkup on the two Monster Mages there was something else that was needed for him to do. The actual reason he traveled across two countries.
Something he was not sure about, to be perfectly honest, although what it could yield was something so fundamentally profound that it might have changed everything that was known about humans and monsters.
If the Cooperative Connection could be added onto a human's body without the need of any clothing or auxiliary medium…
Well that might just have been definitive proof that humans and monsters once were the same species. That magic was the common denominator from which the two species diverged. That would have been something alright. Bonny would have never dared propose the idea himself, but since it came from Kry, the First Monster Mage, the idea sounded...well...sound. After all, if there was anyone to be the prime example of what the common ancestor could be it were the Monster Mages. Especially in their souls. A mix of both monster and human, with traits of the two flourishing constantly in their auras.
"You're excited, Bonny," chuckled Kry with a friendly tilt of his head, exposing a glare to his glasses. "The good kind of excited."
"This will be when our two paths come together, Kry. When our crossing over to the other side of our souls converge in the middle that we promised all those years ago." Bonny's ears almost began to spin on his white-adjacent head. "I was bouncing all over inside the carriage on the way here."
"Well you are a bunny."
The ears flattened like a baker pushing down on their dough. "I'm not that far into the human neighborhood, Kry. I've not become an animal just yet." Bonny never would, but he had found that countering those types of joke comparisons was better than getting angry about it. "I sensed your eager want to touch the soft insides of my ear before you even had a discernible aura to your soul, Kry."
Kry exchanged pleasantries with the rotating Royal Guards at the gate before turning back to Bonny. "Still a no on that?"
"Still a no on that," Bonny informed courteously as if denying a medal from the Monster Royals. "Same with my tail." He made it sound like he was being courteous though, but inside his soul he was anything but courteous.
"Your loss," rebuked Kry with a shrug that gave the conjured cyan hooks a playful bounce to them.
"Ha!" The guffaw summoned from the deepest depths of Bonny's uncorteous soul echoed throughout the entire castle. "You. Wish."
"I've been told that I have extremely soft hands, all things considered."
"You've been lied to that you have extremely soft hands," Bonny corrected with another scoff that only echoed throughout the large hallway Kry is taking him through. "Don't tell me that you've taken up the lovable gullibility of King Asgore, my dear Kry." God forbid. "With that drastic a change we're looking at the king's magic taking over your entire soul for such a fundamental shift in personality. Gosh," Bonny blew through his cheeks, "imagine that."
"I'll start growing horns any minute now, I guess."
Bonny smirked at the slight undertone from Kry. Sounded like he actually wanted for it to happen, almost. He wouldn't like it when Bonny would have to insist for a sample to study though. Anything that would change the physical body of a human because of any magical influence was paramount for the understanding of just how deep the Cooperative Connection could go. That a human mage's eyes changed over the years was only relatively recently understood to be because the eyes were the window to the soul, and therefor as the human mage's soul adapted and changed due to the magical influence, their eyes changed color too.
Still was the best way to discern how well a human mage was versed with their magic. Changing the color of one's eyes could not be done, so one just had to look the mage in the eyes without even asking the question to discern about their magical prowess.
Kry's eyes had begun to hint at a more icy blue rather than the sky blue he had when Bonny first met him at Noitaidarr Castle during both their services at the royal court of Xoff. The court mage and the court doctor.
The piercing of the blue in Kry's eyes hadn't lost any of their sharpness even if the color's intensity had subdued itself a bit. Went through Bonny like a spear back then just as much as it did back at Noitaidarr Castle as it did at Jarasevo Castle years upon years afterwards. If anything it had become more white due to King Asgore's influence. His soul, if any monster's, would be powerful enough to change it from his magic rather than Kry's soul adapting. Same should be with Kurant too in a few years which Bonny would have to remember.
"Do I have something on my face?" Kry asked while carefully scratching at his closed eye. "Some sleeping gunk? The icy color still shines through with its presence even through the closed eyelid.
"You're fine now," Bonny said with a nod of his head then ears. "Was just a little gunk, no worries. Did you sleep bad last night?"
Kry shook his head. Only his head. His short hair slicked back could not be moved by any force known to either man or monster. "I slept well, doctor. Thanks for asking, but you're not here on a house call for me. You can leave the cold, metal instruments for later."
It was a great relief that Kry was being rather casual about the day's upcoming events. He and Kurant must've gone through everything over and over again for Kry's shoulders and breathing to be so loose and relaxed about the whole affair. Bonny should too try and calm himself about it. He had trust in both Kry and Kurant. He just needed to build the last up for himself and everything would be fine. He had the two most powerful mages at his side for the operation.
They had prepared for any unforeseen consequences.
"Oh, Doctor Sallus!"
The call came from an opened office Kry and Bonny passed by without thinking. When they realized which office it belonged to they stopped as if tugged back at their napes. The monster inside awaited with arms outstretched wide as if hurt and betrayed that the two completely walked by his office aloof as can be.
Which to be fair they kinda did.
"Sir Gerson," Bonny greeted back with his arms just as wide. He had to close them for a brief moment to get through the door, but then he opened them up again. "Thank you for expedited passage through the border. The carriage did not even have to slow down before it was waved through."
"It is the wish of King Asgore and Queen Toriel that such should be the rule rather than the exception," explained the turtle with both hands clasped behind his back as he made his way around his magnificent desk. His head lowered and raised as he proudly explained in the Monster Royal's stead. "To further the connection between monsters and humans so that the future before us will shine brighter than the past behind us." From behind his sturdy shell an even sturdier hand was extended for the good doctor gracing his office with his visit. "How is the clinic upholding that, Doctor Sallus?"
Sir Gerson commanded such respect that just being greeted by him one became the most important person in the world. It was intoxicating to a point, almost enough to have Bonny drunkenly miss Sir Gerson's hand. The Royal Councilor had such authority radiating from him though that the space between his and Bonny's missed hand collapsed so that the two could shake properly. "Wanting more detail from my report, I'm assuming?" The handshake reverberated through Bonny's body into his soul. "I'll be happy to explain further should you have any questions, Sir Gerson."
"Oh mostly it is just to hear you talk, Dr. Sallus," Gerson replied with a shrug of his hand before returning it behind his shell. "The lecture you gave on healing magic application as it pertains to swelling in musculature has been helpful for human visits both here and outside the country. I am curious as if you'll be giving another lecture in the near future about a similar topic?"
Hm…
Bonny's right hand found its way underneath his chin as he began to think. There was an inky smell to it from transferred over from Gerson's hand having been busy writing, judging by the state of his desk. Bonny was not really used to the smell of the ink used in Jarasevo, so unfortunately it was more distracting than helping. "As in lectures pertaining to magic in human matters?" he asked to clarify through his distraction. "Because if so I am in the process of writing a paper about the effect of using magic to create a negative pressure in patient rooms to control the spread of miasma inside medical institutions." It was not exactly perfectly what Sir Gerson asked for, but it was close enough.
Sir Gerson's brow sank as he nodded in thought. "I'll have to spend some time to understand what that could mean for us." His face exploded into a warm smile. "However that is not something you should have to disturb your mind for, Dr. Sallus. Your clinic continues to be instrumental to both monster and humankind, as it has always been and always will be." A smile he sent to the Monster Mage leaning on the door frame behind Bonny. "However we can discuss that later, doctor. I should not keep Kry and Kurant waiting for you, now should I?"
Bonny again took Sir Gerson's hand in his and bade farewell for the moment. "If there are any questions you have about my latest report," Bonny offered too. "Perhaps tomorrow?"
"I'll make room in my schedule, Dr. Sallus."
As Bonny left the office with Kry in tow he humored a thought about how much Gerson moving to make room for Bonny would cost monsterkind. Would it be worth it?
Guess Bonny would see that the next day.
"It's really amazing how much Sir Gerson can just shift himself when the castle has guests," voiced Kry with a sigh through his loosened lips when Bonny and he rounded the next hallway corner. "The most likely explanation is that there are two of him. Twins of Gerson. With one curled up in the shell for members of the Royal Guard and the Royal Guard Gerson curled up for when he interacts with others."
"That joke is gonna cost you a hundred pushups tomorrow morning, Kry!"
Wincing from his hypothesis being instantly proven, Kry turns around the just-rounded marble corner with a throw of his sleeved arm at the open door to Gerson's office. With a slam that splattered the purple magic surrounding the door Kry turned back to Bonny with an exasperated exhale. "See? Night and day."
Yes, quite. Bonny found it rather amusing though with him having the privilege and luck to have the nicer twin Gerson to interact with. Very much so. Bonny had no problem with it at all. He was the smart one to take up a position away from Sir Gerson while Kry chose to become a Monster Mage at Jarasevo Castle. The fruits of that choice tasted ever-so sweet to Bonny. He had the prestige of a Royal Councilor but none close enough to him to hang over him like Sir Gerson did. He was the Monster Emissary for Xoff just like how Professor Leraull was the Monster Emissary to Hjearta.
That was not to say that Sir Gerson didn't have reasons for acting the way he did. Arguably he was more important to the Royal Court than King Asgore and Queen Toriel, at least to the monsters of the Royal Guard, but those reasons didn't apply to Bonny.
Just lovely.
Another wooden door opened up with a purple sheen to it in front of Kry and Bonny after two more corners flanked by stationed Royal Guards stood underneath a variety of paintings.
"Guess the Priestess wants a word too," commented Kry while rolling his shoulders.
Seemed like even for a Monster Mage it was heavy to carry such heavy luggage for so long even with magical assistance. "I can carry one bag if you want," Bonny offered with an outstretched hand. Before he could reach the handle though Kry tucked the bag closer to him.
"Gives me more balance like this."
If he said so…
"Dr. Sallus!" the other Royal Councilor greeted with a chipper to her voice and a bounce to her ears as she stood up from her chair. Even with the rather-light-less office her inviting smile still had it lit as a sun-drenched room. "Oh how wonderful to see you again after all these years."
"Likewise, Priestess."
Both Frioke and Bonny's long ears flattened down as they greeted the other with some kisses on the cheeks.
"I hope your journey has been comfortable and without any peril?" The Priestess' ears angled with curiosity. "You wouldn't happen to have found the book I asked you for?"
"Of course!" Of course he found it. A most peculiar book for the Monster Priestess to ask for, but nevertheless. "It should be brought to you as soon as the deliveries are sorted from the carriage."
"Ah!" Frioke almost cheered. Her purple priestess robe had her compulsion reeled in just barely though. While wearing it she should be the example of her title. "Excellent, excellent, my good doctor. I thank you from the bottom of my soul."
"Which book?" quirked Kry from his returning lean on the door frame. "Xoff author?"
"Oh it is apparently a very popular book written in Xoff, yes," answered the Monster Priestess. "Has helped with human and monster relations, especially among the children in the country that have come of reading age and schooling. 'I Woke Up Human' is the book's title, and follows a monster who one day woke up human, and must come to understand his new life."
"Oh, is that so?" Maybe Bonny should order some copies for his clinic if that was what the book was about. "I did not get a chance to read it, unfortunately. It was packed inside one of the crates I brought along here."
"Then it is my fault for not ordering two so that you could read one on your way home," Frioke apologized despite her not having to. Really, it was fine. Bonny would have plenty to do with noting down and working on the results of the day's operation so he would not have any time for leisure.
Like always.
"Do not burden your mind with that, Monster Priestess. I will get to it in due time. You have enough on your hands with your own duties to worry about my travel home." Bonny bowed. "You have my gratitude for the thought though. It warms my soul."
Frioke bowed back, her ears bending the same as Bonny's did. "And mine is warmed likewise for the book, doctor. I shall not keep you here longer since your reasons for visiting are not of mine. I'll let you and Kry continue along now."
It only took a few steps after Kry closed Frioke's door for Bonny to perk up with a snicker. "The other twin of Priestess Frioke hiding inside her hood, I'm guessing?"
"With her it's more her ears, I've noticed," explained Kry while motioning above his head and slicked hair. "They become more animated when she lets her emotions flutter more. It's very pleasant to the eyes. Same as your ears do, Bonny."
Yes, he has noticed that.
"From the synopsis she gave of the book I am wondering thought if it was written due to the change in society or because there has been some new magic discovered which the book references. I'm sure that's why Frioke asked for a copy. To study it and to make sure there isn't any new magic in it. A monster waking up as a human? That's..."
"Such a terrible fate," Bonny decided to finish with a chuckle. Although as soon as Kry's raised eyebrow was turned slowly towards him he realized that his foot was snugly stuck inside his mouth.
"You of all monsters?" Kry chuckled. "The one monster that suffered a hundred pair of eyes when he peeled his eggs during his time at university."
"Yes, yes, I–"
"And a hundred more when he served at the court of Noitaidarr Castle."
"Yes!" Bonny admitted his echoing defeat with a grumble. "It slipped my tongue."
"Any progress on your humanization, by the way?"
Bonny knew that even as Kry shifted the subject away from the embarrassing slip, like good friends do, Kry would save the moment for later to use whenever Bonny would get snippy again.
Like a good friend did.
"I've commissioned a statue of an inverse monster soul for the courtyard."
"The theoretical human soul." Kry piqued with a bite of his lower lip that he flicked loose after a furrowed nod. "You're subscribing to that theory." He nodded once again still with his brow furrowed. "I see."
Bonny would have been a lousy doctor if he didn't pick up on the most obvious of context clues. "Sounds like you don't."
"Just because I proposed the idea doesn't mean that I have to still believe in it." He raised his right arm to show his sleeve which he made glow for show. "King Asgore was raised on the premise that he would find a princess to marry and not a bar maiden."
"Queen Toriel had some royalty in her though, remember?" came a quick rebuke that had Bonny's ears laying down down his neck and shoulders as he cocked his head towards Kry. "The Delta Rune was from her family and all that." Doing what he should've done before, Bonny looked around him to make sure him and Kry were outside of anyone else's ears. Quite literally with some of the guards should they have been unlucky, but not at the moment, luckily. It was clear of any monsters around them. Just a large, marble-white hallway that the two walked abreast on the long, purple carpet slicing the floor in three. "And hey, you had more claim to the throne of Xoff than she had to the Monster Country throne before she became the Monster Queen, so hey, why shouldn't you be correct with your theory?"
The furrow on Kry's dark forehead changed to a more confused guiro that played a rather-muted tone as Kry scratched his folds with quiet perplexity. After a slow shake of his head he made his perplexity loud with a smack of his lips. "I don't know what kinda curved parallel you just made."
Bonny wasn't sure either, but he was gonna pretend it was intentional just for fun. "Just agree, dear friend. Agree and I don't have to lose the down payment for the commission of the statue. It's gonna be a fountain to it too, but not for now. I gotta wait for Monster Country and Xoff to feel like they have to make a show again of their dedication to the Royal Decree, and also figure out a way to try and convince for it to be connected to Clinic Village so that we don't have to rely on the ice transports for running water up on Clinic Village. But then again the ice transports are the pinnacle of the Royal Decree so that will surely be quite the something to try and convince away from."
A hefty shrug had the many medical instruments inside Bonny's doctor bag rattling like a dropped cutlery drawer. Kry displayed his sympathies in a rather-casual manner, but it was enough to come across as genuine. "Sure then, I'll agree. Why not?"
Easy as could be to convince.
The rest of the walk towards the room which had been prepared for the operation later during the day was a quiet one, with Kry and Bonny just enjoying the other's company for a while in silence. They used to spend days, if not weeks, quiet in carriages from one place to the other. They knew they didn't have to talk to keep up the friendship. They just had to enjoy it. Nothing more was needed.
"Isn't it left here?"
Unless it was needed to make sure they got to the correct place, of course.
"Is it?" Kry leaned his head down one side of the corridor and then the next with an exaggerated bend over his waist. "Singe my soul, you're right. It is left." He paused for a second. "Left, yes."
Another short walk followed until the two finally reached the room ordained for the operation later that day. The carriage sent the week before with all the equipment arrived safe and sound, it seemed. Everything Bonny asked for was there. Table, instruments, charts.
"I hope your travels found you well, Dr. Sallus."
Kurant.
"Found me here," Bonny replied with a bow to his head. "So yes, they did find me well," he made clear just to be sure.
"You'll have to excuse the sweat and informal attire," said Kurant while motioning over her simple clothes in contrast to Kry's purple robe. "Even with your visit I'm still not exempt from morning exercise." With an unsure finger she motioned to some of the towels stacked neatly on a nearby chair. Bonny nodded for her to take one if needed. "I went a bit easy on the run though since you'd be angry at me if I didn't. Did more on my upper body to compensate."
While the excursion wasn't the best idea before the operation, Kurant would still be well within acceptable perimeters should they do the surgery right here and now. Bonny had to familiarize himself with the setup though before that. He was also a bit esurient after the journey, so lunch would definitely be required beforehand.
A deep grumble echoed against the white walls and metallic equipment.
"I'll go wash myself off then," chuckled Kurant from within the now damp towel. "You've become so human that your stomach rumbles, Bonny? Impressive."
"Well," he said while patting his stomach, "condition oneself hard enough and you can make anything happen, really."
"What about Sir Gerson?"
"Don't be silly now."
It was only magic.
Not miracles.