"Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm…" Toriel crooned slowly over the stove.
The soft air she was imitating was soon drowned out by the sound of running, as she took her famous pie out of the oven and placed it on the underside of the dish. Toriel raised a puzzled eyebrow, revealing kind scarlet eyes like the embers of the fire in her fireplace. Right after, her two children appeared and rushed into the kitchen. Like every morning, they tried to arrive before the other, and it was a surreal sight to see them squirming and bickering to cross the frame.
"First!"
"No it's me !"
Each made his point: the foot touched the tile of the kitchen; the hand held the wood of the door. The painting was so incongruous that Toriel couldn't hold back an amused snort, though she concealed it behind her large white hands.
"If you want my opinion, you've tied the game", the former queen said gently, joining them with a noble step, removing her gloves and her favorite apron covered with snail motifs.
They were a little disappointed, but Frisk and Asriel accepted the maternal arbitration without complaining. Upon entering, the children were enveloped by a pair of loving arms that drew them close to her. They complied happily, snuggling into his grip. It was like being hugged by a fluffy cloud that smelled like cinnamon, caramel and looked a lot like Asriel. Taller and grown-up, of course, with thin, slender horns, and whose majestic presence was imbued with an aura both gentle and fierce that only mothers possessed. Near her, we felt good, warm and safe.
The best morning hugs in the world, Frisk thought as he stroked the beloved's silky ear. Then came her beautiful voice, the one that in the evening tucked them in, read stories to them or made horrible jokes, but soothing to anyone who heard it:
"Good morning, my dear children".
"Hello, mom"/"Howdy, mommy !"
It could have lasted, but Frisk's empty stomach decided to spoil the party and ruined everything: he let out a loud complaint that, no doubt, must have been heard throughout the house. And certainly from the next street, for those with fine hearing like members of the Canine Guard. Which didn't help when Asriel's followed suit, adding more mess. Toriel laughed heartily and released her now embarrassed children.
"If you're so hungry, I won't detain you any longer. So, go sit at the table! I'm going to cut the pie."
Neither one nor two, the duo sat in their chairs, knife and fork in hand, while Toriel shared generous portions of her pastry. She took her place in turn, to watch her little gluttons who wasted no time in satisfying their voracious appetite by engulfing themselves in large proportions.
The food prepared by the monsters, being mostly composed of magic and few harmful materials, allowed those who ate it to heal themselves effectively, increase their strength and restore their health. The texture almost melted on the tongue, without losing consistency or taste, and was easily eaten by anyone.
Falling into the Underground, Frisk had been saved several times by its blessings after particularly fierce battles. Since then, he brought as many as he could in his luggage, and hadn't changed his habits since they had returned from the Surface.
Already, Asriel and Frisk were finishing their plate, to ask Toriel who served them again with an amused smile, and continued to taste the pie without losing the rhythm. The kitchen emitted a cacophony of the sounds of washing dishes, chewing, and satisfied grunts. Their growing appetites will never cease to amaze me, Toriel thought, though she herself admitted she was more than capable of eating several dozen snails if the mood took her. This thought coming to her, she decided to buy some from Napstablook's breeding, before remembering that he worked as a DJ with Mettaton. In this case, there should be some in the garden or around it.
A fun and well-known fact about the Dreemurr family was their ability to ingest gargantuan amounts of food. After settling in with them, Frisk had adopted this incongruous aspect and now possessed an insatiable stomach. But remaining human all the same, he had a limit that the child ends up reaching after several more mouthfuls, until he no longer feels capable of swallowing anything.
"I'm full. No more", he moaned after his last fork, rubbing his sated belly as Asriel finished his fourth batch.
"Will you eat the rest of your share?" he asked her hopefully, pointing to what Frisk had left behind.
The human child willingly gave it to him, and Asriel quickly gulped it down in a gigantic mouthful of goat. He licked the tips of his fingers, then his muzzle with his tongue to collect the precious crumbs, when a consequent burp came out without warning.
"Dear Angel, I'll take that as a compliment," Toriel scoffed as her son muttered a sheepish "excuse me."
"Not bad that one, Azzy", added Frisk who left the table, before preventing his own belching as his feet touched the ground.
He left to wash his utensils and his plate, when Toriel came from behind, a clean napkin in hand.
"Turn around, Frisk", she asked, wiping his face. "We shouldn't see our little ambassador with caramel on his cheek, should we?"
"Oh… yes", the child stammered under the fabric. "Thanks Mom."
Playfully, she washed it, meticulously, and Frisk let himself be manipulated without moving, more than happy with her care. When he was clean as a whistle, Toriel patted his bouncy little nose.
"There ! Papyrus will pick you up in half an hour to take you to Ebott. Be ready to go, by then."
"…And Asgore and Undyne?"
At the thought of her former husband, Frisk noticed Toriel's features harden. It was barely visible, but the brief tension that had arisen had shaken his usual calm. Although he hid it, the little human was discouraged. Even though time had passed, and she was more accepting of his comings as long as the former king of the Underground respected the imposed limits, the tension between them remained. He wanted so badly to help them reconcile, but apart from small attempts, the child still didn't know how. After all, the faults shared by each were not easily forgivable or easy to forget. In a blink, Toriel regained a peaceful expression; neither Frisk nor Asriel, who had joined them, were not deceived by the mask intended to reassure them.
"They are already at the embassy", she explained. "The session will begin shortly after your arrival. I cannot advise you enough to bring what you need. Asriel, sweetheart, go and help your sibling."
"All right. Come, Az"
Frisk hurried upstairs to check his things; Asriel, for his part, lingered a bit on the steps to spy in the kitchen. Their mother had turned away to do some cleaning, but he clearly saw the gaze that engulfed her. It was a mixture of several raw emotions: however, Asriel recognized sadness and bitterness in it. The kid felt his heart ache, imagining that she must be thinking of his father, then slipped away without Toriel noticing.
Shaken by this vision and reaching the floor, he did not hear what she whispered next:
"This idiot…"
-oOo-
"Let's check my Soul..."
Instead of pulling his bag out of the closet as soon as he got home, Frisk sat against the wall and decide to take advantage that Asriel was late to arrive - even if he did not know why. Legs crossed, the human reached his hands to his chest and concentrated. The effort made him frown, for it had been a long time, and he had to remind himself how to do it without a monster forcing him. But, like a muscle that just needed to be worked, Frisk managed to remember that feeling of inner energy, gathered in one point, then to grab hold of it.
After a few minutes, a glow slipped out of his chest. As dazzling and shining as ever, during his eventful journey to the Monster Realm, a red heart - the Nameless Soul - floated before him. Within it, his Determination radiated, warming the air and tingling her pale skin. Unconsciously, Frisk had held his breath waiting for his soul to surge and dreaded; however, seeing it in good condition relieved him of a weight that had weighed on him since waking up. The child was still reliving his nightmare of this morning; the memory of the cracks and the unhealthy allure of his soul, which sent nasty shivers down his spine.
This void...
This voice…
Dust all over him...
Beware of the man who talks with his hands...
"What are you doing ?" Asriel called out to him in the doorway, startling him.
Caught in the act, Frisk instantly released his grip on the soul which came back to itself. How long has he been there?
The young monster had finally arrived, after lingering on the way back, and upon entering, he had seen him in this strange position. Asriel eyed him suspiciously, waiting for an answer.
"Nothing at all," Frisk lied, grimacing at the lame excuse before muttering, "please don't tell at mom."
"Only if you explain to me what's going on."
The prince stood in front of him, arms tied and trying to imitate Toriel's attitude when she demanded to know the truth when her children hid something stupid from her. It wasn't quite as convincing, but Frisk knew his friend wouldn't give up. A little reluctant, he told her the bits of dreams he remembered. Gradually, the child found himself foolish to have rid himself of the head for something so insignificant. Asriel had listened to everything carefully and he became enlightened.
"So this morning when I woke up and saw you fidgeting, was it because of your nightmare?"
"I know, it's stupid," Frisk blurted, taking his bag from the closet. "Being afraid of a bad dream is just a baby thing."
"That's not the case ! Earlier, you looked very hurt and very scared. I... was scared, too. I didn't know what to do to help you, except try to get out of it."
Frisk looked at Asriel, surprised that he wasn't laughing at him like he expected. On the contrary, the young monster seemed to be sympathetic and eager to help him… That's right, how could he have forgotten, even for a second, that it was Asriel? The being who, of all people, was the one with the kindest heart despite his worst years. He understood better than anyone what it was like to be the victim of terrifying visions. Right. Him and everyone are not like... the others.
Somehow it was oddly comforting and the human child felt warmed.
"Say, Az. Won't you come with us to the embassy?" Frisk offered on impulse." After all, my speech includes you as well, and it would be better than being alone all day. Even MK will come backstage."
"I... I'd rather not, Frisk. I still have trouble with that. Maybe later, after the evening."
"Oh… I understand, of course."
Asriel retrieved a camera from his own supplies - Frisk had given it to him a few months ago - and pretended to check it so as not to see his friend's disappointed expression. His discomfort at the idea of going out and meeting people was not to be underlined. His first impression of humanity on the Surface was not very happy; it had left him scared to death of crowds and grown men. The kid didn't want, in a moment of panic, to create a mess in the middle of town. It would be too dangerous and risky. Today, Frisk had to concentrate and it was not his presence that would help him. A klaxon sound outside sounded, then their mother called:
"Frisk! Papyrus is here!"
The child took his luggage and left hastily, followed by the prince to the front door. His jacket on and a kiss from Toriel later, he joined the sports car on the driveway which was driven by a skeleton in armor suit, scarf, red gloves, and happily greeting his young friend.
"HELLO, HUMAN FRISK! HELLO, YOUR MAJESTY AND HIGHNESS DREEMURR!"
"Hi, Papyrus! See you later, Mom, Az!"
"Good luck, Frisk! Papyrus, watch over my child!" / "See you tonight, Frisk! I'll watch you on TV, I promise!"
Frisk strapped in and, in a "NYE HE HE!" full of spirit, Papyrus drove down the mountain road, heading for the town of Ebott a few miles away. The human child waved his arms towards his family, until he no longer saw them. Outside, the sun was up. The flowers are blooming. Birds are singing. On the sidewalks, monsters and humans strolled together, naturally greeting each other as they passed. In a park, children were having fun catching each other. They laughed and played with each other, whether they had hands or pawns, coat or scales, round or very long ears. Within this village near the mountain, rebuilt to accommodate the two peoples, a good understanding united them. A few citizen saw the human ambassador pass and greeted him happily, sometimes expressing encouragement until they leave Second House. Their trust in the child gave him a lot of courage.
With the mountain scenery behind them, Frisk sat down resolutely.
*Knowing that all his friends were counting on him, on such an important day, filled him with determination.