Chapter 2

Family Traditions

There is only one acceptable form of stress, and that is when you are manically preparing for your favorite holiday. Nervous energy filled the entire house as everyone worked. There was an air of tenseness as well; Asgore would be joining the family for lunch and dinner. He and Toriel still had a long way to go to make their situation amicable. At least Toriel wasn't openly loathing her ex-husband and Asgore had backed off a bit. Thankfully, their assorted past and present difficulties were swallowed up in the relentless march of Christmas music and decorating.

Toriel had already schooled Susie plenty on how to bake, which was why the dragon teenager was miffed that she wasn't set in the kitchen but was instead hanging up garlands and wreaths all over the house.

"You better not be snacking on any of those cookies!" Susie warned.

"No, it's the pies you really need to be worried about," Toriel said, eyes flashing in her child's direction.

Kris gave them both an exaggerated, innocent smile. It did nothing to convince them. Susie decided to prevent Kris from getting into mischief by preemptively eating the cookies and swiping one of the pies. Chaos quickly ensued afterwards. Amidst the laughter, the Christmas music, and flurry of decorating, Susie and the Dreemurrs transformed the living room and the immediate outside into a winter wonderland. The snow was falling even thicker now, which led Toriel to command the teens to clear the driveway before the snow lay too thick.

"I blame you," Susie snorted. "For not eating those cookies ahead of time!"

"How is that my fault?"

"Because I wouldn't have had to steal those cookies to make sure you stayed out of trouble, and your mother wouldn't be belatedly punishing me for it."

"You've either been spending too much time debating Berdly or you're picking up words from Noelle."

Susie clobbered Kris with a barrage of snowballs. A brief fight ensued, which Susie won. Kris was completely buried under snow. However, it wasn't all just fun and games; scooping up all the snow for those snowballs had put a dent in the driveway. It made it slightly easier to shovel out the rest of the driveway and walkway.

Shouldering the shovel and yanking Kris out of the snow, Susie threw them over her other shoulder and marched back inside. Stomping the snow off at the doorway, she peered in and saw how Toriel had wrapped up the final preparations. The house was glittering and beaming with festive charm. It was so warm and inviting, though Susie did notice that many of the decorations and lights were at least a decade old if not far more. Many of the lights were incandescent rather than LED. A lot of toys and stockings were either dusty or appeared to have been repaired frequently over the years.

"Get yourselves cleaned off and warm up with some hot chocolate," Toriel ordered. She smiled widely and added, "And then we can decorate the tree! Asgore… He came over earlier and made sure that the live tree was put up all nice and fine. And I barely had to vacuum up any pine needles."

Susie was curious to note that the large goat mother sounded almost disappointed and upset with the last sentence. However, Toriel continued in her bright way, saying, "I've got all the boxes here ready to go. When you're cleaned up and warmed up, and can feel your own fingers again, we'll get started!"

It did take a while. Kris needed a quick, hot shower after getting submerged in the snow. Susie took the opportunity to sneak more cookies and enjoy mug after mug of hot chocolate. Toriel noticed her and winked, sliding her a fresh plate of peanut butter and chocolate cookies. They were a kind of drop biscuit and absolutely delicious!

"What are your folks doing for Christmas this year?" she asked kindly.

"Bumming around as usual," Susie said awkwardly. "It's been rough… Getting the ball rolling and getting along again. But we're managing. We all just need our space sometimes."

"I understand," Toriel said, laying a comforting hand over Susie's. "But please make sure that you put in the effort. It's worth it in the long run, trust me."

It felt kind of rich hearing that from the divorcee who was still getting over her troubles with Asgore, but Susie knew Toriel meant well. It was wisdom that she couldn't entirely brush off. Thankfully, Kris had agreed to come over to her place for Christmas and help make the most of things. It wouldn't be a perfect holiday, but Susie believed this was going to be a much better Christmas than usual.

"What kinds of things does your family do for the holidays? When you're together and, um, feeling it?" Toriel asked.

"Well, we set up the fake Christmas tree and throw up some stuff on there," Susie said.

"Yes, this is the first year in a long time that we're doing a fresh tree."

"And we do what everyone else does, share and open presents on Christmas Day. Though… We do have other traditions," Susie said haltingly. Since Toriel was asking so nicely, she might as well share. "My dad's side of the family has this old belief that punks and naughty kids get kidnapped by the Krankpus, a monster from the Far North who acts opposite of Santa. He comes and beats the children, gives them coal, or breaks their toys if they've been bad. And if they've been very bad, then the Krankpus kidnaps them and eventually eats them.

"My old man makes a big deal about it, and we have statues and pictures for it that he puts up during Christmas, but otherwise it's been more of an excuse to, um…"

Susie trailed off and Toriel didn't press. It was a sad thing indeed when some families didn't make the most of the holiday season and found excuses to not celebrate or love their children more. Susie still had a lot of baggage to unload, but she was going at her own pace.

Toriel squeezed her hand and said, "Well, let's make the most of this year and really enjoy Christmas together. Isn't that right, Krismas?"

She giggled as Kris came out of bathroom, steam following them and a Christmas-themed sweater on. Susie squinted at them and read it on their passive face that they had been listening in on the conversation. Well, the cat was out of the bag now. Toriel didn't let the moment linger and clapped her hands.

"Alright! Let's start decorating!"

Walking into the living room, Susie looked at the boxes and wondered how they were going to get all of those ornaments and bulbs on the tree. There were so many! Kris assured her that everything was going to be fine, just go carefully and slowly. The friends and mom carefully extracted smaller boxes full of brightly colored and delicately painted bulbs. But before they put them on, Toriel instructed the teens on how to set up the tinsel, garlands, and lights. Susie kept accidentally tangling the many strands. Some of them really got tied up in knots. Toriel eventually shuffled them to the back of the tree facing the room's corner.

"Alright, you two can put up all the decorations from that box over there, and I'll take care of these bulbs," Toriel instructed.

Kris whispered to Susie that they had to set up the less valuable ornaments because Toriel really did not want to lose the good stuff to horseplay or inexperience. Susie snorted but admitted that was fair. But it was all fun in the end. Susie was happy to put up ornaments right where she wanted them on the tree, for the first time in her life. It was a small, simple freedom, but it was exhilarating to imagine what the tree would look like and set it up together with Kris and their mother.

And as she set up the different bulbs and lumpy, old figurines, along with stale crooks of candy cane, Susie felt an even bigger sense of excitement grow within her. When would she finally have the chance to put up her ornament on the Dreemurr tree?

"Oops!" she yelped, finally and accidentally dropping a bulb. It broke on the ground with a busted musical note.

"It's okay," Toriel assured her. "Kris, dear, please get the vacuum."

While Kris cleaned, Susie swallowed her apprehension and retrieved the box that Noelle had perfectly wrapped. She carefully cut and peeled away the wrapping paper to expose the small, simple box. She reverently took off the lid and lifted out the birdhouse.

"Toriel, Kris said that your family has a tradition of putting up their own special decorations on the tree. Is it okay if I add my own?"

Toriel regarded the birdhouse and then inspected the tree. "I think I have a good place for it right here. Closer to the top. Here, I'll take it."

Kris finished up the vacuuming and watched carefully as Toriel inserted the birdhouse carefully into the branches. She tied a little bit of string just for extra protection and stability. They all stepped back to admire their combined work on the Christmas tree.

"I think it looks perfect!' Toriel gushed. "Thank you so much for being a part of our tradition, Susie."

"Kris bought it," Susie mumbled, feeling a blend of happiness and sheepishness.

"Susie chose it," Kris quipped.

"You both did wonderfully. It's definitely a nicer addition than what Rudy gave us," Toriel grunted. "But now I'm committed to hanging that thing up every year!"

Stuffed deep within the tree was a reindeer sitting atop a sled and whipping a Santa on hands and knees forward. It was certainly suggestive. Toriel also pointed out an old ornament that the Boom s had gifted her just before Gerson retired from teaching. He had gifted the Dreemurrs a glittering rendition of the symbol that Kris and Susie recognized at the Deltarune, though slightly altered and more rustic.

"It was a curious thing," Toriel mused. "But then again, they are a very interesting family, and always buried in all kinds of stories and odd things. Oh, and here is Kris' ornament. I think you'll agree that it works well with your family Krankpus traditions."

Kris chuckled with a half grin as Toril pointed out the gleaming figurine of a horned monster sticking out its tongue and carrying a bag full of miniature presents. Susie agreed, it worked well for Kris.

Asgore's personal ornament was obviously a flower. Toriel's was a disco ball orb that was slightly translucent and had what appeared to be an inkwell and quill set inside. Asriel's ornament was a small version of the angel. He had apparently made it on his own. Each small decoration helped add a bit of history and personality to the Christmas tree. It drew Susie in and made her feel that by adding her birdhouse to the mix, she was no longer an outsider, but a part of the Dreemurr family. There was a lot of time represented in that tree that she was not a part of, but that did not mean she didn't belong.

Susie felt Kris take her hand in their own, their fingers intertwining. She gave them a soft squeeze and tried to grin goofily.

This was turning out to be a very merry Christmas.

"Susie, could you please help Kris get the angel on top of the tree?" Toriel asked.

"No problem, Toriel," Susie pledged. She scooped up Kris and held them over the box. Hanging upside down from a dragon's claws, Kris quickly fished out the old angel. It was getting worn and a little brown around the face and candles in its hands.

With a thumbs up, Kris was ready. Susie hauled them up and lifted them like a baby up to the tree's highest point. Kris carefully worked the angel into place and plugged it into the rest of the tree lights. Susie complained that they were taking too long and weighed much more after sneaking all those goodies. Kris pointed out that she was the one to start that. Toriel watched it all go down and laughed quietly behind her hand.

Once the Christmas tree was completely covered in decorations and shimmering with the bright lights and sparkling garlands of tinsel wrapped around the branches, the three settled in for a rest. Eating and sneaking so many baked goods was finally getting to the teens, and they began dozing on the couch as Toriel played cheesy, cheerful Mall Card Christmas specials. If you had seen one, you have seen them all!

Mutteringly sleepily and somewhat stupidly, Susie laughed in Kris' ear, "Wouldn't it be great if a giant monster came crashing in and just stomped the entire town and all its ridiculous get up? Like, how many Santas can you have on one road? How do they afford them all? That many decorations in one place are just begging to get smashed!"

"Actually, I wonder more about what they could do with Santa," Kris said.

"What? Like how you know he's always either the kind gentleman who everyone rats on because of his age, or the smelly hobo who magically happens to be there at the right time, every time? Ha! Yeah, you could make Santa the rich jerk that the girl from the big city is engaged to. Or maybe the grumpy co-worker."

"Nah, I'd just keep the hobo as a hobo who's tripping and think he's Santa. He mugs a mall Santa and takes the clothes so he can try to go down the chimney and give presents to the good girls and boys."

Susie couldn't stop laughing at the thought. Toriel frowned at them and said, "If you still have so much energy, I can always make you do more!"

"See, now that's the kind of grumpy, coworker Santa attitude that I want to see," Susie said, stifling a yawn.

Holding hands, Kris and Susie snuggled up against one another. Toriel would have asked them to at least get changed and brush their teeth, but the teens quickly conked out after that. She took out her knitting and smiled in their direction as she went back to making socks for her children. She also already had a special pair made for Susie. Her eyes wandered over towards the tree and where the birdhouse sat.

It was so nice that Susie had a place where she felt truly at home. She and Kris had a long future ahead of them, and who knew if this little romance they were now enjoying would last any length of time. But for now, young love and warm acceptance were exactly what the holiday season needed.

"Oh," Toriel gasped softly. "We're missing one thing!"

She hurried to find some mistletoe and hang it where the two were surely to stay put long enough to tease them a little.

Meanwhile, Kris and Susie slumbered soundly. Toriel had long turned off the Mall Card movies, turned off the lights, and fallen asleep in her own chair (All the better to keep an eye on these troublesome kids.) when Susie first heard some strange noses.

Squawking awake, she shook Kris. "Hey, dork. D'ya hear something?"

Kris grunted a noncommittal reply.

"There's something like jingling bells and someone shuffling around. Did we sleep to Christmas Eve?"

Kris opened their crimson eyes. That was a possibility. But why would Toriel have let them sleep through the morning and Asriel coming? They stumbled to their feet and found that it was too dark to tell what was going on. They searched for a light switch and found nothing.

"Uh, Susie… I think we're back in the Dark World…"

"Did you go and open another Dark Fountain?"

"I swear, I didn't do anything this time!"

"Then how is this happening?" Susie asked, walking around. She crashed into something. "OUCH! Who put a wall here?"

The wall suddenly fell, letting in wondrously colorful lights and causing plumes of snow to fly before Kris and Susie. Cheery music greeted their ears and delicious smells of freshly baked goodies filled their noses, making them instantly hungry. Susie was ready to feast again! Toriel's baking felt ages ago!

Looking down at herself in the new light, she grinned. "Yup! We're back in the Dark World! Got my kick-ass getup back on! Only, this is very different than the last time we went to the Dark World in your house, dude."

Kris nodded in agreement, inching forward cautiously. Looking out and beyond the fallen wall, they gasped and pointed up. "Susie, we are absolutely in a different Dark World. Look!"

She rushed outside and found herself gazing up at a gigantic Christmas tree. It rose like a multi-tiered city, reaching into the stormy sky above. It cast an incredible blend of warm, colorful lights far and wide, illuminating the entire region despite the solid ceiling of black, stormy clouds dumping buckets of snow down on them.

They were well and truly in a new winter wonderland.