ic_new_home

Welcome to the beginning of the #ic_new_home channel.
[5:17 PM] Coffee: @everyone

Tepp... Tepp... Tepp...

The little girl felt her way down the dark and narrow tunnel, one delicate little hand tracing the way. It was dreadfully dark, but that was to be expected. Besides being in a cave, it was also the middle of the night, and storming outside, as well. In fact, it had been a subconcious instinct to find some shelter from the rain that had brought the little girl to the tunnel in the first place.

Tepp... Tepp... Tepp... Was the only sound, her feet on the solid stone floor.

Why she kept following it down was unknown, even to herself.

Risha was utterly soaking wet, but she didn't realize it. She was also bruised and scratched from her walk up the mountain, but she seemed not to be aware of that either. she did pause for a moment, howver, as a strange current of energy seemed to wash over her in a wave, followed by another, and still another. They didn't hurt, but they tingled and made the hair on the nape of her neck stand on end. A few steps forward, however, and the sensation stopped.

There was something strange about the path up ahead. A square block of light. It was... a doorway? her pace didn't change, but she left the familiar touch of the wall behind and  went through. The passage turned here, and then turned again, and...

There were flowers. Hundreds and hundreds of golden flowers carpeting this room, knee deep. There were other things in this room besides, a chair, and something under a sheet, but it was only the flowers that drew the girl's attention.  They reminded her of something. Something important. Something she should remember. But she was cold, and hungry, sore and most of all weary. The flowers were soft, and warm, fragrant and inviting, and she sank down into the middle of them in a sleep so profound, it was more nearly a coma.
[5:37 PM] SnowVsSleep: A pleasant tune floated from the door of the throne room. It originated from a humming monster who carried a watering can. In all honesty, it was a beautiful day. A perfect day for watering the flowers. The large creature turned the corner.

The watering can dropped from his grasp into the flowers and some of the water inside pooled out onto the ground. It was... It was... It couldn't be. He wasn't... He hadn't been expecting... The small form lay in the flowers like they were the softest of beds. Her blonde hair lay around her and... Was she injured? Bruises, scrapes... He felt terrible as the next thought came to mind.

He could kill her right now. It would be easy. She was unconscious. He could just grab his trident and... And... Just slide it into her frail body... It would be easy. Asgore shook softly just at the thought. It was different than the war. The war... He'd fought humans who fought back. Fought adults. This was a child...

Maybe he could wait for her to wake up! And... give her some tea... Maybe... use the flowers... He cringed at the thought of poisoning her. It was all so terrible. Maybe... he could make her hate him. Make her want to fight back... That'd... maybe make it better. It was the worst every way he looked at it. A sickening potential sat in the air. This could go so many ways... Asgore delicately leaned down and picked the watering can back up. He... needed to put this up. And then... He still had that room. She deserved to at least sleep in a bed. He set it aside and stepped up to her unconscious body. Asgore picked her up with the utmost care and carried her away from the room.

Soon, he was back in his house, opening the door to the room that... children lived in. He swallowed softly and sat her in a bed. Asgore hurried off out of the room... if only to avoid looking at her. He'd make some tea... Tea would be nice... He glanced around at all the flowers in his home and sighed. Tea would be nice.
April 16, 2016
[2:24 AM] Coffee: This had happened before...

In her deep sleep, Risha somehow came to that jumbled and fragmented conclusion. History was repeating itself. Long ago, another being had staggered, with injuries far worse, into that room and collapsed. She could almost see it, some large, looming, terrifying creature, carrying a child. Dead? Or wait... was it she who was being carried now? Not into that sweet, golden room but away from it? So then, she was the one who was dead.

Not yet... her mind corrected her. The voice was high pitched and strange, but familiar at the same time.

Risha stretched and yawned. The squishy softness of pillows. The smell of sheets, clean, but with a slightly dusty scent, almost like the smell of loneliness itself.  She opened her eyes, slowly... and sat up quickly, her strange dreams tumbling out of her mind as easily as they had drifted in.

Where...?

Slowly, some of the last day came back to her in pieces. Rehersals... the fight... her parents... taking the bus... Mt Ebbot...  The storm... It started to get fuzzy. "There were flowers, though..." she whispered to herself. "Gold ones." Gingerly, she slid out of bed, and noticed that she was still wearing her dance costume, even her slippers. She also noticed, with dismay, that the clean sheets were not as clean as they once had been. Someone was going to be annoyed at finding some twigs and leaves and mud in their bed. She did her best to brush it out with her hands, and then, not knowing what else to do... she opened the door to the room and peeked out.
April 17, 2016
[12:36 PM] SnowVsSleep: Asgore's mind was elsewhere as he fell into the ever familiar routine of making tea.

There was a human. There was a human in his home. That human would wake up and they'd lock eyes... Would Asgore tell her what he had to do? It seemed wrong not to tell her... But it would be so much harder once she knew. Seeing her look at him with eyes of fear and guilt...

Asgore almost dropped a cup right off the counter. He caught it after it dropped, exhaling slowly. One thing at a time... One thing at a time... Maybe he should check on her before he moved any tea. He set everything aside and left the kitchen. It didn't take very long to enter the door of the entryway.

The door was open. He could see her small form peeking out at him. He was frozen, unsure of how to respond to seeing her. A small voice called out in his mind but it pained him to hear it. "Toriel would know what to do." Nngh... Asgore shook his head softly and gave the girl a soft smile. "Hello...?"
[1:10 PM] Coffee: She started at his big, funny feet and worked her way up the somber clothing, the regal mantle, stopping  when their gazes locked. The moment that Asgore had dreaded? Risha's eyes were very big, very blue and very sorrowful.  Absentmindedly, she pushed the door open much wider. "Hello..." she said, in a tiny wisp of a voice.

And then she broke the gaze, as though she were ashamed. "Where... am I?" she asked after a moment of silence. She wanted him to talk. If he talked, maybe he wouldn't look at her that way. "Are you a bear?" she asked, doubtfully. He didn't look like any of the bears she'd seen pictured, but he was fuzzy, and big. She didn't know any other animals that were so big, except elephants, and she knew he wasn't that. He didn't have the right nose.
[1:23 PM] SnowVsSleep: She... She looked so sad. Pairing that with her injuries, Asgore felt a stab of pain in his heart. He could feel Toriel's gaze ripping a hole in him even now. He kept up his soft smile though. For the girl... "You're... underneath Mt. Ebbot. You fell into a cave system... This is my home." He leaned down to be at eye level with her. "I... am not a bear. Though, I've been told I most resemble a goat. The ones who live down here are called monsters. I'm... their king." How much was he supposed to say?
[1:35 PM] Coffee: "...Ahhh..." Risha seemed to sigh. She looked at him again, as he got down to her level, and though the sorrow was still there, a faint light of triumph... or was it desperation? glimmered in them. "I didn't fall, though." she told him solemnly. Then, looking down at her scratched up hands, she added "Well, I tripped a lot coming up the mountain. But I walked down the tunnel.  People who climb Mt. Ebbot dissappear, you know. That's why I climbed it." she seemed to give the matter some thought, and added "Are the monsters why people never return? Or did all the monsters climb the mountain, and thats why there aren't any monsters in the world anymore?"
[2:06 PM] SnowVsSleep: Was there a legend now that anyone who climbed the mountain disappeared? It was strange to Asgore that she just walked down here... Still. She wanted to disappear. What would bring someone so much sadness that they'd... Asgore paused that thought. He'd felt that kind of sadness but he was caught in a loop that would never end. He had to remain. "I'm not sure why that saying has gone around but... Monsters have lived under the mountain for a long time. We used to be on the surface... Why... did you want to disappear?"
[2:18 PM] Coffee: Uh-oh. Now her eyes were big, blue, sorrowful, AND full of tears. Risha gazed at him helplessly, wondering how to tell him that she was a bad girl, who had done terrible things, until she was completely unloved. If she told him, he might not like her, either. For a moment, she felt confused. Did she want him to like her? "I... I thought... it would be better for everybody if I dissappeared..." was all she would say for now.
[2:33 PM] SnowVsSleep: Oh no... Not crying. That was his biggest weakness. Tears just absolutely melted the king. Disappeared? "Wh-Why would it be better if you disappeared?"
April 18, 2016
[2:25 AM] Coffee: The tiny girl just shook her head, tears spilling over. She didn't try to wipe them away. She cried, not with big gasping sobs and wails, the way children are supposed to, to tell the world they are hurting and need someone to comfort them. No. Risha cried silently, with slightly quickened breath but nothing more,  the way adults do, when they know that no help is coming and that they have to face all their troubles alone. She didn't say a single word.  She couldn't, or wouldn't, tell Asgore any more right now.
[12:24 PM] SnowVsSleep: Asgore felt his heart shatter. He felt like he was stomping on the pieces even now. He didn't know what to do. Should he comfort her? Should he leave her to calm down? Should he guide her towards the kitchen for tea?

He so wanted to comfort her... To hug her and tell her that everything would be alright. He wouldn't let anything upset her. No child should feel so awful that they want to disappear.

But he needed to kill her... He needed her soul. All monsters needed it. He was being weak. He was being selfish. This was for the good of monsters! This was for everyone! Their hopes and dreams... Why did the road to hopes and dreams have to begin with the soul of this sad girl?

He couldn't help himself. He was weak and selfish. Asgore bit his lip and came closer, kneeling down in front of her. He reached into a pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. "Please... Please dry your eyes. I can't stand to watch children cry. I don't know what brought you here, but it's alright. Really... I won't force you to say anything." He swallowed softly. "My name is Asgore... What's yours?"
[3:26 PM] Coffee: Silently, she took the handkerchief and buried her face in it, trembling for a few minutes as she struggled for mastery over her tears. The smooth white linen had a soothing, clean smell, and gradually, her tears slowed to a trickle and then stopped, and her breathing eased.  Slowly, slowly, she looked up at him again, peeking over the handkerchief. "My name is Risha, your m-majesty, Mr King Asgore."

Risha had not met a king before, and she wasn't sure if that was the right way to address one. She hoped he wouldn't be offended if she'd got it wrong. More importantly, she hoped he'd tell her it was okay to call him something easier to say.  She offered his handkerchief back, a little shyly (and damply.)  "Thank you. I'm... I'm okay now."

It wasn't exactly true, of course. She felt better, but a long way from 'okay'. Still, it was the polite, right thing to say, wasn't it? She tried to manage a smile, even if it was a watery, wavery one.  It wasn't very good, but it was a start.
[3:39 PM] SnowVsSleep: Asgore patiently waited for the small girl to calm down. Risha... It was a beautiful name. One he'd never think of... Asgore was just the worst at names. He took the handkerchief and tucked it away in a pocket. "You can just call me Asgore if you want." She looked better... She didn't look great, but she looked better. "You don't have to be perfect. Whatever happened must have been difficult for you..." It would take time he wasn't sure if she had. It all depended on if he killed her.

Asgore glanced back towards the kitchen. "Well, Risha... Do you like tea? I'm making some right now and I'd love to offer you some. If not, there is pie. It's a recipe I've been recreating that my... It's a recipe I've been recreating. It's not perfect but... It's something?" He gave her the most heartfelt smile he could muster. Asgore hoped she accepted. If... If he did kill her, he wanted her to be happy before he did.
April 19, 2016
[5:12 AM] Coffee: Asgore was much better. Asgore was a lot easier to say.  And it helped that he was telling her she didn't have to be perfect. She was pretty sure no one had ever said such a thing to her before.  She didn't have to be perfect. She would remember that.  Another deep breath, and the easing of shoulders she hadn't realized were tense.  She nodded, affirming that what had happened had been difficult.

Then he was offering tea, or pie. Risha considered the question very gravely, as though he were asking her whether... whether.... well, to choose between something serious that she couldn't think of, right now.  Tea was something Risha liked, and was allowed to have, as long as she didn't put any sugar or milk in. Pie, she was not allowed to have, though she often wanted it. But I don't have to be perfect. she reminded herself, plaintively, already knowing what she was going to say.

"I love tea, Asgore," she said, reaching out a hesitant little hand... and taking hold of his sleeve. "Could I have some tea, please?" Her stomach was feeling a little too fluttery for anything solid.
[3:13 PM] SnowVsSleep: Asgore smiled softly. Good... He could give her tea. A warmth fostered itself softly in his heart. It was the result of... remembering the feeling of watching over a child once more. Her little fingers grasping his sleeve... "Of course you can, Risha. Stay close to me, now."

Asgore carefully led the small blonde girl through his house, towards the kitchen. "Are you okay, by the way? Do you need any bandages or a place to wash up after tea?"
[4:08 PM] Coffee: She did stay close, taking two steps to each of Asgore's, keeping tight hold of his sleeve, and looking around shyly as they went. Risha wasn't afraid, she didn't yet realize there was anything to be afraid of.  But she was aware that she was in someone else's house and needed to behave like a good guest. She glanced up, a little startled, at the king's question, and stopped a moment to think about it, almost as though she were feeling her insides to check.

"I think I'm okay." she admitted, softly. "I have a bad cut on my wrist from when I tried to pull myself up on a sharp rock..." she showed it to him solemnly "But its not bleeding anymore. And I have an icky bruise on my shin from where I fell down when I tried to run in the storm, but...it doesnt hurt... much. All the other stuff is from when I landed in a thornbush, mostly. They're little." She considered her attire, solemnly. "I'm pretty dirty, though.  I should probably wash up or I'm gonna get your house all messy. But I don't have anything else to wear." She recalled having brought her bag with her everyday clothes, but it had gotten lost, somewhere on her climb. Maybe she could go looking for it, later.
[4:35 PM] SnowVsSleep: It was just awful listening to everything she went through coming down here... And yet, she prefaced it with thinking she was okay! He didn't want to worry her so he continued calmly. "Do not worry about spreading any dirt. I can clean it up easily. We'll get you some tea and then you can clean up. As for clothing... Ah! You can wear some of the clothes that are in the room you stayed in. I can wash what you're wearing, later. Afterwards, we'll clean up your all your cuts and bruises." He just... felt himself slip right back into Dad-mode.

He continued leading her through until reaching a chair at the table. Asgore pulled it out for her and smiled. "I'll go fetch the tea from the kitchen." He gave her a brief nod before briskly pacing to the kitchen.
[4:52 PM] Coffee: He made everything sound so easy, like it was no big deal at all.  Risha was mystified.  At home, tracking around so much dirt would have been such A Big Deal. Asgore didn't seem to care much about it. He seemed to care more about her injuries.  He even offered to wash her dirty clothes.  He was a king though. Kings didn't do laundry... did they?

Risha nodded back at Asgore and swung her feet lightly, looking around. Asgore didn't seem to live in a palace. It also wasn't like an apartment. If anything, it reminded her of a time when she was really little, and her parents had rented a cottage in a forest for a weekend. But Asgore's  place was nicer, because it looked like he lived here.
[4:57 PM] SnowVsSleep: Soon, Asgore returned with a platter of tea. He rested it on the table. As he picked up the pot, he peered back at Risha. "Is there any specific way you like your tea? Sugar, milk...?" He poured his own cup and placed two cubes of sugar into his.
[5:17 PM] Coffee: Risha looked up at him, innocently. "I like it plain." she admitted, "Unless its very bitter. Then I like a sugar in it." She sniffed the air, trying to discern what kind of tea he had made. "I don't know that kind,"she had to admit, "But it smells good. I don't think I need a sugar."
[5:39 PM] SnowVsSleep: Asgore placed a sugar in it just in case as he poured. "It's a tea that I make myself. I make it from the flowers that you see decorating my home. I've had quite a few monsters compliment me on it." It was one thing that he was really good at making. It almost made him proud. He placed the cup in front of Risha with a soft smile.
[6:05 PM] Coffee: Risha turned to look at some of those flowers with suprise. She had noticed them, of course. Those golden flowers. They made her feel like there was something she was forgetting. But it was a kind of good thing... she thought. Something like a missing verse to a song you like. It bothers you, but kind of in a good way.

Another thing she was about to forget was her manners.   She turned back to Asgore, and her eyes were a little brighter."I like those flowers." she told him, seriously. "I ...dreamed? That I fell asleep in a big room of them. Or...was it a dream...?" The little girl looked puzzled as she cupped her hands around her tea and sipped.

The taste was wonderful, and a small pool of warmth seemed to center in her tummy, quieting some of the butterflies in it. She took a second, deeper drink, and the warmth seemed to spread. "I like this," she announced. "This is the best tea!" it had all the gravity of a royal proclaimation, but the little girl seemed sincere!
[6:28 PM] SnowVsSleep: She was remembering where he found her... "It wasn't necessarily a dream. In my throne room, the entire floor is covered with them. It's where I found you. I brought you back here." It was interesting to see how the mind tried to rationalize what it saw in dire times... Asgore wasn't much for science but it was still interesting.

A definite bit of pride from Risha's kind words blossomed inside him. "Why thank you! I try to make every brew the best I possibly can."
April 20, 2016
[11:02 AM] Coffee: Risha kept her hands lightly curled around the teacup, drawing almost as much comfort from the warmth seeping into her chilly fingers as from the warmth radiating from her tummy. "Does that mean we're still underground?" she asked, between sips. "This doesn't look like a place that would be underground... But then," the little girl reasoned, "I didn't think I would find flowers growing underground, either. So that's your throne room?" Well, he was a king, after all. All kings had throne rooms, right? They had to sit down sometimes! "I thought throne rooms were covered in gold and jewels and diamonds and velvet," she admitted, shyly, looking into her tea. "Do you like flowers better than stuff like that?"
[4:06 PM] SnowVsSleep: He supposed he should tell her a bit about what was going on here... Not everything. "A long, long time ago humans and monsters had a war. At the end of it, humans sealed monsters underground with a magical barrier. That's where we are now. We've just built it to be a bit more homey." He sipped his own cup of tea. "As far as the throne room goes... I do love flowers. It used to be a bit different but... Things changed." Children died and Toriel left... Now the whole throne room was overgrown.
April 21, 2016
[1:39 AM] Coffee: She looked up at him over the rim of her teacup, her eyes big and solemn. She wondered why there had been a war. Wars happened once in a great while, she knew, they were started by bad people and made people unhappy, but there hadn't been a war in all her many (eight) years. At least, she didn't think there had been...  She wondered who had started this long ago war. "Who were the bad guys who started the war? What happened to them?" she asked, innocently.  "Is the barrier still there? 'Cuz... I don't think its working. I walked right down here."  Risha looked uneasy. "Did I break it?"
April 26, 2016
[6:32 PM] SnowVsSleep: Asgore sighed. He didn't like talking about the war but she had something of a right to know. "... Every creature has a soul. For monsters, our souls are frail things. Some theorize it's because of how in tune our bodies are with magic." For emphasis, he ignited a small flame in his palm. "Normal monsters have souls that break and disappear moments after death. Some monsters are stronger than that, like me. Our souls would persist for a little while." Asgore closed his palm, extinguishing the flame. "Now... humans are different. Humans have powerful souls that can last seemingly forever. Back then, souls were something we were learning steadily about. It was learned that when a monster absorbed a human soul, then that monster would receive immense magical power. This scared the humans. If one could do that, imagine what more could do. A monster could theoretically become a god. A war broke out between us. The barrier... All we know about it is from this side. Maybe it's only one way... Keeping us trapped in here but letting anything come through. The only way to be able to go through is..." Asgore bit his lip, staring into his cup. She had a right to know.

"The only way is for a monster to absorb a human soul or for a human to absorb a monster soul. The only way to destroy the barrier would be for a monster to absorb seven human souls."
April 27, 2016
[6:04 PM] Coffee: Had Asgore not been staring into his beverage, he would have noticed the pleading in the eyes of  the child.  Pleading for him to tell her that such were not his plans. The king had already begun to feel like a friend to Risha, and the thought that he was only being kind to her because he wanted her human soul... but he wasn't looking at her, and her heart sank like lead. Her pleading expression faded into dull indifference. "Oh." was all she said, for a while.  She pushed her half finished tea away.

"Well... that's okay, I guess." the little girl said, trying to sound cheerful and resigned, though her voice was soft and rather choked. "I mean... it's all right, you know?" She wasn't sure what she was trying to explain, but she felt the need to go on. "I mean... I dont really want to go back anyway, and... I don't mind very much... I mean... I came here for that." She could feel herself trembling. "Y-you can have my soul..." she offered in a barely audible whisper.
April 28, 2016
[12:05 PM] SnowVsSleep: No... Why? Why didn't she hate him? Why didn't she want to fight it? He could... He could kill someone who hated him. He could fight someone who fought back. But this poor little girl was letting him take her soul. She was asking him to kill her. She was so miserable that she wanted him to kill her. He couldn't... He...

He wanted to make her feel safe. He wanted to make her happy. He... Asgore moved over to Risha and wrapped his arms around her. "N-No... I'm... I refuse to kill you. I... I'm so sorry that... that you'd get to the point that you'd want me to take your life. It's... horrible. I'd... much rather make you smile." Tears freely streamed down his cheeks as he smiled at her. "... Please... I don't want to hurt you... I can't hurt you."
April 30, 2016
[2:36 PM] Coffee: Being swept up out of her chair and into Asgore's embrace, the little girl was stiff, almost unresponsive for a minute, as though she didn't know what to do. Which was, in fact, the case. Hugs were not a part of Risha's daily routine. The feeling of someone so warm, and so strong, and so much bigger than herself, trapping her in their arms... It made her stomach twist with fear and her heart skitter.  But the king's gentle, sorrowful words,  his tears- as though he felt she were  worth crying over, his promise, his insistance that he could not, would not hurt her... they made her own eyes fill again.

Somewhere, in an unexplored little corner of her heart, childish instinct awoke, and whispered a suggestion to her. Trembling again, and uncertainly at first, the small girl slipped her arms around Asgore's neck. This accomplished, it felt... almost natural... to nuzzle her face under one of those soft ears and into his neck.  She didn't have words for all the things she wanted to say. Her arms tightned in a gentle hug, and she kept her face buried in his fur, wordless.
May 2, 2016
[1:52 PM] SnowVsSleep: She hugged back... Risha felt so small in his arms. So fragile... She was actually trembling. He smiled as she nestled herself against his neck. A strong hand rubbed her back softly. "There, there... It's alright..."

He wanted to protect her... From everything. She deserved better than just being a stepping stone for taking down the barrier. Asgore wanted more for her. Would... Would she...? He bit his lip softly but shook it away for his smile. He rubbed his eyes softly. "Are you okay now? Is... Are you okay with me?"
[5:27 PM] Coffee: Risha unclasped his neck and pulled back, just a little, so that she could look into his face. Even so, her hands rested lightly on his shoulders, as though she were reluctant to break contact completely  She wasn't sure she could answer the questions. Was she okay now? Well... maybe...? She wasn't going to cry anymore, she hoped, at least... not for a while. And was she okay with Asgore? Well, he promised not to hurt her, said he couldn't. So she had to be safe with him, right? And he wanted to make her happy. There was something, she knew, some tiny little niggling thing that troubled her... but she didn't know what it was. Unless it was just the strangeness of everything that was happening.

Regardless, Risha knew what the the right answer was. The answer that he wanted. She nodded, giving him a little smile. "I'm okay with you." she affirmed, in a whisper. "I'm safe with you. You won't hurt me. I believe you."
[10:07 PM] SnowVsSleep: The words touched his ears and he smiled a little wider. There was no way for him to know for sure that she was being completely truthful... But he knew that... maybe with enough effort and love on his part, he could show her that he really wanted her to be happy. Was that what he was aiming for? To show her love? Like a... father... He hadn't been a father in so long. He'd just been Asgore... Not even King Fluffybuns... Just King Asgore...

He could be more. He could be more for Risha. "I'm glad..." He cleared his throat softly and straightened to look around. "Well... I think that's enough tea. You should probably get cleaned up. Would you like me to show you the way?"
May 3, 2016
[12:14 PM] Coffee: When he straightened up, Risha let go of him completely, but she continued to gaze up at him for a moment longer- until she realized he had actually asked her a question. "Oh... yes please..." she responded at last, shyly. She reached out her hand to take hold of the cuff of his sleeve, an intention that gave her a strange feeling of deja vu... when, suddenly, she changed her mind and put that hand into his paw, instead.

Somehow, it just felt better that way.
May 4, 2016
[12:41 AM] SnowVsSleep: Asgore tenderly took her hand and led her away from the living room. He'd clean all that up in a little while. First... Asgore led her into the hallway and down to the bathroom. He needed to clean the scrapes and otherwise... He had a first aid kit in here.

He opened the cabinet above the sink and pulled out the kit. He set it to the side and turned to Risha. Asgore had accomplished all this while still holding onto her hand. He lowered to her level and gave her a smile. "Do you mind if I lift you onto the counter? That'll help me get a better look at you. Just tell me if anything hurts or if there's somewhere specific I should check."
[2:14 AM] Coffee: Risha considered the counter,  thinking that she could easily hop herself up there, bruises and scrapes not withstanding.  Still, there was something so kind and sweet in the way Asgore took the time and effort to kneel down and ask her. Gallant, even. She'd known plenty of adults, her father, doctors, teachers, babysitters and the like, who would just pick her up like she was a pile of laundry and plop her down wherever they wanted her to be. Or sometimes they patted the spot like she was a dog, absent-mindedly telling her to jump up and sit, good girl.

She glanced back at Asgore and smiled. "Okay, but wait a second." She told him, still holding on to his hand. Balancing on one foot, steadying herself with her hold on him, she worked the ribbons loose from one of her pointe slippers and pulled it free. She examined that foot gravely, noting where the laces had kept down some of the swelling, as well as hiding another rather ugly bruise. She looked back up at him. "I think its just a sprain." she explained, almost apologetically. "Can you maybe... wrap it up for me?"  Setting that foot gingerly on the ground, she finally let go of his hand and held out her arms to the King of all Monsters in the universal sign of children wishing to be picked up.
[12:13 PM] SnowVsSleep: Asgore's sad eyes examined her leg. Did all this happen before or after she came here? He wouldn't push the issue... She'd talk about it when she was more comfortable. He delicately reached under her arms and lifted her up. He set her down and smiled. "Of course, Risha. I'll make sure everything's feeling better and you're on your way to being at full health."

As he set to work cleaning her wounds and dressing them, he glanced up at her. "... Is there anything you'd like to tell me about yourself? I'd like to get to know you."
[12:53 PM] Coffee: Risha was very, very still, letting Asgore see and treat every cut, every scrape, every bruise. Sometimes she moved an arm or a leg to let him see such an injury better, but she didn't flinch or cringe away from him, even when he washed them.  She was actually glad he asked her that question, though. It gave her something to think about besides the sting of antiseptic. "My name is Risha Seenai. Seenai comes from си́ний, in Russian. That means dark blue, like indigo." she told him, not without a little shy pride. "Dark blue is my favorite color...!" She winced slightly and hesitated as Asgore treated a particularly large scrape, but after a few deep breaths, she was fine again.

"I'm a ballerina." It occurred to the little girl that Asgore might not know what that was. "Its a kind of dancer. My mother was a ballerina too, until..." Another hesitation. Was it because of antiseptic or something else? "Until I was born." Risha finished.  Then she quickly asked a question before Asgore could ask her one. "Do your horns fall off in the spring, like a deer, or do you keep the same horns all year round?"
May 6, 2016
[3:24 PM] SnowVsSleep: Asgore didn't know what Russian was, but from the sound of it, it was a different language. It was a beautiful name though. Much better than anything he could come up with. He was, heheh, a little famous for his naming ability, or lack thereof. He listened as she spoke about being a ballerina and exactly what it was. He wondered if having her meet Mettaton would be nice. He felt like the robot might appreciate another entertainer. But... Risha seemed to feel some sort of guilt about causing her mother to stop being a ballerina. Of course it was nothing Risha did. It was a choice by her mother. Not Risha.

He was about to say something about it when her question caused him to blink and laugh softly. "My horns never fall off. They grew for a time. I'd have to file them down so they weren't too heavy or bothersome, but they stopped growing centuries back."
[4:43 PM] Coffee: In a way, Risha was almost disappointed, for it would have been kind of cool if Asgore could decorate his house with the fallen off horns. At least, she was sure something cool could be done with them, though she wasn't sure what.  All the same... "I'm glad." she decided, in a very solemn  tone.  "You look good with horns. I don't think you would look as nice without them." The little girl gazed at him thoughtfully, as though trying to imagine it, and then suddenly, she blushed. "I- I'm sorry if that wasn't a very polite thing to say." she mumbled, dropping her gaze.
[4:49 PM] SnowVsSleep: Asgore laughed to her statement. It was probably true! He gave her head a few pats and smiled. "Do not worry. I think I'd have to agree with you. The horns just add a little something special! Toriel l-" He caught himself and coughed. "S-Someone I knew liked them." He bit his lip and his eyes seemed to fade into thought before he shook his head and gave another one of his smiles. "Well now, I think I've managed to clean most everything up!"
[5:10 PM] Coffee: She was incredibly grateful that Asgore wasn't offended, and looked relieved when he petted her.  But when he stumbled on the name Toriel, Risha was alert in an instant. Who was Toriel? What happened to them? She was about to ask, but she saw the way he bit his lip. How many times had she done the same thing, when trying to keep her lip from trembling. Poor Asgore. Something bad must have happened.

When he shook himself out of his thoughts and smiled again, Risha made sure to smile back at him. She examined herself all over, shins, arms elbows, everything of hers that she could see! To the relief of both of them, although she had many scratches and bruises, very few of them were serious, once they'd been cleaned up a bit. She wiggled the toes on her wrapped ankle, and tested the resistance of the bandage around it.  "It feels a lot better." she noted aloud, then looked up to meet his gaze.  "What do we do now?" she asked him "Do you have important king-y stuff you have to do?"
[5:17 PM] SnowVsSleep: Important king stuff to do... He probably did have a few things he needed to get done. He hadn't planned for all of this. "I do have a few things I need to do..." That included his plans for Risha. Was he... keeping her? Could he talk about it like that? He wanted to care for her but that would put him in position as a father. How would that relate to the rest of the underground? So many things to address... "So, I'll tell you what. Why don't you go into the room I let you stay in and grab some clothes? We'll need to clean your outfit too so that it stays pretty. You can look around while I get things done... I'll work on food for us after I'm done. Does that sound okay?"
May 7, 2016
[4:25 AM] Coffee: "Okay!" Risha agreed. She pushed herself to the edge of the counter she had been sitting on, and then paused a moment, as though she was about to say something more. Would he...? she wondered, but then she shook off the thought. He has more important King-y stuff to do. Don't wanna waste his time. She slid off the counter, careful to land on her good foot.  She looked up at him then, eyes bright, face solemn. "I hope you get all your work done easy today." she replied, which was the nicest way of saying I hope you have a good day at work! she could think of, when she wasn't sure whether he would be going someplace else to work or not.
May 8, 2016
[9:47 PM] SnowVsSleep: Asgore paused. It was like he could see that there was something she wanted to ask him in her eyes. "Is... there anything else you need before I head off to work? All you have to do is ask."
May 9, 2016
[8:56 AM] Coffee: Risha blushed. She started to shift her slight weight from one foot or the other, but her sore ankle quickly reminded her to stand up straight. "Um... welll...." She said, then hesitated. For the longest moment, the word nevermind was on her tongue, but just before she gave into it, she stared hard at the floor and blurted out "One more hug, maybe? B-before you go?"
[9:01 AM] SnowVsSleep: The warmest light entered his eyes and he wrapped his fluffy white arms around her. "Of course, Risha... You can have as many hugs as you want." That was something that he had no problem giving her. "I'm going to see about getting a phone from my royal scientist for you so that you can contact me if you need me." He'd never been that good with technology, but Asgore definitely knew a phone would be useful for that.
[9:19 AM] Coffee: Risha put her arms as far around Asgore as she could reach, and nestled up once more. This hug was even better than the first, she decided, mostly because he seemed so pleased, and she knew better how they were supposed to go. By the end of the week, she felt confident she would be an expert in hugs! She nodded brightly at Asgore's mention of a phone. "I had a phone," she admitted, "But I threw it away in a river when I came here." She quickly added, "I won't do that to the one you give me! Will you tell me about your Royal Scientist later?"
[9:26 AM] SnowVsSleep: Asgore smiled and nodded. "I'll tell you all about the underground and everyone you should know." It felt so nice to have this... He needed to make sure that she was protected. He needed to make sure nothing happened to her.
May 10, 2016
[12:26 PM] Coffee: [Scene end](edited)
May 27, 2016
[2:43 PM] Coffee: @Billy Mays

It was almost time.

Risha lifted her solemn gaze up from the marble floor in the Hall of Judgement, where she had been intently watching a beam of late-afternoon sunlight slowly glide its way across the hall like molten honey.  The moment it touched one of the pillars in the hall, she shut her eyes and sighed, listening as the bells chimed. It was strange... she liked them, and every day she came here to listen to them ring out the end of the day... but... they made her feel sad, too. Depressed.  Disappointed? She didn't know why. Risha curled into a little ball and rested her chin on her knees. She knew Asgore had some kind of meeting going on until late tonight. There was no point going back home if he wasn't gonna be there. She was pretty sure he had left something for her dinner... but she wasn't hungry.

Just kind of empty.
May 28, 2016
[5:29 AM] Billy Mays: Little had she known, she hadn't been alone in the hall. A figure covered in shadow, standing behind a pillar blocking the light shining from the windows, watching the girl. They knew her, of course. Not here, not now, but in another time. In another time, she was their responsibility... or a shared one, anyway. They weren't one that was much for responsibility, but having her around... they'd been happier then they had been for a while. For a while, they debated whether to approach her at all. Nothing they did would last; everything would all reset surely and eventually. At the same time though, doing nothing at all was equally as pointless. Everything was pointless. Why not just do the pointless thing that made them happier?

"heya kid. what's wrong? you're looking pretty blue," A voice said behind Risha. There stood a short skeleton in baggy clothes and an unflinching grin, his expression positive but slightly concerned.
[10:52 AM] Coffee: The little girl blinked in surprise, and scrubbing her eyes with the back of her hand, jumped to her feet quickly. Her first instinct, any human’s first instinct, was to be frightened, and she took a step back. Just one. After all, a skeleton is a pretty scary thing for a little girl who has only seen the fuzzy, animal-like monsters of Asgore and Hart, and she hadn’t heard him coming. He was just there, suddenly.

The fear lasted only a heartbeat, though. A new expression, one of recognition, came into her face. And from one moment to the next, Risha knew that she loved this skeleton. That she was glad… no, actually happy to see him. And yet, she realized- an expression of doubt and some confusion clouded her eyes all too soon- that she did not, in fact, know this skeleton. That she could not. She could not remember meeting him, and she hadn’t been here long enough to have forgotten doing so.

Risha approached Sans, a little slowly, all the same. She didn’t say a word until they were inches apart, she looking up into his face. It was so familiar. But she’d never seen it before. But her soul insisted. Yet her mind knew better! Unexpectedly, probably for both of them, she reached out and hugged him. “No, U.” She mumbled into his jacket. “You’re the one who’s blue.”

It was unclear whether she meant his mood or his clothes. But it would have been true, either way.
May 29, 2016
[1:26 AM] Billy Mays: The skeleton didn't react to her surprise, playing it cool and relaxed as usual. That quick little light of recognition in her eyes, though... his expression didn't change much, except if one looked closely they could see he was smiling just a little bit wider. Somewhere, deep down, she still knew. Maybe there was hope that things could eventually change after all. When she hugged him, he gave her a light affectionate pat on the back. "woah there kid. ya really blue into my arms there, huh?"

"heh..." It was funny, meeting her here. Sans thought back onto the times he had judged people in this hallway before. He judged their very souls, telling how violent they really were and gave them advice to change- or stay on- their path as needed. Punishment wasn't a part of the judgement; at least, it wasn't his job. Maybe someday he'd be judging Risha in this hallway too. Hopefully, in a time where she still she got plenty of love without any LOVE. "you seem like a pretty affectionate girl. you're asgore's kid, right? no wonder he took a shine to ya. im sans, sans the skeleton. nice to meet'cha kid."
[10:52 PM] Coffee: "ya really blue into my arms there, huh?"

An odd sound, which might have been something of a cough... or just possibly, a giggle, came muffled from the little girl. Risha didn't smile much, and she laughed even less. But in another time, even if she didn't remember it, Sans had been the only one who could get her to do so. And it seemed like that hadn't changed. At his remark that she seemed pretty affectionate, she tightened her hug for a moment, than relaxed and stepped back, looking up at him. She didn't think she could explain that she normally wasnt like this, that it was something special about him that had prompted her to do it. Asgore's kid... somehow, the words made her blush. He was taking care of her, but when it was said like that, he made it sound like... like... like Asgore was her father. "I'm Risha..." She said, with the odd feeling that he already knew it.  "It's um... nice to meet you too, Sans.  Do you live in the palace too? I haven't seen you befo..." She trailed off,  frowned. "Or did I?"
May 31, 2016
[1:43 PM] Billy Mays: Well, seems things don't change. It was good to see the kid was looking... well, not completely happy, but doing pretty well for herself. At the end of the day, ol' King Fluffybuns was just a huge softie. If he didn't have the royal guard around, Asgore probably wouldn't have been able to tell monsterkind that they needed seven human souls at all, knowing he'd have to do all the work himself. It was cowardly, but who was Sans to judge? If he had opinions about it one way or another, they didn't matter too much to him anymore. What he did have was people he cared about and a promise that he intended on keeping.

"me? nah, i dont live here." His eyes shift, giving a sideways glance. "i just visit here sometimes. i live in snowdin with my bro papyrus; that's on the far side of the underground." He gave Risha a teasing wink. "maybe we have met before though? could'a seen ya when you were exploring around. the underground's a small place once you get familiar with it." And Sans was anything if not familiar with the underground.
June 3, 2016
[5:06 AM] Coffee: “Oh…” For just a moment, Risha seemed a little crestfallen. Sans made it sound like he really lived far away. But Snowdin, and more importantly, Papyrus... Those names inspired the little girl with a slight brightening of the heart… and the most bizarre craving for… italian food. She took a very shy, gentle hold of the Skeleton’s sleeve. “Did you come to see me?” she asked. She hadn’t really meant anything deep or significant by that, she was thinking about it in the light that people might come to see a strange zoo animal. It was mere chance that there was more truth in it than she realized.

“You don’t have to go home right away, do you? ...Maybe you could... come home with me for a while? We could… we could maybe order pizza. I want to know about Snowdin… and Papyrus...” Risha realized she didn’t actually have any money to pay for a pizza, but she was sure that Asgore would pay for it and not mind if she told him how important it was. And somehow, it was important. Very important. “Please don’t leave right away…”
June 4, 2016
[11:42 AM] Billy Mays: Sans nodded, still grinning at the girl. "yeah. when i heard the king had a human girl living with him, i thought i ought to go check." How many resets had it been since the last time Asgore did something like this? Too many to count, at least. Of course, he knew about a human living with him for a while, and that it was Risha, but he had waited until now to make himself known. "king fluffybuns sure is a softie, ain't he? and i don't just mean the fur," he said then chuckled.

"me? nah, i'm on break. i got plenty of time." On break from what exactly, Risha would probably not find out. How he managed to be so lazy while having so many jobs was yet another mystery about Sans. "i don't think asgore would mind..." The skeleton seemed to ponder something for a bit, trying to think of what he should do. She really did remember and miss them. "hey kid. you want to see snowdin? i know a shortcut; ol' fluffybuns will never even notice that you're gone."(edited)
June 5, 2016
[7:14 AM] Coffee: Risha brightened. She could go see Snowdin? For a moment, one moment only, the little girl considered the deep and serious consequences of going off with a near stranger. She'd certainly been warned of it enough, back on the surface.  Every time a child went missing on the news, her mother had made her watch it, and given her a stern lecture about how easily children went missing and were never heard from again, or how, if they were, horrible and terrible things were done to them. Sometimes, her mother's stories were so scary that she'd have bad dreams that night. She should know better. She did know better.

But...

She was already a missing child, wasn't she? And Sans didn't feel like a stranger to her.  And if Asgore never noticed her missing, no harm could be done, right?  King Fluffybuns... she smiled at the name... wouldn't suffer a moment of worry. Sans said he wouldn't mind. "I want to see it." she said, letting go of his sleeve and taking his hand, instead. "Will you take me there, Sans? Please? To Snowdin? And can we see your brother maybe? Papyrus?" She looked up at him, so hopeful and eager and... happy.
June 9, 2016
[11:05 PM] Billy Mays: Was going off with some random dude who you technically just met (in this timeline) very shady? Probably, yeah. Sure she remembered him vaguely, but someone (probably Asgore) would need to have a talk with her about it. Oh well, wasn't really Sans's business anyhow. Besides, who wouldn't think his dopey smile made him seem trustworthy? ...Well, he could think of one person. But he hardly counted as much of a person anyway.

"you sound pretty excited to go out and explore, huh? well, ya know what they say kid; there's snow place like home." He winked then held out a hand for her to hold. "just follow my lead. we'll get there in no time." Taking the lead, Sans passed by the light shining through the windows in the hall of judgement, half of his body covered in shadow. As they took a corner things got a little blurry and hard to follow. The young human would be able to tell they were traveling, but the where and how seemed somehow vague. Yet, it seemed like the way they were going made sense, in some way. It took less than a minute for things to clear up again, and next thing they knew they were walking out of an igloo into snow covered terrain, surrounded by modest wooden houses and trees. "well, here are. ...maybe ya should've brought a coat."
June 10, 2016
[7:39 AM] Coffee: Taking the hand of the skeleton, following behind his blue parka, the little girl felt no fear, even when things began to get a little dark and blurry and strange. Somehow, she felt sure that whatever Sans was doing, it was okay. He wouldn't lead me into danger. Actually, that was a strange thought. Did she think he was leading her out of danger? That couldn't be. Asgore was all gentleness and goodness. The castle wasn't dangerous.  But she distinctly felt a sense...almost a memory... of having followed behind him before like this.  With others.  Away from something awful.  Before she could really try and pin this thought down and explore it, there was an arch of light up ahead, and the air around them seemed to cool, like opening the freezer door.

Stepping out into the light, Risha took a deep indrawn breath as her eyes adjusted. The smell of woodsmoke and pine trees. Colored lights everywhere, filling the world with a holiday seeming glow. A winter wonderland! She turned in a slow circle, trying to see everything, take it all in, and then she looked at Sans, with a tiny smile and huge eyes. "It's okay!" she assured him, eagerly, even as her breath steamed in the air. "I don't feel cold. I feel warm ...from the inside!" Her smile grew a little bit bigger. "It's so pretty! You get to live here? Which one is your house? Is it Christmas everyday? Does Santa live here too?" She felt like she had a hundred thousand million questions.
June 13, 2016
[12:01 AM] Billy Mays: Snowdin was surely a special thing for someone who saw it for the first time (at least in this timeline, anyway), but for Sans is was just home. Probably more so than any other monster that lived there, besides maybe boss monsters. He knew every building in the village, every light, every tree, every monster. For most of the villagers he was just 'the shorter quirky skeleton that works as a sentry', but his knowledge of them in return was a lot more intimate after so many resets. "heh, alright kid. just try not to get heartburn, eh?" He said to Risha with a wink. "yeah, me and my bro live right over there," Sans said while pointing to the two story house that was a short distance to the left. His own mailbox was still stuffed to the brim with unopened letters, of course. He read them already anyway. "sorry kid, santa ain't here though. but he's a lot closer than you may think," Sans said with a knowing grin at the girl. If this timeline lasted that long, she was going to have a very great Christmas.
[6:54 AM] Sanskrit: __Even for Sans, this was a new one.  Monsters with perfect memory were rare, and often the most impactful on the events in a given timeline.  It was the nature of 'insider knowledge', he might never show it, but even the squat skeleton was surprised sometimes.  Papyrus had never moved so fast, his brother was no slouch either.  Scarf billowing behind the tall skeleton, it was the sort of scene that demanded Chariots of Fire be playing quietly in the background, with each booted step launching a spray of snow behind him.  Something was off though.
      Lopsided was a better word, Papyrus' left arm was completely missing up to his epaulettes, and his battle body looked as though it had seen more than casual play for once.  Noticing his shorter brother, he stretched one leg out and squatted on the other, sliding to an impressively smooth stop.  "SANS!  THE HILLS ARE ALIVE WITH THE SOUND OF HUMANS SANS!"  Boy was he ever more worked up then usual, that one arm was really moving to make his point.  "THERE WAS A BIG FIGHT ON THE FERRY!  A COUPLE PEOPLE GOT HURT, I NEED TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS OKAY!"  Somehow completely oblivious to Risha.  "IT WAS MONSTERS SANS, MONSTERS HURTING MONSTERS!  WHO EVEN DOES THAT?!"(edited)
June 14, 2016
[5:24 AM] Coffee: If she was dissapointed that Santa didn't live there, she didn't show it. Actually, Risha felt like it must be Mr. Claus's loss, to not live in such a pretty, shiny place.  She studied the home of the skeleton brothers with a grin that was nearly as wide as Sans' own. "I like your house," she announced, "But how do you get on the second floor balco-"

"SANS!"

The sharp, wild tone of the taller skeleton, plus the speed at which he had appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, startled the little girl, who promptly darted behind the shorter, clinging to, and burying her face in the back of Sans' jacket. So many strange feelings, all at once. After a moment, she peeked out from behind him to observe the new Skeleton's wild antics. Papyrus, she thought with a strage little flutter of her heart. She wasn't afraid, exactly, but he was yelling about humans and monsters and a fight, and someone getting hurt, and it was all a little overwhelming!
June 17, 2016
[2:21 PM] Billy Mays: ...Well, that was definitely new. Sans liked to keep track of what his bro was up to, but with how much of a busy body he was that was hard for him to do constantly, even with his strange tendency to conveniently show up at places at any time. Papyrus had done something bone headed (bud dum tish) to get himself hurt plenty of times before, but usually it involved traps backfiring. This time it seemed he had ran into humans, which made Sans worried but besides his missing arm Papyrus seemed like he would be fine. He was way too cheerful to give up hope and fall down, that much was sure. And of course, he didn't even notice Risha as he ran by.

Patting the girl's head, Sans looked down at her with his usual cheery grin. "don't worry kid, he'll be fine. that's my bro papyrus. hey... i just remembered there was a thing i gotta do." He walked over to the house, Risha in tow, and opened the door. "why don'tcha make yourself comfortable for a bit? one of us ought to be back pretty soon."
[4:02 PM] Coffee: Risha smiled up at Sans, half apologetically, half eagerly, and nodded. She'd guessed that was his brother, though there was little family resemblance, besides them both being skeletons. "He's very..." Risha had to struggle for the right word to describe the feeling she got from him. Loud? Energetic? Strong? "Cool." the little girl decided on. That was the word! She followed along behind him happily, rather thrilled to be able to see the inside his house. She wasn't getting cold, she insisted to herself... but it would be nice to get out of the snow for a while.

The inside of the house was nice and spacious, a mix of comfortable old stuff and meticulous cleanliness, aside from one sock, plastered with notes. Risha went to look at this, while Sans went up the stairs and into his room. Risha finished the notes and tried the couch. It was lumpy and hard in places, but it felt comfortable to her and she rolled around on it it a little bit, wondering what the skeleton was doing. She looked out the window. It was starting to snow, and she watched that for a while. So pretty! Finally, her curiosity too strong, she climbed up the stairs and stood outside Sans' door, listening. But the room seemed silent. She waited patiently, wondering... [Scene end]
July 5, 2016
[4:54 AM] Sanskrit: @Coffee
[5:00 AM] Sanskrit: __Papyrus peeked out of the tent he'd constructed by laying the mattress against the bedposts and draping a blanket over one end.  The lanky skeleton had brought over comic books, action figures, even a spare scarf for Risha!  When he'd heard Asgore was going away on business and needed someone to look after her, he jumped at the chance.  Sure, he was missing out on the vigil for those poor monsters caught up in the human attack, but Risha couldn't be lonely, that was wrong.
     "I know it's unfortunate that King Asgore works so hard Risha, but that's why everyone looks up to him so much!  We can have a really great time together today, and he'll be home before you know it!  Now that we've made a super cool base- it was a great idea to make the floor blankets, this is really comfy! -What would you like to do?"(edited)
July 6, 2016
[5:20 AM] Coffee: Risha, snug inside their little tent, was doing her best not to be sad or sulky, because she really didn’t want to spoil the good time she and The Great Papyrus were going to have today. She knew Asgore’s business was important, and that in order to be a good king, sometimes he’d have to attend to it, even when she was not feeling well. Which she hadn’t been, lately. There were the faintest traces of fatigue, tiny fingerprint-like smudges of dark under her eyes today, and she wasn’t eating much lately. She also seemed to get chilled easily, or perhaps she simply just really adored the spare scarf Papyrus had presented her with. She hadn’t removed it even once, since it had been draped around her neck, just like he wore his. It was a good thing it was a spare, since this was one thing Papyrus wasn’t going to get back, when it was time to go home. Which, she comforted herself, was hours and hours away!

What did she want to do? Nothing too energetic, she decided, since she felt a little bit tired and sleepy. But something fun. Comics, a game, or maybe she’d ask him to tell her a story. She decided on a game. “I don’t know how to play this one,” she explained in a tiny voice, pointing out a game that came in a box marked Bones Alone. It looked like it had a lot of little tiny plastic bones in it. “Can you teach me?” She smiled up at The Great Papyrus.
[6:22 AM] Sanskrit: __"Sure Risha, this one is pretty easy.  You start out as just a skull, it's these tokens here see?"  Papyrus gently set a skull token the size of a quarter in Risha's palm.  It was green and had a pair of sunglasses awkwardly taped to it.  "That one's my second favorite token, I nicknamed it 'Cool Dude'.  There used to be more than just the two..."  He held up the other, a cobalt blue that had been chipped at to more resemble Papyrus' face.  "I wasn't very good at carving yet so I kind of broke them.  I'll make more someday, but I don't get to play this much!"
     Papyrus set his Papyrus token on the start point of the board.  "We each take turns rolling the bone dice, and going around the board, until we've collected an entire skeleton!  Some things take your bones, some things give you more, I really enjoy it!  Even though I was living it for almost a week." Sly expression as he wriggled his returned limb.  "Since you're the guest, you can go first!"
[7:14 AM] Coffee: Risha brightened a bit as she examined her token with interest. Cool Dude. Was that some kind of a joke? Because he was a skeleton who lived in Snowdin? ...Ehhh... probably not. That kind of thing was something more likely to come from Sans. And it might be a little too subtle, even for him. Probably just a coincidence. But otherwise, the rules seemed easy enough, just like he'd promised, and the little girl set her token down next to The Great Papyrus' with a smile. "I'm Cool Dude." she affirmed, unintentionally complimenting herself.  She picked up the bone dice and looked up at Papyrus's previously truant limb. "I'm glad you got it back." she said, sincerely. "I lo-like you a lot with only one arm, but I like you twice as much with two!"
[7:25 AM] Sanskrit: __"Oh, well then!"  A warmth spread across his cheekbones.  "The Great Papyrus will have to keep that arm extra close from now on if it doubles Risha affection!  That's a stat I really can't get enough of!"  The skeleton teased gently.  "So now you roll the dice, and move your token the number of squares on the board, and do what the space says.  This game can be extra fun with skeletons, cause you can act out your progress!  Rolling dice when you're just a head is kind of hard though."
[7:36 AM] Coffee: The little girl's smile got a little pinker, too. If The Great Papyrus ever lost that arm again, she knew she wouldn't really like him any less. She was just happy that he had it back now. She rolled her dice and got a three! She had already moved her peice to the appropriate place and collected her bones when a sudden thought struck her. "Wait a minute..." she said, surprised. "I'm not the guest today... you are!" For some reason, the fact that she hadn't realized this before struck the small child as particularly funny, and she laughed. "I'm sorry, Mr.-The-Great-Papyrus... I guess I accidentally took your turn. You can go first for the next game, okay?"
[7:44 AM] Sanskrit: __"I guess that means The Great Princess Risha really does consider this home now."  A gentle nudge of the shoulder.  "Don't worry about it, it's just a game."  Papyrus rolled a one, collecting a foot, which in no way snapped to his current piece.  "Have you been feeling any better?  You look very tired, and I can hear your tummy grumbling a little bit."  Concern, and a bit of a probe but not quite to mom levels of questioning.  That would've been accusatory, Papyrus was more being observative.
[8:13 AM] Coffee: "It's nice here." Risha replied softly, glowing at The Great Princess title, even if she felt she hadn't earned it, yet. "I like it better here than ...than up there. But not better than your house." she added, honestly, admiring his tiny foot. It occurred to her that she had bones like that, under her skin and... and whatever squishy parts made up feet. It didn't seem like muscle. Papyrus also had real feet bones. The thought that they shared this in common, pleased her. His question about her health, not so much. "I didn't sleep very good." she admitted, not wanting to lie, "And food doesn't taste very good to me right now. Sometimes I feel sick after I eat anything." she rolled the dice and won herself a spine!  She attached it to her token, proudly, and added the bones from the earlier turn, which turned out to be collar bones.  "It's maybe the flu, or something." She said, trying to sound confident.
[8:28 AM] Sanskrit: __Papyrus didn't pick up the die, instead he picked up Risha's hand.  "The Great Papyrus knows what has been bothering you Risha, and he has given it a lot of thought."  With a gentle nudge of magic, the board slid along the carpeted floor out of the way.  Papyrus laid on his back, and gently lifted Risha atop his battlebody so she could nestle her face into his scarf.  The skeleton could see Risha's skin again taking on that ashen quality, she didn't even enjoy talking with him about it.  Of course she didn't.
     "You don't get to see the Great Papyrus nearly enough!"  He followed up at last, brushing at her bangs with a thumb.  The way he said it made it sound like a super big deal, and to a seven year old it might have been.  In a much less serious tone, downplaying the severity of it's nature related to his presence, "You're also scared to show them what you can do."
[9:06 AM] Coffee: She trusted Papyrus. She trusted him more than anyone, because he knew. He knew, what Tilly guessed at, but unlike Tilly, he liked her anyway. Not from a 'I-have-to-help-you-so-we-can-be-free' perspective. He liked her, Risha.  Because she was Risha. ...But she still didn't want to talk about it, even with him.  It always made her feel worse. She didn't resist being picked up though, and she snuggled on top of him, inhaling the strange-but-comforting smell of boniness and laundry detergent in his scarf. She couldnt imagine why anyone ever thought skeletons were scary. Papyrus was so kind, and wonderful, and even though he was about to bring that subject up, she loved him anyway, and she knew it.

"You don't get to see the Great Papyrus nearly enough!"

Although she was perfectly willing to admit the truth of that statement, with equal sincerity and enthusiam, it was not what she had expected him to say, and she blinked in surprise, blue eye wide. Even though he followed up with the other thing, the way he had broken it was so near-painless, so gentle, that aside from  her eyes tearing up, she didn't flinch or even look away. She just nodded, silently.
[9:23 AM] Sanskrit: __"Risha, all princesses have a very special power, a special something that makes them princesses!  Popular, respected, and loved!  The Great Papyrus has spent a lot of his time when he's not on patrol, at home reading  up on it!  Sans made a few horrible puns... something about you being Snowdin White, and that you needed seven short monsters."  The comment on his brother had Papyrus' tone fall a little flat and he quietly grumped.  Why did it always have to be puns?
     "Anyway, in most of the stories, there is usually a really bad person towards the beginning.  An evil stepmother that says mean things and makes you do lots of chores.  A wicked witch that puts a curse on you as a baby, or gives you poison fruit.  Or a noodley beard tall guy that is actually kind of cool and has a really nice voice!"  Papyrus had sort of liked Jafar, he was very confident, it was a good quality!  Maybe the subtleties of that particular plot were lost on him though.
     "After that, the princess is somehow freed, taken away, or runs away to another place.  While she's there, things get better for awhile.  There's usually singing, and she either has pets, or animal friends that can talk sometimes.  That one isn't a requirement, it just seems really common."  The skeleton nodded thoughtfully.  "There aren't too many animals down here, and I've tried talking to bats, they don't say much.  Anyway!"
[9:23 AM] Sanskrit: __"After she is comfortable and happy, something happens.  A handsome prince comes into her life, or she finds out her kingdom or family, or animal friends are in danger.  She's needed, It's like the hero's call, except for princesses!  So then she has a moment when she's really brave, shows a lot of heart, and stands up to whoever it was that did bad to her in the first place.  Working with the handsome prince and her animal friends, she defeats her antagonist.  Then everyone lives happily ever after."  It was quite the story,  Papyrus had done a lot of research for her too.  He watched her quietly, curious about how it would all make her feel.
[10:05 AM] Coffee: Risha looked thoughtful for a long, long time. She knew that Papyrus was right, that was how the princess stories went, most of the time.  But... "What if I'm not a princess after all, Papyrus?" She asked sadly. "What if... what if, in reality, I'm the evil stepmother or the wicked witch?" She wouldnt have minded being the noodly beard tall guy, if Papyrus thought he was kind of cool, but  she wasn't sure how she was going to manage the beard.  "Do you think they were always wicked and evil? Were they born that way? Did they grow into it? I don't want to be bad, but... I can't help it. I did terrible things, and I didn't even..." The little girl choked up a bit, pushing a sob back down with sheer force of will. "...And what if, when I try to be brave and show heart, and show my heart, everyone else knows how bad I am, and they don't love me anymore? What if they hate me the way everyone hates the evil stepmother and the wicked witch? What if you were my only real friend in the whole wide world?" The little girl felt the knots in her stomach clench unbearably tight, and she buried her face in Papyrus's scarf so he couldn't see how much it hurt.
[10:16 AM] Sanskrit: __There were ripples through her stomach, and with how powerfully the little girl attached herself to him, he knew her anxiety without seeing it on her face.  A hand found the small of her back and began to gently and soothingly work it's way from neck to waist.  The other settled over the back of her head, gently scritching her hair.  Papyrus was never really sure what to do with hair, but people pet dogs, why not humans?
     "Well... really commonly the bad people are mothers, or aunts.  None of those stories had a wicked little girl.  Also, the people that did bad things were confident, and felt justified in their bad things.  They intentionally wanted to hurt others and did to the full range of their powers.  One of them even turned into a dragon!  I didn't know humans could do that, but I guess magic makes a lot of things possible.  I don't believe that anyone is truly evil, just hurt in their heart.  Rapunzel's mother wanted her little girl all to herself, so she locked her up in a tower and let her hair grow and grow.  Noodle-Beard Man wanted a wife and to be king, so he made a castle fly and tried to beat up the princess' boyfriend with a big snake."
     Papyrus hadn't stopped smiling, his tone never shifted from confident no matter how upset Risha got, no matter how terrified of what the future might hold.  Stalwart in his beliefs, kind as always.  "Risha, you have to be a princess.  Something bad happened before, sometimes it's the Princess' fault, like with the mermaid.  She gave up her voice to try to be with someone she loved, and her dad got turned into a plant thing cause of it.  She still came through and saved the day!  After that, you came here.  You met your 'Asdad', Sans, and the Great Papyrus."(edited)
[10:25 AM] Sanskrit: __"You have had a lot of adventures, where you've made many, many friends.  Things have improved, the Great Papyrus even sang for you that one time, if there wasn't any other singing."  He continued firmly, in a gentle tone.  The mitten atop her head gently lifted her chin so he could look into her eyes.  "Now we have reached the hero's call.  That moment when you can really call yourself a princess.  You've been living your dream all along... moving towards the end of the story with that happily ever after."
     "The Great Papyrus will never hate you for how your soul looks.  He likes the color blue.  If you never help lower the barrier, he still won't hate you, because you're his friend.  Asdad is your friend.  So is Sans, he asks about you all the time... between naps anyway.  Tilsen and Abigail still visit when they can, and anyone else you've met.  They all care about you.  They're like the mentors and friends from the stories."  Tilting his head forward, against hers.
      "All monsters have been trapped in the underground for a very, very long time.  The only people that will need to see are the other five humans, and Asgore after he absorbs the purple soul.  The entire underground will love and celebrate you!  You'll be popular, powerful, prestigious!  You'll finally know what it is to be Princess Risha, and all monsters will be able to see the sun again."
[11:18 AM] Coffee: She felt like... she understood what The Great Papyrus was trying to tell her, and she nodded slowly, though the movement caused tears to escape and splash on his skull.   The Underground needed to be free. No matter how much she liked it down here... and that was a lot... And even if The Great Papyrus wouldn't hate her for not doing her part... and he wouldn't...  it wasn't fair to make them suffer just because she was scared. She had to be a princess. That was what he'd said. He was right. She had to do the right thing, no matter what happened after, because of it.  She knew all of that, and was finally resigned... but she didn't feel any better.  She shut her eyes and just concentrated on the long, comforting stokes along her back, instead. "Before I was born," she began softly,  "My mom used to dance. That was her dream. She was famous, she was a Great. She fell in love with my papa, who was an artist. He wasn't famous, though. I thought he was Great, but he wasn't famous. I don't know why. When they decided to have me, My mom had to stop dancing. She..."  Risha wasn't sure she could explain this to Papyrus, when she didn't really understand it herself. "I guess its not good for moms and babies if you're dancing around all heavy."

The little girl left it at that, and moved on.  "When I was being born, she was rushing to the hospital and... she got in a crash. It was a bad one, she nearly died. She didn't though. Instead, something went wrong with her spine and she couldn't walk anymore." Risha paused a moment to reflect. "That was the first bad thing I did, before I was even born. I ruined her dream and the rest her life. She told me so, once. If she hadn't have had me, she would still be able to dance, or at least to walk." The little girl kept her eyes resolutely closed, waiting to see... well, hear, (because her eyes were shut) how The Great Papyrus would take this, before she went on with her story.
[11:37 AM] Sanskrit: __The Great Papyrus listened intently.  Like Risha, he wasn't sure how human babies came to be, but monster babies were never an accident.  The skeleton had a scare a few years back himself, where he'd thought hand-holding caused babies.  Sans had laughed really, really hard, strung him along with a few puns, and explained that two monsters had to really want a baby for it to happen.  Papyrus had seen infants before though, they smiled a lot, and cried a lot.  Sort of like Risha!  Sometimes they smelled funny, or made weird noises...  Sort of like Sans?
     "If it happened before you were born, then it wasn't your fault.  The Great Papyrus' memory is perfect, and even he doesn't remember things from the very early times!  At some point you are able to see, feel, and think... then you can be responsible.  Your mom's heart hurt, cause she couldn't dance anymore.  She didn't blame you cause it was your fault, she blamed you because it made her feel better about the bad place she was in... that's bullying.  It is mean and wrong.  Monsters have to want babies, so she wanted you!  Then she got hurt cause of outside sources, then she got mad and blamed you."
     Those skeletal hands continued their soothing strokes without sign of pause or tiring.  Risha was opening up, and needed as much attention as he was able to give.  The Great Papyrus was positive he could give at least 200%, maybe 300% if he kept at it for a long time.
[12:09 PM] Coffee: She didn't say he was wrong... but she didn't say he was right, either.  He didn't hate her yet, and to the little girl, that was all that mattered at the moment. Reassured, she continued. "Because she couldn't dance, or walk anymore, she wanted me to do it.  Mom said that if I worked really, really hard, I could make her dream come true for her. I had a lot of lessons, every day. I went to a special ballet school. It was expensive. Because Mom couldn't work, and she needed special stuff, that was expensive too. My papa couldn't pay for all of it. He wasn't making enough money as an artist. So he stopped doing what he loved, and he got a business job he really hated. He never said it was my fault, but I know. It was the second bad thing I did. I ruined His dream, by being born." Even though her eyes were closed, tears seemed to find their way out, anyhow.

"It was really hard," Risha admitted, sadly. "I did my best every day, even though sometimes I didn't want to. I thought that maybe if I could make my Mom's dream come true, If I could be as good as she was, then I could make up for all the bad that I did.  I tried not to complain when my feet hurt, or when I was hungry, or tired, or when I couldn't play with other kids because I had lessons. I had one best friend though. She was in my classes. We used to practice together.  One day, my school was going to put on a show. A real show, not just for parents. A show people pay money to go see.  My best friend, she wanted a very very special part in the show.  But... my mom wanted me to have that part too. I didn't... stand by my friend." Risha began to tremble. "I didn't even like the part, but I tried out for it anyway and stole it, because... because... I just did. That was the third thing. I really did know better, but I... didn't do the right thing."(edited)
[12:32 PM] Sanskrit: __"Well... what that sounds like to the Great Papyrus, is that your mother and father both loved you very much.  Your mom had an accident, and it was an accident... and she let it break her integrity.  More than anything, she wanted you to grow up to be a beautiful dancer like she was before that happened.  Your dad wanted to make her happy, because he loved her very much too.  Your Mom's integrity was broken, so he worked harder.  He got more, and showed just how strong of character he was to support a family even though times were hard."  Papyrus spoke as if he were the narrarator of some great, fantastical tale.  Not whimsical, but bold.  It was attention-grabbing.
     "Then you did your best too when you were old enough to understand.  You tried to stay skinny by not eating.  You tried to be the great dancer that your mom wanted you to be, and you kept at it until you hurt and were tired.  That is dedication, and it is something that I can believe in."  His enthused tone took a pause, Papyrus considering his next words carefully.  "Integrity has two meanings though... your family meets one but not the other!  It means to be honest, or have moral uprightness.  It sounds like, for the most part your Dad did, and you did too.  You feel responsible for so much that isn't your fault!"
     "Your Mom might have had that at one point too... but losing out on a dream can make any monster heartsick, no matter how it happens.  The other meaning is solid, whole, and undivided.  It's a word that stands for strength and unity.  Your mom wanted one thing, and you wanted something else.  You worked so hard for her up until then, that you accepted her way instead of your own.  Same with your Dad, he had been there for you and your mom so long, he also accepted her way instead of his own.  They were your family, and you stuck with them over your friend... The Great Papyrus would never fault anyone that either."
[12:33 PM] Sanskrit: __"Risha."  Papyrus shushed softly, squeezing her as she shook.  "Those aren't bad things that you did, they are bad things that happened.  Only one was even by choice, and friends forgive friends!  That's what apologies are for."
[1:09 PM] Coffee: "She didn't forgive me, though." Risha admitted. "After the first show... I did really badly, at it, too... I wanted to apologize. I wanted to tell her she should take the part. But she wouldn't forgive me. She showed me a newspaper talking about the mountain that makes people disappear, and she said 'I wish that was you.' Then she wouldn't talk to me, anymore. And then when I was ready to go home... I heard my mom and papa saying that they wished I hadn't..." she swallowed hard, and forced the words out. brittle and dry. "Wished I hadn't been born. That was when I knew that I should dissappear."  The little girl wasn't crying anymore, but her gaze looked hollow and glassy. Doll like.  "When we break the barrier," she continued, and now her voice sounded lost, almost disconnected, like it didn't belong to her anymore. Like it was in danger of wandering away. "I won't be a princess anymore. I'll have to go back to my parents. I don't... love them anymore." she admitted. "I don't want to see them again.  I want it to be like I really never was born."
[7:48 PM] Sanskrit: __Then for the second time... "Nope."  Papyrus' mouth was drawn up into a small smile.  To hear even the slightest utterance of something contradictory out of him was so confusing and surprising.  "As a Princess, Risha has a civic duty to her King, that's Asgore, and to the people!  If your parents really didn't want you, then as a Princess of Monsters, you'd be an honorary monster!  The Great Papyrus recommends a skeleton, because they're really cool!  You can't -actually- be a skeleton, humans are too squishy for that, he'll even make you a badge!"
     "It will be really busy when we get to the surface... Asgore is going to have to meet with important people, and show them that monsters can be nice.  We'll need the humans to do a lot of talking for us too!  That way everything works out great, and there's no fighting when we get to the surface!  It happened last time, I don't really get why, but it won't for sure this time!"  He rested his forehead against hers.
July 7, 2016
[9:22 AM] Coffee: The Not-yet-so-great-princess Risha looked at Papyrus, but for a long time, it seemed as though she were looking through him. Looking ahead, at something that frightened her. She wanted so badly to believe. It would be so nice, so wonderful, if she could play her part, knowing with certainty that there was a happy ending waiting to be reached. Down here, things had been looking so much better for her. She had been so much happier. It was like dreaming, to be down here, even in these latest days when she hadn’t been feeling her best. Up there… what if it was like waking back up to her old life? Despite Papyrus’ assurances that she would be needed, what if… the world made her go back to it? What if it didn’t work the way Papyrus said it would?

But then the skeleton gently touched his skull to her forehead, and Risha blinked, and really saw him. Her friend, The Great Papyrus. Her protector. Someone who liked her, no matter what, believed in her, too. Even after he learned the truth. Recognition, affection, and life filled her eyes, like someone pouring vitality into her. “I trust you,” She said, with an anxious, nervous smile. “I believe in you. You won’t let things go back to the old way for me, right? You’ll protect me from all the bad stuff, I know. I believe in you.  I ...I just… don’t believe in myself very much yet. But I’m trying to.” she explained, in a teeny, tiny voice.
[10:52 AM] Sanskrit: __"Then you've taken the biggest step."  The skeleton responded in an equally small voice, as if to match stride with her.  "The Great Papyrus will make sure you always have somewhere happy to be.  That you can be free to dance if you want to, AND  keep your friends in mind!  If you don't like to dance, and if they don't dance well then that's also just fine.  As long as Princess Risha keeps believing in the Great Papyrus, and the Great Papyrus keeps believing in Princess Risha, there will always be a happy ending.  Just like in the stories."
     The skeleton sat up slowly, letting her slide easily into a sitting position in his lap.  "It would make us both even happier though, if you could believe in yourself the same way the Great Papyrus believes in you.  Maybe not right away, but never stop trying."  A firm, lasting hug.  Papyrus could feel her little bones, he was certain that wasn't healthy for a monster that had skin, much less a little human girl.  "I don't really feel like Bones Alone anymore, maybe we could have some lunch and be bones together instead?"
[11:18 AM] Coffee: Risha smiled as The Great Papyrus told her everything was going to be all right and they were going to have a happy ending. He was so confident, so sure, that for the moment, all the dark clouds and worries in her mind seemed to be blown away. She returned his hug with  all her little strength! "I'll... I'll keep trying!" she promised.  But she looked up at him in wonder, when he said he didn't feel like playing the game anymore.  There was something strange about that. Papyrus almost never left anything only halfway done, that she'd ever seen.  And even though, generally speaking, eyesockets weren't as easy to read as eyes tended to be, she could swear he looked...thoughtful at least. Maybe even worried? Nah. she told herself, internally scoffing. The Great Papyrus never worries about anything! He must just be hungry. Well, if he was hungry, then she wouldn't make him stay hungry. The knots in her tummy seemed to have loosened at last, and the little girl sighed, with the relief of it. "Maybe I could eat a little bit." she agreed, hoping to please him. "And we can definitely be Bones Together." She giggled softly at that.
[11:30 AM] Sanskrit: __"That's great... you can show me if you remember what you learned the last time we made spaghetti together!"  He stood up, easily knocking the mattress aside that had made up their impromptu fort, with Risha still in his arms.  "The Great Papyrus will teach you about stove safety, and we can have a big plate of sauce and pasta!  Even share the same one if you want."  He hardly ate anything else, he was so proud that he could cook it himself.  Papyrus had tried other foods, and other recipes, nothing came out quite the same.  He was really excited for the day when Undyne taught him how to make something else.
     Carrying Risha off into the kitchen was a simple enough affair, and Papyrus admired Asgore's house as he went.  The king's home was not at all like he imagined, it was very humble.  Not a word Papyrus used much, he liked being bold!
[12:00 PM] Coffee: Risha covered her mouth to hide her delighted smile at the way Papyrus erupted from their fort and carried her off, confidently. She was delighted that they were going to have Spaghetti again, except, "I hope its okay if I don't sing it," she explained, blushing just a little. "I dont think I can remember all the words. But I think I remember the steps!" she was quick to add. She snuggled against him and noted the way his eyes wandered around the room. "It's not very palace-y is it?" she offered. "Sometimes I don't think Asdad likes being king all the time. So he likes to come home and pretend he's not king." The tiny girl thought about this for a moment. "It's kind of funny. A lot of people want to be a king, sometimes. But the only king I ever met wants to be a normal person sometimes. Maybe, even if being king is really fun, maybe... maybe its also tiring sometimes?"
[12:07 PM] Sanskrit: __"It would be a lot of responsibility.  The Great Papyrus has only ever had to look out for himself, his brother sans, Princess Risha, and the people he guards.  King Asgore has to look after everyone!  That's why I look up to him, and respect him as much as I do!"  The skeleton replied brightly as they stepped into the small kitchen.  Rummaging through the cabinets, he couldn't help but notice that Asgore didn't have any spaghetti at all.  There were some other noodles, long and flat with wavy sides... some pie crusts... snails... tea... and a myriad of other things, but no spaghetti.
     "Hmm.... WE ARE AT A CROSSROADS!"  Papyrus declared loudly.  "We can go to the store and get spaghetti... ooooooor... we can try to make something else.  The Great Papyrus hasn't made anything else before, but he can and will if Princess Risha lets him try!"
[12:29 PM] Coffee: It was a thorny problem. "Princess Risha thinks..." the small girl began, looking from The Great Papyrus to the Kitchen. "She thinks that both options are equally good. Because, on one hand, she really loves The Great Papyrus' Spaghetti! But on the other hand, making something new with The Great Papyrus might be a lot of fun! And on another hand, going to the store with the Great Papyrus might also be really fun. But on the last hand... its kind of a not-happy day for monsters, is it? Maybe its better if we don't have too much fun where other people can see us, today. It might make them feel bad." the tiny child looked uncertainly up at the skeleton. She didn't understand too well what the candlight vigil was really about... but she knew enough to know that it was a sad day for a lot of monsters. "We'll do what you think is best." she said. "Princess Risha is gonna deafer..differ.. defer to the wise council of her most trusted protector, The Great Papyrus!" Risha was quite pleased with herself, for that speech.
[1:46 PM] Sanskrit: __"Well said Princess Risha!"  Papyrus rattled his approval.  "We will boldly forge a new path into the culinary arts!"  Papyrus began setting out ingredients that he recognized... the wide, flat noodles with wavy edges were definitely noodles.  Asgore also had a lot of the vegetables that he was used to working with, and some he wasn't.  These were placed beside them, as was a lump of faintly glowing dairy that Papyrus begrudgingly identified as 'Holy Cheese'.
     There were spices in good measure, and a lump of ground beef, still nice and root-filled.  "I guess I could make my usual sauce... and we just see what happens from there."  He scratched his head, looking at the mess of ingredients like one might a puzzle.  "I'm sure I read somewhere that you're supposed to taste everything first, to know how it'll go in the food."
[2:19 PM] Coffee: Risha washed her hands in the sink that was much lower than the sink in Papyrus's house, for King Asgore had a very small bone collection, if he had one at all. Risha had certainly never seen it... but once she'd done that, she selected a bit of counter that was out of Papyrus' way, but would still let her watch what was going on, and jumped lightly to sit on it. "I remember seeing a chef on tv saying something like that." She admitted, cheerfully. "That was up there, you know. Not Mettaton. The chef said 'You're supposed to taste the food before you serve it, you donkey!'...which was weird, because the guy he was talking too was definitely not a donkey. I mean, that might be normal down here, but up there, it's weird." Risha was quiet a moment as she turned a lovely shade of peony pink. "And then the angry chef said a bad word. ...I don't think I was supposed to be watching that show."
[2:35 PM] Sanskrit: __Papyrus went about pulping the vegetables, adding it to a stock pot to boil down... He settled the noodles in a second pot to boil till they were soft, these were steps he understood.  Maybe they should take turns tasting the seasonings while they waited.  "Well, we're eating the food... so we don't have to taste it I guess... or call people names.  Princess Risha and the Great Papyrus know better then that."  Papyrus handed her a small bottle with something green in it.  "We're supposed to taste a little of these to see how it will affect the flavor..."  Papyrus' bottle was a red powder that read 'Cayenne', Risha's looked like it had little plants inside, and read 'Dill'.  "These are really nice bottles..."
[3:06 PM] Coffee: Risha obediantly took the bottle The Great Papyrus offered her and admired it. "You're right.... They're so clear, made of glass, not plastic...That's so nice, and the labels all match..." she agreed, lightly rubbing her cheek on the cool, smooth glass before gently turning the cap off. Alas for both of them, Risha spent so little time in a kitchen that she did not know either of these spices. If she had, she might have given the skeleton a little warning. With incredible care and studiousness, the little girl tipped a small amount of the green herb into her palm and tasted. Her expression wrinked into puzzlement, as she tried to decide what the flavor actually was. "I think this is good." Princess Risha pronounced, eventually. "You should add lots of this."
[3:32 PM] Sanskrit: Papyrus poured a small amount of what almost looked like red dust into his open mouth.  With a soft smacking noise, he set the bottle down, and looked thoughtful for a moment.  Iridescent tears started forming at the edges of the Great Papyrus' sockets.  Plugging the sink, he filled it, and stuffed his face in the water.  There was a distinct slackening of his shoulders and back as soon as he was immersed.
[3:56 PM] Coffee: The tiny princess watched The Great Papyrus with rapt attention, waiting for his pronouncement on the spice he had sampled, which must be good, because it was such a pretty red color, and see, he was getting so emotional over the flavor that tears were coming to his eyes and... wait, what? Risha watched the skeleton very deliberately place the stopper in the sink and fill it.  And then promptly soak his head. She couldn't be sure, but she thought she'd heard a faint hissing sound, as of something on fire being quenched... though she thought she had probably imagined it.  She waited. One breath. Two. Three. Normally, Risha would have remembered that Papyrus didn't need to breath, but seeing him with his skull underwater frightened the little girl, and she crawled across the counter quickly, to tug at his shoulder. In her rush, she also, unbeknowst to either of them, knocked a salt cellar on a shelf near the stove, spilling a great quantity of salt into the sauce. "Papyrus? Papyrus!"
[5:03 PM] Sanskrit: __"Bwaugh."  Came the bubbles in the sink, and Papyrus stood up, rivulets of water rolling off of his face, scarf plastered wetly against his armor.  "Cyan Pepper is red, and it is just horrible!  That was like eating fire.  Wowie!  I can still taste it!"  His sockets were even still watering a little bit.  "King Asgore is the strongest of monsters... Maybe he can only eat the strongest of foods!"  Papyrus went to the sauce and eyed it, before adding the entire bottle of dill, some of the cyan pepper, and the ground beef to the sauce.  "Just in case Asgore comes home and wants some leftovers!"
July 8, 2016
[11:03 AM] Coffee: Though not very familiar with the kitchen, she did know it well enough to find a hand towel for the skeleton to dry his skull with. She watched him add the dill, and then some of the Cyan pepper, anyway! Well, if a little spice was a good thing, then a lot of spice must be a great thing, right? Like The Great Papyrus, himself!  Risha tried a couple other spices. *Mustard seed, Rosemary, Corriander, Paprika, Oregano nutmeg, cinnamon... She liked all these flavors, and offered the bottles to Papyrus for him to add however much he thought was good. "What are we making?" she wondered aloud, with eager curiosity. "Whatever it is, its gonna be amazing, with so much nice stuff in it!"
[11:13 AM] Sanskrit: __Papyrus considered for a moment.  What /were/ they making?  The noodles were almost done, they'd added quite a bit of almost everything in the spice cabinet to the sauce, and the ground beef looked cooked in the sauce.  It usually looked cooked though, it was brown, and never changed colors.  He checked the box the noodles had come in.  "I guess it's called... 'Lasagggnuh.  OH!  There's instructions on the package!  We've already done most of this though... oh... it says to layer the noodles, meat, sauce, and cheese in a casseeroll dish, and bake it for awhile.  We already cooked everything though!  Hmm..."  Mitten gently scratching the side of his head.
July 11, 2016
[1:11 PM] Coffee: “Hmmmm…” Risha debated this terrible problem with a very grave and worried expression. She’d never eaten Lazag-nuh before, and she wanted everything to be done right! It had to be right! Because it was The Great Papyrus who was making it! “Maybe….” Risha suggested, uncertainly, “Maybe we should put all the ingredients together in layers like it says and bake it just a little while, so the cheese melts. Can we have lots of cheese, Papyrus? I never got to eat cheese at...at the old place I lived” It was the first time in a long time that the tiny girl had actually taken this much interest in food, excepting that previous time making spaghetti with the skeleton. And even then, she had been mostly astonished by her first display of magic.

Layers.  Risha thought. Cakes. Cakes have layers. Cakes also needed to be baked in a dish. Does that mean Lazag-nuh needed to be sweet? Risha found the sugar and honey Asdad used for tea, and stirred in a generous portion of each to the sauce while Papyrus was looking for something. She leaned over the pot of sauce very carefully and sniffed. It smelled interesting!
[5:26 PM] Sanskrit: __Ah HAH!  NO PAN CAN HIDE FROM THE GREAT PAPYRUS FOR LONG!  "Of course we can have lots of cheese Risha!  This is our supper... we could just have cheese!"  The lanky skeleton stood with his prize clutched tightly in hand.  He spent the next few minutes draining the water from the large pot, laying the noodles out in great strips for the first layer.  Their sauce smelled indescribable, and the ground beef looked cooked.  A layer of that went in next.  Then a thick slab of holy cheese.  These alternated until the pan was full, but there was still some sauce left over.
     The Great Papyrus debated what to do with the leftovers, and decided to leave them for now, shoving the dish in the oven to warm until the cheese melted as Risha suggested.  "I really am curious how the sauce turned out... maybe a little taste of the extra couldn't hurt!"  Scraping the spoon at the bottom of the pot, the stuff was an odd shade of reddish brown and almost looked sandy in appearance for all the powders in it.  "Hmm... would it ruin the surprise of the actual meal though?"
July 12, 2016
[5:00 AM] Coffee: Risha didn't need to think long about this one. "I dont think so!" she told him. "Its normal to lick the spoon when you make cookies, or the knife when you put frosting on a cake. And those are both before you actually eat what you're making, so this must be like that too!" she had never gotten to do these interesting activities, but she'd read about them in books and seen it on tv. "Besides, Chefs are supposed to taste the food before they serve it, right?" she reminded him, happily. She looked around for a second spoon. "I want to try some too! Can I?"
[6:22 AM] Sanskrit: __"The Great Princess Risha may have the very first taste!  We worked extra hard on this together!  Even though we had no idea how to lasagna, we must've gotten it right!  A lot of heart went into this dish, and whatever else is in ground beef."  The skeleton added as an afterthought, offering Risha the spoon.  "Don't be shy, the Great Papyrus doesn't mind being second to his friend.  We're going to be chefs together."  Papyrus was chipper as always, excited to try their creation, and completely oblivious to the horrors that awaited their tastebuds.
[7:09 AM] Coffee: The little girl was just as excited, and didn't need to be invited twice! She took the spoon and helped herself to a big mouthful of the sauce without a moment's hesitation. It was.... it was... It...  The little girl's smile wavered, and tears began streaming down her face. Sour, Sweet, Spicy, Salty... and very, very Bitter Risha swallowed, hard, and wished she hadn't. It burned her throat going down, and she had a feeling it wasn't going to feel... or taste.... any better coming back up, though it was hard to imagine how it could taste any worse! Grit seemed to coat the inside of her mouth still, and she spluttered a bit, temporarily robbed of the speech she needed to warn Papyrus while she searched frantically for a glass to fill with water!
[7:23 AM] Sanskrit: __It was already too late.  Worse still, most of the glasses were on the higher shelves out of reach of a child as small as Risha.  Papyrus had only kept eyes on her long enough to see the initial lighting up of her features as she prepared to taste.  Raking his teeth over the spoon there was a distinct sandy crunch, the skeleton's eyes slowly bugging out in their sockets, goofily pointed in opposite directions even as they welled with tears.  Failure was never an option, The Great Papyrus would keep trying!  Maybe after admitting the failure had happened.
     By this point Risha was prancing from foot to foot, pointing furiously at the cabinetry.  Papyrus scooped her a glass of water from the full sink basin and immersed his head in it again, glass still held in a mitten for the little girl to take at her leisure.  What had culinary science done?!  What manner of foulness had been brought into existance by the hand of monster, man, and god?!
[8:09 AM] Coffee: Leisure had little to do with it. Risha seized that glass of water and practically poured it down her throat, half choking, half gagging. It was... it was awful!  Her mind struggled to think of something, anything positive to say about it.  The best she could come up with was that the feeling of relief when the taste was gone was heavenly... The little girl sank to the floor, breathing hard, the glass clasped tightly in her fingers. "Papyrus..." she said after a while, "I know we know better than to use rude words like that one chef.... but I think I understand how he feels a little better now..."
[8:20 AM] Sanskrit: __Papyrus rolled backwards out of the sink with a clatter of bone, sprawled out spread eagled on the floor.  "It would make sense, if you had to taste people's food and it was like that all the time, that you would use bad words, yes."  The skeleton was visibly sweating, as if the food had somehow called his integrity into question.  It was otherworldly like that.  The lasagna box had ended up on the floor in the frantic scuffle, and he took a few halfhearted swipes at it along the linoleum until he had a hand on it, moving it in front of his face to read.
     "The directions here say 'italian seasoning, or garlic, oregano, and basil... maybe we were only supposed to add those things to the sauce.  All the spices tasted good..."  The gears quietly turned in his head for a moment as his sockets explored Risha's face.  "Oh!  We should have tasted it as we added things to it, a little at a time!  Making little mistakes is okay, but I feel like we made a big mistake."
[8:48 AM] Coffee: She was regaining her composure slowly, her complexion just faintly tinged green, but she seemed to be recovering. Risha wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and looked thoughtful. It didn't make sense. Everything tasted good going in... even if they added some of the wrong seasonings, the seasonings still should have tasted good, shouldn't they? And then she was struck by a thought. "Maybe its like paint...." she suggested. "Sometimes you can mix two pretty colors and make a new pretty color... but sometimes you mix two pretty colors and all you get is an icky brown. The sauce tastes kind of like brown paint, too...." the little girl realized, and then began to giggle. And then she began to laugh!  "Its really awful, isn't it?" she asked Papyrus. "Are we really gonna eat the Lazag-nuh?"
[8:55 AM] Sanskrit: "Maybe just some of the cheese..."  The skeleton joined her laughter.  "We made something too great for the Great Princess Risha, or the Great Papyrus."  There was something in his eyes.  It was tears.  "It's the greatest worst thing ever, nyeh heh heh..." Papyrus was in fits, sans would have been howling if he could only see.  The skeleton hurt in the stomach he didn't have, he could only imagine how Risha would feel before too long.  "Might want to drink a lot of water with supper... nothing that tastes that bad is going to be good for your tummy."
     With that, the Great Papyrus floated what was left of the Holy Cheese, and a half loaf of bread down onto the floor, where he and his best friend could eat and watch the vile creation that they had spawned slowly burn in the oven.  Breaking off small peices for Risha, he chewed thoughtfully.  "It's probably a good thing Undyne is such a great friend, I might not have gotten as good at cooking as I am without a great mentor."
[9:24 AM] Coffee: Risha scooted over to cuddle up to Papyrus and share in a much simpler, and much tastier meal.  Her eyes were bright and clear, sparkling with happiness. For the moment, she'd forgotten all her worries. Her tummy, well... it was a little uncomfortable, but it was the natural discomforts of being famished and eating a mouthful of something that didn't taste good. The knots of anxiety had disappeared for a while. She nibbled on the cheese and bread hungrily, and smiled up at The Great Papyrus when he talked about Undyne. "She's super strong, isn't she? I heard somebody say she could fight rocks and win! And she's super cool, and she taught you how to cook! You must like her a lot!" There was no jealousy in the little girl's tone, just an eager curiosity and shyness. "Is Undyne your girlfriend?"
[10:38 AM] Sanskrit: __"Undyne is the second strongest monster in the whole Underground!"  Papyrus confirmed.  "Second only to King Asgore himself!  She is really cool, the Great Papyrus looks up to her as an example of what a Royal Guard should be, what he wants to be!"  The skeleton was free and open with his answers, unabashed, until the question of her being his partner came up.  "I.... oh.. uhm..."  Red lit his pale white cheekbones, even though he had no blood and he must blush.
     "The Great Papyrus never thought of her that way... he would like a girlfriend, but things became so busy with the mean skeleton coming around, and all the humans showing up.  He accidently stood up a monster he asked out on his very first date!  I feel kind of bad about it.  I got a book to learn how to be a better date, but it takes practice like anything else, I guess."
[12:10 PM] Coffee: Risha chewed her mouthful of bread for a while before replying. The idea of boyfriends and girlfriends was one that she wasn't very interested in, except that she had to marry some noble knight or a prince if one could be found, someday. That was what princesses did, after all! Still, it suprised her that there was anything The Great Papyrus wasn't exceptionally skilled in. "You'll be a good boyfriend, when you get some practice," she assured him, confidently. "You're kind, and strong and brave and goodlooking and heroic and you can cook!" She studied her feet shyly for a moment, then looked up at him hopefully. "But even when you get a girlfriend, you won't forget about me, right? You'll still come over to play and protect me, right?"
July 13, 2016
[5:32 AM] Sanskrit: __"If the Great Papyrus were to get a girlfriend, she would have to be equally great!  Undyne would be cool, but I feel like she doesn't see me that way."  Papyrus thoughtfully munched on his cheese, the flattery certainly pushed all the right buttons, but Risha wasn't telling him anything he didn't already know.   "Risha we've eaten floor cheese together, that's a forever friendship."  There was no whimsy in his tone.  "Besides, who's to say that it isn't Risha who is great enough someday to be that special someone?  The Great Papyrus is always going to be here when he's needed, and always is a very long time.!"
[5:36 AM] Sanskrit: (Scene End)
July 30, 2016
[6:13 PM] DonDon♡: @everyone

     This was it. The reckoning. Salvation for their race. To hell with soul cloning; it only led to tragedy and catastrophe. Hart had the power of a god in the palm of her hand… or rather, her SOUL. She had an entire world of souls waiting on the surface… to hell with the ones down here; they were in hiding or under protection. On the surface, anything goes. It should be easy enough to find a lone human, double her power, and then it was only up from there, all the way till seven. Break the barrier, free monsterkind, ensure their protection personally.
     So here she was, marching on her way to the barrier, the only thing that kept monsterkind from their freedom on the surface. There were humans that thought monsters should be kept confined down here… she would show them. She would show them all.

[Feel free to interact, if you would like. If no one shows up, she’s going to go through, and that will be that. We’re allowed to play it out during the intermission, but once it ends, the cycle is over. Consider this the final thread of cycle three.]
August 1, 2016
[12:00 AM] DimitriB1: The Underground was changing, no one could doubt that. Humans had fallen what seemed like such a long and short time ago, and things would never quite be the same again. Lennon had watched the Undernet the whole time, as was his custom, always on the edge of online events in the Underground's most popular social network and learning about events as people decided to share them. It was always interesting to see the sides that would form around any issue, and more still for issues that would change the whole of monsterkind. Still, he was always just another monster, even if he was more active on the online side of things.
    And now, here the lion was, walking through a fairly quiet New Home in his nondescript MTT Entertainment t-shirt, looking just like the entirely ordinary monster he was and thinking on the many things there always seemed to be to think about these days. Stepping out into a new street, Len glanced to either side to see a doglike monster marching purposefully in his direction. She wasn't anyone he recognized. But that didn't really matter, right? Waving as the unknown monster came closer, the lion didn't at all hesitate to vocalize a polite "Hello there!"
[12:30 AM] DonDon♡: Hart had what she considered “normal” wear on today; typical jeans and a button up long sleeve shirt. Her purple hair wasn’t covered; if anyone asked, she just liked the look. Her hand, however, still had that glove on it, as if something hideous lay beneath. She looked fairly… normal, all things considered. She should have expected someone to greet her honestly, but she was still just a bit surprised when she heard a voice call out to her. She wasn’t annoyed really… she would stop and say something, but she really wished to get on with her task; the fate of the world was waiting on her.
     “Oh, hello there!” she answered back in as polite a tone as she could summon up considering the gravity of the situation, giving him a head nod and a smile, continuing along her way in the general direction of the barrie, treating it like just another friendly hello on the street. Monsters were always friendly, you see… it was common to say hi to people you passed. She certainly wasn’t expecting anything to follow.
[11:44 AM] DimitriB1: Monsters were generally a friendly folk, it wasn't at all odd to say hello to someone and keep going on your way. That was certainly the case here, in this little chance meeting. Smiling to the dog in kind, Len simply kept going his own way up to the other side of the street, before pulling out his phone and noting down a thought he figured he might expand on later for fun, just making fun of the recent events by comparing them to a bad TV series. Nothing at all out of the ordinary. It was just another normal day so far.
Glancing again down the street that the other monster was continuing down on her own way, Lennon idly noted that they seemed to be heading in the same direction as the end of New Home, where the royal palace and an entrance out to the Barrier was. Or maybe not. It could always be a coincidence, they could be going somewhere entirely different. But there was a seed of an idea there, in perhaps going to see the Barrier. Or just seeing how close he could get to reaching the barrier, he supposed. After all, why not? Len was in a mood for reflection.
[11:45 AM] DimitriB1: And so it was he started idly following Hart towards the barrier, perhaps just over twenty feet back, and idly writing on his phone as thoughts continued to occur. There wasn't much reason to do so, it was just an odd whim that had taken route on this ordinary day where nothing much was happening. It would continue like that for a bit, right up until the phone he was using began to play the theme of the Mew Mew Kissy Cutie series with the volume of a ringtone turned up in a loud crowd and then forgotten. Startling, fumbling, and luckily managing to catch the device before it fell, Lennon quietly held the phone to his chest and attempted to breathe as the muffled speaker continued to ring, before going to a voicemail he'd be answering as soon as he was able to turn the sound down. When he remembered, of course, for now he was warily watching the monster that he'd started following and waiting to see their reaction to the noise.
[3:39 PM] DonDon♡: He was noticeable… of course he was noticeable. The first few hundred feet perhaps not… but as they started getting into the quiet halls, the fact that someone’s footsteps were behind her were apparent. One did not simply have excellent canine ears and hearing ability and not hear footsteps behind them… though she played the “totally don’t notice” card in hopes that they’d go away… or engage. Certainly not follow them to the barrier, though… but that may be rather ambitious of her. If they really were following her, they wanted to know where she was going. The complexity of the situation was broken for her however when a loud piercing noise shattered the veil of silence, causing her to cringe and her ears to go down. Finally, after a few moments… blessed silence. However… now the aura of presumed ignorance was also shattered. They both knew each other was there, no use denying it now. They weren't at the barrier yet… but they were close. It was visible in the distance.
     Might as well be blunt and honest… no use tiptoeing around the issue now, not when she was mere moments away from destiny.
     “On your way to the barrier?” she asked, turning around to face him. “Were you about to join me, then?” She would prefer to keep it on the down low… but once she was past the barrier, it wouldn't matter.
August 2, 2016
[1:38 AM] DimitriB1: Len had never really expected himself to go entirely unnoticed, lions having good hearing themselves. It wouldn't have surprised him if they'd confronted him about the following act long before his phone had rung. He'd been taking the lack of attention as a good sign, but as the bitch dog turned to him and asked her question there wasn't anything else to be done for it. Quickly silencing his phone before putting it away, he answered confidently. Nothing to do but tell the truth. "I'd been thinking about it, yeah. It sounded like a nice idea, I didn't know if you were actually heading here when I started following." He smiled gently, looking a little sheepish. "I hope you don't mind that. I really did just decide I felt like coming here." He just hoped that this was all taken well. He'd hate to be getting off on the wrong foot with someone because of a spur of the moment decision he'd made.
[7:35 AM] DonDon♡: Alright, fine. If he wanted to come along and watch, why should she deny him that? After she passed through, no one could stop her, no matter who he ran and told. His statements sounded believable enough; she supposed it could be coincidence, things like that did happen, statistically.
     “Very well.” She conceded, “It’s right up here.” She turned and started walking again, expecting him to follow but not double checking to see if he did. Should he follow, they would arrive at the barrier in no time at all, in all its solid glory.
     So here they were. The barrier loomed above them… in front of them… all around them, technically. She knew what would happen if she touched the barrier… it would be as if it were a hologram, she’d pass right through, but HE would feel a solid wall. So she stopped short of it, to see what he had to say.
     “The barrier.” She stated simply. “A bulwark against all of our hopes and dreams. A source of despair for so long…”
August 3, 2016
[1:02 AM] DimitriB1: Alright. The lion nodded and followed, quietly relieved that she didn't seemed to mind his tagging along. And, very soon, they were at the barrier. The wall of magic and light that kept monsters trapped underground. Lennon put one paw up to it with a quiet bit of respect for the sheer scale of the spell, put up so long ago by the magic of humans, listening to the simple statement the monster beside him made.
  "The barrier."  He echoed the words quietly. "A marvel and a curse. Something that could almost be admired if it didn't trap us here."  Len smiled for a moment, his voice taking on the tone of one trying not to laugh. "I've seen a couple people say stuff along the lines of 'we should appreciate it as something to remind us that we'll make it back one day.' A sort of a silly way to think about it, but I like the idea."  Some monsters really could made the most out of anything.
[5:43 PM] DonDon♡: 'we should appreciate it as something to remind us that we'll make it back one day.'
“One day…” Hart echoed, holding her hand up to the barrier. “Sooner than you think. I’m glad you got to follow me here. You can bear witness to our salvation.” She took a step forward… and phased into the barrier. She could still see him, and he could see her, but it was like being behind glass. “A short time ago, a human fell. And then more humans fell. One of those humans decided our punishment was not enough, and sought to exterminate us entirely…” the soul started flaring up with feelings of betrayal… she frowned and pushed back at it with her own feelings of superiority and domination. Shut up. You tried to kill us and you died. You’re now being used to further our race. Disgust. Smugness.
   “...and he paid the ultimate price. His soul has helped me heal… and now it will help me gather the seven needed to destroy this barrier once and for all. I’d tell you not to tell anyone until I return, but what are they going to do, come through the barrier and stop me?” She gave a haughty laugh at that thought. “Thank you, though. For this company. I do this for all monsters, and that includes you. I will free us… just hold on a little longer.” With that, she turned and walked where no monster had walked for millennia…
August 4, 2016
[2:30 AM] DimitriB1: Len's smile fell as he listened to the monster beside him. Before he had time to react, to question what she had said, she was... Inside the barrier. The lion took a couple startled steps back, even as she explained just what she was doing. And suddenly, with the revelation, the serious manner she held herself in and what had seemed to be purple-dyed hair made sense. That human who'd fought Undyne and died not long ago. This was why the royal scientist had reported their soul missing just recently. Lennon... Didn't know what to do, now. Whoever this monster who had stolen a soul was, they actually did have a good reason. Watching her turn and walk off, the lion slowly placed his paw over the barrier again, feeling the solid magic and not knowing whether or not he should say 'thank you.'

Slowly though, she started fading out of sight through the barrier, the light of the spell like fog in a mirror. And as she did, Len, once again, stepped away. What was he going to do now? What she'd said was true. It wasn't like anyone would be able to stop her now that she was past the barrier. This was going to spark another war, and there wasn't anything he, or any other monster, could do about it. Turning, slowly, glancing back at the spell one more time, Lennon started to run out of the barrier room, ready to keep running until he found a guard. And then... Who knew?
[8:24 AM] DonDon♡: Hart proceeded down a long path, until she saw light. Her heart beat with anticipation… perseverance. She walked… and walked… until the light got brighter, until finally… she stepped out of a cave. It was a nondescript cave… small, no special features or markings, lackluster really. Really? A cruddy cave was the only marking to their magnificent civilization? How could they know, though… they were all but forgotten. She would have seethed at this fact, except that… she was so… taken. Taken by the majesty of the outside world. It was bright, the sun was high in the sky, everything was so vivid, the air was fresh… she fell to her knees, digging her paws into the earth. So wondrous, so fresh! The earth smelled so earthy! Everything caught her attention, there were so many amazing sights and smells! She let out a little bark of happiness and rolled around in the grass a bit, not even caring if anyone was around to see.
     One such interesting stimuli though… was a noise. A rhythmic, clinking noise… how odd. Someone was definitely here, but why? Maybe it was a human… her first human outside of the barrier. How exciting! She crouched low and went to investigate this noise, her ears zeroing in on it...
[8:29 AM] MasterBlade007: The first thing Hart would see climbing down the mountain was green cloth. The outside of a large tent perched against a rock face wall, forming the far side of a makeshift construction site in the hills. Folding tables arranged neatly against the sides were stacked with various stone and woodcutting tools, with an occasional book of architecture book or stone carving sitting between them. Not too far from the tent was a small collection of stone obelisks standing in a ring on a flattened slope. 7 in total, all in various states of completion. Flags and bouquets of flowers laid planted at the base of the structures in offering to the names carved into each.

Some sort of gravesite it would seem. The sound Hart had followed was that of the lone groundskeeper chiseling words into one of the headstones, who now stared at Hart with a hopeful expression! A teenager with long, brown hair, a plain white shirt, and a black neck apron tying a look of professionalism together. His gender was a bit difficult to pick out from the effeminate features, though a flat chest suggested masculinity. It took only a few silent moments for his expression to ebb into confusion, then fade into a mournful disappointment.

“I… I’m sorry.” The boy responded in a soft voice. He quickly put down his tools and stood up to greet the visitor, bowing out of respect. “Forgive me, I… mistook you for someone else. Do you speak english? My name is Abraham Winters.”(edited)
[8:56 AM] DonDon♡: She gave him a puzzled look. Did she speak English?
     “What else would I speak?” she asked, as if it was the dumbest question in the world. She looked around at his camp. This human was doing some sort of… work? It seemed to be some sort of memorial. Maybe it was to honor the humans that fell? Boy, would he sure be surprised when he found out… if he ever did. This is just what she needed… this human was all alone in the middle of nowhere, and didn’t even question why she was out there in the first place.
     “Ah, but that doesn’t matter.” She moved in closer, giving him a polite bow in return. “My name is Hart. What are you doing all the way out here all alone, Abraham? Is there anyone with you?”
[9:28 AM] MasterBlade007: Abraham shook his head, offering a… tablechair to sit on. “Noone dares climb Mt. Ebbot. It is rumored that those who do disappear. I am the only one to have returned from the trip before.” He wasn’t quite sure who or what this dog person was, but the scientist clothes spoke words of her sophistication. A mountain beast would have likely gone for his throat, though there was no telling if that wasn’t the creature’s ultimate goal.

“...which is why ‘I’ must be the one to build this memorial. A few months ago, several local children climbed the mountain and never returned.” From Hart’s closer perspective it was a bit easier to make out the names. Frisk, Risha, Wilhard, Tilsen, Nathan, Ryder, and... “One was my sister, Abigail, who was the kindest person the sun ever shined upon. She wanted my help to find those that were lost but I arrived too late, and now a proper grave the only kindness I can offer.”

The boy turned away for a moment, staring deeply into the obelisk bearing his sister's name. A tear rolled down his face as he placed a hand on its surface.(edited)
[10:32 AM] DonDon♡: How did that old saying go… you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar? Something along that nature. Poor kid… he didn’t even know what he was getting into. Perhaps if there were an afterlife, whatever gods ruled it would grant her mercy.
     All of those names… they matched the humans in the Underground exactly. So that’s how they’d fallen in… unsecured holes in the mountain, eroding away over time, exposing the barrier. Made sense.
     “Oh, those poor kids…” she commented softly, taking a seat beside him. She placed a hand on his back as he touched his sister’s obelisk. An idea was forming in her head. “But… before you give up all hope and declare these as graves, there may be something you can do yet,” she assured him, offering him a small glimmer of hope.
[4:57 PM] MasterBlade007: "....Matthew 4:1-11....." The boy mumbled to himself, seemingly unphazed by Hart's comment of hope. His hand left the grave but eyes yet remained locked. "I have been in this wilderness for a very long time, yet before you I have seen noone else. No book or scripture describes someone of your appearance. A mystery. It leaves me to wonder; what is your purpose here?"
[4:59 PM] MasterBlade007: In his experience, there were only two reasons anyone climbed Mt. Ebbot after all. To become lost, or to find someone who HAD become lost. And now he had been found.
August 5, 2016
[1:27 PM] DonDon♡: “Matthew? Is that another boy that fell?” She asked him upon hearing the name. There were no mentions of another human. Maybe he’d been a partner of Abraham’s and had fallen only recently? Maybe he simply hadn’t been found yet, or died on the way down? She couldn’t exactly go back to check.
     Did he not even realize what she’d said? That his sister didn’t have to be dead? One would think a detail like that would be swiftly picked up… She shifted in her seat a little, but didn’t take her hand off of him. Perhaps he thought she were just a vision… that would make things easier. And what was her purpose here? She knew what her purpose was… but she couldn’t exactly tell Abraham that.
     “I have come to save my people.” It wasn’t a lie, at least.
[2:21 PM] MasterBlade007: Abraham still kept his eyes towards the grave as the monster spoke, trying to piece together everything in his mind. Sight did him no favors; the being behind him was beyond what his eyes could comprehend. Instead he had to see beyond what eyes could pick up. What WAS this creature? An Angel to attend him, or a Devil to tempt?

"There is something I can do yet, is there?" A few moments of silence passed, while the boy searched his mind for the right words. "Something I can do to save my sister, that would also save your people. What a miracle that would be..."(edited)
[4:14 PM] DonDon♡: Ah, yes, there it was… she would have to be strategic about this.
     “Tell me…” she said ponderously, wondering just how much humans remembered of them, “do your people still teach their young ones about the nature of their souls? Do they still know of… monsters?”
[6:37 PM] MasterBlade007: "The only monsters I know of are people bankrupt of morals." And there it is. All he needed to hear. Abraham stood up, turning to face this Hart creature eye to eye. In his, determination in its raw.

" But... my mother and sister spoke of Angels and Devils. Servants of Good, Servants of Evil. Angels, who act to save mankind in their darkest hour. Devils, who wish to tempt them into damnation. And they always have the same price." The boy spoke clearly. In truth, he didn't really believe in the existance of souls, or heaven, hell, and the creatures from them. But he knew something was making people dissapear on this mountain, and that seemed  the most likely candidate.

"Let me guess. You want my SOUL, don't you?"(edited)
[10:44 PM] DonDon♡: Hart’s eye twitched in annoyance as she stared the boy down with a stone faced look… how did he guess that, so soon? Perhaps these humans were more perceptive than she gave them credit for…
     “No, no,” she assured him, standing up to meet his gaze, “I don’t even know what those are. I’m a woman of science, and I was asking because it had to do with your sister.” She was putting on her best reassuring, polite face, trying not to look like he just foiled her plan.
August 6, 2016
[8:40 AM] MasterBlade007: Abraham put his hand to his chin, rubbing it in thought. "Yes, the scientist look and composure. That is the only thing I cannot explain. The Holy Bible details a situation very similar this in Matthew 4. In which a man fasting in the wilderness is tested of his faith by---"(edited)
[8:41 AM] MasterBlade007: https://youtu.be/UiwjoinWedk?t=207
YouTube
Gert van Hoef
Canon in D Johann Pachelbel - Orgelconcert Regenboogkerk Nijverd...


[8:57 AM] MasterBlade007: As if to cut off his exposition before it starts, the deep sound of an organ began playing at full blast from Abraham's pocket. He visibly flinched, but quickly regained his composure as he scrambled for his pocket. The source of the sound was a small phone device; not super fancy but enough to get by. The boy didn't need to look at the surface to know who was calling; that ringtone was for a very specific person.

"On second thought, there is someone that might explain it better." A quick motion to the 'speaker' button would cut off the organ in favor of the person on the other end, as Abraham held the phone outstretched so Hart could both hear and speak.

"You... have impeccable timing. Can you recite for me Matthew 4:8-9? It is... very important."(edited)
[9:14 AM] Sanskrit: "Again, the Devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms in the world and their splendor.  All this I will give you, he said, if you will bow down and worship me.". It was his sister's voice, pure and true with a strange hint of age to it.  "Ham, it's so good to hear your voice again... But what are you doing on the mountain?  You shouldn't be here.  No one should ever come to this place."
[5:59 PM] DonDon♡: HECK. That voice… it was Abigail. But how? Cross-barrier communication didn’t work, unless… oh hell. Abigail must have followed her through the barrier. Why?! The last time Hart had asked about her, she was sulking in the old Ruins, afraid to show her face. Did she find some other way to escape the barrier? Could she still be a ways off yet? Well, it wouldn’t do Hart any favors to have a speakerphone and ringtone blaring out into the wilderness, signaling their location. If she tried to grab it, he’d probably pull away… she toyed with the idea of snatching it away, but if she didn’t immediately end the call, he’d probably yell and that would be that. That left… magic. She didn’t want to reveal her trump card so soon, but it was her only option at this point if she was to remain undetected.
     She started concentrating on the phone with utmost intensity as the voice droned on about kingdoms and worship and devils—what was their obsession with these fairy tales, anyway?—and Abraham might have noticed the phone start to get hot in his hands, as if the battery was overheating. And then it got hotter. So hot, the screen went blank and it started smoking.
[5:59 PM] DonDon♡: “Oh dear,” Hart said softly, placing her hands on his as if in a concerned manner before he could drop it or toss it away, pressing it gently against his palms, “your phone! I suppose this is a sign from the heavens…” she pressed further, the plastic hot but not quite melting, just enough to be an uncomfortable reminder, “no one needs to know I was here today, do they?” her eyes bored into his in a very serious gaze. “Imagine what would happen if you angered one of these devils… whomever they may be.” She grasped the phone and took it from his hands, clenching her fist around it. It started to deform as the plastic melted, and she dropped it to the ground as a smoldering chunk.
     “It was nice to meet you, Abraham.” She turned to leave. “Enjoy your life. Be good.”
She would attempt to dash away into the underbrush of the mountain forest if not stopped.
August 7, 2016
[1:11 AM] MasterBlade007: By the time Abraham's gaze had moved from the melted ball of electronics formerly known as His Phone, the mysterious creature had completely dissapeared from sight. His hands, burned from contact, were enough warning to not even consider a chase. It was a laughable thought to think Demons actually existed, at least before today. Maybe moving his mother's bibles to the nonfiction section of the bookcase wouldn't be a bad idea.

It would take a few moments for the boy to get a grasp on what had happened, and its rammifications. His sister... Abigail, she was alive! All the days waiting; he would have faced a hundred devils just to hear that voice again!

Which brought him as much shame as it did joy. Abraham turned again to the grave he had carved for his sister, now more a memorial. There was no way he would be able to finish it with his palms burnt the way they were. Perhaps it was for the best.
August 8, 2016
[3:51 PM] Sanskrit: A figure dressed in a long gown in shades of green strode swiftly from among the rocks not far and went as far as the edge of the tall scrubs, hurtling a white ball of fire with a black core with cometous force off into the undergrowth after Hart.  "FINE THEN!  LEAVE!  NEVER COME BACK!  YOU STOLE THEIR FREEDOM!  YOU STOLE THAT SOUL!  NOBODY WANTS, OR NEEDS YOU ANYMORE YOU VILE CREATURE!"  Abigail had never spoken words with such malice in her life, though that was clearly her voice to Abraham's ears.  Her body sagged, the strange half monster red in the face from yelling.
__From behind, a short, goat-like tail poked through the top of the gown, long, fur covered ears hung from the sides of the creatures head.  Gail's crown was covered by hair still, but it was almost as if it was a pelt.  The limbs, too were foreign, and she had horns.  The girl stiffened as the silence settled, and she turned her head just a little, a green eye meeting one of his.  "Did she hurt you, Abraham?"
[5:20 PM] MasterBlade007: His eyes shifted between burned hands and the figure that was most likely his sister. He was expecting SOMETHING on this mountain to make him dissapear like the others before him; Hart could hardly catch him off guard. But this, the state of his sister, was something Abraham had not considered. The proper course of action was very unclear.

"Abigail! You... er.... got a haircut!"

...

She was still his sister, 'haircut' or no. Abraham's eyes would tear up with joy to signal a charge towards the girl for a full-out sibling hug. His hands hurt from the touch but he could hardly care. The pain from months being alone was far worse in comparison.

"I'm sorry for not getting here sooner. You shouldn't have had to come up here alone." Abe continued to cry into his sister's shoulder, head bopping against one of her ears. Those things were incredibly soft...
[5:25 PM] Sanskrit: "I'm sorry I didn't call." The teenager wrapped her arms tightly around him.  "I would have if I could have.  Everything is very different now, and I know you must have hundreds of questions, and be mad that I was gone for so long.  I can't show you everything, not safely, but I have so much I can tell... you won't believe most of it."  She eased him to sit on a boulder, and joined him.  "God as my witness though, it will be the honest truth..."
[6:37 PM] MasterBlade007: "Mad? Never. But very worried, every day."

Questions. So many questions! What was with his sister's "haircut"? Was that dog creature actually a demon? Did this confirm the existance of Hell? If she saved him from a Devil, does that make Abigail an Angel? Had she been eating well? Would she like one of the sandwiches he had packed in the tent? No, maybe hold off on those questions for now. There was one curiosity that was far greater than the others.

"I searched the mountain for weeks after you dissapeared. By foot, by air; used my entire savings to by a drone to search the sky." Abe would point towards the device in question. Pointing upwards, towards its wreckage in a tree above where he had been carving the gravesite. No way he'd be able to climb that high in a retrieval effort.

Abe phased out for a moment thinking about the drone, before snapping back into his question. "A-anyways, I did a lot of searching, but couldn't find a trace of where you had gone. Where have you been these last few months?"(edited)
[6:54 PM] Sanskrit: "Under the mountain, Ham, there's these caves all networked underneath it, it's like something out of Alice in Wonderland.  A barrier prevents this race of creatures down there from leaving, put there a really long time ago by magic."  As if to quell any sort of argument to the contrary, she splayed the broad fingers on one hand, conjuring a small white ember, which swirled lazily in the air.  "It is as much a part of our souls as laughter, or sadness is.
     Anyway, they're mostly okay people... only problem is they need seven humans working in unison to lower the barrier... and some of them were going about it in all the wrong ways.  Following me so far?"
[8:33 PM] MasterBlade007: Underground? There's CAVES under the mountain? But there weren't any records of any caverns when he searched for information regarding the mountain after his searches failed. Except... noone ever goes on the mountain! Duh! How could he be so foolish! A lack of evidence does not prove the contrary!

Abe visibly recoiled from the fire, but was otherwise quiet and calm for his sister's explanation. "A magic barrier? But wait, that Demon earlier was able to get out. And it wanted my soul... is it trying to break the barrier? Hell, I almost ga-...err, umm...."

Quiet again, this time not of concentration but of shame. How could he tell Abigail how close he was to simply letting Hart have his soul? Well, perhaps he didn't need to. Without Abraham standing in the way, his sister could easilly see the gravesite he had erected. All the graves with a single name, save for hers bearing a second.

Abigail Winters, and Abraham Winters. The second name but a few letters from completion. A half-empty bottle of alcohol laid next to the chisel as a smoking gun to what he intended to do should Abigail had not intervened.
August 9, 2016
[7:08 AM] Sanskrit: __Abigail took all of it in stride, her happy expression becoming a pitying one.  It started a transition towards heartbreak, knowing she could have left so much sooner and spared him the degrees of pain and seperation in the interim, but she held it at bay with a little sigh in seeing what had been done to her poor brother's hands.  "Let me look after your wounds, and I will tell you a story of Men and Monsters.  It is in no bible, contains no real demons, but is no less a story of good and evil, from the Book of Abigail."
     The teenager's tone was gentle as she cupped his burned hands in her enormous paws, thoughts sliding backwards through her journey to her own experiences with fire.  "If we are to speak of angels though, there are at least four in this story."  Abigail was front-lit by a green glow, a shimmering wall of light projecting along the side of her body in the direction Hart had gone.  A numb, cooling relief flooding through her brother's hands.  It washed over him in waves, some of the largest damage fading immediately.  The remainder begged entrance to his heart, in apology for her absence from it.
     "The first was a cat creature named Donovan, a justicar for the race of monsters that live under the mountain, day to day protecting the innocent down there.  The second was Alum, a massive badger monster, who even when no longer ignorant of what I was, still accepted me with open arms."  Shaking her head slowly, the girl turned her head back towards the caves.  "I was fortunate enough to meet them both before the first of three demons plagued me."
[12:27 PM] MasterBlade007: Abraham poked the wall of light a few times. A magic wall? There weren't any books on this kind of thing back home. Just what had Abigail gotten up to over the past few months!? Beyond being wide-eyed mistified at the magical effects, his attention was entirely focused on Abigail's story. His hands still hurt, as if aby a phantom pain, though the injuries faded into memory.

"Dog  people, badger people. Animal people in the caves. Got it."
[12:49 PM] Sanskrit: __"Skeletons, ghosts, animal people... it's a completely different world.  After I recovered from the fall, and a dunking in a frigid river, I ventured out a little and tried to disguse myself as one of them.  The first, Donovan, informed me that seven human souls are needed to break the barrier trapping them all underground.  That it was put there long ago by seven humans, when they first learned that monsters can absorb their souls.  It goes two ways however, a human can absorb an exceptionally strong monster soul."  Her voice trailed into the quiet after that, and she let her magic fade.  Withdrawing from her brother slowly, she put her back to him.
[5:24 PM] MasterBlade007: WELL! That certainly explains a lot.

Abraham didn't exactly care for his sister's sudden shame, however. The moment Abigail turned her back to him, he would respond by getting up, walking around until he was front-facing, and sitting down again. He would do this as many times as nessesary until she stopped trying to turn around.

"There's more than one way for that to happen then." As if to demonstrate a point, he'd lift one of Abigail's arms and do a short inspection of it. "Hmm, yes, I see. -poke poke- Just as I thought. These arms are simply too weak to hurt anything, even now. So stop feeling shame as if you did. I'm the one who carved a grave too early. The shame is mine to bear alone and I will not be convinced otherwise."
[5:32 PM] Sanskrit: __"I can't say I'm happy with that..." Abigail giggled a little at the display, and wrapped a big paw around his hand.  "You didn't though... and I found you again.  I guess those are the important things."  Another long, affectionate hug.  "I tried making friends in this family style resteraunt called 'Grillbyz', and a skeleton tried to burn me alive.
     Seemed nice enough, interested in what I had to say.  Another monster from the King's Guard showed up and he decided to make a bid for my soul I guess.  It's a lot of power to them, and that power tempts the weak or ambitious... it's very biblical in it's own rights.  I nearly died, and my feet were badly burned.  I lost most of my hair that day too, shortest it's ever been.  Monsters hearts are... really easily swayed though, and I guess he had second thoughts.  Left me lying at the base of a tree in the snow.  Clothes in tatters, feet horribly burned, choked, battered and bruised.  I got up, and I walked.  I walked and I walked, despite the pain, shock, and cold.  I came before a massive door."
     Exhaling slowly, she could see it all from both sides of the event now, like being in two places at once.  "I railed against it, begged mercy, and it came.  Toriel, my third angel.  Hers is the soul I have with me now."
[6:01 PM] MasterBlade007: "If all they're going to do is barbarically attack like that, maybe they SHOULD be sealed!" Abraham's arm trembled, clearly not enjoying these stories of his sister getting hurt. He was always a tad overprotective like that, even if he lacked the means to actually assist in a fight. "You can't let Dad know about this. He's got a crazy ammount of munitions in his attic; if he ever found out how they hurt you down there... it would be World War 3!"
[6:14 PM] Sanskrit: "Some of them are timeless Abraham, Donovan speaks fondly of the romans as if they were something that happened one sunday afternoon a few years ago.  They are just like people up here, an entire race of people wrongly imprisoned for the ability to perform this great evil, the absorbing of a soul.  Motive is just as important as an act itself before the Lord.  They believed this was the right and only way, wounded as they were, to free themselves.  By perpetuating a cycle our ancestors started."  Soothingly she squeezed his thigh.
     "I won't tell Dad, I can't even go home like this."  Abigail shook her head.  "There were seven humans in all, I met three of them while Toriel mended my wounds, dressed and washed my feet, fed and housed me.  Like me, they were trapped in the Underground, and cared for by this motherly goat monster... Frisk, Wilhard, and Tilsen.  Two mute, ages eight, seven, and eleven respectively."
[6:29 PM] MasterBlade007: "...wait, what do you mean you're not going home?" Abe paused, his expression going from forlorn to serious in a moment's instance. "Dad misses you. Mom misses you. The food pantry, the shelter, the church. There is an entire community down that mountain that misses the star that brightened their lives so much! Do you really think a 'haircut' is going to change that?"

"If you weren't going home, then... where were you going to go after this? Not... back into the mountain?" Seriousness to worry. No, that was exactly what she was going to do wasn't she? One conversation then... gone again.
[6:32 PM] Sanskrit: "Abe... look at me.  Actually look at me."  Abigail braced his shoulders between her thumbs and forefingers.  "My ears brush my shoulders, I have fangs, horns, and fur.  It's not a weird haircut... I... I can't just waltz into town, tail wagging like it's not a big deal!  It -is-!  Emberyline... she's a girl made out of living green fire, but she's really sweet... she told me I can change it when I want, that I am determined enough, but I don't know how.  You might believe me, but I know this even -sounds- ridiculous."(edited)
[8:59 PM] MasterBlade007: The frowning intensified! "It can't be more rediculous than Lassie rescuing Timmy from the well to harvest his soul! Maybe, maybe you just can't see what 'I' see."

Abe took a step back, reaching to undo the long ponytail dangling behind his head. With the flick of the band all his hair came tumbling down around his shoulders. It would take only a quick moment and a swift combing to match his hair to Abigail's former looks, his twin features making him a near-copy of his sister. A flamboyantly girly pose and a mock bible from his book stack would complete the look.

"Hello! I'm Abigail!" the brother went on, in an overly-feminine accent. "I've been away for so long and have sooooooooooooo much homework to catch up on! Mom's gunna have me studying in the church for a week to catch up on all the missed Sunday mass! And don't  get me started on the charity work! So much on my plate; I wonder if I can clone myself to help catch up!"
[9:01 PM] MasterBlade007: Abragail gave a cheeky smile on that last comment, doing his best to hold a dainty pose.
[9:39 PM] Sanskrit: "Okay, now we -both- sound ridiculous."  Abigail laughed in spite of herself.  "What am I supposed to do while you're off living the high life wearing dress sizes that aren't in the triple plus, and not having to shave your leg pelt?  You honestly think Mom's not going to take one look at me and go 'Oohhh nooooohhhhh,' To this, she wriggled her hands in the air as if she were in a kerfluffle, and tucked her muzzle against her neck to produce a bit of a double chin, sounding like an old woman.  'The demons has found me, Harold, Harold help, you was right all along, please come back to me.'
     After a bit of the goofy pantomime and wriggling she mellowed a little and gave him a big smile, her face lighting up the way it always should.  "Toriel's soul belongs in the underground with Asgore, and his new adopted human daughter, Risha.  You know though... I know enough people... the families of the lost children would be plenty... that would willingly take the barrier down to see their families again.  I just worry that Monsters won't be the same after that."
[10:07 PM] MasterBlade007: "Well then, we'll just have to teach them to be nice. Half-Abigail and Half-Abigail, together!" Abraham kept up the impression, this time adding a small twirl and shirt-curtsy. "Of course, that would be easier if we had a FULL Abigail to do the talking. I see that smile! That's a REAL Abigail smile! Don't tell me you can't pull off the rest of the look. Smile is the hardest part!"

Abraham didn't quite know how magic worked, but he DID know how determination worked. Intending to inspire his sister along, he quickly tossed off his shoes and socks, rolling up his sleeves and pant legs so that his sister could see what her limbs should normally look.

"So a fire girl says all you need to look you is a little determination? Well here's some! Prove to me you can pull off this look better than I can! Or I'll tell Mom you're hiding up on the mountain and she'll drag you back down by the ears! And it'l be super easy if you don't fix them back to normal!"(edited)
[10:26 PM] Sanskrit: "You're such a goober..." Abigail's ears swayed with the toss of her head, but she just couldn't bring herself to stop smiling.  Closing her eyes, she tilted her head forward and just focused.  It was her body, it had always been.  Toriel had long since passed, and though her influence lingered, it was only because Gail allowed it.  She embraced what remained of that wonderful monster, pulled it away from the surface and deeper into her heart.  Truly and honestly accepted that she was gone.  The dress draped more loosely over her form, as she opened her eyes.
     Pink, hairless hands, with five fingers.  Bare feet with five toes greeted her.  No fangs tickled her lip, nor ears her shoulders.  It was as if none of it had ever happened.  All she had needed to do was try to put it behind her.  It hadn't ever been something she could do alone.  The girl needed Abraham.  Needed her Mother.  Needed Tilsen.  "I think what I needed was a little you, Abe."
August 10, 2016
[8:51 AM] MasterBlade007: Abe could only offer a doopy smile in response. A doopy smile, and his pair of shoes.

"You know, if I was smarter I would have suggested we try this at the bottom of the mountain. Now one of us has to walk down a rocky slope without shoes or goat powers." The accent too was banished from view, brother not needing to use it anymore. He tried up his hair with the other hand, trying to hide the fact that he had more than his sister now.

"We ought to get down quickly if we're gunna convince everyone to break that barrier. That might be hard to do if Fido starts biting into people's bones before we get her to stop."(edited)
[9:08 AM] Sanskrit: __"Yeah, you're right.  We'll make sure she doesn't hurt anyone, and get Monsters off to a peaceful start on the surface."  There's no sense in wishing things c o u l d  h a v e   b e e n    d  i  f  f  e  r  e  n  t ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B2TPEZTwWA
YouTube
Elu Tran
Undertale OST - Once Upon A Time Extended