Difficulties are Difficult

"...an' that's why the Froggits moved into the Ruins! Wa ha ha!"

Gerson's audience laughed along with him. This was a good gig, teaching history once a fortnight. Get a bunch of people who aren't allowed to leave in the middle of the story, can appreciate the juicier stuff without their parents getting all wound up, an' Fluffybuns saw to it he was paid the same as a regular teacher for a fraction of the work. Win win win, with maybe some win on the side.

"Aight, younguns, homework: Employ yer historical analytical skills ta figure out what Scaleywag coulda accomplished if he didn't go an' chop it off like an idiot. Three pages, single spacin'. Don't complain, y'all got days to get it done. Now the bell ain't due fer a few minutes, but I gotta meet a friend about a haul of human souvenirs, so class dismissed!"

Sloth wasn't Gerson's only reason for ending things early. When the school was built there weren't that many teenagers, and Toriel had mainly given it thought to teaching true children. But time had marched on since then, and they were growing up. This could be slightly more troublesome for monsters than humans, especially with the psychological limits the barrier had imposed was suddenly gone. He'd been teaching this particular group for years, and it was in the last few months it had truly started feeling crowded. What were they gonna do when kids would get cricks in their neck from entering these human-sized doors? Perhaps he should tell Asgore to tell Toriel to split these classes into smaller groups to start with. Two dozen teenagers would be a problem in a room built for two dozen kids. Even Undyne would have trouble reigning them in.

He slipped a few documents into his briefcase and was about to leave after his students, hopefully before the bell rang and Toriel asked what they were doing out of class, when he noticed one desk occupied by the one gradually becoming one of his smallest students. Frisk was scribbling away at something.

"Scared of Mom catchin' ya, kiddo? Don't worry, you can blame me and I'll take a few fireballs fer ya. No need to work too hard on that report."

Frisk abruptly shuffled the papers they were working on. Gerson's yellow eye narrowed in suspicion as he approached the desk.

"What, another diplomatic summary? C'mon, it's like you're asking yer Mom to come down on you like a ton of-"

He froze. Frisk's current project was not written at all. It was a doodle of him. He blinked a few times, processing how unexpectedly rude it was. Frisk looked up at him with the most determined devil-may-care attitude he could remember.

"Wa ha!" He slapped his knee, and regretted it immediately. "Excellent form there, kiddo! Really captured my inner essence!"

"Thanks, Gerson!" He heard them slap their forehead, covering the surprised pleasure at being praised.

"Wawuzzat, buddy?"

"Nothing. Whatever." Only detached disinterest remained. They quickly gathered up their things, including one page clearly talking about Scaleywag, stuffed them in their bag and hurried out.

"Kids these days. Want whatever they don't have. Makes good customers, heh!"

****

The pre-teens quickly fractured into groups of three or four once outside the class, heading in all directions away from the school to reduce the risk of being detained and questioned by Toriel. Even though the chance of punishment for truancy was low, it would cut into the sliver of time Gerson saw fit to restore to them.

"Oh Frisk, there you are!"

Asriel and Monsterkid slowed down, letting Frisk catch up. The three of them continued down the street.

"Did Mom catch you?"

"Mm."

"I'll take that as a no, then."

"You're lucky, dudes," said Monsterkid, "I remember last month when Gerson heard of a limited time offer at Grillbys, but I had to use the bathroom before I left, and your mom was standing in front of me when I came out."

Asriel winced, while Frisk tried to look unconcerned, instead focused on their phone.

"Oh," said Asriel, looking down at Monsterkid's feet, "you aren't wearing shoes today."

"Heh, you noticed." He stopped to raise a foot up, showing three wicked looking claws. "Aren't these dope? Dad reckons they'll get another inch or two. Only problem is they'd tear up my shoes."

"Well why don't you get a bigger pair?"

Monsterkid's tail pointed to the sole of his foot. "My claws are coming in, but my feet have yet to really start growing. I wear my old shoes, I rip them. I get bigger ones, they aren't secure and I keep tripping over them. I'm in that lame in between period. Gotta wait a bit or my parents pay through the nose for a custom set. So I'm joining you barefooties for a while."

"Oh, cool! Stepped on any chewing gum yet?"

"Nah, but I think that's a bigger concern for you, dude. Nothing personal, but I don't understand fur."

"Hee hee, you lived in Snowdin, how can you not understand fur?"

"By not having an itchy bed during moulting season, bro."

Asriel shrugged in defeat as the three resumed their walking. "You got me there."

"Heh, I got the prince. Today's a good- Whoa!"

Monsterkid suddenly fell forward, but instead of faceplanting as in days of forward, ephemeral orange arms suddenly materialised, arresting his fall. They weren't particularly solid however, and vanished just after redirecting his momentum to let him twist and fall on his butt. Two sets of eyes looked at where his feet had been, to see one of Frisk's sticking out, a cheeky grin on their face.

"Frisk?!" Asriel clutched his mouth in shock.

"Yo dude, what the hell? That was a turd move and you know it!"

Frisk's grin quickly faltered at this challenge. Their own hands covered their mouth, before quickly bending down to help Monsterkid get in position where he could use his tail to push himself onto his feet. They then proceeded to brush off any dirt his detour collected, then scurried around to grab the contents of his school bag.

"Here you go." Their voice wavered. "I'm sorry."

"It's cool, I guess," he said, a little wary, "but just warn me next time."

"Hey Frisk," interjected Asriel, "you wanna get some hot chocolate? I hear that new QC's place does some good stuff."

"Yo, Prince, that's wicked! Let's go!"

"Sorry," he said, pulling out a few coins and giving Monsterkid a meaningful look, "I only have enough for two. The Prince doesn't get an infinite line of credit."

"Oh. Oh!" He winked way too obviously. "Okay, see you guys tomorrow!"

Grillby's was still the gold standard for Monster eating establishments - MTT™ Burger being the pink standard - but QC's served an important demographic of being between school and most students' houses, meaning less of a detour. Also their hot chocolate wasn't as spicy as his. Indeed most of the clientel looked like they'd just come from Gerson's class, save for Jimmy Hotpants lapping up a coffee from a doggy bowl. Soon Asriel and Frisk sat across from each other, lavender-coloured cups warming their hands. Asriel didn't waste time as he looked over at Frisk's uninterested face.

"Okay, what's going on, Frisk?"

"Nothing important", they tried to dismiss.

Asriel raised a coy eyebrow. "C'mon. You might be able to fool Mom or Dad with that, but to me... you look like an idiot." That had the desired effect, a hairline fracture in the wall of stoicism. Asriel sipped his chocolate with a smug air. "Yeah, I know an act when I see one. Just because I've no desire to act like that doesn't mean I can't see it."

"So? You got your troubled phase over with before me, so what?"

"...I don't think I did." He looked down at his hands, before shaking his head. "But that's besides the point. I know something else about your troubled phase."

"And what would that be, dear brother?" It was Frisk's turn to smugly take a drink.

"That you're not actually having one." Frisk choked on their cup. "I told you, I know an act when I see one. You draw scandalous things in class while secretly getting a headstart on assignments. You've been sighing contemptuously when monsters are complaining about their problems and yet these floppy ears pick up when you feel upset for them. Hell, you just undermined your own attempt at bullying Monsterkid by picking him up after. For someone who's always warning me about F-moments, you're determined to have as many as you can, but despite everything it's still you. What's with that?"

It was rare for Asriel to so thoroughly corner Frisk, and it showed. Their tanned face flushed, grey eyes refusing to meet the emerald, taking refuge in drinking their chocolate.

"I lied to MK by the way, Dad actually does have a tab for here. So we're gonna sit here drinking hot chocolate until you spill the beans. In your own time."

The promise of infinite time to explain themselves had the opposite, yet desired effect. "I want to grow up, that's all."

Asriel took a patient sip. "Go on..."

"Everyone calls me a great kid, kind and all that, but that's not gonna last. I'm entering the next step of life, and that involves asserting myself by any means. I planned to reign it in after high school when I'm supposed to act more mature, but... It's hard. Being selfish is hard."

Asriel took a while to unpack it. "Frisk, my childhood has lasted a very, very, long time. Way longer than yours. It's finally ending for me too, as my horns show. But I've learned about what is actually childish."

"What do you mean?"

"The way I see it, the way my counsellor sees it too, adulthood doesn't mean you stop doing what you did as a kid. Worrying about looking childish is childish itself. It's when you can take ownership of who you are, and feel no need to validate it, that's a sign of really growing up. You like helping others?"

"...yeah."

"Then it's settled. Grow up and keep liking it."

Frisk giggled, and gently squeezed their brother's hand. "Okay. Thanks, Asriel. I have a question, though."

"Yeah?" He'd never felt so in command of the situation as he took sip.

"Does that mean you're finally gonna ask Mom for new clothes? I 've been able to see your ankles and wrists for ages.

It was Asriel's turn to choke. "B-but I'm not ready to say goodbye to this sweater! After the summer, okay?"

"I can also see your belly everytime you're not perfectly still."

"That's a low blow-"

"You know it's just a matter of time before you bend over to pick something up, and there's a tearing noise, and we'll all get a sight of more than your tail."

Asriel covered his eyes with his ears, warmth radiating from him in embarrassment, even while he smiled. "You're enjoying picking on me now!"

"I am," chuckled Frisk, "and I hate it."