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"Kris! Kris!"
The mound under the blanket quivered slightly, then moved no more. A fuzzy hand shook it.
"Kris, get up! Santa came!"
The magic word did the trick. The blanket was cast aside by a hand with none of the fur that the first hand possessed. Equally hairless feet planted onto the ground next to slippers, while their older brother waited impatiently but dutifully for footwear he never troubled himself with. Then taking his sibling's offered hand, they tumbled down the stairs, raced across the kitchen and into the living room.
"Woooow!" cried Asriel.
He had good reason for his reaction. Beneath the tree was a pile of presents which hadn't been there the night before. Next to the tree stood their parents, beaming at the raw excitement Asriel couldn't contain. And while Kris didn't look as excited, they knew that didn't mean they weren't.
"Merry Christmas, children," said Toriel, hand on her chest.
"Looks like Santa thinks you've both behaved very well this year," chuckled Asgore.
"Kris, do you want to open the first present?" asked their mother.
"Aww," pouted Asriel, "why can't I?"
"Because you did last year, son," said Asgore, "it's important to take turns."
Asriel's opinion of this reasoning wasn't great, but as the older brother he deferred. "Okay, Kris! Golly, that one looks huge, open it first-"
Kris did not listen to their brother, as usual. Instead they rummaged around the pile and found one of the smallest gifts. The paper was savagely shredded for someone with no claws, but it revealed a new pencil case.
"Wow," said Asriel, "that means I'm getting a pencil case too! Santa always gets us matching school stuff. Isn't that weird?"
It was Toriel's turn to chuckle. "Well, Santa does not want you to be unprepared. Now, I think if you want to avoid opening the same thing right away, you should avoid this one..."
His Mother's advice rang true, and Asriel carefully unwrapped the present next to it and found a new baseball. Monster sport supplies didn't always last as long as one might expect, as an eager grip risked scratching or ripping them entirely.
The back and forth continued as the pile of presents was disassembled. In addition to pencil cases, both children got ring binders for notes, despite both of them still working with exercise books, and different educational posters they could put up on the board in their bedroom. As for stuff they actually asked for, Santa was no slouch. Asriel got several diecast cars to use on the orange track upstairs, the music CDs he asked for - all opened, as if someone had listened to them ahead of time to check for concerning content - and a kite. Kris got a toy boat for the bath, several comics lacking in particular peril, a book of piano sheet music, and a red cart they could pull around. Eventually there was only one present left.
"My turn!" said Asriel. "Oh wait, Kris' name is on it. Aww, and it's so big, too..."
"My child, check again," said Toriel, "Santa brought this present for both of you."
"Really?!" he glanced at the label. "Oh, cool! Kris, you want to open it together?"
Kris looked at their brother, and smiled for the first time that day. Then they scurried over to the present and tore at the wrapping paper. With a bleat Asriel followed close behind and tore at another part. Neither noticed Toriel using the home camera to film the reaction.
"It's... It's... A MegaTend!"
The sleek grey packaging of the games console was looking rather creased and dented, having been opened at lease once before. Four or five games rested on top of the box, pressed against it by the silver and green wrapping paper, along with an unboxed purple controller that didn't look like the silvery one on the box. A controller matching the image was inside the box, however.
"Omigosh," continued Asriel in delight, "here's Super Smashing Fighters! All my friends at school talk about this, they say it's great! And Kris, we've got two controllers, we can play together!" Kris, though still quiet, nodded excitedly.
"Oh Gorey, they're so happy," said Toriel. "You were right not to wait another year."
"Glad you think so, dear," said Asgore, pecking her on the cheek. "Now, who wants a nice breakfast before we-"
Knock knock! All four Dreemurrs looked towards the door.
"Who could that be?" asked Toriel. "It's very early for visitors today."
"I'll check, honey," said Asgore, walking to the door and opening it.
"Hey, Flower King!"
"Rudy! And- oh, just the three of you today?"
"'fraid so."
A lanky reindeer stepped into the front room, one arm wrapped around a few presents. With his free arm he punched Asgore's shoulder affectionately, then handed Toriel a bottle-shaped piece of wrapping paper. It was then the Dreemurrs noticed his company.
"Azzy!" said a deer with hair just as black and messy as her father's.
"Hi Dess!" replied Asriel.
"Hello, Noelle," said Toriel, bending over to get a better view of the sleek blonde hair hiding behind her father's leg. "Did Santa visit you?"
"..." said Noelle, even as Kris was also looking at them.
"Sure did!" answered Rudy. "I'll let Noelle's public spokesperson tell you what she got." He tussled his daughter's dark hair. She would be too busy to tell Toriel, however.
"Oh, you got one at last!" said Dess, looking at the grey box Asriel was still kneeling besides. "Is it a MegaTend++?"
"Uh..." Asriel checked the box. "Nah, just a regular version. But it's so cool though! I'm so glad Santa got it for us!"
Rudy eyed the second hand packaging, then whispered to Asgore. "You know you're due a raise, right? Just say the word, and I'll get her to arrange your review."
"Thank you," replied Asgore equally softly, "but it's not necessary. We're getting along fine as is. I don't need to work just for money."
"And there's Space Bounty," said Dess, "and Jumpy Man, and- oh, Smashing Fighters! I'll have to beat you at it, Azzy."
"In your dreams, Dess," Asriel laughed. "Besides, this is Kris' as well, so we'll be playing together first."
"Well it's a four player game. Dad, can we go back home and grab our controllers?"
"Now Dessie, I thought you were going to show Noelle that new Dragon Blazers game Santa brought you?"
"Oh, yeah," said Noelle, looking at her sister.
"But that sounds way more fun, let's do it! Har har har!" His beady nose twitched in amusement.
"Is it just the three of you for dinner later?" asked Toriel.
Rudy nodded apologetically. "You know how she gets, just one more cross-town project to sign off on, then some jackass switches up the details and she's gotta untangle them. Last time I tried to insist she lighten up..." he shuddered at the memory. "Easier this way. And more of your delicious pie for us!"
"Oh, you will be taking a slice home for her," insisted Toriel, looking warningly at him. "Someone who works so hard needs a treat."
"See, I get that, and you get that, but she doesn't!" Rudy shrugged his shoulders in defeat. "Well we're early for dinner anyway, so..." from his coat pocket, two controllers slipped out. "Girls, you wanna help the Dreemurrs set up their MegaTend? It'll be more exciting to watch than some old attack of the human movie!"
"Yeah!" squeaked Noelle. "I'm gonna pick Royal Galaxy!"
The four children descended on the battered box, taking all the components out. The elder siblings took charge of matching cable to socket on the television. Meanwhile Noelle's contribution was showing one of Rudy's controllers to Kris, explaining what each button did. Kris listened attentively, the small smile on their face showing they appreciated the lesson. Meanwhile the adults got a headstart on dinner rather than worrying about breakfast, and also a start on the wine Rudy brought over as a present.
"Oh, you got piano music," said Noelle, looking at Kris' presents. "I started lessons last week. I think she works with your daddy?" Kris nodded. "She's good at teaching, but she's very scary when you make a mistake. Dess quit after two lessons."
"Hey, I didn't quit," protested Dess, "we just reached a mutual agreement my talents would be better harnessed elsewhere. I dunno why you put up with her."
"Because... because..." Noelle's face disappeared behind her hands, a signal to be picked up by her father.
"Happy with what you got, Kris?" asked Rudy, to vigorous nodding. "Good, then maybe you'll stop scaring my kids with ketchup!"
A scream of delight cut across the house, as Asriel watched the MegaTend logo flashed on the screen, followed by the elaborate and unrepresentative opening cutscene for Super Smashing Fighters. The four children quickly huddled around, and with surprisingly little argument, Dess wound up with the unofficial controller. Soon Space Bounty, Royal Galaxy, Green Yo and Pink Blorb were less trying to fight each other than jump around the chaotic platforms of the stage. The three adults, one from the kitchen stove, watched the sheer electronic joy radiating from their children, even eternally silent Kris, who in the chaos of the morning hadn't even put on their headband. They didn't need it today, they were just with their friends and family.