Chapter Text
“Kris! Susie and Noelle are here!” shouts Toriel from downstairs, waking Kris up suddenly. They climb out of bed, still groggy from being kept up late last night, and meet their friends downstairs. Susie sees Kris walking down the stairs and calls out “Ready for the festival dumbass?”, to which Kris responds with a thumbs up. She is wearing her usual jacket, combat boots, and a less ripped than usual pair of jeans, Noelle is wearing a black and red plaid skirt and a christmassy vest. Kris is in their usual attire. The three of them walk down to the festival in the center of town. Once they get there, Noelle quickly pulls Susie aside and says “Let’s go ride the ferris wheel!”. The two of them rush over and get on, leaving Kris to fend for themself.
Noelle tells Susie “This is a lot like my dream, it’s nice”
“Yeah, it is. It’s feels really good hanging out with you”, Susie replies “it’s nice, I mean, obviously I don’t remember your dream”
“Fahaha”
“Why do I wish Kris was here?” Noelle ponders aloud.
“Yeah, it’s great spending time with you, but it just doesn’t feel the same without them”
“Yeah, it’s weird, I know I have a crush on you, but I just can’t tell what’s going on with Kris”
“Me too, like, they’re my best friend, but sometimes it seems like there’s more than that, is that what you mean?”
“Kinda, faha, I just, I had them in my life for so long, and it just feels wrong without them now”
“I get what you mean… I know we just started dating, but, do we want Kris to be a part of this too?”
“I think so”
Once they get off, they leave to find Kris. They wander around the festival for a few minutes before spotting them at an ice cream stand. Kris is holding three cones precariously, and turns to give it to Susie and Noelle. They got peppermint for Noelle, tiger’s blood for Susie, and chocolate for themself. When handing it to Susie, they say “gift from Ralsei”, she takes it and beams a smile at Kris. Noelle asks
“Is that the guy from out of town you were going to invite to the festival?”
“Yeah, I guess the big weenie made Kris get me an ice cream to make up for not be able to come”
“Fahaha, how sweet!”
Kris leads them away from the crowds and just into the forest, where they stop and eat their ice cream.
“So…” starts Susie, “me and Noelle were hanging earlier out and we both thought it didn’t feel quite right”
“Do you want to go to the festival with us?” blurts Noelle, “as a date, with all three of us, I mean”
Kris thinks about it for a second and then mumbles “yes” too quietly for Susie or Noelle to hear. They then take control from the soul and get up, and sign that they’re going to use the bathroom.
They swiftly find a porta-potty, get in, and lock the door. Kris then thinks aggressively at the soul:
Don’t do that
“What, I know you want to date them, I see the way you look at them” the soul Kris them whisper
And? Noelle doesn’t like me, it’s clear she only has a crush on Susie and it’s been forever since we talked at all, and Susie just sees me as a friend. They probably just had an awkward time on the ferris wheel.
“Look, Susie definitely likes you, she got way too close way too fast to just be a friend. You two have been practically attached the last couple days. And I know you have some weird history with Noelle, but I can tell you care about each other”
But I haven’t talked to her since Dess… What if she doesn’t like me anymore? What if she thinks I never want to talk to her again? It’s been years
“You want to reconnect with her right? It seems like she wants to reconnect too, and I think this is the best way to do that. She can still read you better than anyone, I think she might already know about me”
What do you mean?
“She knows something’s up, she’s been able to tell that your voice sounds different. I think we should tell her”
Nope, that is too much to explain and her and Susie’ll probably hate me. Especially Susie, you did everything to become friends with her. She just wants you
“That’s not true, Noelle won’t mind, she’s known you her whole life, and Susie won’t hate you, all I did to become her friend was be there, and you did that too! I might’ve chosen what to say, but you still said it and meant it”
We can talk about it more later
“Fine”
They walk back to Susie and Noelle and say “I want to go to the festival with you guys”
“Great! Why’d you run off earlier, we thought maybe we scared you off!” says Susie
Before Kris can stop it, the soul says “I’m being controlled by an interdimensional being that has merged with my soul”, Kris puts their hands over their mouth as soon as they realize what is coming out of it, but it’s too late.
“WHAT! IS THAT WHY YOU’VE BEEN ACTING SO WEIRD LATELY?!” questions Noelle frantically, “Wait, no, this is a prank, right Kris? You were just nervous and ran off, right?”
“Fine”, Kris mutters, walking further into the forest and waving for the others to follow.
Kris stops and pulls their soul out of their chest, the others a few steps behind. Noelle and Susie walk around Kris and turn back to look at them.
“Oh, it’s one of those heart pillows you always used to prank me with!” says Noelle, “Why’d you bring us out here for a prank you’ve pulled a hundred times before?”
Kris drops their hands, and the soul keeps floating, it floats up slightly and away from Kris.
“It’s not a prank” Kris says with a hint of urgency and in their normal voice
“Is it… Evil?” asks Susie
“No, just inconvenient"
“Isn’t that what you use to seal the fountains?”
Kris nods
“Seal the fountains? Like in my dream?!” questions Noelle
The soul bobs up and down to simulate nodding, but Kris and Susie ignore the question
“How much was you and how much was that thing?” asks Susie
“It moves and tells me what to say mostly, I have control of expressions and gestures, and ACTing”
“So it’s you who knows how to flirt?”
Kris sighs, “yes”
“Can we go back to my dream being real? Did we really ride on that ferris wheel together?” Noelle chokes out, blushing heavily
“Sorry for lying to you, I just wanted to make sure you were safe” Susie responds, a large dash of guilt in her voice
“Oh, thanks” Noelle responds blankly
A second passes, “are we still friends?” asks Kris, with an audible sense of worry
“Of course!” says Noelle immediately
“Why wouldn’t we be, dumbass?” replies Susie, “can we talk to the soul for a minute? You can still hear us, right?”
Kris and the soul both nod, the soul drifts towards Kris, and they press it against their chest, absorbing it again.
“How much control does Kris have when you’re there?”
“It depends, they usually let me have full control, but they can take as much control as they want as long as I don’t fight it”
“Which part of you wanted a relationship?” asks Noelle
“Kris wants a relationship” replies the soul
“Kris, can you be in control of yourself a little more?” asks Susie
“Yes” replies Kris after a second, without the soul
“Uhh, since there’s two of you, what should we call the soul thing?”
“Soul is fine” it says
“Okay, nice to meet you, Soul”
“Nice to formally meet you all” replies Soul
There’s an awkward pause that seems to stretch for several minutes, before Noelle finally breaks the silence, “Did we… want to ride the ferris wheel?” she asks timidly, “with Kris too, obviously?”
“Sure, not too scared from the last time the two of us rode it?”, Kris mocks to hide their embarrassment
“Haha, very funny Kris” replies Noelle dryly, “I have Susie to protect me this time”
“Shake the car and I’ll bite your face off” threatens Susie. Kris blushes and turns away quickly from the idea, causing Susie and Noelle to blush in turn.
“R-right!” adds Noelle awkwardly, “should we head over?”
Kris uses the excuse to keep their face hidden from the others by taking the lead towards the ferris wheel, Noelle and Susie following behind them. The three of them load onto the ferris wheel with the sun just starting to set, with Susie in the middle and Kris and Noelle on either side. The car stops near the top of the wheel, and Kris decides to lay their head on Susie’s lap. Susie ruffles their hair and hugs Noelle closer with her other arm, with Noelle letting out an embarrassed “Eep!” before blushing. Noelle quickly leans in to Susie and gently lays her head on her shoulder, careful not to hit Susie with her antlers. After a few minutes, Noelle begins braiding Kris’s hair, humming gently, Kris seemingly asleep. The trio are let off of the ride, and Susie gently scoops up Kris, still asleep, and carries them home, Noelle walking beside her.
Noelle knocks on the door to Toriel’s house, who opens it after a slight pause.
“Hello, Miss Toriel, we were just dropping Kris off.” Susie says softly, looking at the ceiling, “They kinda fell asleep”. Kris stirs slightly, but not enough to realize where they were, and hugs Susie. Toriel chuckles, “How sweet of you! Did you two want to stay the night? Asriel’s bed is free, or the three of you could sleep in the living room.”
“I should call my mom first, but I’d like to if that’s okay!” Responds Noelle
“If you’re staying, then I guess I might as well” adds Susie
Toriel lets them in and Susie gently lays Kris on the couch. Kris finally wakes up after being pried out of Susie’s warmth, Toriel giggles, and Kris blushes as they realize what’s happening.
“Good night, my child. Have fun with your friends. Do not stay up too late though, remember you have school tomorrow.” Toriel says lovingly to Kris before heading towards the stairs, “Oh! I almost forgot, I finished up making the pie that me and Susie started. Do not eat it all this time, Kris.”