Chapter Text
KRIS
“So, Kris! What University do you think you’re going to go to, dear?”
Toriel was in the kitchen, talking to Kris, a cup of coffee in her hand. She didn’t drink tea anymore. She ‘couldn’t make it right’, she had said. Something about buttercups. And wilting. She was stirring some sugar into the cup, one of the off brands you would find in that… freak’s store. You know the one. Kris’ mother was quite fond of him.
“I told you Mum, I’m letting Noelle decide. She’s the academic one out of our duo.”
Kris continued to not look at her, finding the piece of toast in front of them far more interesting than the topic at hand. Toriel sighed, something it felt like she was doing a lot of as of late. Maybe it was that Kris was getting older, or maybe it was that she was getting older. Either way, it wasn’t pleasant. She looked away for a moment, before sitting down on a chair which groaned in response, speaking again.
“Look, darling.” She was staring at a pot of red roses on the window, which were slowly maturing. “The point is that you need to make your own decisions in life, and not let your girlfriend-” This remark was followed by a little interjection by Kris objecting that ‘she wasn’t their girlfriend’ and that they were ‘just good friends’, but Toriel grinned wearily and pressed on- “or ‘other half of the duo’ make all the important choices for you! I mean, what if she doesn’t even pick one that matches your…’interests?’” Toriel waved her hands in the air and stared at her coffee as she said this. She was constantly worried that Kris’ path in life wouldn’t be as smooth as they hoped. ‘The road to true love never did run smooth,’ and the same could be said about fulfilment. Most people in Kris’ family learned that the hard way.
She knew this from Asriel, who had eventually had to give up game development and instead focus on an average, boring 9-5 job- which had somehow strengthened their resolve when they said they too wanted to be a game designer. The whole experience had given them the mindset that, ‘maybe I could do better’, and ‘I can do Asriel proud.’ She didn’t want their hopes and dreams to be crushed like… Asriel's were. Yes, Asriel’s. Kris spoke up to break the awkward silence, and Toriel snapped out of her trance, ears flapping ever so slightly.
“Look. I know that you don’t want me to end up like Azzy…” Toriel was shocked, but then again Kris was a very observant child, “and I’ve talked it over with Noelle before this, ‘kay? I told her some things to look out for and like… yeah.” They smiled a little bit as they lied, to help make Toriel believe it. They weren’t just observant; they were also a very good liar.
Toriel looked a little relieved by this, and Kris was very relieved too- Toriel wasn’t usually the most gullible.
“Well, honey, as long as you’re telling the truth, I suppose I can let it slide- just don’t do anything silly, okay? I don’t think Me and Carol are planning on becoming Grandmothers anytime soon!” Toriel giggled as Kris’ face heated up slightly from embarrassment, and they immediately got up, grimaced and stormed off, cursing under their breath as they went. At last, Toriel finished up her coffee (And, for that matter, Kris’ toast).
* * * *
NOELLE
“Now hun, don’t forget thiiii- woops!”
A clattering of luggage fell from the Holiday House’s attic, crashing right onto Noelle’s head.
“Ow, Dad! Fahahaha! You’re lucky that sh- stuff you just dropped on me was soft!” Noelle avoided the swear, seeing as she was in the vicinity of… Carol. Her ‘mother’- or, perhaps ‘smother’ was a better word, considering how much of a bitch she was sometimes. Rudy, her dad, laughed intensely, while Carol just watched on, severely unamused. Noelle always wondered how her Father ended up with such an uptight woman like her mother.
“Rudy, that was not funny in the slightest. Can’t have our daughter going to University concussed, you dolt.” Rudy didn’t want to disagree, he never did with Carol, but instead the laughter just died down a bit and he slid down the ladder, closing the loft with one swift motion. “Now Elly, you go put that in your room with all your other stuff, yeah?” Noelle nodded, rushing into her room for some much needed privacy.
As soon as she heard Her Father and Carol go downstairs, she breathed a sigh of relief. They’d been pestering her all day, some pampering (thanks, Dad) and some scorning (thanks, Carol) and she could finally pack up without her Mother breathing down her neck. She shook her head, ears flapping, and bent down to pack. She had most of her stuff; Clothes, bedding (She needed an extra bag for all that), toothbrush, etc, some games… charger… yeah, she had pretty much everything. She put her bags in a corner of her room, sat on her bed and opened her phone. A message from Kris popped up (Nicknamed ‘Kristopher <3’ in her phone, because she knew the first part drove them crazy, and the heart because… well, nevermind that, they were just friends). Something about which school she’d picked. She’d picked Light and Dark University. Or ‘something along those lines’- she added that last part to feel not too nerdy, couldn’t have Kris thinking that. She had found that it specialised in almost everything, from games development (Kris’ forte) to English Literature (which Noelle was going for). The conversation shifted to what they’d need, then to how much they’d be willing to get away, and… well, you know. An average text conversation between them at this point. Shooting off in random directions to see what sticks, and ignoring the embarrassing ones. She looked at the time, knowing she should probably get to bed, and bid Kris farewell, which they’d met with an equal amount of dramatisation, and she went to sleep. Soon, she’d be in the flat. Her, Kris, and 2 strangers- how exciting! Kris hadn’t been so supportive of the idea, but…Kris was Kris, she supposed. She drifted off, wondering what these new people would be like, and how they would all get along. Finally, she fell asleep.