Chapter Text
Knock Knock.
“Go AWAY Susie!” Noelle shouts.
She presses against the door of the bedroom made just for her. Cold tears fall on her gown as she hugs her knees closer.
Bedroom made “for” her, yeah, right. Oh! Let’s just give the Holiday girl a room covered wall to wall with Christmas lights, trees, snowflakes, the whole works! That’s what she LOVES, right? Good job team! This’ll surely bring her around from LYING to her all weekend! Knowing how MUCH she wishes a place like this was real! Wishing she can have somewhere she can always feel welcome. Knowing that her dad is sick and dying in the hospital. Knowing they COULD FIX THAT with just a wave of a hand AND NOW HE’S—
And now he’s...
A calendar on the wall mocks Noelle, reminding her of how alone she really is.
“Um... It’s not Susie,” a soft, muffled voice floats through the door. “I understand how upset you must be and... I’d be happy to work through those feelings if that’s okay.” He sounds measured, yet comforting. Like an old friend you can’t quite place where you’ve known them from.
Noelle is insulted beyond belief. “She really sent YOU to try and cheer me up??”
He hushes his voice, making it barely audible through the barrier. “I-it’s not... that, er, Kris asked me to come, actually.”
What...? “Kris?”
“Ummmm... I don’t think they wanted me to tell you that part, but... yes. They said I should—”
The door opens. Noelle’s eyes are wet and loom over the much shorter pile of fluff. “What kind of prank is this?”
Ralsei somehow shrinks even further, “N-no! It’s not a prank! I swear! I...” he fidgets with his paws, glancing at the floor.
He... seems sincere at the very least. Granted, she’s barely known him for more than twenty minutes at this point, but Noelle likes to believe she has a good sense of character.
“Why?” asks Noelle.
“Er, uh, p-pardon?” Ralsei struggles to meet her eyes.
“...Ralsei, right?” Of course it’s right. If anyone squinted, he’d be mistaken for Asriel... another can of worms for later. “Why’d Kris want you to talk to me?”
Ralsei grips the hem of his robe. Looking down the hall, toward the ground floor staircase. “They said... we have a lot more in common than we might think.”
Noelle’s brain hiccups. She isn’t sure how to take that. It could easily be a snide jab at the two for the price of one, but it feels like a weird attack even for Kris’ antics.
“Come in.” She cracks the door further and tugs his sleeve. Ralsei smiles as he follows the command, Noelle shutting the door behind him.
The pair sit on (sigh...) Noelle’s Christmas tree shaped bed. Noelle’s tall enough to let her hooves rest on the floor, but Ralsei’s legs end up dangling off the edge, swaying back and forth.
It’s honestly kinda cute.
Silence hangs in the air, neither seem certain on how to start this conversation.
Ralsei’s the first to rock the sleigh. “S-so, um... do you like... your room?”
Riveting small talk.
No. Don’t be like that. He’s trying. That’s gotta mean at least something... right?
“It’s, ummm, I’m not a BIG fan to be honest, faha.” That’s sugarcoating it a lot, but she doesn’t want to be rude to someone who built her an ENTIRE ROOM!
Ralsei tilts his head, “Noelle... you’re sad, aren’t you? You don’t have to hide it.” He shines a bright smile. “If you need to, you can even take it all out on me.”
What.
“E-er, uhm...!” Pink tints his cheeks. “I-I meant you can express it! Talk... about it? Talking about feelings! Yes...!”
This guy is weird... but Noelle finds it strangely familiar somehow? She has to hold back a laugh at his expense over the mess Ralsei’s making for himself.
But... venting to somebody who’s practically a stranger. It’s not the worst idea...
She purses her lips and lets loose, “Fine. Sure. This room sucks and I hate it. In fact, I hate a LOT of things right now! I hate being lied to. I hate secrets. I hate being led on. I hate the stupid prophecy that’s probably gonna make everything worse. I hate how sick my dad is. I hate that I can’t do anything to help him. I hate my mom for always being so cold. I HATE how it feels like nothing I do matters. I hate Susie. I—”
Noelle stops herself. “W-well, I don’t HATE Susie... I mean... I’m just a little upset at her. B-but I’ll get over it. I LIKE Susie, so... I just need to forgive her and move on, right?”
Ralsei sits at her side listening attentively. Noelle looks to him for an answer. He fumbles at the prompt to speak. “Oh! Well...” He searches for the words, “...is that what you want? To simply forgive her immediately? I-if so, then I encourage it!”
That’s all Noelle really needs to do, right? She forgives people all the time. This one should be no different. Just put on her usual smile and let it all go. It might be bittersweet at first, but... that’s how everything feels nowadays.
And sometimes it just feels bitter.
“You’re... right. Sorry. I’ll just... go apologize now.” Noelle resigns herself. Disconnecting from the bed, she takes a deep breath. “Thanks for letting me vent...” Noelle steps toward the door.
A snag on her gown stops her. “W-wait!” Ralsei tries to pull her back. Noelle turns to consider him. His mouth hangs as if he’s about to say something...
Then he lets go. “S-sorry I... nevermind.” He shines another big smile. “I’m sure Susie will be happy to hear that!”
The room spins suddenly. Noelle feels... off. Like her head keeps echoing against every wall of her skull. Like when Kris plays the same note on a piano over and over again.
Noelle snaps back to reality. Back with Ralsei in “her” room on “her” bed waving at her to be on her way.
His smile shakes at the corners of his mouth. Noelle finds this familiar.
Noelle sits back on the bed, searching for something in Ralsei’s eyes.
“U-ummm... Noelle...?” Ralsei’s smile falters, but doesn’t fully give up.
“How are you feeling?” Noelle asks, gaze still deep in its investigation.
“I’m... okay?” He shifts a little in his spot.
“No. How are you ACTUALLY feeling?" She grabs the sides of Ralsei’s head, “You told me I didn’t have to hide mine, right?”
And that’s when she sees it. An almost imperceptible twinkle in his eyes as the question clicks into his brain. A sparkle of what might be the real Ralsei. Hidden underneath all the fluff and masks, Noelle sees desire. She sees want. She sees yearning.
Noelle sees herself.
“What do you want, Ralsei?”
“I... I......” Ralsei wants something. “I want to b-be... honest.” He pulls away from Noelle’s grasp, sliding across the bed. “B-but... I can’t.”
Noelle has to keep pushing. There’s something here. Something NEW. Something she can’t afford to lose. She closes the distance between them. “Why not?”
“Because! Because... of the prophecy.” Ralsei scootches back, anchoring himself against the wall next to the bed. “I’ve already... indulged so much in these selfish desires... But I still have a role to play. I have a job to do. And if... if I let myself foster more and more of these wants, if I intervene too much, if I speak my mind... it’ll all BREAK!” He curls up into himself. “It will be MY fault!”
Yes... yes...! He’s doing great! He’s doing it PERFECTLY! He’s... he’s...
He’s crying.
Oh. Oh, cheese and crackers... Ralsei’s crying. She made him cry.
Noelle crawls over to her crying friend. Friend? She’s just met him, and the first thing she did was make him CRY!
Noelle crawls over to Ralsei. His glasses fell off at some point. He’s trying to mute his sobs into his robe. She’s... hesitant, but she swallows her nerves and wraps him up in a hug.
“Wh... what are you doing...?” He keeps his face pressed into his knees.
Noelle gets an idea.
She picks the Ralsei ball up and sets him on her lap, fully enclosing him in fluffy comfort.
Noelle squeezes tight. “I, um, overheard Susie teasing Kris over how much they like hugging you, faha... Guess I wanted to test it out myself?”
Ralsei finally peeks his head out, two bright pink eyes meeting hers. “They... they like hugging me?”
Noelle can’t hold it in this time. She bursts into laughter, bouncing the fluffing boy with every chuckle. “What kinda question is that???? Fahaha!!! You’re soft, and sweet... a-and you smell like marshmallows...” Her face heats up, “I-I mean... why WOULDN’T they like hugging you?? Faha...”
Pink follows Ralsei’s eyes down his cheeks. He unfurls a little to hug Noelle back.
“I... Well... they probably like hugging you more... You’re really strong and... you’re taller than Kris...” He tries to subtly sniff into Noelle’s fur. It is not subtle at all. “...and you smell like mint, pinecones and... apples. Just like they do?”
Noelle squeezes tighter as she pushes Ralsei’s face into the cloth of her gown. “FAHAHA YEAH THAT’S A FUNNY COINCIDENCE MAYBE IT’S BECAUSE I’VE BEEN AROUND THEM YES YEAH THAT’S WHY!!!”
It’s muffled, but Noelle thinks she can hear Ralsei hum affirmatively. She loosens her grip.
Ralsei’s cheeks are completely caked in hot pink.
...She’s just really warm. That’s all.
“We should uhm... probably discuss our feelings more... f-feelings about SUSIE, that is!” Ralsei nervously stutters through.
“Y-yeahhh... Probably...” Noelle gives him a soft squeeze. “But... maybe we could stay like this... for a bit longer?”
Noelle looks into Ralsei’s eyes.
They sparkle brightly with desire.
Ralsei smiles at Noelle. A real one.
“I think I’d like that.”