add one for the intro train!

[fiery_goatmother]

It had been a late night. There were still so many papers to finish grading, after all, and lesson plans to draft up, and sweet heavens the field trip forms still weren’t all handed in…

And when Toriel awoke, reading glasses slid halfway down her nose, cheek smushed against a book, she at first didn’t realize anything was amiss. It was a little embarrassing, of course. She woke this way all too often these days. It was hardly anything out of the ordinary anymore. The thing that was out of the ordinary, though, was that she was not at her desk in her bedroom. It wasn’t even her classroom. It was a library.

And it wasn’t a library she recognized.

Toriel took off her reading glasses, rubbed her eyes, and blinked blearily at the shelves around her.

“What in the world…?”

Slowly, curiously, she rose from her seat and started to pad through the library, peering around shelves. Perhaps this was some kind of particularly silly prank from Sans and Frisk. After all, she wasn’t so old that she would forget a place like this.

“Hello? Anyone?” And, after a moment with no answer, she added playfully, “You may come out now.”

Comments

[mercybutton]

At first they don't believe it. They just keep on dozing. They probably shouldn't be up at this hour, or maybe they should, but they had since ditched a day-night sleep schedule and just napped somewhere whenever they got tired. The Library being one of them.

But then she talks again, and it reaches into their half-hazed consciousness better, and they realize that yes; she's really here.

They lean up, keeping their sleepy eyes shut. They don't need them. "Mom?"

[fiery_goatmother]

It's with no small amount of relief that Toriel turns to spot Frisk. The lack of an answer was starting to worry her a bit. Now she's sure of it; it's some silly prank. And if Frisk is here, Sans is probably lurking somewhere nearby, possibly armed with whoopee cushions.

Not that she would ever dream of complaining of such things. She loves this.

"There you are, my child." And with your eyes still shut, too. "Did you fall asleep waiting for me?"

Did she really take so long to wake up?

[mercybutton]

"… huh?" It takes a while to process her words. They're still half asleep, and also confused.

They lift a hand, reaching for her. "I dunno, I guess." They're under the assumption she's already been here for a while.

[fiery_goatmother]

She must have taken a while to wake. Poor Frisk looks like they're practically sleepwalking. Toriel takes their hand gently and gives it a soft squeeze.

"Well. I am here now. Although I am rather curious where 'here' is."

Impressed as she is with the prank, she does still need to get her grading done.

[dustless]

Frisk doesn't hear her at first--they're absorbed in their own book, one about hot air balloons and the construction thereof. For...later.

And it's been months, but they know her voice. They're out of their cushioned window seat in an instant, pacing down the shelves too.

"M--Toriel? Toriel?" There's no disguising the hope in their voice.

[fiery_goatmother]

"Hm?"

And now there's... Frisk again? Toriel looks puzzled, but still makes her way between the shelves to go and meet them. This prank is certainly above and beyond the usual. Perhaps they had help from more than just Sans. (Would Undyne join in on such a thing? Certainly not Alphys.)

But the prank and the fact that this is the second Frisk she has spotted takes an immediate back seat to the fact that their voice is much rougher than she's used to. Mom Mode activates.

"Oh, my child, you sound as if you are catching a cold." Worriedly, gently, Toriel holds a paw to Frisk's forehead. No, not warmer than usual. "How do you feel?"

[dustless]

Panic flashes over their face for a wild moment before they can tame it back to normal. No. No they are not about the break the news that her first child--hurt--her last child as soon as they meet.

"No. Um...my throat's a little messed up. But 'm not sick. And it doesn't hurt, promise. It's fine. You're new here?"

[trombones]

Well, crap.

Sans missed his family and friends here, but he sure as shit didn't want them here. They didn't need to be in a place like this - even if it was pretty harmless for a most part. The skeleton watches Toriel wander through gaps in the bookshelves, not quite announcing his presence yet.

A lot of question ran through his mind. A lot of possibilities. Would this one know him? Was it "his" timeline's Toriel? He hoped not, but... he couldn't deny how welcome it was to see and hear her again. There might be too many "maybe"s but, well. He might as well find out, right?

As Toriel passes through one of the shelves, Sans raps on a book from the other side.

"Knock knock."

[fiery_goatmother]

Toriel stops when she hears the knock, then blows out a sigh and shakes her head, grinning despite herself. She knew Sans had to be "in" on this somehow. He's never too far behind an elaborate prank, after all. And she's absolutely sure that's what this is. It has to be. Nothing else would quite add up.

She decides to play along. After all, if the whoopee cushions or electric buzzers or toy snakes popping out of cans are coming, she knows better than to try to derail it. Besides, she always loves the laughs. One can only spend so long alone in the Ruins before one welcomes the silliness.

"Who is there?"

[trombones]

Oh, he hears that sigh. Despite everything, he feels himself grinning again. Just for him, he teleports himself behind the bookshelf on her other side. Still out of sight, but now his voice is coming from the opposite direction.

"Opportunity."

[sansational]

...he knew that voice.

He knew that voice, but it's been long enough since she was here that he no longer remembered that name. Somewhat embarrassing, to say the least. But he still wasn't going to let her keep wandering around lost, calling for the end of a joke that's not going to end.

Sans slides off his windowseat and heads back into the maze of shelves, honing in on the sound of her footsteps and her voice. Finally, he rounds a shelf at one end just as she's turning the corner at the other, and stops dead in surprise. Only for a moment, though, and then he grins and waves. There's a scrap of green cloth tied around one of his wrists.

"hey! there you are. yeah, this is one of the bigger libraries in the place. i should remember to bring a ball of twine."

[fiery_goatmother]

Toriel also stops dead in surprise. There really are multiples. Her own look of shock fades, though, as he waves.

While she wonders what the cloth is for, she decides to just approach her friend and answer him for the time being.

"That would certainly help, would it not?" The twine, that is. She gives Sans her usual mischievous grin, the same she always has when she's gearing up for a particularly terrible pun. "It would be just the string to help us find our way."

[sansational]

The smile is a bit more familiar. That tone of voice is exceptionally familiar, however. Sans claps his hands together and beams with delight, already feeling himself settling back into old habits. Better habits. "without it, we'll just have to keeping twining our best." Others have valiantly tried, but none can keep up with the puns quite the way she can. He just hopes that he's not too rusty, in turn.

All jokes aside, he thinks he knows where the door is. Sans turns away and motions for her to follow. "so. uh, welcome to the castle. don't think it has a name. anyone given you the rundown, yet?"

[boogerman]

"No." says a man's voice from somewhere unseen, a smarmy sort of voice with a British accent. It almost sounds like it's coming from the floor... but that wouldn't make any sense.

"I don't think I will."

[fiery_goatmother]

That is not a voice she recognizes. Toriel looks around herself, trying to spot who might be talking to her, but can't quite seem to spot anyone. It does seem to be coming from the floor. One of the residents of the Ruins was rather small and also hard to spot, but they also weren't quite so easy to hear, either.

Puzzled, she just stops where she is and decides to answer. After all, perhaps it's a ghost. She knows they sometimes will go completely incorporeal.

"Why not?"

[boogerman]

Whichever way she turns, it seems to stay behind her.

"Why should I?"

[demonthatcomes]

Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no.

It's her. It's actually her. Chara is terrified out of their wits, though they know they shouldn't be. But they know they shouldn't be anywhere near her either. They killed her. They don't deserve to see her again. But... but they wanted to see her so much. Depending what timeline she's from, it's perfectly understandable if she's wary or doesn't forgive them. They murdered way more people than Asgore, children included. Just because the timeline got aborted doesn't mean they'll avoid consequences. Knowing what they've done in past timelines, it's... hard to look at people. They don't know you did this horrible thing to them, but you do. They deserve better than being friends with a liar with a deadly secret.

"...Toriel?" They were reading something, but they don't want to lower the book from their face. Like how they refused to lower the bouquet for their family photograph, but that was a more innocent time.

[fiery_goatmother]

At the voice, Toriel looks around, fully expecting another Frisk to be there. There have been two already, and who is she to say whether or not there may be more? Once she spots the child with the book, she starts on her way over, already starting to smile.

But their behavior is... not at all like the usual Frisk. Frisk would surely have put the book down when they called. Memory stirs. It can't be. One of the Frisks did mention, but... surely not...

"...Frisk?" Her voice is oddly choked. She has a sneaking suspicion that she already knows that this is not another Frisk. But she's also almost afraid to hope that it isn't.

[demonthatcomes]

Chara cringes and hides themself further behind the book. It didn't occur to them that Toriel might be afraid of them; they're used to seeing her as powerful and intimidating.

"Chara." Their voice is more like a whisper. "Greetings."

[justletmewin]

Asriel's voice caught in his throat when he saw a familiar figure. Mom... did he dare talk to her again? He didn't want to hurt her again, he can't... but... maybe he should just accept it. Maybe he has changed back for good. He wants to believe Frisk. And he wants to see his mother again.

Selfishness won in the end.

"Mom?"

[fiery_goatmother]

There's no mistaking that voice. It's been so very long, but his voice is engraved on her heart. Toriel didn't notice him approaching, but she freezes when she hears him call out.

Her heart is breaking and there are tears already choking her. Frisk was right. Her dear, sweet boy really is here.

"Asriel..."

She tries to choke down the tears - fails - and turns to face him. Just seeing him standing there, just as she remembered, whole and himself and unhurt, is almost more than she can take. And she closes the distance between them with only a few long strides, scooping him up into a tight hug. The tears are pouring down her face and she can't stop them but her son is here and that's all that matters.

"You are here. You are really here." My little boy.

[justletmewin]

He squeezes his mother as hard as his tiny arms could, burying his head into her soft familiar robe. The warm swell in his heart while she holds him... it's back. It's actually back. The love Asriel desperately wanted to feel from her as Flowey.

He can't speak except for long wailing sobs. How on earth is he going to apologize for things she won't remember? Like how cruel he'd been as Flowey: Dismissing her as useless. Choking her with thorny vines. Killing her. Does she know the truth about the plan he shared with Chara? Would she be mad at him for poisoning them (even though they wanted him too... he still can't help feeling responsible. He could've stopped anytime. Anytime.) and not telling her what's going on?

[andthebat]

The collection of books in the library is about as eclectic a mix as the people currently residing at the castle, but that doesn't stop the Batman from trying to do the occasional research there. Partly to keep him occupied, but he has yet to give up hope of finding some clues as to the castle's nature.

Batman's brushing his talons across the spines of a shelf of books, absently taking note of the names he brushes by (Mikhail Bakhtin, Peter Barry, Roland Barthes...) when he hears the unfamiliar voice from somewhere further into the library. On one of the lower levels, by the sound of it- Batman moves over to the balcony railing and peers over the edge at the level below.

There's a monster in the library, one that's big, white, and vaguely resembles a goat in a dress. Hmm. Batman leans against the railing.

"Ma'am?" he says, head cocked at an angle.

[fiery_goatmother]

The boss monster glances up when he speaks, catching sight of him almost immediately. A smile spreads across her face in greeting. This new monster may not be one she recognizes, but that hardly means anything. She's also just now learning plenty of new faces on the surface, anyway. A lot changes when you're locked in the ruins for countless years.

Fairly certain that this is a monster from back home, she gives a small wave.

"Hello! I am sorry if I interrupted you."

Not the best manners, considering. This is a library.

[andthebat]

"It's fine," the Batman says. He was only browsing at the moment anyway, and a newcomer to the castle is of more immediate importance. She seems... oddly happy to see him. If she's another one of the Underground monsters, she's probably assuming that Batman's one of the same.

Conversing on different levels of the library seems like it'll be impractical, so in the next moment the Batman grips the railing and swings himself over, to land with a thump on the level below.

He straightens, checking to make sure that he hasn't knocked anything over, before turning back to Toriel. In a perfectly conversational tone, Batman says, "I don't think we've met, Miss...?"