Darkness, darkness was all that filled the room, save for what little light all of Asriel's electronics on stand-by emitted. It had been yet another sleepless night filled with nightmares for the prince, who was currently tossing and turning in hopes of finding that one sweet spot of ultimate comfort. But it was useless. The sun had already begun rising and the light that entered the room through the cracks of his blinds burned away the darkness. And along with it, all hopes of a good night's evaporated. On the bright side, at least this was a new day. And that meant Asriel could go pick up the game he was so excited about.
With his eyes burning and bones heavy with sleep, Asriel rolled out of bed, only to drop on the floor like a sack of potatoes. Curse those nightmares and their ability to deprive him of his much needed sleep.
The caprine mobilized what little energy he had left in his tired body to pull himself off the ground and began to elegantly stumble through the still rather dark room. He knew the general direction to his wardrobe but seeing that his brain was still half asleep he couldn't quite tell right from left. And so he stumbled on through the darkness, all the while scanning his surroundings with his hands. Then it clicked and light began to flood the room out of nowhere, light so bright it almost evaporated his retinas. In, what was pretty much an instinctual motion he raised his arms in front of his eyes and almost ended up punching himself in the face while doing so. He somehow found the light-switch, and now he regretted getting out of bed in the fist place. Asriel just stood there in his room, eyes burning like he got an entire bottle of shampoo poured into them. This was going to be a great day, he just knew it.
Minutes passed and Asriel stood there motionless while his eyes began to slowly adjust to the sudden influx of light. The world around him began to take shape again and he could finally see the wardrobe he was looking for. If he had only walked to the other side of the room, he would have bumped right into it. Now he had to drag himself across the laminate floor again, slow and steady. In his current state it wouldn't be surprising if the tripped over his own feet and knocked himself unconscious. Sure, he'd get some sleep in but it wasn't the kind of sleep he wanted. Much to his own surprise, he made it across the room without incident and without crawling back into his bed that looked so comfortable right now.
Asriel successfully reached his destination and was now presented with his first challenge. What clothes should he wear today? The selection was broad. Shirts, sweaters, hoodies, he had it all, even dresses for some bizarre reason. And what about the color? Green with yellow stripes? Or maybe he felt like wearing something daring and go for yellow with green stripes. And what about his jeans? Blue or rather a little less blue than blue? Maybe a smidgen more blue than blue? No, Asriel felt particularly brave today. He just reached into the closet and pulled out whatever his hands could grasp.
With his clothing problem solved, he only had one thing left to do and that was regaining a conscious state. If he were to go outside like this people might mistake him for a zombie on morphine, which wasn't all that far away from the truth seeing that he was dead at some point in time. He figured that a cold shower could help him wake up. So he walked out of his room and towards the bath, all the while a delicious smell wafted into his nose from downstairs. Toriel was already up and preparing breakfast.
While Asriel's hand was already pushing down the bathroom door's handle, his brain continued to lag far behind. As a result, he failed to notice that the door didn't open and how his face was now pressed against it. If someone were to open the door now, Asriel would pretty much just slump forwards and hit the floor face first.
"For fuck's sake," the sleepy prince grumbled underneath his breath in an agitated tone once his brain managed to process the situation. Someone was occupying the bathroom, and he was pretty sure who that someone was.
"Asriel, what are you doing?" a voice from behind him, THAT voice from behind, spoke. Asriel didn't need to use his brain to know who was talking to him and his blood already shot way past it's boiling point. But that also meant Frisk wasn't in the bathroom. Asriel's brain failed to comprehend the current situation and crashed in response, causing the goat to stand there with a very confused expression on his face. If Frisk was standing behind him and Toriel was downstairs, then who was in the bathroom?
Still trying to figure out the current situation, Asriel, without even noticing, began to shift more and more of his weight onto the hand that was pushing down the handle. Turns out that the bath wasn't occupied, Asriel just failed to push the handle all the way down. The bathroom door flung open in an instant and the now even more confused prince stumbled into the empty bath, struggling to keep his balance with all of his sleep deprived might. But try as he might, in the end Asriel's struggle's were in vain and, after performing a beautiful pirouette, his butt met the ground rather forcefully, much to Frisk's amusement. In response, they had a door slammed in their giggling face.
After following the same procedure as yesterday, Asriel got underneath the shower but this time he made sure to lower the water's temperature. And he regretted it only seconds after. The moment the water touched him, he emitted a high pitched screech that could be heard all across the neighborhood. Each drop of water felt like a microscopic needle of ice piercing through him, and there were millions of them. He was out of the shower just as fast he entered it. On the bright side, at least he was wide awake now. He was freezing like crazy, but awake.
Now that he has achieved a conscious state again, Asriel noticed just what he pulled out of the closet. A picture he drew back when he was six, the closets construction manual and that fox onesie/pajama that disappeared not too long ago. He mentally face-palmed at what he pulled out. He couldn't wear any of those things in public, maybe the onesie but definitely not a piece of paper.
It wasn't much, and he didn't want to walk back to his room in all of his glory, so the pajama had to do for now. Asriel began to squeeze himself into the onesie and discovered that it still fit like a glove. He might have bought it not more than a year ago, but given that he's going through puberty and the associated growth spurts right now, he though he might have grown out of it already. Then it dawned upon him. If the pajama still fit like it did on day one, does that mean he didn't grow at all? Will he never grow above 5 ft. 10 in. and as such always be considered short? He was a little over 5 ft. in height right now which meant he was a tad bit shorter than his peers but that doesn't mean anything, right?
Once inside the cozy piece of fabric, Asriel left the bathroom and moved back into his room. The lights were still burning and slowly, but surely racking up the electricity bill. Or they would have. As an offer of good will monsters connected the CORE to the city's power grid, supplying their own districts, as well as many others, with electricity. Families living close to the foot of MT. Ebott, where homes where solely powered by the core, didn't even need to pay electricity bills at all. They were covered by the Dreemurr's. There were plenty of companies that were supplied by the CORE and part of the money they paid the Dreemurr's was used to cover the electricity-bills of the local neighborhood.
Just five minutes of wearing his lost onesie made him remember just how comfy it was, and he would certainly wear it more often at home, maybe even when staying at a friends place. But he didn't feel confident enough to wear it in public, so he decided to wear something that was a little more appropriate. Instead of over-complicating things, he decided to wear what, in essence, was what he wore yesterday. The only difference was that the hoodie he chose was black instead of purple. Once dressed for the day, Asriel pulled up the blinds, grabbed what he needed for the day and walked downstairs, where the smell of bacon and freshly brewed coffee filled the air. As he expected, Toriel and Frisk were sitting by the table. Both of them had already finished eating and while Toriel was busy reading the news, sipping coffee, Frisk simply stared holes in the air. Bacon and eggs were placed on the table, though at this point it was more bacon than eggs.
For once, Asriel was feeling rather peckish and as such, loaded his plate with bacon, eggs and a little more bacon. Without any further hesitation, he began to munch down on his breakfast. The bacon was crispy, almost too crispy, and the eggs could've used a little more seasoning but food is food. He wasn't in the position to complain and continued eating in delightful indifference. All the while, Toriel could just watch in worry. She so desperately wanted to reach out to Asriel. She wanted to know what was on his mind all the time but her son felt more and more like a stranger. Desperate to find answers, Toriel wanted to ask questions, hundreds, thousands of them but her tangled thoughts almost caused her to choke on the words that never left her throat. And even if she could just speak up, she wasn't sure if she wouldn't just end up running away again. So she just sat there in silence with her head hung low in shame. And Frisk? They gave up on fixing things a long time ago. After all, these are the consequences of their actions, consequences they couldn't fix by just resetting yet again.
"Well, I'm off to town," Asriel spoke up once he finished his plate, breaking the concealing veil of heavy silence for a short moment.
Toriel perked up but looked away just as quick, responding with nothing more than a nod. Guilt began tearing through her body once she realized she couldn't even look at Asriel anymore. How was she supposed to help him if she can't even face him? She couldn't even get a word out, the weight of guilt that rested on her was that heavy.
Now in the hallway, Asriel perform a quick double check on whether he had everything for today. Mobile, money, keys and most important of all, the receipt for the game he pre-ordered. Everything was there and that meant he was ready to go. He opened the front door, and was greeted to a sunny April morning. With each passing minute, the sun continued to conquer the azure sky, free of clouds. The temperature was just warm enough that he wouldn't need a jacket and a balmy breeze danced though the air. It was a day where the world and everything around it felt alive. From the birds singing their songs to the flowers reaching for the sun. Nature was in full bloom, presenting it's vivid colors to everyone that took the time to just pause and take in the world around them. But Asriel didn't care about any of it. He just put on his headphones and pulled up the hood of his hoodie. Once again, the prince drowned out the world around him on his way across town.
The way to the bus station that would take him downtown lead him through the neighborhood, where humans and monsters lived hand in hand in almost perfect harmony. Neighbors would help each other out without hesitation and many friendships were formed over the past four years. It was almost Utopian how everyone got along. From simple things such as borrowing sugar to BBQ-parties and even the occasional festival, this neighborhood was a tight-knit community. Children were running around, playing games with their parents and friends, enjoying their time to the fullest. And Asriel simply watched, his face shaped by the envy he held for all those children that were living the life he never had. How much he longed to play ball with his father or to explore the nearby woods and pretend a simple stick is a cool sword together with a friend. How desperately he craved being able to live like a normal child would. But a life like that was not granted to him. He returned his focus back on the road ahead, lest his bitterness might take over.
After a few more minutes of walking, the empty bus stop came into view, and it was much better condition than the one where the school bus stopped. But this wasn't the time to admire the difficult to accomplish task of keeping this place clean. The bus, which was also in much better condition than the school bus, was already approaching. Asriel sighed in what could be considered a sense of relief. The sooner he'd get to pick up his game, the sooner he would be back in his room.
Once the bus fully came to a halt, the doors opened and the bus driver, a young man full of enthusiasm who has yet to see the horrors of public transport, greeted Asriel with a big smile.
"Where you're off to, buddy?" the driver asked enthusiastically as he closed the doors again.
"Downtown," Asriel replied, attempting to mask his low mood.
"Meeting up with friends?" the driver inquired, attempting to make small-talk while he printed the ticket. "Well, here you go buddy. That'll be 4.50$. Have fun."
"Thanks," the prince, hurt by the drivers assumption, looked of to the side and replaced the ticket with a fiver. "Keep the change."
With that interaction now being over, Asriel began looking for a seat. The bus was rather full and most seats were already taken, with most passengers placing their bags on the window seat. This left the listless caprine with two options. He could either stand for the duration of the ride, or ask a passenger to clear a seat for him. If he was underground he had the alternative of ordering their execution, or just giving them the order to clear a seat, but that would take things a little too far. Besides, most would make way for the prince regardless whether they were asked to or not. Seeing that Asriel didn't really feel up for social interaction, he decided to stand near the door.
"Oh my, this won't do. This won't do at all. A prince should not have to stand during a bus ride," much to Asriel's horror, an old and raspy voice began talking to him. Why, just why does it always have to be the nice old lady. Next she's going to do is offering him sweets. "Please, have a seat."
"Oh, don't worry about me. I'll get off at the next stop anyway. I can stand for that little time," Asriel politely declined the lady's offer, claiming that he's fine, only to almost lose his balance when the bus stopped at a traffic light. "I'm fine, really."
The elder chuckled heartily at Asriel's display. "You remind me of my grandson. A dashing, young fellow, I tell you."
And now she was talking about her grandson, a situation Asriel really hope wouldn't occur. He didn't want to hear about some random woman's grandchildren, he didn't want to hear about anyone's grandchildren simply because he did not care. And worst of all, he couldn't just put his headphones back on since that would be the epitome of rudeness. All he could do was hope that the bus arrives earlier than expected. Or bet on the slim chance that the lady might just croak mid sentence, she was rather old after all. It wasn't the nicest thing to think about, especially considering she probably only want's someone to talk to, but it certainly was a possibility.
Of course the lady would continue talking about her grandson, telling Asriel all the details he never even knew he didn't care about. Like how he nursed a bird with a broken wing back to health or how he helps her with modern technology. And she kept talking and talking, not even giving Asriel the chance to say something. Not that it bothered him. That meant all he had do to was to act like he listened. But there was something that bothered him, the feeling as if he forgot something.
"Oh dearie me. I didn't meant to talk your ears off. This is your stop, right? Well, thank you for listening to the ramblings of an old lady. Take care," the old lady apologized for her rambling and said her goodbyes with a smile.
The short bus ride came to an end and Asriel, with one goal in mind, marched onward to the local electronics store. With his head phones back in place, and hoodie pulled up, he moved through the inner-city. It was impressive just how quickly this place was build. Four years ago this was just a small town near the base of Mt. Ebott. Now this place was packed full with countless shops, restaurants and night-life entertainment. The city was bustling with life, humans and monsters pouring in and out of the streets. Street performers capturing and enchanting curious viewers with their show while vendors were offering their nick-nacks and 'magical' trinkets to the curious and superstitious.
Asriel continued to push through the endless masses of humans and monsters clogging the streets, which proved more difficult than first anticipated. He was rather short for his age and many people simply failed to notice him, until they bumped into him by accident. Most were quick to apologize on the spot, afraid there might be consequences they almost knocked the prince of monsters of his feet. Most of the times, the caprine just moved on without saying anything, or he would have if it wasn't for those pushy quacks and charlatans.
"Excuse me young man, may I have a minute of your time?" a voice from his left began talking, causing him to roll his eyes in annoyance.
"No," Asriel gave a stern reply to what he assumes to be yet another idiot trying to sell his new miracle drug.
"You're in dire danger, young man. Dark forces took a firm hold on you, I can clearly see it. If you don't act swiftly, you might soon succumb to them," the quack continued their sham. "But there's still hope for you."
"Let me guess. A magical amulet? Perhaps and enchanted ring? Maybe just a stupid rock you claim has magical powers. Well, tell you what. Shove it up your ass, I don't give a damn," the prince snarled at the vendor as he began loosing his patience.
"I am certainly not joking. You're situation is most dire. If you do not act, you will soon be swathed in darkness unimaginable," despite no visible success, they continued to stick to their script, even going so far as reaching for Asriel's arm.
"As if you know what 'darkness' really means. Fuck off already, before it's off to the chopping block with you," Asriel gave the charlatan a rather rough shove, sending them tumbling into their booth filled 'enchanted' necklaces. Every single one of them broke into countless, tiny pieces. It was true that these necklaces had magical properties. They disappear in water, like salt tends to. The caprine silently chuckled to himself, seeing how he just ruined some swindlers scheme.
Having dealt with this rather unpleasant situation, Asriel could now move on to what was actually important to him right now. The crowds of people were dense, both literally and figuratively, but with a little bit of pushing the prince managed to reach his destination. GO-asis, a safe haven for gamers and otaku alike. They had everything related to Anime and gaming. Manga, video games, all sorts of merchandise and everything related to PCs and consoles. They even sold wares directed towards the more adult audience, if the buyer was old enough that is.
Asriel was a bit of a regular around here, always on the hunt for new, games or parts to improve his PC. And every now and then, he would buy a new Manga or Anime, though Alphys was a much more efficient supplier. She was one of the few Asriel still got along with. Sure, she might be partially responsible for Asriel's misery but he didn't blame her. She was only doing what she was told do. Besides. Alphys overlooked the entire age rating thing. If Asriel was interested in something that was a little more saucy, and this wasn't just limited to the Ecchi genre, he'd just have to ask Alphys. It was her way of making amends, even if the law disagreed with her practice.
"Good morning, Asriel," one of the employees was quick to greet the monster. "Here to pick up your game, I take it?"
"Yeah," he replied in a somewhat relaxed tone.
"Got it, hang on a second," the employee that just greeted him quickly disappeared into the warehouse.
Asriel took the moment to check what was displayed near the counter. First thing that caught his attention was the bargain bin filled with games from two console generations ago. Almost all of them were based around toys or movie characters directed at children. Something like that could be forgiven, if those games wouldn't fall under the 'trash' category. They only served to promote the manufacturers toys or a new movie. Gameplay usually consisted of press X to do a thing, then do it again. And worst of all. These games, which were nothing more than promotion material, cost money. Sure, the price was reduced to 5 bucks and they even offered a 5 for 4 deal but even free was too expensive for those games.
Next to the bargain bin were the shelves with the newer games, that despite being only half finished still cost 70 bucks plus micro transactions. Generic FPS 4K (give us your money edition), Space Wars Pay Upfront 2 (I can't believe it's not gambling) and even RushedGame76 (The it just works edition) they were all here. But those were just a hand full of bad apples from big name companies. There were plenty of big and finished games that are totally worth 70 bucks.
Just opposite of the game shelve, were the various Anime DVDs and Manga. Everything that is, and isn't, currently popular was put on display. Asriel never really bothered to follow the current trends, he just picked up whatever sounded interesting to him. He did have one Manga series he actively followed, though it was that type of Manga he couldn't just buy himself, at least not for now. Lucky for him, Alphys was there to save the day.
"Alright, here you go. Sorry it took so long," the employee returned with a rather big box, which she placed on the counter. It was the collector's edition and for about 500 bucks on the cheaper end of Collector's editions. These days some cost as much, if not more, than a new car.
"Don't you need to check the receipt?" Asriel raised an eyebrow, his voice shifting upwards by an octave.
"Technically yes. But I know you already payed. I took your order back then, remember? Besides, you're a regular around here," the clerk reminded as she packed up Asriel's box. "Here you go, have fun."
"Thanks, and have nice day," with a small wave, and even smaller smile, Asriel left the shop. For once, he felt a genuine sense of happiness flicker inside. Finally holding that game he was looking forward in his hands, it brought the slightest bit of a grin to his face. Now he only had to make it home in once piece.
With his new, prized possession in hand, Asriel made his way back to the bus stop. This time, he made sure to avoid the crowded parts of town. It would be a bit of a detour, but that was fine as long as it meant he wouldn't get robbed.
His path lead him further into the town's center and from there, along the edge of the towns residential district. Skyscrapers stood back to back, conjoining into gray concrete walls that conquered the dusty firmament. Day or night, the sky above looked always the same. Gray with ash from the nearby industrial district and illuminated by the lights below. Much like the commercial district, this part of town used to be a green plain surrounded by lush woods. Now it was reduced to nothing more than a cold concrete jungle. It was Asriel's least favorite part of town. Everything just seemed so cold and gray. The buildings, the streets and even the people, it all just felt so inhospitable. He was glad that he only had to pass through the outer parts of it.
The remaining route lead him along the busy main road and then back into the commercial district. It wasn't too long until he'd finally be back at the bus station. Just down the walkway, and then his destination would be within arms reach. But something caused Asriel to stop in his tracks. A sound, somewhat familiar and yet like an illusion. He paused and waited, hoping to hear it again. And there it was again, this time a little louder. He looked around, hoping to locate the source of the noise, ignoring the looks he earned from the other pedestrians. And again, the same noise. Like the meowing of a cat. It came from the alleyway, tucked away in between a restaurant and a bakery.
The corners of Asriel's lips began to curl into something akin to a smile. He always liked animals, they never took everything he had away from him just because. And so he moved towards the source of the noise, hoping he would find a cute little kitty. There he saw it, a stray cat, just sitting in front of a dumpster, meowing happily. The cat remained in place as Asriel approached, clearly used to human, or rather monster contact. In fact, the cat was rather affectionate and began waddling towards Asriel, purring affectionately.
"Hey there, little guy," the prince spoke as he bend down on his knees, patting the cat's head. "Are you out here all by yourself?"
The cat replied with a headbutt against Asriel's knuckles.
"You must be quite lonely, being all alone like that," Asriel spoke calmly, as he sat down on the ground and leaned against the wall, his box placed next to him.
And he remained there, sitting in this dark alley, patting a random cat. Because dark alleys are totally safe for children and teens, or anyone, to be in. Nothing terrible has ever happened inside a dark alleyway, away from the prying eyes of the public. But what's the worst that could happen? Someone might kill him. Wouldn't be the first time someone did that. He died so many deaths, what's one more? Besides, he was a monster. And not just any old monster. He was a boss monster, and he knew some rather potent magic. Spending some time with a stray cat in a dark alley didn't seem all that dangerous too him, the cat was certainly enjoying it.
"I know this probably sounds weird but, I wish you were an actual person. It's been way too long since I had a real friend I could rely on," after several minutes of silence, Asriel spoke up again in a disheartened tone.
The cat simply tilted his head in response, though Asriel wasn't quite sure what exactly that meant.
"Just look at me. Just another weirdo talking to a cat, wishing it was a person. Pathetic, isn't it?" the caprine sighed, followed by an exasperated chuckle.
The cat, seemingly having spotted something, walked out of the alley, leaving the now offended prince behind.
"Hey, that's not nice," Asriel called out as he jumped back on his feet, grabbing his box and dashing out of the alley.
Back on the street, Asriel began to look around in confusion. Where did the cat go and who's that guy kneeling a little further ahead. Could it be? Did all the clichès of (bad) fiction came true? Did the cat he just talked to turn into a human?
"Uhm, hi?" the goat spoke carefully as he approached the human.
The mysterious person in front of him visibly flinched, then turned around to face Asriel.
"Hi?" the human, who upon closer inspection looked like your average human boy and NOT cat turned human, replied in confused hesitation.
Asriel just stood there, not quite sure what to say without making himself look like the greatest idiot this world has ever seen. Was he supposed to just tell the stranger that he thought he's the cat from just a few seconds ago? What made things even worse was the look the stranger, who was still kneeling, gave him. He intently studied Asriel's expression, taking notes in his mind and comparing them to what he knows. This got awkward way too quick. And where was that damn cat? Cat's don't just disappear into thin air, at least they shouldn't.
"Is something the matter?" after a short but incredibly awkward moment of silence the stranger finally spoke up again.
"Yes," the embarrassed caprine quickly blurted out. "Have you seen a cat around here?"
The expression on the strangers face remained unreadable as he let one of his hand drop by his side. With a quick motion, he let his index- and middle finger brush against each other. The cat from earlier pushed his head underneath the strangers palm shortly after, demanding immediate affection. The stranger definitely wasn't a cat.
"This one?" the stranger inquired with a monotone voice. Just what is it with him? Asriel simply couldn't get a read on what's going through this guy's head.
"Yeah, that's the one," the socially awkward prince replied, growing more nervous by the second.
"Is he your cat?" the human questioned as he continued to scratch the cat behind his ears.
"Well, no. I kind of just met him in that dark alley over there," Asriel explained, pointing to the alley he emerged from. This interaction was getting worse with each second that passed. Just what was the stranger supposed to think of a guy that pets cats in dark alleyways?
"I see," the stranger replied plainly. "Oh, don't worry. There's nothing weird about talking to animals. I used to talk to my dog too, back when he was still with us."
Asriel's cheeks immediately took a deep shade of crimson, heat rushing through his entire body. The boy in front of him heard him talking to the cat. Does that also mean he heard how Asriel wished for the cat to turn into a human? This conversation just reached peak awkwardness. The lack of facial expression on the strangers face only made it worse. In his awkwardness, Asriel subconsciously began to fiddle with the tips of his ears, eyes darting left and right and up and down just to avoid the strangers expressionless face.
"I did it again, didn't I?" the human sighed and got back on his feet, dusting himself off any cat hair that might have gotten on him. "I'm sorry. I kinda tend to make things a little awkward."
An awkward silence permeated the air, only the cat continued to purr as it rubbed it's head against the strangers leg. Speaking of stranger, this might be a good time to ask for his name. Asriel's social skills might be a little rusty but things could hardly get any more awkward than they already were.
"Anyway," the prince stretched his words, then extended his free hand. "I'm Asriel. What's your name?"
"Oh, yeah," the stranger reacted as if he just remembered the basics of social interaction and gave Asriel a proper handshake. "It's Noir, nice to meet you."
Great, Asriel just learned the stranger's name. Now what?
"So, uhm, do you live around here or?" the clueless prince asked timidly in an attempt to start a proper conversation.
"No. I was looking around town for a game that got released today, but it's already sold out everywhere. So I just settled for a gift card to buy a digital copy," Noir explained, his expression beginning to light up a little, voice much more lively. He must be quite passionate about video games.
"What video game?" Asriel inquired further as his own awkwardness began melting away. He too, was quite passionate about video games.
"Twisted Fates 3, Children of the sky. I loved the previous two games," the human male grew ever more lively, as if he turned into a completely different person right then and there.
"Wait, Twisted Fates 3? That's the game I pre-ordered. I've got my copy right here," Asriel excitedly pointed at the bag he was holding and it surprised him. He's rarely ever the way he's right now anymore. In fact, he can't even remember the last time he initiated a conversation. And now he was talking to this random person like it was the easiest thing in the world.
"Really? And you even got the collector's edition?" Noir exclaimed wide-eyed, now clearly excited. "Isn't the collector's edition like, 500 bucks?"
"It is, but that doesn't matter. I'm the prince of monsters after all," the prince boasted, only to quickly clasp his mouth afterwards. He just blared out the one thing he didn't want to blare out.
"Really?" the human didn't believe Asriel's claim and promptly questioned it, pleasantly surprising the prince. Noir didn't know about Asriel's royal status, or maybe he did but did not care.
"Hey! I know this might be a bit sudden but, do you want to hang out sometime? We can try out the new multiplayer," Asriel continued to surprise himself with his actions. Not only did he manage to hold a proper conversation with a stranger for more than five minutes, he might even become friends with him.
"Sure, but I don't even know where you live," Noir agreed with a wide smile, only to lose his enthusiasm again.
"How about we trade numbers then? We can talk about everything else over the phone that way," the excited monster suggested.
"Alright," the human agreed, and pulled out his mobile.
And so the pair slowly dictated their phone numbers to each other.
"So, where you're headed now?" Asriel curiously inquired. Somehow he managed to turn this conversation around.
"I'm on my way to the nearby bus stop," the human replied, returning to a more casual tone.
"What line are you taking?" the prince inquired further.
"E62, the one that takes you to the base of Mt. Ebott," Noir replied as he tucked his phone away again.
"What's your stop?" Asriel almost demanded to know, once again excited.
"Silver stream road," the male answered, causing a wide smile to appear on the goat's face. "Why are you asking?"
"We're on the same bus and get off at the same stop," the prince exclaimed in excitement. "And that means, we can walk the way to the bus together."
Noir nodded in agreement and walked to the bus stop together with his new friend, mainly chatting about video games along the way and during the wait for the bus. The city had a pretty efficient public transport system, and the bus arrived only minutes after. The two males boarded and took their seats, their little chat shifting to more casual topics.
"So, what school do you go to?" Noir asked with curiosity.
"Ebott middle school, though I'll be going to Ebott High after summer break," Asriel happily replied. He was amazed by how easy talking to his new friend was. It just happened, out of the blue. Maybe this was some sort of divine intervention, a sign that his suffering has come to an end. Or maybe it's just a cruel trick of fate, just another relationship that Frisk would ruin. No, Asriel wouldn't let that happen. He had to come up with something, and he had to do it quick. No matter what, he would make sure he'd get to keep this one friend he made.
"Ebott middle school? That's the same school I go to," the human male seemed happy. "And we're in the same year, just in a different class.
Same school and even the same year? That should make everything a lot easier for Asriel. He just had to play his cards right and find out what makes Noir tick. He didn't know what to do afterwards, or how to get there in the first place, but he was working on it. Frisk wouldn't take everything away again, he wouldn't allow them to.
"Really?" Asriel exclaimed in surprise. "Then how come I've never seen you before?"
"Well, I tend to avoid other people. I had some pretty nasty experiences in the past," Noir's eyes trailed off to the side. It seemed as if this was a topic he'd rather avoid talking about.
"Why don't you join me? You can usually find me near the green patch during recess," the prince suggested, eager to find out more about Noir.
"Sure, I'd love to," the human agreed with a happy smile, much to Asriel's delight.
This was so much easier than he first thought, maybe even a little too easy even. But it didn't matter. He was glad that befriending Noir was this easy. Now he just had to nurture this friendship so it wouldn't just wither and die. And then find a way to make it last for more than just one timeline.
The remaining ride was filled with chit-chat about whatever arbitrary topic came up. And soon enough the bus arrived at Silver stream road where the pair got off the bus.
"So, where you headed now?" the prince continued with his numerous question. It was as if asking question was all he could do.
"Amber falls," the human replied nonchalantly.
"Amber falls?" Asriel repeated, raising a hand to his chin. "Hey, that's just a ten minute walk from where I live. Mind if I walk with you?"
"Nope, not at all," Noir shot a fleeting smile towards Asriel.
The furred monster followed the human. It seemed as if today would mark the end of his lonely days. He'd make sure it does. It would take time, it'd wouldn't be easy but he'd fully earn Noir's friendship and maybe even his affection. And once he found a way to stop the resets, he would pay Frisk back. Tenfold AND with interest. He'd show them that death was a mercy, and Frisk wasn't deserving of mercy.
"Well, here we are," the human spoke up again, causing Asriel to flinch. He was so lost in thought he didn't even notice where he was.
"Well, it was nice meeting you. See you in school and don't be stranger. I sure won't," Asriel once more extended his hand for a handshake.
"Yeah, likewise. See you around," Noir said his goodbyes with a handshake and walked up to the front door of his home while Asriel continued on his way home.
By now the sun was standing high in the cerulean sky, casting it's warming rays down on the earth below while a light breeze carried the song of birds and rustling leafs. In the middle of all of it walked Asriel, smiling from ear to ear. For once he felt hopeful, hopeful that this might be a new beginning for him. But right now he had a new game he was eager to try out, so he sprinted the last few meters to his house.
"I'm back," Asriel chirped as he entered through the front door, panting from his little extra exercise.
"There you are! I was getting worried about you," after a few seconds Toriel stormed out of the kitchen, telephone in hand. She would have hugged her son but he probably would have just wiggled out of her arms.
"You look awfully happy, did something happen?" the queen inquired nosily, sensing the perfect opportunity to reconnect with her son.
"I met someone on my way home and we became friends. We even go to the same school," the prince replied in a sing-song voice.
This almost family like moment was a pleasant surprise for Toriel. She couldn't even remember the last time she saw her son like this. It must have been long before things turned out the way they did. Maybe there still was hope. That's what she hoped for.
While Toriel's thoughts were drifting off, Asriel made a quick disappearance by sneaking off upstairs and into his room. There he was quick to realize that he forgot to turn off the lights before he left, which explained why he felt like he forgot something on his way down town. But that wasn't what's important right now, he was quite eager to try out that new game he bought.
Without wasting any more time than he already had, he carefully opened the box, filled to the brim with all sort of goodies. The games official soundtrack, the official art book, the official guide book, a map of the ridiculously huge world, a ludicrous 256Gb USB-Stick, a key-chain and two different hoodies with the games logo on it. There even was a decorative replica of "Heaven's Spite", one of the games unique and legendary weapons. And of course there was a copy of the game in a regular cover. An additional steel-book cover was also inside.
Asriel turned on his console and popped in the disc. Now all that was left to do was to wait for the game to install, because for some reason that's a thing with consoles these days. Usually this would bother him to no end, but now he had someone to talk during the installation process. So he pulled out his phone, pressed on the contact he added and began typing away.
Hey, it's me :)
Hey Asriel
you already got to try out your new
game?
It's installing right now :\
That sucks
Mine's downloading right now
Should be done in a few minutes
Internet is really fast around here
Much faster than it was back home
You said you bought the collector's
edition, right?
Yeah, I did and it's
full of stuff (*_*)
I can send you a picture,
if you want :)
I'd love too
Asriel emptied the box and placed it's contents in an orderly fashion on the floor in front of him. He then proceeded to take several photos, which he then compared to each other. After a careful selection process, in which he ruled out specific pictures for arbitrary reasons, he selected the one he thought turned out the best and send it to his new friend.
They even put a replica of
Heaven's Spite in there?
That's so cool.
I know, right?
Can't wait to get the weapon
in game.
Trailers made it look sooo OP
\(^o^)/
Yeah. It looked so cool
in the trailer.
Anyway, I would love to
keep chatting but Lunch's ready.
Talk to you later.
The prince softly smiled to himself. He knew this feeling of euphoria wouldn't last too long, so he savored every second of it. He knew that, in just a few days, it would fade away again and all of his fears and worries would make a return. This frail illusion of a happy world would shatter and he would live every second in fear of another reset again. But he found his motivation, his reason to keep going and maybe even someone to spend his life with. Now all he needed was a plan that allowed him to reach his goals. No more resets, a normal happy life and a way that allowed him to keep his new friend. He wouldn't allow Frisk to ruin everything again, regardless of what he has to do to stop them. But right now, he had something else on his mind. The game finished installing and he already new what he'd use the entirety of his weekend for. In the end, today did turn out to be a good day.