MOR!
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Abduction Day 4
(WDG-1S)
"Breakfast is ready. Come sit at the table."
One knew that she was going to show her true colours, today. Today, Two was going to bear the brunt of One's actions. He clung tighter to his brother's hand on the walk down the hallway to the dining table. Somehow, it was longer, this morning.
But it was the same pretty place. Even he had to admit that it was pretty. Everything was... nice. The fire in the hearth warmed without being dangerous. He could put his whole self in and not be burned. Or... that was the theory. He would wait another day to test it. Today, he was testing Her, to see if she was anything like Him after all.
Three places. The blue placemat held a plate already full of bacon, beans, and fried tomatoes. That was his. Two's placemat was orange, and had exactly the same thing. Her mat was pink, and held the same food. Each of the brothers had a large glass of milk. Good for strong bones.
Toriel was not in the dining room. She was bustling about in the kitchen. One looked to his brother. He didn't know what was happening either.
She came out of the kitchen with three plates balanced on her arm. "And a special treat... a soft-boiled egg with toast sticks."
The little plate she added to One's placemat had buttered, toasted bread cut into long, thin strips. And an egg sitting and steaming in a cup. "One for you. And one for me." the same kind of little plate. The same kind of bread. And the same cup with her own steaming egg. "And one for... oh dear."
Two's plate had the bread. And the cup. But that cup was glaringly empty of egg.
"That is not right. You will miss out, Big Brother. That is _not_ right..."
One glared at his egg. Trying to calculate how he could cut it in half for his brother.
Toriel plucked her full egg cup off her plate and swapped it for Two's. "There. Now no brother will go hungry."
_What?_
One watched her as she sat, seemingly without a concern. Watched her place the empty egg cup beside her toast sticks. And then commenced her breakfast as if nothing at all was wrong.
(WDG-2P)
Two looked to his brother. One was looking at him. Both were trying to urge each other, with their minds, to say or do something.
_You talk to her. No *you* talk to her. I'm not going to do it, you do it._ And so on.
"It is not poison," said Toriel. "You may eat."
_No, YOU say something._
"If you doubt, you may swap your plate with mine. Any time you wish."
Two finally broke. "Won't _you_ go hungry, Miss Toriel Ma'am."
"...you're supposed t' pick one..." muttered One, under his breath.
"It is only one egg. And you brothers both need to eat more than I do. And since it's a treat, I thought you deserved it more."
Everything smelled so nice. It was all nice. Everything was nice. Even she was nice. "...why?" he said.
"You have been through a lot and I think you deserve a treat."
One picked up the egg in his cup. Got up and carried it over to Toriel's setting and swapped it for the empty one. "...i don't." he said, and he sat back down. "...i was mean to you... you didn't deserve it." He took a deep breath and said something he never thought he'd say to someone in charge ever again. "..i'msorry."
"Thank you," said Toriel. "Let us be sure that it never happens again."
(Toriel)
After they got dressed, she took them for a walk. They needed to see that some things in the ruins were harmless. Starting with the tree in her courtyard. Of course she packed a basket of snacks and drinks. These were hungry little skeletons, after all. And many of the things available in the ruins were... unpalatable.
And on the trip, her desire to be a teacher came to the fore. She had all sorts of guidance about them.
"That is a migosp. They much prefer to be left alone." Or, "There is Wimsun. They are afraid of everything." Or, "That is a vegetoid. They might feed you if you are hungry, but you must be able to dodge their attacks. Look for the green ones. They will restore you."
All the way to the golden flowers. She did not talk to them, this time. She did not tell the little skeletons that there was a child's body under that trove. But she did encourage them to sit and enjoy the sunshine that filtered down. Skeletons needed sunshine, after all.
Little Brother fell asleep in a sunbeam, and Big Brother asked her questions about the flowers. The smaller brother woke up for food, of course. And he made himself stay awake for the walk back, though he leaned on his brother more often on the way back to her home.
"I could carry you, if you like," offered Toriel. "I do not mind."
"...ic'n... (huff)... stillwalk..."
He was lying. She could tell. He would fall asleep during story time and remain asleep until dinner. She slowed down for him and, since she could not say 'I love you', she said, "As you wish."
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Moar whenever.