[Open] Fill my heart with song

[inruins]

Who: Toriel & you!
When: May 4th - May 20th
Where: Around the ship.
What: Catch all for May. Child wrangling, talking with friends and waking up from Cryo.
Warnings: Baked goods, parental fussing, possible angst.



[A - A Parental touch - Open to teens/kids - May 4th - 14th]

"Ah, here you are-" Whatever peace of mind one had before Toriel's arrival is broken by the boss monster approaching their lunch table in the mess hall.

There is no escape as Toriel settles down across from her unsuspecting victim. "I've been looking for you, dear. I just wanted to see how you're doing today."

For anyone whose dealt with Toriel, it is clear enough she's going to launch into fussing at whomever she's settled down across from.

She squints a little at their lunch tray. "I hope you're eating your vegetables."


[B - Hello, hello - Open to all - May 13th]

The hustle and bustle of people visiting the planet to go home briefly leaves the ship oddly quiet. Toriel takes that time to make herself at home in the kitchen. Her shift isn't today but-

but she still finds herself working on baked goods. With magic she worries a little less about supplies, it means she doesn't waste power from the burners or gas from the stove.

Anyone who enter the mess hall will smell the scent of freshly baked cookies. Alongside hear the soft singing from the kitchen. Those who venture forth will find a tray of cookies already out, another likely to come out in a moment.

"Oh!" It takes Toriel a moment realize she isn't alone, she offers a friendly smile. "Would you like a cookie, dear? I went a bit overboard with them."


[C - Waking up - Open - May 20th]

The strangest part is waking up when she doesn't remember falling asleep. Beyond the initial panic of being contained in some kind of pod and gentle reassurances from the medical staff, Toriel feels- odd. It takes some time before the medical staff let her leave on her own. Tests, checks and insistence she return if she feels faint again.

By the time they're done, Toriel is relieved to be out in the hallway. She exhales slowly, closing her eyes for a moment to recenter herself. Many thoughts collide at once, leaving her unsteadier than she started.

The boss monster forces herself forward, walking down the hallway. Initially her steps are unsteady, but she corrects it quickly enough. In privacy she can think this over, reason out how or why she had gotten ill. Now was not really the time.

Toriel herself is hard to miss, given her height and current demeanor she seems intent on just getting as far as she can from the medical wing. In her hurry she nearly bumps into someone. Her expression is pinched but apologetic.

"My apologies, I am in a bit of a rush."

Comments

B

[neveroutwrenched]

It's hard to miss the alluring scent of fresh baked goods on the air. And considering the whole reason Ratchet's here is he's starving, a long day of interdimensional scavenging behind him...

"Oh, uh. Nah, that's okay." He looks away, designs on eating something with actual nutritional value before glancing back down at the plate of cookies. There's a brief moment of mournful hesitation. "Okay, maybe one."

He takes one, shoving it into his mouth whole as he takes a seat at the counter.

[inruins]

The familiar face earns a please smile from the monster, glad to see the young man out and about. Even with the heaviness of their last conversation.

"Just one?" She teases readily, snout wrinkling in open amusement at Ratchet's poor attempt to resist the allure of baked goods. "I would say two is a better number, personally."

[neveroutwrenched]

"Mm..." He finishes chewing, giving the plate a thoughtful look. "Well. You've got a point."

An inarguable point. He carefully chooses another, this time only taking a bite. He was glad to see that Toriel seemed in good spirits...even if experience told him that wasn't necessarily the whole story.

"So, is there an occasion, or...?"

[inruins]

"One cannot turn down a cookie." She jokes readily in turn, moving to dust off the front of her uniform. A light dusting of flour has settled on some of her uniform from baking.

"Ah, no- I just had the itch to bake today. I felt giving in to the urge wouldn't hurt."

[neveroutwrenched]

"Yeah, I guess not. Worked out okay for me." He grins, taking another bite of the cookie.

"So, uh, how are things?" It occurs to him then he hadn't really talked to her much since the thing with Chara. "Have you gone down to the planet at all?"

[inruins]

Toriel chuckles lowly at that, moving to pick up a cookie herself. The boss monster gladly takes a bite, enjoying the fresh magic made cookies.

"Briefly- Asriel and I visited home for a short while." The thought of that visit makes her smile soften, the event was exciting as much as it was tiring. "The visit reconnected us, enough so that Asriel can grow a little now. He's growing in his horns now."

[neveroutwrenched]

“Can grow?” Ratchet repeats back, raising an eyebrow. That was an odd way of putting it. “What, he couldn’t before?”

[inruins]

"Back home, he had..." The word dead still feels sour for her now given the happier circumstances she's found her son. She manages to finish the sentence a bit awkwardly. "Passed on- so our connection was severed." She works on her own cookie, trying to find her words. Something so intrinsically known by monsters is something odd here.

"Boss monsters such as myself give our children strength with the power of our soul. The power of my soul will flow into Asriel as I age. I am not entirely sure how it worked, but he has grown in his horns and I suppose I aged."

1/2

[neveroutwrenched]

"Oh, uh." That's definitely a unique way of....doing things. "Well, you look good."

2/2

[neveroutwrenched]

He pauses awkwardly, taking a third cookie to occupy his hands.

"So will he keep growing now? Is that how it works?" He shrugs a little, taking another small bite of the baked good. "Sorry if that's a dumb question, this monster stuff is....it's really different to what I'm used to."

Honestly, he's starting to understand how the humans feel.

[inruins]

The boss monster openly snorts at that, leaning forward, melodramatically resting a hand against her chest. Aiming to at least tease the lombax for his attempt at smoothing that awkwardness over. "Do you say that to all the old women, Ratchet or am I a special case?"

[neveroutwrenched]

"Wha- no, I..." He stammers, sinking lower into his seat. He's lost for a real response for a full several seconds before a quick thinking catches up and he shoves that whole cookie into his mouth, a convenient excuse to not have to answer. "Mrrfgh."

He gives her an apologetic shrug; what can you do?

1/2

[inruins]

"Mhmm." She rests a hand on her hip just looking at him for a long moment.

2/2

[inruins]

Just as quickly the charade breaks, as Toriel fails to look serious and laughing. She covers her mouth with her hand trying to contain the laughter.

"I am not offended my friend." She offers back, smiling amusedly back at the lombax. "I did age a bit much for such a short moment I suppose."

She shrugs now, rolling her shoulders easily. "As for your question, it is not dumb. Even I am unsure of what is to happen now. Most connections do not just come back after death."

[neveroutwrenched]

Ratchet manages a nervous-sounding laugh, not looking over until she's finished. He's starting to get how she and Sans get along so well.

"Most people don't come back from the dead either....guess this is all new territory, huh?"

Funny how that topic wasn't feeling quite so bizarre these days.

[inruins]

Toriel chortles at his nervousness, moving to give the poor dear a pat on the shoulder. The gesture is meant to be reassuring even with her teasing.

"We're all learning a lot here. I am not sure how I feel about death being so flexible here, but- I cannot complain."

[neveroutwrenched]

Ratchet looks down, tapping his fingers on the counter but seeming to relax some.

"Yeah. A second chance for a lot of people..." Or a third. "But I'm not gonna lie...bending time and reality to dodge death makes me worried about the consequences."

Because there couldn't not be consequences. That just wasn't how things work. He looks back up.

"I'm glad for you though. And Asriel. It's something good that can come out of it, at least."

[inruins]

"You are not alone in that. I must admit- this environment doesn't quite foster much concern for consequences." The justice system and relaxed nature around death come to mind readily for Toriel at that. She can only shake her head to dismiss the thought.

"I've been given a chance to see him grow up, even if... even if it likely won't last forever."