[Open] Stars shining bright above you

[inruins]

Who: Toriel & you! OTA
When: First week of March.
Where: Around the ship, specified in prompts.
What: Toriel makes herself comfortable in the Moria, trying to find her rhythm in a new place. Catch all log. Wildcard prompts welcome.
Warnings: Talk of broken bones, violence, sad times. Undertale spoilers. Toriel mom-ing at people.


[A - Lullabies - CLOSED]
Starting from square one wasn't something new for Toriel. She had to do so three times so far in her long lifetime. Starting anew under the mountain after the war, forging their way to build a new society for monsters left behind.

The second time, lay in fleeing to the old ruins teary and enraged. A time she would much rather forget to some extent. Even if it brought what she had thought would be her final shift, Frisk. Their new home, the excitement of a life to be.

Now, now she was here. Toriel brushed her hands across the front of her uniform, smoothing out the fabric. Some part of her wants to be tired, but she shuffles that way.

With little hesitation, the boss monster sends the two children a message.

'Would you like to spend the night with me?' It's a bit silly, sappy. But Toriel wishes Asriel and Frisk were on the same floor as she was. One night with the pair would be nice, to be sure they're sleeping well.


[B - Mess Hall - OPEN]
The mess hall is a bustling place of activity, Toriel must admit it is daunting at first. She swallows the uncertainty, walking into the swirling crowd to find something to eat. For a place as busy as it is, there seems to be a decent enough selection of foods. Some is recognizable, some isn't- not that Toriel is picky in the moment. Food is food.

She loads up from the buffet, glad for her height for once. Being able to see over the crowd to some degree is a relief as she makes her way towards the seating section. With the hustle and bustle, it's not a surprise the tables are mostly taken. Toriel catches sight of a free seat, be it at an occupied table. She walks over, careful not to bump into anyone equally searching for a table.

"Ah, pardon me. Would it be alright if I sat with you?" The table's occupants are greeted by a 6'9 white furred goat monster, a warm smile on her features.


[C - Night wandering - OPEN ]

With all the changes settled upon her, cooking is something she finds solace in. Familiarity in the movements, in the ingredients and the results always left her feeling better. Even food she doesn't quite recognize, she still finds some ease in making it.

It's why she leaves her first evening shift of cooking more relaxed than she entered it. She's more than a little happy to see people eating food she helped prepare. The thought puts a spring in her step when she's off shift.

Toriel lets herself wander after work, not quite ready to sleep as she drifts through the halls. Her mind is wandering at this point, thinking idly of the possibilities of making pies. The lack of snails means she can't make her favorite, but she can improvise. Her mind is wandering enough she bumps into the person passing by her.

"Oh! My apologies." She offers back, snapping back to the present she is opposed to the idle good feeling hanging over her. An embarrassed and equally apologetic expression settles over her features. "I was a bit distracted. I didn't see you there."

Comments

[kidjoy]

"Pie? Like sweets?" The child does find that exciting. A life of limited resources meant that food was a near constant thought on her mind. Any mention of anything eating related always caught her attention. "You make 'em?"

The face she makes to the rest of the conversation is noticeably less pleasant. "But they're liars. Why should we think they're ever plannin' to send us home? Any thief knows you don't steal something with intentions to take it back."

[inruins]

"I do. I have been planning on making some soon. Pies can be sweet and savory, depending on what kind it is." She pauses, wondering if this would be odd to offer the girl. "Would you like one?"

"We find out with patience. We gather information and use it to our advantage." Decades of diplomacy leave Toriel more likely to hold still and piece things together opposed to rash action. She also can wager most children are not fans of the idea of waiting for much of anything. "If one acts now, rashly it does little beyond draw attention to yourself."

[kidjoy]

Her eyes bug a little. She's never had so many people who weren't part of her family trying to feed her as she's found on this ship. Far be it from the girl to say no to any of it. "Yes," she says it quickly, a little excitedly. "Ain't never had one. I'd try it."

She grimaces, sticking her hands in her pockets and scuffing her boot at the floor. "Wait too long and you can miss your chances though. And there ain't nothing wrong with attention. Sometimes that can be a good way to get the information you want."

[inruins]

"I'll have to make you my speciality then, my dear. If I ever find any snails, I'll make you a snail pie." Its a promise she intends to keep, already mulling over how to get her hands on some.

"It's a game of balance and patience." Toriel offers in turn, sobering somewhat as she mulls over possibilities. "Knowing when to draw attention and when to blend in." She taps a finger against her chin, "Now, people are settled here, comfortable. They've fallen into a pattern. Pushing against the status quo or hurting others means less of a chance at information being handed to you in the long run. Beyond that, we are all together here. We need to ensure each others safety, even if we cannot agree on things."

[kidjoy]

"Those funny lookin' bug things with the shells?" She'd only seen snails a handful of times in her life as expected from living primarily in the desert. "Ain't never ate one before. Are they good? Any better than lizards?"

She listens to Toriel's explanation, biting her lip to keep from scoffing. Everything the woman is saying sounds smart, kind of like Jet discussing a raid. But Toriel's plans involve a level of trust the girl just isn't ready to give the rest of the crew. "But we all don't know each other yet. Kinda hard to feel like ya owe it to look out for someone when you don't know what they're capable of."

[inruins]

"That would be them, yes. Curly shells." Toriel makes a swirl with her finger in the air to further illustrate her point.

"I would say they are much better than lizards." The monster answers with a slow nod, mulling over the various textures of both meals. "Though both textures are rather different when cooked."

She rests her hand against her chest, where her heart would be. "It is why we build relationships here, see who else can be trusted and included." She offers as an easy counterpoint, some amusement rising to the surface at the child's impatience. It is understandable given the young girl's age. "We are all stuck here together, we have no loyalty to give to these Captains as much as we can find with one another."

[kidjoy]

"We don't get to see a lot of 'em back home. Never thought to eat 'em when we did." They were usually found in the caved areas and when they had reason to be around the rocks like that, she and her boys had more important things on their mind than food.

"Hmmm. They look slimy when they move. Did they taste slimy?" Though she had no idea what slimy would taste like. "Or chewy?"

Her frown deepened. As reasonable as Toriel sounded, being loyal just based on their situation seemed wrong. Trust, loyalty, those were steadfast and forever. They had to be earned from more than just convenience. "And what if ya trust wrong? Hard to tell who's really thinkin' what around here. Who knows who's gonna lie and be spyin' for those Captains?"