#actually they're pretty much just talking here do i even tag this as soriel

[punsmaster69]

26/MAR/20XX

like papyrus did, tori asked me what i wanted for my birthday.

still, my response was the same.

"nothing."

i shrugged, as i tossed a bone over the rail of her porch. there was a clatter as it hit the other ones.

"Are you certain?"

"yeah. not a lotta stuff i actively want, these days."

toriel hummed a small note while nodding, like she understood.

"Papyrus mentioned a few activities planned."

"he wanted me to answer with 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯' fun to do that day, at the very least."

"Your initial proposal was much less, I take it."

"definitely woulda opted for doing jack shit all day, but."

"...got the feeling he'd be disappointed in that."

she took a sip from her mug.

"He is not a skeleton to sit around."

"more than that. like he really wanted 𝘮𝘦 to want to do something too."

"Papyrus is always encouraging you to do more, is he not?"

"yeah."

"and it's nice to have him call me out on bein' lazy, even if i won't change a thing."

"but... there was a certain look to him about it."

dropping one more bone into the pile, i shoved my hands into my pockets as i found a way to word it.

"my guess is that it had something to do with the scares i gave everyone this year."

"I see."

then tapping her nails rhythmically against her porcelain cup, hands cupped around it as she leans against the rail.

"Making up for lost time, he feels?"

"maybe."

"...say. have you noticed an aura of, uh... somethin' else about him?"

"Anxiousness."

"He is always on his toes about everything."

"yeah."

"Do you worry that it is related to your heath?"

"kinda."

"Oh?"

"Sounds like there is a bigger piece."

"his job."

"ambassador's a pretty big title, y'know?"

"worried it's getting to him a bit."

"Big titles have always been something he strives for."

"absolutely."

my own mug, which i'd set aside when i started piling bones, is a kinda cold to the touch when i reach for it.

"it's a lot, though."

"titles are one thing, responsibility another."

"I have been helping him with filling out papers when I can."

"same here."

"Not much more we can do other than that, and being here to support him."

"hm."

"Getting him to relax a little more on the sidelines as well, perhaps."

"doin' plenty of that."

"It can be hard to keep him seated at times."

"even when he's home, he's gotta be cleaning something or cooking something or busy in 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 way."

"Really, he does seem to be doing alright otherwise."

"Admittedly... the anxiousness did seem to ramp up around the time that everything initially kicked off."

"It may be the added stress of knowing anything could happen to you - namely, while he is away - that keeps him on edge."

"...yeah."

"getting better, though."

on that topic, i resumed tossing attacks over the porch rail.

"so maybe he won't have as much to worry about for too much longer."

"Did something in particular happen yesterday that sparked this worry?"

"just been thinking about it for a while."

tori gives a nod. her eyes follow each attack i drop into the pile with a clatter.

"Would you at least like me to bake a cake for your birthday?"

"Well. I may regardless of your answer."

"But do you have something you prefer?"

"that one you made around valentine's was pretty good."

"The chocolate one?"

"yeah, with the icing."

"Duly noted."