Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The sun's rays cast through the window, passing across pink upholstery, a lighter pastel pink carpet and upon a light navy carpet with pale designs across it. The monster's eyes blearily trailed up to the wall, craning her neck to the side so she could read the clock's face.

It read 5:53 in the morning.

Atashi wa.. doko desu ka?Where.. am I?

At once, Noelle jolted upright. Her head flicked left and right, panning over her desktop, flatscreen, desk and wardrobe. She felt her heart pitter-patter in her chest. Her ears flicked, eyes darting back again in case she missed something.

...Nani?...What?

"Wh-who's there?" Noelle's voice cracked. The first time she heard something, she could pass off as the product of a sleep-addled brain. The second time, not so much. She definitely heard a voice - feminine, sort of scratchy like they, too, were just waking up.

At first, there was silence. Then there came more words, slow but firm.

I am going to need you to relax.

Naturally, Noelle went to scream.

What happened instead was that her mouth cinched shut. She found her eyes moving across the bedroom again, slower this time. Taking in details like her carpet and the design. Thoughts of the Deltarune blossomed in her mind, of paraphrased interpretations of scripture surrounding an enigmatic angel. Then as soon as these thoughts were summoned, they were dispelled, Noelle's hands lifting her bed covers and swinging her legs over to the edge of the bed - pausing, staring down at her hooves.

...Huh.

"...What?" Noelle asked, terrified.

The voice said nothing. Noelle found her body driven to her hooves, then she turned around, immediately lifting and smoothing out her sheets. She even doubled back, brushing away the wrinkles in her pillow until it looked pristine, pretty and perfect. The calm, slow motions that the voice, the entity in her body made her relax her breathing, her rapid heartbeat steadily slowing to a more regular beat.

"...Um," she ventured, awkwardly. "Thank you for making my bed." That was - it was surreal. The thought of some sort of.. body invader, taking her over to do household chores? It sounded nonsensical. "I don't.."

Noelle curled her fingers. There was no resistance as she did so, and she swallowed. "...Who are you?"

She felt her eyes scan the room again, lips drawing into a frown when it failed to locate something in particular. A friend, the stranger suggested.

"Could I.." Noelle found her lips slowly sealed again as they directed her to the door of her room. They opened it, eyes going to the balcony before to their left and right.

Could she get their name..?

We're on the second floor?

Yeah, her room was the furthest on the left going up the stairs. It was right next to her sister's.

She felt her eyes flick to the darker door in apprehension.

...She isn't there.

Noelle felt her shoulders relax. Where is the restroom? I want to see a mirror.

Noelle looked to a door down the hall, and her hooves took her that way.

Call me.. They hesitated. How old are you?

..Huh?

I might suggest something different if you're older or younger than me.

She was nineteen- wait, that doesn't matter! Their name is their name, isn't it?

I don't-

They were in Noelle's body! Moving her around! She was owed at least a name to start with!

They stepped forward, clutching the edge of the balcony. Their heart started to race from the rising tension, and Noelle felt herself breathing in and out slowly to ease the beat.

You're right. Their fingers curled. You're right, they repeated. Forgive me. I'm just as unfamiliar with this situation, and I’m as nervous as you are.

Noelle waited. Her chest rose and fell with her rapid breath.

But you're going to calm down before we do anything else.

Noelle's breath stilled in her lungs. When it came out next, it was with a slower inhale, and held there before an even slower exhale.

There was no need to panic. No need to fret. Noelle's eyes flitted.

My name is.. Winter.

Winter.

Hi, Winter. Her name is Noelle.

Their fingers drummed along her palm as they finished the trek, pushing open the bathroom door and shutting it behind them. Winter guided them to the counter, and Noelle felt their breath hitch as they took in the visage of her face.

Was it.. really that surprising?

Shika desu ka?A deer?

What?

You're a deer, they blurted in her mind.

That's.. not exactly right. Noelle was a monster that resembled a deer, like the rest of her family.

Okay.. She heard them drag out the word dubiously. One of their hands raised, brushing Noelle's fingertips across her face, dragging little lines in her fur. ...Huh. Deer youkai.monster.

Noelle assumed Winter wasn’t a monster, then?

You would be correct. Their fingers touched Noelle's nose. I'm a human.

A human?

Yes. A fingertip went tap, tap, tap at their nose. You know, usually in an isekai story, one is transported or takes the mantle of an existing person.. Or maybe starting a new life as a newborn. They don't usually.. exist within a host, or confer with them.

What's an isekai?

It translates to "other world". My world doesn't have monsters, as far as I am aware. It's as plausible an explanation as any for what's happening.

For once, Noelle considered taking up Berdly on a standing offer to look into manga and anime to study the genre. But that was something she could look into later. In the meantime, she tried pushing more of her will into her body, and she felt Winter recede as she grabbed a toothbrush, squeezed some toothpaste on it and began brushing her teeth.

..You don't wet the toothpaste first?

What? No, that's odd. Anyway, um. Would they be.. open to some pertinent questions?

She felt her eyes lock onto the eyes of her reflection, and she felt keenly like she was being watched by Winter. Proceed.

Noelle’s pronouns are she/her. What are theirs?

She/her as well.

Okay. They sounded like a girl, but she wanted to be sure. Not that it'd necessarily be a problem if she wasn't, um, born as a girl, she just-

It'd be less of a difficulty curve in understanding how your body works, Winter guessed. Less awkwardness, right?

Noelle nodded empathetically. That's exactly it. She alternated to her second row of teeth for brushing. Was Winter nineteen as well?

Correct. That's why I didn't follow through with the older or younger thing.

You call somebody a different thing if they're older or younger than you?

Yes. We refer to them as upperclassmen and lowerclassmen, if we're both students. Winter paused. Who do you live with?

Well.. that's a complicated question.

We have time, do we not?

.. Okay, well. Noelle lived with her mother and father Carol and Rudolph, but her dad is.. in the hospital. He's sick, so he's been staying there for however long.. hopefully, it'd just be a few days. She thought of what they looked like, because presumably Winter could see those as well.

My condolences.

It was fine. He was going to be okay. Anyway, there was also.. Dess. Her big sister, December. But.. She hasn't..

... She's been gone for a long time.

.. Did something happen to her?

Noelle swallowed.

.. Did she run away from home? Winter guessed, hoping against the alternative. Her voice sounded lighter, probably in sympathy.

Noelle's fingers curled tighter around her toothbrush. She didn't know for sure, but that's what she chose to believe. So she nodded, shortly before she spit into the sink. Instead of before where it felt like Winter was prying into her memories, she didn't, giving Noelle the space to recall what she could of the last time she saw her sister while she absentmindedly combed her blonde locks with her fingers.

Black hair, antlers, plaid shirt and ripped jeans. She had freckles, a grin with two prominent front teeth like hers. Darker fur, a darker nose.

Noelle's eyes began to sting, and abruptly, the image of Dess was banished back into her memories. She shakily set the toothbrush down, only for her other hand to snap out and firmly clutch her trembling one so it stilled, holding her there with a firm squeeze.

I apologize for bringing her up, Noelle. A beat. Let's talk about something else. What do you have planned for today?

Well, today was.. Thursday. She had school later today, but that was hours from now.

You still have breakfast to sort out. It's a little odd that you brushed your teeth before breakfast.

Huh? Why was that weird? When Noelle woke up, she wanted to get the taste of morning breath out of her mouth as soon as possible.

You should brush after you eat. Otherwise, you'll have food clinging to your teeth and gums all day.

That was.. a compelling point, actually. But what about the taste?

It couldn't hurt to brush twice.

Well, since Winter insisted, she could be in charge of brushing the second time. That way, she wouldn't have to remember it. Assuming that they stayed with her for that long, anyway. She slipped from the bathroom, then adjusted course to quietly click her hooves down each step of a staircase. As she did, their eyes glanced towards the black door she passed on the way to the restroom.

Dess's.

Their eyes flicked higher, to an even higher staircase from the second floor.

Carol and Rudolph?

Mom and Dad's room, Noelle confirmed.

At the bottom of the staircase, they turned right, Noelle opening a door there and stepping into her kitchen. A pale carpet leading into paler tile past the wooden barrier of a chestnut bar counter. Noelle felt Winter pan her gaze across the room, lingering on the dining table before looking even further at the Douglas fir in the corner.

What month is it?

It was late November. The 28th, if Noelle recalled correctly.

Hm. I take back the upperclassman thing. I would be- Their eyes drifted rightwards, and - Is that a piano? Winter's voice in her head went up an octave, she noticed. Excitement, perhaps.

In answer, Noelle guided her body past the chairs of the dining table to the alabaster instrument with a matching white bench set in front of it. Their eyes lingered on the ivory of the keys, the ebony of the sharps and flats.

...? Sharps and flats?

That's what the black keys are called. They make the sharp and flat notes.

Oh! So she could glean some information from Winter in turn.

You don't play, I presume?

No. Dess did.

Ah.

...Did Winter?

Noelle's fingers were guided to hover over the keys, sidestepping and dropping her weight until her haunches rest on the bench. Her fingers pressed three separate keys slowly, testing the give. Then she did six different keys in a row - a scale, she realized. While Noelle didn't play any instruments, she knew enough about music from choir to recognize that much.

She felt herself nod, hold her breath, and then she began to play.

Noelle let herself be guided, letting the awe settle in her chest. She was dwelling heavily on this situation, hearing a voice in her head that could take control of her body. She did find herself wondering how deep it went, if she could resist and by how much. There wasn't much need to, not yet - not when Winter seemed to be fairly cordial about the whole affair, not to mention considerate of her feelings.

The melody that sprang forth from her fingers to the open air did make her feel more optimistic about the whole arrangement, to be sure. Seeing her fingers press the keys with confidence, Noelle could pretend that she herself was playing O Holy Night. There was a peaceful serenity in following the rhythm, letting Winter work her hands into something alien and beautiful.

Alas, it didn't have a proper climax. Winter slowed the rhythm down, her fingers resting on the keys before raising them, bending her fingers in little stretches - arthritis prevention, she somehow knew.

Sorry, Winter murmured. I don't recall how it ends.

That was fine. More than fine! It was a beautiful demonstration.

If you think that was good, put a violin in your hands. Winter sounded coy.

Noelle went to lift from the bench -

And promptly froze, a deer in the headlights of Carol Holiday's intense gaze.

She stared directly at Noelle with her pale blue eyes, clad in a burgundy-colored robe. She was leaning on the kitchen counter in silence - and, seeing that Noelle's mouth was hanging open and stammering for an excuse or reason instead of providing answers, she lifted off and began marching toward her. The ice in Noelle's veins froze her to the spot.

How long had she been staring?

"I-I-I-I," Noelle managed. "I-I can explain!"

Carol raised her hand and pointed to the bench. "Sit," She ordered, her voice brokering no compromise.

Immediately, she sat back down.

Carol stood there, her eyes peering between the piano to the fidgeting Noelle. Her lips were naturally tight, a deep-set frown as her resting expression. It was nigh impossible to gauge if she was upset.

Why would Carol be upset?

There could be any reason-

"Where," Carol began, pulling Noelle from her thoughts, "Did you learn to play?"

Noelle saw several images flash behind her eyes - memories from the point of view of the doorway where she saw her mother come, or days she pressed against a wall and listened to the piano being played. She felt herself exhale slowly, trying to regulate her breathing and calm her down.

When she spoke, it was with Winter guiding her voice. "Kris," She said evenly. "They've been teaching me," Winter lied through her teeth.

It was good that Winter didn't seem to fear Carol as much as she herself did. She wouldn't be able to keep a straight face, and especially not stare directly into her mom's eyes while she did it.

Her mom glanced away towards the Christmas tree, a thoughtful look blooming on her face. "You're speaking with Kris again?" Winter nodded, and Carol nodded in approval. "That's good," She murmured, stepping closer and looking down at the piano keys as if she were seeing them for the first time.

"Keep playing," Carol commanded.

Winter hesitated. Her hands slowly rose, hovering over the ivories, sharps and flats.

When her fingers pressed down, a different melody from the last sang from the piano at Winter's touch. It was more jovial and far simpler of a song, and therefore less impressive - but it meant that it was easier to play, and therefore she played the notes quicker and with more confidence. At Noelle's hopeful thinking, she even stayed with the theme that she knew her mother would like.

Winter played Jingle Bells.

It felt like a nightmare scenario: It was a pop quiz for something she never studied for, every movement she could make meticulously examined for any flaws. Without the middleman of Ms. Alphys as her teacher, would her mom be more lenient in that any mistakes wouldn't embarrass her?

Would she punish you more severely for some arcane and asinine reason?

...It wouldn't be asinine.

Noelle swallowed. Neither monster spoke as her hands played of their own volition, her lips tightening as her knuckles began to ache. Still, they played right up until the song finished, pressing into the keys with a little more oomph at the end, before lifting them away and settling them on her lap. Slowly, Winter urged Noelle to tilt her head up, to try and gauge Carol's thoughts again.

Of course, she was staring at her, a finger pressed at her own chin thoughtfully. Winter peered back, and they regarded each other in silence for several seconds before Carol nodded, letting her hand fall.

"Not bad," She decided. "Keep practicing," Carol told her.

Then Carol turned right around, turning into the opening in the counter. Noelle watched her go to the fridge, rifle through it, then withdraw from it with several eggs in hand. This was followed by her reaching into a cabinet, producing a sleek frying pan.

...Oh, wow.

... She's making breakfast.

Yeah, she- She was. Noelle felt the ghost of a smile on her lips.

Is this.. particularly significant?

Mom doesn't make breakfast at home often. Only on special occasions, or.. when she's happy, Noelle thought.

...I see.

Noelle lifted from the piano, catching her mother's gaze as she stepped out from the bench. She bowed her head a little. "I'm going to go get changed for school," She announced.

Carol watched her, her expression ever neutral as she brought the side of an egg to the edge of the counter. She dropped the yolk into the pan without breaking eye contact, only doing so when she set aside the shell and began to pick out other things: A loaf of bread, what looked like cinnamon and sugar. "...Breakfast will get cold if you don't hurry," She said, almost curt.

The young monster nodded, then turned on her hooves and trotted back up the stairs in haste, each footstep making more solid clicks along each step. There was no need to tread lightly anymore, since Mom was awake.

Your mother is.. a cold specimen, isn't she?

...She can be a lot, yeah.

Noelle pushed open her bedroom door, shut it behind her, then went to the closet, sliding it open. She lifted a checkered sweater-vest by a hanger, turning it over in her hands.

She wondered if Winter could look away while she changed.

Oh, of course.

Noelle's gaze didn't stray, but- She felt something intangible, like.. the opposite sensation of the hairs on the back of your neck when you were being watched. She waited for a few more seconds, just to be sure, then replaced her pajamas by carefully tugging her antlers through a checkered pullover, and shimmying up a modest skirt up to rest on her hips, tugging her tail through the back and cinching it so that's all that would be poking out.

Winter could open her eyes now.

Noelle felt the presence return, and felt her eyes peer down at her outfit, extending her arm and pressing it flat against the skirt, measuring. She felt herself nod in approval.

Past the knee. Good.

Yup! That's school regulation, if you're a bipedal shaped monster.

There was a moment of quiet. ...There are other shapes of monsters?

Noelle thought for a moment, then considered the other shapes of her classmates. Temmie and Jockington came to mind, a quadruped and a.. uh.. elongated, limbless reptile body shape.

Ooah.. Sono wa youkai desu.. Kakkoii..Ooah.. Those are monsters.. Cool..

Um.. Noelle didn’t.. understand what that means. She fretted with her hands, glancing towards her bedroom door. What language was that?

Ah. It's Nihongo - Japanese. I'm from Japan, that's my native language.

Okay, but.. what did Winter say?

..I said there were monsters, and I said you were cool-looking.

Noelle was cool-looking? Her? The deer's cheeks tingling faintly. No, that wasn't true - Noelle was very plain, as far as monsters went. Why, she bet that Winter looked-

..Oh! There's an idea!

Noelle's eyes drifted to her desk. She would have to go back downstairs soon, but.. she could spare a quick minute.

Winter said she was a human, right?

That's correct.

She stepped over to the desk, pulling open the drawer and withdrawing a single sheet of lined notebook paper. She also took out a pencil with diagonal red and white swirls, typical of a candy cane. Noelle hesitated.

Could Winter.. draw herself? So Noelle could have an idea of what she looked like?

...Okay.

Noelle let control slip away from her body, Winter stepping forward to sit in her chair. She took the pencil and rolled it between her fingers. She pressed the nib of the pencil near the top in the shape of an oval that had a point near the bottom, then sketched a cross in the center of it.

Oh. You can draw, too?

I'm not spectacular at it, Winter mumbled, sounding self-conscious in her mind. It's something I've just gotten into lately. The pencil sketched a line from near the point, forming a neck, then two smaller spheres on either side to shape into shoulders. She did shallow lines from them, smaller balls at the end, then drew a horizontal line a little past that. She returned to where the shoulders and neck were, drawing a round shape underneath.

It would be a drawing from the waist-up. A bust portrait.

Noelle watched her hands move a little less confidently than they did at the piano, but it was still fascinating to see. She observed her fingers tapping the pencil between her fingertips, drawing some more lines from the chest and erasing some others. There was a wide collar, a ribbon tied underneath. Noelle wasn't sure if Winter needed silence to concentrate, but she gave it to her anyway, watching wordlessly as she sketched what would be her eyes, her nose, the curve of her lips. She rubbed away the cross on the head with the eraser, then went right into sketching out a short, almost messy head of hair. Some bangs eclipsed her eyes.

It's called a wolf cut.

Huh. Why?

I don't know. I didn't invent it.

Around her eyes, Winter carefully drew some circles, connecting them with a line in the middle along the bridge of her nose, followed by additional lines from the opposite sides of the circles to go under her hair and to her mostly obscured ear - glasses. The pencil stilled for a moment, hovering over the drawing.

Then it slid down, and began to scrawl some unfamiliar symbols underneath the finished portrait. A signature, perhaps?

_ _ _[If she wanted you to know, she would tell you.]

What's that say?

My name.

Oh! It says Winter?

Yes.

Winter's thumb flicked on the forefront of the pencil, the metallic end near the eraser clicking on the table. There was a pause, and Noelle opened her desk drawer before she felt herself unceremoniously release the pencil, letting it clatter amongst the rest. She rose to their hooves, rolling her neck and eliciting a few pops. Winter started to turn towards the door, but paused as their eyes flicked across her desk's contents: pencils, scratch paper, sticky notes, paperclips and so on.

Winter reached out, snapping up a little white and red disk in a clear plastic wrap - a peppermint. She closed the drawer right after, pocketed the candy and made for the door.

Time for breakfast.

The sweet smells of sugar, cinnamon and java lingered in the air even before Noelle stepped into the dining room and sat in one of the chairs. Her mom was still at the stove, loading up the results of her work onto a plate before turning the burner off and pushing the pan aside. Carol then turned, stepping and setting the dish in front of her so that the sweet, sticky smells assaulted her nose all the more - followed by a brownish amber-colored bottle of syrup. Noelle's mouth watered.

French toast!

"Thanks, mom!" The deer monster grinned toothily at her mother. "You're the best!"

Carol's expression scarcely changed. She gave her daughter a curt nod, slipping in the seat opposite from her and producing her phone, unlocking it with her thumb and focusing on it instead.

Noelle gave her plate a liberal dousing with the syrup before her fingers gripped a fork, going to cut away a piece with the edge of her cutlery.

It's been some time since I've had a home-cooked meal.

Noelle hesitated. She slowly turned her fork over in her fingers. Did.. Winter's mom not cook for her?

I don't get along with either of my parents, Winter admitted.

Oh..

When Winter spoke next, there was a callous quality to her voice. It's nothing to pity me over, She assured. I don't have to endure them anymore. I've been living separately from them for a while now.

She took a bite. As much as Noelle would like to say the sugary goodness did nothing to quell the sour feeling in her gut that built the more she learned about Winter, it absolutely did. She considered as she chewed. How long had Winter been living alone?

I left home on my eighteenth birthday. I turn twenty this year, so it'd be a little under two years. But if we're in November..

Right, Winter was saying something about the upperclassman thing. Noelle put another piece of syrupy goodness in her mouth. She’d technically turned twenty, then?

I suppose so. I'm old enough to drink.

..Don't you have to be twenty-one to drink alcohol?

In my country, no.

Huh. Neat!

Noelle went for another bite, humming under her breath and kicking her legs under the table. After she chewed and swallowed, she felt her eyes drift from her plate across the table, her eyes on the steaming white mug that Carol absentmindedly rose to her lips to sip from.

"Mom?" Winter asked. Oh, that felt weird - having someone address her mother as Mom with her own voice.

Carol's eyes flicked up, a brow raised.

Noelle's passenger seemed unperturbed by the exchange to come. She felt herself smile sweetly. "May I have a cup of coffee, too?"

Carol's other brow raised. Her eyes glanced at the surface of her drink, lowering it some before she glanced back. "You don't like coffee. The last time you tried, you spat it out."

Yeah.. it's super bitter.

Winter made her eyes flick briefly across the blonde coloring of Carol's drink, then back at her mom's face. Instead of answering, Noelle made her keep the smile. "Can I try it again?"

Instead of Carol offering a sip from her cup, she made a show of rolling her eyes, easing up from her chair and going back to the counter. They didn't have a coffee pot at the house, so her mom was filling up another mug with water to place in the microwave for a minute or so, then opening a little jar filled with grinded coffee beans to spoon into the steaming mug, mixing it in little swirls after. Soon, Noelle was presented with a cup of murky, strong-smelling liquid. It was the color of pitch with little bubbles frothing along the rim.

Carol loomed above with a small, unpleasant smile on her lips. "I won't have my daughter wasting food," She told her. "I don't care if it's bitter. You'll have to drink the whole cup."

Noelle felt her eyes linger on the surface of the black coffee. Usotsuki.Liar.

..What does that mean, Winter?

Liar.

...Huh?

She's deceiving you. I'll explain later.

What do you-?

She declined to answer. Instead, Noelle was made to smile up at her mother as her fingers gripped the handle and lifted it to her lips, blowing some cool air across the surface of the coffee. Then, looking eyes with Carol and her oh so critical stare, she pressed her lips to the rim and sipped.

Eyuck, it's so bitter-

It's delicious.

Noelle's eyes closed gently. What started as a modest slurp turned into several large, deep gulps of the lukewarm drink that had her tilting the mug more and more until it was horizontal. Within seconds, the last few drops went past her lips, and Noelle's tongue dragged across her upper lip to savor every little bit of the acrid taste.

When she opened her eyes next, Carol was staring at her, bewildered.

"Thank you," Winter made her say, sighing happily as she set the mug down with a little clatter. "I love fresh-brewed coffee."

Carol's eyes lingered on her, slowly schooling her expression into the usual impassiveness. "..Where," She began slowly, her fingers gently tapping the surface of the table between them, "Did you develop a taste for coffee?"

Winter's lie came easy. "Kris's house. It helps me focus during practice."

The deer monster's eyes shifted to the now empty cup, seeming to dwell deeply upon this. "I see," She murmured, her fingers finding the handle of her own mug. Carol raised the rim to her lips, keeping her eyes level as she took a deep drink. When her lips left the cup, the glare of her eyes lessened as she returned her focus to her phone.

"...You have class soon," She settled on. "Don't be late."

Noelle took control, took a deep breath with it and nodded. She went to the sink to wash off her silverware and dishware, dutifully scrubbing them clean. After a quick trek back to her room to snag her bookbag by the strap and slid it over a shoulder, Noelle bid a goodbye to her mother before she went out the door.

When Noelle tasted the cool Autumn air, she breathed in deeply to savor it. She felt her eyes borrowed to scan over the morning dew along the grass, glancing briefly at the row of Douglas firs. A familiar path lay before her, hooves clicking along the cobbled stone once she left her porch.

So... What was that about? The coffee thing.

Ah, that. Her eyes lingered briefly on the little twin gardens and the ornate lamp posts before she relented control of Noelle's sight. Did you notice that her cup of coffee was lighter than yours?

Oh, yeah. Mom likes putting eggnog in her coffee.

..What is eggnog?

It's a drink that's popular around the holidays. It's got milk, cream, eggs, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in it.

Oh, we have a drink like that. Tamagozake - It's probably derived from your eggnog. It’s usually mixed with sake, hence the name.

And sake is..?

Rice wine.

That sounds super weird. Mom and dad sometimes put brandy in their eggnog though, so.. maybe it tastes fine?

I wouldn't know, but it's besides the point.

Their eyes were pulled to the towering wrought-iron gates that marked the entrance and end of the property. Noelle's hooves stepped from the smooth black pavement to a part of the lawn where there was still dirt instead of grass. Along a slightly thicker segment of iron, one that housed a little keypad on the side. With practiced ease, she punched in the code with two fingers: 1225.

On cue, the gate started sliding open to the side. Before it opened wide enough to allow clearance for a car, Noelle slipped through when there was enough room to sidestep through.

...Hm.

What?

Your whole Christmas theme. I thought that your family might just be serious about celebrating, but it's a little deeper than that, isn't it?

Yeah. Mom's always been really serious about the holidays. It's their last name, after all.

What, Christmas?

Faha, no. Holiday! Her family name is Holiday.

Winter went quiet for several seconds. ...Huh.

So, about the coffee?

Right, sorry. Carol was purposely serving you coffee without any sort of additive. No cream, no sugar, and certainly no eggnog. Winter made a disapproving clicking noise with her mouth, or the.. mental projection of one, Noelle supposed. If your only experience with coffee is black coffee, you're only going to associate coffee with a bitter taste that you might not be fond of.

Noelle was quiet as she heard out the explanation, stepping onto the pavement before drifting to the side, her hooves clicking along the sidewalk instead. A gentle frown settled on her face, eyes going downcast.

Why would her mom.. lie about that..?

Winter hesitated a moment before answering. I'm not certain. My mother did the same trick, though. We just didn't have a lot of coffee to go around, so she didn't want to share.

We have plenty of instant coffee at the house, though. Three jars of the stuff, right above the stove.

..She could just be being a frigid bitch, Winter suggested, casually enough that Noelle stumbled on her hooves. Thankfully, she didn't fall flat on her face.

D-don't call her mom that!

Sorry. Allow me to rephrase: She might just be doing it to be cruel.

Noelle's fingernails dug into her palms. She.. found it difficult to argue with that one.

..It might not be because she dislikes you, Winter offered. Noelle felt her hands unclench and raise from her sides, slowly wrapping around her sides in a little self-hug. Some people are just like that. Abrasive. At least, that's my initial read on her.

Noelle glumly nodded, feeling the control seep back into her limbs. The motion was.. pleasant. It was a similar motion to hug her abdomen when she was cramping or when she had a stomach ache, and.. even if it was just her own hands doing it, it was still a hug.

Yeah, her mom was naturally abrasive. That was a nice way of putting it. But.. she wasn't all bad, Noelle thought.

Bitter things can still be pleasant, Winter acquiesced. Like black coffee.

Eyuck. Noelle smacked her lips, faintly tasting the bitter drink on her tongue still. She had no idea how Winter could stomach the stuff. She walked far enough along the sidewalk that the trees that flanked her path were less prevalent. Her eyes panned to the left for Winter's benefit, taking in the sight of an ashen gray building with it's bright green roof shingles. They stepped along the grass, passing it by as her eyes flicked across the windows.

Cute chapel.

The church is nice, yeah. If you're still around on Sunday, I'll.. take you there to see it.

..You hesitated?

Noelle pursed her lips, her hooves clacking along the sidewalk in a thoughtful silence.

I.. I kind of got distracted by my mom and everything, but.. This is pretty weird, isn't it? You, inside of.. me. You can.. read my thoughts. Make me do things.

...It is a bizarre circumstance, I'll give you that.

What do you think happened?

I mentioned my isekai theory earlier. My world doesn't have youkai that I know of beyond that of superstition, and you don't know what Japan is. I'm certain this world exists separately from the one I originate from.

Noelle hummed. Her eyes drifted to the right across the street, towards another structure along her path. It was pale like the pallor of bleached bones with a quartet of stark white columns in the front that lent to the imagery. The roof was dull and dark, a unified summit of weathered dark blue shingles that were likely black once upon a time.

Intimidating.

That's city hall. That's where my mom works.

Huh. It certainly fits her.

The monster smirked a little.

At any rate, Winter sighed, and Noelle imagined her shrugging helplessly. The drawing really did help give the words in her head a bit more life. I don't have the faintest idea of how I awoke in your body.

Well.. what's the last thing Winter remembered before she came here?

Winter lapsed into silence as Noelle's hooves clacked further along the sidewalk until they reached the corner. It was here that she pivoted to the right, stepping across the tarmac of the road.

..I was up late, Winter recalled. I couldn't sleep. I was sitting in front of my computer.. She hummed. I think I might have fallen asleep at my desk.

Noelle waited for her to continue as a distant thrum sounded to her ears. As such, they perked, giving a sidelong glance down the road. Her eyes flicked across the familiar red tones of an SUV she'd seen dozens of times growing up, riding in the passenger seat more than a handful of times. She couldn't see the driver, but she knew very well who was driving. She could easily imagine the toothy smile and kind eyes of Ms. Toriel Dreemurr.

Noelle's mouth curved into a smile. One of her hands raised and she waved as it passed by, turning to the left and Noelle's right towards the school. hen she did, the glare of the sun shifted away, no longer obscuring the vehicle's occupants.

Sure enough, Toriel was beaming brightly behind her steering wheel, waving a friendly hand right back. And beside her -

Noelle's breath caught, and her hoofbeats stopped in the dead center of the street she was crossing. She found herself peering right at the ruby red eyes of one that peered right back through cracks in the brunette's fringe. Their mouth was drawn into an impassive line as they rested their elbow on the window, chin on the back of their knuckles. For a precious moment, just a moment as she stood in the center of the road, she and they were less than several feet apart. She thought she might've imagined it, except their head turned as Toriel kept driving along, the both of them watching one another.

Eventually, the glare of the sun returned with a vengeance across the passenger-side window, and Noelle could no longer make out the shape of them.

Another human, Winter murmured in her head.

Kris.

The piano player.. Winter realized, almost sounding bemused. We should go talk with them, when you have the time. See if they might have any idea that could help us.

Noelle swallowed. When was the last time she even talked to Kris? Could she really just.. approach them out of nowhere, with the weirdest scenario she'd ever been a part of? Really, what would Kris know about having another person in their head and guiding their hand? What help could they even give, assuming that they didn't find a way to somehow turn it against her and prank her figurative pants off?

Don't worry about that, Winter told her. I'll take the lead.

Reluctantly, Noelle nodded and continued walking.