under mount ebbott

[andaisq]

A mountain stands against the sky. Once, it was called Ebbott; this has been forgotten. It is still tall. This is generally known.

It's dangerous, as well. Supposedly, no one has ever returned from attempting the climb.

No one in their right mind would try to climb such a daunting peak.

Comments

[greatestgift]

"Um?"

[strangely_literal]

"I suspect that King Asgore Dreemurr, my filthy rat of an ex-husband, may have somehow been behind this attack. He is a terrible liar. I plan to interrogate him over the phone, and if he is responsible, light him on fire. Please stay here while I do so."

[greatestgift]

"What's a phone?"

[strangely_literal]

She pulls out a flip phone. "You can use it to communicate over long distances with other people who also have phones. You should take this one; it was Chara's, and she has no use for it anymore, because she is dead. You can use it to contact me if you become lonely or are in some form of physical danger. Press the following buttons to contact me."

She helpfully demonstrates the use of a phone.

[greatestgift]

"...okay," she says. "That's useful."

And absolutely mind-bogglingly insane magic. Is this where the old mage-lords went after the fall of their civilization? Into a hidden mountain?

[strangely_literal]

"Yes! Now I am going to use mine to figure out if I need to kill Asgore. Please remain here, in the safe room where there are no monsters or ancient traps."

[greatestgift]

"That sounds good. Thank you," she says. "Um, my name's Sable, by the way."

[strangely_literal]

"My name is Toriel," she replies, and without further comment she leaves the room.



Some minutes pass.

The phone rings.

[greatestgift]

Sable answers it with minimal difficulty.

"Um, yes?"

[strangely_literal]

"I do not need to inflict any physical harm on Asgore at this moment. However, since I am going to be housing a human I will need to do some shopping, since I am in town. Do you have any food allergies?"

[greatestgift]

"No."

[strangely_literal]

"Excellent. Should you become hungry, there is a bowl of candy in the next room."

She pauses. "The pedestal on which it rests reads 'take one'. There is no need to feel guilty if you need more than one. We have run into problems with that in the past."

[greatestgift]

"...Is the next room also safe?" she asks, since monsters and ancient traps were mentioned.

[strangely_literal]

"Almost entirely."

Toriel hangs up.

[greatestgift]

...well then.

Sable tentatively opens her groundsense and looks around for a candy-bearing pedestal.

[andaisq]

For a value of "candy" which includes "tiny incandescent orbs of crystallized magic," it's over there.

The local magic is really hard to see around. There seems to be a clump of it between her and the candy. Doesn't feel much like a living thing, though.

[greatestgift]

Okay, well, that will have to do. She opens the door to the candy room.

[andaisq]

The lump of magic turns out to be:

A very large frog, a few inches taller than her. He turns to stare at her serenely.

"Ribbit."

[greatestgift]

What.

"Um, hello," she says uncertainly.

[andaisq]

"Ribbit, ribbit."

The frog appears to be saying hello, and saying that she seems to be a very kind human, and asking whether she would like some advice.

[greatestgift]

This is surreal but it is not the most surreal thing that has happened to her this morning.

"Yes?"

[andaisq]

"Ribbit, ribbit."

The frog appears to be saying that many monsters will seem hostile toward her, but that for the most part, they are not bad people, they are only angry, or afraid, and that such a kind human should find it within herself to show them mercy.

"Ribbit, ribbit."

He adds that engaging one's foes in a conversation is often a good way to defuse such a situation. Compliments, in particular, rarely go amiss.

[greatestgift]

"Well, thank you," she says. "I'll keep that in mind."

[andaisq]

"Ribbit," the frog demurs.

[greatestgift]

"Toriel mentioned a bowl of candy in this room; is that it over there?"