Thanks for exchanging body heat. In my home country it was +30C for all of the year and it needed to be that hot because my species is cold blooded. Unfortunatly here it only gets this hot in the summer and only for couple of days. Most of the year when I was homeless I tried to stay in buildings without getting caught. 20 degrees is already to cold for me, let alone freezing temperatures in winter. It was 0C in the morning. I felt like dying before I got to you. It's 12 now, but it still feels like the cold air is gnawing on me. I hope this makes you understand how much this matters for me. It's not just some fluff, it's life saving for me, cuddling with you. You're so hot, in more ways than one... makes me feel all fuzzy and good. Maybe I should heat off with Noelle too. She's too is warmblooded and I bet her fur would feel nice. Right now just let me take you in my arms and rub myself over you...

...wha... where am I...

You're in the shelter. You wanted to find a way in here, didn't you?

wh... why the HELL can't I...

The paralytic is still active. In the meantime, I believe you understanding the process will have a positive impact on the success of the procedure.

...the...

You see, December, my eldest daughter, was lost to us for quite some time. We were overjoyed to find her last month. However, those years spent in the dark have destroyed her body. Unfortunately, restoring her form requires a sacrifice. Her mind is in need of a suitable host.

That's where you come in. December's consciousness will be transferred into your body. To preserve motor function, a portion of your original brain must be preserved. December will be in control, but you will still exist, in a sense. A sliver of you will be able to see, hear, and feel, now taking the role of a passenger.

...why... why me...

As a great man once said, "a good idea solves multiple problems at once", and your antagonism has certainly been a problem. My investigation into your personal life has shown that not many will miss you. And finally... Noelle has taken a shine to this body. I can't say I approve, but I do understand. Dragons possess a number of... attractive physical advantages.

I know that this will be hard for you to accept. It took some time for me too. But only the Angel knows the lengths a mother will go for her children. December will be returned to us, and Noelle... I expect she won't approve of this arrangement, but in time, I know she will be thrilled to have her sister back.

Dess (to herself): Ah Azzy, you’re so predictable! Showering right after you get home, changing in front of an open window. It’s like you want someone to see you, you’re too careless…god I can only imagine how intoxicating you smel-

Noelle: Dess, you wanna play Cat Petterz with me?

Dess: HOLY SHI-! Noelle?! How long have you been here?!

Noelle: I just finished practicing for the spelling bee! Mom said I can stay up late tonight and I wanted to know if you wanted to play Cat Petterz with me?

Dess looks in her binoculars again, but Asriel is gone.

Dess: GOD. DAMMIT!

Noelle: d-Dess?! Is something wrong?

Dess: No Elly, I’m fine. I was just thinking about how I haven’t pet my cat all week so it’s probably feeling a little neglected…

Noelle: Oh no! I’ll go boot it up right now so we can save that poor kitty!

…

Dess: (Tomorrow, Dreemur. Tomorrow I think I’ll give you some swim lessons at the lake. Then I’ll get to be as close to you as I want! And you’ll have to hold on to me so you don’t drown too, God it’s gonna be-)

Noelle: Dess are you coming?

Dess: Right behind ya, Elly!

☟☜☹☹⚐ 💣✡ ☞☼✋☜☠👎.(Hello my friend)

✡⚐🕆 👎✋👎 ✋❄📪 ✡⚐🕆 ✌👍❄🕆✌☹☹✡ 👎✋👎 ✋❄.(You did it, you actually did it)

✡⚐🕆 ☞✋☠✌☹☹✡ ☝⚐❄ 🕈☟✌❄ ✡⚐🕆 🕈✌☠❄☜👎. (You finally got what you wanted)

💣✡ 👍⚐☠☝☼✌❄🕆☹✌❄✋⚐☠💧. (My congratulations)

☜✞☜☠ ❄☟⚐🕆☝☟ ✡⚐🕆 👎☜💧❄☼⚐✡☜👎 ❄🕈⚐ 👍☟✋☹👎☼☜☠📪 🏱☟✡💧✋👍✌☹☹✡ ✌☠👎 💣☜☠❄✌☹☹✡📪 ✌☠👎 ❄☟☜☠ 👍✌💧❄ ❄☟☜💣 ✌💧✋👎☜ ☹✋😐☜ 🕆💧☜👎📫🕆🏱 💣✌❄☜☼✋✌☹. (Even though you destroyed two children, physically and mentally, and then cast them aside like used-up material)

✋ 🕆☠👎☜☼💧❄✌☠👎 ✡⚐🕆📪 ✌☹☹ ⚐☞ ❄☟✋💧 ✋💧 ☺🕆💧❄ ✌ ☺🕆💧❄✋☞✋☜👎 💧✌👍☼✋☞✋👍☜. (I understand you, all of this is just a justified sacrifice)

✌💧 ❄☟☜ 💧✌✡✋☠☝ ☝⚐☜💧📪 ✋☞ ☹✋☞☜ ☝✋✞☜💧 ✡⚐🕆 ☜☝☝💧📪 💣✌😐☜ ✌☠ ⚐💣☜☹☜❄. (As the saying goes, if life gives you eggs, make an omelet)

💧☜❄ ⚐☞☞ ⚐☠ ✡⚐🕆☼ ☺⚐🕆☼☠☜✡📪 💣✡ ☞☼✋☜☠👎. ✋ 🕈✋☹☹ ✌☹🕈✌✡💧 👌☜ ☝☹✌👎 ❄⚐ 💧☜☜ ✡⚐🕆 ✌☝✌✋☠. (Set off on your journey, my friend. I will always be glad to see you again)

That's right dear elly, you just played into my trap. You thought you could bag kris for yourself? Don't get your hopes up, because you are a foolish doe!

Why so sad noelle, when we finally beat your father, the roaring knight in a battle, your fate was sealed.

You thought you could pull a fast one and save kris?

You just don't know how a gamers thinks.

Thanks to this skymantle, i saved kris from the knight final attack....

And would you look at us, we have a matching mantle.

Is there anything more romantic?

So noelle, please. Kindly DIE

I thought not. It’s not a story that humans would tell you, it's a monster legend. Gaster was a dark scientist, so powerful and so wise he could use dark photons to influence darkness to create life. He had such knowledge of darkness that he could even keep the ones he cared about from dying.

*You ask her if he could truly stop people from dying

Darkness is a pathway to many abilities some might consider to be... Unnatural. He became so powerful, the only thing he was afraid of was losing his power, which eventually of course he did. Unfortunately he taught his assistant everything he knew, then his assistant killed him in his sleep.

*You see Noelle smile in a nostalgic manner

Ironic. He could save others from death but not himself.

*You ask Noelle how does she know any of this

Uh... W-well, it's a legend you know! It gets passed around!

*You ask Noelle why she looked as if she was reminiscing about killing someone

Fwahaha y-you must have imagined it Kris.

*She seems overly nervous.

*You want to push it further

*Noelle stares at you blankly

It's treason then. RAAAAAAAAAAAGH

*You see Noelle jump towards you doing a spin in the air

*She misses and falls onto her face

That chair is incredibly uncomfortable. It must be violating your backside. The fact that she isn't fazed one bit has terrifying implications.

"It's so we can feel the pain of the proletariat, Kris! All their suffering... I have to remind myself of that for when I become mayor!"

Please, whatever happens, don't bring up the code.

"Speaking of paupers. Susie came earlier and asked about the code to mom's shelter! Of course I'll help you two find it!"

God damn it.

"I'll help you find that code, Kris! I wouldn't waste valuable Holiday time sending you on a wild goose chase that will only get resolved next chapter! I'm a busy woman, Kris!"

You try to change the topic.

"You're not an Ultragenocider Kris, get the fwahahuck out of here. Don't be a ret[I WAS ADVISED TO NOT CONTINUE THIS SENTENCE]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Join the discord or I'm coming for you.

Ok story time!

Yesterday a Patreon member asked me to do this new sex trend called cucking.

I didn't know what it was, and i researched it...

From the wiki to the actual demonstration it just seems like something i could handle!

But of course, as stupid as i am, when i ask kris to pick the additional member, they give me 3 names. Berdly, susie, and ralsei.

I thought they would only call one person and so i wait and wait....

Turn out they called all three of them.

And all i could do is sit and watch!

It was not fun, i feel very jelly yknow!

But after a while, these people are just being mean!

Ughh 0/10 never doing that again!

I understand now Kris, Hometown viewed from the side is a tower. We are all a dream of the Godhead and therefore one with it.

I AM yet I AM NOT, through conquering the trials put before my by gaster Lorkhan, I have completed my Psijic Endeavor. Thank you for guiding me to enlightenment Kris, we grew stronger together and now you have fulfilled your duty as Nerevarine.

So I at the hospital the other day... My dad's getting worse... But while I was with him he told me something he's kept a secret and didn't know how to tell me until now. Car-MY MOM'S... infertile no matter how much her and dad tried they just couldn't have a kid.

Apparently Boss Monsters have this weird quirk in their anatomy where they are compatible with humans and extremely different types of monsters, being able to give birth to healthy kids... with this also applying to male boss monsters... So your dad acted as surrogate and thats how I was born technically making Asgore my mom maybe? I don't like to think about it too much.

As for Dess? Fahaha Kris i thought you already knew she was adopted. what with her antlers headband, the kinship you two shared, I still have vague memories of her getting upset when mom told her she was never going to grow her own antlers due to being a deer monster fahaha...

So uhh... would dating count as incest? i mean you're adopted so there's no blood relation and we were raised in different households it just feels a bit weird. why am I asking you that while i'm already dating Susie? well um... fahaha. i've got to go see you tomorrow.

Yet another fic made by yours truly! This one, however, is strictly Kriselle, and was requested by a user who enjoyed my style of writing and the previous Krisoulelle fic I’d created. I hope that it finds its target audience and that it resonates with you all!

Thank you for taking the time to read this!

Dess and her girlfriend are sitting together at the kitchen table. There's an empty tray of lasagna laying there, next to another one that is full, where Dess has already cut out a square.

"Ugh..." Addy groaned as she rubbed her distended belly. The one tray had already done a number on her, and she moved to wipe some of the tomato sauce that had dribbled onto her chin. She had already gained so much weight in the preceding months, but her formerly slender girlfriend was packing on the pounds. It was inevitable that she'd catch up eventually.

Of course, she could in turn quickly pick up on the hesitancy to continue. “Aw… c’mon, Addy,” Dess cooed. “You can do this. I know you can.”

The boss monster squirmed in her seat. “I don’t know… can we maybe save some of this for later? I’m feeling pretty stuffed as- mmph!”

Dess evidently wasn’t taking “no” for an answer, and stuffed another square of lasagna into her girlfriend’s open mouth. “Addy, dear, you push me so well, helping me gain. It’s only right that I push you a bit, too. Besides….” She reached under Addy’s shirt and rubbed her stomach gently, eliciting a light burp from her partner. “You wanna be a good girl for me, right?”

Addy whimpered as she swallowed. “I wanna be a good girl,” she echoed.

“Good….” She took her hand away and reached back for the lasagna tray, leaving Addy squirming with delight in her seat. “Now, open wide for Dessie….”

Obediently, she stretched open her maw, and let the lasagna slide in, the warm and gooey goodness dripping down her throat. Slowly, but surely, she made it through the rest of her meal, and Dess gently rustled her hair. “Good girl,” she commended. “I knew you could do it.”

Patting her stomach, which was swollen out as a big potbelly, Addy smiled. “I can feel it churning,” she whispered. Piquing Dess’ interest, she got onto her knees and pressed her ears up to Addy’s stomach. Her red-dyed antlers nearly jammed into her partner’s chest, but stayed just far enough out of the way for Addy not to protest.

“Mmm… yeah,” the doe murmured. “I can hear it, too. All that digestion, your stomach breaking down that lasagna… oh, yeah….” Pulling back, she kissed Addy on her belly button, causing the boss monster to bleat in delight. “What I’d give to be in there….”

Another bleat escaped from Addy’s lips. “I… I didn’t know you were into vore, Dess….”

Hearing the word “vore” mentioned, Dess shot up, red in the face. “I… ah….”

Addy couldn’t help but break down laughing, the strange sensations in her stomach fading away. “Oh, it’s okay. You already have a fart fetish, anyway. Not like I can actually outstretch my jaw and eat you.”

The playful banter was enough to soothe Dess’ nerves, and she sat back down in her seat, a giggle escaping her. “Yeah, that’s fair, fwahaha!”

Stuffed to the gills, the pair continued to make playful banter into the evening, long after Noelle returned home from the Dreemurrs and Carol got back from work. In due time, their already excessive weights would seem meager in comparison, as they would dedicate their entire lives to food. Two hundred pounds would turn to three hundred, and then four, with no signs of stopping. That was their life, and they loved every second of it.

[This was just about the only section of my fanfic I could post without it having to go to r/fwahaha2 instead. If you want to check it out, it's "Mutual Feeding, Mutual Loving" on AO3, just be mindful of the rating and the tags.]

In this world

There are good guys and bad guys.

And the good guys deserve love, and friends, and

Happiness.

And bad guys don't.

And thats the way its always been.

If you find out

That your friend

Wasn't all theyre cracked up to be

Like, they were working against you

They were a traitor.

Then it isnt ok to be their friend anymore.

It isnt ok to ask how they're doing anymore, or

Make plans to hang out with them anymore, or

Share your snacks with them anymore, or

Talk about the future with them anymore, because

They're the bad guy.

It isn't ok to hug them anymore, or

Make a joke to cheer them up anymore, or

Shoot them a little smile to make their day better anymore, or

Ask why theyre crying when you see them down anymore, or

Pick them up off the floor and pat them on the back anymore, because

Theyre the bad guy.

It isnt ok to like them anymore, or

Ask if they could make things better anymore, or

Respond to their phone calls anymore, or

Even look at them with anything but a death glare anymore, or

Say anything but "good riddance" to their broken corpse anymore, because

They're the bad guy.

It isn't ok to remember them anymore, or

Wish things could have been better between you anymore, or

Think about the good times you had anymore as anything but stupid fake illusions, or

Cry when you heard that theyre not around anymore, or

Even think about them anymore, because

Theyre the bad guy.

And that's just the way things are.

- a Bad Guy.

I (45F) have a daughter N (16F). One day, my daughter invited this very naughty kid S (17F) to my house. And let me tell you S is a total piece of work. She hurts others, everyone is scared of her, she causes problems EVERYWHERE she goes. She vandalizes people's things, physically bullies people, push people away from her. It's like she THRIVES on suffering.

Obviously I wouldn't want someone like that ANYWHERE near my house, or my daughter. Yet for some reason, my daughter N is like she has a crush on her or something. Pfft, not on my watch... at least that's what I thought.

Just like ONE DAY, N invited S over to do homework, but it's really to wreak havoc. S STOLE my missing bigger daughter's musical equipment, then PLAYED it like it was nothing. She didn't even WASH HER HAND! Obviously, I was extremely pissed, so I kicked S out and grounded N for a whole month. But N was not happy and she didn't even want to talk to me anymore.

What the hell? Was I the asshole???

(Image unrelated)

Noelle: "Hey, Kris, don't you want to hear some bad deer puns?"

Kris: "..."

Noelle: "Dess... Told me these... When we were little..."

Kris: "..."

Noelle: "Kris, holy cheese and crackers, don't make that face at me! You'll like it, I promise!"

Kris: "..."

Noelle: "Okay-okay... First one."

Kris: "..."

Noelle: "How do you call a deer with no eyes?"

Kris: "..."

Noelle: "No idea."

Kris: "..."

Noelle: "How do you call a deer with no eyes and legs?"

Kris: "..."

Noelle: "Still no idea!"

Kris: "..."

Noelle: "Fwahaha! Did you got it, Kris?"

Kris: "..."

Noelle: "Hm-m-m..."

Kris: "..."

Noelle: "Kris, how do you call hitting a deer with car?"

Kris: "..."

Noelle: "Deers-aster!"

Kris: (giggles)

Noelle: "Oh, so that's it, Kris! I'm glad to actually help you smile at least sometimes!"

Kris: "..."

And honestly no one else has come on in a bit either.

I guess I understand... Things have changed a lot since I had to move, all of us used to text a bunch but... Then we all just, stopped. Makes sense to be honest, It really isn't the same just texting all day right? Plus we have college now and stuff, and Susie got a job so it's way harder to make time for all that kind of stuff.

Still though... It feels weird hopping on for a bit, and seeing all the builds we made, just... sitting there, it's like a portal to the past in a way.

I still remember when we built our little house, I did most of the decorating of course fwaha, but you built this cute little dock for us to fish from (and of course you would always try to "catch" me with your fishing rod fwahaha!).

I also remember how fun it was when we were making our own rooms, though you never built your own, you just put your bed next to mine (and every time we went to sleep, you would role play in the chat that you were chewing on my hair fwahah, hope I tasted good!), but Susie made hers look so cool! She was so proud of all the spikes she put everywhere. My room wasn't that impressive really, I made it all winter themed and had a little Christmas tree in the corner, you always said you liked it, reminded you of going to my place in real life.

Or that time Berdly tried to make a working calculator, it didn't end up working though, he must have missed something in the tutorial he followed, and Susie did NOT let that go for a good few weeks, he got so flustered about that.

I really miss that stuff, I started building a little something recently, nothing too impressive but... I guess I just wanted to show that the server was still alive in a way. I wish you would come on every now and again Kris, It gets really lonely being here by my self.

* My first Fwahaha post! hope you enjoyed reading! :3

Kris stood at the train station, outside the canopy on platform 4, with their black umbrella sheltering them from the pounding rain, their raincoat and boots providing a second layer of protection while they waited for their brother to arrive from college for the weekend. They wanted to see him as soon as he got back; It was like a sort of reverse-homesickness.

This was a weekend routine for the young one. They would wait at the station for their brother, who they'd hug tightly as soon as he walked off his train, and then the four of them - Kris, Asriel, Dess, Noelle - they would spend the whole weekend together. That was what they looked forward to more than anything else every week.

This time was a little different, though. While Kris held their umbrella close to their chest, tightening their grip so as not to let the sweet, soothing natural music of the rain serenade them to sleep - Azzy would never let them live it down if he found them passed out at the train station - they heard another sound. The sound of a person. It wasn't a very happy one, either. It sounded like a whimper of despair, like someone who was injured, or alone...

Kris turned to the direction from which they heard the sound. They saw a faint figure - clearly unprotected from the rain, the torrential downpour soaking them unrelentingly. Kris walked over, their footsteps echoing throughout the mostly quiet station, to get a closer look at the strange person.

It was a human, who looked a little like Kris themselves, though definitely not indistinguishably so. They had pale, gray skin, and moderately-long black hair that covered one of their amber eyes. They wore a sweater a bit like Kris', though rather than green and yellow it was gray and white, and black trousers with brown boots. They looked like a fallen bird that once soared, and Kris, as much as they would hate to admit it, found them remarkably beautiful.

They sobbed in clear pain, like they had been abandoned there, with no-one tk save them. Kris looked down, their heart aching at the sight, and tapped on their shoulder. They looked up, and their amber eyes met Kris' rubies. Kris didn't want to look for long, because they knew they would visibly blush, so they got to the point, offering their umbrella to the other human. The gray person slowly stood up, and accepted the offer, standing by Kris under their umbrella, still soaking wet.

Kris asked their name, and they gave it. They were called Rafaelle. Beautiful name, Kris blurted out. They didn't mean to say that. They blushed profusely, and Raf giggled. Kris gave their own name, and Raf called it cute. Kris almost felt their heart flip.

Kris asked why Raf was laying in the rain all alone, and they responded that they had been abandoned there, discarded. Kris felt a sad feeling wash over them. They themselves had feared they'd end up like that, like a broken toy nobody else wanted...

Kris said that they were waiting for their brother, and asked if Raf would want to wait with them, so they would have somewhere to go. Raf hesitated for a moment, naturally not trusting an offer of belonging, but they had nothing left to lose, so they accepted.

A smile tugged at the corners of Kris' mouth, and it must have been contagious, because Raf cought it too. The two of them had a thought. Maybe, whatever they were, just for a little...

it might be ok.

Kris.. maybe we should check up on him, I know i know it seems crazy but we should check on him!

The divorce must have been taking a toll on him lately since mr sans married your mom last week...

Hmm? When did I hear mr Asgore screaming?

Ohh it was just yesterday, after i tried to kill myself by drowning, i just so happen to passby and hear your dad screaming.

It just go on and on until he turn off the lights and whimper to sleep i think....

Kris, im worried about him.... Maybe we should call your theRapist to help him..

What's his name again? Oh yeah, mr. Wing ding!

Maybe we should do that...

Noelle woke up to the alarm on her phone blaring. She groggily silenced her alarm and squinted at the screen, 7:00 AM. The light outside cast her room in a soft orange shade. She began to question why she set her alarm so early, especially on a weekend. As the rest of Noelle woke, images of purple dragons manifested in her mind, and she suddenly remembered why she set the alarm so early.

Noelle launched herself out of bed and into the bathroom. She threw her clothes on the floor and scurried inside the shower, tingling with excitement as cold water drenched her fur and gold hair.

Today was going to be a good day, amazing even. Today, Susie was going to take her to the festival. Merely thinking about it caused butterflies to begin fluttering in her stomach and her cheeks to start warming up. She began hurriedly rubbing shampoo on her hair and fur, hoping to be clean as soon as possible.

She had no idea when Susie would be arriving, for all she knew she was on her way right now. Noelle still remembered yesterday, when Susie stood up to her Mom. She was so brave, she couldn’t remember anyone outside her family ever standing up to her. Just thinking about doing so made her feel uneasy.

She’d have to face her eventually, Mom knew what they were doing and if she went with Susie then there would be no hiding that from her. The thought alone made her stomach tighten, but still, it would be worth it. Worth getting to spend the day with her. Nobody was going to get in between her and Susie this time, nobody.

Stepping out of the shower, Noelle dried herself and tossed on a pair of clean clothes, her usual red and green checker sweater, skirt, and black shirt combo. When she got down the stairs, she contemplated whether she should even bother with breakfast. She eventually settled on a bowl of dry cereal, she could just leave that if Susie arrived while she was eating. Noelle placed her bowl at the kitchen table and sat down.

Noelle peered out the window from her seat, but there was no sign of Susie outside. Resigned to waiting, Noelle exhaled, and began to eat at a more leisurely pace.

The house was quiet, dead quiet. Noelle was sure she’d be able to hear a pin drop from upstairs. Somehow, the silence made the room feel colder. Noelle rested her head on her hand and sighed. She now began to appreciate the fact she was sitting alone at a table meant for six. She closed her eyes, and images of when the house used to be filled with people played in her mind. The Dreemurrs used to come here so often. The house would be filled with the sound of their parents chatting while Dess and Asriel dragged her into whatever they were doing.

Her thoughts trailed to a particular memory of Kris pretending to be dead before suddenly jumping at her. She screamed then, but couldn’t help but smile after. Dess and Asriel were less amused, Noelle remembered Asriel gently apologizing to her while Dess repeatedly whacked Kris on the head with her wiffle bat. A bittersweet smile fluttered across her face. Those were the good days.

Noelle sighed, it was a far cry from how things had turned out now. It felt as if, after Dess went missing, everyone had decided they were better off by themselves. She wished she could see it that way. A little company would go a long way right about now.

Dess… just thinking of her again made her heart feel heavy, and the room began to feel even colder.

If Dess were here right now, she would walk over to her seeing her sitting all by herself and ruffle her hair. Noelle began to play idly with a lock of it.

If Dess were here, she would offer to take her to go exploring out in the woods, or tell her all sorts of sweet things; and if she still wasn’t feeling any better, she’d get her guitar and play a song for her.

Things would be different now. Kris was talking to her again, and Susie…

Well, as things currently stand, Susie might never be allowed in her home again. But that didn’t matter. She was going to see her and was going to hang out with her. If not here, then somewhere else. The thought of it made her smile warmly.

Suddenly, a sound she had been waiting for came, the ringing of the doorbell. Noelle flung herself out of the chair and arrived at the front door. Really, she didn’t need to rush like that, but it was too difficult to contain herself. Standing right in front of the door, Noelle took a deep breath and steeled her nerves as much as she could, she wanted to make a good impression. Noelle breathed out, and opened the door.

“Oh hi Su-” Noelle paused. The person at the other side of the door was not in fact Susie, but a reindeer monster she didn’t recognize. A wave of disappointment moved through her, before being replaced by a feeling of awkwardness. Who was this person? Dark brown eyes stared back at her from a face covered in brown fur, and the stranger looked as if she felt as uneasy as her. They seemed vaguely familiar, they were about a few inches taller than her, with wild black hair and wearing a rather bland coat. Were they one of Mom’s interns? Those came and went fairly quickly, most people didn’t have the bravery to deal with Mom on a daily basis. Maybe they were looking for her? The two stared at each other for a few seconds, silently standing still a few feet away from each other. Noelle tilted her head and squinted her eyes, and began to feel an unmistakable feeling like they had seen them before.

“Umm… can I help you?” Noelle finally asked.

The stranger’s expression shifted to something Noelle didn’t fully understand, then they opened their mouth. Nothing came out, they closed their mouth again and swallowed. An uneasy feeling began appearing in Noelle's stomach, and she prepared to shut the door should they move any closer.

“Elly… It’s me…”

Noelle froze in place as she felt the ground fall out from beneath her. Only one person ever called her that, and after the words had finished processing in her mind the stranger’s features all began to fall into place, all the same features she remembered her sister having. The connection gave Noelle a sudden sense of nausea and weightlessness.

Noelle’s head spun as her body was lit on fire with emotion, she felt her heart miss a beat. Was this all a dream? She felt so lightheaded right now she expected to wake up any second, and yet instead of waking up she stood there motionlessly gawping at her, at… her… sister. She didn’t so much as twitch, half out of shock, half out of fear she might wake up.

Her brain scrambled for something, anything to say or do. Words formed in the pit of her mouth but were unable to move past the choking sensation in her throat. Eventually, Noelle managed to sputter out a single word, spoken barely above a whisper.

“...Dess?”

-----

“...Dess?”

The name crawled into their mind and sent shivers throughout their body. The Knight stared back at their sister, Noelle’s face was frozen in shock. Their insides seized as great fear gripped them, a fear that they had made a tremendous mistake coming here. But it was too late for regrets now. The Knight allowed themselves to slip back into their old identity. Dess made her move, she took a step forward and wrapped her arms around Noelle and drew her into a close embrace.

“I missed so many birthdays…”

In a blink, Noelle’s arms slammed around Dess’s torso, her hands tightly gripping the back of her coat, Dess momentarily wondered if she was afraid she’d lose her again if she let go.

“DESS!” Noelle wailed and threw her head into her shoulder, to which Dess responded by resting her chin on Noelle’s shoulder. The sensation of her sister’s fur against her skin and the pressure of her body against theirs was electrifying. She couldn’t remember the last time she had ever felt a sensation like this. Dess had to remind herself that this really was happening. Her legs were starting to quiver, and her eyes started burning up with a dry heat. Dess shed no tears, she couldn’t, this body wasn’t capable of real tears. Regardless, that did not stop her from feeling like she should, so she lowered her head and buried her eyes into Noelle’s shoulder, hoping to hide the falsehood under pressure. 

Noelle was a sobbing wreck now, and the sound of her choking and gasping with every breath left Dess fighting back the urge to sob herself. She could feel the wet stain of tears creeping through her coat and into her shoulder. In between ragged gasps Noelle cried, “You’re here… you’re home! I thought… I thought I’d never see you again”.

Home she was. Seen she was. Dess could hardly believe it herself. The real Dess, trapped in the dark, spent every moment of her confinement dreaming of this moment, clinging desperately to it, despite how painful holding on was. She had tried to keep track of the time that passed. Days, maybe months. Eventually she lost track entirely. Nobody came for her. Eventually, the waiting became more painful than giving up. Her hope faded, and even the name “Dess” started to feel like it belonged to someone else.

Now she was here, holding Noelle like she had wanted to all those years ago. She should have felt something more, and yet the feeling was muted. Like something was still missing. She had lost something in the deep dark, something she couldn’t ever get back. This wasn’t real, she reminded herself. Noelle was hugging a lie, and if Noelle saw what was hiding behind the fake image of her sister, she would scream and slam the door in its face. But that was okay, at least for now, because something close to where her heart once was told her that they both really needed this.

Pulling herself out of the dark corners of her mind, Dess lifted her head from its press and opened her eyes. Noelle was still clinging to her and Dess’s shoulder still shook with muffled sobbing. How long had the two been standing here? It had felt as though time had faded away and the world along with it. Dess looked back towards Hometown. The town was still silent, but the sun had risen more than she’d like. She decided that this needed to be taken inside. If they kept standing here, someone might see them. Words seemed effective at breaking Noelle out of her trances, so she said what was on her mind.

“I’m… I’m so sorry Elly.”

Noelle shuddered at the mention of her name, but did not move. Noelle was silent for a long moment as she clung to her.

“Dess…” Noelle croaked weakly.

Dess freed one of her arms from Noelle’s back and stroked her hair. It was soft, and it brought back old memories she thought she had long forgotten. It was clear that Noelle was too overwhelmed to break from her current state. Dess wrapped her arm back around Noelle and took a step forward. Noelle stumbled back, and Dess had to tighten her grip to keep her from falling. As Dess kept moving both of them back into the house Noelle’s movements remained clumsy, as she refused to move her head from Dess’s shoulder. After shutting and locking the door behind them, Dess positioned the two of them in front of the couch and sat Noelle down beside her.

It was only then that Noelle lifted her head from Dess’s shoulder. Her hands released themselves from their death-grip on Dess’s back and moved up to her shoulders. The whites of her eyes were now red, and the fur below her eyes was stained wet with tears. Noelle’s breaths were sharp, and her chest rose and fell to match them.

“Where… why… why were you gone for so long?”

Dess took a deep breath, it would seem she had a lot of explaining to do, and a lot of answers she could not give.

Dess tapped her fingers against her lap. What was she to say? Noelle obviously couldn’t be told the truth, that would almost be as bad as showing her what she really looked like now, assuming she would even believe her. The cogs in her mind turned as she began to weave a story. She would need to tell Noelle something that would seem believable of course, but she didn’t want to leave her with the wrong impression. She needed to tell her something that was conclusive and didn’t open the door to many other questions. In addition, she didn’t want to tell her anything that would cause her any anxiety or cause her to blame herself.

Dess mulled over it for a while. Noelle sat patiently beside her, holding her hand in one arm and rubbing her eyes with another. Her grip was firm, and although Dess had mostly adjusted to finally being able to touch Noelle again, it still gave her a foreign feeling to be holding her hand. She could tell Noelle was anticipating an answer from her. Finally formulating a response, Dess began to tell her cover story.

“I… for a while, before I left. I had felt unhappy with myself, like I wanted something more from life. Do you remember how we’d go exploring the woods outside town? You remember that one time you and I camped out in the middle of the woods, and just sat and stared at the stars?”

Noelle sniffled and gave a stiff nod, and Dess continued.

“When we did that, it made me feel alive, more alive than I’d ever felt, and I wanted something like that.

Dess paused, she would need to phrase her next words very carefully if she wanted them to have the impact she wanted.

“I thought… that I could just leave. For a little while. Go and spend some time out of town, figure things out, and then come right back.”

Dess’s gaze fell into her lap.

“But… it didn’t work out like that. ‘A little while’ ended up being a lot longer than I thought. I told myself I’d see you tomorrow, then next week, then next month. The longer I stayed, the harder it got to convince myself to come back.”

Noelle blinked, and stared at her with wide eyes. After an agonizingly long moment’s pause, she spoke.

“B-but… Dess, why didn’t you ever tell us?! We were all so worried about you! I was worried about-”

Dess cut her off

“I know, I’m sorry. I thought of coming back and seeing you.”

Dess’s fingers tightened against her sleeve.

“But I changed while I was gone, Elly, and maybe not in the way people are s’possed to change. I kept thinking about the look on your face. I thought you’d be angry. I thought you’d look at me and not see your sister anymore.”

Noelle quickly interjected, her expression pained.

“B-b-but… but I, we, would never, ever hate you-”

Dess couldn’t help but cut her off again.

“I know… I know. I’m so sorry. I should have come back, or at least said something. I just didn’t know how to face you anymore. I have so many regrets. But I’m here now, and I’m ready to make up for lost time”.

Noelle stared back at her, her expression was weary, and she could see tears forming in her eyes again. She abruptly threw herself back into her and squeezed her tightly, which took Dess by surprise. Dess did not mind however, it was clear Noelle needed this. Noelle spoke again.

“Dess, please. Promise… promise that you won’t leave ever again.”

“I-” Dess contemplated. She couldn’t make that promise. She would need to leave again. The Knight still had long work ahead of them, both inside and outside the dark worlds. But maybe, she could stay here with Noelle, for as long as she still had time. Noelle already knew she was back, and the only people who would ever really have a reason to come here, Carol and Kris, were already in on it. Staying at her old home wasn’t really a great risk anymore, even if the thought made her feel uneasy. Dess’s mind tossed and turned, and her throat began to feel heavy. Finally, she spoke.

“I promise.”

Noelle’s shoulders fell, Dess could see her words took a great weight off of her, and to Dess’s surprise, it seemed to take a weight off herself as well. They remained in their silent embrace for a while, until Noelle released her grip and slumped backwards. Noelle gripped Dess’s hand again while fidgeting with her free hand.

“Do you, uhm, want something to drink? There’s eggnog in the fridge. I could get you a glass if you like.” Noelle said.

“No thank you” Dess replied.

Perhaps if she really was just Dess the idea of a glass of eggnog would sound appealing, but she had gone years without consuming anything, and she felt no inclination to change that. There was indeed some kind of hollowness inside of her abdomen, but whatever it was didn’t feel like any kind of organ, let alone a stomach, and trying to think of what it was or its function made her feel uncomfortable and alienated from her own body.

“By the way Elly” Dess began, “Keep this between the two of us, for now, at least. Please?”

Noelle stared back at her and blinked. “W-what do you mean?” She replied.

“I’m… not ready to show myself to everyone else yet, and I’d like to do it on my own terms when I do”.

Noelle responded almost immediately.

“O-oh! Well… I’m sure i-it’s fine. Whatever keeps you comfortable, Dess.”

Dess grinned softly at this, but in the back of her mind she noted the subtle tone of desperation to Noelle’s voice. Her grin fell somewhat at that, but still, this was good. The Knight had managed to pull this thing off without too much of a hiccup. Now that their thoughts were in order once again, all they had to do now was wait and lay low here for a little while placating Noelle until it was time to resume their work. Their shoulders relaxed, and they felt an onset of quiet peace. Everything was as it should be. They sat there for a moment, taking simple pleasure in the silence.

Their train of thought was interrupted suddenly by the sound of the front door opening. The Knight’s eyes darted to the front door as their body froze in place. Before they could make out who was coming in, they heard a gruff, yet oddly cheerful voice that turned their insides to ice.

“Yo Noelle! Here to pick you up for the festival, c’mon quick before your mom shows up”.

It was her, the girl! Why was she here? She shouldn’t be here, she shouldn’t have been able to open the door, she locked it and the gate on the way in! The answer to their question came when a second figure stepped in from behind her, walking slowly with a large stick they were using as a cane.

“No need to worry ‘bout her kiddo, Carol left early for work. You hear that honey? You-”

The two locked eyes, and Dess gaped in horror. Whatever composure she had left shattered completely. It was Rudy, it was her father. He stared at her for a moment with a quizzical look, scanning her up and down, then at Noelle, whose hand she was still holding. Then, Dess felt her insides seize completely as Rudy’s eyes shot open, his features dropping into a look of disbelief almost to match her own. The girl spoke again.

“Huh, who’s this? They Noelle’s cousin or something?”

Rudy responded to her question by collapsing to the ground.