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“And Kris seems to be sleeping in. I suppose I will let them, given it is the weekend," Toriel sat on her dear chair, of similar name to her own, and gently blew on her tea. She wasn’t really talking to anyone as no one was up in the house besides herself.
“I really do wonder what goes on in their head. I think I’m a very… approachable mother. Yet, I feel they are distancing themself from everyone- Perhaps it is just the age they are?” She didn’t like to dwell on this topic. Everyone had their ups and downs. They were missing their brother… Certainly that could be the explanation.
She moved herself just slightly before watching the TV suddenly turn on. Oops. The remote must’ve been underneath her. She was just about to set down her cup and find it before the program caught her eye.
The Tv had put on a game show. One that had a human-monster family competing for the grand prize. Something in her heart warmed; Asriel had once told her to ‘go on online forums’ to find other families like them but she could never get used to computers. No matter how much little Noelle or little Kris taught her, nothing had ever stuck.
Instead she stuck to books (which honestly there was not too many on the subject), newspaper articles (recently a human celebrity adopted a monster child and she’d found it interesting), or the rare webpage that Carol sent her (it was just a click of her mouse which was infinitely easier than ‘social media’ although she’d still found herself struggling). This, however, was different. This wasn’t an informational program, instead it just showed the normalcy of it.
“Oh, thank you dear. I usually just stick to my cooking shows but I believe a little trivia would do me well. Keeps the brain flexing and young,” She thanked her TV and if she didn't know better she felt it seemed to glow a little brighter with the praise.
*
Her eyes fluttered open- then closed- then open again. Her body felt heavy but not in a bad way… instead she felt she was getting a well-deserved nap.
“Hello?” She asked, the world around her didn’t seem correct. A winter wonderland around her while she seemingly was in a giant plastic-ball “What a strange dream this is.”
“Oh no! No! No!” She finally noticed the other monster, a very tall fellow with a television as a head. Very notably, it looked like the television in her own home. “You can’t be awake NOW! Or maybe not ever- oh, I’m really sorry! I didn’t mean for it to go like this. I just wanted them to have fun! To see that smile on their face!”
The poor thing seemed so distressed. If it had hair she was certain he’d be pulling it out.
“This is a strange dream but not my worst one, dear,” She reassured the fretful TV “I am Toriel and you are?”
“Ah! Yes! You missed the intro- MIKE! MIKE! Oh, I forgot he’s gone…” He seemed to deflate, getting smaller with each passing moment “Everyone has left me… who do I have left? I- No one wants an outdated TV like me… Tenna! Mister Ant-Tenna is my name! Oh, Toriel, I really don’t know where I’ve gone wrong! Why can’t I make anyone happy anymore?”
She couldn’t reach out to reassure him and given her heavy eyes she’d have to make her statement quick. But she understood what this all was. A dream on her own insecurities, played by a mostly-forgotten object she passed by every day. Still, these types of dreams deserved a hopeful end to them.
“Oh, dear Tenna,” She said, giving her best smile to him “Kris will be alright. They are just growing up. And we will too, even if we’re a little older. They still love us just as much as we love them.”
Her eyes shut. She was once again back to her slumber in the Darkworld.