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Unknown Date, Hometown
It was another starry night in Hometown, just another Saturday evening like any other. The streets were filled with familiar monster faces, easy laughter, and the sound of children running and playing between the houses. Being the weekend, it wasn’t unusual to see nearly the whole town still awake, lights glowing softly behind windows and front porches lit with warm yellow bulbs.
Two monsters enjoying the peaceful night were Asriel Dreemurr and Dess Holiday, who were sitting side by side on the Dreemurrs’ rooftop. Each of them held a soda can in hand, condensation slowly gathering on the metal as they stared quietly up at the sky, scattered with stars.
“Didn’t think your roof would actually be this chill” Dess said with a half-smirk. “Kinda expected it to suck, honestly. How’d you even figure out this was a decent hangout spot?”
“Kris, actually” Asriel said with a small laugh. “They climbed up here to try and scare me. I had to chase them down before they broke their neck or something… and then I just kinda stayed up here for a bit. It’s nicer than I expected”
“Of course it was Kris” Dess rolled her eyes, taking a long sip from her can. “Honestly, I should thank the little goblin. If they hadn’t pulled their weird gremlin stunt, I wouldn’t be up here right now. With you. On a rooftop. Under the stars. Real romantic, Dreemurr”
Asriel gave a small groan, covering part of his face with his free hand. “It’s not a date, Dess”
“Sure it’s not” she said with a teasing grin, bumping her shoulder lightly against his. “Totally just two friends chilling under the stars with soda and weird tension. Nothing date-like about it at all”
Asriel didn’t respond right away. He just looked off to the side, trying to hide the red creeping into his cheeks.
Dess let out a breath, more amused than anything, and leaned back on one of her hands. She glanced over at him again with that familiar glint in her eye, sharp, playful, and quietly fond. The kind of look that said "You’re a dork, Azzy", but she didn’t really mind.
“Our first date’ll be when I actually ask you out to dinner, alright?”
Dess raised an eyebrow, stretching her legs out across the roof shingles like she owned the place. “Wow. Real original, Dreemurr. Gonna take me to some luxurious restaurant or something?”
Asriel gave her a look, half amused, half exhausted. “I mean… I was thinking more like a decent place with food and, you know… holding hands or something”
He scratched the back of his neck as he said it, clearly unsure if what he was describing still counted as romantic.
“Oh yeah? Like this?” Dess leaned over without hesitation and grabbed his hand, fingers locking around his.
Asriel blinked, caught off guard.
“Well, look at that. Guess we’re dating now” she said with a grin, giving his hand a solid squeeze.
“…Worst first date ever” Asriel muttered, dramatically slumping against the roof like he’d just been emotionally wounded.
Dess snorted, and the two of them bursted into laughter. Their voices carried gently through the night air, mixing with the faint noise of crickets and the muffled chatter from the neighborhood below. She let go of his hand eventually, giving him a playful nudge on the shoulder.
Even if she teased, she got it. He wanted something real when it mattered, so she let it be. No need to force it.
They sat in silence for a while after that, drinking more of their soda and leaving it to their side, staring at the stars as the town below moved on without them.
“…Hey, Azzy” Dess said, her voice softer now.
“Hmm?”
She leaned back on her arms, eyes half-lidded as she stared out past the rooftops. There was something heavier in her tone, not gloomy, just a little thoughtful.
“Do you think Kris and Noelle are still gonna be close when they’re older? Like… actually close” she asked. “Like us, kinda”
Asriel tilted his head, watching the quiet streets. Somewhere down there, he could picture the two of them, Kris and Noelle, off doing their weird kid things, still in their own little world.
“You mean like… dating or something?” He asked.
“What? No. Gross. I mean—not that. Just… still in each other’s lives. Like, not drifting off or turning into strangers or whatever” Dess said, frowning a bit like she was figuring it out as she spoke. “They’ve always been tight, but lately it’s felt… off”
Asriel turned slightly toward her, giving her his full attention. “Have you asked Noelle about it?”
Dess shook her head. “Nah. She wouldn’t get it. I don’t even get it”
She lifted her hand, flexing her fingers a bit, her tone more cautious now.
“I’ve grabbed Noelle’s hand a few times lately, just goofing around, and for a second it feels… cold. Not like weather-cold, just… weird. Like if her hand was frozen. Then it passes and she’s smiling again like nothing happened. It's weird.”
Asriel blinked. “That’s… kinda strange”
Dess nodded slowly. “Yeah. And it’s not just her” She glanced sideways. “Kris too. Sometimes being around them feels like… I dunno. Like they’re going through the motions. Like they’re trying to act like Kris but something underneath isn’t lining up. It’s subtle, but I feel it”
As she spoke, she looked back down at her hand, absently opening and closing it. Then she felt it, a sharp prick in the middle of her finger, like something thin and needle-like had jabbed her.
She flinched slightly and looked at her palm, rubbing at the spot with her thumb. But there was nothing there. No thorn. No splinter. Not even a red mark. It was just a moment. Then it was gone.
“…Weird” she muttered under her breath.
Asriel noticed. “What’s up?”
“Nothing. Just thought I felt… never mind. Doesn’t matter” she said quickly, lowering her hand and brushing her pants like she was just adjusting her posture.
Asriel looked down for a moment, frowning thoughtfully. “I mean… I'm with Kris all the time. If something was really wrong, I’d probably notice it. I’m their older brother, after all” He paused, then added more quietly, “But I’ll keep an eye out. Just in case”
Dess let out a small breath, almost like relief. “Thanks. I know it sounds dumb but… it’s been bothering me”
“I don’t think it’s dumb” He said honestly. “It’s not like you’re making it up, right?. If something feels off, it’s worth paying attention to”
She flexed her fingers one more time, still half-expecting to feel the sting again, but it didn’t come.
“Maybe I’m just in my head too much lately” she muttered. “The brain’s good at messing with you like that”
“Yeah… it is.” Asriel said with a half-laugh. “But still, better to talk about it than keep it buried”
Dess gave a small grin. “Man, you sound like some counselor or something”
They sat in silence again for a few seconds, the breeze brushing past them gently.
Then Dess stretched her arms out behind her head with a dramatic sigh. “Alright, enough of me sounding like a sad poet. We’re sixteen, we’re on a roof, and I still got of energy left. Let’s not ruin it with weird vibes”
Asriel chuckled, nudging her lightly. “Agreed. But hey… if you ever wanna talk more about this stuff, I’ll listen.”
Dess looked at him, then smirked. “Man, no wonder everyone’s in love with you. You’re such a nice guy it’s kinda disgusting”
Asriel rolled his eyes, laughing softly, and they both leaned back again, shoulders brushing slightly, letting the sky and stars fill the silence, for now.
Maybe if Dess or Asriel had looked more into it, into what Dess was feeling about their younger siblings, the future could have been better, and not a frozen hell of suffering.
Maybe if they had both talked to their younger siblings.
Maybe if Dess hadn’t disappeared one day without a trace, swallowed whole by the darkness.
Maybe if those poor kids hadn’t walked through life so separated and without control of their life.
But none of that mattered now. The damage was already done.
It was another black night in Hometown, just another Saturday evening like any other. The streets were hollow and still, not a soul wandering them. The lights that used to glow warm in the homes were now dim, most of them off. Windows stayed closed. Curtains drawn. It had been like that for a while now, long enough that no one questioned it anymore… Because there wasn’t anyone to question it. The streetlights flickered slowly, buzzing like they were tired. The breeze that moved through the trees carried no chill and no warmth. Just stillness. Just the same, week after week.
Two silhouettes sat on the roof of the Dreemurrs’ house, unmoving, barely even casting shadows under the broken light: Noelle Holiday and Kris Dreemurr. The two of them faced the town, but neither seemed to really look at it. Their bodies were angled apart, almost like instinct kept them from turning toward each other fully.
Noelle sat hunched, her knees pulled up to her chest. Her arms wrapped loosely around her legs, not quite hugging them, more like her limbs had fallen into that position out of habit. Her face was passive, not blank, just dulled. Her eyes wandered over rooftops and trees but never stopped anywhere. She blinked slowly. Her fingers rubbed together in silence.
Kris sat beside her, back hunched slightly, legs dangling over the edge. Their hands rested limply on either side of them. They looked down, gaze empty, like they were staring at a point in space without ever really seeing it. Their shoulders were heavy, pulled down by something old and worn and unspoken. They hadn’t shifted in minutes.
“How long has it been…” Noelle said after a long time, her voice brittle and dry. It wasn’t a real question. Just a sound to fill the air.
Kris didn’t move. “Three years” they said, their voice low, barely rising above a whisper. Not heavy. Not emotional. Just flat. Like they were stating the weather.
Noelle let out a breath that wasn’t quite a sigh. She leaned her head forward until it rested lightly against her knees. Her mouth opened slowly. “…Three years already…”
Kris didn’t answer. The silence between them returned like a tide. Neither of them seemed to mind it.
Noelle ran a finger along the edge of her boot, back and forth. She didn’t look at Kris. Her eyes didn’t move much anymore. “…Sometimes I wonder how much everything has changed…” she said, her tone as hollow as her words. “Somehow it feels the same… just quieter…”
Kris didn’t reply. They closed their eyes for a second, not to rest, just to not see anything.
“I still wonder why you did it…” Noelle said after a moment. She slowly turned her head to look at them. Not sharply. Not expectantly. Just… turned. Her eyes were heavy but flat, like she was watching them from the other side of a window.
Kris swallowed, barely. Their hands curled slightly into fists, then relaxed. They didn’t lift their head.
Noelle’s gaze drifted to her own hand. She opened her fingers slowly, tracing the scar on her finger with her thumb. It looked smaller now. Fainter. But it was still there. “…No… That’s right… It wasn’t you…” The words left her in a soft murmur. She closed her hand again and pressed her forehead gently back to her knees. Kris exhaled through their nose, slow and tired. Their body barely shifted.
They wanted to say something. Anything. But whatever they could’ve said had long dried up inside of them. There was nothing left but the shape of the regret. The absence of all the words they never said. The things they should’ve done. The people they couldn’t save.
They turned their head slightly toward Noelle, just enough to see her out of the corner of their eye.
"I know it hurts you… more than it hurts me…" Noelle said, eyes now fixed on the sky above. It was so dark it looked like a black painting. Her voice came out quiet, flat, not like she was hiding emotion, but like she had forgotten how to use it. "...You had to watch me for years like that… Just standing there while I wasn’t even me…" she continued. Her voice didn't shake. It didn’t do anything. She finally turned toward Kris, her expression as still as her tone. "And even now… I keep thinking maybe you didn’t really try that hard to stop it…"
Kris didn’t move. Didn’t flinch. Their hands were clasped together in their lap, nails digging slightly into the skin of their thumb, but it was the only sign they’d even heard her. Their gaze stayed fixed forward, blank and lifeless, like they weren’t really there anymore.
"...No… It doesn’t matter…" Noelle muttered. Her shoulders fell slightly as she exhaled, more from habit than anything else. "Now I get it... There's nothing left to figure out." A soft wind passed over the rooftop, carrying a dry chill with it. The silence that followed was long and stale. Neither of them seemed bothered by it.
"...I tried to protect you…" Kris mumbled eventually, the words falling from their mouth like it cost them something just to say them. "...I really tried…" Their hands trembled briefly, but they didn’t lift them. "It’s still my fault…" they added, quieter.
Noelle didn’t say anything. She moved a little closer, barely brushing her side against Kris's arm. Then a bit more, until she was leaning into them, her head resting on their shoulder with the same weightless detachment as everything else she did now. Her arms stayed loosely wrapped around her knees. There was no comfort in the contact. No warmth. Just the quiet reminder that they still existed. Both of them. Still here.
After a moment, she lifted one hand slowly and placed it flat against Kris’s chest. Her fingers lingered there, still and indifferent, like she was waiting for something she didn’t expect to find.
"You got rid of that thing… right?" she asked, the question barely audible.
Kris lowered their head slightly, eyes heavy and unfocused. "...Yes…" they said. Their voice cracked a little, but they didn’t react to it. They brought their own hand up and placed it gently over hers. Neither of them looked at the other.
"I see… How much… time do you have left…?" Noelle asked. There was no urgency to her tone, no panic. Just a distant kind of questioning.
Kris turned their head toward her slowly, as if even that was a task too heavy to perform. Their eyes met hers for a second. Then drifted down to her hand still pressed against their chest. Her palm was cold. "...I don’t know…" they said, barely louder than a breath. Their voice sounded like it hadn't been used in days. "Maybe a couple of hours… I’ve never gone this long without that thing inside me…"
Noelle didn’t flinch. She blinked once, slow. Then her hand shifted slightly over their chest, pressing down just a little more firmly, as though trying to feel something beneath the skin, heat, movement, life. But it all felt faint. Distant. "...Oh… Only a few hours…?" she said again, her voice dragging at the edges. There was no emotion in it. Just the rhythm of speaking for the sake of keeping the air from feeling too heavy.
Kris gave a small nod. It looked like it took effort. "...Yeah…" they answered again. The word came out flat, brittle. They kept staring at the street below. Still, unmoving. "...It’s fine… It’s the best outcome for us..."
Noelle didn’t answer. She tilted her head away slightly, letting her eyes drift over the horizon. There was nothing to look at, just the black silhouettes of dead trees and flickering streetlights. Her shoulders curled in. Not because she was cold. She didn’t know why. It just felt easier than holding herself up properly.
"...You’ll just disappear…" she murmured, her voice almost dissolving into the night. "...Like everyone else eventually does…" She moved then. Slowly. Carefully. She shifted her weight and leaned forward, letting her forehead rest against Kris’s shoulder. The movement was gentle, hesitant, like she was scared she might break something. Her eyes closed. Not out of comfort, more like resignation.
Kris didn’t react at first. Their breathing was shallow. Their hands remained still on their lap. They looked at the top of her head, at the way her hair brushed against their shirt.
Noelle stayed there, listening. Trying to find something in the body of her partner. Anything. Warmth. Meaning. Proof that she wasn’t alone at that moment. That someone was still there. "You're being selfish…" she whispered, her voice going straight to their head. "...Leaving me to carry the pain alone…" Her words didn’t sting. They didn’t bite. They just dropped, like dead leaves falling from a branch.
"…" Kris didn’t respond. They couldn’t. They just let their hand shift slowly from their lap to rest against her back. Their fingers didn’t move. They just stayed there, like a placeholder for comfort they couldn’t give.
"...Why did you even decide to free us from… It?" she asked. Her tone was distant again. Flat. "...From its control… Why after three years?" There was silence again. It stretched too long. Long enough for the question to lose its shape.
Kris parted their lips slightly. But nothing came out. Their mouth stayed open for a moment, then shut again. There was nothing to say. They hadn’t planned anything. They just… had.
Noelle blinked slowly against their shoulder, her face unreadable. She didn’t really expect an answer. "I… I don’t like… Freedom…" she said, still resting against them. Her arms slowly wrapped around herself. The words were dry and quiet. "...It feels empty…" Her breath slowed. Her body leaned heavier against Kris. "I know you feel the same way…" she added, just above a whisper.
Kris swallowed, but their throat felt dry. They couldn’t tell if it was guilt or exhaustion pressing down on them harder. Probably both.
Noelle shifted again, this time she put all the weight of her body against them, pressing her cheek against Kris’s chest instead. Her eyes opened partway, unfocused.
"...I hate you…" she said, not with venom, but with something quieter. The kind of hate that grows out of grief. "...I didn’t mind being a puppet… if it meant I could still be with you… I don’t get why you had to take that from us now…"
There was a pause.
Then Kris wrapped their arms around her, not gently, not protectively. Just tightly. Like if they didn’t hold her close, everything might unravel again. Their bodies leaned together, warm only in the places they touched. Familiar. Almost like they belonged like this. Almost.
“I hate you… Kris…” Noelle repeated against Kris' chest, hugging them back.
But there was still distance between them. Not in space, but in something deeper and colder. Something broken.
"...I know..." Kris whispered, sharing the same feeling as her.
And the night kept moving on around them, without stopping for either of them, without stopping for their tragedy.