Undertale :: Good Enough (For Now)

[grapegarden]

This was a part of a series of ficlets I wrote for Undertale Shipping Pride Month last year. Alas, I got distracted and never finished the challenge, but I didn't want these ficlets to rot alone in tumblr's void, so I decided to upload them here as well.

So... Torgore. Or ToriGorey. Or Asriel. And you thought Frisk x Asriel was an indecisive portmanteau nightmare when it comes to tagging, you have no idea. :P Writing goat parents is haaaaaaaaaarrrrrrd! *sobs* I’m not just talking about the ship, Toriel and Asgore as individual characters are difficult for me to write. I think this turned out all right though? While this ficlet is serious for the most part, it was partially inspired by a cute fanart I saw of Asgore playing a board game with Frisk and friends. :)

This is also the ficlet in which I name my versions of the Six Souls kids. :o

Title: Good Enough (For Now)
Author: Puri
Fandom: Undertale
Genre: General
Rating: PG
Warnings: Canon-typical death mentions
Ships/Characters: Past!Toriel/Asgore
Finished: Yes

It’s so odd to see her ex-husband with children these days.

Asgore wasn’t doing anything wrong. Of course not. But the specter of what he’d done loomed over Toriel like a thundercloud. Not that taking a human soul and using it to cross the barrier and get six more isn’t reprehensible either, but it was a better alternative than… she already discussed this with him. There’s nothing more to say and she didn’t wish to bring it up anymore. The war is over and done with—so is their marriage. It’s time to move on.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Flowey exclaimed. “I was so close! I should’ve won!”
“Sorry Flowey. Gotta go back to the Gumdrop Mountains!” Frisk grinned. The bitter houseplant growled, using a vine to move his green Gingerbread Man to the proper space. Monster Kid’s yellow Gingerbread Man took the lead at Lollipop Woods, approaching the Ice Cream Sea. The red gingerbread—Asgore's—waited at the Peanut Brittle House, while Frisk’s blue one got stuck in a gumdrop.

“Your turn, Asgore!” Frisk chirped.
“Let’s see…” The giant goat flipped over the next card. “Two orange squares!”
“Oh man, that’s a good one!” Monster Kid said. “Any moment and you’ll be catching up with me, Mister King!”

Asgore’s in his element, all right. It’s been years since Toriel last seen him be himself. She’s glad to see he’s doing better, though she’s not yet ready to accept him as a friend again. They worked together well enough negotiating with human leaders and ambassadors, and they respected each other’s space around friends and family. Asgore never pressured her to maybe make amends and start a relationship again; it’s up to her to decide in the end. This he accepted.

“One yellow? Really?” Flowey huffed. “These cards are rigged!”
“Hey, you’re trapped in the gumdrops too!” Frisk remarked. “Looks like we’re in a… sticky situation.”
“Uggggh!”

Toriel wondered what it would be like if her children were still here: Asriel may be waiting for his turn to play, while Chara stayed by his side and offered occasional commentary. Jing wouldn’t be fazed getting stuck at all. Ari wouldn’t sit still for long, though he’d be happy to pop a jellybean or two in his mouth (Toriel banned the “Eat a piece of candy depending on the square color” rule to keep the kids from getting sick). Freyda always kept proper sitting posture with back straight and legs folded. If he reached King Kandy’s castle first—and if real candy was rewarded to the winner—Vieno would share his pieces with the other players. Riley would've shared facts about Candy Land they read on the Internet (According to them, the game was created by Eleanor Abbott, a hospital patient recovering from polio. She shared and tested the game with the children in her ward), and after the game, Scout would've likely rounded up everyone to play her favorite: Chutes & Ladders.

“Yay! I did it!” Monster Kid cheered as they nudged their gingerbread man to the castle.
“Congratulations!” Asgore applauded. “Good game, children!”
“I still can’t believe I lost.” Flowey mumbled.
“Don’t worry Flowey! I’m sure you’ll win next time!” Monster Kid ensured.
“Don’t be discouraged, Flowey.” Asgore held out his paw for the flower to hold. “You may not always win every game, but it wouldn’t be the same without you. I’ve lost spectacularly at Scrabble! I cannot remember the last time I won it. But you know what? The fun I got talking with other players makes it worth it. We made jokes, argued about words, despaired over poor letters…”

Toriel wondered if they’d still be together even without the loss of her children. She loved him certainly. But enough to marry him? Did it turn out they weren’t as compatible for each other as they had believed? She’d been known to be tough—almost frightening. Her husband was the exact opposite. The clashes between them proved formidable, and they escalated beyond the height of Mt. Ebott since the tragedy befalling Asriel and Chara.

Asgore was so soft-hearted it served as a double-edged sword; it’s his weakness as well as his strength. The same heart who cared so much for his people he became a reluctant reaper; he tried delaying bringing harm to anyone, which in turn brought it. He lacked backbone and buckled under his own mistake and poor decisions, costing the Underground needless suffering. Even if he hadn’t declared war on humanity… in a different scenario, he may have come up with something equally foolish.

The six humans didn’t deserve to die. Neither did Asgore. Thank the gods she made it to New Home on time…

“I think I get it.” Flowey sighed and accepted the paw with a vine. “…Okay. I might as well hang with the rest of you losers a little longer. I might be more forgiving if I don’t win this time…” He smiled and stuck his tongue out. “But I’m still not going easy on anybody.”
“Ho ho ho! That’s the spirit!” Asgore beamed. “All right, children! Who’s up for another game?”

Toriel watched on in satisfaction. Whatever what could have been, she valued the joy they had in their marriage while it lasted. She refused to disrespect the memories of her children by forgiving him, but when she’d finally been allowed to bury them, it brought much-needed closure and patched a festering wound. There’s still a lot of healing to be done. It may not go back to the way it used to be—she loved him but doubted she’d be in love with him again—but this is good enough. And good enough is all that’s needed for now.