On The Surface | An OCTale Sequel

24) A Family Disagreement

Before I raise my hand to knock on the door, I see Chancery fade back into her robes, upon realising where we are. Flowey chuckles slightly.

"Knock knock!" I call. This time, Impact takes a little while to respond - probably heading downstairs from his room. I hear him stifle a yawn.

"Who's there?"
"Kent!"
"Kent...who?" He yawns again.
"Kent you tell who I am by my voice?" I shrug, and hear the door unlock. Impact wearily smiles at me, dressed in a navy nightgown, barely registering Flowey in my hands and Chancery behind us.

I glance at her, and she lowers her head even more - in shame. Eventually, Castellar comes over to the door, guiding her brother to the kitchen and gesturing for us both to sit down.

"Is your son always that sleepy?" I giggle.

"Yeah...He would nearly sleep all day as a child. He had to, you see, because he was born with abnormally low HP. Resting that much gives him strength." Chancery giggles, and I nod in understanding.

Flowey wiggles himself out of my grasp and shuffles his pot over to the coffee table - next to the side of the sofa. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Impact arrives again, this time in his clothes, which look freshly washed - and I can faintly smell some sort of floral washing detergent. He looks a lot more alert, and this is explained by Castellar arriving out of the kitchen, carrying a tray of coffee mugs.

"HELLO TYLER! I HAD TO MAKE SOME COFFEE BECAUSE OF HOW TIRED MY BROTHER HAS BEEN RECENTLY. SO I THOUGHT THAT I MIGHT AS WELL MAKE YOU TWO SOME COFFEE AS WELL. HOW MAMY SUGARS WOULD YOU LIKE?" She asserts, but her eyes express slight worry for Impact as he sits down next to Chancery, slouching. She moves over slightly.

I thought his nightmares had stopped. So why hasn't he been sleeping much?

Unless he lied to me about not having nightmares....

As Castellar obliviously passes over a cup to her own mother, she strikes up a friendly conversation.
"HELLO! YOU'RE THE RIVERPERSON, AREN'T YOU? HOW MANY SUGARS DO YOU TAKE?"

"Oh! Uh...Tra la la...I'll have two, please." She replies uncertainly, putting on her 'Riverperson' façade for now. Castellar smiles kindly at her, passing her a spoon to stir the coffee with, then moving on to me, passing a hot chocolate.

"You'll have to excuse my brother, he's so lazy sometimes! IMPACT, SLEEPING IS NOT A GOOD WAY TO IMPRESS HOUSEGUESTS!" Castellar shifts fonts, and I giggle slightly. Impact jolts awake.

"Huh? What? Oh! Right.... 'm awake..." He lets out an exasperated yawn, then drifts back off. Chancery looks at him in pity, and mutters "The poor dear..."

"AH, HELLO CASTELLAR. I SEE YOUR BROTHER IS ASLEEP AGAIN. OH, AND HELLO TYLER AND RIVERPERSON." Webdings suddenly announces casually, bursting through the front door. Chancery sits back in her seat, terrified to talk to him. I lean over and whisper to her.

"Don't worry! Just tell him how you feel!" I advise. She steadies her panicked breathing, and swallows. Then, she gives a quick nod. Webdings stands still in the middle of the room, confused.

"WELL TYLER, I'LL BE UPSTAIRS IF YOU NEED ANYTHING." He announces, but is cut off by his wife. "W-wait!" Chancery pipes up, no longer pretending to be the Riverperson.