Hildatale

Part 1- The Reluctant Ghost

Toriel- I come through this place every day to see if anyone has fallen down. You are the first human to come here in a long time.

Hilda- You mean there have been others?

T- A few others, yes. Fear not. I will guide you through the catacombs.

H- *waits for a moment, accepts Toriel's hand/paw* I'm Hilda.

T- *helps Hilda up* Pleasure to meet you, Hilda. This way.

Hilda follows as the kind stranger walks through a door way. In a small courtyard, Hilda briefly stands in the shadow of the ruins, looking at the tall buildings.

H- Do you live here?

T- Yes. My house is deep within these ruins. I will take you there.

H- Will I find a way out there?

T- *ignoring question* This way, child. We mustn't dawdle.

Hilda follows after Toriel into a room with buttons on the floor. There is a closed door on the far side.

T- Welcome to your new home, innocent one. Allow me to teach you the operation of the ruins. *proceeds to step on the right buttons and flips the switch, opening the door* The ruins are filled with puzzles. One must solve them to move from room to room. *resumes walking*

H- *follows* Great! I love solving puzzles.

The next room included three switches and a row of spikes at the far end, blocking the way forward.

T- This puzzle requires you to flip several switches.

H- And if I flip the wrong ones?

T- Do not worry, I have labeled the ones you need to flip.

H- These ones? *flips both switches, making spikes disappear*

T- Splendid! I am proud of you little one.

H- I mean, it wasn't that hard.

T- Nonsense. That definitely deserved praise. Now, onto the next room.

The next room contained a dummy.

T- As a human living in the underground, other monsters may want to attack you. You will need to be prepared for this situation.

H- Actually, I think I'm fairly capable-

T- Worry not! The process is simple.

Toriel leads Hilda over to the dummy.

T- When you encounter a monster, you will enter a FIGHT.

H- *approaches dummy and enters fight* Oh! So this is what happened earlier?

T- That is correct. That terrible flower pulled you into a FIGHT.

H- That would have been nice to know before I tried befriending them.

T- Now my child, I think you should try being friends with everybody, even those who wish you harm.

H- Well, I am pretty good at doing that.

T- That's the spirit! Now, when you enter a FIGHT, try striking up a friendly conversation. Stall for a while, and I'll come to resolve the situation. Try practicing on this dummy.

H- *looks at Toriel* You want me to talk to it?

T- Go ahead. It makes for great practice, and can even be therapeutic at certain times.

H- *at the dummy* H-hello? My name is Hilda. *awkward pause* Want to be... friends?

Dummy- ...

H- ...It doesn't seem much for conversation, does it?