VOXISTALE: Novel Edition

Chapter 148

Magnum still had yet to show. Frisk assumed it was due to talking with Raptor or something of the sort. She didn't really think he'd feel too comfortable being left without her in his transition to civilian life. Frisk had three bags packed at the moment. Two had changes of clothes, one had other things. Bathroom supplies, writing utensils and whatnot. Just the general stuff. She was debating on bringing some of her bedding along, but hadn't really decided yet.

Currently, she was waiting in her room, having been told by Magnum that she'd be picked up in a nice sports car. Soon enough, the girl would be pulling up, and their new adventure would begin, full of dangerous new enemies, new places to experience, all without the aid of the friends that'd been supporting her for so long. It was so frightening, but at the same time, it gave her knowing the true end of the Messiah was a step closer each step she took. No more suffering. No more pain. Not at their hands. But there was also the excitement of going into the unknown. A whole world was out there, and for so long she'd been contained to Mt. Ebott and Voxis City. It was time to expand.

There was a knock at her door, one that she assumed was Asgore's, but the knocking seemed a little bit too light. Was it Magnum? "Come in," Frisk called. The door opened, and standing there was not Magnum, but a stranger. Frisk definitely would have remembered her considering the eyepatch covering the girl's right eye, and her auburn hair, which had it been a shade redder, would have made her seem like an unabashed Undyne cosplayer.

"Hey Frisk," the girl spoke to her, her voice chipper yet polite. Frisk took note of her warm-looking Christmas sweater, the aesthetic complete by a small wrapped gift in her hand. Her nose seemed painted red, and she had pointed shoes that curled upward at the toes. "Your dad let me in," she explained.

"Alright . . . but who are you?" Frisk asked, raising one eyebrow. "We haven't met before, have we?"

"No, we haven't. But I'm, uh . . . I guess you could say I'm a friend of Layla's?" Frisk bit back a groan. "Not her biggest fan, huh?" the girl smiled awkwardly. "Yeah, she's a little intense, isn't she? Sorry about her. I just stopped by to bring you something. My name's Iris."

Frisk was put off by the mention of Layla, but the girl in front of her seemed friendly enough . . . and she wasn't one to turn down a gift. "Thanks Iris, but . . . why?"

"I know about everything you've done for the city. This place is very special to me, so I just figured it was right to show some appreciation," Iris beamed.

"You know Christmas isn't for another couple months, right?" Frisk asked, though she accepted this gift nonetheless.

"Yeah, I know. It's Halloween night, tonight," Iris replied. "I'm dressed up as a Christmas elf."

It was only now did Frisk notice the wax elf ears poking out from under the Christmas hat. She was right, too. Frisk had completely forgotten about Halloween being a thing. She couldn't imagine too many people were out trick-or-treating at the moment anyway, but . . . it felt weird, thinking about celebrating holidays after the homecoming dance had been so miraculously interrupted.

"What . . . is it?" Frisk asked, staring at the hand-wrapped gift. Iris chuckled.

"Open it and find out, that's what presents are all about, right?"

True enough. Frisk still wasn't exactly comfortable having some stranger in her room handing her presents, but she proceeded to begin tearing away the wrapping paper anyway.

It felt wrong to open a wrapped present when it wasn't her birthday or Christmas, but hey, when an opportunity presents itself, why not take it? After tearing away the wrapping paper, she was greeted by a small cardboard box with a removable lid on top. After sliding this piece of the box away, she could finally see what the actual present was; a thick black disc that fit comfortably in the palm of her hand, with a line down the middle indicating that she could open it up. On the inside, Frisk saw that the top half had a mirror attached, and the bottom half had a colored pencil drawing sealed beneath a glass disc. The drawing seemed to be professional quality and resembled her, red shield attached to her forearm. "Ooh, and if you click the button, it lights up red," Iris said, excitedly clasping her hands together.