The little dreemurr's bleat in response to the affection was perhaps one of the most adorable things Mistral had ever heard. Asriel truly was a blessing, but that only meant that Mistral had to work harder to assert the boy's responsibilities and growth. No, he would not help raise a spoiled prince! He would not bend easily, and Asriel was aware of that. The boy needed structure and guidance, but praise and affection was equally important. Balance was key. He was proud to see that Asriel, although begrudgingly, had put away his toys when Mistral had asked him to.

"You want to be tall too? Well you are your father's son, and your mother isn't too far off either. You'll just have to eat right and exercise. Speaking of which we will beginning your training soon.  And my snail pie might be 'yucky' " he playfully added, "but I know how to cook much more than that. If you want to get big and strong, you're going to have to eat ALL your food. Including your greens, young man. Maybe after you start eating those you can have the biggest piece of the pie." He chuckled.

 

"I draw'd them because I love them."

Mistral paused as he heard this, calmly looking to the drawing, then back to Asriel.

"...I love you too Asriel."

There was a few moments of silence before Mistral coughed.

"Right. Well, your room is clean, yes? Why don't we go show your mother now. And be sure to let her know what you told me just now, I'm sure it will just make her day."

You're the best big brother there is, no doubt about it, but I can't be you. Cuz I'm not. I can only be like me."

"That is correct. You cannot be anyone else but who you are. I'm proud of you that you came to that realization so early. I never expected you to try to imitate me, because it is not your nature. No Lucian, while you and I are different, I cannot help but respect your outlook on life. There are certain avenues of your skillset that I believe you should refine, such as your literary skills.." he scolded a bit, flicking his brother on the forehead. "...yet it is not my place for me to assert what it is you do. You've grown much enough on your own for you to decide what it is you wish to pursue."

"And to reference the cave story, you decided that it would be a good idea to just walk into the unknown without even attempting to gather information! Both Gerson and I tried to hop on your back to try and stop you, but you just continued to trek along the cave as if it were your domain, and as if we we were weightless! It as at that point I knew your stubbornness was a blessing, but a curse as well. You must remain aware of that as well. It will cause you trouble, but that is why we are training, to prepare you."

The older skeleton listened calmly to his brother's explanation for his choices, placing a finger on his chin as Lucian admirably expressed himself. He really was proud of his brother. They were both protectors, but in much different ways. A sword and a shield even. Both served the same purpose, yet fulfilled it in different ways.

"Very well....you've made yourself quite clear, brother."

Mistral adjusted his sleeves.

"You wish to protect? You wish to inspire peace? You wish to for people to believe in you and encourage them to believe in themselves? You better believe in yourself first."

Mistral's eyes darkened, his sockets practically howling with emptiness.

"Then you will prove that to me now!" He snarled, his fists clenching as he placed both fists behind his back. "You will prove to me that you are capable of defending yourself first! I may not be able to harm you, Lucian, but I can certainly judge your maneuvers and strength with my barriers and sight alone. You have ambition? Then you need to understand there is no room for error when it comes to a life! You need to be devoted, you need to adhere to your word! I will make sure that every spot of weakness is purged from your soul, and you will be the gallant warrior that you so desperately desire! But this is not my burden, it is yours. You have the talent, the gifts, the experience. You are my brother, Lucian!"

"Face me! Unleash your power upon me as if you wish to terminate my life, show me everything, do not hold back! I will know brother, I have seen you myself. You cannot afford to give it any less than your all! People will depend on you, they will need you, they will pray for you! This is not a game! DEVOTE YOURSELF TO PASSION AND ACHIEVE THE GREATNESS THAT YOU SO DESPERATELY DREAM FOR."

Mistral felt himself pause, a small gush of emotion overtaking the caretaker as he comprehended everything that Asgore had just spoken. The skeleton was very much aware that the King appreciated his services, but something about the way he spoke this time.... it was a beautiful reassurance. He felt his jaw drop a bit at the sight of Asgore bowing....to him.

"I..I.....I..."

Mistral found it difficult to speak, his arms wide, his hands practically trembling. If Mistral were capable of it, he would be weeping.

"....It really is my pleasure, my King....you flatter me with your kindness.....but you are very welcome. It's been an honor serving the family, this opportunity has been such a blessing...I would not trade it for the world."

As Asgore reminded him of his quest, Mistral nodded, a bit abruptly as he was snapped out of his trance. "Indeed...sir." As he nodded, the caretaker reached for his hat, placing the black derby on his skull and adjusting his scarf. "....Be sure to organize the dishes accordingly though, if I may request, ...I do have a system in play! And yes, I will know if you try to cheat Asgore!"

And with that, Mistral was off.

"Cobalt? She did that for you? Well, that's not so fair is it, perhaps I should get some armor too!" He laughed,knowing full well that armor was rather redundant for him. He sure loved teasing his little brother. Mistral would take a close look to Lucian's armor. "Your armor is very form fitting, great for mobility, but you'll have to be deft with your hands to parry away from your exposed areas. You can fix that with more armor, but I feel that your talents and reactions are capable of such feats to not need extra protection. Also..." Mistral calmly added, reaching over to a belt and pulling it tightly, tightening the slightly loose vest around his chest. "Do not forget to secure your defenses..." he added cheekily, waving a finger.

As he listened to his brother recite his goals to him, Mistral nodded politely.

"I see, fairly admirable Lucian. I'm proud of you. Tell me, where in the textbook did you copy that from?" Lucian's brother chuckled, patting him on the shoulder, as he looked towards the horizon. "Not that there is anything wrong with that.... but life will not always be that cut and dry." His voiced lowered as he would look back to his passionate sibling.

"...Be sure your goals are what you truly desire, not what you feel is expected of you. Bravery is noble, but there are times where boldness is just not enough. There are times where you must stop, and consider your options. There will be many times where the most heroic option may be least optimal. It is not cowardice to live to fight another day, it takes courage to have faith in yourself to recuperate and return stronger to a challenge you could not previously overcome."

"There is no meaning in strength used only to hurt others." Mistral would repeat, before seriously looking to his brother for a minute. "I admire that, but what do you believe defines strength, Lucian? Ask yourself that question. What is strength? When should we be strong?

"Make sure everything thing you say and do, has a purpose. Be vigilant and ready to describe why you chose your path, why you wished to gain strength."

"...Now, I will ask you once more, brother. What are your goals, your hopes, your ambitions, your dreams, why have you decided to put your life on the line on behalf of others? What are you offering the world?"

".... and you must never forget your answer."

"Patience my dear brother, it is a virtue that can serve us all quite well in the future. Oh no!" Mistral would exclaim in a mocking tone, "It appears my bow tie is getting the best of me! It is confounding me in a dexterous duel of fingers vs ribbon! I may not make it out of this one Lucian! You may have to wait even longer....!"

A hearty laugh would escape from the elder brothers dressing room as the house would vibrate. The passion and excitement from his brother was inspiring. Soon Lucien would most likely be delighted to hear the clicking of his brothers shoes walking down the stairs. "Only kidding Lucian, but I do encourage you to think about what I said. After all, it has served me well lately."

Mistral appeared before Lucian, a snug black bow tie on his trachea, a clean white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled and tied up, exposing his forearms, a black dress vest, and black dress pants and leather dress shoes completing his appearance. "But yes, I am ready. Shall we?" Mistral would click his teeth and tilt his head happily as he gestured towards the door.

"And if you would please, recite your goals once more to me as we walk out, it is important that you keep those fresh in mind, regardless of whatever it is you are doing.. be sure to keep them in mind and ready at all times."

[...I was asking if you were alright about seeing your father again, Sans.]

Mistral reinforced this matter, his tone carefully direct, yet considerate. [...I understand you may not wish to speak of him, but it is important to me to know how you are dealing with his sudden reintroduction into your life. I will contact your brother on this matter as well, but I am speaking to you now. While the matters you have mentioned fill me with great concern, I wish to speak of this topic first.]

....

[Please, Sans, do not hesitate to speak your mind. I'm aware of how you handle your struggles, but everyone needs someone to speak with once in a while...

You cannot dodge forever...I am here for you....

...I love you and your brother too much to leave you to deal with your ordeals alone....Please do not shy from the solace I offer you.]

["....I wished nothing more than to educate you on the irresponsibility your lifestyle encourages."] he clicked, irritation spewing from his trachea.

Sans would here numerous vertebrae popping in succession, but then there was a pause,

["...And yet..."]

There was a sighing sound.

["...Sans, I'm aware my passions augment my speech. Unfortunately you receive much scrutiny from me, though you should know that I only react to your choices the way I do because I'm very much aware of your potential. I'm aware you may have your reasons, I just do not want to see you lose anything in this world."]

["Listen to me...the pain of knowing you could have changed something if you took the initiative at the time is...unbearable...I apologize for my outburst, Sans, but take it from on old bone bag like me... you do not want to live a life of regret. I implore you to think about that."]