title: rewrite

summary: Originally, you had proceeded with an explanation of your plan, and Asriel, however reluctantly, had agreed to give you a helping hand.

Not this time.

word count: 629 words

note: this was inspired by interlude 1 of caretaker-au. though it's not really compilant with caretaker canon, as i wrote it back in 2017.

o0o0o0o

It shouldn't be surprising, really, that Asriel would, in the end, decide not to go through with this.

He's a wimp with a huge heart, so naïve and wide-eyed, no mean bone in his body; and it is trulya wonder that you managed to get him on board with your plan to this degree. Violence doesn't fit in his character, and perhaps, he did not truly realize – or, more likely, did not want to realize –just what exactly taking six human souls meant.

"Don't worry," you said to reassure him, when you first proposed this idea. "I will not die permanently." After all you showed a certain… talent for not staying dead several times before.

Talk about being stubborn, heh.

This was definitely the reason why Asriel was able to watch you – admittedly, barely – die infront of him and perhaps, it was the reason why he agreed to this plan in the first place. Maybe apart of him convinced himself the other humans would be safe, too, if you were going to be.

But then you died, and it took everything just to ignore your instinct of self-preservation that ismore natural, to you, than breathing. Only remembering all the pain poisoning your insides forhours, days, maybe – only that prevented you from loading that save file.

You couldn't let all that pain go to waste, and you couldn't go through it again.

So you waited, growing impatient, and that short moment since your death felt like decades, whenAsriel finally took you in.

Your first thought was, in wonder, "It worked."

Asriel's was, overjoyed and relieved, "Chara!"

And you could feel each other, no barriers between your minds, no lies, no deception. And for you, it was freeing. For Asriel? An eye opener.

Whatever illusion he'd had, had shattered in that instant, and that was the deciding moment. Asrielsaw into your soul and your plan shattered into a million tiny pieces – just like his soul a while later. Like both of your souls.

It shouldn't be surprising, really, that you failed horribly.

But death is not an option you can afford – there will be other chances to achieve your goal, thisone was simply the quickest of your options. And since you're stubborn enough to cheat death ondaily occasion, well… you would be damned if you let this little inconvenience stop you.

You think of the last time you saved – it was just a few days back. You and Asriel had been in thethrone room, and the buttercup plan occurred to you for the first time. You brought it up, carefully.

"What?" he'd asked. "Oh yeah, I remember. When we tried to make butterscotch pie for Dad,right? The recipe asked for cups of butter… But we accidentally put in buttercups instead."

"He only finished two slices before he fell ill," you had mused.

"Yeah!" Asriel had agreed, clearly distressed by the memory. "Those flowers got him really sick.I felt so bad. We made Mom really upset. I should have laughed it off, like you did."

But your thoughts had been elsewhere. "The fact, that something so charming could be so deadly.It is a bit funny."

"Um," he had cleared his throat. "Anyway. Where are you going with this?"

Originally, you had proceeded with an explanation of your plan, and Asriel, however reluctantly,had agreed to give you a helping hand.

Not this time.

Loading your save point, you lose your smile, and close your book, leaving the tiny yellow flowerinside.

If you cannot collect the six human souls on the surface…

So you put on a smile and say, "Nowhere. Forget it."

… you might as well collect them in the Underground.

Time is on your side, after all.