A couple of reserved knocks make it through the wood of Aofil's front...back door, and they sigh deeply as they sit on the lowest step. "Come out," they invite the knocker.
"Hello, Aofil. Your house."
"Yes, I've noticed," Aofil replies without turning around to meet their guest.
Another pair of legs join Aofil in swinging over the meter high drop down to the disturbed grass lawn.
"You could've just walked around, you know?"
"Undyne asked me to bring back your umbrella."
"Did she now?" Now isn't that interesting.
"I guessed as much when she asked me if I were on my way to your house when I passed hers. I wasn't at the time, but with her being as subtle with her intentions as she is green, and with her tossing your umbrella to me, I reckoned she wanted me to get over here."
"Thing is," Aofil says as they lean back on the stairs, "she hasn't borrowed an umbrella from me. Not for now, that is."
"I see..."
"You could always say that you were curious, Frisk. No need to lie."
Frisk sighs while averting their head. "Yeah, sorry."
The two humans sit in silence for a minute. Taking in the warmth of the sun together.
"Undyne is the reason for this, by the way, so you weren't that off," Aofil informs with a quick tilt of their head. "You want something, perhaps? I'm feeling a bit thirsty. Been sitting here for a while now. It's not as comfortable as my sun chairs, but..."
"Have you?" Frisk shifts their head back. "Why?"
"Because tip number eight," Aofil says as they carefully stand up. "And because this feels normal to me. Which is the complete opposite of normal." They meet Frisk's slightly perplexed face. "So, you want anything?"
"Yeah..." stumbles out of Frisk's mouth. "Sure, do you have some tea?"
"Golden Flower?"
"Golden Flower."
"I have some snail pie leftovers from the latest poker game. You want a slice?"
"Yes, actually."
It just keeps getting more interesting. "Yes?" The perplexity is siphoned from Frisk to Aofil. "You eat snails now, Frisk?"
"I can stomach them by now, yeah," Frisk admits with some pride slinking through. Aofil notices their eyes almost opening slightly. They kinda want them to, perhaps…
"No."
The perplexity again move faces. "What?"
Aofil shakes their head. "Nothing, sorry. Tea and pie, right?"
Frisk gives Aofil a nod. "Yeah, thank you."
"Be back in a bit then."
Aofil can't help but feel a bit like a stranger in their own house as they make their way through it towards the kitchen. Some of it stemming from the awkward angle they have to walk through it to counter the more awkward angle the house is leaning on. Mostly though is the silence. No excited whirring of motors as Aofil passes nearby objects dangerously close to falling off. No clanking of porcelain, which runs a cold chill up Aofil's spine. They might have to do their own dishes instead of their own dishes doing their own dishes!
Laundry as well! It's been months! Aofil's not even sure if the washing machine will even work now!
"Stove," Aofil addresses as they enter the kitchen. "Dammit," they realize a second after as a whole lot of nothing happens, as it would a normal house. A normal house that's not tilting on their own axis, that is.
While walking as if their inner ear has been tinkered with by a wildly dancing doctor, Aofil guides themselves with the help of the edge of their sink. They very carefully open a cupboard door slightly ajar, and steals their old kettle before gravity can get a grip on the things lodged behind it.
They indulge themselves in some pride as they manage to open an overhead cupboard just enough to just have two packets of Golden Flower tea slip out and land in their hand. It is drained almost instantly after as Aofil misjudges the angle of the water coming out of their faucet. A cold handful of it lands on Aofil's chest, and they flinch from the impact. The fresh stains of red paint on their shirt slip down a couple of centimeters, but they don't loosen enough to drop down and stain the kitchen floor.
"Huh," Aofil thinks out loud after succeeding to fill the kettle in their hand. How are they gonna keep the kettle from sliding off the stove? It's a bit magnetic, but not strong enough to hold a full kettle. Their eyes move over to the spoon frozen with its legs wrapped around a glass. Carefully Aofil straightens out the legs of the spoon. They tap it a couple of times against the surface of the sink. The legs don't bend, so Aofil props the spoon between the kettle and the lip of the front of the stove used to catch liquid.
They release it carefully. It looks to be holding, "Nice!" so Aofil puts the heat on. On the wrong plate. Luckily they notice, and rectify the mistake. Been a while since they turned that knob.
Now, how the hell are they gonna fetch the pie without having everything else spill out of the refrigerator?
A great question that deserves a great answer! Unfortunately, that answer is nowhere to be found. Aofil sees the suction keeping the rubber edge of the door struggling with all its might. Aofil shouldn't even breath on it as it might be enough to have the door be flung open and its content fly out and make a very interesting omelet on the opposite wall. Something Papyrus would make if he had any interest in eggs outside of making pasta.
"You think you can manage without the pie, Frisk?" Aofil asks through the house. "The fridge is on the verge of puking so I don't want to upset it."
"Did you have to use those exact words?" comes a very bewildered reply. "Yes, I can manage without."
Another great question without a great answer. Might be because of Aofil's relation to snails that they said it that way. They can stomach a lot, but they can't stomach saying no to Toriel offering Aofil to take some home. Snail pie though, that's where their stomach churns like a very enthusiastic milk maiden.
It's the first and last time Asgore gets the best of them at poker. He was pretty much busted, but he could offer some snail pie as a stand in. Aofil wouldn't turn down that, right? They very much enjoy snail pie, isn't that what they tell Toriel all the time?
"Bad poker face, my ass!" Aofil angrily mumbles to themselves.
And now they can't get rid of some since it would mean getting rid of everything else in their fridge!
Did Chara like snail pie?
Oh for-
There it is again!
Twice now Aofil has drawn parallels to Chara. First Frisk opening their eye to show no red iris like Aofil, even for just a peek. Maybe it was there, but Aofil didn't pick up on it? Dammit, why are they still giving the thoughts the time of day?
Chara's gone, Frisk said as much. They can talk to Aofil now, ain't that evidence enough? They don't get a headache from Chara reacting violently, ain't that enough to convince Aofil?
Apparently not.
But why would Aofil care? Chara was never a part of their life. They said as much to each other. They've talked it out with the Dreemurrs, that chapter should be closed by now.
Are they hoping that Chara's still alive? Aofil feels around inside themselves. No, not really. They don't really feel anything about it all. Could be their injury that caused them to forget, but what if they didn't?
No! That's done with! Leave it behind! Chara was Aofil's twin in birth only, not in life. Aofil lived theirs, Chara lived theirs. The gods will know, Aofil and Chara are as different as night and day!
Except for all the parts where they're the same.
Face, hair, voice, eyes, cheeks, relationship with the monsters, sorta, partly to blame for killing all the monsters, partly to be praised for saving the monsters.
Aofil looks down at their arm.
Fusing with Asriel?
Same same, but different. Chara ended in death, Aofil ended in life. That's where the road splits, that's where Aofil and Chara become different.
Even if their intentions were the complete opposite, Chara resulted in death, and Aofil ended in life. If the first reset is to be based on, that is. How many times have Aofil been a Boss Monster now? Twice? Again, if the first reset is to be counted. Aofil's pretty damn sure they weren't really an almost carbon copy of Asriel when it happened, but that's how they experienced it, so it still counts.
And how many times are they gonna become one in the future?
Hopefully zero times. They've already transformed twice, and that's twice too many..
Aofil hazards a guess that Chara would be in the other party about that. After all, distancing themselves from humanity was the entire point of them running away.
Does Frisk want to? Aofil hasn't seen any indication of it. Although, Frisk was very touchy touchy with Aofil when they were fused with Asriel. Same thing with the fur on Aofil's arm. Enough of a suspicion to ask Frisk about it?
Enough of a suspicion to ask Frisk about Chara?
Enough of a suspicion to-
The kettle whistles loudly, and Aofil hurries over to catch it as they see the spoon starting to glide to the side from the vibration.
Close one.
After almost dropping the cups as they come gliding out of the angled cupboard Aofil props them up on a serving tray with the spoon acting as a balance to keep it level. Carefully they fill up the cups with water and add the tea.
"Don't have anything for you to place it on, unfortunately," Aofil apologizes as they lower the tray down for Frisk to take a cup. "Well, I have, but it's behind an amount of metal pots that could probably make up another Mettaton."
"You have pink cooking vessels?" Frisk asks as they slurp the tea after almost coughing. "Why?"
Aofil throws a thumb over to the side. "Fish and lizard were so kind to stock the equipment as they moved my house. Told me they got a ticket for a parking violation. The officer had dropped it in my mailbox, apparently. On the plus side, my house has a registration plate and is allowed to travel the highway."
Frisk tilts their head inwards the house. "Is that why there was a seat belt on one of your armchairs?"
"Yup!" Aofil answers as they sample the tea. "Regulations require that."
"For a house?"
"Imagine how I feel if this makes you this confused, Frisk. I have to pay vehicle tax on top of everything else."
"Wow!" Frisk can barely stop blinking.
"Luckily Asgore has asked ML to snoop around for some sort of loophole. Maybe I can legally call it a mobile home now? Not sure, but ML has had weirder cases, Asgore informed me. As long as he hands me the documents with his tail instead of his mouth I'm all good."
Frisk caresses their cup while staring across the yards over to the very anime looking house. "You know, Aofil?"
"Hm?" Aofil answers with their mouth covered by their tea.
"Sometimes even I'm taken by surprise by the monsters."
Aofil nods. "Never a quiet day with them around. For better," Aofil taps the wall with the back of their fist, "and for worse."
"Are they gonna fix this?"
"Alphys is doing some programming according to my specifications."
Frisk nods once. "Very loud specifications?"
"Only when Undyne's around," Aofil adds with a shrug. "I love them both with my entire heart, but sometimes..." Aofil blows their lips tiredly. "Sometimes I wonder."
"They've gotten you hooked on some of their shows?" Frisk pries with a friendly chuckle.
"Oh yeah! That too! You try and say no to the two of them! I can handle one at a time, but both at the same time? It's like saying no to Toriel when she flips on her mother mood."
Frisk leans back on the gray staircase. "You tell me. Try living with her."
"Why don't you have some more, Aofil?" Aofil asks themselves while mimicking Toriel's soft voice. They cough as it takes a toll on their throat, summoning a snicker from Frisk. "You've only had three plates, aren't you hungry?"
"I was, Toriel," Aofil answers themselves with their own voice, "but-"
"You didn't like it?" Toriel again asks with Aofil's mouth. "Was it not to your preference?"
"No, that's why I only had three plates, Toriel! God!"
Frisk bends over in a fit of laughter. Aofil helps them endure it by taking Frisk's cup in their free one.
"Judging by that I'm guessing you're spared that, Frisk."
"No, it's-" Frisk interrupts themselves with a snortle. "It's not that. It reminded me of something, that's all. Something she did with Asriel and me a couple of years after you..."
Their laugh dies off.
Aofil hands them back their cup. "I'm here now," they feel the need to say.
"You are. Just need some time to have it set in."
"Guess we all need to. Hopefully Undyne will calm down a bit and get used to me being around. The novelty outta wear off someday, right?"
Frisk avoids Aofil's eyes while slurping loudly on their tea.
"No?" Aofil asks.
"No," Frisk answer through clenched teeth. "Hasn't happened with me yet. Don't think it ever will. Although maybe not to the extent of your house. She'd have to answer to mom if she angled our house, and I from what I've reckoned with her all these years she'd rather not go toe to toe with a Boss Monster. Spar? Absolutely. Toe to toe because she almost set fire to the kitchen? No."
"You say that like it's happened before," Aofil remarks before throwing a look over their shoulder towards the pink and yellow house a few lawns up the road. "How many houses has she burned down now? I vaguely remember you writing down to me that she torched her house in the Underground as well as the first one at Mt. Ebott."
"Just those two as much as I'm aware. Don't know exactly how many she did before I fell down."
"She told me you did it," Aofil accuses lightly as they turn their head back to the child next to them. "She's also probably gonna say that I did this to my own house in the future, so I'm not that keen to believe her a hundred percent."
"I helped her cook," Frisk admits with a shrug. "It was a team effort, really. Papyrus set us up with a date, and-"
"Date?" Aofil interrupts before they can think of halting themselves.
"Papyrus, Undyne, Alphys, maybe Sans," Frisk counts on their fingers. "Mettaton?"
"Was that before or after he tried to saw you in two?"
"Good question. Can't really tell which one of the things he did that he classifies as a date. Muffet..."
Frisk moves their eyes over to Aofil.
"Mettaton set us up," they answer before drinking some tea. "We haven't gone on one since then, if that's what you're wondering."
"Do you want to?"
"Haven't given it any thought."
"Fair enough. She asks for you when I visit though."
Uh oh. "How do you mean?"
"Well, mainly she mutters about giving you free doughnuts. She sounds a bit upset about it. Whether she's angry because you've managed to find a way to get them for free, or she's angry because she hasn't had a chance to give you more, that I can't tell. You'll have to ask her that yourself."
"You'd like that very much, now wouldn't you?"
Frisk tilts their head from side to side while shrugging. "I guess. If I got nothing else to do."
"Mhm? Is that so?"
"Yes, actually."
The two humans trade hard glances for a split second before their facades melt away into friendly chuckles. They both drink some refreshing tea in unison, and exhale the ballad of flavor into a joint cloud that hangs quietly above them.
"You still remember how to do one on your own?" Aofil asks curiously as they observe the tea cloud dispersing. "Or is that childish to you now?"
"Wouldn't say childish," Frisk answers as they search their mind while taking a short sip. "More like, haven't had any reason to do it. Can't really build a hobby around blowing clouds with your mouth."
"Fair enough." Aofil didn't really expect it to be any more than that. "So what hobbies have you built then, Frisk? Asriel's pretty good with the guitar, I've heard. Both heard from others, and from himself. He seems fairly interested in astronomy as well. I think I remember seeing a telescope in his room after I woke up from the Memory Box."
"Mostly the same with me. He's my brother, so we have the same things." Frisk rolls their shoulder in discomfort, as I've they've struck a nerve on themselves. "Well, I say same and same."
"No horn polish, no fur ointment?" Aofil hazards a guess.
Frisk involuntarily looks over to Aofil's arm. They retract their eyes immediately after, but it's enough for Aofil to notice.
Now that they have the chance to, should they really ask? Frisk seems embarrassed about it. Although, maybe they do want to talk about it, but can't, not unless Aofil asks about it. Frisk is staring into their tea, rubbing the edges of it nervously. They tilt their head quietly from side to side, sighing loudly.
"Been a lot around monsters?" Aofil asks carefully. "Have had them around you for the majority of your life almost?"
Weak nod.
"Have you given it any thought before now?"
Frisk meets Aofil's eye to make sure Aofil isn't hiding any smiles. Aofil's as serious as they can be, and Frisk returns to looking at their own reflection. "Yeah."
Alright then. "I see."
"Does that make me weird?" Frisk wonders, conflicted. "Humans are so much better than monsters, so why would I want to be one? Is it even possible? Would it hurt? Am I a freak for even thinking of it? What would mom and dad think if I told them? What would Asriel think?"
Frisk shifts their pleading eyes up to Aofil. "What do you think?"
"I..." Aofil let's the letter peter out as they can't figure out what to say really. "I don't know. Are you seriously thinking about doing it?"
"I don't know yet," Frisk answers, but not satisfactory to themselves. "I guess I have to see if it's even possible to begin with, but if I do that I've already chosen, because why else would I want to research it?"
Frisk sighs, heavily. So much so that they almost slip of the raised staircase. Aofil tugs at Frisk's sweater to make them aware of it. Frisk shuffles up the stairs as another tired exhale slips out of them. "So what would you want to be if you chose?" Aofil asks, catching themselves by surprise how much they sincerely want to hear the answer. "Like your family? You think you'd be the same color?"
"I shouldn't have mentioned it..." Frisk whispers to the side.
"Oh, sorry," Aofil says as it's clearly a sensitive nerve for Frisk. Especially with them now grabbing their chest.
"Did it hurt for you?" Frisk asks a bit more louder.
"Do you want to drop the subject, or not, Frisk? You're sending mixed signals here."
Frisk again tightens their grip on the porcelain cup. "Sorry, I-" They pinch the bridge of their nose as they try and calm themselves with some deep breaths. It's not as effective as they would want.
"Hey now," Aofil gives a reassuring pat on Frisk's back, "if you want to talk about then I'll talk about it with you. I can't say that it's an incredible pleasant experience though, I'm afraid. I'm hazarding a guess that if you should try and do it you'd have a more safer way of doing it. I'm a bit taken back by you bringing it up, you know? It's a big decision."
Frisk nods.
"I'm desensitized enough that I think that it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility. It would be downgrading of a sort, right? Human soul turning into a monster soul?"
"Still no idea..."
"Hey, how about we talk about something else?" Aofil suggest. They punctuate with a final soft pat on Frisk's back. "Why did you come here for? Just wondering about the house?"
"Well," Frisk shakes their head, "not really. You see, it's my birthday in a bit."
"It is?" Aofil had no idea. "Congratula-"
"No."
No?
"I don't want it to happen."
Well now...
