A brisk chill swept continuously over Frisk's exposed skin from the air's constant circulation. The chip chop of the overhead fan lulled him to a less unpleasant state. He stared at it from his place in the bed; damp, naked, and utterly drained.
The moisture that bled into the sheets had long since warmed under his body heat, while the outermost edges cooled, creating an opposite, uncomfortable effect. Despite this, he refused to leave the coverage of the bedding.
Perhaps he was being dramatic, but it really was the only thing making him feel secure at the moment. And the only thing maintaining his sense of modesty, as he had washed and hung up his clothes earlier; after he'd managed to pull himself from the freezing shower.
Just waiting for those to dry, he'd tell himself.
Throughout the night he'd fallen in and out of sleep, barely. He didn't even bother to turn off the lights.
The movement of the fan's blades mimicked that of a fast ticking clock. He'd stare at it 'til his eyes burned and reminded him to blink. Yes, he was aware he wasn't making himself look good doing this; but when it came to stress, he never did.
A sudden shot of goosebumps pricked his skin, even under the covers. He pulled the comforter to his chin, legs withdrawing closer to his body.
It was only a few seconds before the inside of his ears rang with a tune of bored little hums. It was followed by a long sigh, as his body locked in tension.
'"Did I really break you that easily, puppet?"'
Frisk glared upward in disgust.
"Don't call me that." His voice came out cracked and raw as he first spoke. "I'm not in the mood for your sick humor."
A slight scoff.
'"Oh, of course not."'
A pause.
'"You know it's always so up and down with you. I can't tell if you're genuinely unhappy or if you just like throwing pity parties for yourself."'
He straightened his back, still holding the covers to his face, eyes boring into the ceiling.
'"Ah, ah! And I know that look. That's the look that says you're about to blame me for something."'
Frisk sighed, averting his eyes. "No… I'm not…blaming you."
'"Well, that's new."'
"And I don't like feeling like shit. I just…"
'"You're just terrible at dealing with complex emotions, you poor, simple-minded little thing."'
He took a deep breath, trying to maintain the composure in his voice. "…It was a crappy lapse of judgment on my part."
'"One of many."'
He winced again, turning onto his side. "Whatever. It was a moment of weakness. It won't happen again."
A sudden burst of laughter triggered his nerves.
'What's so funny?'
'"No offense, Frisk, but you don't exactly have the strongest willpower to resist temptation."'
His brain pulsed with anger, but there was little he could say to rebuke that.
His body shied further into the covers. He stared over at the lamp for a minute or two, before his gaze darted momentarily to the ceiling, then off somewhere else again.
Frisk lied there for a while. Chara said nothing. The air felt even heavier than before.
The thought of his mission crossed his mind. Asgore, and the pinnacle battle that would immediately follow. Though his plan had been to continue after his stay here, he quickly came to the conclusion he was not in the right mindset for that. Not with all this…bullshit swarming around in his head.
While the disgruntled part of him was all for staying here all day and sulking over nothing, he did will himself out of bed in the end. The awkwardness was its worst when he felt he was under silent observation.
Frisk exhaled quietly as he sat up turned to the bed's edge. His body froze just before he uncovered himself.
He glanced upward.
"Can I get some privacy for a minute?"
Chara sighed dismissively.
…
"I swear I can feel you staring at me."
…
'"You're not wrong."'
…
"Please?"
There was no reply. However, he did feel some ease of tension. Whether imagined or not, he decided to take this opportunity to gather himself. He slid out of bed, cool air blowing over the entirety of his body as he made his way to the bathroom.
His clothing, hanging from the top of the shower, was wearable, if still a little damp. He smoothed the shirt over his torso. The subtle dampness chilled every part of his covered skin, leaving him with a rigid sort of shiver.
'"Better?"'
"A little."
He stared at his reflection blankly, brain igniting no emotion to it. As Frisk exited the bathroom, his body felt itself gravitating back toward the warmth of the bed.
'"Hey idiot, forget where you are? Just go outside."'
"...Oh. Right."
He made for a brisk walk to the hotel's exit. The heat this time was welcome, the high temperatures warming and drying his clothing in mere minutes.
The lab was right down the way… Alphys. Her company could provide a decent enough distraction from all this. And he had implied he'd drop in again...
Frisk took the elevator down to the bottom floor and made his way to the steel building. He gave a few resounding knocks to the locked entryway. The doors slid open a minute later, the lizard girl beaming upon seeing her visitor.
"Oh, h-hey, Frisk! I was hoping you'd stop by!" She smiled politely, adjusting her glasses. "Mettaton's off filming a cooking show right now. So I'm kinda just...chillin' by myself, you know how it goes." She laughed to herself, pulling the doors further open. "Wanna, uh...chill with me?"
He gave an enthused nod, smile a bit wider than it usually was as he followed her in.
"Do you want anything? I just made some coffee…"
"That sounds nice."
"O-ok." The girl proceeded to pour them both a cup, handing his off without a word. The silence lingered for a minute or so before she finally found something to say.
"So I ran into Undyne this morning." She turned the cup about in her hands. "A-and I was actually the one who called out to her this time! Heh!"
Frisk chuckled a second with her, before taking a sip of his own drink. Alphys sighed softly.
"She said she'd like to get together with me sometime, if I wasn't busy."
"Oh?"
She held a trembling claw to her face. "B-but I kinda fucked up."
Frisk blinked at her. "Why, what happened?"
"I…" She tapped her claws repetitively against the mug. "I told her I had a lot of work to do." A dry laugh. "And…as you can see…th-that was a lie." She hunched her shoulders, arms shaking a bit as her eyes appeared significantly glossier. "I-I'm such an idiot…"
"No…you're not." For a moment he considered patting her shoulder, or something, but shied from that idea. He took another sip of his coffee. "I would have done the same thing, probably."
She let out a brief laugh followed by a soft sniff, wiping her eyes quickly on her sleeve.
"I didn't know what to say. I-it was so sudden. So out of the blue. I…just responded with the first thing that came to mind." A heavy sigh. "And now I'm paranoid she might think I don't want to hang out with her, o-or something."
Frisk waved a dismissive hand at her. "Nah, trust me, she wouldn't think that."
"Y-you don't think?"
He shook his head. "She knows you're shy. It obviously doesn't bug her. Probably just wants you to be comfortable."
Alphys gave a quick nod. "Y-you're right. I mean, she did say it was 'cool' and- maybe next time- s-something like that." Claws tapped the ceramic thoughtfully. "Sh-she didn't seem upset, at least."
"Well there you go then." He gestured toward her with another kind smile.
"Thank you, Frisk." Alphys returned the smile while awkwardly rubbing the back of her neck. "I feel like I can really open up to you about these things. You never, y'know, berate me for it- I-I mean, berate isn't exactly the right word, that's- a little too harsh- B-but you know what I'm saying. You don't make me feel…weird about it." A quick sip of coffee. "You don't push me."
The boy closed his eyes with a nod. "I've had my fair share of being pushed…" He too took a long sip of his drink.
They stood in silence for a short while. Eventually Alphys set her mug on the desk, attention falling back on Frisk. Her thumbs twiddled nervously as she spoke.
"So. Wh…what exactly did you feel like doing?"
He shrugged. "Anything. What were you up to before I got here?"
Her glances shifted between Frisk and the floor. "W-well… I was actually working on some blueprints. For a little broadcasting machine. I-it's nothing really. B-but I did kinda want to get a second opinion..."
After agreeing to take a look at her new project, Frisk had followed her around to the computer, where she proceeded to pull up several files of complex schematics. She explained them as if she were talking about the weather. She overestimated his comprehension of this. It was all lost unto him.
She would probe for input. Did he think it looked functional? Practical? Would one thingamajig override the ratio of the other thingamajig?
Hell if he knew.
Not wanting to come off as rude, or admit that he hadn't the slightest clue what she was talking about, he just nodded and agreed with everything she said.
She was smart. Her work was more impressive than she'd give herself credit for. She didn't need scientific verification; just a little confidence.
They carried on in a normal way for quite a while. Though, eventually, Frisk's mind began to drift; and of course, it drifted right back to the place he'd hoped to escape by coming here.
Alphys' voice faded under the growing onslaught of flashbacks.
Bits and pieces of the prior night; much of it recalled in disturbing detail. They nipped relentlessly at his mind, causing that familiar, obsessive cycle.
Before he knew it, he was breaking out in an anxious sweat. Sinking drops and pulses in his stomach struck him every time his wandering thoughts found a particularly vivid memory.
His fingers tapped the desk repetitively.
His heart was pounding, pumping adrenaline through his system in a strange and shameful way; as if he were keeping a secret. His neck prickled with goosebumps; a condition that worsened the longer he paid heed to these thoughts.
It eventually triggered an involuntary jitter throughout his limbs.
Alphys stopped talking.
"E-everything ok, Frisk?" she asked with concern.
He nodded quickly, his response coming out with a tense breathlessness. "Yeah."
She gasped suddenly. "Ah! Sh-shit, do you have a caffeine intolerance, I-I'm so sorry, I didn't think to ask-!"
"No, no, it's just…"
He stopped. She blinked at him expectantly.
"It's nothing."
Her eyes darted across him a few more moments. Hesitantly, she picked up on her prior explanation. Her heart didn't seem fully into it anymore. She'd frequently stop to check back on the other; and wound up bringing her presentation to an early close.
"S-so, that's it. In a nutshell…"
Frisk nodded, an apologetic air about him. "It's really cool. I think you have a really good idea there."
She bit her lip a second. "Thank you."
He scratched the back of his neck. "Sorry if I didn't comprehend a lot of it, though."
Alphys shook her head. "No, I-I'm sorry. I know it's weird and science-y, and I…probably went more in-depth than I needed to…" She held her arm with a slight chuckle.
"Heh."
…
"Oh!" She perked up suddenly. "On a different note, guess what I found in the junkyard earlier!" She whipped open her desk drawer, pulling out a frilly-looking comic book. The words and title were all in that strange, blocky language. Her claws gingerly but excitedly flipped through it. "The art is so fantastic, I have to show you the one-"
Frisk leaned over her shoulder. "…Can you even read that?"
The girl smiled awkwardly. "No. But you know what they say! A picture speaks a thousand words!" She held the book toward him, the page she'd turned to being a full illustration of a passionate kiss scene.
He took the book, peering at the page. "Oh wow. It is really good." He flipped through as well, taking in the artwork while trying to dissect the story. "So any idea what it's about?"
Alphys tapped her claws together. "Well…it's not too hard to deduce it's a romance. Lots of tension. There's a sort of…up and down, back and forth feel with the characters." She gestured as she explained. "Like, they're not so sure how they feel about each other."
His gaze was cast onto a series of panels depicting the couple arguing; then making out the very next page.
"…So how's it end?" he asked, skimming through a bit faster.
Alphys frowned. "I don't know." She pointed at the book. "It's waterlogged at the end."
He continued and, sure enough, the further in he got, the more distorted the artwork became. The final 30 pages or so were just dark smears; completely destroyed by water damage.
The girl sighed as he peered at those last few pages. "It kills me not knowing if they fell for each other or not…but…the strange mystery of it all…that in itself is kinda romantic, I think." she finished with a warm smile.
"…Yeah." He closed the book, passing it back to her.
"Y-you know I did have a funny idea." Her hands rotated the book curiously. "Since the pages are more of, uh, a grey…it would be possible to…to draw on them…" She chuckled softly. "I could technically make up my own ending for this story… B-but I'm not the best artist, so…I dunno…"
Frisk watched as she situated the comic back in the drawer. Nerdy as some of her activities were to him, he couldn't deny that she seemed to know what she was talking about when it came to…this.
Something was nagging at him.
It was stupid.
Completely ridiculous.
But it poked and lingered 'til he finally brought himself to take it into words.
…
"Hey, Alphys?"
She turned around in her chair. "Y-yeah?"
"You asked me a question yesterday... Now I've got one for you."
She cocked her head curiously.
…
His throat felt dry. His eyes refused to make contact. Plagued by hesitance, he swallowed hard with a choppy exhale before he could even say it.
…
"How do you know you...like someone?"
"O-oh my!" A giddy smile spread across her face. "Do you like someone, Frisk?"
His body tensed. "I honestly have no idea..."
"W-well, does she make you happy?"
"He."
Frisk grimaced as her smile grew even wider. She inhaled excitedly with a slight, girlish squeal. He was starting to regret asking this question at all.
"Oh my..." she cooed.
She was looking at him...with this look... He didn't even know how to describe it; it was weird. She was weird.
He glanced away, feeling embarrassment stir in his chest; anger stinging immediately after.
He didn't have to put up with this.
"Nevermind." he muttered, turning to leave.
"H-hey! W-wait! I'm sorry! I didn't mean-!"
She stood quickly and grabbed his shoulder. The boy turned to her with that neutral expression he wore oh-so-frequently.
"I-I'm really sorry, I didn't mean anything- I-" A slight pause as she released her hold on his arm. "...I just think it's really cute..." she finished, glancing at the floor with a smile.
Frisk cringed, visibly. "It's fine. It's just…" He scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably. "I…Christ, I dunno, I'm just..." He clutched his hands together. "You…seem to know a lot about…this kinda thing."
Alphys snorted. "Pft! What? No! Me?" She tossed her arms dismissively.
He shifted in his spot, voice quieting significantly. "It's not exactly a natural feeling for me... And I'm not usually one to go digging for help for personal stuff. But, I mean...here I am. So it's obviously a problem."
"No, no, i-it's not a problem, Frisk!" She sent a sympathetic smile.
"…No offense, but...you really don't know the half of it."
Alphys nodded after a few seconds. "T-true." She perked up. "B-but I think I might know how to help! The second season of Mew Mew Kissy Cutie really builds on the development of r-romantic feelings within a friendship- I-I mean- That is- I-I know it's not really your thing, b-but if you wanna watch-"
He cringed a little on the inside; the hyper-feminine anime not being something he had much interest in. But, he really had nothing to lose. Might take his mind off everything for a bit.
"Ok." he agreed with an indifferent shrug.
"E-eh wha? Y-you really wanna watch it?" She seemed surprised by this, her elated fangirlish behavior quickly following. "O-oh wow, that's great! I think you'll really like it, it has a lot of elements involving trust and bonding and friendship and feelings building over time, and one of the main characters, she feels confused at first, cause she likes this other girl, who has been her best friend since middle school, this is all in the middle of season two, episodes 21-37 if I'm not mistaken. It's been a long time since I saw season 2, since I have all 9 seasons, plus the dating game, and the movie; not the second movie though, they totally ruined it with the second one. It's seriously terrible, oh my God. Anyway, not to spoil it too much, but she admits her true feelings, it's hard and she thinks she ruined everything, but she finds out her friend felt the same, and they share their first kiss and start going out and everything works out just fine. ...Oh shoot. I kinda just spoiled it, didn't I? B-but it's really good, a-and that's just like a s-summary; there's a lot more that goes...into...the, u-uh...buildup...to it..." she trailed off as she noticed the totally lost expression on Frisk's face. "Y-you should definitely g-give it a watch sometime though..."
A short pause.
"R-right now if you want. I'll make popcorn. I-it'll be really fun...I think..." she murmured shyly.
He nodded again, demeanor still a bit distant. "Sure, why not?"
With that, the girl went skipping off to the escalator, a giant smile plastered on her face. "Great, I-I'll go set it up! J-just hang on a minute!"
As she scurried off, Frisk found himself standing alone at the desk; and in his loneliness, a familiar presence quickly surfaced again, its voice teeming with amusement.
'"So now you like me?"'
'No.'
'"That's precious."' Chara remarked, completely disregarding him.
His eyes blinked frantically for a few moments, body walking off on its own.
Where's Alphys?
The boy nearly tripped on the escalator as he rushed to catch a ride up. He found her by the TV, fiddling with the DVD player.
"Ah, there we go!" She stepped away with a victorious gesture as a neon-colored intro began playing. "Alright, we're all set." She made for the couch, where a large bowl of popcorn sat in the center.
They took their seats, and Alphys held a starry-eyed expression as she went about explaining the entire premise of the series to him.
It featured a cast of all women; most, if not all, seemed to be lesbians. Everything about the show was extremely feminine, from the art style, to the story, to the behaviors and personalities of nearly every character. It was unrealistic, and mostly just…cheesy. Girl meets girl, awkwardness, petty jealousy, dramatized confessions, plot twists he could have seen coming a mile away.
He glanced over at Alphys as the current episode closed with a melodramatic cliffhanger.
She was crying.
This cheesy, predictable ending was making her cry.
Clearly she was very emotionally invested in these characters…
"Why Leila, why?!" Alphys threw her arms forward, voice a blabbering mess. "She loves you! You can't just transfer schools! Open your eyes! Open your heart!" As the credits rolled, she wiped her face on her sleeve. "God I love this fucking show."
She froze up upon seeing the concerned look Frisk was shooting her.
"S-sorry, got a bit carried away there." She laughed a second before her smile fell to stone-cold seriousness. "We are so watching the rest of this."
He didn't dare object to that.
And so it continued. About two more hours of this; Alphys twice the mess she was by the time the season itself ended. It left her curled up in an emotional ball, spewing constant dialogue at…her TV's blank screen at this point. She gathered herself eventually.
Eventually.
Sniffling continued to linger throughout her words. "S-so what did you think, Frisk?"
He forced a smile. "It was…good."
"I know right?!" Her face scrunched and she waved her arms wildly.
Oh great, he made her cry some more.
She went off on another lengthily rant about the characters' relationship. It took a minute for her to come down from that…
"Ah…" The girl sniffled again, wiping her tears on her coat. "Ah, s-sorry, I…kinda forgot to check in with you…" She folded her hands and turned to him. "D-did the show help at all? W-with clearing up confusion and such?"
"Eh..." He shrugged, leaning back into the sofa a bit more. "It's not exactly, y'know...relatable."
"O-oh." She held her shoulder. "Yeah. I-I'm sorry. I guess yours would be different, all things considered." A small shrug. "Sadly not much of it has fallen down here, so, I-I mean, I know most about it from...um...erotic art media."
Frisk blinked quizzically at her. "...What?"
"Um- Heh-" Alphys smiled nervously, scooching off the couch. "Here, I'll just sh-show you."
They soon found themselves at the computer once more.
"Ok, here we go."
Alphys tapped away on the keys; entering in a simple one-word search.
"I know there's tons more out there, but the signal's terrible down here. I can only pick up a few picture sites…"
She clicked through a very simplified page of search results; skimming the website links and eventually falling on one with a satisfied hum.
"Th-this is a good one though."
She pulled up the main page, shying away from it as the images loaded. "Y-you can take the mouse, Frisk." she offered quietly.
The girl moved from the chair, allowing the other to sit. Taking the mouse, he curiously began navigating the site.
It didn't take long for him to notice a theme as he opened the gallery.
The entire website was, more or less, a vast collection dedicated exclusively to semi-realistic, cartoon drawings of gay couples.
Frisk glanced between the screen and Alphys.
She just wore that awkward grin, completely oblivious to his lack of…interest. Though, since she'd gone out of her way to show him, he clicked through it anyway, to be polite. He'd admit, some of the art was rather good, if a bit strange.
The images' subjects were primarily young men, probably late teens to mid-twenties, with ideal, perfectly groomed bodies. They all had longer than average hair, usually jagged and messy; with some really weird colors for their overly shiny locks and eyes. He soon found it wasn't only couples; some were solo works, others consisted of up to five people.
The majority were not explicit, maybe 1 in every 50 actually showing genitals. The artwork seemed to carry a habit of cropping the sexual pictures to the waist up, adding black or white censor bars, or cleverly placing something right in front of their lower parts as a more creative way of hiding it.
Most of the drawings were actually fairly innocent, consisting of more romantic things; kissing, cuddling, different kinds of cutesy teasing. It was oddly glamorous, many portrayed in very passionate, dramatic positions...
Mettaton probably shared in this interest with Alphys... Seemed like something they'd both like.
"U-um-"
He jumped slightly at the sound of her voice.
"Wh...what's he look like? I-if you don't mind my asking..."
"Uh..."
Frisk turned his attention back to the screen uncomfortably. With a weird twist in his stomach, he skimmed through the eccentric characters, trying to find one that even remotely resembled Chara.
He finally stopped on one.
"He looks kinda like this." he mumbled.
Alphys eagerly peered at the screen.
It was one man, a portrait of sorts. The hair was different from Chara's; though about the same length, it was much darker, a near black auburn, and unnaturally spikey. His skin was the palest white. Excessive black eye makeup gave him a dark, brooding appearance. The eyes were bright red, a frighteningly close match. This character in particular seemed to be a vampire of some sort; sharp little fangs showing through a mischievous smirk. He was licking blood off his fingers seductively, as those eyes bore into the viewer's soul.
"O-oh wow." The girl commented with a bashful smile, leaning closer to the image. She eyed Frisk curiously. "Does he actually have red eyes?"
"Yeah, he does."
"Wow..." She stared at the picture with an air of awe. "You're really lucky Frisk..." she said with a giggle.
'Sure I am…'
"Heh. He's not actually this attractive though."
'"Fuck you, Frisk."'
Alphys let out a brief awkward laugh before taking a few steps away. "H-hang on a second, I have to go to the bathroom. Feel free to keep looking at stuff, I'll be right back!"
…
Frisk didn't bother scrolling through anything new. He stayed on that same picture; tapped his fingers on the desk as he stared into those dark, crimson eyes.
…It really did look like him.
He let out a long exhale, attention shifting to the random junk adorning the scientist's desk. There was a pencil with a neon-colored cat eraser; he twirled it between his fingers absentmindedly.
It flew from his hand at the sudden sound of banging at the front doors. He looked between them and the bathroom. Assuming the other would be awhile, he took the liberty of answering for her after about seven more knocks.
There was a button to open them. An ironclad fist nearly bashed his face in as they did.
The two yelped simultaneously, the visitor's hand stopping just short of his face before quickly retracting behind its owner's back.
"Oh. Heya." Undyne waved at him casually. She was dressed in full guard armor, minus the helmet, which she held in her other arm.
"Hey." he replied under a relieved sigh.
…
She eyed him a bit suspiciously, a forced grin only half-covering that up.
"What are you doing here?"
"Just…hanging out with Alphys."
"Uh-huh." She craned her neck a little, eye scanning the space behind him.
"…Do you wanna come in?" he asked indifferently, stepping aside.
"Nah, I just wanna talk to her real quick."
"She's in the bathroom."
"Oh." She scowled. "Shoot."
"I mean, you can wait in here if you want, she's not gonna mind-"
"I can't stick around, I've gotta check on these guys at their posts." she groaned with a roll of her eyes. "I swear, it's a never-ending job..."
A brief pause.
"Uh." She slowly pulled an envelope from behind her back, glancing warily between it and Frisk. "Here."
Frisk took the letter as it was handed to him.
"Give this to Alphys." She shot him a slight glare. "And make sure you tell her it was from me."
He rotated it in his hands. "Yeah, sure thing."
"Thanks."
With that the fish woman grinned, bid him a swift goodbye, and went on her way.
Frisk returned to the desk. He spun about patiently in the chair while he waited for the other to return. A glance fell on that drawing again. He frowned to himself, and gave a single click to the 'next' button.
After what seemed like forever, his head snapped up at the sound of the door opening.
"Hah! Ok!" Alphys rushed back with a cheery smile. "So! What'd I miss?"
"Undyne stopped by."
Her eyes went wide, smile fading instantly. "What?! She did?! When?!"
"Like ten minutes ago."
"Ah-?! Dammit, of all the times to go to the bathroom-!"
"Well to be fair, you were in there forever…"
Those rabbit teeth bit her bottom lip a second, before she got frazzled all over again. "Well don't hold me in suspense, Frisk! What'd she say?!"
"Not much."
"O-oh."
"It wasn't me she wanted to see." He picked up the envelope. "She told me to give this you."
Alphys gasped, snatching it from him excitedly.
"Wh-what is it? Did she say? C-can I open it now? O-or should I wait? Or-?" She froze, beaming down at the letter in her tiny, trembling hands. "I'm opening it now."
With utmost care, she wiggled a claw under the envelope's fold and carefully ripped it open. Her fingers could barely extract the letter with all her jittering. All Frisk saw for the next five minutes was a shaking paper in front of her face; the occasional flip at the bottom if a long-contained breath suddenly shot out at it.
Then, out of nowhere, the highest-pitched scream the boy had ever heard.
"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!" The girl squeed as she ran around the desk like a maniac. "She wants to see me! Sh-she wants to see me!" Her hands shook as she read over the letter again and again. In an instant her knees weakened and she fell on her back. "H-holy shit-! I-I think I'm gonna be sick- Ah-! G-good sick, mind you-! Super good sick-! Ah! I can't believe this, oh my God!" She took a sharp breath, rolling back and forth with the biggest smile he'd ever seen on her.
In that moment, Mettaton returned from his show through the right-hand entryway. His eyes widened at this spectacle. "Oh? What's going on here?"
"Ahhh!" She scrambled off the floor and rushed over to him, words coming out in short little huffs. "It's- Undyne- and- she- invited- me-" She broke out in a series of coughs, choking on her own voice.
She held the paper up and Mettaton slipped it from her unsteady hands.
The robot murmured through a simple but thoughtful attempt at a poem, voice picking up as he reached the letter's end. "Meet me at the junkyard tonight at 8:00." He squinted at the paper. "With what appears to be a…poorly drawn winky face?"
Alphys was still moving about more than she had in the past month; constantly flipping her hands to knock the shivers from them. She was a euphoric mess.
Mettaton laughed. "So, you finally got a date with her?" He gave her a friendly pat on her jittery shoulder. "Oh Alphys, I'm so proud of you!"
A brief choppy laugh, before her head shot up suddenly and she made a beeline for the desk. Frisk evacuated the chair as she rushed in to take back her spot at the computer. "Ah-! I better search up some p-pointers!"
Mettaton waved a hand dismissively as her trembling claws started typing away. "Oh, pointers, shmointers! You don't need that amateur nonsense, Alphys! What tips could the internet possibly have on dating that I couldn't give you right now?"
"W-well-"
"Tsk, come, come, my dear!" The robot eagerly grabbed her hand. "I've much knowledge to bestow upon you~!"
"O-ok, sure- a-and I need to see if I even have anything nice to wear-" A quick glance at Frisk. "Ah-! A-and we can look at more guys later-! Maybe after the d-date-"
Mettaton raised a curious brow as she continued to go off about something else. Frisk could just hear his signature 'Oh~?'
He was about to protest to that, but her constant rambling held him in a nonstop cutoff; quickly to the point in conversation where bringing it up would sound rehashing and completely off-topic.
"A-also, I have some more manga you can look through, i-if you're still interested!" she called as she hopped on the escalator after Mettaton, nearly tripping herself in the process.
"Y-yeah… Sure." His voice was half its usual volume. She was nearly out of sight by the time he'd even responded.
Frisk stood where he was, a slight heat spreading through his face. Eventually, he took a seat in her chair again with a quiet sigh.
He really didn't appreciate her drawing unnecessary attention to this. When he'd confided in her about his issue, he'd hoped for a simple, discreet sort of answer. Just a little insight. Said. Done. No further discussion needed.
And what's worse…
The boy glanced upward.
He'd hardly spoken all day. He'd heard everything, yet relayed little more than a few words. Something about that induced its own brand of discomfort.
Frisk sulked around at her desk for a while; fiddling with her paperwork, absentmindedly listening to the clamor upstairs.
And as they were paying him no heed, well lost in the giddiness of getting Alphys ready for her date, he could speak aloud without looking strange.
…
"I feel like this was a mistake."
'"No shit."'
The reply was more immediate than he'd anticipated.
He sighed uneasily.
"Now she probably thinks I'm..." he trailed off, stomach twisting a little.
…
'"What?"'
"I dunno."
...
'Gay.' he finished in his thoughts.
'"…Well, are you?"'
"Are YOU?" he retorted.
Chara chuckled at his defensive tone. '"No."'
'Could have fooled me.'
'"At least I know what it feels like to fuck a woman."'
Frisk's expression contorted at the sharpness of those words.
'"Though if you must know, it really doesn't make a difference to me one way or the other."' Chara stated indifferently.
…
"…Should it?"
'"Hm?"'
"Sh-should it make a difference...?"
'"...Why are you asking me this?"'
"I don't know..." he muttered. "I just know sometimes...it's perceived as..."
'"Unnatural?"'
"Y-yeah..."
'"Please."'
A short silence.
'"I don't understand why you're beating yourself up so much over it, Frisk. Not like any of these clowns give a shit what you're into."'
Frisk remained quiet.
'"Must be a personal inhibition then, am I right?"'
"I-I don't know..."
'"Hmph. In any case, it's not worth getting depressed over. It was funny at first, but now it's just annoying."'
He held his shoulder as his voice dropped to a whisper. "I just feel so confused..."
A quiet huff.
'"That's your business, Frisk. I really couldn't care less if you enjoyed that little session or not."'
"...If you couldn't care less, why'd you egg me on like that?"
'"Because I like watching you writhe around like a desperate little worm."'
"...I don't get you, Chara..." he muttered.
'"I don't expect you to."'
…
Another span of silence.
…
"...What should I do...?"
A long exhale. '"What do you mean?"'
Frisk shook his head at the floor. "...I don't know." A shuddering sigh. "I dunno what I'm supposed to feel."
'"You feel how you feel. Simple as that."'
"I don't understand..."
'"I'm not your personal therapist, Frisk. You'd be better off talking to the robot about this."' Chara responded coldly.
Well that was certainly out of the question.
Words failed him at that point. He let their conversation die in the silence.
There was a loud thud upstairs. Muffled voices ringing through the downstairs ceiling.
He decided to go check up on the little lizard girl.
The two friends stood before a mirror together. They'd gone through her wardrobe; finding only a black dress with white polka dots. It was the only nice outfit she had.
Alphys rotated her body at various angles, expression never faltering from a critical sort of pout. Her gaze remained glued to the mirror as she spoke.
"D-do you think I look ok…?"
"Oh darling, you look absolutely stunning~!" Mettaton stood behind her, brushing off her shoulders and straightening the straps of her dress.
"I…I dunno… It's…a little tight…" She looked at the floor nervously. "Y-you don't think it maybe m-makes me look…f-fat…?"
The robot gasped dramatically. "Alphys! I am appalled that you would even suggest such a thing! You're much too hard on yourself…" His tone softened and he gently took her chin in his hands, tilting her head to make eye contact. "You, my dear, are a beautiful woman… Anyone who says otherwise is a fool."
"B-but Undyne…you don't think she's maybe…p-put off by it…? I-I mean…she's so…fit…and I'm…w-well…not so much…"
A sly smirk. "So it only makes sense that she would want a soft, curvy girl like yourself to cuddle with at night, hm~?"
"Ah-!" The shy girl covered her quickly reddening face.
She squeaked again in embarrassment upon noticing her other friend leaning at the doorway.
The robot followed her gaze.
"Oh, come in, Frisk~!" He pushed the girl forward a bit as the other entered. "What do you think? Cute, right~?"
Frisk smiled coyly with a playful wink. "Super cute."
"Ah-!" She cowered further behind her tiny hands.
"See, what did I tell you, darling?" He picked up a jar of cream from an array of MTT brand vanity items he'd sprawled out on her dresser. "And now the real fun begins~"
Frisk situated himself by the bookshelves while Mettaton went about introducing Alphys to one of his classic, over-the-top beauty regiments.
He skimmed through her collection, eventually settling on one of the comics that were printed in English. It was a generic story; something about a girl moving to a new town and the pile of drama that followed. He'd skipped well into the middle, to the first interesting scene he'd found. At least the art was nice.
He heard the others' voices in the background. Mettaton teasing her. Giving her advice; and his approval.
"She's a good choice, Alphys!"
A bashful smile.
"A bit brutish for my tastes, but damn, those muscles~"
"M-Mettaton!"
"Hey, nothing wrong going for the classic 'power woman' angle." he cooed
She half-smiled, holding her shoulder again. "Sh-she could literally bench press me if she wanted to."
The other grinned. "You should tell her that tonight."
"H-heh…n-no, no." she stuttered with a declining wave of her hand.
"Oh, c'mon, Alphys! Show a little confidence!"
"…I…I don't really…h-have any…"
Mettaton rolled his eyes with a 'tsk.'
"Well, you build confidence by stepping out of that little comfort zone of yours! So tonight, take the plunge! Make the first move!" he exclaimed with a dynamic gesture.
"…B-but isn't it better if I let her make the first move?"
"No!" He bopped her lightly on the head. "When you want something, darling, you have to take it!" He squeezed her shoulders, puffing up her stance a bit. "And that means taking initiative! When you see her tonight, you walk right up to her, and you tell her what's on your mind~!"
"Oh, hell no."
"Oh, hell yes!"
Her face scrunched slightly. Such a thought simultaneously amused and terrified her. Her head swiftly turned to get a second opinion.
"You agree with me, r-right, Frisk?"
He looked up from his book. "What?"
"Th-that it's better to let someone else take initiative…?"
Mettaton sent him a disapproving look from behind her.
His mouth hung open, eyes darting between the two for a second before he replied. "Yeah, sorry, I'm with her."
"Yes!" Her arms shot in his direction. "It's way less stressful, right?"
"And easier."
"A-and so much less mortifying-!"
Mettaton let out an exaggerated sigh. "My God, you two are hopeless…" He wiped the last of the exfoliant from her squishy cheek. "No matter." He held up a polish of some sort. Now…to put the finishing touches on those scales!"
"Oh, th-they're fine…I think…" she waved a hand dismissively.
"Fine? Fine?" A sassy huff. "Alphys. Do you want to settle for 'fine?' …Or do you want…dazzling~?"
He handed her the bottle. Its bright pink text read: 'MTT Dazzling Scale Polish.' The image on front depicted a gorgeous reptile woman with an unnaturally shiny, but beautiful scale coat.
She rotated the bottle in her hands a moment before uttering a reply.
"D-dazzling, I guess?"
The robot clapped his hands together enthusiastically. "That's what I like to hear!"
With that, he went about feverishly shining the lizard girl's scales to perfection. Frisk didn't mind the constant commotion; that is until a polish-soaked wipe was flung carelessly on his head.
"Oopsie! Sorry, darling!"
…
Frisk left soon after that, for the quiet of the downstairs office.
He'd invested himself, to some degree, in this weird little story; and for once actually found himself in proper mindset to finish it.
And he nearly did, until he heard footsteps again about 25 minutes later.
"W-well, I'm gonna head out now!" Alphys exclaimed, smoothing over her dress for the hundredth time.
Frisk glanced at the tiny clock on her computer screen. "...Two hours early?"
"Ahh, is that what time it is?" Anxious laughter. "Well you know what they say! Better two hours too early than a minute too late!" Her body shook like an earthquake was thrumming through her.
"You're nervous."
"Nervous? Me? No, no no no! Haha!"
Her eyes widened into a distant stare.
"Frisk."
...
"I'm fucking terrified."
Frisk closed his manga, shifting a bit awkwardly as he tried to come up with something encouraging to say.
"Well, uh…just be brave and…be yourself…and I, uh…wish you the best of luck-"
In an instant, the girl was in breakdown mode, closing the proximity between them in a second.
"Ahh, please don't make me go alone! I'm too young! Too young to die of the mortification that is the dating scene!" She grabbed onto his sweater desperately, her weight dragging him down a foot or two as she clung to him. "Mettaton won't go with me, he says I need to take a leap of faith on my own, but I don't know what to say to her, I don't know what to do, I'm like a baby bird trying to leave the nest, but my wings are too small, and I can't fly, so I wind up just breaking my neck on the concrete like an idiot, except the concrete is Undyne, and-"
"Ok, fine! I'll go with you! Jesus..."
"Y-you will?"
"Yes. Just. Calm the fuck down." He gently pulled her hands from his shirt.
She looked like she was about to cry. "Thank you Frisk... You have no idea how much this means to me..."
"Yeah, yeah, let's just…head out."
He put up with her jitters the whole way there. The Riverman himself was fully up-to-date on this whole thing by the end of their ten minute canoe trip.
And there they'd arrived, amongst the trash heaps, over an hour ahead of schedule. They were both well aware of it. Frisk leaned against the cavern wall while Alphys paced about and twiddled her fingers, speaking only after several minutes of such worrying.
"Oh God, what was I thinking? I'm sorry, Frisk, I shouldn't have dragged you out here so early, we have an hour and a half to kill, w-what are we gonna do for an hour and a half-?! M-maybe we should just go back-?"
Frisk pinched the bridge of his nose as she rambled to herself.
"A-and I-I don't even know what to say when she does get here-"
"Maybe you should use this time to practice, then." he muttered.
She froze.
"Th-that's actually a good idea."
…
"Will you…help me?"
He sent her a sideways glance. "You want me to-"
"Roleplay?" they spoke at the same time.
"Y-yeah."
"…Alright."
She perked up. "Really? Y-you'll do it?"
He nodded. "I'll be Undyne. Just…try to say to me what you would say to her."
"A-alright. Yes. Of course. Obviously. Heh. Ahem. O-obviously I would start with…" She cleared her throat again. "H-hi, Undyne… H-how are you doing today?"
"I'm fine." Frisk responded in a neutral tone.
"Ha! Ha! Glad to hear it!" she exclaimed nervously.
…
Her weird grin vanished. "Uhhh, so I'd like to, um, talk to you about something."
"What is it, Alphys?"
"Umm, you see…I…I…" She took a quick breath. "I… I h-haven't been exactly truthful w-w-with you… Y…you see, I… I…"
She took a sudden step forward. Was that a thread of confidence shining through her?
"Oh, forget it!" she exclaimed. "Undyne! I…I want to tell you how I feel! Y-you're so brave, a-and strong…a-and nice… Y-you always listen t-to me when I talk about n-n-nerdy stuff… Y-you always d-do your best to m-make me f-feel special… A-and I just want to t-tell you…I…I…"
Frisk heard the soft sound of muddy footsteps rounding a nearby pile of trash.
"Hey, Alphys, you're here earl-"
The fish woman froze upon seeing Frisk. Her lips curved into that distant, insane grin.
Awkward glances were exchanged for a few moments before she took an aggressive stride toward Frisk.
"You little weasel, I told you to tell her it was from me!"
"I did!" Frisk backed up quickly as she approached. Glaring daggers at him, the woman looked about ready to beat him up on the spot. "Alphys, help me out here!" He shot a glance at Alphys, who was now hiding out in an empty trashcan.
"A-a-ah-!"
Undyne grimaced. "Oh great, you scared her!"
"I scared her-?"
Undyne rushed over to the trashcan, pulling up the lid with ease, despite Alphys' little claws still hanging on for dear life. She laughed as the other let go with an 'eep;' slumping down further in the can.
"C'mon, let's get you outta there, silly!"
Her demeanor always changed the second she was around Alphys.
With the way she scooped her up, you'd guess the chubby girl weighed little more than a big, fluffy stuffed animal.
As Undyne set the other girl down, she shot another glare in Frisk's direction. A tiny tap on her arm stopped her.
"A-ah, um-" Alphys voice came out in a cracked, shy, stutter fit. "F-Frisk, um- earlier- h-he actually did, um, t-tell me i-it, er, th-the letter was from y-you- H-he just came with me, because…b-because I…w-was too much of a c-coward to c-come alone…" Her eyes never left the moggy ground.
…
"Oh." At that point she sent him a bold, apologetic grin instead. "Sorry about that, buddy. You know me, I can get kinda protective over my…" she trailed off awkwardly, eye widening a bit. "Friends."
"Right."
She cleared her throat, quickly turning her attention back to Alphys. "Well…it's not 8:00 yet, but we can still start the date now if you want!"
Alphys stifled a gasp with her hands. "O-oh!" She checked a small timepiece she'd slipped into her single dress pocket. "Th-that gives us an extra hour and thirteen minutes of d-date time!"
"Well then…" Undyne grinned, holding out her arm like a gentlewoman. "Shall we?"
The girl blinked nervously a few seconds, short stutters escaping involuntarily under her breath. She soon settled on a simple nod, taking the warrior woman's arm in her petite, shivering hands.
As they turned to leave, she took one last glance behind her. "A-and thank you, Frisk! F-for everything-!" She waved at him, sending him a grateful smile before turning back to her date.
With Undyne taking all conversational lead, it didn't take long for her to warm up to this. Frisk could just overhear the start of them making small talk as they walked off.
"Sorry for the misunderstanding back there, Alphys. Heh. I thought you two…"
She burst into laughter, Alphys immediately following.
"Oh, no, no, no-! Ha ha!" She waved a hand. "Frisk already has someone, anyway."
He barely caught that last line as they turned behind a junk pile. But it was more than enough to prick and torment him all over again.
…
'Fucking hell…-'
'"You're still on this?"' Chara cut in with a matter-of-fact tone.
A hard shudder dug through him.
'"You realize this is all on you, right?"'
…
'"Never once did you object to it. Never once did you tell me to go away."'
"Yeah, and I don't exactly know what to think about that."
'"My God, you're really looking too deeply into this, you know that?"'
Frisk stared at the ground with a sort of guilty frustration.
"You don't get it."
'"Oh no, I'm fairly certain I do."'
"..."
'"Naive straight male has one pleasurable experience with the same sex. Mistakes lust for attraction. Takes entire sexuality into question. Dwells on it until he drives himself into a constant state of self-loathing confusion."'
…
'"That sound about right?"'
Frisk just stood there, staring wide eyed at the ground. His back straightened slightly.
"…Yeah."
'"Hmph. Relax. You're not abnormal for feeling that way, trifling as it may be."'
…
'"There's nothing wrong with you."'
His brow furrowed slightly. "Are you being...non-patronizing right now?"
A huff. '"No. You're still a fuckup in a multitude of other facets."' He paused a second. '"But as far as your sexual interests go, believe me when I say they could be much worse."'
Frisk shifted uneasily.
'"…You're finding this hard to digest. How interesting."'
The boy's focus drifted to the sleeves of his sweater.
'"Do you really find the idea that repulsive? Or is it just that well engrained in you?"'
Frisk swallowed hard with a choked gasp before he was able to speak.
"It's more you."
'"Is it?"'
"I mean, it's not like I- I never really- Fuck, I don't know, it's complicated. Everything about this is so goddamn complicated..."
'"You're the one who's making it complicated."'
His expression contorted in disagreement.
A lengthily silence passed between them.
…
'"If it's any consolation, I feel nothing for you. Absolutely nothing."'
"Hah. Well isn't that a relief..." he mumbled sarcastically.
A quiet hum. '"Just trying to clear things up a bit."'
…
"I'm just...not sure how I'm supposed to talk to you."
'"You're not very sure how to talk to anyone."' he muttered with a slight sigh. '"It doesn't matter, Frisk. Talk to me however you see fit. Your words have very little bearing on me."'
Uncomfortable quietness returned.
His thoughts wandered. His voice, eventually, seemed to speak on its own.
…
"...Like..." he trailed off, much to the annoyance of Chara.
'"Like...?"' he repeated impatiently.
Memories clouded him. His mind was teetering on something, and eventually, these thoughts fabricated themselves into dodgy, hesitant words.
"...Should I bring it up...again...at all? Or not? Or…"
...
'"Heh. My God."'
...
'"You... You are something else, you know that?"'
"Why, what'd I do?" he asked, a little too fast.
An almost sinister sort of chuckling. '"You're wavering on asking me if I'd do it again."'
"Fuck- No I wasn't-!" His face was heating from his blatant lie.
'"And my answer is..."'
A subtle tingle pricked at the back of his neck. Chara's words fell into the back of his head in a harsh whisper.
'"Maybe. If I'm bored enough."'
Frisk bit his lip involuntarily.
The other laughed.
A lightness in the air immediately followed; though he stood there shaken for a minute or two.
The boy eventually pulled himself from his daze, and, with slight mental disorientation, made for Hotland again.
He found some sense of comfort and relief upon arriving back at the hotel. He'd kept the key, having planned to stay one more night before he concluded his journey.
Frisk plopped down on the bed with a sigh. The fan was still on from this morning, sending a cool breeze over his heated clothing.
The next half hour or so was spent in complete silence; just him casually resting his eyes, legs still hanging off the side of the bed. He eventually sat up again, stretching slightly as he did so.
"So…tomorrow." he spoke as he kicked his shoes off. "…Tomorrow I'll finally finish this."
'"Mhm."'
"Get everyone back to the surface… Back to normal…"
…
Quiet again. Frisk looked up at the ceiling.
"So, question. If, uh…if you were Toriel's son, Asgore was like…your dad then, right?"
A slight pause before he replied.
'"…Asgore was a father figure, yes."'
He shifted slightly.
"Then, er…sorry for…y'know…killing them…all those times before…"
A soft huff. '"It doesn't matter. They're alive and well now, aren't they?"'
The way he said it sounded almost resentful.
Frisk just nodded once to that. "So, um…" he trailed off before he even started.
…
'"…Why the sudden desire to strike up a conversation with me?"'
He glanced off. "I don't know…"
'"Just lonely again?"'
"I guess."
'"Figures."'
"Well, do you mind…?"
…
"'Cause I can stop if you-"
'"What do you really want, Frisk?"'
He blinked. "Nothing."
'"You wouldn't bother if it was nothing."'
"I'm just trying to be friendly."
Chara laughed. '"Christ."'
Silence befell them again.
…
"Why do you have to make everything so uncomfortable?"
'"I've a great talent for it."'
…
'"Same way you have a great talent for making everything feel utterly monotonous."'
Frisk glared off to the side with a frown. "I'm not m…" The objection barely made it out before his own harsh realization hit.
…
'Shit, I guess I kind of am…'
A slight hum. '"You remind me of a shell of a man who once had a sense of purpose."'
'…Ouch.'
…
A few seconds ticked by, followed by a quiet, thoughtful 'hm.'
'"…Come to think of it, there are few times I've ever seen you break from that hazy shell..."'
Frisk swore he could feel him smiling.
'"And every single time, it was with me."'
He glanced away, discomfort twisting in his chest. "Well, yeah. Because you pretty much traumatized me… Several times…"
'"I didn't traumatize you."'
He stated that like it was a fact. The volume of his voice steadily grew as he continued; each word further spaced than the last, with increasing accentuation.
'"For once, in your sad, mundane little life, I made you feel alive."'
Frisk's body jolted forward with that last word. The other chuckled as if he'd just proved his point.
'"Why the hell else would you be putting forth such an effort?"'
…
The chopping of the fan seemed to slice through the air.
Their conversation had more or less died, with Frisk's lack of response and Chara's discontinuation.
Frisk lied back quietly. That last question prodded at him, just long enough for him to entertain it...
The friendship idea, of course, was absolute bullshit. They both knew that…
…He cringed to even put 'Chara' and 'romantic' in the same sentence…
…
Well then, just what the fuck was left?
What was the driving motivation that pushed him to have any more interaction than necessary with the psychopath in his head?
…
'I don't know.'
It was the only answer that surfaced. And he was completely dissatisfied with it. Though, with nothing more logical coming to mind, he reluctantly found himself accepting one simple fact...
His feelings toward this man, whatever they were…were not founded in any slither of rationality.
Frisk sat up again. He glanced at the ceiling, but neither spoke. It became clear to him that Chara wasn't about to give him the comfort, nor satisfaction, of being a passive contributor in this.
With a quiet sigh, he leaned forward and finally allowed himself to speak; voice barely above an uncertain whisper.
"...Were you serious about that? When you said you'd...um..." he trailed off, heart now pumping blood more urgently through his system.
The other chuckled softly. '"What do you think?"' he asked with a playful sort of hiss.
His breathing hitched, body staggering a bit.
'"I'm always serious, Frisk."'
The voice seemed to pulse through his every cell. Frisk's eyes darted around the room while his hands fidgeted in his lap; restless and unsure where to settle themselves.
He heard a gentle, deliberate humming; quiet and cryptic, like a siren's lure.
That dreadful little gland in the back of his brain pulsed; that which wrecked over his inhibition just long enough for him to make regrettable decisions he never seemed to learn from. It was an impulse that won the battle over his conscience every time.
His voice spoke for him, not for a moment bothering to weigh this sudden drive against his usual sensibilities.
...
"So, how bored are you?"
Chara responded with a sly little purr.
'"Very, actually."'
His fingers interlocked tightly, palms sweating. There was a slight bounce it his knee and forcefulness to his breathing.
'"How do you propose we resolve this...dilemma?"' Chara's voice was lower. Rougher. A strange sort of focused.
A jolt of adrenaline laced his tongue. Yet at the same time his throat felt completely dry. He choked on his words as he tried to reply, hands anxiously gripping and kneading the bedding beneath him.
"I-I don't know, what did you have in mind?" he squeaked out quickly.
A quiet inhaling flooded his ears. It was prolonged, intentional, slightly shaky from the other's natural response to this.
'"Entertain me...Frisk."'
[[[[[Scene omitted to keep this postable.]]]]]
An exhausted sigh of satisfaction as his body stilled. He was granted a brief respite before Chara spoke again.
'"I knew you wouldn't be able to last."'
His head lowered into his chest.
'"Far too impulsive."'
"It's difficult..." he murmured into the covers.
'"Yes, I know."'
An eye opened.
'"But rewarding."'
His gaze was cast downward, breathing still plenty audible from his exertion. It took a minute for him to recover.
The room filled with tense quietness, much like before; neither one jumping to be the first to break it.
Frisk, still holding to that, went off to the bathroom. His demeanor was normal. Almost too normal, all things considered.
…
'"Well?"'
…
"Just washing my hands." he murmured.
…
'"Today isn't about to repeat itself, is it?"'
Frisk blinked a few times, his voice still quiet. "Yeah, no, I'm good."
A soft grunt of approval.
…
"It's just surreal, that's all."
'"Hm?"'
He walked out and began gathering his discarded clothing from the floor.
"I mean, I don't know who you are... I barely know anything about you."
Chara huffed briefly. '"Nor I you."' A pause. '"And need it be any different?"'
Frisk quickly redressed himself. Smoothing over his shirt, he took a seat on the bed again, never quite giving a proper response to that.
'"I'm nothing more than a voice in your head."'
"…Well, you're a little more than that…"
Momentary chuckling.
He smiled as he settled himself in bed.
"Well, um…goodnight, I guess…" He flipped the lamp switch, shrouding the room in soft darkness.
…
Chara's voice was quiet as he spoke.
'"Goodnight."'
Frisk nuzzled into his pillow, finally feeling some sense of peace as he closed his eyes to sleep.
Tomorrow he would fight Asgore.
Shatter the Barrier.
And ultimately, live out the rest of his days in the sweet, simple normalcy he'd fought so hard to regain.