Thanks go to Zack Frost, Nabzif, Wingah, 10burgers, Zillowzest, BonelessSkele, MysteriousNugget, GMLxAwesome, Genowar, and Pier bot 2.1.
Alright so this chapter ended up being a lot longer than I thought it would be! So much so that there are a few things that were supposed to be in this chapter that I'm going to have to put into next chapter instead! Since I work full time now, I gotta manage my time a bit better to keep putting together big huge chapters lol.
But, anyway! Next update should be in two weeks, on June 1st!
Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale.
"You've got a big ol' crush on Chara, huh?"
"Huh?! W-what?!" I recoiled like Monster Kid had pulled a gun on me. Well, no, actually, I could handle being shot. It'd happened plenty'a times before. The revelation of my feelings was far more terrifying than a gun. Red in the face, I might've done the worst job of playing it cool in the history of playing it cool. "What would make you think that?!"
"Uhh... You mean, other than your reaction right now?" Monster Kid arched a brow at me, slowly tilting his head to the side. I groaned, lowering my head and burying my face in my hands. He was right, if I wasn't caught before I was certainly caught now. MK's eyes rolled around in his head, like he was searching his brain for different examples. "Probably the basketball incident that I had to cover you dorks on earlier. I might be a cold blooded lizard, but it was pretty obvious even to me what was goin' on there."
"Ah shit, you're right..." I rubbed my temples, hands still curled in to hide my red face some. I kept my eyes shut and my head tilted downward while I grumbled, "... Thanks for that save, by the way. I uh, really thought we were caught back there."
"I knew you were both too awkward to handle a situation like that. Felt like I had to jump into action, haha." MK laughed, stepping aside and out from the path between me an the door. He must've trusted that I wasn't gonna run away, but I wasn't sure about that yet. He took a seat at the foot of my bed, and his tail patted the space next to him. "You can pay me back by giving me the deets!"
"Ugh... Do I have to..?" I rubbed my shoulder, eyes darting to the door. Feelings weren't something I was at all good at talking about, that was part of the reason that this was such a mess in the first place.
"Cter, I know you. You're gonna keep stressing out over this and bottling it up until you talk to somebody." Monster Kid lifted his eyebrows to give me a knowing look, and once again his tail patted the seat beside him. "You're an anxiety case, haha! So just talk to me about what's up, you'll feel better!"
"Eugh..." I groaned again, but I did wander over to the bed. Begrudgingly I took a seat next to Monster Kid, slouching forward and resting my elbows on my knees. "I hope you're right..."
Chapter 65: The Beach Episode
Or: Part Two Of Anarchy's Friendship Adventure!
"Y'know, for an extra bedroom, this place is really well dusted." Chara pointed out while they wandered around what would be their room for the next two weeks. It was a simple bedroom, a twin sized bed with a bedside table. One of the room's walls was lined with bookshelves, and the lamp on the bedside table had yet to be turned on, the room instead illuminated by the light on the ceiling. By the foot of the bed Chara had set their bags.
"Toriel power cleaned this whole room when she heard you were gonna be staying here." Frisk snerked some, crossing their arms over their chest. They glanced around the room with Chara, once more asserting to themself that the room was spotless.
"Yeah, that sounds like her, now that you mention it." Chara crossed their arms too, laughing a little awkwardly in the silence that followed their words. They glanced around the room for a few more seconds, before finally turning around and making eye contact with Frisk.
"Eyup..." Frisk trailed off, before clearing their throat. They too were looking from one side to the other, staring in pointless directions to evade eye contact. Chara frowned at the sight of this; they knew what was going on.
Things were still awkward between them and Frisk, even after a few years. In the six months Chara spent living in this timeline before going to train with Future, they and Frisk had purposely avoided one another. Sure, they could get along in a group setting, but one on one... Well, Chara knew how Frisk felt about their turn to the good side. Of all the people they had to convince, Frisk was the most difficult. It was only because Cter trusted them and clearly had enough power to stop them if they did turn back to their old ways - something that Frisk had clearly believed was a matter of "when" and not "if" - that Frisk didn't protest Chara's existence. Chara really only convinced Frisk they were a good guy when they almost died protecting Cter from Anarchy.
But, Chara hadn't ever apologized. They'd had to wrestle with themself to figure out if they really believed that they should or not. After all, Frisk was the one who started killing, not Chara. Chara had enjoyed the pacifist runs, they only returned to the twisted ways of their past when Frisk began playing with life and death. Frisk was the first villain of this timeline, not them. So what right did Frisk have to demand an apology?
... But, that was years ago. And, ultimately, Chara had tormented Frisk in a way far crueler than Frisk had ever tormented Chara or Monsterkind. They couldn't imagine the horror of having your own body and fate stolen away from you. To have someone else wear your face, force your hand into murder...
So, Chara took a deep breath. Frisk finally looked back to them, and they opened their mouth to speak. Presumably to give an excuse for a quick exit. That was how all their conversations ended; they ran out of things to prolong the talk with, avoided the real topic, and then one of them awkwardly escaped the interaction so neither of them had to talk about what was on their mind. But Chara spoke before Frisk could. "... Hey, I'm... I'm sorry."
"Huh?" Frisk recoiled some. Their eyebrows rose, and they tilted their head back some. They pretended to be confused, like they didn't know what Chara was talking about. Like it wasn't all they thought of when they looked at Chara. "About what?"
"... About us. About the genocide runs." Chara crossed their arms a little tighter, and they turned their head to the side. Swallowing their pride stung their throat, but they had to, because they knew Frisk wasn't going to. They acted happy go lucky, but Chara knew how stubborn they really were. It was a trait they had in common. In fact, it was common in all red souls. "... About stealing your soul, using you like a puppet, and condemning you to never ending bad ends to punish you."
". . ." Frisk was silent. They stared at Chara with wide eyes, like they were trying to process the words they'd just heard. After a few long, painfully quiet seconds, Frisk blinked. They blinked a few times actually, like their brain was rebooting. Then, finally, they smiled innocently. "Oh, that? Jeez, Chara, you still think about that?"
"... You don't?" Chara's eyes narrowed at Frisk, suspicion written all over their face. They'd expected a few different responses, and this was not one of them.
"I mean, every now and again, but c'mon, it was years ago! We were all just messed up kids back then!" Frisk laughed so calmly, and so convincingly. Like they really thought this was just some funny mix up. Chara tried their hardest not to look particularly confused or distrusting, but they couldn't help but think back on the old pacifist runs Frisk would do. When they'd already played the Underground a couple dozen times. The way the would just say exactly what they knew they had to say to get the right response. The way they soullessly ACTed to get the response they wanted...
"Listen, I appreciate the apology. And I accept it." Frisk flashed the best smile they could. They stepped forward, placing a comforting hand on Chara's shoulder while they assured them. "But, try not to worry about all that old stuff, alright? It's water under the bridge."
"... Are you sure?" Chara cocked a skeptical brow, not uncrossing their arms and stubbornly clinging to the topic at hand. Then, their eyes slowly looked to the side. "... It just, feels so awkward when we're alone together. There was a time when we were friends, but now... It's hard to even be around you when there isn't someone else there too."
"Well, that's just because we never hang out!" Frisk stated like it was obvious, their confidence unshakeable. It was reassuring in a way, how certain they were. Enough so for Chara to consider their words. "We haven't really taken the time to fix up our friendship, have we? So lets try that!"
"Well, I... I guess that might be a good idea..." Chara stated begrudgingly, still avoiding eye contact. Frisk removed their hand from their shoulder and took a step back, and Chara uncrossed their arms. Shaking their head, they questioned. "But, how do we even go about that?"
"Well, we could start by trying to hang out more. You've got two weeks, right?" Frisk smirked and gave Chara a knowing look. Then, suddenly, their expression flashed like a lightbulb had flicked on inside their brain, and they exclaimed. "Oh! We gotta get clothes for the wedding tomorrow!"
"I was thinking I'd go with a suit, and you don't strike me as a dress kinda person." Frisk joked, folding their hands behind their back. Chara wondered if they didn't know what to do with their hands, figuring their skirt didn't have pockets. "Why don't we pick out our clothes together? That might be fun!"
"Uhh... Yeah, about, that..." Chara glanced awkwardly to the side then, and Frisk furrowed their brows at the embarrassed pink shade that appeared on their cheeks.
"What?" The corner of Frisk's mouth lifted up into a little smirk, and they crossed their arms over their chest. Tilting their head to the side and giving it a little shake, they made an assumption. "Chara, you gotta wear something fancy, you can't just show up in a green and yellow sweater."
"I know that! And it's a track jacket now, not a sweater..." Chara grumbled their second sentence, furrowing their brows and continuing to avoid eye contact. The red shade in their cheeks deepened, and they fumbled and choked out the next sentence. "I, was... Actually, thinking about a dress."
". . ." Frisk widened their eyes at Chara with obvious surprise, and Chara awkwardly pushed a strand of hair behind their ear. They forced their eyes up to look at Frisk, and when they saw that their fellow human was staring straight up, they growled with embarrassment and irritation. "W-what are you doing?!"
"I was just checkin' to see if a pig was flyin' over." Frisk wore a dopey half smile as they looked back to Chara, pointing straight up to emphasis their dumb joke.
"Nevermind!" Chara stated quickly, grabbing Frisk by the shoulders and spinning them around to face the door. Then, they began pushing them towards it. "I change my mind, forget I said anything!"
Frisk laughed at that, digging their heels into the floor to slow Chara's shoving while they looked over their shoulder at them. "Ah, c'mon Chara! I was just kidding! I think a dress is a great idea!"
"No it's not it was stupid I should have kept it to myself!" Chara refuted in a panic, lowering their red face towards the floor and shaking their head while they pushed Frisk towards the door.
"I was just kidding, relax!" Frisk chuckled, planting one foot against the door they were being shoved towards to stop their race towards it. "You would look great in a dress!"
"..!" Chara stopped their shoving, but they didn't let go of Frisk's shoulders just yet, like they still weren't sure whether they wanted to push them out the door or not. They looked wherever they could to avoid eye contact, and they mumbled. "... You, uhm, you think so..?"
"Yeah!" Frisk grinned reassuringly over their shoulder at them, shutting their eyes to dull Chara's fear of seeing judgement in them. "It just caught me off guard, is all! You've never really seemed all that adventurous when it came to fashion, and I just figured you'd hate wearing a dress."
"... Well, yeah, when I was younger, I wouldn't be caught dead in one." Chara admitted begrudgingly, slowly letting go of Frisk. They took a step back, and they rubbed their shoulder awkwardly while Frisk spun around to face them. "I, guess I just... Always tried to stray as far from looking 'girly' in any kind of way. I, also really tried not to look 'manly', either. Trying to find some kind of middle ground is difficult, which is, I guess, why I'm not uh... 'Adventurous', fashion wise."
"Chara, let me give you some advice on how to dress like you're nonbinary." Frisk stated, standing up straight and clearing their throat. Then, they leaned forward, placing their hands on Chara's shoulders and staring into their eyes with intensity that made Chara uncomfortable.
"Step one: Be nonbinary." After Frisk gave their first step, they paused. For, like thirty whole seconds. When Chara arched a brow, and their expression started to twist with confusion, Frisk lifted their eyebrows shook their head. "... There is no step two."
"... I'm, not following?" Chara slowly tilted their head to the side, expressing heavy confusion in their scarlet orbs.
"What I'm saying is that clothes are clothes. There's no such thing as girly clothes or manly clothes; there's just clothes." Frisk smiled, letting go of Chara's shoulders and taking a step back. They placed their hands on their hips, "Men can wear dresses, women can wear a suit and tie, anyone can wear anything. Clothes are just clothes, so wear whatever you want!"
"... Thanks, Frisk." Chara's shoulders sunk some, and they exhaled as they started to relax. The embarrassed red of their face lightened to a dull pink, and they flashed Frisk a relieved smile. Then, they laughed a little sheepishly, eyes glossing to the side. "Sometimes I feel so dumb about this stuff, heh..."
"That's why we gotta stick together!" Frisk smiled wide, lifting one hand and giving Chara a thumbs up. Then, their expression relaxed some, and they lowered their hand, putting it back on their hip. "Sorry about making jokes earlier, but if you don't mind me asking, why were you thinking about a dress anyway?"
"W-well... Uhh..." Once again, Chara was avoiding eye contact. They thought up an excuse as quickly as they could, but the pause was just a little too long. "I, look tough all the time. I uhm, I thought I should, try to look nice for the wedding, because it's important."
"..." Frisk squinted suspiciously at Chara, and they "hmm"ed as they leaned forward. They held their chin, inspecting all the poorly hidden panic on their doppelganger's face for a few long seconds. During that time, Chara's eyes darted from one side of the room to the other, and they didn't inhale once, face getting progressively more red. "... You're a terrible liar, Chara."
"H-huh? What do you mean?" Chara recoiled at Frisk's accusation, trying their best to look like they were actually offended that Frisk had assumed they were lying.
"You don't care about weddings or looking nice!" Frisk's lips slowly lifted up into a smirk, and they pointed one accusatory finger at Chara. "You're trying to look pretty for one person in particular! That's why you're embarrassed right now! You like somebody!"
"W-what?!" Chara tried their best to make that idea sound completely ludicrous, furrowing their brows and widening their eyes at Frisk like they were crazy. They even managed to fake a smile, like that accusation was so silly that it amused them. Shaking their head, they refuted. "C'mon Frisk, try to be realistic. I mean, I've been gone for over two years. Who could this 'mystery crush' even be?"
"... Yeahhh, I guess you're right." Frisk retracted their pointing finger, that smirk disappearing for a thoughtful look. They glanced to the side, shrugging like they were defeated. They had to admit, that idea of theirs did seem silly, especially when Chara noted how long they'd been away. "I mean, the only person you've been around these past two years has been-..."
Frisk stopped dead in their tracks. Chara stiffened in place. They watched Frisk's ruby orbs slowly widen, complete shock starting to overtake their expression as dots connected in their head. Terror shrunk Chara's pupils, and Frisk finally spoke. "... Oh. My. God."
Frisk spun so suddenly on their heel that Chara jumped, that accusatory finger once more pointing at them. The room was completely silent, filling with tension. Chara's face kept growing to darker shades of red while they watched a grin slowly yank up Frisk's expression, and they hoped with all their might that Frisk was about to make a completely wrong assumption. But they weren't, Chara knew that. They were caught. Still, they tried to play it like they had no idea what Frisk was grinning about. "... What? ... Why are you smiling like that..?!"
"... Ink-y dick." Frisk finally spoke, Chara's eyes snapping open wide, pupils shrinking. Frisk didn't seem to notice how mortified they looked, instead lifting their clenched fists in front of themself. They bounced their fists up and down like they were banging on an imaginary table, beginning to chant. "Ink-y dick. Ink-y dick. Ink-y dick! Ink-y dick!"
"AAAAHHHH STOP SAYING THAT!" Chara cracked under the pressure, face red as a tomato while they reached up, grabbing the sides of their head and trying to plug their ears so they wouldn't hear Frisk's vulgar chant. "I-I haven't even thought that far ahead-!"
"So you admit it!" Frisk pointed dramatically at Chara for a third time, and they withered and crumpled with embarrassment under their relentless accusations. "Ink-y dick! Ink-y dick! Ink-y dick!"
"Yes yes I admit it just stop saying that!" Chara conceded as quickly as they could, chin sinking in towards their chest. Their whole body shrunk inward, like they were trying to make themself look smaller and hide away. It was all they could do, their shame demanding that they escape their own feelings. They hissed,
"I wanna wear a dress so Angel will think I'm pretty don't look at meeee!"
"So... You've been sitting on this for like, actual years?" Monster Kid turned his head to look at me, arching one bewildered brow.
"Yes." I answered hastily, not looking at him. I stared straight ahead, sitting with my back against the wall beside my bed. I had shrunken in towards myself, knees pulled up towards my chest and arms wrapped around them. I didn't look to be enjoying this conversation very much.
"... Why?" Monster Kid's expression twisted with further confusion, all while he slowly tilted his head to the side.
"Because I'm bad at this stuff!" I snapped, throwing my hands up into the air over my head to emphasis my frustration. I lifted my head some, revealing my red face. "I mean c'mon, I've tried everything and nothing's working!"
"Everything?" MK repeated, and I could certainly hear disbelief in his voice. He arched a brow at me, the corner of his mouth curling in a smirk that was just a little condescending.
"Waiting for those feelings to go away, trying to stuff them down, pretending they don't exist." I counted my failed attempts on my fingers, eyes wide with panic. Then I turned and looked at MK - who was rolling his eyes, but I didn't really notice - and shrugged dramatically. "I even tried making a list of things I don't like about them to help myself get over it!"
"And where's the list?" MK asked, still smiling just a little. I'm sure he thought it was funny to see me losing my shit over something that he probably thought was trivial.
"Crumpled in a garbage can back at Future's castle." I answered, grumbling and looking away from my best friend. I scowled at myself, "Not gonna be much help though! It's blank!"
"Yo, you couldn't find one thing you don't like about them?" That almost got Monster Kid laughing, but I just grumbled louder and sunk back in towards myself. What a blunder that list had been; every time I thought I had something I disliked about them - like how they're competitive or so easily aggravated - my less than helpful brain would immediately counter with something along the lines of 'Actually, that's kinda cute' and I would immediately realize that I would miss those traits if Chara was rid of them. "Wow, I didn't know you had it this bad, haha!"
"It's not funny! I feel like I'm losing my mind over here!" I admitted, shutting my eyes tight and grabbing at the sides of my head. I buried my face in my knees, and I wished my cheeks would cool down. I tried wishing these feelings away, too. But, just like when I attempted to list Chara's flaws, I immediately knew that I would miss this if it disappeared. And I didn't understand that.
"Well... Sounds like you have a lot of thoughts and feelings that you need to express." MK furrowed his brows thoughtfully, trying his best to curb his amusement and be helpful for a change. I guess I could see the humor in this, even if I didn't want to. A guy strong enough to level mountain tops and destined to fight the most dangerous man alive is more concerned with a crush than his potential date with doom. "Have you tried making a list of things that you like about them instead?"
"And create physical evidence? Listen, Kid, I know you don't know a lot about being a criminal, but'cha don't just admit to everything on paper and then leave that paper layin' around!" I quickly turned my head towards MK so I could scold his obviously foolish idea. "Besides, do you have any idea how long it would take me to finish that list? How much money do you think I have for paper and pens?!"
"Cter you can create paper and pens from thin air." MK snerked, once again forced to fight a smile to keep me from snapping at him.
"Well, I mean... Yeah!" I rolled my eyes like I definitely knew that and didn't just totally forget that I had magic readily at my disposal. "But, I can only make paper in airplane form! Writing my feelings all over that would be like some big, weird abstract art piece!"
"Hmm... I dunno, that might be kinda romantic." MK looked to the side, furrowing his brows thoughtfully. his tail curled under his head, and he rested his chin on it while he considered. "They might like that, haha!"
"Eugh don't put ideas in my head!" I groaned loudly, grabbing the sides of my head again and once more hiding away into the fetal position. "This dumb crush is gonna wreck my life! I need to learn how to get rid of it not how to admit that it's there!"
"Cter I hate to be the one to break your heart like this, but I don't think this feeling is going away until you fess up." His tail dropping back down, MK tilted his head back and looked over at me. He frowned knowingly, shaking his head at me. "Ya can't just shove stuff down and hope it goes away, that's not healthy."
"..." I frowned, too. Silently, I turned my head away from him, and I went back to examining the blue paint on the walls. I knew he was right. I'd known that long before he said it. Bitterly my eyes narrowed, "... It's not that easy, Monster Kid."
"Oh c'mon! Don't be so dramatic, haha!" His tail patted me on the back hard enough to make me jolt forward just slightly, and MK laughed like I was being silly. "Sure, it might be a little awkward at first, but it's not the end of the world!"
"You don't get it." I turned my head some, looking to Monster Kid from my eye's corner. My frown sunk deeper into my face, and I continued. "... Anarchy's still out there, Kid. And I don't know if I can beat him."
Monster Kid didn't look too happy after I said that. His eyes narrowed with concern, and a sad frown creased his face. He opened his mouth to speak, but wasn't able to get out much. "Cter...-"
"I might die, Monster Kid. Anarchy really might kill me." I started to uncurl, arms unwrapping from around my knees and legs sliding forward and over the edge of my bed. I rested my palms on my knees, slouching forward and staring straight ahead with eyes suddenly devoid of life. "So even if I get the best case scenario, even if Chara feels the same way that I do - and that's a big if - I could still get a call the next day and have to go fight Anarchy."
"But, yo, Chara's gonna be going with you." MK furrowed his brows like he didn't understand, tilting his head to the side some and shaking it slowly. "It won't be like last time, Cter. You won't have to fight him alone."
"I don't know if it matters." My tired emerald eyes darted to the side, and my frown cracked deeper into my face. My fingers gripped tighter at the knees of my jeans, "I dropped the magic equivalent of an atom bomb on the guy and he walked it off, MK. At what point do we start considering that this might be hopeless?"
"We don't. Ever." Monster Kid stated with unshakeable certainty. My eyes glossed back over to him, a glimmer of hope placed within them from my best friend's powerful belief in me. He rested his wing over my shoulder, bringing me in a little closer. It was strange that this made me feel safe. I was one of the most powerful men alive, after all. I shouldn't have ever felt like I was in danger in the first place. "You're going to win. Any battle you go into, anybody that you have to fight, you're gonna win. 'Cause you're the toughest guy there is, Cter! And you've got all of us in your corner!"
"..." I didn't say a word, at least not for a little while. But, I did smile some, and I did start to relax. Sighing some, I leaned against my big lizard buddy, and I shut my tired eyes. "... Thanks, MK. I think I really needed to hear that."
"Any time, haha!" MK grinned, clearly happy to see me lightening up. His wing wrapped a little tighter around me, and he shook me just a little back and forth. "As for this Chara thing, try not to overthink it! I know you, Cter; You've got a real overactive brain, and sometimes you psyche yourself out because you think too hard. Just go with your heart!"
"My heart..?" I repeated, lowering my head some. I looked to my cracked left hand, which I held in front of my chest. I remembered the weight of my own soul, the volume of my mind. How often had I 'gone with my heart' in my life? Looking at my past decisions, it seemed they were always governed by either the selfish rationality of my mind or the furious demands of my soul. How often did I just try to go off of what I was feeling? My hand clenched into a fist.
"I'll... I'll try."
Frisk thought they could see steam coming off Chara's face it was so red. They sat on the far corner of their bed, wrapped in a blanket, curled into a ball to try and hide their embarrassment from the world. And they stared straight ahead, the top half of their head the only thing not hidden in their blanket cocoon. They did not look at Frisk when they spoke. "... You're cruel."
"I just figured embarrassment would be the fastest way to make you fess up." Frisk laughed casually from where they sat at the foot of the bed. They gave a shrug and sang, "And I was right~!"
"Eugh..." Chara groaned, eyes narrowing irritably while they darted to the side. They mumbled into their blanket, "Yeah, you caught me. I've got a big dumb crush on big dumb Angel..."
"Ooooh this is so exciting! Feels like middle school!" Frisk exclaimed, grinning giddily while they laid on their stomach across the bed. They rested their chin on their palms, which were propped up on their elbows, while they casually swung their legs back and forth through the air. "Well don't keep me in suspense! Tell me all about the boy you like~!"
"Frisk, you already know him." Chara looked back to their doppelganger from the corner of their eye. And though they were trying to stay grumpy, Frisk's silly antics were in fact starting to erase the frown from their face and replace it with a little smile.
"I know how I see him! I wanna know how you see him!" Frisk demanded with the same goofy grin. They were clearly loving this dramatic turn, and while Chara hated it, they couldn't deny that Frisk's childish antics were at least a little disarming. "C'mon, give me the deets! When'd you know you like liked him?"
"You are a child." Chara answered dryly, smirking sarcastically over at Frisk, who was hardly phased.
"You're the one hiding in a blanket because I found out you like somebody." Frisk responded with enough sudden sass to make Chara recoil. They lifted one hand out from under their chin, snapped their fingers to emphasize their burn, and then put their hand back under their chin. "Now spill the tea."
"... Fair point." Chara squinted irritably at Frisk's quick come back. They uncoiled their blanket cocoon some, and the red faded bit by bit from their face. They were starting to relax the longer the conversation went on; it was admittedly good to be honest with someone about the feelings that had been tormenting them lately, even thought truthfully Frisk wouldn't have been their first choice. "Well, if it's going to keep you from chanting obscenities... I, guess I, started feeling... Things, a few years ago."
"Ooooh slow burn!" Frisk exclaimed with excitement in their eyes. And while Chara didn't exactly appreciate how giddy Frisk was or the absurd commentary they would give, they did appreciate that they were clearly listening closely. "Lemme guess. It was after he saved you from Anarchy, right? You swooned for your knight in shining armor?"
"One, he was shirtless when he showed up to that fight," Chara rolled their eyes at Frisk's assumption, pretending they didn't hear Frisk whisper "Bonus!" at their response, "And no, it was actually when I saved him from Character."
"Ooooooh!" Frisk exclaimed excitedly at this revelation, reaching out and giddily slapping Chara's leg a few times in demands that they continue their story. "Deets! Deeeets!"
"W-well... That whole mission, I had really been doubting myself and, if I was really a good person or not. I knew I wanted to be stronger, but I didn't understand why." Chara glanced to the side, twirling a few strands of their long auburn hair between their fingers while they fought with the small smile trying to tug up their features. "But, even though I was doubting myself the entire time... Angel didn't doubt me for a second. He never hesitated to trust me, he was never skeptical of me, and he kept reassuring me..."
"Awwww..!" Frisk tried to be quiet about their awwing, but Chara heard them, and it made that dumb smile on their face struggle harder to grow.
"Ahem! Then, when all the cards were down, and I was the last person left to fight Character... I, uhh... Well, I totally crumbled." Chara shut their eyes and sighed with exasperation, no doubt embarrassed by the memory of their complete breakdown in the face of Hacker and Demon's fusion. They scratched at their pink colored cheeks with one finger, that small smile still working on their expression. "But, then... Angel told me I was amazing. Even though I was cracking under the pressure right in front of him, and he should have thought he was gonna die because of it... He didn't doubt me for a second."
"Ooooooooh!" Frisk was once again slapping Chara's leg giddily, until Chara swatted their hand away. That didn't deter their excitement however, and they continued to grin from ear. "Then what happened?"
"Well... After reliving some of my worst childhood memories, having a talk with a future version of myself and then watching that future doppelganger sacrifice themself to try and save us from Character... Well, I guess Angel saying I was amazing was kinda what finally shoved me over the edge." Chara laughed a little sheepishly, going back to twirling their hair between their fingers. They avoided Frisk's prying stare; it helped keep them from stammering or stumbling over their words. "I, grew my wings, and I beat Character's ass."
"... That was when I realized how important Angel really was to me." Chara admitted, their voice softening up. Looking towards the wall, they couldn't help but smile gently to themself. "I finally pieced together the reason that I wanted to get stronger. So I could protect him..."
"P-protect everyone, I mean!" Chara quickly corrected, face flushing a deeper shade of red while they turned their head back towards Frisk. They waved their hands frantically, "N-not just Angel! I-I mean obviously he's an extension of that, b-but-"
"Yeah yeah, I getcha Chara." Frisk grinned knowingly, casually swinging their feet in the air while they watched Chara fluster themself. Chara just crossed their arms over their chest, turning their head away from Frisk and grumbling silently in their embarrassment. Frisk grinned a little wider, "So how were things after that? Did you know immediately you had a big ol' crush on him?"
"No, it definitely took me awhile to connect the dots..." Chara rolled their eyes at their past obliviousness, red shade on their face lightning to a dull pink. "I started to catch on at his birthday party a week later."
"Ooooh I bet you were pissed when Lexi showed up~!" Frisk assumed giddily, bouncing their head from one side to the other while they considered the possible drama. "Just as you realize you like him, some black haired bombshell jumps outta the multiverse and starts movin' in on your man!"
"N-no comment." Chara stated quickly, red shade darkening on their face. Not that Frisk would see it, as Chara had in fact turned their face towards the wall to hide their embarrassment. Truth be told all they knew was that they were suspicious of Lexi when she arrived, and it turned out she did have ulterior motives. Any other feelings they may have had about The Predator's arrival that day and her past relationship with Angel, Chara chose not to think about. Hardly mattered now anyway, the two were completely and totally broken up these days. Chara didn't need to bother themself with the memory of Predator's 'home baked cookies' line, or the instant panic it had elicited from Angel that morning.
"T-the details don't matter anyway!" Chara shook their head, trying to dispel their invasive thoughts and their embarrassment. Once their face had cooled down, they looked back over to Frisk. Albeit begrudgingly. "The point is, this dumb crush has been bugging me for actual years now. And, I'm... Starting to think there's only one way to keep it from driving me off the deep end."
"..." Frisk paused briefly. Their smile died down, and they furrowed their brows like they were thinking. Then, their eyebrows rose like they had an idea, and they shrugged with their suggestion. "Inky dick?"
"No!" Chara barked immediately, face lighting up in red yet again. This made Frisk laugh though, so at least someone was enjoying their torment. Chara just groaned, rolling their eyes and keeping their arms crossed over their chest. "W-what I mean is! I'm, gonna... Have to confess. I'm going to have to tell him everything."
"... I'm pretty sure we're sayin' the same thing." Frisk said after a moment's pause, squinting up at Chara with confusion.
"And I'm pretty sure we're not!" Chara hissed furiously, succeeding in making Frisk cackle. They grumbled while their doppelganger laughed, rolling their eyes again. Shaking their head, Chara ran their fingers somewhat anxiously through their long hair, pulling out their hair tie in the process. Their eyes narrowed a little painfully then, and they forced the next bunch of words up and out of their throat. "... A-anyway. It's gonna be really awkward, but, I figure after he rejects me, we can get to work on fixing our friendship without this... Weird, angle to it anymore."
"Pfff! Chara!" That got Frisk motivated. They pushed themself up, leaning in some to get a better look at Chara's expression. Chara of course looked confused by the disbelief written on Frisk's face, and that only increased Frisk's bewilderment. "You think he's gonna reject you?"
"The guy was halfway across the multiverse, heard you were in trouble, dropped everything and raced back to keep you safe!" Frisk jumped up from the bed, looming over the surprised Chara and frantically gesturing back towards the wall behind them. "Do you understand how big of a deal that is? He coulda just left!"
"T-that wasn't for me! The whole timeline was in danger, his whole home was at stake!" Chara denied, blushing brighter at the thoughts that Frisk's counter argument was putting in their head. "I-it's not like he rushed back just because I was in danger!"
"I don't know about you Chara, but I've actually spoken to Gaster since you guys went on vacation, and he told me the story of exactly how that call went." Frisk placed their hands on their hips, leaning their head forward some and giving Chara a knowing stare. "Gaster told Cter Anarchy was here, got two seconds into explaining what was going on, and Cter shouted 'Where's Chara?'"
"Wait... He did..?" Chara blinked their wide eyes, leaning back some on their palms while they watched Frisk's dramatic explanation.
"You were his very first concern. He asked about you, Gaster told him you were fighting Anarchy, the phone call ended. Not five minutes later Cter's on Mount Ebott standing between you and Anarchy with two extra wings that he did not have before. " Frisk smirked like they were some master detective, crossing their arms over their chest. "Because he wuuuuvs you!"
"D-don't say that!" Chara hissed again, blush burning even brighter. They resisted the urge to shrink up and hide away from this revelation and the possibilities it brought. "H-he probably just said that because he knew I would try to fight Anarchy, n-not because..."
"He risked his life to bring you over to the good side, literally died and came back to help you see the error of your ways, put all his faith in you to stop Character, sprinted across the multiverse the moment he heard you were in danger, brought you along with him on his big battle training trip." Frisk paced back and forth while they spoke, listing events on their fingers. Suddenly it all seemed so obvious; the moment they connected the dots of Chara's crush a million other pieces had started falling in line. Just like that, it all made sense. "It's so obvious! However bad you've got it for him Chara, I'm certain he has it just as bad if not worse for you!"
"... You uhm, you think so..?" Chara awkwardly lowered their head, lifting their shoulders. They brought their hands together, anxiously twiddling their thumbs while they tried to hide the small smile on their face.
"Listen, you came to the perfect person for this!" Frisk exclaimed with certainty. They planted a hand on Chara's shoulder, straightening the fingers on their free hand and chopping down through the air with it, pointing their finger tips at Chara. "Here's what we're gonna do!"
"Tomorrow we're gonna get you a killer dress!" Frisk suddenly let go of Chara, spinning around and getting back to pacing the length of the room. They pointed back towards Chara while they unraveled their master plan, but did not look at them. "Cter can't see it until the day of the wedding! It's gotta be a big surprise! Far as he knows you're not wearing anything special!"
"U-uhh..." Chara wasn't necessarily objecting, but they weren't agreeing either. Their confused eyes just followed Frisk as they paced back and forth, mind working in overdrive to put together the perfect confession.
"You are gonna be looking stunning I mean gorgeous I mean B E yutiful!" Frisk spun on their heel, slamming their fist into their open palm with each prediction. "We're gonna get a dress that shows off just a little, not too much because you're modest and Cter knows that! He likes you for who you are, not just for your looks!"
"Ehhh..." Chara just continued to stare, wide eyed and dazed. They blinked a few times, red in the face, like they were still trying to process this chain of events.
"We're gonna bring in Mettaton, he's gonna do your hair, and you're gonna be killing it!" Frisk lowered their stance some, not taking their DETERMINED stare from the bewildered Chara. They clasped their hands together and continued, "You're gonna have to see Cter at the ceremony so we can't keep it a secret until the reception! that means you bump into him before the ceremony!"
"You're, really laying this all out..." Chara mumbled, staring in awe of Frisk's sudden dedication to this entirely on the spot plan. Frisk couldn't hear them, apparently.
"Play it coy, just say hi and keep it brief! His brain will be mush from how frickin' hot you are so he's gonna be easy to slip away from!" Frisk tilted their head and pointed dramatically at Chara, who just leaned back and nodded slowly, trying to put aside their shock and understand Frisk's plan. "Don't talk to him again until the reception! We're gonna get you two at separate dinner tables!"
"Is that, necessary-?" Chara slowly tilted their head to the side, but Frisk threw up one hand, signaling them to stop that doubt dead in it's tracks.
"Trust me!" Frisk demanded, and Chara just shrugged slowly to show that they would continue to listen, begrudgingly and with heavy skepticism. "After dinner, DJ Blooky's gonna play a slow song for the bride and groom to dance to! Everyone is gonna be so focused on Toriel and Asgore that they won't even notice you asking Cter to dance!"
"And then BAM! Big confession!" Frisk grinned wide, slamming their fist down into their open palm and standing up straight while they pieced together the finale of their plan. "At a wedding! In proper lighting! While you're dancing! To romantic music! It's! Perfect!"
"You... Thought all that up on the fly..?" Chara slowly tilted their head to the side, jaw slightly ajar.
"It was the obvious course of action." Frisk stated with absolute certainty, resting their hands on their hips and standing tall.
"... Well, I... I guess going into this with a plan is better than going into it with no plan..." Chara admitted, grimacing some while they glanced to the side. They awkwardly rubbed their shoulder, "But, I mean, isn't it kinda weird to plot all this out? And, what if he doesn't feel the same way? Then it's gonna be way more embarrassing, and I don't think I have the social skills to handle that-?"
"Chara you couldn't social skill your way out of a wet paper bag but that's okay because I'm here!" Frisk stated with absolute certainty. They jumped forward, planted one hand on Chara's shoulder, and flashed that reassuring grin with all their might. "Trust me, this is gonna go great! And there's no way that Cter doesn't feel the same way!"
"W-well... If you're sure..." Chara awkwardly twirled their hair between their fingers, glancing to the side and away from Frisk's guaranteeing smile. "I, guess I don't have a better plan, so..."
Frisk stood back up to their full height and gave Chara two thumbs up, and the Ascended Heir just laughed nervously, trying their best to put on a convinced smile.
"That's what I like to hear!"
"Y'know, when Mako asked what you wanted to do today, I gotta say I didn't think 'go to the beach' would be on your list." Max admitted, leaning back against the hood of his car. It was an old sedan, painted a simple black color. It got Max from place to place, and that was most of what he cared about. He wasn't much of a car guy; his hobby was designing clothes. It was hard to find other guys who shared that hobby. Subconsciously, he wondered how Anarchy would feel about sewing.
"I've never actually been." Anarchy explained, standing a few paces in front of the car. He stared out at the sands of the remote beach ahead; it was a small area, enclosed on either side by trees. It wasn't actually connected to the ocean, the water was fresh. but still the blue stretched all the way out over the horizon, so whatever lake they were at, it must've been pretty Great. "TV always made it look like fun, but I never thought I'd get the chance to experience that fun when I was a kid."
"Huh? Why's that?" Mako furrowed her brows, frowning some at what she feared was a sad childhood memory. She leaned her forearms on the open car door that she stood behind, the window rolled all the way down.
"Too pale." Anarchy turned and looked over his shoulder towards her, casually lifting one finger and pointing at his own face. His expression was pretty bland, this memory must not have made him feel much one way or the other. "Fun in the sun ain't that fun when you can get burnt red on a cloudy day."
Mako frowned a little more at that; the image in her head of a tiny Anthony watching a beach movie and thinking he'd never get to be there threatened to break her heart. But, then Anarchy grinned, stunning her with sudden positivity and pointing up towards the sun. "But now that I can heal whatever sunburn that dumb fireball in the sky puts on me before I even feel it, I can actually learn how to swim!"
"Wait, you don't know how to swim?" Max exclaimed with bewilderment. He didn't notice how relieved Mako looked to see Anarchy smiling even after telling a story that - to her at least - was beyond tragic, mostly because he was stunned by the idea that there was something Anarchy couldn't do.
"I grew up in a concrete jungle. Never had a reason to learn." Anarchy shrugged, still flashing a few of his fangs in a slight grin. "Figured now was as good a time as ever. Not being able to drown is an added bonus."
Max briefly considered stopping the conversation to question that line about not being able to drown, but then just shut his eyes and sighed quietly. Of course Anarchy couldn't drown. Guy seemed impossible to harm. So, instead of starting on the run around of questioning The Anarchist's all powerful soul, Max decided on a different question. "So you've never swam before? Do you even have something to swim in?"
"... Huh. Y'know, I didn't actually think about that." Anthony scratched thoughtfully at his beard, scarlet eyes darting up towards the blue sky overhead. This would probably be the last warm and sunny day for awhile, really it was amazing they were getting warm days this far into Fall. Or, really, it was probably concerning. Climate change and all that. Regardless, Max sighed at Anthony's statement, and Mako giggled at his lack of thinking. "Guess I could just swim in my boxers. But, then you guys would probably be able to see the outline'a my hog... Hmm..."
"Oooookay!" Max was quick to interject, covering Mako's ears. Er, the holes on the sides of her head that she perceived sound through. He shook his head and blinked his eyes, recovering some from the recoil that Anthony's words had caused him. Though she was red in the face from the image Anthony's careless words had put in her head, Mako looked up at Max and squinted irritably.
"Max, I'm twenty years old!" Mako reached up, poking Max's face and occasionally pinching and pulling at his cheeks as a harmless way of scolding him. "You don't have to cover my ears just because somebody mentioned a-"
"Anyway! Anthony!" Max let go of Mako's head while he cut her off, absentmindedly fighting off her poking and prodding fingers while he looked to The Anarchist. Anarchy was in fact grinning a little at the sight of the unlikely siblings, Especially Mako's pouty face while she tried to attack her elder brother. "We can go buy you swimming trunks! Lets all just get back in the car,-"
"Nah, that'll take too long." Anarchy waved a hand dismissively, and for just a moment Max despaired, fearing that he was going to have to cover Mako's eye sockets next if he decided to go with that boxer idea he'd had. But, before he could object, Anarchy looked straight up to the sky, and his shout made both Mako and Max jump. "Gaster!"
For a second or two after his shout, everything was quiet. Mako and Max exchanged confused glances, before looking back to Anarchy, who was staring expectantly over to his right. Just as Max opened his mouth to question this odd behavior, the air beside Anarchy... Split open? A void of colors was suddenly bursting to life, multicolored pixels shaped and crackled with life so suddenly that it made him jump, putting a protective arm out in front of Mako. Mako wasn't scared, though. She watched in awe as something manifested from nothing, pupils taking on the shapes of stars.
"Anthony! It's been a year if it's been a day." Doctor Badster now stood on the beach beside Anarchy. He placed a hand over his abdomen, bowing his head forward and wearing his smile as big as usual. Not wasting anymore time, he asked immediately. "What might you need?"
"Hey Gaster." Anarchy spoke casually, lifting one hand from his jeans pocket to give the bad doctor a sluggish wave. His expression was repressed, like usual, but he did wear a slight smile. Across from Anarchy, Max stared wide eyed and drop jawed at the skeleton that had just appeared from thin air on The Anarchist's command. Mako was similarly surprised, but she was grinning instead of gaping. The same reality bending mischief that rattled and bewildered Max excited and wondered Mako. Anarchy was oblivious to all of this though. "I need a pair'a swim trunks."
"Your wish is my command." Badster responded with his usual cheery tone, standing back up to his full height. He lifted his hands up over his head, and five more hands appeared over him. Each one held up a different pair of swimming trunks, each with a different design and color scheme. Anarchy looked over the five options before shrugging and grabbing a white one lined with red, figuring it matched his own color scheme.
"Thanks." Anarchy's eyes lifted from the shorts he'd snagged and back to Badster's face. Badster just continued to smile, giving a nod to confirm his appreciation of his master's gratitude. The remaining clothing options disappeared back into thin air, and Anthony glanced back over to Max and Mako. He took a moment or two gauging their stunned expressions, before turning back towards Badster. "Oh. Gaster, Max and Mako. Mako and Max, Gaster."
"It's very nice to meet you two." Gaster greeted politely while he turned to face them, not hesitating to once more folding his tall body in a bow towards the two.
"Hi!" Mako lifted one hand and quickly waved it from side to side. She smiled wide, shutting her eye sockets just so she could grin a little wider.
"Wait wait wait wait." Max shook his head and waved his hands as though he was calling for a time out. Blinking his wide eyes to help himself understand this weirdness, Max looked to Anthony. "You mean to tell me that the entire time we've known you, you've just had a magic butler on call."
"Yeah, pretty much." Anarchy nodded casually, throwing this new article of clothing over his shoulder. He buried his other hand in his pocket, shifting his weight onto his right leg. "Butler, assistant, chauffeur, scientific genius, roadie..."
"Even taught me how to build stuff." Anarchy casually gestured to Badster, expression not the least bit changed. Badster just smiled and nodded while his master sung his praise. "He's pretty handy."
"Cool!" Mako exclaimed with heavy enthusiasm, a trait that was hardly unusual for her. She darted forward on her little legs, standing right under Badster. She didn't hesitate to throw her hand up, offering a handshake to this new skeleton. Stars in her eyes, she spoke. "I don't really have any monster friends. Would you like to be friends, Mr. Gaster?"
"Any friend of Anthony's is a friend of mine." Gaster assured with his crescent smile and not a moment's hesitation. He took her hand in his, shaking it politely. She furrowed her brows with some confusion at the hole punched in his palm though, silently examining the bad doctor for just a moment. His skull was cracked in a few places, most notably his eye sockets. Just like Anthony, his assistant was damaged in some way too. Mako tried not to frown at that thought.
Max watched this display with a slight smile, crossing his arms over his chest. This was certainly an unexpected development, but those were hardly unusual in The Anarchist's company. Whoever this Gaster was, he seemed perfectly friendly. And any worries about potential danger were dismissed by the memory of the words Anarchy had said to Max yesterday. Anyone who would wish to harm himself or Mako would first have to get through the most dangerous man alive. Still though, Mako's total lack of bewilderment was bewildering to Max, who asked: "How are you not surprised by this?"
Mako let go of Badster's hand, turning to look at her brother from over her shoulder. She shrugged, giggling like he was being silly. "You have more fun if you don't ask questions when weird stuff happens!"
Max scoffed at that; there were certainly a few flaws in her philosophy, but Mako's carefree attitude did usually relax his overactive brain. And she looked ecstatic to be making a new friend. Max didn't have the strength to rain on her parade. Instead he just smiled softly, watching as Mako looked back to her fellow skeleton. She flashed her bright grin up at Badster, "If Anthony's friends are your friends, then we're definitely pals. 'Cause Anthony's my best friend!"
Best friend..? Anthony stared from a pace or two back, his arms crossed over his chest. His thoughts quickly scrolled back through his other best friends, even though he'd wished that they wouldn't. He saw into his Deltarune dream, he recalled the feel of that Angel dying and fading away in his arms. He remembered the bright smile of that green eyed boy in the alleyway when he was just a child, and he remembered the way those lights flickered out in Angel's eyes while he strangled him.
He thought of Aliza, how beautiful her laugh was when she let it out and how terrible her tears were when he left her to a better life. When his battle with Angel had met the conclusion Anarchy hadn't wanted, he'd considered visiting her. She was his friend after all, and he'd needed a shoulder to cry on. But, Aliza's life would be better without him in it. And Anarchy knew that; he knew everyone's life was better without him in it. He knew he was poison. So, even though it hurt him, he silently hoped that poor woman had forgotten his face. That his name had disappeared from her mind the moment she stepped through that portal, that she no longer thought of him at her cute, homey diner on main street. The diner that his worms lurked in the shadows of, day and night, to protect from any death that might follow her there. But she didn't need to know that he watched over her, she didn't need to know he existed at all. She just needed to live a normal life.
What a train'a thought. Anarchy blinked, removing himself from his mind for a moment and snapping back to reality. All that from someone calling him their bestfriend. He really did have issues. So, even though his thoughts tried to pull him back in and wonder about what Mako's fate would be as his newest friend, he pulled away. He shoved those thoughts and feelings away, and tried to rest his attention back on the moment before him. Fuck, what are they talking about?
"Well, it has been very nice meeting the two of you." Badster bowed politely to both Mako and Max, wrapping up whatever conversation they'd been having that Anarchy hadn't been listening to. Mako mimicked this motion, lowering her head in her own bow. Badster smiled at that once he had stood back up, before looking over his shoulder towards Anarchy. "If that is everything you need, sir, am I dismissed?"
"Huh? Aw c'mon, don't leave so soon!" Mako grabbed at the hem of Badster's lab coat, frowning up at him. He raised a curious brow down at her, but his smile did not fade, not even as he saw her teardrop shaped pupils. "You just got here!"
"... Hey, Gaster." Anarchy finally spoke up, and his less than enthusiastic tone brought all eyes back to him. He stood there, hands stuffed in his pockets and face wearing his usual subdued expression. He pulled one hand out of his pocket, pointing his thumb over his shoulder and back towards the water. "You wanna, stick around? Do beach stuff?"
"Hm..?" Badster arched a curious brow at his master's offer, confusion wiping the fake smile off his face. Mako peaked out from around him, staring with giddy eyes up at him while she awaited his answer. The bad doctor only let himself hesitate for a few moments, before blinking his sockets and re-centering his brain. This offer was strange, and he hardly had any desire to spend time at this beach, but... For whatever reason, Anarchy wanted this. "Well... Sure. If it would make you and miss Mako happy."
"Yayyy!" Mako was quick to exclaim, jumping back away from Badster and clapping her hands together. Her eyes, now star shaped once more, were alight with glee, and she spun right around. She ran back to the car, throwing open the backseat's door and immediately riffling through supplies. "We got towels and a beach ball and pool floaties and a few pool noodles!"
Anarchy smiled while he watched Mako haphazardly throw supplies over her head and out towards the group. Max tried to ask her to dial it back, but ended up becoming too preoccupied catching the towels, noodles, and deflated beach balls and floaties that were being flung at him. They'd stopped at the dollar store before hand, and Mako had wanted to buy just about every water related thing they saw. Anarchy'd had the money for it, too. Max managed to convince them to half their shopping cart full of nonsense.
"... Thanks for stickin' around, Doc." Anarchy spoke up again, catching Badster's attention. The bad doctor looked over to him, eyebrows raising with some surprise at his words. But, then Anarchy kept talking, and this situation began making more sense in Badster's mathematical mind.
"I need to talk to you about something."
Getting fitted for clothes was just as exhausting as I remembered, but having Monster Kid and Asriel there with me for it made things more fun. This clothing store was huge, divided into subsectors for different human body types and different monster body types. It was mostly the monster side of that that expanded the store's square footage, as was clearly displayed by the armless and wingful lizard and the horned goat man that wandered with me across the tile floors.
The place was so massive that we'd managed to lose Frisk and Chara somewhere in the hallways and clotheslines. I'd been concerned at first, as I was certain Chara would be so begrudging about this entire thing that I'd have to be there to talk them into picking up anything at this place. But, MK and Asriel assured me they'd be alright because Frisk with was with them. That didn't really convince me at first; I knew the relationship between those two was a little... Strained. I didn't exactly know the details, but I knew they didn't hang out outside of a group setting. Either way, we were on a schedule. So, the three of us picked out our own clothes and completed our own fittings before we started looking.
"Man, this place is fancy." I pointed out while we made our way past a fountain in one of the three lobbies we'd seen so far. I shook my head at the stone pillars and the paintings hung on the wall; this store for buying suits and ties looked like it should have a suit and tie dress code. "I'm surprised they even let goons like us in this place."
"Might have something to do with three of us being Monster Royalty and you being the living symbol of our religion." Asriel snerked some, the corner of his mouth lifting with amusement as he glanced over at me.
"And me being totally cool." Monster Kid added, nodding his head casually.
"And Monster Kid being totally cool." Asriel agreed wholeheartedly, keeping a straight face while he pointed over towards MK.
"Ooooh yeah." I tilted my head back, resting my hands in my jean pockets and slouching forward some. My eyes rolled around with a few thoughts in my head, before I glanced back over to Asriel, scoffing with some mirth. "I always forget that we have like, serious social status."
"Yeah, Cter." MK looked over to me, shaking his head like he was disappointed in my forgetfulness. But, he was smiling, and he even laughed a little, so I figure he couldn't have been too upset. "You're literally like the Monster Pope."
"I don't know a lot about Catholicism, but I think he might be closer to Monster Jesus." Asriel furrowed his brows thoughtfully, glancing over to MK, who pursed his lips in thought at this suggestion.
"Pretty sure that's you, dude." I snerked, turning my head towards Asriel while our footsteps clattered on the tile floor. "I mean, you're literally the one who broke the barrier."
"And you're the guy with the Deltarune engraved in his back and with four wings to match." Asriel spoke like it was obvious, shaking his head. "Besides, I don't have any insane powers anymore, but you've still got yours. And with all this new lore like the flattening of Ebott's peak and Anarchy and whatnot..."
"Wait." My eyes widened some, and I blinked a few times, looking straight ahead. Then, with urgency, I looked back over to the two of them. "You don't think current events are gonna be adapted into Monster religion, do you?"
"Uhh, probably." Asriel said with a casual shrug. He fit his fluffy paws into his big pockets, the corner of his mouth lifting with some amusement towards my sudden urgency.
"Yeah, people are gonna try to explain things somehow, and not everybody's gonna believe all that multiverse junk even if we do explain it to 'em." MK agreed with the nod of his snout, looking from Asriel and back towards me. "There's probably gonna be murals of you and Anarchy throwin' down, haha!"
"Oh fuck that." I said so suddenly and with such certainty that it made both Asriel and MK burst into laughter. I must've really caught them off guard with that line. That forced me to start chuckling some too, but I kept talking anyway, even as Asriel doubled over and placed one hand on MK's back to keep himself from falling over. "I gotta get on a talk show or somethin', cut the head off that snake."
"Why do you care?" MK spoke through his laughing, looking over to me with some confusion mixed in with his joy.
"It's on principle, Kid." I said, snerking and shaking my head. I waited for those two to stop laughing so hard, and after another few seconds their cackles and giggles turned into dopey grins and the occasional snerk. "Last thing I need is people talking about "The second coming of Angel" or "The Anti-Angel" or some shit in two hundred years."
"I think you're over thinking." Asriel reached over, patting me on the shoulder. His chest still vibrated occasionally with laughter, but he took deep breaths here and there to keep himself even.
"As the only one here who's taken a human history class, I can assure you that you two are underthinking." I placed one hand on my chest, raising my eyebrows and giving a knowing nod.
We talked for awhile longer while we meandered through that massive building on the hunt for our friends. Eventually, we passed by a wall of doors that all led to separate changing rooms, and I spotted Chara leaning against one of the shut doors. Their arms were crossed over their chest, head held a little low. They certainly looked about as grumpy as I expected them to.
"Hey, Chara!" I pointed out, getting both MK's and Asriel's attention. I lifted one hand over my head, waving it from side to side to get their attention. I saw them lift their head, and their expression suddenly seemed a bit less grumpy when they spotted me. A slight smile on their face, they stepped away from the door they were leaned against, keeping their arms crossed over their chest.
"About time you three found us." Chara stated with their regular level of sass, arching a brow at me and tilting their head to the side. "Where'd you disappear to?"
"Where'd we disappear to?" I repeated back to them, throwing my hands up like what they'd said was complete nonsense. "We were just walking, and then we looked back and you two were gone! Where's Frisk, anyway?"
"Changing!" Frisk's voice echoed out of the changing room that Chara had been standing in front of. "I asked Chara if they wanted to help but they didn't go for it. Would any of you gentlemen be kind enough to help me instead?"
"No." Asriel answered before anyone else could say a word, groaning at Frisk's words. Their laughter was the only response Frisk gave, and Asriel just placed a hand on his face to hide the light red that second hand embarrassment had put on his cheeks. They really were a hilarious duo to me; Asriel being kind of awkward and very mindful while Frisk was totally shameless. The goat prince just grumbled and changed the subject, "Well... Have you two gotten everything squared away with your clothes? Everybody fitted and measured for something?"
"Yep." Chara stated, their eyes narrowing at what must have been very recent and very unpleasant memories. They sunk inwards some into the collar of their track jacket, crossing their arms a little tighter.
"do you both have clothes?" Asriel narrowed his eyes interrogatively at his sibling, leaning in some with his scrutinizing stare. Chara just leaned back while he leaned in, grumbling quietly at his accusations but not yet answering. "Because this is the latest we can get these clothes ready, and if someone doesn't have clothes for this wedding mom is gonna wring my ne-"
"Chara got clothes too, Asriel. Have a little more faith in them." Frisk once again interjected from the other side of the door. Then they paused... Before throwing another line in. "But also, have less faith in my ability to dress myself and come help me."
"No!" Asriel snapped at them, and this time Monster Kid and I both laughed right along with Frisk. Chara just rolled their eyes, but they were smiling. They liked annoying their brother as much as any of us, after all.
"Yo, now that we're all in one place again, what do you guys wanna do after this?" MK was nice enough to change the subject and limit Asriel's suffering, looking between the three of us. Then suddenly, he grinned with an idea. "Hey, it's been pretty warm out lately! I bet the beach is warm enough to swim!"
"The beach?" I repeated, furrowing my brows. I forgot pretty often that Ebott was a coastal city; on the other side of the growing metropolis there was a really pretty beach where a lot of Waterfall's old inhabitants took up residence. It was very well taken care of, especially with Monsterkind now there to clean up pollution. I took thoughtful hold of my chin, "Oh man, I haven't been there since before we moved in with Future..."
"Baring any possible Frisk perversion, the beach could actually be pretty fun." Asriel smiled some at the thought, resting his paws in his pockets while he looked over towards MK. "That's not a bad idea!"
"... Uhhh..." Trying to conceal the panic growing in their eyes, Chara smiled nervously. They took a step back towards the door Frisk was hidden behind, turning their head some over their shoulder. "Hey Frisk? What uh, what do nonbinary people wear to the beach?"
I heard Frisk sigh with a bit of exasperation from the other side of the changing room door, and I wondered if they'd had to answer questions of this caliber a lot today. Regardless they answered, "Whatever they want to, Chara. We don't owe anyone androgyny."
"Fuck." Chara turned their head away and whispered their curse word, clenching their hands into fists. Then, they dispelled all the frustration from their expression, once more looking casual while they glanced back to the door. "What if I don't know what to wear?"
"Then the world will surely end." Frisk's exhausted voice answered dryly, succeeding in making Chara grumble and Asriel snicker. But, even though I did grin a little at Frisk's sarcasm, I suspended my amusement to support Chara.
"You can just wear shorts and a shirt." I assured them, taking a step forward. I smiled supportively, and they looked up at me, clearly listening. They looked a little less anxious while I spoke, and I was glad my understanding tone was helping them. I would never want them to be uncomfortable. "I can keep my shirt on too if it helps you feel less weird about things."
"Trust me Cter, they'll be a lot happier if you take your shirt o-" Chara's jaw clenched shut tight and their hair shadowed their eyes, covering the fury that had suddenly appeared in their red orbs. They kicked back against the door behind them with enough force to send it flinging open. The wood of the door didn't get far before it smacked into something - presumably Frisk - and bounced off of it, slamming shut once more. "Ow!"
"Thanks, Angel." Chara said, smiling genuinely up at me after striking swift vengeance on Frisk. I probably would have been cackling at Frisk getting door slapped, but I was distracted by them. The beautiful red gleam in their eyes. They seemed to appreciate what I said, and that made me happy. Then they scoffed and joked, "But, I'll be okay. Be as shirtless as you like."
"Oh dude I'm gonna be so shirtless." I was quick to respond, immediately making them snerk. They gave me a playful shove, and the two of us took a step or two away from the door.
"Great!" Frisk's word was punctuated by their dressing room door swinging open, and they finally stepped out into the open. Their style today was vastly different than it'd been yesterday; ripped jeans, black boots, a purple and blue striped T-shirt, and star shaped sunglasses. They blew and popped a bubble with their bubble gum, before leaning their head forward. Sliding their glasses down their nose some, they grinned at us.
"Then lets hit the beach."
Anarchy watched from some old dock. The wood was a little warn down, but not really rotted. Not yet anyway, give it another five or ten years and the wooden walkway might need some serious work. He thought briefly about fixing it up, but then remembered he was supposed to have fun today, and neither Mako nor Max put fun and work in the same category.
So, he stood on the weathered doc, and he watched Mako float on top of her pink flamingo tube. Max would bounce their beach ball to her, and she would bounce it back towards him. Occasionally she would misplace her weight when she did so, flip over, and fall into the water. But skeletons didn't have lungs, so it's not like there was any worry of her drowning. Her and Max were both capable swimmers however, so Anarchy figured he should probably stop thinking about such grim things.
Max was wearing nothing but a black pair of swimming trunks, his black hair wet and slicked back. Mako's wig had gotten wet too, but it never fell off her head. Anarchy wondered if there was some magic reason for that; he'd wondered a lot about what clothes were to monsters. After all, when a monster died, most of their clothing dusted too. But, he didn't feel like asking.
Mako wore a pink bikini bottom that was skirted, covering everything from her pelvis to halfway down her femurs. Over her upper body she wore a cropped tank top, covering her ribcage. The tank top was also pink, but it did not have the yellow, cartoony flowers stitched into it like her bottoms did.
And there Anthony stood, only wearing his swimming trunks. Just like Max's they were baggy, but Anarchy's were white, stitched with red. Behind him, Gaster hadn't changed his clothes. He'd merely removed his lab coat and rolled up the sleeves of the brown turtleneck he wore beneath. He'd also taken his shoes off, having rolled up his black pantlegs to his knees. Finally, Anarchy said something, though he did not look back at Badster. "... Gaster."
"Yes, Anthony sir?" Badster asked, hands folded behind his back like usual. He tilted his skull to the side, furrowing his browbones curiously. "What is it that you wanted to speak with me about?"
"..." Anarchy looked over his shoulder at the bad doctor. His silence was unsettling to Badster, methodical. He must've really been considering what he was about to say. A gust of wind pulled at Anthony's long hair, and a waved crashed up against the doc, splashing water up onto Anarchy's ankle. "... What is Mako, Gaster?"
Badster's browbones rose with some surprise at that question. It struck him as odd, that Anarchy would have waited years to ask. He could have summoned him the moment he met Mako and asked him what she was, what importance she had. But instead he waited nearly two years. Regardless, Badster answered truthfully and clearly. "She is your antithesis."
"My what now?" Anarchy turned his body fully back towards Badster, his white brows furrowing with confusion.
"Your opposite. In every way, she is the anti-you." Badster stared straight ahead, his sockets never blinked. He met the stare of The Anarchist without flinching, his crescent smile plastered over his skull. "I should tell you, Anthony, you did not end up in a timeline with Mako by chance, and she is not a regular monster. She does not exist in most timelines."
"Is that why you brought her out to the forest in the first place?" Anarchy's eyes narrowed, and his jaw tightened. Badster half expected to feel the crushing weight of The Anarchist's soul in that moment, it was usually the first warning that his master was furious. But Anarchy withheld the release of his soul's pressure, and Badster knew why. Mako was close, too close. His darkness would sicken her, as it did all monsters. His soul would put her in danger. "Is this another one'a your tests, doc?"
"I assure you, I would never test you without your permission." Badster bowed his head respectfully, shamelessly groveling before his master as he always did. Anarchy squinted with suspicion at this, before Badster's next words made his eyes widen some. "And I did not bring Mako out to the forest that day."
"... You didn't?" Anarchy asked, skeptically turning his head some and arching a brow at his assistant. Badster wouldn't lie to him, because he knew it would mean certain death. That hadn't and wouldn't change, even if Anarchy was more friendly towards the doctor now. He was an assistant first, an acquaintance second. And both of those titles would be overwritten by the title 'victim' if Badster were to betray him, that was something the doctor understood completely. "Then how'd she appear in my forest?"
"Perhaps her light lead her to you so she could heal you." Badster suggested, lifting his body back up from his bow. His crescent smile had disappeared, because he knew this was not the time to grin. "Perhaps your dark pulled her towards you so you could kill her."
"Watch it." Anarchy warned, his jaw tightening. Again he remembered Delta Angel crying and holding onto him, again he felt the real Angel's pulse pounding pathetically against his palm. But then he clenched his fists, and he dug his knuckles into his thigh. The pain put his mind back on track, and those awful memories faded to the backburner of his brain.
"You are the yin, Anthony. She is the yang." Badster continued to explain, making a mental note of his master's warning but not bothering emote any fears of it. His expression was blank and honest, showing how little the bad doctor really cared for the fate of those around him. Cold, calculating. The right hand to Chaos. "There are beings in this multiverse who can sense the negativity that you radiate. In order to hide you entirely, I had to leave you in a timeline with someone just as positive as you are negative. Mako is camouflage, and completely essential to keeping you hidden."
"I did not intend for the two of you to meet, but I did not take steps to keep it from happening, either." Badster continued to explain, watching as Anarchy's expression twitched and changed with conflicting emotions. The Anarchist shook his head, lowered his eyes to the doc on which they stood. "But then, powers beyond my control and my understanding brought the two of you together. As polar opposites, you attract one another."
"... Okay, but... If she's just as positive as I am negative, if she's really the opposite of me, why is she... Tiny?" Anarchy pondered aloud, lifting his confused eyes to stare at Badster. He gestured back towards the floating skeleton girl a ways out into the lake while he spoke. "Shouldn't she be, I dunno... Powerful, if she's on the same level as me? Instead she's completely harmless."
"This is the essential difference between good and bad, Anthony." Badster lifted one hole punched hand, gesturing slowly to his master with it. "Evil is loud, powerful. A terrible explosion, a horrific disease... Things that are bad are unforgettably and unforgivably massive."
"..." Anarchy didn't say anything to that. He just lowered his head and looked to his bare, scarred chest. He pondered the twisted soul within him, and whatever heart was left behind.
"Good, however, is modest in its nature. Small deeds, little words." Badster shifted the hand that he held out towards The Anarchist, gesturing out towards the water, and more specifically Mako, who was busy giggling and splashing her elder brother. "The good in this world is in the little things. And for that reason The Dark will always seem all consuming and all powerful, and The Light will always seem like a dim flicker. Because things that are good are humble, and easy to forget or overlook."
"So even though yes, Mako is small and harmless, and you are massive and powerful, she is every bit as positive as you are negative." Badster lowered his hand then, folding it back behind his back. He nodded his skull once, and continued. "However much sorrow you feel she feels just as much joy. However furious you are she is just as forgiving. However much you hate, she loves."
"..." Anarchy took a few moments to consider these words. He stood there, looked down at his feet. Looked at the rotting bridge beneath him, listened to the waves splashing against the wood. Then, he lifted his head. He looked over his shoulder, and he watched Mako float in circles on her flamingo tube. But, then she lifted her head and looked over at him. And she smiled, lifting one hand over her head and waving to him. Anarchy's eyes narrowed, and he did not wave back. "... I'm going to leave soon. Do you think that's going to hurt her?"
"Do you think you'll care?" Was Badster's bold response. The Anarchist squinted painfully at those words, even though they were not pointed. It was a real question, a genuine curiosity. But Anarchy didn't wanna think about the answer. So, instead, he suddenly turned on his heel. He broke into a sprint, his heavy steps thumped and thudded against the wood of the doc. Until finally, he reached its end, and he jumped.
"Whoa!" Mako exclaimed, her pupils shaping into stars while she watched Anarchy fling himself through the air in an insane jump into the blue sky above. Max stared up with wide eyes, and slowly began swimming backwards as he watched Anarchy plummet down towards the water. Mako just started laughing though, watching The Anarchist pull his knees to his chest and wrap his arms around those knees. His powerful voice shouted out,
"CANNONBALL!"
SPLASH!
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