Chara: *Looks over chapter. Groans* Relax a little bit, readers. We'll have to endure a bit of filler.
Me: I DO want to show what life is like on the Surface. As much as I possibly can, at least. Surface Life will be filler...sometimes.
Frisk: Wait a minute...you mean eventuslly there will be plot that involves life on the Surface?
Asriel: Shhhhh...that's for much later, Frisk.
Red: *Tilted Head* I'm still trying to get the hang of things. And apparently this is one of the chapters that helps me do that.
Frisk: Hope you all won't mind too much. It isn't the best, but it's something.
Chapter Start"
Since it wasn't truly decided on where Red would stay, she's been living with the Dreemurr's for a while now. Toriel sometimes thought about what they were going to do about her arrangements. It had nothing to do with her not enjoying her company, just that she knew that Red might feel like a burden on the family, even though they all kept reassuring her that she wasn't a burden at all. At the very least, Red refused to sleep with the boys in their room for obvious reasons. So she settled for sleeping on the couch in the living room. And just like a canine, she laid down on the couch, curled up next to a pillow. Frisk insisted that she sleep in the room with them so she wouldn't be too uncomfortable, but she was very stubborn with her choice. Asriel eventually told him to just leave her be.
To sum up, Red was a welcomed housemate in the Dreemurr Family. And they made sure she felt this way. Well, most of them did. Chara did as well, but also seemed to make a habit of annoying her and getting away with it when he could. Unfortunately for him, she wasn't one to take a hit without retaliation. Luckily he wasn't bothering her right now.
Red has been sleeping peacefully, almost into the middle of the morning, curled up comfortably on the living room couch, her fluffy tail just lightly touching her nose. Her crimson cowl was pulled back, exposing her pink colored hair to the sunlight now beginning to make it's way through the windows. Said sunlight was also providing a bit of warmth for her fur. To her annoyance, however, it also shined a bit over her eyes, making her squint tightly for a couple moments. She pulled her cowl over her head to provide herself shade. But the damage was already done. She slowly wakes up while yawning quietly, showing her fangs. She also couldn't help but gently get on all fours and stretch herself out like a canine usually does. She already removed her gloves and boots, not wanting to mess up the couch too much.
She stopped stretching as she heard someone enter the living room. Toriel approached her with a plate of a slice of morning pie, whille Asgore approached with a cup of morning tea. Both were set in front of her, warm and ready. She was sometimes baffled by how much hospitality the King and Queen could offer.
"Good morning, dear child." Toriel said with a warm smile. "I must say, I'm really thinking about getting you your own bed."
"I agree. If you're going to be our houseguest, we would at least like for you to be as comfortable as possible." Asgore added. "I doubt you're completely comfortable sleeping on the couch. You'd want better comfort than that, right?"
"You don't need to worry about that. I'm fine with this current setup." Red shook her head. "I don't want to impose too much on you."
"Nonsense! You're our housemate for the time being. Your comfort in our home is very important to us."
Toriel gently nodded. "That is right, Red. In this household, we treat you as one of our own." She tilted her head to the side. "If you do not desire your own bed, and are really settled on sleeping on the couch, then I shall not deter you. But at the very least, allow yourself a more suitable pillow and blanket."
Red felt her resolve weaken at the sight of Toriel's caring, maternal eyes. She really wanted her to be as comfortable and content as possible. Realization came to her that in these current times, Red had no where to go and nowhere to stay. And that only fueled her desire to make sure the child is satisfied with her living arrangements. It isn't too far'fetched to know why the children loved her so much. As does her husband, who's just as nice as she was. Maybe even more so. And then there's Asriel's kindness...
Why did her line of though blur slightly after thinking about him?
Nevertheless, she managed to refocus herself. "Okay. I guess I'll settle for a warm pillow and blanket." She felt accomplished as she sees Toriel's smile and eyes brighten with satisfied glee.
"That is all I ask of you, dear child."
"Glad we could come to an agreement." Asgore grinned. His gaze then turned towards the stairs, as the boys began climbing down. "Aha! There's my dear boys! How'd you sleep?"
"I slept great, Dad!" Asriel beamed cheerfully.
"Peaceful sleep at best." Frisk nodded with a calm smile.
"Need morning chocolate..." Chara groaned, blowing the hair out of his face.
Toriel and Asgore chuckled at their eldest child's grumbling. They then proceeded to embrace the children and shower them with morning kisses. Asriel and Frisk giggled with glee, while Chara took it all with a quiet smile. Red raised an eyebrow towards Chara.
"I honestly thought you would be embarassed with this little morning ritual."
"They've been doing it for years, and they're not gonna stop now. I don't even physically resist anymore." Chara shrugged as Asriel and Frisk kissed him on his rosy cheeks, while Toriel and Asgore kissed him on his forehead. "I'm just gonna drink my morning chocolate milk and start my day without a hitch."
"Nothing can start the day better than a slice of pie and morning tea. With some chocolate on the side." Asriel smiled as he patted the top of Frisk and Chara's heads. Rare times does he playfully rub in that he's taller than both of them. The latter is never amused by it, while the former is content. He released them and they went on with their morning, eating Toriel's morning pie and drinking Asgore's morning tea.
Red rolled her eyes as she did the same, pushing her cowl back. She began gently lapping up some of her tea, though stopped when Chara looked at her with amusement. "It's a force of habit! Don't laugh!"
Toriel and Asgore chuckled lightly. Then they heard a knock on the door, followed by a familiar voice.
"Knockedy Knock Knock, Dreemurr Darlings!"
Chara's smile immediately dropped, and he gently facepalmed. "I don't need his noise so early in the morning."
"What do you mean?" Red asked.
She was soon answered when Toriel went to answer the door, opening it and revealing the pink and black robot himself, Mettaton. She smiled brightly. "Oh my, hello Mettaton!"
"Alphys informed me that you've recently accepted a newcomer into your lovely home. I am just dying to meet her!"
"Oh man, he's here for you." Chara turned to Red, who was just looking confused.
She didn't have enough time to think about what he was saying, Mettaton already made his way into the room. He stopped mid-step once he caught sight of her, and he couldn't help but gasp. "Oh my! She's simply adorable!" Her confusion grew at the robot's enthusiasm, which escalated into surprise when he stretched his arms out and grabbed her, pulling him close to her for a hug. "Such a cute little canine, she is!~"
Red, not expecting the close contact combined with not knowing who or what he was, only yelped in panic. "H-Hey! Hands off!" She grabbed him by said arms, her feet reaching the floor as she threw him over her shoulder, his metal body clanking against the ground.
Chara bursts into laughter, while Asriel and Frisk sweatdropped. The latter sighed. "Well...that certainly isn't the worst way start to a friendship..."
Red stepped back as Mettaton's arms detached from her. She was surprised when instead of being angry at the attack, he simply laughed it off. "Haha! Feisty! I like it!" He stood upright without much effort, dusting himself off. "Though I'll admit, I got a little bit too eager too quickly, darling. So let's try this again, a bit better this time." He extended his hand out to her once again, slower and more casual this time. "My name is Mettaton. Fabulous entertainer robot for both humans and monsters, and Alphys's greatest and most successful creation! I'm sure it's a pleasure for you to meet me!"
"...Okay...?" Red was even more baffled than before, but decided to be polite and shake his metallic hand. She then sniffed him a couple times out of curiousity, then turned to the Dreemurr Brothers. "He smells like perfume and over-inflated ego."
"Pfft!" Asriel snickered, covering his muzzle with his floppy ears to stifle his laugh.
"Can't blame him, really. In box form he can be a sexy rectangle. In EX form, his legs are just so fabulously glamorous!" Frisk beamed. Mettaton greatly appreciates this, and pulls the boy into a robotic hug.
"Frisk, stop flirting with the pink robot. You can do so much better." Chara didn't even look up from his chocolate milk while he was saying this.
"Gasp! Prince Chara! Your words wound me deeply! I would have taken great care of sweet little Frisk!" Mettaton pouted, hugging the human child closer to him. "I gladly accept any compliments from any of you! Remember that I'm your Uncle Tonton!"
"...I'm not calling you that." Chara deadpanned, not batting an eye.
Red was still a bit baffled by the robot and his appearance. She was certain that he smelled of perfume, meat with his face on them, LOTS of glitter, and a really big ego. Though she was unaware of how he was created. She was unaware of how robots were made because in her time, the idea of robots weren't exactly existent.
Mettaton was able to catch this type of look on her face. "Ah, I almost forgot. Alphys said that you're a relic from ancient times because of some sacred form of sealing magic. You've never seen a robot before. We'll darling, consider me the first one you've seen!" He sets Frisk down and pulled off a somewhat dramatic pose. "I used to be a mere ghost with dreams of becoming a star! Thanks to the ever brilliant Dr. Alphys, she has constructed a body for me, made of magic enhanced metal! I have been able to share my star qualities with everyone ever since! Technology and Magic! I am quite possibly the greatest example of the two coming together! Isn't that just glamorous?"
"..." Red was unsure of how to respond at first. "...the smell of over-inflated ego just got heavier in here."
"HA!" Chara laughed, finishing the rest of his milk. Asriel couldn't help but allow a few snickers out himself. "She has you all figured out just by smelling you!"
Mettaton pouted a bit. "Tsk tsk, such a rude and grumpy little Prince."
Toriel smiled in mild amusement at the exchange, Mettaton was always such...interesting company. Not only that, but he actually plays a rather significant role when it came to human-monster relations. Not only does he own a hotel again, he's also the one who keeps most of the media away from the other monsters who weren't exactly comfortable appearing on TV. It was an arrangement that worked out for everyone. He basks in the attention the media gives him, while he also makes sure that no propaganda against monsters could pop up, and he assures that monsters will not do anything bad against humans. He keeps any possible hostilities on the down-low, because he was at least aware that negative intentions could still manifest between the two.
His job is similar to that of Asgore's. Asgore takes care of the political business and continues to help monsters adjust, while Mettaton makes sure the media doesn't become hostile against either side.
Toriel's eyes brightened up a bit as something came on her mind. "I just thought about it, and it's a good thing you came around, Mettaton."
"Oh? Do you perhaps require my services, Lady Toriel?"
"I do." Toriel clasped her paws while turning towards Red. "I believe that Red is in need of more clothing."
Red blinked. "I am?"
"I can actually agree to that, Red. The Royal Guard isn't a thing now, you don't need to still wear the uniform every day." Chara said as he got off of his chair. "We really should find you something more casual and more comfortable to wear than what you currently have. Don't you agree?"
The canine thought about the offer. She crossed her arms a little and tapped the ground. It's not that she didn't like her own costume...but she really could use something a bit more casual. Once again, it's a new time period, Red. Time to keep trying new things...such as new clothes, apparently. "Alright, I guess we can find something new for me." She agreed as she tugged on her red cloak. "Just one condition. Put whatever you want on me, but the cloak and ribbon stays. It's...I can't explain it. I don't know when or how I got it, but I remember that ever since I did, I never went anywhere without it. It's like...a part of who I am. Does that make sense?"
"It is a pretty significant part of you. Your name is Red, after all." Chara shrugged.
Frisk nods. "Yes, it does make sense, Red. How you feel about your cloak, even though you don't remember why, is exactly how the three of us feel for our Heart Lockets."
Asriel nodded. "We would never make you separate from something so important to you, Red. We can promise you that."
Mettaton grinned. "Of course not, darling! I'd never make you split from something you feel that defines you! Rest assured, the cloak shall definitely stay with you!"
Toriel smiled. "I trust that you have this handled, Mettaton. It is within' your...expertise, I suppose."
"I'll take pleasant care of her, Lady Toriel! Come along, Little Red." Mettaton guided as he struts out of the door, glitter and all. Frisk smiled as he also began strutting after the robot, causing Toriel to giggle.
"Frisk stop copying him! I keep telling you that you could do better!" Chara complained as he follows after Frisk and Mettaton, while Asriel and Red also began followed them.
Red leaned towards Asriel, lifted his ear a bit, and whispered quietly: "Once again, the smell of ego just got a bit heavier. I have to ask...is that normal?"
Asriel shrugged. "For Mettaton, pretty much."
Toriel and Asgore watched them all off. Asgore wrapped an arm around Toriel, while the latter hugged his midsection. He then sighed quietly. "Is there any chance that they shall return without any glitter decorating them?"
"That is up to them, Gorey." Toriel shrugged slightly in his embrace.
(New MTT Resort)
Frisk has already been through the MTT Resort many times in the Underground, and it admittedly wasn't that big. Mettaton has made sure that it was a bit bigger...okay much bigger than the last one. As in, enough for it to be the size of a small-sized mall. And he had plenty of gold gathered to pay for all of it. Saying that Chara was surprised would be an understatement. Complete with a bigger food court (Asriel and Red drooled a bit at the sight), an in-door theater(Frisk could hang around here for a bit) a clothing department(what they were currently aiming for) and so much more. Mettaton has a pretty decent thing going here.
And of course there's the two great co-workers that work side-by-side with Mettaton that he cherishes dearly.
"Napstablook! Shyren!" Frisk and Asriel beamed as they ran up and hugged the duo. Napstablook and Shyren have always been close to Mettaton, and have always been trying to reconnect to him. They've been successful for the most part, they've been practicing a lot on become performers together, like they should have been.
Burgerpants...well...he's Burgerpants.
"Hi...guys..." Napstablook managed a small smile, letting Asriel hug him. Shyren smiled softly as she was hugged was Frisk. "What...do you need...guys...?"
"Our friend is gonna need some more casual clothes. Mettaton said he can help her out in that account." Chara folded his arms. "She insists the cloak stays, though. Everything else is fair game." He blinked as he sensed something. Something creeping up on him from the shadows...he didn't feel like he was in danger. And yet...
He felt something stick to his back, and pull him into six familiar arms. "Chara Dearie!~" Muffet had webbed his back and pulled him into her six-armed embrace, and was now currently nuzzling her cheek to his in a very affectionate manner.
Chara blushed. Well...his blush became pinker. "M-Muffet?! How did you, why are you...?"
"You know the best thing about being the Boss, Chara-Dearie? You can clock-in and clock-out at any time of your choosing! Though I do try not to overuse that privilege too much." Muffet reasoned. She then nuzzled his cheek again. "Luckily my dear spiders are more than capable of taking care of the shop in my absence. They're very much reliable and I trust them wholeheartedly! Ahuhuhu!~"
Chara rubbed his neck. "Yeah...I suppose so."
Mettaton chuckled. "Aha, Little Miss Muffet! Pleasant to see you! We were just about to help our Darling Red decide on her new casual outfit!"
"Ooooh! Goodie! Red, you simply must allow me to assist you!" Muffet beamed as her middle hands took hold of Red's paws and began hopping with excited glee.
Red blinked in confusion, though she lightly nodded in acceptance. "Uh...okay. I guess this is becoming a bigger deal now... "
"Excellent!" Red blinked at Mettaton's declaration as they were already at their destination. She could see the display window, as well as the store's name. Chara groaned and rolled his eyes at said name.
Fashion Glamour
Asriel and Frisk turned to Red and nodded softly. "Well, it's time we went to work on deciding your new outfit! Wonder what will fit you best?"
Red looked around a little bit to see that a couple of said outfits were just multiple versions of Mettaton's color scheme. This includes masks, hairdos, boots, makeup, belts, wings from his NEO form...she sweatdropped. "...Definitely not any of those..."
Muffet rolled three of her top eyes. "I wouldn't allow you to be caught dusted in any of those atrocities."
"Atrocities?! You cut deeply into me with those venomous words of yours!" Mettaton gasped, feigning hurt. "These are quite possibly the best clothing products I have at my disposal! But...you are right to say that none of them would fit her. But is it truly a surprise that the only one who can truly pull off a glamorous look such as this, is moi!?"
Red rolled her eyes and turned to Muffet. "Once again, the smell of ego has grown. I don't think it's going to stop."
"Ahuhuhu~Good One, Red!~"
Chara rolled his eyes. "Let's just get this over with. Red, time for you to pick something already."
Mettaton surely did allow her to pick what she would think fits her.
First off, Asriel watched as she tried on something that related to his old piece of clothing. The green and yellow multi-striped sweater and black pants. She tried to correlate it with her red ribbon and cloak. Asriel blinked a bit and did a bit of a thumbs up. Chara and Muffet disapproved entirely and voted a thumbs down. A severe outvote, because Muffet has six thumbs. Only Asriel and Chara were allowed to rock that look, and Muffet just didn't like how the colors clashed.
Mettaton tried to place something else on her. A familar lab coat that looked a lot like Alphys's. He wasn't entirely supportive of the look, but maybe Red could pull it off. Nada. Asriel and Frisk at least tried to be nice about denying it. But Mettaton, Muffet, and Chara all voted for the thumbs down. Not only did it look totally terrible, but everyone would rather not remember the burdens of being a Royal Scientist, even if Red wasn't fully aware of those burdens.
Maybe the third time was the charm. Next Red tried to take a shot at looking like Undyne. Boots, jacket, orange boots, t-shirt, and a black eyepatch to match. And her pink hair was even made into a pony tail like she sometimes wears it. She thinks about it for a second, though ultimately denies it because she didn't want to copy the look of anyone else. At least not purposely. Asriel and Frisk were still nice about it, though, and supported her on her decision. Mettaton agreed that it didn't really look good on her. Muffet and Chara were a bit neutral on the subject, but nonetheless they nodded and didn't reject her decision. Plus, she preferred her hair curled.
Red saw a particular combination. She rubbed her furry chin for a couple moments, then nodded in confirmation. She picked out her currently new attire, and went to change on her own. Asriel, Frisk, Chara, Muffet, and Mettaton waited patiently for her to come out. And soon after a few prolonged minutes, she came out slowly, shyly, and a bit unsure. Though she made her choice, now she would stick to it.
She obviously kept her red cloak and cowl, as well as her pink ribbon. She made her sleeves shorter, up to her elbows. She kept her Delta Rube symbol, but now it was on her short sleeved, navy-blue shirt instead of being on a separate fabric. She's also decided to discard her long boots and stuck to simply being barefoot, exposing her furry legs, which were surprisingly well-toned. It made Chara wonder what kind of training she did, since she was a former Royal Guardsman. Though he was most surprised by her discarding her pants and instead took on a black mini-skirt. It didn't wasn't too high up, but enough for it to be just slightly above her knees. There was also a spot for her fluffy tail to poke free, so that wasn't an issue either.
Mettaton clearly had both of his thumbs up with clear approval. Muffet beams all five of her eyes and claps all of her hands. Frisk looked at her with both his thumbs up as well. Chara was a bit surprised by her choices, but he nodded. Asriel blinked owlishly at her...and could feel a bit of warmth on his cheeks. Though he wasn't sure why.
Chara cocked his head to the side. "Wow, Red. I knew you were going for something comfortable for you, but I especially didn't expect for you to go for the mini-skirt."
"I wasn't exactly sure about how I'll feel about it. But know that I'm trying it...it's not that bad." She lifts her skirt just slightly, twirling a little bit, then letting it down. "Plus, I can move much more freely in it during battle. And...in general." She shrugged. "At least there's a hole for my tail to fit through. So it's even more comfortable than I thought. And there's my sleeves. Longer sleeves might get in my way, so I settled for shorter sleeves."
Frisk nodded in understanding. Muffet smiled. "I can support your desire for easier movement. Does this also include the discarding of the boots?"
She placed her paws on her hips. "The Royal Guardsmen...the Canine Unit, right? None of them had to wear shoes or boots. I don't see why I have to keep doing so." She then tugged on her red cloak and pink ribbon. "And I still keep my red cloak and pink ribbon~"
Chara folded his arms. "So then I guess we've found your new clothes. This one half-casual and half-battle ready. Not bad. Mettaton, will we have to pay for this?"
"Not at all, Darlings! Free of charge! It fits her so nicely!"
Red tilted her head. "Hm. There's a bit of a humble smell to you now. It's small, but it's there. Guess you're not all bad."
"His moments of humbleness are rare, Dearie. Cherish them while you can." Muffet said while casuslly rolling all five of her eyes.
Asriel rubbed his neck and smiled sheepishly at Red. "Um...on any case, I agree with Mettaton. If this is a change you like, then of course it looks great."
Red blinked as her mind registered his compliment. She pulled her cowl over her head again in order to hide the growling blush on her fuzzy face. Muffet placed her top right hand on her chin and lightly tilted her head. This would be quite an interesting development. She's probably just awkward about compliments. Time will tell, I suppose.
Muffet clapped her hands. "Great! From this day forward, Red and I are Ribbon Buddies! Because the two of us wear such pretty, fantastic ribbons! And we've got our share of beauty as well! And I believe we've finished up business here. Oh wait, not quite~" Muffet stuck a web to Chara's shoulder and pulled him to her embrace, wrapping her arms around him and kissed his pink cheeks. "Muah!~"
"Ugh...did you really...?" Chara groaned, blushing brightly.
"Yes. Yes I did, Chara Dearie~" She chirped, lightly pinching his cheeks with her top pair of hands. She released him and waved. "Okay, you may go~"
Chara sighed as she released him. He pulled his poncho over his head to hide his own glowing blush. Red smiled as her own blush slowly faded away. "She never forgets to do that, does she?"
"I sometimes wishes she would..." Chara grumbled.
Red shook her head in amusement as she, Asriel, Frisk, and Chara left the stores, with Muffet, Mettaton, Napstablook, and Shyren voicing their farewells. She pulled on her ribbon a little bit, felt her cloak flow a little bit behind her, and gently patted her new skirt. With a small sigh, she managed a smile.
This is a baby step for you, Red. But you'll eventually get the hang of this. She turned her gaze to Asriel, Frisk, and Chara. The former two laughing at the third's embarassment from Muffet's affection. She smiled softly. And you're pretty lucky that they're here to help you through it all...
Red: Well, apparently I have a new outfit. It probably won't catch on, but...what are you gonna do?
Frisk: Not hate on the story because of new choices, hopefully.
Chara: There's still a bit of filler left, though. Hold through for us, kay?
Asriel: Life on the Surface deserves it's focus too, ya know. We do hope you don't mind that. Until the next chapter...bye~
