Me: Not much happens here, except that Chara decides he can't hold his tongue anymore.
Chara: I hate you and your filler hell!
Muffet: Daaaw, but this one is about us! Are you saying you don't like spending time with me?!
Chara: H-Huh?! No, of course not! I'm just wondering when we'll get back to the actual plot! It isn't personal!
Me: Two more chapters of relaxing time after this one. So we will(most likely ,it isn't definite)get back to the plot on chapter 20. It'll be worth it...or it won't be worth it and you'll all totally hate me.
Chara:...you're trash, Ben.
Me: I'm one trash of many, Chara. You'll have to insult me better than that.
Chapter Start!
Chara was up early today. Not too early, there was some sunrise shining through the windows. But it was early enough to be sure that his parents weren't getting ready for work just yet. He needed to be, for what he was going to do next. He's been putting it off for far too long, and he's choosing today to finally follow through with it. It's been haunting him constantly, and it only got worse the longer he put it off. He sighed as he sat up in his bed, blowing his messy hair out of his face, rubbing his eyes.
"That's it...This is totally it...I can't put this off any longer. If I do, it's gonna get out some other way, and not in a way I'd like." Chara mumbled as he reached for his phone, sneaking away from his brothers without waking them up. He picked it up and went to his contacts, and picked out the one name that was on his mind, and was related to this subject. He took a deep breath, then dialed pressed 'Call'.
Ringing...
(Simultaneously...)
"Hmhmhmmmmmmhmhmhmmmmm~"
Muffet was just waking up, as spiders were helping her with a majority of her morning routine. They were such helpful little critters. They were assisting her with combing her now long, black, elegant hair, most were helping wash her clothes, one was brave enough to hop in her mouth and help brush her fangs and teeth personally. She didn't eat the arachnid like most of the others expected when he was done. She simply patted his head and sent him on his way. It was then that she heard her phone buzzing on the counter beside her. She flicked a web onto it and pulled it into her top right hand. All five of her eyes widened with delight.
"It's Chara-Dearie!~" She exclaimed. Though then she shushed herself, as well as the arachnids around her. "Shhhhhh! Shush! Hushy shush! He's calling me! And...so early. I wonder what he wants... " One of the spiders chattered at her, and she pouted. "Well there's certainly no need to be so rude about it! Now go on! All of you! Shoo!" The spiders bowed to her and scattered away from her, leaving her alone for the time being. She cleared her throat a little as she answered the phone, lying back on her web. "Chara-Dearie?~"
"Yeah, that's me. Hi, Muffet."
"What's going on, Chara-Dearie? You're calling me pretty early. Luckily I just woke up in time to answer."
She could hear him shuffling a bit on his bed, before lying down and sighing. "I've been thinking about this for a while now. And...I haven't been completely honest with you. Originally I wanted to wait a long awhile and gather up my nerves before I tell you. But...recently, I've changed my mind. I need to get this off my chest as soon as I possibly can."
Muffet frowned a bit. She was already well aware that he had big secrets, but big enough that keeping them from her was hurting him? He must really want to tell her. "It sounds like whatever you were going to hold out on telling me has been eating at you for a while, Chara. You shouldn't force yourself to tell me if you don't want to."
"No...no. I wanna do this as soon as possible. No more stalling. This is something serious I have to tell you and I want to get it over with before I change my mind. But...we don't have to start with it outright." She could hear more nervous shuffling on his end. "So...uh...today, I wanna just spend time with you. My brothers can hang out with the others. Let's meet up for a little bit, if you're available. I know you're a hard worker." She heard him sigh tiredly. "...No. You're probably busy. Maybe we should try this much later-"
"NO!" Muffet shouted. The other spiders squeaked and jumped away from her. She realized she shouted, and blushed brightly as she hugged her knees with her middle arms and twirled on her hair with her top left hand. "I-I mean...it's fine, Chara. Really. My spiders are just as hardworking as I am, remember. They can operate the Parlor in my absence. I would love to spend some of my day with you." She didn't want to lose this progress. He's building up a lot of courage by choosing to tell her today before he was truly, fully ready. And he sounded pretty determined to do it before he backed out. He must be feeling very uncomfortable right now, and she wanted to help him through it.
Chara sounded surprised on the other end of the line, due to her outburst. "Oh...Alright. Well I guess we don't have to start right this minute. After all, we're just waking up. I just...uh...wanted to give you a heads up for later."
"Of course, Chara Dearie. Of course. I'll meet you at your house in three hours. Sound splendid?"
"Sure, splendid. I'll see you then."
"Okay, bye."
Click...
Muffet closed her phone slowly. She sighed as she stood up, balancing on her web slowly. "...this may quite possibly be it. He's probably going to tell me what he knows. I don't want him forcing himself to tell me...but if he feels that if he doesn't say it now he won't take another chance...then I can't stop him, either. I don't want to lose the progress I gained with him. I'm just going to have to take him up on his offer." She sighed as she pushed her hair away from her eyes. "He's trusting in me. I have to prove myself worthy of that trust. I can do that. I can totally do that. I'm his trusty spider friend!" One of the other spiders chattered on her dresser, and she gasped, blushing. "It is most certainly NOT a date! He's just asking me to spend the day with him so he can better build the courage to tell me what he needs to tell me! I'm not going to blow this out of proportion."
She folded her center arms and her lower arms were on her hops. Though her upper right arm rubbed her chin as her upper left arm was placed on her cheek. Then again, this is a chance for us to become closer. So...maybe it IS a date. Just a friendly one, I suppose. Yes, Muffet! Just think of it as one of those simple childlike playdates! That'll make this somewhat easier.
One of the spiders chattered in an unsupportive manner. Muffet glared at it. "Jerry. Don't make me eat you."
Honestly, she didn't know why she named that one Jerry...
(Three Hours Later)
"Where are you going, Chara?" Asriel asked as he and Frisk were up and about, and they caught sight of Chara slipping on his shirt and poncho.
"I've made plans to spend time with Muffet, today. There's something I need to get off my chest." Chara sighed. "I need to tell her about me. About who I used to be."
"Woah! Woah woah!" Frisk suddenly jumped from the bed and in front of Chara, placing his hands on his shoulders. "Chara. I'm not saying this is a bad idea. But are you sure this is the time to do it? More importantly, are you prepared to actually go through with it. Even more importantly...are you going to be able to handle how she might respond to it?"
"I have to get it over with whether I'm ready for it or not." Chara said, gently removing Frisk's hands from his shoulders. "In this timeline, since it's semi-permanent, Muffet has become one of my closest friends. And the longer I keep this from her, the worse I feel...dammit, it was so much easier to just be distant from everyone and not have to tell them everything. Now I feel like talking about my feelings to make myself, and everyone around me feel better." He groaned. "This sucks. How do you two even do this?"
"Determination." Was the simultaneous answer.
"Of course it is. I should have expected that answer from you both."
"Look, Chara. We can see this means a lot to you. Even so, don't think so badly of this choice. I'm sure she will appreciate that you're coming clean with her." Asriel said. "That look in her five eyes, she's always been a sneaky spider. She might know you have something to hide, but I can't be sure because she's never given the impression."
"Well that doesn't change the fact that I have to say this stuff from my own mouth. I'm sure she'll want to hear this from me rather than anyone else. But...you two know who I used to be better than anyone. Sans and I are mostly on good terms, but I can sense that he's still cautious and careful. Less than Geno Sans, but enough to be noticeable." Chara sighed. "I hate admitting this. But...I'm honestly scared. What if she hates me?"
"Not possible. We all know this. As long as you're simply truthful to her, and keep yourself confident." Asriel smiled. "I'm sure you'll be fine, Chara. Just as long as you don't force yourself too hard."
Chara sighed as he scratched at his head. "I sure hope you're right, Asriel. I need to calm down or else I'm going to overdo it. And if I relax too much, I won't be doing enough. I gotta find a middle ground before I actually tell her."
"Good. You do that." Asriel nodded as he and Frisk pulled him into a hug. Chara hugged them both back, lightly nuzzling into Asriel's fur.
"Well, she should be here any minute. Mom and Dad are at work and Red is asleep. So they shouldn't be able to embarass you about being alone aith Muffet." Frisk said.
"Wait...you're not going to tease me about this, Frisk? I know how you are."
"Normally I would. But the subject at hand is far too serious for it to be joked with. You do what you need to do."
Chara pulled back from them, and rustled the tops of their heads. Asriel bent his head a little, since Chara was once again reminded and irrirated by the fact that he was shorter than him. It makes him feel better. "Thanks, you two. It really means a lot that you support me on this. Well...I'm gonna go. Might as well be a few moments early."
Asriel and Frisk waved farewell to him as Chara made his way down the stairs and towards the front door. But for a couple moments, he didn't open it. Did he really want to do this? There's nothing besides his consciousness say I g that he should take care of this right this moment. There was plenty of other chances to do so. But the more persistent part of his mind wouldn't allow him to cower away from this. The sooner, the better.
Taking a deep breath, he opens the door, pausing to see that Muffet was just about to knock. Both of them blinked in surprise.
"O-Oh! Chara! I was just about to...but it appears that it wasn't necessary...and...uh...uh..."
"No, it's okay. I should have been better prepared for this kind of thing possibly happening, and...um..."
The two of them paused as Chara closed the door around him. His pink blush became pinker, as Muffet began blushing as well.
Gooooood job Muffet/Chara. We didn't even leave yet and you've already made this awkward! Was their simultaneous thoughts.
"...Can we just go?"
"I believe that would be best."
They agreed as they both stepped away from the door and left the house. Asriel and Frisk watched him leave from the window. They looked towards one another. "Frisk...do you think they'll be alright?"
"Chara sounds pretty determined. I think they'll be fine."
Chara and Muffet stopped a couple feet away from the house. They didn't know what to say, honestly. Chara blushed as he rubbed his neck slightly. "Well, we're doing this now, and I have absolutely no idea what to do..." He lowered his head in embarrassment. "Good grief, I didn't plan this very well."
"Ahuhu, I agree. We just decided that we'd meet. We didn't plan too far ahead, did we?" Muffet said a bit nervously. "Oh dear, whatever shall we do~"
Ugh. Real nice, Chara. You said you were gonna do something with her before breaking the info to her and you don't even know what. Chara thought as he scratched at his head. He blinked as he thought of something simple and non-stressful. He turned to Muffet and held her center left hand. "How about we just...talk? There's no need to do anything overly big or something like that. I said we should talk...why not just ease into it instead of forcing ourselves?"
Muffet smiled. "Yes. I do believe that is a bit easier. Maybe the nearby park? I have the River Person waiting for me, so we should take their boat. I know that teleporting takes a lot out lf you than your brothers."
"Yeah, that'll definitely help. The River Person is weird, though."
Muffet rolled her five eyes. "I think we''re too good for normalcy, Chara."
"Whatever you say."
Chara shrugged as he got onto the River Person's boat, and gently helped Muffet up on the boat. Knowing their destination, the River Person began sailing through the streets, completely ignoring the fact that a boat was completely defhing gravity, as well as having a cat head and legs, would appear to be very strange to the other humans.
"Tra la la! It's a pretty morning today! A great time to be truthful~"
Chara didn't understand what he meant by that. Not even a little bit. And something told him that he wouldn't want to that much, anyway. They were soon dropped off at the park. It was still pretty early in the morning, so not many humans nor monsters were around. Perfect. Chara gets off first, grabbing Muffet's lower left hand to help her down. The River Person then rides off, but will be back a bit later.
"Not many humans, not many monsters. That'll do nicely." Muffet said as she walked through the entrance, Chara by her side. "I however, do not want to sit on any of those dirty benches. They haven't cleaned them yet. In fact...this park doesn't look too impressive, does it?" It was true, there was a lot of trash lying around, and most of the lamp posts didn't even have bulbs in them. At the very least, the vegetation was in a decent state, but it could definitely be better. "Well, it's a good thing we do not intend to sit anywhere close to the ground."
"We don't?" Chara said.
"Not for us. Luxury comes first." She placed a hand on her chin as she looked between two tall trees. "Yep. That'll suffice." Chara was surprised as spiders emerged from the slightly taller tree and began spinning webs at a very quick pace, eventually streaming a purple web pattern that was wide enough to also serve as a hammock. Muffet smiled as the spiders soon retreated back to their homes, and hopped on the web hammock, sitting on the edge of it. "There, a place to sit. And it's a bit surprising that unlike those benches, this spider silk is pretty clean~"
"You have monster spiders around the park?"
"I have monster spiders everywhere, Chara-Dearie. But if the humans see them scurrying all of the time, they'll get terrified." She shrugged. "That, and I can create them myself. But that takes a lot of magic out of me at a time. So I only do so if I really need more spiders to assist me."
"Heh. Spider Magic is quite a concept." Chara chuckled, eventuslly climbing onto the web hammock and sitting next to her. "And you're right, the humans would get pretty freaked out if they find out that monster spiders are all over the place. No wonder you make them stay hidden."
"They can't help but get adventurous, because it's much warmer up here. There's sunlight on the surface, and they really do enjoy it's heat. I love it's heat. Being near the Core in the Underground was somewhat helpful, but it wasn't enough for us all." Muffet sighed. "I really do understand that the humans might be pretty frightened of spiders...but what they make us out to be is a bit of an exaggeration."
Chara tilted his head a little, before he mentally groaned. She must have seen a couple of those spider-themed horror movies...
"I mean, seriously!" Muffet huffed, thrusting her top hands upwards in annoyance. "Ice Spiders? Camel Spiders? Arachnicide?! I know not all spiders are as nice as me and my own spiders, and that some can even be a bit scary, but come on!"
"Muffet..."
"I know, I know. Those movies are just that. Lots of exaggeration. But...but..." Muffet sighed, rubbing her forehead as her lower pair of arms lied on her lap. "Chara-Dearie. I know this is very sudden. I know we came to relax before we get to the big thing you wanted to talk about...but...I just can't help this feeling of mine. They make a lot of movies about spiders that make them out to be big and scary. And then I think about how me and the other spiders just got out of the Underground...now I'm thinking about how others might react. More extreme reactions. I know nothings happened yet. But now that I know that the possibility is there..." Muffet lowered her head and stared at a small puddle that was big enough to view the reflection of her face. "Chara-Dearie...do you ever feel...uncomfortable around me?"
Crap. Those movies shot down her self-esteem! Gotta fix this! Chara mentally panicked. "N-No! Of course not! I've never felt uncomfortable around you. I may not be a fan of the pastries that have actual spiders, but that doesn't automatically mean that I'm uncomfortable around you!" He said as he lifted her head so she could look at him. "Look, you can't let those movies get you down. Remember what you said, you're trying to prove that not all spiders are bad, or scary. You're not bad, and you're not scary. We both know this."
Muffet blinked at Chara, sensing something shift in his eyes. It happened when he said she wasn't bad or scary. For a split moment, it felt like he was talking about himself. She wondered why, then remembered that this might be involved in the serious subject he wanted to share with her.
"Lemme just say it again, you're not bad. And you're not scary." Chara blushed brightly as he looked away. "You're...simply too cute to be either of those things." Muffet gasped lightly, as a bright blush brushed against her cheeks. "Besides, not everyone makes out spiders to be like those things. I bet you haven't read about that one spider, her name is Charlotte. She's pratically one of the nicest spiders you'll ever see in fiction."
Muffet blinked. "Really...?"
"Really. I heard it gets a bit sad at the end...but everything still works out. I should probably read it myself. And don't even get me started on those comic books with that one red and blue costumed guy with the spider powers. You humblytold me he's the one spider you'll never surpass in fame." Chara chuckled slightly, and he could hear a faint giggle from Muffet. Progress. "The point is, Muffet...for now, you shouldn't worry about what the humans think of you. You just keep doing what you're doing, and what makes you happy. Now if you ever feel threatened, THAT'S a differet matter entirely. Let me deal with those situations."
"O-Okay..." Muffet slowly nodded. "Chara-Dearie...why did it feel like you were also talking about yourself? Do you consider yourself to be bad and scary?"
Chara blinked. She had sensed the shift in his tone at that moment. He supposed that not telling her about it after he just comforted her wouldn't be a positive step forward. It was fair, he listened to her personal insecurity that she must have had for a while. Now she would listen to his...though it would be much more intense. He suddenly found it very difficult to look her in the eyes.
...the image of a lone spider leaving a rose upon her dust suddenly flashed through his mind...
Chara flinched greatly. He could no longer look her in the eyes, he turned away and hugged his knees. Muffet blinked. "Chara-Dearie?"
"...Muffet. I don't believe you know this about me...but...I wasn't the best person. Actually...I'm pretty sure I was the absolute worst person." Chara admitted. "I've done some horrible things that I used to be disturbingly proud of. But now that I'm a better person, and I look back on them...those memories horrify me. They threaten to destroy me because my guilt for those actions just kept building. My family knows this, and they constantly reassure me that I'm not that person anymore. I really appreciate them for it, and I'm not saying it isn't working. It's just...well...you knoe whst they ssy. I may have been forgiven for those actions when I really didn't deserve it...but forgetting that they happened is impossible."
Muffet gently grabbed his hand with her lower pair of arms, and used her top pair to turn his head towards her. She wanted him to focus on her as he said what he needed to say. Chara closed his eyes and sighed.
He was telling her everything. When he fell into the Underground centuries ago. His relationship with the Dreemurr Family and the damage he caused with his selfish actions. The further damage he did when he came back and persuaded Frisk do do those horrible deeds...then took control so he made sure he never stopped. His lack of love and surplus of LOVE corrupted his very soul. But love brought him back from that powerful darkness, and he never wanted to go back. He was happy with his new life, he didn't want to give it up, ever.
When he finished his very startling tale, Muffet was looking at him...her expression never changed. Midway through the story, she began stroking the top of his hand she grabbed when it appeared he was getting stressed. He appreciated that she was listening so intently, but she must have been shocked. He was right, but she didn't show it the way he expected.
"...So...at those specific 'times'...you've killed me before. And in one blow." Muffet said quietly. "And to think, my greediness stopped me from stopping you the right way, like Alphys told me to in Hotlands, instead of trying to do it myself. Trapping you like she told me to would have been much more beneficial...but I just couldn't throw away my selfishness. The one time I should have let it go...and now I hear what it's lead to, multiple times..." Muffet lowered her head as her hair overshadowed her eyes. Chara's eyes widened when he heard sniffling. "I...was a pretty big fool during those timelines, huh...?"
HOW THE HELL DID SHE MANAGE TO TURN THIS ON HERSELF?! I'M THE ONE WHO'S SUPPOSED TO FEEL GUILTY! NOT HER! Chara mentally screamed at himself. He made it worse. So much worse. He had to fix it, quickly.
"Muffet no! Nonononono! You shouldn't be feeling this way! I'm the one who pushed Frisk to do those things! He was confused, easy to manipulate, and I feel horrible for doing that to this very day! I'm the guilty one! No one else!" He said as he turned her head towards him and wiped her tears away. "You're not supposed to be the one crying. I don't even know how that happened, but you're not supposed to be the one crying!" He realized he was shouting, and he lowered his voice. "Listen, Muffet. Those were other timelines. This is the timeline we're living in now. You're alive, I'm alive. You're not selfish and greedy anymore, and I'm no longer a megalomaniac. We've both become better people, and we're both happy with who we are now." Chara no longer resisted. He pulled Muffet into a hug. She immediately wraps all of her arms around him and hugged him back. He closed his eyes and gently petted her hair. "Please don't cry, Muffet. You're an amazing person, much better than I could possibly be, after everything. Your obsession with money has greatly decreased, and you've grown much more compassionate. I'm very proud of you for that. I really am."
Chara could feel her sniffling come to a slow stop, but her hold on him didn't slack. Instead, she simply pulled away from him slightly, wiping the tears away herself. "I...could say the same thing about you, Chara-Dearie. Megalomaniacs wouldn't take the time to try and reassure a cute crying spider that she shouldn't feel like a loser. They'd be too worried about themselves. Megalomaniacs don't worry about other people. They wouldn't care about what others thought. Not their families. Not their friends. Not anyone." Muffet smiled as she gently hugged him a bit tighter. "No...that's not you anymore. You worry about your friends and family when they're in trouble. You like protecting more than simply just fighting. You don't always know how, but you try to make whoever's sad, happy again. You realize you've made grave choices, and you constantly wish to redeem yourself even though you've been forgiven a long time ago. None of these things sound like a megalomaniac to me." Muffet said as she nuzzles his cheek. "Nope, not at all. That sounds like Chara-Dearie. One person who's not a big fan of my slider pastries, but has never stopped supporting me. You're a good person, Chara-Dearie. I believe in it."
Chara looked away from her, as Muffet looked up towards him curiously. He sighed. "First you feel insecure because of those horror spider movies. Then I make you feel better by mentioning the more positive spiders in fiction. Then you almost start crying when I mentioned what I've done in different time lines and you think some of it is your fault. I reassure you that it isn't, and that you're a great person who's no longer overly greedy. THEN you reassure ME that I'm a great person too, and that I'm no longer a megalomaniac, that I care about other people. My friends, family, all those close to me." He groaned in annoyance. "Muffet, who's really doing the comforting, here? Are we both trying to one up each other or something?! You keep trying to mess with me even though we're trying to be emotional!"
"Ahuhuhuhuhu!~ I guess we're just complicated like that!" Muffet giggled. They relaxed on the web hammock for a few moments, enjoying the sunlight. Muffet suddenly tutned on her side and kissed Chara's cheek. The result was a bright blush. Then she laid on her back again, as they both stared up at the trees. "Chara-Dearie?"
"Yes, Muffet?"
"What's that book with probably one of the 'nicest spiders in fiction' called again?"
"Uh...I think it's called Charlotte's Web. I don't know the deep details about it, except that Charlotte's really nice, and the book gets pretty sad near the end. Still has a happy ending, though."
"Oh...well...sad or not, I'm interested. Maybe one day when we have the time...you could read it to me?"
Chara smiled softly as he turned towards her, and she turned towards him. "Consider it done." She smiles back, and they looked towards the skies again. He slowly began easing his left hand over her lower right hand, and begins to hold it with a soft, comforting squeeze.
...he didn't know why his soul pulsed happily when she affectionately squeezed back.
Me: Think what you shall. But I regret nothing! *...* Okay maybe a couple things...screw it. I'm full of regret right now.
Muffet: That isn't good for you, dearie. Here, have some tea~
Me: No thanks...but I'll be fine.
Chara: I'll take some chocolate. Lots of it. Like, five baskets of chocolate bars.
Muffet:...okie-dokie!
Me: Chocoholic...
Chara: And proud of it. Until next time in filler hell, readers...
