Chara: Huh, look. Another chapter.

Asriel: Yay!

Chara: With a rather serious subject, in some circles.

Asriel: ...oh...

Sans: lets see. bits of fluff? check. bits of feels? check. character development? eeeeh...bit on the fence with that one. dunno how it's gonna turn out to the readers.

Asriel: Hope they won't be too mad about it. It's just...things aren't as easy anymore.

Chara: If anything, the previous arc drastically affected Frisk just as much as me and Asriel. He's come to a rather harsh realization...but on the plus side, we'll be seeing how Dad developed as well.

Asgore: Ooooh, I'm a part of this one! I'll go ready some tea! Would anyone like some tea?

Asriel: Me!

Frisk: Me!

Sans: cool.

Toriel: I would like some tea, dear.

Chara:...Eh. Sure, why not?

Chapter Start!


Your 'Mercy' is futile on us. And if you think every single person you meet will accept it, you're going to be a burden to your so-called 'loved ones'.

it's a tough thing to swallow, lil child. but there is going to be certain individuals who have close to nothing inside them. they either don't care about the damage they do and the lives they destroy, or are literally at war with life itself.

There will come a time when you'll come across someone who absolutely CANNOT be reasoned with, no matter what you do, or what you have to say.

Despite what everyone thinks, it's not as nice as it is here. There are a lot of Floweys out there. And not everything can be resolved by just being nice.

Frisk gasped as he suddenly bolted upwards from his bed, briefly relieved that it was morning. He clutched his chest tightly as his soul instinctively appeared in front of his body. He didn't know what all of that was about. The voices...some of them were recent, some were a long time ago.

Sensing this disturbance, Asriel and Chara also woke up quickly and turned towards Frisk. They didn't even bother questioning him first, their youngest brother needed some comfort. They got on both sides of him and hugged him tightly. Frisk continued to breathe heavily as he tried to slow down both his heartbeat and his soul pulsing. Though soon enough, he was able to calm himself down with his brothers help.

"Easy Frisk...it's okay. You're okay." Asriel said softly, one of his ears lopping over Frisk's head.

"Calm down, brother. You're not in danger." Chara said quietly.

"My children!" Toriel bursts into the room with Asgore right behind her. She saw that Frisk looked and felt very panicked. Though she also saw that Asriel and Chara were gently comforting him as he eased out of his slight hyperventilation. Not that she didn't believe that they could continue comforting him, but she approached them anyway. Chara scoots over and made way for Toriel to sit on the bed next to Frisk. Frisk wasted no time shifting closer to her and didn't resist her pulling him into a warm hug. "Frisk...what is troubling you, my child? Was it a nightmare?"

Frisk sighed as he nestled in the warmth of her bosom, and even more when Asgore sets both Asriel and Chara on his lap and sits next to Toriel. Had the bed not been reinforced with magic, Asgore might have seriously damaged it just by sitting. He was well aware that his size can cause furniture that isn't strong enough to support him to collapse in a matter of moments. Asgore nodded slowly. "A nightmare, Frisk? What was it about?"

"...Was it me again?" Chara said quietly. The other four Dreemurrs flinched greatly from the self-accusation. They didn't expect Chara to say this so easily, especially since they all sensed that how he really felt about those words betrayed his casual tone of voice. He didn't say it with any malice towards Frisk, not even himself. Though even that might have been more preferable over just expecting to be the one who takes the blame.

"...No. I don't think it was an outright nightmare...more like it was just...replaying certain events I've been through." Frisk mumbled, his voice slightly muffled as he didn't want to pull away from Toriel's embrace. "I'm not sure. It was mostly jumbled up and rushed together, but not enough so I couldn''t understand it. I understood what was being said. What I couldn't understand was why I was hearing those things now...I don't think it was without reason..."

"A premonition, perhaps? Or perhaps something similar in nature?" Asgore wondered.

"It might be. Those specific words don't just randomly come back and repeat into your head for no reason. Maybe there's something deeper going on here?" Asriel said. Though he could still see he was a bit shaken by the whole ordeal, so he smiled softly. "It's okay, Frisk. You don't have to talk about it now if you're that uncomfortable with it. It's still pretty early in the morning. We can just go back to sleep."

"...No. No, I'm fine." Frisk mumbled, his voice still a little as he reluctantly pulled away from Toriel's bosom, shaking his head. "I just...I just need a moment. I don't know what all of that was about...but I'm sure we can figure it out later. Besides, I'm wide awake at this point, no use in going back to sleep."

"Are you sure, child?" Asgore asked gently.

"I'm sure."

Toriel was reluctant to push for answers. But after thinking it over, she decides to put that discussion on hold. He said he would come back to it when his emotions were at a more comfortable level. With a nod of acceptance, Toriel hugged Frisk close to her and softly kisses his cheek. "We understand, my child. If you currently do not feel comfortable talking about it, we will not push you. Whenever you feel like speaking about it, with one of us or both, we shall be ready to listen." Toriel gently smiles as she plants one more kiss to his forehead, then reluctantly sets him down on the bed, sitting up with Asgore. "Asgore, do you mind me joining you for some morning tea?"

"I'm always up for some morning tea." Asgore nodded as he stepped aside to allow her to leave the room first, then follows right after closing the door behind them, leaving the Dreemurr Trio alone for the moment.

Chara turned to Frisk with a questioning stare. "You seem to be pretty freaked out when you woke up from whatever the heck you were seeing. Are you sure you're gonna be alright?"

"I'll be fine. We can talk about it at a different time, when my heart and soul calm down a little."

"I agree that might be best." Asriel nodded, gently hugging Frisk from behind, nuzzling his cheek. "Come on, Frisk. Let's grab some carry-on breakfast, then head outside and get you relaxed."

"I'll just snag a few chocolate bars. Not terribly hungry, but whatever." Chara shrugged. "Alright, up and up, ya losers. I turn into Cranky Chara without my morning chocolate."

"Crazy Cranky Chocolatier Chara?" Asriel tilted his head.

"...okay, I'm pretty sure Red put you up to that to get back at me. And I gotta say...kudos to her."

Downstairs, Asgore gently pours tea for Toriel in a medium-sized teacup. Gently heating the drink with a bit of heat from her paw, she sighed after taking a small sip from it, her mind obviously elsewhere, and very concerned. Asgore didn't blame her, he was just as concerned as she was.

"What do you think it's about? It must be of some significance." Asgore asked quietly as he raised her head so that their eyes met. Dreams with this level of affect on Frisk have been extremely rare. Which is why each time they occur, they found it extremely worrying. It takes something very significant to greatly weaken Frisk's calm demeanor when he feels the need to keep it up.

Toriel sighed. "I agree that it might have been something significant, but we cannot force Frisk to tell us. Though I do hope that whatever caused it will not be significant enough for us to resort to that. I really want to give Frisk time to collect himself if he really needs it." It was hard to see her youngest son like this. She already knew that something serious was going on in Frisk's mind, though she couldn't force him to divulge in her what it was. She would have to wait until he came forth on his own. That kind of wait only increases her concern by the minute. Regardless, she tries to keep a collected demeanor and stay reasonable.

Asgore nodded. "I agree, Tori. Giving Frisk time to collect himself will be a great factor to him opening up about what is bothering him. Who knows, maybe he just wants to keep it secret between his brothers. And they can do or say something that'll help him."

"Our patience is being tested here, Gori." Toriel nodded back, finishing her cup of tea and standing up from her chair. "But as long as he doesn't emotionally distance himself from everyone like Sans once did, I will be content with waiting."

"I agree. It's a worst-case scenario, and hopefully it doesn't reach that point. I'm confident that it will not, but it's still something to be concerned about." Asgore said as he also stood up from his now empty teacup. He smiled softly as he made his way around the table towards Toriel, and wrapped his arms around her. "Though let us not worry so much that we can't relax, Tori. We shall remain vigilant, but not enough to be in a constant state of distress."

Toriel nodded as she slowly slid her arms around his neck, and nuzzles her nose against his own. "You're right. Being distressed won't help anything, and I'm sure Frisk wouldn't want us feeling this way anyhow. I trust and believe in our children."

"As do I. For the moment, let us ease our worries from one another. I suppose our nose-nuzzling will be quite a time-spender." Asgore gently lifted her chin with one of his paws, keeping one around her waist. "Or something better, I reckon?"

"Eager as always. Though I suppose you're not alone in that regard."

Toriel gently pulled his head towards her and captured his lips into a kiss. They both close their eyes as Asgore places his other paw back on her waist and gleefully returns the kiss. As always, Toriel was slightly more eager than he was, but was generous enough to give him some room to do something as well, tightening her hold on him just slightly and deepening the kiss, both of them lightly tasting the tea that they just spent some time drinking. As much as they absolutely adored the time they spent with their children, they also cherished their alone time together, even if it was simply morning cuddling or little kisses in-between.

The two of them broke apart to regain their breath, still warmly smiling at one another afterwards. They nuzzled noses again, feeling much better than a few moments before. Asgore smiled. "We Dreemurrs can get through anything. Isn't that right, Tori?"

"Indeed we can~" Toriel agreed, as they pulled each other in for a fluffy hug, enjoying the embrace. They wanted to relax a bit, but one of them may have gone a bit overboard in that regard, not realizing what they were doing. Toriel gasped, pulling away after feeling a sudden pinch, rapidly shaking her head and blushing deeply. "T-Too far! The children could walk in!"

"Sorry! Sorry! That was my bad! All me!" Asgore stepped back and shook his head, deeply embarrassed himself. Both of them were left a stuttering blushing mess, currently more interested in the floor than each others eyes. Restraint was sometimes very shaky between the two, and they made sure to keep it especially strong when their children were home. Luckily they were saved from further embarrassment by said children coming down the stairs with Frisk looking a bit better than before. Both of them were relieved by this.

"Frisk, my child. Are you feeling better?" Toriel asked, regaining her compose quickly enough for none of them to notice what happened, though Chara was slightly suspicious.

"A bit, yeah." Frisk nodded, lightly twiddling his fingers. "If...If it isn't too much trouble, can I go out to talk with Dad? I want Asriel to come too. But just us three."

Asgore blinked as both he and Toriel briefly looked at one another for approval of this. This might have some heavy relation in regards to Frisk's dream, or he simply wants alone time with his father. Either way, neither seemed to have a problem with it. So with both of them nodding to one another, they turned towards the children with gentle smiles. "Of course, Frisk. The three of us can go wherever you like."

"Thank you."

Asgore nodded again to Toriel, as they shared another brief kiss as a goodbye, before Asgore gently held Frisk and Asriel's paw/hand. Nodding quietly, Frisk lowered his head and gathered his magic. A moment later, the both of them vanished in a flash of blue light, leaving the other three behind.

"What do you think that's about?" Chara asked.

Toriel shook her head. "I don't know. But hopefully Frisk will still be fine afterwards."

(Grillby's)

It wasn't too early in the morning, but it was early enough for there not to be any actual customers in the well-known restaurant just yet. Frisk has chosen to speak here, before anyone else got here. Well, not everyone. There was one other person who was there early, as it's the only place he's ever there early for.

"Sans?"

The short, big-boned skeleton turned towards the both of them, and waved. "yooooo! what are you three doin' here, before the morning rush comes?"

"Frisk brought us here to talk in a quiet place. Though I did say he can take here wherever he wishes, I didn't expect it to be here of all places."

"yeah, it's a place to chat, even during the morning time. grillbz doesn't mind. he actually likes a little peace and quiet once in a while before customers come in. me? i just like being the first person here. mostly. papyrus doesn't seem to like that i actually get up early just to come here in certain days, and on others i don't get up at all. to think he's constantly pushin' me to get a job. selling hot dogs at hot dog stands is a legit and respective business."

"NO IT ISN'T!" Papyrus yelled a few booths away. "SELLING HOT DOGS ON RANDOM SPOTS ON THE STREET IS NOT A LEGITIMATE AND RESPECTABLE BUSINESS!"

"if that's the case, why's it doin' so well?"

"...I DO NOT HAVE AN ANSWER FOR THAT RIGHT NOW. BUT MARK MY WORDS, THERE WILL BE A RETORT THAT WILL GREATLY SURPASS YOUR ARGUMENT!"

"Doesn't it seem a bit overboard to criticize him for managing a hot dog stand?" Asgore asked curiously. "If it is doing well enough for him to continue, then I believe he can keep going along with it."

"the king's on my side now, paps. any further arguments are now invalid."

"YOU CAN'T MAKE THAT CALL! NOT ON MY WATCH! I'LL FIND A WAY TO RETORT THIS RIDICULOUS NOTION SOONER OR LATER! JUST YOU WAIT!" Papyrus sighed as he turned towards the Dreemurrs. "MY BROTHER CAN BE SUCH A PIECE OF WORK...NOW YOU SEE WHERE THE IRONY IS HERE? HE DOESNT EVEN HAVE TO WORK THAT HARD! IT DOESN'T TAKE A LOT OF EFFORT TO MANAGE A HOT DOG STAND!"

"i know. it's one of the main reasons i brought it up with me."

"YOU'RE A LOST CAUSE!"

Chuckling softly at the skeleton bros antics, Asgore took a seat in one of the booths, with Frisk sitting right next to him, and Asriel sitting across from both of them. Both fluffy monsters were able to sense how tense Frisk felt for a moment, as they look towards him in concern. Asgore was the first to speak with him. "Frisk...is there something you wish to speak to us about?"

Said human sighed as he turned his head towards Asgore. "Yes. It was about my past experiences up to now. Especially recently, from bring Gaster back together. The times when...when I couldn't talk down someone who was being hostile towards me..." Asgore and Asriel's eyes flashed with even more concern than before, realizing what was Frisk was referring to. Even Sans turned his head the moment he heard it, and actually got off of the stool he was sitting on to walk over and fill in the empty booth space next to Asriel.

"woah. okay, this might actually require our attention. though why didn"t you want to talk about this with the entire family? why are toriel and chara not with you?"

"I had a feeling Asriel and Dad would understand my current thoughts better. Especially Dad." Frisk responded quietly. "Do you remember, Dad? The first time we met. The very first. You didn't want to fight, and I didn't want to fight. But because you had your duty to tend to for the sake of monsters, you put your personal feelings aside and engaged battle with me...and I couldn't talk you into stopping. So...I...we..."

Asgore lowered his head as a bit of his golden hair overshadowed his eyes. It was a bit vague. But because his memory could be maintained in this timeline, he could remember the first time, and other times which he engaged Frisk in battle. He didn't want to fight the child, he really didn't. But with the weight of an entire kingdom's hopes and dreams on his shoulders, he didn't feel inclined to back down and just step aside. Besides, the people who knew Asgore personally besides Toriel at the time, accurately deduced that the misery he hides sith his cheerful smile was hiding his true intentions. He would either take the human's soul and break the Barrier, or he would die trying in the encounter and finally be relieved of his pain. He was perfectly happy with either of them. The fact that the ONLY way Asgore would survive at all was to achieve the True Pacifist Route didn't help matters. And even with that knowledge, Frisk had to genuinely fight him at least once. And that one time was enough to do some serious emotional damage, because it tended to end badly for both of them no matter what he did.

Human. It was nice to meet you. Goodbye.

"...Frisk. Is this memory bothering you?" Asgore said quietly, in the softest voice he could muster.

"It's...it's not just that. It's how it happened and why it continued. Dad wouldn't back down no matter what I did, so I had no choice but to retaliate. And something like that...just continues to happen." Frisk mumbled, still looking down at his lap. "The first time with you...then Omega Flowey...Chara...Error Sans...either I had to retaliate on my own, or someone else had to defend me. Either way, just talking them down...it wasn't working. It was completely ineffective against Killer Sans and Error Sans, both of them didn't have the mental stability to listen to reason and actually process it. I had to completely retaliate against Dad and Omega Flowey before attempting to spare them. And Chara...barely. Just barely. All of them were close calls that ended differently, and all of them weren't well-liked differences. Someone either had to jump in to protect me, or I truly had to fight on my own. And I'm not that good a fighter. Not only that, the status-quo of humans being stronger than monsters was broken by Asriel enhancing all of your souls, so..."

"...it's making ya nervous that your kindness is not reachin' people as much as you'd like." Sans said. "it's true. a lotta status quos are changin'. includin' talkin' down the people that threaten ya, and having them actually listenin' to reason. the last time you tried it, ya got a new 'X' scar on your chest, and it ain't goin' away, is it?" Frisk shook his head. "thought not."

"In those more intense situations, not fighting back has placed Asriel and Chara more serious danger than they were already in. Still...I had to at least try. But the number of times it just doesn't work...it's growing far too large for comfort."

"And you're afraid it's going to get worse from here on out?" Asriel asked. Frisk nodded quietly. "Oh, Frisk...those events have really been having an effect on you, haven't they? For such a long time you used nothing but kindness to get by. But recently, the success rate for that has been going down...and it's scaring you."

"Child...I suppose I should have noticed this much sooner, should I?" Asgore said softly. "You've been thrust into multiple conflicts that have forced Asriel and Chara to come to your defense. And with this realization, you're beginning to feel rather conflicted yourself. As you said, while you're a skilled healer, you'd rather not attack. Considering what you explained in one of your ventures, where you had no where to go and Asriel and Chara weren't there with you...it was very fortuitous that Alter!Asgore and Alter!Toriel managed to reach you in time." Asgore sighed. "And not only that, you're very hesitant to use the 'Load', 'Save', and regular 'Reset' as crutches for when things have gone horribly wrong, yet you destroyed the 'True Reset' in case such a scenario occurs and you don't wish to erase all of our progress."

Frisk sighed as he gently reached his hand over, quietly asking for Asriel's paw. Asriel takes it without hesitation. "We all agreed to let time move forward as best as we can, and not rely on those things as crutches. But with that in mind, that only increases the amount of danger that we might be in, should something happen...and we can't fix it."

"i can understand that. while i'm gettin' used to livin' alongside the humans, i'm still very cautious. none of us are naive enough to believe that every single one of them will like us. what really puts me on guard is what some might be willin' to do about it." Sans said.

"I'm afraid of an outcome like that too. While Asriel and Chara undoubtedly have my back no matter what, I'm not entirely willing to do the same because I don't like to fight. I don't want to be that heavy a burden anymore...it's beginning to jeopardize others, and much more than it used to..." Frisk rose his head a little.

"That's exactly why I accepted Undyne as my teacher, Frisk. To have everyone's back when they need me." Asriel gently smiled. "The same goes for Papyrus, so he wouldn't be as heavy a burden to Sans anymore."

"I AGREE FULLY WITH THIS, AND I MEANT WHEN I CLAIMED IT. AS ASRIEL SAID, I HAD TO HAVE SANS' BACK WHILE HE HAS MINE." Papyrus added from afar.

"s'right, kiddo. ya don't gotta be a fighter at heart. but with those kinds of situations popping up more frequently, 'tis better to be safe than sorry. take me, for instance. after that whole chara deal, i couldn't afford to be as lazy as i was before. if a threat comes at us, i gotta have the strength and the stamina to take it down."

Asgore gently caressed Frisk's cheek, then lightly petted his hair. "My child...these things really do bother you, don't they? How these situations become more prominent and talking down the threat does not work...I wish that wasn't the case. I too, wish that peaceful solutions worked every time. But alas, it's not always that simple." He gently lifted Frisk up by the sides and set him on his lap. "I have no desire to deny it. As Papyrus accurately depicted, I am a 'big fluffy pushover'. That trait also applies to you and Asriel. A bit of it also applies to Chara, but only around that young lady, Muffet. The three of us are gentle, kind hearted folks, and we do not take enjoyment in harming others. Toriel is also a gentle soul, but she is much less hesitant to hurt others if she feels forced to do so. And I don't think we need to explain Chara, do we?" The ones listening shook their heads. "I thought not. As I said, we are the fluffy pushovers who would much rather hug, have some tea, and eat Butterscotch Cinnamon Pie than fight. We place high value on life. But...it is because we cherish life that we must do our best to protect it from those that mean it harm, especially from those that words will not reach. It would appear that Error Sans is such a being. And he will not be the last one of this type that we might encounter, be it our own universe or another one entirely."

"...I know." Frisk lowered his head slightly. It was very difficult for Frisk to accept. But it's better to get around it sooner rather than later. There were far too many Floweys in the world to continue having his current mindset be that everything will always be alright. Asriel was not as hesitant about the issue as he was, because he learned the lesson much sooner. Past conflicts and training with Undyne made sure that the lesson stuck.

Asgore gently turned Frisk towards him. "Frisk. It may not have involved the most noble of intentions, but my unwillingness to act has left my people suffering for a much longer period of time than necessary. Now that we have begun a peaceful coexistence between humans and monsters, that is not a mistake I'll allow myself to repeat." Asgore said strongly. "I don't want you to suffer like I did because you hesitated to take action, Frisk. I abhor fighting just as much as you do, but I will not allow it to hold me back when it comes to protecting my family, or my people as a whole should the situation call for it. As King of Monsters, hesitation is not a luxury I can allow myself when it comes to urgent matters, not anymore. Fluffy Pushover I may be most of the time, I WILL push back should someone mean any of you serious harm. That is a promise I made to myself."

"and obviously promises are a big deal. so ya know he means it." Sans said, palm on his cheek.

"I KNOW. I MADE A SIMILAR PROMISE MYSELF. AND I TRULY MEAN IT. THOUGH BY ALL MEANS...AT LEAST A CHANCE SHOULD BE PROVIDED." Papyrus added.

"It's pretty much a requirement for me to protect you as best as I can, Frisk. As your big brother." Asriel smiled. "Though even if we weren't foster brothers, I would have done so anyway. That goes for everyone else, obviously."

"...I wouldn't want all that love, care and protectiveness being totally one-sided." Frisk answered slowly. "As much as I don't like fighting...those situations coming back to me...they've proved to be a harsh reminder that sometimes, I really won't have a choice. Holding you back...that's not something I want. I really don't."

"We're not criticizing you for this, Frisk. It's just that when situations like those do pop up, and we're not around to help...we just want to know that you can take care of yourself, and that you'll be alright after knowing all of these things." Asriel said gently.

"Like Asriel said, we all wish to take some sort of comfort in knowing that you have the ability to keep yourself safe, should we be unable to do so for you. I...I don't know what any of us would do if something happened to you and we couldn't stop it..." Asgore gently picks up Frisk and looks at him very softly. "I just want your reassurance, Frisk. I'm not going to ask you to accept it, because only you have that choice. If you cannot bring yourself to fight to protect yourself...maybe you can fight to protect your family. Your friends? Will you be more comfortable in becoming stronger, at least so that you won't become a burden like you believe you are? I assure you that you are not, but if it will make you feel better..."

Frisk smiled. "...You're right. Preserving the peace isn't as easy as we'd really like it to be...we have to be willing to fight for it should no other choice be present. It makes sense that we work really hard to preserve the ending we put serious effort into achieving. I must have deluded myself into think that it would always be easy...I have to be more careful than that. When I really have to...I'll do it for you all." Frisk reached out for a hug from Asgore, who gladly gives it to him with much fluffy affection. "I love you, Dad."

"I love you too, my child." Asgore smiled. Said smile turned awfully goofy in a matter of moments. "Now that's out of the way...I'm going to cuddle you for a bit, okay?" He said as he hugged Frisk softly, kissing his forehead and cheeks, making the human squirm and laugh. Asriel giggled, then he gasped as he was scooped up and cuddled as well. "Don't think I forgot about you~"

"D-Dad! No! Your beard is ticklish!" Asriel giggled, also squirming slightly from the fatherly kisses.

"Baaaaahahaha! What is wrong, my children? You accept kisses from your mother easily enough!" Asgore chuckled as he repeatedly kisses both of their cheeks and foreheads. "Do you find Goat Dad's kisses to be a bit more awkward than Goat Mom's? Hmmm?~"

"No! Your beard really is ticklish! Hahahahaha!" Frisk laughed cheerfully, the restraining thoughts fading away from his mind for the time being, allowing him to relax with his brother and father.

"gotta admit, tho. it really is a beard belonging to a king. heh." Sans chuckled.

"AH YES. HIS MAJESTY TRULY HAS AN AMAZING BEARD. A BEARD OF GOLD, EVEN! OR MAYBE JUST BLONDE? IT IS CLOSE ENOUGH, I SUPPOSE." Papyrus stood up from his booth and nodded. "NOW IF YOU'LL EXCUSE ME, I'M GOING TO TAKE A RATHER LENGTHY SHOWER."

"a shower?"

"YES. I'VE STEPPED INTO THIS GREASE TRAP OF A RESTAURANT, NOW I SHALL PROPERLY CLEAN MYSELF SO THAT THE SMELL OF GREASE ISN'T AS STRONG. YOU CAN COME HOME WHENEVER YOU'RE READY, THOUGH I'D BETTER NOT SEE A HOT DOG WITH YOU."

"okay."

"OR A HOT CAT."

"okay."

"OR A HOT POCKET."

"pretty sure my pockets are empty, so nothin' could be makin' them heat up."

"OR A HOT FISH."

"woooaaah bro. let's not go overboard. undyne's already taken."

"WHAT THE-YOU'RE TROLLING ME AGAIN, ARENT YOU?! GOSH DARN IT!" Papyrus gritted his teeth while stomping past Sans, who was chuckling quite mischievously.

"heh. that worked out better than i expected." Sans shrughed, though he lightly turned to the side and saw Grillby enter through his fire exit, only accessible by him. "ah, there ya are. finally ready to open?" the flame monster nods quietly, before turning towards the male Dreemurrs simply cuddling one another, not caring who's watching. "ah, them. ya see, they were talkin' about frisk, and how danger seems to be getting less and less tolerant of listenin' to reason. so...he's become a bit more determined to protect himself so that others wouldn't have to worry as much, as well as help protect the peace we're trying to maintain."

"...I agree." Grillby said, pushing his glasses up slightly.

In the very corner of the bar, River Person sits quietly, humming while rocking back and forth. "Tra La La! Seems the tall one still isn't a fan of grease!"

"THAT IS CORRECT!" Papyrus shouted from outside.

With everyone currently occupied with something, River Person lowered their head and whispered.

"Fighting to protect what you cherish should not be considered wrong. There are malevolent individuals that cannot be swayed by reason, no matter how hard we try. The Pacifist has been warned..."


Chara: Hopefully what happened here is somewhat believable.

Sans: i do too. while we can all agree that frisk will always be a pacifist at heart, he's also not a little kid anymore. gotta drop the naive notion that every enemy will submit to his kindness. it's beginning to have less of an effect now as danger becomes more frequent and threatening. it's about time he begins to emphasize the 'fist' in pacifist. because NO ONE wants to see him get hurt and not do anything about it. we'll get...rather unpleased about it.

Papyrus: THAT'S AN UNDERSTATEMENT.

Asriel: I know. I just want him to be able to help himself should talking and fleeing not be an option anymore. It was a very close call in the previous arc. If something had happened to him and we weren't there...*lowers head*

Chara: Which is why we can't have him being so persistent in making peace with every enemy. Noble as it is, it's not going to be that easy anymore. I mean, you all were barely able to save me. Barely. I'd rather not have us push our own luck.

Asgore: None of the Dreemurrs, except Chara, enjoy the prospect of fighting, not one bit. But we're not above doing so when the need arrives. Just look at my son Asriel. The kindest monster out of all of us, dislikes fighting just as much as Frisk. But he learned his lesson in that regard long ago. There are situations like ours that can prove too severe for diplomacy, and too risky for fleeing. I learned it as well. Even Papyrus learned it for his brother's sake. It was time for Frisk to do the same.

Asriel: If Frisk won't fight to protect himself...will he at least be willing to fight to protect us?

Chara: We'll have his back either way, so he doesn't need to sorry about that.

Frisk: *careful consideration...then a firm nod of Determination* ...Yes. Yes I will.

Toriel: *Smiles* Until the next chapter, my precious ones...