Asgore: Welp, here we are, I suppose. Most likely the final update of the year.

Toriel: It's been quite a venture, I will admit.

Chara: Very likely that those ventures will continue, around next year's beginning.

Frisk: So here's a bit of a warm chapter.

Asriel: Regarding bonds both old and new.

Chapter Start!

Muffet was staring intently at Red, who seemed to pretty intense looking herself. Muffet was carrying something in her arms, her lower and middle arms carrying the box, while her upper arms were picking something out of it. After a moment of silence Muffet raised her hand...and within it, was a piece of chocolate.

"There!" She chanted while flicking it forward.

"Om!" Red lurched forward, snapping her jaws over the chocolate and eating it immediately.

"There! There!"

"Om! Om!"

"Annnnd...here.~"

"Om."

Muffet snickered, after flicking four pieces of chocolate that Red managed to catch with nothing but her jaws. Though to be fair, the last one was simply her holding out the piece of chocolate, and Red simply nommed it from her hand. She found it funny how she's sort of keeping Red within her palm the same way she does with Chara...through the powerful influence that is chocolate. Extra score for her, learning how to bake such delicious treats with full use of all six of her hands. With this personal satisfaction in mind, Muffet allows a gleeful smirk to grace her lips.

Red did lick her own lips for a bit, before clearing her throat and placing her paws on her lap. "These are pretty good, Muffet. I think you're all set."

"Ahuhu! Excellent, Dearie. Excellent.~" Muffet smiled as she stared out the window with intrigued eyes. It wasn't heavy, but there was definitely a gentle snowfall going about outside. It's been like this for a while, coming in very small amounts but never being too heavy. And even if it did, it wasn't that much of a problem. Especially for those with fire magic. "The party shall be today, my friend. And now that I know that my sweets are well and good, I can have my babies deliver them to the meetng place ahead of time."

Red nodded asshe indeed sees the spiders-both large and small-carry the numerous boxes of treats and carry them outside of Muffet's house. She stretched her paws a bit before again resting them on her lap. "It's weird...this will be my very first Christmas...on the Surface."

"It'll be everyone's first Christmas on the Surface, sweetie. So of course it's gonna be a big deal for you and everyone else." Muffet smiled while the last of her transprt spiders scampered off. "This will man a lot to everyone, so we all have to do our best to make it memorable."

Red agreed...though she soon frowned as she folded her arms. "Wait a minute...there are many ways to make something memorable. Good, bad, chaotic, or otherwise. What type of memorable will this be?"

"Yes!~"

"...You're not going to tell me, are you?"

"I don't know what you mean!~"

"Sure you don't..." Red rolled her silver eyes while also gazing out into the snow. "I wonder how many things are going to change...?"

"I imagine quite a bit. Both for humans and monsters of Ebott. Celebrating smething together tends to deepen relationships of many kinds. Which does remind me..." Muffet slowly turned towards Red with a sly grin. "Why don't you go and tell Asriel how you feel about him?"

...

...

...

"...W-WHAT?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?!" Red spouted in complete and utter shock, her face greatly beginning to resemble her namesake.

"Come now, dear Red. It's ever so obvious." Muffet said while sitting nearby, folding her middle arms and cupping her chin with her upper arms. "You've totally fallen for our precious Fluffy Prince, there's not much you can do to try and deny it. Especiallt after the amount of trust you've shown for each other in the middle of battle. Some say that's the quickest way for some partners to bond, by trusting each other with their lives. And he even trusts you to assist his brothers. That must surely count for something."

The pink-haired canine shook her head, clasping her paws. "N-No. You've got it all wrong! It's nothing like that, I-"

Muffet gently took Red's paws in her middle hands, her five eyes lowering slightly as her teasing decreased for a bit. "Dearie. It's just me here. You can tell me."

Red stared into Muffet's eyes, and she sighed softly while blushing. "...Ngggh! I guess I do like him quite a bit..."

"See? Was that so hard?~"

"You make it sound so easy!"

"That's because it is, dear. Simply tell him how you feel and get out into the open! Cheer it out!~"

"Muffet, I'm being serious."

"So am I.~"

"Ugh..."

Muffet chuckled. "Red-Dearie, trust me when I say that skirting around the issue is only going to frustrate you more. The sooner you get it over with, the more better off you'll be." Muffet raised her hand. "Oh! If it'll make you feel any better, I'll say my true feelings to Chara-Dearie!~"

"WHAT?!" Red exclaimed, seeing the ever-gleeful expression on Muffet's face when she offered this, and could tell that she meant it. Getting over her shock a little, she calmed herself and gazed into Muffet's eyes again, gingerly holding her middle hands. "...If I really confess to Asriel about my feelings, you'll confess to Chara about yours...?" Muffet nods confidently, which only caused Red to pout. "It's no fair, though. You've had six years to get to know Chara, while I've only known Asriel under one. I'm at a bit of a disadvantage."

"it's fine, it's fine!~" Muffet waved off. "All that means is that you two will have quite a fun time bonding ith another until you reach me and Char-Dearie's level of closeness. I promise you, it's a fulfilling experience!~"

"...Okay." Red decided after mulling it over for several moments. Muffet simply wanted what was best for her. If Muffet believed that something like this would benefit Red in the long-run, then she'll believe her. Besides, she really would rather just get these feelings out into the open instead of mulling them over and keeping them inside until it lead her to doing something rather embarrassing and stupid. Though that didn't mean she wasn't nervous. "...I do wonder what he'll think of me. Will he acknowledge my feelings...?"

"I can't say for certain. Though the chances are pretty high. But if you don't take that chance, then you'll never know."

"Right...well...do you think he'll...like me back? There anything he might like about me...?"

"Of course, dear! On the inside you're strong, compassionate, have trusted instincts, incredibly loyal, and pretty energetic! And on the outside you're cute, cuddly, have pretty sliver eyes, have well-toned legs, have pretty decent-sized bosom-"

"Muffet..."

"I mean sure they're not queen-sized like Lady Toriel's-"

"MUFFET!"

"Or quite close to that of warrior Undyne's-"

"Can you STOP...?!"

"But you have to admit they're still pretty big. Much more impressive than mine. You have my gentle envy.~"

"You're deliberately ignoring me, are you?" Red sighed, shaking her head softly. "You really like teasing me, don't you...?"

"Oh Red, that's not entirely true..." Muffet began, before gleefully holding her hands up. "I'm an equal opportunity teaser! You and Chara just happen to be my favorites!~"

"Of course we are..." Red sighed while turning away. "I'm still a bit unsure. Asriel is like...really nice. And he's also much smarter than me on many things, but he does offer to help me learn more. And not only that, he also helps me grow strong so I can fight alongside him. So he's being very considerate about my lack of knowledge." She then pouted. "But he can be just as naive as me sometimes. He's also ridiculously easy to push around with the proper force. And...he's also a colossal dork." Red shifted a bit while blushing. "...But I guess I'm a bit of a dork too...he and Undyne got me into anime, after all...he's a cute dork overall..." Red soon lifted her head. "Muffet...what's the biggest reason you like Chara?"

"Hm...what do I like most about Chara-Dearie...?" Muffet lightly tapped her lips for a bit. She then smiled as she leaned forward and whispered in Red's ear. The canine's eyes widened as she pulled back, looking incredibly touched.

"Muffet..."

"Ah ah ah! We can't be talking about that, we've got a party to get to!" Muffet cheerfully clapped as she grabs Red's paw and dragged her away.

The whole time, Red slowly smiles and nods. Once again, there was much more to Muffet than her apparent greed.

"What? What kind of celebration are you speaking of, Frisk? I don't thin we've heard much about it. Though the monsters and humans we've seen look like they're very excied about it." Shamir asked as he was watching Frisk concentrate his magic. Lunar left him to his own devices since she knew how much he would enjoy the holiday with his friends and family. Of course, she said that she didn't care much for Christmas, but isn't horribly selfish, not enough to try and stall it for her own amusement. She's not that much of a manipulator, she doesn't really have the smarts in that rather sneaky skillset. She says and does things as they are, without silly filters. Though she did consider the holiday to be...interesting. That has to count for something, and Frisk is willing to take it.

Frisk calmed his magic slightly as he turned towards Shamir. "Christmas...it's a very big and important celebration for many reasons, some more important than others. Though overall, it really is a time for everyone to be together, friends and family alike. Having a fun time together and taking that time to recognize the important things" He said quietly while looking towards Shamir.. "Didn't you have times like this to simply be with one another...?"

Rasha lowered her eyes as she gently caressed Ribras paw, lightly nuzzling into his neck. "One of the main things we're glad for when we came to Ebott is the fact that we're able to actually be open with our affections instead of always being forced o keep them to a minimum because our 'duty' always took precedence. We were always incredibly restrained, but we always tried our best to stay strong and stay together without completely losing ourselves. Our time in Ebott has honestly been the safest we've ever felt. And we're certainly very grateful for it."

"Well, that's certainly something. I wouldn't want to be stopped from showing love towards others simply because 'duty' wouldn't allow it. Especially when it's a kind of duty that no one should be supporting." Frisk tilted his head as he stands up and gazed a bit at his hands. "Speaking of support...I think I might be getting the hang of support magic, if a little bit. Do you mind if I try with it with you guys?"

Seeming curious about the offer, Shamir nodded as he stood up and stretched a bit. "Hm. A bit unsure about pretty much being test cats, but I guess we can give you a paw. I'm sure we can help you out, Frisk."

"Okay...here I go." Frisk said while his magic focused on a certain type. He chose to have Shamir help him demonstrate his assist, and decided on the skill he would like to enhance. He waved hi hands towards Shamir as he was briefly surrounded in a flash of sparkling purple, which would serve to be the glow for temporarily increasing accuracy. Frisk nodded while stepping back from him. "Giveit a try."

"Hm..." Shamir hummed softly as he nodded towards Rasha. She nodded as she formed a chunk of hardened magma with her magic, before tossing it into the air. Shamir narrowed his eyes, his focus surely feeling much more sharpened as he shoots a bolt of lightning at the rock, shattering it into pieces. Shamir could feel his focus lesson after making the shot. He took notice, and clenched his paw slightly. "Looks like accuracy definitely gets a major boost, but it currently only works with usage, not time limits. One attack and the effect wears off."

"Oh...I see." Frisk frowned while folding his arms with a small pout. "Geez. Usage is great and all, but the effect has to stay for an extended period of time. I'll have to keep working on it." He adjusted, though, and ended up smiling. "At the very least, it's good progress! Support magic, light magic, and white fire magic. I'll sure to be a strong protector of my own right in no time!"

"Light magic, huh...?" Ribras questioned, a bit interested. "I knew you had bits of fire magic yourself, and you're getting back into support magic...but light magic...?"

Frisk raised his hand as a sparkle of light began to form above his palm. "It's one of the magics I have that I figure I should invest more of my time in. Mom says that my magic is becoming more opposite to Chara's by the day. His magic is more centered around himself than actually supporting others. And of course his darkness magic and black fire magic. And then there's me having a scar on my chest, and Chara...lacking an entire arm."

"Speaking of which, remind us why doesn't he get a prosthetic? I know it's not impossible to live life with only one arm, but he has the means to get a prosthetic."

"Penance." Frisk's voice lowered at the word. "Sometimes...Chara doesn't like himself very much. Like...REALLY doesn't like himself. It's really concerning."

"...Oh."

"It's okay though...he's getting better. Much better." Frisk said while lifting his head and smiling softly. "He just needs as much support as he can get, and we're more than happy to provide said support for as long as we need to, as much as we need to. He's getting along fine, though we still feel a bit more cracks in his exterior every now and then."

"I see. Well, we do hope things go well for you all." Shamir nodded softly. He could somewhat understand the feeling of not being pleased with himself. His feelings regarding his past actions can attest to that very much. Ribras and Rasha were very much feeling the same way. "Anyway, forgive us for detracting the conversation towards a less pleasant direction. WHat about the celebration you were speaking of?"

"Oh, yeah! We're going to have a party over at MTT Resort. Quite a lot of humans and monsters alike will be going, so it's going to be a pretty big experience for everyone. Our very first christmas with humans and monsters together, so I'm feeling pretty positive about this.~"

"Glad to hear it. Let's hope everything does indeed go well for everyone. We could use some happy feelings after everything that's happened." Rasha nodded while tenderly holding Ribras' paw.

A bit farther away, Asriel and Chara were watching Frisk from a distance, along with Flowey's pot on top of Chara's head. Had it not been for that, his serious expression could be taken more...seriously.

"Frisk is keeping his spirits up and is preparing for the upcoming celebration, and wants the same to apply with everyone else. As much as they can, anyway." Asriel said while gazing quietly at Frisk, keeping his scarf nicely tightened. That, along with his fur, kept Asriel nice and warm. The cold didn't really bother Chara much, though he did keep his poncho on regardless of that. "I do feel happy that Frisk is growing as a person."

"Yeah, you're telling me." Chara said while scratching his head with his single hand. "He used to have that neutral expression on him like, constantly...now he's much more expressive than he's ever been. As long as we've each known him, anyway."

"He's still never shown us his eyes..." Flowey pouted childishly.

"Hey, if he wants to keep his eyes...mostly closed, then that's his choice to make. Hasn't really stopped him from doing anything he liked so far, has it?" Chara rolled his own eyes. "If he wants us to see his eyes, he'll do so when he's ready."

"Alright alright, fair point..."

Asriel sighed while scratching his ear. "Been such a long time since we've first left the Surface, and many things have happened, and not all of them were particularly good things...it's a wonder how we'll fare in the future...though I DO like to think that we'll be doing our best to manage with any hardship we encounter. Though I'm beginning to realize that the danger is becoming more and more noticeable. We can't stop increasing trouble from coming our way, we can only further increase our ability to deal with it. Still...it's worrisome...very worrisome..."

"Hey." Chara suddenly stopped him, as he wrapped an arm around his head and gently bumped his forehead with his own causing him to blink. "You and Frisk are supposed to be the idealistic idiots. Leave the cynical thoughts to someone who can handle it, like me. Alright?"

"...Okay." Asriel nodded, softly closing his eyes while standing silently with Chara. It was definitely not the most ideal mindset to have...but he trusted his brother.

MTT Resort was bustling, much to the delight of Mettaton himself, due to Christmas having come around for humans and monsters alike. Many were gathered in the rather massive resort in order to be abe to happily celebrate altogether with their friends and family, both of which there are many. After six years of celebrating it under Mt. Ebott, the monsters seemed to finally get the gist of it, and may know what they're doing.

And they were also mostly aware that not everybody celebrates Christmas. Not necessarily out of malice, which has been taken into account. Whatever winter holiday they celebrate, it'll be there as well. There's a reason why MTT Resort tends to be versatile with it's services without taking the business of other businesses in the city. It's more of a general place of gathering than most other services. But still, it's not a badplace to meet up.

"Linda! Hello!~" Toriel waved from afar, gesturing for Linda and her friends to come over. Alvina was right beside her, waving a bit more cheerfully compared to her monster friend's more reserved wave. Sans could be seen close to them as well, wearing a bright sweater that had the words 'do u even christmas, bro?' It appears he caught on to the trend that is ugly sweaters, and was fully embracing it. Gerson huffed a bit while standing next to them as well, with Asgore himself fully embracing the Santa persona once again. Toriel dons Mrs. Claus once again. "Come, come! I've had quite a bit of assistance from Muffet and Grillby, we baked quite a bit of treats.~"

"Oh, is that so...?" Linda wondered, looking across the display table. "Did it take you all a while to make some of these?"

"Quite. And it didn't really progress any quicker when Asgore kept trying to 'sample' some of the treats before I brought them here, which was certainly not approved by me." Asgore whimpered softly while caressing his paws, which still stung from being repeatedly smacked.

"I was just trying to be a proper taster, Tori..."

"I can do that well enough on my own, thank you. And besides, every time you made the attempt, you never asked me first. Of course I thwarted you at every turn."

"I was just very eager...I'm sorry..." Asgore whimpered with comical tears.

"don't really know what to tell ya. he just couldn't help himself." Sans said while shrugging slightly. "anyway, we've got quite a selection. such as these gumdrop cookies. they're pretty cool."

"Goodie Goodie Gumdrops?" Helen asked while immediately taking one and eating a piece of it, lightly swaying with delight. "Hehehe!~"

"And what's this here? Gingerbread...Ice Cream Sandwiches?!" Gloria gasped in pleasant surprise, taking one and eating it eagerly.

Diana seemed a bit stupefied by a certain treat, as she picks up a slice of pie with sparkling eyes. "Candy Cane Pie...?!"

"Mhm~" Toriel nodded pleasantly. "I find myself quite adept when it comes to recipes. Out of the comfort zone of butterscotch cinnamon and into new things."

Linda gazed at the variety of pies. "Sweet and Salty Truffle Pie...Eggnog Cranberry Pie...Chocolate Eggnog Pie...Orange Sweet Potato Pie...Sugar Cream Pie?!" Her eyes widened at the last one. "I...I haven't eaten one of those since I was a little girl..."

"Well you've got the chance now! Do feel free to take some.~" Alvina said while tilting her head. "Honesty, Toriel kind of baked a pie legion instead of simply a variety of pies."

"I...suppose I was incredibly eager as well. Might have overachieved..." Toriel admits sheepishly.

Linda gazed at the pies for a moment, taking a bit of the Sugar Cream Pie, and cautiously taking a bite. Her entire form seemed to relax as she lowered her eyes. "It's...so delicious...I normally wouldn't do something like this..." She shrugged it off as she casually eats some more, sighing happily. "Honestly Toriel, if all of these weren't made with magic, then a LOT of us women would be gravely afraid of a bit more weight..."

"Yes, these were made with magic ingredients. If it were made with the usual human ingredients...then yup, you'd have somethin' to be cautious about. Wah ha ha!~" Gerson chuckled, lightly taking some cookies for himself.

"Indeed, no need to worry about that. You're safe, very much safe." Asgore waved off while eagerly taking some of the gingerbread ice cream sandwiches after officially getting the okay from Toriel. Delighted, he happily indulged himself. "Delightful, isn't it? Such a wide spread of amazing pie, all made by my amazing wife."

"You give me far too much credit, Gorey..." Toriel sighed.

"And you don't let yourself have enough, Tori.~" Asgore beamed while lightly kissing her cheek, causing her to smile.

"they're suckers for sweetness. of both varieties." Sans chuckled, while Gerson mockingly gagged.

Linda sighed as she lightly scratched her head while looking towards Toriel. "So...Toriel...I guess I chose quite a day to make something like this official. But I haven't really tried being your friend for reasons that were out of our control. I shouldn't have tried taking out my hostile feelings on you, who did nothing to deserve it..." She said, while lowering her head slightly as she began to blush. "So yeah...with complete and total confirmation...we'll be friends...close friends, if you want...?"

Toriel gasped slightly, before she began smiling widely. "Friends...and with our occupation being that of teachers, that shall only increase our new bond...oh Linda, you're such a sweetheart!~" She beamed while happily hugging her towards her bosom, getting a flustered reaction from her.

"H-Hey! Can you not hug me like this?! It's embarrassing!" Linda stammered, getting unrestrained laughter from her fellow colleagues. Helen sheepishly thought that Linda looked cute.

In another part of the Resort, Asriel, Chara, and Frisk were moving around with Flowey and Papyrus. The latter was wearing a tacky-but nonetheless adorable-sweater of his own, while still wearing his trusty scarf. It was a bit chilly within the place, but it was mostly bearable for humans and monsters alike, so it wasn't too bad. Still, everyone made sure to cover up, at least a little bit.

"Tch. Everyone could at least attempt to turn down the volume." Flowey muttered with an eyeroll as he folded his leaves.

"Don't be a sour flower, everyone seems to be enjoying themselves quite nicely." Frisk said quite cheerfully while walking alongside them. "You should really lighten up and do the same. You'll feel much much better if you give that a chance!~"

"NO NEED TO FROWN, MY FLOWERY FRIEND! SURELY YOU'LL FIND SOMETHING ENJOYABLE FOR YOURSELF! THAT IS...WITHOUT CAUSING ANY SERIOUS MISCHIEF, HOPEFULLY?" Papyrus asked a bit sternly. The flower simply rolled his eyes and simply huffed. To Papyrus, that was very close to a 'yes' as today might bring him. "VERY GOOD! VERY GOOD INDEED! NOW THEN, I'M OFF TO SEE IF METTATON IS IN NEED OF ANY ASSISTANCE! DON'T WAIT UP FOR ME, MY FRIENDS! THE DAY IS STILL QUITE YOUNG!~" He says while moving on quite triumphantly.

"There he goes. Off to do who knows what." Chara shrugged while seeing the lanky skeleton off. "Well, that's something that will be going on for the time being. What are we gonna be doing now?" He asked while turning to his brothers. "What do you say? You guys have something in mind?"

"I doooo!~" Chara turned to see Muffet waving towards them from her own table, which were also laid out with treats. Red was making her way towards Asriel, looking incredibly nervous. Both she, and Muffet, donning dresses matching the celebration. "Do be a dear and come give me some company?~"

"...Her smile is sneakier than it usually is..." Chara noted with a hint of caution. He turned his head and pretending not to hear her. Whatever she had planned, he didn't think he wanted to find out. Maybe if I just keep moving in the other direction...

"I have Chocolate-Dipped Candy Cannneees!~ And Dipped Brownie Pops!~" She called out again, causing him to stop in place. Muffet began waving one with a taunting smirk. "Come on...ya know ya want a few. Your sweet tooth won't let you ignore it!~" She waited quite patiently, and her goading worked quite effectively. Moments later, Chara was right beside her, lightly licking the candy cane in question, and then biting from the brownie pop. Muffet smirked. And the cute little Chara-Dearie falls right into my sweet little web, nice and snuggled for me to attend to at my leisure. How beautifully delightful.~

Why do I feel like I've fallen into her trap...more to the point, why did I fall into it so easily...? Chara chastised himself even as he was eating all of the chocolate from the candy canes, and lightly eating the brownies from the brownie pops. "Alright, Muffet. What are you up to this time?"

Muffet has sprung her trap. Now she'll turn it into something a bit more positive-sounding. "Say...Chara-Dearie. We've known each other for a while, haven't we? Spent a lot of time together, haven't we?"

"Yeah."

"And we're pretty close to one another, aren't we?"

"Uhuh..."

"We also care deeply about one another, don't we?~"

"...Where are you going with this...?" Chara was highly suspicious of Muffet's gradual lean towards him, along with her lowered eyes. Muffet didn't give off any other vibe aside from a predator closing in on their prey. Chara strangely felt like there was nothing he could do about his situation given he had no idea what her intentions were. It was then that he felt something right above him...mistletoe. Hanging by a long spiderweb. Why that sneaky little-

"Mwah." Muffet wasted no time pecking him on the cheek, which was more than effective at catching him off-guard. He pulled back a bit, turning away and blushing.

"Gah! Muffet, why do you feel the need to do that while my guard is down-!"

"Chara-Dearie. Wanna go out?~"

Chara's eyes widened as he immediately turned back towards Muffet, completely surprised now. "W...What...?!"

"Oopsie! My bad, I got a bit too eager!~" Muffet giggled, further confusing Chara. She decided to stop messing around for a bit and be more serious. "Chara-Dearie. Despite how much of a fun pastime it is for me to mess with you and to make you blush, I do care about you greatly. We've known each other for six years and have gotten closer throughout all of them. And at one point, we were finally close enough that you trusted me enough to tell me about one of your darkest secrets." She lowered her eyes. "I suppose my feelings deepened quite a bit when you decided to do something like that, regardless of how I reacted. I thought that was incredibly sweet of you. And you're very sweet as a whole, even though you're sometimes grumpy about it. In all honesty, it makes you a bit cuter.~"

Chara was a bit surprised by this, though he could tell by the affectionate gaze within Muffet's eyes was more than enough to tell him that she was serious. He rubbed a hand through his hair as he thought over it. "W...Woah...I...I knew you were getting more teasing around me than usual, and this is why. You must be really confident if you're not embarrassed to ask me something like this...and I'm surprised you would ask something like that of me at all."

"Just like Lady Toriel, you don't give yourself nearly enough credit. Not that I don't understand the reasons behind that." Muffet replied while lifting her head a bit. "So, Chara-Dearie? Would you like to?"

It must have taken her quite a bit of time for her to properly recognize her thoughts about this. She doesn't seem to expect a yes and wouldn't be too surprised by a no. Chara thought while scratching his head in silence. ...I suppose we've been dancing around this for quite a while. She seemed to amusing herself with it, but now she's fully putting this out in the open...she must really believe we're ready for this...at least she seems to be. She just waiting for me. It was a bit much initially. But the more he thought about it, the more the thought calmed him. Muffet was one of the very few outside of his family that, despite her consistent teasing, he can be completely relaxed around. Spending time with her simply felt right, and she seemed to catch on to that. They got along quite nicely, and he appreciates her support whenever she's rarely very serious. She's one of the many that he's done wrong, yet she hasn't taken it personally at all. Either her own eccentricity kept her from minding the information too much, or her nerves must be incredibly strong. Maybe both.

"...Alright." Chara eventually decided while gazing into her eyes with a soft smile. "I guess we can do something like this. Sure we can."

"Yay!~" Muffet beamed while glomping Chara in a six-armed hugged, lightly kissing his cheek yet again.

Red was seeing this from afar from the corner of her eye, and was incredibly anxious. Oh flipping dog biscuits she actually did it. How can she be so calm about it as well?! For the most part, anyway. Oh I wish my nerves for battle could apply to this... Red shook her head, lightly clenching the hems of her skirt. Okay Red. You can do this. just get it ver with, like pulling off one of those band-aid things. Quick and painless. She thought for a bit, then began to blush. Then again, it isn't that painless, since I have no idea what I'm doing...bah! To heck with it!

Asriel blinked as he noticed that Red reached out and grabbed his paw. He tilted his head a bit towards her. "Oh, hi Red. is there smething wr-"

"I like you!" Red simply blurts it out and got it over with. It resulted in a very clear blush on both of their faces, and a very content Frisk simply stepping back and watching from the side. "I...really like you, Asriel..."

Asriel's astonished face never left, and neither did the bright blush on his cheeks. "W-What...? Red, what did you say...?"

"Don't be such a dummy, Dummy Dreemurr! You heard what I said! I know those big ears aren't just for show and fluff...even though they are very fluffy...you know what I mean!"

"Sorry, sorry!" Asriel weakly attempted to placate her as she released his paw, and the both of them began looking down at the floor in silence for a few moments, temporarily stumped on how to proceed. Frisk didn't do anything to rush them, as he was greatly enjoying this. "...I'm just a bit surprised, Red. I mean...I just...what brought this on...?"

Red sighed as she began rubbing her arm, her tail briskly waving behind her, and her ears folded against her head. "...Look. I have no tact for this sort of thing, and I'm not sly like Muffet. So I'm just going to speak my mind and heart...and soul, I guess." She murmured while lifting her head up. "It's been such a long time since we've met each other, Asriel. You freed me from my prison, and were trying what you could to help me get my memories back on how it happened. And in the midst of all that, you and Muffet were the ones putting in the most effort to help me get used to the world I now live in. Not only that, but we've fought together many times. Undyne says that fighting alongside one another is a quick way to build loyalty and trust." Asriel snickered slightly, of course Undyne would think that. It wasn't exactly false. "And...I also watched as you were trying your best to good by as many people as you can, while also not forgetting to do good towards yourself. I know you say that you do good because you're Prince of Monsters...though I think we both know that Prince or not, it's just within your nature. And I do like that about you."

"O-Oh..."

"Though, I have to admit...you're a big dork."

"...Oh."

"And you're even more of a pushover."

"...Right."

"And sometimes I think you're far too nice for your own good."

"...Okay..." Asriel's eyes turned to lines of embarrassment, as he really couldn't dispute any of those points.

Red slowly smiled again. "Though those are fine. I like you anyway despite those things...no. Those things help me like you more. You have many more issues with your life than I could ever have, yet you still reach out and try to help everyone else first. I can't help but admire that."

Asriel gazed at Red for a long time, her face greatly matching her namesake. She was incredibly anxious, and he couldn't blame her. Muffet definitely had something to do with this, though he wasn't mad. More confused and surprised than anything. Though once he's had time to collect his thoughts, he spoke up again.

"Red...I...I like you too."

"...Really?!" Red's silver eyes widened a bit, though it was in a pleasant manner.

He lightly rubbed his neck. "Sure. We can't really claim to know each other for as long as Chara and Muffet did...but that doesn't diminish how close we are in any way. Over time, I've managed to watch you grow. You're incredibly strong, even more incredibly loyal, you appreciate the greatness that is cinnamon..." Red scoffed at this, though didn't interrupt further. "...you're also very kind and incredibly energetic, which lets you keep up with the Pack." Asriel smiled sheepishly, looking away. "Though...you can be kind of rash. And you have a pretty short temper. And you can also be...um...pretty high-strung at times...but...I still like you anyway! Ehehehe! Hehehe...eh..."

Red's eyes twitched slightly, though she took a deep breath and sighed. No...that's fair. Three for three. "S-So, Asriel...d-do you...drr! Stop stuttering, me!" Red lightly slapped her cheeks before gazing strongly at Asriel. "Asriel! Will you go out with me!?"

Asrie smiled and nodded softly. "Of course, Red."

"Really?! Even though we haven't known each other for as long as Chara and Muffet?"

"The amount of time we spend with each other is ours to worry about. We shouldn't compare it to theirs like that." Asriel tenderly held her paws. "We'll have a lot of time to get to know each other better, and to grow even closer than we are now."

Red smiled and nodded in agreement, before blushing softly. "So...do we kiss? Or...?"

"I don't think we're quite ready for that." Asriel laughed sheepishly. He then leans in and begins to lightly nuzzle her nose. "Will this work, for now?"

Red smiled in reassurance and began returning the nuzzle. "Yeah...this will do."

Frisk smiled, noticing both Chara and Muffet, as well as Asriel and Red, grow a bit closer today. With that, he nods and moves on his own, intending to regroup with his parents. And he eventually did, seeing that they were both still enjoying the treats and sweets that Toriel baked. Though he noticed a few pleasant additions to the group, seeing Undyne, Alphys, Geno Alphys, and Monster Kid. Undyne, for one, was quite easily and eagrly devouring more of the actual meals also prepared with magic, such as roasted pork. Her razor sharp teeth made it incredibly easy for her to tear it apart. Frisk briefly acknowledged that she was somewhat eating like a shark...and then briefly imagined her saving him from an actual shark by punching it in the face.

The thought made him chuckle a bit.

"Ah! Good grub, good grub all around! FUHUHUHU!~" Undyne beamed. Like the others, she wore a relatively...decent sweater for the opccasion, as well as both Alphyses. Monster Kid...they couldn't really call his sweater ugly, because he looked adorable in it regardless. "Hey Frisk! What's new?"

"Muffet and Red asked out Chara and Asriel. And they accepted."

"Ooooh! How wonderful! Amazing! Spectacular!~" Alphys gushed while palming her cheeks, waving about with a wide smile.

"Goodness, they did?" Toriel asid, surprised as well. She rubbed her chin. "Then again, it was only a matter of time when it came to Chara and Muffet. Though Asriel and Red are a definite surprise..." She sighed while shaking her head. "It's not that much of an issue, but I will have to speak to them about this at some point. Just to make sure things are alright, and will be alright. I don't wish to disrupt the good mood between them by questioning it so soon."

"That might be best, Tori. They deserve to enjoy the happiness from those confessions for the time being." Asgore nodded in agreement while lightly patting Frisk's head, who smiled widely and also supported this view. Best not to question it too soon, it might scare them more than they might possibly need to be.

"Yo! Frisk!~" MK hopped a bit as he lightly bumped into Frisk, immediately gaining his attention. i heard you were doing some pretty strong training. How is that going along? Pretty great?" He asked while giddily hopping side to side...then tripping and landing flat on his face. The others flinched and went to help him up, but h managed to recover pretty quickly on his own, and was still smiling pretty wide. Frisk smiled back in return.

"Yes. It's coming along nicely. I'm not too close to the goal that I placed myself, but I'm definitely very far from how I started. Which I see as a good thing."

"Cool! I know you can do it Frisk, just keep on going, however you can!~"

Undyne snickered while gazing at the two of them, before turning to Alphys and lightly patting her head. "Heh. Sensin' all the good vibes goin' around, Al? Pretty amazing, ain't it?"

"Y-Yeah. T-Totally." Alphys murmered with a shy smile. Geno Alphys huffed while lightly nudging her counterpart's shoulder. Alphys turned towards her with a soft hush, lightly mouthing 'I know, I know!' Before she turned towards Undyne again and lightly swallowed, taking something from her sweater pocket. "H-Hey...Undyne...there's something I'd like to give you." She said softly while handing something to Undyne, a sheepish smile on her face. "I know I could have given this present earlier...but I felt like now would be a pretty good time to give it to you. Or maybe not. I was too excited to not think of any other time to do this...but I'm not going to say I regret doing things like this, because I really won't."

"Eh? Whaddya mean, Alph?" Undyne asked with an eye blink taking the present into her hands.

"J-Just open it please. I...I think you'll really like it. I mean, with the positive vibes going around just like you said, this seems like a good time to do so."

"Good time for what...?" Undyne wondered, gazing at the small present. Geno Alphys and Sans had cheeky smiles on their faces, making space for both Undyne and Alphys. Toriel and Asgore, suddenly understanding, also smiled and stepped back, gently pulling Frisk and MK along with them. Undyne found everyone's behavior a bit suspicious, though she didn't mind it too much, and proceeded to open the present. Her confusion grew at the item within. "Wait a minute...a small box? What-" She asked while she opened the small box, only to stop in her tracks and have her eye widen significantly as she sees the contents. A Wedding Ring. "Is this...oh my God..."

Alphys nervously stretched the collar of her sweater for a little bit, before she looked Undyne in the eye and gathered her nerves. "Undyne...we've been together for six years now...we've both had our ups and downs, and we'll likely continue to have them. And along with those, possible fights for our lives. It's not something I would really enjoy...but if I'm by your side, then I think I can do it. I can fight if it's alongside you. I don't know if it will ever end...but I would like to think that at one point, we'll be able to live together happily and peacefully alongside our loved ones. Either way...I do know that I want to be with you forever." Alphys said confidently while kneeling quietly before Undyne. "So, Undyne...will you marry me?" This was said with even more confidence, and that same confidence reached her eyes.

Undyne was left stunned by Alphys and her confident proposal. So she felt inwardly embarrassed once she realized that tears were beginning to brim from her eye. Through despite that, she was grinning widely, fin to fin, as she attempted to wipe those tears away while accepting the ring on her finger. "Yes...of course, Al, yes! BEST! PRESENT! EVER!" She exclaimed quite cheerfully as she picks up Alphys and happily kisses her. Alphys slides her arms around her neck and gleefully returns the kiss, her tail wagging with delight. And right at that moment, applause from humans and monsters alike sounded out around them.

Asgore was the happiest for the two of them, given how close he was to them. He believes this as he hugs Toriel with one arm, prompting her to rest her head on his shoulder as they both watched the excited Undyne happily parade Alphys around, fully believing that this gift she received was the best ever. They both experienced and watched as many new bonds were made. They could see Ribras and Rasha paw in paw, as well as the Dogi. The skeleton bros were watching on with exceptionally wide children were happy and cheerful, they've acknowledged and accepted their new friends, and it proved to be a day that new bonds were made and more common bonds have grown exponentially stronger.

A day for bonds, both old and new. That's something to treasure.

Welp. That does it for this one, readers. Hope you all enjoyed it. While not completely happy with it, I did as well. As you can see, new developments have been made, and shall be pursued with interest.~

Friends and family, they're very precious and cherished. Cherish those bonds and continue onward as they grow ever stronger.

...I'll stop. XD

For real though. Merry Christmas, or whatever holiday you celebrate this time of year! And around the beginning of next year, this tale will surely continue!~

Frisk: Holidays of Happiness all around!

Chara:...Don't be idiots. Have some hot chocolate and take care of yourselves out there, okay?

Asriel: Hope to see you all again very soon!~