:-"The calm before the Storm"-:
Frisk realizes that they didn't check their phone when they woke up…
It's dead. Frisk shrugs and gets back to making pranks with Asriel, since they have no way to charge it.
In front of them they have a diagram they are drawing, and some small example parts.
Frisk realizes that they forgot to ask Asriel the "big" question. "Hey, Asriel… Do you want your parents to know that you're alive?"
Asriel takes longer to consider it than Frisk expects, but he eventually replies, "uhh… Golly… M-maybe we should wait a little longer? We don't even have a way to get to them right now anyway."
Frisk grins, walks to the front door, and motions at the coloured dial, saying, "that isn't true! Sans made this awesome door that can take us right to my house in Stag Hill!"
Losing that excuse, Asriel tries to find some other reason to not see his parents…
He's still afraid of himself, and afraid of what they would think about his part of Chara's plan…
Not to mention all the stuff he did as a flower.
A hand is placed in his shoulder, it catches him off guard.
Frisk smiles slightly, and says, "we don't have to see them right now, we can go whenever you're ready… But, we'll have to tell them eventually. Boss monsters only age when they have living kids."
Asriel, not recognizing the pun, smiles bitterly, and says, "yea… they'll figure it out whether I want them to or not. Being alive is more terrifying than I thought it'd be."
Deciding to get his mind off of it all for a while, Asriel continues drawing his own plans for some pranks.
Frisk puts their plan aside and joins him.
They draw and plan for what feels like hours, but was actually just about thirty minutes, and get interrupted by someone opening the front door.
Asriel hides behind the couch that's against the wall, as Frisk greets their mother.
Frisk, noticing Asriel's reluctance, gets their mother's full attention, "Hi mom! Where'd you go? What's in the bags? Ohhh, are those for me? Did you remember to get more noodles? Did you-hmn!"
Marceline puts one of the bags down and places an index finger on her precious child's mouth, to make them quite down. "Frisk, you never greet me like this." She raises and eyebrow as she asks, "what are you up to, dearest child of mine? Hmm?"
Frisk looks down and plays with their feet, "nothing… Just planning pranks. Super secret pranks!"
Looking at the rest of the room, and noticing a white tuft of fur sticking out from the side of the couch, Marceline asks, "I see, yes, it does look like you are planning pranks, but this looks like the work of two adorable children. Where is your partner in crime, hmm?"
Hesitantly, Frisk replies, "n-no one! I'm planning them all by myself, I just… used both my hands to draw on more than one paper at a time! That's why some look better than the others."
Marceline smirks, and replies, while pointing at a drawing Frisk made, "I see, so, obviously these were drawn with your off hand, yes?"
Offended, Frisk says, "w-what? No! I drew those with my main hand, those were drawn with my off-hand." while pointing at a drawing Asriel made.
Asriel, having peeked out to see which drawings they were talking about, retorts in an offended tone. "H-hey! My drawings are good too!"
He immediately regrets saying anything and hides behind the couch again, hoping that maybe, just maybe, she didn't notice.
Marceline chuckles lightly.
She pats Frisk on the head and says, "you know better than to lie to me Frisk, but I am fairly certain I know why you lied this time… so, I will let it slip. Next time, however, you will be punished; do you understand?"
Frisk nods sadly, "yes, mom."
She holds the two bags out for Frisk, "please take these to the spare rooms, each bag has a mark for which room it goes in."
Nodding, Frisk takes the bags and performs the task they received.
Marceline sits on the couch, and says, "good morning Asriel, I am glad to see that you have awoken."
Having been caught, Asriel slowly makes his way out from his hiding place.
Patting the cushion next to her, Marceline says, "come, sit down."
Frisk, having completed their task, comes back into the living room and turns the mess of papers and pencils into neat stacks.
Asriel hesitates to sit on the couch next to Marceline… She looks… scary, somehow.
Scary, but beautiful; kind of like his own mom.
Tears well up in his eyes as he starts making that comparison, so Frisk comforts him.
Marceline, not aware of his history, opts to allow Frisk to handle it, but says, "You do not have to sit next to me if you do not wish to, but we have much to discuss, and I want you to know that you can be comfortable here. So, at least take a seat on recliner opposite of me."
Asriel nods, and goes to sit in the recliner.
Frisk is torn between who they want to sit next to the most…
Marceline makes their decision easier. "I think it would be good for your friend to have someone who can comfort them, do you not?"
Frisk nods, and sits with Asriel; Asriel is thankful for their support.
With the children situated, Marceline says, "now, Asriel, the most important question first. How do you feel?"
Asriel squirms in the seat as he considers the question, not wanting to talk about all the bad things he did; he opts to lie, just a little, so that she'll think everything's OK.
He hesitantly says, "I feel… OK?"
He feels really bad for lying.
Marceline doesn't make any noticeable expressions, instead she simply says, "I see."
After letting him sit in uncomfortable silence for a moment, in case he decides to change his answer, she asks, "well, it is good that you feel OK. On to the next question, do you remember anything from before you died?"
Taking full advantage of the yes or no question, Asriel simply nods in confirmation.
Once again, Marceline doesn't make any noticeable expressions when he answers.
Not waiting as long this time, she asks, "do you know how your parents are doing?"
Asriel isn't sure how to answer.
If he answers yes, it could lead to Marceline asking questions he'd rather not answer; which, in turn, might reveal that he was a murderous flower.
If she discovers that, there is no way he'll be able to stay alive for long.
Frisk unexpectedly lifts up one of his ears, and whispers something to him.
He feels much calmer now, and knows how to approach the question.
With a nod, Asriel, almost nervously, says, "yea, I died before they separated but… I can't explain why I know."
Curiosity subtly fills Marceline's eyes, and she asks, "have you, by chance, been wandering as a lost spirit this whole time; or… do you not remember?"
Asriel shrugs.
Marceline nods lightly, "I see… well, no worries. On to the next question: would you prefer to live with one of your parents, or do you want to stay here for now?"
Unsure, Asriel thinks about it for a moment.
On one hand, seeing his parents again would be very nice.
But… On the other hand, seeing his parents separated would not be very nice.
He also wants to avoid seeing them fight…
Asriel looks to Frisk, who gives him a thumbs up, and then he looks to the bedroom where he woke up…
He was awake when Chara, in that weird monotone robot voice, asked Frisk to help them stand; but he couldn't immediately recognize who it was.
At least, not until Frisk said their name.
It stung, quite significantly, when he heard Chara say that they didn't want him to know they are there.
Asriel knows Chara isn't the best person, but he still cares about them, and it doesn't erase their history.
His hesitance is palpable, so Marceline eases the burden. "I am sorry, it must be quite a hard decision for you. We will have you stay here for now, until you can decide, alright?"
Asriel nods.
Marceline looks to Frisk, and says, "Frisk darling, would you show Asriel his room?"
Frisk nods and hops off the chair, then beacons for Asriel to follow as they walk away.
Marceline makes her way to her bedroom, where she sees the oddly child-shaped pile of blankets and pillows.
She begins to uncover to poorly hidden child, and fix her bed.
As she does so, she notices that the SOCDev is strapped to them and wonders why… Then she notices that the child is awake, but not moving.
Their SOUL re-enters the detection area for the SOCDev, and Chara asks, "are you Frisk's mom?"
She nods, and replies, "yes, I am Marceline. You were Chara, the little SOUL Frisk was carrying around; and now you are Chara, the little child resting in my bed. Do you need any help getting up?"
Chara admits, "I… don't remember how to use a body. I can sorta move, because I was 'attached' to Frisk for a while, but I'm used to moving bodies that already have a SOUL."
Thinking she may understand, Marceline says, "I see, so you are used to haunting people and bending their will to your own. Well, perhaps we can help you learn how to use your body. Other than that, how do you feel?"
As bluntly as a monotone robot voice can put it, Chara says, "pretty…" Chara caught themself about to swear, then continued, "I mean uh, not that great… but it's unavoidable because of what happened. I'll be alright."
Marceline keeps her other less important questions to herself, for later, and asks, "do you have a family to go back to? If you are Chara… your mother is one of the councillors for the Elder in Stag Hill. Greta, if I am not mistaken. Who the councillors are is supposed to be a secret, but… Greta has a rather distinct mindset and voice."
Chara holds back their desire to just interrupt her and say "NO WAY" because, in their experience, interrupting adults is met with severe punishment…
Instead, they reply, as calmly as they can, "I would rather not live with them, as she and my 'father' are the reason I ran away to mount Ebott in the first place."
Concerned, Marceline says, "I see, well that certainly complicates matters. Very well, you may stay here with us. You know that Asriel is here, correct?"
A brief silence follows, but Chara eventually responds, "yea, I know. We are not on the best of terms right now. It was my plan that got us both… killed."
It was hard for Chara to admit that they made such a big mistake, but they have to face it; they have to face the consequences.
Chara tries to brace for some sort of punishment, but their body only slightly responds; despite their miniscule movement, Marceline recognises the intent. Being the best swords-women in Stag Hill, and the parent of a child that doesn't usually outwardly express themselves much, Marceline has gained a keen eye for small shifts in body language.
Marceline picks Chara up gently, and holds them close, "my, you poor child… Well, accidents and mistakes happen so all we can do is our best. I am sure you won't make the same mistake again, but, if you do, the Addams family will be here for you. Would you like to be brought out to the living room, or would you prefer to see your new room?"
Chara… doesn't know what to say. They were sure that they would be punished… Maybe she's going to get their hopes up, and then punish them in the worst way possible?
Their cheeks start to feel like something wet is going down them, and their vision gets blurry… Deciding not to allow their hopes and dreams cloud their judgement, Chara responds, "the living room is fine, thank you."
Marceline wipes the tears from Chara's face, and replies, "very well, I will try to find someone who can help you learn how to use your new body. I think it can be approached as rehabilitation."
Chara thinks to themselves, 'there it is… "rehabilitation." She probably means that they are going to punish me, and this "rehabilitation" is really going to be them forcing me to change… Maybe I should just go along with it…?'
Marceline goes out into the living room to gently lay Chara on the couch, and Chara realizes their error…
Having decided that they do not deserve a room of their own, Chara opted to go into the living room… which is where Asriel currently is.
Asriel, sitting on the living room floor with Frisk, waves weakly and says, "hey… Chara…"
Chara doesn't respond, which makes Asriel sad.
Frisk whispers something into Asriel's ear, and he responds, "Oh… Sorry, Chara, I didn't know that you… Uhm… Are we… still friends?"
Chara doesn't respond.
Asriel decides to drop it, and continues drawing up plans for pranks with Frisk.
Marceline gets ready to go into her room, but remembers something, "Oh, Frisk, Elder Corin is going to be in the Library today and wishes to speak with you about school. We are going to leave around lunch time, OK?"
Frisk, not fully paying attention, nods and confirms with a "mhm."
:-:
Post-Pre-Time-Jump Sans decides to check on the newly revived children.
He is especially curious with how Asriel is doing, given their previous state.
Deciding to go there directly, Sans takes a wrong turn and winds up entering their living room from Frisk's room.
They don't notice that he showed up, so he sneaks up behind them and says, "hey, 'sup?"
Asriel freaks out at the sound of his voice and runs into the kitchen to hide, while Frisk waves. "Not much, just making pranks with Asriel."
Frisk gestures to the crudely drawn pictures and diagrams on the floor.
Sans replies, "I see," then looks over to Chara and asks, "how're they doing?"
Frisk shrugs.
With a smirk, Sans looks over to Chara and comments, "heh, you look far more relaxed than I could ever be. it's almost as if you're asleep."
Chara comments, "I am not relaxed, I just cannot move. The SOCDev lets me talk, but I'm still basically useless right now."
Sans takes note of the information, but his curiosity is getting the better of him, so he asks, "why'd the kid run off all scared like that?"
Frisk shrugs and gets up to go ask, but Sans stops them.
Sans shakes his head, "nah, don't bother. just let 'em know that…"
He takes on a more serious tone… "As long as they aren't a problem, we won't have a problem."
Frisk nods.
Winking, Sans replies, "thanks, buddy."
In truth, Sans knows that Asriel heard him; and it was more of a warning than re-assurance.
This version of Sans can more distinctly remember what happened during Flowey's "cycle of homicidal boredom," as he has taken to calling it.
Asriel being revived is foreign territory, and so Sans is going to remain on guard, but also optimistic; if the information they have on monster SOULs is correct, he should more or less be a child again.
Given his body language, Asriel is definitely different from Flowey; and not just because he's a goat instead of a flower.
Sans can see the, metaphorical (but slightly literal), weight of Flowey's sins on Asriel's shoulders.
Tugging on his jacket gets his attention.
He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice Frisk had gotten closer.
They whisper something to him…
He grins, and replies, "heh, are you sure? you know, i'd probably join chara in veg'ing out."
A sort of chuckling sound can be heard coming from the SOCDev, "h-hey, hahaha, that was pretty funny… 'veg'ing out' 'cause I'm like a vegetable, just sitting here all useless. Hahahaha! Oh man, you're pretty funny… Hahahah…"
Sans' smile slightly lowers.
Chara has tears on their face, and Sans is pretty sure it isn't because of how hard they're "laughing" with the SOCDev.
Frisk elbows Sans, but it was unneeded…
Sighing, Sans shrugs and says, "ah, what the heck, why not." He winks, and continues, "but don't go saying i ever did anything for you, i don't want you besmirching my good name."
Frisk smiles slightly and nods with a little extra force.
Sans pats them on the head, "you're being rather quiet. i haven't seen you like this since the underground." Looking back to the kitchen, Sans asks, "is anyone giving you trouble?"
Frisk shakes their head, and whispers something to Sans, "ah… i see, so that's how it is. well, i have some very important business to attend to. those z's aren't gonna catch themselves. i'll come back for chara after dinner."
After another nod, Frisk waves goodbye to Sans as he leaves.
Sans waves back, and enters Chara's bedroom.
Thinking to himself, Sans ponders the events. 'So, "Flowey" turned Asriel remembers me. While I'm flattered, that complicates matters. I was hoping he'd lose all the memories he gained as a flower.'
Sans sighs, 'well, I guess we can't always have things our way.'
Back in the locked down section of the Sanctum, Sans reports his findings to Lucy, as well as Frisk's suggestion.
She replies, "understood. To reiterate, subject 'Flowey,' now known as 'Asriel,' has retained their memories, and Subject 'Chara' is unable to exert control over their body."
After pulling out a small tablet, she continues speaking while taping on it. "New objective: Discover the cause of gross motor function loss in Chara. Current hypothesis: Prolonged time as a SOUL caused Chara to develop motor control issues, similar to those who are bed-ridden after a major surgery."
A brief pause… Then she continues. "Frisk's suggestion to use your improved time stopping ability for accelerated rehabilitation may work to help us understand the issue faster, as well as potentially fixing it. The problem, however, is that even you cannot compress the required time into a single moment. Chara should be brought here, so that we can assist in the task."
Sans Sighs, "man… why'd i have to get myself tied up in all this? alright, i'll bring chara here."
A brief silence, interrupted by Sans, "how long do i have to keep pretending to like frisk?"
Bluntly, Lucy replies, "you should consider finding a way to like them for real. I understand your hesitance, but you need to let the issue go. CU-270 is not the same as the Addams' child. His tendency for rampant and thoughtless acts, mostly to manipulate the timeline, is not present in Frisk. They are separate entities, though they may have shared a name at several points."
Another sigh, "yea yea yea, i get it. different timeline, different person. alright, fine, i'll try to find a way to like 'em for real. don't expect any miracles."
Sans turns to leave, but stops and asks, "hey… speaking of cu-270, where is he? i expected him to butt in as usual, but i haven't seen him around since chara's resurrection."
Lucy ignores his question, instead she says, "in half of the timelines he has been to, CU-270 found some of the best paths to success through your demise; an alternate version of Frisk changed his mind, and he has been trying to make it work with you alive ever since."
Scoffing, Sans retorts, "what, you think I should be grateful?"
"No, you should just take full advantage of the life you have instead of dwelling on the past; there are many versions of you that died the moment you became a hybrid; even more who never got the chance to exist in the first place. Only a small fraction of your deaths are because of CU-270, who you know as Frisk."
Sans leaves without replying, his next task is important… he's tired and wants to take a nap.
:-:
CU-270, adrift in the void, slowly pieces his shattered SOUL back together, as grey chaotic wisps of matter pour out from it; like an ocean that had been kept back by a wooden dam.
He is unable to completely stop the DT from escaping, since pieces of his SOUL are missing. One small sliver was permanently bound to Papyrus' SOUL on accident, and three small pieces were used to repair Chara's Hollow SOUL.
Though the missing pieces are small, the impact of their absence is significant.
It is much harder to put himself back together than he anticipated…
The void being exempt from the flow of time is quite the boon for him, however.
He could take what would be a millennia to those within reality to piece his SOUL back together, but return a fraction of a second after leaving.
…But it isn't likely that he can return, his SOUL is far too scarred.
Soon he will not be able to exert any meaningful control over himself, a consequence of forcefully expelling the DT from his SOUL by breaking it apart over and over again.
He checks the timeline as he considers his options.
Two. Everything is in order.
'Sans took David's place… Good. Now we-… they only have one evil time-copy to deal with; and Sans is alive still, technically. What is left for me to do?'
One. There is nothing left for you to do.
'No… there is something else I need to do.'
Three. Rest.
Five. Your time is at an end.
Four. L et your scars heal, and your SOUL fade.
'Rest… That would be nice, but I am not done… There is something left for me to do…'
CU-270 stops trying to put his SOUL together, it is pointless.
Focusing, he holds the DT back within his SOUL, by sheer force of will, and slows the torrential outpouring of DT to be more manageable.
He remembers what he needs to do.
'There is no rest for the wicked.'
Slowly, CU-270 searches the endless void for signs of the corrupt Sans.
'I'm supposed to stop him… I'm supposed to keep him from returning… My SOUL as a sacrifice, to feed him endless DT… Enough… to destroy him.'
Moving is difficult, fortunately there is no time in the void.
Six. Unfortunately, since there is no time in the void, you will not find him.
Seven. He has not arrived, but he just left, and yet he has always been here.
Nine. Rest.
'No, I'm not… done…'
Ten. Rest…
'I… can't… accept… this…'
Eight. Everything will be okay, now rest.
"Never!"
His final defiant word echoes through the endless void.
But it is pointless.
Unable to hold the DT back any longer, CU-270's will falters and his SOUL explodes in an unending torrent of DT equivalent to the "big bang."
Instead of birthing a universe, however, it is an endless sea of grey formless matter.
And a gateway to the Forgotten.
The last thing that CU-270 sees within the torrent of formless matter, before his senses cease functioning, is Gaster.
:-:
Bernard didn't tag along with Frisk just to keep them safe, though that was quite important to him, he has another important job to do.
Now fully rested, from the long journey and his impromptu extended guard shift, Bernard goes to speak with the Elders so he can put the unrest in Stag hill to bed.
He chuckles lightly at his unexpected pun.
As he approaches where the Elders are supposed to be, he finds them missing.
A familiar feminine voice, that he hasn't heard in at least 20 years, addresses him from behind, "excuse me, Sir? If you are looking for the Elders, you can find Corin in the Library, Julian in the Garden, and Adrian at the cemetery; though, Adrian will soon be leaving to the alchemy lab, as per his usual routine."
Bernard turns around to reply, and smile as he says, "Thank you, Catarina. Could you direct me to the nearest Elder? I have something important I need to discuss regarding Stag Hill."
She smiles, and replies, "of course! If must be pretty important if you came all the way here to talk about it, but at least it isn't so bad that you could come here yourself."
With a hint of sadness, Bernard replies, "I'm not so sure it was a good idea for me to leave. I have a feeling that something is just over the horizon, but I don't know what it is."
Nudging his arm playfully, Catarina says, "well, you came here didn't you? Maybe it involves… someone here?"
Bernard sighs, "perhaps… Let us depart, it is urgent."
Catarina curtsies, and says, "of course, Sir Bernard, please follow me."
Curious, Bernard asks, "say, last I remember you were supposed to be trying to be a therapist… but you seem to be acting like a clerk, what happened?"
Shaking her head, Catarina replies, "I'm not a clerk, I am a Therapist now. I keep tabs on the Elders and other leaders, because of their jobs. Leading all these desperate people, so close to losing hope, really takes its toll."
Bernard takes on a thoughtful expression, "I see. Well, you are truly inspiring."
A moment of silence passes, as the duo walk through the halls to the Library.
Bernard is the one that breaks the silence, "I have a favour to ask."
Playfully, Catarina replies, "oh? You know, you still owe me that drink; are you sure you want to owe me more?"
Chuckling, Bernard says, "oh, hah… you… still remember that huh? Well… I wouldn't mind."
He takes on a more serious expression as he continues, "it is about Frisk, Marceline's child. They… have a lot on their little shoulders. Could you… talk to them?"
Matching his seriousness, Catarina replies, "as much as I would like to, I have to focus on the Elders and other leaders. Besides, you know I've never been good with kids."
Sighing, Bernard replies, "yea, I remember… Could you make an exception, just this once? I am sure you will understand my insistence when you meet them, and if not I'll get you as many drinks as you could desire."
Catarina considers the request, and replies, "it must be significant for you to go that far… I only wanted that stupid drink because… Never mind, it isn't important. I'll talk to them, if only to see which therapist would be better suited for them."
Happily, Bernard says, "thank you, Catarina."
The two continue to the Library in silence. It isn't much longer before they arrive.
As Bernard and Catarina turn the corner to walk through the door, Bernard hears Frisk whispering something to someone. He can't tell what they are saying, but shortly after he hears Marceline reply.
He can't tell what she said either.
Catarina and Bernard weave through the library to find Elder Corin, and see that two others are with him.
Catarina speaks first, "Elder, Sir Bernard would like to speak with you."
She prepares to leave, not feeling entirely comfortable around the new people, but Bernard stops her.
Gently grabbing her arm, he tells her, "this is Conrad's wife, Marceline, and their child, Frisk."
Catarina turns back around and curtsies with an embarrassed look, "I am terribly sorry, I didn't recognize you… A-actually… Uh, sorry… we haven't met yet… Sorry…"
Marceline smiles and lifts an eye brow in amusement, "don't be sorry dear, it is a pleasure to meet you."
Bernard speaks again, "Marceline, this is Catarina-"
Catarina curtsies again as her face goes red from embarrassment, "I am terribly sorry, I forgot to tell you my name."
Bernard clears his throat, "no need to worry Catarina, but please be quieter; we are in a library. As I was saying, this is Catarina, she is a therapist. She primarily works with leaders, and others who have difficult decisions and important roles, so I thought she would be a good fit for Frisk. Just as someone to talk to about their worries…"
Marceline contemplates the proposal… "Hmm, while I do agree that Frisk needs to speak to someone, and I am not well prepared to do so, it is ultimately up to Frisk."
Catarina nods and says, "a therapist can't help if you don't want them to. Anyway, let's not get ahead of ourselves here, I don't think I'm a good fit; speaking to children is not my strong suit."
Frisk retorts, "that's fine, I don't think I'm gonna talk to a therapist anyway; I wouldn't want to make them need therapy too," then returns to the book they are holding.
Catarina is intrigued by the comment. "You're a sassy little thing, aren't you?"
Frisk shrugs, "I guess… I'm trying to study magic right now, so I don't have time to talk."
Bernard sighs, and takes Catarina away from the others, then whispers, "Frisk is under a lot of pressure, they…"
He looks around for anyone who may over hear him, "Frisk is the Red-"
With a sad expression, Catarina interrupts him, "I can tell… The book they were holding can't be found down here, it's from the Red Tower. I've only been there once, but I'd remember that book anywhere…"
Bernard places a hand on her shoulder, "so then you know that you are a good fit for them… Please, consider speaking with them."
Catarina sighs, "I can only help the willing. If Frisk doesn't want to talk, I can't make them talk… I'll try. I have some free time tomorrow, so I'll put the time aside and try to get Frisk's trust. But no guarantees."
Bernard smiles lightly, "thank you, Catarina… So… About that drink."
Catarina is hardly able to hold in her laughter, and is met with multiple people shushing her.
Hidden among books and scrolls, a sinister smile creeps across an intruders face as he watches his prey.
Frisk feels a chill down their spine, but tries to ignore it.
Bernard notices their discomfort, and also feels as though something sinister is nearby.
He doesn't act, but he keeps himself at the ready.
Catarina dismisses herself, and Bernard sits with the elder to discuss about possibly sending people to Stag Hill to help quell the unrest.
The Elder denies his request, "we cannot spare anyone at this time, not even a janitor. Besides, force will not solve this problem; force caused this problem."
Bernard sighs…
:-:
Dinner time rolls around and, as promised, Sans stops by to get Chara.
Other people are with him this time.
Chara feels hesitant to go, at first, but Frisk reassures them, "don't worry Chara, Sans won't do anything bad to you."
Sans chimes in, "yea, there's no reason for me to give you a bad time; right?"
Though it seems to have been intended to make Chara feel better, that comment makes Chara feel even more wary of Sans.
With the brief and uncomfortable moment over, Sans tells the others with him, "c'mon, we need to get this over with as soon as possible."
Sans' assistants go over to Chara and gently lift them up, then follow Sans as he begins to depart.
Frisk stops him, "hey Sans, wanna join me for a prank tomorrow?"
Looking back, Sans gives them a wink and says, "sure, pal," and then continues to depart.
After a moment, Sans, Chara, and the helpers, all arrive in a new location within the Sanctum.
Sans opens a door, which leads to another room full of skeletons, various equipment, and a table full of magic food.
The people carrying Chara place them down in a chair and remove their disguises, revealing themselves to also be skeletons.
Chara isn't surprised. They stay on guard, expecting this to be something more to change who they are; or to punish them.
Sans and the other skeletons all seem to work together to manipulate some sort of magic, and time in the room comes to a halt.
Chara's rehabilitation has begun.
A couple skeletons, dressed like doctors, come over to Chara and speak to them. "We are going to try standard rehabilitation to see if it will help you relearn how to speak and move, is that OK?"
Chara attempts to speak through the SOCDev, but they find that it is frozen and won't respond… Chara starts to panic, thinking the worst.
One of the Skeleton doctors looks to Chara's SOUL and recognizes that they are trying to talk, and responds, "Ah, it seems that the time stop has an adverse effect on electronics. We didn't expect that, sorry."
The other comments, "Well, if you object to us helping you, move your SOUL towards me. Other wise, move your SOUL towards my college. We are going to help you learn how to move your body again, as well as speak."
Chara thinks for a moment, sure that it must be some sort of trick, but moves their SOUL towards the college; even if it is a trick, they will at least play along with it.
The two doctors nod, and begin pressing on parts of Chara's arms and legs while giving instructions.
The first week goes by rather smoothly, and Chara gets a hang of moving their various limbs around, including their head. Chara remains on guard.
The next week is rougher as they focus on trying to help Chara speak on their own without the SOCDev, since it is inoperable within the field of stopped time. Chara's guard is slowly dropping…
By the end of the second week, Chara is able to talk at a slow but steady pace and they have accepted the reality of the situation; these skeletons are not here to force them to be someone else, they are really here to help them. Chara is happy… and a little bit sad.
The third and fourth weeks are excruciating… Chara never knew how hard it was to actually walk, but by the end of it they are able to walk at a slow pace. They have been given a "walker" to help them balance.
Time is resumed, and some of the Skeletons swap out with others. Chara can tell due to subtle differences in bone structure.
Sans takes a nap.
The table of food is also refilled.
Some adjustments are made to the equipment, and the process is continued.
Time is stopped again after a few hours, and the two doctor skeletons continue to help Chara as they go through rehabilitation.
Chara wonders why they didn't do this to teach Frisk everything they need to know before the Barrier breaks open… but doesn't ask.
Instead, they try to use magic to see if one of their theories is correct.
It doesn't work.
Chara concludes that teaching Frisk magic in the time stop bubble wouldn't work, since Frisk needs to practice magic after learning it. If Frisk were to cram all the book knowledge they can about magic, it wouldn't do any good; they have to use it to really learn it.
The rehabilitation continues for a few more weeks, and by the end of it Chara is able to walk around without a walker. They can also talk with as much ease as anyone else.
They still find their movement to be slower and less precise than they'd like it to be, since they occasionally fall still.
After the doctor skeletons make note of Chara's progress, the time stop is released.
The skeletons who participated in halting time all look exceptionally tired, especially Sans who fell asleep the moment the time stop was released.
Chara is concerned for Sans, since he hasn't eaten this whole time…
Their concern is set aside, because they are guided back to the Addams' apartment with some disguised companions.
Upon Chara entering the apartment, the guides leave.
Chara worries for a moment that they are in the wrong place… But then Frisk pokes their head out from around the corner leading to the bedrooms.
A dark shape stands from the recliner, as a fire ignites in a lamp, which startles Chara.
Marceline beckons for Chara to follow her.
Frisk giggles over Chara's reaction and says, "don't worry, she does that all the time."
Hesitantly, and slowly, Chara makes their way over and follows Marceline to a room.
Chara halts outside of the door, and asks, "would it… would it be OK for me to sleep in Frisk's room? I… don't want to sleep alone, and I've spent so much time with them that it feels weird to be apart…"
Marceline nods, "that would be fine, let me get some things from your room."
Chara decides to help, not wanting to be a burden.
With a blanket in their arms, they walk with Marceline to Frisk's room.
Upon entering, they see that Frisk has vacated their bed and set up a sleeping mat for themself.
Marceline comments, "that is very sweet of you Frisk," and places the spare mat in the corner of the room after placing Chara's pillow on the bed.
After Marceline leaves, Chara stands in the doorway awkwardly.
They feel bad for making Frisk feel like they have to sleep on the floor, and are regretting wanting to sleep in the same room.
Frisk comments, "you don't have to sleep in the bed if you don't want to, but I've already moved my stuff so I'm not gonna sleep there."
Chara decides to join Frisk on the floor, and sets up the mat with a generous amount of space between theirs and Frisks. They don't want to intrude.
As the two slowly drift to sleep, Chara says, "thanks, Frisk."
Frisk replies softly, "mhm."