Chapter Nine: Prying Game
It had been five days since the mauve girl began her stay at the lab. Whenever she wasn't watching anime with Alphys, Devia was observing her while she did a few of her smaller projects. Her comprehension of their language grew faster as a result, though she was still slow to respond to some things. But while Devia was here, not once has she ever fawned over or was at beck and call of the star that also took residence there. Unlike anyone else in the Underground, Devia was rather quiet towards him. Mettaton had assumed that she was just too shy to approach him herself. For him, that seemed like the most probable answer, given his popularity. She was getting along great with Alphys so far, but she might come around to the robot eventually. However, eventually was not a word in Mettaton's vocabulary. His curious side was beginning to take center stage with the small lady being the co-star. There was a code to Devia, and he was determined to crack it.
Devia sat on the couch with a hairbrush and in a new button shirt and shorts. Her hair was still rather damp from the water she used to clean herself with, so she figured she should try to get as many tangles out as possible. Norgav hair wasn't an easy feat to manage, but it had to be done. It puzzled her how the two could own so many hair products, but then again it was Mettaton who patented them. She picked the products with the least amount of aromas to them, since she learned the hard way that Norgav hair doesn't respond well to strong flavors. After a brief lecture from Alphys about how shampoo and conditioner weren't meant for consumption (heaven knows why she thought it would be a good idea to try it in the first place), Devia had finally learned their proper purpose. Though occasionally when the others weren't around, she would take a small bite of the goop. It had the consistency of paste, but it reminded her of the food she'd eat at home.
"Hello, gorgeous." Mettaton winked.
"Hello, Mettaton." Devia smiled up at him.
"Can I ask you something, darling?" Mettaton asked as he sat next to her.
"Sure. What is it?" Devia put down the brush.
"Do you know me?"
Devia thought that this was a rather strange question to ask, but she answered anyway. "Well, yes, I do. You and Alphys brought me to the Lab."
"No no, not like that." Mettaton shook his head. "I mean, surely you must have heard about me from somewhere before we met, right?"
Devia shook her head. "No."
With that, Mettaton could feel his pride start to shatter. Just how in the world would she not be able to recognize his name? He was one of the most beloved of creatures here, after all. He jumped out from of his seat. "W-what do you mean 'no'? I'm one of the biggest names in the Underground!"
"But... you are a robot, are you not?" Devia responded naively.
Mettaton ignored her comment to ramble some more. "That's not the point right now. Everyone here knows about me in some way or another! How is it that you, out of all monsters that I run into, couldn't even tell who I was by name alone?"
"I-I'm sorry, but we don't have... anything... of that kind." Devia got up as tried to find the right words for what she was saying.
If his suspicions weren't raised before, they certainly were now. Mettaton raised an eyebrow. "'We'? Who is this 'we'? Do you mean to say that you're not the only one who hasn't been graced by my presence?"
"W-well, I.. um... yes."
"That certainly explains a lot." Mettaton muttered rather arrogantly. "I'm assuming you and your family don't go out much, then."
"Um... yes, sure. That's it." Devia went with his assertion.
"Come to think of it, I don't think I've seen anyone like you around here before." Mettaton put his chin in his hand. "Just where exactly are you from, anyway?"
Devia's security vanished in one fell swoop. She moved away from him the more he scanned her. Her mind began to stumble over the words that she should be saying to him. Should she tell him about the Hub? What would her parents and friends say to that, though? Her parents, especially her mother, would be furious at the idea of someone on the outside finding them out. Devia herself had a hard enough time fitting in with her own kind, so that could only mean danger if a stranger were to discover her home. And what would this robot do? As far as Devia was concerned, Alphys was completely harmless. Even if Alphys did try to harm her, it wouldn't amount to much. What if Mettaton ended up having his way there? Or worse, the other Norgavs having their way with him?
"I'm... from..." Devia then started making an up and down waving motion with her hand. She struggled with her inner turmoil to try and get out that one word that was slipping away from her. Where was she at when she first jumped into that body of water?
"Waterfall?"
"Y-yes, Water-fall. That is.. my home." Devia nodded anxiously. She hoped that this would be the end of it, but Mettaton wasn't exactly buying her story.
"Are you sure?" Mettaton asked skeptically as he put a hand on his hip.
"Y-yes! Yes, why.. wouldn't... it be?" Devia got rather defensive.
Mettaton stayed silent for a short while. "You're lying to me, aren't you?"
"What? N-no! Why should I lie?" Devia shrugged nervously and tried to keep her composure.
"Last time I remember, those from Waterfall don't speak in the same language as yours, let alone share the same markings." Mettaton glared slightly. He slowly got closer to her as he almost had Devia's back to the wall. Her heart was now beating faster than ever and she felt caged. The space between the two was almost nonexistent now. Mettaton's voice was now low.
"Now, you're going to tell me where you're really from, and what you really are."
"Devia!" Alphys called her name from upstairs, completely oblivious to what was going on below her. "Could you help me out over here?"
"C-coming!" Devia exclaimed right back. Now was her chance to finally get away from him, and she took it in a millisecond.
That young woman left Mettaton with more questions than ever before. It now became an issue of getting her to tell him the truth. Who knows what else she could be lying about to both of them? What if this was all just a big sham to leech off of his and Alphys' kindness? But more importantly, he was more determined than ever before to show Devia the magnificence of the almighty Mettaton.
~~~
Throughout the rest of the day, Devia tried her hardest to avoid any kind of interaction with Mettaton. When she wasn't stuck to Alphys like glue, her new-found obsession with anime was being enabled. This time, she was watching an anime about furry creatures called 'wolves'. They had very majestic eyes, yet she was afraid of them. Mettaton peeked out of his room and watched her carefully. He knew she was hiding something from him. Perhaps it was much bigger than he originally thought. Whatever it was, he had to get to the bottom of it. He waltzed up behind the couch and leaned over the top of it.
"What are you watching, darling?" The sound of Mettaton's voice made Devia jump a little. She turned to see him and then quickly eyed back to the DVD box. What on earth did he want this time?
"Oh, um.. just.. this. Cry of The Wolves." Devia repeated the show's title. She handed Mettaton the box so that he could see what it was about. The box art showed a pack of wolves that looked like they were going to leap out at whoever saw them. Mettaton glanced at the box and then at Devia.
"Hm... Would you mind if I watched this with you? It seems... interesting," he said, hoping she wouldn't realize that he really didn't care for anime at all. Before she could reply however, he came around and sat beside her.
Devia sighed as she tried to keep calm. She knew that he must have wanted something from her, but Devia was determined to keep it under lock and key. She simply tried to focus on the show, as it was now five minutes into the next episode. One of the packs was now plotting out a mutiny against their leader after the horrible acts they committed while associated with him. Mettaton scooted a little closer, resting his arm behind Devia on top of the couch. Devia became uncomfortable by how close he was to her, so she moved slightly away from him, but near him enough as to not offend him.
"Are you enjoying the show?" he asked. I have to find just the right moment to approach the subject. Hm... "Do you have...anything similar to this where you're from? A television even?"
Devia nodded lightly at his first question. But when he asked about the television part, she began to grow suspicious again. Why else would he ask such a question relating to glowing boxes?
"Just... one." She answered vaguely with her pointer finger.
"Just one? What do they usually show?" Mettaton lifted an eyebrow. This was going to be far more difficult than he anticipated. So much for trying to be subtle.
"Um, just... the news." Devia turned her head to Mettaton. This was only half true, but she couldn't think of anything else to say. That big screen in the epicenter of the Hub was only used for announcements from the current Norgav leader. It got quite tiring to see his face on there every few minutes.
"Huh... Does a whole lot happen where you're at?"
Devia shook her head slowly and tentatively. Perhaps the shorter the reply, the sooner she could shake him off. She almost missed the part where the alpha wolf attacked another wolf. Devia cringed a little at one of the blows as one of the wolves whined. "No."
"Sounds like it must be awful boring there. If you ask me, you're lucky to have shown up here instead." Mettaton grinned slightly as he inched closer to her, much to Devia's annoyance. Devia tried to keep focused on her show, but the thought of Mettaton trying to ask any more questions was really getting under her skin. Mettaton, on the other hand, tried to come up with more ways to find more about this girl. "Please tell me you at least have some hobbies."
"Hobbies?" Devia tiled her head when she looked up at him.
"You know, stuff you or others like to do for fun. Enjoyment."
"Fun..." Devia let the word slip out. Now that she really thought about it, the concept of the word was unfamiliar. Forbidden, even. If it didn't benefit the bigger picture, there was no chance that anyone would be allowed to get away with it.
"Like, do your family and friends do anything together?" Mettaton tried to make the previous question more specific. Maybe then he would find something.
Devia fell silent at the mention of those two things. She brought her legs closer to her body and looked at the screen with a more frantic look in her eyes. Mettaton analyzed her. There was definitely a clue to be found in her expressions.
"S-sometimes..." Devia replied in a hushed voice.
Something in Mettaton's gut predicted that what she said was a lie. The prospect of Devia not having any real sense of fun at all suddenly didn't sound too far fetched. A little conspiracy began to develop in his mind. He was now starting to get a little impatient. Perhaps now would be the best time to tackle a harder question.
"You really are hopeless, aren't you darling?" Though he probably didn't intend on it, the inquiry ended up sounding condescending.
"What do you mean?" Devia asked.
"Sheltered. Inexperienced. My stars, you sound like you don't even know what a life is."
"I have a life..." Devia grew offended.
"Honestly, are you really this naive? Or is this seriously all a ruse to rob us blind?"
"Mettaton!" Devia exclaimed, an upset tone in her voice. "What are you talking about?!"
"You know exactly well what I'm talking about!" Mettaton's agitation was showing through. "I know you're hiding something, and you're gonna tell me what it is right now!"
Devia scowled and her teeth were bared. Using a section of hair as a third hand, she slapped the robot as her head moved with the swift action. Her hair retreated to her body before Mettaton could process the force of the impact. Mettaton's head was turned to the side, his face now expressionless. Devia's scowl now turned sadly fearful. What was he going to do now? More specifically, what was he going to do to her?
"That hair of yours..." Mettaton began speaking again as he stood up. His voice sounded calm. "It really is something else, isn't it?"
Devia instinctively put her hair behind her shoulders. Something wasn't feeling right. "Why does it matter?"
Mettaton looked over at her violet locks. "It definitely looks like it has a few uses. But as long as you're staying here, I can't allow to have any more outbursts like that happen again. What if Alphys were to suddenly get in harm's way?"
Devia shrunk against the couch. "I.. I don't know..."
"Obviously something needs to be done about that." Mettaton started to walk away to the other side of the lab. Devia got on her knees and stared. Mettaton had his back turned to her. She then heard shuffling noises. Her heart was beating in anticipation. What was he doing over there?
He eventually came back with a strange contraption. Two steel sheets brushed against and away from each other. She didn't know what he was trying to do, but Devia didn't want any part of it. The closer he got with it, the further she stepped away.
"Mettaton... what is that?"
"Haven't you ever heard of scissors before, darling?"
"W-what are you going to do...?"
"Oh, just a simple trim. Maybe a haircut if the creative juices allow it." Mettaton said nonchalantly, not seeming to notice or care about Devia's scared nature. "Plus, no offense, you kind of look like you need one."
"M-Mettaton, please! I-I'm sorry! It will not happen again!" Devia brought her hands up.
"Really, now?" Mettaton grabbed Devia's arm. It was now a battle of physical strength. Who would come out the winner? Would the robot actually go through with it? Devia began to panic more and more as the twin blades got closer to her hair.
On sheer impulse, Devia grabbed Mettaton's wrist and turned around to face him. "Really! Now get those things away from me!"
Mettaton fought back after being caught off guard. His voice was lowered and more sinister. "Don't press your luck. I could be doing much worse things to you right now."
"Mettaton!" Devia got angry.
"Just let me cut it!" The two began to fight over the scissors.
"No!"
"Just hold still!"
"I don't want this!"
"Don't be ridiculous!"
"I said NO!"
Devia lost her balance and her grip on Mettaton's hand. It was as if a strong breeze flew in and knocked her over. As she was trying to figure out what just happened, she frantically felt a stinging sensation on her palm and cheek. She gasped at she saw on the palm of her hand. There was now a gray milky substance on it. Devia started to whimper softly. His arm was extended. It was in this moment that Mettaton immediately started to regret his decision. All he wanted to do was dig a little deeper. He didn't want it to go this far. He didn't mean to hurt her in this way. Mettaton tried to hold her in his arms, but to no avail. Devia managed to break away from his grip and gain some distance from him. She looked at him with wet eyes and her fingers digging into her arms.
"Devia..." Mettaton came closer, but Devia shook her head. The more he talked, the more she wanted to get away. She finally broke away from her still anxiousness long enough to find Alphys.
"Devia, wait!" Mettaton started to follow her, but stopped after a few steps. A wave of guilt fell over him as he watched her disappear. He repeatedly asked himself what he had done. Even he didn't know.
~~~
Ever since that day, Devia would either stay put in her room or be around Alphys when she needed assistance. There was no way that she was chancing going near that robot again. The few times they did meet were purposely cut short by Devia, not like they lasted that long anyway. Any and all attempt at a conversation was denied in favor of something else. Devia wanted nothing to do with Mettaton, and Alphys was debating whether or not she should do something about this current situation. Thankfully, she didn't have to do anything on this day.
Mettaton had just come back to the lab after doing some filming over at the studio. The girls watched the robot change from his box form to his EX form. He looked like he was carrying some sort of basket as he came closer. Devia prepared to give the cold shoulder to him once more. But something seemed different about him today. He didn't appear to be as upbeat as usual. Instead, he looked rather somber. Upset, even. Alphys also noticed this and thought it was rather strange.
"I didn't know what size you wore," Mettaton set the basket down on the empty seat next to Devia. "So I just brought whatever I could find."
"Um...Thank you?" Devia confusedly acknowledged his gift and looked to Alphys again. Why did he bring so many strange fabrics to her? She put down the ramen cup and started inspecting what was in the basket.
Mettaton sighed. "I wanted to... apologize for my behavior yesterday. What I did- or, tried to do- was uncalled for."
"Very uncalled for." Devia glared slightly as Alphys nodded in agreement, refusing to look at him directly.
"Yes, yes I know. I shouldn't have tried to pry into you like that. If I had known how important your hair was to you, then I wouldn't have tried to change anything." Mettaton paused. "What I'm trying to say is... I'm..."
"You are... what?" Devia could have sworn she had heard something else.
"I'm... su.." The last part was muted out by his mumbling.
"Huh?" Devia only became more perplexed.
"I'm suh... I'm s-su..." Mettaton tried to force the words out through his half clenched teeth. "I'm sor... I'm.. sorry. I am sorry."
Alphys' jaw practically dropped to the floor. Mettaton was acknowledging he made a mistake? And apologizing for it? This was enough to make her do a double take. Devia was also taken back by this with the now surprised look on her face.
"You... truly are sorry?" Devia wanted to reaffirm this.
"Yes, Devia, I truly am." Mettaton sighed. "I'm sorry for being a jerk to you. I overstepped my boundaries and I should have realized that sooner."
Devia gave him a sympathetic look. Not even she was used to this sort of admittance. Mettaton's sincerity made it that much easier to have his words be taken to heart. Perhaps she may have overreacted. He most likely didn't know any better in that given situation, though he may have had good intentions. Alphys gave Devia a look as if to ask if the two wanted to be alone to talk. Devia nodded, and Alphys silently excused herself. It was just her and the robot now. Though slightly nerve wracking, Devia knew that Alphys would be nearby just in case.
"It's really that important to you, isn't it?" Mettaton sat down the same time Devia did. Her eyes were aimed at the ground and her lower lip met her teeth. She nodded.
"Hair... is vital to our way of life..." Devia tenderly explained. "Where I am from. So yes."
Mettaton remembered back to when Devia first came to the lab. Though it was purely out of self defense, he could tell that the way she used it was part of its use. "So... is your hair also a weapon?"
Devia slowly looked back up at him. "In most cases, yes. Now it is my turn to ask you something."
Mettaton raised an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"
"Why are you so concerned about where I come from?"
The robot was speechless. The least he could do was be honest to her in this situation, but wholeheartedly admitting he didn't trust her would once again set the wrong mood. For all he knew, she might have had the same amount of distrust, if not more so. Part of Mettaton wanted to see if there was anything below the surface, but when confronted with the question he realized there was another side to it.
"I wanted to know more about you." Mettaton sighed.
There was a brief moment of silence between the two. Neither were sure of how to continue the conversation at this point. Devia was confused at his ways for asking about her. Mettaton thought she had some kind of malicious plan. It was an awkward place for both of them at this point in time. Devia only continued to go between looking at him and looking at her fingers. Mettaton waited for her to finally say something to him. Did he do something wrong again?
"You are forgiven." Devia said quietly.
"Please don't give me the cold shoulder again, darling I-" Mettaton paused. "I am?"
"Yes. But you won't be the next time." Devia nodded and looked into his eyes. Her voice gradually sounded more stern at the end. Devia looked back down at the table, her mind focusing on a different task.
"Thank you." Mettaton felt relieved. But at the same time, the guilt still lingered. There had to be something more he could do in order to make up for it. He wanted to reach for her hand, but hesitated. "But I know words alone can't fix this. Is there anything I can-"
"You have... done enough." Devia shook her head. With those final words, she took her new belongings and placed them into her room.
Mettaton sat down by himself. He ran his fingers through his hair as he thought things over. In retrospect, it was understandable that she hadn't quite gotten comfortable around him yet. What happened those few days ago certainly didn't help matters any. No matter what Devia said, he was determined to find a way to make things right. But how do you reconcile with someone whose culture you know nothing about? That would certainly be something new, but his mind was already dead set. He was going to stop the prying and start trying.