Things were improving. Day by day, week by week, things were improving. Hope filled the village; building work rapidly moved forwards, and many were finished. So used to building and excited at having so much space, the monsters pondered what to build next; and while many found themselves in other jobs, there were enough to keep the momentum going.
There were a couple of small shops; but the monsters decided to start building closer to the nearest human town. Frisk had mentioned making it easier for humans to visit without disrupting the lives of the monsters- certainly the internet was active with discussion about them, and there was the possibility of earning money and improving relations- even if the risk of being gawked at was a realistic one. There was also talk of all sorts of additions- shops to sell human goods, places to go and do... things, although ideas on what those things should be were divided.

The schoolhouse was finished, as was Alphys' lab; and Frisk started attending at around the same time Alphys moved up to the surface. They were reluctant at first, but with a variety of monsters volunteering to teach, and more monster children than they'd ever seen together, it was much more interesting than learning at home. All the monster kids- no matter their ages- wanted to be Frisk's friend, and they found themself in the very odd and uncomfortable position of being popular amongst their peers. Stories of how Frisk had saved them all by being nice even when some monsters hated them went around the school- most of them were far removed from reality, and some of them confused Frisk as to how they even came to be dreamed up. But all the kids knew two things for sure- Frisk had saved them, and it was by being all the things their parents told them to be- smart, and careful, and nice to everyone. Frisk decided that if they were going to be copied, that wasn't unpleasant to live with.
Their nightmares still came and went, and they were also having occasional panic attacks- ones which they'd experienced before, but had managed to hide. But they were getting better, more infrequent; and although they still often slept in the same room as someone, they didn't make a habit of sharing beds any more. It seemed to bother some of their friends- especially Alphys and Undyne, who tended to prefer to share their beds with each other- and although Frisk didn't entirely understand why it was an issue to their friends, they did know it made them feel like a child. Sans was the only real exception, and Frisk knew why, although they never discussed it- he often had nightmares too. He would make allusions to a time when Frisk wouldn't be happy to sleep in the same bed as him any more, although they didn't understand that either.

Before Frisk knew it, it had been six months. Winter was starting to settle in, and Toriel was starting to fuss over them going out barefoot; Papyrus was starting to get excited for the holidays, and Frisk felt an uncomfortable mixture of excitement and dread over the season. They were so used to feeling left out at Christmas- and from what they understood, although the monsters had some understanding of the various winter holidays, they didn't celebrate it quite the same. They'd decided to shift their own celebration to the winter season, partly to match up with the humans; and Frisk didn't quite know how to feel about it. Sometimes they wanted to pretend it wasn't happening at all, and sometimes they wanted to share in Papyrus' giddy joy and celebrate their first holiday with their family.

Something happened before that to put all thoughts of the holidays out of their mind. On the six month anniversary of their meeting Mayor Eastaugh, she wanted to visit their new village. Everyone was bustling to make the place presentable- although, Frisk thought, she would probably never like it, for the very reasons they loved it. The paths were lined with rough stones, with thick, luminescent moss growing along all the cracks and along the edges, courtesy of Asgore. He'd also managed to breed and plant glowing mushrooms along the main paths, placed at intervals not dissimilar to human streetlights.
The houses themselves were varied. Many were made of stone that had been melted together by the efforts of the fire monsters; or stuck together with a slurry the Moldsmals had made out of rock and... their own bodies. Other monsters had burrowed underground, making careful dens, most too small for an adult human to visit; but still made to be lovely little homes... according to the tastes of the owners, at least.
Even the trees were home to monsters, the tiniest living inside them; but a thick group of trees had been used to support the largest structure, and bridges of strong webbing and wood crossed out to other trees, some with built structures; some even had patient monsters encouraging the tree to grow into the shape of the framework. It was varied, and different, and so unlike anything in the human world.
There wasn't even a road to it. The mayor would be able to come some of the way up the mountain by car- further if it was an off-road vehicle- but she would have to abandon it and walk through the woods, in her suit, with her delicate shoes and pristine hair. The monsters did the same without fuss, but Frisk had trouble imagining it of the mayor. The monsters managed to lay stones to make a path up to the village in a very short time, winding through the trees, but it wasn't enough for a vehicle.

Frisk expected to be asked to be in attendance, but they weren't pleased when they were proved right. They looked at themself in the mirror the afternoon before. Their hair had grown long enough to tie out of the way in a high ponytail, and Toriel had taken them to get it neatened and to get new clothes. There wasn't much that could be done with their messy fringe; they wanted to grow that out too, but it was still too short to tie back; in the end, the hairdresser had simply tidied it, so it would lie in front of their ears when their hair was tied up. When they first looked in the mirror they thought it made them look too much like a girl, though, so they'd chosen some very drab "boy's clothes" to balance it out. Toriel had sewn a few bright scarves from some light fabrics they'd chosen over the past few months; and if they felt like the outfit was too boyish instead, they intended to tie one around their waist.

Looking at themself in the mirror, they regretted their choice. They mostly had durable clothes in their wardrobe- many patched from being torn running through the woods, or worn out from exercising with Undyne, or stained from cooking with Papyrus. They didn't really have much that was "nice", other than the scarves Toriel had made for them and the top that Mettaton had given them- and that wasn't smart enough for the event or warm enough for the season. They were wearing the shirt and trousers, and they had a warm coat, but they looked so dull, so wrong; the shoes were put away, but they didn't want to think of them either. They sat down heavily. Why was it so hard to find clothes that were... right?

They had a sudden idea. It might be too late for the next day- but it didn't hurt to try! Frisk grabbed up their phone- a much newer one than the one Toriel had given them. They'd gathered their own collection of gold coins while travelling the Underground, and only selling one had given more money than they could have imagined. So far, a second-hand phone had been the only thing they'd bought themself- and Toriel had told them off even for that, saying that she could have bought it instead.
They sent a quick message, complaining of how awful their clothes were. They got a reply almost immediately- of course Mettaton would understand. Frisk quickly changed, threw the clothes and scarves into their bag, and ran to Mettaton's house. He spent more time in human society than anyone else, often staying away, but he'd wanted to be home for the mayor's visit.

He ushered them in and took a look at the clothes. "Darling, you're right, these are dire! Why would you pick these out? Especially after getting such a stunning hair cut! You should have asked me to come along."
"I... thought my hair made me look too much like a girl. But, uh, these clothes make me... look too much like a boy, instead." Frisk flushed. "That probably sounds stupid."
"Completely ridiculous, darling. What matters is that you look like you, isn't it?"
Frisk sat on the arm of the sofa; it was neat and clean, like most things in Mettaton's house, and it looked like it had barely been sat on. The only guests Frisk knew Mettaton had had were Napstablook and Shyren- neither of whom sat on anything- and Papyrus and Alphys. "I just... I don't want people to look at me and see a boy or a girl."
"Nobody here does, Frisk darling. They just see you."
Frisk smiled earnestly at that. "Yeah, I know. But," their smile faded, "humans aren't like that. They like to put people in boxes, to understand them better. And, uh, some humans are fine with understanding when you don't fit their boxes. But some... Well, I want to look like I don't fit either box. If that makes any sense."
"I think so, lovely, and it's okay. We can do something with these! Well... Maybe not with these, but we can get you something that's much more 'you' for tomorrow!"
"For... tomorrow? Are you sure?"
"We'll absolutely try, darling!"
"I was originally going to wear a scarf, as a sash, but it just looked... Stupid."
"That's a fabulous idea, we can definitely work with that. What colour is your scarf?"

Frisk pulled a drawstring bag out of their backpack. The scarves inside were made of a light, airy material, made for decoration rather than warmth. Mettaton had to have seen Frisk wearing one before; rather than risk ruining them while in the forest or rough-housing with Undyne or Papyrus, they tended to keep them for school days or special occasions, and Mettaton occasionally visited the schoolhouse.
Mettaton deftly picked out a light blue one. "Ahh, yes, this is your favourite colour, yes?" He tilted his head so his hair swung, exposing both eyes and winked, leaving Frisk confused.
"Uh, I like it? But I also like green- it reminds me of the forest. But it's a bit boring by itself. And red, and purple. And white. And- I guess I like lots of colours, but it depends what they're with."

Mettaton had lost his sly expression. "Well, these trousers are... They're boring, darling, but if you want to look neat by absurd human standards, then you might need boring trousers. Unless you want a skirt?" Frisk shook their head emphatically. "Didn't think so. And- oh. No, these shoes won't do at all, will they?" Frisk blushed, wondering why they ever picked them out. "No, no, these shoes aren't you at all. Yes, we will need to go shopping!"
"Oh- are you sure we have time?" Frisk looked at their phone. It was almost four.
"Darling, don't you know? At this time of year, the humans go shopping-mad! The shops will be open late." He held the clothes out for Frisk to pack back up. "Go on Frisk, go and tell Toriel where we're going while I book a taxi. I'll treat you to dinner as well, for letting me dress you!"

Frisk didn't spend much time with Mettaton, on the whole. It wasn't so much the trying-to-kill-them thing; Asgore and Undyne had done the same, Alphys had definitely put them in harm's way, even Papyrus had tried to "capture" them. It was partly that they had so little in common, and partly because he was just so... exhausting to be around, and Frisk never knew what to say. So Toriel was a bit surprised by their request- and a little upset when they explained why, since she had bought them the clothes. Frisk sighed, trying to explain when they didn't even know the words themself. In the end, Toriel just accepted that they had trouble finding clothes they liked, and gave them some spending money- along with telling them that she would help them with clothes in future, especially if they could draw ideas of what they wanted for her.

Mettaton fit in in the town better than most monsters. He was gaining quite a fan following online, but in his preferred form he looked more human than most other monsters. It wasn't long before he was recognised and they were approached; but he courteously waved his fans off, saying he was spending time with his "good friend". Frisk was grateful. They didn't like crowds, and the shopping centre was already busier than they liked.

Mettaton took them first into a shoe shop. They gravitated to the "girl's" shoes, which were more varied and interesting; eventually trying on a pair of boots that were more gender neutral than most, but had a row of buckles on the side which they liked. Mettaton insisted on buying them.

The top was harder. The boy's clothes were all boring (something Mettaton said he was determined to change about human fashion) and the girl's were either... too girly or too boring. They tried every shop with a child's section in the small shopping centre. Frisk was getting frustrated and irritable when Mettaton decided to take them out of the kid's shops and into a shop for petite women.
That was better- stuff that was less girly, or cute, or frilly, or just over-the-top and more subdued without being boring. Frisk tried on a light purple top with flowing sleeves that they liked, but they turned to Mettaton, unsure. He looked at the top on Frisk for a moment, then told them to get it and take it back to one of their previous shops, excitement on his face.

In this other shop, Mettaton headed straight for the boy's smart section and picked something up.
"The changing room, go darling, go!" he urged, holding it behind his back. Curious, Frisk went, heading into a cubicle.
"Now, change into the top!" Frisk did so, and he pulled the curtain back. "Put this on over the top, Frisk. Let's see how this looks."
It was a waistcoat. Surprised, Frisk pulled it on, doing the buttons up.
"Ooh, yes, I was right, that's perfect! We'll get the matching trousers, and you can tie a scarf around your waist as a sash still- it's perfectly you, Frisk darling."

At Mettaton's insistence, Frisk tried on four different sizes of trousers- unlike Toriel, he didn't care about them having "room to grow", and instead was determined to find the pair which looked the best now. They were glad to finally get to sit down and eat, having finally managed to pull together a full outfit. They ordered a bean burger with a whole host of toppings and salads, and a pot of tea- the restaurant was selling the golden flower tea that Asgore loved, which amused Frisk. They weren't sure if it was for monsters, or for humans interested in the monsters, or just because it was good tea.
"Well darling, aren't you glad we did this?" Frisk nodded.
"I'm exhausted- but thank you. This is much better."
"Oh, don't mention it- it'll be worth it to see you all dressed up tomorrow! Besides, it seems like we barely spend any time together nowadays."
"Not since you were busy pretending to try to kill me," Frisk said, smiling.
"We'll have to perform again, some time- that has aged terribly poorly. Nobody wants to see monsters attacking humans, you know. Now, if we could have a show based around you smooching someone..."
"W-what!" Frisk stared at Mettaton, shocked, feeling a flush cover their face.
"Oh, come now darling, there must be a monster or two you'd fancy smooching?"
"No! Gah- why would you think that?!"
"Oh? Well, I'm sure we can find plenty of humans who want to smooch some monster or other." Mettaton gave them a wink and Frisk groaned.

Once they'd finished eating, Frisk was ready to go home; but Mettaton insisted they stop by one last shop- a sewing store, with fabrics and buttons. He helped Frisk pick out some much more interesting buttons- and then, finally, it was time to go home.
Frisk thanked him for everything before they headed home; Mettaton waved it off, saying it would all be worth it tomorrow. They headed in and gave Toriel the clothes to look over.

"Oh! My dear child, these are lovely. I would not have chosen these- but I can see why you did, I think they will all go together very well." She was about to say something else when she saw Frisk's face. "Ah- I would ask to see you in them, but you look exhausted, dear one. Perhaps you should take a nice bath and have an early night."
"That... sounds like a great idea, thanks mum. We got some buttons as well, but, um, I'll try on the top- it might need taking in a little bit in the chest, if you don't mind doing it?"
They quickly pulled their jumper and t-shirt off, wiggling into the top. It was the smallest size that had been in the shop, but it was still a little loose- they liked that, but it was designed for people with more in the chest area than they hoped to ever have.
"Oh, yes, I see." She pinched the fabric under their underarms, looking to see how much it needed to go in by. "Don't worry Frisk, these will all be hung up and ready for you tomorrow. I shall make them smell nice for you, as well."
"Cinnamon sticks?" Frisk asked eagerly. Toriel laughed.
"Very well, my dear. I shall wrap some cinnamon sticks for the pockets. Now, off you go- go and enjoy your bath."

I'm not a fan of this chapter- partly, I think, because I'm not a fan of Mettaton! But I am glad to have been able to show Frisk's gender issues, especially in a primarily binary society.

I haven't discussed it within the story, but I consider them as being in a fictional island country that is generally very liberal, and legally has an option to be recognised as "third gender", or genderless. However, it's not perfect! Perhaps Frisk would have more options if they went to a larger city.

-Ren