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"https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/4948/4948075_kimberlyeab_buttercupschp2finished.jpg", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/4948/4948075_kimberlyeab_buttercupschp2finished.jpg", "submission_right_thumb_huge_x": "300", "submission_right_thumb_huge_y": "300", "submission_right_thumb_large_x": "200", "submission_right_thumb_large_y": "200", "submission_right_thumb_medium_x": "120", "submission_right_thumb_medium_y": "120" } ], "description": "How would the world change if we were all spared one bad decision?\n\nOn the eve of a wedding between a human and a monster, we find out.\n\nCommission for Johnston over on Discord, million thanks to him for helping bring this project to life!\n\nContains: This is the story chapter, buckle in for the spicy stuff later :P\n\n[url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_yellow_flower_in_Dark.jpg]Cover Art Source[/url]\n\n[url=https://discord.gg/GddZvgqXgd]Hey, y'all should join my Discord! It's multifandom, kinky, and queer as fuck.[/url]\n\n[url=https://kimberlyeab.carrd.co/]Visit my website to see where else you can find my work, follow my socials, or support me on Patreon![/url]", "description_bbcode_parsed": "How would the world change if we were all spared one bad decision?

On the eve of a wedding between a human and a monster, we find out.

Commission for Johnston over on Discord, million thanks to him for helping bring this project to life!

Contains: This is the story chapter, buckle in for the spicy stuff later :P

[url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_yellow_flow...]Cover Art Source[/url]

Hey, y'all should join my Discord! It's multifandom, kinky, and queer as fuck.

Visit my website to see where else you can find my work, follow my socials, or support me on Patreon!", "writing": "Leaves crunched and little branches snapped under the abuse of hurried feet. The child was haggard, panting for breath as they struggled to keep pace. Their mother was ahead of them, clutching their hand in a vice-like grip as she led them along at a mad sprint.\n\nShe looked worried with a deep and instinctual kind of fear lingering in her eyes. It was obvious enough that even a child could pick up on it.\n\n``Hurry, dear,'' the mother huffed, gasping for breath. ``We're almost there.''\n\nA lie, so obvious that even the child knew it to be the case. They may have been young but not even they were born yesterday.\n\n``Where's dad?'' the child asked, wheezing as they spoke. They couldn't keep this up for much longer.\n\nThe mother went silent, aside from the sound of her panting breath. She didn't answer, just looking extremely dark about whatever his fate may have been.\n\nAt that moment, the child realized that they likely would not see him again.\n\nThere was suddenly a noise from behind, a series of footfalls much like their own. Yet, these were far heavier and followed by others which were more numerous in number. It was like a whole village was following them in pursuit. As the child looked behind themself, they noticed the demons approaching.\n\nThey looked like men with wild hair and frantic eyes, angry scowls painted upon their faces. They were dressed in an assortment of colours with green, blue, and even red being picked out from amongst the crowd. Though the most prevalent colour was a tattered and unbleached grey. They all bore weapons, mostly rifles with a single spell book intermingled amongst them, ready to take aim and fire.\n\nBut these were not men, these were a sect of the devil. At least that's what their father had told them. And their father would know, he was a preacher after all.\n\nSecessionists\n\nAt that moment, the child understood why their father was not with them.\n\nTheir mother noticed them as well, trying to push her child even harder, faster than before. Yet, the child was the weakest link, holding her back. Still, she pressed on, staying by their side as she determinedly put one foot in front of the other. No, she would not abandon them. Though at this point, she was practically dragging them along as their legs were on the verge of giving out against the strain of this ceaseless marathon.\n\nIn the distance were the hills, leading into mountains. This was wild country, secluded and protected from the roving bands which called themselves an army. \n\nIf they could push deep enough then surely, they would be safe. Dad had taught them to hunt and fish and forage. It would be enough until things settled down. At least, that was what he had promised them and he would never lie.\n\nAll they needed to do was get away from the gaggle who currently trailed behind.\n\n``Get back here!'' one of the men shouted. ``You and your kin are to be tried for crimes against this great state of Virginia.''\n\nThe child's mother ignored them, clearly caring little for whatever these supposed laws entailed. After all, why should such a sinful land be given that sort of power? At least, that's what dad would've told them if he were here.\n\nSuddenly, there wasn't the sound of crunching leaves lingering behind. There were just the two of them, crashing through the brush, smashing down the forest loam with every step. A couple more strides, just a little longer and they'd be...\n\n``FIRE!''\n\nA mighty crack echoed throughout the forest, sounding like thunder clapping down upon the very earth below. It was frightening and the child screamed, flinching against the eruption. All around them branches splintered and the bark of trees exploded into clouds of debris, sending shards of wood lashing out in every direction.\n\nFor a moment, the mother kept running. Then she paused, coming to a stop along with time itself. The moment seemed suspended, frozen, until finally the child's mother let out one final gasp of life. She then fell forwards, landing upon the ground face first and going motionless.\n\nThe child gawked, stunned into a stupor. They looked at their mother, waiting for her to get back up and continue running. That's what dad had asked them to do. It was what he said before he'd picked up his rifle to join the other men back in town.\n\nFootsteps approached once more.\n\n``Come on Jules, it's just their kid,'' one of the men said.\n\nAnother man scoffed. ``Their whole damn family has been a blight upon this community, Carl. They're rotten down to their blood.''\n\n``I didn't sign up for this,'' a third man chimed in, growing closer with the others.\n\nA fourth laughed. ``Then head back, me and Jules can take care of the brat.''\n\nThe child looked at their mother one last time, swallowing the lump which was now lodged firmly in their throat. They then looked towards the mountains, just like their father had instructed them to do. And without a second thought, they started sprinting once again.\n\n``Get back here!'' the man known as Jule shouted.\n\nBut the child ignored him as they just kept on running.\n\n[hr]\n\nThere was a beauty to Home with its sprawling architecture that seemed to be carved into the very rockface itself. The designs were all gorgeous and ornate, filled with statues and edifices that all had their own unique charm and character. It was like every residence and business wanted to one up each other, displaying their prestige for all to see.\n\nThe streets ahead were clean and well kept, paved with a hardy brickwork. They were lit with beautiful crystals placed atop slender metal poles. These too had been shaped into all sorts of elegant designs. The light they gave off was so bright that it was almost easy to forget about what lingered above.\n\nYet, Chara couldn't help but turn their gaze skywards. \n\nThey were immediately confronted by the cold reality of the gnarled ceiling of rock directly above them. It was just the same as it had been yesterday, remaining utterly uniform and unchanging. This was the reality they had witnessed for every single day of the past decade.\n\n``Did you need anything else, dear?'' an older woman asked.\n\nChara stirred and looked towards the shopkeeper, seeing the vegetables laid out upon the counter. It would be more than enough for whatever soup Toriel intended to make.\n\nChara nodded and reached for their coin purse. ``Thank you.''\n\nThe old woman lifted her hand. ``I would never charge Queen Toriel.''\n\n``And Toriel would never forgive me if I didn't pay you,'' Chara replied, offering a thin smile. ``So...'' They liberated their bag and opened it, fishing out a couple of coins and placing them down upon the counter in a neat little stack. ``Please help me not disappoint her.''\n\nThe old woman looked at the coins and sighed as she reluctantly scooped them up, depositing them within a small register. She then nodded towards the bounty which Chara had just purchased. ``Is she planning to make a stew tonight?''\n\n``Something simple,'' Chara replied, shrugging. ``Her and Asgore have been busy on a project but she still wants to make something quick tonight.''\n\n``You know, you should really learn how to cook. It's an extremely useful skill to have,'' the older woman quipped, wagging a wrinkled finger at her.\n\nChara shrugged. ``I'll learn someday. Toriel just enjoys it and I wouldn't dare take that away from her.''\n\nWhat they failed to mention is that they weren't exactly trusted in the kitchen. They had a habit of making things harder whenever they were conscripted to assist in that regard.\n\n``Anyways, I won't keep you,'' the older woman said, waving them off. ``Send my regards to old Fluffy Buns and Asriel.''\n\n``I will,'' Chara replied, bowing.\n\nThey then slipped away, feeling the weight of the satchel which now hung from their shoulder. It was filled with all sorts of goods, a whole day at the market weighing down upon them. No, they weren't trusted in the kitchen but they found their own unique ways of helping out every once in a while.\n\nAs they started to walk back, they forced their way through the dense crowd of monsters currently occupying the market. They knew that they stood out like a sore thumb, the singular oddity amongst a sea of average citizens. \n\nAnd the citizens reinforced this oddity in the way that they all looked at them. Some were friendly, smiling and waving. A gesture which Chara ensured they repaid in kind. They didn't like the attention but they had grown somewhat accustomed to the role of being a mild celebrity.\n\nOthers were colder towards them, looking wary or even downright hostile about their presence. These were often of an older generation, the scars of war still lingering upon their disposition just as much as it did their bodies.\n\nOne monster, a hapless lizard without an arm, forcefully bumped into them as they walked past. The venom within his gaze was intense, making Chara visibly flinch away from it.\n\nSlow and steady, that was Toriel's advice when it came to making monsters like them. It was just hard to appreciate progress when it came in the form of metaphorical inches delivered at a pace that even a snail would criticize as being too slow.\n\nChara sighed and went ahead regardless, pushing through the heart of the crowd and moving towards the very fringes of it. These spaces were occupied by the more obscure vendors, those peddling in crafts and antiques, not being nearly as popular as those who sustained the denizens of Home with food, medicine, and clothing.\n\nOne such vendor was a familiar turtle, looking as old and ornery as he had at any other point since Chara had known him. He looked like someone who was days away from death but also seemed downright immortal at this point.\n\n``Hello Chara,'' Gerson greeted, gesturing them over. \n\nHis voice was enough to make them stop, sighing. One lesson they'd learned was to never be rude. Rude humans were not the kind of humans who got accepted by greater society. At least, that's what Toriel claimed.\n\nBut that lesson was sure to be put to the test when it came to someone like Gerson.\n\n``How are sales going, Mr. Gerson?'' Chara asked, forcing a smile as they approached.\n\nGerson shrugged. ``A few monsters are interested in the bits and baubles that I find from the surface.'' He offered a sly little smirk as he winked at them. ``Had a new collection of antiques flow down the waterfalls not that long ago.''\n\nIt was honestly more like junk though Chara kept that to themself. It would not do their reputation well to insult Gerson even though he never had anything of genuine value to offer them. The last thing they really wanted were any reminders of what life was like above the cavern's ceiling. \n\nWhy would anyone want that?\n\nThe surface was hot garbage, much like the junk it produced and then proceeded to wash down here for someone like Gerson to polish and pawn off as abandoned treasure. Honestly, it was shocking to learn that turtles were carrion-feeders who lived off of detritus.\n\nThe turtle's kiosk was littered with such refuse. It might've been cleaned up but it was still trash, through and through. Just shiny trash that was dressed up so that it could be pawned off upon some idiot who had a strange affinity for the exotic and unknown.\n\n``It looks... nice,'' Chara lied, picking up a flask and looking it over. It seemed utterly useless due to the massive gaping hole in the back of it. They then noticed a familiar book which had a similar wound delivered to it, causing the silver cross on the front to explode inwards. ``Any idea what happened to these?''\n\nGerson shrugged. ``Conflicts, perhaps? They look like they've been put through the ringer, that's for sure.''\n\nChara's gaze lingered upon the book for a good long moment before they glanced up and stared past Gerson, seeing a wall of weathered newsprint in the back. Each of them was framed, detailing events from the surface.\n\nOne headline in particular caught Chara's attention. It was the newest of the lot, being added since their last visit.\n\nLee Sues for Peace\n\nIt was dated to three years after they fell, being close to seven years old at this point.\n\nGerson scoffed, stirring Chara from their thoughts and drawing their attention back towards him. ``But I really shouldn't be keeping you.'' He chuckled and gestured towards their satchel. ``It seems that Tori has sent you on a quest and I would hate to be the reason that the royal family's dinner is late.''\n\nChara nodded and offered a smile that was a little more sincere, tilting their chin towards the wounded book. ``How much for that?''\n\nGerson blinked, looking downright confused by their question. ``You want to buy something from me? You've never bought something from me before.'' He laughed. ``Are you feeling quite alright, dear?''\n\nAn oddity for sure, even Chara knew as much. Yet, there was something about that book. Surely, it had to just be sentimental value. After all, any lessons of faith that their father may have imprinted, were utterly worn down at this point.\n\n``My father owned a book like this,'' they said.\n\nGerson nodded and worked his jaw, giving it some thought. ``You can have it.'' He smirked at them. ``Free of charge.'' Chara opened their mouth and was about to rebut. Yet, Gerson was quicker as he lifted a hand, waving them off. ``It's been taking up precious display space which could be used for other things. Honestly, you'd be doing me a favour by removing it from my collection.''\n\nChara sighed and picked up the book, adding it to their bag. ``I have money.''\n\n``So do I,'' Gerson replied, winking at them. ``If you feel so obliged, make sure to sneak out some of the queen's baked goods the next time you swing by the markets. I think a couple pieces of her fruitcake would be a fair payment.''\n\nChara smirked. ``You expect me to somehow save some of that and then smuggle it out under Asriel and Asgore's noses? You know, it would probably be easier just to give you gold.''\n\n``Oh, I'm aware,'' Gerson replied, offering a shit-eating grin that only got a little under Chara's skin. ``But I know that you're a little rascal who's always up for the challenge. A little mischief is good for the soul, you know?''\n\n``Toriel would disagree,'' Chara replied.\n\nGerson shrugged. ``She wouldn't have way back during the war. That's for sure. Boy howdy, you should've seen all the ways that she managed to piss off humans.'' He then waved his hand through the air. ``Regardless, I've taken up enough of your time.''\n\nChara nodded and slipped away, moving further from the crowd and towards the castle which loomed off in the distance. By now, the crowd had completely dissolved, fading into the regular foot traffic of monsters going about their daily business.\n\nJust like in the market, this crowd was mostly made up of those who were wary of them. Yet, a few were kind enough to smile and say hello. Even in the largest monster city, they were still a figure of interest.\n\nAs they progressed, they noticed that there were a few children playing hopscotch. One of them, a fish monster with blue scales, tossed the stone a good way down the board, causing it to bounce and skid to a halt all the way on the number twenty.\n\nShe giggled and stopped to hop across, skillfully navigating the course.\n\nChara smiled and was about to continue ahead when they noticed that the girl had paused with her game in order to gawk at them.\n\n``You're the human,'' the monster said.\n\nChara made a show of looking left and then right, getting a sly little smile. ``I don't see any humans.'' Then they looked over their shoulder, shrugging as there wasn't this supposed human behind them either. They hummed and hawed, looking around at everything and really trying to spot this accursed fiend. Until finally, they shrugged at the girl. ``Yeah sorry, I don't see them.''\n\nThe fish monster scoffed. ``That's because you are the human.''\n\n``No, I'm not,'' Chara replied, smirking. ``I'm a monster.''\n\n``Nuh uh,'' the fish monster jabbed right on back. Clearly, she wasn't going to take the bait. ``You don't look like a monster.''\n\nChara smirked and rolled their eyes. ``Fine, fine, you caught me. Yes, I'm the human.'' They extended their hand towards her. ``I'm Chara.''\n\nThe fish monster came forward and grasped it, giving it a pretty powerful shake for someone of her size. ``Undyne.'' She then gestured over her shoulder at the two other monsters. First, she pointed at a sheepish-looking ghost monster who seemed to shy away from them. ``This is Napsta.'' Then she pointed at a monster who looked like a cup filled with coffee. ``And this is Nestle.''\n\n``Pleasure to meet you,'' Chara replied, smirking. ``So, who's uh...'' They looked at the hopscotch board. ``Winning?''\n\n``You can't win at hopscotch,'' Naptsa said, frowning.\n\nUndyne let go of Chara's hand and studied them for a moment. She looked them over with an oddly critical gaze for someone who was still in elementary school. Once finished, she then glanced up and looked them in the eye. ``Can I ask you a question?''\n\n``Nope,'' Chara replied, smirking. ``Humans are allergic to questions.''\n\nUndyne frowned. ``Oh...''\n\nRight, right... you probably shouldn't fuck with a literal child. That was even more detrimental than messing with Gerson for getting monsters to like you.\n\n``Fine, fine, you can ask me one question,'' Chara said as they gave their head a tired shake. They held up a single finger, ensuring that they made their point crystal clear. ``But I won't be giving away any of the royal family's secrets, am I understood?''\n\nUndyne blinked. ``You know the royal family's secrets?''\n\n``A ton of them,'' Chara replied before promptly turning on their heels, making a show of taking a step away as she waved at the girl. ``Anyways, I hope that answered your quest-''\n\n``Wait, wait, wait!'' Undyne yelped, waving her hands through the air. ``That wasn't my question. Let me have one more.'' She pouted as she folded her arms in front of her chest. ``You tricked me into wasting it.''\n\n``Well golly, that sure is a shame,'' Chara ribbed.\n\nUndyne pouted out her lower lip even more and hit Chara with an intense pair of puppy dog eyes. It didn't help but that both Nestle and Napsta also looked pretty disheartened by their attitude. It was enough to make a pang echo through Chara's heart.\n\nIn the end, they sighed. ``Fine, fine... you can have one more question.'' \n\nUndyne beamed and then pondered what to ask, tapping a finger repeatedly against her chin. In the end, she snapped her fingers together and pointed towards the cavern's ceiling. ``What's life on the surface like?''\n\nOf course, it was going to be that question. That was always the first question that every monster had when they met them. They couldn't very well blame them. Though it was still pretty hard to hype it up when...\n\nA father saying goodbye before heading off to defend his neighbours...\n\nA mother motionless on the ground...\n\nA child fleeing into the hills...\n\nBut no one came...\n\nChara swallowed down their mounting unease, trying to smother these unwanted memories. ``It's... it's different.''\n\n``Is that all?'' Undyne asked, frowning.\n\nChara moved towards the wall and leaned against it, placing their satchel down upon the street. They drew in a breath and ran a hand through their hair, settling themself, if only a little. ``It's full of mean humans who aren't worth the dirt they stand-on. Everyone is only looking out for themselves and everyone is fighting all the time. It's...''\n\nThey noticed the children were starting to look pretty crestfallen, frowning. It would seem that the truth wasn't fully appreciated.\n\nChara sighed. ``Get rid of all the humans and it'd be an amazing place to live. The sun is nice and the forests are beautiful. Just...'' They shook their head. ``Just avoid the people who currently live there if you can.''\n\nUndyne smirked. ``I'm sure King Asgore has a plan for getting rid of all the humans when we're finally allowed back on the surface.'' Though she promptly winced. ``Except for you, of course.''\n\nChara wanted to scoff but restrained themself.\n\nYeah, right...\n\nInstead, they winked at Undyne. ``Sorry, can't go into any of the details about that. It's a royal family secret.''\n\nWith that, they then bent down and picked up their bag. As they slung it over their shoulder, they pushed away from the wall and took a step back, heading in the direction of the royal palace.\n\n``What are you telling my child?'' a voice suddenly boomed, making Chara tense.\n\nChara whipped around and watched another blue monster storm forwards, glaring daggers at them as she brushed past. She seemed tough, tall and bulky, looking like she would've made a good royal guard back in her prime. Hell, she probably had been one considering that one of her eyes was now milky with a jagged scar cutting through it.\n\n``The human was telling us about the surface,'' Undyne said.\n\nThe mother scoffed and glared at Chara with the kind of disdain that they'd grown accustomed to. ``Rubbing it in the children's faces, are we?''\n\nChara winced. ``No, they just asked...''\n\n``They don't want to hear any of your stories,'' the mother said, sounding painfully curt as she put herself between Chara and Undyne. ``So don't go whispering your lies about the surface to them. It's best that you remember which species took you in as their pet, human.''\n\nPet.\n\nChara's lip twitched and they could feel their grip tighten into a fist. It would be so easy to jam this through the monster's face, turning their skull to dust with the impact along. They were a human, after all, just brimming with the raw determination of a Soul which could tear this world to pieces if they so desired.\n\nOne bad day, one bad day and...\n\nUndyne huffed. ``Mom, they weren't telling me anything that I didn't ask them to tell me.''\n\n``Undyne, sweetie...'' the mother began.\n\n``You're being rude to them for no good reason,'' Undyne stated, ducking out from behind her mother. She forced a smile as she looked at Chara, seeming far too guilty for a girl her age. Chara wondered if she had to apologize for her mother often. ``Don't mind her, she?s just...''\n\n``The human doesn't need to know my life story,'' the mother stated, glaring at Chara. ``Send my regards to the royals. They would do good to remember us common folk, who don't have the luxury of forgetting about the war as easily as they do.''\n\nChara scoffed and turned away. ``I'll make sure to pass along your message.''\n\n[hr]\n\nChara lumbered into the royal apartment, stumbling into the kitchen and placing their satchel down upon the counter. The air was heavy with the scent of cinnamon and sugar, smelling rich with baked goods that they couldn't wait to devour.\n\nThough they had a feeling that it would be a bit before they got a chance to enjoy these things.\n\nThey started to unload their bag, reaching inside. Yet, they paused as the first thing they found was the battered old book from Gerson, placing it down upon the kitchen island. They brushed their finger across the leather cover, smiling as they did so. \n\nJust touching it felt nostalgic, prickling at the rare happy memories of life topside. It was hard to know why they got this sort of reaction but there was no denying that it was there. Maybe it was a reminder of childhood or memories of their father. They felt warm, fuzzy, and oh so familiar. It was strange for them to feel this way when it came to the surface.\n\nThey carefully rifled through the thin pages, seeing lines upon lines of text, stories of a saviour and a people freed of sin. All of them were made incomplete by the gaping hole which exploded through the middle of the book, only ending with the last few pages. Whatever had wounded this book had apparently been stopped before it could punch through. \n\nYet, it didn't really matter. They knew these stories by heart, even to this day.\n\nIt was hard to continue feeling warm when reflecting upon them. After all, it felt like such a shame that the Son had made his sacrifice only for his Father's children to continue being awful to each other. Though maybe that was the most human thing about this narrative. After all, wasting a gesture of good faith felt like an example by which all humans followed.\n\nChara didn't know how long they had been staring at the book but they suddenly stirred as someone embraced them from behind. They were large and fuzzy, so warm as their body seemed to envelop them from every angle imaginable. There was a rich musk upon them which was familiar, smelling vaguely of the apple shampoo he used.\n\n``How was the market?'' a husky voice rumbled, whispering directly into their ear.\n\nChara smiled and placed their hand over one of Asriel's, squeezing it. ``Like pulling teeth.''\n\n``Did you get everything that mom asked for?'' Asriel asked, slipping away and making his way over to the groceries. He got to work on unpacking them, ferrying an armload over to a metal chest which was filled with blue stones.\n\n``I think so,'' Chara replied, closing the book and going over to help him.\n\n``Anything exciting happen out there?'' Asriel then asked.\n\nChara sighed. ``Bunch of monsters glared at me, some made mean comments, and this fish monster told me to stop harassing her daughter.'' They shook their head and looked off to the side, working their jaw as they did so. ``So, the usual.''\n\n``You know that I could've come with you, right?'' Asriel replied, biting his lip. ``Might've helped everyone ke-``\n\n``You could've,'' Chara interrupted, lifting their hand. ``But I can't have you around my entire life, Azzy. I need them to...'' They sighed and chewed on their lower lip. ``I don't know, see me as my own person and not just an extension of you and your family. It's...'' They shook their head, searching for some silver lining. Though they failed to really find one. ``It's getting better. Some of them even talk to me now.''\n\n``That's good,'' Asriel said.\n\nHe loaded up the chest and then closed the lid, making his way back over to the counter and leaning against it. His gaze turned towards the book as he reached out and slid it over to himself, carefully flipping through the pages.\n\n``Your book has a hole in it,'' he quipped.\n\nChara smirked. ``Gerson gave it to me. It's from the surface.''\n\nAsriel nodded and looked at the first page, dragging his finger across some text pencilled into the corner. ``P-V-T... What's a ppp?'' He tried it again. ``Pivot? Pvt? What is that?''\n\n``I don't know,'' Chara said, cocking a brow. ``Why do you ask?''\n\n``Apparently this belonged to a Pivot Jason Welles,'' Asriel read, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth. ``From a place called West Virginia where he worked for some group called the second regiment.'' He shook his head. ``Does any of that mean anything to you?''\n\n``I was from western Virginia,'' Chara commented, blowing a puff of air into their cheek.\n\nAsriel nodded. ``Was it nice?''\n\n``Nah, it was fucking awful,'' Chara grumbled.\n\n``Well then, I hope he got out of there,'' Asriel said, lifting up the book and peering directly into the hole embedded within. ``What is this book about anyways?''\n\n``It's... a holy book,'' Chara said.\n\nAsriel nodded. ``So, like Angel worship?''\n\n``Something like that,'' Chara said, holding out their hand and taking the book back from him. ``My dad used to read it to me and mom before...'' They suddenly looked quite dark, trailing off as the memories proved rather uncomfortable to fixate on for too long. ``It has good memories to it. That's all.''\n\nAsriel smiled and nodded along. He was the only one who seemed apt at reading them, growing oddly muted as their tone grew sombre.\n\n``Would've liked to meet him,'' Asriel said.\n\nChara cracked a thin smile. ``I would pay money to see how that would go.''\n\n``It would go great,'' Asriel said, grabbing the last of the dry groceries and moving over to the pantry with them in hand. ``Everyone loves me. I'm just that kind of guy.''\n\n``You are a pretty great guy,'' Chara agreed, shaking their head. ``Just couldn't picture anyone on the surface reacting well to the sight of monsters. Especially not my dad.''\n\nAsriel looked back and winked at them. ``Well, you fell in love with me for a reason. So, I'm sure they would've come around to me eventually.'' He smirked. ``What did a guy like me even do to get a human like you in the first place?''\n\n``It was the good looks,'' Chara ribbed, sticking out their tongue before allowing their gaze to linger upon his ample backside. ``Also, you have a fantastic ass.''\n\nAsriel scoffed and wagged his rump from side to side before their eyes. ``I can't believe my partner only loves me for my fantastic ass.''\n\n``I mean it's common for us Dreemurr men to be reduced to our hindquarters,'' a familiar baritone boomed. ``After all, it's why your mother fell for me.''\n\nAsriel tensed and Chara flushed bright red at the sound of this familiar voice. They both turned towards the kitchen's entrance, seeing that Asgore was leaning against the frame. He had changed out of his ceremonial robes, having switched them for a simple pair of slacks and a nice woollen sweater. There was a coy smile now upon his lips as he looked between his son and Chara.\n\n``How long have you been standing there?'' Chara asked.\n\nAsgore chuckled and stepped inside. ``Only for the last two minutes, dear.'' He moved towards the counter and picked up the book, looking it over. It seemed so small when cradled within these mammoth paws. Yet, even this small book made him suck in an errant breath as he took in the wounded cover. It would seem the cross on the front was not as kindly of a sight to him as it was to them. ``A holy book, am I correct?''\n\nChara nodded.\n\n``I don't think I was very fond of this title back on the surface,'' Asgore commented, placing it back down and covering it with his paw. ``Men with these books would always show up a few years before an army swept in and pushed us further and further from our homeland.'' He scoffed. ``La Biblia is what they called it at first. Though I think those men used a different tongue than you and I.''\n\nChara frowned as they looked at his paw. Could that have been something that their father would've done if he'd been alive to see these monsters in the flesh? He had always dedicated himself to the word and if the word claimed them to be demons...\n\nIt wasn't a thought that they liked to think about. So, they quickly dropped it, pushing it aside with all the other unfortunate concepts they dreamt up.\n\nTheir father had always been a good sort and they saw no reason to sully his legacy with `what ifs'.\n\n``Oh well, that's ancient history,'' Asgore said, pushing away from the counter and approaching the metal chest. ``You are living proof, Chara, that there is a future for humans and monsters to come together as one.'' He opened it and grabbed a piece of fruit from inside, rubbing it clean upon his sleeve. ``If only my son would finally propose to you and bring about the next phase of your union.''\n\n``Dad!'' Asriel yelped, flushing at the suggestion.\n\n``Kidding, kidding,'' Asgore said, taking a bite. ``I just know that your mother is dying for you two to finally tie the knot.''\n\nChara snorted, covering their mouth with a hand. ``I'm sure she's the only one.''\n\n``Oh absolutely,'' Asgore said, letting out a deep rumble of hearty laughter. ``You know how sentimental she can be. Between you and...''\n\n``I wasn't the one who was talking about caterer options in bed last night,'' an equally deep, though distinctly feminine, voice called. Chara looked over and watched as Toriel stepped into the room, smirking at her husband. ``Nor was I the one discussing who should supply the floral arrangements for the event. I believe you have more of a vested interest in this than I do.''\n\nAsgore bit his lip, flushing as he'd obviously been caught red-handed. ``I just think that tulips are very in vogue this season.''\n\n``Can we not talk about this?'' Asriel whined.\n\nChara smirked, leaning over and bonking him with their head. ``No, no, keep talking about this. I never get to see him blush.''\n\n``Oh, don't worry, my child,'' Toriel said, coming around the counter and placing both of her massive paws upon their shoulders. ``I can assure you that I have the ability to amply mortify both of you.'' She grinned. ``I can just picture the stories that I'll tell all of the guests when I make my speech.'' She lifted a hand away from Chara's shoulder and motioned through the air with it. ``Maybe I'll tell them about the time that you and Asriel tried to hide the fact that you'd unwrapped your birthday presents early. What was the lie that you told me when I discovered those toys out of their packaging?''\n\nChara flushed. ``I have no idea what you're talking about.''\n\n``Oh right, you tried to blame it on the royal guard!'' Toriel beamed, grinning with predatory glee as she patted Chara on the shoulder. ``Told us that she was the one who unwrapped them, leaving them conveniently in your room with the contents half assembled between you.''\n\nChara whined and looked at Asriel who was now grinning from ear-to-ear. \n\nYet, it seemed that he was going to give them at least a little bit of mercy as he loudly cleared his throat, addressing his parents. ``Regardless, you two shouldn't go rushing to any conclusions just yet. It's still up in the air if me and Chara are even going to get married in the first place.'' He held up his hand. ``So, don't go picking out floral arrangements or cakes or drafting wedding speeches until we actually make the announcement, okay?''\n\nToriel didn't seem very convinced, merely lifting a brow. ``Uh huh.''\n\n``Now, now, Tori,'' Asgore said, shaking his head. ``Let's shelve this topic for now and give the children a little bit of space.'' He took another bite from his apple, wagging his finger at her. ``Everything will come to light in due time.''\n\nAs he snacked, Toriel seemed to concede to his request as she moved towards the ice chest. She reached inside and looked through the collection of ingredients contained within.\n\n``No trouble at the market?'' she asked, now looking back at Chara.\n\nChara sighed and bit their lip. Though they immediately stirred as they realized that they'd just done that aloud and had garnered the collective attention of the entire Dreemurr family.\n\n``It's getting better,'' Chara murmured, shaking their head. ``Still don't like standing out as much as I do.'' They huffed and leaned against the table, growing tense. Asriel placed a hand upon their shoulder but it didn't do much to lift the feeling of unease which seemed content on occupying this entire moment. ``I just wish that you could turn me into a monster. I don't like humans, I don't like being human, and I don't like the fact that so many monsters resent me for being human.''\n\nAsgore nodded and looked quite sombre about this fact. He worked his jaw, obviously searching for something to say.\n\n``They just need time,'' Asriel tried.\n\nChara scoffed though immediately regretted it as Asriel flinched away from their tone. They hated themself even more for making that sound. It was enough to darken their already dower mood. Yet, the cat was out of the bag, so they might as well go for broke. ``They've had a decade, Azzy. How much more time do they need before they finally realize that I'm not some secret agent keen on destroying their lives?''\n\nAsgore loudly cleared his throat. It was enough to draw Chara's attention towards him.\n\n``Our race has been hurt and the wounds are still painfully fresh,'' he began to explain. ``I won't try and justify how monsters treat you because it is unfair of them to do so. Yet, it is also unfair for humanity to put us in this prison in the first place.'' He reached across the table and rested a hand over top of Chara's, patting it. ``You are like a child to me, dear, but there are monsters who have lost their children or parents or spouses or any vast assortment of loved ones to the war. It can be hard for them to even think about burying the hatchet.''\n\n``I know,'' Chara whispered.\n\nAsgore frowned. ``That being said, I am sorry that you're being unfairly judged by them for a crime you had no part in.''\n\nToriel smiled at them, keeping to the fringes but offering what warmth she could provide. ``And you said so yourself that it's getting better.''\n\n``It is,'' Chara admitted, shaking their head. ``I just... I want them to accept me as one of their own. I wish there was something I could do to prove that I have a right to be here.''\n\nAsgore pursed his lips together. ``Well...''\n\n``Dad,'' Asriel chided, sounding rather terse. ``Don't.''\n\nChara rolled their eyes. ``Are you going to suggest marriage?''\n\n``I'm just saying that it would be a fantastic way to symbolically end the conflict between our races,'' Asgore suggested, working his jaw and clearly picking his words very carefully. He gestured through the air as if hoping this would get his point across. ``What better way to show everyone that monsterkind and humanity have a future together than to unify our family together with a human?''\n\nChara frowned and gave it some thought. Their initial reaction was to utterly despise the idea. They weren't one for grand displays where they would be the centre of attention. Nor did they want to get married for a dry and political reason like this. Yet, they also knew that Asgore had been in the game far longer than they had, knowing the ins and outs of court life like it was the back of his paw.\n\n``Maybe something to discuss after dinner?'' Toriel stated, moving back towards the ice chest and fishing out her required ingredients. She brought them all over to the counter, depositing them next to a cutting board. ``Plus, me and Asgore really need to discuss some details from court today.''\n\n``What sort of details?'' Asriel asked.\n\nAsgore sighed. ``You know the junior scientist working under Rutherford?''\n\nAsriel made a show of trying to recall the name, visibly clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth as he did so. Both him and Chara knew the answer but they didn't want to reveal that and influence Toriel and Asgore's decision. It felt unfair.\n\n``Something with a G,'' Chara added, snapping their fingers together repeatedly until the name `came to them'. ``Gaster?''\n\n``Yes him,'' Asgore replied. ``He came forward asking for a grant to start building a research facility for studying the nature of determination and the Souls.''\n\n``A pipedream,'' Toriel grumbled.\n\nAsgore frowned. ``I prefer to be optimistic when it comes to my outlook.''\n\n``Which is why you have me to act as your foil during court,'' Toriel added, grabbing a knife from a block of them. ``The man is smart but his methods make me extremely nervous. I'd prefer if we didn't have to rely on whatever he's cooking in order to deliver our freedom.''\n\n``We need seven Souls, dear,'' Asgore retorted.\n\nToriel frowned and glanced at Chara, looking a little guilty about this information. She worked her jaw before purposefully shaking her head and focusing her attention on Asgore. ``Maybe we shouldn't be having this discussion in front of the children?''\n\nChara felt a pang, a hot little bundle of anger which seemed to attach itself to their very core. They were being kept out of the loop for the simple fact that they were one of those seven souls. In fact, they were well aware that they were currently the only one of those seven required souls at this moment. \n\n``You are fully welcome to mine whenever you'd like,'' they jabbed.\n\nAsriel sucked in a breath. ``Chara!''\n\nToriel looked dark and instead focused on her cooking, saying nothing more on the matter.\n\nAsgore just seemed sombre, looking them in the eye. He clearly saw their sincerity as he shook his head and instead looked down at his hands, unable to maintain eye contact any longer. ``Regardless of your offer, we're still six short and Gaster is offering us a solution to this problem. I believe we have the means to at least entertain his theories.''\n\n``We only have so many resources, dear,'' Toriel replied, cutting into a vegetable and severing it with a decent amount of heft. ``And I'd say that we should invest more into the quality of life down here or ensuring our security for an eventual return of the surface. We're lagging behind the humans. Every piece of trash that floats down here is just proving as much.''\n\nAsriel reached out and grabbed Chara's hand, drawing their attention towards him. He was nodding towards the kitchen door and seemed pretty eager to leave. \n\nSo, Chara decided to throw him a bone as they followed his lead, exiting the room.\n\n``Sorry,'' Asriel said, shaking his head as they were finally on their own. He let go of their hand and headed down the hall. ``I just know that they're about to butt heads over this and I didn't want to be around for that.''\n\nChara nodded. ``Gaster's work sounds interesting though. Wish he'd talk about it more often with us.''\n\nAsriel scoffed.\n\n``What?'' Chara asked.\n\nThey followed his lead as they moved towards their own little apartment inside of the royal abode. Asriel was the first to enter, holding open the door and allowing them to slip inside. \n\nIt was like a little home secluded inside of the greater palace. It had its own living space, kitchen nook, and an adjoining bedroom and bathroom. All of the things that a young couple needed for comfortable living.\n\nChara plopped down upon a sofa in the living room.\n\n``Nothing,'' Asriel said, shaking his head. Though clearly something was eating at him as he worked his jaw, seeming to struggle with his words. In the end, he sighed. ``I like Gaster and he's one of my best friends. But I think mom has a point.''\n\nChara lifted a brow and motioned for him to go on.\n\n``Like we're so focused on getting back to the surface that we don't even really know what that actually means,'' Asriel said. ``The humans already pushed us down here once and if even half of your stories are true then they'll probably do it again if we ever get back up there.''\n\nChara nodded and then laid down, looking up at the ceiling. It was just one of countless barriers which separated them from the blue sky and yellow sun far above them. They barely even remembered what those things looked like anymore.\n\n``I'm just glad that our stupid idea didn't work,'' Asriel chided.\n\nChara blinked and looked over. They tried to recall what he was even talking about. But then it hit them as they flinched and instinctively covered their stomach with a hand. It seemed that their belly still ached at the memories.\n\n``Worst case of food poisoning ever,'' they grumbled.\n\nAsriel cackled. Yet, the notes were darker than usual, rather grim in nature. ``You should be thankful that all you had to deal with was a bad case of food poisoning. Imagine what would've happened if the dose was even stronger.''\n\nChara shook their head. They didn't like to think about that, not even a little.\n\n``Kind of weird to think about a reality where I would've gone to the surface and collected six human Souls,'' Asriel grumbled, looking down at his hands. ``And then we would've all gone to the surface and been pushed right back down here for all of our trouble.'' He scoffed and shook his head. The pain in his eyes was real, lingering deep within them. ``Makes me wonder if there's ever a future where we're actually allowed to leave.''\n\nThe two of them went silent. \n\nChara wasn't even sure what to say at this point. It didn't feel like there was a correct topic to broach the divide. Yet, it also didn't seem overly tenable to just let this pregnant pause drag on for an eternity.\n\n``Sorry,'' Asriel whispered. ``Got a little dark there.''\n\nChara cracked a thin smile. ``It happens.''\n\n``Want something to drink?'' Asriel asked, moving over to the kitchen nook. ``Because I'm making a cocktail.''\n\nChara shrugged. ``I'll have whatever you're having.''\n\nThey could hear Asriel busy at work, putting together a pair of drinks. \n\nYet, as he worked, they let their mind wander. Their thoughts immediately went to the memories of the past and the very real present, focusing on the same question that had plagued them repeatedly since they'd first heard about the prophecy.\n\nHow do I get six more Souls from down here?\n\nThey shook their head.\n\nIt wasn't an easy question to answer.\n\n", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "Leaves crunched and little branches snapped under the abuse of hurried feet. The child was haggard, panting for breath as they struggled to keep pace. Their mother was ahead of them, clutching their hand in a vice-like grip as she led them along at a mad sprint.

She looked worried with a deep and instinctual kind of fear lingering in her eyes. It was obvious enough that even a child could pick up on it.

``Hurry, dear,'' the mother huffed, gasping for breath. ``We're almost there.''

A lie, so obvious that even the child knew it to be the case. They may have been young but not even they were born yesterday.

``Where's dad?'' the child asked, wheezing as they spoke. They couldn't keep this up for much longer.

The mother went silent, aside from the sound of her panting breath. She didn't answer, just looking extremely dark about whatever his fate may have been.

At that moment, the child realized that they likely would not see him again.

There was suddenly a noise from behind, a series of footfalls much like their own. Yet, these were far heavier and followed by others which were more numerous in number. It was like a whole village was following them in pursuit. As the child looked behind themself, they noticed the demons approaching.

They looked like men with wild hair and frantic eyes, angry scowls painted upon their faces. They were dressed in an assortment of colours with green, blue, and even red being picked out from amongst the crowd. Though the most prevalent colour was a tattered and unbleached grey. They all bore weapons, mostly rifles with a single spell book intermingled amongst them, ready to take aim and fire.

But these were not men, these were a sect of the devil. At least that's what their father had told them. And their father would know, he was a preacher after all.

Secessionists

At that moment, the child understood why their father was not with them.

Their mother noticed them as well, trying to push her child even harder, faster than before. Yet, the child was the weakest link, holding her back. Still, she pressed on, staying by their side as she determinedly put one foot in front of the other. No, she would not abandon them. Though at this point, she was practically dragging them along as their legs were on the verge of giving out against the strain of this ceaseless marathon.

In the distance were the hills, leading into mountains. This was wild country, secluded and protected from the roving bands which called themselves an army.

If they could push deep enough then surely, they would be safe. Dad had taught them to hunt and fish and forage. It would be enough until things settled down. At least, that was what he had promised them and he would never lie.

All they needed to do was get away from the gaggle who currently trailed behind.

``Get back here!'' one of the men shouted. ``You and your kin are to be tried for crimes against this great state of Virginia.''

The child's mother ignored them, clearly caring little for whatever these supposed laws entailed. After all, why should such a sinful land be given that sort of power? At least, that's what dad would've told them if he were here.

Suddenly, there wasn't the sound of crunching leaves lingering behind. There were just the two of them, crashing through the brush, smashing down the forest loam with every step. A couple more strides, just a little longer and they'd be...

``FIRE!''

A mighty crack echoed throughout the forest, sounding like thunder clapping down upon the very earth below. It was frightening and the child screamed, flinching against the eruption. All around them branches splintered and the bark of trees exploded into clouds of debris, sending shards of wood lashing out in every direction.

For a moment, the mother kept running. Then she paused, coming to a stop along with time itself. The moment seemed suspended, frozen, until finally the child's mother let out one final gasp of life. She then fell forwards, landing upon the ground face first and going motionless.

The child gawked, stunned into a stupor. They looked at their mother, waiting for her to get back up and continue running. That's what dad had asked them to do. It was what he said before he'd picked up his rifle to join the other men back in town.

Footsteps approached once more.

``Come on Jules, it's just their kid,'' one of the men said.

Another man scoffed. ``Their whole damn family has been a blight upon this community, Carl. They're rotten down to their blood.''

``I didn't sign up for this,'' a third man chimed in, growing closer with the others.

A fourth laughed. ``Then head back, me and Jules can take care of the brat.''

The child looked at their mother one last time, swallowing the lump which was now lodged firmly in their throat. They then looked towards the mountains, just like their father had instructed them to do. And without a second thought, they started sprinting once again.

``Get back here!'' the man known as Jule shouted.

But the child ignored him as they just kept on running.

[hr]

There was a beauty to Home with its sprawling architecture that seemed to be carved into the very rockface itself. The designs were all gorgeous and ornate, filled with statues and edifices that all had their own unique charm and character. It was like every residence and business wanted to one up each other, displaying their prestige for all to see.

The streets ahead were clean and well kept, paved with a hardy brickwork. They were lit with beautiful crystals placed atop slender metal poles. These too had been shaped into all sorts of elegant designs. The light they gave off was so bright that it was almost easy to forget about what lingered above.

Yet, Chara couldn't help but turn their gaze skywards.

They were immediately confronted by the cold reality of the gnarled ceiling of rock directly above them. It was just the same as it had been yesterday, remaining utterly uniform and unchanging. This was the reality they had witnessed for every single day of the past decade.

``Did you need anything else, dear?'' an older woman asked.

Chara stirred and looked towards the shopkeeper, seeing the vegetables laid out upon the counter. It would be more than enough for whatever soup Toriel intended to make.

Chara nodded and reached for their coin purse. ``Thank you.''

The old woman lifted her hand. ``I would never charge Queen Toriel.''

``And Toriel would never forgive me if I didn't pay you,'' Chara replied, offering a thin smile. ``So...'' They liberated their bag and opened it, fishing out a couple of coins and placing them down upon the counter in a neat little stack. ``Please help me not disappoint her.''

The old woman looked at the coins and sighed as she reluctantly scooped them up, depositing them within a small register. She then nodded towards the bounty which Chara had just purchased. ``Is she planning to make a stew tonight?''

``Something simple,'' Chara replied, shrugging. ``Her and Asgore have been busy on a project but she still wants to make something quick tonight.''

``You know, you should really learn how to cook. It's an extremely useful skill to have,'' the older woman quipped, wagging a wrinkled finger at her.

Chara shrugged. ``I'll learn someday. Toriel just enjoys it and I wouldn't dare take that away from her.''

What they failed to mention is that they weren't exactly trusted in the kitchen. They had a habit of making things harder whenever they were conscripted to assist in that regard.

``Anyways, I won't keep you,'' the older woman said, waving them off. ``Send my regards to old Fluffy Buns and Asriel.''

``I will,'' Chara replied, bowing.

They then slipped away, feeling the weight of the satchel which now hung from their shoulder. It was filled with all sorts of goods, a whole day at the market weighing down upon them. No, they weren't trusted in the kitchen but they found their own unique ways of helping out every once in a while.

As they started to walk back, they forced their way through the dense crowd of monsters currently occupying the market. They knew that they stood out like a sore thumb, the singular oddity amongst a sea of average citizens.

And the citizens reinforced this oddity in the way that they all looked at them. Some were friendly, smiling and waving. A gesture which Chara ensured they repaid in kind. They didn't like the attention but they had grown somewhat accustomed to the role of being a mild celebrity.

Others were colder towards them, looking wary or even downright hostile about their presence. These were often of an older generation, the scars of war still lingering upon their disposition just as much as it did their bodies.

One monster, a hapless lizard without an arm, forcefully bumped into them as they walked past. The venom within his gaze was intense, making Chara visibly flinch away from it.

Slow and steady, that was Toriel's advice when it came to making monsters like them. It was just hard to appreciate progress when it came in the form of metaphorical inches delivered at a pace that even a snail would criticize as being too slow.

Chara sighed and went ahead regardless, pushing through the heart of the crowd and moving towards the very fringes of it. These spaces were occupied by the more obscure vendors, those peddling in crafts and antiques, not being nearly as popular as those who sustained the denizens of Home with food, medicine, and clothing.

One such vendor was a familiar turtle, looking as old and ornery as he had at any other point since Chara had known him. He looked like someone who was days away from death but also seemed downright immortal at this point.

``Hello Chara,'' Gerson greeted, gesturing them over.

His voice was enough to make them stop, sighing. One lesson they'd learned was to never be rude. Rude humans were not the kind of humans who got accepted by greater society. At least, that's what Toriel claimed.

But that lesson was sure to be put to the test when it came to someone like Gerson.

``How are sales going, Mr. Gerson?'' Chara asked, forcing a smile as they approached.

Gerson shrugged. ``A few monsters are interested in the bits and baubles that I find from the surface.'' He offered a sly little smirk as he winked at them. ``Had a new collection of antiques flow down the waterfalls not that long ago.''

It was honestly more like junk though Chara kept that to themself. It would not do their reputation well to insult Gerson even though he never had anything of genuine value to offer them. The last thing they really wanted were any reminders of what life was like above the cavern's ceiling.

Why would anyone want that?

The surface was hot garbage, much like the junk it produced and then proceeded to wash down here for someone like Gerson to polish and pawn off as abandoned treasure. Honestly, it was shocking to learn that turtles were carrion-feeders who lived off of detritus.

The turtle's kiosk was littered with such refuse. It might've been cleaned up but it was still trash, through and through. Just shiny trash that was dressed up so that it could be pawned off upon some idiot who had a strange affinity for the exotic and unknown.

``It looks... nice,'' Chara lied, picking up a flask and looking it over. It seemed utterly useless due to the massive gaping hole in the back of it. They then noticed a familiar book which had a similar wound delivered to it, causing the silver cross on the front to explode inwards. ``Any idea what happened to these?''

Gerson shrugged. ``Conflicts, perhaps? They look like they've been put through the ringer, that's for sure.''

Chara's gaze lingered upon the book for a good long moment before they glanced up and stared past Gerson, seeing a wall of weathered newsprint in the back. Each of them was framed, detailing events from the surface.

One headline in particular caught Chara's attention. It was the newest of the lot, being added since their last visit.

Lee Sues for Peace

It was dated to three years after they fell, being close to seven years old at this point.

Gerson scoffed, stirring Chara from their thoughts and drawing their attention back towards him. ``But I really shouldn't be keeping you.'' He chuckled and gestured towards their satchel. ``It seems that Tori has sent you on a quest and I would hate to be the reason that the royal family's dinner is late.''

Chara nodded and offered a smile that was a little more sincere, tilting their chin towards the wounded book. ``How much for that?''

Gerson blinked, looking downright confused by their question. ``You want to buy something from me? You've never bought something from me before.'' He laughed. ``Are you feeling quite alright, dear?''

An oddity for sure, even Chara knew as much. Yet, there was something about that book. Surely, it had to just be sentimental value. After all, any lessons of faith that their father may have imprinted, were utterly worn down at this point.

``My father owned a book like this,'' they said.

Gerson nodded and worked his jaw, giving it some thought. ``You can have it.'' He smirked at them. ``Free of charge.'' Chara opened their mouth and was about to rebut. Yet, Gerson was quicker as he lifted a hand, waving them off. ``It's been taking up precious display space which could be used for other things. Honestly, you'd be doing me a favour by removing it from my collection.''

Chara sighed and picked up the book, adding it to their bag. ``I have money.''

``So do I,'' Gerson replied, winking at them. ``If you feel so obliged, make sure to sneak out some of the queen's baked goods the next time you swing by the markets. I think a couple pieces of her fruitcake would be a fair payment.''

Chara smirked. ``You expect me to somehow save some of that and then smuggle it out under Asriel and Asgore's noses? You know, it would probably be easier just to give you gold.''

``Oh, I'm aware,'' Gerson replied, offering a shit-eating grin that only got a little under Chara's skin. ``But I know that you're a little rascal who's always up for the challenge. A little mischief is good for the soul, you know?''

``Toriel would disagree,'' Chara replied.

Gerson shrugged. ``She wouldn't have way back during the war. That's for sure. Boy howdy, you should've seen all the ways that she managed to piss off humans.'' He then waved his hand through the air. ``Regardless, I've taken up enough of your time.''

Chara nodded and slipped away, moving further from the crowd and towards the castle which loomed off in the distance. By now, the crowd had completely dissolved, fading into the regular foot traffic of monsters going about their daily business.

Just like in the market, this crowd was mostly made up of those who were wary of them. Yet, a few were kind enough to smile and say hello. Even in the largest monster city, they were still a figure of interest.

As they progressed, they noticed that there were a few children playing hopscotch. One of them, a fish monster with blue scales, tossed the stone a good way down the board, causing it to bounce and skid to a halt all the way on the number twenty.

She giggled and stopped to hop across, skillfully navigating the course.

Chara smiled and was about to continue ahead when they noticed that the girl had paused with her game in order to gawk at them.

``You're the human,'' the monster said.

Chara made a show of looking left and then right, getting a sly little smile. ``I don't see any humans.'' Then they looked over their shoulder, shrugging as there wasn't this supposed human behind them either. They hummed and hawed, looking around at everything and really trying to spot this accursed fiend. Until finally, they shrugged at the girl. ``Yeah sorry, I don't see them.''

The fish monster scoffed. ``That's because you are the human.''

``No, I'm not,'' Chara replied, smirking. ``I'm a monster.''

``Nuh uh,'' the fish monster jabbed right on back. Clearly, she wasn't going to take the bait. ``You don't look like a monster.''

Chara smirked and rolled their eyes. ``Fine, fine, you caught me. Yes, I'm the human.'' They extended their hand towards her. ``I'm Chara.''

The fish monster came forward and grasped it, giving it a pretty powerful shake for someone of her size. ``Undyne.'' She then gestured over her shoulder at the two other monsters. First, she pointed at a sheepish-looking ghost monster who seemed to shy away from them. ``This is Napsta.'' Then she pointed at a monster who looked like a cup filled with coffee. ``And this is Nestle.''

``Pleasure to meet you,'' Chara replied, smirking. ``So, who's uh...'' They looked at the hopscotch board. ``Winning?''

``You can't win at hopscotch,'' Naptsa said, frowning.

Undyne let go of Chara's hand and studied them for a moment. She looked them over with an oddly critical gaze for someone who was still in elementary school. Once finished, she then glanced up and looked them in the eye. ``Can I ask you a question?''

``Nope,'' Chara replied, smirking. ``Humans are allergic to questions.''

Undyne frowned. ``Oh...''

Right, right... you probably shouldn't fuck with a literal child. That was even more detrimental than messing with Gerson for getting monsters to like you.

``Fine, fine, you can ask me one question,'' Chara said as they gave their head a tired shake. They held up a single finger, ensuring that they made their point crystal clear. ``But I won't be giving away any of the royal family's secrets, am I understood?''

Undyne blinked. ``You know the royal family's secrets?''

``A ton of them,'' Chara replied before promptly turning on their heels, making a show of taking a step away as she waved at the girl. ``Anyways, I hope that answered your quest-''

``Wait, wait, wait!'' Undyne yelped, waving her hands through the air. ``That wasn't my question. Let me have one more.'' She pouted as she folded her arms in front of her chest. ``You tricked me into wasting it.''

``Well golly, that sure is a shame,'' Chara ribbed.

Undyne pouted out her lower lip even more and hit Chara with an intense pair of puppy dog eyes. It didn't help but that both Nestle and Napsta also looked pretty disheartened by their attitude. It was enough to make a pang echo through Chara's heart.

In the end, they sighed. ``Fine, fine... you can have one more question.''

Undyne beamed and then pondered what to ask, tapping a finger repeatedly against her chin. In the end, she snapped her fingers together and pointed towards the cavern's ceiling. ``What's life on the surface like?''

Of course, it was going to be that question. That was always the first question that every monster had when they met them. They couldn't very well blame them. Though it was still pretty hard to hype it up when...

A father saying goodbye before heading off to defend his neighbours...

A mother motionless on the ground...

A child fleeing into the hills...

But no one came...

Chara swallowed down their mounting unease, trying to smother these unwanted memories. ``It's... it's different.''

``Is that all?'' Undyne asked, frowning.

Chara moved towards the wall and leaned against it, placing their satchel down upon the street. They drew in a breath and ran a hand through their hair, settling themself, if only a little. ``It's full of mean humans who aren't worth the dirt they stand-on. Everyone is only looking out for themselves and everyone is fighting all the time. It's...''

They noticed the children were starting to look pretty crestfallen, frowning. It would seem that the truth wasn't fully appreciated.

Chara sighed. ``Get rid of all the humans and it'd be an amazing place to live. The sun is nice and the forests are beautiful. Just...'' They shook their head. ``Just avoid the people who currently live there if you can.''

Undyne smirked. ``I'm sure King Asgore has a plan for getting rid of all the humans when we're finally allowed back on the surface.'' Though she promptly winced. ``Except for you, of course.''

Chara wanted to scoff but restrained themself.

Yeah, right...

Instead, they winked at Undyne. ``Sorry, can't go into any of the details about that. It's a royal family secret.''

With that, they then bent down and picked up their bag. As they slung it over their shoulder, they pushed away from the wall and took a step back, heading in the direction of the royal palace.

``What are you telling my child?'' a voice suddenly boomed, making Chara tense.

Chara whipped around and watched another blue monster storm forwards, glaring daggers at them as she brushed past. She seemed tough, tall and bulky, looking like she would've made a good royal guard back in her prime. Hell, she probably had been one considering that one of her eyes was now milky with a jagged scar cutting through it.

``The human was telling us about the surface,'' Undyne said.

The mother scoffed and glared at Chara with the kind of disdain that they'd grown accustomed to. ``Rubbing it in the children's faces, are we?''

Chara winced. ``No, they just asked...''

``They don't want to hear any of your stories,'' the mother said, sounding painfully curt as she put herself between Chara and Undyne. ``So don't go whispering your lies about the surface to them. It's best that you remember which species took you in as their pet, human.''

Pet.

Chara's lip twitched and they could feel their grip tighten into a fist. It would be so easy to jam this through the monster's face, turning their skull to dust with the impact along. They were a human, after all, just brimming with the raw determination of a Soul which could tear this world to pieces if they so desired.

One bad day, one bad day and...

Undyne huffed. ``Mom, they weren't telling me anything that I didn't ask them to tell me.''

``Undyne, sweetie...'' the mother began.

``You're being rude to them for no good reason,'' Undyne stated, ducking out from behind her mother. She forced a smile as she looked at Chara, seeming far too guilty for a girl her age. Chara wondered if she had to apologize for her mother often. ``Don't mind her, she?s just...''

``The human doesn't need to know my life story,'' the mother stated, glaring at Chara. ``Send my regards to the royals. They would do good to remember us common folk, who don't have the luxury of forgetting about the war as easily as they do.''

Chara scoffed and turned away. ``I'll make sure to pass along your message.''

[hr]

Chara lumbered into the royal apartment, stumbling into the kitchen and placing their satchel down upon the counter. The air was heavy with the scent of cinnamon and sugar, smelling rich with baked goods that they couldn't wait to devour.

Though they had a feeling that it would be a bit before they got a chance to enjoy these things.

They started to unload their bag, reaching inside. Yet, they paused as the first thing they found was the battered old book from Gerson, placing it down upon the kitchen island. They brushed their finger across the leather cover, smiling as they did so.

Just touching it felt nostalgic, prickling at the rare happy memories of life topside. It was hard to know why they got this sort of reaction but there was no denying that it was there. Maybe it was a reminder of childhood or memories of their father. They felt warm, fuzzy, and oh so familiar. It was strange for them to feel this way when it came to the surface.

They carefully rifled through the thin pages, seeing lines upon lines of text, stories of a saviour and a people freed of sin. All of them were made incomplete by the gaping hole which exploded through the middle of the book, only ending with the last few pages. Whatever had wounded this book had apparently been stopped before it could punch through.

Yet, it didn't really matter. They knew these stories by heart, even to this day.

It was hard to continue feeling warm when reflecting upon them. After all, it felt like such a shame that the Son had made his sacrifice only for his Father's children to continue being awful to each other. Though maybe that was the most human thing about this narrative. After all, wasting a gesture of good faith felt like an example by which all humans followed.

Chara didn't know how long they had been staring at the book but they suddenly stirred as someone embraced them from behind. They were large and fuzzy, so warm as their body seemed to envelop them from every angle imaginable. There was a rich musk upon them which was familiar, smelling vaguely of the apple shampoo he used.

``How was the market?'' a husky voice rumbled, whispering directly into their ear.

Chara smiled and placed their hand over one of Asriel's, squeezing it. ``Like pulling teeth.''

``Did you get everything that mom asked for?'' Asriel asked, slipping away and making his way over to the groceries. He got to work on unpacking them, ferrying an armload over to a metal chest which was filled with blue stones.

``I think so,'' Chara replied, closing the book and going over to help him.

``Anything exciting happen out there?'' Asriel then asked.

Chara sighed. ``Bunch of monsters glared at me, some made mean comments, and this fish monster told me to stop harassing her daughter.'' They shook their head and looked off to the side, working their jaw as they did so. ``So, the usual.''

``You know that I could've come with you, right?'' Asriel replied, biting his lip. ``Might've helped everyone ke-``

``You could've,'' Chara interrupted, lifting their hand. ``But I can't have you around my entire life, Azzy. I need them to...'' They sighed and chewed on their lower lip. ``I don't know, see me as my own person and not just an extension of you and your family. It's...'' They shook their head, searching for some silver lining. Though they failed to really find one. ``It's getting better. Some of them even talk to me now.''

``That's good,'' Asriel said.

He loaded up the chest and then closed the lid, making his way back over to the counter and leaning against it. His gaze turned towards the book as he reached out and slid it over to himself, carefully flipping through the pages.

``Your book has a hole in it,'' he quipped.

Chara smirked. ``Gerson gave it to me. It's from the surface.''

Asriel nodded and looked at the first page, dragging his finger across some text pencilled into the corner. ``P-V-T... What's a ppp?'' He tried it again. ``Pivot? Pvt? What is that?''

``I don't know,'' Chara said, cocking a brow. ``Why do you ask?''

``Apparently this belonged to a Pivot Jason Welles,'' Asriel read, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth. ``From a place called West Virginia where he worked for some group called the second regiment.'' He shook his head. ``Does any of that mean anything to you?''

``I was from western Virginia,'' Chara commented, blowing a puff of air into their cheek.

Asriel nodded. ``Was it nice?''

``Nah, it was fucking awful,'' Chara grumbled.

``Well then, I hope he got out of there,'' Asriel said, lifting up the book and peering directly into the hole embedded within. ``What is this book about anyways?''

``It's... a holy book,'' Chara said.

Asriel nodded. ``So, like Angel worship?''

``Something like that,'' Chara said, holding out their hand and taking the book back from him. ``My dad used to read it to me and mom before...'' They suddenly looked quite dark, trailing off as the memories proved rather uncomfortable to fixate on for too long. ``It has good memories to it. That's all.''

Asriel smiled and nodded along. He was the only one who seemed apt at reading them, growing oddly muted as their tone grew sombre.

``Would've liked to meet him,'' Asriel said.

Chara cracked a thin smile. ``I would pay money to see how that would go.''

``It would go great,'' Asriel said, grabbing the last of the dry groceries and moving over to the pantry with them in hand. ``Everyone loves me. I'm just that kind of guy.''

``You are a pretty great guy,'' Chara agreed, shaking their head. ``Just couldn't picture anyone on the surface reacting well to the sight of monsters. Especially not my dad.''

Asriel looked back and winked at them. ``Well, you fell in love with me for a reason. So, I'm sure they would've come around to me eventually.'' He smirked. ``What did a guy like me even do to get a human like you in the first place?''

``It was the good looks,'' Chara ribbed, sticking out their tongue before allowing their gaze to linger upon his ample backside. ``Also, you have a fantastic ass.''

Asriel scoffed and wagged his rump from side to side before their eyes. ``I can't believe my partner only loves me for my fantastic ass.''

``I mean it's common for us Dreemurr men to be reduced to our hindquarters,'' a familiar baritone boomed. ``After all, it's why your mother fell for me.''

Asriel tensed and Chara flushed bright red at the sound of this familiar voice. They both turned towards the kitchen's entrance, seeing that Asgore was leaning against the frame. He had changed out of his ceremonial robes, having switched them for a simple pair of slacks and a nice woollen sweater. There was a coy smile now upon his lips as he looked between his son and Chara.

``How long have you been standing there?'' Chara asked.

Asgore chuckled and stepped inside. ``Only for the last two minutes, dear.'' He moved towards the counter and picked up the book, looking it over. It seemed so small when cradled within these mammoth paws. Yet, even this small book made him suck in an errant breath as he took in the wounded cover. It would seem the cross on the front was not as kindly of a sight to him as it was to them. ``A holy book, am I correct?''

Chara nodded.

``I don't think I was very fond of this title back on the surface,'' Asgore commented, placing it back down and covering it with his paw. ``Men with these books would always show up a few years before an army swept in and pushed us further and further from our homeland.'' He scoffed. ``La Biblia is what they called it at first. Though I think those men used a different tongue than you and I.''

Chara frowned as they looked at his paw. Could that have been something that their father would've done if he'd been alive to see these monsters in the flesh? He had always dedicated himself to the word and if the word claimed them to be demons...

It wasn't a thought that they liked to think about. So, they quickly dropped it, pushing it aside with all the other unfortunate concepts they dreamt up.

Their father had always been a good sort and they saw no reason to sully his legacy with `what ifs'.

``Oh well, that's ancient history,'' Asgore said, pushing away from the counter and approaching the metal chest. ``You are living proof, Chara, that there is a future for humans and monsters to come together as one.'' He opened it and grabbed a piece of fruit from inside, rubbing it clean upon his sleeve. ``If only my son would finally propose to you and bring about the next phase of your union.''

``Dad!'' Asriel yelped, flushing at the suggestion.

``Kidding, kidding,'' Asgore said, taking a bite. ``I just know that your mother is dying for you two to finally tie the knot.''

Chara snorted, covering their mouth with a hand. ``I'm sure she's the only one.''

``Oh absolutely,'' Asgore said, letting out a deep rumble of hearty laughter. ``You know how sentimental she can be. Between you and...''

``I wasn't the one who was talking about caterer options in bed last night,'' an equally deep, though distinctly feminine, voice called. Chara looked over and watched as Toriel stepped into the room, smirking at her husband. ``Nor was I the one discussing who should supply the floral arrangements for the event. I believe you have more of a vested interest in this than I do.''

Asgore bit his lip, flushing as he'd obviously been caught red-handed. ``I just think that tulips are very in vogue this season.''

``Can we not talk about this?'' Asriel whined.

Chara smirked, leaning over and bonking him with their head. ``No, no, keep talking about this. I never get to see him blush.''

``Oh, don't worry, my child,'' Toriel said, coming around the counter and placing both of her massive paws upon their shoulders. ``I can assure you that I have the ability to amply mortify both of you.'' She grinned. ``I can just picture the stories that I'll tell all of the guests when I make my speech.'' She lifted a hand away from Chara's shoulder and motioned through the air with it. ``Maybe I'll tell them about the time that you and Asriel tried to hide the fact that you'd unwrapped your birthday presents early. What was the lie that you told me when I discovered those toys out of their packaging?''

Chara flushed. ``I have no idea what you're talking about.''

``Oh right, you tried to blame it on the royal guard!'' Toriel beamed, grinning with predatory glee as she patted Chara on the shoulder. ``Told us that she was the one who unwrapped them, leaving them conveniently in your room with the contents half assembled between you.''

Chara whined and looked at Asriel who was now grinning from ear-to-ear.

Yet, it seemed that he was going to give them at least a little bit of mercy as he loudly cleared his throat, addressing his parents. ``Regardless, you two shouldn't go rushing to any conclusions just yet. It's still up in the air if me and Chara are even going to get married in the first place.'' He held up his hand. ``So, don't go picking out floral arrangements or cakes or drafting wedding speeches until we actually make the announcement, okay?''

Toriel didn't seem very convinced, merely lifting a brow. ``Uh huh.''

``Now, now, Tori,'' Asgore said, shaking his head. ``Let's shelve this topic for now and give the children a little bit of space.'' He took another bite from his apple, wagging his finger at her. ``Everything will come to light in due time.''

As he snacked, Toriel seemed to concede to his request as she moved towards the ice chest. She reached inside and looked through the collection of ingredients contained within.

``No trouble at the market?'' she asked, now looking back at Chara.

Chara sighed and bit their lip. Though they immediately stirred as they realized that they'd just done that aloud and had garnered the collective attention of the entire Dreemurr family.

``It's getting better,'' Chara murmured, shaking their head. ``Still don't like standing out as much as I do.'' They huffed and leaned against the table, growing tense. Asriel placed a hand upon their shoulder but it didn't do much to lift the feeling of unease which seemed content on occupying this entire moment. ``I just wish that you could turn me into a monster. I don't like humans, I don't like being human, and I don't like the fact that so many monsters resent me for being human.''

Asgore nodded and looked quite sombre about this fact. He worked his jaw, obviously searching for something to say.

``They just need time,'' Asriel tried.

Chara scoffed though immediately regretted it as Asriel flinched away from their tone. They hated themself even more for making that sound. It was enough to darken their already dower mood. Yet, the cat was out of the bag, so they might as well go for broke. ``They've had a decade, Azzy. How much more time do they need before they finally realize that I'm not some secret agent keen on destroying their lives?''

Asgore loudly cleared his throat. It was enough to draw Chara's attention towards him.

``Our race has been hurt and the wounds are still painfully fresh,'' he began to explain. ``I won't try and justify how monsters treat you because it is unfair of them to do so. Yet, it is also unfair for humanity to put us in this prison in the first place.'' He reached across the table and rested a hand over top of Chara's, patting it. ``You are like a child to me, dear, but there are monsters who have lost their children or parents or spouses or any vast assortment of loved ones to the war. It can be hard for them to even think about burying the hatchet.''

``I know,'' Chara whispered.

Asgore frowned. ``That being said, I am sorry that you're being unfairly judged by them for a crime you had no part in.''

Toriel smiled at them, keeping to the fringes but offering what warmth she could provide. ``And you said so yourself that it's getting better.''

``It is,'' Chara admitted, shaking their head. ``I just... I want them to accept me as one of their own. I wish there was something I could do to prove that I have a right to be here.''

Asgore pursed his lips together. ``Well...''

``Dad,'' Asriel chided, sounding rather terse. ``Don't.''

Chara rolled their eyes. ``Are you going to suggest marriage?''

``I'm just saying that it would be a fantastic way to symbolically end the conflict between our races,'' Asgore suggested, working his jaw and clearly picking his words very carefully. He gestured through the air as if hoping this would get his point across. ``What better way to show everyone that monsterkind and humanity have a future together than to unify our family together with a human?''

Chara frowned and gave it some thought. Their initial reaction was to utterly despise the idea. They weren't one for grand displays where they would be the centre of attention. Nor did they want to get married for a dry and political reason like this. Yet, they also knew that Asgore had been in the game far longer than they had, knowing the ins and outs of court life like it was the back of his paw.

``Maybe something to discuss after dinner?'' Toriel stated, moving back towards the ice chest and fishing out her required ingredients. She brought them all over to the counter, depositing them next to a cutting board. ``Plus, me and Asgore really need to discuss some details from court today.''

``What sort of details?'' Asriel asked.

Asgore sighed. ``You know the junior scientist working under Rutherford?''

Asriel made a show of trying to recall the name, visibly clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth as he did so. Both him and Chara knew the answer but they didn't want to reveal that and influence Toriel and Asgore's decision. It felt unfair.

``Something with a G,'' Chara added, snapping their fingers together repeatedly until the name `came to them'. ``Gaster?''

``Yes him,'' Asgore replied. ``He came forward asking for a grant to start building a research facility for studying the nature of determination and the Souls.''

``A pipedream,'' Toriel grumbled.

Asgore frowned. ``I prefer to be optimistic when it comes to my outlook.''

``Which is why you have me to act as your foil during court,'' Toriel added, grabbing a knife from a block of them. ``The man is smart but his methods make me extremely nervous. I'd prefer if we didn't have to rely on whatever he's cooking in order to deliver our freedom.''

``We need seven Souls, dear,'' Asgore retorted.

Toriel frowned and glanced at Chara, looking a little guilty about this information. She worked her jaw before purposefully shaking her head and focusing her attention on Asgore. ``Maybe we shouldn't be having this discussion in front of the children?''

Chara felt a pang, a hot little bundle of anger which seemed to attach itself to their very core. They were being kept out of the loop for the simple fact that they were one of those seven souls. In fact, they were well aware that they were currently the only one of those seven required souls at this moment.

``You are fully welcome to mine whenever you'd like,'' they jabbed.

Asriel sucked in a breath. ``Chara!''

Toriel looked dark and instead focused on her cooking, saying nothing more on the matter.

Asgore just seemed sombre, looking them in the eye. He clearly saw their sincerity as he shook his head and instead looked down at his hands, unable to maintain eye contact any longer. ``Regardless of your offer, we're still six short and Gaster is offering us a solution to this problem. I believe we have the means to at least entertain his theories.''

``We only have so many resources, dear,'' Toriel replied, cutting into a vegetable and severing it with a decent amount of heft. ``And I'd say that we should invest more into the quality of life down here or ensuring our security for an eventual return of the surface. We're lagging behind the humans. Every piece of trash that floats down here is just proving as much.''

Asriel reached out and grabbed Chara's hand, drawing their attention towards him. He was nodding towards the kitchen door and seemed pretty eager to leave.

So, Chara decided to throw him a bone as they followed his lead, exiting the room.

``Sorry,'' Asriel said, shaking his head as they were finally on their own. He let go of their hand and headed down the hall. ``I just know that they're about to butt heads over this and I didn't want to be around for that.''

Chara nodded. ``Gaster's work sounds interesting though. Wish he'd talk about it more often with us.''

Asriel scoffed.

``What?'' Chara asked.

They followed his lead as they moved towards their own little apartment inside of the royal abode. Asriel was the first to enter, holding open the door and allowing them to slip inside.

It was like a little home secluded inside of the greater palace. It had its own living space, kitchen nook, and an adjoining bedroom and bathroom. All of the things that a young couple needed for comfortable living.

Chara plopped down upon a sofa in the living room.

``Nothing,'' Asriel said, shaking his head. Though clearly something was eating at him as he worked his jaw, seeming to struggle with his words. In the end, he sighed. ``I like Gaster and he's one of my best friends. But I think mom has a point.''

Chara lifted a brow and motioned for him to go on.

``Like we're so focused on getting back to the surface that we don't even really know what that actually means,'' Asriel said. ``The humans already pushed us down here once and if even half of your stories are true then they'll probably do it again if we ever get back up there.''

Chara nodded and then laid down, looking up at the ceiling. It was just one of countless barriers which separated them from the blue sky and yellow sun far above them. They barely even remembered what those things looked like anymore.

``I'm just glad that our stupid idea didn't work,'' Asriel chided.

Chara blinked and looked over. They tried to recall what he was even talking about. But then it hit them as they flinched and instinctively covered their stomach with a hand. It seemed that their belly still ached at the memories.

``Worst case of food poisoning ever,'' they grumbled.

Asriel cackled. Yet, the notes were darker than usual, rather grim in nature. ``You should be thankful that all you had to deal with was a bad case of food poisoning. Imagine what would've happened if the dose was even stronger.''

Chara shook their head. They didn't like to think about that, not even a little.

``Kind of weird to think about a reality where I would've gone to the surface and collected six human Souls,'' Asriel grumbled, looking down at his hands. ``And then we would've all gone to the surface and been pushed right back down here for all of our trouble.'' He scoffed and shook his head. The pain in his eyes was real, lingering deep within them. ``Makes me wonder if there's ever a future where we're actually allowed to leave.''

The two of them went silent.

Chara wasn't even sure what to say at this point. It didn't feel like there was a correct topic to broach the divide. Yet, it also didn't seem overly tenable to just let this pregnant pause drag on for an eternity.

``Sorry,'' Asriel whispered. ``Got a little dark there.''

Chara cracked a thin smile. ``It happens.''

``Want something to drink?'' Asriel asked, moving over to the kitchen nook. ``Because I'm making a cocktail.''

Chara shrugged. ``I'll have whatever you're having.''

They could hear Asriel busy at work, putting together a pair of drinks.

Yet, as he worked, they let their mind wander. Their thoughts immediately went to the memories of the past and the very real present, focusing on the same question that had plagued them repeatedly since they'd first heard about the prophecy.

How do I get six more Souls from down here?

They shook their head.

It wasn't an easy question to answer.

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