PLDF Chapter 18

"Chapter 18: Into February. New Holiday Traditions, Familiar Regimens, and Going Deeper into DeltaRune Chapter II (Sub-Entries 171-180)"

Sub-Entry 171: "Bringing Setsubun to Undertale":
By the time I left Miranda City...Setsubun had long since been imported and adapted to more Western Fontraile culture. Hence...the holiday became known as "Rabite Day".

Here...I kept the name, Setsubun and even did some research into our world's equivalent of Japan...and Jang...and other oriental equivalents throughout worlds. And I think...I kickstarted a new tradition over there as a result.

I'd simplified it when I explained it to the other Boss Monsters and the regular monsters. I of course used the comparison to tossing rice at a wedding. I'd explained everything out of Bunnie's pamphlets. Once everyone was clear, I took a step back to see if it would catch on.

I wasn't as surprised to see my fame start to spread outside the continent. As quickly as I had skyrocketed in popularity back home...across the stars...

Yeah. This felt like the norm.

If I were keeping with direct tradition I would have volunteered to be Toshioko for the ceremony.

But then again...I wasn't ready to take up the torch and I wasn't going to bring gender into the equation. By much.

No...to that effect, I thought it only fair I honor my sensei and prepare mom...Toriel to step into the role.

She was honored of course and more than overjoyed I'd consider such inclusion into my strange, foreign ways and practices.

Sometimes a mother has to be reminded she still matters, no matter how complicated your life has gotten. No matter how independent you are. Most of us only get one family. So...for me to have two...but I could only be with one...

...it was only right I give her this opportunity to be generously given my time and be part of my interests.

Of course I had Mettaton make the arrangements to dress her appropriately for the occasion.

And then I had to give her many lessons in the culture, the language, and such....just to be a beginner/entry level student of Jangese. Just enough to properly handle it.

I think...it was fitting for her, when I thought to the AU where Toriel was the goddess, Life. Yes. Life, herself. Like...the essence of all living energies.

But...also one to meet a tragic fate by...their world's Chara, risen from Hell. Where Sans was Death. Where Undyne was War. Where Asgore...was pretty much Zeus. Where all of us were gods. Where...my counterpart still suffers the fate of becoming Flowey.

Thinking to that...maybe it was my way of facing my fears that something like that could still happen to us mortals...that I let mom be the shepherd of life's renewal. The one to ring in the birth of spring as celebrated in Jangese culture.

With Valentine's Day coming up, it would be a hop, skip and a jump through St. Patrick's Day...or as we called it, "Green Day" or "Mitzi Day" back home...into Easter.

Or as we obviously called it...Festival of the Rabbit.

...wow, I'm getting ahead of myself. There would be plenty of time to think about how I'd get from point A to point B and the prep in between.

But...on the subject of rabbits......or rather...that reminded me of rabites. One in particular.

"Eager to enjoy your favorite holiday again?" I petted Spot.

For years, Spot had...competed against Wrench...and later other rabites including Wrench to see who could eat the most roasted soybeans scattered on the ground from the ceremony.

Now...Spot was the only one. Spot had no competition.

Spot...had none of his own kind. And...

...thinking about that made him wonder...did he feel loneliness? Did he feel...isolated?

Without his rivals...what was Spot to this world?

I briefly had Michael Jackson's "Stranger in Moscow" cross my mind. Then I remembered Violet's weird MeScreen meme, "Moskau" or something like that in which I gave her the okay to use my likeness and Hyperdeath's and other people in Undertale.

You never quite get it out of your head when you see a cartoon version of yourself dancing the Mamushka...or whatever you call that Cossack Dance when you fold your arms and alternate leg kicks while squatted down with bended knees in a sort of low, digit-grade, pigeon-toed...um...squat? You know what I'm talking about, right? Because I'm really tripping over myself trying to describe it.

How'd I get this far off topic?

Right.

Back to Spot.

Well, it turned out that the Temmies got curious and soon were clamoring for some snacks of their own.

I didn't want to think of them as pets or common fauna; I was trying to see them as full monsters like the rest of us (...er...the rest of us that apply; self excluded, of course).

But yeah...I guess Spot wouldn't be COMPLETELY alone.

So. The ceremony began; with Mettaton providing PLENTY of talent from his overseas shows; who better to play taiko drums to the song of spring as Mom scattered the beans and we all partook in the chant to drive the oni away.

"Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!" (Translated: "Evil demons out! Good luck in!").

Once mom had the chant down...there was nothing stopping her  from leading the crowd as Mettaton's stage-hand played the part of the oni ogre demon being driven away in theatrical flair.

In case you hadn't figured it out already? Yeah. Burgerpants was the volunteer. Story of his life, getting pelted by beans.

Oh well.

It was about that time I felt a hand wrap around mine.

"Oh, hey, Frisk...!" My voice trailed off when I saw her in that New Year's Kimono I got her as a gift last Christmas. A gift I had asked Mettaton to help provide enough overseas talent to collaborate with me to make. Sure I had picked up everything Jon could teach me about tailoring clothes...making them from scratch. And everything in between.

Oh! Right! The kimono!

The fact she was wearing it to this event meant she was proud to show it off. Yes, sir. She was taking to Jangese customs and fashion pretty quick.

Ironic since Chara was spending her days in a Japanese environment like the Seireitei, yet she was barely picking anything up anything about the culture. About the language. And yes...still struggling a little with kidou arts.

A girlfriend who had never even seen anything Japanese before was taking to it like a fish to water (sorry, Undyne)...and a sister who emersed herself in a Japanese setting was still as western as anyone I knew from my past in Miranda. Seriously....how did nothing rub off on her. Even I could recite a good amount of Bunnie's language. And I was even less Jangese...or Japanese that Frisk was...

...okay, I guess I should take points off for my vacation to Jang some years ago where I tended to synergize with the local populace pretty well.]

"It's starting!"

And so it began.

The air was filled with the sound of taiko drums. The ceremony went on with full flourish. Mom was amazing at it; a natural.

And soon, overshadowing the music was the chants of "Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!" (Translated: "Evil demons out! Good luck in!").

"This is the part I know you've been waiting for, buddy!  Dig in!"

I turned Spot loose and let him hop toward his reward. And feast he did! Just as a precaution I stuck close just to make sure he didn't get trampled. But to my delight, the other monsters and humans pretty much opened a path straight for him.

Okay, maybe not exclusively in. He had a head-start by the time I caught the sound of multiple instances of "Hoi!"

I guess it was too good for even the Temmies to pass up. Well...that's one way to rapidly clean up the ground.

"This worked out pretty well, in the end, huh?"

"Yeah.  I was worried that Spot would have too much to feast on and he'd over-indulge.  But with the Temmies and some of the other smaller monsters getting a free snack, this won't be nearly as bad as I feared." I smiled as I noticed the Froggits and other smaller Monsters of the former kingdom join in.

In a way...it was reminding me of that popcorn scene at the end of Miles' favorite movie, "Real Genius" back home. Nice little PG movie from 1984 starring Val Kilmer about college genius who build a laser for their final exam; only for them to find out their professor lied to them so he could steal it to make into a weapon for assassination to be used by very dangerous people.

Spoiler alert; it ends with the most fitting punishment for a villain who HATES popcorn--his house ends up completely FILLED with it as the whole college campus turns it into a popcorn party, just after his big demonstration backfires and he gets outed to the local congressman and the dean of the school.

Thus this was the miniature version of it and while the mound of soybeans wasn't nearly as big, there was PLENTY of it to go around for Spot and all the companions he'd picked up.

"What a delightful success!" Mettaton joined us after he snuck away from the crowd, incognito. Props to the cybernetic bot with the specter at his core; the guy was quite the master of quick-change artistry and a master of disguise at that.

"Glad you approve, Mettaton." I nodded.

"I th-think this one's h-here to stay." Alphys joined us, in full winter kimono.

"Ehh.  Not much on action, but if the people like it, who am I to complain.  Still feel a bit weird going out in these pajamas." Undyne was of course in her presence.

"You look great, Dy-Dy!  Especially with your hair in that top-knot." I had to appreciate her attempt to at least look like a samurai. In her words, anyone who kicks butt with swords that cool has to have some kind of crazy cool foreign style.

It was quite a party with so many out in traditional costume. At the time I was considering if it should be a replacement for Groundhog Day--another holiday I was planning to import. But in the end I figured it would cause frustration for those who would "know in advance" whether we were going to get an early spring or six more weeks of winter. It sure divided Volt and Jon back home, let me tell you. I figured...on our world? Let's just keep the mystery and let nature surprise us.

By the time the crowd died down and Mettaton's filming crew had dispersed, the streets were spic-and-span. I didn't expect every last soybean to be eaten up.

Just as a precaution I had requested the city streets be cleaned proper so that it was...at least some degree of sanitary when the bean-scattering began. I mean...really...the were eating off the ground. Who knows what nasty stuff could end up mixed in if I didn't make sure we took this precaution. When I said "clean enough to eat off of", I meant it.

Just...call it being considerate. I didn't want any monsters ending up in the hospital. Though in all the years that I let Spot, Wrench, and the other rabites take part, I don't think a single rabite ever got sick. At least not from cross-contamination. Maybe one or two got a belly-ache from eating too much but...that was temporary. Even Tithius learned his lesson after his first Setsubun.

* sigh*

Yeah...I hadn't thought of Chameleon or his familiars in a long time. I'm...sure he'd put on a brave face and say something like "They come and go.  Mercenaries can't afford to have attachments.  It's not personal.  Just business."

But...yeah...I'd probably spot him hiding a tear if I looked hard enough.

I understood what it meant to protect a reputation by then. You don't get the rep for being Miranda's surliest mercenary for hire by acting all mushy and tingly in public. You get it by threatening to cut your client's heart out if they even THINK about not paying you.

"Oh no, you didn't." I thought to myself; like the EA song from the game went. What was it? Mercenaries 2 or something like that? Violet played that song all the time just to get a reaction out of him. Not sure if it annoyed him or if he secretly used it as a personal credo with a hidden grin.

Jeeze it was a morbid business, wasn't it?

Wait. How'd I go from Setsubun to thinking about Chameleon getting his John Wick on?

"I think I recognize that look, Azzy.  You're thinking of home, right?"

"Yeah, Frisk.  But...hardly the most appropriate memories given the setting.  Just...someone I knew that might give Undyne a run for her money as "most intimidating".

Frisk rubbed the back of her head, remembering all the timeline runs that she luck wasn't on her side and she had to reload. Yeah...those memories stuck with you...as much as the spears through the torso. Yikes.

Maybe it was just her talent to tune in on things on my mind at have passing thoughts of things...related.

Or...maybe we were soul-connected in a way?

Whatever the case...yeah. I think I found her. I found number one. The one I've been waiting for all my life and didn't feel flustered around like so many of those girls who were just out for me because of my reputation and not for me being me. The real me.

"A festive Setsubun to you, Azzy."

"Right back at you." I replied as she rested her head on my shoulder and one-arm-hugged close.

Sub-Entry 172:  "Time With the Former Spear of Justice":
"...sorry to cut our game short, Mr. Boom but Undyne will have my head on a pike if the sensei isn't on time for her martial arts lessons.  I guess those years of Papyrus being Johnny-On-The-Spot prompt raised her standards a bit.  No quarter for tardiness, you know?"

"Hee hee!  You youngins with your big fuss over time!  When you get to be my age, you don't have much left and yet there's always too much of it to do anything with."

I think I got what he was saying. I'd probably understand in the future when I became an old goat.

Well. It was off to Undyne's house. Hopefully she was in a better mood. Lately she'd gotten crabby with how cold it was. I mean...really she did not do well in either temperature extreme. it was no secret how Hotland nearly cooked her alive in her own armor. But I guess it makes sense a fish lady wouldn't appreciate being frozen any more than being roasted.

With the weather what it was rumored to be in the coming days, I decided I'd have to bite the bullet and have her lessons indoors. Makes me wish I had given more attention to building an actual dojo in town.

Mom would never approve. But...I think she was opening up to the other aspects of the Martial Arts. I know Volt had does his thing explaining what they really were, while I was just a moody kid in Miranda, trying to move past all that trauma.

I think Undyne's favorite aspect of the martial arts was kendou practice. She didn't object...too much to the gear. She's still not a fan of strutting around in bare feet with flaring pants but the protective face mask makes her feel like one of those horror movie monsters...like that nut in the hockey mask.

Yup. She's always been a total tomboy. Things that mom considered morbid, Undyne always thought were pretty cool. I think she was a lot like Razor from Maniac Mansion in those respects. Mental note to self...keep her away from hamsters and the microwave, just in case.

I've finally gotten used to being the teacher. But I doubt she'll ever get used to being the student.

On the bright side, Alphys finally made it through watching one of her lessons without passing out. Violet would joke that if she were able to, she'd totally nose-bleed harder than Sanji or Master Roshi. Then Bunnie would have to smack her.

"Glad the place doesn't smell like burned trout."

Yeah...I think things improved after Alphys started supervising her in the kitchen. Frisk still feels bad about the incident where she set her house ablaze while making spaghetti.

Only person in town whose door is made up of sliding fangs like piranha's.

I didn't have to knock much before the teeth slid open.

"Howdy, Dy-Dy.  Ready to car-pool to your lessons?"

"You're damn right!"

"Oof!" There came the head-lock and the...ow...ow...ow.

"W-watch the horns!  I haven't retracted them yet!"

I was always worried she'd accidently crack or break one off. I wasn't about to find out if they could grow back...or if it would be ill-advised to retract a damaged one.

You never quite got over an experience like getting noogied by the most butch fish lady in town.

After recovering from that, we loaded up in the car.

"Damn!  I wish you'd break out the cooler one.  This crate's too boring!"

"Sorry, Dy-Dy.  Being a responsible adult means you have to think economical and practical.  The other one's great and all but..."

"But nothing!  You gotta live a little!"

"I know, I know.  It's just like Aunt Vi's old advice.  You gotta take life by the lips and YANK AS HARD AS YOU CAN!'

Yeah, I know it was Weird Al Yankovic who originally said it, in his movie, UHF (also called "the Vidiot in Europe).  But when have any of us in UCIAT been able to use our own words?

"Now THAT I'd like to see!" Yup. Undyne was making the "guffaw-guffaw" face again.

You know...it's just as well I rented a closed down gym to serve as a temporary dojo until I could properly give it that attention I mentioned earlier. At least I wouldn't have to worry too much about the damage deposit. Short of demolishing the whole building, what could Undyne possibly do to it worse than the condition it was already in?

Um...maybe I should hold that thought, just as a precaution.

I got set up and changed into my gi while I waited for Undyne to slip into something more proper for combat training.

Honestly...I could feel mom stare burning holes in us all the way from her home. But...I just felt better if I could make up for the lost time Undyne and I were cheated out of as teacher and student. Only with the roles reversed, now.

I think...even hardcore fish ladies needed to have a bit of fun and get that aggression out of their system from time to time. And...maybe it was my way of making it up to her for being such a flower child that jumped at his own shadow.

Alphys couldn't make it this time and of course I had Dad make sure Papyrus was tied up so as not to complicate things. Granted, no slight against Papyrus or Undyne. But sometimes he could be a distraction for her. She always felt like she had to hold back and handle him with kid gloves. Maybe...Papyrus was that second chance that I never got? Maybe...through him she learned what she didn't understand when she wanted to train me...or rather the other Asriel.

Flowey still wouldn't talk about the old days. But so much of our childhoods before meeting Chara sync-ed up...it was uncanny how much we were clones of each other up until that point in history.

Really. Every Asriel was fundamentally the same on some level. Even the on in UnderSwap that had switched places with Monster Kid.

Oh boy...Monster Kid becoming a soulless Temmie? Now that was something to wrap my head around.

"Okay, let's get our stretches done and the usual katas.  Then we'll get into the good stuff."

I'd save the mental stuff for afterward. You know...it goes without saying and probably unsurprising but...Undyne wasn't particularly good at meditation. She got...too antsy from sitting around, trying to find her inner balance. Papyrus didn't get it, either.

Napstablook sometimes joined in sessions of meditation; he said it was very similar to laying on the ground and feeling like trash. Go figure.

But even less surprising was that Sans was a natural at it.

Too good even. Though...I often found myself wondering if he was actually meditating...or just sleeping?

As much as I wanted to, in order to appease her, I just couldn't short-cut through the warmups and katas and the "boring stuff". It was fundamental. It was necessary. Every building block had its reason to exist.

"Eheh..." I tried to bear with her as I could hear her grumble under her breath.

But of course did get to practice drill. Several repetitions of jab punches and the like. Repetitions of kicks. All the basics. I could see her mood change near instantly.

As a treat I'd include some board-breaking later on.

"You're doing great!"

"Hell, yeah I am! Fuh-huh-huh-huh-huh!!!"

It was empowering. Maybe too much so but...if you can't trust your elders to be responsible after they drill it into you to be responsible...who can you trust?

"YEAAAAH!  RELEASE THE BEAST!"

Okay...did she just pound on her chest with her fists like some kind of gorilla?

I'm...just going to go with it. Some of us were just born to be masculine, despite being the opposite gender. And for some like myself...maybe we weren't meant to release the beast. Maybe it was best to have a flower child to balance things out, you know?

Then again...that's what I respected most about her. She was Undyne. She would always be herself...even in those instances where you have doubts that maybe she could be...less so in public settings? But then she just wouldn't be Undyne if she had to do that. Oh well...embarrassment around your mentors is only temporary. Better to suffer that than risk offending them and fracturing a friendship over a misunderstanding...right?

I think my doubts have my worries turned up a little too much.

Let's not complicate it. She's Undyne. And she's still a hero to me. She's the freakin' Spear of Justice; retired or not! That's all I needed to know.

"ANOTHER!" She called out after breaking the board and actually causing me to skid backward a little from the force. Maybe...I shouldn't be holding these things out for her...? Eheheheh...oh boy. No pain, no gain, right?

By the time we finished board breaking, Undyne punctuated it with an exclamation point...by breaking a stack of boards over her own head before giving out a beastly battle cry.

"Most...impressive."

I was a little intimidated.

Then came the warm down and the mental lessons. Yeah...her mood quickly tanked but she decided to bear with it. Take the good with the bad. I promised it was making her a better warrior at a fundamental level...even if she didn't understand it.

Finally lessons came to an end...and the place was no worse for wear. Just a few more battle-scars to the walls and floor.

"Well.  Same time next time?"

"You bet your furry butt!"

Well. Carpooling back to her place it was. You know I guess I don't have to explain the reason she was riding shotgun with me instead of driving herself here? Yeeeeeeah... I won't explain how her driver's tests went and leave it at that. Okay, I will bring up the bench-pressing a car while the instructor was still in it. Yeah. That didn't help...

"Stay the perky, Undyne." I was quoting something but I couldn't quite remember what.

"Fuh-huh-huh-huh!  It's a deal, little prince!" A whap on the back that I probably would be feeling in the morning...oww.

Well. This wraps up another sub-entry in my journal. But yeah...I did enjoy my time out. And...I think we're both making up for lost time.

A short entry but...only because it was simple and concise. Really there was never anything to read into when it involved Undyne. What you got is what you got.

Still...it's good to finally make it up to her after years of denying her a student to teach her combat prowess.

Yup. Just as Lady Destiny planned out all along.

Just roll with it, Azzy. Just roll with it.

Sub-Entry 173:  "Snowy Again":
You remember what I said about blizzards and how we handle them here in Newest Town?

Well...sometimes you get the mother of all snowstorms that just gridlocks the town and forces you to stay in.

"Too much of a good thing is a bad thing.  Sorry, Jon, but that's the way it is." I stared out my window. It was going to be real trouble digging my way out of this.

It's times like this I appreciate why Volt DESPISED this weather. Though the fact he had as much or more of a built-in fur coat as I did...I still couldn't figure out why it never did him any good. Really, in his morphed form it should have been the perfect insulator.

I wonder...was it really just all in his head or was it elemental weakness actually working against him?

I know, from Rock's world, there were many variations to the "elemental weakness ring" or "jan-ken" as Bunnie called it. Paper-rock-scissors. Electricity-ice-fire-wood. Things like that. Nothing was stronger than everything else. Everything had that one chink in its armor.

So...maybe he wasn't just being er..."whiny" as Vi teased him with it. Maybe he was legit harmed by the cold? I know Chameleon had the same hatred for the winter months. And being a reptile meant he was literally cold-blooded, so it made sense. But for a mammal like Volt?

Whatever the case, it certainly was a case of mutual sympathy pains. I was always glad when something put the two of them on the same page. Honestly I had a lot fewer moments when I could tell if they were friends...or...at least had mutual respect than I hoped for. But...I guess...that's just the way it had to be with Chameleon. Reputations were a valuable resource to maintain, I guess. And Volt wasn't one for confrontations so...taking the path of least resistance to get out of an uncomfortable situation was his thing. You know...kind of like how electricity follows the path of least resistance.

Huh. I'm getting philosophical again.

For right now.

"Let's...let the day actually begin before I think about trying to get my door open and digging out my paths and my driveway."

I was still in my pajamas and shower sandals and I'd decided to fix another cup of hot cocoa. I was on my third one now. Not out of thirst or nervous habit...just an excuse to work up the determination to not put off what had to be done any longer than I had to.

Yeah...while I knew it had "alcoholic connotations"...I was calling THIS my "liquid courage".

I got a conference call from Frisk at that moment.

Guess I could procrastinate this a liiiiiiittle longer. But don't put it off too much. Besides delaying the inevitable, it was showing bad character for me. And Papyrus certainly wouldn't appreciate me turning into a lazy-bones.

"You seen outside?"

"Don't even get my started, Frisk."

"No classes at University today." She shrugged with a pouty face. She was like me. She liked to learn.

"If there weren't so much, I'd actually be glad we're having a rare snow day.  School's closed so I won't be assistant teaching any time soon." I sympathized.

"But really...it's more of a bummer because I can't visit anyone to check up on them.  Thank goodness for internet or it'd really be unbearable."

"I know, right?"

This seemed like a good time to swap stories about Snowdin Forest and Snowdin town. And both of us had plenty. Frisk's being much more closer to recent, what with my memories of Snowdin separated by over a century of time.

All while the both of us were enjoying a mug of hot cocoa.

"You know we could dig out our game consoles and play each other in Smash Bros." Frisk suggested.

Now this felt like a meta reference, somehow. I'm sure if I checked AU's in my research, I'd find a matching one. I know AFAC had its flip-side variant in ACAC; an asker blog AU with its own paper-thin if not non-existent fourth wall where the "Askers" commonly interacted with us through those weird typed out comments like you see on YouTube or MeScreen videos when people react and reply to them.

"Yeah...we'll do that.  We're not going anywhere today, I'd say so...let's make this a stay-in-home date, okay?"

"Yeah!"

Throughout the day our conference call would have other people in town join in so our privacy would come and go.

"Glad to hear you keeping up on your music, Napstablook.  Well I don't want to keep you from time with your cousin so give Mettaton our best!"

And he waved with nary a word. A shy ghostie of few words but big heart underneath.

While many calls were welcome; especially from Sans and Papyrus at the same time.

Some...we could do without. Like Burgerpants needing to rant for about two and a half hours about how much his job sucks, how much life sucks, and how he can't afford to go to Hell.

B.P. my dude, I respect you...but you're kind of being a dingle right now. And it's kind of a downer.

I also wanted to call him out on his smoking habit. I'd been raised around Mitzi and Nermal and plenty of other doctors, even mom--Callista, that is--and boy oh boy...I had it DRILLED into my head how precious your heart and lungs are. Not to mention several other organs that you could damage by chain-smoking. By this time, I was pretty much ready to DRILL it into anyone else's head. But I refrained from doing so because I didn't want to come off as "that guy" who rants. Like I had learned from Volt? Sometimes you just need to keep your mouth shut...and...maybe get down wind of people who needed their tobacco...or...'other' substance fix. Ewwwwww.

Let's move on before this gets preachy. There was certainly no shortage of "Just Say No" moments in Vi's multimedia from the 80's that I practically soaked up. Need I bring up "Saturday Morning Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue?" You never get over Simon Seville casually saying the "M-word" when asked what was found under the bed. Or Muppet Babies using the roller coaster metaphor. Or Michelangelo literally pulling a GIANT bathtub stopper out of the floor in a sewer. Or even...Garfield's prime variant being threatened to be ALF's lunch.

"I recognize it when you wrinkle your snoot that subconsciously, Azzy.  Did you think of something unpleasant from your past again?"

"You have NO idea." I shrugged it off.

"RIght.  Changing the subject."

"Thanks, Frisk.

The conference call went on all day. You’d think it would be easy to keep up as boyfriend and girlfriend...no reference to Friday Night Funkin' or whatever that mobile game was, mind you...

But...yeah, even together we'd get bored and be at a loss at how to pass the time.

Huh...you know for something so casual and common for people...it's a difficult thing to understand why boredom could be so dangerous. At least until you take in mind how other versions of Frisk had followed that boredom into resetting...and going on Genocide Runs.

Come on. That couldn't happen to responsible adults like us, now, right?

That's it, Azzy. Convince yourself. Really convince yourself. No, seriously. Don't. Have. A.  Doubt. Not even one. You just never know.

Yikes, are the both of us really still afraid of our timeline turning upside-down again? I mean...we broke the game, right? So...no worries. Yet...Madam Fate was still out there and our little AU cube was still on her shelf...all she had to do was get bored enough to take us off and we'd be in the middle of a different game for our lives and our souls and whatever she could take from us just to see our discord.

"Hey.  I know.  I know what's on your mind.  Because it's haunting the back of mine, too."

"We have each other.  That's the best deterrent against...those dark days ever coming back."

I was keeping my voice low to not attract Flowey's attention. Though...really the cold season was keeping him more dormant lately. I think it was harder for him to stay awake in winter. And you know how much I miss his...playful...banter........yeeeeeeah. I'm STILL a terrible liar, aren't I?

As time creeped on, sure we had our online games of Super Smash Bros. I was grateful to get plenty of copies of it from Vi so I could distribute it among my closest circle of friends and family. Any more than that and I'd feel like I was illegally vending the game rather than giving them out as legitimate gifts. Sheesh.

"I don't think we're going to break this tie by the end of the day, Frisk.  We're just too good against each other.  I win one, you win one.  Rinse.  Repeat."

"It is fun having a worthy opponent."

I chuckled.

Beyond the moments, we only took breaks from the call for meals, snacks, and...to answer nature's call; just to be discreet.

All throughout the day, we both worried that the power was going to go out or the internet was just going to drop. But...it stayed constant. The storm was bad but it was leaving our utilities alone. Thank goodness.

Huh...had we progressed to the point where we can consider Internet a utility? I mean...you have providers; same as water, gas, and electricity. You pay for the service in monthly bills or other payment plan. You have a customer service to bring workers out to fix it if there's an outage or problem. It's pretty much in almost every home in Newest Town. And by almost I can't think of anyone who doesn’t' have it unless it's by choice. You know...Amish lifestyle.

Well...yeah...that's where we were now. I'm surprised cable or satellite TV isn't considered a utility these days since it hits most if not all the same checkmarks. Though...I guess the defining difference is whether it's a luxury or a necessity.

Needless to say, Frisk and I had a long discussion/debate about it. We didn't come to a final consensus. It was just as well left unresolved. More to bring up another time we were stuck inside like this.

Later in the day I had to put our call on lower priority in order to take care of some online research with Alphys. Some stuff we couldn't get done in the lab that we had to take care of in cyberspace.

It was okay. Frisk had time to get some term papers done.

Still...that break in the conversation and the all-day snow date was only temporary. We'd be back to our time together until we really did have to go our separate ways. Frisk had responsibilities to take care of. And...well...my house wasn't going to unbury itself. I had to get those walkways and the driveway cleared away. I had to dig the snowblower out and get started.

Now came the aggravating part...actually getting the door open.

Well...I managed.

"Oh boy..."

I sighed and decided...I'd let them stay dormant long enough. It was time to remember I had a Hybrid Ability. And it was time to bust it out.

In each hand I readied a Taiyoudama.

"I will stop the world...and melt with you..." I smirked, quoting the song lyric before letting them fly.

Sure enough, nothing but concentrated sunlight was potent enough to melt away my cares in the world. Literally in this case.

I went to rapid-fire once I was out the doorway.

"Careful there.  You don't want to have to get someone to have to asphalt your paths and driveway again.  That could get expensive."

Balancing the heat...the power...the range, and the whatnot was an art. I'd slacked on that art so this was a crash course in reminding myself what I could do.

And really...I was so glad to have a non-living target like snow and ice.

Now...around the car...I had to be extra careful. A misplaced shot would ignite the gas tank and I'm sure even I don't have the Determination to come back from an explosion that big. Nope. It was the ice scraper and the spray can of de-icer solution. Some things you had to do the hard way.

It was hard work. It was a lot of strain on my abilities...but you know...you build up muscle by tearing it down and letting it recover with plenty of protein, calcium, and other healthy diet essentials. You know...exercise and a healthy regimen.

And of course there were parts I did have to turn to the snow shovel and the snowblower. Some things were not worth risking use of your solar powers on. The less I ended up scorching with accidental fire the better.

"Whew."

I finally wrapped up and I was able to at least get to the street now. It was just a matter of hoping that the city would plow the streets before morning. And if they did, I really hoped that the drift wouldn't wind up back on what I had just spent so much time and effort to unbury around my house.

Time to go back inside, load up on hot chocolate and see if Frisk or someone else can chat.

I managed to get some quick conferences in with people all over town. But ultimately even being snowed in, people still had stuff to do in spite of a lack of places to go with this blizzard going on.

Oh well. Hopefully tomorrow would be back to some level of normal. At least as far as winter days went.

Sub-Entry 174:  "A Critical Time For a Wounded God of Death":
One thing I miss is being able to visit Chara in the Soul Society.

Unfortunately I haven't renewed my senkaimon gateway pass...complicated story so...being able to get a new one from Urahara's candy shop on Ichigo's world isn't an option. The best I could do is ask Chara if it's at all possible to pick one up for me...but on her salary in the Soul Society? Yeah...

I think I'd have to end up waiting a while for her to save up enough.

Eeeeesh. Mr. Hat-and-Clogs sure can scalp you on those prices while keeping that cheery, clueless disposition of his. In a way...he's too much like Violet; distracting you with how much a fool he seems like...to hid the fact that he's actually incredibly cunning and a little devious underneath. Violet Tokugawa 1-0-1: playing the fool to hide a warrior's pain and a genius' brilliance. Your enemies really never see it coming when you reveal that nearly 4-digit intelligence quotient out of nowhere when they think you're just a bubblehead with attention deficit disorder. Just the way she likes her reputation on the surface. Bunnette Von Rabbotte, Bunnie's sister, would tell you that's just plain ninja deception basics. The ability to hide in plain view. Call it underhanded...but it works disturbingly well for people who are comfortable with going there.

Me? I've got too much of a conscience to deceive like that. Which...probably makes me more vulnerable. Is it any wonder why Muffet cons me out of so much money through a simple guilt trip? Just call me George McFly before Marty's time-travel to 1955.

That said...back to my sister.

I worry about her, you know. She's in a dangerous profession in the afterlife. She's risking getting killed...er...well...killed deader than the dead she already is, if that makes sense? Still not sure HOW that even CAN work, when she's already a spirit and a Soul Reaper at that. But...apparently Soul Reapers can permanently die or get eaten up by Hollows...it's...it's just a mess how anime rules work.

With the way things have been apparently going on in the world of Bleach, lately, I just wonder if there's a big end game ahead that...well... For me, it's hard to top the seven-fold cross-rift battle between the Absolute Gods of the seven Undertale unstable timelines. But...I'm worried some day the peace will end and I'll smash face-first into something even bigger than that. The reason I'm still training and still preparing. Goddess Fate will not catch us off guard, if I can help it.

Ahem...right. Chara.

She's been busy lately...so...not having a visit from her for a while starts to...get your anxiety up. I mean...she was my first best friend. And my first sibling, if by adoption. But that's nothing new. Right, little big sister, Gadget?

Okay...fair warning, I feel a tangent coming on so...a little prep so I can get this off-topic moment out of the way. But...yeah, this did remind me of the duality of 1987 DuckTales in our universe and the "modern reboot" AU that Volt and I tackled. Still not sure if Violet figured out how to separate the "Wuzzle" splices, mind you... But on that note...where there are Duckburg adventures...there was also the tale of two apple-height gumshoes picking up the slack of small cases that fell through the cracks.

I'm of course talking about a pair of chipmunks--one cosplaying as Indiana Jones, the other borrowing the loud Hawaiian shirt of Magnum P.I. And when my thoughts drift to something like that, of course I think of Gadget and her recently discovered lab mouse mate...I think he was going by "Monterrey Jack" now. When my thoughts drifted to this it usually meant that the word "Alternate Universe" wasn't far behind.

I already confirmed they had counterparts, since we had photos of them with our Gadget and Monty after the DuckTales case resolved. So...what could possibly be happening saaaaay...30 years after their "Rescue Ranger" hey days? Were they still together? Did they break up like the Beatles? Were they partying down with Roger Rabbit? Or maybe they were ducking in and out of ComiCon with My Little Pony? I hope none of them got that "CG Corrective Surgery" that I was seeing as a new trend with old nostalgic making new comebacks. When I think of them as World of Warcraft character models...or worse that awful Cats movie...I cringe and shudder. I mean...which of them could be so self-absorbed to do something that...um.......yeah. I'm not going to finish that thought.

I guess if I'm going to leave on in this thought, I might as well at least acknowledge the...*ahem*...cult following of a certain fellow "cast member" of theirs. Not to name names but...who else wears a purple jumpsuit? I think I should not make plans to visit Russia on their world, once we've mastered Cyber Gate, Time Circuit, and Dimensional Rig technology.

I guess I'm putting a new stick-pin in my info board of AU research to ponder on. But hobbies later. Family affairs now.

Back to Chara.

"Hmm...." I sighed as I looked at the un-eaten chocolate cake in the fridge. Usually by now, my sister would have dropped in and I'd be lucky if a quarter of it was left.

So...yeah. I was a bit concerned. Was she just busy? Or...did something...happen?

This was where I inherit Volt's capacity for worry.

Most of the time my worry ended up being unwarranted. Most of the time...I was just being a silly little goat that cared too much for his own good.

So...

...on that rare instance I was right...

"Hmm...?" I looked up as the Senkaimon gate opened.

I started to rise, feeling excited that my sibling was back. But then...

"...!"

I gasped as she stumbled out of the gate...in the sorriest state I'd seen in ages. In that moment...it took me back to the moment...that moment...the moment I begged her to wake up. The moment I was about to keep my promise and...and... ...their soul was right there and...!

"CHARA!"

I jumped up and rushed to her as she staggered toward me.

"Hey...there better be......some chocolate cake left...!"

It almost escaped my attention that she was bleeding on me and her soul reaper clothes were in torn and burned tatters.

"Hold on!  I got you!"

"Oh...hey, Azzy..." She was clearly woozy.

"Oh my gods and goddesses!  Wha...what happened!?"

"Oh...what happened?  You know...stuff..."

"Chara, don't be so aloof about it!  You're hurt bad and...!"

"You should see your face right now...all freaked out..."

"That's not funny!  What happened?!"

"You know...just the job.  Nothing I couldn't handle--"

"You're going to be okay.  Hold on...!" I carried her to the sofa.

"Of c-course I'm going to be okay.  Don't talk like you're gonna lose me or something--"

"Stop saying stuff like that !t's not funny!"

She shook her head a little. "You should know me...by now......reflexive...defense against...when afraid.  Always had a dark sense of humor."

She was right though...the injuries were bad. But if I learned anything from Elektra and Velaska, I could recognize when injuries were fatal. These clearly weren't but she was still in a bad state.

It was things like this which horrified me to my core. Just when I think I overcame my fear of losing people...I'm reminded that there IS no getting over that fear for me. All I really learned to do...was accept when it was time to say goodbye and work up the courage to let go. To let them go on ahead.

I decompressed ever medical item I had in my Offline V.E.H.I.C.L.E. storage. Without the UCIAT network, I had a lot less to work with but...that didn't mean I was roughing it. I had plenty of redundancies to work with when it came to healing items and medicine. BioCort and bandages...

I worked feverishly to dress her wounds.

"Hey...you think I look bad, you should see the other guy." She was in pain but still good enough to crack jokes.

"What did this to you?"

"Nasty Hollow.  He got the worse end of it."

I finished patching and immediately put in a call to mom and to Dr. Alphys and lastly to Frisk.

All three rushed over in record time.

Toriel took it about as well as me.

"Chara..."

"Oh come on, don't give me the doe-eyes, Frisk." Chara rolled her eyes moments before mom put the damp compress over her forehead. She was already getting feverish and her hands were a little clammy.

By this time, we'd all spent enough time with her that those closest to her could see her in this form. Others had trouble like Papyrus and Undyne.

To the ghosts, it wasn't an issue.

Sans? Do I even need to bring him up?

Alphys was...hesitant to set up an intravenous...especially she since couldn’t see Chara in her spirit form...at least not until I loaned her the P.K.E. Meter and my scanner glass and she was able to interface them both to her tablet. I suggested maybe to try to get her into her gigai body.

It was worth a shot, but only after she was stabilized.

"My poor child..."

"Mom, do I have to explain it again?  I'm already dead.  The worst that can happen is I get um...well deader than that and disappear for good--"

"Chara!  Not helping!" I grimaced.

"I'm not giving up being a soul reaper.  It's the only way I'm going to redeem myself...no matter how ironic and seemingly counterproductive it is.  I mean...yeah, I get it.  I'm making up for past sins of being killer by...ironically killing horrible creatures.  There's no other path for me."

"I really do not like this, Chara."

"My mind's made up.  You should know this look of Determination by now."

"I suppose I do."

"I recognize it even more than you, mom.  I know my own sibling too well.  She'll go the Heck and back to make up for past sins.  She's...embraced Miranda's credo.  Everyone has a second chance if they want to take it.  Fact is...it's just not as easy as it sounds to not blow that second chance.  So...I guess...nothing to do but be in her corner when things like this happen again.  We all chose a peaceful life but..."

"I'm afraid so, Azzy." Chara closed her eyes. "I have to accept...these hands aren't the same as yours.  They can't heal.  They were...meant to reap.

But as morbid as that sounds...they're still hands that can protect. Am I right?"

"Yeah.  Yeah, I know.  I...I've walked the line but never crossed it.  Not on purpose.  Not without someone like Adonis pulling my strings.  And besides...even he couldn't make me do the deed."

So...how was Flowey taking it?

He was...outright catatonic. He had nothing witty to say. He couldn't put up a front. And it was at that moment I felt it within him. A spark of the real Asriel Dreemurr trying to claw his way out. A spark of someone...absolutely...TERRIFIED.

He didn't think anyone would see...but I saw, while everyone's attention was diverted...I saw him shapeshift his face into a familiar goat snoot...fangs...those eyes...

It was like rewinding my age back to when I was maybe nine or ten. It was the same look of fear. He...was on the verge of crying. But it's like he was in emotional limbo. Too paralyzed with fear to speak. Too afraid to react. Too shaken to show that it was possible for him to feel something.

I felt it best...to just leave him be. I'd...I'd have  heart-to-heart with him later.

This was worrying me in another way. It felt like it was a wake-up call at first...that the peace that I was so protective of was ending.

But...several days later...a few weeks later...Chara turned out to be right. It was just an isolated incident where she was just...unlucky. And sure enough she was recovering pretty fast.

By then...Chara was getting more visitors than just Toriel, Alphys, Frisk and I. Pretty soon...she was getting more attention than she was comfortable with.

"Ughhh...could you guys baby me any worse?"

"Wellllllll..." I held up a jar of baby food and a spoon.

"Don't.  Even.  Think about it."

Now who doesn't have a sense of humor? Okay, Flowey DID put me up to this. But that was proof that he bounced back pretty quick.

It was fading from my mind. The realization that we dodged a bullet. But I didn't WANT to forget that. If I did, I'd get complacent. We'd settle back into the peace. Something like this would catch us unprepared if we did.

But what's peace if you're too rattled to enjoy it? Looking over your shoulder for Madam Fate's next cruel prank is no way to live. I wasn't about to give her an inch back after we'd already taken back was she took in the first place.

"One question...do I have to wear this stupid white terrycloth bathrobe on over these bandages?"

"Not letting you run around the house nearly naked, sis." I was being a bit of a smart-alec. But yeah...aside from being bandaged up, that really was all she was clothed in at the time. And...it kind of made me recall Ichigo's story about Rukia being on death row--wearing similar--when she was sentenced to be executed as a pawn of Aizen's betrayal of Soul Society.

"I mean, can't I at least put on something decent."

"Doctor's orders." I relayed Alphys' recommendation that she wasn't ready to be up and moving around, yet. Thankfully I'd gotten plenty of advice from Mettaton and Napstablook with caring for a ghost in an unstable state.

Mettaton thought her bare minimum was a fashion statement.

Aunt Vi would have just been happy staring at her bare feet. Another moment Bunnie would have to thwap her for.

Okay, levity aside. I was breathing easier now that she was on the up-swing.

Time to ask her the question I should have asked to begin with, though.

"Chara.  Why didn't you report to Squad Four medical corps?  Captain Unohana would be able to speed your recovery a lot faster than us."

"What?  And risk you having to throw out that chocolate cake after I was late to my own party?"

I wrinkled my snoot.

"Be serious." I put my knuckles to my hips.

"What?  Chocolate is serious business."

Okay. Beat around the bush if you must. But really...you didn't risk your own afterlife just for sweets.

"Fine.  If you're not going to tell the truth..." I decided to prod a little. "Wait.  You didn't pass up a speedy recovery just to get attention from all of us?  That's a bit reckless, hoping to get an old-fashioned dose of T.L.C."

"......"

I blinked.

Oh my gods.

"That's...it, isn't it?" I cocked my head. "You...just wanted to test us and see if we really cared?"

Her eyes were hidden under her bangs.

"Chara, you don't need to do that.  All you had to do was come over and talk to me.  You didn't have to get yourself almost killed in battle just for us to prove we all love you and care about you!"

"I know it's...just that the job put you in a bad place sometimes.  Sometimes...Hollows can really mess with your head and make you...doubt what you know.  It was...the only way I could think of to get piece of mind."

"Well.  I guess now that you're back on your feet...and casually wearing my shower sandals at that..."

Violet, quit influencing what I just happen to notice!

"...don't ever do it again.  Is that clear?" I was being stern. Or trying to.

"Aye-aye." She wasn't all that convincing. I was going to regret being naive if I decide to buy this half-hearted affirmation she was giving. She'd be reckless again and probably end up like this again some day.

"Chara, is this a case of pride?  Are you trying to rise up the ranks and get promoted to captain of squad 3?"

"Eh...what would give you that idea?"

"Chara I know your salary isn't the best, but you gotta stop taking higher level missions just to get recognition.  Whatever you need the extra money for, it's not--"

"Not it.  You."

"Me?"

"Look.  You may be the goat that has everything but...I don't want to feel like I'm not getting you anything on holidays and birthdays--"

"Chara.   Your my sibling.  You're all I need.  You being healthy and in my life is all I need.  I'm going to ask you not to compare yourself to the overly expensive things Mettaton gets us on Christmas."

"Yeah...but it's also kind of a pride thing.  Trying to rebuild it after...my past is slow going."

"You?  Having an issue with pride?  Now I've heard everything.  Your confidence has never waivered in the time I knew you.  Heck, you were the one trying to build my confidence every time I was being the wet blanket when we were kids."

Silence for a moment.

I slid my gaze to the side where I caught a glimpse of Flowey eavesdropping on us. He quickly pulled himself under the soil. It was to be expected.

Flowey had long since accepted that his Chara was never coming back. My Chara was all he had left. And as a sister to both of us...she was a lot better company that his Evil-Chara brother.

"Okay.  I get it.  I understand.  You do what you gotta do.  But don't try to impress us.  Just be yourself.  Know your limits.  Simple words of wisdom to live by."

By this point...my Determination exceeded her own.

"So.  That's it, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Alright.  I'll...be more careful."

"That-a-girl." I pulled her into a hug.

The moment came...and kept going.

"Neither of us wants to let go, do we?"

"Nope."

"Alright.  But this is going to be awkward when I have to explain to old man Yamma."

"Maybe my presence will earn a reprieve?"

I did NOT want to test that. From what I understand...Lieutenant Kusajishi was the only one who saw his "old grandpa" side. I couldn't even IMAGINE Commander General Yamamoto in any state but bold, thundering, and gruff enough to make Undyne take a few steps backward.

Before long, Mettaton had her soul reaper uniform patched up and as good as new. Newer, maybe. So he DID take a little creative license with it...

"I'm going to kill him....all over again..." Chara smoldered, eye twitching.

Is it even possible for ghosts to kill ghosts? Probably not if Dr. Egon Spengler's theory was right--that you can't DESTROY spirits, only CONTAIN them.

"Better see if Uryu Ishida can do anything with it." I suggested she pay a visit to Ichigo's friendly rival, the Quincy Archer. He did wonders patching up Kon's stuffed lion plushy body.

"Whatever." Chara grumped as she picked up her Zanpakutou, sheathed in its scabbard.

She opened the Senkaimon.

"Don't say I never got you anything." She shoved something into my grasp.

"Huh?" I noticed the official pass to the Seireitei. Sweet! I can use the Senkaimon again! Guess this was a subtle hint to visit her more often, huh?

"Goodbye, Chara.  Take care of yourself, okay?"

"Yeah.  Back at ya', Azzy." She stepped through the gate.

It closed behind her and I just let out a sigh.

"You're not doing a good job at hiding, lil' bro."

Flowey scoffed. "I wasn't hiding!  I just wanted to be downwind of your farm animal musk.

"Sure.  Whatever you say." I let a side-smirk slip out as I looked over my shoulder.

"Grrrrr...!"

Yeah. February certainly has its stinker moments. But...like all things, they're temporary and they lead right back into good times if you wait long enough.

Right now...I'm just glad I'm not waiting to see if Chara would pull through. More feeling than actual thought. Just because I knew she would be okay...didn't mean I felt like it at the time.

Well...with this event of my life behind me, I can look forward to what lies ahead, now.

May it be happy times from here on out.

Sub-Entry 175: "Valentine's Day"
Before I forget...I remind myself to wish Antoine a happy birthday, wherever he is and whatever he's doing.

That said...

Yeah. Valentine's Day.

Could there be an easier holiday to bring over to Undertale?

Okay, Christmas. But that doesn't count since it's pre-existing on our world. But yeah. Beings made of love and magic? The word is right there.

And really...with the heart-shaped soul symbolism still echoing from when the game was still a game...it only made sense.

While Chara most certain had nothing to say about the reason we celebrate it? Yeah. An excuse to eat that much dark chocolate? Shut up and take her money, already!

This year was special. This year...I actually had someone who I'd call my genuine valentine.

What do I mean by that?

Well...in school, it was customary on this day to exchange Valentine's Day cards. It was plutonic. It was cute. But it only scratched the surface of the meaning of the holiday. And...it of course meant a lot of parents spending money on valentine's day cards and candy; particularly chocolates. Then spending more money so that they can have some "us" time away from the kids... C'mon. Use your imagination but keep it tasteful.

Yeah. I'm sure if I had the time to peruse all the data in my NXS board's tablet mode, I'd hunt down the origin of the holiday. I'm sure I'd find many symbolisms of hearts, and the angel, Cupid. Lots of red, pink, and a little white. All the essential colors to define what the holiday was, ironically in one of the coldest winter months. At least the white fit but...you know.

Violet always considered it too girlish. How's that for an irony? She does know she is a girl, right? Of course she does. She's just...Vi being Vi for the sake of...Vi. Whatever that rebellion against social norms she does is called.

But it is what it is. And I appreciate it.

Of course the one who was tickled pink the most of all...was Mettaton.

All the juicy details of who was shipping who with who...all the romance...all the drama...all the soap opera ups and downs. You get what I'm trying to describe, right? It was the sensationalization of it all to seem bigger and showier than it probably really was. The stuff that reminded me why Mettaton's integrity was always being showcased even when he wasn't putting on a show.

Oh, he'd take to the air waves with his talk show, he'd have his newscaster interviews, he'd do  his thing.

And this year...he was hot to trot to make the centerpiece expose...be squarely on Frisk and me. No way could he pass up the chance to enhance the reputations of Newest Home's latest, greatest power couple.

Okay that was Mettaton. What about everyone else?

Well...mom seemed to like it. It made it real hard for her to give Asgore the business for a good 24 hours. Seeing them both at their most romantic gave me hope and plenty to dream about when thinking that could be Frisk and me some day.

Er...did I just write that out loud? Ooooooh. Right. Journal with my personal thoughts. How did something THAT obvious escape my attention for even the briefest moments?

Of course Papyrus took to it like a little kid, sending out valentine cards by the mailbox loads. I guess he figured if he didn't get mail he might as well give it out, because that's what someone so great should strive to do! Be generous!

Sans on the other hand...once again his mailbox is stuffed to the brink while Pappy's is...empty.

Which begs the question...how many people actually DO know Sans? And how? Was he really that much of a social butterfly just by dropping in to Grillby's place for the usual?

Golly...for being my people, I sure have a lot of catch-up to do with my own kind. A lot to analyze and a lot to figure out.

Bratty and Catty...well...I'd say use your imagination but there's not much TO the imagination. Crazy, air-headed girls will be crazy air-headed girls.

Gosh, I wonder what little big sister Gadget is doing right now?

Not subtle enough a segue? Oooh. I guess I owe a mouse an apology, now. Though...she'd probably shrug it off. Ahem. Anyway...

Not to say Monsters had a monopoly on this. Quite the contrary. In fact...it blew up BIG with the humans. And in a year's time it had become big business.

Speaking of humans...why don't we just get right to the point.

Where did that leave Frisk and me?

Well...

"...please accept these chocolates." She offered, holding the box out in both hands while bowing her head.

Frisk was certainly taking to the Jangese practices of Valentine's Day pretty well. Though...I wish I'd asked more about it because I wasn't sure, traditionally if it was the boy or the girl who offered the other chocolate on Valentine's Day.

"I do." I graciously accepted with both hands. "Arigato, Frisk."

"Listen...I hope you're not disappointed if I don't do it real big...make a huge fuss and a massive overtaking like Mettaton wanted. But..."

I smiled.

"I haven't much to offer but a simple song." I picked up an acoustic guitar I had invested in.

"Actually...serenading me might be the most romantic thing I could have asked for." Frisk sat down and listened patiently.

I chose my song out of a lot of possible romantic ballades and rock operas and whatnot.

In the end...I could think of only one that was just right for a Flower Prince.

A nice little song from another era. Before mine. But it just fit.

The group was called the Goo Goo Dolls. And their song's title...was "Iris". And this was one song...I wouldn't have any commentary between lyrics. I wanted my full focus to be on the music...the words...and on Frisk:

"And I'd give up forever to touch you

 'Cause I know that you feel me somehow

You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be

And I don't want to go home right now

And all I can taste is this moment

And all I can breathe is your life

And sooner or later, it's over

I just don't wanna miss you tonight

And I don't want the world to see me

 'Cause I don't think that they'd understand

When everything's made to be broken

I just want you to know who I am

And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming

Or the moment of truth in your lies

When everything feels like the movies

Yeah, you bleed just to know, you're alive

And I don't want the world to see me

 'Cause I don't think that they'd understand

When everything's made to be broken

I just want you to know who I am

And I don't want the world to see me

 'Cause I don't think that they'd understand

When everything's made to be broken

I just want you to know who I am

And I don't want the world to see me

 'Cause I don't think that they'd understand

When everything's made to be broken

I just want you to know who I am

I just want you to know who I am

I just want you to know who I am

I just want you to know who I am"

I sniffled at that point and repeated the last lyric with a sob. It was perfect. And I could tell...I'd brought Frisk to tears, too. Happy tear.

"Oh, Azzy....that was so beautiful."

I rested my guitar up against the sofa. We pulled each other close...and we shared a kiss.

And...it felt just as special as the first time. Only this time...neither of us were nervous. This...was the most natural feeling exchange of affection yet.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Frisk."

"Happy Valentine's Day, Asriel."

I think...we've earned our privacy now. Good-night for now.

Sub-Entry 176:  "Dance of the Sugarplum Truces.  Juggling Alliances With Friends, Foes, and Fowl".
"..."

Sorry...my connection must be lagged while writing this journal entry. Let me try that again...

"...with...Ralsei.......[404 ERROR]..."

One more time.

"Go with Ralsei....or Go with Susie?"

Yeah. We're picking up where we left off in DeltaRune. Here in the Cyber World. There we were...in the city at an intersection..

Well I COULD tell you the results of this matter but--

"HEY, WHY DOES KRIS GET TO CHOOSE ALL THE TIME!?  Ralsei, you're going with me!"

"H-huh?! K-Kris, I...!!"

...but they're irrelevant.

Like that Susie grabbed Ralsei by the back of the scarf and dragged him off toward the north. Moments later, pink traffic cones in the likeness of C. Round slid in and blocked off access to the north.

"...annnnd...your choices still don't matter..." I muttered as I found myself with Kris.

Oh, this is awkward.

Quite frankly...I could...think of nothing I could say that was going to get a reaction. But I STILL felt like they were staring holes through me.

I sighed and headed east and decided to not say anything outside of narrating like I was serving as Kris' inner monologue. With...no actual idea if they were thinking any of these things but at least sure they were observing the same things I was. I was just giving some kind of context to it. Or trying to.

Well...into town we go.

I put my hands in my pockets and just trudged behind Kris.

As we did I looked to the left at the MASSIVE L.E.D. billboard that spelled out "WELCOME TO THE CITY" as we passed by each letter. As if on cue.......strangely......incidental.

A save star later and I observed "You have neither fluffy boys nor mean girls with you now.  Reluctantly, you are filled with the power from the cat sign."

Yeah...there were a number of overlapping cat face drawings, crayoned in neon pastels on the monitor patches in a mural to our left, just after the WELCOME TO THE CITY sign.

One screen over and the city suddenly became very bustling with cars travelling down the streets at high speed. A lone Were-Wire was standing idly by.

"I heard the rollercoasters are undergoing maintenance.  That's a pain because it's our only form of public transit."

The sign after him read: "Welcome to Cyber City!  Pedestrians need to press the switch to cross traffic!"

That made sense. Pretty sure getting run down would hurt. Even in a dream.

Kris pressed the button and all the cars stopped as the traffic light/crosswalk signal counted down from 5.

Normal enough--

"Uhh...!?" I gaped as Kris pressed the next switch in sequence in the next crosswalk. Only the sign didn't say stop. It showed a pedestrian walking. It counted down from 8. But that wasn't what made me double-take. The cars speeding down the street suddenly slowed down and grew legs and...walked down the street. Whaaaaaaat...?

We...weaved through them. I'm not going to question this.

The next intersection? The crosswalk was re-enforced by more traffic cones. And we saw two more of Queen's butlers literally sweeping the streets.

"What are we cleaning up for, you ask?  We don't know.  A parade, perhaps?"

"A large event is going to happen in the city streets, later.  We were told to make room for something BIG..."

As we pressed on the paths grew dark as there were no lights leading into a maze of alleys.

I noticed something else that I though was something Volt had spoken of as something of before.

Micro-glitches.

Like...sprite work was having trouble rendering. Like a satellite television feed during a bad storm. Even the trash cans looked like they were VideoLand objects half-way through being blipped out of existence.

Kris casually fished 20 dark dollars out of a trash can like it was nothing. Wasn't going to question it.

"Look!  Noelle!  I see her!" I exclaimed as Noelle passed down the alley ahead of us. We could catch her if we--

Suddenly we were stopped. By Poppups. Like...actual internet pop-ups in the form of video windows being worn as hats by mutant dolphin creatures with flailing paper Mache pinata legs. And they were stamped with the red "NO GHOST" circles I'd come to recognize on the Ghostbusters logo. In fact all throughout the city I saw hundreds of those red "NO" symbols--both round and square. Didn't...Susie trip over a giant one before Ralsei healed her earlier?

Our options were "CHECK, BLOCK, and CLICK".

Now as someone who'd taken lessons on using the internet, I knew it was unwise to--

"Kris, no!"

They subconsciously clicked on a popup about demon summoning classes for teens...which immediately made ANOTHER POPPUP!?!?

"ASOBOH!!!" "Click Here!  Click Here!  Click Here!" "...OTANJOBY OMEDETOH..."

Uh...okay, my internet shorthand was rusty. What was all this, now!?

As we battled, found it was impossible to see our souls as the Poppups spawned actual overlapping pop-up ads over the battlefield, obscuring whether their attacks were landing or missing until we actually took the hits.

"Poppup wants to do taxes at 7:44 A.M.

I got an idea.

"Press (Y) repeatedly to block the ads!"

And block we did. We blocked 18 adds in all. And that somehow turned all of the Poppups "HAPPI!!!"

"Poppup is popping with joy!"

"ASOBOH?"

"This application is supported only by OS 2000."

Three spares later and we had three recruits. But...I'd have to make up my mind if we really wanted them.

"Well.  That was an ordeal."

No answer. But I was sure they acknowledged it. They were just...mysteriously dubious around me.

"...right."

I never felt so ostracized...while at the same time under the microscope. I...honestly couldn't tell WHAT they were thinking. Mute protagonists were just...impossible to deal with.

To our relief, up ahead. A familiar sight. And a welcome one. And boy...she could use some familiar sights as well.

"K-Kris!!  What are you--"

I was about to wave and say "Hi, I'm Asta.  Guess I'm along for the ride" or something clever. But neither of us got the chance.

She didn't get a chance for our introductions because--

"Oh Noelle Sweetie"

"Queen!" I said through my clenched human teeth, while furrowing my brow.

Noelle sudden ducked into the perpendicular alleyway at the intersection and crouched down into a ball.

"(Don't let her find me...)"  She whispered, trying to be as small as a mouse while staying in the shadows.

I got a hold of my NXS JoyCons but held off on igniting them until I REALLY needed to.

Kris grabbed their sword with both hands.

From the interconnected alley ahead, she came. And with her that incidental harpsichord music. And there she was. Queen.

"Noelle Sweetie Darling Honey Where Are You

We're A Team Now Remember

You Still Have To Be My Willing Minion"

And she stopped in her tracks as she got close enough to see us directly ahead, but not seeing Noelle off to the side.

"...Kris.  And....The Other Human I Care Not Enough To Remember The Name Of Nor Did I Get The Name Of"

A...little out of order there, Queenie.

"It Appears...That Our Comrades Have Pressed the Escape Key On Us..."

That felt like an Aunt Vi metaphor for ditching us. Is this how Jerry felt back in Undertale?

"...So It Has Come To This...

In Order To Find Our Teams...

We Must Form An Uneasy Truce..."

By now you must know how incidental plot twists work, so it should come as no surprise that--

"Queen!!  My Splendid Queen!! Where are you!!"

...Berdly. Not a prediction just now. But a SPOILER. Did I really spoil anything, though? This just got triple-complicated.

"Oh No Don’t Let Him Find Me!"

And like that Queen ducked into the alley way where Noelle was...and with a jumping jack, she did the splits to hoist herself up between the walls of the alleyway...right above where Noelle was underneath her; in some weird robotic human-fly act.

Oh boy. Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy...this is...all kinds of overlapping tension.

I could barely see it but Noelle's eyes were just HUGE, as she nervously looked up at Queen above her...so...close...to discovering her hiding spot.

And there was the Falco-cosplayer himself ahead of us...ready to greet us with his dry wit and lukewarm sneer.

"Ah, Kris...NOT the lifeform I was looking for."

"Hmmph." I crossed my arms and turned away, not having this. Honestly, this was fine. I was channeling a little of Volt but I was going to be perfectly fine being ignored by the pompous mass of feathers and ego.

He paid my scoff no heed. Just as well.

"...hmm?  Where's the rest of the C+ squad?"

"C-plus!?" I narrowed my eyes as I protested under my breath. Normally I didn't let comments that were beneath me get to me but...he was just that annoying.

"Don't tell me you got abandoned!  HAH!  HAHAHA!  That's what you get for trusting Susie!"

What? Does EVERYONE in this world have the ability to make faces like they're made out of silly putty?

"Huh?  Noelle? Queen?" That wiped the smug off his beak. "They're just...retro gaming somewhere!!" He looked angry and annoyed.

"I bet they're waiting for me on the player select screen.  Listening to strangely groovy music!  HAHA!

Wait a minute...did he think this was all a game? Well...it WAS all a game but...really...this was...okay this was meta. I should be used to meta by now.

Also...yeah, I think he was in denial. That good laugh of his was as convincing as me trying to lie. And I was a terrible liar according to Chara. And everyone else I knew when Aunt Vi tried to put me up to stuff when I was younger. Not much had changed since but...I digress.

"So it's come to this."

Deja-vu!

"In order to find our respective teams...it APPEARS...We must form an uneasy truce."

Oh BROTHER!

"What The...!?  Who The Beep Said You Could Form Double Trucies!" Queen blurted out, exasperated.

"Huh?  Did you hear something?" Berdly looked around.

"Honk Honk!  No, It's Just The Sounds Of The City!"

C'mon, did you really think he was going to buy that? Only a dimwit would--

"Oh!  Okay!"

...riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight...

"Hmmph.  Well, I'll be ahead.  Don't be LATE!!"

Off he goes.

And down comes Queen from her perch.

"Kris As Part Of Our Truce (The Better One) Keep Distracting Berdly And Find Noelle

For You See...

Berdly...He's..."

Annoying? A sponge? A pompous parasite? A kill-joy? A cramp? Clingy?

Golly, I'm picking up a mean streak from Flowey and Chara, aren't I? Gotta break that habit before it leaks out of my thoughts and I say something I regret.

"OK There's Nothing Wrong With Him He's Just Annoying

Toodles"

And she was gone.

* sigh*

Out came the reindeer from hiding.

"...Kris, I... um... if it's okay...  G-got any room for another truce?"

"Of course.  Welcome to the team." I spoke out of turn. Well if Kris' choices didn't matter what did it matter if I made them for the non-binary hero?

"Thanks, guys..."

(Noelle joined the party.)

By the way...where did that dainty incidental music jingle come from just now...? Weird.

A save star later: "Noelle joined your party.  You are filled with the power of not knowing what a sugarplum is."

I pointed my finger upward as I opened my mouth and let my jaw hang open for a bit...before slowly lowering my finger and closing my mouth. Just...let it go, Azzy. Let it go.

Did I just pull something out of one of Volt's old bits?

"So, um, any idea where Susie is?"

I started to respond before Noelle immediately followed up with "What!!  WHAT!  I'm just asking!!  It's a normal question!!"

Jeeze. No need to get defensive. Though, you're actually making it easier to read into by doing that. Okay, I get it. You got a thing for Susie. Man...this sure takes me back to learning about Alphys and Undyne for the first time. It's always the shy, quiet ones that get so embarrassed about their true feelings, isn't it? I mean...I'm speaking from my own experience, too but...did it count if Frisk was the same way? If our nervousness was mutual?

Okay, Azzy. Stop reading into the potential shipping. Let's get moving.

We would be in for a barrage of puzzles next.

Sub-Entry 177:  "A Minor Mouse-hap With Puzzles":
I read the same thing that Kris and Noelle did.

"(Mice will rotate 90 degrees when they collide with the block.  Citizens must push blocks to get mice in the holes.  Use the bell to reset."

A pair of mouse holes on each side of the sign. One labeled "IN", the other "OUT"

As we tried to pass into the next area, Kris stepped on a switch on the ground and sure enough a mouse poked its head out of the OUT door.

Noelle just stared straight at it like deer in headlights.

"A m-m-m-m-m...Mouse!?!" She stammered before a line of three mice came flying out of the hole toward her.

* SHRIEEEEEEEEEK!!! *

Noelle jumped about fifteen feet in the air, landing almost all the way back to the entrance of the alley we just came from as the mice charged into the arrow block, turned 90 degrees, rushed east...then took another 90 degree hard left and to the north; passing Noelle and scurrying down the alley we came from.

I could only just stare and rub the back of my head.

"I wonder if Gadget would have anything to say about this...?"

"S....sorry, Kris, could you... d-deal with them somehow?  Maybe if you can get them in the other mouse hole?"

I idly looked over my shoulder at the conspicuous neon sign glowing bright pink: "Annoying Mouse Room"

Right. Truth was more ironic than actually BEING ironic in this world.

I shrugged and help Kris kick around the boxes until they were in positions to guide the mice into the IN hole. And one more step on the tile later...

* squeak squeak squeak*

"L-looks like that took care of it..." Noelle chuckled nervously.

But our moment of triumph was short lived as we soon found ourselves in another battle...

"H-huh!?  What's going on!?  What are we doing?"

"A Virovirokun.   Simple enough to handle." I rolled up my sleeves. "Shall we?" I prompted as Kris was already going for their HUD and reaching for "TakeCareX".

"H...huh?  What are you telling me to do?  ACT...?  Can someone please explain what's going on?"

Ah. So this is what happens in an RPG when a player misses out on the tutorial.

Virovirokun was happy to explain. Wait, what? The enemy is giving tips? This IS a strange set-up isn't it? Not that I'm objecting.

"Oh boy, this is your first time in a battle?

"Uh...well...umm...yes..."

"Oh boy..."

So. Full disclosure...we had to actually pause the battle to explain the battle system and give a quick tutorial. And it wasn't long to get back to the game. Meta-humor is something else, eh?

"I get it!  It's kind of like Dragon Blazers!"

Well that's fortunate. We got a gamer on our side. Better her than Berdly. He couldn't remind us ENOUGH he was a gamer...

"And if we're nice to you we can win through MERCY?"

"Yeah."

Hot dog! It may be weird, but I'm really starting to like this game. Don't kill and don't be killed FOREVER!

"And the way I have to do that is dressing up in a weird costume..."

Okay, don't make it sound weird...

"Yeah."

...okay, weirder.

So as Kris and Noelle put on the nurse's outfits and I donned the doctor's coat, we each carried a tray of chicken noodle soup...though...Noelle kind of face-planted after tripping, spilling everything.

Eheh...it still worked.

"You, Noelle, (and Asta) showed the enemy tender loving care!"

"Nice!"

A quick dodge of the pink arrows and...

"Virovirokun looks healthy."

And with that...we spare them from battle. Recruit GET!

It was an easy one but that landed us in the path of the Ambu-Lances. Colorful robots with giant hypodermic needles for heads.

But Noelle was on top of this with HOSPITALITY.

"Needles aren't scary.  Medicine's important, you know..."

As much time as she spends in the hospital with her sick dad? It made sense.

Well we'd be in for more battles...but we'd also get a chance to explore. And we'd pass by a place that sold...ads. Yes. Internet. Ads.

"We are Addisons.  All we do is advertise!  This is an advertisement, too (Advertisements now only $0.99)

And next door to him..

"Don't like advertisements?  Block ads for only $9.99!  Change your mind?  Bring them back for only $9.99!"

There's...a harsh truth and reality to this, isn't there? I feel like this is almost TOO true of any world wide web...

Another section of the city had another barrage of crosswalks we had to press the button to stop the cars in their tracks for.

In fact one crosswalk needed THREE button presses to stop each line of traffic. Noelle was kind enough to carry Kris on her shoulders as she hurried across. I just used the NXS board.

The citizens ahead had something to say about that.

"Can't even cross the street without getting my ass kicked.  I love the city."

Er...how random.

"Since everyone else got plugged, they're a lot more agreeable.  It's nice."

Right.

Man...how many ads and signs could there BE in this place? Simple messages of "LOOK"  "BUY"  "DEALS" and "AD"

A stop by a billboard advertising a Ferris wheel.

"Gosh, that's amazing!  Makes the one at the festival look like a toy, haha.  I...I wonder if Susie would want to...   ...Gosh, who am I kidding?"

Kris picked an appropriate response which I relayed.

"R-Really!?  Y-you really think so!? Faha...and coming from Susie expert, Kris!  Thanks!"

Heh.

"(Uh, hey, Kris?  How'd you become the Susie expert?}"

Up ahead we had to solve an electric puzzle with a pair of switches divided by a lighting arc. But of course...

"Nice teamwork!"

Further in...

"You became lost in the craftsmanship........of the boxes."

Okaay. Cardboard boxes are fascinating, apparently.

All was going well until--

"OOO-HOOO-HOOO-HOOO-HOOO!!!"

"Kris, it's Queen...  She's right over there!  C-can you distract her somehow!" Noelle turned tail and headed back to the boxes.

"W-wait--"  Was all I got out before whirling in time to see...her.

There she was, standing around, drinking from a wine glass. Drinking something green and bubbly.......oh god...is that BATTERY ACID!?!

"Oh

Lmao

You're Here"

And is she...! Completely drunk off it!?

"Sorry, Kris While I've Been Looking For Noelle I've Had 4 Of These All-Ages Appropriate Glasses Of Pure Battery Acid

And she kept laughing hysterically...before throwing her glass down to the ground and shattering it!

And laughing again like Jessie of Team Rocket at her most smug and snooty.

"Don't Worry That Was My Throwing Glass  It's Safe

Look Kris

Kris Cross Applesauce"

Now That We Are Trucies I Feel That We Are On The Same Mathematical Wavelength"

She walked across the broken sharks, crunching them deliberately...then she got a bit too friendly with Kris, posing while propping herself up; hand on Kris' face.

"You Get Me Kris"

This is getting to be a bad touch by a bad woman drunk out of her mind.

"You Do Not Do Crazy Things Like Have Opinions Or Scream When I Capture You Or Tell Me Horrible Plans For Smartboy Theme Park"

Yet, I'm cringing. Imagine that. Oh boy...

"I Just Cannot Compute It

Why Everyone Else Is So...Ungrateful"

And she turned away and flung a SECOND glass....that EXPLODED VIOLENTLY!?!

"Whoops That Was My Extra Dangerous Glass

Kris I Just Want TO Make Everyone Smile

And If I Become An Evil Villain To Accomplish That

Is That Bad?"

Extremely! That's extremely extreme bad! Little...Alphys moment, there.

It's Okay You Do Not Have To Answer"

Another laugh.

"You Would Be Wrong

But Kris... While We Are Still Trucies...

Maybe We Could Make The Most Of It"

Uh-oh...what are we getting into...?

"We Could Play That Game Again"

Another arcade machine dropped in at that moment.

"Wasn't That...Fun, Kris...?

Just You And Me

Having A Good Time"

This feels more like a Bad Time...

"No One Else To Get In The Way--"

And like that the machine was IMMEDIATELY squashed by something giant and gold...wearing croc shoes, a Mega Man underwear with "I.Q." on the front...bare-chested, muscular and having a certain robot Queen hang from his flexed bicep.......what the He--

"Oh.  My.  Gods.  And Goddesses." I gaped at the towering statue of Berdly that had taken HUGE artistic license.

There. Just. Are. NO. WORDS. PERIOD.

Berdly was already disappointing me in so many ways...

...but this just lowered the bar.

And guess who just dropped down in a spiraling spin?

"Queen!  I've been looking everywhere to show you this!"

Really forcing back my urge to let my eye twitch. I was never one to let things get to me. I couldn't explain why this guy...why this statue...why everything about this was pushing all my buttons.

I tried to see the best in everyone. So why...why was he making it so easy to zero in on his faults like they had bullseyes painted on them in bright, flashing neon light!?

"A monument to our greatness...Together."

"Oh

Um

Oh

It's

Err

Umm"

And like that...her "text" became too quick for me to...wait am I hearing this or reading this...um...what's...

Okay, she's just stammering for a few good moments. Let's call it that. Besides, she was mostly repeating herself a lot.

"How Do I Put This

Very

...

Smart

So Smart You Are

I Love Tolerating You"

Make it stop. I was actually feeling BAD for Queen. Should I ever feel ashamed about that? Even if it was for the villain?

"Haha I knew you'd be enamored.  Such perfect taste."

"Very Cool Statues

I Did Not Know You Had...Nipples"

Ni--!?

...I can't unsee that...I can't unsee that...I can't unsee that...I can't unsee that...

"Haha...I will soon...in our IDEAL WORLD."

"Kris, feel free to admire our artisanship.  Queen and I have PLANs to consider."

"Haha Yes Ooh So Good Looking Forward To That

MMmmm Yum Yum Yum Yum Yum Yum

Let's Go Burghley"

And exit stage left...eastward. At least...for one of them.

"Keep Going I Am Right Behind You"

I took everything I had not to ruin the moment by laughing.

"Procedurally Lowering The Volume Of My Voice"

And she walked backward until she joined us.

"Sorry Kris I Must Alt Tab Out Of Here"

And she hurried past...Noelle...wearing a cardboard box over her head...with a poorly drawn face painted on it.

"Wow Cool Face"

And over to us she walked.

"Looks like my disguise worked." The reindeer breathed a sigh of relief. "It's silly-looking, but it beats hiding..."

"Very resourceful, Noelle."

"Thank-you, Mr...Asta wasn't it?"

She was paying attention! I felt appreciated!

"Yes.  Asta Arcade at your service.  I'm...well...an alien.  But a friendly one, I assure you!  I'm here to help!"

Careful there. Don't give Frisk a reason to be jealous. Wait, what am I saying? This girl's half my age, at least! I could be her uncle or a younger dad.

"Bunnie, thwap Vi for me..." I grumbled.

"Hmm?  D-did you say something?"

"No.  I'm just emoting over the situation.  It was...intense and I just needed to breathe a sigh of relief."

A terrible liar...and yet she bought it.

On goes the box head disguise again.

"Let's get going, Kris!" She was in a happier mood. Nice girl. It'd be something if Frisk and I had a daughter like her some day.

Man...I was starting to feel my age. Irony. I'm right where Volt was when he was leading me around by the arm.

I looked up at the statue as we headed out.

"(You became lost in the craftsmanship.)"

I wrinkled my snoot and turned away. I get it, Volt. I get why arrogance is so unappealing. For people like us...it was better to be humble.

I couldn't wait to get this guy's head on straight. But how to do it without smacking sense into him. He was a punk kid but I sure wasn't going to get a reputation for being physically abusive to a kid no matter how much he seemed to deserve it. Besides...he was compensating for something putting on airs like this. He was like Aunt Vi on some level. Now how to decompile that and reprogram it? It would be better if he was on our side, too, you know?

* THUD *

Noelle crashed into the statue. "Just realized...can't see anything...haha...  Guess I'll try not to wear anything unless I have to." She stowed the box and followed.

"Good plan." I chuckled.

It was nice being in company that was actually...nice. Quite a change from Susie. And less weird than being around my...variant? Not that I thought it was a bad thing...just...a touchy situation if he ever figured out who I REALLY was. And really...he saw right through Volt when Volt first appeared in this crazy world. And he outted me when I tried to hide.

So...how good was Ralsei's insight?

Did it matter if he wasn't with us right now? Would it matter? He could figure it out and not even been here to out me. And...which of us would take it better?

"Okay, let's go for real this time."

Up ahead? Sweet Cappin Cakes....using boxes as D.J. turntables. That meant...music...SHOP! Perfect. The place for health items, armor, and power-ups.

As much as I wanted to partake in meaningful conversation about the difference between radio antennae and antlers...yeah, I'm going to hit the "SKIP" button the dialogue and leave it to the imagination.

So...more of the city to explore...

"Welcome to Cyber-Shoes II!  Free Samples.  Would you like one?"

One...shoe? Err...kay'.

(You got a small shoe with a toothpick through it.)

Oh boy.

The hottest tea-shop where you choose your own flavors. But...if you don't choose them who will? Logic like that is...certainly air-tight.

Another pair of were-wires. Another battle. And another pair of recruits.

A clothing store. Selling this and that for 75% off. $300 dark dollars. Well...an addition to the armors now. "Mannequin Armor". Huh. A mannequin with clothes permanently attached...useless.

Further south...more crossing streets and using the crosswalk switches. And quite a maze of them too with a few close calls.

But where there was timed crosswalk puzzles...up ahead there were more...mouse puzzles. And they got more complicated. This time with an electric wall.

"Huh?  This hole has a switch inside of it... Maybe we could try to put something inside...?"

It was far more obvious than she was grasping.

"What do you think, Kris?"

This time it wasn't boxes. The sign told us that we had to rotate the traffic signs. As soon as Kris touched the controls. I noticed the hidden tracks in the ground light up as the arrow signs moved around into new positions. A bit off fiddling around and we hit the button for the release...and the mice followed their way in a given path and entered the IN hole. And the lightning disappeared--

...or not.

"The force field's still here?  D-Did we miss something?  H-Hello?"

Noelle was standing in front of the IN hole.

"I wonder what we did wrong... the force field's still up.

By the time I noticed the tile switch behind the force field...Kris was already hitting the release for the mice again.

"Kris, wait--"

* SCREEEEEEAM*  And Noelle landed from her sudden jump  behind the forcefield and onto the switch.

I face-palmed   Chara, it's like you're here in spirit.

"Kris, I can't believe you made those mice--"

A pause. "H-huh?  I...I guess landing on the switch turned off the force field...  Let's go, Kris!"

I looked to the left.

"Annoying Mouse Room 2.  Subtle."

In the next room...a block of cheese..........waiiiiiiit a minute. This is too familiar. Is this...like one of Papyrus' puzzle traps that really wasn't a puzzle trap...just an odd distraction? A...cheese frozen to the ground...

But something else about  this. Something I'd read or saw in a movie. Like...a diary...of a kid...that was rather wimpy? No, that's not right...is it?

"Kris...you aren't going to touch that cheese, are you...?"

I take it back.

Touch the cheese. Or don't--

Kris rubbed down the cheese like a beloved pet. Suddenly...!

"Maus blocked the way."

And Noelle freaked out. Her only option was FEAR in contrast to Kris' ACT.

"The way it moves!  It's just so scary!  It's disgusting!"

Maus was rejected. It felt tired. Maus' clicking noises are more like splat noises.

Kris made a move to ACT "TrapOne". And...a red cage dropped down...and missed.

A couple more tries and the Maus got tired and Kris spared it.

Whew. An ordeal but...not like we were in any danger.

"I never want to see cheese again..." the cheese had been trampled in the battle--

"...uh-oh." I saw it ahead. Irony...really kicks us below the belt sometimes. At least...it does for Noelle.

"KRIS!!!!!!!!!!

A whole. Maze. Made. Of wedges. Of CHEESE.

More "Maice" blocked the way. And more recruits to boot. This time we were able to catch the enemy...and still spare them all.

For our troubles, at the end of the maze toward the west? A treasure chest with a CD Bagel in it.

But then...our most complex puzzle, yet.

"It's a dead end...?"

The were a gap between the walkways and  the walkways were protected by chain link fences.

An LED board on the wall at the bottom of the staircase. Another password to enter? Plus two platforms with traffic signs. A mouse hole on the wall before each.

Noelle stepped out onto the first platform. it was separated from the second one. There was a loooong fall to the bottom, I could tell you that.

By chance she stepped on tile labeled with a question mark--

A computer voice spoke a single letter. "I!!!".

"The switch didn't seem to work..."

That was of little concern. The bridge suddenly broke away from the platform, trapping her! Worse than THAT...!

"Kris!  The platform's falling!!  H-help!"

"Hold on!'  I dug out the NXS board...and to my horror the lights started flickering out.  Oh crap...why did I not think about recharging my gear!?

And the sign on the wall said it all. "Annoying Mouse Room 3".

Kris hurried to the bottom of the steps, found the switch box and hit the release for--

* SQUEAK SQUEAK SQUEAK!*

A few adjustments to the traffic sign tiles and--

* SQUEEEEEEAL*

And she landed on the second platform as the first dropped. And of course...she landed on a second switch.

"L!!!"

"Kris, what are you doing!?  You made me--"

"H...huh?  S-Sorry, Kris, you just saved me, didn't you...?"

No time for thanks. The platform she was on now slid into place of the one that just dropped into the abyss as a new platform took its place next to her. It was like on a vertical carousel!

"Th-this one's falling too!  Kris, whatever you did, just keep doing it."

I decided to help out by watching and solving the puzzles and relaying the tile configurations to Kris to move the signs into position!

Granted this SHOULD have made things easier...but then...someone showed up to make things harder.

"Ah, Kris.  Stuck on this puzzle, I see?"

"Hello, Berdly." I smoldered, dryly, really trying NOT to sound like I wasn't happy to see him.

"I thought I heard Noelle calling for help but...

Where Berdly was standing on the staircase, he couldn't see around the wall of the building. Noelle was out of view. Thank goodness.

Kris hit the button again and

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

"O!!!" Okay...so far the message was I-L-O......this better not be going where I THINK it was going...

"I get what that sound is now, Kris.  Your brain must be crying!"

The anime pulsing vein on my forehead must be throbbing like crazy. Not the time for this crap!

"Poor, sweet Noelle.  Where could she be now."

Another yelp. Another jump. And another letter. "V!!!"

...oh gods...it is spelling out what I think it is...

"Stuck on a puzzle like this one, no doubt.  If only I was there to solve it for her.  She's just a powerless doe without my help..."

"Hey." I furrowed my brow at the blatant mysgogeny. I wasn't sure if I was in a position to speak on her behalf, but come on. That was insulting to females.

"(Powerless?)"  I heard her grumble.

"Though being alone might be better than being with you...Kris, you would only get in the way."

Okay, DOUBLE insult. I may feel on edge around Kris, but dude. That is NOT cool, Berdly. Not cool.

* SHRIEK *

"E!!!"

"Oh come on..." I looked at the message, thus far. "I LOVE..."

"Not helping!!!" I said through grit teeth.

"After all, you can't understand Noelle like I can!" Berdly continued. "Yes, you may be her lifelong neighbor.  But.  I am a Maestro of emotional intelligence.  I can read her feelings like a strategy guide.  Which I have NEVER needed, by the way."

Urge to scream, rising. I'd never been this angry at a person in the longest time.

Speaking of...

* SCREAM*

"M!!!"

Wait...M? None of our names, especially Berdly started with "M"...What is that last word...?

"You may see her as the simpleton girl next door..."

"(Simpleton!?)"  She protested again.

"But the reality.  Is that she is.  A lovestruck girl with her heart on her sleeve."

"(H-huh?  Berdly?)"

* YELP!!!*

"O!!!"

Wait...I LOVE MO..............no...it COULDN'T BE!!!

"And... Kris... The target of her affection...may be surprising to you.

"(Berdly!?  Berdly knows!?)"

"AIYYYYE!!!"

"U!!!"

Oh gods...it really does say what I think it says!

"It's... Truly sad... Such love... May never fruit."

That made Noelle kind of...down in the dumps. That look. Do you realize what you just said, feather-brain!?

"But still, I have to support her, Kris.  She's my friend!"

"(Berdly...)"

* SHOUUUT!*

"S!!!"

Well...there it is. One more letter and this ends. So. That's what this was all about. What a devious puzzle. And...quite the challenge...but not for YOU to overcome, Kris. Nor me. And definitely not Berdly. This was your wake-up call, Noelle. Now spell it out...loud and proud.

"Also my only worthy opponent at racing games!"

"(Why that?)"

* SHRIEEEEEK*

"E!!!"

And there was the message. "I LOVE MOUSE".

"What."

Berdly's beak hung open.

"How did you...?"

I started with a low chuckle...then built to laughter. I'm sorry...it was mean...but I couldn't help myself. It was more the situation than taking any pleasure in Berdly being shown up. Just the thought that Noelle's crippling weakness...had finally been overcome.

"HOW DID YOU SOLVE THAT!?" The avian was not happy. Not at all.

"Even a broken clock is right at least twice a day..." He smoldered. "And Kris, if anyone asks...I SOLVED THE PUZZLE!" And he stormed off down the completed walkway. Solving the puzzle must've fixed that. "It's not fair for you to get extra credit for a FLUKE!"

I wisely didn't say anything.

"Get it!?  Let NO ONE think otherwise!  ESPECIALLY Susie!  You KNOW she'd just...lord it over me!"

Don't laugh. Don't laugh. It's not funny. It's...not...funny. Okay, it's kind of funny, but heroes shouldn't gloat.

Okay. Susie didn't need to know. Dang. It's gonna be a challenge straightening this guy out.

And he was gone.

"Gosh...you know...I don't think I'm afraid of mice anymore.  Actually they might be kind of...cute?  Anyways, let's keep going."

I turned to Kris and observed the following...

(Noelle is now immune to mice.)

A save star was our saving grace.

You know...it's funny...I've been...in this world a long time now...and no sign of losing my grip on this world. That was reassuring and disturbing. Reassuring that I could still be of help for a while longer. But...it made me fear that...what if...what if I end up trapped in this dream world forever? I had...a family. I had a life...I had a girlfriend!

Nothing to do...but press on.

Sub-Entry 178:  "The Pride Comes In Spite of the Fall..."
More trash cans to pick through. More Dark Dollars collected. More trek through the city.

"I'm s-sorry I'm not paying much attention to you, Mister."

"Don't be.  It's actually a nice change to be in the background for once.  Where I'm from, I'm...kinda too famous and too popular for my own good.  It can be a cramp sometimes.  I don't know how Mettaton handles this much fame so easily."

"Met...ta...ton?"

"Sorry.  You wouldn't recognize the name."

Actually in the Lightner world...he did exist but claimed to be a "nobody". Never got a chance to be his real self. And...I didn't hear much about his cousin.

"Oh."

"I'd really rather not talk to much about myself or my world or my work.  It might be a security risk.  Certain powers that be don't like our civilization intruding upon other civilizations.  Like we would dirty their timelines or something."

That was a half-baked explanation, but hardly a lie. It was true. But...I was out of STC. I was retired. Still...I didn't want to make trouble for Volt if he was still in the game.

"Sounds...complicated."

"Yeah.  You know.  Back home...I...don't have any magic.  I actually...lost the ability to use it...

I don't know if monsters...Lightners have it in your world. Pretty sure you do, right?"

Noelle nodded.

"I'll tell you what I can...that I'm comfortable with disclosing.  But it won't be much.  It's for your own safety.  For Kris' and Susie's too."

"I...I understand.  I g-guess."

I could feel Kris starring through me again.

"You said you were an alien...?  There are others like Kris out there?"

"You have no idea."

I was still hiding the truth. And I really didn't want the Unitrix futzing out on me. If they discovered I was an Asriel...? It would get REALLY complicated. And I was sure Kris would immediately recognize me. As would Susie and Noelle. The Asriel of their world was pretty much in the same setting I was. Only not yet out of college. Not yet on his own and certainly not with a known girlfriend.

I wanted to know more about him, and...the story behind the games and content on his PC. And...about Hyperdeath.

But...another time.

Another Poppup and another Maus. Another set of recruits.

Our luck was holding until we turned right....south...and hit an intersection with the path north traffic coned off. And...there was Berdly again. Could we um...ditch this guy for longer than a few minutes, already? Okay? Goddess Fate? Why am I asking for HER help...do something, Goddess Destiny! Help us out here!

"Uh-oh...  Oh--"

"Noelle?  What are you doing with Kris and that old man!?"

Don't make it like that, man. Wait...OLD MAN!? Of all the disrespectful...! Calm down, Azzy.

"Um, I...  um... I... I..." Noelle stammered.

"We... have a truce...?" Don't know if that was the right thing to say...

"A...truce...!?  With... Kris?"

Here it comes.

"Hahahaha!  That's impossible!  That would be double trucies."

We're busted.

"Huh?"

"Worry not, my dearest Noelle."

I should have stepped in. But I didn't. I'd learned my lessons about interfering to much with timelines from Volt. Only if I really had to. The butterfly effect was strong enough with me even being present here at all.

"I know what you really want to say."

Stop.

"You...you do?"

Don't encourage him!

"Going along with all this...you feel...forced, don't you?  It's why you're not with Queen right now."

"Berdly, you get it?"

"Yes, I do!"

No. No. Just no.

"Kris is FORCING you to be on THEIR side."

I couldn’t take it anymore and just face-palmed. How could someone so intelligent be so clueless? So DENSE!?

"Kidnapper!  Kris, our truce...is OVER!!!"

And out came the halberd...spear...axe...thing. Pole-arm? I really gotta look over Bunnie's book on melee weapons again.

"Noelle!  This may hurt but it's to help you!"

Oh crap. Battle time.

I drew my NXS JoyCons and ignited the sabers. But not before turning the power way down; rounding the tips and blades to be nothing more than nightsticks that couldn't cut through butter. Bruise him...maybe just a little if it could be helped. Hurt him? Try not to. REALLY try not to. An adult's strength again a middle-schooler? Ill advised. Remember Bunnie's lessons.

"W-wait!  Just listen to me--!"

"Sorry, Noelle.  Talking doesn't seem to be the answer to this..." Gods I hated making throwback references to Frisk's numerous times battling my mom, Toriel...

"Berdly blocks the way."

Okay...just a suggestion but...try playing smart. Sound like you have genius level IQ. Match him. Get his guard lowered so we can defeat him without attacking directly."

"What will you do?"

"Same as Kris.  Play dumb.  He'll eat that up and lower his guard further.  Distractions can be effective."

And so we did what we had to do.

"Kris, I get it!  You're head's gotten big from solving that puzzle with DUMB LUCK!"

Berdly laughs and goes to his mind place. Oh puh-leeease...

"Ah, Kris.  A shame I should defeat someone so lowly."

Berdly obviously liked that.

This is just how Violet exposes her enemy's weak spots. Keep it up. Play the fool. Let him make the mistake.

Noelle tried to talk to him.

"Umm...Berdly, I'm glad you're trying to help me..."

"No need to thank me, my dearest Noelle."

You didn't let her finish!

Noelle accidently complimented Berdly.

"So you think it's your chance to usurp me at my weakest...by taking my most precious thing...Noelle!

Watch your mouth. She's not a thing, she's a person.

The flurry of test scores...the tornados...the pole-arm projectiles...and the TAUNTS.

"Berdly crushes his Smart Scouter out of frustration."

Did he just do the Vegeta-Over-9000 meme!?

As I encouraged Noelle to use her mind, her magic power increased.

"But behold, Kris!  I have one or more things that you will never have!  Behold!  COMRADES!"

Well...at least it's even now. One for each of us. But darn it...this isn't relying on friends...this is bringing in henchmen! There's a difference! This is clearly a cowardly act that he's sweeping under the rug!

The were-wires were going to make it tougher to avoid attacks.

We had to restore some health with a Clubs Sandwich...where did we pick that up from, again?

Noelle cast sleep mist. There's that magic at work. And there go the Were-wires out of the game.

"That's right, Kris!  Unlike YOU I have a LOVING TEAM behind me."

Uh...should we tell him? No? Yeah. Let him figure it out.

"And you'll never beat us fighting alone!"

You don't say...

"...h-hey!  Wait  Where'd the other guys go!?"

I kept encouraging Noelle to use her mind while asking Kris to fake being dumb. This tandem ACT-ing was working.

I on the other hand distracted by using my sabers indirectly to challenge him to pit his reflexes against mine with his own variety of chain-combo cosplays.

"M-my allies are gone?  Ha!  They're probably just...helping Queen search for me!"

Riiiight.

"Sh-shut up, Kris!  I don't care if you're not saying anything!"

Berdly preens condescendingly.

We kept it going.

"Summon more guys?  I don't need to do that!  Just WAIT!  The original ones are going to come back any minute now!"

Who are you trying to convince?

Berdly thanks Noelle profusely!

But still...

"WHY ARE YOU HITTING ME?!" Noelle cried as some of the attacks landed.

"Don't worry, it's part of my calculations."

This is just sad. I could end this with just one blow but...like sensei said...it's not my place.

Kris pretended to knit a home-made dunce cap.

And that was all it took to drain him to the point where Kris could spare him.

"You won!"

But I wonder...was it worth it? Yet I couldn't help but feel sorry for the fallen bird.

"D-damn it!"

"Berdly, are you okay?  Kris, maybe we should have gone easier on him..."

Oh no...

"Go easier?  HA HAHAH!!! HAHAHAHAHAH!" He's gonna lose it.

"The only one going easy mode was me!"

"You look...exhausted."

"I'm only tired of HOLDING BACK MY TRUE POWER!"

He turned away.

"Noelle it'd be far too simple to save you now.  Kris, go ahead and train your strength values.  Try hard and some day you'll be a worthy rival.  Heh.  Sometimes I can't believe how cool I am!"

He's...delusional.

And he was gone.

"(He hit me in the face with a tornado...)"

A save star.

"After defeating Berdly, a certain scent hangs in the air...  You are filled with the power of chicken nuggets."

Yeah. Let's...uh...go with that...not strangely random at all.

It was about that time I felt it...my anchor to this world dissolving...it felt like the game was locking up and freezing...or maybe it was just being paused. Either way...

Time to wake up.

"Hm...."

Flowey kept blank-faced as he got up close and personal.

"Darn.  You didn't stay under.  Just when it was getting...tolerable around here."

"Nice to see you care, little bud brother."

"Uggh...you have to spoil EVERYTHING."

"This was the deepest you've g-gone, your highness." Alphys saved her work on the Alpha Capture and shut down her equipment.

"You were great, Azzy.  I'm so proud of you helping that poor girl."

Well. Frisk is a good sport about. it. And I was worried she'd get miffed with me giving all that attention to a total stranger.

"We're...getting closer to the climax.  But...we're still a ways away.  We're at that point where the plot twists and the unfortunate luck sets in.   You know how games are when you cruise too easy for a time.  Sooner or later the level comes around that reminds you that you have to EARN your victories.  And it is getting harder."

We weren't out of the city yet. And I felt...there was something more sinister than Queen looming ahead. Something...big. Something about to take its...shot.

Whatever it was...I'd have to be ready for it in another month.

Sub-Entry 179: "Bro Time With M.K."
You know, technically M.K. is younger than me. By a good 100 years. So...it a way that makes me feel like I'm mentoring him. Like a big brother or a foster parent. But...together we're more like best buds than family.

It's weird. In many Undertale Universes, Frisk and Monster Kid end up shipped together. In DeltaRune...it's hard to say if M.K. had much of a relationship with Kris. Generally I got the impression that their Monster Kid just kinda blew Kris off as a weirdo and followed the rest of the class crowd. And it was pretty obvious that he and most everyone else avoided Susie like the plague. So why was it that Noelle seemed to have a think for the bad girl of the class?

Well...I'd see this phenomenon before. An episode of an animated series of the comic strip, "Baby Blues" once explored this seemingly toxic steady date. And the one whose heart when out to him or her. But you know...don't judge a book by its cover. I've already seen that most of Susie's bad attitude is very much an act.

But here? Frisk fell for me. And I fell for her.

M.K? He was my wingman without a girlfriend or boyfriend of his own. Just a pair of BFF's like Frisk and me.

It was great having Frisk as my steady. But even guys have to balance out their romantic life with some bro time. Finding the balance however is usually what ends up resulting in either the girlfriend not speaking to you over too much time spent with your dudes while obsessing over hot wings, nachos and the big sports game...or your bros telling you how much of a whipped SIMP you are and then having to do the walk of shame while realizing you are sacrificing your freedom to enjoy other interests. There has to be a compromise somewhere that satisfies both or you're going to end up appeasing neither and being alone for a long time. And really...I sure didn't have the answer but I was sure making my best effort not to unbalance the scale when I had it just right.

Though...I think I found someone who understood and gave me plenty of slack.

Besides...the sandal can always be on the other foot. What's a guy to do when the girlfriend want to spend time with her BFF's, soap operas and manicure/pedicures at the spa? Or has to keep promising you attention later because her book club is really into the current best-seller? Or...whatever the popular interest is among the opposite gender. I'm just spit-balling, I honestly don't know and the fact that I'm suggesting means I could pretty much be offending someone reading this right now for making a stereotype. Oooooh boy. Any chance a goat can pre-emptively apologize in advance for not being P.C.?

I've gone on a pretty far tangent.

As for M.K., I was expecting him to drop in any--

"Duuuuuude!  Make way for the Kid Kopter!"

...minute now.

And my favorite dino dude landed and slowed the rotation on his arm rotors before magnetically locking them into place. I was still proud of how I adapted Sword Man's electromagnetic tether technology; the work-around that Dr. Wily of all people had implemented to balance the weight of said robot master to prevent him from being top-heavy and unable to maintain equilibrium with his insanely-large blade. A work-around in which Sword Man's lower torso was separated from his upper body with an EMF magnetic link. This way his upper torso was always floating and could even fly off, independent of his legs.

In this case it was M.K.'s arms; anchored to the frame he wore under his shirt. That striped shirt with no arm-holes, mind you.

Why do I still keep getting reminders of the generalization that kids always were striped shirts? I mean...on our world it was likely a deliberate quirk of our creator as a meta joke or reference to other sandbox RPG games...the closest to ours seemed to be a game called Earthbound (or the Mother series in Japan).

"M.K.  Myyyyy maaaaaaaaaan." I did in my best Beebop impression from the Michael Bay produced Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie sequel, "Out of the Shadows".

A bro-fist and a complicated hand-shake to seal the deal.

"Ready to begin operation: awesome?" M.K. asked.

"I got the keys right here." I led on to my garage where I opened it up and fired up my first car. Still in great shape. Recently taken through the car wash and given a good double coat of car wax and gussied up to look nice and shiny new.

"Duuuuuuuuuuuuude."

"Yeah, rad isn't it?"

"I wish I could drive..."

"I know...all things in good time, man.  Alphys and I still need to fine to your arms for more precision control but I have no doubt we can get you a license.  I'll even be teacher until you're ready to take your test."

"Azzy, you're the best, man!  My own personal gift from the gods!"

Okay the line in the Matrix was something else but you know...he at least got the right reference. But still...waaaay too flattering.

"Nah.  Just a guy who knows how to be cool to his friends.  Best way to do that is be a friend, yourself.  It's all good my man.  It's all good.  You might not be driving...but you still get shotgun!  Call it, dude!"

"I got shotgun!" M.K. was already in the passenger's seat.

"You excited for the car show and the Ren Faire?"

It was not easy finding a Renaissance Festival on this world, especially here in February. But sometimes you just need a sexy rectangle with connections to make it happen.

I pulled out of the driveway in time to wave goodbye to Frisk who volunteered to watch Flowey and Spot for me...and keep them out of trouble. More so the flower than the rabite...then again I didn't want Spot nibbling on Flowey's petals again. That was a close call, let me tell you what.

Huh...I hope I don't start gushing over propane and propane accessories out of the blue.

It'd give me good conversation with dad next time we have a family cookout though...but I'm not about to relocate to Arlen, Texas to bring that reference around full circle.

Once we were outside of city limits and my instrument panel showed no signs of any speed-traps or police cruisers hiding behind billboards...

"Time to do Aunt Sally proud and get a little loud!  Fasten that seat belt, M.K.  We're gonna warp factor ten!"

"Alright!!!"

I grabbed hold of the activator grip and twisted the dial to the on position; activating my...not-quite-street-legal mods that I kept dormant in town. In Newest Town I obey all the traffic laws. But out here...I was going to put Michael Jackson's "Speed Demon" video to the test!

Twin Turbos activate. Mecha-morph supercharger with blowers deployed. And a little double-dose of Lightning Nitro.

"I know you won't get the reference, M.K.  But trust me.  It's very cool."

"Lay it on me!"

I gave my best Vin Diesel impression. "It's all about family, Dom." Before I pressed the thumb switches on the back of the steering wheel.

And the gods help us over the acceleration boost we were jolted with!

"RIGHTEOOOOOUS!  RIGHTEOOOOOOOOUS!" M.K. leaned his head out the window; the wind about flapping his tongue from his open mouth around like someone's pet dog.

I was reminded a bit of the Gorillaz and their "Stylo" video. At the same time...very glad I don't have Bruce Willis making a cameo as a bounty hunter shooting out our back windshield and driver's side mirror. Overload! Overload! Coming onto the Overload! Overload! Overload!

Sorry. I was in the moment, there. Got a little carried away.

As we sped to our destination, this speed was taking me down a lot of familiar parts of Memory Lane.

I bet if I searched I'd find my Solar Blossom OGPX suit packed away among my stuff. I never thought to give it back to Aunt Sally. Now THAT would be something to turn heads with. And heck...maybe something I could show to Alphys to reverse-engineer.

Hmm...dare I bring OGPX Racing to Undertale...?

Ohhh, right now my horns were retracted...but I was tempted to deploy them just to feel like they were devil horns. Mischief? Most certainly not managed, to all you HP fans out there.

But it wasn't just terrain mastery that I was thinking of. No...it seemed like only yesterday I was riding shotgun with Michael Knight while teamed up with Turbo Teen. Or of course there was my M.A.S.K. vehicle, SunFury; probably still parked in Trakker's secret gas station base among the others. Probably collecting dust.

And when I thought of Mobile Armored Strike Kommand...I had to think of the Centurions, too. Because while not necessarily speed related...but I did miss wearing the Sun Vulcan weapon system while back to back with Volt in his Stormbreaker.

That led me to one inevitable conclusion...I'd have stories for M.K. for years to come. He was going to be so jealous of the stuff I've done!

But as I keep reminding myself...heroes shouldn’t gloat. We're just doing our jobs, all in the line of duty.

Once we got toward civilization and signs of upcoming highways and populated areas, I had to take her out of "Absolute God of Hyperdrive" mode.

Pretty sure AGOHD was okay with letting me have that one. If I knew him, he was probably smirking in his eternal sleep. Really...our relationship was a lot like Naruto and Nine-tailed Beast, Kurama. I think...Hyperdeath was okay as long as I remembered him. I gave him my word. He'd always been my inception. Adonis had given him shape and form for the briefest of times before Vi's Return to the Past fixed it all...but he was still carved into my soul. And aboard the Neo Nebuchadnezzar...yeah...we came to an understanding.

"Yo!  Dude!  You okay?  You're spacing out major!"

"Yeah...just remembering.  A lot of stuff I'm trying to sort through that I want to tell you all...and some things that are deeply personal that...I'm trying to forget."

"Sounds deep."

"I'm okay, now.  Just...had to soul search a bit.  Anyway...we're here!"

What can I say about a car show. It's a car show. Lot's of cars...being shown off. Classic cars. New cars. Just the best of the best. A motorhead's paradise.

I wowed M.K. with my knowledge of them or at least their equivalents and how much I'd research similarities between our world's vehicles and the ones on other worlds.

"Bro, this car is totally me!"

"Dude.  Totally." I admired the paint job that matched M.K.'s scales. Usually you don't see a custom yellow Vette like these days. Though...on Undertale, who can say. Off world...yeah. It was kind of a custom preference. Something you'd have to take to a specialized detailer to get something in this style.

"Might be out of your price range, though." I looked dismally at the sign giving the owner's details.

"Bummer..." M.K.'s frills drooped.

"Don't worry.  If it comes to it, I can do what I can to custom build one like it some day."

"You mean it?"

"I totally do not troll friends when it comes to cars, my man."

"Supernova!"

He was picking up Sally's slang pretty well.

Of course we checked out the celebrity car section and of course the cinema car sections. I was expecting to see some familiars but...then remembered how different history and pop culture was on our world. Of course I wouldn't see anything like Ecto-1 or the A-Team van. Heck...I don' think I saw particularly many that even came close. Though...there was a Volkswagon-ish car that could be an AU version of Herbie the Lovebug. Huh.

That was where I realized...I had a lot of culture catch-up to do. While I had plenty of culture to import from my past life with UCIAT...

...I missed out on a lot on my own world of Undertale. I...knew next to nothing about the previous century and this century as it applied to the surface world. How had I gone so long not feeling like a stranger in a strange land...a strange land that I was now calling home. It should have been a familiar feeling. I should be adapting to it pretty well. But...maybe I just didn't pay attention as much as I thought I did to my subconscious.

So naturally...M.K. was more than happy to get me up to speed. Isn't mutual exchange of culture and ideas wonderful? Seriously. I'm totally geeking over learning about my own world!

"...and jumped 30 school busses while the back end was on FIRE!"

Mental note to self. Another movie to add to my streaming service's queue.

"Awwwwwwwwwwesome." Okay. So I couldn't help but use Mike "The Miz" Mizenen's catch-phrase in the exact same style and diction. Not my first choice for a WWE superstar as a go-to for one-liners but probably the easiest to remember; considering I was like Volt. I usually didn't root for the heels.

We'd gone a ways before I stopped in my tracks. M.K. didn't notice so he ended up going on ahead. Why did I stop?

"......"

Of all cars we had to have on this world...it had to be this one that was universal across many a world.

A 1957 Chevrolet Bellaire. It wasn't...the same custom sparkly gold color that Volt's was. But it was the same make and model...

...and it stirred up so many memories in me.

I found myself taking a knee before it, my eyes resting on the license plate. Didn't take long for the owner to notice.

"You seem to have a special interest in my baby."

"Yeah...it's...just that I had a lot of fond memories tied to a car almost exactly like this once upon a time."

"A millennial like you familiar with an old classic like this?  That is a rare thing."

"Yeah...I guess I'm kind of a rare breed, myself."

He offered to let me have a seat in the driver's side...get a feel for it. Really, getting permission to touch his car? That's a pretty big deal considering every car in this place had a sign warning to "Look!  Don't Touch!"

I smiled and got a good look...a good feel for the steering wheel. A moment of clutching the gearshift...yeah...everything felt so right.

"Well...if you're interested in buying.  I don't like parting with her but I can tell one someone really has a connection with a car."

"Thanks.  That's generous but I'm afraid it's not in the stars or my budget.  I don't think I could keep three cars at my place.  If things were different, maybe if I were in a higher tax bracket..."

"Shoot, son.  If money's the only issue."

"Yeah, it's not.  It's...complicated."

"Well, if you like I can keep your name around if you change your mind some day.  She'll be waiting if you ever want to make a deal."

"But you spent so much hard work and investment in her."

"Kid, cars come and go.  It's kind of like a teacher--"

"Or a sensei.  Yeah.  Don't get attached to master.  I know that saying."

"Well.  I guess if I don't have to explain...?"

"Yeah.  You know...here's a card with my contact info.  Maybe...some day, some year...I might get back to you on that.  Deal?"

"Deal, kid."

And a handshake later led to perfect timing on M.K.'s part.

"Dude!  Where ya' been!  We got lots more to see!"

"Right with you, man." I waved to the owner and headed off. I know this was supposed to be a day bro-ing it up with M.K. but...maybe...I needed my own solo piece of mind. Maybe...maybe some day I would invest in this car. If I did buy it off him...I hope he'd be okay if I had it custom painted to something else. Something not Volt...but more me. Something that felt like...they'd be a matching pair. Silver was too obvious but...maybe something more...green.

I rubbed my chin as I pondered that. Something to put on the backburner.

The car show wrapped up and we were on our way to the next destination. A place in an open field area where some very passion people had constructed a full-scale castle front as entrance to a sizeable renaissance faire. Just like the ones back home. Just like the ones Aunt Sally lived for.

"HUZZAH!!!"

And M.K. was a quick-learner. I knew there was a reason I hung around him. Hahahah. Okay, levity aside...

We got our fill of cheesy stage shows with corny puns and occasional low-brow jokes. Plus the stunt show aboard a scale pirate ship.

"Dude!  Undyne would LOVE this place."

"Yeah, I know.  I'm hoping to find a bigger, better one that we can check out toward September and October.  Hopefully closer to us.  Now we just gotta prepare because I KNOW she's going to want to take part in the joust.  And I'm going to have my work cut out figuring out how to get her in as a trained and licensed armored joust-er.  And...also train her NOT to spear the other guy for real.  Holding back is...something she's not that good at, y'know?"

"Hahahah...yeah, I feel ya..." M.K. kinda recalled his moments around Undyne. While he had moved on to idolizing Papyrus after deciding Undyne was..."kinda mean"...he still had a place for his old hero. Now that he was mature enough to figure her personality out a little better.

We each checked out the craft booths, got a little medieval-ed up in the wardrobe department, invested in a few pointy weapons we swore to be only for decoration only...and of course enjoyed our meals of steak-on-a-stake, giant turkey legs, or whatever was given that dark ages spin it.

I had to take a bit to take part in the giant chess game. Plus we enjoyed a musical show or two.

It finally came down to the center stage event...the joust. And we of course rooted for our side and as fortune smiled upon us...we did pick the winning knight in the end.

"HUZZAH!"

"Yeah.  Doubles on that." I raised my fist to the sky.

While M.K. was distracted...I took only a brief moment to be somber for a second when I remembered...a different knight. One who was the cause of all the trouble in DeltaRune.

I pictured in my mind a big, lumbering juggernaut in black armor...someone sinister. But...maybe this knight wasn't something so obvious. A disturbing thought occurred when I really thought back to the details. What was it that Kris was wearing every time we went to the Dark World...? Armor. A suit of armor without a helm.

No. The answer can't possibly be that close to us. I know that Volt said that...they rip their soul out and throw it in a bird cage and...wield the Real Knife...but...

...Kris...? Both the hero and the villain at the same time?

I didn't want to pursue that outlandish thought any further than this. I was hoping with EVERY fiber of my being that this thought had no merit, no basis...and no truth to it. Just my overactive imagination trying to connect the dots.

But I was convinced...that there was more to Kris than I was seeing. And how did it relate to what Volt said about...what might have been Dr. Gaster asking an unknown player to form this...vessel...construct. This soul with...certain aspects. A creation that he said would be..."discarded" because your choices don't matter.

"Hmm."

I snapped myself out of it before M.K. noticed I was off on a cloud. I had a lot to ponder. But I'd have to do it on my own time when I wasn't with my best bud.

"This day has been sweet, dude."

"Yeah, too bad we don't live in Ancient Rome or Greece."

"Huh?"

"We could have been hosting a Bro-ga party instead." I gave a wink; channeling my inner Matt Riddle from WWE.

M.K. blinked a few time before it clicked.

"Oh I get it!  Like a toga party...for bro's!"

"Exactly, man!"

"Oh that would be dude-ical!"

And we headed back to the car with chants of "BRO-GA!  BRO-GA!  BRO-GA!  BRO-GA!"

Man...having a best bud is just the best. I think today was a good day to maintain the balance of having a girlfriend to love...and having a bro in your corner.

Sub-Entry 180: "I Make It Official"
"..."

As I decide, at this moment, whether or not to let out a sigh...I am staring longingly at the activation lever for...what will be the prototype of my crowning achievement.

"Well.  Have another look at it."

I grasped the lever and pulled it into the on position.

The trap door  before me opened up as something rose out of it...something big...something mechanical. Something...incomplete.

As it was...it was a circular archway...or most of the framework. It's what you might imagine a Stargate...from that movie and TV series of the same name, mind you... if it was torn down leaving the minimal shell and skeleton...the shutters removed...

Though a better comparison would be the exit ports in Cyber Space, from Mega Man X4.

"A prototype in the making.  And so far off from being complete.  And let's face it...too small to make everyone's wish come true."

Why do I keep coming back to Chris Thorndyke?

It's a bit on the obvious side now.

I've held back for months...heck...longer than a year.

Let's just stop beating around the bush.

Let's just cut through the noise.

Asriel, it's time to admit it. It's time to say what you wouldn't. Just outright drop the bomb; it hasn't been a surprise for a while now.

"I want...to go back to VGM-098.  Back to Miranda.  I...miss...my other home."

There. I said it.

"But...if I go...I'm not going alone.  In fact...I think it only fair...that for the friends and family that gave me back my world and my birth family and native people?  It's high time I gave us all...another world...a new world.  An unfamiliar world to most.  But spoken so much in my tales."

Once the prototype worked...construction would begin...on the REAL one.

One big enough...to link our worlds.

But...even if I had an estimate of how long it'll take to get a working prototype...

...how long will it take to make the real deal?

Project: Bridge2Worlds was now...Project: Gat3 To Miranda. Yeah...using a little of Vi's l337-speak.

* sigh*

I looked over at the other corner of the room where. Dr. Alphys was feverishly struggling with the Flux Capacitor that was in development.

"N-no-no-no...!!!"

I was tempted to offer her help but...I could see that look in her eyes. This was a matter of personal pride. Ever since Volt showed her this miracle of science...she's had it in her head to duplicate it with her own two hands. To crack the code.

I'd shown her what I had lifted from Dr. Emmett L. Brown's journal. His book of scientific formulae...and the drawing he made of the Flux Capacitor on the night he hit his head on the edge of the sink after falling off his toilet while hanging a clock.

To both of us...the mathematics written around it still perplexed us. We were closing in on what they meant...and how to apply them.

I also felt it prudent...that we be VERY, VERY careful once we had a working one. Once we did...the time experiments would begin. And our world was no stranger to tampering with time.

I...actually had to go to Frisk to have a long talk with her about it. About...the save and load star...about save files. About circumventing timelines.

We weren't going to do that per se...but what I'd be attempting...would be in the same vein. If not more serious.

A mistake...could butcher our world's space-time continuum. Or worse it could undo EVERYTHING Volt accomplished to give us a future.

This...would be the most delicate operation.

And then...there was the sketch.

I looked over Solego's Circuit. I looked over a blueprint of the Tachyon Amplifier. And...I looked at the schematic of the Dimensional Rig. Somewhere among this...somewhere among the theoretical was the key to reality...to every reality. I just had to build the doorway. Then it was up to Alphys and I to fashion the skeleton key.

"One project at a time.  And when the time comes, all three will come together..."

I looked at the partial cyber-ring. Big enough to drive a large truck through. But not accommodating for a crowd.

"Hmm..."

There were other things beyond the research and development.

A while back...my family had to prepare all Monsters for my...miraculous return.

...I'd have to flip the script and prepare the town for another return for me; and what would be everyone else's first time.

The build-up would be huge.

I'd be getting their hopes up.

I'd be giving them new dreams to have.

And...I'd have a lot riding on granting our collective wishes.

"Don't let them down."

What a lot of pressure to put on myself. Did I really need to give myself reminders that I am the Prince of This World's Future"?

This was it.

This was the big evolutionary step we needed.

In all the worlds and dimensions and points in time I've been to in my childhood...how many of those worlds had the ability to go off world and come to us?

"Remember when Michael Knight and Devon Miles made their way to our lab?" I asked myself.

And they weren't the others. We'd had so many...cameos, so to speak, that had been on our world without much explanation way back when.

Like...how DID the Littles get into that mouse hole in the wall?

When did Gizmo the mogwai even come to the lab?

Heck, even ALF's story about he took up residence in one of Vi's spare labs never felt fleshed out. What details did he leave out?

All of Vi's personal lab seemed like a repository for things that were out of place. Like Jinx, the NASA robot servitor. Or MAX, the central intelligence for that alien ship which we always referred to as the "Flight of the Navigator" incident.

And of course...I was thinking about someone I never really got the chance to know.

Shishiko Fukushaneko...if I may recall her name in the more western method of first name before sur-name. But that's just a detail. Did you forget who she was, Asriel? Do you remember that her name...was She-Lion? Have you...thought about her tale of crisscrossing the universe when she had nowhere else to go?

I wonder...what consequences might we have incurred by breaking up the Kopy Kats...by removing one of Master Blaster's minions. She was...hiding out from the Flip Side; now in the chosen path of a Miko shrine maiden or priestess...whatever the proper phrasing was. Like that girl Pocky, from Pocky & Rocky. Or like Kikyo from Inuyasha's world.

"Would you forgive this goat for abandoning you?  Again...I can't stress enough that I wasn't looking for a romance...I could see I might have given that wrong impression but...I hope we're still friends and...you'll accept Frisk when I introduce her some day."

"Y-y-your highness?  Who are you t-t-talking to?"

"Sorry, Alphys.  Just...having a lot of moments remembering...got caught up in my own thoughts and...in people we haven't seen in a long time."

"Dr. Arcade?"

"Yeah...he's definitely at the top of the list."

"I d-d-don't want to s-s-seem like  d-d-downer but...it just seems like s-such a f-f-far-off g-goal."

"Hey.  You're sounding more nervous than usual.  You're just as afraid as I am that this technology is going to fail.  That we're going to make a big mistake, right?  Or maybe it wont' be as great as the hype is building it up to be?  A lot of different things conspiring together to give you second thoughts."

"......."

"No, I get it.  In fact...hearing you like this reminds me so much of Volt.  He worried a lot.  All the time.  And that worry is what gave him potential.  That worry was a sign of his conscience.  A sign of his compassion and...his dedication to being responsible when a lot of people around him would forcibly tell him HOW to be responsible."

I was speaking of S.T.C.'s Council of Space, Time, and Dimension. I can't believe any of them were ever Volt's friends.

"I think that conscience of yours...and that conscience of mine...is our saving grace.  It's why we're going to succeed.  We want this to be perfect but...we also don't want to turn this into another hamster in the microwave."

Now THAT was a timeline of Maniac Mansion I'd rather not explain to her. It was morbid, for one thing.

Well...once I shook off all those complex feelings...I got to work with resuming construction.

I only took but a moment to reach into my pocket and pull out the pocket watch.

"Best Friends Forever."

However inside...I had etched something far more important than a reminder of a credo I was giving a second chance...STILL giving a second chance, mind you.

The numbers. The coordinates. The harmonic frequencies that could only belong...to VGM-098. That place. That time. That specific dimension.

Some day.

Some day, this would be what goes into the heart of the machine. And it would point us to the stars...

The future was coming.

Alphys approached, cradling the Flux Capacitor box; largely incomplete at the time. The mother boards and such underneath the capacitor drive were still mostly unfinished.

"It's official." I finally said after a long silence.

"Prince?"

"Our goal is clear.   One day...we're going off world.  One day, we will have a gate big enough to link worlds.  One day...I'm coming home to my second home.  The home of my second chance.  Home...to Miranda City and all of its people."

"Asriel..."

"They say...if you love someone; either romantically or plutonically...you have to be willing to let them go.  Turn them loose.  Give them...their space to live their own life.  If they never return then at least you had the short amount of time together that you were friends.  You might never learn if you're still friends.  Both of you might move on and forget.

But...if they return to you...then the love and respect and friendship you had...you never lost. You'll always know you had it, you still have it, and will always have it. If they come back then you'll be connected for life. But if they don't...then...you have to have faith that they still mean something to you. Because...it's just too sad to think it was never meant to be."

Alphys sniiffled.

"I feel...like he still needs me.  And I feel like I still need him in my life.  He wanted this to be my story.  But I don't want his story to be over.

I want us all to be together. Have adventures side by side. I know it can't be like old times so...here's to hoping we can have all new times."

"Here, here."

I put my foot down. I drew a line in the sand. I made my intent clear.

This was happening. Or rather...it was going to happen.

But time would tell how long it would take. What would happen here in Undertale before that day came? Would be still be the same people?

On the flip side of the coin...would they? What was happening on VGM-098 right now? Were they going on adventures together? Did S.T.C. ground Volt from active duty? Was he...holding up okay without me...?

It was like the flood gates burst open in my mind. I had so many questions and the difficulty staying patient for answers just ramped up to eleven.

It was hard to not be a little kid at heart in this moment. I'm sure my eyes were flickering between cyan and purple; meaning I was juggling patience and perserverence.

I guess there's not much else to say. Where we go from here...the ball is in Lady Destiny and Madam Fate's court.

This has become our hope. This has become our dream. And we wish...to meet our neighbors, lightyears away, and join hands in friendship.

The future is coming.

I hope...we'll be prepared. But for now...there is much to do.

We...will be ready.

Chapter 19

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