[Post-Halloween event, OPEN] "Matter of fact it's all dark."

[justletmewin]

It's... hard for him to take. The island feels the same as it's ever been. Fresher maybe. The castle is itself. Asriel is back right where he started, next to the hyacinth bush he woke up beside months ago. Dread welled in the pit of his stomach: oh no not again please not again

Relief sweeps through him when he finds the loamy black patches of soil with tiny green sprouts. Over the past month, the goat child nursed those tiny little plants, which grew from the golden flower seeds he picked off his sweater, pants, and fur from when he fell asleep in the Ruins. He knew it took a month or two of dormancy--longer if necessary, depending on the seasons--before the plants popped out of the ground, but he hadn't expected them to grow. Watering this little patch gave him something to do... a routine to follow like brushing your teeth or making the bed. ...Okay, he admitted. Maybe there was a part of him that hoped the seeds would make it. Sure enough, they did. It felt... weirdly validating, in a way.

If he's still in his current time, this means... oh.

Should one be taking a walk in the gardens that day, they may see Asriel on his knees in the flowers, head lowered in thought. His expression looks... numb.






[[OOC: For those who got their soul stolen, Asriel can apologize to your character here. If not, they're free to just chat. Thank you everybody who participated in the Hyperdeath event! :D]]

Comments

but what if

[itstheend]

This is Frisk and Chara, back together, and they're never... okay, that's enough. The point is, there are now two forces in play here.

Chara hasn't been... in the best mood, since turning back. Fighting themself straight after certainly didn't help. As a result, they've been letting Frisk front more and more while they just kind of curl up at the back and pretend not to exist.

To say Frisk is increasingly concerned by this would be an understatement. They're hoping if they keep things running smoothly - food, drink, sleep - and try to send as many good thoughts and experiences to their other half as they'll accept, then it might be made a bit better for them. Sometimes, they know, all that can be done is riding it out. And if they themself are a little exhausted... that's what stolen determination is for.

Chara likes plants, so the gardens have been a place Frisk has been frequenting. They know there's an Asriel here, and were hoping to find him again while still separate, but didn't expect this turn of events.

They start to run towards him, his name on their lips, and then skid to a halt. Oh. Right. Chara's body. And while Chara hasn't said a word about what happened, Frisk knows a Lost Soul when they see one. Knows that no matter how they looked they couldn't find them. Knows that look on their brother's face. The internal conflict causes a stirring.

What is it now?

Nothing, nothing. You can go back to sleep. There's a heartbeat of suspicion and contrariness, and then grey apathy leaches back in and Chara metaphorically rolls back over to face the wall. And Frisk tries not to feel guilty as they let out a breath. But they wouldn't have wanted to see him after what happened, would they?

Their heart aches for their brother but... they have to consider Chara too. They'll go and maybe ask the other Frisk for a favour for him. Perfect.

It would be perfect, if they didn't knock over a rock border while retreating. Loudly. They cringe.

Suicide warning. Asriel, you done fucked up son.

[justletmewin]

Asriel swears he's hearing things. Is it Chara or his own guilt playing tricks on him? Rocks crackle and the goat monster turns his head; definitely not his imagination. He calls Chara's name and instinctively hurries after them. He's about to offer to help them up when a cold realization stops him. Is this the Chara he spoken with at the Edge?

Everything he said sounded reasonable at the time. It's good keeping a suicide watch for your best friend, isn't it? One guaranteed to work? All he wanted to do is save Chara. He wanted to make up for not standing up against them when their own life was on the line. He assumed this Chara was being stubborn about dying and wanted them to snap out of it. He hadn't thought Chara believed he wanted to put them in a cage.

Like he wanted to cage everybody on the Island. Ha ha ha...

[itstheend]

Frisk's, well, Chara's ears shoot up to their shoulders when Asriel calls the wrong, or right depending how you look at it, name. The expression they shoot at him is the harried one of anyone called out to while trying to sneak. Shh, shh! Don't you know-

Now I know you are hiding something.

Frisk's expression falls into a perhaps familiar three-lined done-ness as Chara surfaces, tuning back into their senses. They give a long suffering sigh when Chara realises just who called out, and the colour of emotions that result. Busted. At least they're up and about now, so to speak?

Frisk. Control. Now.

Frisk does indulge in shooting Asriel a sympathetic look before stepping back. It is very quickly replaced by an angry smile as black irises go red and Chara's back straightens, arms folding behind their back. That this is what their captor normally looks like is a reasonable guess, considering Frisk's reaction.

"You."

[justletmewin]

Asriel's nerves are like ice when Chara responds to him in such... rancor. His fur is on end and he lost sight of what he wanted to say... oh, he knew what he aimed to do. He wanted to apologize. But how to go about it... did Chara remember what happened?

"H-Howdy. Chara, I..." It's Flowey all over again; a soulless being getting his just desserts by having his words tossed back at him. People like us won't hesitate to kill each other if we got in each other's way... "...I did some really terrible things. And I... I wanted to say..."

[itstheend]

"Sorry?"

The tone is icy, simultaneously finishing the sentence and pretending to have difficulty hearing it. That smile has not budged at all. Sorry is meaningless.

"Tell me, Asriel. You are a boss monster, correct? Shall I take your soul, and make us even?"

*Please don't.

"Or no, it would not be even. Because I am at least asking."

There is a great deal of vitriol in the word, as Chara's hands curl into fists at their sides.

[justletmewin]

"L-Look, I--I'm not asking for forgiveness. I know what I did is wrong! But--but I can't go on without saying I'm sorry. I just... I just hope I can make up for what I did to the island..."

Not for Chara's sake, if Chara cared about the island at all. This is for everyone's sake. If he thinks of this place as home, he damn well should treat it like it is.

"I don't have a soul, Chara." Isn't this why the entire situation started? "You couldn't steal anything if you tried."

[itstheend]

He's right, Chara doesn't care about the island. They are, after all, a selfish creature. Always about them, with Chara. Always take take take, with Chara.

"I am sure the island will accept recompense," they snark, tone bone dry. "The people may not."

The events of that time are a fog, but there is impression. Jostling, and voices. They know it wasn't just them. They tilt their head, fingers flexing, briefly given pause.

"You... have no. Soul."

They start laughing, as if they've just been told the funniest joke on the planet. Their arms wrap around their sides.

"No wonder!" they manage through it, and it tapers off to a wheeze. "You remind me of a certain flower I know."

Suspiciously so, in fact. They'd be more suspicious if Frisk the Soulless Pacifist didn't themself trend towards this sort of behaviour, making Chara think it's more of a factor than it might truly be.

[justletmewin]

Asriel furrows his brow as he listens to Chara laugh. Yes, he made a mistake. A catastrophic one, at that. He'd expect his Flowey self to mock him for it, but golly, he didn't need to hear it from Chara. He clenches his paws and a small growl rumbles in his throat.

"You don't need to rub it in."

[itstheend]

"I do not need to," they agree, false-sweet.

But they hate you, Asriel, so they're going to do it anyway. Such growl. So scary. Even at LV1 they bet they could dust him, soul or no soul. Now that they're human again. It's very, very tempting. Do things without souls give EXP? They were at the maximum last time. They straighten up, brush themself off.

"Never speak to me again."

Never attack them again. Never touch them again. Never apologize to them again. Meaningless noise. If they ever see him again, it'd be too soon.

They turn on their heel, despite Frisk's protests, although they keep him in their peripheral vision as they start walking. They're not so stupid as to fully turn their back on someone they distrust without at least some safeguard.

[justletmewin]

Well Asriel? You'd been expecting this. Suck it up.

He swallows the lump in his throat, willing himself not to cry. (There'll be plenty of time for that later, a snide thought remarks) He can't make Chara like him, and he's not going to try. Fists balled at his sides, he turns his back as well. Funnily enough, he fulfilled one of his promises toward this Chara after all; distancing himself from them so they didn't need to see him anymore.

Yet... he thought he sensed someone else in there. Was it like when he projected Chara onto Frisk and denied the latter's presence? Is this... is this really Frisk from another dimension? Is it part of why they got so infuriated when he assumed he knew them? Seems like a mystery which would take a long time to figure out, if at all.

But it's none of his business, is it?

[mercybutton]

Frisk isn't here to find anyone. They're here for the fountains.

Ever since they came back, they've been in an overarching state of dry. Cracked and ashy skin, itchy eyes, peeling and bleeding lips torn open so often that they sting. There's no lotion here; all they can use is the fountain water, which only keeps for a few hours.

Of course they can't see him. And if all he does is sit there, they don't hear him, either.

[justletmewin]

After kneeling for so long, Asriel stands up and stretches his legs. Maybe he'll find something to eat. No sooner than he got up did he find Frisk; his eyes widen in shock at their condition, followed by the urge to do something. He recognizes them by their eyes, and guilt crushes him like an avalanche. What else did he do to them? How did their lips end up like this?

"Frisk! It's me! I'm me again!"

[mercybutton]

His voice is one they don't expect… or want to hear, as a matter of fact, as mean as it might seem. It's nothing against him--they want to be alone, and Flowey has gotten grumpy ever since his double-that-had-it-good kept destroying the island.

They turn to face him regardless.

"Oh, uh--Asriel. Hey. What're you doing here?"

Somehow I have a feeling Flowey's going to go Edna Mode on him.

[justletmewin]

"Frisk..." Focus, Asriel. Focus. Frisk didn't sound too happy to see him--understandable. His paws ball into fists by his sides. "I-I'm so sorry. For what I did to you and the island. I said all those horrible things to you... I even blamed you for what happened when it was entirely my fault. I thought I'd have no control over myself when I changed back into Flowey. But even when I'm me, even when I can love..."

"It all started because I learned I still didn't have a soul. It's thanks to this island I can live a normal life and care about people again. But... But since some people suddenly disappear--and never come back--I got afraid. I didn't want to lose everything again! So I started stealing people's souls so I can be the God of Hyperdeath's final form again. I wanted to take over the timeline so the island didn't take people away anymore. And I--I wouldn't change back and become something worse. And it happened anyway! I ended up being the same person I wanted to protect everybody from! What does it say about me? I don't even have the excuse of not having a soul! I thought I was doing the right thing. There's just no justifying what I've done! Nothing! I... I really am a..."

You really ARE an idiot.

hes pissed lmao

[mercybutton]

"A kid."

They sigh tiredly. "You're--you're just a kid. No one has the best judgment, but y-you had reasoning. I totally get it. It's okay."

Frisk presses their palms against their eyes to get the itch to leave. "You were scared and, and took the opportunity given to you, you… were scared. People do bad things when they're hurt, a-and scared. Right?"

They release, and the tired expression shifts to one that's set more in regret. "And… I'm sorry for yelling. Before. I didn't understand what was going on then, but I think I do now. You didn't want to have to stop caring for people. You didn't want the castle, to… to keep ripping up families.

"B-b-but, e-even though you hurt people…! All you did was… I mean, everything you did wasn't because you stopped caring. It's because you loved us a lot. The island was destroyed but with good intentions."

Frisk looks up, fidgeting with their sweater collar. They're very bad at hiding the fact they're nervous. "I mean. I don't wanna assume a lot. I'm--I can't say I'm not kind of bitter about this. A lot bitter. I hate fire. But I try to be understanding, um… I just don't want you to feel horrible about something bad you did to try and help everyone. Just, try to learn from it, like, uh… maybe. Don't do that again."

"PULL! YOURSELF! TOGETHER!"

[justletmewin]

"Haha... ha..." Asriel sniffles and wipes his eyes with his arms. "Yeah... that's what I wanted to do. I--I felt so awful when I killed you! ...Again. Uh... you know what I mean. I remember being so upset because you're the one who told me I can finally live again. I didn't need to... hide myself anymore."

"So I've been thinking. Even after all this... I don't want to isolate myself again. I blamed Flowey for everything. I just wanted to pretend everything I did wrong was because I didn't have a soul. As long as I was still "myself" I wouldn't do anything like what I've done Underground." A sad smile crosses his face. "...Turns out love makes you do crazy things. I forgot about that."

"Frisk... you don't look so good. It's not because I burned you, is it?"

"YOU BIG BLUBBERING BABY. I CANT BELIEVE YOURE ME"

[mercybutton]

"Um. About Flowey… he's really mad about the island thing. He told me about it with, um, a lot of snark and nasty comments, which I guess is his equivalent of screaming." They rub the back of their neck. "I think you wanna avoid going outside for a while.

"And, uh… being killed didn't have a lasting effect like this back in the Underground." A half-lie. Their blindness was from fire, too. "But here, I think so. Yeah."

"YOU REALLY ARE A PATHETIC WHELP"

[justletmewin]

"Oh..." Asriel was about to say why he wasn't going back into hiding, but the reason related to Flowey. Not in a negative way, actually, though his plant self might mistake it as an attack. He'll need to explain later once everyone has enough time to recover.

"Should I leave you alone then? If you need some privacy, I mean..." He can deal with Flowey's wrath, but he'd rather not Frisk get caught in the middle.

[mercybutton]

"Uh. Sorry, um, yeah. I could kinda use a break from… everything." And everyone, but that's rude to say.

"Just be careful, okay? I don't want to hear you got strangled to death by vines or something."

[justletmewin]

"You don't need to apologize." Asriel given what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "Ha... ha... I will, don't you worry about me. You take care of yourself too. See if you can find some water and first-aid, okay?"

hope this is ok

[trombones]

"Growing something, huh?"

As always, Sans was just there. Literally and figuratively. He slowly kneeled down next to Asriel, hands somehow still in his pockets, and looks at the other monster with the usual perma-grin. Thank god he was done being human, or this would be a hell of a lot weirder.

"Haven't you heard that a watched pot never boils? I gotta tell ya, sprout. It usually takes a while."

The skeleton's grin widens. There's familiarity in his tone. Sans actually met the other Asriel about a month or two ago. He doesn't quite know that there's two of them yet.

"But hey, whatever floats your boat or sinks your ship. What's up, bud?"

It's good! :)

[justletmewin]

Yep. Same old Sans.

Asriel hadn't talked much to the other Sanses on the island. It still seemed... awkward. He doubted the skeleton would be too fond of him if he learned he was the same person as the flower who manipulated his brother. Multiple times. Maybe Sans already knew. It's hard to tell with the monster he once deemed as "Smiley Trashbag."

"I wasn't really looking." He answers glumly. "Could be better."

[trombones]

"Yeah?"

Sans shifted from a kneel to a cross-legged sits. He leans forward and glances at the flower for a moment, then to Asriel.

If it's any consolation, he knows.

"Rough day?"

[justletmewin]

"...Yeah." Understatement of the year. "It must be harder for everyone else though."

[trombones]

"Sure, maybe."

Sans shrugged. He reaches out and lightly touches the sprout with a bony finger. A lot easier now that he wasn't human anymore.

"Doesn't mean it's not allowed to suck."

[justletmewin]

"...It does suck, I'm not going to lie. You know what I did to everyone, right? The island getting destroyed and blown up... it was my fault. I shouldn't have..."

[trombones]

A long silence.

"... Huh."

The skeleton blinks.

"Okay, I must've slept through that."

[justletmewin]

"It's best you did. Believe me." His paws clench into fists. "It's not something I'm proud of. I'd rather no one know, but... life doesn't work that way."

[dustless]

No words, no preamble, (almost) no hesitation. There's nothing to say.

Frisk sees Asriel knelt on the ground as himself and they're behind him before they register even moving, dropping to kneel next to him and dragging him into their arms in nearly the same instant. There's not a thought in their head, just roiling guilt and the feeling of warm tears pooling already.

[justletmewin]

The goat monster gasps as he's pulled into a tight embrace. He looks down... he recognizes those arms. He knows what their hugs feel like, with that same shirt brushing against his body. Even the sniffling behind him is familiar.

Frisk had every right to hate him and refuse to forgive him. They needed to stop him from taking over the timeline twice. How did the saying go? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. They'd be right to be suspicious of him and grow weary of bending over backwards for a "friend" who may not be worth keeping.

Yet they're holding him like this. Frisk... do they love him that much?

Asriel clenches his teeth, sucking in shuddering breaths. It does nothing to stop the ugly sobs bubbling inside him. His face scrunched into a blotched, red, hideous wet mess by the time he turns around and squeezes Frisk back, howling into their shoulder.

[dustless]

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

Words are impossible.

The sentiment's probably coming across clearly enough, seeing how hard they're clinging and he's clinging back.

Still. It's not fair. Life's already not, they've known that for a long time, but...stupid castle. Stupid castle. They regret a lot of things they said during their battle--that they remember, anyway, it's hazier and more distant than makes sense--but not that they said the castle was messing with Asriel.

(They're leaning on him kind of hard. Overbalancing is a real risk.)

[justletmewin]

It hurts. It really hurts.

I just wanted to make things right. I don't want to turn back into a flower. I don't want to forget to love. Not after all you've done for me. Not after I started a new life here. I don't want to go back to being... evil.

That's precisely it, wasn't it? Soullessness might not be the problem. Staying a flower couldn't be it either. But the idea of losing all morals and humanity until he'd become something so wicked nothing can redeem him... It frightens him. Honest to god, it frightens him. Cripples him.

He cries out when he falls backward into the grass, taking Frisk with him. It shakes him out of his tears briefly, but he clings tighter to his friend than ever.

man it'd be cool if i didn't lose track of fuckin everything

[dustless]

They let out a muffled yelp, reflex trying to get them to not fall but failing with his weight added. Frisk ends up sort of lying on their side and his at the same time. Probably better than pinning him against the ground.

"A-Asriel..." Oh, that sounded a lot tinier and sadder than they meant it to. They sniff sharply, trying to stop crying too. That's not helping!

Sporadic taggers unite

[justletmewin]

"I'm sorry..." Asriel shudders. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry...! I messed things up again... I didn't want to mess up anymore--but I did and I'm not Flowey and I can still feel and--it makes it worse! I--I...!"

[dustless]

Their hands clench into fists against his back. "It--it--it's okay. It's over. It's over, still. Stupid--stupid castle." It made him like that, it made them both like that, all mean and angry (and maybe a little too honest).

[justletmewin]

"St-Still... I did it... it's my fault I collected those souls and blew up the island and--!" And in the end, it wouldn't have mattered if he defeated Frisk. The island never would've allowed him to usurp control. He'd done all these stupid selfish things for nothing. "Y-You saved me again--saved all of us--I know you're tired and hurt and exhausted--it's a lot of work and I'm not making it better..."

[oldmantiger]

Kotetsu is quite enjoying a walk through the gardens. He...has a lot to think about. And at least, the sun is warm and the ground is solid, and he's once again caught between the two where he belongs. He doesn't intend to take that for granted any time soon.

It's a patrol, of sorts - a way to see for himself that everyone is back to normal, that no one else needs help. It's a meandering sort of patrol, because he knows how people can wind up in far flung corners of this place. But also because it's a nice day out and he can actually feel things again.

If he focuses on the smell of grass, he doesn't have to dwell too much on the memories.

At least until he rounds the corner of the hedge maze, and sees Asriel up ahead.

It shouldn't mean anything. Asriel doesn't exactly look the same as he did. But the sight of that fur, those ears, that face, and Kotetsu's chest gives a sudden, violent ache. His SOUL reacting to its temporary thief. He presses a hand to his chest as though to keep it there, gritting his teeth against a rising bile in his throat.

"You..."

[justletmewin]

Nauseous dread seizes Asriel when he sees Kotetsu gawking at him and clutching his chest in horror. This innocent man endured a hell worse than what he'd already gone through as a ghost... because of him. Because he believed if he "borrowed" his soul, he could've made up for the temporary nightmare with a permanent paradise. Kotetsu wouldn't need to wander lost, confused, unable to remember his friends... he wouldn't need to worry about losing them because he'd be together with them always. If Asriel had been offered a chance to be with his friends and family forever in exchange for a week, a month, or even a year of misery--he'd do it. Swallow his tears, grit his teeth, and do what needs to be done so everyone lived happily ever after. It's why he helped Chara with the buttercups long ago.

He may have done it for the greater good, but he learned the hard way that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. What he hoped would happen went catastrophically wrong... he ended up endangering everyone again. Kotetsu's torture meant nothing and had been completely unnecessary in the end.

"Kotetsu..." The one you torched at the Edge. "I..."

[oldmantiger]

Torture is a good word for it. That time without his soul had been, quite simply, the worst thing Kotetsu had ever lived through - if you could call wandering as a soulless ghost "living". He's fallen off skyscrapers, he's been beaten over half to death, he's been shot in the chest. He's been forgotten by all his friends, wasn't there to hold his wife's hand while she died, had to let his daughter go to live with family who could actually take care of her.

Losing his soul was like living through all of that all over again, all at once.

If this were still the God of Hyperdeath standing in front of him, he'd at least be getting a solid punch in the face. But it's not. Kotetsu feels his heart lurch in his chest to realize as much, as he strides across the distance between them to get a better look at Asriel.

He really is so small now. That's the first proper thought that comes to Kotetsu. Where before there was a cold and distant cosmic god, now here stands what is unmistakably a child. A child with long ears and fuzzy white fur - didn't Frisk say there was a special name for monsters like that? But a child either way. And a scared one at that.

...damn it. Kotetsu can feel his hackles settling already, and he kind of hates himself for that.

He leans down a little to better look at Asriel. Though there's no warmth in his expression, not as such, neither is there open hostility.

"So. What'd the castle turn you into, anyway? Is this what you normally look like?"

[justletmewin]

Where could he possibly begin? Apologies aren't enough. Two words can't get rid of everything Kotetsu endured. Asriel already made an enemy today... two if Flowey bumped into him. Both of them likely to kill him on sight.

"Y-Yes." Asriel stuttered. "The person you saw at the Edge... who set you on fire and--and took your soul... that used to be a character I drew and wrote about in stories. He's... he's supposed to be good. He's the Absolute God of Hyperdeath, but--but he's supposed to use his powers to save everyone. Like a superhero for the galaxy..."

Twice in a row, Hyperdeath did the exact opposite. What used to be an innocent past-time mutated into Frankenstein's monster. It sickened him knowing he can masquerade as his own creation and bring misery to everyone involved; he'll never pick up another crayon or pencil if it meant protecting people from his own art.

"I'm--I'm so sorry..." he croaked. "I really hurt you... and I put you through so much. I made such a big mess. All because I got scared..."

[oldmantiger]

...and Asriel says perhaps the one word that could cut right to the heart of Kotetsu. Superhero. A kid who wants to be a hero but is afraid he can only ever hurt people. It's not exactly parallel to his own childhood, of course...but it's close enough to hurt.

Kotetsu sighs, shoulders slumping, his gaze falling to his feet for a moment. For a moment, he sounds and feels just as old as Barnaby jokes that he always is.

Then he reaches out, very carefully, and pats Asriel on the head. After that, he sits himself down on the grass next to the little monster, legs crossed, hands resting on his knees.

"Why'd you get scared?" He doesn't look at Asriel just yet.

[justletmewin]

Asriel flinches--when all Kotetsu does is pat him, he grits his teeth and inhales. He can't let himself cry again from something like this, not now...

"Something terrible happened to me a long time ago." the goat child explains. "Because of that, I don't have a soul anymore. Without a soul... I lose all my compassion. I can't love anyone anymore. I become this awful flower named Flowey who only wants to hurt everyone." Which is a story by itself Asriel wasn't ready to talk about yet. "Since waking up on this island, even though I still don't have a soul, I'm still... 'myself.' I can still care about people and I haven't changed back into a flower. But then, I learned... nobody stays on this island forever. One day, anyone could disappear and you'd never see them again. Friends, family... it doesn't matter. I could wake up one day as Flowey, as though nothing happened, and..."

[oldmantiger]

...that definitely sounds like quite a story. Quite an awful story. For once, Kotetsu isn't even all that curious for details. He can tell it would be hard for Asriel to go into them, and he probably wouldn't even understand half of them anyway. Up until a few weeks ago, he never thought a soul was something you could lose while you were still even technically "alive".

"Yeah. That does sound...pretty awful." It sounds worse than that, but Kotetsu is frequently bad enough with words as it is. He doesn't trust himself to try and encapsulate the full range of horror otherwise. He swallows painfully, and stumbles out an apology: "I'm so sorry that happened to you." No one should ever have to suffer like that. Especially not a little kid.

Even so, what Asriel did was wrong. Kotetsu stares out distantly at the garden for a long moment, thinking of how best to convey that. At first, he keeps getting distracted by how beautiful the world is, now that he's back in it.

"...but you can't make those decisions for people. I care a lot about Bunny." More than he previously appreciated before. "Even if it's selfish...I'm really glad to be here with him, instead of being here alone. But there's someone back home who's just as important to me as he is. I would do almost anything if I could leave this place and see her again."

[justletmewin]

Due to the resets he did as Flowey, people became predictable to him. The same lines of dialogue, over and over. This is all they are and ever will be. Children are selfish by nature, but add a god complex as the cherry on top and the powers to feed it? He assumed he knew everything about everyone, that he knew them better than they knew themselves. But people are more complex than that. Part of growing up is learning to see outside yourself, even if their experience doesn't match yours.

Would he really be happy if someone decided his happiness for him? He barely knows Kotetsu. What right did he have to think being with Barnaby was all he'd ever need from one conversation alone?

"I won't do it again. I just wish I knew a way I could stay... without hurting people or taking their souls."

[oldmantiger]

"...I believe you. And I can see why you'd want to stay. This..." Kotetsu gestures at the garden around them, at the castle in general. "This place really isn't so bad. If I didn't have Kaede waiting for me, I might not even mind staying here so much." Of course, he also missed his brother, his mom, his friends...but Kaede, and now Barnaby, were all he really needed in life. The castle brought him here when Kotetsu was already leaving a familiar phase in his life, which was a kindness of a sort - albeit one he knew it hadn't necessarily extended to everyone.

"I'm trying to find a way home. But...I'll also try to find a way so you can stay. Okay?" This time, his smile is a little more genuine, and he even offers Asriel a thumbs-up. "We superheroes have to help everyone out, right?"

[justletmewin]

"Kotetsu... You don't have to do that for me." Even so, the fact Kotetsu wanted to--after all he'd been through--made the goat child smile. "I don't think I can call myself a superhero after all that's happened, but... I'd be more than happy to help you. If you need me for anything, just let me know!" Asriel returns the thumb's up, a flash of confidence lighting his eyes. "We're in this together!"

[oldmantiger]

"You know it!" Kotetsu looks downright pleased and even a little proud to have coaxed that look out of Asriel, even after everything. Sometimes...sometimes children make big mistakes. He knows that. But he also knows that Asriel seems to be a good kid. And that means something.

"And hey, I know what a superhero looks like, after all. I used to be one!" His expression softens at recollections of sadder memories. "I know how hard it can be, not to hurt people. Even when you want to help."

[justletmewin]

"Yeah... it's awful." Asriel agrees. "After everything I did as Flowey, I thought it'd be better to stay Underground where no one would find me. So when I changed back, I can't make everyone miserable again."

The goat child sighs.

"I guess what I learned from all this is it doesn't matter if you can feel love or not. I did something awful because I love my friends and this island. It hurts knowing I did all this even as 'myself.' I thought if I changed back and got a new soul, I... I wouldn't do evil things anymore."

[oldmantiger]

"Maybe try to look at it this way. If you can still do bad things when you have a soul...maybe that means you can still do good things when you don't."

He's not quite sure how to vocalize any of this. This is all very unfamiliar territory, for Kotetsu. He believes that souls exist, of course. He did even before he lost his. But he's never had to think about how or why or where they exist. Do robots have souls? Or flowers?

...he's too tired to think too hard about it now. Even to help Asriel. He might just say the wrong thing again.