Takes place after the funeral, but before everyone realizes Frisk is alive.

[justletmewin]

[[Because I'm going to be an asshole to my Asriel.]]

While tending to the golden flowers, Asriel drifted off into a deep sleep. He expected to die--well, not so much "die" as turn back into a soulless flower who can't feel love anymore. He found it nice while it lasted. He yawned and stretched himself awake... his eyes shot open and he held his arm in front of him, flexing his fingers. He's still... himself? The goat startled as he accidentally knocked over a bush of hyacinths that crowded him in a rainbow of colors. What is he doing here?

This isn't the Ruins. It's much brighter than that, and--that's the sky, isn't it? Asriel gets up and walks around while he can still feel his arms and legs. He calls out, asking if anyone's there. He doesn't get a reply, but he does hear singing from far away. It's not in a language he understands, but it's beautiful, and the melody weaves itself through his ears like a soothing balm. Even if it did sound kind of... sad. He follows the singing and finds a throng of people in the distance. While relieved he wasn't alone, the atmosphere was solemn, and a pit formed in his stomach as he wondered if something terrible had happened.

Comments

Poor baby. D: (Also apologies in advance--I've been having A Week and so I'm gonna be slow.)

[lostinmyway]

Grune isn't very observant at the best of times. She drifts through life like a flower floating atop a stream, happy to be carried wherever the currents choose.

This isn't the best of times. But still, when she sees a small person on the edge of the gathering, that doesn't stop her from drawing near.

"Hello, Asriel," she says softly.

It's okay! Take as much time as you need.

[justletmewin]

Asriel nearly jumps at the voice. He'd been so caught up watching the crowd that he hadn't heard her approaching. His face flushes as he pats himself down.

"H-Howdy!" He stuttered. "How d-d-did you know my name?"

Thank you. <3

[lostinmyway]

She blinks at him. "Why...you told me."

It wasn't very long ago, either...she doesn't think.

[justletmewin]

"But... this is the first time I've ever seen you. You must've mistaken me for someone else. Not that I don't want to know you, though! Actually, I was wondering if you could tell me where I am. Or what's happening over there."

[lostinmyway]

Is there another child named Asriel here? Hmm...maybe there is.

It's hard to think right now.

"You're in the castle," she explains quietly. "And we're having a funeral right now."

[justletmewin]

"Oh... I see." Asriel didn't know whether it was polite to offer condolences or not. What if the funeral was for someone they executed for a terrible crime? "What is that person like, if you don't mind me asking?"

excuse me : )

[littledreemurr]

This isn't the Ruins at all, Asriel was already very used to this feeling. He was still a bit downhearted that he hadn't seen his father yet, but the fact that he had been... informed of all of what was to come in his future, he was glad to be here where things could not advance. The funeral -- he couldn't bring himself to go watch, honestly. The solemn nature of it and the things that he was getting used to already, but he at least wanted to possibly go... Perhaps.

At least he found he wasn't alone, he was moving towards the crowd in the same direction as Asriel had, and realized that he was there. The light was blocking out most details, but he couldn't help but call out a friendly hello to him as he continued to walk forward.

"Howd--"

Another step he took and he was able to get the details down. He stops halfway because he can't believe it... he's staring down... himself. "...What?"

This made no sense at all to him, he had no idea of what to make of this. "... A-are you really me?"

Fuzzball meets fuzzball~ <3

[justletmewin]

Okay, this is too weird. It's got to be a dream. It has to be. He grabs his ears and pinches as hard as he can--as hard as he can before crying "Ow!" Nope, definitely awake. He's literally seeing himself face-to-face.

"Who are you? Are you really... Asriel? What is this place?"

one less broken than the other :' )

[littledreemurr]

"I-I am! I'm Asriel Dreemur... and you are too, aren't you?" If he wasn't aware of the capabilities of this castle, he'd honestly be doing the same thing. This Asriel tilts his head a tiny bit though, a little bit confused.

"This place is... it's different, but it's nice here. It's an island floating above the clouds! There's a lot of humans and monsters here."

Sad goat child wants to protect happy goat child. ;;

[justletmewin]

"Ha ha... yeah..." he smiled. "It's so weird getting to meet myself. But it's... nice?" There's something about his double's face that's familiar, aside from the obvious.

When he was Flowey and still seeking help from his parents to feel love again, he'd flip through the Dreemurr photo album in search of his old self. Pictures of him smiling, playing with toys, getting piggy-back rides on his father, napping in his mother's lap... this tiny idiot goat who had no idea of the terrible fate in store for him or what the world was really like. Toriel tutoring him in math, Asgore teaching him to garden, his best friend hiding their face behind a stuffed animal or bouquet of flowers... he loathed those photographs the longer time passed, each and every one of them serving as a reminder of what he'd never have again. Chara is dead, Asriel is dead, his parents are cowards and hypocrites and they hate each other and they will never get back together. In different timelines, he couldn't take it anymore, and he'd tear the album in a fit of rage before Asgore and Toriel's eyes. Sometimes he'd throw the leftover pieces in the fire, sometimes he didn't. Sometimes they would beg him to stop, or lose their temper--something they've never done with Asriel before. Of all things, this should've snapped him back to reality. But it didn't... he felt nothing.

This is the Asriel he used to see and hate in these photographs.

The goat child's throat tightened and his eyes swelled with tears. He'd been so, so horrible... even though he couldn't remember if he bothered with the photo album before Frisk's arrival, he wanted to apologize for each and every timeline he broken his parents' hearts like this. In extension... the way he lashed out at his old self, who it seemed had transformed into their own tangible being.

happy goat child wants to let all of the bad things go away for sad goat.. ;-;

[littledreemurr]

"It's really weird..." he couldn't help but smile a bit as well before continuing, "You-- you're from the future, aren't you? Everyone else is..."

In a way, the things that he had been told already were enough to want him to change the timeline. He held it inside of his very being as he talked with everyone who had been there longer than he had, had experienced more in their ever changing timelines and had more knowledge of what he didn't. He still had no idea of what he would personally experience, other than "bad stuff" would happen if he let the plan between himself and Chara continue.

What he did at least know, is that this version of himself had started crying. His first reaction was to step forward with a concerned face, holding out his arms and hoping that he would of course catch the invitation to a hug. He couldn't help what had happened, but... he wanted to help where he could.

[justletmewin]

He accepts the hug and breaks. He clings to his double's shoulder and the tears won't stop. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry...!" Does he even know what he's talking about? It doesn't matter. It hurts. It hurts. He had hurt them. He had hurt them.

[littledreemurr]

He knows exactly how this feels, it's a terrible terrible feeling having to cry like this, but at the same time he knows how good it feels to get all of these feelings out.

He only has a vague idea of what he's apologizing for, but that's enough for him to know. His small paws tighten as he embraces him as hard as he can, giving him a small pat on the back. "I-It's okay... It's okay... I-It isn't b-but B-But we were just..." Hearing himself cry and get this emotional was also bringing tears to well in his own eyes. He hiccuped hard, fists balling slightly. "W-We were just trying t-to make everything right...!" And there were the tears and the audible sobbing himself.

These small bodies that held so much guilt.

/late

[andthebat]

The Batman had stayed for a bit to pay his respects to Frisk (and maybe, a bit, to the unknown child) but after talking with Grune he'd decided... he'd prefer to have some time alone.

Putting away the shovel and other tools made as good an excuse as any, so when he passed by the small white monster the Batman would be busy carrying those away. He was preoccupied enough with his thoughts that he almost ignored Asriel, but when he noticed how lost Asriel looked, Batman paused to give him a gruff nod.

"Asriel."

Better that than never. :)

[justletmewin]

"H-Hello. It's nice to meet another monster here." Asriel smiled shyly. "I'm... kind of surprised you already know my name. Do you know where I am? Everyone here seems sad. Did something happen?"

timeline fudging is go?

[andthebat]

That earns Asriel a stare.

"...Didn't we go over this recently?" the Batman says.

He's quite sure they met at some point, back in the throne room. "Do you know if my family's here?" Asriel had asked. So how did Asriel forget that?

And then another question: how best to explain the terrible situation Asriel walked into...?

"It's a funeral," Batman says quietly. "Two of the children here died."

[justletmewin]

"No, it's the first time we've met." This is so confusing. What's going on?

"Oh... I'm sorry." Well, that was not a good thing to stumble upon. "I'm probably not welcome here, so um... I'll get out of your way."

[andthebat]

Batman is quite sure this isn't the first time. "You don't remember? We met in the throne room." There aren't exactly a lot of small goat-like children named Asriel running around, are there?

"It's fine." The Batman shakes his head, and gestures for Asriel to follow him. Awkward as the situation is, it doesn't seem wise to leave Asriel alone without sorting the issue out. "Come with me, and we'll see about jogging your memory."

[justletmewin]

"S-Sure." Not that he needed his memory jogged. He thinks. But he might get some new information that may make things a little less confusing.

how tf did i take 8 weeks to reply to this

[andthebat]

Batman nods in acknowledgement, and begins to walk away from the funeral. He moves at a bit of a slower pace than he otherwise would- Asriel's short enough that Batman suspects he'd have trouble keeping up.

"What's the last thing you remember?" he asks. That seems like a good place to start.

It's cool! :)

[justletmewin]

"Well, uh... I was looking after a patch of golden flowers and I fell asleep. Then I woke up in an entirely different garden and..." He shivered. "I'm not supposed to be here."

[andthebat]

"Patch of golden flowers," Batman repeats. That seems a very vague description. "Is it anywhere in this castle?"

[justletmewin]

"No... I never been to the castle." He points in the direction of the gardens. "I came from over there."