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pilyarquitect · 4 years ago

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Getafix’s mistake - Chapter 8. Planning

Hello everyone! First of all, I’m terribly, terribly sorry. On Monday I was extremely busy and I couldn’t update the new chapter. Yesterday, I was also busy, but also, it was Holiday here, and I don’t know why there were moments I thought it was Sunday instead of Tuesday, so I ended up the day without updating too. good news are I bring you the next chapter and also you won’t need to wait an entire week for the next one 😊 it’ll come sooner. 😉 That said, I hope you’ll like it! 😊

Well, I’d like to give a special thanks to @drummergirl231-2 for helping me editing this story. I’m really, really, really grateful to her, she’s awesome!

Okay after say all this, here you have the fifth chapter of this story, I hope you all will like it!

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Cacofonix had always considered himself an early riser, and today was no exception. Despite the events of the previous day, the bard had woken up as always, even before the rooster crowed. He washed up, changed his clothes, prepared his breakfast, and tidied his cabin a little. To be honest, in his modest opinion, it was perfect in its current state. Although of course, when Bravura was in the village and occupied his cabin, the woman complained about the disorder that reigned and the lack of cleanliness of the enclosure, so since that day, Cacofonix had made efforts to keep his space clean so that no one could complain again.

After finishing his routine, Cacofonix sat on the edge of the platform on which his house stood. He liked to enjoy the views up there. In addition, in his own space, it was easier for him to compose and interpret his musical works without running the risk of becoming anyone’s target, mainly Fulliautomatix’s or Unhygienix’s.

Honestly, the Gaul bard found it difficult to understand how the other villagers could underestimate his talent the way they did. It was a sad fact that it was completely out of reach. And there were very few who truly appreciated his talent. One of them was Pepe, the young son of the chief of the village near Hispalis whom the Romans had once taken hostage. Cacofonix, although he knew they had to take him back to his village, was saddened knowing that he had lost a true admirer.

The situation that Pepe lived at that time made him think of Asterix. If they hadn’t rescued him, his situation would have been the same as that of the Hispanic boy. Only in Asterix’s case, his situation would perhaps be worse, since his village had brought more problems to Rome and the empire than Pepe’s village.

In addition, Caesar had met Asterix several times in many of the adventures the blond warrior had gone through. Yes, without a doubt, his hostage situation would have been very different from that of the Hispanic boy.

The village bard picked up his harp – his faithful companion that accompanied him wherever he went. Then he tried playing some notes – which would sound jarring to everyone's ears if they’d heard them – and just as he was about to start singing, his moment was marred by a scream:

"But I don't wanna go to thchool, by Tutatith!" There he was again… the fish seller’s son, refusing to attend class.

Cacofonix turned his gaze to Unhygienix’s house, more out of curiosity than habit. Every day was the same story. The child had to be forced to get up and wash. Then almost… almost he had to be dragged to the very door of the school, only to finally enter with the rest of the young Gauls.

The bard then remembered how much he liked children and how he went out of his way to instill in them the knowledge he had gained over the years from Getafix. In his school years, he had always been the first in the class, well… the first until Asterix and Obelix began to go to school as well. Thereafter, the first place as a model student was held by the youngest blond Gaul.

To be honest, Asterix being a better model student than him slightly annoyed the bard at first. But over time he learned to accept it, and was even glad that it was so. Sincerely, Cacofonix had felt a deep admiration for Asterix since childhood and would never have done anything to ridicule or belittle him, especially when he realized Asterix was a generous, kind, and above all loyal friend.

There were multiple occasions when the shorter Gaul literally faced off with the rest of the class just to defend Obelix, who for his part was too shy to answer or stand up to the other children. For the bard to see this type of action from the blond Gaul, it was a true sample of what their true friendship consisted of… without a doubt, these must be very difficult times for Obelix. To think his best friend is involved in such a problem… and if what Getafix said was true, then the situation was even more complicated. Because at least when Obelix became a child again, he kept all his memories of when he was man. But in Asterix's case, he thought he was a little boy, and therefore it was logical to suppose he believed that all who were now adult men should also be boys like him.

Now that he thought about it, if Getafix couldn't bring Asterix back to his real age, if Tutatis didn't want it, maybe… just maybe… the young Gaul would have to attend school again. Although some years would pass before Asterix would have to go to school again. As they were told, Asterix seemed to be only three years old. He was still too little to attend class.

"Cacofonix!"

The bard was surprised to hear his name, and immediately looked for the origin of it, which he found in Fulliautomatix's wife.

"Come on Cacofonix, it's time."

"Yes, I'll be there soon."

He had Getafix had agreed between themselves that each year one of them would teach the classes. This year was the druid’s turn, but given the events of the previous day with the village warrior, the villagers suggested the bard be the one who taught class until the matter could be resolved, or at least reach a point of reasonable normality. Although, to be honest, the bard doubted they would ever reach such a point of normality… not while Asterix was three years old.

The bard took everything he deemed necessary for classes and descended from his cabin. Upon reaching the ground, he met Mrs. Geriatrix, who was apparently heading towards Asterix's cabin.

"Good morning, Mrs. Geriatrix, may I ask where you are going?"

“I'm going to give Asterix his clothes. I went a while ago to take the measurements and now I’m going to try them on him to see how they fit," she explained, adding, "He’s a charming child."

It was then the bard noticed what the woman was holding in her hands: clothes, undoubtedly. Actually, Mrs. Geriatrix was a very efficient woman when it came to labor tasks.

"In my opinion, we must do everything possible to make Asterix feel comfortable. That’s why I worked as fast as I could to make these clothes for him," the brown-haired woman continued.

"I couldn't agree more," replied Cacofonix.

After this brief conversation, the two villagers said goodbye and each went their own way.

The bard headed towards the door of the school where most of the children were already lined up waiting to enter. The bard addressed them with a smile and then allowed them to enter the compound with him. He was the last to enter, just to make sure none of the little Gauls were trying to skip school.

Right before entering, he made the decision to go see Asterix when classes ended. Most likely, the young Gaul wouldn’t recognize him. But like the rest of the villagers, he was concerned about his safety and well-being. So, in his opinion, a visit would not hurt.

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"That's a terrible idea! More than that, by Jupiter, it's crazy!” Caius Marsupialus said as he paced the tent Overanxius had ushered him into.

"Excuse me?" Caesar's envoy protested as he followed him with his eyes "are you saying you refuse to carry out a direct order?"

The camp leader stopped dead and looked at the man in front of him. He knew very well the risks of the plan the senator of Rome was proposing to him. But apparently, the other man didn’t seem to understand it.

"With all due respect, I will carry out that order the moment you are the one to march in front of the troops to do what you tell me." protested the centurion.

"Where is the problem? All I'm saying is for you to capture the druid from that village. It's not that difficult, by Neptune!” Overanxius said again, indignant at the behavior of the camp leader.

"The problem? The problem is that this is a suicide mission! And I’m not willing to expose my men to such danger.” Caius Marsupialus replied again.

"Is capturing a druid a suicide mission?" asked Caesar's envoy.

“No, that part may not be. But what follows would be. You don't seriously expect me to send all my men to attack the village while the fat and crazy Gaul is still there, do you? Also, perhaps we’ll have the druid, but you should know this man is very cautious, and my sources have told me that he usually leaves a spare pot full of magic potion in case something should happen,” the Centurion continued explaining.

“So, what do you suggest I do? Forget that Gaul and the chance of handing that village over to Caesar once and for all?” Overanxius asked again.

"I’m not saying that, I’m just saying that I’m not going to follow through with that plan," replied Caius Marsupialus.

"Okay. Tell me what you propose we should do in this case."

The camp leader spoke again. “If you want to know my opinion, for now I wouldn’t make any rash movement. The Gauls are as lost or even more so than us in this situation. Presumably, they’re unlikely to make any move, at least for now. My advice, if you want to follow it, is to stay vigilant and keep on the lookout… but not take action.”

"And what if while we wait, the druid finds a way to reverse the effects?" Overanxius asked with an air of genuine interest.

Caius Marsupialus opened his mouth to answer, but almost instantly closed it again when he realized he didn’t have an answer to that question.

The Roman senator smiled when he saw he had given an irrefutable argument in this conversation that once again allowed him to tip the balance in his favor. The Centurion looked at Caesar's envoy with a slight touch of anger. He knew the man was right, but he didn't like to admit it.

"Well since everything has been made clear, tell your men what the plan is and what they should do.” the senator concluded with a malicious smile on his face.

Soon, very soon, that Gaul boy would be in his possession again, and with him he would end that village of mustached savages once and for all.

"Senator, there is another small point… that I would like to talk about."

"What is it now, Centurion?" Overanxius asked indignantly, because his daydreams of triumph had been cut short.

“It is… regarding the spare pot of magic potion I mentioned. As long as the Gauls have it… they’ll all be very dangerous,” explained Caius Marsupialus.

"We’ll deal with it when the time comes. For now, our priority is to capture the druid so that the Gauls won’t have more of a supply of magic potion than they already have, nor the possibility of recovering their little warrior… and who knows? Maybe when we pick up that child again, I’ll send them both to Caesar. No doubt two is always better than one. And thus, the emperor will cover me with honors and glory and I’ll be the most respected man in the Empire. Don’t you agree with that, Centurion?”

Caius Marsupialus looked at the envoy from Rome, not really knowing what to answer. To tell the truth, he was frightened by the twisted and Machiavellian mind the senator seemed to possess, in addition to those aspirations of greatness and power. If all the senators were like him… maybe Caesar couldn’t be what one would consider… very safe.

No, it was very difficult for the Centurion to share the same aspirations as Overanxius. Truth be told, Caius Marsupialus was content with very little… just a few acres of land on which to build a modest but very beautiful villa, and thus be able to settle in it with his family and his slaves, and to invite his friends… In short, a place to live in peace and away from the noise and bustle of the city – to go unnoticed – something completely different and even contrary to what the senator with whom he’d spoken intended.

Leaving aside his own thoughts, the camp leader said goodbye to the senator with the typical Roman greeting and then left the tent to carry out the orders the senator had given him.

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In little Asterix's cabin, the three Gauls had already finished their breakfast. Just after finishing, Asterix got up to play with Dogmatix. Meanwhile, Obelix again offered to wash everything, and asked Getafix to take care of the blond Gaul… although, he pointed out that while Asterix was with his pet, nothing would happen to him.

Getafix smiled, amused at the declaration of the menhir dealer. It was truly admirable to see the appreciation and trust Obelix felt for the little dog, although it was also true that Dogmatix had proven on several occasions to be worthy of that trust. The old druid immediately remembered the moment they were in Egypt to help a friend of his, the Alexandrian architect Edifis, so that he didn’t end up in the jaws of the sacred crocodiles… by Tutatis! What a pretty nose Cleopatra has!

On that adventure, maybe the worst part of it was when they ended up lost in the labyrinthine corridors of one of the pyramids, and if it hadn't been for the little puppy, the three of them would have perished there. Of that there was no doubt.

Getafix sat on a stool while watching Asterix play with Dogmatix. It was difficult for the old druid to deal with this situation. Asterix was one of the villagers with whom he had spent the most time… whom he considered one of his closest friends. The village warrior had always come to the druid when he had any difficulties, or had come to help Getafix in case he needed him. But now this friend, a Gaul he had known since the day he was born, was trapped in the appearance and mentality of a child because of his lack of competence in his conduct. If he hadn’t been so negligent, Asterix would be fine… among them with his true age, and everything would be as if nothing had happened. How could he be so reckless as to allow something like this to happen?

"Getafix, Getafix, do you want to play with us?" Asterix asked as he got up from the floor where he had been playing with Dogmatix.

"I'm afraid not young one, I'm a little older for this type of game." replied the older man.

"Ooooh, but I also want to play with you, Getafix," said Asterix, trying to sound as sad as possible. Immediately afterward, he used the puppy-eye technique in a final attempt to get the village druid to play with him and Dogmatix.

Getafix smiled again, amused by the boy's attitude. To be honest, it was hard to believe that just two days ago, the boy was actually a serious adult with the sole concern of ensuring the safety of his people… just thinking about it made Getafix determined – more so than ever – to not rest until he managed to cure the blond Gaul.

Seeing his strategy hadn’t worked with the old druid, Asterix decided to try his luck with Obelix, who had already finished cleaning everything and was now approaching the rest of the cabin occupants. When he was by his side, Asterix opened his mouth to speak, but a noise from the front door stopped him short.

"Hello again, I have finished the clothes." announced Mrs. Geriatrix happily.

"Well, you’ve been in a hurry, my good lady," said Getafix, admiring the speed with which the woman had done her sewing work.

“Naturally, Getafix! Asterix must feel comfortable, mustn’t he? That is why I’ve gone as fast as I can. Now, I need you to dress him in case I need to make any alterations,” explained the brunette.

"But I wanna keep playing with Dogmatix," protested the younger Gaul.

"You can play with him when you’ve dressed up. I promise you," said Obelix, this time. And then added:

"It’ll also be easier for you to play with him if you wear clothes that don't fit too big."

Asterix frowned. Everyone was against him. It wasn’t fair! A child’s life isn’t easy. He looked at each adult one by one and when he realized he couldn’t convince them otherwise, he sighed admitting defeat. Then he looked up at Mrs. Geriatrix and said:

"Okay, but I get dressed by myself."

"Are you sure, Asterix?" Getafix asked. Like the others, he was surprised at the boy's decision.

"Yup, just me," said the little Gaul again in the most convincing voice he could manage.

Mrs. Geriatrix looked surprised, first at Asterix, and then at Getafix. When the druid looked at her, she first shrugged and then nodded, indicating she’d give the boy the clothes. She handed him the freshly made garments and Asterix instantly ran upstairs. His new clothes were identical to what he usually wore but adapted to his new body size, of course.

After a while, the little Gaul came down again with his new clothes. Everyone was surprised to see that he had put them on correctly. The amazement was such that the only thing Mrs. Geriatrix could say was:

"You have to recognize how smart this boy is."

Getafix and Obelix could only agree to this statement. Asterix was certainly proving to be a very curious and very smart boy. He had some outbursts, or little interest in some things told to him, but that was normal considering he was really a three-year-old boy. It was totally unthinkable to demand him to act like an adult.

Mrs. Geriatrix was the first to come out of her stupor, realizing the little boy was looking at them with a strange face, she said:

"Well, let's see how you look."

Then she stepped forward and knelt in front of Asterix and began to inspect him. At first the blond Gaul blushed at the woman's action, but when Mrs. Geriatrix turned him around to see how his clothes were on his back, he calmed slightly… although his face was still as red as a tomato.

"Well I must say, the clothes fit you like a ring to a finger, and it isn’t necessary to alter anything. I can say then, my work here is done," said the woman with an air of satisfaction. “Okay, since everything is perfect, I'll be going. Take good care of yourself, Asterix… and also you, Obelix, Getafix and Dogmatix.”

"Goodbye my good lady, and thank you very much for your work," Getafix replied.

"Bye-bye, and thank you for the clothes," said Asterix just after his druid.

When the brown-haired woman left, Asterix ran to where the menhir delivery man was and cheerfully asked him:

"Do you want to come play with Dogmatix and me? Please, please, pleeeeeease."

Obelix looked at the little Gaul, surprised at first, but soon after, a smile formed on his face. He lowered himself to Asterix’s level, and putting both hands on his shoulders, said:

"Okay, by Tutatis. What do you want to play?"

"Can we play hide and seek?" the young Gaul asked with evident emotion in his voice.

Obelix opened his eyes wide. He knew that playing that game was a great risk… especially because, although Getafix hadn’t told him, he knew very well Asterix was an expert in leaving the village without anyone seeing him. Moreover, how he managed to get out of village without being seen is the only secret the young Gaul had never shared with his best friend. To tell the truth, Obelix remembered being surprised every time Asterix had returned home, dirty, muddy, and with small bruises and cuts all over his body. He didn’t understand what his friend was doing to end up in such a state, and the blond Gaul never said a word about it. He just occasionally disappeared for a while and then returned as if nothing had happened, always in the same way.

The menhir dealer looked with evident concern at Getafix, knowing the danger Asterix faced. The best thing was to not lose sight of him. But on the other hand, how to tell the little boy without hurting his feelings?

Getafix, for his part, had also been surprised. He shared the concern of the red-haired Gaul regarding leaving Asterix unattended. So when Obelix looked at him with that clear expression of asking for help, the old druid approached the two of them, and drawing the attention of the blond Gaul, said:

"Asterix, I don't think it's a good idea, you see… if you're with Dogmatix, Obelix will find you right away."

"What? How is that possible, Getafix?”

“Dogmatix and I have a strong connection. I’m even able to understand what he tells me, so if you are with him, I’ll find you right away and the game will no longer be fun. Also, Dogmatix has a very good nose, so if he is the one who is looking, he would also find you right away,” explained Obelix, trying to sound as convincing as possible before adding:

"Also, if you are the one looking for us, you’d find me right away," he said, moving his arms to show his body. "It is difficult for someone who is a little plump to hide," ended the great Gaul.

"In short, if you play this game, you’ll soon be bored. It’s better that you play something else," concluded the druid stroking his beard.

Asterix frowned and seemed to be angry. He looked at Obelix suspiciously and said:

"I don't think you have this… connection with Dogmatix. That's impossible! And how can you talk with him? That’s even more impossibler!”

The druid and red-haired Gaul smiled tenderly at the boy. Despite the charming grammatical mistake, there were many aspects… many small details Asterix kept in his person, even as a child. The menhir dealer got up and softly explained everything to the blond Gaul:

“It isn’t so difficult to understand. About a year ago, I found Dogmatix who at that time was a newborn puppy. If I hadn't helped him, he most likely would have died. I took care of him as well as I knew… but I never forgot the rest of the village, in case that worries you… in short, I suppose that since I took taking care of Dogmatix very seriously, a very strong bond was born between the two of us that we have even now… do you understand?”

Asterix looked at Obelix, still a little skeptical about what he had just heard, but knowing the desire his best friend had always had to have a dog – at least when they were still the same age – made him think the great Gaul was telling the truth… but even so, Asterix couldn’t understand why they didn’t want him to play hide and seek. Were those the real reasons? Or was there something else they didn't want to tell him? He couldn't say for sure. To tell the truth, the little Gaul didn’t understand why the two adults were watching everything he did since they had gotten up. It was as if they were his shadows and the blond Gaul was beginning to grow impatient.

Actually, playing hide-and-seek was partly to play, obviously, and partly to be able to rest a bit from the intensive surveillance he had been suffering since he’d been rescued. He just wanted a little time for himself, and the time to change his clothes wasn’t enough. But it was quite clear that neither Getafix nor Obelix were willing to grant him this… he would have to find another method to evade them.

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And here ends this chapter. I had the idea of making Getafix and Cacofonix both teaching children one year one of them and next year the other since I saw in some comics the teacher was Getafix and in some others, the teacher was Cacofonix. Also, what do you think about the Romans plan? Do you think it’ll succeed? I’d love to hear your thoughts about this story. 😉

Okay, after say that, I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I also would like to thank to all the people who’d read this story and: @elianemariane17 @theholypencil @alyxox02 @lilacivories @coconuttyglittersmurf @alternaterobin2336 for their likes

See you in the next chapter 😉

#asterix and obelix #Getafix's mistake #cacofonix #mrs. Geriatrix #Overanxius #Caius Marsupialus #Getafix #Obelix #Asterix #Dogmatix

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ghouliday-music · 6 years ago

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To Save Those Who Can’t Be Saved Chapter 7

Beginning

<– Previous

To Save Those Who Can’t Be Saved

AO3

Work Summary: Frisk, Asriel, and Chara go back to Waterfall to solve the mystery of the lone statue sitting deserted in its halls. Along the way, they uncover more questions than answers, and find themselves forced to face their greatest faults and failures.

Chapter 7: Desperate Times, Desperate Measures

Chapter Summary: Chara and Asriel disagree on the right action to take now that Frisk is missing.

Rating: T

Warnings: Death mention

Characters: Asriel, Chara, Toriel

“Asgore? This is Toriel.” A pause. Then a deep rumble from the phone, too muted by distance and the fur on the side of Toriel’s head for Asriel to understand. “Yes, I know. But that is not important at the moment. Is Frisk with you?” A shorter mumble. “No, Dreemurr, everything is not ‘all right.” She sighed, her muscles going from tensed in preparation for a fight to–well, she still looked tense, but she’d stopped her shoulders from rising and her fingers from curling so that her claws dug into her phone and palm, so she was trying to look calm, but in a forced way. “Frisk has disappeared.”

As Toriel continued the call, she shifted her weight from foot to foot, over and over, just barely enough to be noticed. She only did that when she was really stressed. Asriel had seen her face certain death standing as still as a statue, had seen her brace herself to fight Frisk and Chara with all the resolution of a mountain standing against the wind. When she was showing cracks in her ex-queen mode, the situation was really bad.

And for good reason. Asriel himself felt like a little kid again, shaking and scared. At least on the inside. He glanced at his hands to make sure they were still. Toriel was already upset, and giving into the panic and worry would only make the situation worse.

He glanced over at Chara. They, too, were collected and still, though they had ditched their usual smile for a neutral expression that was just a bit too tight around the eyes and corners of the mouth. They were angry.

At Frisk, or at themself?

Asriel could relate to the feeling. Feeding into his shakiness and concern was guilt, guilt that he hadn’t been able to say something that would make Frisk reconsider whatever had made them want to run off and save monsters they felt that they and only they could save. Guilt that, despite all his resets’ worth of experience, compared to all the other monsters and even to Chara he knew less about the sibling who’d helped save him than they did about him.

Guilt that he still hadn’t told Toriel about why Frisk had left.

It isn’t like Chara’s said anything, either, he thought. His soul sparked with an electric jolt of anger, but he clamped down on it before it could take root. The situation was bad enough without his anger and hypocrisy feeding into it.

And he could kind of understand why both of them were keeping silent, too.

Chara finally drew themself out of whatever had them preoccupied and met his eyes. They took a deep breath in and out, probably to calm themself, and raised their hands to sign. “Let us discuss this elsewhere.”

Asriel glanced over at Toriel. He’d been keeping in her sight, so she wouldn’t worry as much, but she was absorbed in the phone call, controlling her irritation as much as she was her worry.

For a moment, he wondered if perhaps he should shake his head and stay near her, even if all he could offer was a little peace of mind that at least he and Chara hadn’t taken off.

But no. He hadn’t thought that Frisk would run away. Sure, maybe it was because they hadn’t come up with the plan until after he’d last seen them, but he really should’ve suspected this would’ve crossed their mind sooner.

He had to help make this right.

He and Chara managed to move into the hall connecting their and Frisk’s rooms without Toriel pausing in her phone call. Chara stopped there instead of bringing the conversation to one of their rooms, which spoke volumes as to how long they felt like she’d be distracted, and how urgently they wanted to discuss whatever it was they wanted to talk about.

“Let us not beat around the bush.” Chara’s hands were faster and more clipped than usual as they signed the words. “You and I both know where Frisk has gone.”

Asriel nodded. He couldn’t imagine them being anywhere else at the moment.

Chara continued after seeing the gesture. “And we both know that they have done so because they believe that they alone can help that child, and that the monster in that article they showed us needs help of a similar caliber.” The side of their nose twitched in a silent scoff. “Never mind that said monster easily could have wandered off when those who interviewed them turned their backs. Instead, they fixated on the word choice as justification for running away from home.” They let their hands drop back to their sides, fingers flexing. If they were showing their frustration like that, Asriel didn’t want to know what they’d have to say to Frisk next time they saw them.

“You think that they would’ve run off even if they hadn’t found that article?” Asriel made sure that his hands were steady; Chara was already upset enough at Frisk for having upset Toriel as much as they had. If they knew just how worried Asriel was, then that would just feed into that anger. Which would make Frisk angrier when they next spoke, which would just continue the cycle of rage.

Chara nodded, a sharp dip of their head. “Although they might not have done so tonight, then later, if they had become more impatient with the child’s rescue mission’s lack of results.”

That did make sense.

In the lull of their conversation, Asriel picked up Toriel speaking loudly into the phone. “No, I do not believe that they had been taken. I have ensured that this house is as safe as I can make it so that no human or monster would be able to kidnap them.” The edges of her words were clipped with frustration from both the situation and talking to her ex-husband. She was usually so careful to make sure that she and Asgore never had an argument where she thought any of their kids could hear. If she was showing her frustration now, when he and Chara were in the house and already stressed, she must really be sick with worry.

But if she knew where Frisk had went, knew of a place to start looking, would she feel at least some relief?

“I think we should tell Mom.” He took a deep breath and let Chara process the signs. “She really deserves to know what’s going on, at least.”

Chara raised an eyebrow. That was never a good sign. “And we both know she will insist on going to find them herself, and that Frisk will immediately reload their save the moment she appears. That is why we have both kept our silence, is it not?” They tilted their head almost sarcastically.

Asriel fought his grimace even as he nodded. On the one hand, it felt kind of mean not to give Frisk the benefit of a doubt, at least. On the other, he knew they’d loaded saves when their family looked less than perfectly happy. They’d even made true resets in the hopes that perhaps the next time something might go differently to help save Asriel and Chara, even on the occasions they’d realized that true resets erased their memories, too.

It wasn’t that hard to realize that Frisk would reload until they felt like they knew how to save the monsters they’d decided needed their help.

Even if it took forever.

Asriel frowned, thinking back to everything he’d noticed that night. “I haven’t felt any déjà vu. Have you?” He swallowed as he signed the question, unsure of whether or not he wanted to hear a “no.”

“I have not.” Chara’s signs were choppier than before.

Asriel felt torn. Half of his body wanted to relax, the other half wanted to remain tense. It felt like his soul was going every which way. “Well, I haven’t seen anyone have any déjà vu tonight. I guess Frisk hasn’t done any loads yet.”

“‘Yet,’” Chara repeated, signing the word slower than they had been to make the quote obvious. “There is no evidence to show that they will not load a save once they have to face consequences for the evidence, and all the evidence to show that they will.”

Asriel really wanted to be calm, he really did, but the anger sparking in his soul was getting too much to keep up the outer façade. He allowed himself to frown instead of glare, though he made sure that his lip stayed over his teeth. “So you’re saying that we should just let Mom worry? That we shouldn’t do anything because it’ll all just be erased anyways?” Even if Frisk would just load over them telling Toriel what was going on, it was still wrong not to tell her anything and let her keep worrying. If Asriel had learned anything from his time as Flowey, it was what you did when you thought none of your actions mattered anyways that really mattered.

He’d already failed that test multiple times. He owed it to everyone, to his family and friends, to get it right this time.

Chara closed their eyes and took a deep breath. “I am not suggesting we do nothing.” Their signs were slow, yet jagged like the cut of a dull knife. “I believe that we should go talk to them ourselves.”

Asriel had had a lot of time to learn how to hide his emotions. He’d spent what must’ve been years as a flower wearing a mask, to hide the emptiness, the morbid curiosity, the anger inside him from everyone else so long as it benefitted him in the end.

Maybe it was harder after he regained a soul, because now he barely stifled the impulse to yell at them. “Why?” In spite of everything, it felt good to give into the impulse to make his signs as sharp as he wanted. He still forced himself to take a deep breath, stamp down the anger, and sign slower, more calmly. “You know that’d upset Frisk. We just told them that we should let professionals find the kid. Wouldn’t acting like that just upset them and make the situation worse? Hurt everyone else? Not to mention that our parents are already worried enough. They do not need us disappearing on them too.”

For a moment, Chara’s solemn mask seemed to crack. Their jaw tensed, their breath stuttered in their throat, their shoulders raised. Their expression flickered between guilt, pain, and anger before they took a deep breath and settled back to neutral.

“I am not suggesting this to hurt anyone.” Their signs were slow, deliberate, versus the punchy, sudden ones they’d been making before. “I do not make this suggestion lightly, and would not have made it if I did not believe it was the only way to mend this situation.”

“There’s always another way.” The two of them just weren’t thinking hard enough. They were angry, and worried, and tired. There had to be some way to fix this that just hadn’t occurred to them.

“Perhaps, but time is of the essence.” As if to make their point, Chara began to sign faster again. “At any moment Frisk could decide to reset. Because they have been caught. Because they have found whatever they have needed and wish to escape the majority of the consequences. Who can say. But at this point it is an inevitability. At any moment we could all return to the start, with no memories of what had come before.”

“And what good will running away ourselves do?” All it would do was cause more panic, more pain.

“We have both come to the conclusion that, should Frisk face being brought back, they will load instead of give up. And should the situation regarding the monster child be out of their scope to fix, they shall not accept that and trap all of us in an eternal time loop.” They paused to take a breath before starting to sign again, their signs deliberately too slow to be genuinely calm. “But we also know that we are the only ones with which they discuss their resets, their loads and saves, their actions in them.”

Asriel had to admit that this was true. Yes, they’d explained the resets, loads, and saves with Toriel and Asgore after everyone woke up to see two children who should’ve been dead lying there, alive as could be. But beyond allusions to all of them having made poor choices with the power that none of them properly explained and that neither parent dug too deep into, they never really discussed their darker actions.

However, Frisk had been more open with him and Chara. It wasn’t something they discussed often; it wasn’t exactly a cheery conversation topic. But he was pretty sure that Frisk never brought it up again with their parents, and that they hadn’t told anyone else.

“If we were to find Frisk, perhaps they would not load, not immediately at the very least, and we could make our case for them to come home.” They shrugged. “A long shot. However, if we cannot convince them to give up this wild goose chase, no one can.”

Asriel knew that this was true. Frisk was always stubborn, far more than he’d been even as a flower. But that didn’t mean it was the right thing to do.

“Even if we do have a chance, we’d still be hurting other people.” Asriel pointed at the doorway into the living room. Toriel’s voice still came through it, though not as clear from the distance. Apparently she had finished talking with Asgore and was now on the phone with someone else. “And even if Frisk does reload, we’ll still have hurt them, even if we can’t remember it. Isn’t that why we agreed that resets were wrong?”

Chara nodded. “Unfortunately, Frisk has not quite come to that conclusion for themself. Yes, they believe wholeheartedly that killing all the monsters was a poor choice, and that they should never have done it. However,” they added before Asriel could raise his own hands to make another point, “they do not believe that the ability to save and reset itself is a problem. In their experience, they were able to use it, again and again, until they were able to restore our souls and original forms as best as they were able. They are so elated with the results that they do not fully comprehend the amount of time that they trapped monsters, and the entire world, in a time loop for a version of a happy ending that they believed existed despite having no guarantee of finding.”

Asriel shook his head. “I know that.” While Frisk was impulsive and stubborn, they were overall trying to be a good person. If they believed that saves and loads were bad, they wouldn’t have done it. But they had come to the conclusion that having them meant that they had the responsibility of using them to fix every problem, no matter how small.

Chara nodded. “Then you know that we have no choice but to go and stop them if we wish for the entire world not to be trapped in the same night for eternity. After all, once everyone else stops to think instead of panic, they will check the underground, which will cause Frisk to load their save. They have all but forced our hands in the matter.”

Asriel shook his head. “We always have a choice.” He stepped forward. “We can choose to hurt our parents while looking for Frisk and hope they don’t reload, or we can stop and think of a better way that doesn’t hurt anyone.”

“Is there even a way to achieve that in this situation?” Chara tilted their head, leaning just the slightest bit forward. “Currently, our choices are to either leave Toriel and Asgore in an attempt to convince Frisk that what they are doing is wrong, to stay with them and let Frisk trap everyone in the same night, possibly for eternity, and the elusive third choice that you are hoping that we can think of before the latter happens.”

Asriel forced himself not to scowl. Why wasn’t Chara listening? “I know, but we can’t just let Mom and Dad panic because they lost all their children in one night again!”

The moment that his hands finished the last sign, he realized that he’d let anger rule his actions again. But it was too late. Chara had already read each and every word. They blinked twice in shock, which, for them, was as good as a flinch.

The anger left Asriel’s soul, replaced by that all-too-familiar guilt. “Chara, I’m sorry–”

Chara started signing again before he could finish. “No, do not apologize.” They let out a deep breath before continuing. “Perhaps you are right.”

Asriel almost thought he was reading the signs wrong, though he’d known them long enough to not make such a mistake.

However, they were signing slowly and clearly enough that there was no possible way he could be mistranslating it. “Our parents would definitely worry if all their children disappeared in one night.”

Asriel almost missed the last part of their sentence, as the sign for “all” had caught his attention. And the way they’d changed their argument so quickly, that could only mean–

“Asriel? Chara?” A few footsteps signaled her turning the corner and into the hallway. “I have something to tell you.”

Asriel frowned as he tried to figure out what it was. Toriel held herself like her limbs had turned to stone, so it didn’t have anything to do with Frisk. And she was frowning as if she was bracing herself for something upsetting. But nothing regarding Frisk, otherwise she’d be even worse off.

“Yeah, Mom?” Asriel turned to face her properly.

Toriel glanced from him to Chara, her expression shifting slightly toward confusion before turning back to concern again. “I have just finished alerting everyone to Frisk’s disappearance.”

Asriel nodded and fixed an expression of hope on his face, though wasn’t sure how to feel about this. It would definitely make Toriel feel better, and he definitely didn’t want to just do nothing while Frisk was missing, even if it’d all be for nothing. But more awareness meant that there were more eyes out for Frisk, more chances for them to be caught and decide to reload to take a different path.

Perhaps Chara was right, and going to speak to Frisk themselves was the only way to stop them for good.

But how could he do that in good conscience when it would hurt their parents, their friends?

Perhaps if he and Chara told Toriel what was happening and found a way to convince her to let them speak to Frisk alone? But no, she’d never agree to that. She’d want to stay close to protect them, and while Frisk might’ve been okay speaking to him and Chara alone they would immediately reload if Toriel was there, too.

“I plan on joining the search myself, and your father has as well.” Toriel bit her lip. “Alphys is staying at her and Undyne’s house, as she is using remotely controlled flying robots to search for them from the air. As everyone else we know is out searching, she is the only one that will be able to keep an eye on the two of you.”

Asriel nodded. That made sense.

“Do not worry, children. Undyne has the entire New Royal Guard out on the streets, Asgore says that he will contact Mettaton to work on a way to alert all monsters in the city without alarming humans who would use this against us, and everyone else is searching every corner of Home the Third. They certainly cannot have gotten far without someone spotting them, and especially now that everyone is on the alert.” Yet despite the words, Toriel was still worrying at her lip, her breaths deep and slow in a deliberate attempt to calm herself, or at the very least look like she wasn’t panicked. “I promise that, even if somehow they elude everything we have set in motion, I shall pick you up by noon today, my children.”

Asriel nodded. “Okay, Mom.” He went up to hug her, and was glad to feel her calm down a little at the very least as she returned the gesture.

“We shall be good.” Chara’s voice made Asriel want to glare, as they both knew that was a lie.

“Yes, I know you will.” Toriel’s words were so relieved, at least in comparison to before, and Asriel almost told her the truth, despite the consequences. “Now, you two get dressed and bring whatever you will need at Alphys’s and Undyne’s.”

Asriel felt his soul shudder. If Chara wanted a chance to sneak off without anyone noticing immediately, that would be their chance. They wouldn’t have as much of a head start as Frisk, but they were desperate. Desperate enough to chance it. But if their mother knew, would she find a way to stop them?

But Toriel was already moving toward the door to grab her coat. And as he went to his room, and let Chara go to theirs, he wondered.

Should he tell Toriel? Yes, it might mean that she’d go after Frisk and possibly cause them to feel like a load was necessary, but at the very least she wouldn’t be as terrified, knowing where they were. At the very least, shouldn’t he tell her about Chara? Because they were just going to make a bad situation worse with their plan.

Or was Chara right that the only way to get Frisk to come home without them loading their save was to talk to them themselves? It didn’t seem like the right decision, but was there even a right decision in this situation?

And if so, should he stay with Toriel and let them handle this on their own, so that she didn’t have to worry about one kid, at least? Or should he go with them and try to make sure their anger, and fear, and frustration didn’t tear a rift between them?

Movement out the window caught his eye, and he saw Chara as they strode through the yard toward the gate as if marching toward battle.

Whatever he was planning to do, he’d better do it soon, before everything fell apart.

Well, that took longer than I hoped, but this is finally out! Now to work on the next chapter!

#undertale #to save those who can't be saved #dreemurr siblings three series #useless reptile writes #asriel #chara #saved asriel #saved chara #toriel #death mention cw #undertale fanfiction

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cathcacen · 6 years ago

Note

#sorina pls 💕

Thanks for the ask! This was inspired by the garbage that is most of chapter 264. Spoilers ahead if you haven’t read it!

The song:

Rebel Heart by First Aid Kit

Despite Hisako and Tadokoro’s best efforts, they had endedup arguing long into the night after all. By the time they’re done shouting atone another, the sky is a deep shade of blue, stars and moon aglow. She’ssitting by the window, winded and agitated, and for a moment she can’t help butwonder how exactly they’d managed to work together to overthrow the previousregime at all.

Yukihira evidently reads her without a hitch – the manstrides up to her side and peers into the sky. She catches the faintest glimpseof a smile.

“This is kinda like that night in the train, isn’t it?”

She rolls her eyes. “Except I hadn’t just spent the nightyelling at you then.”

23:14 – Totsuki,Japan – Four months after the Regiment de Cuisine

He’d told her once that she’d had a rebel heart; she wasn’tsure she believed him, but it was evident, even then, that Yukihira had seen somethingin her – something that had clearly struck a chord close to home. She hasn’tbeen a rebel in a while now, though – hasn’t had much time to relax with thedust still settling from the collapse of her father’s regime.

Erina Nakiri hates to admit defeat, but even she has toacknowledge that the work is taking its toll. She’s exhausted, and it’s all shecan do to remain calm as her first seat had questioned her intentions for sendinghim away.

Yukihira evidently reads her without a hitch – the manstrides up to her side and peers into the sky. She catches the faintest glimpseof a smile.

“This is kinda like that night in the train, isn’t it?”

She rolls her eyes. “Except I hadn’t just spent the nightyelling at you then.”

He laughs, and the anger abates. Something flutters insideher – something she hasn’t yet had the time to acknowledge.

In lieu of any verbal response, Erina can only scowl.

“You know, Nakiri, there’s a very simple solution to that.Just stop shouting.”

“You’re so thick-headed sometimes that it’s the only way it’llget through!”

“I heard you,” He sighs, then shoves her legs gently asideto make room for himself on the cushioned bay window seat. She wiggles aside alittle to allow his feet room by her hips, her own settling in close by his. “Goto this town with Tadokoro. Find out what the hell is going on. Don’t setanything on fire. Don’t make unnecessary waves. Come back in one piece.”

She bristles at the mention of Tadokoro. The mere thought ofit is enough to make her snap.

She’d really been looking forward to a break fromadministration work.

“Yes,” She grumbles. “Come back and help me with thispaperwork that’s been piling up.”

Yukihira smirks. “You areaware the stack’s only so high because you’re pedantic as all hell, right?”

“No.” She fights back the urge to kick him in the chest. “Yousee that stack over there? It’s the new course materials we’ve beenworking on to include the new suggestions raised in our last meeting. Thatstack over there? Budget approvals. This stack over here, interviews with thenewspapers and magazines. I had to fill in your portion of that Saveur Japan article,by the way. You’re welcome.”

At that, Yukihira has the decency to look a little bit embarrassed,letting out a soft, sheepish chuckle. He runs a hand through his hair – it’sshorter now, closer cropped at the sideburns to give him a dastardly rogueishappearance. He knows it too, the bastard – more than once, she’s caught severalunderclassmen giggling in his direction, only to immediately witness himturning to her with a wink and a smile, as if to say, ‘Right?’.

Unlike Alice, who’s been throwing hissy fits for two weeksstraight, she hasn’t decided how she feels about Yukihira’s groupies.

“I’m sure you put in all the PR-correct responses, Nakiri.You’re good at that stuff,” He looks up at her, his smile softening a bit – theway it does whenever he’s about to say something serious. And sure enough, hedoes. “I just don’t think you should work yourself so hard. You should becoming with me. Whatever happened to the Queen who was no longer content to sitpretty while the troops went to work?”

She sighs. “Do my ears deceive me, or did you just call mepretty?”

“Stop dodging the question. Is it always gonna be like this?”

Yukihira’s eyes are focused upon her face, and oddly enough,the intensity of his gaze it makes her a little uncomfortable. It’s neverbothered her before – but lately, things have been different. There’s somethingin the air, she thinks, something that changes the way friends of differentgenders looked at one another.

The streak of irritation rises once more. It’s not Tadokoro’s fault everyone else isbusy as shit this week. It’s not Tadokoro’s fault she has to go with him.If she reminds herself enough times, she thinks she might stop resenting thetenth seat for her good fortune.

“I don’t know.” She answers as honestly as she can. “Thingsare still crazy right now.”

Yukihira sighs. “I know,” He admits. “I guess I was justhoping to spend more time with you now that we’re friends.” A pause – then asmile spreads slowly across his face, warming her heart like butter on toast. “You’rekind of great, Nakiri.”

“And in contrast, you suck,” She tells him, drawing a laughfrom the man. “But I kind of like you too.”

19:42 – Windvane Baths,A Certain Prefecture’s Hot Spring Town – Three days later

Contrary to his original belief that their little mission wouldleave time for some rest and relaxation, Yukihira is exhausted beyond belief.His feet ache, and he hates to admit defeat, but the day’s work had yieldedlittle more than statements from concerned customers and neighbours alike. He’sstarting to wonder what exactly Nakiri had intended for them to accomplish whena knock sounds on the door.

The innkeeper pokes her head through the door. “Can I takeyour plates?”

“Of course! It was delicious.” Tadokoro steps aside to letthe woman through. He watches as they make light chatter, running through theday’s happenings and discoveries in his mind. It’s not too late yet, and there’llbe time to ring Nakiri back at Totsuki to give his report.

Knowing her, it’ll have to be a short one.

He sighs, glancing out the window. It’s the same starry skythat greets him beyond, but one that brings little peace. If anything, he’seager to pass out and get back to work the next day. Nakiri’s voice echoes inhis head, haughty and imperious as always. Touched with a hint of affection.Intrinsically Nakiri. The sooner you getit done, the sooner you get back here.

He doesn’t notice that Tadokoro’s talking at him until shestrides right up to him. There’s a magazine in her hands, and as she hands itto him, he notes the look of concern in her eyes. “Ah, sorry. I was just spacedout a bit.”

“You must be really tired,” She sets down a cup of tea, thennods at the magazine in question. “The innkeeper wanted you to see the latestSaveur.”

The picture that greets him on the front cover is a familiarone. He can’t help but smile at it – they’d been messing around the day of thephotoshoot, the queen in her regal chair and her first seat by her side, readyto fight the battles she could not on her own. She’d made fun of his over-the-topShounen-hero pose. He’d flicked at her hair, ruffling the blonde tresses eachtime she took her eyes off him. Eventually, she’d grabbed his hand to make himstop, and they’d ended up a stupid laughing mess.

Literally one good shot came out of that three-hourphotoshoot, the rest ‘ruined’ one way or another by a laugh, a smile, or by theintimacy they shared.

It’s a good memory and he’s happy to drown in it, so it’s no surprise he doesn’t hearTadokoro when she speaks. “I wish we could stay here forever,” He says absently.Nakiri’s eyes gleam on the cover of the magazine, as if to say ‘maybe next time’. It really is too bad.

#emmbot writes #emmbot replies #soueri #sorina #soma x erina #shokugeki no soma fanfiction

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legendofzeldaalinktothepast · 4 years ago

Text

Opalescent Tides - Chapter 5

Previous Chapter // Next Chapter

Waves crashed against the shore, and rain pattered against the ground, forming little brown puddles in the crevices of the sandy beach. Amidst the rainstorm, a large, muscular mermaid heaved herself up onto a plateau of rocks. Jasper coughed as she adjusted to the atmosphere, and then lifted her head upright, sea water dripping from her mass of thick, platinum blonde hair.

She took in the scent of her surroundings. Humans had walked across this beach very recently. Amber eyes gazed past the trees and spotted smoke rising in the distance.

Before Jasper could observe any longer, she heard the rustling of trees. She didn't want to linger around to find out if it was a human or some other land creature, so she turned and leapt back into the water with a splash.

'I'll come earlier tomorrow.' she thought to herself, clutching a glass vial in her left hand. 'Better to wait another day than get caught...'

The weekend had finally come; as Rose and Greg set out coolers and filled them with juice boxes and ice pops, Steven covered himself head-to-toe with sunscreen. "Amethyst!" he called towards the house, grabbing his frog-shaped pool floaty and slipping it around his torso. "You wanna come put on some sunscreen?"

Amethyst slid the glass door open and stepped out onto the patio, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "What now?"

"Whoa, you look so pretty!" Steven gasped and cupped his cheeks, admiring the beautiful grey and white polka dot dress she was wearing. "Oh, and it's just sunscreen. It'll keep your skin from getting sunburned." Steven said. "Here, lemme spray you!"

"Oh, totally!" she said. Just remembering the horrible sunburns she'd gotten when she'd woken up on the beach made her shudder... "And thanks, kiddo. I mean, it's your mom's dress, not mine, but still.”

"Yeah, and she looks pretty when she wears it too!" Steven sprayed the strong, yet pleasant smelling sunscreen on Amethyst's arms and neck. "There we go!"

They heard the sound of a car door, and Steven's eyes lit right up. "Someone's here! Oooh, I wonder who -- " He peered into the driveway, then immediately bolted over to the car. "Connie!!"

"Hi, Steven!" Connie responded, hugging Steven once they met. She was a couple inches shorter than him, and her dark hair was pulled back into a neat french braid; she wore a pink and white striped tank top, a pair of black shorts, and some brown sandals.

As Steven chatted with his newest guest, Amethyst made her way back into the yard, approaching Rose and Greg. "Uh, you guys need any help? I just woke up, so sorry for not asking sooner..."

"Don't worry about it. It took me a long time to adjust to the human circadian rhythm." Rose said with a wink. "But if you don't mind, could you get us some more ice from the kitchen? It should be at the very front of the freezer."

"No problem." Amethyst gave her a thumbs up, turning and heading back towards the house.

As she pulled the bag of ice from the freezer, she spotted Lion sitting by his water bowl, purring loudly. "Aw, you want some?" Amethyst plucked a few ice cubes out of the bag and plopped them into his water bowl. "There ya go." she cooed, scritching his ears before heading back out.

As Amethyst stepped back outside, she saw that Steven, Connie, and a newer guest -- was Peedee his name? -- had already begun swimming in the pool, while Doug and Priyanka chatted with Rose and Greg on the patio. Amethyst opened the cooler and emptied the bag of ice, and from the corner of her eye, she saw Garnet and Pearl coming in through the gate.

"Hey!" Rose called, waving a hand at them,

"Hey there." Garnet greeted softly, adjusting her heart-shaped sunglasses. Pearl smiled as she greeted Rose, but her expression fell ever so slightly the moment she laid eyes on Amethyst. The latter burned with a mixture of shame and irritation -- Pearl really knew how to hold a grudge. She shyly acknowledged Garnet with a wave before ducking her head and heading towards the pool. She'd rather bathe in that chemical-filled water than deal with Pearl staring at her all night.

"Hey, kiddos." she said, slipping out of her dress and smoothing out the black two-piece swimsuit underneath.

"Hey, Amethyst!" Steven grinned. "Did you wanna play volleyball with us?"

"You bet I do!" Amethyst said, sitting down on the edge of the pool and sliding into the water with a splash. She shuddered at how cold it was, and silently asked herself why regular salt water wasn't good enough for humans, but managed to adjust to the temperature and chemical smell after a few moments.

"You wanna be on Connie's team?" Steven asked. "I'm with Peedee."

"Sounds good." Amethyst said, swimming over to Connie's side of the pool. Then, she leaned into her ear and whispered, "How do you play? I'm out of the loop."

"Oh, it's pretty simple! You just bump the ball back and forth. Like this!" Connie popped the ball up into the air with the palm of her hand. Peedee dove for it and knocked it back in their direction. Amethyst, still processing Connie's demonstration, flinched as the ball bounced back off of her head.

Steven burst into laughter. "It was your turn to hit it, silly!"

"Hey, cut me some slack, I'm new to this." she snickered, grabbing the volleyball and whacking it with full force -- straight into Steven's face.

She cupped her hands over her mouth. "Oh shit! I'm so sorry, I -- "

But before she could apologize any further, Steven had burst into a fit of laughter. "It's volleyball, not dodgeball, silly!"

Amethyst let out a sigh of relief. "Geez, I really thought I hurt you. Now I don't feel so bad."

"Pfft, I'm made of steel. This little volleyball won't even phase me!" Steven whacked the ball back in Amethyst's direction, but she narrowly dodged it. She grabbed the ball from the surface of the water and knocked it in Steven's direction again, hitting him in the face yet again and cackling.

As the two of them went back and forth, whacking each other with the volleyball and laughing themselves to tears, Connie and Peedee exchanged confused glances.

"Try not to knock each other’s brains out, you two!" Rose called from the picnic table, giggling.

"Pfft, like that could happen!" Steven giggled, tossing the ball at the side of Amethyst's head.

"Augh!!" she exclaimed, dramatically clasping a hand over her ear. "My brain is falling out! Nooo!" She fell over into the water, causing Steven to only laugh even harder.

Once Steven and Amethyst had finally settled down, the four of them prepared, once again, for a real volleyball match. Pearl watched from her seat at the table, fidgeting with her juice stained popsicle stick and tearing it to shreds. Garnet rose to her feet and glanced in Pearl's direction. "I think I'm going to join them. Maybe I'll be able to keep it peaceful this time." she said with a chuckle. "Do you want to come along, Pearl?"

"Perhaps a bit later. Still feeling... You know." she said.

"I understand." Garnet smiled, patting her on the shoulder before heading over to the pool.

With Garnet gone, Pearl was feeling even more anxious. Everyone else at the table was chatting and laughing together, but Pearl struggled to chime in, so she simply zoned out, watching the volleyball game in the pool. Her gaze fell on Amethyst more often than she’d like to admit… But when Amethyst caught her glancing in her direction, she immediately averted her gaze... Guilt and anger tangled in her chest. 'Heaven's sake... What is wrong with me today?' she thought with a sigh, taking a sip from her bottle of water.

Later on, a couple more teenagers had shown up -- some of Steven's friends, Pearl presumed, though they looked a fair bit older than him -- and Greg had started setting up the bonfire. For most of the night, Pearl had attempted to enjoy herself; she'd even taken a quick dip in the pool, but ended up getting somewhat overwhelmed by how noisy the kids (and... Amethyst) were being. But when she re-joined the adults chatting on the patio, she felt just as uncomfortable. It seemed no matter where she put herself, she found herself feeling isolated and overwhelmed.

"Excuse me for a moment." Pearl said, half expecting nobody to even notice -- but Rose gave her an understanding smile, which made Pearl's heart pound even faster than it already was, and she hurried into the house before it could burst out of her ribcage.

As soon as she shut the glass door, instant relief washed over her. It wasn't quite as cool as she'd hoped -- with everyone outside, the air conditioning and fans had been turned off -- but it was quiet, and she was alone, and that was all she needed.

With a heavy sigh, she leaned against the wall in the hallway and slid down to the floor. Silence. Then, the soft pitter-pattering of paws on the carpet; Pearl glanced up and smiled at the approaching cat -- Lion, was that his name? -- and stroked his back. "Hey there, little kitty..." she whispered, allowing him to crawl onto her lap. The soft feeling of his fur on her fingertips soothed her, bringing her anxiety and sensory overload closer and closer to an acceptable level...

Then, she heard the glass door slide open. She tensed as Lion leapt from her lap, clearly wanting to greet whoever had just come in the house. She heard two familiar voices in the kitchen; one was Steven, and the other Amethyst.

"I'll get the stuff for s'mores! Do you wanna get the mosquito repellent?"

"Yep! It's in the bathroom, right?"

As Pearl heard footsteps approaching, she immediately rose back to her feet, banging her head against a picture frame she'd completely forgotten was there.

"Shit -- " she hissed as she rubbed the bump on her scalp. When she opened her eyes, she was staring straight at Amethyst.

"Hey, uh, you okay?" Amethyst asked. "Didn't mean to startle ya, heh."

"Yes. I'll be fine." she responded through gritted teeth. As she pulled her hand away from her head, she noticed a faint patch of blood on the pads of her fingers. "Goodness..."

"Man, your timing couldn't be worse. We used up all the ice in the cooler." Amethyst said, continuing into the bathroom. "Want me to get you a cold washcloth?" she added.

She truly didn't, and in all honesty, she just wanted Amethyst to get what she needed and leave, but... She also didn't want to be rude, and if they had no ice, there wasn't really any other option... "Ah, that might help. Thank you." she said, following Amethyst into the bathroom.

Amethyst grabbed a washcloth from the cabinet and drenched it in cold water, handing it over to Pearl after wringing it out. "Here ya go!"

"Thank you." Pearl smiled softly, pressing the cool cloth against the sore spot on her head.

"No problemo." Amethyst said. "Now, for that mosquito stuff... Ah, shit. I shoulda asked Steven what it looked like. Do you know mosquito re... repel... The stuff that keeps mosquitos off, you know what I'm talking about? What's that look like?" Amethyst asked, rummaging through the cabinet.

Pearl crouched down beside Amethyst, still holding the cloth up to her head with one hand, and reached for the mosquito spray in the very front.

"Oh, thanks!" Amethyst smiled sheepishly, a bit embarrassed that she hadn't noticed it right under her nose. "Welp, I'm heading back out. You gonna be okay?"

"I've banged my head before. I think I'll survive." she said, rolling her eyes.

Amethyst rolled her eyes in return. 'That's what I get for being nice, I guess.' "Alright. Later." And with that, she began to make her way out the door, but Pearl lifted her head up and called out, "Wait!"

Amethyst glanced back. "...What?"

"I... Forgive me for being rude, I'm just -- I'm not having a very good night. Or week." Pearl sighed.

"I can tell." Amethyst said. "I probably haven't helped, with breaking shit in your store and calling you a horse and all that." Amethyst shrugged. "I really am sorry about that, by the way. I was kind of a dick."

"Oh, it's not even that... But I appreciate the apology." Pearl began, taking the cloth from the back of her head and setting it down on the sink. "There's... I just feel like something isn't right." she continued, her eyes still not meeting Amethyst's. "Either with my head, or... With you. Because ever since you showed up..." She bit her lip. "Never mind. I need to keep some thoughts to myself. I'll come and join you guys by the bonfire in a few minutes."

Amethyst opened her mouth to respond, but heard Steven call from down the hallway. "Amethyst, did you find that mosquito stuff?"

"Yeah, just a sec!" Amethyst called back. She turned back towards Pearl, but she'd already turned her gaze towards the window, making it clear she didn't want to continue the conversation any longer.

"Alrighty..." Amethyst said. "See ya outside, then." She turned and made her way out, hesitating for a moment in case Pearl responded (she didn't) and then continued on her way down the hallway.

For the rest of the night, Amethyst tried to enjoy herself. Some of her irritation towards Pearl, admittedly, hung around -- yet at the same time, she felt a hint of pity towards her. If she had been in her situation, she'd probably be irritable, too. ’I should cut her some slack…’

"Hey, uh, Amethyst?" Steven tapped Amethyst on the shoulder, snapping her back to reality. "I know they're best when they're crispy, but your marshmallow is gonna be a lump of coal if you don't take it out soon."

"Oh, right." Amethyst pulled her stick out from the fire and blew the flames out from her marshmallow. She smeared it across a graham cracker and placed some chocolate on top, smushing it all together with a second graham cracker.

As the night went on, some of the guests began to file out; Connie, Priyanka, and Doug were the first to leave, insisting that Connie needed to be in bed by ten. Peedee went home shortly after -- his curfew was the same as Connie’s. Now, it was just the Universe family, Pearl, Garnet, Lars, Sadie, and Amethyst.

"Can we tell some scary ghost stories?" Steven suggested.

"If we do that, you'll be up all night." Rose chuckled. "And wipe your face, you have marshmallow all over."

"Aww, I promise I won't..." Steven whined, wiping his face with his arm.

"Sorry, kiddo." Greg ruffled Steven's hair. "Last time you got really scared, and we don’t want that. But I know another way we can have fun! What if we do campfire songs instead?" Greg suggested. "I can bring out my guitar!"

"Laaame." Lars mumbled through a mouthful of s'mores, and Sadie elbowed him in the ribs.

"Ooh, that'd be just as fun! Maybe even funner!" Steven perked right up. "I know someone who's a good singer." He grinned at Sadie.

"Hm? Oh, I don't know about that..." she blushed, nibbling on a plain graham cracker. “M-maybe another time.”

After Greg went inside to retrieve his guitar, Amethyst spotted a cluster of familiar glowing bugs off in the distance. "Whoa..." her eyes widened. "Hey, Rose." she began, glancing towards the woman in the lawn chair beside her. "What are those glowy things called?"

"Hm?" she glanced over in the direction Amethyst was staring. "Oh, those are called fireflies! Or lightning bugs, depending on where you come from."

"They're so cool… I saw them the other night and thought I was dreaming, heh." she remarked. She spotted a fleck of green light just above her head, eagerly reaching out and cupping it in her hands. "Gotcha!"

"Ooh, lemme see!" Steven leaned against Amethyst's shoulder. When she opened her hands, the bug immediately fluttered out, its body glowing bright green. It flew all the way to the other side of the bonfire and landed on Pearl's shoulder, causing her to flinch in surprise.

"Oh, hello there!" she giggled, relaxing once she realized it wasn't a mosquito. She allowed the bug to crawl onto her finger, watching as it glowed and lit up her fingernail. She turned her gaze up towards Amethyst, and for the first time since they’d met, gave her a genuine little smile. But it only lasted a mere second before the firefly took off into the night, and Pearl watched it go.

"Alright, got my guitar!" Greg said, strumming it once he sat back down in his seat. "Anyone got any song requests?"

Silence. Then, Steven decided to speak up. "Oh, I know! You should sing that one song that goes like, um..." Steven tapped his head as he tried to remember it. "The one goes like, 'what are you doing here', you know?"

"I'm still working on that one, though..." Greg scratched the back of his head. "Besides, I'm sure everyone else probably wants to hear a song they already know..."

"Aww, but it's so good! Pretty please?" Steven begged, giving Greg the biggest puppy eyes he could manage -- and with his cat-like pupils, he had an advantage.

"I'd like to hear it, Mr. Universe!" Sadie said.

"Me too." Garnet chimed in.

"Aww... Alright. Guess I can't say no, now." Greg chuckled. He cleared up his throat and strummed his guitar, adjusting the knobs on the side to make sure it was perfectly tuned before he began.

"Do you believe in destiny? Close your eyes and leave the rest to me..."

As she listened to the song, Amethyst reached for the bag of marshmallows and pierced one with her stick. She held it out to the crackling fire, and caught a quick glimpse of Pearl from the other side, who was preparing herself another marshmallow as well. They made a quick moment of eye contact before Pearl quickly glanced away.

"...Do you believe in fantasy? I have to when it's right in front of me, oh...'"

The light from the fire illuminated every little detail of Pearl’s face; if she was aware of it, Amethyst had a feeling she'd probably be self-conscious. Human women were like that... Compared to Rose, she barely wore any makeup, and had some sleep-deprived bags beneath her eyes... Yet it was almost charming. 'Oh, get a grip.' she thought, shaking her head. 'Don't go drooling over her now. She already thinks you’re a freak...'

"What are you doing here, in the real world? What are you doing here, so close I could touch you?'"

As Pearl pulled her marshmallow out from the fire, and smushed it between a few squares of chocolate and two graham crackers, she rest her arm on top of Garnet's -- she'd mostly calmed down from her fit of anxiety earlier, but still clung to Garnet as a way of making sure she stayed that way. Social gatherings, no matter how calm, always had the potential to overstimulate, and physical affection (when Pearl herself initiated it) was one thing that always kept her grounded.

She glanced across the bonfire at Amethyst once more, allowing another soft smile to spread across her face. But she couldn’t help noticing… something about Amethyst's eyes looked so unnatural. The pupils were narrow slits… They almost reminded her of a cat’s. ’What if…’ Her body tensed up once again and she gripped Garnet's arm, her warm smile fading.

Amethyst's heart sank.

"What are you doing here, and what are you doing to me?"

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