A Long-Awaited Petrichor

[better2do]

Who: Asriel and Chara
Where: The Jackabee Lounge
When: A rainy afternoon
Open/Closed: Closed
Rated: PG
What: FEELS

[It's raining outside today.

The lounge place is nice, Asriel supposes - the fact that he can look out a window and see the rain at all, the fact that he can be himself for as long as he is here, that endears the lounge to him. But it's a little bit of a downer to know that you could be playing outside if it weren't for the steady drumming of rain.

He's doing his best to make peace with it, though. There's apple cider with no spiders in it and there's cinnamon butterscotch cookies (who thought to make those two things into a cookie? a genius that's who) and a big book of blank paper for him to draw and color, and crayons, super nice and not-waterlogged crayons.

Yes. He's coloring. The nigh-immortal, long deceased prince of all monsters just wants to eat sweets and color with his remaining time in his own body.

Shut up, this is totally the life.]

Comments

[trippedandfell]

[ Well, whatever had shaken the boy to his core had seemed to be submerged inside of him, but Chara saw all the signs of something unusual.

You were never good at fooling anyone.

They released Asriel's arm and looked back to the crayon in their hand. ]

Paper? [ Let's try this again. ]

[better2do]

[He's not trying to fool you, Chara. He's not sure what to do.

So, it's almost kind of funny that he needs a moment for Chara's request to get through his head, and once it does, Asriel fumbles for the paper and hands some over, looking down with his brow furrowed.]

Y-Yeah, sure.

[He just...keeps his hands in his lap for a while, hard thoughts drifting across his mind like heavy storm clouds.]

[trippedandfell]

[ Chara takes the paper and smooths it against the table with a few meticulous strokes. They aren't really sure what they feel like drawing, especially with Asriel's behavior swirling in their mind like a twister of curiosity. It distracts them even as the crayon begins to move with no goal in mind. ]

Are you afraid?

[ Chara words this carefully. Clarifying the fear would give Asriel a way out of the conversation, but they don't entirely suspect they're going to be lied to. Asriel was simple in Chara's mind, just the way they preferred him. ]

[better2do]

[A way out. A way out? There was no way out. There was one way, straight through, and that was honesty. It's a truly terrifying road, but...there's too much Asriel doesn't know about what he does know, if that makes any sense. He can't afford to lie.]

...Yes.

[Of what, though, Chara. Ask him "of what?"]

[trippedandfell]

[ Oh, they will. ]

What are you afraid of? [ Chara's scribbling seems to be turning into little red hearts. ]

[better2do]

[Of so much, Chara. Too much. It all builds up in Asriel's throat, and the first thing that comes out of his mouth is-]

W-What you're trying to do.

[trippedandfell]

[ Oh.

Oh.

The plan.

They had discussed it whence Chara came, but it was brief, more a passing thought than set in stone between them.

And much as it played out for Asriel before, that tired song would play again. ]

Do you doubt me, Asriel?

[better2do]

Doubt you?

[There's a lump in Asriel's throat. Back, way back, never would he have spoken to Chara in that tone of voice, incredulous and hurt. Before he would have mumbled a denial, keep his thoughts on the inside, but this...this Chara...they never ate any of the flowers, had they? They never wasted away in front of him. They never-]

Chara, it's - it's not doubt at all! I know that plan is wrong!

[trippedandfell]

[ This didn't sit right. Asriel was acting terribly different, and it was brewing a storm within Chara's bloody red heart that they couldn't take any particular shelter from.

They finished coloring their variety of hearts across the paper, rested the crayon down, and turned to look at Asriel. Their smile was something along the lines of "forgiving", because surely this outburst was a mistake.

But if there was something Asriel knew that Chara did not, they were going to find out. ]

I didn't realize you felt that strongly about it. What changed your mind?

[better2do]

[Forgiving? Forgiving, really Chara? Nuh-uh, you're not softening him with the promise of being nice. He's seen too much to let it sway him to silence.

(Though he wishes he'd just kept his mouth shut, and it does make that lump in his throat hurt quite a bit.)]

Of course I did! And you never, ever listened and - and I was always too afraid to tell you no! But now I know it's bad, and...and I...I won't let you go through with it if you're gonna try to here!

[Because where else can they try it? Home? Hah. Hahah. As if someone who's dead could come back to life.]