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[...oh. Oh. It's her. They...feel horrible, almost at once. Viscerally, intensely awful about the things they did. The things they said, and thought - forced her to relive all their sins, when those sins should be no one's to bear but Frisk's. Frisk's and Asriel's and Chara's.

Frisk opens the door, looks down. They pick up the bag of candy with a crackle, swallow hard, uncertain how to feel. It's...sweet of her (har har), but also - she's not the one who should be apologizing.

So they head back inside and answer.]

Thank you. But I should be apologizing to you. I said and did some awful things that night.

I wasn't in the best place, but I shouldn't have taken it out on you.

[No, this is not how it's supposed to go. They're changing the story. The story she had in her head of how her apology was supposed to play out.

They were supposed to tell her never to speak to them again.]

no
i was invading
said and heard things i shouldntve
entered the room that belonged to you uninvited

You did the same thing a lot of other people did. I was trying to be horrible so people would hate me. It didn't really work out.

Besides, you can't really turn your mind off, can you?

that doesnt matter

[It really doesn't. She's learning that. She needs to learn discretion, maybe... Or do something about her powers.]

anyone can be horrible but ive learned horribleness does not directly correlate to hateability
you can do good things and be hated and do bad things and be loved
it seems to be random
anyway
ill try not to do bad things like invade

It wasn't really invading. I was the one who was invading your mind, wasn't I? Picturing the things I did.

[Horrible, intrusive thoughts. Imagining the deaths of everyone they loved in vivid, awful detail. No wonder River fled when she did.]

I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that.

i

[他妈的, instead of deleting that she sent it. Oh well. That just gives her less time to think about what she should say.

But it's true. She has had thoughts along this line. That Frisk was the one invading. That they should stay out of her head.

In truth, and especially now, she doesn't know who was at fault.]

i shouldve been brave maybe
i dont know
dont really know whats going on at the best of times
dont know what was bad and what was deserved
just wanted you to not feel so bad
but i think i was doing it wrong

[What really messed things up was her abilities. Isn't that always what it boils down to? Messy powers, messy girl, messing up everything.]

No you weren't. You were doing your best, and I was being mean just because I could.

[They don't think about that handful of nights, not at any length. It's too terrible. The things they said, and thought, and tried to do, and almost did - it's unbearable.]

That's not your fault. I tried to hurt you deliberately, because I was being bad.

you were hurting

[She's not sure how healed those wounds are now. Maybe she shouldn't dwell on their reasons. Wouldn't want to make them hurt all over again.]

youre back in your room now though

I shouldn't have tried to transfer that to you.

Yeah. I'm not alone anymore.

[So everything is fine now?

Well. Probably not.

But everything's fine between them.]

thats good
you carry a lot
need friends to lighten the load

So do you.

Do you have friends to lighten the load?

[Frisk may have the weight of several timelines on their shoulders, but they don't have the weight of everyone's thoughts in their head. By contrast, their burden seems positively feather-light.]

[They're reflecting her concern right back onto herself. She doesn't know what to say for a few minutes. She's not sure who she should be burdening with the title of "friend". She has people she likes, sure. But she doesn't want to attach herself to them too closely, doesn't want to mess up what's there.

Frisk is among those people.]

had a brother and a crew
here i have a templar who checks on me in the mornings and an old man who plays chess with me

[Not to mention the guy who hates her. At least she's definitely sure she can't call Kralie a friend.]

["Had." So no one here, then. Except...old man who plays chess rings a bell.]

You mean Ford? Ford Pines? He's really nice, isn't he?

[She could use a friend like him, they think. Plus the metal plate in his head...wouldn't that make it difficult to read his thoughts?]

[It's true that both of the people she mentioned give her powers difficulties. Is it correlation or causation?

Still, she can't help but smile a bit.]

yes he is
and quiet

[Because of the metal plate.]

The metal plate, right! That's good. He's a good man. I'm glad he's a good friend.

[Frisk pauses, only briefly, before continuing.]

I'd like to be your friend too, if that's all right. But I understand if you wouldn't be able to forgive me for what I did to you. It was cruel. I'm sorry.

[She's not sure if she should count Ford as a friend, and she almost says so, but before she can type Frisk continues.

She doesn't respond for a few minutes, gathering her thoughts. Trying to figure out what she should say.]

is it really ok for me to call you a friend

Of course! I don't want you to feel like I hate you. I was in a terrible place when you found me last.

[She always seems to find them when they're in the worst possible place...]

But my mind can be...kind of a lot. It's okay if you'd rather stay away from me.