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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.

a lot of people are a lot of things
just dont
try to hurt me again
i dont have to stay away

[They can be friends.]

I'm sorry. I'm going to try to be better than I was.

I don't want to hurt you again.

ok
thats enough for me
friends

Friends! =^.^=

Do you want some candy? I suddenly have a lot of it.

[Oh no, they have to go and be cute about it. River smiles at her screen.]

i can come over if you want to share

If you want! My roommate really loves chocolate. If they find this, I'm never getting it back from them.

no its for you
ill help you eat it

That wouldn't matter to them! I can come to you if you want. I don't know if you've met Chara.

weve met
i think i gave them chocolate very circuitously once
i guess you can come here but my rooms a mess

[No matter how anyone tries, River's room is a mess of clothes on the floor and water bottles strewn about.]

That's okay. It can't be any messier than ours gets sometimes.

[Bearing in mind a certain prank war, after all. A few moments later, River will hear a knock on the door.]

[Despite the fact she knows it's Frisk, River can't help but open the door a crack to peek out and make sure it's them.]

What's the password?

Um...

[Frisk tips their head to one side, puzzled. Password? No one ever said anything about a password. That's not fair!

They really can only think of one password, and...

Well, all right then.

Frisk sets their shoulders and says with reasonable confidence:]

I'm a stupid doo-doo butt?

Edited 2016-07-19 18:14 (UTC)

[River stares at Frisk.

What a password.]

You're not. But you can come in.

[She leaves the door cracked open and disappears into the room to sit on her bed, letting Frisk enter on their own.

It really is a mess in here. Clothes and water bottles and discarded candy wrappers all around, but all that aside it's a very simple room. Sparse furnishings, only what's absolutely needed. A bed, a nightstand, a desk with a chair, and that's it.]

[Hey, that's two for two for that password, so that bodes well! Frisk slips inside and lets the door shut quietly behind them. The room is kind of a mess, but that's not makes them pause. The thing that really prompts hesitation is the fact that there's no real personality to it. Everyone's room that they've been to has all been furnished at least somewhat, with a few trinkets or pictures or pieces of furniture to remind them of home. But here there's nothing.

They elect to sit at the desk chair.]

...sorry. That was a, a password back home. I didn't know what else to say.

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