Chapter Text
Your focus drifted somewhere else...
To other souls.
To other places.
Until you found one you knew.
It was... different.
You were greeted by a burst of color painted across a long wooden fence. Each section depicted fish diving into and leaping out of a flowing stream, the bright blues and greens standing vividly against the weathered wood. Somewhere nearby came the sound of a satisfied chuckle.
"What is it?" a small voice asked.
"So," a familiar voice began with a grin, "it's a secret. But, if you run really fast... you'll see what it is."
"Really?"
"Would I trick you?"
The child observing it all hummed thoughtfully before breaking into a sprint. They hurried around the fence, eyes glued to the painted boards as they raced from panel to panel.
Each post showed the fish in a slightly different position, rising from the water, arcing through the air, then splashing back beneath the painted current. As they ran, the images blended together, revealing a simple animation.
The child rounded another corner.
The mural continued, revealing more fish swimming alongside one another before scattering in different directions. Their eyes instinctively followed the largest fish as it darted ahead, weaving through the painted stream.
Another turn.
Then another.
They were nearly back where they had started.
One final corner brought everything together. The little monster skidded to a stop, panting as they stared wide-eyed at the completed illusion.
"W-woah..." the monster child breathed between heavy breaths. "Awesome."
Standing nearby was the human.
She wore a simple pair of sandals beneath brown pants that rose to meet the shirt covering her chest. Draped over them was a long cyan coat, its lower half hanging open while a yellow belt rested loosely around her hips. The upper portion was zipped all the way to her neck, giving the otherwise relaxed outfit a tidy appearance.
Messy brown hair spilled over her shoulders and partially framed her face. A small, almost perpetual smile rested upon rosy cheeks, while a striking pair of eyes—one crimson red and the other a brilliant cyan—watched the child with quiet satisfaction.
"I'm glad you liked it, buddy." Her gaze shifted as she noticed someone waving from farther down the path. "Hey, go play with the other kids, okay?"
"Okay... bye, Chara!" the little one called before hurrying away.
Chara let out a soft laugh and gave a small wave. "Later, pal."
Only then did she turn toward a familiar guard, who beckoned her over with a patient gesture.
She sighed, though there wasn't much frustration behind it, and wandered over at an easy pace. Along the way, she stooped to pick up a empty pale bucket of paint she'd left beside the fence earlier. Hidden beneath the paint supplies was her lunch for the day, tucked away where nobody would think to look.
She also retrieved a well-worn paintbrush, its bristles stiff with dried color and in desperate need of cleaning.
Tucking the brush into her belt, she made a mental note to tend to it later.
The one beckoning her over proved to be a rather large dog monster clad in well-worn armor. Despite its age, it had clearly been polished with care, catching the morning light in dull silver gleams.
"Good morning, Max~" Chara greeted in a sing-song voice as she stepped toward the guard.
"Good morning, Little Fish," Max replied, their tail already wagging happily. "How are you?"
"It would be a bit superfluous to suggest myself as being incredibly well off in terms of mood," Chara began as she casually stepped to Max's side. "Alas, I find that perhaps—" She slipped behind the larger monster, quietly opening the paint bucket. "—it might be accurate to suggest I'm bearing sufficient enjoyment of the day—"
Circling back around to the front, she reached inside and triumphantly produced a meat-filled sandwich.
"—to call it pretty good."
Max tilted their head. "Huh?"
"It's a pretty good day." Chara tossed the sandwich into the air. Max reacted instantly, clapping both hands together around it before it could fall. "Did you just beckon me over to get a sandwich?"
The large dog monster wasted no time wolfing it down, looking immensely satisfied afterward.
"Oh, no." Max shook their head. "I need your help." They hesitated for a moment before continuing. "Do you... think you could help me set up the new sign posts, while on patrol?"
Chara raised an eyebrow. "Oh, c'mon. You don't need help." She gave the broad knight a playful thump against the side. "You're the best."
Max glanced away, ears drooping ever so slightly.
Chara's smile softened into a thoughtful hum. "Is Carol still... giving you grief?"
"She thinks I should retire," Max admitted with a quiet little growl. "That I'm 'too old.'" They shifted awkwardly from foot to foot, their tail slowing. "She keeps assignin' me more work, and..."
Chara blinked. The teasing smile she'd been wearing faded into a small frown.
"Ah, hey, don't sweat it." She offered the larger monster an encouraging smile. "I'll come help you out after class, okay? As for today, well, I've got a few things I have to do first. Alright?"
Max's expression brightened immediately.
Their tail resumed wagging with enough enthusiasm to sway the rest of them. "Hmm, yes! I'll bring cards!"
Before Chara could object, Max excitedly turned and hurried away down the street.
"Er... it's supposed to be work, big guy—" She watched the armored guard disappear around the corner. "We... yeah, okay."
A quiet sigh escaped her.
Reaching back into the paint bucket, she retrieved a second sandwich for herself. She tried not to dwell on Max's situation. Worrying wasn't going to solve anything, and there were already enough things weighing on her mind without borrowing someone else's burdens.
She had barely taken another bite when something caught her eye.
Her movements stalled.
Across the street, she spotted Noelle making her way along the sidewalk with what looked to be an entire grocery trip balanced between both arms. More than a few bags hung from her hands, each pulling lower than the last as she trudged along beneath the weight.
Chara blinked.
Without thinking, she dropped her sandwich back into the paint bucket before setting her rather unconventional lunchbox off to the side. She quickly wiped her hands clean on a nearby rag, hurriedly finished the bite still in her mouth, coughed once or twice, then fidgeted for the briefest moment.
And finally, she started toward Noelle.
Not quickly, per se.
Just...a semi-casual, perfectly normal fast walk.
This was not what she wanted to be doing with her day.
Then again, she rarely got to do what she wanted with her days.
It was a constant stream of doing what was required. Getting exhausted, sleeping, only to wake up and do it all again.
A few passing, friendly remarks from her mother, and then she was alone once more. At this point, it felt as though the house belonged more to her than it did to her mother. Considering the heavy groceries she was carrying, that might as well have been the case anyway.
"Hey, Noelle." One of the villagers hurried over. "I hate to intrude, but if you have a moment, I wanted to talk about your mom's policy on—"
Noelle made the smallest motion with a finger.
Magic surged from her, gathering into a towering creature of bone. It resembled a monstrous deer, crowned with sprawling antlers and a skull stripped clean of flesh. The thing let out a thunderous roar.
The villager screamed. Then promptly turned and ran for their life. A moment later, the wendigo vanished as though it had never existed.
Noelle continued walking.
She was very sick of that as well.
Rounding the next corner, she was greeted by yet another handful of townsfolk looking her way. One or two smiled, waved, and immediately began making their approach.
Her eyes narrowed into a glare.
"Hey, hey! It's the young Miss Holiday—"
"So your mom recently implemented—"
Her eye twitched.
Without breaking stride, Noelle tapped a hoof lightly against the ground, spreading a faint ice.
Something burst upward from it—a gigantic birdlike monstrosity stitched together from jagged bones, its enormous wings shattered and hanging at unnatural angles.
"Berdly," she muttered.
The skeletal creature released a shrill, piercing screech before lunging after the pair.
They fled immediately.
"Good bird." She said.
Noelle allowed the summon to enjoy itself for a few moments, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at her lips as she continued on her way.
She passed a large glass window, its polished surface reflecting her appearance back at her.
Her hair had been braided into three sections before being tied together near the end. A few strands wrapped around the base of her antlers.
A loose, somewhat messy hoodie rested over a black dress that was almost comically prim and proper by comparison. Dark shadows lingered beneath her eyes, softened only slightly by the careful application of makeup blended into the fur around them.
One glance at herself stirred a familiar feeling.
Disgust.
She looked away.
"You look fawn-tastic, Deer-est." The cheerful voice caused her eyes to widen ever so slightly before she looked to the side. "Heh... get it? Because..." The human rubbed the back of her neck. "Sorry."
Standing there was Chara, wearing a slightly embarrassed little smile.
Noelle instinctively straightened her posture. You noticed that her eyes widened slightly.
Her summon dissolved into drifting frost in the distance, as she desperately searched for something to say.
Processing the jokes, she couldn't drum up one of her own.
She hated this. She always struggled to find a proper way to greet Chara. She didn't know why though.
Maybe it was that stupid smile. Or those dumb eyes. The way they always seemed to shine. Or that stupid perfume she wore that smelled nice.
It made her want to grab Chara's neck, and...
"Angel forbid, what do you want?" she finally blurted, her tone coming out far more hostile than intended.
Chara didn't seem bothered. "I just wanted to ask you something important," she said, before hesitating. "Uh, if you need, or needed a hand with those?"
Noelle blinked, and considered the bags. "I have two," She answered immediately, starting to walk away. "And they work perfectly fine."
"Whoa, that's crazy." Chara held up both of her own hands as she casually fell into step beside her. "So do I." She smiled. "And they're just so pretty empty. Maybe you could help me fill one?"
Noelle raised an eyebrow before rolling her eyes with an exaggerated sigh. She handed Chara a few of the grocery bags. Then she paused.
"You know what..." She came to a stop. "Turn." Without question, Chara turned to face her. "Hand." Her free hand lifted obediently, palm open.
"Is the next order to fetch something?" Chara asked with a slight blush on her face.
"Pff, you'd like that too much," Noelle remarked, blushing faintly as she thought about the implications. "J-just shut up," She examined the humans hand with exaggerated seriousness. "You'll be sufficient."
She transferred the remaining bags into Chara's waiting hand, immediately relieved not to be carrying the weight anymore. Noticing that Chara was wearing a stupid looking smile.
"What?" Noelle eyed her suspiciously.
Chara responded plainly. "Woof, am I right?"
"You're hopeless. C'mon mutt," Noelle turned from her. "Don't you dare slow down either. I'm not waiting for you." Noelle said sharply, as Chara started to follow her. "Good girl."
Chara's smile became just a little wobblier, a faint blush creeping across her cheeks, or perhaps a strengthening of the one that was there.
"O-of course!" She hurried to keep pace. "Oh uh, hey. I really like your hoodie."
Noelle glanced sideways before fumbling for an answer. "Yes. Well. It's... that is the correct response to it." She straightened ever so slightly, adding with a touch of pomp, "It's made of very fine material."
"It looks super soft," Chara admitted before tilting her head. "I might be wrong but... isn't that the one from the festival?"
It was.
"Of course not," Noelle scoffed, picking up her pace. "As if I'd wear something like that."
A few moments later, she noticed Chara had fallen slightly behind beneath the mountain of grocery bags.
"Hey." She looked back. "I didn't say to leave my side."
"Wouldn't dream of it~" Chara replied in a sing-song voice as she hurried after her.
Noelle let out a quiet huff. She... did not... understand the human. But... it always felt...
She didn't know.
Maybe...maybe it was just nice to have a minion. A servant. Someone obedient. Who'd do whatever she told them to do. She half imagined she could make Chara—
Noelle's face flushed bright red. She violently shook the thought from her head. Feeling thoroughly annoyed with herself, she instead settled on a far more reasonable conclusion.
Perhaps she'd make Chara do her chores. It would spare her a bit of effort.
She deserved a day off, after all.