On The Surface | An OCTale Sequel

15) Inner Turmoil

4th September

I awake in bed, the same routine as every day. I get dressed and go downstairs. Gùidea welcomes me with a warm smile. I give no response.

---
Although I remember this scenario. I glared at her, my eyes full of hatred for her neverending lies. I grin as I land the final blow-
---

Not realising, I fire a magic blast at her.
I see Gùidea look up at me from the floor... a look of true fear on her face. She holds her hand to her chest where I hit her.

"Tyler...What is wrong with you?" She gasps, before running off to her room in tears.

I stand staring at the wall silently.
Usually around now I would give a reaction...

...

Why.
Why don't I feel any guilt?

If...if it's truly over, then why?

"WHY CAN I STILL FEEL REGRET?" I scream, slamming my fist down on the kitchen table.
I walk into the living room to lie on the sofa and think things through.

"Do you always talk to yourself? You should get that checked out." A voice whispers in my ear. I look around, and my eyes meet the black TV screen, reflecting my face...

"This...no. You're not real." I stammer, standing up to take guard against my reflection.

"I'm as real as your sanity. Which, to be honest, doesn't seem to be a lot." They giggle maniacally back at me.

"Why are you here." I say bluntly, clenching my fists.

"Straight to the point, I see. And...You seem to want something from me."

I stop for a moment in thought.

"Want something from you?" I reply slowly, not showing my anxiety.

"Yes. You're doing this for a reason, right? You can't just be hurting their feelings for fun. You want something, and BADLY."

I shake my head in denial.

"Oh...I see. You're grieving, right? ...That would explain a lot."

Taken aback, I sit back on the sofa.

"Truly what I want?" I mumble under my breath, as I hear the door open.

"...I-I just want to s-see my b-best friend a-again." I sob, curling up into a ball.

---
[Webdings' POV]

The child looks up at me as I enter the room, tears dampening their hood. Silently, they hang their head down again.

I sit down next to them.

"There, there. Everything will be alright." I say apprehensively in Aster, the remains of my regular font still echoing behind.

They roll over and put their face into the seat cushion.

"...Go away Webdings. You're the last person I want to see right now..."

I think for a moment, analysing my next words.

"...I believe I know how you feel. I loved somebody too, once. Although...I lost her to the war before I could truly realise." I confide, getting my point across slowly.

The child turns over and looks at me, curiosity in their eyes.

"Really?"

"...She was a trusted...employee of mine. Very youthful. I...I figure I sort of treated her like my girl." I concede, before delaying myself, acknowledging I'm crying.

"...You...don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." Tyler consoles, gazing up at me with distress in their eyes. I shake my head, wipe my tears, and continue.

"But...her death...and the death of countless others alike her...I...It taught me how to be strong. So I carried on living out my life, for their sakes, and for the sake of all lives yet to be taken."

They gaze towards me with certified enthusiasm in their eyes. In all honestness, they remind me of young Impact, when I revealed to him stories of life on the surface.

Tyler and Impact are both so similar...in more ways than one.

---
[Tyler's POV]

And then Webdings does something. What he does is incredibly unlike his usual attitude... But...
It puts to rest any doubts I had about him being a good person- er, monster.

He holds out his arms, and pulls me into a hug.

It's not the kind of hug he gives Impact and Castellar. It's not the tight,unrelenting hug, full of unending love. It's not the hug of paternal pride and protection.

In fact, it's more of an awkward hug.

Slowly, I hug him back, unsure of what to say. Webdings, carefully, cradles my head to his chest.

That's what this hug is, then.

A hug of respect. A hug of understanding, and of sympathy.

...I don't get it.

"...Why are you being so nice to me?" I mumble into his intoxicating shirt.

Smells like Impact and Castellar...and a different scent I've never smelt. It's definetely not Webdings' signature smell, that's for sure. It's too flowery.

Is it Chancery's...?

"I'm being honest with you, I thought you would like somebody that understands what you're going through." He smiles, releasing me from the hug.

It was a hug nonetheless, and once I look back up at him, he seems just a little bit happier.

"Listen, Tyler. Way back when I was freed from the void, I was told by my son that...if I am to live around him, I need to learn about humanity again...and..." Webdings begins, struggling to say the next part of his sentence, probably from how long ago it happened. It has been a month, after all.

"He told me that...I was not to only tolerate you, but I was...to enjoy your company. So, I tried my best, and-" I cut him off with a quick hug. He looks at me with surprise, then simply chuckles.

"...You truly are a strange human, aren't you, Msk. Dreemurr?" Webdings grins as he stands up, and I'm taken aback by what he calls me.

"Oh, don't think I don't know, Tyler. Me and Asgore have always been good friends. I look forward to the day where you're officially adopted." He winks, before leaving the room.