Cinematale | Ongoing

Determination

Hey, everyone! Sorry I've taken quite a while to update, but I've been suffering from writer's block (and I kind of still do).

Anyway, Determination is a pretty serious episode - and things will be going in full swing afterwards, considering just how much stuff from the character's pasts is brought up. For example, the amalgamates; Alphys feels a lot of guilt for those.

Sometimes I look at my old writing and wonder how on earth I thought it was good. But the best part of all this is getting to improve it!

Anyway, thank you so much for supporting this story nonetheless!
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When the time comes, Chara keeps up a non-threatening appearance, giving the occasional greeting to the others in the room, but otherwise saying nothing.

They do not speak when Gaster walks in, and the others' words of recognition and reassurance mixed with an underlying tension from some fade into background noise.

They do not speak when Frisk picks up the remote once more, selecting the episode they're about to watch and letting it all begin. Instead, Chara lies in wait - for this is the moment they've been highly anticipating.

There's no image on the title screen this time; just a single word, in bold red letters.

DETERMINATION.

And through all the confused expressions, between the ominous feeling of dread in the room, amongst Frisk's hands clenching into fists...

Because they hoped as much as anyone that this wasn't what they thought it was...

Chara managed a single smile, because this signalled that things weren't over for them yet.

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Ignoring however its audience felt at the time, the screen cut to another area of the Underground filled with rocky paths, advanced technology, puzzles and platforms galore.

Steam rose from every corner, and the molten lava across the place sizzled at every moment - though the monsters that lived here paid no mind, for this was usual in Hotland.

Sans appeared onscreen, leaning against a wooden sentry post and watching in almost amusement as Frisk stumbled around, balancing a near-impossible amount of hotdogs on their head.

"I don't even know what to ask - how is Frisk balancing all of those perfectly, or how many hotdogs do you even have to make that possible?" Rave sighed in frustration, for he was barely getting over Frisk's ability to reset the world at will; he didn't need any more confusion.

"to be honest...good question." Sans shrugged, not easing his worries in the slightest.

Eventually, Frisk lost balance, and hundreds of hotdogs fell to the ground, the child themself falling onto the floor.

"you alright, kid?" Sans spoke, and the child only responded with a smile - though a few moments passed and it was clear that things were still tense. "so...about what happened earlier-"

"Yeah..." Frisk placed their hand on their chest, almost as though they were checking that it still resided within them.

Even now, they could recall the amount of terror they had both experienced, and what they had seen whilst Sans had gained the power of their souls combined.

With a sigh, the skeleton refused to meet their eyes, though his tone was more serious than anything Frisk had encountered from him. "we gotta stop doing that. we can't just...reset the timelines like that."