School Days (Part 2)
"Darling?"
Mettaton's voice echoes over the speakers of Frisk's phone. They don't notice him. They're looking down, with a look of...guilt? Sadness? Mettaton can't tell.
"Darling, are you okay?"
They don't respond. Mettaton brushes imaginary dust off his decorative shoulder pads, his equivalent of a nervous habit.
"Frisk?"
"...OH! H-Hi Mettaton! Sorry, I was just...thinking."
Mettaton looks at them with a 'you're kidding me' expression, then smiles.
"Darling, you need to learn to be a better actor. I can teach you! You'll learn from the very best!"
Frisk smiles weakly.
"Thank you...Mettaton."
Mettaton looks at them, his smile dropping. He looks...anxious.
"Frisk, something's wrong."
Frisk chuckles sadly.
"Papyrus taught you a lot, didn't he? About...how to care...and how to show it..."
Mettaton nods.
"Your expression just...it resembled Blooky's. When I left, I...I really hurt them. They felt so...alone. I never wanted that for my cousin, and I don't want that for my friends. Please, what's going on?"
Frisk mulls over his words.
"Have you ever felt...like you were watching the world, not *part* of it?"
Mettaton stares at them blankly.
"What do you mean?"
Frisk shakes their head.
"...the class I'm in...they don't want to show it, but...I can tell that some of them...are hurt. Hurt like Alphys, hurt like Napstablook...hurt like some of the humans I've known over my relatively short life. So, tell me, have you ever felt like that?"
Mettaton looks down, his hair covering his face. His voice sounds scratchy and gravelly, like he's crying.
"A feeling of powerlessness, like you can't change anything? Like everything will just mess up, and you can't do a thing to stop or change it? Like you're watching everything on a TV show, and despite your pleading, what you want to happen doesn't, because the characters can't hear you? Like you're just an observer?"
Frisk nods, wiping away a tear.
"Personally, I have not. But..."
Mettaton trails off, but Frisk knows what he's trying to say.
Blooky has.
"T-Thank you, Mettaton..."
Mettaton looks up, his eyes sparkling. Frisk looks at him, puzzled.
"You...can cry?"
Mettaton nods.
"This body turns my tears from acid to salty water, like it is for humans, but yes, I can cry."
Frisk blinks a few times to get the tears out of their eyes.
"Darling, I have an idea."
Frisk looks at Mettaton expectantly.
"Why don't you go talk to these humans? You saved and freed all of us, even...Flowey. You're very good at helping people. You helped me reconnect with my cousin, you helped set Alphys and Undyne up, you helped all of us. Talk to them. I'm sure you can help them."
"Hm...I'll try that. Assuming I don't get blown up..."
"What was that, darling?"
"N-Nothing. These humans are just...weird. I'll call Papyrus after class, okay?"
Mettaton smiles, his metal teeth shining.
"Of course, darling."
*Okay, so Frisk and the group are at school now, but there's like forty-five minutes before they have to be in class, so...yeah*
"Mr Iida?"
Frisk taps Iida's hand. He turns to them.
"Yes, Frisk?"
"Can I give you a hug?"
Iida stares at them blankly.
"...why?"
"Because you need it!"
"No...I do not..."
"But you're hurt!"
"N-No...no, I am not..."
Iida looks down at the ground and tugs on his sleeve. Frisk glares at him.
"Then why are you tugging at your sleeve?"
"...it is just...a bit uncomfortable, that is all..."
Frisk rolls their eyes.
"Mr Iida, something's obviously bothering you. What can I do to help?"
Iida turns away.
"Is it really that obvious?" He mumbles.
"What was that, Mr Iida?"
"N-Nothing. I...I need to go."
Frisk taps him again, and when he turns to them, they look at him with big, pleading puppy-dog eyes. Iida tries to ignore it, but he doesn't run. He looks down.
"What happened does not concern you. I am perfectly alright."
Frisk facepalms.
"That's the most obvious lie I've ever heard! Well, no it's not, that time when Sans lied that he did actually get some sleep...nevermind, not important."
Iida's about to run, but Frisk taps him again. They look at him, expression a mixture of sadness and understanding.
"He's dead, isn't he. Dead or permanently injured."
Iida looks at them, a shocked expression on his face, which quickly turns into pained concentration. He clears his throat.
"I...I do not know whom exactly you are referring to, Frisk..."
"Your older brother. That's who I'm referring to."
Iida's entire body tenses up. He tugs at his sleeve again and sighs.
"...paralyzed. He is paralyzed. How...how did you notice that I was...? You and I have known each other for less that twenty-four hours. You do not even seem to be from here. How did you figure it out so quickly?"
Frisk tenses. Their mind flashes through memories of the Underground, of the nightmares they've had of the possible routes...of G-Genocide Route...of Flowey killing them again and again and again...the promise that they made to Asriel...
I won't abandon you.
"You...you can't free an entire civilization from a cavern and...help them be happy...if you can't even tell when someone's hurt."
Iida sighs again and shakes his head at the ground.
"You are a strange child."
"I mean, I am the human ambassador from monsters to humans, but whatever. So how are you feeling, Mr Iida?"
"...I...I do not know. It is all...in flux."
"Do you need some time?"
Iida nods and looks down at the ground. Frisk smiles at him. His lips twitch, as if Frisk's smile is infectious.
"If you need to talk, I'll always be here to listen. You're my friend, Mr Iida, and I refuse to see my friends in pain."
Iida nods again, his expression a little more relieved, and he rushes off to god-knows-where.
He won't be caught DEAD missing class. He'll be back, Frisk thinks.
They skip away to find the other person that they saw was actually at the school who they could tell was...is hurt. The powerful green-haired boy. Midoriya.