Archive of Our Own ^beta

It all started on one warm and relaxing summer evening. Ceroba had just finished sweeping the kitchen, Kanako was up in her room playing with something (probably the building blocks, she always loved those), and it was the perfect moment for a little bit of lounging around and doing nothing to take the edge off. Maybe even a glass of wine, if she was feeling fancy.

All those ideas were put to the side when she entered her room and saw Chujin rummaging through the closet.

"Looking for something?" Ceroba asks.

He looks startled. Much too startled for someone just innocently searching for something. He practically leaps from the closet and turns to look at her.

"Ah! C-Ceroba… I was just… yeah, looking for something." Chujin looks oddly panicked.

"What is it?" She questions.

He seems to be scrambling to come up with something. "Uh… something for work."

She stares at him. "Well… if you need help finding it, just let me know."

Chujin gives a small chuckle. "Heh, y-yeah, I will."

"What a thoroughly weird man I married," Ceroba thinks to herself. But she doesn't find herself thinking much more of it.

"Well, want to head out to the porch and have a few drinks," Ceroba asks. "Kanako is busy playing, so we have time."

He looks reluctant, but after his eyes flit back and forth between her and the closet for a moment he ends up agreeing. "Sure, why not."

The pair spend the next half hour outside, drinking wine and making small talk.

Lately, Ceroba has been thinking about her relationship.

It happened after an argument she got into with Star. It had started as a rather tame little vent from him about how they never spend time together anymore, but it quickly escalated into him insulting Chujin and saying he wasn't good for her. She always suspected Star was jealous of her husband, but this had confirmed it to her.

But at the same time, one comment he made stuck out to her. He said, "And hell, it seems like half the time 'ya barely even know the guy! Do 'ya even know what he does at that fancy job of his?!"

It seemed like more petty whining at the time, but Ceroba has to admit he wasn't wrong. She's thought about it more and more lately, and come to the realization that she doesn't know that much about her husband. Their love blossomed so quickly that they practically skipped a lot of the 'getting to know each other' parts of the relationship, and by the time they were married, she was in so deep in the routine of being together that she never stopped to question how little she actually knows about him.

Thinking about it, she doesn't know much about what he does at his job other than vague engineering stuff, due to how cagey he is about it and the fact his work doesn't allow visitors. And while a lot of his work is classified, he's always deflected to a new topic when even the more regular stuff he does comes up in conversation. And she's never really noticed or cared until now.

And thinking about it… she can't recall too many times where she's told him a lot about herself either. That doubt begins to gnaw at her mind, making her wonder if they rushed into a marriage with a child much too fast. Sure, Star and a few others had said so when they started being serious together, but she had dismissed it as them worrying too much about her.

But of course, it wasn't just one petty, anger-fueled comment from Star that kicked off these thoughts. That argument planted the seed, but said seed had been watered by a comment Kanako made just two days after.

"You know, I wish daddy would spend more time with me."

She had said it so quietly, as if she didn't want Ceroba to hear. And in fact, she had pretended not to hear it at the time. But it sounded sad, as though she had missed the father she shared a house with and was supposed to be close to. It was no secret that his robotics projects were getting more serious as of late, and that he was working a lot more overtime because of it, but her concerns were always brushed aside with some comment about how he was establishing his legacy or working for the future of all monsters. So she let him get away with brushing them off, because she values the importance of his work.

Right now, Chujin is holed up in his office. He's spending a lot of time in there lately, tinkering with programming and machine parts in his off hours when he should be spending time with his wife and child. She never minded it before, but with these new concerns floating around… it's weighing on her a little more. So she does what she never really does and knocks on the office door.

It takes nearly two minutes, and she almost considers knocking again, but eventually the door cracks open and Chujin's tired face peeks out.

"Did you need something, dear?"

She looks at him closely. His eye bags stare back. "…You look awful. When's the last time you took a break?"

He looks back into the room for a moment, before saying, "About… four hours?"

Ceroba sighs. "Chujin… this isn't healthy. You have a family that wants to spend time with you. Your work can wait one day. It's already half past nine, for goodness sake!"

"Ceroba it's—"

"I don't wanna hear it." For the first time in ages, she lets herself get upset at her husband. "Chujin, we need to have a talk. A serious talk."

His eyes widen a little. "Ceroba, I promise that it's just—"

She cuts him off again. "Chujin. This is not up for debate. We're going to sit down and talk— that thing I know you hate doing so much— and that's final."

A heavy air hangs between the two. After a moment, he steps out of his office. "Fine."

Before long, Ceroba has dragged Chujin into the bedroom. They sit on the bed together, an awkward silence permeating the both of them. Ceroba starts to second-guess herself, wondering if this was a bad idea, but she shuts down that line of thought. If she can't even have a frank conversation with her husband, then that'd just be proving everyone right that their relationship can't work. No, she's going to talk this out and force Chujin out of his shell.

"Chujin," Ceroba begins. "I've been thinking a lot, lately."

"About… what, exactly?"

Ceroba tries to avoid looking at him directly. "About our relationship."

Out of the corner of her eye, she sees an expression on Chujin's face that betrays he's probably feeling the same anxiety she is right now. She lets him stew in it for a moment, because she's feeling frustrated and petty and wants him to truly know how monumentally he's potentially messed up.

"You never talk to me," she continues. "Ever. Whenever I try to make small talk about what you're doing at work, or the things you like, you always shut me down. And whenever I try to organize something for us to do together, you just say you're busy."

Chujin sighs. "Well… most of my work is classified."

"I know that. But a lot of it also isn't. And sometimes I like knowing what my husband is spending upwards of twelve hours a day doing."

The silence returns for nearly a full minute. "So you're saying I work too much," Chujin eventually says.

Ceroba nods. "That's part of it. You do work a lot. Sometimes I start to wonder if Kanako even knows her own father very well. When's the last time you spent longer than thirty minutes with her? And no, dinner doesn't count… although you have been skipping family dinner more often lately, anyway."

Chujin is entirely silent. Ceroba continues, "Our daughter is just a small child. She needs a present father in her life. And I know I'm being a hypocrite, I don't spend as much time with her as I could either, but… you need to do better, Chujin, and I'm tired of trying to convince myself you don't."

"So what?" Chujin looks to her. "You're saying I need to give up my life's work? Retire early and give up trying to build any kind of lasting legacy for myself? I could save monster kind, Ceroba. Nobody else will, they're all too blind to see it!"

Ceroba grips the sheet, trying not to lose her temper. "Chujin. I'm not saying you need to quit your job and become a stay-at-home father. There's a balance between quitting your job and working eight-to-ten hour shifts seven days a week and spending the last five hours of the day in your office!"

Yet again, silence.

"Chujin," Ceroba says. "Let me change the subject for a second, and ask you another question: did you build this house so big because you wanted more kids?"

It takes a moment for Chujin to reply. "Well, I was hoping we'd have more someday."

"Why?" Ceroba asks. "You're clearly struggling to make time for just one. What, were you just going to keep making me pump out babies for me to take care of all on my own?"

Chujin immediately gets defensive. "Well, no! I wasn't going to suggest more children until I became less busy, anyway. I never meant for you to do all the work, it's just that my research is in a very delicate state right now and needs all my attention."

"You know, Chujin…" Ceroba takes a deep breath. "I feel like I should point out that you never asked me if I wanted to have a lot of kids before we got married."

He looks at her funny. She elaborates. "I never really cared much for kids. I only really had Kanako because you were so insistent. And I love her, I really do, she means the world to me… but at the same time, it's a lot of work raising a kid, and it's not like I'm inherently skilled at it or passionate about it."

"I… I thought you…" Chujin looks utterly devastated by this information.

Ceroba looks him dead in the eyes. "Well, if you had ever had a conversation deeper than surface-level with me, maybe you would have known that."

Chujin puts his head in his hands and sighs. "…You're probably right."

The pair of them sit there, yet again in silence. It seems neither of them are good at carrying out conversation, even when it matters.

"So what now?" Ceroba asks. "I don't want to just yell at you about how bad of a husband and father you are. Because all things considered, you're not terrible. I just… I'm tired of this being a relationship where we never talk to each other about how we're feeling or what needs to happen."

Chujin doesn't say anything.

Ceroba lets out a deep, immense sigh. "Chujin. I'm going to level with you. This has become a big problem. I'm realizing now that I barely know anything about the man I threw away so many opportunities in life to marry so fast. And I don't want to throw around the 'D-word', but if things don't improve… I'm not sure if this relationship can be healthy for much longer. For either of us. Or for Kanako."

"…You're probably right," Chujin repeats. "I can't… really argue with that."

"Kanako said the other day that she wishes you'd spend more time with her," Ceroba tells him. "Maybe that's a good place to start. Work less overtime, or spend less time tinkering in your office, and actually carve out time every day to get to know the young lady you put into this world. She's incredibly smart and talented for her age, and she loves you a lot."

Chujin nods. "…Alright, I suppose I can… slow my research a little. But I you have to understand… every day that passes where we aren't making progress towards reaching the surface and fighting the humans is another day where the monsters of the Underground lose hope. Somewhere in the Underground, a monster is falling down almost every day now, and they'll never see the surface. And—"

"Chujin. I know. You've told me many times." Ceroba puts a stop to his rambling. "But if 'tomorrow means the surface', then it's been 'today' my entire life. And what's the point of getting us to the surface faster if it means depriving your family of joy?"

He sighs. "…I suppose that's true. Alright, I'll stop working so much overtime. Those monsters at the Steamworks don't appreciate my genius, anyway."

Ceroba nods. "I know, dear."

It continued on yet another warm evening, mostly like any other. Ceroba was in her bedroom, trying on a new dress she bought. Usually she'd spring for several copies of the same outfit, like many monsters tend to do, but she wanted to try something new and a bit fancier. She knew her normal outfit was probably already fancy enough for most occasions, but wanted something just in case her and Chujin went out somewhere nice.

And all was going well for a new dress try-on until Chujin walked in.

"Hey dear— oh."

Ceroba looks over to him. He looks surprised, and very embarrassed. He's also looking her up and down like she's the most attractive thing he's ever seen, and to be honest, she's enjoying the attention.

"Hey honey," Ceroba says. "I was just trying on a new dress I picked up. Wanted something fancier than what I usually go for."

It seems what she's saying is going in one ear and out the other as he continues to stare at her new outfit.

"…Chujin? Are you there?" Ceroba finds the whole thing rather amusing.

He quickly snaps himself out of it. "Ah, yes… it looks… very good. The outfit… on you. It looks good on you. That's… what I was trying to say."

Ceroba chuckles. "Well, I haven't seen you this excited about me in a while. I have to say, it's refreshing."

"Yeah… it's very nice," Chujin says. "Anyway, I was just coming in to ask if you needed me to pick up anything from the store."

"Oh yeah." Now onto business, Ceroba takes mental inventory of what the fridge looks like. "I think we need more green onion. And carrots, too."

Chujin nods, still seeming a bit out of it. "Alright. I'll make a trip down to the store soon."

Ceroba's almost a bit surprised. "You? Going to the store? What happened to my husband?"

"For goodness sake, Ceroba," Chujin grumbles. "You get on my case for not doing enough, and now you act surprised when I start trying to help out more."

"I didn't mean it like that, dear. I'm glad you're finally taking initiative." She walks up and pecks him on the cheek. "It means a lot."

He smiles softly. It's the type of smile Ceroba hasn't seen him wear in a while, the smile that charmed her so much in the first place. She hopes to see it more.

Chujin heading to pick up groceries has become a rather regular occurrence in the past few weeks. On a particularly cool day, he finds himself heading out to grab a few odds and ends for around the house. He never noticed just how many random things around the house were constantly running low, and supposes he should thank Ceroba for all the passive upkeep he never even noticed later.

Though he isn't just heading to grab groceries. He told Ceroba he was going to be back later than usual due to a detour, but was purposefully vague about the contents of that detour. He knows he shouldn't keep hiding things from her, but in this case it's something he's genuinely scared for her to find out about. So he heads to the last place he ever wanted to go again.

The Wild East.

Heading into the town proper, the energy is unlike anything Chujin is typically used to. Instead of stuffy conference rooms and meetings, boiling hot engines, and cramped rooms full of research papers, the place is alive with various people running around having fun, or milling about and enjoying the tourist destination. But of course, Chujin isn't here for tourism. And even if he was, he'd be complaining the whole time about what a mockery this place makes of the monster's struggles.

No, he's here to talk to one very specific person. A person whom he finds hanging out on the eastern end of town, next to a big gate.

"Chujin?" Starlo says, looking confused as hell to be seeing him here.

Chujin strides confidently up to him and leans his back against the gate beside him. The pair are now staring out together, unable to really read each other's expressions.

"Hello, Starlo," Chujin says. "I don't have the most time in the world, but needed to discuss something with you in private."

Starlo sounds suspicious. "That's North Star to you. But I'll let it slide since it seems important… how private we talkin'?"

"If absolutely anybody finds out about what I'm going to tell you," Chujin starts, "then I will personally use every connection I have to ensure your life becomes a living hell."

"…Right. And I assume that includes Ceroba?"

Chujin nods. "Especially Ceroba."

Starlo sounds even more confused. "But… why come to me? Surely you got, like, a dozen random science friends 'ya could talk to instead."

"Yes, but everyone knows how much I— to put it mildly— dislike you," Chujin says. "Which means the chances of somebody assuming I confided a deep personal secret of mine in you are minuscule, which serves to makes the secret more secure."

The pretend-sheriff has absolutely no reply to this. Chujin takes it as his sign to keep talking.

"I'm just going to ask you this straight-up." Chujin clears his throat. "Is it typical for one to find themselves distracted by fantasies of wearing their wife's clothing?"

Starlo looks utterly baffled. Chujin supposes he can't blame the man.

"I… um… well…" It takes him a moment to come up with a reply to Chujin's absurd query. "…I can't really say it's normal, but uh… I mean, I don't see the problem with it."

Chujin puts his hand to his chin. "I see. And how do you suppose I go about dealing with this?"

Starlo seems uncomfortable at being put on the spot like this. "Well… maybe just try askin' her?" he suggests. "I doubt she'd really mind. She ain't closed-minded like that, not Ceroba."

"That sounds… dangerous," Chujin says. "I don't want this to be the thing that ruins our marriage."

"And why would it ruin yer marriage?" Starlo asks.

Chujin finds the question strange. "What do you mean? It's… a strange, perverse desire, isn't it? Something like this getting out could ruin me, and I can't imagine Ceroba being happy if she found out."

Starlo places a hand on Chujin's shoulder. "Chujin, buddy, pal, I think yer lookin' at this all wrong. You don't gotta throw 'round sentiments like that, 'cause it just ain't true."

"It isn't?"

"At least, I don't think it is," Starlo elaborates. "Can I tell 'ya a bit of a personal story? I think it might help 'ya out."

Chujin nods. "Go ahead."

Starlo clears his throat and begins to tell his tale. "Well, it all started when I was just a wee lil' sprout, see? I always thought my big bro and pa' were the coolest ever, and I wanted to be like them. Started dressin' like 'em, helpin' on the farm, the whole deal."

"And?"

"And that was a big deal," Starlo says. "Least, it was at the time. See, way back then… well, I wasn't the handsome fella you see right here. Not a lotta confidence, either. Was a meek lil' thing, I was. Could barely even notice me in a room. But when I started changin' how I dressed and lookin' more like my big bro, and doing rugged farm work an' all that… well, I felt like a cloud was lifted from me, I did. Like a whole new world of coolness opened right up in front of me."

Chujin takes in the story. "I see. And that's how you became the hooligan you are now?"

Starlo chuckles. "Somethin' like that. Point is, don't let yerself get dragged down by what's 'proper' or 'normal'. Be who you wanna be, pal. Find that confidence."

Pushing himself off the wall, Chujin says, "Well, I doubt I'll ever want to be like you, but… I get the idea."

"Listen," Starlo says, joining Chujin in removing himself from the wall. "If yer whole issue is about bein' a man and wantin' to wear Ceroba's clothes, well… take it from me, who you are is a funny thing. Some monsters got way more than 'man' and 'woman', and some monsters ain't got neither. I don't think it's right to shove someone in one box when they wanna be somethin' else."

Chujin sighs. "I suppose you're right. Still, I can't help but feel like something such as this would surely ruin my legacy…"

Starlo looks at him. "Listen, real talk, I think you gotta let go of all that 'legacy' baloney. Focus on what 'ya got right now. You got the best darned wife a fella could ask for, a little girl who needs 'ya 'round… don't get caught up in that kinda stuff and let it eat at yer mind and life. It ain't worth it. Enjoy the moment, live how you wanna live, and just let whatever happens… happen."

"…It's hard to get rid of," Chujin admits. "But maybe you have a point. Maybe you aren't the childish maniac I thought. I'm starting to understand why Ceroba keeps you around."

"Why, 'cause I'm devilishly handsome and got the best trigger finger on this side of the Underground?"

Chujin shakes his head. "No, none of that. It's because you actually give decent advice sometimes, it seems."

Starlo begins to walk off. "Eh, close enough," he says. "By the way, if you wanna talk more 'bout this kinda stuff, my pal Moray's got a lotta experience with this kinda thing. Hit them up sometime if you wanna chat. I got business to take care of, so I'll be seein' 'ya!"

He waves back at Chujin and begins to walk off, leaving the other monster with a lot to think about.

It's a particularly humid day outside, and Ceroba finds herself on the front porch waving a paper fan in an attempt to beat the heat. Chujin sits next to her, the pair enjoying a nice break from responsibility for a while. Kanako is off in the Wild East with Star and his gang (to Chujin's… oddly less-than-usual amount of chagrin), and Chujin has a few days off work due to some restructuring happening at the Steamworks.

Lately, Chujin has been complaining more and more about the people at the Steamworks— especially the higher-ups— saying that they're incompetent at managing the facility and that he won't be surprised if it's outclassed and shut down within five years time. Ceroba usually nods along to those rants, taking it in but not having much to offer but mild emotional support.

Two glasses of iced tea sit between the pair. Ceroba has been trying to drink less lately, as drinking is something she is wont to do whenever things get stressful and she's trying not to turn into an alcoholic while she has a daughter to raise. Chujin is fine with it, as he practically never drinks anyway.

"Ceroba," Chujin addresses her. "I've been doing some… thinking, lately."

Ceroba turns to face him. "Oh? About what, exactly?"

"The Steamworks is becoming a very… stressful work environment," he tells her. "And I've been thinking about if it's the best place to pour my talents into."

She nods along. He continues, "I think I'm going to ask to be moved down to a part-time position. My robotics project… isn't going as well as I had hoped, and I think working on it in my own office would be more productive. It would let me be around you and Kanako more, as well."

Ceroba gently smiles at him. "I think that's a great idea," she tells him. "Do you know if we'll be making enough money, though? I can't imagine they'd continue funding your project if it turns into a hobby thing, and working less hours means less income…"

"I already did the calculations, of course," he reassures her. "We should be fine, albeit with a bit less wiggle room for luxuries. You could always pick up a part-time position somewhere if we absolutely need the extra cash, since I'll be at home more often. We could schedule our hours so one of us is always home with Kanako."

"You really thought about this, huh?"

Chujin nods. "I'm trying to… take to heart what you told me. That I need to be present more, and that my work isn't the only thing I need to put myself into. Starlo also told me that I need to focus less on my legacy and more on what I have now."

Ceroba tilts her head. "Star told you that? I wasn't aware you two were… on speaking terms."

"I met with him the other day," he admits. "I had a small matter to discuss with him, that's all. Nothing that concerns you."

Full of suspicion, Ceroba decides it's best to shelve the topic for now. "Well, I think it'd be great for you to work less hours," she tells him. "We're already well-off enough, and we have a lot of support around us. You can settle down a bit more… that's what marriage is supposed to be for."

Chujin smiles a little. "Yes, you're right. I think I'll go in on Monday and tell my boss I'm moving to part-time and taking the robotics project home with me. And if he has a problem with it… well, I believe I can convince him to keep me around."

With that settled, the pair continue to enjoy their refreshing tea on the porch.

It was supposed to be a normal day. Chujin goes out for a quick business trip, Kanako joins him, and the pair get some nice father-daughter bonding time while Ceroba can take a load off and relax around the house for the day.

Of course, it ends up not being a normal day. The main indication of this is the fact that Chujin is standing in front of their house, out of breath with ruffled hair and a nervous looking Kanako clinging to his leg.

"Chujin," Ceroba looks over him as she walks out to see what's happening. "What's wrong? Did something happen in Snowdin?"

Chujin nods. The trio head inside, and Kanako rushes to her room. Ceroba knows she should check on her daughter, but Chujin looks utterly lost and she wants to help him.

"I left her alone for twenty minutes," Chujin starts. "Just twenty minutes, and she was being monitored by another resident the whole time— it was just to have a quick, private chat with my business partner and…"

Ceroba puts a hand on his shoulder. "Hold on, slow down… what happened? Did Kanako get hurt?"

Chujin shakes his head. "No, Kanako is fine… but it was so close…"

After a moment, Chujin straightens his goggles and regains some of his composure. "There was a human," he tells her. "They came into Snowdin and attacked the monster Kanako was playing with. I didn't know until after the attack had happened, and when I rushed over… Kanako was fine, but the other resident was severely wounded and… and…" he looks as though he's about to break down into tears. "Ceroba… she could have been next… our beautiful baby girl could have been next and I wasn't there to…"

Ceroba wraps her arms around him. "Hey. Hey… Chujin. It's alright, okay? Kanako is safe, she's okay."

"But what if she's not?" Chujin asks, desperately. "She witnessed it all… she saw that vile human almost kill her friend… she must be so scared, so worried… and I'm on the verge of breaking down, that can't be good for her to see."

"It's a stressful situation for all of us," Ceroba admits. "If anything, I bet she'd be worried if you weren't affected by it a little bit. You're just a monster, like all the rest of us. You couldn't have known this would happen, humans almost never come down here."

Chujin sighs. "…I should go check on her. Make sure she's okay. Will you join me?"

Ceroba nods, and the pair head up to make sure Kanako is alright.

A week has passed since the 'Snowdin Attack', as the monsters in the area started calling it. Chujin was insistent it be called a 'massacre' instead, but the lack of evidence of other monsters being harmed led people to believe the human solely took issue with that one specific monster, rather than with monsters in general.

Ceroba lays in bed late at night, Chujin by her side. He's seemed especially upset since the attack, requesting two weeks off work before his change to part-time and spending most of the day either in bed or in his office. He was especially worried about the threat of the human before the news broke two days later that they had been captured by the Royal Guard and sent to New Home.

"Chujin." Ceroba turns to him. "Are you sure you're alright, dear?"

He nods listlessly. "I just need a few more days," he tells her. "I promise I'm not… trying to be absent lately. It was just… a lot to go through. I'm as embarrassed as you probably are that even Kanako seems to be taking it better."

Ceroba softly hugs him. "I don't mind if it affected you," she says. "I'm glad you're so worried over Kanako's safety… that you care about her so much. And I'm glad you aren't just trying to bottle this up and get back to work. It's important to let yourself be open with how you feel."

"…You're right," he admits. "I still feel… silly, being so vulnerable. But I can't help it, not when our daughter came so close to being gone forever…"

A long silence hangs between them, broken by Chujin's quiet mumbling of, "I hate humanity…"

Ceroba sighs. "I know you do."

"I can't believe them," he says. "They already won, trapping us down here. But now… now they're twisting the knife, falling down here and attacking us so brazenly. Humans… they just want us to suffer, to rot down here until we give up and die of despair. I won't… I won't let them keep doing this."

"What are you going to do?" Ceroba feels a bit worried.

Chujin sighs. "I don't know… I suppose I'll keep working at that robotics project. If I'm successful, then… we'll have a way to fight back against the humans. To take the surface one day, to protect our families and defend our right to exist."

Ceroba softly pats his back. "Well… I believe in you, dear."

"I know you do…"

Another month passes. Things seem to be returning to normal, with Chujin having returned to his job (now part-time) and Kanako being prepared to start heading to school for the first time soon. Ceroba is rather busy around the house, but not as much as usual thanks to Chujin's increased efforts to help out when he can. Ceroba finds herself more often appreciating the fact she doesn't have to sweep as often or always make sure the fridge is stocked.

Of course, 'normal' is a very sensitive thing. One sudden event or change can make that sense of normality crumble away completely. And one of those potential events is walking in on your husband wearing one of your dresses.

Ceroba really needs to learn to knock.

"C-Ceroba!" Chujin appears incredibly flustered, for good reason. He immediately takes a step back.

It takes a moment for her to be able to say anything. "Um… Chujin? What… what are you doing?"

"Well… I was… just curious, is all, and I…" Chujin trails off. "…Um… well, this is awkward…"

Ceroba walks up to him and puts a hand on his shoulder.

"Chujin. Is there something you need to tell me?"

He refuses to meet her gaze. "Um… I…"

"I can't pretend this isn't… surprising," Ceroba says. "But we agreed that we'd talk with each other more. And this is part of that. If there's anything you should tell me, now would be the time."

Chujin stares at the ground, looking deeply ashamed. "I… gee, this is difficult… I don't really know how to say this."

Ceroba tilts his head up, forcing him to look at her. "Chujin. Just come out and say it. I don't think now is the time for being all evasive and trying to pick your words. You can always clarify yourself later if it doesn't come out right."

"You're right," he mutters. "Well… I suppose the best way to say it is, um… I find dressing as a woman very, uh, liberating. I suppose that's the word I'd use."

"I see."

The pair stand in silence for a moment. Then, Ceroba gently pats his head. "You could have just said so from the outset. I wouldn't have minded lending you my clothes for a bit."

"W—" Chujin's eyes widen. "You mean… it isn't… upsetting? Or strange?"

Ceroba chuckles softly. "Chujin, you should know I don't mind stuff like this. Sure, it's a bit surprising and unexpected, and it's definitely a big deal, but… I mean, it's not like I've never seen someone go through this same thing."

"You…" Chujin suddenly looks as though he's realized something. "Ah. Starlo. That… makes a lot of sense, actually."

Ceroba smiles. "Yeah. We don't talk about it much, but it was a big deal when we were first entering our preteen years and Star was suddenly dressing like a man. He was really happy though— and suddenly much more confident— which is why I came around to it so quickly. And… you look a lot like he did back then."

A small sigh escapes Chujin. "I was just… worried you would find it unattractive. Or hate me for it. Or that it would get out and ruin my reputation in some way."

"Chujin." Ceroba wraps her arms around him. "You worry way too much about how other people see you. You should know by now that I love you, or I wouldn't have married you in the first place. Sure things were rocky for a bit, but I'm committed to making this work. And that means you being happy, too."

Chujin hugs her back. "Thanks, Ceroba. So… what now?"

"Well…" Ceroba lets him go. "We can grab some dresses of your own, if you want. We might also be able to spend some time mulling over whether you might be a woman or not."

He suddenly seems overwhelmed. "Woah, me… being a woman? That's…"

Ceroba clarifies, "You don't have to decide on anything immediately. Hell, it took Star a few months of changing his appearance before he committed to the idea of being a man. I just think we need to talk about it as a serious possibility."

"I'm not sure…" Chujin mutters. "But… I suppose it might be worth thinking about."

The pair sit down on their bed, and Ceroba slings an arm around his shoulders.

"I love you," she tells him. "No matter what, alright?"

He leans into her, his anxious expression melting into a soft smile. "Thank you."

A few months have passed since that conversation. Since then, Chujin has begun to wear more feminine outfits sometimes, mainly at night after Kanako is asleep since he doesn't know how to explain this stuff to her yet. They've talked a few times about Chujin stepping more into the realm of feminine expression, but it isn't a current priority. He does seem a bit more confident in himself lately though, which Ceroba appreciates.

(She's started to realize just how much of his evasive and legacy-focused behavior may have been due to a lack of self-esteem. It makes her feel bad to think she didn't ever notice that.)

On this particular day, Ceroba is tidying up the front-most room of the house when Chujin stumbles through the door. He's home much later than usual, and he looks haggard and exhausted.

"Chujin?" Ceroba stares at him. "Did something happen?"

Kanako comes into the room, probably after hearing her dad come home. "Daddy? What's wrong?"

He looks at both of them. "I… a few things happened at work today," he says. "Long story short… I retired. As of today, I'm officially out of a job."

Ceroba walks up to him. "Chujin… you're serious?"

Chujin nods. She sighs. "Well… alright. What are we going to do about income, then?"

"There's the new unemployment program," he says. "I should be able to get on that pretty easily. It'll be less money than what the Steamworks paid, and only for about four months, but it should be enough to hold us over until one of us lands a job."

Ceroba mulls this over. "…Alright. I'll look into taking that job at the Café I heard about."

Kanako walks up and hugs her dad. He hugs her back. "Everything will be alright, dear," he tells her. "This is just a temporary setback, alright? Nothing we can't handle."

Their little girl nods softly, and the hug breaks up.

The rest of the evening passes quickly, with the trio eating dinner together. They spend the evening in each other's company before Kanako is put to bed by her parents. And before long, Chujin and Ceroba are in bed together as well, preparing to sleep.

"…Ceroba."

She turns to Chujin. "Yes, dear?"

He looks troubled. "…I can't keep this up. I lied to you earlier."

"About what?"

Chujin lets out a deep, pained sigh. "…I didn't quit. They fired me."

Ceroba immediately puts her hands on his shoulders. "Chujin. What happened?"

"Well…" he avoids her gaze. "I was doing another test demonstration of my robotics project to King Asgore. I really thought this one would be it, but… something must not have been fastened properly inside the machine. It ended up setting a fire in his garden, and he fired me on the spot."

"I see…"

Chujin sighs. "I'm… sorry I lied. I didn't want you to think less of me, to think I was a failure! But I just… couldn't handle lying to you like that. I hope you can—"

He's cut off when Ceroba gently kisses his cheek.

"Chujin," she says. "I don't care about any of that. Your status, your job, your… any of that. I care about you. Alright?"

He wraps his arms around Ceroba and clings to her. "…Thank you. I… I need some time to…"

She gently pats his head. "I know. You're allowed to be vulnerable, okay? Just relax. I'm here."

For the rest of the night before the pair go to bed, Ceroba gently comforts her husband.

Half a year came and went, and with it the unemployment payments Chujin was receiving. Ceroba has started to work a part-time job at the Café Dune to slow down the rate at which they're chewing through Chujin's savings— already limited from building the house— and the unemployment money.

Luckily, Chujin has really stepped up. He's started spending a lot more time with Kanako, while still working at his robotics project whenever she's busy playing or sleeping. Without support from the Steamworks it seems the project has really slowed down, but he's incredibly determined to get it done. Ceroba can't help but appreciate that level of dedication.

When it comes to his own personal development, Chujin has shifted his entire wardrobe to more traditionally feminine outfits. He still hasn't made any steps towards changing his own appearance, but Ceroba can tell he's starting to want that. And she's willing to support him no matter what route he takes.

Ceroba's coming back from a particularly nasty shift (a visitor from Snowdin said that it was too hot and wanted them to turn the heat down. It took half an hour to explain that the "heat" is the desert) when she's confronted with the sight of Chujin sitting on the floor, Kanako on his lap and a bird monster she's never met before braiding his hair.

"Oh, hello dear," Chujin says. "I apologize for not telling you I'd be having a guest over, it was a very… last minute arrangement."

"Hi mommy!" Kanako contributes.

The bird monster looks at her. "Oh, hello! I don't think we've met before! You're Ceroba, right? It's so nice to meet you! My name is Martlet, I'm a friend of Chujin's! He's started teaching me a lot of stuff lately!"

Recollection flashes in Ceroba's mind. "Oh, you're Martlet. Chujin's told me a bit about you. Something about a 'new student' of his who wanted to learn woodworking?"

"Yep!" Martlet confirms. "He put together a cool balcony for my house, and I was like 'I've got to start learning that ASAP' and went to contact him. Turns out he's really nice, so now he's teaching me woodworking sometimes."

"She's a natural," Chujin says. "It's almost impressive, with how scatterbrained she is otherwise."

Martlet looks oddly prideful considering the backhanded compliment. "Yeah, I'm not the best at learning things, or managing stuff, or… any of that, really. But I know how to hold a hammer, and that's half the battle!"

Ceroba decides to change the subject to the currently ongoing hair-braiding situation. "So… what's going on here?"

"Oh, well Chujin said he really liked my hair," Martlet explains. "And so I told him I learned a few things you can do with hair as a little bird, and he was interested, and now we're here."

Chujin looks relaxed. "I've never had my hair braided before," he says. "I might learn to do this myself."

Martlet interjects. "Oh, maybe we could teach Ceroba too! Then she could braid your hair, which would be like, a really adorable couple's thing to do!"

"Can you do mine next?" Kanako asks. Martlet responds with an, "Of course!"

Chujin glances back at Ceroba. "She really likes Martlet," he tells her. "I think it's because Martlet has no backbone and does whatever she wants."

"Do not," Kanako says, crossing her arms and pouting. The slightly mischievous glint in her eyes tells a different story.

Martlet also complains about Chujin's comment, but it falls on deaf ears. Ceroba sighs. "I think our daughter might be spending too much time with Star's gang lately," she says.

"It's probably fine," Chujin decides. "She seems happier when she gets to hang out with them often."

Ceroba tilts her head. "I thought you were more vocal against her spending too much time with them than I was."

Chujin sighs. "Well… I've been talking with Starlo more lately," he admits. "Visited his Wild East a few times. And I'll admit, I may have judged him a bit too harshly."

"Really?" Ceroba is shocked, having never expected the two to get along in any capacity.

Nodding, Chujin continues, "I suppose having an interest in human culture is different from celebrating our imprisonment. And he isn't as unreasonable as I first assumed."

Ceroba suddenly realizes what this is all about. "Ah, so I assume you've been talking with him about… yes, that makes sense. I'm glad you two have something to bond over."

Martlet and Kanako look confused, but she knows Chujin isn't ready to let anyone in on his little secret yet. So for now, she changes the subject.

"Your hair looks nice in braids," she says, seeing Martlet's work is about done.

Chujin gives a cute little grin. "T-Thank you, dear."

"Glad I did a good job," Martlet says.

Meanwhile, Kanako stands up and starts tapping at Martlet's wing. "Me next! Me next!"

Martlet laughs a bit. "Alright, alright, settle down. I can't do it when you're jumping all over me."

The day continues on, with Chujin looking rather happy about his new appearance. With just a change to his hair and slightly different clothes, he already looks much different. And significantly more confident, less of a withdrawn shell of a man like he used to be when their marriage was at rock bottom.

"So, Chujin," Martlet addresses him over dinner. "I noticed you've changed up your wardrobe lately. Trying a new style?"

Chujin looks a bit tense, but decides to not deflect the subject. "I didn't hate my old wardrobe," he says, "but I thought it time to change to something different. A bit more… myself. And less what other people— like my father— would have expected me to wear."

"Well, right on!" Martlet cheers. "I think everyone should be doing what they wanna do. I know that I stopped worrying what others think about me a long time ago… though mostly because a lot of people think kind of upsetting things about me, but that's not the point! The point is that you seem like you're doing well lately, and I've only known you a few months so that's a pretty big change if even I've noticed."

"Thank you," Chujin says sincerely.

Martlet continues after gulping down another bite of food. "You know, I know how to make clothes! In fact, I even made these clothes myself." She gestures down to her outfit. "I could make you some new clothes— completely custom!"

"You would do that?"

"Yep!" Martlet gives a small grin. "I mean, you've already taught me a lot of things… I want to repay you, even if just a little."

Kanako seems to have already finished eating. "Can I have new clothes, too?" she asks, turning to Martlet.

Martlet nods. "Sure! New clothes for everyone! Not like I have a job, or anything better to do!"

Ceroba thinks that sounds like a bit of a strange thing to be excited over, but has already learned that Martlet sees the world a bit different from how she does. Which might not be the worst thing, she decides.

Chujin having more friends with more worldviews might just be what he needs to break out of his shell for good.

Ceroba sits on the porch outside, having just put Kanako to bed. She's cradling a glass of wine. Even though she's trying to drink less, she had decided having a glass or two before she goes to sleep wouldn't hurt. Chujin has also just joined her, since he's put up his project for the night.

"How's the progress?" Ceroba asks him.

He sighs. "Slow… but I think I'm close. The next version will be model thirteen, and while I can already tell it'll be buggy, it should at least function pretty well. I'll likely let it stay active for a day or two to see what the exact errors are, and then put it in for one more development cycle."

"You shifted its focus away from combat, right?"

Chujin nods. "It still has combat features, but it has a much higher focus on disarming and detainment now. Though this has reminded me to double check a few of the variables related to how violent it will get when faced with a threat. But the main achievement Axis will represent is a fully sentient robot with thoughts and feelings of its own, yet no Soul to speak of."

Ceroba can't fathom something like that. "I'm impressed," she tells him truthfully. "I know the recently appointed Royal Scientist made something similar, but I heard talks that the robot she made actually does have a Soul."

"Indeed," Chujin says. "I asked her about it the other day in a letter. Apparently it does have a Soul, but Asgore is currently interested in Souls and their usage anyway which is how she landed the spot. Rather upsetting to me, but if Asgore isn't interested in sentient robots without Souls then there's nothing to be done."

"Are you going to shift to Soul research, then?" Ceroba asks.

"Oh, no," Chujin answers. "I don't particularly care to research the Soul. Maybe at one point I would have considered it, but my field is engineering. I'll let Alphys and the like deal with that stuff instead."

Ceroba sips her drink. "Probably for the best. It seems that nothing really good ever comes from Soul research. I do wish Alphys the best in whatever she's doing, especially if it can free us somehow, but… I'm not confident in her chances, to be honest."

"We'll probably be stuck down here until more humans come," Chujin agrees. "Which is why I'm trying to put monsters in the best position possible to be successful once that happens."

Suddenly, Ceroba thinks of something. "You know, what if humans don't fight us?"

Chujin's face shifts to an unreadable expression. "What do you mean?"

"What if they don't want to fight?" she asks again. "It seems unbelievable, but… what if we get to the surface and they're just… willing to try diplomacy."

"That would be nice, admittedly," Chujin says. "But I don't see why we should rely on that being the case. Humans are dangerous, and if they choose to fight, we should be capable of defending ourselves."

Ceroba understands. "Fair enough."

The pair sit in silence for a while before Ceroba decides to change the subject.

"So… how are things going with Martlet?"

Chujin says, "I told her. About… me potentially being a woman."

"And how'd she take it?" Ceroba asks.

"Surprisingly well," he answers. "I'm not sure she fully understood, but… she's supportive. Which is nice. Makes me… less anxious about all of this."

"That's nice."

Silence again.

"She's picking up everything I teach her very fast," Chujin says. "Even if her general intelligence leaves something to be desired, she certainly understands material properties and how to make things with good structural integrity. A complete natural, even. And she's much better with people than I could ever be."

Ceroba places a hand on his shoulder. "Don't say that. People like you, Chujin."

"Because I do things for them," he retorts.

"Well," Ceroba argues, "if you do nice things for people, doesn't that make you a nice person? People like nice people."

Chujin sighs. "Maybe that's true. Still, I can't particularly say I've ever found myself to be particularly likeable. It's just one of those things I accepted about my personality a long time ago."

They both drink a bit. When finished, Ceroba says, "That just sounds like a self-fulfilling prophecy. I think you're plenty charming."

"You're my wife. You're supposed to find me charming."

Ceroba sighs. "Well, even before we were married I found you charming. You have a lot of likeable things about you, and you're a very kind person. You just need to believe in yourself a bit more. Grow some confidence."

Chujin doesn't respond. Instead, he changes the subject after a few minutes.

"I have a few jobs lined up," he says. "Just small things. The Honeydew Resort over by Snowdin needs a space heater, and I'm going to bring Martlet along to help. That Dina girl in the Wild East is also willing to pay me to make a few chairs for her saloon since a few of them broke in a party or something, and I need to head by Hotland in a few days to confirm the details of a contract I might be taking."

"You've been busy," Ceroba says. "I'm proud that you're getting back out there. Just don't overwork yourself, alright?"

Chujin nods. "I know. And I'll make sure I'm always home while you're at work, though you might need to take a few days off if I get that contract. Don't worry, it should make more than enough money to offset whatever you lose while away from your job."

"I'll keep that in mind."

The silence returns, a bit more comfortable this time.

In the end, it was decided that the trip to Snowdin would end up being a whole-family vacation. The job for the Honeydew Resort pays well, which gives Ceroba the flexibility to take time off work and join the trip. Kanako seems a bit anxious to be returning to Snowdin, given what happened last time, but seems relieved that both of her parents will be joining her.

The vacation is relaxing— at least for Ceroba, who gets to sit down sipping coffee while she watches Chujin and Martlet bumble around attempting to build a space heater over the course of four entire days— and it really removes a lot of the stress Ceroba has been experiencing lately as the sole earner of their household.

"No, Martlet, that piece is supposed to go on the underside of the heater!"

"Well it looked like it was supposed to go on top!"

"The diagram clearly shows the bottom. What did they teach you in school?"

"Well you're the one who built the entire top part backwards! We wasted a whole day because of that, so get off my case."

"I only built it backwards because the notation is terrible! Who in the entire Underground would think it's a good idea to have two parts of the diagram labeled '2S' and 'Z5' when they look almost identical?!"

It really is quite amusing to watch, Ceroba thinks. While she watches the chaos, Kanako walks over from whatever she was doing and sits down beside her.

"You need something?" Ceroba asks her.

"Just wanted to sit down," Kanako says.

The pair sit there for a while before Kanako speaks. "Daddy seems really happy lately."

Ceroba smiles. "He does."

Kanako grabs Ceroba's hand. "He smiles a lot more. And spends more time with me."

"He's been changing a lot," Ceroba tells her. "In a lot of ways. But he's happy because of it."

They continue to watch the comedy duo at work, desperately trying to figure out why a certain piece of wood won't fit where it's clearly supposed to go.

"Kanako," Ceroba addresses her. "If you ever get in a relationship, remember that communication is key. You need to talk with your partner often about things that might be bothering you, and they should do the same."

Kanako nods. "Okay!"

Eventually, the working duo realize that the piece won't fit because Chujin cut it too thick from the beginning.

Meanwhile, Kanako looks like something is on her mind. "Everything alright?" Ceroba asks her.

"Umm…" Kanako looks like she doesn't know if she should say anything. "I've been wondering… why is daddy wearing so many dresses lately? And doing his hair different?"

Ceroba knew she should have expected this question eventually, but it still catches her off guard. She tries her best to come up with a good answer.

"Well… sometimes, a monster will realize that how they look doesn't match how they feel on the inside," Ceroba explains, trying to keep her voice down so nobody overhears. "Right now, your daddy is trying to look more like how he feels."

Kanako nods. "Oh, okay! Is that why he's so happy lately?"

"It's definitely part of it."

It seems Kanako is satisfied. "Well, that's good."

Time passes, and before long it's night. Ceroba sits with Chujin outside, the cold making her shiver lightly despite her fur.

"So," Ceroba starts, "I had to explain to Kanako why you've been dressing different lately."

Chujin looks startled. "Oh. What did you tell her?"

"Just that you're trying to look more like how you feel on the inside," she tells him. "I'll leave the full talk of how you might be a woman to you."

"I see," Chujin says. "I didn't think you'd out me, but it was still a bit shocking to hear that."

Ceroba places a hand on his shoulder. "Remember, I'm supporting you all the way. And that means not telling people things that aren't my business. Though… she is our daughter, so you should tell her soon."

"I know."

"Good."

The pair gaze out at the scenery, watching the light snowfall glisten in the dim light. It's very romantic.

"Chujin," Ceroba turns back to him.

"Hm?"

Ceroba cups his cheek. "I just wanted to tell you that you're the most beautiful monster I've ever met."

He's never looked more flustered in his life. "Well… um… the feeling's, uh, mutual."

"Hehe," Ceroba giggles. "You're cute like this. I love you so much."

"…I love you too, dear."

The pair share a gentle kiss, and it feels like things just might be alright.

About a year has passed since that night in Snowdin, and Ceroba finds herself walking hand in hand with Chujin into the Wild East. They're here mainly to visit Star and his gang, since Ceroba's been trying to keep in closer contact with him lately.

At this point, Chujin has been fully out for a few months. She's wearing her favorite flowing green dress, her hair done up into a nice braid just as Martlet taught her. Ceroba thinks she looks beautiful.

"Howdy there, Ceroba. Chujin." Focusing on her surroundings, Ceroba sees Star approaching. He looks just as rugged as always, but he seems happy to see the pair.

"Hello, Star," Chujin greets. Ceroba also gives him a greeting.

It's been interesting watching Chujin and Star actually get along. She goes over to see him every few weeks now, and while she never tells Ceroba what kind of things they discuss, their talks seem to actually help her quite a lot. Ceroba's glad they've found things to bond over, since any animosity the pair held for each other is mostly gone now.

"We've got the market startin' up 'round the east end of town in an hour or so," Star tells them. "If y'all wanna help, just go talk to my folks and they'll tell ya' what ya' need to get doin'."

Chujin nods. "Of course," she says, before walking off to go find Star's parents.

This just leaves Star and Ceroba standing at the town's entrance.

"Hey Star," Ceroba looks to him. "…Thank you. For helping Chujin out all this time. Whatever talks you two are having… really helped her get out of her shell. I'm not sure she would have ever come out if it wasn't for you."

Star scratches the back of his head. "Hey, it ain't no problem," he says. "Just helpin' a fella out, no big deal."

"Still, it means a lot," Ceroba tells him.

The pair stand there in comfortable silence for a minute. Star breaks it by asking, "Well, you wanna go help out my folks? If not, we can just slam back a few drinks in the saloon."

Ceroba shakes her head. "You know I'm trying to quit alcohol completely. Plus, you need all the hands you can get, right? You said the harvest was massive this year."

"Yep!" Star beams. "I dunno if it was my magic touch or what, but my first year back helpin' at the farm and the crops just about went wild. It was crazy as all get out, one night they're growin' like usual and in the mornin' the field is twice as dense!"

"That's certainly exciting." Ceroba smiles slightly at his enthusiasm. "Do you have any plans for the extra money?"

The pair begin walking to the temporary marketplace while Star talks. "Well… I finally gave in and decided gettin' some runnin' water 'round here would be a good idea. Still not budging on the electricity though, it just ain't authentic that way."

"Right…"

"And," Star continues, "I'm gonna be hirin' Chujin to help fix up some of the more dilapidated buildings round' these parts. The Wild East is gonna be lookin' prettier than the day it was built with her help. Also gonna be gettin' the posse whole new outfits. Was plannin' to do that next year anyway, what with the rate I was savin' cash and all, but with this big harvest I can just get it outta the way now."

Ceroba finds her smile widening on its own. "I'm glad things are going so great for you, Star. I mean it. You always deserved to succeed like this."

"You're darned right I deserve it," Star says. "I'm glad that you're doin' well, too. By the way, where's the lil rascal at? I didn't see her with 'ya."

"Oh, she's with Martlet," Ceroba tells him. "She wanted to come visit, but when she heard we were mainly going to be doing the farmer's market, she said it'd be 'boring' and that she wanted to see 'Auntie Martlet' instead."

Star gives a goofy smile. "Aww, well ain't that the cutest thing ever? Y'all gotta introduce me to this 'Martlet' character some time, sounds like Kanako loves her."

"Will do."

As the pair finally approaches the main bustle of the market as it's being set up, Ceroba tells Star, "By the way, I will be bringing Kanako by in about a week. She's having a lot of anxiety about school starting back up soon, so try and give her a fun time."

The sheriff wears his cocky grin as he tells her, "What, 'ya think I could give her anythin' but a fun time? What happened to your confidence in me, Ceroba?"

Ceroba chuckles. "You're right, you're right. Still, just make sure she feels extra special while she's hanging out with you. Maybe it's finally time you promote her to Deputy or whatever?"

"Ooh, that's a great idea!" Star suddenly looks excited. "I gotta start gettin' the final trial for her set up then. Don't worry, it ain't nothin' dangerous, just a lap race 'round the Dunes."

Everything feels so much more exciting than it used to. Ceroba's past agonizing over the monster's underground imprisonment, about the situation being hopeless… she can't even fully recall the state of mind she used to have that made her feel such things. Sure, everyone is trapped and there are aspects of their future that feel hopeless, some even say that the monsters as a species have peaked…

But looking around, seeing her beautiful wife, her friends, and all sorts of other helpful monsters all bustling around to make something as simple as a farmer's market go off without a hitch… her casually making plans for the future with those around her, not to mention having an amazing daughter she gets to watch grow up…

Ceroba wonders if this life might not be so bad.

Another year has passed, and Ceroba is standing at the entrance of the Wild East's saloon with Chujin by her side. The pair are waiting for Star to finish up some business he has with Dina, which Kanako joined him in. His posse is standing around near the middle of town, all ambling about doing nothing.

"It's really warm out," Chujin says. "I suppose it always is, but it feels especially hot today."

"It does," Ceroba agrees.

The pair are holding hands. Ceroba softly strokes the back of Chujin's hand with her thumb. It's relaxing for both of them.

"Very boring, too," Chujin says. "It's usually more exciting around here."

Just then, she sees blue in the distance. Squinting to try and get a better look, she quickly sees that it's Martlet approaching the town for some reason. Which is strange since neither Ceroba or Chujin have ever brought Martlet here, despite intending to introduce her to Star for a while now.

"What is she doing here?" Ceroba asks herself out loud.

The Feisty Five (minus Star) gather at the front of the town and begin talking with Martlet. Ceroba decides to walk closer in an attempt to figure out what's going on, and that's when she sees it.

Martlet most definitely has a human right next to her, standing under her wing.

"Um… we're just passing through, so if you'll excuse—"

Just then, Ceroba interrupts.

"What's going on here?" she asks. "Martlet… is that a human?"

Martlet looks uncomfortable. "Um… I won't say no?"

In a flash, Chujin is by her side. "A human?" she glares at Martlet. "Why have you brought a human here?"

Ceroba puts a hand on her wife's shoulder. "Chujin, relax. I'm sure there's a good explanation."

"Yeah!" Martlet tries to clear the air. "Clover's not dangerous! I promise! I mean, look at their cute little face, do you think they could hurt a fly?"

To emphasize her point, Martlet pinches the human's (Clover's?) cheek. Ceroba swears she hears a squeaky toy sound, but decides not to bring it up.

"Martlet." Chujin doesn't seem amused. "There is a human in the Underground. And you brought them straight to us. What if they—"

Chujin is cut off when Star joins the fray, Kanako right behind his leg and peering over the side of it to see what's going on.

"Is my buddy givin' 'ya trouble?" he asks Clover. "Sorry 'bout that. I s'pose she's still gotta learn some manners. So… you're a human, are 'ya?!"

The excitement that Star is struggling to keep out of his voice is more than evident on his face. He looks at Clover with a mix of awe and happiness. Ceroba has to admit, she never expected to see a human here.

"Star, now is not the—" Chujin is cut off when Ceroba squeezes her shoulder.

Star introduces himself and his gang, and gives a quick nod to Ceroba and Chujin as well. Ceroba manages to keep Chujin's temper about the human situation in check with an occasional shoulder squeeze as the introductions happen.

This nearly flies out the window, though, when Kanako walks out from behind Star and approaches the human.

"Hi," she says. "Um… you're a human, right?"

Clover nods.

"That's cool! Wait… are you one of the bad humans?" she asks.

Clover seems to think about this for a moment, but eventually shakes their head.

Kanako seems pleased enough at this. "Okay! Wanna be friends?"

Clover nods again. Kanako smiles.

"Kana—" Chujin attempts to cry out when she watches Kanako wrap her arms around the human, but Ceroba grips her arm tight. She looks frustrated, but her expression softens when she watches the human wrap their arms around Kanako in return.

The two kids quickly pull apart, no harm done to Kanako in the slightest. Chujin breathes out an audible sigh of relief.

"That was…" Chujin mutters to herself.

"It's alright, Chujin," Ceroba tells her. "This human doesn't seem to want to hurt anyone. They're just a kid."

Chujin is biting her lower lip with stress. "Well, that other human was… also a child. But… I suppose you have a point."

"Hey Clover," Kanako says. "Wanna play? Or draw?"

Clover, seemingly not one for words, continues to answer solely with a nod of their head. Kanako then grabs them by the hand and drags them off. It seems this re-ignites Chujin's anxiety.

Martlet, however, is already on the case. "Hold on, I'll go after them."

"So," Star approaches the pair. "Was that the 'Martlet' girl y'all have been meanin' to introduce me to?"

Ceroba nods. "Yes, that's her."

"Huh. Looks more like a 'Feathers' to me."

Chujin chuckles a little at that, but then grabs Ceroba's hand.

"We should also go after them," she says.

"Alright."

Heading off, it isn't long before the pair catch up to Martlet and the kids. Star and his gang stay behind, as they wanted to discuss what to do about the human amongst themselves.

When they arrive, they see Clover and Kanako drawing in the sand with twigs as Martlet watches. Kanako seems to have made a crude image of Clover's face.

"Hi mommy, mama," Kanako greets them. "Look, Clover drew a flower!"

Looking at the ground, Ceroba sees that there is indeed an incredibly crude sequence of scribbles that could be construed as a flower if looked at from the right angle.

"That's nice," Chujin says, obviously barely holding herself together. She does seem to be a bit less anxious though, having noticed that Clover has made no move to attack Kanako.

Ceroba and Chujin walk up to Martlet as the kids continue drawing in the sand.

"So," Ceroba starts. "A human, huh?"

Martlet looks embarrassed. "Yeah… I meant to take them straight to New Home, but our raft kinda went out of control and crashed in the Dunes. I went to your place first for help, but saw you were out."

"I see." Ceroba sighs. "So, what's going to happen with them?"

"Well, I was thinking of just taking them to Asgore and asking if they can go home," Martlet says.

Chujin shakes her head. "That won't work. Asgore only needs two more Souls to break the barrier, and he's seen more of humanity than any of us. He won't care who Clover is, he's going to try for their Soul no matter what."

Martlet looks upset. "Then what? I let the Royal Guard or Asgore kill Clover? I can't do that! I've only known Clover for, like, three hours, but I can't let anything happen to them! They're a child!"

"They're also a human," Chujin says. "Even if they're fine now, humans have unlimited capacity for cruelty. There's no telling what they could decide to do."

"Chujin." Ceroba turns to her. "I think Clover themself is fine. That's not the issue here. The issue is that we'll be sending a child to their death."

Chujin sighs. "But Ceroba—"

"No, Chujin." Ceroba puts her foot down. "Listen… I know you hate humans a lot, but… imagine if it was Kanako. Would you be able to sleep at night if your actions led to Kanako getting hurt, but you could have prevented it?"

She looks at the ground, no answer.

Martlet sighs, and they both turn to her. "Listen… if Clover can't go home, then staying somewhere down here is the next best bet. But Snowdin is a Royal Guard hot spot, so I don't think I can take them in."

"Then we can do it," Ceroba says. "Kanako already likes them."

Chujin seems concerned about this. "But I haven't agreed."

"You always wanted more kids," Ceroba says. "Now's your chance to have another."

"But not like…" Chujin cuts off her own feeble attempt at objection. "…Alright. You seem dead set on this human business, and Kanako likes them… and they haven't done anything… maybe I'm just being over-dramatic."

Ceroba is relieved. "Thank you. And don't worry, I'll keep a close eye on the two for a while to make sure everything is safe. I know you're anxious about this, dear, but it's probably for the best."

"Yes… but I want to get to know them, first," Chujin says.

"Of course. We won't decide on anything completely until we've gotten to know Clover better."

Martlet looks happy. "Well, glad that's settled!"

"You know…" Ceroba suddenly realizes something. "They're dressed a lot like a cowboy. I think them and Star would really get along. Why don't we head back to town?"

The others nod, and Ceroba goes to grab the kids and take them to the Wild East.

Ceroba sits on her porch, glass of iced tea in her hand. Her other hand is holding onto Chujin's hand while she also sips from her glass.

The pair look out at the front yard, full of lush and blossoming plant life all carefully cultivated by Chujin. Kanako and Clover are playing some kind of weird combination of catch and tag, having fun together as they do every day now.

Tomorrow, Star and his posse will be visiting for the first anniversary of Clover's fall into the Underground. Chujin and Ceroba have already gotten gifts together, to treat it as a Birthday celebration of sorts, and Star has his own plans to make it a night to remember. She just hopes the cleanup won't be too arduous.

She never could have imagined she'd be here now. Looking out at her two kids, enjoying a relaxing evening with her wife as she watches them play. It's nice.

Sometimes, Ceroba wonders what would have happened if she never asked Chujin to be more open with her. If Chujin never came out to her, if she'd never learned to be herself around others. If she kept sticking to her old ideas of legacy and self-worth to the end, dedicated to those possibly harmful ideals.

She looks over at Chujin, who stares back at her with affection in her eyes.

"Chujin?"

"Yes, dear?"

"I love you."

Chujin smiles a beautiful smile.

"I love you too."