Colors | Chara x Papyrus

Chapter Five: Light Blue

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Chara brought one of the square, chocolate desserts to her lips, enjoying the chewy texture whilst staring intently at Papyrus' scribbling hand.
He wrote neatly in exaggerated cursive with various colors on a new spiral note book he'd bought her. It was green, her favorite.
      Currently, it was covered in stickers. Papyrus had gotten carried away.

A day after returning home from the carnival, he pulled her aside and handed her the note book.
"REMEBER HOW I SAID I WANTED TO HELP YOU?" He'd said, and Chara didn't mask her confusion.
She led him into her room, and he began explaining.
He'd seen her fascination with bright yellow and the way that blue prize shifted her expression. After frequent observation, he'd come up with a system to help her. Though grateful, Chara was slightly disturbed by the 'observing her' fact.
      Had he seen her nearly die from that brain freeze?

"DONE!" Papyrus declares, snapping Chara from her thoughts and holding out the book. Chara looks at it quizzically.
It was a list. Each bullet point was accompanied by a box filled with a certain color.
"I don't understand," Chara says.
"WHENEVER YOU FEEL SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN'T DESCRIBE, CONNECT IT TO A COLOR SO YOU ARE ABLE TO TELL WHAT IT IS!" He states proudly. "TRY IT! DESCRIBE A TIME YOU FELT UNSURE ABOUT WHAT YOU WERE FEELING."
Chara tries not to look dumbfounded. "Okay.." She clears her throat.
"I'm sure I've felt this before, but I'm not sure. Frisk is always here, but it was like she wasn't." Chara sighs. "I guess.. there's a difference between knowing you're by yourself, and actually feeling like you're the only one left," Chara mutters, fiddling with a gray marker.
"YEAH, THAT SOUNDS A LOT LIKE THIS," Papyrus points to the page and Chara follows his hand down to the color. Upon reading the emotion, she frowns.
"Oh," she trails off, watching Papyrus close the notebook. He picks it up and hands it to her.
"I'M SURE IT'LL HELP, BE SURE TO USE IT!" She accepts it, mumbling a chaste thank you.
It's heavy.

- - -

The two spend the next few minutes talking. Chara would share her times of uncertainty, and Papyrus would name a color in response.
At times he'd prattle on about how to go about certain feelings, repeating that it's important to step back and breathe.
Chara doesn't care for his speeches. The way he raises his pointer finger speaks with intense pride. He's so incredibly theatrical, it almost makes her laugh.
She doesn't understand why his scarf is red. It should be yellow.

The door flies open without a knock and Sans barges in. The nerve.
Chara slips the notebook behind her back.
"What're you guys up to?" There's that stare again, so judgmental and full of hate. She can't stand how he tries to act like he didn't just storm into her room, again, without any indication of sudden entry.
"SANS, IT'S RUDE NOT TO KNOCK," Papyrus tells him, but Sans doesn't look even remotely apologetic.
"Sorry, Paps," he replies preoccupied. He's scanning her, searching for reason to scorn.
Chara can't bite back her annoyance any longer.
"You can see that everything's fine, I haven't harmed your precious brother," Chara retorts, full of snark. "Now if you don't mind, get out." She ignores Papyrus' frown. He'd told her not to retort, but she would make no adjustments for Sans.
"My brother is my business," he snaps back. "Just making sure you don't get ahead of yourself." He glances at Papyrus, then back to her. "That's all."
Chara feels herself tremble with rage. It burns and it hurts all at the same time. Regret she hoped had long passed resurfaces.
      He needs to leave, now.
"Red," she whispers harshly, knowing Papyrus would understand.
He sets a comforting hand on her knee before standing up.
"WE WERE ABOUT DONE ANYWAYS." Sans, with a pleased smile on his face, turns to leave with Papyrus close behind. Before shutting the door, he looks back to smile at Chara.
She doesn't return it.