it was expected. of course he would.
but the couldn't help but feel a bit offended, briefly forgetting that the trust they had gained from their own sans did not extend to all of his copies.
rejection. it kinda made them smirk. seeing this as just another puzzle to solve or unsolvable dilemma to overcome.
how WOULD a mortal enemy reconcile with a complete stranger of another timeline? even if his fate was not their sin, taking in on the extra blame for his sake always seemed to sooth their fear of abandonment.
so what if they were not the same player that doomed him? so what. they should be treated the same way! it’s expected nothing less of the judge. to hold no personal bias and execute their kind all the same.
and if his player had abandoned him to rot in that hell, that was their loss, not seeing the wonder of his persistence and spite. his commitment and determination. they saw his self sabotage but they also saw something difficult to describe.
something irreplaceable. something to protect and treasure instead of trying to destroy. out of all the npcs they had killed… this one felt the realest. that spite had given him life.
he inspired them. they liked his tenacity. were practically his biggest fan. but these words could never come from their own mouth. otherwise the sentiment would be tainted by their identity.
they'd rather the intentions be tied to a faceless nobody. just someone that deeply cared.
someone that wanted to respect his boundaries while also being a safe place for him to vent all his anger at.
but it seemed like this version of him was more cautious.
maybe trying to look out for their favorite rival had to be done more discreetly than they would have hoped.
hypocritical. but it wasn't like they were asking him to do anything he didn't want. mostly they were curious about what HE would want.
after all of this. could he still allow the shadow of his worst nightmare be by his side to make sure he doesn't act on his intrusive thoughts?
to hold each other accountable for their sins?
would he let them come close enough to try?
to be their anchor that grounds them into reality when their moral compass erodes away again?
or was this just them trying to make amends with someone else because they felt as if one “frenemy” was not enough.
that they had to go and be “frenemies” with every dust they came across.
