Chapter Text
The pair lingered for a time, any words between them were few and far between in favor of lingering in silence. An appreciation they shared and were happy to indulge in, it was enough to know the other was there.
Eventually though, the chill of the night began to wear on Clover as the wind had picked up significantly, and when a couple of droplets of water fell upon them, they reluctantly stepped inside the welcoming area of the diner.
“Hope we ain't gonna get hit with a storm again...” Clover eyed the sudden change in weather and thought it strange. There had been some clouds here and there the entire afternoon - the lingering remnants of the storm's passage - but now it almost seemed like it had relapsed. The sky had turned black, illuminated only now and again by the stray bolt of lightning in the distance.
Kanako joined him in watching the onset of the ominous clouds, feeling a bit uneasy but she couldn't quite place why. She shuddered and turned away, instead choosing to look inward to the diner proper.
She held a hand to her mouth and suppressed a snicker, then side eyed Clover and tugged his sleeve to get his attention. “Hey Clover, check it out~”
“Hm?” He glanced over a shoulder and cringed when he saw what she was looking at: a cardboard standee of a very familiar looking cowboy promoting a kid's meal for the diner.
'Clovey' he was named, which made it all the more embarrassing for the lizard. Suddenly he was very glad for the change in his appearance – he'd much rather be mistaken for a fan than the real article, though even then it was still not sitting right with him.
“I can't believe this came up to the surface with 'em.” He shook his head in disapproval, “And here I thought the one down in the Wild East was bad.”
“I think it's pretty funny and cute.” Kanako snickered some more, elbowing him playfully. “Monsters love things like this, I remember there being all kinds of characters like this in school, like Mew Mew! And all the little guys from Super Smashing Fighters! The few bits of Human stuff that fell into the Underground was really big in my class, haha.”
Clover sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked the standee over again. “...I guess if it serves a purpose it ain't that bad, but it still feels downright weird.”
“I think you're just being uhm, what's the word when you're all... well, acting like you?”
“Modest? I guess... maybe. I dunno.” He continued to grump, especially when the fox broke out into a giggle fit. But he couldn't keep it up when he saw just how much it tickled her and found himself smiling after a few moments.
“C'mon.” She urged him towards the door and away from the mascot cutout, “Uncle Starlo said we could take our time but they're all waiting for us.”
“Really? Huh... Let's git moseyin' then.” He held out his hand for her and she took it, and together they slipped inside. Immediately, the dull thudding of the music came in sharper – some kind of country music being sang by quite the melodic voice being played from a juke box.
The diner itself was very old fashioned looking, arranged around a main counter top where plenty of people could sit and eat, with a handful of booths nearby for families or more private dining.
Arranged all over the restaurant was cowboy memorabilia, both from Human society and plenty of it taken straight from the Wild East itself in the Underground – Clover immediately recognized the town bell for one, and the original sign from the saloon hung proudly over the main counter.
Surprisingly, or perhaps not-so-surprisingly, the strangest addition to the diner was a small sort of 'petting zoo.' It seemed Dina's fondness for little critters carried over big time up here on the surface, it was mostly comprised of little reptiles like geckos and some harmless snakes like corn snakes that he recognized easily enough. Most notably though was a rather chubby cat lazing around watching the goings-on in the diner.
He had to resist the urge to march up and pet the little guy, but made a note of it for later.
That cat would be pet if it was the last thing he'd do.
Sat behind the counter was Dina herself, the armadillo had seemingly barely aged a day – by and large she looked the same save for her snakes being missing and the twintails she used to sport now being a single, larger ponytail and her overall build being a lot more athletic then he remembered.
Maybe she really catches all her 'pets' herself?
Clover wondered and found himself smiling at the mental image.
She was chatting with Starlo, Martlet, and Ceroba. Starlo himself seemed very much exhausted and worn down, though from what Clover had heard, running the town hadn't been easy. Still, he looked mostly the same too besides a very official looking wardrobe change to something more befitting a mayor, and to that end, he had traded out his hat for a big ten-gallon and now sported a pretty funny looking mustache that completed the wardrobe.
The jingling of the bell heralded the pair's entry, and earned all eyes on them. For a few moments that felt like forever, the noise in the room ceased save for the music playing.
He felt Kanako squeeze his hand pretty hard, and just when his own nervousness started to teeter on the edge of overwhelming, sudden bursts of confetti assaulted the two kids and the denizens of the diner in general.
“SURPRISE!” They all cheered, and Dina waved in something from the kitchen in the back. The door burst open and out rolled a big cake filled with quite a lot of candles all lit up simultaneously.
The wheels of the cart it was on squeaked as it continued forward, and from behind the towering cake, Mo leaned out to get a peek. He flashed a grin and came to a stop, strolled up next to the cake, and struck a proud pose.
The wily raccoon certainly looked more worldly, though his wealth was on full display with the expensive looking suit he was donning. “Welcome back, kid. Always knew you had it in ya. Leave it to someone like you to not let death keep 'em down!”
Mo crossed his arms and gestured to the cake with his chin, “Had this lil' number made lickity-split when I got the news.”
The candles sputtered for a moment, then went out completely, yet the raccoon simply whipped out a long lighter and flicked it on in one smooth motion – once one wick was lit, the rest sparked to life from the close contact the candles shared.
A bit too fast.
“And what kinda businessmonster would I be if I didn't repay my debts, eh?” He continued even when the flames of the candles joined together to ignite the cake into a giant torch.
Still he showed little reaction even when Kanako backed up a bit, she tugged at Clover's tail to do the same but furrowed her brow in confusion when the lizard showed little reaction to the fire.
He only chuckled and shook his head a bit.
Mo snapped his fingers and out of the ceiling fell what must have been a small pool's worth of water, putting out the cake and leaving a giant mass of charred icing that smelled quite acrid.
“I planned that.” He explained cooly, disregarding Martlet and Ceroba face palming behind him and Starlo giving a big sigh. Dina watched him like a hawk, though thankfully there seemed to be drains built into the floor of the place – did stuff like this happen often?
Mo's confidence didn't diminish and he jabbed a thumb at the burnt cake. “C'mon now, for ol' time's sake, give it a whirl.”
Clover gave a snort and stepped up to it, pinching his nose. Yet he seemed to trust the raccoon Monster completely and reached out to crack the hardened outer shell the burnt frosting had formed, and inside was revealed to be perfectly intact!
The lizard smirked and reached in, grabbing a big chunk and giving it a taste. “...Ya really outdone yourself, Mo. Kanako, c'mere and try it, it's good!”
“Uhm... okay...” She sounded uneasy, but seeing Clover eagerly munch on the near-sparkling chunk of cake he had pulled out, her curiosity grew too big to ignore and she approached to do the same.
Ears that were once folded against her head anxiously suddenly shot up excitedly when she got a taste – once you picked past the bitter burnt bits, the cake within was mixed with ice cream and some kind of chewy, creamy icing that made for a delicious treat!
“Mm!” She hummed in delight, “Mom! You gotta try this!!”
“It's good, Martlet.” Clover nodded in agreement, “Think it's like a baked alaska thingy I read about once before.”
“No clue what that is but this lil' number is a real hit at Momart and Associates.” The raccoon proclaimed proudly, “And there's plenty for everyone so enjoy!”
That caught Ceroba by surprise. She exchanged a glance with Martlet, and once the two women approached to try it and didn't get grossed out, this seemed to be the go-ahead for everyone else to approach and get some as well.
“Ya really got me in the first half.” Clover snickered down at Mo. “Here I thought ya messed it up for real again.”
“Feh, I've had years to hone my craft, bub.” He shrugged, “Though between you and me... first time it's gone off without a hitch. Usually the top half part isn't salvageable! Guess it's just you bein' a good luck charm again. Really owe you a lot, y'know. We're practically partners!”
“Everythin' you built you built yourself.” Clover shook his head, eyeing him warily. “The good and the bad.”
“Skirtin' 'round that, huh? Maybe I had a bigger impact on you than I thought, look at you bein' all shrewd, hey?” The two shared a laugh, ending with Mo reaching up to give him a pat on the shoulder. “Not used to looking up to see my best customer. And you're a lot more scale-y than I remember, but still – welcome back, I mean that. I got some business to handle but come around and tell me the whole deal sometime, yeah?”
“Thanks, Mo, I'll make sure to do that soon.” Clover nodded and watched him head outside, then looked back at Kanako who was eyeing him closely while stuffing her face with cake.
“...Parders? Ish dat-” She spoke through stuffed cheeks, then paused to swallow and cleared her throat. “Sorry... was that uh..”
“Mo, he's that salesman I told ya about back in the Wild East. He's a funny guy, really creative with his sales pitches and that's how he hooks you.”
Kanako looked at the burnt pile of slag hiding the cake underneath it, chuckling at the thought of what other stuff he could possibly have sold the lizard in the past. “He definitely scared me, that's for sure... but wow, real food never fails to be super yummy. Makes me want to eat the whole thing!”
“Ugh, don't. Believe me, you'll get real sick.” Clover grimaced, “One time I got a big ol' bucket of candy for Halloween, ate the entire thing in an hour and got sick for a week straight. Did y'all have that down in the Underground?”
Kanako looked up in thought. “I think so...? I remember dressing up once and we walked around Oasis getting tricked and pranked over and over again, but if you got through it you got a nice piece of monster candy. Is that the same thing?”
“Kinda?” He rubbed his chin trying to imagine it – with how fond Monsters were of their traps, he imagined getting each treat to be a trial in and of itself. “Well, anyways – point is, pace yerself, y'hear? It's real yummy but eatin' too much sugar on an empty stomach ain't no good for ya.”
Granted, he didn't know exactly how any of this interacted with the ways Monsters absorbed food directly, but better safe than sorry.
Clover smirked and grabbed a few chunks of cake, “Here, I'll stash some in my satchel so we can have some whenever. Food don't seem to go bad in it and-” The lizard frowned abruptly as he felt around at his side, once, twice, then he looked down to pat himself down in a panic. “What the- My satchel is gone!”
Kanako looked him over, tilting her head this way and that. “Did you set it down somewhere? I didn't see it on the stairs outside or the waiting room...”
“Naw I never take that thing off I-” He trailed off and stood up straight as a thought occurred to him:
Did Melody somehow steal it?
“-Man you really haven't changed at all, huh?”
Clover spun around and was surprised to see Mooch standing there fiddling with his satchel. After a moments, she looked up to meet his eye with that trademark smug smirk of hers and pressed the storage bag into his hands.
Compared to when last he saw her, the squirrel was quite a lot more regal looking. It was obvious just looking at her how rich she was - a fancy looking dress and jewelry that glimmered and sparkled, and even her fur shimmered brilliantly with long flowing hair that, paired with her giant tail, completed the look. Whereas before she was quite scrawny and, well, squirrelly, the Monster stood before him now exuded class and abundance.
She whipped out a fan and hid behind it, snickering a bit when Clover finally took the satchel back. “Well, deep down anyways.” She continued, “Gotta admit, I miss the human look. How's it feel being a Monster now?”
Despite her haughty appearance, he was a bit relieved to hear that her tone at least had changed as little as her 'hobbies' had. He made a show of pouting as he put the satchel back on and crossed his arms.
“Don't feel too weird if I'm bein' honest... but once a thief always a thief I see.” He grunted, then the two shared a laugh. “Good to see ya, you look...”
“Absolutely drop-dead gorgeous~?” She batted her eyelashes at him with a smirk, then rolled her eyes and shut the fan with a sharp clack. “Ehhh it's mostly for appearances. Humans like it so what can you do~?”
She then side eyed Kanako who was obviously having trouble putting the face to a name, “I don't look that different, do I?”
“You're a lot... fluffier lookin' than before, but honestly ya look real regal too. The years treated you real well.” Clover gave a snort, then elbowed Kanako. “It's Mooch, don't ya recognize her?”
“Auntie... Mooch?” Kanako frowned, tilting her head this way and that while looking her over. “Wow... you look... old. I thought maybe you were her mom or something.”
That made Mooch and Clover blink in surprise, then Clover burst out laughing at the squirrel's unamused grumbling.
“That's cuz I am older! Even if you're both taller than me now you shouldn't forget that I'm your senior! Besides, aside from you two and Sadie I'm the youngest here so don't be rude!” She pouted with her cheeks puffing up, stomping a foot like a kid throwing a tantrum.
This only made Kanako giggle a bit too, “Yeah but why are you dressing like an old lady now though? Your perfume smells like my mom's!”
This only inflamed the squirrel further, though after a few moments, Mooch suddenly stopped and pulled Kanako into a hug. ”Welcome back, Kanako. Things just weren't the same without you, y'know?”
“I missed you...” Kanako whispered, hugging her back. “I uhm... d-do you think we could... again?”
“Eh?” Mooch blinked in surprise, then grinned mischievously when it clicked. “Ohhhh! Sure thing, I missed getting up to misc- uh I mean completely legal activities, Mr. Deputy.”
It was Clover's turn to roll his eyes. “Speakin' of not havin' changed. You two really got up to stuff like that? And Ceroba didn't freak out?”
“Wellll it may or may not have been our little secret~” Mooch wore an innocent expression like that of an angel, and suddenly Clover realized exactly what she meant by appearances – she looked positively adorable to the point his wariness had crumbled away somewhat. A regular human wouldn't stand a chance. “But there's way better ways to go about doing that kinda thing up here on the surface – and it's completely legal by Human laws too so you can't lecture me or anything!”
Clover grumbled at that, reckoning she was likely right in that. “Well... least yer doin' it above the law.” He side eyed Kanako, suddenly feeling pretty protective of her. “But it ain't for everyone, Kanako. It's card games 'n stuff like that, borin' stuff.”
“I like card games...” Kanako frowned, looking from him to Mooch. “Is... this something like when you told me was too adult and I should sit out?”
“Oh c'mon, it's just harmless fun~” She snickered and ribbed Clover, “You should come see the casino, it's the best part of Eastwood! You would not believe how much money Humans blow every day, it's like an infinite money cheat and it's amazing!”
“It's very you, that's for sure.” Clover shook his head while Kanako only seemed to grow more curious.
“Busy harassing our guests of honor?” A familiarly deep voice spoke up. Clover jumped a bit when he noticed a glass of root beer enter his peripheral view, and turned to see that it was Ace.
Ever the mystery, of all the people he had seen so far, he had changed the least. Though it did catch Clover off guard when he noticed that, though he was still wearing a bandanna to hide his face, he had foregone his hat to reveal a pair of shadowy rabbit ears that bobbed with every movement.
It almost made him snicker with how it made the normally serious and proper Monster look rather cute now. This must have not been lost on Ace as his ears twitched as if acknowledging him.
“Yes, yes, I know.” He sighed while gesturing to his head, “Mooch talked me into it. It is for the Humans since they find my ears quite 'cute' during our shows.”
“Shows?” Clover quirked a brow, looking between Ace and Mooch. The squirrel got that smug smirk on her face again, then ran her paws through her locks of hair with a flourish which seemed to set the rest of her outfit sparkling all over again.
“Yep. Magic shows! We mix Monster magic and the sleight of hand you Humans like – it's really fun! Told you my looks aren't just for, uh, looks. Wait... you know what I meant. I'm Ace The Great's ever beautiful assistant!”
“Oh, please... not that stage name...” Ace facepalmed with his ears flicking again in agitation, “...I was already well versed in sleight of hand anyways, so it was easier than I thought. Being part of Starlo's shows back in the Wild East translated well to being on stage too.” Ace explained, then looked Clover over. “So it's true... How does it feel to be made of magic rather than flesh?”
“Uh...” Clover was caught off guard by that phrasing, then exhaled in amusement. He set to pondering that for a few moments, finally giving a shrug as an answer. “To be honest I don't really feel a whole lot different... definitely not as much as ya might think, maybe it's 'cuz I've got my Human SOUL in here somewhere still?”
“Hm... well, you are certainly far more talkative now than you were before. Perhaps that is a trait you gained with this new body of yours.” Ace strolled around the lizard, looking him over intently as if looking for his very SOUL. He stopped and cleared his throat when Mooch bumped him with a hip. “Ahem... Sorry, I was just curious is all.”
“Don't mind him.” Mooch made a shooing motion at Ace, “He got super interested in Human science and all that once we were freed and started getting into the swing of things up here on the surface.”
Ace looked off to the side for a few seconds as if considering this. “Yes, apologies. It is just... interesting to me. Anyways, we owe quite a lot to you, so if ever you should want seats to our shows you need but ask. I'm sure Mo would agree with us in regards to the greater mall beyond our casino... Though that being said, gambling is off limits for children.” He looked down pointedly at Mooch, who just snickered in response while unfurling her fan to hide behind once more.
“It's not like I would've let them use real money.” The squirrel said innocently, “But fine, fine. Still, I wanna give you guys the tour at least, it's really really nice and our chef's food is to die for!”
“Wow... really? You have a chef??” Kanako gasped and Mooch swelled with pride.
“Sure do! And she cooks with real food too, not just magic! She wandered around for a long long time and only came back recently since she's starting a family, so she's got a lotta stories to tell and stuff too.”
Clover and Kanako exchanged a look, then both met Mooch's grin with one of their own.
“Well if you're offerin' we can't rightly turn ya down.” The lizard said and the fox nodded eagerly. “Though can I ask if I know 'em from my trek through the Underground?”
Mooch looked up in thought, “Actually... yeah, Moray's folks said they met you so probably? She used to work there, she's a really, really tall coyote Monster. Her name's Dakota.”
“Oh wow! Yeah, I spoke with her a couple times, she was nice. Huh, small world.” Clover nodded sagely, “In that case it's a definitely, I'm curious about what she got up to after all them years up here.”
“Definitely a small world, it was the Underground, remember?” Ace looked over at the entrance where Mo had ran off to. “Most of the people that worked at the Mines or lived at Oasis and the parts around it work under us or Mo now, though there are some exceptions.”
His gaze turned over to Sadie, though it only took Clover a few moments to recognize her – even if she was a lot older, one would be hard pressed to not remember that striking color scheme of hers once they saw it.
“...In any case, you're welcome at the casino at any time. Even though we did not interact particularly often, and admittedly I was rather short with you, I am still happy to see you back. And you as well, Kanako. The Wild East never recovered after you fell down. Clover's situation is fairly obvious, but you... well, perhaps we can talk about it when you come to visit. Farewell.” Ace nodded to the two of them, then at Mooch, then took his leave. The trio watched him head back outside, then Mooch pouted again.
“...I should probably join him. Business meetings never end, y'know.” The squirrel grimaced pretty hard at that, then shot a wink up at them both and chittered happily. “But still, lookin' forward to catchin' up, Clover, and Kanako... we'll discuss getting the gang back together later, kay? By the by, keep better track of that satchel, it's super valuable! I left you a welcome back gift but don't look at it 'till later. Tata~!”
As with Ace, the two watched her head outside, the entire time Clover resisted the urge to peer inside the inventory of his satchel to see what she had left; instead, he side eyed Kanako. “...The gang?”
“Yeah, uhm... Mooch was like a big sister to us in the Wild East since she was the youngest of Uncle Starlo's gang. We formed a little mini-gang and played cowboys and...” Kanako smiled fondly, then furrowed her brow as she tried to recall. It seemed she was unsuccessful as she hung her head and sighed. “...I forget. B-but it was really fun! It was me, and Mooch, and Sadie a-and... Uhm, Felix. I forgot him too but Sadie reminded me! C'mon, you can be part of it too, we're gonna get together and have a great time and I can introduce you and stuff!”
The fox grabbed his hands and tugged him along, “She's right over there! You talked to her at the swings, remember?”
“Yeah, I remember, but Kanako you wanna calm it a bit-” Clover started to say, but stopped short when he was suddenly plucked up by the collar and bandanna, taking both him and Kanako skyward as she too was snatched up by another hand.
Clover scrambled a bit in the air, finally managing to turn around to see a... fish Monster with a deep scowl on her face. Kanako let out a little growl as she hugged Clover's arm protectively.
Given Kanako's reaction and the uncanny resemblance to Moray...
“Hey, punk.” Undyne grunted, glaring down at him with her one good eye. She certainly exuded an aura that matched every description he had heard about the Captain. “Got some stuff to say to you.”
“Go away! Let us go!” Kanako kicked at her repeatedly and tried to wriggle free to no effect, “This is supposed to be a happy time and you're ruining it!”
Undyne let out a tired groan, still holding the pair aloft. Clover could see her jaw clenching and unclenching, and though one might assume her to be growing heated from Kanako kicking her, Clover felt that that wasn't quite the case.
In a way, that constant aura of anger and hostility almost reminded him of...
He looked past Undyne to Martlet and Ceroba who had stood up and started marching over – sure enough, they likely assumed the worst as well. He shook his head at them, making them pause, then looked to Undyne.
“Miss Undyne, I take it?” He cleared his throat and looked at Kanako meaningfully, “To what do I owe the honor? Could ya put us down first, though?”
The fox side eyed him, but seemed to put her trust in him and stopped her resisting, instead opting to cross her arms and look away. “This better be good...”
“Hah... ha! Talkin' to me like that...” The fish Monster growled through gritted teeth and a vindictive grin, “...I like that fire. And you, Human, I... hmph.”
She marched over to an unoccupied booth and sat them both down, then let herself fall into the seat opposite them. She planted a spear at the end of their seat, cutting off any escape route.
“Look, I only wanted to talk to the cowboy but since you two are joined at the hip you're lumped into this now.” The table shook and clattered from her leaning forward and propping herself upon it. Her cruel grin fell to a surprisingly tender frown as her shoulders sagged a bit. “...I know you don't want to see me, but now that I'm thinkin' on it – you should hear this too.”
Kanako turned up her chin and looked away, not wanting any of it. But it wasn't as though she could leave, so Undyne let out a snort and set her attention wholly on Clover.
“Y'know, I spent my entire life thinkin' of Humans as the ultimate enemy. And that whole Snowdin business with the Blue SOUL made me sure about that.” She propped her chin upon a fist and wore an expression as though chewing through some particularly tough gristle. “...Took a LOT to get it through my thick skull that I was wrong about that though.”
Undyne let her arm drop back down and loomed over Clover menacingly, “Over and over again those NERDS in the Wild East swore up and down that you were a damn saint, even went and made you into some stupid mascot like they worshiped you! Hell, me and Birdbrain over there came to blows more than a few times over you!” She jabbed a thumb at Martlet across the room; the bird had sat back down alongside Ceroba, but given her size one would be hard pressed to not notice her no matter where you were in the restaurant.
The fish fell silent again while drumming her fingers upon the table. “...Point is, I said a lotta things. Ran my damn mouth off a TON. So, what I'm trying to say is..” She looked down at Clover expectantly, though the lizard just blinked up at her, clearly not getting it. “Grr. You're really gonna make me say it... dammit, why are Humans always so--”
The former captain rubbed the bridge of her brow, “...I'm not good at crap- uh, stuff like this. I just... I mean...” Finally, the fish huffed and slammed a hand onto the table and sneered intensely, baring the giant yellow needles that she called teeth down at him. “I'M SORRY, OKAY? There. I said it.”
Clover only stared back at her in confusion. “...Okay? Uh, not entirely sure what you're sayin' sorry for here, Miss Undyne.”
“What the- dammit, here I am pouring my heart out and you don't even-!” Undyne glared at him, exuding a heavy aura for the briefest of moments, only for it to vanish just as quickly as it came as the fish lady fell back into her seat. “...I was working up to that this entire time and you don't even know what I'm blabbering about. God I look stupid.”
“I'm... sorry?”
“Why're you sayin' sorry? I'M the one that's sorry!” She shot a pointed look at him, then huffed. “Gah. This is why I don't like Humans, you're all always so... so... ugh! WHATEVER! I said sorry and that's that, got it?”
Undyne got up to leave, but was stopped by a branch sprouting out from the wooden frame of her seat. She looked back at Kanako, who was glaring up at her.
“You're really bad at this, you bully.” She grumbled, then looked to Clover. “She said a whole lot of mean things about you. I can... feel it.”
The fox glanced past Undyne to Martlet, the big bird still watching them very closely. “Martlet is still really angry at you. Say sorry and mean it.”
Clover pursed his lips and eyed Undyne. It was clear that if she had really wanted to, she could leave as Kanako wasn't, and likely couldn't, able to keep her here.
Now that it had been mentioned, he could vaguely recall the confrontations from Martlet's point of view. Initially from Undyne consistently trying and failing to get Martlet to rejoin the Royal Guard, then switching to Martlet being the aggressor, trying and failing to get her former Captain to rescind statements made about him that set Martlet's blood boiling every time she thought of it.
The lizard couldn't help but feel a nugget of truth in Undyne's declaration, cruel and tone deaf as it may have been at the time. His sacrifice had come from a good place, but in the end it only hurt those he grew to care about.
From what he heard others say about her, and from memories both from Martlet and Flowey, that Undyne was trying to make up for that on her own was definitely a surprise. He couldn't help but wonder what had brought on such a massive change to the perception of such a bull-headed person.
He suppressed the urge to peer into Undyne's mind to truly find out, and instead reached under the table to take Kanako's hand into his own. He squeezed it reassuringly and nodded for her to ease up, and a moment later the branch receded into the seat.
“Miss Undyne, I appreciate the thought, really I do, but if I'm bein' honest, words don't have much sway with me. 'Specially since I wasn't even around to hear 'em in the first place.” Though she hardly looked it to the casual observer, he could tell by how intensely she was focused on him that this exchange did indeed mean a lot to her, even if she was fairly bad at actually doing this kind of thing. “What I'm tryin' to say is that I know people change and that I can see it's takin' a lot outta ya just doin' this much, so why don't we leave it that? Apology accepted, water under the bridge.”
Undyne remained quiet for a long while, she simply looked him in the eye and he looked back. He wouldn't call it an unspoken exchange, but rather a reassurance to her that he really did understand, and once she was satisfied, she got up and returned to where she had been sitting initially.
“...I really don't like her. My mom is totally right.” Kanako scowled the captain's way, “That's Alphys with her too.”
“So that's the doc, eh?” Clover rubbed his chin, looking at the dinosaur Monster that had been nervously watching the entire thing from behind her seat as if it was a shield.
The venom with which Kanako referred to her felt like he had been hit in the chest – hearing such loathing come from the fox twisted his stomach and made his heart feel like it was sinking.
Clover squeezed her hand and made a mental note of Alphys' appearance, promising himself to go speak with her once he had some alone time later. For now though, he returned his attention to Kanako still glaring so scornfully at Alphys.
“Well, it's over 'n done with anyhow. Shouldn't get turned around over 'em, right?” He bumped her with a shoulder, drawing her attention back away from the two adults. “Let's get moseyin', ya wanted to introduce me to Sadie, right?”
“Mm... yeah.” Kanako mumbled, still upset but grateful for his attempts to change the subject. She took and deep breath, exhaling a bit forcefully, then mustered a smile. “C'mon.”
She hopped out of her seat, leading him along over to where Martlet and Ceroba were sitting, and on the other side of the bird sat Starlo and Sadie.
The bug gave a kindly wave to the two of them, then pointed playfully at Starlo who downed the rest of his drink and stood up. The pair came to a stop just as the mayor turned to face them, the light reflecting off of his glasses made it hard to tell what exactly he was thinking.
It took only a moment for Clover to shoot a smirk up at Starlo, and mustering his magic, repeated the former sheriff's trademark salute. His smirk got a bit wider when the subsequent BANG! that emanated echoed through the diner above even the jukebox for a moment.
Starlo leaned forward to reveal that he was tearing up with a proud smile. He squatted down and let out a sad chuckle while wiping his eyes, “Just gonna do that without sayin' howdy? Are you really my deputy?”
Clover let out a giggle and hooked his thumbs behind his belt, “Shucks, Mr. North Star. Who's to say I ain't the long lost son of that nasty varmint Vergil?”
“Well now... that'd be quite the twist indeed. Would make for a real good arc with the masses, I reckon.”
The two exchanged a grin, with Kanako smiling fondly when Clover shot forward to hug Starlo. The mayor hesitated, but wrapped his arms around Clover and held him close, then after a moment held out an arm for Kanako as well.
“Bring it in, girl. I missed ya. Both of ya.” He said, choking up a bit, then let the waterworks flow when the fox joined the hug. “Feels like... all's right with the world now. Feel like I'm gonna... hoo.”
Starlo broke the embrace abruptly to sit back in his seat, fanning himself and taking a few deep breaths.
“Are you okay?” Clover looked to Ceroba and Martlet, and even Sadie who had all taken to helping the mayor out in their own ways.
Sadie had produced what seemed like medication that Starlo was obviously against taking, Ceroba flagged Dina down for some water, and Martlet held up a wing over him and let her ice magic only partially form, causing an icy mist to fall to help him cool off.
Starlo waved his hands dismissively at them all and sat up, managing a pained smile at Clover. “...I'm downright chuffed is what I am. I just have a thing about gettin' too excited nowadays is all, gettin' old sucks.” He looked between the women and nodded, “Sorry y'all, thank ya kindly but I'm alright. Really.”
“Mmmm...” Sadie was obviously not convinced, and still pressed a couple of the caplets she had retrieved into his hands. “You take those darn pills right now boss, or so help me there'll be hell to pay.”
An ominous vibrating resonated from the bug's antennae as she bored a hole through Starlo with a glare, and it only took a few seconds of this before he caved and popped them into his mouth, then downed it with the water Dina had arrived with.
The armadillo shot Clover and Kanako a wink as Starlo panted, “Don't mind our mayor none, he'll be right as rain. Things are real busy right now but we've still got a while to go - I got somethin' real good cookin' in the back for you two, so look forward to it.”
Kanako opened her mouth to say something, but trailed off and watched Dina head back into the kitchen with a frown. Clover patted her on the back, “She'll be back soon enough, Kanako.”
The fox sighed and looked back to the others. Whatever the pills were, they had given the mayor a second wind and he looked just fine once more.
“He's still as stubborn as fifteen years ago as you can see. Though Sadie's got his number and then some.” Ceroba smirked and elbowed Starlo, looking down at Clover. “I trust Martlet didn't let anything happen to you after we parted ways?”
“Not at all.” Clover moved over to stand by the bird, who just beamed happily. He looked up at her, then at the others, and cleared his throat. “Maybe ya should... ya know...?”
“Are you sure?” Martlet scanned the faces of the others who were curious now, then just beamed even more. The sunny disposition on Martlet of all people must have really been a shock as even Sadie's brow knitted in concern. “Nothing bad, just... uh, ahem. Mayor Sunnyside, I am hereby requesting adoption papers for Clover here.”
That lit their faces up and they all exchanged a glance, though nobody seemed truly surprised in the end.
“Never pegged you for the mom type, Martlet.” Sadie giggled, “But... it fits. From all I heard about you, you two were real close. We only spoke a couple times at that swing, but I do hope you remember me.” She leaned forward and held out a hand to Clover with a bright smile, “Sadie Junebug, assistant to Mayor Sunnyside, pleased to meet ya.”
Clover matched her smile and shook her hand firmly, “Couldn't forget someone like you. Took a while, but your friend finally came back.”
“So she has.” Sadie nodded at Kanako, “Finally got the whole legendary Wild East crew together, or most of y'all anyways. Feels like one heck of an occasion, and I suppose it really is.”
“It feels... nice.” Martlet murmured, looking around the room, “...Where's Moray and Ed though? And Dalv...”
“Last minute preparations for the festival.” Starlo explained, “Moray was real sore about missing out but the best they could give me was a 'maybe' in regards to showin' up tonight. Still, we'll see them two knuckleheads at the festival for sure. As for Dalv...” He pulled out his phone and scrolled through it a bit with a frown, “I told him we're meetin' up here come sundown and he said he'd be here... maybe he got held up some?”
Kanako's ears stood at attention and she shared a worried glance with Clover.
“Maybe... I can go take a fly around, see if I can spot them?” Martlet crossed her arms, eyeing the front door and standing up a bit. “I dunno... maybe I'm being paranoid but I'm getting a bad feeling about it.”
“I'm sure it's fine, ya know how he is when he comes on back to town. Gets lost settlin' back in for at least a week!” Starlo eased the bird back down into her seat. “Give it some time – night's still young, right?”
“...I guess.” She relented, “I really gotta stop being so... I don't even know.”
“Nosy? Overbearing?” Ceroba offered with a snort.
“I was gonna say protective.” Clover smiled up at her and Martlet smiled back down at him.
“Thank you, Clover. Though... Ceroba isn't wrong either.” The big bird shot a glare at the older fox, then settled back into nursing her drink. “Uhm, anyways... whenever you can get back to me with those forms, Starlo?”
“Right, right.” The mayor nodded then clapped Martlet on the back proudly. “Finally makin' good on that promise from all those years ago... I'm proud of ya, feathers. I'll get to it first thing in the mornin'.”
“Honestly I saw this coming so no surprise from me. Though, there's the matter of school...” Ceroba's gaze slowly trailed across the room to settle on Toriel reading a book and sipping at some tea all on her own. “There's a small school here in Eastwood, but I'm guessing you have other plans...?”
“Yeah. Ms. Toriel offered me a spot at her school over in, uh, Hometown it was called?” Clover looked at Martlet for confirmation.
She nodded while swirling her drink idly. “Yeah. I'll be flying Clover over in the mornings and picking him up after class is done, it's really no problem for me. Clover really needs tutoring on being a Monster and there's really no one else more qualified... I think, anyways.”
Kanako felt her heart sink. “Does that mean we're not going to... but I thought...” She trailed off while tugging on Clover's sleeve. “...I wanted to...”
Realization hit him and he looked just as forlorn as the fox. The two then turned their grief onto the others, and it seemed to be super effective as both Ceroba and Martlet winced.
“...Maybe Toriel would be willing... after everything that happened before.” Ceroba mumbled, though it was clear that the idea of asking the former queen for anything was not something she had ever planned on doing.
Martlet gave her a sympathetic look – the idea wasn't too appealing to her either, but the end result of Clover and Kanako being separated like that meant that they'd just have to swallow their pride and beg if it came down to it.
“We'll work something out, I'm sure. You still need a lot of practice too after all, Kanako.” The bird eased, “And I definitely wouldn't mind picking you up since Koun Shrine is on the way anyways. Well, relatively... easy enough to adjust in any case.”
Kanako grimaced a bit at that – she could picture a repeat of the initial flight over to her mom's house from the cabin. And to do that every morning and afternoon...
No, it was worth it. Very little wouldn't be worth it. The very idea of being on her own like that filled her with enough dread that she'd almost willingly brave Alphys' lab again.
Besides, she could trust Martlet to not go overboard again, right?
The bird looked away guiltily when those feelings reached her, mentally reminding herself to keep her excitement in check when it came to flying while Kanako was with them.
“On the plus side, with Undyne and Alphys covering the costs of reconstruction on the shrine, I can afford a tuition now.” Ceroba affirmed, giving Kanako some reassuring pats on the head. “It'll work out, sweetie.”
Kanako sniffled and let go of Clover's sleeve, “...Kay.”
Surprisingly, Starlo let out a snort at that, then a full blown chuckle. He shrugged innocently at Ceroba's glare, “Sorry, sorry. Just... last time I saw you pout like that Kanako we almost had to give you a spot on the Feistyj Five. Ain't nobody immune to that look of yours, I swear.”
“Oh god, I remember that.” Ceroba shook her head, “I nearly punched your lights out when I found out.”
“It would've been fun...” Kanako sniffled again and wiped her nose on a sleeve, “Mooch and Moray were gonna make me a special costume and stuff, I remember!”
“It was all she talked about for weeks and when Ceroba said no she was super broken hearted.” Sadie shook her head lightly, “And then she got angry at Mayor Sunnyside for 'lying' to her!”
“Guilty as charged, but I think it was for the best in that case.” Starlo held up his hands in resignation, “If she had really wanted to, I think Kanako woulda taken over the entire operation in short order. That look is dangerous, I tell ya.”
The younger fox giggled a bit, her tails swaying more and more.
“There she is, there's that ray of sunshine we all know and love.” Starlo continued on, grinning all the while, “It's a real darn shame we ain't got a deputy for our Town's deputy! I think they'd make for a force to be reckoned with if ya ask me!”
That seemed to really tickle Kanako as she laughed in delight fully, “That mascot is so goofy, Uncle Star~ Does it really look like Clover did when he was still Human?”
“Thankfully not.” Clover cringed, then narrowed his eyes at Starlo. “That reminds me – really, North Star? Clovey The Cowboy?? Ya couldn't even change the name to somethin' more original???”
Martlet got a smug look on her face directed at Starlo. “I told you he wouldn't have approved. Feels good to be vindicated after a decade of back and forth.”
That took the wind out of Starlo's sails, his bright smile faded into a sheepish one. “Right... uh, yeah 'bout that... look pard'ner, I'll be straight with ya – that mascot did a whole heap'a good for the Wild East, and even more so up here on the surface. And, well... not like I coulda asked ya, you know? It was just makin' the best of a bad situation and... yeah. I'm uh, sorry but it's kinda become its own thing now. Couldn't pull it even if I tried!”
Clover held Starlo's eye for a few moments more to make the Mayor squirm a bit, then finally he relented. “...I got the story from Martlet. I'm glad it had an actual use at least... but I'm mostly just glad ain't nobody gonna confuse me for the real article now that I'm a Monster.”
“I still say you owe Clover some royalties for using his likeness like that...” Martlet said matter-of-factly while sipping on her drink.
“Ahah... right, right... while I wouldn't be opposed, Eastwood's kinda in a pinch what with the storm and that whole moth swarm business.” Starlo looked between Clover and Martlet nervously. “It'll take some time, but I'll do right by ya, I swear it!”
That got Clover laughing right alongside Kanako, and even Martlet joined in, followed by Ceroba, then Sadie. The group shared a laugh together, for the first time in over a decade.
It was only interrupted by a heavenly smell emanating from the kitchen, and shortly after its manifestation, Dina appeared with a tray holding two monstrous looking burgers laden with a number of different toppings. They glistened with cheese and what looked to be slabs of barbequed pork.
Onion rings, steak fries, and even what Clover knew to be fried pickles were served on the side along with several different sauced to dip them in.
Each feast practically thrummed in a sublime combination of real cooking and a Monster's application of magic cookery that made for an end result that was greater than the sum of their parts.
The two kids' eyes sparkled as they beheld the meals, and both Clover and Kanako just-about floated up and onto a couple of stools at the bar where Dina had set the platters down. The strain of making not one but two of these culinary masterpieces while also catering to the rest of the party was apparent on the armadillo's bearing, but at the same time, it was also apparent how proud she was of her creations.
“May I present to two real special guests... Uh. Well, name pendin' but as you can see, I really went all out.” Dina's satisfied smirk only increased in intensity as the attention of everyone else in the diner became transfixed on the burgers. “Think I speak for everyone when I say this is both a 'thank ya kindly' and a 'welcome back, pard'ners', from all of us, to you both.”
She opened her eyes and with two swift motions, deposited some tall glasses of ice-cold root beer onto the counter to complete the meal.
“Go on now, dig in.”
Kanako and Clover side eyed each other, but only for a moment – this amount of food could likely feed two or three people apiece, yet they both remained undaunted.
Despite her big meal earlier in the afternoon, the fox's belly gurgled ravenously and would be satisfied with nothing less; much the same could be said of Clover and the feast he had downed just prior. Maybe being a Monster with a Human SOUL meant that this metabolism was just that fast, but it was clear to all watching that neither of them planned to leave any leftovers for later.
And just like that, the pair set to devouring their meal, stopping only after the very first bite for but a moment to hum in delight at the taste. Kanako's tails wagged with wild abandon, and right next to them was Clover's wriggling away in delight.
Even though they were being quite messy, it was a messy food to eat, and so Ceroba couldn't find it in her to try and urge Kanako to be a bit more reserved and proper.
Martlet couldn't stop smiling, and after watching their initial reactions to the meal, she took out her camera and snapped a photo of the party and the guests gathered around, then of the two kids in the middle of trading their sides like a currency while stuffing their faces – Kanako favored the fries, and Clover the pickles, with the onion rings being a middle ground to barter with between them.
All of their past woes forgotten in this moment, the future left up to fate – they were just a couple of kids enjoying themselves, enjoying being around their family and friends, and that photo captured the essence of it.
It would hold a special place in her collection.