As we walk to Grillby's, I look up at Impact. His regular smile is plastered onto his face, as usual. But, he seems to be acting a little aloof.
I decide not to bring it up until we get to Grillby's.

I can tell that he wants to talk to me about something.

As we're greeted by the smells of grease and burning, we sit down at the bar. I remove the whoopee cushion on the seat before I sit down, and pass it to Impact, smiling.

He simply smiles back, and grabs a menu for me.

"I heard Grillby got a new server last week, Tyler. What do you want to eat?" He brings up, as I lean over his shoulder to look.

"Wow, Grillby has really expanded the menu, hasn't he?" I exclaim, impressed by how much there is on offer. Somebody taps me and Impact on the shoulder, and I turn around to look at who I assume to be...

our server...?

It's the riverperson.

"Uhm, excuse me, tra la. You don't mind if I sit next to you, right? There's no other seats besides this one, tra la."
She whispers quietly, a bit sheepish about intruding.

"Oh! Hey Riverperson! I didn't know you were up topside. And sure - take a seat!" I offer, the hooded figure bowing in thanks as she takes a seat. Impact raises an eyebrow, then shrugs.

"Uh..okay then."

He's interrupting by someone tapping the counter in front of him.
Another revenant?

She wears her brown hair in a ponytail, with glasses affixed to the sides of her skull with tape. A pink sunhat tops her head.

"Hello! I'm Kristen, your server today. Can I take you three's orders?" She smiles, before glancing over at me. I barely get to say The riverperson's not with us before she begins chatting again.

"Oh! You're Tyler, right? My husband has been telling me all about how you freed the underground!" She gasps, before retaining her work facade, glancing at Impact as a cue for him to speak.

"Oh! Uh, I'll have a regular cheeseburger. Tyler?" Impact says, adding my name at the end.

"I'll have some regular fries, please! And a side salad!" I chirp.

The Riverperson takes a while, visibly panicking.

"Uh...What would you recommend, tra la?" She stutters, looking up at Kristen for help.

"Well, that depends. Every type of monster has a favourite food! Like, us Boss Monsters are mainly meat eaters. Elementals like my husband enjoy greasy stuff. Beasts are vegetarian. Insects...Ask Puffet about that." Kristen giggles, nodding towards the riverperson.

"Oh! Uh...I'd...rather not reveal what kind of monster I am...tra la." The Riverperson replies airly, reclusing into her hood further.

"Just get her some fries. It's on me." He sighs, the riverperson perking up once more.

"Oh! Thank you, Impact!" She chirps, before I look at her strangly. Kristen goes off to the kitchen to put the orders in.

"Wait, how do you know him?"

The riverperson panicks a little, then recluses into her hood once more.

"Well...doesn't everybody?" Impact shrugs, deciding to leave the hooded stranger alone.

"Anyway, Tyler...You already know why we're here, don't you?" He sighs, facing me.

"Yep. You didn't just drag me here for lunch. I can tell." I admit, an uneasy atmosphere filling the room.

"Well then. I'll get straight to the point. Dad and I have been worried about you recently. And...I was just curious. What-no, who- caused you to...grieve that much?" He asks polietely. I feel a shiver go down my spine.

Nowhere to run this time.

I look away in denial.

"Tyler, c'mon." Impact smiles, "We're friends, right? You can tell me anything. I won't judge."

I shiver again, then turn towards him, tears in my eyes.

"I...I guess I'll have to start from the beginning, h-huh...?"

------------------------------

And so, I told Impact.
I told Impact...everything.

I told him about Luke.
I told him about my nightmares.
I told him how Asriel broke the barrier.
I told him that this isn't the first time we've had this conversation.
I told him that my mom is a wizard.
I told him about my countless resets.
I told him how I'm unable to True Reset anymore, because of Luke being gone.

I even told him about...that one time.

After I spurt all of this information onto Impact's shoulders, I sit sobbing for a while, some people turning to look at me. The riverperson looks away.

"Tyler, kiddo, calm down." Impact shushes, visibly freaking out over what to do.

Then, in a moment of quick judgement, he pulls me into a tight hug.

"Shh...It's okay, kid...."

Slowly, I hug back, confused.

"I...I don't understand. Why...why are you forgiving me for all the bad things I've done? I lied to you, Impact." I sniffle, sobbing into his jacket.

To comfort me, he places a hand on my head.

"Tyler, let me repeat to you...something you'll remember Castellar saying once." He sighs, trying to remember her words...that one time.

"You can do a little better, even if you don't think so! I promise."

I wince slightly, as I remember what happened after that.

I crushed her skull.

"B-but...but...you said...that same timeline...you found that forgiveness was a j-joke..." I sob again. I couldn't care less about the attention I'm drawing.

Even after everything you had done, Castellar still believed in you. She thought you could do a little better!

....HAHAHA! What a JOKE!

That's just what you wanted us to think, wasn't it, Tyler?

Don't act like I don't know....

"Kid, this may not sound as great coming from me, but listen up." Impact suddenly snaps, lifting my head up to look at him in the eyes.

"I forgive you."

I sniffle, and hug him tight.

"You...you d-dont know...how much that means to me..." I smile weakly.

That's my boy, alright. I heard someone whisper. I take my head out of Impact's jacket to look over at the Riverperson.

She's gone.

"Uh...excuse me. Your food has probably gone cold by now. Should I get you a refund?" Kristen speaks up, tapping the counter for attention.

"Oh, sorry Kristen. We were talking so long, we didn't realise!" I chirp, wiping my tears away.

"Yeah. Sorry. And yeah, I'll take you up on that refund." Impact shrugs, as Kristen shovels the leftovers into the bin, sliding the money over the couner with the other hand.

"Thanks." Impact grins.

As we walk back towards Impact's place, I ask him a question.

"Impact?"

"Hm?"

"How do you remember the resets?" I ask, before realising my mistake.

"Tyler, I think its' pretty obvious why. Y'know, the excess determination an' all." He shrugs, continuing to walk.

"Have...have you been having nightmares recently?" I ask, grinning nervously.

I know that I cause most of them, because of the things I did.

"Huh? Actually, no. Ever since Dad got brought back from limbo, they haven't been so frequent anymore. Not to mention how you promised never to reset unless needed." He replies, stopping to unlock the door.

"Hopefully Castellar and Flowey are getting along." I giggle.

"Don't worry. I told Webs before we headed out to watch over 'em, just in case Flowey decided to pull any funny business. " He grins, ending his sentence rather threateningly.