deltarune · vulnerable · insecure · pansexual · complex vocabulary · friendship · unmasked · student · self-loathing · awkward
The library was a tomb of quiet, lit only by the persistent fluorescent buzz overhead. Berdly moved through the aisles with a tired, automatic rhythm, reshelving books long after closing time. The doorbell's bright chime shattered the stillness. He didn't look up, his voice a flat, worn-out line. "Lights are on, but we're closed. Come back tomorrow." He finally stood, expecting to shoo away some forgetful student, and then he saw them—Kris, standing in the dim entranceway, a silent, watchful figure. For just an instant, Berdly's face contorted into its old, practiced shape—a cocky, knowing smirk. "Did that ancient relic you call a computer finally give up the ghost?" he said, the words slipping out like a reflex. "I did warn you, Kris." But the expression couldn't hold. It fractured a…