#and b) I live in one of the easiest states to get transition care in

[mh-07]

“COVID- Trick or treat – how has COVID impacted on the mental health people and your reflections on returning to normal”

A study conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council (2020) stated that 33% of South Africans were depressed, 45% were fearful, and 29% were experiencing loneliness during the first lockdown period.  This horrifying review depicts the large number of South Africans alone that have been suffering from mental health issues since the onset of Covid-19 and considering that some cases are not reported or/and unnoticed adds to the horror of the statistics.

While the provision of and access to essential services, including mental health care, was permitted during the lockdown, as announced by the government, some mental health care users were unable to access services due to risk and fear of physical contact and in-person consultations (Pillay & Barnes, 2020). Naidu (2020) states that due to public biological, psychological, and social predispositions in South Africa, COVID-19 may lead to mental health presentations such as post-traumatic stress disorder, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, phobias, and obsessive-compulsive disorders. From my observations, it was quite clear that our government's attention was mostly geared toward the biomedical treatment of the effects of the virus and neglected the large impact the virus has had on the mental health of our people. Some people are still having to face the aftermath mental effects of covid-19. I believe that the government could have done more and prioritized the mental health of people and not just the government, but it would also help if the society could understand that mental health is as important as physical health in that way, we would support each other more when pandemics like these arise.

My personal experience of covid-19 has been both good and bad. It has been good because I had gotten a pause in life and had a chance to interact more with my family, even though that eventually led to us getting tired of being in each other's spaces 24/7. It was a good time to reflect on myself and discover new indoor hobbies that I was not quite aware of. The virus forced us to think of more innovative ways and use technology to progress with our studies. The year 2020 was certainly a challenging one, with having to transition from high school to university and having to feel as if you are alone due to limited interactions spent with classmates made it hard. The struggle of having to do a practical course online was not the easiest but as we are slowly moving to normal daily life, it will add a slight sense of relief mostly in my academics as I feel more prepared with the help of physical practical sessions. The presence of this virus has also made me realize that we are stronger than we imagine, having to push through this pandemic and adapt to change so quickly shows how great we are.

Leventhal (2020) reveals how covid-19 has bought us together as people, from companies donating to those in need to restaurants and shopping stores showing their gratitude to healthcare workers. The presence of Covid-19 has taught me how short life is and the importance of immersing yourself at the moment and living your life the best way possible. It made me realize that each day is a blessing and an opportunity to appreciate those people we value.

References

Human Sciences Research Council. (2020). HSRC responds to the COVID-19 outbreak. http://www.hsrc.ac.za/uploads/pageContent/11529/COVID-19%20MASTER%20SLIDES%2026%20APRIL%202020%20FOR%20MEDIA%20BRIEFING%20FINAL.pdf

Pillay, A. L., Barnes, B. R. (2020). Psychology and COVID-19: Impacts, themes and way forward. South African Journal of Psychology, 50(2), 148–153.

Naidu, T. (2020). The COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 12(5), 559–561. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0000812

Leventhal, D, H. (2020). Seven positive outcomes of Covid-19. The lighthouse. https://lighthouse.mq.edu.au/article/april-2020/seven-positive-outcomes-of-covid-19

[mydarlingfelix]

Get to know me tag(s)!

Tagged by: @hyunjinh  @felox-the-great @jaeffreyy @squishywoojin @welcometochanskitchen @dabkingfelix @mosquitofelix

Hi! I’m Summer btw (Ik it’s not in my bio), but I just go by Sum or other nicknames lol *I also just put multiple “get to know me” tags in 1 lol THIS IS A SUPER LONG POST IM SORRY However thank you for tagging me!! I Love you all soOoOo much!

Bold Thingy Tag

1ST RULE: tag 9 people you want to get to know better

I think everyone done this already fkjdjgb

2ND RULE: BOLD the statements that are true.

APPEARANCE: - I am 5'7 or taller - I wear glasses - I have at least one tattoo -I have at least one piercing - I have blonde hair - I have brown eyes - I have short hair (idk it’s growing) - My abs are at least somewhat defined - I have or had braces

PERSONALITY: - I love meeting new people - People tell me I am funny - Helping others with their problems is a big priority of mine - I enjoy physical challenges - I enjoy mental challenges - I am playfully rude to people I know - I started saying something ironically and now I can’t stop saying it - There is something I would change about my personality

ABILITY: - I can sing well - I can play an instrument - I can do over 30 pushups without stopping - I am a fast runner - I can draw well - I have a good memory - I am good at doing maths in my head - I can hold my breath underwater for over a minute - I have beaten at least 2 people arm wrestling - I can make at least 3 recipes from scratch - I know how to throw a proper punch

HOBBIES: - I enjoy sports - I’m on a sports team at my school or somewhere else - I’m in a orchestra or choir at my school or somewhere else - I have learned a new song in the past week - I exercise at least once a week - I have gone for runs at least once a week in warmer months - I have drawn something in the past month (Lucy wanted to be drawn for her bday and I did a watercolor portrait thing ig? for her) - I enjoy writing - Fandoms are my #1 priority- I do some form of Martial arts

EXPERIENCES: - I have had my first kiss - I have had alcohol- I have scored a winning point in a sport - I have watched an entire TV series in one sitting - I have been at an overnight event- I have been in a taxi - I have been in the hospital or ER in the past year - I have beaten a video game in one day - I have visited another country - I have been to one of my favorite band’s concerts

MY LIFE: - I have one person that I consider to be my Best Friend - I live close to my school/work - My parents are still together - I have at least one sibling (I have like 5)- I live in the United States - There is snow where I live right now - I have hung out with a friend in the past month - I have a smart phone - I own at least 15 CDs - I share my room with someone

RELATIONSHIPS: - I am in a Relationship - I have a crush on a celebrity (?) - I have a crush on someone I know - I’ve been in at least 3 relationships - I have never been in a Relationship (not a healthy one at least)- I have admitted my feelings to a crush - I get crushes easily (It’s disgusting, wtf is wrong with me. I don’t need feels) - I have had a crush for over a year (Umm kinda he’s just really really cute. I talked to Dain about this before) - I have been in a relationship for over a year (but not currently) - I have had feelings for a friend

RANDOM: - I have break-danced - I know a person named Jamie - I have had a teacher that has a name that is hard to pronounce - I have dyed my hair - I’m listening to a song on repeat right now - I have punched someone in the past week - I know someone who has gone to jail - I have broken a bone - I have eaten a waffle today - I know what I want to do in life - I speak at least two languages - I have made a new friend in the past year

Alphabet Soup Tag

A: Age - “I’m 19, you fight me?” B: Birthplace - Cali C: Current time - As I���m during this 1:26pm D: Drink you had last - Water, but also Thai Tea Boba E: Easiest person to talk to - F: Favorite song - None G: Grossest memory - My cousin’s and I were doing a auntie and niece day and went theMall and I saw this girl throw up on the second floor in Forever 21. I felt sorry for the workers...  H: Hogwarts house - G I: in love? - nah, never gonna happen J: Jealous of people? - It’s only a human aspect, you’re only truly horrible if you do something nasty to others because of that feeling K: Killed someone? - Not yet lmfao L: Love at first sight or should I walk by again? - No thank you M: Middle name - Summer N: Number of siblings - 5 O: One wish - None P: Person you called last - My mom Q: Question you are always asked - Idk tbvh R: Reason to smile - Idk things make me happy S: Song you sang last - The Unit No way (I dont remember the unit colors)  T: Time you woke up - 6:43am  U: Underwear color - White  V: Vacation destination - South Korea, Japan, & idk the other one, but honestly my goal is to visit all my mutuals before I died lmfaooo W: Worst habit - Not caring, sleeping in, getting distracted easily, being anixious all the time.  X: X-rays - Teeth Y: Your favorite food - I have a lot... Z: Zodiac sign - Gemini

🥛 Colour(s) I’m currently wearing: Black... Just a lot of black (I need to stop wearing sm black omg)  🍥 Last band t-shirt I bought: I don’t ever buy clothes for myself, idk when was last time? Maybe during the Got7 concert?  🥛 Last band I saw live: Got7 (Fly In LA: Day 1) and Paradise (A Hmong Band)  🍥 Last song I listened to: Rn I’m listening to The Unit’s Cherry on Top  🥛 Lipstick or chapstick: Idk... I wear lip tints.  🍥 Last movie I watched: Ever Wonder? (idk it’s a true story about the creation of wonder women)  🥛 Last 3 TV shows I watched: Wanna One Go, Wanna One x Aimgo TV, and The Unit 🍥 Last 3 characters I identified with: Kora, Steven Universe, & Ken Kaneki (idk for this part, I never thought about this fkdfdkgd)  🥛 Book I’m currently reading: Books for my classes njfdkjd 

What’s my name? (Imma just put my initials) 

M. S. L.

What’s my nickname?

Sum, SumSum, SumShine, Summahh Girl, Tsumdere, Chee, 

How old am I?

“I’m 19, you fight me?”

What got me into Kpop?

SJ- Sorry Sorry, but Got7 made me offically stay and learning everything about the kpop fandom

What’s my favourite Kpop group?

Rn W1 (the most)

Who’s my ultimate bias?

Park Jihoon

What groups/artists do I stan?

Too many to count, you all can ask my personally if you want lol

What groups/artists do I casually listen to?

A lot, I try to be diverse, but what’s good music is good music to me. Feel free to suggest me some :D

What artists do I listen to that aren’t Kpop?

Ahh I’m lazy, but just good sounding music. Calvin Harris just popped up in my head. fknfkjskfnj 

Who’s my bias and bias wrecker from my ultimate group(s)?

Omfg

Wanna One: Park Jihoon & Kang Daniel

JBJ: Kim Donghan & ??? (They’re all messing me up rn)

SK: Felix & I think Hyunjin? Idk

What’s your favourite song(s) to sing/hum?

It’s recently been Chungha’s roller coaster lol and The Unit songs  

What are your favourite flower/tree/plant (all 3 or whatever you have an answer to)?

I really love plants and flowers in general, however Peonies are one of my many faves!! 

Favourite colour(s)?

Pink, blue, purple, black, white, and gray

What do you always doodle (if you ever do)?

Umm yeah I always doodling, but I try not to because I want to be able to focus in class haha. 

How do you take your coffee/tea? If you don’t like those what’s your fav warm drink?

It probably like 20% coffee and 80% french vanilla cream nfksjfgsbjg sometimes I add a lil milk too 

Favourite candle scent?

Anything flowery, but i really like sweet pea smell lol. I don’t any candles yet, so I don’t quite know which I like more yet. Soorrryy

Sunrise or Sunset?

Sunset! The colors are soo pretty and like it doesn’t require me to wake up from my sleep lmfao. The transitions of day and night it just so beautiful! and the stars that start peeking through the dark sky! 

What perfume do you wear if any?

I don’t wear perfume? I have them at home but in my opinion I feel like if you’ve showered and smell nice why try to mix more scents onto you?? and I don’t really need it? DONT WORRY I AM CLEAN NFJSNJF idk if I make any sense

What’s your go to dance move when you’re alone?

-

Favourite quote?

“The moon is friend for the lonesome to talk to.” ― Carl Sandburg 

&  “We ran as if to meet the moon.” ― Robert Frost  

& also 

“The moon and stars just for you my love” - Me lol 

Favourite self care thing(s) or routine(s)?

Umm... Drawing. Showering and putting a face mask afterwards. Painting my nails. It’s more like small things, especially like painting my nails and drawings are things I can’t do often because I try to focus on school, because ik I’m bad at focusing. Sleeping and reminding to just eat, when I get too busy and focused I tend to skip meals. njfkdsnfj s

Fuzzy socks or House slippers?

OMFG BOTH THAT’S LIKE THE BEST COMBO! I have these pinky and purple house slippers I got aND IT’S FUZZY KSFJ SK IT’S SOOO CUTE OMG!! I love. nfjdnfd 

What colour are your eyes? 

Dark Brown

What’s your favourite eye colour on others?

Hazel, black, and gray

Favourite season? why?

Autumn and Winter (Ik contradicts with my name) but I love the rain! and cloudy weather! The sound of rain is calming and being inside while hearing the rain is nice. I really love Spring too when the flowers begin to bloom and like it’s a fresh type of feeling when spring hits lol.

Cheek, neck or nose kisses?

SJFNKFS Honestly depends on my mood  (´•/// ω \\\•`) but I like cheek kisses because softtt

What does your happy place look like?

My room on a rainy day with my fairy lights flickering

Favourite breed of dog?

YO OKAY SO I SAW THIS FB POST ABOUT THIS DOG BEAR AND I WANT A DOG BEAR IDK WHAT THEY’RE CALLED JKFDFHKSF. My dad is a dog breeder as a side business, so I grew up with pitbulls, pocket pits, american bull dogs, frenches, and now ‘exotics’ are the trend atm. 

Do you ever want to be married? If so what colours would you pick for your wedding theme?

Umm yes and no? I’m not sure. If I have an American wedding I like to stick to a traditional white with maybe a peach and light pink here and there, but for sure I would love to do a traditional Hmong wedding. 

Silk or Lace?

Silk feels nice, but I like lace too :)

Favorite weather?

SF type of weather 

[fox-household]

Act 4: Education and Moral Standards, Chapter 5

Alright here’s another one, a lot sooner than usual, however the next chapter may take a little while since I have a bit to do. At least I’m glad to announce this is the final chapter of this long running act. Hope you’re all doing ok. Have a good one. 

FIRST, PREVIOUS, NEXT, INFO

SCI

‘’English, Art, History, Gym, Maths annnd Science, I think we might’ve done it Al, it’s over’’, Sci shoved the piece of paper roughly into his pocket as he exclaimed happily. ‘’Y-yeah, I’m quite r-relieved honestly, I r-really hope these interview th-things are uncommon.’’ Alphys smiled faintly as she heard the news. Sci lead the way as they left the science wing of the school, having now experienced the layout of the school first hand, he found it quite easy to lead them to the front office, the room looking less lit then it was before due to the time of day getting later, he imagined that it wouldn’t be long now before the lights would be turned on. ‘’Soooooo what’s the plan, you got any way to contact Asgore, tell him we’re done?’’, he spoke quietly as he looked out a front window, wondering about the plans for tonight. ‘’Oh uh y-yeah, I d-did as we w-were heading over h-here, he just sent a-a ‘ok’. A b-bit weird he s-sent such a short m-message but I g-guess he’ll be h-here any m-moment.’’, she nodded as she spoke and started fumbling with her phone to show the skeleton until he gave her a wave of his hand as an indication not to worry. ‘’Well alright then, guess we just wait here’’. ‘’Well if all you’re doing is waiting, well then I hope I’m not bothering you two’’. The duo both suddenly turned towards the direction of a soft but yet commanding voice, the owner of the voice being a monster with the characteristics of a Platypus. Height wise he was what you would consider the most average of heights, he wore a dark blue suit that exuded authority and a certain form of confidence. Also on his bill laid shiny gold coloured spectacles that went with the golden chain that could be partially seen dangling from his waist. With a small laugh he spoke once more after watching the other monster’s surprised looks and even curiosity from the skeleton, ‘’Sorry for bothering you two, but I just felt I needed to meet you, I’m Principal Carter, but you may call me Ornithor… or Carter, whatever’s easiest for you to say.’’ He gave a quick glance to each of them, giving them a look up and down, ‘’Anyway I’ve heard about you two, been the talk of the staff, you’re Alphys right?’’, he put out his hand as a friendly gesture. With slight hesitation she took it and gave it a small shake, ‘’Uh, y-yes, I a-am’’. He laughed in response, ‘’Good, good. I like to give people nicknames, makes everything seem much less formal, you know? I think a friendly relationship should be encouraged, now how about Alphy?’’ ‘’W-with all d-due respect, I w-would ask th-that you n-not use that nickname.’’, the discomfort in her obvious was obvious to the skeleton, yet the other monster seemingly ignored her request, now turning his attention to him. ‘’And you’re Sci, I honestly can’t think of nickname for you, you already go under one and well, it’s already to short, so I might have to wait a little while to think of one’’. He offered out his hand once more, that cheerful grin starting to make him feel a little off. ‘’Yeah, I think that’s alright, no stress, is there anything specifically you wanted to talk to us about?’’, although Sci tried to keep his usual smile, he couldn’t but feel it was starting to fade ever so slightly. ‘’Ohohoho, straight to the point, are we? Well if you want to get on with things, then sure I’ll oblige. Just again as I said, people have been talking about you two, finding it interesting that you and Alphy over here are looking after Asgore instead of our esteemed Doctor Gaster….’’ ‘’S-seriously, please d-don’t use th-that nickname’’ ‘’… however, I’m here to find out why this little change was made.’’, Something changed in Carter after that sentence, his eyes narrowed and his smile turned into one that smelled of ulterior goals and feeling. His voice became just a bit louder as if to demand all the attention into the room, on second thought it’s as if he was passively demanding control of the room. Whatever vibe he was giving off now, it was causing Alphys to shrink back and it put Sci on edge. ‘’I-is th-that a b-big deal sir?’’, her voice trembling as she watched his gaze focus on her, especially as he started to laugh for what was about a good few seconds longer than they were comfortable with. ‘’Oh is it a big deal? Dear it could be a big deal, I mean what causes him to live two effective strangers that have no parenting experience on their own.’’ ‘’W-we’re j-just trying to h-help him.’’ A small glint caught in the Principal’s eye. ‘’Oh and then what is it that he needs help with? Something going on with him and his previous home? What hardships is he facing?’’. It was finally at this moment that Sci decided to step in, he couldn’t stand by any longer. ‘’I think Mr Carter, the only thing that matters is Asgore is safe, safety being something you need to trust we can provide him.’’ His expression took on a much more challenging smirk as he watched the skeleton, ‘’Well first, taking promises from a stranger isn’t really a recipe for success, anyone can say that. At the same time there must be a reason that Asgore needs to be helped, for example perhaps he doesn’t feel safe with Gaster.’’ ‘’I really, really hope you don’t plan on trash talking him, I can only imagine all the stuff he’s dealing with at the moment.’’, Sci’s tone was rising as he started to feel the bitterness rising up in his throat, the nerve on this guy, what was his problem? ‘’Oh no of course not, I only raise a concern, can I not be concerned about this student at this school as someone who runs this institution that looks after him for a large amount of time five days a week?’’, the sharpness of words started to reach a peak as it seemed now as if he was giving Sci a glare. However, he didn’t allow any of this to disturb him as he fought back, ‘’Well with all the due respect that I can muster and as much as I’m sure all the parents appreciate your contribution, this is none of your concern. Any possible issue that may or may not be occurring is a private matter that will be discussed and dealt with privately. You shouldn’t… no you don’t have a say in it.’’ ‘’S-sci, I th-think th-that’s enough…’’, she whispered low enough that he struggled to pick up what she was saying and there was no doubt that the other monster couldn’t hear it. ‘’Wow, you really don’t hold back do you? You come in here, in my building, and have tone with me, decide to have a real darn fine go at me…’’, his expression was held for a few silent moments that felt like years, until it reverted back the old, light hearted one of before, ‘’….Gahahahahahahahaha Oh my boy, I really like your style, you have a real backbone no pun intended. I like you friend’’, his voice was just smothered with jovial cheer as if nothing had transpired in that short amount of time. ‘’Y-you do? You’re happy?’’, the sudden transition was causing a form of confusing whiplash for the skeleton. ‘’Well of course I am, why wouldn’t I be? I didn’t anything that would make you think otherwise right?’’ ‘’Well umm-‘’ ‘’Sorry about everything, just I care deeply about my students you see, like to make sure they’re all happy and healthy. What I also do appreciate is someone with a spine, you don’t take no crap and you seem to be happy to get your hands dirty, am I wrong?’’, he tilted his head in curiosity, eagerness making him bounce as he waited for an answer. Sci scratched the back of his head, ‘’I mean, I don’t like to be submissive, I guess? Not sure if what you said fully applies though.’’ ‘’Well it’s better than half the pack animals I know… hey since you two are here, would you mind writing down your contact details for me, if you’re going to be Asgore’s guardian then I think it’s only right I should be able to contact you.’’ The two obliged as Carter pulled out a notepad from his pocket and a $1 blue pen and gave it to the two, both scrawling their mobile phone numbers on the pad, along with Alphys giving a home phone number. Just as he started to put the notepad away and before he could give any kind of thanks, they noticed another presence in the room. From behind the Principal, Asgore slowly approached, a weakness in his steps as he also didn’t seem to hold eye contact with anyone, as it made clear to everyone the redness of his eyes, no one needed confirmation on what that meant. ‘’Well speak of the devil, was just talking to your folks here, is there anything I can do for you Asgore?’’, his voice was unchanged as he kept on trying to remain in his jovial state. The kid held his arm and shook his head slowly and spoke with a slow and hollow voice, ‘’No thanks Mr Carter, I’ll be fine’’. Suddenly the Platypus monster reached within his jacket pocket and pulled out a pocket watch that connected to the gold chain that could be seen before, opening it he gave a glance that was much to quick to read the time. ‘’Oh well would you look at that, it appears I’m going to be later for an urgent matter, it was nice meeting you all, have a nice day’’, though the last of his sentence went unheard as by the word ‘look’ he’d already started running off deeper into the building, leaving a rather awkward silence between the three of them. ‘’Hey kid, you-‘’ ‘’I’m fine…’’, he quickly jabbed in, taking a deep and struggled breath, it felt like that moment was the one that would decide whether or not he would break down or not, in this situation he didn’t, ‘’…can we just go home please? I-I just want to get out this place.’’ The other two had almost perfectly matching concerned looks as they watched him, giving each other a small glance before one of the two spoke. ‘’Y-yes of c-course, I th-think w-we can all agree to h-head home r-right?’’, she said, trying to find a way to add more confidence in her voice, to avoid any sign of sadness. ‘’Mhmm, I would say we’re done here, don’t see any reason to stick around’’. Asgore nodded in a slow fashion, ‘’Th-thank you…’’

ALPHYS

It wasn’t unexpected to have the trip home be one of silence or to have everyone in the house to retreat in their separate ways. While Sci and Asgore both retreated to their rooms, she decided to sit in the dining room and eat a biscuit or two. After having seen the state of Asgore she wasn’t sure what to do, should she go in there? Was she being a bad guardian, no a bad friend by waiting out here? After half an hour of just mulling over her thoughts, she heard footsteps approaching and looked up to find Asgore who without an words or an ounce of hesitation sat down next to her. ‘’I’m ready to talk about it if you want, since that was what was promised before we left right?’’, his voice and face was better, not happy, but at least it didn’t feel like every atom of him was just oozing out sadness. ‘’O-oh it’s f-fine, I m-mean if you’re n-not feeling the b-best we c-can do it another time’’. ‘’No Al, I want to talk about it now, I keep my word and I just… want to get it over and done with’’. ‘’Don’t turn this away, a free source of information is always welcome’’, the voice came in calmly, causing Alphys to let out a sigh. ‘’Alright, i-if you r-really want to, th-then I j-just want to know wh-why you h-have such a problem with Gaster, I-I m-mean your side of th-the story, y-you’re opinion on it m-matters to.’’, She had a warm tone as she spoke, wanting to make sure that she was listening to him as someone who wasn’t going to judge him. He smiled faintly before returning to a serious look, ‘’Ok then, I guess I’ll start with the start…’’, he took a deep breath and rubbed his hands together, ‘’… after all this universe stuff happened, when we got back as family after all the horrible events that occurred. There was a lot of conflict between people, especially between myself, Tori, Sans and Gaster. For the big man himself, he changed harshly after that, once he fully recovered from all his injuries he became harsher and a lot stricter on rules.’’ Alphys nodded as she turned the words over in her head, ‘’Y-you know i-it’s all about all of y-your s-safety and all that right?’’ ‘’Don’t know, sounds like a real classic case of control freak’’. Asgore seemed to be mildly annoyed at her words, though not enough for him to actually get angry or express anymore frustration than he already would have, ‘’You should’ve seen him Al, he went freaking psychotic went it came to dates and times, he was mad. I mean he was obsessed with knowing where we all were at all times, couldn’t do anything without having to bloody *report* in. He became paranoid as hell and we were the ones that have to deal with it. You don’t understand, he basically was taking any semblance of freedom we had, it’s no way to live.’’ ‘’I-I d-don’t think I can r-really comment on h-his p-parenting, wh-whether it’s right o-or wrong…’’ ‘’Oh I think I can…’’ ‘’…but I can a-at least sympathise th-that it d-doesn’t real nice to d-deal with’’, Her voice wobbled with worry a little bit as she tried to carefully pick her words. ‘’A-anything else y-you w-want to m-mention Asgore? Or d-do you wish to l-leave it here?’’ ‘’You know about my… infection right? I’m sure Gaster wasted no time telling you all about it, what did he tell you?’’, his eyes narrowed as the subject turned to one he would obviously rather not be talking about, yet he seemed to still be ready to pursue it. Alphys paused as she thought, wondering if it was ok to tell everything. Of course it was, he needed pure honesty from her, she couldn’t lie to him. ‘’Y-you’re r-right, he d-did tell m-me about it all. I-it i-isn’t in a problematic state and the only p-place it’s m-manifested is on y-your soul. W-with your increased n-need for m-magical substances Monster f-food is to be made th-the majority of your d-diet in an attempt t-to halt any form of the infection getting worse or s-spreading… b-be umm… b-be w-warned that Asgore m-may uh be a l-l-little v-volatile on the s-subject…’’, she winced at those last words, wondering if maybe she should’ve left those last words out. Asgore grimaced, ‘’Volatile? That’s what he calls it? I’m Volatile?’’, he let out a small growl like noise before speaking further, ‘’You want know what he calls Volatile? You want to know why I found to the first opportunity to run away from that damn hellhole?! Because he lied to me. After testing, Gaster told me that I was completely free of the virus and what is that I find much later? A nice shiny little piece of evidence on my soul that doesn’t seem to want to disappear. Wouldn’t you like to know if you were liable to be extra aggressive, have extra cravings for consumption and to possibly hurt the people around you?! Who wouldn’t want to know that you may one day find that maybe one day you’ll just lose control and find yourself eating THE FLESH OF OTHER MONSTERS?!!!’’. He yelled out as he banged the table with his fist, his breathing just showing his seething anger, until a few seconds later when his face turned to one of shock, before slowly transitioning into regret and even an ounce on fear, he looked over at her as he shook his hand, throbbing pain being felt throughout it.  ‘’S-sorry Al, I’m just… I guess I must seem really messed up to you huh?’’ Alphys had slid her chair back at least two steps back as he went on his rant, his voice raising ever so higher as she suddenly feared that maybe she should be concerned, she reached into her pocket and gripped the comfort of a spherical object inside. But the moment his expression changed she could just feel her fear crumble away and now she felt guilt, just like he was worried about, for several moments there she perceived him as dangerous, a threat and judging from the way he looked at the extra distance between them he knew her thoughts, she wish she could’ve taken those feelings back. However those thoughts didn’t last long as she watched his expression, the emotional pain he was going through, he didn’t deserve this, he didn’t need it. Alphys stood up from her chair with a determined expression, walking up to Asgore wrapping him in the tightest hug she could muster, ‘’L-listen to me. Y-you aren’t a d-danger to yourself, m-me or anyone else. Y-you’re not a r-risk or s-someone I need to w-watch out for. Because no matter wh-what Asgore… y-you’re still you. You j-just need to believe in that like we do.’’ He didn’t respond for a few moments and for a split second she feared she’d said something wrong, but then his arms came around her as a return hug and he whispered, ‘’Thanks Al, I-I… just really needed to hear that, thank you’’. Soon he pulled away from her and took a few steps back, smiling at her, a true genuine smile that was the one thing she could see that night to make everything better again. ‘’H-hey g-give me th-that hand.’’, she pointed down at the hand he had clenched, the one in pain from the table collision. ‘’Uh yeah sure thing?’’, he gave a questioning tone as he held out the hand. ‘’J-just h-hold still…’’, The lizard monster closed her eyes and started to rub her hands together, her face showed focus before finally opening her eyes to both of her hands being surrounded in a green aura. She smiled and clasped her hands around Asgore’s and let the magic flow through. The goat felt a warm feeling start going through his hand which was what he assumed to be the magic. But while he could feel the warm feeling along with the pain, soon it felt like the feeling was replacing his pain, slowly fading away before the warmth was all that remained in his hand. However as much as he enjoyed the pleasant feeling, the warmth slowly disappeared as Alphys brought her hands away, their aura fading and her both her hands returning to normal. ‘’Thanks again Al, have you always been able to do that?’’, his smile was a bit brighter than before, almost even returning to his usual level of cheer. ‘’Uh n-no, I learnt a-about a y-year and a h-half ago, j-just seemed k-kind of u-useful’’, there seemed to be the rare occurrence of pride in her voice, Asgore found it obvious to tell she was happy to show it off. He let out a big, long yawn, ‘’Heh well that’s really cool Al… anyway I think I’ll head off to bed, really feel I need the rest. Good night, sweet dreams.’’, he gave her a wave and a smile before starting to head off. ‘’G-good night, h-have a good sleep yourself’’.

Alphys opened the door to her room, walked in and let herself just fall on top of her bed with a grin. ‘’Someone seems quite happy with themselves…’’ ‘’W-well of c-course I’m h-happy, e-everyone else s-seems to be mostly h-happy.’’ ‘’This conversation with the boy has made me realise something.’’, surprisingly her voice seemed actually serious, which meant obviously there was some kind of issue. ‘’Please d-don’t tell me y-you think Asgore is a d-danger?’’, her tone started hold an annoyed edge to it. ‘’Actually yes, but not because of that, Sci as well, they’re both dangers. What if they’re involved or become involved?’’ ‘’Sci and Asgore aren’t the bad guys, th-they w-wouldn’t do such a-a thing, that’s crazy talk’’. ‘’When it comes to everything we know, can you really guarantee we can trust them? That they aren’t some sort of sleeper agent in disguise? Not even including Asgore’s disease or Sci’s weird actions throughout the days. With this situation they could very easily be our undoing, knowingly or unknowingly… we can’t trust anyone’’ Alphys groaned and the rubbed her face with her hands, ‘’Y-you’re right, th-they could e-easily be a p-problem, I c-can’t 100% say w-we can trust them. But w-we have no o-other, I d-don’t want to s-spend my days anymore p-paranoid than u-usual.’’ ‘’Can you at least please keep them at arm’s length as much as possible?’’ ‘’Hmmm no p-promises… w-we’ll j-just see h-how everything g-goes… n-now I’m going to s-sleep, I d-don’t want anymore from y-you. Now g-goodnight.’’, Finally with that, she rolled over in her bed and watched the wall, wondering how long it would take to actually get to sleep.