Who: Chara + CR, both old and new. What: Chara reveals some memories, fights their repressed conscience in their dreams, is one haunted ghost and goes spelunking. Plus other stuff! When: Around the month of June. Where: All over.
It's unclear how they both got here, whether or not they're actually here or not, but Chara and Ahiru both float above Frisk as Chara's partners boots crunch in the snow. Chara looks, at that moment, at Ahiru, and a bitter smile stretches their features.]
Well. Of course this would be happening... I apologize, Ahiru. You aren't going to like this. [There's no remorse in their tone, just irritation that it might be inconveniencing their friend. The memory continues, and as the air becomes foggy and unclear from where the mists of Waterfall meet the harsh cold of Snowdin, a silhouette of a tall skeleton comes into view. He's been waiting. Chara and Frisk have been waiting too.]
[Frisk walks forward, their movement mechanical but forceful, like the only reason they aren't walking over him is that he just so happens to be in the way.]
But I suspect it doesn't matter. You'll hear it anyway. [The skeleton points at Frisk, and speaks. His voice is high and nasally, bringing to mind Skeletor and the like. Chara suspects that was the joke behind his creation.]
HALT, HUMAN! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE SOME THINGS TO SAY! FIRST OFF: YOU'RE A FREAKING WEIRDO!
NOT ONLY DO YOU NOT LIKE PUZZLES, BUT THE WAY YOU SHAMBLE ABOUT FROM PLACE TO PLACE... THE WAY YOUR HANDS ARE ALWAYS COVERED IN DUSTY POWDER...
IT FEELS LIKE YOUR LIFE IS GOING DOWN A DANGEROUS PATH!
[Frisk's face doesn't move an inch. Chara crosses their arms, not uncomfortable but irritated at all this. They're past feeling any shame for all the people they've killed.]
You were going to learn it anyway. I suspect everyone will know soon enough...
I don't fear the inevitable. Anything else was always temporarily, little more than a pleasant lie. [There is a slight tinge of melancholy to their tone, though. Fear comes from the unknown, in their mind, they can't say their apprehension about what comes after is fear so much as...
Grief.]
HOWEVER, I, PAPYRUS... SEE GREAT POTENTIAL WITHIN YOU. EVERYONE CAN BE A GREAT PERSON IF THEY TRY! AND ME, I HARDLY HAVE TO TRY AT ALL!
[It seems like he's about to laugh at his own joke before Frisk steps forward.]
HEY, QUIT MOVING! THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
HUMAN, IT SEEMS AS IF YOU ARE IN NEED OF GUIDANCE. SOMEONE NEEDS TO KEEP YOU ON THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW. BUT WORRY NOT... I, PAPYRUS, WILL GLADLY BE YOUR FRIEND AND TUTOR.
I WILL TURN YOUR LIFE RIGHT AROUND!!!
[Frisk steps forward then, approaching him. It's easier to see the knife in their hands now.
But Papyrus continues.]
IT SEEMS YOU ARE APPROACHING. DO YOU WISH TO GIVE A HUG OF ACCEPTANCE? WOWIE!! MY LESSONS ARE ALREADY WORKING!!
[The memory arrives on Frisk's crystal early in the morning, and as soon as they open it, both Frisk and Chara find themselves back here. Back in the hollow echo of the judgement hall.
Sans stands in front of the two of them, breathing heavily (Not as heavily as Chara breathes through Frisk's lungs. All the LOVE in the world won't stop them feeling so pathetically human at this point, on the verge of death, covered in bruises and broken bones and scars. Why would a skeleton need to breathe? It doesn't make any sense to Chara. But soon? Soon it won't matter a damn bit. His eyes close, the exhaustion setting in his bones.]
...I don't know what power we have here. But... Frisk, you don't want to look. You don't want to see this. [There is genuine panic in Chara's voice at this. Not Sans' death, of course, because who cares about him? They don't. They were fool enough to fall for his shit once.] ...Please.
[And all the while, Chara creeps towards the [FIGHT] button.]
Those are words that were said to Frisk that had stuck with them during their time in this world. They gave up during that timeline. But, Chara -- they had somehow seen it through. They were from a timeline where Frisk never gave up fighting Sans.
So, even as Chara seems to make their way to the FIGHT button to attack Sans while he sleeps, Frisk doesn't stop watching. Never mind how Chara practically begs them to stop.
(Since when has others warning Frisk ever stopped them before?) )
[Chara lets out a silent scream of frustration. Why? Why must they be so stubborn? It's an awful truth. Something they were never meant to know. But Frisk is Frisk, and Frisk will do what they want, no matter where Chara's hand guides them.
They sigh.]
You don't know what it is that you're asking. You never have.
[The Chara that inhabits Frisk's body presses the button and they get ready to strike (Or is it Frisk that strikes? Or is it someone else?), and Sans awakens with a grin and a wink, dodging it easily. He's ready to gloat, he's ready to keep taunting them into giving up, but it's not Frisk that he's dealing with anymore.
Chara doesn't obey his stupid rules. Chara doesn't wait for their turn, doesn't wait for him to finish talking, they just dive forward and drive their dagger into his chest. There is a look of pure malice and victory as they kill him, as they bleed him. A part of Chara doesn't think that makes any sense. How would a skeleton bleed?
The rest of them doesn't give a shit. He can bleed all he wants, so long as it kills him.]
so... guess that's it then. just... don't say i didn't warn you.
[He steps away, the blood dripping from their knife and his jacket. Chara doesn't need to look as he walks past them. He stopped mattering the second he lost. Even through the memory, Chara's hate radiates.]
welp. i'm going to grillby's. ...papyrus, do you want anything?
[They glance over at Frisk, then. Looking for their reaction as Sans fades to dust.]
( It's true. Frisk has always been determined to do as they pleased and take whatever path they wanted to, to a degree. It's part of what lead them to take the path that they're seeing now.
How strange. They feel nothing but surprise when they watch themselves strike at Sans -- see him bleed. It was what they were aiming to do initially, after all. The more EXP they gained, the more their LV increased. They were nothing like Chara then -- they weren't doing it to get stronger. They were doing it for a reason far more simple. They just wanted to see what would happen -- they wanted to see how much their LV would increase, how the world around them would change.
But, it's when Sans speaks that Frisk's expression shifts, looking away.
They did this. Perhaps then, they hadn't felt anything. But now, their LV isn't nearly as high as it was. A hand grips at their wrist, fingers clinging tightly to clothes. Their chest constricts as their friend fades into dust. It feels the same as when they had killed Toriel for the first time.
They know who they mean. Sans spoke of an anomaly back then -- someone else who was potentially in control of everything back then. )
It didn't feel like it mattered when things could be RESET.
( The Frisk from the memory SAVES and continues on. They don't wait for Chara to follow before leaving the Judgement Hall.
Of course not. I gave you every opportunity to back out. Sans gave you just as many. [They don't need to wait. They turn the corner and Chara is standing against the wall, the buttercups failing to graze their legs. Being a ghost has some perks.]
But... to you. To both of you. It was all just a game. The consequences never mattered a damn bit, because why would they? You were children with the power akin to a god. [The gateway to Asgore's garden awaits the both of them. It always frustrated Chara, that so many people were relying on Asgore once again to save them, and once again he failed.
They didn't expect him to be a difficult fight. How could he be? He's always been too soft hearted to play at the genocidal child killing tyrant that he really ought to be. Chara would offer the souls rest. Peace. Why would they choose him over them?
Asgore's silhouette can be seen ahead, staring after Flowey in the doorway.] Neither of you ever dared imagine that your actions might have had consequences.
But you were a victim too, Frisk. On some level, we both were.
[This memory arrives during one of their sessions in the school, when Chara reaches for something... an apple, maybe?
It starts in their bed, with Chara laying on their death bed, their family standing by them. Their father, Asgore, a large goat man with golden hair and a golden beard and an embarrassing hawaiian shirt, rumbles out words that seem to strike an accord with Chara as they stare bleary eyed up at the last faces they will probably see before they die for the final time.]
C̵̳͉̮̮͓̮̓̿̆̒͝ͅH̶̙̹̩̓͐̃̉̽̽́̽̚̕͠Ā̴͉͙̯̘̓͜R̴̨̢͉̼̹̟̠̠̻̦̲͙̪͔̀̈́͜Ā̴̧͎̦̹̖͔̰͉̘̌͋̓̍̃̈́̈̋̅͆̚͘͠͝, you have to stay strong. You, alone, are the future of humans and monsters alike. Stay determined... You will survive this... you are strong enough to survive this, I promise. [The memory glitches out when he says their name, almost as if the memory itself has been tampered with. But the Chara on their death bed doesn't even seem to notice. Toriel, their mother, dressed in more regal and mournful clothes than the King who stubbornly clings on to hope, looks at Asgore with something that almost seems disapproving, but she lays a hand on his arm anyway.
It's their brother that is important here. And so, he speaks up.] Um. Can I have a moment with them...? It won't take long. [He sounds unsure, like he almost doesn't want them to agree. But they do, and it's just the two of them.
He approaches them, hesitant, a batch of flowers in his hand.] I don't - I know, I promised I'd help but I don't like this plan anymore, Chara... It's really hurting them, we... can't we just go back to the way things were before?
[It's the first time Chara speaks up, less feeble than they pretend to be. The agony is killing them, but they know how to stomach pain.]
...You promised. [They heave a cough, feeling like razors in their throat.] ...It's what they want. We'll save them all. It's what princes, what heroes... do.
Don't you want to be a hero, Azzy?
[He looks at them, tears brimming in his eyes as he plucks the flower petals off, getting a handful and handing the poison to Chara.
Chara takes them, and swallows them whole. Radiating from their dying soul is a determination to save everyone, to be the hero that they all need. More than that, is the agony they've spent their dying days in, having chosen one of the most excruciating ways to die.
It's deserved. It's repentance. They are the only hope for humans and monsters, as a human who lives in their number. And as a human, they deserve only to suffer.
The memory fades shortly after that, with Chara clutching their forehead.]
[ one moment, they are studying together, doing the work of arcane scholars no matter what she might like to call it. and the next, they are elsewhere. far away. in a memory.
satoko, to her credit, says nothing. she watches chara's memory in solemn silence. she watches asgore, and toriel, and "azzy." a childish nickname for someone that matters far more than she'd imagined. (it's hard to imagine any room in chara's heart for anyone past frisk, after all. like imagining a world where rika came second.)
she watches chara embrace death. she understands, for a moment, their dream - of hope, of rebellion, of punishment and suffering.
when the memory fades, she is the first to speak. ]
...your father was a goat? I'd no idea.
[ it's not the most important thing she saw, of course. but of all things, it's what she's gotten stuck on. it's a bit of a surprise, that's all. ]
[They glance up from rubbing their head, brow furrowed. That's certainly a reaction to the memory of their suicide being broadcast. Still, they do let out an amused huff at that, and smile.]
...Do I need to point out that they're not my biological parents? [Their smile strains somewhat at the mention of that. It's not as if being their biological child would have made Chara's life easier... well, not quite true. If they were born a monster, their life would have been infinitely more pleasant. Their death would have been at the hands of whoever would replace them, and they would exist in a loop of suffering.
The difference between the Chara who died on this sickbed and the Chara that stands before Satoko, is that the child who died still lived under the delusion that anything in life is fair. And more than that... that the good guys can ever truly win, that redemption exists, that they had a choice and they were making it.
Monsterkind would never be free. Never permanently. The least Chara could do was ensure that humanity joined them in that damnation when they put both out of their misery.]
...He killed six children after I died. My father did, I mean. Asriel backed out at the last minute of our plan - when the humans of my village were actively killing him - so all of my work was for nothing. My father declared war on humanity in a fit of vengeful rage, regretted it immediately, and was too spineless to admit to such, so he simply let his people live on believing he would save them all when really he was just waiting for someone strong enough to kill him and free him from the burden of ruling. Every child that followed me underground died under his orders, because they weren't strong enough to defeat him.
[Chara is on a trip around town one morning, picking up groceries for the week. They don't see him, but he sees them, and others might see the smiling skeleton that lurks in the dark, watching them.
It's only when they start walking back to their house that they try to use their shortcut ability, only to find that - for whatever reason - they can't. They look around, look at themselves, and only when they catch a bright flash of blue do they realize what seems to be happening.
They're being haunted. The irony isn't lost on them. As he picks their soul up and throws them through a market stall, they let out an irritated groan.]
[ As far as Trench goes, Kainé was having a normal day today. Sure, Anna's been a bit quiet lately, and she's been in and out of weird ruins lately, but nothing that seems really weird. She's out on patrol through the city in her Hunter's longcoat and hat, serrated sword drawn when she sees the child go crashing through the market stall.
She was hoping for a peaceful day just this once, but this is what she signed up for, isn't it? Instinctively, Kainé leaps between the prone child (who she now realizes that she can recognize) and the shape that she can just make out in the shadows—
A schlubby grinning skeleton in pink slippers. Okay. She points her sword at Sans. A Beast? Or is it one of those apparitions that's been appearing around town? ]
[Chara isn't and has never been unused to nightmares. With an entire (very short) lifetime dedicated to little else but horrors, it's only natural that they would follow them into the dark.
This month is getting severe, though. And it's what causes them to start researching ways to make it stop. They figure paleblood is the way, some potential method to opening up their own mind palace and destroying whatever is causing this curse. It's a needlessly complicated plan, but Chara hates the idea of being beholden to another in any way.
Sitting hunched over a book, a demon looms over them, barely visible except for the unnatural shape of it's shadow. Of their shadow. There's deep circles under their eyes and a sluggishness to their movements as they go about casting the spell, some mixture of darkblood and paleblood, taken fresh from their supplies.
They finish the last circle, dabbing the chalk in water to wash away the blood, and then... The exhaustion takes them, and they fall asleep against the table.
If someone goes to check on them, they'd find that the ritual is complete, and a door appears in front of their guest, almost inviting them in. It looks strange though, and through the cracks of the bottom one can almost see firelight.]
[Vira-Lorr was doing that thing that she did from time to time. Checking in. She refused to stop doing that, regardless of how much Chara might have pushed back at one time or another. So, when she saw them there, crumpled over a book, she was rushing over.
That was when the door was there. She frowned, visible worry etching into her features. One hand checked for a pulse, to make sure that someone was just sleeping, but soon after, her hand reached for the latch to open the door.]
Whatever's going on here, the answers will be in this place...
[The door creaks open, ice frosting on the handle despite the warm temperature of the room. The light flickers.
On the other side, a town is in view. It's pleasant looking, even if you can faintly see the way that the trees blanket the borders. It's small, but it doesn't need to be huge. Who would ever want to leave this place? Music plays through the door, before Vira-Lorr even steps in, if it can even be called music. There's something eerie and unpleasant to it.
Distantly, Chara's silhouette can be seen in a field of flowers in the middle of the town. They haven't gotten too lost in the town yet, clearly.]
[The tunnels are dark and they're hazardous. Sometimes, it can feel like you've been down here much longer than you know factually that you have. It's almost like you've been walking in circles for hours, a vague deja vu as you pass every trapped room and every mismatched stone revealing a secret.
It's as you approach a doorway, one that looks like a hub room that leads in multiple different directions, that a small voice speaks up.]
I wouldn't go in there if I were you. If you step over that line, the room will be immediately sealed and pumped full of gas.
There's an alternative route behind you. [Standing behind you is a kid with straight well kept hair and a green cloak and eyes that are a dull maroon. Their skin shines brighter than their eyes in this light, pale and papery. They don't look up as they speak.]
[Oscar was just doing some cursory investigations on his own before reporting back with the main group he had entered the underground with. With the large number of people residing at his address, the proportion of them with experience in dungeon crawling or combat, and the vast networks of tunnels they had encountered, they had agreed to explore what they could within reason and regroup later. Stopping at the sound of the familiar voice, Oscar turned and shined his flash light in Chara's direction.
Ah, this person. They had crossed paths, but never had much of a chance to really speak.]
...Should I be concerned about how you have that info, or were you just smart enough to carry a filtration mask with you down here?
[/Sass sass. He was trying to make the mood light. Chuckling softly, Oscar shrugged.]
Lead the way, since you've been through here before. My safety's in your hands.
You know, it still counts as asking the question to ask if you should ask the question. [That doesn't mean that they're going to answer. Chara kicks one of the loose stones in the wall, and a passage slides open with a thunk. Chara presents it with their arm.]
This will allow us to skip several of the more hazardous traps.
[That was-- impressive. Oscar wasn't versed enough in underground tunnels to know how they operated, and for various reasons that involved having his leg bitten off last spring had avoided them up until this point. In the year that had passed, Oscar had adjusted nicely to the prosthesis and was in many ways still testing his limits. He was behind on his training as well.
But, he could manage.]
Just for a little bit, [He admitted without reservation.] My party split up some to cover more ground, but they're still close enough I can contact them if I needed to.
[Being a paleblood in a house dominated by other palebloods had it's perks.]
MEMSHARES
AHIRU - I STILL BELIEVE IN YOU
It's unclear how they both got here, whether or not they're actually here or not, but Chara and Ahiru both float above Frisk as Chara's partners boots crunch in the snow. Chara looks, at that moment, at Ahiru, and a bitter smile stretches their features.]
Well. Of course this would be happening... I apologize, Ahiru. You aren't going to like this. [There's no remorse in their tone, just irritation that it might be inconveniencing their friend. The memory continues, and as the air becomes foggy and unclear from where the mists of Waterfall meet the harsh cold of Snowdin, a silhouette of a tall skeleton comes into view. He's been waiting. Chara and Frisk have been waiting too.]
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Should I . . . not look?
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[Frisk walks forward, their movement mechanical but forceful, like the only reason they aren't walking over him is that he just so happens to be in the way.]
But I suspect it doesn't matter. You'll hear it anyway. [The skeleton points at Frisk, and speaks. His voice is high and nasally, bringing to mind Skeletor and the like. Chara suspects that was the joke behind his creation.]
HALT, HUMAN! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE SOME THINGS TO SAY! FIRST OFF: YOU'RE A FREAKING WEIRDO!
NOT ONLY DO YOU NOT LIKE PUZZLES, BUT THE WAY YOU SHAMBLE ABOUT FROM PLACE TO PLACE... THE WAY YOUR HANDS ARE ALWAYS COVERED IN DUSTY POWDER...
IT FEELS LIKE YOUR LIFE IS GOING DOWN A DANGEROUS PATH!
[Frisk's face doesn't move an inch. Chara crosses their arms, not uncomfortable but irritated at all this. They're past feeling any shame for all the people they've killed.]
You were going to learn it anyway. I suspect everyone will know soon enough...
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Are you afraid of it? What people will see?
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Grief.]
HOWEVER, I, PAPYRUS... SEE GREAT POTENTIAL WITHIN YOU. EVERYONE CAN BE A GREAT PERSON IF THEY TRY! AND ME, I HARDLY HAVE TO TRY AT ALL!
[It seems like he's about to laugh at his own joke before Frisk steps forward.]
HEY, QUIT MOVING! THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
HUMAN, IT SEEMS AS IF YOU ARE IN NEED OF GUIDANCE. SOMEONE NEEDS TO KEEP YOU ON THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW. BUT WORRY NOT... I, PAPYRUS, WILL GLADLY BE YOUR FRIEND AND TUTOR.
I WILL TURN YOUR LIFE RIGHT AROUND!!!
[Frisk steps forward then, approaching him. It's easier to see the knife in their hands now.
But Papyrus continues.]
IT SEEMS YOU ARE APPROACHING. DO YOU WISH TO GIVE A HUG OF ACCEPTANCE? WOWIE!! MY LESSONS ARE ALREADY WORKING!!
I, PAPYRUS, WILL WELCOME YOU WITH OPEN ARMS.
[Chara hums.]
He was my brother's favorite.
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cw for fourth wall breaking, unreality
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FRISK - SINCE WHEN WERE YOU IN CONTROL?
Sans stands in front of the two of them, breathing heavily (Not as heavily as Chara breathes through Frisk's lungs. All the LOVE in the world won't stop them feeling so pathetically human at this point, on the verge of death, covered in bruises and broken bones and scars. Why would a skeleton need to breathe? It doesn't make any sense to Chara. But soon? Soon it won't matter a damn bit. His eyes close, the exhaustion setting in his bones.]
...I don't know what power we have here. But... Frisk, you don't want to look. You don't want to see this. [There is genuine panic in Chara's voice at this. Not Sans' death, of course, because who cares about him? They don't. They were fool enough to fall for his shit once.] ...Please.
[And all the while, Chara creeps towards the [FIGHT] button.]
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Those are words that were said to Frisk that had stuck with them during their time in this world. They gave up during that timeline. But, Chara -- they had somehow seen it through. They were from a timeline where Frisk never gave up fighting Sans.
So, even as Chara seems to make their way to the FIGHT button to attack Sans while he sleeps, Frisk doesn't stop watching. Never mind how Chara practically begs them to stop.
(Since when has others warning Frisk ever stopped them before?) )
I want to understand.
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They sigh.]
You don't know what it is that you're asking. You never have.
[The Chara that inhabits Frisk's body presses the button and they get ready to strike (Or is it Frisk that strikes? Or is it someone else?), and Sans awakens with a grin and a wink, dodging it easily. He's ready to gloat, he's ready to keep taunting them into giving up, but it's not Frisk that he's dealing with anymore.
Chara doesn't obey his stupid rules. Chara doesn't wait for their turn, doesn't wait for him to finish talking, they just dive forward and drive their dagger into his chest. There is a look of pure malice and victory as they kill him, as they bleed him. A part of Chara doesn't think that makes any sense. How would a skeleton bleed?
The rest of them doesn't give a shit. He can bleed all he wants, so long as it kills him.]
so... guess that's it then.
just... don't say i didn't warn you.
[He steps away, the blood dripping from their knife and his jacket. Chara doesn't need to look as he walks past them. He stopped mattering the second he lost. Even through the memory, Chara's hate radiates.]
welp. i'm going to grillby's.
...papyrus, do you want anything?
[They glance over at Frisk, then. Looking for their reaction as Sans fades to dust.]
He did warn you, you know... Both of you, really.
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How strange. They feel nothing but surprise when they watch themselves strike at Sans -- see him bleed. It was what they were aiming to do initially, after all. The more EXP they gained, the more their LV increased. They were nothing like Chara then -- they weren't doing it to get stronger. They were doing it for a reason far more simple. They just wanted to see what would happen -- they wanted to see how much their LV would increase, how the world around them would change.
But, it's when Sans speaks that Frisk's expression shifts, looking away.
They did this. Perhaps then, they hadn't felt anything. But now, their LV isn't nearly as high as it was. A hand grips at their wrist, fingers clinging tightly to clothes. Their chest constricts as their friend fades into dust. It feels the same as when they had killed Toriel for the first time.
They know who they mean. Sans spoke of an anomaly back then -- someone else who was potentially in control of everything back then. )
It didn't feel like it mattered when things could be RESET.
( The Frisk from the memory SAVES and continues on. They don't wait for Chara to follow before leaving the Judgement Hall.
They know that Asgore is waiting. )
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But... to you. To both of you. It was all just a game. The consequences never mattered a damn bit, because why would they? You were children with the power akin to a god. [The gateway to Asgore's garden awaits the both of them. It always frustrated Chara, that so many people were relying on Asgore once again to save them, and once again he failed.
They didn't expect him to be a difficult fight. How could he be? He's always been too soft hearted to play at the genocidal child killing tyrant that he really ought to be. Chara would offer the souls rest. Peace. Why would they choose him over them?
Asgore's silhouette can be seen ahead, staring after Flowey in the doorway.] Neither of you ever dared imagine that your actions might have had consequences.
But you were a victim too, Frisk. On some level, we both were.
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SATOKO - I DON'T LIKE THIS PLAN ANYMORE (cw for suicide, manipulation)
It starts in their bed, with Chara laying on their death bed, their family standing by them. Their father, Asgore, a large goat man with golden hair and a golden beard and an embarrassing hawaiian shirt, rumbles out words that seem to strike an accord with Chara as they stare bleary eyed up at the last faces they will probably see before they die for the final time.]
C̵̳͉̮̮͓̮̓̿̆̒͝ͅH̶̙̹̩̓͐̃̉̽̽́̽̚̕͠Ā̴͉͙̯̘̓͜R̴̨̢͉̼̹̟̠̠̻̦̲͙̪͔̀̈́͜Ā̴̧͎̦̹̖͔̰͉̘̌͋̓̍̃̈́̈̋̅͆̚͘͠͝, you have to stay strong. You, alone, are the future of humans and monsters alike. Stay determined... You will survive this... you are strong enough to survive this, I promise. [The memory glitches out when he says their name, almost as if the memory itself has been tampered with. But the Chara on their death bed doesn't even seem to notice. Toriel, their mother, dressed in more regal and mournful clothes than the King who stubbornly clings on to hope, looks at Asgore with something that almost seems disapproving, but she lays a hand on his arm anyway.
It's their brother that is important here. And so, he speaks up.] Um. Can I have a moment with them...? It won't take long. [He sounds unsure, like he almost doesn't want them to agree. But they do, and it's just the two of them.
He approaches them, hesitant, a batch of flowers in his hand.] I don't - I know, I promised I'd help but I don't like this plan anymore, Chara... It's really hurting them, we... can't we just go back to the way things were before?
[It's the first time Chara speaks up, less feeble than they pretend to be. The agony is killing them, but they know how to stomach pain.]
...You promised. [They heave a cough, feeling like razors in their throat.] ...It's what they want. We'll save them all. It's what princes, what heroes... do.
Don't you want to be a hero, Azzy?
[He looks at them, tears brimming in his eyes as he plucks the flower petals off, getting a handful and handing the poison to Chara.
Chara takes them, and swallows them whole. Radiating from their dying soul is a determination to save everyone, to be the hero that they all need. More than that, is the agony they've spent their dying days in, having chosen one of the most excruciating ways to die.
It's deserved. It's repentance. They are the only hope for humans and monsters, as a human who lives in their number. And as a human, they deserve only to suffer.
The memory fades shortly after that, with Chara clutching their forehead.]
i'm so sorry, both for the delay and. this
satoko, to her credit, says nothing. she watches chara's memory in solemn silence. she watches asgore, and toriel, and "azzy." a childish nickname for someone that matters far more than she'd imagined. (it's hard to imagine any room in chara's heart for anyone past frisk, after all. like imagining a world where rika came second.)
she watches chara embrace death. she understands, for a moment, their dream - of hope, of rebellion, of punishment and suffering.
when the memory fades, she is the first to speak. ]
...your father was a goat? I'd no idea.
[ it's not the most important thing she saw, of course. but of all things, it's what she's gotten stuck on. it's a bit of a surprise, that's all. ]
i love her so much
...Do I need to point out that they're not my biological parents? [Their smile strains somewhat at the mention of that. It's not as if being their biological child would have made Chara's life easier... well, not quite true. If they were born a monster, their life would have been infinitely more pleasant. Their death would have been at the hands of whoever would replace them, and they would exist in a loop of suffering.
The difference between the Chara who died on this sickbed and the Chara that stands before Satoko, is that the child who died still lived under the delusion that anything in life is fair. And more than that... that the good guys can ever truly win, that redemption exists, that they had a choice and they were making it.
Monsterkind would never be free. Never permanently. The least Chara could do was ensure that humanity joined them in that damnation when they put both out of their misery.]
...He killed six children after I died. My father did, I mean. Asriel backed out at the last minute of our plan - when the humans of my village were actively killing him - so all of my work was for nothing. My father declared war on humanity in a fit of vengeful rage, regretted it immediately, and was too spineless to admit to such, so he simply let his people live on believing he would save them all when really he was just waiting for someone strong enough to kill him and free him from the burden of ruling. Every child that followed me underground died under his orders, because they weren't strong enough to defeat him.
Hardly my family anymore.
OPEN PROMPTS
HAUNTING (Sans)
It's only when they start walking back to their house that they try to use their shortcut ability, only to find that - for whatever reason - they can't. They look around, look at themselves, and only when they catch a bright flash of blue do they realize what seems to be happening.
They're being haunted. The irony isn't lost on them. As he picks their soul up and throws them through a market stall, they let out an irritated groan.]
Do we have to do this now, comedian?
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She was hoping for a peaceful day just this once, but this is what she signed up for, isn't it? Instinctively, Kainé leaps between the prone child (who she now realizes that she can recognize) and the shape that she can just make out in the shadows—
A schlubby grinning skeleton in pink slippers. Okay. She points her sword at Sans. A Beast? Or is it one of those apparitions that's been appearing around town? ]
Hey, fuckface! Leave the kid alone.
DREAM
This month is getting severe, though. And it's what causes them to start researching ways to make it stop. They figure paleblood is the way, some potential method to opening up their own mind palace and destroying whatever is causing this curse. It's a needlessly complicated plan, but Chara hates the idea of being beholden to another in any way.
Sitting hunched over a book, a demon looms over them, barely visible except for the unnatural shape of it's shadow. Of their shadow. There's deep circles under their eyes and a sluggishness to their movements as they go about casting the spell, some mixture of darkblood and paleblood, taken fresh from their supplies.
They finish the last circle, dabbing the chalk in water to wash away the blood, and then... The exhaustion takes them, and they fall asleep against the table.
If someone goes to check on them, they'd find that the ritual is complete, and a door appears in front of their guest, almost inviting them in. It looks strange though, and through the cracks of the bottom one can almost see firelight.]
no subject
[Vira-Lorr was doing that thing that she did from time to time. Checking in. She refused to stop doing that, regardless of how much Chara might have pushed back at one time or another. So, when she saw them there, crumpled over a book, she was rushing over.
That was when the door was there. She frowned, visible worry etching into her features. One hand checked for a pulse, to make sure that someone was just sleeping, but soon after, her hand reached for the latch to open the door.]
Whatever's going on here, the answers will be in this place...
no subject
On the other side, a town is in view. It's pleasant looking, even if you can faintly see the way that the trees blanket the borders. It's small, but it doesn't need to be huge. Who would ever want to leave this place? Music plays through the door, before Vira-Lorr even steps in, if it can even be called music. There's something eerie and unpleasant to it.
Distantly, Chara's silhouette can be seen in a field of flowers in the middle of the town. They haven't gotten too lost in the town yet, clearly.]
TUNNELS
It's as you approach a doorway, one that looks like a hub room that leads in multiple different directions, that a small voice speaks up.]
I wouldn't go in there if I were you. If you step over that line, the room will be immediately sealed and pumped full of gas.
There's an alternative route behind you. [Standing behind you is a kid with straight well kept hair and a green cloak and eyes that are a dull maroon. Their skin shines brighter than their eyes in this light, pale and papery. They don't look up as they speak.]
I know the way.
no subject
Ah, this person. They had crossed paths, but never had much of a chance to really speak.]
...Should I be concerned about how you have that info, or were you just smart enough to carry a filtration mask with you down here?
[/Sass sass. He was trying to make the mood light. Chuckling softly, Oscar shrugged.]
Lead the way, since you've been through here before. My safety's in your hands.
no subject
This will allow us to skip several of the more hazardous traps.
How long have you been down here, Oscar Pine?
no subject
But, he could manage.]
Just for a little bit, [He admitted without reservation.] My party split up some to cover more ground, but they're still close enough I can contact them if I needed to.
[Being a paleblood in a house dominated by other palebloods had it's perks.]
CLOSED PROMPTS