deercountry | I NEED SOMEONE TO REMEMBER MY NAME

[Chara has been busying themself, and to some extent hasn't been spending as much time joined at the hip with Frisk as they had been to begin with. The two of them have spent the last two months going between fighting to making up at the drop of a hat. It was only inevitable that things would blow up this way, but there is a definite frustration with the ways that Trench has specifically gotten in their way.

It was simpler when Chara was dead, at least then Frisk didn't pay any attention to them, and accepted their help without insisting on giving the same in return. They didn't argue back, for starters.

Currently, they're standing outside the house in the middle of the night, hot chocolate in their hands and staring at the Real Knife like it's a mirror. In many ways, it is one.

...Then they start to feel a tug on their wrist, and they look down and see the red string, and the way it's moving. Ah. Frisk is awake. And they appear to be bound together in a more literal sense this time.]

Rather on the nose, isn't it?

[Chara approaches Satoko while she's out one day. Or rather, Chara cuts a shortcut between their own front door and wherever Satoko happens to be at this point, facing the other direction.

They fold their arms behind them. This is a business matter, ultimately, and Satoko is at least a peer considering the degree of her own powers. Chara can't say they trust this girl with complete control over the timeline, but for the moment she's potentially a useful ally to them. She doesn't hold any residual guilt over Chara's state, nor does she hold any sentimental feelings toward them.

Good. Chara is getting quite sick of being mourned.]

Greetings. [That's their only announcement after suddenly stepping out a few feet behind her.] I have an inquiry for you.

[Chara has been making themself busy at camp leviathan. Others might not know yet, but Chara does get the distinct sense of how big a threat this is to both them and Frisk, and for that reason they are fascinated by this challenge. There's the larger threat to Trench, and everyone inside, but that's not their concern.

But right now? Right now, they're hugging their cloak around themself and toasting a marshmallow over a fire. It's snowy. They're cold and they're on their own, for now, alone with the toxic well that is their thoughts.]

The sight of stubborn fools who don't know when to quit fills you with DETERMINATION.

[It's a private joke, but Deku may or may not be close enough to hear them.]

[ Midoriya is, by contrast, constantly thinking of the danger to the entirety of Trench. The urge to save others is deeply wired in him on an instinctive level. Calling himself a hero in training back home, and taking a job as a Hunter here, means he has promised to keep everyone safe. He's known to most people in camp as Deku, and Deku the hero keeps his promises.

Midoriya is still in his hero costume: dark green jumpsuit, armored shoes, mechanical gauntlets, and a mask that hangs around his neck. He can't possibly spar or analyze battle tactics every waking hour, though he's tempted to try. Instead, he fills his downtime with simple things like moving supplies or making sure the beach is free of trash. It allows his mind to rest.

At the moment, he wants to pull off his gloves and shuffle over to warm his hands for a bit. He's surprised when the person there mumbles something. ]

...To do what?

( Frisk has noticed Chara's absence as of late, and it'd be a lie to say that they weren't worried. Something feels off, but they can't quite place their finger on what's going on. Whatever it is, they can't help but feel some exhaustion. They don't know what Chara may be up to during their time apart, but they can't help but feel like whatever negative things might happen is Frisk's responsibility. But, it isn't just that. There's always a strange emptiness that they feel when Chara isn't with them.

On top of the events that had happened last month, the arguments that the both of them have had have left them drained. No matter how much Frisk has gone through or how stubborn they truly are, Frisk is still a child.

But, Chara is their friend. That's the simple truth. No matter what, Frisk wants to try to be there for them.

They awaken when they feel a tug -- one that's familiar, yet new at the same time. As per usual, it's curiosity that draws them forward when they notice the red string, gently pulling on it before beginning to follow it with little hesitation. They could try to untie it, but... they want to know what's on the other end.

But, when they make their way outside, they stop in their tracks. There's some caution now, especially when they aren't sure what this might mean. )

... Good evening.

[They look up at him, only mildly surprised. Hmm.]

It's a general thing. [They pull their marshmallow away from the fire.] Without determination, we wouldn't be able to live, now would we? [They blow on it to put out the fire that's managed to follow the marshmallow. They like it extra toasty. Dangerously so.]

If you were wondering, this wasn't me. I'm not that clingy. [They huff in annoyance. Really, of all things to force them together into another conflict or heart to heart or whatever the hell this is supposed to be, they had to use the "red string of fate".

How symbolic of them, someone passed their third grade lit class.]

Do you know what this is? [They raise their wrist to showcase the poorly disguised shackle.] As in, are you familiar with the mythology?

( There's a knowing look then -- a strong amount of trust that Chara may feel from Frisk. They know that this isn't their fault. )

This place can be weird.

( That might be putting things lightly. )

... I know what it is. But, it might mean something bad, too.

( This world has a track record for things like that... Though, dangerous things have never caused Frisk to hesitate before, and really -- the string appeared without either of them knowing about it. Right now, it can't really be helped that they're tied together like this. )

Edited 2022-02-02 00:21 (UTC)

[Chara responds to the trust with a pang of guilt that resonates through the connection despite their best efforts to contain it. This isn't their fault, no, but they still feel weird about being trusted by someone they hurt.]

It can certainly be that. I don't think we're ever going to get much of a break.

[It itches, like there's something that needs to be accepted before it can stop itching, stop hurting. There's a yearning, they recognize it as not entirely their own, at least not to the extent that they're feeling it.]

Should we...? [They raise their hand, summoning the real knife in their hand. The idea of severing the connection feels... hopeless to Chara, like it's cutting away their partnership.]

( Frisk feels that guilt, and they have no qualms in telling Chara that there's no reason to feel something like that. But, they're the kind of person to forgive someone who's hurt them -- even if they have done so far more intensely than Chara ever has.

Still, there's hesitation - some fear that Frisk feels when it involves cutting off the connection they're sharing with one another. They understand, though. It's difficult not to feel odd about this, especially when there's that strange force between them at the moment that makes Frisk want to further close the distance between them. )

I can LOAD if something bad happens.

[ He cradles his gloves in one arm. The scars on his hand catch the firelight. He can smell the burnt sugar-smoke of the very well-done marshmallow. ]

That's true. Especially here. It's more dangerous than where I come from. ...A different kind of danger, anyway.

[ So he caught someone mumbling to themself... Midoriya feels apologetic. He, too, does that out of habit when he's fixated on something. ]

Sorry for bothering you. Can I share the fire for a minute?

Edited (brackets) 2022-02-10 11:49 (UTC)

Oh, it's unimaginably dangerous. [They scoot over to provide room for Midoriya to take a seat.]

There's nothing more dangerous in the vast expanse of the universe than someone who cannot be dissuaded from their path no matter what measures you take. [They take the marshmallow, still extremely on the inside and outside and bite it off the stick like it's a game to see if they can eat it without wincing.]

I wonder if the leviathan is even more determined than we are...

[ He settles down with a murmured "thank you" and puts his gauntlets in his lap.

Chara isn't the first kid with a large vocabulary he's spoken to. Midoriya feels like he wants to reassure them, as he feels whenever anyone in camp turns their eye toward the future, sometimes literally. But the usual way people speak to children won't apply here.

He's been down that road, wondering if the enemy facing him has more bravery, conviction, and raw power. But that's the kind of distracting thought a fight doesn't leave room for. All this preparation is part of that fight too. It's why Midoriya, poster child for workaholism, is actually eating properly and sleeping normal hours. ]

It doesn't change what we have to do. We have people to protect.

[ Said simply without bravado. Every time he worries or falters, that thought eclipses everything else. ]

Exactly. The only proper response is to simply match this determination in kind.

[Their motivation is more primal than protective. As an entity of world destroying proportions, this leviathan is coming onto their jobsite and taking a shit on their desk. That disrespect cannot stand.

Still, deep down, protection is a part of it. They have a certain fondness for a few people here, even if they know that connection must be severed for them to reach the heights of their potential.]

Nothing has ever beaten my capacity for it. You?

[Chara can be found in the strategic tent, staring at the models on the map like it's all an elaborate game. Strategy isn't their role, necessarily, the concept of an equal battle of minds isn't really a factor that relies on numbers and the accumulation of power.

Still, they might not have much in the way of strategy to add themselves, but they are obsessively memorizing every single known aspect of the battle for now. If they treat it like a puzzle...

But that train of thought is interrupted when Sayo enters the tent and Chara gives her a wary glance. They'd be lying if they said part of them wasn't still upset (insulted, not upset, they're far too powerful to be upset), but they don't want to fight her either.]

Were you looking for someone?

[Sayo, by sheer coincidence, was here for much the same reason as Chara. While she could relay her strategies to the rest of the planning group through Illarion, she needed to get a look at the gameboard herself—epistolary chess was only useful as long as you knew the rules of the game and the pieces you were playing with.

Really, her mindset is almost exactly the same as Chara's, except her powers let her literalize the metaphor into something she could manipulate. It's easy to direct battlefield tactics when you're playing a miniatures wargame, after all.

She pauses for a moment when Chara stares at her, facade as "Shannon" instantly dropping.]

I suspect I'm here for the same reason that you are, so nobody in particular. [She sighs.] Until now, at least.

...I'm sorry.

Edited 2022-02-17 05:12 (UTC)

[They've almost certainly caught her here before, perhaps they even asked some pointed questions and then reset the whole ordeal altogether. They don't even really remember if that happened or not. They've been resetting a lot recently, time seems to blur together more and more.

They sigh, resting their face on their fist. They'd expected an apology eventually. Whether they accept it or not is another matter entirely.]

And what are you sorry for?

For assuming that just because I think I'm the worst person in the world that everybody else's sins must be lesser than mine. [She snorts.] You were right about my self-loathing being just another take on self-centeredness.

[While Sayo is still thoroughly convinced that Chara isn't evil, they're just eleven, there's... something in their eyes which makes her hesitant to say that they're completely innocent either. Game recognizes game, as it were.

Or witches recognize witches.]

Edited 2022-02-17 17:43 (UTC)

It often is. [They consider her words. It's something of an acknowledgement, but they don't think that Sayo fully understands why they were angry.] I was not asking for condemnation or pity or even sympathy from you when I said my crimes were greater.

I was stating a fact. I've had about enough of people reducing me to a tragic victim for the sake of their own peace of mind and denying what I want.

[For Chara, their status as the Demon That Comes When You Call It's Name is a way of having agency over their own circumstances. They know, deep down, they were never free. It was never their choice to plundge the world into the abyss.

It was their choice to keep it there, though. It's the only achievement they can fully say was theirs with no strings being pulled and no corruption in the back of their mind. And yes. They will permit themself to be called a villain rather than a victim for that feat.]

...all I wanted was the same thing. Acknowledgment. Or agency. Or... whatever. [Sayo still isn't looking directly at Chara; her gaze is fixed on the gameboard in front of her as she vaguely gesticulates.] When I made the choice to kill everybody on Rokkenjima... it was the first decision in my entire life that I truly made for myself and committed to.

Until then, every move I made was decided by someone else. Each time I thought I found a way to escape my fate, I was really just wrapping myself up tighter in my own web. At the end, all I wanted was to burn the threads and the tree that they hung on to the ground.

[What had started as a way to vent her worries without having to disrupt her routine as Shannon became another seed of love blossoming in her heart. What had started as an escape from reality, a way to comfort another lonely girl, became an unbearable, horrific legacy.]

I don't know whether I regret my decision or not. [She laughs darkly.] Perhaps if Eva hadn't derailed my plans, my feelings would clearer. But I have to take pride in making a choice in the first place, since it was mine to make. The only one I've ever made.

If somebody tried to tell me rigging the entire island to blow and plotting a series of elaborate murders wasn't my fault or that I was just a victim, I suppose I might react in the same way that you did when I talked down to you at the Snake Den. So... I'm sorry. It was cruel of me especially to do that, when I should've been able to "see" you clearly.

[A pause, then Sayo laughs again. There's slightly more humor in it this time.]

...I admit, even with your abilities on display in the hotel, I had a hard time believing that someone who looked as young as you could commit so many sins. Trench has illustrated how thoroughly stupid I was being in that moment. I also apologize for that.

Edited 2022-02-17 19:05 (UTC)

[Hmm. So, she does understand, to the extent that she can within the confines of her own story. Perhaps all that's different is that she couldn't reach the same level of control that Chara could.

They're silent for a little while, and their expression is pretty unreadable.]

You don't have to keep apologizing.

...I spoke to a boy here, on this beach. He said that death is the only way to be free. I suspect that to be a lie too. You are immortalized by your legacy, that of a static tragedy. You do not get a choice of the role you'll play as your story is twisted.

There is nobody left but me to tell mine now. Frisk believes they know but they never reached the ending that I did. The true ending of our story, one where there is nobody left to tell it, and nobody left for it to be told to.

I didn't destroy an island, I didn't slaughter a family, I didn't settle for those I once loved.

I erased my pointless world and everything in it. Forever.

...

I lost count of how many message bottles I sent out to sea.

[There's a distant look in Sayo's eyes as she remembers her feverish scrawlings in the Golden Land, burning the midnight oil until it set her desk aflame as she wrote, wrote, wrote.

For a few, precious moments back then, she felt like she wasn't furniture anymore. That she was a witch, great and powerful, weaving infinite fragments with her stories.]

All of them were lies, of course. All discarded drafts for the mysteries I was planning to enshroud Rokkenjima in. I wanted to create a scandal so fantastic that it wouldn't let any of us rest in peace. That I could stay the Golden Witch, Beatrice, forever.

...I also wanted to be solved. For someone to really see me, even if it was long after I was dead. Stupid, I know. [She laughs harshly.] But since this me doesn't have the power to erase and destroy entire worlds, it was all I could do to control my own narrative after the tragedy was over and done with.

[Sighing, Sayo finally turns to look at Chara in the eye.] Still, in that respect, we are... very different. I'm not going to pretend I understand what led you here, Chara. I think that would be the gravest insult I could deliver; comparing my amateur writing to the gravity of what you did, what you chose to do. I can barely comprehend the scope of what you describe, if I'm being honest.

...but we both made ourselves into horror stories of our own volition, although you made sure yours would never be told and I made sure mine would spread forever. [She smiles wanly.] And I personally think that tea is best enjoyed in the company of fellow monsters.

[Countless versions of one story to enshroud an island in mystery... It's hard for Chara to understand what it's like to create a story built on lies after living in a story built on lies.]

All stories are lies. It's in their very nature that they be built on deception and illusions. [UNDERTALE more so than many others.] Tea sounds excellent. Though, frankly, I wouldn't call myself a monster. My family were monsters, as were all the people I killed.

I always preferred what they called me on the surface. A demon.

Would you prefer it, then, if I were to call you Beatrice?

...I would appreciate that, I believe.

[The seed of Mariage Sorciere planted once again. Although without a single trace of innocence this time.]

A witch and a demon, eh? Quite a pair! [Despite the melancholy subject matter, Beatrice throws back her head and cackles. A deep, throaty witch's cackle, one that she has not released in one time. Acknowledgment, something close to understanding. Even without the spark of idealism...

It feels... nostalgic.

Sayo may have needed this.]

[Maybe when they were younger, when embracing their role as a demon was just a childish fantasy, but now... it's all become real. For better and for worse. They used to be scared and fragile and angry, and now they're something cold and merciless and apathetic.

Chara doesn't cackle, it's not their style, but their lip does curl into a smirk. They much prefer this side to Sayo - or Beatrice, rather - to the meek persona she puts forward.]

Something to be feared, certainly. [And to cover their bases...] I think it goes without saying that if you keep my secrets, I'll keep yours.

We can even make it an infernal pact of sorts.

[It's late at night and Chara is alone in the cold, a sword gripped in their hand. The sword is a shortsword on anybody of the apropriate size, but for Chara... it's just a sword.

They eye their target, a dummy.

* [CHECK]

* Dummy. Combat for dummies!

Even their internal narration is being snide. How annoying. They strike the dummy with a stabbing manuever, something they read out of a training manual. As predicted, it's a sure strike.

Except now the sword is stuck in the dummy. And they can't get it out. They attempt to yank it out with their gloved hands, and instead fall flat on their back in the snow. For someone who talks so much about DETERMINATION, you might expect them to get to their feet.

Instead they just lie there in the snow. Staring up at the sky until someone walks past.]

Kyahaha! Mariage Sorciere reborn and a demonic contract rolled into one? Why, I thought Halloween wasn't due for months yet! [Grinning, Beatrice extends her hand to shake Chara's.

Beatrice isn't Sayo completely, of course. But it's a familiar, comfortable mask to wear, taking her farther and farther from the pitiful doormat Shannon than her own raw, shabby self could ever be.]

[ Kainé has been at the camp more or less constantly in the past week and more, not even bothering to go home at all the last few days. Have to make up for how that curse had debilitated her at the beginning of the month. Much of that time is spent training. Maybe she doesn't quite need it, with how frequently she works as a Hunter, but the waiting is killing her. She needs to have something to do.

She walks by, her single serrated sword in hand. It's hard getting to sleep when that thing could strike at any moment, and just lying in bed knock her out. As she passes, she glances down at the kid in the snow. ]

Heh. Feel the same way, right about now.

[ It's rather appalling that such a young kid is out her to fight, but what business is it of hers? She wasn't that much older when she picked up the blade. ]

I am a corpse. The sting of this recent humiliation has killed me on the spot. I cannot talk, I am dead.

[They stare hatefully at the sword.]

...I'm better with knives. [But knives are rather short reach, and objectively longer weapons are a better pick for this place.]

I've experienced defeat, yes. [ he says quietly, eyes falling on a distant clump of seagrass. He remembers falling to the ground screaming as someone was kidnapped right in front of him. He should have been able to do something, anything, but he was too injured at the time. ]

I was hurt... and extremely sad. But a friend reached a hand out to me. We were determined to turn that around. We did.

I'll find a shovel, then. give ya a good burial.

[ She spares another glance at them, looking out at the sea. Not very comforting to hear about a kid that's good with knives. ]

You don't have to put that much force into the swing. [ Kainé swings with bone-hacking force, but only because she has the strength and stamina to do so. ]

[They chuckle at the joke, getting to their feet and brushing snow off their clothes. Maybe if she buries them well enough, they won't come back.]

I suppose not. [They take a deep breath and yank the sword out of the dummy. They were never all that strong, it's hard to be when you're scrawny even for your age and even more underfed. Muscle was never a priority in the same way that learning how to dodge attacks was. They examine their sword, staring back at the way their reflection glints with a menacing red light.]

It'll be coming soon, I think. Are you prepared?

[ So many times, she'd just wanted to lay down and die. Even if she's been at a high point in the last few days, she's not free of that seductive urge. ]

Is anybody? But sure.

[ Even if death isn't permanent for sleepers, that doesn't mean corruption can't encroach further and further. At a certain point, it could claim everybody. Nobody left in this rotten world but Beasts. They can't afford to lose, but nobody is ever completely ready for a fight like this. ]

Nothing to do but make that bitch into sashimi.

[They snort, smiling just a little.]

What an inspiring sentiment.

I think we're about as ready as we conceivably could be for an enemy we know next to nothing about. [They swing the swing the sword into the head of the dummy, causing enough force for the head to hang limply, not completely severed, but definitely damaged.]

[ Kainé gives a bitter little laugh, an acknowledgement of their cynicism. ]

Seems that way. [ And she watches them lay into the poor dummy, giving an impressive whistle. That one's not getting an electroswing boss theme any time soon. ] Bit better. Pick out the weak points, look for your opening. Dunno if that thing has weak points, though.

If it does, it'll only be something revealed when it comes to life and seeks to take revenge for a cousin I killed. Last time I fought a sentient dummy, they were invulnerable to physical attacks but not magic. And specifically, not their own magic.

[They cut the dummy's head clean off with the shortsword. No electroswing boss theme, indeed.

* [CHECK]

* DUMMY. Without a brain attached, the dummy got even dummer.]

Uh... okay. I dunno if that'll work against it.

[ She has no idea what they're talking about, but strategy has also never been her forté. ]

Nice swing.

Edited 2022-02-27 23:13 (UTC)

Thank you. [They examine the sword with newfound appreciation, then glance back at Kaine.]

I'm Chara. You are?

[ She meets their gaze with cool, gold eyes. ]

Kainé.

Kainé, hm. [Sayo mentioned her off hand once or twice, Chara believes. So this would be her.] A pleasure to make your acquaintance.

[Gold eyes. They wonder if that means anything. Chara's own stare reflects the dull brown tint to their eyes, evaluating. And empty. They lower the sword, stabbing it into the sand of the beach, and offer their hand for a handshake.]

Let's hope we both survive.

[ That tone is telling Kainé that Chara already knows who she is, and she doesn't exactly care for the smugness, but she bites her tongue. Any kid that smug is probably seriously fucked up in ways that she can relate to. She gives their hand a brief shake. ]

Killin' big assholes like this is my bread and butter. [ The confidence is obviously false, but she's pretty calm, all considered. ] I'll be fine.

You've fought lovecraftian extradimensional monsters?

[Big if true, tbh.]

Say words that make sense. No, they're... I don't know. More like ghosts.

[ Actually getting into what Shades are delves into some very traumatic things for Kainé, but that works as a shorthand. ]

Some of 'em got real big.

[If you don't understand their big adult mature erudite educated words then that's a you problem, lady.]

I've fought ghosts. They were impossible to kill unless they'd taken on a host body.

[They look at the dummy.] Like a dummy.

These're different. They're solid. They bleed.

[ Oh how they bled. ]

Sounds messy. I wonder if the leviathan will bleed.

Probably. Won't be good for anybody.

[ Knowing what blood does in this world. ]

I NEED SOMEONE TO REMEMBER MY NAME | Febuary Catch-All

Cut The String | Closed to Frisk (Early Febuary)

Testing The Waters | Closed to Satoko Hojo (Early Febuary)

No Saviour of Mine | Closed to Deku (Early-Mid Febuary)

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The Dark Doesn't Frighten Me | Closed to Sayo Yasuda (Mid February)

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cw for suicidal ideation

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It's Raining Somewhere Else | Closed to Kainé (Febuary 24th)

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cw for child death mention

cw: suicidal ideation

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