[INTRO] they probably hate having to get used to a new place

[mercybutton]

Nooooo.

[aaaaaa. uuuuugh. What bothers them most right now isn't that they're suddenly someplace they don't know and thus are not at home, it's that they're suddenly someplace they don't know and thus is going to bump into literally Every Single Obstruction that exists here. Honestly, they'd be more concerned about being displaced from their family if they weren't annoyed about the prospect of having to get used to a possibly enormous place. Nobody better move the furniture around.

After a solid minute of laying on the ground they sit up. Feels like grass, sounds like water is rushing nearby. A park? Frisk stands up and starts shuffling around, trying to get used to their surroundings, finding one of the paths winding through the gardens. Then they start walking, gaining more confidence, and then-



trip right into a fountain. Curse their recklessness.]

Comments

[dustless]

"...yeah. It's a castle, with people from bunch of worlds and timelines and stuff. Floating castle. In the sky." That is probably important to note, too.

Oh, right--they finally let go of the other them's arm.

[mercybutton]

So like a hub timeline?

[They start sqeezing the water from their hair, and angle their head to better hear their younger counterpart.]

I just hope I don't accidentally fall off.

[dustless]

Another pause as they work out exactly what they mean. Frisk is pretty good at puzzles, and either this Frisk has a problem with general observation, or something's up with their eyes.

"...hope not. It takes three days to get back when you die. 'S annoying. It's really windy though, so you'll probably be able to hear it before walking off it."

[mercybutton]

[Definitely the latter.]

Okay. Good.

If it's windy, does that mean the big floating castle's moving?

[dustless]

(A belated thought: Hub timeline. They never came up with something to describe it. That's probably going to be helpful.)

Frisk absently plays with their scarf. "...maybe. It mostly just spins, I think. The clouds circle around stuff as if--like...a...tornado. Except huge. It might be moving 'nd we just can't tell."

[mercybutton]

[That's easy to picture for them. So it's that kinda view, huh? They can live with that.]

Um, so you said this was a castle? Is it easy to get lost?

[dustless]

"...yes. It's big. I can show you some of the important rooms, 'f you want, but a lot of the rooms...move around."

[mercybutton]

… oh, man.

[this is gonna be one PAIN in the NECK.

The creeping, belated worry from being suddenly torn from their family is starting to set in, almost like they're crawling up their shoulders, but they shrug it off. They'll deal with it when they're more properly oriented.

They also might have picked up some of Flowey's angry habits. This is what happens when you walk around with him as a guide for so long.]

[dustless]

"Sorry." Trust 'em, they'd make that stop being a thing if they could. Would've a long time ago. They still can never find the stupid kitchen when they're looking for it alone.

"You're in the middle of everything right now, the castle, in the gardens. Stuff doesn't really move here, at least. Although--if you...feel...a wall of bushes, you should try to not walk into them, 'cause it's a maze."

[mercybutton]

[Let's be honest, if the hedge maze is any decent quality of maze and they got lost in it they'd probably die of starvation. So yeah, good heads up.]

Okay, got it. Um. Is there a place where I can find dry clothes?

[dustless]

Which would suck, on multiple levels, both for Frisk and for anyone who found their body. There haven't been too many deaths here yet, and the first of them was this Frisk, and that traumatized pretty much the entire residency of castle.

"There are bedrooms with...closets that aren't in the w--wardrobes. There's old-fashioned robes and stuff you can get while the stuff you have now dries." Frisk wonders if they should offer their hand to lead them, or if that'd be rude.

[mercybutton]

[No, absolutely do. They've no clue where they're going.]

Good, because I'm freezing. Can you lead the way?

[dustless]

"Sure."

They tentatively grab the other Frisk's hand and do so. And they try to hurry it up, too, since the inside of the castle halls are a bit chillier than the sunny garden.

The first couple doors they check are useless--"Has a bunch of gross thready...wall...cloth--tapestries" and "All rocks? Gravel? The rooms can be weird" but the third is the jackpot.

"Wardrobe on the left. And bed on the right, 'cause the blankets are fluffy and'll be a good towel," they say after leading them into the room.

And then they'll step out into the hall, unless asked otherwise. Best not to be rude.

[mercybutton]

[They nod, then turn in Frisk's general direction, offering them a friendly smile.] Great! Thank you!

[And then they go to change, because dripping sweater is gross. From the other side of the door, you'll probably hear furious cloth movement as they dry out their hair on the blankets.

They come out again, dressed a little awkwardly in aforementioned robes. They've never had to put on old-fashioned clothes before. One arm carries their wet outfit, sans undergarments.]

Thanks for that.

[At least tripping into a fountain is better than getting lost in the hedge maze.]

[dustless]

"Welcome. Try to help out everybody new."

Hmm. What else might important to note?

"...there's a tower with a lot of birds in it. If you get in there, they'll probably think you're me and look for food." They sound mildly apologetic. "And food--the ballroom's got tables with cakes and stuff on them, but there's jewelry hidden in a lot of it. F'r some reason."

And outside of castle topography...

"There's a couple Charas here. Except one of them really doesn't like Frisks and hurt a lot of people where they're from." Alright, there's no reason to hide a lot from a counterpart like this. "Killed me once, actually. Locked up in a tower right now, though. And you can probably talk them out of it. But, um, yeah. Should still know."

Ah, guilt. Pointless guilt, they realize, but there's still a general sense of how complicated stuff for the other Frisk might be thanks to this one.

[mercybutton]

[Well, if the other Frisk died and came back, then their SAVE files must still work. And they don't really mind- honestly, they'd probably go to the birds with food every visit, too.]

Sorry to hear that. The other Charas are alright, though?

[They'll probably never manage to find Chara's tower, honestly.]

[dustless]

"Yeah. Even if they talk about--talk violently and creepy and stuff, it's not against Frisks. Don't think they're hunting monsters either."

Infodump time.

"There are some Sans-es here--one from a super bad timeline, one from a barrier-broken one, and one that's still almost a baby from a lab. And a Papyrus not named Papyrus from there, too. And a Mettaton from a good timeline, and one where he's the King. And a bunch of humans and an elf lady and Batman, who's a monster too, but not from underground."

[mercybutton]

[Chara can be morbid all they want, as long as they aren't hurting anyone.]

Whoa, wait, wait. Slow down. So…

[As they go through the list of people, they count them on their fingers.] Bad timeline Sans, good timeline Sans, lab timeline Sans. Lab Papyrus. Good end and King Mettas, elf lady, Batman, other people.

Did I get that right?

[dustless]

Whoops.

"Yes. 'S a...really weird mix."

There's also one other Frisk, but what's plotted for them hasn't happened yet and also muncest but this one hasn't heard of them yet.

[mercybutton]

Frisk why.

"Yeah, I can get that. That's a lot of duplicates, and now you and me."

[dustless]

'Cause they'd be very curious in their place, and would probably want that much information in return, of course!

"Yeah. Lots of people from our...timelines? Places with underground monsters. But not just those."

[mercybutton]

So worlds, too, not just our timelines. Lots of people from different places.

[dustless]

"Yeah. Somehow. Dunno if Determination is...important, or if it's just magic, or some other thing."

Frisk obviously can't see the shrug, but they might be able to hear the cloth scraping and guess.

[mercybutton]

I don't think it's determination. Strangers like the elf you mentioned don't seem to have any connections with uppercase-DT, I don't think.

[dustless]

"Probably not, but me an' Sans were the first ones here, I think, so. Just wonder sometimes."