I Am The Eighth (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
itstheend) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
castle_perrault2016-11-27 04:21 pm
itstheend) wrote in castle_perrault2016-11-27 04:21 pm
guess who's back, back again [Backdated to three days after their death so... early Nov? Idk man]
There's no sensation of time having passed.
No game over screen, in which a small voice they now hate tells them to hold on, help is coming (it never does.) It doesn't quite feel like reloading. There's just pain, impact, and blackness, and then... sensation. A heartbeat, suddenly roaring in their ears. Their fingers twitch, curl, and then they lie there, boneless, just waiting for the brat to come down and try and finish them off. Their position is prone, but they'd have the element of surprise. They listen, ears pricked, for footsteps, counting their breathing. Frisk is silent; they're straining to hear too.
Could be five, ten minutes. No sound but them. Nobody comes. A red eye slits open, and their head tilts up a little to see the empty staircase. They gingerly push up on fingertips and toes, scanning the room. They're alone. Well, as much as they ever are. There's no pain. In fact, they feel physically better than they have in a while. So much for a vacation.
*They're... gone...? Frisk's thoughts sound as muzzy as they feel, with adrenalin started to ever so slightly ebb.
That's right. Time has wound backwards, hasn't it? They're not here because they will be here. Only... that doesn't make sense. They don't remember saving here. They are almost entirely certain they would have. They definitely weren't in that position before. They grind their teeth when they remember. Castle magic. Three days. They need to find out what precisely has happened in that time.
They stand, fully, and look up the stairs, lip curling a little.
"Coward," they spit upwards, and the word is warped, flanges, sounding a little like it's been put through one of those voice distorters at toystores. It brings with it a twinge of pain.
*Easy, easy!
It makes them think of hands with holes in them and they hiss through their teeth. They automatically bring a hand to their throat, fingers landing on a seam of raised scar tissue which they trace all the way across it. They don't remember that. Maybe not such a coward after all.
They turn from the stairs and exit the room. They have someone they very much would like to talk to, and this time, they're going to pick up a better weapon than a book. Some armor would not go amiss either. And food, yes. The last of their stocks.
They're going to search the entire castle and grounds if they have to, even with Frisk's deliberate unhelpfulness, and an extremely pissed off and newly alive Chara can be found pretty much anywhere.
No game over screen, in which a small voice they now hate tells them to hold on, help is coming (it never does.) It doesn't quite feel like reloading. There's just pain, impact, and blackness, and then... sensation. A heartbeat, suddenly roaring in their ears. Their fingers twitch, curl, and then they lie there, boneless, just waiting for the brat to come down and try and finish them off. Their position is prone, but they'd have the element of surprise. They listen, ears pricked, for footsteps, counting their breathing. Frisk is silent; they're straining to hear too.
Could be five, ten minutes. No sound but them. Nobody comes. A red eye slits open, and their head tilts up a little to see the empty staircase. They gingerly push up on fingertips and toes, scanning the room. They're alone. Well, as much as they ever are. There's no pain. In fact, they feel physically better than they have in a while. So much for a vacation.
*They're... gone...? Frisk's thoughts sound as muzzy as they feel, with adrenalin started to ever so slightly ebb.
That's right. Time has wound backwards, hasn't it? They're not here because they will be here. Only... that doesn't make sense. They don't remember saving here. They are almost entirely certain they would have. They definitely weren't in that position before. They grind their teeth when they remember. Castle magic. Three days. They need to find out what precisely has happened in that time.
They stand, fully, and look up the stairs, lip curling a little.
"Coward," they spit upwards, and the word is warped, flanges, sounding a little like it's been put through one of those voice distorters at toystores. It brings with it a twinge of pain.
*Easy, easy!
It makes them think of hands with holes in them and they hiss through their teeth. They automatically bring a hand to their throat, fingers landing on a seam of raised scar tissue which they trace all the way across it. They don't remember that. Maybe not such a coward after all.
They turn from the stairs and exit the room. They have someone they very much would like to talk to, and this time, they're going to pick up a better weapon than a book. Some armor would not go amiss either. And food, yes. The last of their stocks.
They're going to search the entire castle and grounds if they have to, even with Frisk's deliberate unhelpfulness, and an extremely pissed off and newly alive Chara can be found pretty much anywhere.
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They focus on the knife instead, on immediate survival and are completely surprised when its suddenly jerked away. They're even more blindsided by being pushed. Oh? They guess its over then. They wonder how it all got sorted out.
They managed to prop themselves up on their elbows in time to catch Chara's sign. Grinning, they respond with a sign of their own.
Watch your step!
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(they're pushed, they hit the Blaster, Sans don't die don't fall down their face is bleeding)
--nobody, nobody is dying. Except them, should the worst happen, which it might not be.
They glance at armed-Chara and nod--they look at Chara signing and sign back too. No. Shh. See you.
Frisk can stop them now if they still want to talk, or find them later if you like.
Although it is odd to understand different motions suddenly. Lip movements most don't pay attention to.
...it takes a bit of quick mental negotiation before their Frisk is willing to wryly mentally 'fax' over the movements required, but eventually Chara tucks the bloodied knife back into their belt and signs back to the other Chara.]
Watch your back.
[And to Frisk, who is. Suddenly between the both of them. For some reason. Okay. They've already stood down but if they want to be that certain, Chara won't begrudge. They wouldn't trust them either.]
One chance.
[If the other Chara ever attacks them, any concession they've made here is moot. They're not particularly inclined to stick around their murderer now that vengeance has been shelved (if they ever see their face again it'd be too soon), and they force themself to move away from Frisk and casually take a step down the stairs as if they aren't holding onto the banister for a reason. They are, indeed, watching their step.]
chara's mcfreakin loosing it
I'm just giving em a warning! They took a reeaaal bad step last time and I'd rather not get attacked if they do it again!
[Its just as weird for them as well, understanding the others signs. But they just giggle again, eye nearly screwing shut in awful awful mirth. They lean a little so they can see Chara, head lolling a little to much. Tiny boneless snake child. ]
See you around!!
[A promise, really. They're stuck together so the other Chara might be friendly. They thing their very friendly. Friendly murderer, friendly demon, smile smile smile!! They beam. Their mouth hurts. Yeah, they'll watch their back! They're also watch yours! They don't trust you at all!
God they hate humanity!]
:'> and a lil bit of dissociation on their end to round things off
One chance. That's good. Better than none.
Frisk follows, slowly. Maybe a little less calmly now. Just a smidgen. One hand's on the railing too, but the other's by their side and shaking, now that it's free to. The adrenaline flooding in, or out, they dunno, they barely know what adrenaline is. Their throat's burning again.
"Chara--your voice," says Frisk, dropping down to their own usual quiet. They're not sure how to finish that sentence off. They don't mean the red voice, either, just--their voice, it's gone, and they're sad about that, but they haven't got much of a tone to convey that with right now.
the fallen child trauma layer cake icing
They don't respond, save for flipping the bird in their general direction. They don't look back at them, and so don't see the parting sign. They force their shoulders down, and take another step, grip tightening on the banister. They refuse to let that to be a mark on them, an aversion to stairs of all things. They were fine chasing them up, dammit.
*Just breathe.
Exhale. Another step, focused on their feet. They're hyperaware of the other Frisk's presence behind them, neck prickling, so much so they almost miss the words. They give a sharp shake of the head and an exhalation, pointing up and then jabbing down at the bottom of the stairs with their free index finger. At the bottom, when they're not so busy making sure they get there. They don't want to sign with one hand.
The bottom of the stairs comes both lightning-fast and agonisingly slowly, and Chara doesn't even wait for the other Frisk to get off them before turning to them.
[Their hearing.]
What about it?
(assuming other chara's totally outie)
They pause two steps up once Chara's off, blinking at their hands. "...Hearing?" they repeat uncertainly. Other Chara's? Their own? That second one'd be weird, though.
Everything's comparatively settled, now there's time for their eyes to zero in on the new scar. "...hoped that was a...one-time thing. Castle messing up. Not...you too. Sorry." They mean that they thought their own scar was a fluke, being the first person to actually die in the castle. Maybe it needed another try to do it right with the Chara who killed them.
...There's lots of Charas around now. It's going to get confusing if Frisk ever needs to talk about them.
(checked with the mun and yup)
It's one of their more embarrasing deaths, they will say. Although dying while getting covered in drifting Jerry cheeto dust comes close.
They gesture at their ears. They were close enough to the other Chara to see the blood trickling down. There's still a lag in their movements and brief gaps while the next set comes in.
[It seems I] No word for damaged, specifically. Their Frisk is conversational, not fluent. [hurt their ears with that shout.]
Chara glances at the green scarf. Oh. Well then. They immediately leap to the wrong conclusion... from a certain perspective. [I see. They killed you too.] They find themself distinctly unhappy about that fact, and it's a surprise to them too.
They don't even bother addressing the apology. Frisks apologize for anything and everything it seems.
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(That one's deaf, this one's mute. There's a blind Frisk here, too. This'll remind them of hear/speak/see no evil images they'd seen a long time ago, later.)
What? There's several seconds of staring before it clicks. They shake their head quickly, descending the last couple steps. "No, no. Not--them, they didn't do it. I did get my throat an'...had some knife stuff happen, but that was a long time ago." And then that Chara was killed and revived intact, though it was death by monster magic. Maybe that was why.
And at least this one only has one on their throat, Frisk's got a bunch in their back and some on their chest that're really annoying when they need to wash their shirt, always catching on whatever they're putting on or taking off. Not that they're going to say that, that'd be kind of--obnoxious right now.
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From the way their throat still feels like the most fitting word they can come up to describe it with is 'crunchy', they're not holding their breath.)
[Who did?], Chara signs eventually after a moment to digest this. It'd be worth knowing, like it was worth knowing about this supposed crocodile they haven't seen so far. They wonder what particular aspect of the Castle's sense of humor meant it healed all wounds except apparently one. Finally, they turn to the pressing question. The other Chara had mentioned a promise.
[What happened after I died?]
They jerk their head up to emphasise the scar on the last word as they sign it. Ow.
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They don't...actually wanna say 'another Chara' to any other Chara's face. It seems. Uncomfortable. Rude and mean, kind of. "Does it matter?" they settle on saying.
Chara shows off their scar and asks their question, and Frisk answers fairly literally. "Found them an' you. We talked. I buried you. And...that other kid when I found him later." They turn partway to glance up the stairs. 'Nother thing they gotta talk about with that Chara, too.
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[It matters if they are still here.] The movements are a little sharper than standard. Do you feel you have to protect them, other-Frisk? There's the explanation, and a moment of confusion at the 'buried' part, because they very much did not wake up underground (for once) and then it all gets swept away.
*!!
*Other kid!?
Other kid?
[Other kid?]
The other Chara didn't stop at them? It makes them just a little more seething about their 'I didn't kill you it was the stairs' plead. 'Him' narrows it down, but neither of them know everyone in the Castle.
[It seems talking was ineffective.]
An observation. If a murder still happened after. Several assumptions are being made here.
*Who was it??
*Oh no.
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Frisk rocks back until they're falling--no, just sitting on the stairs. They didn't eat, and they were freaking out pretty hard when they heard the screaming. They're a little dizzy, and it shows in how long it takes for them to look at Chara straight on again.
"It...was a different Chara. Really was a long time ago, too. They haven't touched anybody else. It doesn't matter anymore."
Headtilt. "I dunno. There was a lot of blood from...you. Might've missed his, he wasn't at the stairs. The kid in red, with the..." They cover their eye. "Buried him too," they add distantly.
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*That's a good thing!
They shelve the information for now. A decision will be made later.
[Paper boy?] They're surprised and it shows; shouldn't someone with human strength and monster magic be able to defend themself against a Chara? It seems they really are an inexorable killing force when they want to be. [K-U-B-O-?]
Is he still dead, they wonder. Was he killed before or after, as the other Frisk kind-of sort-of points out. They'd demand he be dug up if they didn't already know that, somehow, burial doesn't matter. They make a note to find the graves later.
*Maybe they've got golden flowers on them.
A mental picture, of the flowers the Asriel had been tending; the implication of a Frisk that died prior.
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No golden flowers...but there are some. Sunflowers. Resting on Chara's and Kubo's, and it won't be long before the seeds drop into the dirt and start growing.
Their eyes fall back to Chara's throat. "...I can try to get you a scarf. If you want."
hhh sunflowers
*They were looking for us?
*...
*They look tired.
Chara touches the scar as other-Frisk's gaze falls there, thoughtfully. [I am fine like this.] There's a part of them that takes a sort of vicious glee in the idea of others having to fight down the urge to ask, and a sort of 'that's right, I survived this, what can you do to me' pride to push as needed. Nevermind that they didn't actually survive it.
*It's cool!
*Like Undyne's eyepatch.
[The offer is noted.] The closest they're getting to thanks, right now. There's a pause and then they roll their eyes. [Frisk wants to know if you're alright. If there's anything they can do.]
remnant of a Lucas that left some on frisk's grave ages ago tbh
Huh. Frisk starts by shaking their head, then pauses to actually think about it...
...it's not their phrase, and not aimed at that Frisk, but. "Not really. But don't kill an' don't be killed, if you can. It's real messy." Their lips quirk. See, it's kind of a joke. (Not completely.)
that's even more hhhh
*Excuse you!!
*It's not my fault my lessons stopped because... because...
*...I can't remember.
*Just... the words I have work, okay?
*You don't have to use the ones you normally would.
Chara turns away from their tenant's thoughts turning into a large back scribble. They'll work with what they have then. [tell secrets easily.] It's not a guarantee, since they can't forsee the future, but it's as close as they're willing to get to one. They observe the scar, impassively.
At the words, their Frisk withdraws a little. They never heard that version spoken on a flowerbed, only the standard variant. Chara, for their part, solemnly relays, despite a huff at 'messy' that would ordinarily be a laugh. There sure is a lot of blood in a human body, isn't there?
[They say they won't. And the same to you.]
:'>
That's fine, they signify with a nod. One more thing that's good enough for now. It's not like they expect it to come up very much, they just didn't want Chara or Frisk to mention it if theirs ever came up.
"'Kay. Good. Thank you."
Pause. They did talk a little before blowing out their voice (a tiny trick of guilt there, they'd done it screaming at Frisk, but not too much), so...maybe there's something they can do about it. "D'you want me to...try making you tea?"
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*Yes please!
...that's one person on board. Chara has no strong feeling on having tea right now - there's things they want to do but nothing immediately urgent - so they nod again, once. They can indulge this Frisk. Neither kid is making the connection between the offer and Chara's damaged throat, so to them it seems like the other Frisk is deliberately changing the subject to offer a distraction, something they have no problems abiding by.
[Lead the way.]
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for once, it doesn't take them much time to find a kitchen. (It's not the kitchen Kubo's in, though.)
"Teeeaaa," they hum, digging around for a kettle. They haven't actually made it before, but they watched Undyne do it..."No Sea Tea. Or Golden Flower tea...what kinda tea does the castle have?" they sing-song to themselves.
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*...aww.
Chara hands are folded behind their back as they walk behind Frisk, and they watch Frisk dig around a little before with a huff of impatience begin to look for one themself, stumbling across and holding out a copper-spouted affair. Hopefully it's not one of the shrieking kinds.
[Any is fine.] They're not picky. They start opening cupboards, looking.
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"I don't drink it lots, but it helps my throat when I...over-talk an' yell and stuff," they tell Chara over their shoulder, belatedly.
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They place it on the bench next to the sink, sliding it towards other-Frisk with a push of an index finger. When the other Frisk glances over their shoulder they take the opportunity to sign before their attention has to return to what they're doing.
[I see. Is the Castle tea like monster tea, then?]
That is, having some healing magic in it, no matter how small.
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So they just...shove the best-looking leaves into the kettle. By best they mean the ones that looked most like leaves. That was right, probably. If they're wrong...well, they'll just add a ton of sugar after to drown out any weird flavor.
"...I think it's just a thing. Tea's good for when you're sick. If you get food made by a monster, though, even if it's just this stuff or soup or something, it has a little more...good to it. Even if it's not 'zactly Underground magic."
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*writes self into corner* *bluffs furiously*
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