thunderbolts and lightning

[collectyourfriends]

Over and around one half of the Castle, the skies are filled with grey and rumbling thunder, growing greater and louder until--

Lightning explodes, throwing the edges of everything into sharp relief. Not from the sky, from a tower, the very top of one, something stands. A beast--a dog larger than any dog should be, blue and yellow, roaring a challenge at the clouds. Lightning arcs from it, back to it, and all that does is seemingly make it angrier.

If anyone comes close enough to check, that is.

If they do...

A child wearing a bandanna isn't far, off on the--roof, they guess, where they could walk from that tower to another without having to step a foot inside.

Not that Frisk's about to do that. They're not in any mood to be running, they've had enough of it, they're aching all over from when they fell. All the times they fell. Undyne's spears weren't easy to avoid; like Papyrus, like...Toriel, she wouldn't flee from a Roar.

And they wouldn't let Sparks fight her, either. He wanted to--still wants to! But she's a monster, and they don't want another death on their hands or his paws, which would inevitably be the result. Especially since she's something near water-type, according to Papyrus. 

Who's gone again, but they're less worried about it this time around, that's just...the Castle. He didn't know they'd left in the first place.

It's good that they're here. It's giving them time to rest, relax--they're sitting down, digging into some of their Berry stash, watching Sparks direct his rage at the sky, which is also helpful. He's getting his aggression out, which means less risk of lashing out, and again, less death. And less worry about their team wanting to battle each other, which is possible but doesn't end well--or end, leading to friendly-but-real fights being reignited at random intervals for months.

Frisk doesn't expect to be here longer than a day and a half again; they're just going to hang out up here until they're brought back.

Comments

nooooooooo I love it! Also sorry for late hhh

[itstheend]

HOLY FUCK

Even knowing the not-dog is at the door, the first BANG makes Chara jump almost a foot in the air, fear curling thick like the smoke seeping under said door around their diaphragm. The second is less jolting, but nor more pleasant. They hurriedly wedge the pole in between two stones where the mortar has fallen out and push. Miraculously, the shaft snaps cleanly into a point, the momentum of it jolting them forward and a raised arm catching splinters. They take the large cloth and their new, longer stake, and set up shop by the door.

They wrap their hand in the edge of their sweater and take a deep breath, ears straining for the scrabble of claws. There's a tempo of bangs, the door starting to give, and just before the next... they quickly slide the hot bolt and hurriedly let go of the sweater to grip the cloth, ready to swing it down and over anything that comes barrelling through.

np /o/ I AM JUST OVERLY EXCITED ABOUT WRITING THESE CHARACTERS

[collectyourfriends]

The door slams open--it'd still felt strong, Sparks is taken entirely off guard and gracelessly trips over himself.

???



This gives Chara's cloth the perfect opportunity to sweep over him, cling to him thanks to his own static. Instinct shocks him into stillness. Close thing, dark thing, bad thing.

But only for a few seconds before he starts shaking, trying to get it off--

I get you, they're great : D

[itstheend]

It briefly looks like whatever the dog is shares a trait with birds - cover their eyes, get them to calm - before, nope, nothing is that easy for Chara.

They have a choice here; stab through the cloth while the dog is distracted, or take the opportunity to run down the stairs. FIGHT, or MERCY.

*MERCY!

The dog clearly has a high SPD stat. It could easily catch up to them, catch them off-guard. They don't want to have a repeat of the stairs incident. So, really, there's no choice at all. Frisk makes an unheard aggravated noise.

Just stabbing won't work, apparently - how much HP does this thing have? So they're going to have to be clever about it. They jump on top of the struggling dog, trying to pin the cloth in place with their slight weight, because they can't pin a dog that size down completely, gripping tightly with their knees. They raise the stake, and when they think they have a good shot, bring it down and over the mountains of the dog's head.

If they can just get the eyes, their chances of survival become higher.

*It's not trying to kill you!
*Chara!

[collectyourfriends]

Too much mane, the stake thwaks into it without getting close enough to an eye, scraping a line into his forehead instead.

That's not what matters. The cloth doesn't matter either. The human being on top of him, that, that does. For the first time in this fight, he's angry.



Sparks explodes, roaring, thundering, jolting and rolling straight onto his back to get them off!

[itstheend]

Bad plan bad plan bad plan bad plan bad plan.

Chara jams the stake between their jaws hard enough they bite their tongue and taste blood, and hang on for dear life as the animal(?) bucks and shakes and snarls, and this too turns out to be a bad idea when it decides to roll.

They are not given to letting go easily, even when Frisk shouts at them to, and the response is delayed. The electric dog's weight falls on their legs and lower half, crushing and pinning them. Trapped!

Chara goes berserk. They no longer care about being precise; they're running on full adrenalin here. They once more take their knife and this time attempt to stab through the cloth, repeatedly, anywhere they can reach, uncaring as their hands and fingers blister from the warming weapon, the wood handle starting to smoke. Get off get off get off get off.

[collectyourfriends]

Stinging slices, welling redness, smells like ozone.

Their knife is in their hand, means they let go, means he can roll away and scramble to his feet ad maybe they've let go--but even if they have, the cloth's torn and tangled around his legs, he can't stand.

He twitches and lashes out with claws, struggling to get out of this stupid trap, and a bristle of a wave of electricity rushes through his fur--a Thunder Wave, reflexive, to inflict paralysis so he can have a chance to get escape the smothering sensation.

[itstheend]

They can't tell how much damage they're doing, but they can almost imagine 1's ticking down. And then the dog rolls away... taking the blade with it, still embedded before they could withdraw it.

Still, at least they themself are free, and they still have the stake. And the dog is having difficulty moving.

The cloth is thick, but not invulnerable; it's designed to insulate castle walls, not withstand continuous arcs of electricity. There's the distinct scent of smoke curling from it, and unlike the door it might just catch fire. Still, the more it chars, the less effective it is as an entrapping tangle.

This time, Chara makes the smart choice. They run. The tower door unfortunately only bolts from the inside, but they slam it shut to give them just a little more time before they race down the stairs, their breath coming in ragged puffs, straining their hearing for any sound of pursuit above their footsteps. They need to find solid ground, and an advantage.

[collectyourfriends]

The cloth rips from his claws and teeth once he gets a proper hold, tearing his front half free, but then he has a problem. The knife's in his back and so's the cloth. He can't roll around any more to get it off without shoving the blade in too deep.

Sparks spends a moment (or several) lying on his side before he can fight to his feet, panting.

But he doesn't hesitate for long. Even if his strides are slower now--even if the reeking cloth trails behind him like a ragged cape--he starts loping after them.

He's not going to give up so easily.



"TRRR!" Get back here!

...He can't let a human on their own beat him. That's just embarrassing.

making stuff up about castle interior hope it's okay

[itstheend]

Would it help to know this human once managed to murder all monsters? No, probably not.

Running fast. There's an angry sound behind them. Running faster. Wow, that's familiar. At this moment, the movie would be starting - 'you're probably wondering how I go into this situation'. Usually they're good with animals.

*I think... it was probably the shoe-throwing that did it.

Sardonicism doesn't suit you, Frisk.

Chara opens the first door on the staircase they find, rushing through it; there's a lock on it, but they have no key and no time to attempt messing around with it. There's doors lining the hallway they find themself in, windows on the other side, but they don't want to risk being trapped again if the not-monster's nose is as sensitive as it's canine shape suggests.

They spend a little of their headstart standing on their tiptoes and carefully easing one of the flaming wall-torches out of it's sconce, gripping it in their off-hand and ignoring the way the heat from the flame makes their burns throb. They feel a little better with two weapons, now.

Time to make things just a little harder for their opponent, too. But they're still sequentially checking doors for items usable as traps when they hear the clack of claws behind them and turn, bracing themself.

No more prep time, apparently. They're keeping away from the windows, in case the dog can make lightning twist under and through them.

def ✔️

[collectyourfriends]

There they are.

No running full-tilt in their direction this time, clever human. He hangs back instead, pacing left and right a few doors down, carefully watching them and their flame and the rest of the doors. He took over a minute to get down here, who knows what they might've prepared in that time?

Sparks could still easily win this from afar, but that would take a Thunder, and that would more than likely be fatal. Irritated as he is, he doesn't want to kill a child.



He pauses to shake again, but the blade and cloth stay where they are, still hampering his movement. The stick might still be beneath him, but he hasn't looked to check--it's less of a problem either way.

"Rrr...rrrm." Trouble, trouble. You.

[itstheend]

So sharp they might just cut themself. They have no idea how vulnerable they really would be, if the dog was playing for keeps. They assume he needs lightning to channel, or physical contact.

They do notice the dog is keeping their distance this time; good news and bad news. The good news is not having to dodge a charge, the bad is that it's learning. The gruff sound it makes is vindicating - they're having an impact, evidently - but also a sign they're being taken more seriously, and while that's usually something Chara enjoys in combat there is an advantage to underestimation.

Chara holds the torch and the pole-point out at the ready, and starts, methodically, walking backwards step by step, keeping their weight well-distributed with each one and keeping the wall in their peripheral vision. Where are they going? They don't know. But they're not going to be the one to make the first move. This environment doesn't have anything to work with. And maybe if the stalemate goes on long enough, the dog will get bored and stop.

[collectyourfriends]

Slowly--not quite matching their steps backwards--Sparks advances.

And barks. Where are you going? Pity they're not a monster now, or they'd have a chance at gleaning some meaning. Not that being impossible to understand stops him. Give up? Too scared?

He rears up, exaggeratedly boxing the air with his paws, taunting, before landing in a mock-playful bow.

He may be underestimating how hurt they are.

[itstheend]

They can interpret the bark as well as they could any dog's - which is to say, they get the first part, a sense of disappointment at non-engagement, but not the second.

That's well communicated by the subsequent actions. Chara takes the opportunity to increase the gap, a smile spreading up their face. Well, two can play at that game. They jerk their head back, flashing their throat, motion with their weapons towards themself, and let their steps backwards occur in more of a confident straight line. A fluffing of fur in all but the actual.

They huff in their throat and through their teeth; a more aspirated tch.

What about you, dog monster? You haven't closed the gap yet.

[collectyourfriends]

No reaction would've done better for a getaway. Chara shows a vulnerable place, Chara shows teeth, Sparks flashes his back. And literally flashes, a necklace of light high on his throat.

You've got battle spirit, he tells them in a short howl, showing approval in a few jerking wags of his tail.



He lopes at them with increased speed. Leap, scream instincts, but he's no Electrike pup. He refuses to sink down, either, giving them a chance to swing cinders down into his eyes or jump on him again instead.

[itstheend]

For the first time Chara is... not enjoying this, exactly, but there's something of the adrenalin junkie about them. That vicious euphoria of walking on a razor edge. Their smile widens as the dog lopes towards them, and they stop retreating, lowering their centre of gravity instead. No point continuing if the decision to outpace has been made.

They do wish they had found resources to set up a trap. They wish they and Frisk had spent more time practicing partial control; dodging feels like it might be needed soon.

The dog's playing this smart; Chara is filled with grudging respect.

As soon as it's close enough, they're going to attempt to step to the side and swiftly stab; once more aiming for an eye.

monster biology ahoy

[collectyourfriends]

Sparks' opponent moves to the side, and he's learned enough about their strategy to match them in the opposite direction. No easy blows to the face--in fact, all they've got is what they're holding. No special moves to speak of.

Time to try to get rid of them.

Targeting the weapon not on fire first, he jerks his head forward, jaws snapping and giving a few good looks at the inside of his mouth--there's less teeth than a real dog, only a few in the front before disappearing. Further back tapers slightly inward, leaving smooth hard lines of blue the same shade of his fur

Looks like wire cutters on pliers. Something that could at least leave marks in wood if he manages to get a hold of it, though it'd take a couple bites to cut clean through.

[itstheend]

MISS. There's a hiss of frustrated air through Chara's teeth. They tense, expecting attack to their person, but instead the dog... goes for their weapons?

A couple bites is, however, exactly what they need - for a moment they thought the dog would cut it in one go like the large wolf, but that it doesn't gives them enough time to try a strategy.

They jab again, still aiming for an eye, but watching the dog's mouth carefully. As soon as it's open to bite the stick, they're trying to thrust the flaming end of the torch right down its throat.

[collectyourfriends]

Head twists, eyes snap shut for protection even while he keeps snapping forward--gives Chara the perfect opening.

Fire punches into the back of Sparks' mouth.

"RIIIIIII--!"



He screams and scrabbles back, every inch of fur standing on end with an explosive zzzzzzz of broken machines, head jerking madly. Get it out get it out get it OUT GET IT OUT--

--but you can't shake a burn out.

[itstheend]

A burn for a burn - they feel a little bit of scrap-in-mouth pride. They don't attempt a followup strike, letting the dog back off. See? Isn't it a better idea not to attack them?

It's... disturbing and disconcerting, they think, when they can't tell how much damage they're doing in an easily quantifiable sense; it feels like missing a thumb, flying blind. Which in turn gives them an idea; they take the opportunity given to do what they really should have done first: *Check.
*!
*Um. Okay this is really weird.
*Chara, their LV is 60... and also 5?? It keeps changing.
*I was right, though, it's electric-type.

That's impossible. And since when could you tell LV, Frisk?

*This is all I can pull out!
*Maybe it's a different worlds thing?
*I can't see their ATK or DEF, either...

Still, with an LV higher than theirs, it's a concern. Still, they stand their ground. Uncertainty is weakness.

[collectyourfriends]

Sparks desperately paws at his own muzzle, static bursting from his jaws in a whine that doesn't stop. Storms, that's agony, he's never been burned on the inside like this before.



Claws slam on the floor and thunder roars in his head and over his fur and it hurts it hurts it hurts.

This battle is over.

He blurs into a charge and doesn't stop at any other swings of their weapons, throws all of his weight at the center of their chest.

[itstheend]

Chara has enough time to curse, and then the dog's upon them, much faster than before. This was a mistake; they should have taken the chance to run again.

They instinctively step, and instinctively attack, and both are useless; the dog rams into their chest and they go flying, skidding across the floor of the hall in a trail of sparks until they're forcibly halted by the end of it. They lie still, crumpled. Their breathing is wheezing, strained.

Somehow, they still have a bulldog grip on their weapons, the fire of the torch having been smeared to near-extinguishment but they're not getting up again any time soon.

You won!

[collectyourfriends]

He won. He feels a smidgen stronger for it.

Doesn't stop his charge completely after they've gone flying, either. He only paces a few more times, hesitating just in case they've got another trick up their sleeve before striding right up to them, making sure they're breathing.

Sparks' breathing's raspy, jaw hanging open. The burn hadn't quite got his throat, or not nearly as much throat as they got his tongue, so he can't let it shut without a fresh wave of pain.

He could go find Frisk to heal him...but they're going to be looking for him anyway, to make sure his battle'd gone well. He doesn't want to go running with the knife and stick still embedded deep in him, either.

Instead, Sparks slumps until he's nearly lying down...right there next to Chara. And he waits.






Not for long. Frisk's found the trail easily--once they also found their way up to the correct tower, they'd forgotten just how winding this place was. It's a longer one than they thought, and messier. They gave each other a huge run-around, didn't they?

Even the nearly-alarming amount of red didn't have them quite prepared for the sight of Sparks with the blade sunk into his back, leaving the blanket pinned there. Soon as they'er spotted, he jerks his head around and whines.

"...You look terrible," they inform him matter-of-factly. Sparks whines a little more, jerking his head at his fallen opponent beside him, torn between pride at his success, embarrassment at how hard it was, and just help me already, I'm burned, look at this.

"Hold on." They stop beside Chara too, crouching to look them over. There's a thud and a clatter--dropping the knife they'd left and the shoe they'd launched over the side of the tower.

"Yeah, they lost. Means they need healing...more than you. You're yellow, you're okay for now." And at that Sparks turns up his head, refusing to look at them or their disapproving stare.

Fine, fine--they bring their bag around and start rooting through it. They've got a bunch of Rawst and Sitrus berries--Revives too, but...hm. They're not sure if those work on humans in particular.

[itstheend]

If monster food can heal humans, maybe something designed to heal pokemon could? It is a mystery.

Chara twitches at the sounds of the items being dropped near them, flickers of consciousness beginning to starburst like the lights in front of them when they open their eyes a sliver with a groan. There's a glazed, unfocused cast to them; looks like a concussion. Their head got cracked pretty hard against the wall.

They make an attempt to get up and slump back down, ears ringing, breathing thin and shallow. Their chest hurts. They feel like they've gone and gotten run over by a truck, and they can't remember why.

They blink. There's blue and yellow in front of them. That means something. It's important.

[collectyourfriends]

Frisk tosses one of the Rawsts over their shoulder, hearing Sparks snap it up from the midair.

The kid seems to be waking up on their own. Not quickly or well, but it saves them from having to try methods they haven't before. Berries, for Frisk, are tried and true.

"Hey. Here." They shift over to kneel, pressing the yellow rind towards their lips. "This'll help. It's good, eat it." A Sitrus is a nice blend of all kinds of flavors, though lacking spice. Frisk and their team enjoy it as a favorite, hopefully they will too.

[itstheend]

Their blurry gaze slides over to the talking shape over them. Their thoughts are cotton wool. Their movements are twitchy and fumbling as they take the berry purely by reflex - aftereffects of being rammed by what is effectively a living taser.

And then two realisations kick in.

One, that's a human. Right up close in their personal space. Second, that's the lightning dog, also right up in their personal space.

They, to politely put it, flip out, scrambling away as much as their numb, lagging muscles allow. Their head throbs madly when they smack it back against the wall.

They stare at the dog, keeping a wary eye on it, and then back to the human - the Frisk, maybe? There's similarities. They glare at them and then down at the fruit in their hand, ripping a piece off and throwing it at them.

Prove it's safe. They don't trust people at the best of times, but especially not after getting trounced by their... pet? Companion?