boredom strikes back

[collectyourfriends]

It's been a week. Mom's not here, Leader Wattson's not here--nobody they know's here, except for Sparks, who came with them.

There's also not a lot of adults. Or people living here in this castle-palace at all.

Or a way down. They looked all the way around the castle, but there's no stairs or cable cars or anything. This must be a really far away mountain.

They're a little upset nobody told them they'd be here. (They might've cried a little, by themselves. Maybe.) But they are here, and they can't find their way home again, so this is just the start of their journey, that's all. There's so much to explore! And all this snow stuff to play with! So it's not that bad.

Shouldn't have got so mad at Sparks, they guess. It just wanted to play with everything, and nobody seems to own any of it for real--or nobody who cares enough to go find them and demand an apology, which is the same thing really.

So, naturally--to them, if nobody else--this means they're going to play with all of it, too.

And by play, they mean chuck stuff off the Edge and watch it all float through the clouds (like paper and cloth scraps) or plummet into the darker clouds below (like the cups and broken chairs and fallen branches from the garden). They've got a whole pile of stuff they gathered.



Sparks thinks they're being weird, but...

...there is something satisfying about watching things disappear like that. So he's there too, occasionally nosing a piece of something-or-other from the pile off the Edge, too.

Comments

[itstheend]

Thankfully, that intent comes across clear enough to Chara. They toss the ball back, underarm. There might be the sense they're deliberately missing and having it land near them to avoid hitting them.

Then the Frisk asks why, and things become murky again. "That is just... how it is. I do not get to decide what is polite or not." After all, it's something that concerns others, an aggregate societal decision, isn't it? Not that they think in those terms. It's like being asked why things fall when you drop them. Beyond a specific surface explanation, Chara can only mine ignorance at this time.

"Would you... prefer I look at you, then?"

Even they don't understand their own reluctance.

[collectyourfriends]

THEY THREW IT BACK! Great! Even if Frisk has to flail over to try to catch it, and doesn't quite manage to do it. They drag it over the dusting of snow and wind up.

"Yeah, would." 'Cause it makes them kind of feel like something's behind them, or that they're too boring to look at. (A thing that wouldn't bother their older self at all.)

And then they say "Catch!" and let it fly.

[itstheend]

Oh, they guess this is happening now. A game of catch is happening. Okay. Right. This time they do somewhat catch it, fumbling for it before gripping it, sweater getting wet from the snow. They know they're supposed to throw it back, and so they do, in the exact same extremely careful way even if it's closer this time.

"I shall do my very best, then," Chara says, and they are. They're looking at Frisk, even if their gaze starts instinctively drifting and they repeatedly force it back when they realise.

They've completely forgotten about Sparks, or dropping things over the Edge.

[collectyourfriends]

Sparks has proceeded to eat the wooden spoon, and now he's just watching the trainers talk. And their 'ball'.

Narrow red eyes are staring back, gleaming with approval! The big kid listened to them! "See, see? You can do it!"

The ball of bells glances off their fingertips, but they've got a better chance at getting it now. They scoot forward a little and toss it back without announcing it this time, and just a little harder.

hhh it's hard getting them to *mention* it

[itstheend]

Chara catches the ball. There's more force to it, and part of them wonders if the other is just going to throw it harder each time until it bruises.

They look up, as they've been instructed. Chara drops the ball.

The other has red eyes, too. There's so many demons in this place, and Chara has no idea what that might mean. Solidarity? Antagonism? The other kid one they met seemed to think the former, so that's the pattern they adopt for now.

They can't believe it took them that long to notice, but then again, the others were pure chance when it comes to avoiding looking people in the eye - which is coming just a little easier now. They stoop to pick up the ball and toss it back, flushing at "You can do it!", something inside squirming a little.

They're also side-eyeing the dog a little, now that it's unoccupied and watching. Dogs chase balls, don't they?

pats the kiddo

[collectyourfriends]

They don't spare a thought on the kid dropping the ball--even if they did, they'd just think it slipped.

Frisk catches the ball and shakes it. Jangle jangle jangle. Reminds them of what they were doing, and they look at the pile while standing up properly. (They're still very short.) "Wanna have a throwing contest?" Jangle jangle jangle, and toss.

[itstheend]

Chara follows the kid's gaze. Surreality is setting in again.

It's... tempting, which is a warning sign they feel. Something they shouldn't do. An accomplicement.

"What are the rules?" their mouth says without any prior consultation with the rest of them. They can't claw it back, so they'll have to go with it.

They catch the ball again, a bit better this time, and toss it back, a little more confident in their aim. They're getting better at this.

[collectyourfriends]

They catch it, tossing it between their hands as they explain. "We get a couple of stuff--couple things that're...close...that're the same shape. And then we throw them. And the ones that go further wins. And...aaaaand..."

Frisk glances around, but the bare Edge and the junk pile don't give them much inspiration.

"...dunno what the prize might be, but we can think of something later!"

[itstheend]

Reminds Chara of a physics lesson. Two objects the same shape, dropped from a great height, hitting the ground at the same time.

And if they were older, they might find a dar humor in that. But as of now, they don't have a certain context.)

Which means... well, it really does depend on throwing strength. Chara approaches the junk pile. They're not really expecting to win this, so they... don't really care about a prize, but they search anyway. Eventually they find two hubcaps, and hold them up for the other's scrutiny.

"Are these acceptable?"

[collectyourfriends]

Frisk hops to their feet. "Acceptable!" they mimic, smiling big.

They enthusiastically fling the bell ball towards the Edge--and it's then when Sparks finally strikes, arcing through the air in a green blur and snapping it in his jaws with a jingle and a crack. It's shiny and he likes it and it's his now, thanks.

Frisk sticks their tongue out at him for a moment, then seems to entirely forget what just happened and skips over to stand by Chara's side. "Your turn first," they inform them, pulling one of the discs out of their hands without sparing a thought about asking. They want to see what they can do!