Aromatherapy

[collectyourfriends]

The gardens are growing again.

Frisk decides to leave their secret base for more than just food, for once. They'd had some Berries planted since before...the de-aging incident.

Predictably, there's not much left on their plots. A few of the Aspear plants have sprouts peeking out of the newly exposed dirt, but nothing else managed to resist the sudden icy weather. Hoenn doesn't have that kind of thing.

Sparks and Needles loiter around them when they set to their task--first, dig up the ruined berries that haven't entirely disintegrated, toss them into a box they brought out, that can be used for making mulch later. Then, just plant what they have left, which is a lot. (More than they should be able to fit into that bag, in fact.)

They're in a relatively secluded area, but it's still out in the gardens, and the claimed space they've got to fix up is huge. They won't exactly welcome visitors, but they've have their time to be angry and upset with their team...they probably won't chase anyone away.

Comments

gardening buddiessss

[itstheend]

Now that the weather is starting to warm again, the gardens are becoming more viable as a place to sleep - not quite warm enough yet, but Chara can collapse in a sunbeam and be mostly warm in their increasingly manky sweater.

This time however, they aren't out here to sleep. They have a large book tucked under their arm, knife and frying pan as makeshift trowel and shovel (they have no hands-on experience with this). They're looking for a place as far away from Asriel's golden flower plot as possible, and while they noticed the turned earth before the event, they assumed it was more of his.

They do stop to look at them on their way however, because it's not the plant's fault who their tender is. And they're surprised to see the bandanna-Frisk and Sparks... and some monster (yes, Frisk they know they called pokemon) they haven't seen before and therefore regard with the highest caution.

*They're so fluffy!

Frisk has interesting priorities. Chara watches them work for a while from a distance and then circles around and in for a good view of the only visible shoots - they want to see if they can identify them. They're trying not to be spotted, but there's not a great deal of cover here.

how to become best buds

[collectyourfriends]

Sparks and Needles catch their scent at about the same time. Sparks only turns his head, but Needles sees new human and abandons the root she'd just dug up.

Brown-white-zigzags towards them, making a noise that sounds kind of like barking but not quite. Hi hi hello hi hi!

Frisk straightens up and turns to give the intruder an icy look--then realizes who they are, and their face melts into something like...embarrassment.

They nod and wave their (real) trowel at them, just once. They're not calling Needles back or telling them to run, and she's definitely going to be snuffling at their shoelaces as well as she can.

it's me, your best... wait no

[itstheend]

Chara stiffens, because 'something furry rushing towards them while barking' has resulted in injury before, but the new pokemon is a lot smaller than most, they will admit.

They can feel their own Frisk internally cringing under the icy look, and then emanating relief when it appears to be a mistake. Chara nods in turn, and then focuses back down on the fluffy... raccoon... thing. Seems friendly enough.

*Pet.

They reach down, slow enough that she can see the hand coming and jump away if needed, and attempt a pet.

"Hello there."

[collectyourfriends]

Needles pushes her head directly into their hand. That fur's as soft as it looks! It's only the back bristles that're sharp.

Frisk's gone back to their digging, though they'll be caught looking at that...frying pan every so often. A knife makes sense out in a garden.

[itstheend]

A great deal of tension bleeds out of Chara. They love animals, when they aren't battling to the death, and while animal monsters rank a little lower for that reason, they are still much better than humans or monsters that aren't, in Chara's book.

They pet with some care and a knowledge of the good spots on dogs and cats, and can only hope that translates well - the headpushing is a good sign at least, and their Frisk makes grabby hands and puppy dog eyes at the thought of soft. Chara sends some of the texture their way, and they sigh.

*Rub your face in the fur!

Let's not, thanks. That might count as somewhat overfamiliar, especially when their... leader? Is right there. They do bring a second hand into the petting, though, kneeling down for better access.

They almost miss the glances at the frying pan - they definitely miss the first few, what with both of them being focused on *Pet. Eventually though, the movement does ping, and they look up, glancing from bandanna-Frisk to the drying frying pan. Frisk takes advantage of their distraction to get an offhand permission and start patting Needles with Chara's hands themself (their pets are more firm and decisive) while Chara speaks.

"What?"

It's perfectly normal to carry things like this around everywhere in case you need healing (not that this one does that). What's with that look?

[collectyourfriends]

Caught. "...If you want to cook, you should gather things and bring them to a kitchen...it's easier than making a campfire," Frisk says as the thought occurs to them--that they might want to make some sort of vegetable stew?

Needles gleefully takes the pets, balancing on her hind legs to let the hands have as much access to her sides and belly as possible. Thank you thank you thanks!

"Sorry," Frisk adds abruptly, going back to their digging.

[itstheend]

Ew, stew. Chara's been kind of soured on the recipe since finding out that Kalak is the one who gave it to Frisk (and the fact that they had no idea sure is something they don't want to think about ever!) but they have to admit it's easy to make.

Chara's face heats at being told the obvious like they don't know it. The reply is somewhat stiff as a result. "If I was planning to use this to cook, I would be in a kitchen."

*This one's adorable! says a gleeful Frisk, either willfully or genuinely ignorant of all outside the world of soft fur and excited Pokemon, and definitely paying attention to those exposed areas.

The sorry does somewhat mollify Chara, not that they'd admit it, and they snort and look down at Needles. "What is their name?"

Names are important.

[collectyourfriends]

"Then why do you have that?" Frisk's completely baffled. They're not trying to be rude about it, either, they're just clueless.

And they're trying to make amends here, they're just bad at segues. "She's Needles. Sparks is sorry too."

Across the grass, Sparks rolls onto his side, angling his head across the grass to stare at Chara apologetically. No, not Chara--Frisk. The Frisk that's in their head somehow.

If it was anyone but Hush who passed that tidbit along, neither of them would've believed it--but Hush doesn't lie to Frisk, and they can't think of a reason he'd start now.

[itstheend]

"Needles." Chara rolls the name around to memorise it, before glancing at Sparks as if forcing themself to stare against the urge to look away in case that provokes an attack. The pokemon looks like, well, a sorry dog, head resting on ground and eyes wider, and the similarity makes them snort despite themself.

Chara once more doesn't know Hush passed that little tidbit along, so they along with Frisk once more interpret it as directed towards themself, if bafflingly so. They glance from Sparks back up to bandanna-Frisk, taking one of the hands back to grab the frying pan resting against their side.

"It should make do as a shovel, in a pinch."

Their face is still a little heated, and they hate it. This is about their ingenuity in finding a substitute and not a failure on the part of their search, shhh.

[collectyourfriends]

Frisk decides to take that as apology accepted. Or their brattiness ignored. One or the other?

Either way, the talk of gardening is far more distracting for the moment.

"...No, I don't think it will," they say slowly. It's a pan. It's far too blunt around the edge. "What're you trying to work on?"

[itstheend]

No worries, other Frisk, this one accepted it retroactively as soon as they remembered what happened after the event was over. They were more concerned with apologizing for their own behaviour than holding a grudge.

"Excuse me," Chara says with false haughtiness, drawing themself up. "Are you a frying-pan expert? A pan-handler? I do not think so." With enough determination, even a blunt edge can be useful. The exaggeration is a concedation to the other's point, though.

They let go take their hand back from Frisk to pick up the book that fell onto the ground from under their arm when they got distracted by pets. It's heavy enough to need both hands.

*Sorry, Needles.

"I am working on locating a place to set up my own plot." And then they got distracted by fluffball. Also 'trying'??

[collectyourfriends]

Frisk settles back on their legs, unsure. They've met plenty of people who genuinely acted like that--rich Trainers, mainly.

"...Needles can assist you with that," they say carefully. "If you like. She knows a lot about dirt, and she'll happily dig for you."

Dig? Dirt??? Yes her Frisk is right yes, Needles hops and puts her front paws on Chara's sneakers.

[itstheend]

Chara's family wasn't rich, but they were well off enough to be able to pretend at it and have (unfounded) designs on it. Upwardsly-mobile, in more ways than one. Some of that transferred, even in mockery.

They look down at a suddenly excited Needles. They're remembering why they love animals more than people, even if the line blurs with monsters. They tuck the book under their arm again and give brief ear scratches. "Well then, I shall defer to the expert on the matter," they tell her.

That's pretty much Chara's version of outright tacit permission.

*She's so excited!

[collectyourfriends]

Well! It doesn't matter how they phrased it. It's not 'no', so it's 'yes' to Needles!

"What are you going to plant?" Frisk asks, unearthing another mess of a berry, tossing it into the box without looking at it.

Needles is bright, but she needs some direction.

[itstheend]

"Peas, if you please."

And yes it is mainly for the potential punnery. The book said that they're to be planted in spring, which is... apparently what it's become, and Chara has little reason to doubt the book so far. They're planning to test things out with this one plant first and then add others, not entirely confident of their ability to keep even something as theoretically simple as a plant alive.

They watch the unidentifiable berry fly in it's arc. They can't be sure they have those, in this Frisk's world. They crack open the book and hold it up towards Needles, pointing to the attached seed packet containing some shriveled-looking peas.

"These, as you can see."

[collectyourfriends]

...They don't get it. (Sans' puns are the only ones they've heard, and they mostly avoid him anyway.) Frisk nods anyway, because "Those would be useful." Food always is.

They pause again to eye the packet. "...I've never grown peas. I can't...help much with them. Vegetables grow slower than Berries."

Needles, however, doesn't care that it's somewhat unfamiliar territory. She nips lightly at their hand and swerves around, zig-zagging her way to one of Frisk's leftmost plots and looking at Chara expectantly.

[itstheend]

Food is good, especially when it's food you can lay a complete claim to. Food you can rely on.

"I am sure the instructions given will be sufficient."

Chara is about to ask if the Berries are magic somehow (which would explain the healing properties and the fast growth if true), when Needles nips and distracts them, their open mouth shutting as they look down and their hand curls automatically. But no, it's not a true bite, just an attention-getter.

They follow her as the crow flies, the zigging and zagging strangely amusing both kids, taking the book with them. It's to one of the already dug plots, but if the taller Frisk objects they can take it up with their pokemon.

They take the seed packet out from the page and then run a finger down the entry.

"It says two per hole, two inches deep, two to three inches apart in a row, rows eighteen to twenty-four inches apart."

They glance up to look at the plot. The packet only holds about a handful's worth, so it seems like there'd be enough space easily. They tip their head towards Needles, conversational. "What do you think?"

[collectyourfriends]

"Instructions," they repeat. There's the old-person urge to start talking about how Frisk didn't have those, they just had to learn through luck and experiments every time they found another berry or plot across their home region.

Fortunately, Needles leads Chara away before they can made a decision to speak.

Needles rolls around in one of the dirt patches to the side, yelping an affirmative. Why wouldn't it be right? Just have tot try!

And...Frisk will stay on their side for now, but they still think that pan is useless. They can use their hands to extract the berries--they pass off their tool to Sparks. "No rematching," they murmur so only he can hear.

Sparks tosses his head in annoyance. Sure, yes, alright Trainer.

He is relatively slow when he trots across the field to Chara, dropping it at their side.

[itstheend]

Open plots aren't a common thing where Chara comes from, as are plants in general. Partly because Ebott Village has swollen to a city by their time and partly because acid rain is a problem there then. Wood is a luxury building material, and Chara hasn't had much opportunity to experiment. Their passion is mostly the academic fascination with something they haven't had much personal contact with.

Needles's behaviour is absolutely objectively adorable, and Chara takes up the frying pan before movement in the corner of their eye has them snapping their head towards it. They smile at Sparks - not a dangerous smile yet, but one of someone who is somewhat on guard, just in case, and is therefore not giving anything away if they can help it.

They do pick up the implement when he drops it, and dip their head in acknowledgement towards him before crouching down near the plot such that he's in their peripheral vision.

Then, looking very pointedly and directly at bandanna-Frisk (although who knows if they can resolve what's happening at the distance of the field), they pocket it, take their frying pan by the flat part, and stab the handle into the ground to make a hole. It goes in roughly two inches.

What was that about not doing as well?, their extremely contrarian face says.

[collectyourfriends]

Frisk stops watching as soon as it's clear nobody's attacking each other. It's just common sense to use a better tool, so why would they expect Chara to spurn theirs?

Sparks ambles off the edge of the plots before rolling around--grass is far less grating against his fur than raw dirt. He barks at Needles, a comment about the reek in her fur, which leads to her flipping back to her feet.

No? No no no no? Sparks is the one who doesn't appreciate the elegance of different types of dirt!

This is far from the first time they've had this 'argument'. It's friendly banter, mainly, but there's certainly a lot of snarling going on between both parties.

[itstheend]

Common sense is a lower-class citizen in Charatown, which is ruled by the duurumvirate of spite and contrarianism. Proving that a frying pan can be fit for purpose is a matter of principle now.

They are somewhat miffed that the bandanna-Frisk didn't bother looking to see it, though. The snarling quickly distracts them from their continued hole-making (very neat rows, each one done very deliberately). Their attention is forced by the side of them constantly on alert for threat, and they watch carefully.

Chara's experience with animals that aren't monsters has been mainly stray cats, but there was also the occasional stray dog, and they do know that getting between fighting animals is generally not the best idea from personal experience. Presumably that applies to pokemon as well.

They continue their task, but their speed and accuracy are suffering from, effectively, doing it with their gaze fixed on the conflict - they can't personally gauge how serious it is just yet.

[collectyourfriends]

Needles spies their audience. She's a show-off nearly as much as Sparks can be sometimes, and she reacts by escalating the situation massively.

She leaps into the air, and Sparks barely has a moment to jump his feet before a roaring Surf from nowhere slams him back off them again.

And floods several of the plots. She missed the ones Chara's planted already...mostly due to luck than proper accuracy, but that's good enough!

In the distance, Frisk heaves themselves to their feet. It's been about five minutes, why so much trouble so fast?

[itstheend]

Chara's watching the looming fight despite the fact they can feel Frisk's presence coming to the fore in them - they're not inclined to be a peacemaker, because usually not starting anything themself is an effort - when suddenly there is water everywhere.

Everywhere.

Well, not quite everywhere, but it is out of nowhere. They're already at their feet by the time it's over, despite that they've been untouched. Some kind of magic...?

Frisk is pushing at them now, and no, they are not throwing themself between the pokemon. In what world would that end well.

So they simply snap what seems the most appropriate in this situation.

"Watch it!"

[collectyourfriends]

The flood doesn't last long. Sparks grumpily gets back to his feet once more, several feet from his original position, and much, much dirtier. He snarls what was THAT for? holding himself nearly on tiptoe in the sudden marsh.

Needles tells him it was for fun and starts circling Chara, chattering a wild laugh. Look! Look at what she did!

Sparks shakes himself off and huffs at Frisk, steadily making their way over. "What's the problem?" They words are mainly directed at the Manectric, but they glance between all parties.

FUN! Needles repeats, and they give her a flat stare. "That wasn't fun. You messed up the garden."

[itstheend]

"I'm rather sure there's a difference between watering plants and drowning them," Chara says down at Needles, although they know that wasn't the intent. They can't even achieve mock-stern. Small fluffy friendly things are their one weakness... usually.

When they look over at Sparks they can't help a short bark of a laugh, the way he's holding himself as if trying not to touch everything he's touching, and his indignantness in general. Sorry, it looks like they're on Needles's side here.

They can mentally hear their Frisk exhale.

"I think the sequence of events are fairly clear," Chara answers, despite the question not really being directed to them.

[collectyourfriends]

Sparks narrows his eyes and barks back. It's definitely not a laugh. (He'll think it's funny later.)

Needles doesn't looks chastened in the least, skidding to sit by Chara's feet and wiggling her head from side-to-side. Fun fun fun fun fun fun!

Sparks shakes himself off again, grumbling. There's no real answer forthcoming there--there's the reek of static in the air instead.

That smells like a problem. Frisk yanks out his Great Ball. "Come back, we'll deal with this later!" He can dry off inside, and they can avoid uncontrolled shocks hitting everything around. Sparks disappears in a flash of light.

Shaking their head, Frisk turns back to the other two. (Three? Whatever.) "They're not supposed to start battles when they're helping," they answer Chara, staring at Needles again. Needles, for her part, continues to look unrepentant.

[itstheend]

Chara is uncertain of where they stand with Sparks, currently - there's a sort of mutual rivalry going on, perhaps? Only that's not quite right. All the same, their muscles tense at the smell of ozone. They weren't splashed with the water, but that doesn't mean that couldn't be a danger.

And then, suddenly, that particular danger disappears, in a flash of red light, and for a second Chara thinks ERASE as the air seems to crystallise, and they can feel their Frisk surge up and take hold of the thought and forcibly direct it to the ball in the other's hands, an instant transfer of what that is and what it's for and (roughly) how it works.

This happens so fast there's no more than enough time for Chara to pale a little further. Still, their response to bandanna-Frisk is slow in coming because it has to come through gears still snapped into another alignment.

"Do they... habitually do this?"

They saw impressions of it with Hush. Injuries, over and over. A love of the FIGHT.

[collectyourfriends]

The emotion is missed; the long pause is not. Pokémon don't seem to be in most worlds, so they lift the ball and give a quick explanation of "It's his...room," before dropping it back in their bag.

Chara's question draws out a hum. "...Showing off, or fighting each other?" They suppose they can answer both. Frisk supposes they enjoy talking about their home, or at least that it's more interesting than pacing through the castle halls.

Needles gets a mock-imperious finger aimed at her face. "She shows off for anyone new. I thought it'd be her digging, not..." the finger is aimed at the marshy ground "...that. Sorry. She didn't get too much of your crop?" They can't tell. It was a lot of water.

For the second half: "Now they do. They haven't been able to battle in a while, and there's no other Trainers here, or we'd go against them instead. And..." Frisk grimaces. "that's why Sparks was...a little too...why he overreacted on the tower when you met. He thought you wanted to because he very much wanted to." As well as the thrown boot, but that goes without saying.

[itstheend]

If Chara were a Pokemon, they would definitely not like being in one of those, no matter how comfortable. Not if there's no way to get out from the inside, or if it'd be possible to be thrown off a cliff or left somewhere, if entering it can be forced. The concept therefore runs sandpaper up their spine, in it's potential for misuse.

"What, are you his parent?"

They have no idea how accurate this is. Their eyes remove themselves from the pokeball and turn to the now extremely muddy garden. Fortunately, the places where Chara had already planted were mostly missed. The next section they were going to, however, is less lucky.

"I see."

The fact the other could have called off Sparks at any time using the just-seen method shifts the context of events a little. A standing by and letting Chara face the consequences of their boot-throwing.

"Well, I would not object to a rematch!" Or even a match, because they're curious about Needles, now.

*Noooooo.

Yessss. It'd be a lot fairer than most of the fights they've been in.

[collectyourfriends]

Frisk would reassure most of Chara's concerns, if they asked, but they're not a mind-reader.

"Not parent. Humans that battle with Pokémon're called 'Trainers', and that's me. Coordinators do Contests--those are...things to show off how Pokémon use their moves, how tough or smart or cute and things they are, but we don't really do that." There are a couple Ribbons stuffed somewhere in their Bag, probably crushed and ruined to the point of not qualifying anymore. No reason to try digging them out.

"Rematch?" Frisk's eyes widen. "...Really?" They would've thought their injuries were enough to discourage them, maybe even terrify them. Chara does keep an eye on Sparks when he's nearby.

Chara is the new N

[itstheend]

Are pokemon people or are they animals? Sparks seemed more like the latter, until 'hearing' his speech in the memory shown to them by Hush, Hush who himself fit into the former as far as they could see. It reminds them of the dogs in Snowdin - mostly the mecha-Pomeranian.

"So they are, in effect, treated as pets?" The word is bright and brittle in tone as they more fully face the other - the thought of rematch falling somewhat to the wayside under this new information that sets old information in a different context. They battle with Pokemon. "Don't tell me - they want to do it, do they?"

Treating people as animals, as pets or playthings or weapons - there's nothing so despicable to Chara. The fact that apparently it's an institution aggravates a great deal. This combined with the pokeball... accurate reassurance might be needed.

"Not under your command, no."

dangit

[collectyourfriends]

"Partners." Tauriel in the Castle and Undyne underground implied they were pets and slaves. Frisk is displeased with this notion, at least with their own, though they've thought--well. They've been thinking about some people they've back met on the surface. But that's not the point right now, Chara's tone in their face. "At least. Mine are family."

Somewhere to the side, Needles is smushing her paws in the mud. Frisk doesn't really care.

"Of course they want to fight. Most of the ones I've met and trained, anyway. Maud doesn't," they remember at the last second. "She just likes to paint."

Hmm. Frisk looks skeptical. "If you...really want to. I'd supervise."

ok so lemme know if you are okay with a fight this went where i wasn't but should have been expectin

[itstheend]

"Partners." Chara's tone is flat and skeptical as they look back towards Needles's industrious mud-smushing (something that looks more inviting than it should - but they're not going to do that in front of someone they're still not on more than gauging terms with).

It's flat and skeptical and with the faintest trace of biteless warning, but it's also, for now, acquiescent. Chara hasn't actually... come across any indication of discomfort from the pokemon, and so the topic is backed off on, if not forgotten.

They have no idea who Maud is - she must be one they haven't seen before. They make a point to avoid people as a general rule, so that's not as much of a surprise as it could be.

*It's not going to do anything!

There's a fundamental error in your reasoning, Frisk, they think, and it's that they have any ulterior goal here other than a fight. They smile at the bandanna'd Frisk, suppressing the neon fluttering in their chest as they say the word.

"Certainly."

Lock it in.

*Chara, I'm in here too!

Their smile doesn't slip sideways, but it does plasticise a little. However, they're not exactly someone to go back on their word, and they can feel their mind shifting into higher gear until something (maybe something feeling a little stolen but how can that be right) clicks.

"However, not at this time. I will notify you. I came here to garden, and I plan to garden."

They swing the pan in their hand for emphasis. An answer that doesn't require conceding ground, and more importantly, allows for a match to occur whenever Chara is next alone.

Frisk buries unseen head in hands.

DANGIT CHILD. and i'm cool with it if you're cool with it. |D

[collectyourfriends]

"Yes." They wouldn't have said so if it wasn't true, Chara. They don't lie that much.

Mercy isn't a natural part of their world or their mind--not yet. They'll take to it once it gets into their head that making something run away isn't the only way to do it. Papyrus was helping with that, back home, but they're still quite the work-in-progress. Respecting ones' opponents isn't the same thing.

So it doesn't occur to them to do much else to prevent this. Why? Battling is natural. It's not common for humans to fight Pokémon, but it isn't unheard of. Most Fighting-Type Gym Leaders do it, in fact. This kid isn't a Leader, but they probably could be, if they wanted. They have that natural spark.

"'Course. Me too." Frisk smiles back, even though the smile Chara's giving them feels a little weird. Their own is definitely smaller. Maybe they're just not very good at it. "Do you have an idea when, or leaving it for eye contact later?" That's usually just for first battles, but they don't know Chara's style. Anticipation for battle is already leaving them forgetting they don't know Frisk's culture in the first place.

yus. pfft, no '!' for this one

[itstheend]

People lie, and moreover, people can be mistaken. Chara's suspicions concerning others tend to lie towards that side of things, the latter somewhat more charitably.

There's a certain appeal of a controllable battle. One on their terms, and yet one that hasn't been hunted down, either. While they've been learning the art of the spare, it is mostly on sufferance. Running and fighting are more their speed.

...someone smiling at one of their patented Chara smiles like that is not really something that happens very often - similarly bladed or nervously mollific, usually - and it does throw them for a small loop.

Their eyes flick to the others on the mention of eye contact, red meeting red. They've met more with that colour here than they ever did on the surface, and maybe it's something about this place that attracts demons - maybe it's a flavour of hell.

"Eye contact," they say with the same flatness that occurs in many of their questions, and to avoid seeming like they have no clue why eye contact would be part of it they follow it up with: "would make it rather hard to set a place and time prior, would it not? As I said, I will notify you, and him, when."

Which is Chara speak for they have no effin idea when. The Castle's whims are infuriatingly unpredictable.

the Red thing isn't official cannon but whatever

[collectyourfriends]

By now, Needles has her head and entire front half deep in the dirt. She'll need a bath later.

"Yes. It--mm." Frisk stares at their face, lost for a split-second until the reality of the situation catches up. No Pokémon means no battles where they're from. Which means Chara's got no idea what they're talking about.

They tap beneath their eye. "That's usually how battles happen. Not in cities usually, but outside. The first time you meet another Trainer, if you look at each other, you fight. It's..." They pause, glancing at the trees, trying to think of a word. "...disrespectful, if you don't. So you do it 'less you can't." As in, nobody has even a sliver of ability or desire to battle left.

"But we've met already, so that isn't...needed. Any time's fine. He'll be glad to." They wouldn't be if Chara came to fight at midnight, but Frisk's 'room' is well-hidden. It won't be a problem.

Chara's got the same eye color as Frisk, they notice again. It's not the most common color out there--they've only met a handful with the same, though everyone knows about Red. The Trainer that took down a massive gang and conquered his region in an impossible amount of time, and disappeared. Everyone's seen his face on TV or on a magazine, even someone who doesn't spend time looking at either of those. Like Frisk.

Hush passed several things along with Frisk--other-Frisk's apology, and it included a word they've never heard. They've been telling Chara about their world, so maybe they can get a fact back. With a small hum, only a few seconds after their last statement, they look back and ask. "What's a demon?"

[itstheend]

People staring at their face is something Chara didn't realise hadn't been happening as much as they remember until this Frisk does it. It's been a while since someone caught glimpse of circles of red and then double-taked, searching for it as if Chara was more a poster than a person, and inevitably not liking what they saw. They didn't miss it.

It does, however, appear to be a demonstration in this case.

And alright, okay. People fight each other every time they make eye contact outside a town. That seems very similar to how things were Underground, from a certain point of view. Only without the use of proxies.

(If they knew, they might suggest midnight just to be a gremlin. As someone whose predilections tend towards the nocturnal by habit, it doesn't occur to them.)

That last sentence captures their full attention - their reflexive thought is they're being led on. They smile and press finger-pads together, and speak, almost as if reciting or reading aloud from a textbook - that sort of bored-cheerful singsong.

"A demon is a malevolent entity that tempts and tricks people towards being as evil as it is. They are creatures with supernatural abilities and no remorse and their only goal is to cause as much harm as they can before they are sent back to Hell."

And because they have a dramatic steak a mile wide, they pause for the kicker.

"They are often said to have red eyes."

There might be one in this very garden right now.

[collectyourfriends]

Tempting and tricking, evil. Frisk looks...a mixture of amused and bemused. "Sounds Dark. That's a Type," they add, before they forget.

They're interrupted by Needles suddenly flying their way, something shining in her mouth. Look look look! Frisk crouches and takes a glittering stone from her jaws, heedless of the mud.

Needles allows them to admire it for about three seconds before snatching it back and zagging over to Chara. Look look look lookit!

They stand again. "I don't think I'm that. I've never trained a Dark-type. I don't think I have a connection. I'm not from 'Hell'." Frisk is completely earnest here, with the word 'hell' said a touch slowly as another word they've never heard. They wipe their muddy hand on their thigh. "Just Mauville. Are you a demon?"

[itstheend]

Chara can Hear the Capitalisation, but that doesn't give much indication as to what exactly is meant by it. Well yes, it is dark. And 'Type' isn't said with the same sneering backhand venom as they remember certain adults using it, but still puts them in mind of that.

*It's an element, Frisk says and starts to fax over some of the relevant information before a chagrined Chara tells them to stop. Their face has barely any chance to (apparently non-sensically) redden further, before Needles is zigging towards them - the pattern of movement actually trips off less threat-radar than rushing in a straight line would have done, and they automatically glance down at the shine, hands staying by their sides. Look, don't touch.

"Did you know that was there?" It's a somewhat half-baffled, off-guard question. Gems in the food, they know about, but they never thought that might extend to elsewhere in the Castle. Do they just spontaneously form, or did someone drop one?

*Maybe there's more.

They can feel Frisk's curious urge to find out itch at their fingers. Maybe later. Their attention quickly snaps back to the trainer as they start speaking, and their lips tighten upwards - they have to bite back a barking laugh at the way the other says 'hell' as if it's a town... they assume Mauville is a town. It ends up coming out anyway at the final question.

"Boy, am I!"

Shouldn't it be obvious?

[collectyourfriends]

"She's got Pickup. It's an Ability." Should they be telling Chara this? They try not to give advantages in battle--but they're going to fight Sparks, not Needles. It's not like they're going to know what alternate Abilities she could have instead. "Means she's really good at finding things."

Needles is slightly displeased, excitement quieting. She's showing them a thing! And she rears up to plant her small, filthy paws on Chara's leg in an effort to reach their hand. Look! It's the same as touching! (Except with food.) It's a purplish geode! (Not a Geodude. She couldn't pick one of those up.)

Frisk accepts this with a nod, and a quiet, confused hum at their laugh. "You don't seem evil or tempting," they say with a shrug. Dark-types usually aren't, just tricksters with especially unappealing moves and abilities (not just Abilities), so it's natural to them to follow up with "Should I prepare for pranks?"

[itstheend]

Puts them in mind of Nifflers.

Their trousers now mud-covered, they acquiesce and bend down for a closer look, and curl their fingers over it - a flash of dirt-coated purple. An amethyst, they think, wiping across it with their thumb to expose more of the colour.

"Did you know," they tell Needles, "they used to say that stones like this could ward off poisons? Kings and queens tested their food with them." And died anyway, if there genuinely was poison. "A good find." The praise is somewhat awkward - they don't have much cause to give it, but genuine. There's those capitals again, but it is a skill they can acknowledge.

This does somewhat ruin their apparent evil cred, they realise when the bandanna'd one speaks. The mention of pranks somewhat comes out of left field, but they take hold of that too.

"If I were to tell you it would spoil any element of surprise, would it not? That would defeat the purpose."

There. That does it nicely.

[collectyourfriends]

Needles makes a short, sharp noise of surprise. She doesn't care about kings or queens--she's heard it from humans in passing, not commonly--but 'poison' is a word she definitely knows.

She looks at it, back over her shoulder, back to it. Antidote? This?

Frisk is just as fascinated, staring at the gleam in Chara's hand. "Does it work?" A rock that keeps Poison away would be a great hold item, but they noticed their phrasing was unusual.

...they've got a point, Frisk concedes with another quiet nod. They'll be ready if they try anything, probably. They're not particularly worried--they can handle pranks, and they avoid people enough that they're sure anything actually dangerous that's might happen (like the headache-inducing resonance and extreme privacy invasions around human Psychics, or the strange enchantments of Fairy Tale Girls) isn't going to have long stretches of time to effect them.