castle_perrault | [Reintro of sorts] Insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity

Adam Brooks is one for following the rules.

Not the inherent rules set out by law enforcement and people he is far above, no. Those are all based on an unwavering idea of morality that Adam refuses to see as productive. No, he's one for following the rules his mind has constructed in order to further himself towards a goal. These are rules that are based on his observations of the world around him, ones that make sense and help him make sense to others.

The rules help him look like a normal person. They're honestly quite helpful in a place like this, where Adam doubts his appearance would be taken well. Barnaby certainly hadn't taken it well, but Adam couldn't imagine any scenario where he would. It's not everyday your brother comes back from the dead, after all. That is, regrettably, a rule Adam has had to break.

But other rules have been easier to follow. They remind him to remove Barnaby's clothes so he can wear them as a disguise, without anyone asking about any regrettable blood stains. They remind him to walk like his brother and talk like him instead of screaming for revenge. He is cautious and careful.

Kotetsu will be found first. He needs to check on him and gain his trust immediately, so that he has someone to back him up. To laugh off his strangeness towards other prisoners in this strange castle as social ineptitude. Toshi will be found afterwards, with Kotetsu still at his side. He doubts his disobedient slave will rebel for a second with Kotetsu already in his grip. He'll be sweet and kind to both of them, just as Barnaby would. Follow the rules. Soon enough his opportunity will come to strike.

So those who are around the hallways may see someone very much like Barnaby walking over to his room, straightening his clothes before peering inside in his search for Kotetsu.

After his reunion with his dearest partner and the android made in his image, 'Barnaby' will be all over the castle. He adores the library as much as he always has, and seems to have picked up cocking as well. He is deliberately careful to stay quiet and calm, so only those with a sharp eye will notice anything strange. For example, that bunch of berries from the garden can't be used as an ingredient in his soup, right? They're poisonous... Some may find it odd to find him coming out of the armoury with a crossbow, or practicing violin in the music room.

Or perhaps you may catch him wandering up the stairs leading down to the basement late at night. What would he be doing down there? Surely it's not a bad thing to ask.

((Okay, let's see if I can get this asshole to cooperate with me this time! Adam Brooks is impersonating his brother, Barnaby, and will be friendly to most everyone he runs into, if a little forgetful. Should anyone notice his odd behaviour, though, he may be forced to do something not so nice... so a trigger warning for possible character mutilation and death in here, as well as psychological mindfuckery which happens with a character like Adam. Should you not want him to tag you, please message this account to let me know!))

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From:

itstheend

Chara has been sparing Barnaby their presence. Just because one interaction went... some level of well, does not mean they should push their luck - they peg most of such on Frisk's presence.

So when they walk into the kitchen, they are fully prepared to just turn around and leave again as soon as they spot the golden lengths of hair. What stops them is a natural flash of their gaze to the movement of his hands, and a stilling.

They immediately doubt their judgement as they think it but... they are fairly sure those berries are nightshade. They look just like the illustrations. Had they not been from the Castle, it's doubtful Chara would have recognized them as poisonous, but with their interest, they had been looking up plants that caught their eye while gardening.

*We can't just leave!

They very much can. It's incredibly within their capabilities. They could walk out without a word, and leave him to poison himself as he pleased.

Instead, they clear their throat, back already straightened and hands clasped in front - look, no weapon. "Barnaby." They're trying not to block the door while staying close to it, which is a mild puzzle. "A moment of your time."

Edited (typooo) Date: 2017-05-04 02:14 am (UTC)

From:

longlasting

Adam pauses in the middle of chopping up what looks like eggplant when he hears someone lingering at the door to the kitchen. He looks up, quickly arranging his face into a look of calm curiosity. He doesn’t seem bothered by Chara’s presence. Mostly because he doesn’t remember much about this person. Barnaby mentioned a few children. Is this one of them? Maybe Frisk?

He sets the knife down, and his eyes dart down to Chara’s hands, noting that they are unarmed. He smiles gently and moves away from the counter where he’s working. His posture is relaxed, even if his mind is working on overdrive to try to get any information that could confirm the child’s identity.

“Of course. What do you need?”

From:

itstheend

Unarmed, in the sense of not currently wielding anything. They do, however, have a pointed stick stuck in their belt-loop, and two knives hidden on their person. They're not stupid, but mostly, they just weren't expecting to find him here. It's their standard arsenal.

He's utterly at ease, pitch perfect polite, and that's what gives them pause. His utter lack of unease is setting up some within themself, although they keep it hidden behind their own prim and proper expression. They can't pinpoint precisely why things feel just a tad off kilter - like they walked into an automatic door expecting it to open and smacked into it.

Still, if he's calm with their presence, that's a plus. Isn't it? They breathe out.

"Perhaps it has escaped your notice, but those berries are poisonous." An old urge suddenly frantically fights to tack on a 'sir' at the end, and they strangle it with gritted teeth, head tipping up just a bit, tone dry. "I would recommend removing them from the recipe."

From:

longlasting

They aren’t wielding anything, but really, how much damage could a child do? They have knives? Adam is surrounded by knives and has a gun hidden under his coat. He can certainly take one child if things go wrong…

But they won’t. He’s confident that being polite will circumvent any need for violence. Just act friendly, just act like Barnaby would. Either this is the child Barnaby gets along well with, or the one that he doesn’t, and even then, he would never act rude. So he stays calm, oblivious to the fact that he should be uneasy.

At least until he hears those words. Then he looks at the plant with complete surprise, picking it up by the stem.

“These are? ...Wait, nightshade, isn’t it? I should have guessed.” He sighs at himself, apparently annoyed that he made such an avoidable mistake. “Thank goodness you told me. I would have given this to Kotetsu otherwise…”

No, he had other plans for this recipe, and he’ll probably still follow up on those plans if he can get the kid to leave. So he offers a sheepish grin.

“Sorry that you had to interfere. You don’t have to stick around.”

From:

itstheend

Chara is completely unaware the SPARE button is being leaned on this encounter, so to speak. Their name hasn't turned yellow yet. They still see themself as the danger in this equation in a lot of ways - Barnaby's time as a puppet has left a strong mark, even if logically they know he is not that way any more, and hasn't been for a while.

Everything seems to go well. And then there's... an absence. A missed beat. A sound not heard until it stops, and then you can't recall the sound. Something is off. What is?

Frisk is suddenly equally as ill at ease, and it percolates, amplified as it seeps between sides. Realization is abrupt, and it's difficult to tell whose it is - he picked them up, but he hasn't thrown them away. Hasn't made a move to. Just acknowledgement, and dismissal.

It's silly. It's stupid. It's such a little thing to focus on. So why is it eating up all of the attention? Maybe it's a fuss over nothing, although there's something in the pit of their gut...

On impulse, Chara speaks. Is it Chara? Is it someone else?

"Before I leave, may I have them? I have read that they can make a good dye, despite their inedibility." This is a complete lie, they have no idea, but it would stand to reason, wouldn't it, that they might stain like other berries?

A good die. Haha.

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