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

[longlasting]

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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[longlasting]

And now the strange not-child is waving at him. Curious. The fangs in the actual child’s mouth are intriguing as well, and he’d like to examine them, so he sets his violin down as he moves closer, intrigued.

“It’s not as impressive as you think. I haven’t had time to play in ages. It was just a hobby I had while I was still in school.”

He shrugs dismissively, still focused on the real anomaly in the room, but then Frisk speaks up and makes him pause. Right, they think he’s worried, of course. He would be, if he was Barnaby. He frowns softly, kneels down to be at their height, and shakes his head.

“This doesn’t exactly look okay. Can I at least look at it, see if I can figure out what’s going on? Maybe there’s a way to help you.”

That might be something Frisk doesn’t want to talk about, but he’ll still play concerned.

[dustless]

"It was good," they repeat. "Still. Been practicing piano. I might want to learn that one day too." A small nudge, no pressing, but maybe he can teach them sometime. Maybe. If he wants. They won't try to make him, especially right now.

"Know what's going on. It's...weird magic. Don't need it fixed." But they let him get close, opening their mouth wide to display them. There's not a single humanlike tooth left, and there are tiny marks on the sides of their tongue in places where they've accidentally bitten.

They made a mistake, copy-Frisk signs. They're lying, they're hurt.

The first doesn't notice, because something feels weird.

Barnaby feels weird. He's acting...

...he's acting really calm.

Maybe that's mean to think. They said to him and Toshi and Kotetsu that time can help, and the castle has lots of time away from old worlds' bad things, so maybe he's gotten some healing done with his now-boyfriend. But the castle's brought its own problems, some that might've been worse, in their own ways.

Maybe he's just learned to fake it.

"'M sorry," they say suddenly.

[longlasting]

“I’ve played piano in the past. I might be able to give you a few pointers here and there when you decide to pick it up.” He offers in a friendly way, but sounds a bit like he’s hoping that they’ll forget about his promise and leave him alone. He wouldn’t be any good at extended contact with this child, especially since it seems that they have a friendship with Barnaby, or at the very least, a complex relationship that Adam can’t hope to replicate.

“You say you don’t need it fixed, but your teeth are too sharp for you to even work your mouth properly. And besides, your copy over there seems to think you’re hurt.” He looks worried, but that strange sense of calm continues.

Like maybe Barnaby doesn’t actually care?

It’s hard to say whether he’s done any healing or if he’s just more composed than the last times they’ve spoken. After all, Barnaby is a more cold and serious person normally. At least, he is with people he doesn’t consider close. And maybe that’s what’s going on. Maybe they just aren’t friends anymore. Barnaby’s face doesn’t seem to hold any answers.

His eyes go wide as they suddenly apologize, and he sighs with a gentle smile. “You have nothing to apologize for. You’re the one hurt. I just want to see what’s going on.”

[dustless]

"Sounds nice." A thing they've already said, different context. NPC dialogue.

Frisk spares the briefest moment to give their copy a withering look. Replica-Frisk is pretty good at ignoring that kind of thing by now, which is frustrating. But not important.

Worried. Not enough. Not...right, and they don't understand it. Shouldn't they be happy?

Maybe thoughts of lost friendship would've worked if they ever knew Barnaby when he was closed off. Right from the first time they met, he was always worried about something, his memories or Kotetsu or both. And those times, Frisk worked their own magic to get him to show more than he might've, or accidentally pushed bad buttons to make him show them parts of himself he tries to hide. It wouldn't matter if Barnaby hated them, anyway, because they still care about him and about Kotetsu and their guts are telling them they need to be very, very worried right now.

Their teeth snap shut with a click. "Not this," they say evenly. It's easier to say, now that they've identified that there's more of a problem. "October. The...pup--the magic stuff." Now they just need to figure out what the other problem is, and what it stems from. Halloween, their silence, something completely different?

[longlasting]

Adam watches Frisk glare at their copy, apparently unbothered. He needs the information for observation purposes, not out of any real concern. The kid can play their games and pretend to be an adult, pretend to hide things as adults do. Adam will find out what he needs to regardless.

This is fine, right? He’s being friendly, isn’t he?

Barnaby had done a lot of growing by the time Frisk had met him. By this point, he’s not one to let go of people he cares about so easily. Frisk has gotten under his skin and figured out more of himself than a great deal of people cared to find out. He’s not about to let go of someone that important just because he was hurt by them accidentally.

But here he is, keeping his distance, smiling in such a normal and casual and fake way, convincing Frisk that he somehow doesn’t need them when up until now he’s proven that he’s not the kind of person who should be alone.

Adam raises an eyebrow at the mention of ‘magic’. So apparently another child had gotten hold of Barnaby’s mind for a short time? He’ll have to use this.

“It’s fine. It’s not like you were the only one.”

[dustless]

'It's fine'. What an incredible red flag. (Even if it's not the one they think it is.)

Frisk's mouth is a thin line. In the background, their replica fidgets uneasily. Seems their reactions to other people matter than reactions to themselves.

"That's...not what I meant." Picking up his strings and making him do what they wanted, though the thought of other people doing it still leaves disgusting prickles crawling up their spine. "It's not fine. Something...something...what's wrong? Really, Barnaby-bunny." they say, crossing their arms.

He's hiding something. He's so fake, so unlike the Barnaby they know...there's dread in their stomach. Something bad happened. Something that's given him a whole different type of unsettling.

[longlasting]

It’s a shame that Frisk is starting to pick up on things. Adam had been hoping to just wave this child off. He certainly doesn’t want to hurt anyone who isn’t involved. Barnaby is the only one who needs to suffer.

If everyone else understands that Adam was just getting back the life he deserved, it was fine.

But here Frisk was insisting on interfering, asking what’s wrong, daring to imply that Barnaby wasn’t acting normal. It was getting very frustrating.

But Adam is nothing if not benevolent. Frisk is just a child, so he gives them one last chance. The smile they give them is not only fake, but unsettling and sinister.

“I told you already. Nothing is wrong, Frisk. I know you have a lot of important things to do, so why don’t you run off now? I’ll just be here practicing.”

The words aren’t threatening themselves, but every slight inflection of Adam’s cheery tone implies dire consequences for those who don’t listen to his suggestions.

[dustless]

"Stop it."

Fake cheer is horribly off on his face.

Dots are being put together. Barnaby wouldn't talk like that. Barnaby wouldn't act fake like that. Frisk's Barnaby. The one they've met, the one they were friends with, the one they played puppet with.

...though he knows about that part. They're not sure why--either he's another Barnaby who got told about the puppet stuff, or he's their Barnaby that the castle's messed with in another way. Best to still be careful, best to resist flashing their more dangerous teeth right back.

A finger taps impatiently against their arm. "You don't need t'--to pretend to me."

[longlasting]

This is quickly going wrong, and Adam’s patience is wearing thin. They may just be a child, but they’re too smart. And unfortunately, too naive. They know something’s wrong, but they keep assuming it’s Barnaby just holding back his emotions. Adam would use that to his advantage if only he could accurately guess what Barnaby would be hiding.

Think this through, Adam. You can fool a kid of all people.

His smile fades.

“Frisk… please. I don’t want to talk about this anymore. About the puppet… curse, or anything. It’s not your fault. I’m just frustrated.”

[dustless]

That's not genuine enough. They're not seeing anything behind that lost smile. He's still...too calm, no matter who he is.

(Replica-Frisk fidgets, body language showing they want to be anywhere else. It's a pity they can't be too far from Frisk without being forced right back nearby.)

They tilt their head, smoothing their small scowl from their face. Fine, they'll drop the puppet thing. They wanted to do that anyway. "Frustrated? 'Bout what?" What's wrong, just tell them!

[longlasting]

If only Frisk would take the cue from their replica and leave. It’s better for everyone if Frisk just stays out of this. Adam is starting to get angry again, even if the calmness remains. He lets a bit of his agitation show just to try to make his statements believable.

“About not getting out of here. Kotetsu has been searching for ages, and I promised him we’d be out of here soon enough… it’s taking a toll on him.”

[dustless]

Pity that their replica has a built-in fear of death that Frisk's long since discarded.

"That's all? I--mean--" They look a bit upset, trying to come up with the words. It's not that Kotetsu's wanting to leave is nothing, and that a promise is nothing.

"You're not...acting...you're being weird," they say finally. "It's--it's not only that. For what's wrong." They're sure of it.

[longlasting]

Barnaby looks up at them, working at his bottom lip. He looks frustrated, distressed. Like he's finally been cornered and has no choice but to admit to something he doesn't want to talk about.

He hangs his head then, defeated.

"...Can you at least close the door? I don't... want anyone to overhear."

[dustless]

The set of Frisk's shoulders relax, just a little, despite their face going slightly sad. Of course there's something wrong, they're mad about it already but they're going to keep it inside.

Their answer is to slip back behind their shadow and push the door shut.

"'Kay, Barnaby," they murmur when it latches. They come back and reach over to pat his arm, gentle, careful.

[longlasting]

Adam hears the click of the door, but doesn't move. He waits patiently until Frisk comes to his side, waits until they're relaxed enough to touch him and let their guard down.

"You really... really should have let this go," he mutters, and grips their arm, too tight and painful to be looking for reassurance. He twists it to force them to turn their back to him, and then he grabs their other arm to force them together.

Moments later, there's the click of a gun, and cool metal pressed against Frisk's shirt.

"I guess you and I are going to go for a walk, so you can find out what's really wrong with Barnaby, hmm?"

[dustless]

The arm elicits a muffled noise of pain, but then Frisk--both Frisks go stock-still.

A gun. A gun. They've had bullets hit them before, but not the 'real' kind, and having a real gun pressed against them is a brand-new level of surreal. They haven't ever seen a gun up-close in their life. This was not how they expected it to go.

And despite everything, under the dull roar of certainty that they're going to die, there's a spark of triumph that they weren't wrong the whole time. He isn't their Barnaby.

They look up from the gun into not-their-Barnaby's face. A snap is suppressed, since they really do want to see what happened to him. "Okay."

They won't resist. Their copy will, somewhat, trying to run, but after the first two times of collapsing into a diamond shape and teleporting back, they give up and follow too.

[longlasting]

Adam waits patiently for the situation Frisk is in to sink in properly before he starts moving, walking with them slowly towards the door. The gun is hidden slightly by the fabric of Frisk's sweater, but as Adam opens the door, he notes that no one seems to be around. Good.

He also smiles a bit to see the copy following behind. He was curious about the magic used to create that thing, after all. Once he's made sure Frisk won't let anything slip, he can take his time examining that.

He leads Frisk to a trap door, hidden away in a dusty corner of a storage room, and then down a long spiral staircase, and down another long hallway, past rows of iron bars. Eventually, he comes to the cell he's looking for, and shoves Frisk and the copy inside, closing the metal gate behind them.

Barnaby is there, as promised... chained to one wall and looking quite worse for wear. Adam was apparently generous enough to find him some spare rags to wear when he stole Barnaby's outfit, but the short-sleeved shirt doesn't hide the gashes along his arms, and with all the blood staining the fabric, it wouldn't be strange to assume there are more wounds hidden on his legs and chest. Still, at least he has the energy to glare at Adam... even if that glare falters when he sees who else has been forced into this nightmare.

"Frisk? No..."

[dustless]

Along the way, they don't make a sound.

This is business--this is a puzzle, something to learn about to figure out the problem, and then the solution. Frisk memorizes what they can. Not the route itself, that's pointless (though they wonder if this guy knows that), but what they can see. The features of the hall coming to the door; the storage room; the stairs; the hall of cells--dungeon.

They didn't know something like this was here. They've found trap doors, in the gardens and the castle, but they lead to either nothing or the underground lake.

Stupid castle. Keeping secrets.

Being brought to a dungeon means they're captured, though. Maybe they're not about to die after all.

And then Barnaby--

Barnaby knocks them out of their fugue with a strangled breath in, and they race over to him before they even register everything that's wrong.

Frisk stays by the bars, turning to watch not-Barnaby instead. The cell's small enough that they can stay in this spot no matter what their original does, they judge, and they will.

"Barnaby!" Frisk kneels and reaches for his arms before stopping. There's so many cuts, they don't know what they might be able to touch without aggravating something. "Barnaby..." They don't know what to say. Or do. Not right now.

[longlasting]

He's figured out that the castle likes to change around by now. That's why he hasn't tried to cover Frisk's eyes. No point in bothering with that when they won't be able to find a route. Though even if they could, who would they relay it to?

He says nothing as Frisk rushes to his twin, though he does frown to see the reunion. Yet another person who thinks Barnaby is better somehow. Like he deserves any sort of kindness. Like he shouldn't be hurt for what he's done to Adam for decades now. He clenches his teeth, but just watches.

Barnaby, for his part, is too exhausted to look at Adam. All his focus is on Frisk, as he tries to shake his head. God, why are they worried about him? They have to get out of here!

"Frisk, it's okay... I'm okay. You aren't supposed to be here..."

"Well, unfortunately, they didn't know when to let things go," Adam mutters.

[dustless]

"You're not supposed to be here either!" 'Okay' isn't addressed, there's no reason to bother, liar liar liar.

So many cuts, all over. They try to look for the worst so they can maybe--maybe yank their scarf off and use it, but they can't tell which wound's the worst.

They twist and stand in a single smooth movement. "What are you doing!" they shrill through the bars.

[longlasting]

"Frisk!" Barnaby cries out, fearful eyes turned to Adam, who thankfully lets Frisk have their outburst for now. The worst cut is probably one on his lower arm, straight down the middle of the inside of his arm. It spasms and bleeds when Barnaby tries to shout.

Adam, meanwhile, doesn't flinch at Frisk's voice.

"I don't really expect you to understand."

"Frisk, he's upset because... I forgot about him, okay?" Barnaby mutters. Adam sneers.

"Such a simple understanding of things. How foolish."

[dustless]

Frisk jerks their head between them--Adam-Barnaby-Adam-Barnaby-Adam--Barnaby, dropping back to their knees with a loud snarl and work with their scarf, since that arm's really bleeding all over and they hope so so so much their scarf's not too dirty and gets him sick too.

"Forgot him! Forgot what! That's not you, that's Maverick! He did that! Idiot!" Frisk launches the last word over their shoulder with another filthy glare. They don't know who Adam is and they don't care, nothing justifies this. Bunny shouldn't act like it does even a little bit!

[longlasting]

Barnaby winces softly as Frisk starts bandaging him. Even if the compression will help, it's obviously painful now. He tries to get Frisk to be quiet, panicked that Adam will lash out. And indeed, he's looking angrier the longer this goes on.

"If it's all Maverick's fault, then why can I so easily remember what Barnaby can't? He tried to make us both forget, but it seems I was the only one who cared enough to keep those memories! He couldn't be bothered to even wonder where his own brother went!" His fist slams into the stone wall, before he glances down at the copy of Frisk and reaches out with his other hand, gripping tightly at their hair.

[dustless]

The replica thrashes and shoves at his hands, but they're not any stronger than Frisk--less, even, without teeth or the occasional boost of strength Judgment's fragment of SOUL gives the original.

Frisk wraps the scarf and ties it with maybe more roughness than Barnaby should be dealing with right now and swears. They've never gotten so mad at someone so fast (except maybe Pitch only even that's different) and they launch to their feet and swing at his arm too. "Let them GO!" Both of them, all of them!

[longlasting]

Adam holds them firm, despite the copy's struggling, despite Frisk's yelling and punching. He moves backwards, out of the way, with a cold grin.

"I don't think you're in any position to make demands right now," he warns. "I'm going to take your little friend here and figure out what exactly it is. You stay put, won't you? If you're good, I won't see any need to reprimand you, so maybe this time, you'll learn your place."