Soft Reset

[buttercup_eater]

As everything fades away when they die, coming back to life is like seeing everything fading into existence again.

The first thing they're aware of is light, and that they can see, rather than seeing anything in specific.

The second thing they're aware of is sensation, the weight of their limbs pressing into a smooth, stone surface.

Where are they, exactly?

Chara tries to focus, blinking a few times in the hopes of clearing their vision. An empty stone hallway, rather like the one they last died in, with high windows flooding the area with sunlight.

They take a deep breath and try and push themselves into an upright position, only to be hit with a wave of sudden dizziness and have to flop back onto the floor. Okay, that's not good. What happened?

They can remember their SOUL shattering, and laughing so hard their sides were aching. Sans. Bruises. Blood. Theirs? No, not at first. Chasing the other child down unfamiliar hallways. Messy. No EXP increase, no LV.

No partner.

Chara waits a moment, just in case any input is forthcoming, but even after several minutes they remain alone. Once again, they're going to have to do everything themselves.

They manage to sit up with only a minimal amount of dizziness, then lurch to their feet. Minus the dizziness, it's rather like the last time they died and woke up again.

The knife is nearby, again, and they pick it up, again. Their locket is also still hanging from their neck, and they can still feel it faintly beating. But there's also a strange weight in their pocket, and when they slip a hand inside to check- oh. Right. An... alternative version of their locket, they guess.

Gripping the locket tightly, they set out to find their purpose once again.

[As with Frisk's post, this is set three days after their death.]

Comments

[buttercup_eater]

"Hm." An iron eren? Chara absently taps their chin with the tip of their knife, then announces: "That means nothing to me."

They shrug. They can figure out the kid's deal later, if it ever matters. "Now, I hope I have satisfied your curiosity?"

[lostinmyway]

"Are you going to hurt anyone else?"

The question is spoken steadily, without fear or hesitation. This is something she needs to know above all.

[buttercup_eater]

Chara tilts their head to the side and purses their lips, in an exaggerated "considering" pose.

"Probably," they conclude, after a moment.

[lostinmyway]

Unlike Chara, her response comes immediately: "I won't let you do that."

[buttercup_eater]

"Won't you?" they say, with a smile. "Many have tried to stop me from hurting others. But not a single person has succeeded. What makes you think you could do anything?"

[lostinmyway]

She only looks at them. She doesn't reply.

[buttercup_eater]

Chara's smile doesn't disappear, but after a few moments of Grune's silence it grows a little smaller.

"...Well then," they say. "I'll look forward to seeing you try."

They step to the side, moving as if they're going to go around Grune.

[lostinmyway]

And Grune takes a step back...but then blue and white lights appear beneath her feet in a circle, and she lifts her hand into the air.

[buttercup_eater]

Chara inhales slowly, their legs tensing up for them to spring into action. The lights that dance along the floor would be almost pretty, if it weren't intensely obvious what their intended purpose was for.

"Alright," they say. "Looks like we're doing this now."

They watch her with a hawk-like gaze, preparing themselves to dodge.

[lostinmyway]

Grune doesn't answer them. Instead, a moment later, she focuses her gaze on the child. Light surrounds her as a blue sphere with a white core, and she speaks:

"Aqua Laser."

The light vanishes, she stretches out her hand, and two waves of holy water, cresting fully seven feet in the air, race down the corridor toward Chara.

2/2 sorry about that!

[mediadarling]

It had taken too long for Mettaton to get Sophie somewhere safe. Carrying her hadn't taken much time at all, especially with the jets Alphys had built into this body. Getting her to stay there had been another matter.

He'd found Tauriel, but arguing her into watching Sophie instead of going with him to rescue Grune had taken still more time. In the end, it had been Sophie herself who had won the argument for him with her sobbing. If he'd ever wondered what a hollow victory felt like, well...now he knows.

As fast as he can, risking a crash with every corner he took, he flies back to Grune. If she's hurt--if that child has killed her--

There's light ahead down this final hallway, too bright to be sunlight. He can't make it out; he's too focused on getting there, until--

"Oh, my god!"

What did Grune just do?

np~

[buttercup_eater]

Chara's eyes snap shut at the light and they take some quick, nimble steps backwards, reopening their eyes just in time to hear Grune call out the name of the spell and to see the waves form.

Such a shame I never learned to swim, they think, and gulp down a rapid mouthful of air before twisting on their feet and bolting down the hallway and skittering around the corner.

They hear Mettaton's voice, but don't really register it- Chara's slightly more focused on not drowning, above anything else.

[mediadarling]

Mettaton just...stands there and watches the waves as they roll down the hallway after the human. That is...that is really not what he expected to be happening here.

A wide grin fills his face. Suddenly, his desperation is gone.

This is going to be simple.

"Keep running, human!" he calls out and throws a few bombs after them. It doesn't matter that most of them are put out by the water Grune summoned. It's the thought that counts.

[lostinmyway]

Grune follows her waves. The sound of her high heels echoes down the corridor in their wake as they collapse and the water washes the stones. She stops when she's standing in front of Mettaton.

"Please leave, Mettaton," she says. He's smiling, but--it's an ugly smile.

He stops with a bomb in hand. That's good.

"Are you kidding me, darling? With the two of us working together, that human won't stand a chance!"

"I don't want to hurt them. I'm going to stop them."

She begins another spell. This time, the lights beneath her feet are black and purple.

[buttercup_eater]

Most of the bombs are extinguished, fortunately, but the ones that do go off send shockwaves through the air and the water. The water splashes around Chara's heels, soaking into their shoes and shorts (75/92), the sound of the waves and little explosions echoing in their ears. They cough and shoot a glance over their shoulder at their pursuants, even as they keep running forward.

Stupid Mettaton, they think. Does he want to blow up the castle alongside Chara?

Then Grune stops in front of Mettaton, and the high heels duo pauses to argue for a moment. Good, even if it's only a brief moment. There's a door a few feet away. With a burst of adrenaline Chara darts towards it and flings it open, ducking inside and kicking it shut behind them.

There's a window on the other side of the room that's been left partly open, so Chara weaves through wooden furniture and past a grandfather clock, making their way towards it.

[lostinmyway]

Chara closes the door just in time: they may not be able to hear the words Grune speaks ("Bloody Howling"), but the roar of the void she summons just outside is perfectly audible.

Grune looks about, but she can't see the child anywhere. She does hear running footsteps, though, and so she begins walking forward, slowly, but inevitably.

[mediadarling]

Oh my God. Does anyone else know Grune can do this?

He shakes his head and, once her magic has faded from the air, he strides forward. He almost pushes past her--but, no, that would be rude, and he can't be rude to Grune. He slows down enough to step around her, but after that, he picks up the pace again.

"Come on out, human!" he calls cheerfully. "It's time for your grand finale!"

[buttercup_eater]

They don't have time to reflect on any relief that the harmless roar could bring, intent as they are on dashing towards the window. It doesn't take long before they're pushing it open as wide as it will go, peering out at the castle wall below. There's no convenient roof for them to run along, and they're high enough up that they'd probably break their neck if they fell to the ground, but there's decorative molding all along this part of the castle wall that is just wide enough they might be able to edge their way along it. And it isn't as if they can turn back, judging from the threat Mettaton's calling out to them.

"I've got better to do," they mutter, and quickly switch holding their knife in one hand to gripping it between their teeth, rather like a pirate from a picture book.

The window's small, but Chara's a kid and a skinny one at that, so they're able to clamber through and swing out onto the molding. It supports their weight, fortunately, and they slap the window shut before inching further out onto the molding. Maybe that'll slow their pursuants down further- although with the lack of any other exits in the previous room and the trail of water from Chara's soaked clothes leading from the door to the window, it won't take long for anyone who enters to figure out which way Chara went.

[mediadarling]

The door isn't locked. Not that it would matter if it were, because he'd simply blast it. Once he's flung it open, he's brought up short by the lack of human inside--but only for a moment.

A smile curls across his lips. Oh, this is going to be easy.

He strides across the room, his long legs making crossing to the window a matter of seconds. He reaches out with his sole hand to open the window--

[lostinmyway]

Grune's hand snaps around his wrist.

"Stop, Mettaton," she commands him.

He tries to pull free. There's a strange pink glow where his other eye should be. "No! I'm not letting them get away!"

"You're going to get hurt."

"That doesn't matter--"

"Yes. It--"

"Frisk could die again!" he shouts. His voice is raw; there's no control at all in it.

Grune hugs him. He struggles for a moment, but then he goes limp. She thinks she hears a sob.

"They said they won't hurt Frisk anymore," she says softly. "And I won't let them hurt anyone else. I promise."

Mettaton laughs--or maybe it's another sob. She isn't sure. "And you believe them, sweetheart?"

She's silent for a moment. Then she says, "If you get hurt, Frisk will be very sad."

When she feels him go stiff in her arms, she knows: it's going to be okay.

thread end?

[buttercup_eater]

Chara can hear Grune and Mettaton- especially Mettaton- through the window, but it's muffled and they only get that there's some sort of argument going on. They don't pay attention to the exact words, just focus on creeping steadily further and further away from them.

Have to keep going... Have to keep going...

They're a bit surprised that the window hasn't been thrown open yet, but at least it gives them a chance to get away.

(It's going to be okay- For somebody, maybe, but if Chara knew Grune's thoughts they'd only be able to laugh.)