ic inbox

[determinedest]

You've reached Frisk. If I'm not answering my phone, please leave a message or find me on the second floor, Room 12.

( text | audio | video | or literally anything )

Comments

[determinedest]

[It takes two tries before Frisk gets the full gist of what's happening. The third time, they don't even bother to open the door. They just lean their head against it and sigh.]

Very funny.

[fulllifeconsequences]

Glad you see the humour in the situation too.

[Even through the door, they can hear the sigh. Seems to be the noise Frisk makes most when Chara's around. Funny, that!]

See if you can hijack my SAVE. It'll be fun.

[determinedest]

Can we not do this right now? Please?

[They're not fond of the pleading note their voice has assumed, but it's not like they have a whole lot of dignity to throw to the winds at this point.]

[fulllifeconsequences]

[Chara, on the other hand, loves that pleading note. Guess who's in control now! Chara, of course. Guess who's sounding more and more defeated by the day!

Not Chara. Naturally.]

You can ask a little nicer than that!

1/2

[determinedest]

[Frisk's fingers bunch into a fist. After that lengthy and arduous gnome adventure, they are not in the mood.

Frisk stays silent for a long moment. Breathe in, breathe out. Count of five.

They just have to gather their determination and...]

SAVE

[determinedest]

[...SAVE.

The door opens.]

[fulllifeconsequences]

[Frisk opens the door, and Chara reaches for their SAVE. Tries to LOAD.

LOAD failed.

Nothing happens.

They stare at the door, the smug look completely wiped off their face.]

[determinedest]

[When nothing inexplicably places them right outside the door again, Frisk initially assumes Chara's just letting the prank carry out a little longer. But then...they aren't smiling.

Did it actually work?

They can't really think of anything to say, cool or otherwise, so after a moment of glancing back at the door, at the flickering golden glow of their SAVE dissipating, they look back to Chara.]

Um. Are we done?

[fulllifeconsequences]

[Chara... your DETERMINATION! Somehow, it's even greater than mine!

It wasn't because of Chara, was it? It was because of a SOUL. Is that what this means? Why can't they...?

Chara stares. Does not smile. The silence lasts a little too long. Gets awkward.]

...Yes. We are done.

I only wanted to see you finally SAVE. Certainly took your time. Did you not?

[determinedest]

I didn't want to.

[The brief surge of adrenaline hasn't just left them tired, but a bit emotionally drained. It felt like the final nail in the coffin, SAVING here so even death won't take them back to the Underground. Nothing can.]

I thought maybe if I didn't, if anything happened, I'd just go back to where I was. With everyone else.

[A stupid hope, maybe. A fool's hope.

But those are the kinds of hopes Frisk specializes in.]

[fulllifeconsequences]

[Should they feel bad for pushing Frisk to SAVE? They don't feel anything! Of course they don't!

Not even the satisfaction of crushing one more of Frisk's hopes.]

That's stupid of you. Letting sentiment get in the way of survival. Weren't you the one who said death works differently here?

[determinedest]

It does.

[It was the principle, maybe. The symbol of it.]

It just means I really, really can't go back now. I didn't want to let go of that.

[fulllifeconsequences]

Frisk. Where do you think Papyrus went? He was here. Allegedly. Now he isn't.

[determinedest]

I just don't know how he got back. I would've asked him if I could.

[fulllifeconsequences]

You know he would never leave without bringing you and Sans along. Obviously, it just happens. This place must chew you up and spit you out whenever it feels like it. Not when you decide to go.

You are not in control anymore, Frisk.

Does that scare you?

[determinedest]

Does it scare you? [They ask, with a dubious lift of an eyebrow. Who wouldn't it scare? Chara's kind of a singular case, though, so maybe they shouldn't be using Chara as a reliable metric for...well, anything.]

[fulllifeconsequences]

[What a stupid question. Their helplessness made them try to jump headfirst into hell. Their control slipped even when they had power, cost them and their brother their lives. Made them stand there helplessly as the people Chara hated more than anything beat the life right out of a pair of kids tangled up into one body. Losing control cost them blessed oblivion, and end to this story and an escape to... to whatever came next.

They stopped being afraid that they were a bad person. Not having control was the only thing left to be afraid of! Of course it was terrifying! Look how much it cost Chara!

But. They just smile. Shrug. Laugh it off.]

Not at all. When you have nothing to go back to, it doesn't matter where you are!

[determinedest]

I guess that's a good point.

[It would've been easy. That's pretty straightforward, and Frisk can see the logic in that. There wasn't a lot left for Chara by the time they reached the end. Even Asriel had decided his old sibling was better left buried. Don't you have anything better to do?]

Is here any better? From where you're standing, I mean.

[fulllifeconsequences]

You forget so easily, Frisk!

i'm the type of person who won't EVER be happy.

This is temporary. Just another world to claw through. What's the point of paying enough attention to it to tell if it's better or worse?

[determinedest]

[They certainly look awfully happy most of the time.

Then again, we all wear sprites masks.]

Maybe there's something worthwhile here. You'll never know if you don't look.

[fulllifeconsequences]

Like there was something worthwhile on the surface, right? That's why we fell.

Oh, wait, no! Like there was something worthwhile in the Underground! Fun while it lasted, huh?

A worse world. A better world. They both hurt, in the end. Don't they? You got attatched and lost it all, or you let it wound you bad enough that you chose to disappear.

But. Frisk. If it's just a world. If it's just obstacles to overcome. You don't even have to notice what shape they have. Just close your eyes, tune it out, and finish the job.

[determinedest]

Sounds kind of boring. And repetitive.

[They close the gap between the door and their bed and boost themselves onto it.]

And lonely.

[fulllifeconsequences]

[Chara laughs.]

So's dying, but that sure didn't stop either of us.

[determinedest]

I know.

[Their hand almost goes to their neck, to the locket that isn't there, a convulsive twitch of fingers.]

I started regretting it after the first time. Did you?

[fulllifeconsequences]

What do you think.

[Not a question. No question mark. Their words are sharp and very red.]