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#I thought it would be cool to draw something where Frisk and Chara had parallel angel imagery
shimmershy · 8 months
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Legend has it, an 'angel' who has seen the surface will descend from above and bring us freedom....
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anewfreind · 5 years
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Hey so, you played DeltaRune right? What was your first impression on the main cast? i.e. raslei, lancer, Susie, Kris.
Oh fucketh yes thou kindeth basterd, let thine doith this.
Alright, so imma talk about the game and new characters, and if you would like, send asks on the undertale cast, and how they changed, because i would love to talk about that! I would also love to talk about theories for both Deltarune and Undertale! Do send asks! Now lets begin:
*ahem*
I was NOT expecting it to be this long for what I thought was a free demo
I loved ALL the characters this time. I didn't think I'd like Susie and Lancer much, but they grew to be my favourite characters of the story this time.
Also, I knew Deltarune was an anagram of Undertale, but I went through the entire goddamn game without realizing that Ralsei was an anagram for Asriel. Yes, I'm stupid.
I really like the new party battle mechanics! I didn't use the fight option, but still.
I wasn't able to find part B of the key that would unlock that mysterious cell in the prison. Did anyone else find it?
This was a very easy game to get a Pacifist run in, and I got the good ending straightaway! Seemingly.
SEEMINGLY.
WHAT WAS THAT ENDING?!?
Still here? Cool lets go
So, some interesting points and thoughts I had about the game and characters, and other things and tropes I noticed:
Ascended Meme: Toriel mentions that Kris and Asriel enjoy playing Super Smashing Fighters, a clear Shout-Out to the Super Smash Bros. franchise. At the time of the release of Deltarune Chapter 1, a popular meme was that Sans would be confirmed as a character for the then-upcoming Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Anti-Frustration Features: Should you make at least three unsuccessful attempts to clear either timed-tile puzzle, Ralsei will offer a hint on how to solve them
Attack! Attack! Attack!: Susie's main method of fighting: She'll keep attacking enemies and won't listen to Kris. Fortunately, she gets better during the final dungeon. Perhaps this is how she was raised?
Awesome, but Impractical: The Top Cake heals your entire party for 160 HP, but your entire party only has 90, 110 and 70 HP anyway and can't be increased at all. Furthermore, giving the Top Cake back to the Top Chef makes him give you the Spin Cake, which, while only restoring 80 HP, is unlimited and any encounter that isn't a Boss fight will probably not shave off your entire HP.
One thing that annoys me with the game is that Lv can’t increase, but we will get back to that later
Bait-and-Switch: A lot of the plot details are set up in a similar fashion to the previous game, only to subvert expectations.
Susie threatens Kris early on and is a berserker who attacks monsters on sight and doesn't care about the quest she's nominally on, much like a No Mercy run from the previous game, but she refrains from killing anyone and ultimately makes a Heel–Face Turn.
Lancer is similar in both a recurring antagonist role and has a skeletal appearance with a blue color scheme, which might lead players to believe he has a connection with Sans and Papyrus from the previous game; he and his father turn out to just be Darkners who resemble skeletons and have no apparent connection with Sans and Papyrus at all.
A mysterious doorframe appears early on and savvy players (or fandom nerds) might expect them to tie into Gaster as they did in the previous game. They end up being a fast travel system (which is lame).
Lastly, there's Lancer's dad, the King, who might look like a Suspiciously Similar Substitute for Asgore, right down to one of the people close to him trying to persuade both you and him not to fight (Undyne for Asgore, Lancer for the King). However, when you actually encounter the King, not only does he threaten to throw Lancer off a roof if the Lighteners don't kneel before him, he also tricks Ralsei into bringing him to full health so he has them at their mercy again. He ends up being defeated by Ralsei putting him to sleep while Kris and Susie escape, or captured by Lancer when he turns his own troops on him.
Big Door: There's a large bunker-style door built into the landscape in the forest to the south of town. Locked, unfortunately.
One of the encounters can be resolved peacefully by getting Ralsei to sing a lullaby, which also puts Susie to sleep. This later turns out to be the key to peacefully resolving the fight with Susie and Lancer. It comes up again in the "bad" ending to the King fight, where Susie notes that while she can't take the King down, Ralsei can. Susie: “I'd never forget something I made fun of you for.”
Similarly, Susie attacks automatically during the first battle with Lancer (who can't be killed), which is an early hint to the player that Susie attacks on her own and you'll have to prevent her from doing damage if you want a pacifist run.
Cliffhanger: The chapter ends with Kris (most likely being controlled) pulling out their/the player's SOUL, shoving it in a cage, and drawing a knife, at which point Kris's eyes glow red like Frisk's do if Chara's permanently corrupted your save after a genocide playthrough back in Undertale. This ending felt like a punch to the gut, and gave me so many questions to ask. Also, in the final scene, you can control the SOUL while it's in the birdcage. It won't change the outcome.
Lancer appears to be this for most of the initially-bad guy cast of Undertale, possessing a Sans-like color scheme, Papyrus's kid-brother nature and general enthusiasm for "evil," and Alphys's emotional attachment to the Big Bad.
Kris seems to be a hybridization of Frisk and Chara: their face, skin color and silent nature lean more towards the former, while their clothes and relation to the Dreemurr family (especially Asriel) scream of the later. Of course, after what happens in the ending, who knows how the three are connected? But here is something people have forgotten about, since I haven’t seen anything on it, but Kris looks exactly like the unused Frisk sprite, besides the sweater
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Even if you go out of your way to beat encounters by force, enemies just get knocked off-screen. Contrast with Undertale and its infamous Genocide/No Mercy route.
After you beat the game and it closes itself, restarting shows Ralsei's legend as the intro and provides a new background for the file select screen.
Susie's hair is wild and covers her eyes, symbolizing her wild and violent outcast vibe. After the fight with the King, it's cut to reveal her eyes, and she becomes a lot more expressive and open with her emotions from them on.
All main characters are this, or have a Face Framed in Shadow. Them revealing their faces is usually a big deal.
Kris and Susie's outfits change when they fall into the dark world. Kris also becomes more blue in appearance, while Susie becomes more pink.
On the walk home, talking to numerous characters heavily hints that something is up with Kris. Numerous people refer to them as "creepy", or "quiet", and Noelle notes that they're usually quite distant from others. The game implies that Kris was being possessed by the player ala the first game
Ralsei makes direct reference to interface elements and controls as part of his tutorial-giver role. This leads to an amusing moment in the first block puzzle, as this trope doesn't apply to Susie.
Susie: (Who the hell is "[Z]"?)
Susie's solo fight against Lancer parallels the first game's fight against Toriel in a number of ways. In both cases, the foe is a family member of the king that guards the protagonist's way back home, and they're trying to prevent the protagonist from meeting the king in order to avoid bloodshed. Once the fight goes on for long enough, the foe starts attacking exclusively by dropping projectiles from above that are guaranteed to miss, showing their reluctance to fight someone they'd started growing close to.
This chapter has a lighter tone than all of Undertale. The game mechanics are more focused on solving puzzles and befriending enemies than fighting, and no one can die, even if you DO decide to attack all your enemies.
After returning from the World of Darkness, talking to several of the NPCs imply that Kris isn't acting like themselves. Noelle comments on how Kris is really talkative compared to normal, Noelle's dad implies Kris has forgotten things that they should know, the hospital clerk comments on how Kris isn't normally so bad at playing piano, and Kris in general seems a lot less "creepy" to the townspeople.
After arriving at the fountain, Kris and Susie find themselves back at the school, in a room with a chess board, playing cards, and some toys that look like the characters they encountered. But both of them remember what happened, and it's left ambiguous as to whether it really was just a dream or not.
If you have the Spooky Sword equipped, your "weapon" upon leaving the dark world will be the Halloween Pencil, leading to more questions.
If you follow the Jevil sidequest plot to its conclusion, mentions of The Queen are made, as well as Seam describing the event that drove Jevil insane as "Dark yet Darker" adding even heavier implications to Gaster's presence in the future story.
If one talks to Rouxls Kaard after starting his first puzzle, he will verbatim quote I. M. Meen. (Also Rouxls Kaard, thou art must marrith me)
When Burgerpants talks about his fellow pizzeria employees, he mentions a "Purple Guy" and wonders if he even works there.
Ralsei removing his hat and hood at the end, revealing that he looks exactly like Asriel. Judging by Susie's reaction, this is one both in and out of universe.
Right at the end of Chapter 1. Kris is tossing and turning in the middle of the night, when they jump out of bed and start walking around very slowly. They then stop in the middle of the room and pull their own soul out of their body, before throwing it into the birdcage from earlier. They then turn their head around slowly, revealing Chara's trademark smile and glowing red eye, before materializing a knife out of nowhere. Anyone who's played Undertale (so most of people playing this game, as it was recommended to those who already played Undertale) should have some very horrific guesses about what this mean
The King grabs Lancer's throat when he finds out that they let the heroes get away
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invertedfate · 7 years
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A Shift in Fate - Part 3;
Back again with some more crossover. As always, this is co-written by Voltra, creator of @ut-storyshift, and this time we have probably two of the most anticipated characters appearing. Fun stuff! Characters: IF Frisk, Sans, Papyrus, Flowey; Storyshift Chara, Asriel, Papyrus Rating: PG Summary: Upon venturing from the Ruins, Frisk stumbles upon another human! A very mysterious human with cool teleportation powers, and their adorable goat sibling. Little do they realize, they’re not alone. If you’re new to the crossover, here are part 1 and part 2 respectively!
It doesn't take long for the Caretaker to make his way to the bake sale. He's been here long enough to memorize every room. He even helped them set up way back when the Ruins were still being carved out, forming a strong friendship in the process. Along the way he glances back at his younger other.
"HOW ARE YOU HOLDING UP?"
"I'M GREAT, AS ALWAYS! THOUGH... WELL, I DO HOPE THE HUMAN WILL BE ALL RIGHT IN OUR ABSENCE." Science Pap can't help but peek over his shoulder, as if the kid will turn up at any moment. "THOUGH I SUPPOSE WITH SANS THERE, IT ISN'T AN IMMEDIATE CONCERN..." This spider bake sale. Hm! Well, he'll poke his head inside, see what the fuss is about. "COME TO THINK OF IT, I REMEMBER HEARING ABOUT A SPIDER BAKESALE IN HOTLAND AS WELL."
"IF THEY ARE ANYTHING LIKE THE SAME HUMAN I SAW EARLIER, THEN THEY WILL BE FINE." Popyrus says this pretty confidently. That human has made it to Hotland after all, they are practically almost out! "I BELIEVE THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT ANOTHER STAND BEING SET UP NEAR NEW HOME TO GET NEW CUSTOMERS." Speaking of the spiders, he pokes one of their webs gently. "EXCUSE ME, THE DOOR TO SNOWDIN WILL BE OPEN FOR A MINUTE SOON. LETTING EVERYONE KNOW SO THEY CAN BUNDLE UP."
"WAIT! I HAVE AN IDEA." And, not wasting a moment, the more scientifically inclined skeleton whips out a small glass dome... with rainbow flames burning inside. "WHILE WE EMBARK INTO SNOWDIN'S FRIGID CLIMATE, THIS FIREGLOBE WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH THE WARMTH NECESSARY TO FEND OFF UNWANTED COLD!"
The Caretaker's eye sockets widen. "DID YOU MAKE THIS? IT'S INCREDIBLE!"
A couple of spiders come down, look over the globe, shrug, then cling to it and take it up to their homes. It's odd but it looks like it will work.
"NYEH HEH HEH! WHY, THANK YOU! IT'S JUST ANOTHER ONE OF MY MANY SCIENTIFIC MARVELS, CAREFULLY CRAFTED BASED ON ADVANCED COOLCULATIONS." He winks. "WHICH, BY THE WAY, IS PATENTED BY YOURS TRULY." x.x.x Meanwhile, Frisk has opted to venture their way downstairs. Sure, they should probably wait for Pap, but curiosity's nabbed them by the chest. They, of course, left a note for the Papyruses on the main floor, just by the stairway. However, while that's perfectly sound for Frisk, it's less so for Sans.
Though for now, he follows silently as Frisk ventures down a long corridor, then another, drawing closer and closer to Snowdin's chilling wilderness. As they return outdoors, they become all the more grateful for their winter duds.
The familiar cold nips at their face. Strange how it looks like almost nothing has changed. Well, there's no paper covering the camera in the bush here. Nothing to worry about then?
Someone at the end of the hall is on high alert. A door that has never opened is now open? Maybe this time he actually...
Shortcuts are faster than feet. They have to be sure. A blur of green appears before Frisk. Neither person sees who they were expecting.
"Huh? How did you come out of the Ruins again? Or rather, how did you get in again?"
Frisk nearly jumps as the figure appears. Their eyes pop wide open, and for a moment, they stare.
* ...What?
* No.
* This is...
* They're...
A familiar voice, but the human's lips didn't move. So what's going on? What does this MEAN? Frisk doesn't mean to, but they continue staring for a few moments, until it dawns on them that a) this is probably a bit rude, and b) they probably look like an idiot.
Well. There's one way to recover from this, and so they straighten their hat, clear their throat, and crack a smile. This kid said something about the Ruins, right? They didn't pick up on the specifics, but uh...
"Because I'd be ruined without you."
Somewhere under the ground, Flowey is trying to repress a scream. Is this seriously happening? That voice. He knows that voice, but he can’t come out and see them. Too risky. What if the Trashbag followed them? Can he really risk being caught like this? But if his suspicions are true…
And of course the kid had to make a cheesy pickup to top it all off!
The hooded human snorts. Okay, that was a good one. "Well aren't you a cha-" They freeze up and their eyes widen, maybe even more so than Frisk's were before. What was supposed to be a two syllable 'charmer' is now a soft 'aaaaaa' before they give themselves a smack on the side of the mouth. THAT will need some explaining. But first things first. "Aren't you, uh, supposed to be in Hotland? I saw you on the last broadcast and you weren't wearing those nice looking snow clothes."
Oh, hey. They liked the pickup? Frisk heaves a small sigh of relief, then promptly proceeds to straighten their hat a bit. Or start to, anyway, but when Hotland comes up, their smile falters for a split-second. Boy, this is gonna happen a lot, isn't it?
"Uh, funny story. See, I'm kinda... from a parallel dimension."
Silence falls onto the pair. The hooded human seems torn between laughing and staying frozen. They glance around Frisk, as if looking for some sort of prank crew to come around and tell them they are on T.V. and just been duped. It never comes and their jaw slides back into a semi-confident smile.
"Okay. I suppose that would explain how you got all the way back here... what's your name?"
"Frisk." And it's there that a little laugh escapes them, and they rub the back of their neck. "Funny thing is, you're the first person that's asked." Which is odd. Did monsters just not care about names, or was it because they're human? A slight crease forms in their brow at that thought. There's another question at the tip of their tongue-- can this kid read minds? Are they telepathic?
Their own, weird head voice remains quiet. Eerily so.
All the while, a laugh escapes the hooded human, half out of feeling the tension lessen. "It took a while for my family to ask my name. They were busy with other stuff at the time." Like making sure they ate and were okay. But Frisk doesn't need to worry about that. They offer a red gloved hand. "Hello again, Frisk. My name is Chara."
So it's them. It's them. It really is Chara! There's a slight shifting in the soil. Very subtle. For now, Flowey remains tucked away. They don't wanna get ahead of themselves, even if a part of them most certainly does. An odd sort of paradox. However, while the name registers to one other in the vicinity, the lack of familiarity for Frisk prompts them to reach out and shake that hand without a second thought.
"Heh, well, nice to meet you... again?" And after a moment, Frisk can't help but wink. "Hope I made a good impression, even if it's not really the first." There. That's smooth. That's cool. Perfectly appropriate. Memorable. Maybe? Hopefully. Yeah.
"You did just fine." Man, that cool kid act is pretty transparent. Just like Rei. Speaking of, isn't he nearby? Yeah actually, they were touching up Chara's sentry station, aka doodling on it with some freshly fallen markers. "Come on, you can make another cool impression on my brother up ahead." Hand. Still holding hand. Well. This is nice but also a little awkward. ...maybe they can make this work. "Want to try going the fast way?"
"Yes." If that means getting to teleport? Absolutely. In fact, Frisk was gonna remove their hand until Chara brought that up. Are they supposed to keep holding on? Is there some kinda trick to it? How are they so relaxed? Why isn't FRISK relaxed? This was so much easier when they were surrounded by goofy skeletons and sassy flowers. "So, what do I gotta do?"
"Hold on." Chara pauses for a second. "Probably should close your eyes." Chara takes a step... and they are behind a cardboard wall filled with torn empty chocolate wrappers. The jolt wears off for Chara fast enough, but probably less so for their passenger.
"Welcome back, Chara! Everything okay?" chirps a voice on the other side of the wall.
"Yep, just had to pick someone up."
Bwuh. The sensation of being pulled from one place to the next leaves 'em frozen for a few seconds. It's not a huge shift from Papyrus' teleporters, but it takes a moment for their surroundings to set in, and when they do, Frisk can't help but notice the chocolate wrappings lying around. Weird. Is there more where that came from?
Well, there's no time to ask as a new voice chimes in. Perking up, Frisk tries taking a peek at this new stranger.
The snow's shifting even more fiercely than before. That voice. HIS voice. He knew this was coming. Flowey fully expected this.
That doesn't make it any easier to grasp.
A living, breathing Asriel. Chipper and cheerful and perfectly safe, totally unaware of the twisted fate his parallel double endured. Death due to his own pitiful pacifism. Revial as a soulless plant. All those RESETS, his losses and his victories… Haha. Ha. What would either of them think if they knew? Yet gain, the urge to rise from beneath the snowy soil rears its head, and yet again, Flowey represses that urge. He’ll just watch. He’ll listen. Spring up at just the right moment.
Frisk continues to remain unaware of his floral friend’s internal struggle, instead focusing on the fluffy stranger before them. If they’d met Asgore when he was younger, he might have looked like this. This monster is clearly still a kid, no horns have even grown out. Their rainbow bandanna stands out amongst the white snow with ease. It looks like they are doodling on the other side of the wall in marker right now. That stops as soon as he sees Frisk.
"Oh! It's you again! ...nice hat."
…Still, it’s a tiny Asgore. A tiny Asgore with an adorable bandanna and they're so fluffy. And those floppy ears. Maybe it's due to Frisk's soft spot for cute critters, maybe it's because this goat isn't a big, manly beefcake, but they let out an "Aw" on pure impulse.
Except...
Briefly, their face pales. A shiver races down their spine. For a moment, the little goat seems to stretch. The surroundings blur. Horns, spikes, wings, wicked laughter, and an endless sea of black. They're sinking into the snow as if it's quicksand. They can't escape, they can't—
As soon as they blink, it's gone. The image fades rapidly, a blur. Was it even there at all? Awkward laughter escapes them, and they flash a big smile.
"Thanks, but it's nowhere near as COOL as that bandanna." There. Nailed it.
The minor freak out does get an odd look from both siblings, but Asriel quickly forgets it in swelling with pride. "I-I'm glad you noticed!" He adjusts the colorful garment with a slightly forced smile. Act cool, act cool!
Chara soon cuts in. "So Asriel, this is another version of the same human we saw before."
"Pfft!" Asriel covers his muzzle in disbelief. "Nice joke, Chara."
"I'm not joking, Rei."
The goat-like monster whines. "Stop calling me that in front of the newcomer..."
Frisk has to bite their lip for a moment. Oh god, they can already SEE a pun coming, but they gotta resist. Can't do too many at once, or it might look like a gimmick. And they don't wanna be too cheap or irritating around this cool human and their adorable, goat sibling. Still, the antics bring some more genuine laughter in the aftermath of... whatever that was, and they welcome this change of focus.
"No, I'm literally from a parallel dimension where Asgore lives in the Ruins and Papyrus is a great big nerd." For a moment, they glance back toward the direction they came. "It'd be easier to prove if he was HERE, but I'm pretty sure he's still in the Ruins with his double... and Sans, I guess?"
Boy, this is gonna be a lot to explain, isn't it?
"Why would Dad be in the Ruins?"
"You know Papyrus!?" Both siblings speak at once, one clearly more shocked than the other. Asriel seems skeptical and confused, but at least not laughing at the idea.
"Do I know him? He's practically been glued to me since we met up... right here, actually." In fact, just for fun, Frisk straightens their posture, clears their throat, puffs out their chest, and does their best Pap impression. "BUT PERHAPS THAT'S A RESULT OF HIS MAGNETIC PERSONALITY!"
Oh god. Sans can't help but chuckle at that, though he at least tries to muffle it with his mitten. Gotta stay incognito for now, while Frisk carries on.
"He's... also kinda an inventor, I guess? He's made working teleporters and invisibility machines, so." They shrug. He's a bit eccentric, but that's not a bad thing.
"That sounds really cool," Asriel admits. A lot of detail for something that could be made up. Maybe it's real after all?
Chara inwardly is thankful that Frisk is focused more on Asriel right now. Shock is still written all over their face and a gloved hand has the duty of covering up a massively growing smile.
"Yep! In fact, I got a little something..." They dig through their pockets, whipping out that oh so pretty fireglobe. "Right here! Scientifically enhanced fire. Pretty sweet, right?" They hold it out for Asriel to get a closer look, but oh. Don't think they've forgotten you, Chara. The expression lights up a light bulb in their head, and they look away from Rei for a moment. "And y'know, I'd be happy to introduce you myself."
Both siblings' eyes light up. The fireglobe is definitely a factor, but the extra sparkle in Chara's eyes hints at another reason.
"Thank you." They murmur under their breath.
"No prob." Though Frisk's smile takes a turn for the sheepish. "Just, uh. As a heads up, Papyrus might try to... well. Protect you. A lot." Heh. Now, that'd be something. "But since you've got cool powers, I doubt you need too much help."
Chara smiles softly. What they don't know... "The extra help is always appreciated."
Asriel is still mesmerized by the fireglobe. He reaches out, but hesitates about touching the globe itself. "It doesn't burn, does it?"
Frisk was about to comment, but another voice cuts in before they get the chance.
"only if ya break the glass."
And it's here that Sans finally steps out from behind the trees, hands in his pockets and his lazy smile as present as ever. His eyes fall on Chara, though he makes no sudden moves, opting to watch and see how the kids take his appearance.
Asriel returns to confusion land at the sight of the unfamiliar skeleton. Chara on the other hand bows their head. "Good to see you again, your highness."
Asriel's head whips to the side so fast that his ears smack his face. "Wha- that's the King!?"
"He is in our world but I don't think he'd be so far from his castle."
Asriel turns back to Sans with a look of awe on his face. "It's nice to meet you!"
Sans can't help but snort at the comment. "wow. a king. dunno about you, but i think that'd be a ROYAL pain. i mean, who wants to put up with that much responsibility?" He shrugs shis shoulders and holds up his palms in a nonthreatening gesture. "nah, think i'm pretty cozy as guard captain number two."
Crunch, crunch, he finally steps forward. "so. another human. that's new."
"New AND cool," Frisk adds. "I mean, they've got teleportation powers." And they're kinda cute, but that goes unsaid. "...Actually, I didn't even know humans could HAVE powers." That's a lie. They have their RESETS after all.
But, well. Should they mention it to Chara? Maybe when they're alone.
'That sounds like they mean the opposite. Looks like there's another demon in town.' Chara blushes a little bit at all the lies Frisk keeps throwing out and tugs at the side of their hood.
"Chara's been here for a while actually. About three years now, right?" Asriel looks at Chara for confirmation.
"Just about, give or take a month."
"...And you're safe? Nobody's given you a hard time?" There's a hint of disbelief to Frisk's voice, and they turn to Sans, who at first stays silent. That's, uh. Interesting. Very interesting.
Ultimately, he shrugs. "different timelines, different rules. besides, if they're livin' in snowdin, i doubt there's much to worry about."
"And if there was any problems, they'd have to take it up with Mom!" Rei says with a flourish.
"She's really protective of me, for obvious reasons." Chara on the other hand seems a bit embarrassed over this fact.
"heh. that's tori for ya." There's a subdued chuckle from Sans, almost wistful. "sounds like you're in good hands, then. but, uh— what's her status? can't be queen..." So where's she fit into the picture? So much has changed that it's hard to draw any direct connections with the placements. Two siblings in Snowdin... so does that make them an analog to him and Pap? But neither kid looks like a scientist or vice captain.
Weird.
Frisk, however, can't help but note, "She'd probably get along great with Papyrus, then. But if we put 'em in the same room..." Well. That'd be some intense coddling, huh?
"eh, i'm sure we'll find out soon enough. i mean, she's probably... chilling in town, right?" Sans winks, fully aware of his bad joke but not particularly upset about it.
Asriel beats Chara to the punch on this. "Actually she's probably still patrolling in Waterfall. Has to make sure all the kids there are in school."
"Yeah," Chara gives a slightly annoyed look at being cut off. "Captain's duties."
Oh god. That comment makes Sans' smile grow by a hair. "yeah, that sounds like somethin' she'd do." If she were captain, and if she weren't so... disheartened. Though that goes unsaid. No way is he gonna be a downer at a time like this. "so your mom's out in waterfall... that mean you two are on your own?" Kinda young for that, but one of them IS a human. A human who, in another timeline, made some... questionable choices.
For now, he'll keep cool. No point in making assumptions when the kids seem... pretty normal as far as kids go.
"Man, that's some family," says Frisk, somewhat wistful. But a few dots are beginning to connect. Asgore is their dad, but he's in Hotland. Their mom is Toriel, the queen... now captain? Which means Asgore and Toriel... which means...
* Yes. * That's exactly what it means.
"Heheh..." They rub their neck, head ducked slightly. "So... What do you guys do for fun?" That seems like a good distraction from potentially confusing thoughts. This is a lot to take in, but it'd be nice to just... let loose for a while. Goof off with some kids their age.
While all this is going on, a certain scientific skeleton has just finished dashing through the house, and, "THEY'RE GONE!" Huffing, he stops, turning to his handsome double before bolting out the door and into the snow. "...I BLAME SANS." A thorough lock up of the house ensues, but it’s not long before both skeletons dash out of the Ruins and into the snow. Once they step outside, Science Pap takes a cursory look around. "HMM... YOU DON'T THINK THEY'VE ALREADY MADE IT TO TOWN, HAVE YOU? I SWEAR, IF SANS TOOK THEM TO GRILLBY'S BEHIND MY BACK..." Sighing, he looks to his double. "WELL, IT'S A GOOD THING WE'RE BOTH TALL, LONG-LEGGED, AND WITTY!" Clearly, their combined genius will solve this conundrum! "TO BE HONEST," says the older skeleton while looking back at the other side of the Ruins door. "I HAVEN'T BEEN TO SNOWDIN SINCE I FIRST CAME HERE. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE LAYOUT IS LIKE. BUT IF I HAD TO GUESS, THEY HAVE TO BE NEARBY." And perhaps... they will be here?
Further ahead, the conversation continues. "Yeah, we're on our own most of the time." Chara replies, glancing down at the ground. No kids like to be interrogated. And that's what it sure feels like.
"We play Humans and Monsters mostly. Want to join us?" Asriel looks over at Frisk with hopeful eyes. Another person to play with? Please?
Frisk briefly looks to Sans, brow raised and frowning faintly. "Maybe you should cool it with the questions." But, onto brighter news, they shoot Asriel a grin. "And, hey, I'm down for that! Truth is, I could use a break from all the, er... Well, the point is, it'd be nice to actually-"
But before they can finish, there's a loud gasp and an even louder voice. "HUMAN!!!" And in comes a certain scientific skeleton, bolting through the snow and straight toward his friend and brother... before promptly stopping because, oh. Hi. Tiny goat person and human clone? "I MEAN... HUMANS? WOWIE, I WASN'T EXPECTING THIS!"
Asriel is shocked at the newcomer, but something about that voice made him look at Chara.
That voice. Could it really be? Chara is still as a stone and filled with hope.
"HOLD ON, I'M COMING ALONG!!" There. That's him. There's no doubt about it. Chara takes off towards the voice.
The human is coming closer! Well, one of them, anyway. Granted, Frisk soon trails after, while Sans watches with caution. He can't act rash, but a Chara running this close to his bro. Bros? Well, to Papyruses, anyway... What's gonna happen? This is kinda a big deal.
The science Papyrus offers Chara a friendly wave. "GREETINGS, NEW HUMAN! I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS... AS IS HE." He gestures to his double.
Chara darts past Science Papyrus. No offense, just some things have to come first.
Caretaker Pap seems surprised at the child that just clung to his legs and wobbles off balance for a moment. He looks down at the human for a few seconds before asking.
"CHARA? IS THAT YOU?" The child nods into his robes, shaking softly. He gives a big smile and kneels down, petting the sniffling child reassuringly. "I'M GLAD TO SEE YOU TOO."
Sans remains still, but his eyes are glued to Chara. He's watching, not even blinking. That's awfully close to a version of his bro. It'd be so easy to take advantage of his lowered guard. One good hit... A human could do it. Easy.
Flowey, while unseen is listening intently. Bad enough that a version of his old self is around. Bad enough that he has to hide while CHARA is there. This Chara is... strangely close to Papyrus, but why? How? What does it MEAN? Sure, Papyrus is amusing and interesting and eccentric, but why isn't it ASRIEL who's...?
Finally, Frisk moves in, not too close so not to interrupt, but. "Hey. You okay, Chara?" The crying sure comes as a surprise. "C-CHARA...?" Science Papyrus' eye sockets nearly  double in size. Wasn't that the child who...? But they look so happy. So sincere! And far be it from him to cast judgment on a human he's just met. Still, squinting, he assesses them, trying to read their LOVE and EXP levels.
1 LOVE, 0 EXP. The child picked up into the Caretaker's arms hasn't hurt anyone. Said child is also clinging to the skeleton and trying their damnest to hide their face from the others.
"I-I'm fine. J-just really happy." Chara rubs their face with a glove and smiles back at Frisk with a mostly clean face. Asriel overcame his case of double takes and now steps forward with a crunch of the snow.
"...Good. Just wanted to make sure, y'know?" So, happy tears. That's definitely a good thing, though Frisk will have to ask about Papyrus later. Such a tearful greeting must carry some history behind it. Is this Papyrus to Chara what their Papyrus is to them? Well, the crunching of snow pulls their mind from such thoughts at the moment, and Frisk steps aside to give Asriel room to move closer.
Except upon spotting him, Science Papyrus lets out a tremendous gasp. "OH. MY. GOD!!!!" He points, eye sockets all buggy. "IT'S A TINY TORIEL! HELLO, YOUR... MAJESTY? HIGHNESS? I ALWAYS GET THOSE TWO MIXED UP!"
"Tor- I'm not my mommie!!" Asriel blurts out without meaning. It takes a moment for him to catch the embarrassing name and settles for covering his face in hands and ear to hide the blush.
"HELLO TO YOU TOO, ASRIEL!" Caretaker Papyrus calls out as he approaches the group.
"Hello, mister skeleton..." The blushing goat mumbles.
"AS... OH. OH!!!" If possible, the scientist Papyrus' eye's get even buggier. "THEN YOU, TINY HUMAN... BUT YOU'RE VERY MUCH ALIVE... BUT THEN, THIS *IS* ANOTHER TIMELINE. WOWIE! THIS IS BOTH CONFUSING AND CAPTIVATING AT THE SAME TIME!!!"
"eh." Sans shrugs. "infinite outcomes, y'know? but man, talk about a huge crowd..." He glances around the group, his smiling face unreadable. "so. what's the plan? personally, i could go for some burg right about now."
Asriel picks up on something very odd about what Papyrus said. Will definitely have to ask about that later. "Hey!" Chara half squeaks. No, it's not because they were crying. "How about we head into town? No point talking in the middle of the snow forever."
"IT WOULD BE NICE TO SEE HOW MUCH HAS CHANGED SINCE I LEFT AS WELL," Popyrus adds.
"Sounds pretty... cool to me." Frisk cracks a grin, lifting their chin and trying to play it cool again. Please enjoy their sense of humor, cool human.
The science Papyrus' eye socket twitches a little, and he looks like he's trying to hide a smile. Sans, in the mean time, chuckles.
"so... anyone up for a shortcut?"
"Yeah, sounds great." Chara somewhat reluctantly lets themselves down out of Caretaker Pap's arms. "All the other guards should be back at Grillby's at this time."
"You can do shortcuts too Ki- Mister Sans?" It was a quick catch before Asriel corrects himself.
Frisk gulps. Other guards? That's... a little foreboding, though they try to hide their unease with a slightly twitchy smile.
And Sans responds with a nod. "yup, it's kinda my thing." And he motions for the others to come closer. Somewhat reluctantly, his brother obliges. "all right, so... sounds like at least a few of us are used to shortcuts by now. those that aren't, it might tingle a little."
'Kinda your thing, huh?' Something about that strikes Chara as odd. As does Frisk's attempt at hiding their unease about... something. Chara doesn't know what. But they do know what could help out. Chara walks over to Frisk, takes their hand, and-
They aren't there anymore.
"Wha- Chara!! You left me behind!!!" Cries out the small goat.
"HUMAN!" Papyrus tries reaching out for them, but nope. They're too fast. Curses!
"...welp." Shaking his head, Sans plods closer to the little goat and plops a hand on his shoulder. "all right, then. bro, bro, kiddo... looks like we'll be making the jump as a group."
He gives the elder Papyrus a chance to come closer-- just in case this whole thing's disorienting. Once they're all ready, he'll make the jump. To Be Continued
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