008 [Video]

[thechoiceisyours]

[Chris smiles and gives a small wave at the camera when the feed starts, then turns his hand to show Hope's blessing on the back of it.]

So uh, who else got one? And are they all from Hope, or...?

[This is so cool you guys he wants to see who else got what. And for something else slightly less important by still cool--]

Oh, also, my iPhone was up and working for a bit thanks to Pell, and I managed to get some music off it. I'll share on the condition no one makes fun of my taste.

[The last comment is a joke--he's really not going to be too hurt by jabs about his choice in music--but the offer is serious, and attached is a download of the music he's copied off so far. It's kind of a slow process, so there's still more on the phone that he can transfer later.]

Comments

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[somuchlove]

[Yup, that's Sans.]

Then it is him. The puns are...a give-away. He is an interesting monster.

I see. Hopefully it doesn't bring too much conflict.

[Though Chara is willing to bet it will.]

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[thechoiceisyours]

Yeah, he's probably the least threatening monster I've ever met. Are you friends, or...?

[Who knows with people here.]

So far it's just been pretty useful, since some of the monsters actually come from people's worlds.

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[somuchlove]

[...well Chris isn't technically wrong.]

I was friends with his brother, Papyrus, before he passed away.

[Which also isn't technically a lie.]

Oh? I did not know that. Is the manner that brings us here the same that draws them in?

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[thechoiceisyours]

[He knew Sans had a brother, but not any of the rest of that.]

Oh, that sucks. Sorry to hear that.

[Even though it's hard to tell with text, he does mean it but isn't entirely sure what to say.]

We don't know for sure but yeah, probably.

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[somuchlove]

It's fine. But if he seems strange some times, that is why.

[And not, you know, because the kid who murdered his brother and him is here.]

I wonder what determines which kind. It may be random, however.

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[thechoiceisyours]

[Murdering your friends is not cool, Chara.]

Okay. Got it.

No idea; I'm actually not sure how many monsters are from other people here's worlds but I know some came from mine.

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[somuchlove]

[But it's so much fun!]

Which ones, if you do not mind me asking?

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[thechoiceisyours]

[No. Bad Chara.]

Wendigos. I think they're just in spirit form right now so you should be good as long as you don't eat any people, but uh... Yeah.

[Hopefully not eating people isn't a problem.]

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[somuchlove]

[Aw.

But no...not eating people isn't a problem. It's actually a pretty odd thought.]

I do not. It sounds unappetizing.

[* You try to joke about it but it still is gross.]

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[thechoiceisyours]

[They're in total agreement there.]

Yeah. But there was a month where Rage mixed human in with the food supply, and if you engage in cannibalism you can be possessed by the wendigo spirit and it turns you into a monster.

So a lot of people who were here for that don't touch any of the meat, even though it's probably safe now. Just so you know.

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[somuchlove]

I will keep that in mind. It sounds...rather unfortunate.

[But very interesting. Did it apply to monsters who ate other monsters? Had it been tested so that it truly wouldn't effect humans any longer? Food - HA! - for thought, Chara supposed.]

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[thechoiceisyours]

Yeah. It wasn't great.

[Chris had actually wondered that first question and never did get an answer.]

text IF THIS IS OK

[skelebro]

i'd watch where you go with this, kid.

text it's totally okay!

[somuchlove]

[Golly! Someone's paranoid.]

Nowhere at all. Merely curiosity.

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[skelebro]

seems to me you left out a few important details.
don't tell me you need me to remind you.

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[somuchlove]

Not at all! I just noticed you had difficulty with hard subjects like that. Sometimes you need a big push to actually move.

[And really, Sans should have seen this coming. It's not like Chara really cared about keeping secrets beyond their own.]

Besides, it's not like you didn't pay me back. Or are not leaving out important details yourself.

text 1/3

[skelebro]

[That's funny. That's so goddamn hilarious. He should mount that on his door and hold a talk-show about it that they broadcast every Christmas.]

you want me to be more honest?
really, kiddo?

[skelebro]

don't make me laugh.

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[skelebro]

you know me. i've been keeping quiet.
that was a courtesy to both of us.
but if you're so confident, i'll be sure not to omit any of your shortcomings.

1/2

[somuchlove]

[There's a period of silence on Chara's end. Time well spend laughing their ass off. Sans? Actually acting before nearly everyone was dead? What a laugh. What a RIOT. There was no script in this world but NOTHING had changed. If anything, hearing this had stirred up an emotion or two that had only been touched upon by that man claiming a connection to a story.

It's a consolation prize, at best. Congratulation Sans, you're more interesting than usual.]

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[somuchlove]

But of course. You've already rendered judgement on me so there's no point in changing your opinion! You should share it. I hear it's bad luck to let demons run around unchecked.

Be sure to include you've killed me often. Or that I'd be dead where I stood. It's not like it matters.

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[skelebro]

[There's a lot here he could address. Judgment. Dead where you stand. The countless deaths he's inflicted on them.

But one thing stands out in particular.]

that's what you're going with? demon?

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[somuchlove]

Doesn't that sound the best? I can't be human. You've said so yourself, Mr Judge.

[Great if they could continue to pretend to be one. Just to make his brother happy. Just that. They're bad at acting, so they couldn't be human. Did it matter anyway?]

text 1/??

[skelebro]

[He made a promise. He'd hated it, every inch of it, and then he'd spent so long hunting down the source of the temporal displacement, and imagine his slow, tired blink of silent understanding when he realized what it was. Of course it was the same human that walked through the door. Of course the source of the anomalous temporal residuum was the same exact human he'd promised to protect.

This is why he hates making promises. It settled cruelly in his gut, or the lack thereof, for the entirety of that short, desperate trek through Snowdin, and then all the way to the golden-tiled hall.

* so, y'know, it'd really help me out...
* if you kept pretending to be one.

Were they ever on any kind of precipice? Were those the words that pushed them to the other side? How can he know? God, how can he know.

* on days like these, kids like you...

There's no punchline.

Not for this.]

[skelebro]

[Anomaly. And he'd known it right from the start. Anomaly. They weren't supposed to exist. That DT-fueled, metaspatiotemporal mess that cycled everything through and through. And he'd lost count of the tallymarks. God but he'd lost count.

Stopped caring. Stopped taking any but the most nominal of measurements. The anchorpoint and the golden flowers, and it all started to blur together.

How much can they hold them culpable? How many times had they gone around before attempting to try something different?

Was he the catalyst?

Sans stares at the screen. He stares at his phalanges.]