hadriel | 008 [Video]

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008 [Video]

[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.]

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[A pause before Chara finally turns on their video. Their face is blank but knowing Sans, he'll probably pick something up. Tired? Very. No EXP. There's nothing to do and they're getting bored.]

Everything remains static. You have yet to change.

[It's meant to be an insult but lacks the bite Chara usually has.]

It seems that would only apply if I was LV 1. If I was human. But I will make a choice, one day. Will you wait, judging, knowing that it will likely do with me becoming bored?

[Because that's it, isn't it? When there's nothing left for them to do, they'll just move onto the next game. Because they're the demon that comes when you call its name.]

[He's adept at reading into little nuances like that, it's true. Especially by the end. He watches them no more or less closely than usual, keeping his distance - his figurative distance. Literally, he's sure they're rather far apart.

Or maybe they're not. He's got no clue where they live.

He laughs, and it's a bizarre sound. It's dry, and hollow, and, maybe, if you feel like reaching, tainted with the faintest shred of pity.]

Don't flatter yourself, kiddo. You were an anomaly the second you anchored at the bottom of that drop.

[Well, the two of them have one thing in common at least. He's tired, and so, it seems, are they.]

The kid, right? That's where they landed. That's when everything fell into place. Maybe you didn't intend it. Maybe it just happened. But like it or not, that's how it is.

[They smile. That's all the anomaly has.]

That story began with a Froggit.

[That story. The first encounter. How a run went sometimes depended on that. Spare, Fight, Run, Mercy, Kill, Flee, ect.

But not theirs. This run, the final run was Chara's. Everything else was a mix. What to do, what to do...? Who was it, who was it?

Who was in control? * It's me. * It's you!

Well, that could mean either of them.]

That it is. What do you do then? This world presents many different choices but what do you do? There is something here for us...but no 'have to'.

[They're not being roundabout. It's a genuine question.]

[A Froggit. That feels like a reference he's not privy to, but he doesn't ask. Like a private joke. Private jokes are better when you don't ask for an explanation anyway.

Too bad they're the only two people from their world here.

And now, they've got a selection of choices at their disposal. Maybe they're not used to having more than two. But even then, there's a garden variety of outcomes to choose from.]

You're right. I guess we don't really...heh, we don't get roles in this narrative right away.

[He wrote himself into the sides, the corners, the very far edges. He wrote himself into the witty comic, the goofy slacker, the cheerful prankster. He wrote himself into someone who could step out of the narrative and not be missed, not unless the path was too dark to be turned back. Part of him just couldn't afford it - even in a harmless encounter, 1 HP leaves you with nothing, no chance of recovery, no buffer, no windows for someone to change their mind.

And part of him knew that, in the end of it all - it's what he deserved. He's seen and known and learned too much to do anything but watch anymore.

But of course, the biggest reason is the most obvious one.

He's simply too tired to try and make any lasting impressions on the narrative anymore. So he assigned himself the most harmless role possible, and ran with it.]

I guess it's up to us to choose. Not to get all existential on ya, but we're the ones who decide what we wanna be here now. You don't have to do stuff just 'cause you can.

* You see two people standing in a golden hall.
* ...

[ * Who is happy with this?

It all slips out but Chara manages to stop themselves before the final line could be said. LV 19...they still could feel a bit. They wouldn't have felt the shock, rage and frustration if they didn't.

And now they had something. Anything. There was something here now, something beyond playing pointless games of chicken with a skeleton, who's brother's dust was on their hands. Regardless of how things go from here on, Chara doubts they would ever be forgiven for that. Way back when...if someone had hurt him...well. They would have gained LOVE a hell of a lot sooner.

But. But they had so many choices to shake a stick at. Another chance that a dead kid wouldn't get again. Back home either things would be reset or the absolute would be reached. Two choices. Not exactly an ending for the first one, but heck, when had those been endings if things went over again and again and again? But here, they could try new things, learn new things, feel---

Nothing.

The video suddenly switches off. Sorry Sans, maybe next time.]

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