apple-flavored fantasy

2) Swapfell Vocal I'm torn between the whole usual Undertale multiple routes thing, but in the 'main' route Chara is a preteen who does befriend both Vox and Tarnish. I think Chara wouldn't let anyone try to adopt them, but friends are good. Their secret favourite friend is probably Vocal Undyne (name tbd), or maybe their ghost friend (Frisk). Actually now I have decided that the person Chara trusts most in the world is Frisk and they can share a birthday (like a hundred years apart lol) so Chara kind of thinks of them like their twin.

Early after meeting them, Tarnish feels like 'hm something about this kid is kind of interesting' (the thing is that Chara's overly formal language and rabid violence when they feel they are threatened is reminiscent of Vox, actually).

I think... On a neutral route, if Chara has killed some monsters (even in Snowdin) in a way that's understandable as self-defense Tarnish might actually open up to them faster than on a pacifist route, because pacifism in this world is seen as either naive, deluded, or pretense - and Chara does have a lot of anger and violent impulses from trauma, which they don't hide too well even when they're trying to 'be good'.

So Tarnish probably sees Chara as something to use against the Empress- if they kill her that would be great, actually, but if they're too weak he's definitely going to take their SOUL himself. So on a neutral or pacifist route he might have a short battle in Snowdin that he puts very little effort into, and then he follows them through the underground to snipe anyone who kills them + take the SOUL. But also LEARNING to CARE about them against his will.

I think that unlike a game, a low LV Chara probably has to really stop and backtrack several times before they can make it through the Underground, and Tarnish is one of the only people willing/able to let them stay- and Chara can sort of trust in his motives to do so (he charges them extortionately for sure).

On a pacifist route they'd meet Vox for the first time if they go with Commander Alphys into New Home, but he wouldn't actually realize they're a human at that point. His first impression is 'SWEET MERCIFUL EMPRESS FINALLY SOMEONE ELSE TO TRY AND CONVINCE THE COMMANDER TO WOMAN UP AND TALK TO THE SCIENTIST'.

The next meeting is an official Judge vs Human in the Judgement Hall, of course. Obviously if they killed someone after meeting him on a pacifist route he'll be beyond furious, but otherwise he's thrown off his game.

- Chara starts their journey at LV 2, not from killing anyone but past traumatic events and violent self-defense. Vox's voice has very very little effect.

However, after the battle goes on long enough, Vox probably manages to paralyze Chara but kind of gets locked in place himself doing that so he just starts monologuing and getting kind of uncomfortably honest. Chara, who was considering forcibly reLOADING to get out of this, goes 'damn you need therapy' and waits until he gets distracted and then runs.

So they can't beat him on their own. Solution: recruit friends.

I'm imagining some sort of incredible comedy of errors where everyone really tries to fight each other all the time but somehow nobody manages to fight. Vox gets dragged out of the Palace against his better judgement. The brothers actually see each other in person for the first time in years. Undyne and Alphys get together.

Just for fun I think Vox can have a rematch with Chara in Snowdin as his 'can I actually rebel against the Empress' pivotal moment, and Tarnish can start a fight that actually is just a talk (no bullets but stuck in basically a cage of bones) with Chara in the Judgement Hall as he tries to make a decision whether or not to let Chara go face the Empress (and risk her becoming a god-like being) or to take their soul + use it for his rebellion.

BAD ENDINGS:

if Chara kills even one monster they have to kill Vox as well, theres no convincing him to stop

- The battle gets significantly harder depending on how many monsters have been killed, but Chara would probably get up to at most LV 15 of their own will in this world, and because of their Determination, Vox isn't able to do the sort of instant-kill effect he can on most monsters with LV; just lots of damage.

- On a no mercy route in a 'game' world where Chara is influenced by a player, Vox's voice has NO effect on them. Just to note, Chara wouldn't go out of their way to kill everyone naturally, so a no mercy route really requires some external influence.

if Chara kills everyone in Snowdin, Tarnish will confront them at the end with a very tough battle. if killed, obviously Vox has to be killed as well, but Chara can fight empress Toriel after and take her soul and leave in various neutral routes

any other number of kills in Snowdin (or anywhere else) is kinda like Tarnish hates it but hes got other things to worry about, he's willing to let them pass if they spare him.

but if Chara doesn't kill Tarnish and has killed others, Vox will not stop- so Chara will have to kill him- and if Chara kills Vox and Tarnish is still alive, Tarnish will show up having successfully assassinated the Empress (thus removing her Boss Monster soul from Chara's reach and thus there is no escape for Chara) and use the human souls against them