#mercystick

@mercystick

[ * Hunter was lost. Yet again. This time they had taken an elevator down instead of up, and now there was the maze of streets and alleys of the Capital. Monsters were everywhere, and while most of them still couldn’t recognize them as a human, on the off-chance that just one of them did...]

[[Closed, for @mercystick @golbez ]]

René didn’t arrive in the timeline with any real fanfare or ceremony. Whatever the shockwave that had hit her and Frisk in the machine was, it had knocked them out of the Between and into familiar territory. René Dreemurr, the stalwart and dignified General, landed hard on her back in the bedroom of Captain Frisk Dreemurr, knocking over the Captain’s standing lamp in the process.

SUPER Powers! Meme: 🌸 Flora, Trees, Plants & Control of all its Elements | 🌞 Day/Sun/Light Connection & Power Draw

Asriel glanced around the park, nothing out of the ordinary here! He was still a little annoyed that Frisk had ditched them for patrol, but he supposed keeping an eye on the rest of the City was important too.

He frowned at how his feet barely reached the ground. This park bench wasn’t even that high…

…who was he kidding. He was bored. Grumbling, he leant back on the bench and stared up at the sun, letting its warmth wash over him. Idly, he made the flowers nearby grow a little. One of them seemed to reach for him, so he reached up and gently poked it.

[ × There is a small wind-tear noise, and a kite crash-lands in front of Asriel. Hurriedly, a monster makes their way over to rescue it. They are Very Large compared to the little prince.]

[ × The kite itself looks okay, though its strings are a little bit tangled. They pick it up and smile a soft doggy smile at him. There is a daisy tucked into the fluff above their ear.]

[[ @mercystick ]]

The Machine slammed into the artificial wall like a bulldozer. For all its magic, for all that it had been carefully constructed, the wall didn’t stand a chance.

Chara stood at its controls, eyes closed. She burned with red magic, and the Machine burned with her. Together, they’d found this timeline again, following a thirty-year trail of pain and mourning. The Machine sang its song of anger, of triumph, and soared through the timeline’s outer layers. 

Only one problem. Timelines shouldn’t have had outer layers. Frisk, standing opposite Chara, grumbled.

“This place.” They said, lurching to one side as the Machine sped up. Thank goodness they’d added extra handles. “It doesn’t make sense.”

“Mm.” Chara replied. “Tell me about it.”

“I mean its structure is all wrong.” Frisk said. “It’s like two timelines, one layered on top of the other, but that’s not possible.”

“Not without breaking a few laws of the multiverse, I suppose.” Chara admitted. She grabbed a dial and twisted, and the Machine dropped into the timeline fully. Too soon, wrong place. She twisted it back.

The Grey Door disappeared once again, as a small child wandered past in Waterfall. To any casual observer, it had never existed in the first place.

“Seriously, I’m a little freaked out.” Frisk admitted. “The magic it’d take to sustain something like this, much less also put up a wall around it, is a little crazy. You’d need energy almost like the Barrier just to sustain it.”

“Seven human souls.” Chara said. “You think something’s up?”

“Something has to be up.” Frisk said. They ran their hand across the ever-shifting braille the Machine so helpfully displayed for them. “I’m just not sure what it is yet.”

“I’ll tell you what.” Chara said, eyes darting from gauge to display to panel. “If you promise not to break the timeline, then you can do all the checking it out that you want. But only once I find them.”

“Assuming they’re still here.” Frisk said. They shook their head, as both Chara and the Machine grumbled at them. “You have to admit, there’s a possibility something broke this place already.”

“Then I’ll fix it.” Chara said, and the Machine hummed in approval. 

“Oh, sure, you get your fingers on a time machine and suddenly you’re even more impossible than normal.” Frisk said. They grunted, as the Machine dropped back into the timeline. “I’ll stay in here for now, but you be careful, you hear me? I’m not going to be behind you to bail you out this way.”

“I’ll be safe.” Chara said, finally releasing the Machine’s controls. It sang a song of courage, and she patted its side. “You two take care of each other, don’t worry about me.”

She turned toward the door, taking a deep breath. On the other side, the Judgment Hall awaited. And with it, she hoped- or did she hope?- the one face she thought she might never see again.

@mercystick

Little Nickie is a pure cinnamon bun and the world needs more of him || Accepting!!

{ It’s a letter written in blue crayon. You can barely read it because of the handwriting. }

Dear Santa,

I don’t need anything for Christmas this year. I just wanted to say thank you

Nickie

   || from @mercystick here

The Captain had come to the Capital today to investigate the rumours. Not alone, of course, but when they find themself pressed against a wall in an alley, they realize quickly that they were simply too far from their backup to call anyone over right now.

Their gaze settles firmly on the stranger’s face, not a hint of fear in their neutral expression. They weren’t afraid at all of this person, and it was not even because they weren’t any taller than them.

“If you know I’m here on that rumour then you should know who I am,” they said. “Put the knife away. Since you haven’t hurt anyone you’ll be free to simply leave the timeline and never come back.”

[ * Chara shifts slightly, cocking their head to the side. A lock of hair falls and obscures one of their eyes, but they don’t move to put it back. It helps with the Look. A slight smile, maliciously curious gaze, and, of course, the knife. It skrrs quietly up Cap’s breastplate from their waist, stopping once the edge of it is resting against their slightly more unprotected chest. Just firmly held there, but not pressing in. Just a warning.]

[ * Their smile broadens.]

◙ Who wouldn’t want a moment alone with the Captain, of course? I doubt I could have arranged an audience with you otherwise.

◙ I just want to chat. Ask you some questions, you know. A nice friendly conversation.