If he could breathe out a sigh at that moment, maybe he would've. To say it's of relief would be pretty, uh, pretty callous of him. But it's maybe something he didn't ever expect to hear.
Just kinda wish he never had to.]
Okay.
[Shouldn't make promises if you don't know what you're promising to do, pal. But he's come a little too far to be wary about this kinda thing now.]
[The fact that he agrees so easily; it's good, but it's also bad. Good, because unlike him they can let the air escape their lungs in one big rush. Bad, because if they want his help, they need to be honest. Need to tell him what's wrong.
And he's not going to like it.]
I have to give them my SOUL.
[They wonder if he thinks, with the same, absolute certainty they do, that it's not like when monsters have tried to take it before.
Frisk is pretty sure Chara doesn't intend to give it back.]
It's...that ain't the answer he expected. Mostly 'cause they're both - well, they're both human. Chara might claim to be some sorta demon or another, but he's long since learned that it's bullshit. A human can't take another human's SOUL; a monster can't take another monster's. That's just how things have always been.
And they care about Frisk, more than anything. That much has been made rampantly transparent. So why...?
He don't have the whole picture here. Best to start with the basic problems.]
[A human shouldn't be able to absorb another human's SOUL...but then, a human shouldn't be able to possess another human, either. It's not their first time breaking the rules, and though Frisk takes the time to consider it...]
...I don't think they'd say so if they couldn't.
[Chara's known for making threats, sure- but they've never been threats they can't achieve.]
[He'd ask how, but - he can't be rightly sure either kid would be the ones to know, and asking now would be him misaligning his priorities all to hell. And Frisk's gotta point. Chara ain't one to make empty threats. They wouldn't say a thing like that if they didn't think it was, on some level, possible.
Dunno what they'd want in a thing like that, if he's honest. Don't line up with the kid who would'a given anything to keep their Partner safe.]
Well, we got time here. We got time to figure this out. What they'd want with that, or why they'd ask for it.
And maybe, uh, y'know... [Cripes, how does he say this?]
Look. If there's another option out there, between the two of us, I think we've gotten pretty good at scopin' out loopholes. Yeah?
I guess so. [Although...they can't say they want to know, really. Why Chara would turn around, demand the same thing from them that had gotten them killed so many times. Maybe they just wanted to teach Frisk a lesson- maybe it was just an eye for an eye.
They don't know. They really don't want to.
But they have time to figure it all out.]
...Yeah. Okay. [A shaky exhale. Don't have to be alone with this one.] Thanks Sans.
[No. 'Course they don't. They've had enough of people telling 'em how they've messed up, how they could and should be doin' better than they have, to last 'em a lifetime. Several lifetimes. Far too many, as a bottom line.
They turn to him. Outta necessity, maybe, or 'cause they simply don't know where else to turn. What the hell else can he do other than just - just try to be better than he has been?]
No. I know, kiddo. I don't think this one's on you.
[He doubts they'll believe him. But at least he said it.]
[Whatever they went through, Frisk went through it too. And they let it happen. Allowed it to happen. Made it happen.
Maybe not them, in particular, but a version of them. Chara's...Chara's real Partner. How they could ever put Chara in harm's way like that, Frisk doesn't know. It wasn't worth it. Or at least-
You can't control what it is they did back home. You can't -
[They wouldn't even have known, would they? They're not even from that sorta dust-stained path. They'd know if they were, even if he wouldn't. He thinks that, maybe, if they were there'd be an inkling - a reluctance to touch him, to let him hug them tight, to share their SOUL with him at all.
Can't know for certain. That's what he gets for not askin'.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
voice
[They wouldn't ask if this was just about them. They know they wouldn't. He knows they wouldn't. But here they are.]
I gotta-
I don't want to fix it like this.
voice
If he could breathe out a sigh at that moment, maybe he would've. To say it's of relief would be pretty, uh, pretty callous of him. But it's maybe something he didn't ever expect to hear.
Just kinda wish he never had to.]
Okay.
[Shouldn't make promises if you don't know what you're promising to do, pal. But he's come a little too far to be wary about this kinda thing now.]
How'd they say you had to fix it?
voice
And he's not going to like it.]
I have to give them my SOUL.
[They wonder if he thinks, with the same, absolute certainty they do, that it's not like when monsters have tried to take it before.
Frisk is pretty sure Chara doesn't intend to give it back.]
voice
It's...that ain't the answer he expected. Mostly 'cause they're both - well, they're both human. Chara might claim to be some sorta demon or another, but he's long since learned that it's bullshit. A human can't take another human's SOUL; a monster can't take another monster's. That's just how things have always been.
And they care about Frisk, more than anything. That much has been made rampantly transparent. So why...?
He don't have the whole picture here. Best to start with the basic problems.]
Is that even possible here? I mean, uh -
You're both human.
voice
...I don't think they'd say so if they couldn't.
[Chara's known for making threats, sure- but they've never been threats they can't achieve.]
voice
Dunno what they'd want in a thing like that, if he's honest. Don't line up with the kid who would'a given anything to keep their Partner safe.]
Well, we got time here. We got time to figure this out. What they'd want with that, or why they'd ask for it.
And maybe, uh, y'know... [Cripes, how does he say this?]
Look. If there's another option out there, between the two of us, I think we've gotten pretty good at scopin' out loopholes. Yeah?
voice
They don't know. They really don't want to.
But they have time to figure it all out.]
...Yeah. Okay. [A shaky exhale. Don't have to be alone with this one.] Thanks Sans.
Don't want to do this alone. I don't-
Want to mess up again.
voice
They turn to him. Outta necessity, maybe, or 'cause they simply don't know where else to turn. What the hell else can he do other than just - just try to be better than he has been?]
No. I know, kiddo. I don't think this one's on you.
[He doubts they'll believe him. But at least he said it.]
voice
[Whatever they went through, Frisk went through it too. And they let it happen. Allowed it to happen. Made it happen.
Maybe not them, in particular, but a version of them. Chara's...Chara's real Partner. How they could ever put Chara in harm's way like that, Frisk doesn't know. It wasn't worth it. Or at least-
They know that now.]
I did this to them. I have to make it better.
voice
[They wouldn't even have known, would they? They're not even from that sorta dust-stained path. They'd know if they were, even if he wouldn't. He thinks that, maybe, if they were there'd be an inkling - a reluctance to touch him, to let him hug them tight, to share their SOUL with him at all.
Can't know for certain. That's what he gets for not askin'.]
You couldn't'a known, Frisk.