I came in like a Pokeball...

[these_balls]

Who: ANYONE AND EVERYONE
Where: ANYWHERE AND EVERYWHERE
When: November 27 - 29
Summary: GET IN HERE AND MINGLE
Rating: BUT PLEASE MARK YOUR THREAD CONTENT ACCORDINGLY
Log:






Need a reminder of our Fourth Wall Rules? Find them here!

Comments

[callbacks]

What, like a save point?

[Dave shifts and puts his hands in his pockets, back on familiar turf all of the sudden.]

Come to think of it, I haven't seen anything like that around here. My place didn't have those, so I guess I assumed other video game worlds wouldn't, either? Like they were just game constructs or something and didn't exist in real life.

[gainedlove]

[At first Frisk nods along, but then...they get a little lost. What. Video game, what.]

But...it is real life. [Frisk looks around with a frown, then back up to Dave. They might be pretty meta, but they haven't reached Time player levels of it yet.] S' just the name they got.

[callbacks]

[Get on his level, Frisk, geez.]

Huh, okay, maybe the fourth wall's not as much of an utter travesty where you're from, then. That's cool.

[He comes closer to peer at the SAVE, though he doesn't touch it yet.]

So how does it work? Do you talk to it or what?

[gainedlove]

[Frisk raises an eyebrow and gives Dave a funny look, but shrugs it off and turns back to the SAVE point.]

Naw, it doesn't talk. You just touch it and then...um.

[They pause, confused. How the heck do you even explain FILEs? Frisk never had to put it into words before.]

It, um. It happens.

[callbacks]

[Yeah, funny looks are kind of how Dave does, at this point. He nods like Frisk's explanation makes complete and comprehensive sense, lifts a hand, pauses for a moment, then touches the star.

Meeting new friends who share some of your experiences...it fills you with determination.

Dave steps back and looks at his hand, then pockets it again and stares at the save point. Determination for what? He doesn't have a goal right now.]

That's...huh. That was interesting. Does that always happen? The...feeling, thing.

[gainedlove]

[Frisk nods in approval, able to sense his FILE being written just dimly. It hasn't quite occured to them yet that only one of them will be able to LOAD, though...]

Hehe, yeah! That's how it works in the first place, silly.

[I mean, gosh, this is basic stuff, man.]

Without determination, you can't SAVE at all.

[callbacks]

I...huh. I'm not sure I follow what I'm assuming is a semantic connection there, but I guess I can take your word for it.

[Silly Dave, if you're not determined, how can you SAVE anything?

But of course, Dave doesn't have much experience in saving, does he.]

slumps in with starbucks like what up

[gainedlove]

[It's okay, Dave. You've still got a whole finale to finish up that character arc of yours! There's hope for you yet.]

What's semantic?

what up what up what up homes

[callbacks]

Like, uh. The meanings of words. Something relating determination in particular to saving, I feel like there's got to be some kind of figure of speech at play there but I'm not enough of a total nerd to figure it out.

[gainedlove]

Oh! Well, um.

[They bite their lip for a moment, looking down at their feet while they try to find the right way to put things.]

Determination makes you keep going, even when you die. You go back and try again until you get it right.

Or, um. That's how I feel, when I LOAD.

[callbacks]

[Dave goes deathly still for a moment, then looks--really looks--at Frisk for the first time.]

...How old are you?

[gainedlove]

[...oh, right. Most people don't mention that off the cuff, do they? W h o o p s .]

...'m nine.

[callbacks]

[Well, maybe not most people, but Dave Strider is not most people. #notallvideogamePCs, am I right?

He begins to say something, hesitates, starts to lift his hand, hesitates again. Eventually, haltingly, unsure whether or not the gesture's welcome or even socially acceptable, he moves to put his hand on Frisk's head and kind of awkward-gently ruffle their hair, if it's okay.

You know, since nothing else is, ever.]

...I died a bunch, too.

Sucks, huh?

[gainedlove]

[Frisk doesn't flinch away when Dave reaches for them, looking more confused than anything. They've become so used to their deaths, facing the same grim fate over and over, only getting past by stubbornness and pure luck, the idea that the situation is screwed up at all only vaguely occurs to them.]

[But what Dave says...it brings a wobbly, tired smile to their face. Stepping forward, they wrap their arms around his middle and nod. Words aren't really working right now.]

[callbacks]

[Oh. That's, uh.

Dave can't actually remember the last time he's been hugged.]

Hey. It, uh, it's gonna be okay, all right?

[He keeps petting their hair, at a loss.]

Stuff's better here, or so I hear. No dying. And you only gotta fight if you want to.

[gainedlove]

[A small sniffle, a hiccup, but they don't really start crying. It's just...a relief, to know what someone else gets it, that they understand what Frisk has been going through. But...]

I gotta to go back, though. I gotta make sure it stays.

[callbacks]

That's--

[Fucked up. It's fucked up. What the dicks, this kid is nine, they shouldn't have to--to worry about that, whatever that is, that thing bigger than them that they have to uphold. Nothing should be bigger in a kid's life than the kid's life.

That's what Dave would think, if that were a thought he could even formulate, given his experiences. Instead, he feels it. The weight of that responsibility. He understands.]

...Stays? What stays.

[gainedlove]

The...everything. The timeline.

[Their hands grip a little tighter onto Dave's shirt.]

I'm the only one that ever remembers through a RESET. I thought I was getting it right, but...everything goes back to zero again.

A-and...Mom is waiting for me. She's prob'ly real worried...

[callbacks]

[Dave goes cold all over, all through his insides, the second he hears the word 'timeline,' and he almost doesn't have to hear the rest before he's dropping to one knee to hug this kid more properly, because fuck. Fuck. He knows.]

It...

[The words feel wrong in his throat. This isn't what he should be saying, but he doesn't know what else he can say, how else to fix it.]

It'll be fine, yeah? Your mom too. A bunch of people told me, when you're here, time's not moving in your home world, so nothing's gonna happen to your session, okay? Everything'll be just like you left it. Got multiple reports on this and everything.

[gainedlove]

[They start a little when Dave kneels down so abruptly, their hold on him loosening automatically to allow the motion to complete. The knot in their throat loosens a bit and Frisk's arms move to go around Dave's shoulders instead, their face pressed close against his shoulder.]

You're sure?

[It's not that they think he's lying, but how could anyone know? Even in that other non-place that they had fought Flowey and Asriel time had flowed, moved forward...or it had seemed to, at least. This is too important to leave to chance.]

[callbacks]

Yup. People've gone home and come back, all their stories confirm.

[They're so small. Was Dave ever this small? He can't even imagine, can't recall being tiny enough to take comfort from someone bigger. Someone Dave's size.]

[gainedlove]

...okay.

[Frisk leans a little more against Dave, relief easing the tension in their shoulders and chest. They certainly are small, even for their age; they could probably disappear under his cape and no one would notice.]

I...I guess I can stay a while.

[callbacks]

It's a pretty fun break.

[It's probably good Frisk is leaning against him like that, because Dave's not great at smiling at the best of times, and his attempt now is pretty wan.]

You wanna see some of the Pokémon I got here? I dunno if you got the spiel, but they're cool, I promise, and you get your own, too.

[gainedlove]

[They nod a little and pull back just enough to scrub at their eyes, and the smile they offer to Dave is sincere, if still somewhat sad.]

Ah...uh huh. What is a Pokemon? No one told me 'bout them.

[callbacks]

Here, I'll show you.

[Thank god for subject changes. Out comes the Pokéball, and ta-daaaah: a cutie.]

They're like animals, I guess, but with crazy powers and stuff. This guy's Wart, he's something called a Ralts.

[Wart looks up at Frisk with one hand to his mouth, but for once, doesn't retreat shyly towards Dave's leg.]