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gre-chankas-stuff · 1 year

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Player 101

Sometimes, Kris finds themself thinking, Player is stupidly, stupidly powerful.

They're strong, they're omniscient; Kris doesn't doubt that, if they really wanted to, they could predict every enemy's move and skill. “patterns,” Player says. “the world has so many patterns, that when you notice them you will not be able to not see them.”

And god they saw them, patterns akin to strings in clothes: a warning, to where an attack will land. It's sewn into the universe, and Player can see the embroidery.

It's so cool. Really, it is! Especially, when they explain it, absolutely fascinated, about little boxes of red as a no-go zone. It's their special interest, so to speak, because they talk and talk about them like it's the most underappreciated and overlooked thing in the world. Which is probably true, because if Kris can't see them the way Player does, with Player themselves being a part of them to some extent, they doubt anyone else from here can either.

Player looks like a complete dork and far younger than they are when talking on that topic.

That doesn't mean, though, that it doesn't scare Kris every time when Player becomes… annoyed.

Honestly, Kris saw them like that only two times in their life.

One of them was Jevil, which is fair enough, considering how many times they needed to restart the fight over and over again. It was exhausting, to both of them, so Kris understands the annoyance. They still remember that very long ramble on how Jevil's attacks are such an ass to dodge, and how it gets so unfair over time, and how it needs to be 'pixel perfect', whatever the hell that's supposed to mean in this context, and-

(It was long. Very long. Kris was scared, because their sibling continued, with such strong opinions on Jevil, psychopathically going to his cage. They won't even call it 'determination', because that was a borderline obsession with winning that fight.

Kris learned that day that their sibling was a 'try-hard' kind of Player. It was objectively terrifying to watch, and even more so to learn that that wasn't even the sickest way people like them had fun.

* You are psychos.

“shush, you don't even know what we do for clout.”)

Spamton's fight, on the other hand, had been pushing them far harder. It almost made Player cross the thin line between just being pissed off, and being enraged.

Dare Kris say — it wasn't pretty.

("DO YOU SEE ME, [Heaven]!?" Spamton screeched, metal clanging against metal, strings snapping one by one, creating a horrific symphony.

Teeth grinding, Kris stood strong against the attacks, watching a majestic Player's dance, waving between the bullets occasionally sending their own. They got hit, they heard them, or Susie, or Ralsei's wordless grunt, and the yellow light shone brighter, near blinding.

Player moved in silence, absolutely mute, and in that silence their attacks grew relentlessly faster.

All Kris could really focus on was their burning anger. Hatred, even. It felt like a volcano eruption, and freezing cold at the same time. It left a taste of copper in Kris' mouth, soaking their mind in those feelings. Making them feel what They feel, think like They think, veins pumping with an elaborate desire to hurt, to kill, — almost, — and all Kris could think is-)

In that fight, they suddenly understood what Heaven truly meant. What that power can do.

Before, Ralsei told about Angel's Heaven, the exact thing that should be Banished per legend, as an eternal Entity. Powerful enough to destroy the world as it's known — from its core to shell, and every living being within. The Entity can control and twist, and change the wants and needs of people. Can switch the perspective to reveal unspeakable knowledge and drive the hardest mind insane.

And Player was that Entity.

It was rather… awkward, at a time, for several different reasons to hear Ralsei talk about them with such panic in his voice.

When Player switched perspective to watch over Susie, or was more forced to do so anyway in King's castle, Ralsei started to explain what they were. The bits and pieces, broken shards from different legends that somehow connected into one big puzzle, painting a weirdly horrific picture.

"It's powerful." He said, in between his highly running imagination. "Controlling and wild at the same time. It needs to be gone."

Kris merely blinked. Player just began to become their friend, if not a powerful ally and, perhaps, a family — what in the fresh hell was he on about?

(Now Kris knows: a lot, and even more than that.)

They asked Player about it after, as soon as Ralsei was distracted, and was greeted with a lot of explaining; stories of lives they'll never see or hear, the world's and universes they never existed in. Player also didn't pass the moment to brag, of course, about how they fought some demons almost barehanded, and won. It made Kris snort in amusement, maybe even several times, but soon enough Player began telling more, and that whimsical attitude quickly switched to something more… solem.

They couldn't go into more details at that moment, — the King still needed to be fought, after all, — so Kris hadn't heard some of the more bitter truths until later that day, when they asked Player to continue explaining.

The mood behind that chipper voice dropped significantly.

“it will be a lot to take in.” They said, warning palpable in that sentence.

However, it would take a lot more to deter Kris from begging, if needed, to know more. They both knew that already.

* I am ready. Whatever it is, I will... Try to accept.

Player was silent for a second, then huffed. “very well. but never say i didn't warn you.”

The dialogue that happened after was informative, in the way that Ralsei's vague words never would be able to recreate. The countless worlds saved, countless worlds destroyed, more than infinite waiting for such fate. People that never knew what was happening to them, people that did, and yet never been able to do anything about it. Monsters and deaths. Black and white, and gray that knitted the universes, that knitted the very thoughts of those they ruled above.

“i think we are born with this knowledge, you know? i know i instantly knew what i appeared for, even if i didn't understand what that implies.” They said, and Kris had a feeling if they had a body to call their own, Player would be sitting with their knees to their chest.

Maybe that's because they always mirrored Kris.

* And what did you come here for?

“i… don't know. i've got a word, if you can call it that, from an old friend. told me to help him with some experiment, make a body to suit myself, and then in a blink i was here.” They said, and something about their tone shifted. “you knew i was here.”

Kris furrowed their brows from the way it implied some untold truths.

* Is it a bad thing?

“not particularly, not- well, maybe. very likely, yes. i had yet to see the universe where it wasn't a bad thing, at least partially.”

They hummed, and it wasn't happy.

“it means that the world can break, and the cracks are already showing. that it's- it's kind of an inevitable fate, that something would threaten the very things that keep other things together and working. it's a big deal.”

Kris exhaled through their nose.

* …Oh.

Player snorted. “oh indeed.”

* And- and what do you do about this? The worlds like that, I mean. You said that there was, or is many more like mine with someone knowing stuff, so I'm a bit curious.

There was a second of silence.

“it is… going to sound very morbid, what i'm about to say, so bare with me.” They took a breath. “i do not like how it works, and i know a lot of people who aren't alright with it too. it's-” They made an uncertain noise. “we- we either salvage what is left, sometimes almost rebuilding it anew if we get the chance, or-” They let out a giggle, breathless and without humor. “or, well, help it collapse. finish what's started. i personally watched, helped a couple of those.”

Kris-

Kris felt… they don't exactly know what they felt.

Perhaps it could be called shock, or hollowness, or coldness from that statement. It was their emotion, the slight tilt of horror, but it was also... muted. It was under the rubble, so to speak, quiet and barely there. Fear, that should've come in pair with that, never even dared resurface its head, and pity hid in shadows. Rage and anger shimmered somewhere behind, almost fully consumed in the other noise.

They felt deep sorrow with a tint of despair that singlehandedly overpowered everything, and Kris was pretty sure it wasn't theirs.

“i- it destroyed the basis of those worlds, you know? awareness made them fragile. after the collapses i could no longer access them. it never happens in the universes that aren't aware, even if they crumble too. if- when i tried to come back to the unaware ones it almost looked like an infinite loop. they forget- people forget everything and make the same mistakes that leave the world on the hair breath from death. and yet- yet, no matter how they try, no matter how they want to, those worlds can never truly die.”

Kris harshly crumpled the sleeves of their sweater.

“the aware ones do, so i was- i was pretty scared to understand what it means here.”

Everything felt detached after that. They don't know how long they stared at their feet, accepting and reaccepting the information. At some point they even felt one of their hands slowly stroking the other, one of them out of their control. Kris heard Player softly humm.

“i told you it was a lot to take in.”

It was. It was more than Kris could process in such a small amount of time, but there's still one, for now, question that was yet to be answered:

* What about this world? Is-

There wasn't even a slight pause, question cut before it could be finished.

“no.” An instantaneous reply came. “don't even think about it — the answer is no. it's too unbreakable for that, and whatever made it a slightly bit more vulnerable for you and Ralsei to know didn't let it go near the worrisome level.” Player paused, unease seeping through the careful assurance. “unless- unless someone deliberately will try to force their access outside of the world, it's nothing that needs worry. plus, i am already here; and whoever would be bold enough to try will need to go through me first.”

Kris forced themselves to swallow. It all felt far too distant.

* That's- that's good. You're a tough opponent to fight.

Like it wasn't happening with them, or their world for that matter.

“yeah. i am, i can promise that much.”

Like it was just a weirdly detailed dream, and when Ralsei's words came to Kris' mind, they could only question why and how it's all connected the way it is. Player is their friend, bordering on closeness of a family, and despite them admitting to every horror the Darkener told Kris about, it felt like an elaborate lie. Cruel joke.

It all didn't stick together, with how attentive Player is to even the smallest of distresses, with how emotional they were over Susie's protective stance at the King's Castle, or Ralsei's vulnerability showing. They aren't some otherworldly being that can easily tilt the fate of the universe, forcing it to end, or a manipulative entity with a sickening taste for fresh blood.

Back then, they thought it just can't exist in the same person. Not without one bleeding into another, and they hadn't noticed such things.

But Kris knows better, now.

They know from the way Player was almost spitting venom when Spamton dared to mention something about tearing them out of Kris' chest. The anger still persisted when he was defeated, when he was nothing more than a trinket to hold onto in their pocket.

They know from the way Player sometimes goes away, — always telling Kris about it beforehand, — and come back colder. Quieter. Sharper. It goes away with time and some playful nudging, but it happens, and nothing Kris did had prevented it so far.

They know, because sometimes they look for Noelle. When they find her, happy and content with her father or chatting cheerfully with others, the first thing Kris feels from them is hatred. They are perfectly aware it's not for her, or the ones she's talking to, or for Kris themselves, but it still makes them flinch, or shudder. Or both.

Kris does know better, and it's… terrifyingly sad to know. To understand, to really get it.

Player has the patience of a saint, and knowing they are a religious being here, it might even be a funny thing to say. Still, to endure so much and not snap at any convenient opportunity? Miracle, no less. Taking into consideration that Player also capped themselves at the age of a teenager, which is quite famous for the most explosive reactions and emotions ever, its wonder of a statistic skyrocketed into space.

(“i have godlike powers and psychological issues about that!”

* One day I will ensure your way into the therapy room.

“well, well, Iid like to see you try; you'll never find any therapist that willingly would try to tackle my problems!”

* I will become that therapist, don't tempt me.)

Yet it's- well, still sad.

Player is omniscient and powerful. They see too much, know too much. Kris is unsure how much is 'too much' for a normal teen, as they personally hadn't been living normally in the way human children do, but it's way more vivid in the attitude Player displays in some situations.

They freeze when some topic flies too close for their comfort. As much as they are patient with the problems of others, it drops to near zero if someone is even mildly threatening the way they don't like — a knee-jerk reaction almost. They are sometimes closed up in a shell, never telling if something's wrong unless pressed, and seem tired from the way they are worshiped as a savior.

Like it was all they were seen as for a long time.

Player is powerful, and it's scary how specifically powerful they are, with the way they got experience of different fights from their adventures. They don't necessarily need help, they can do a lot of things alone, and isn't that even a slight bit terrifying to know? That they have every ability and knowledge and drive to conquer everything, destroy everything, and what they lack they could astonishingly quickly learn? That they could manipulate the very basis of things, grow their charm with all they knew, to get what they want?

Kris can understand Ralsei with his wariness on that; if they hadn't interacted with Player and only heard some unspecific bullshit, they'd be scared too.

But they did.

They knew better now, and if Player did use such 'dirty tricks' to achieve Kris' loyalty, then, well, maybe they deserve it. Maybe they deserve to have yet another soul that considers them their family.

Kris' answer is that it can't be that bad.

---

My general hc for players in selfaware and not games is that they just drift around from one game from another. They kinda- appear without even a poof soundeffect and go on their merry way with everything they need to know to begin their journey

They know how to access the world and how to look for clues or where to seek help and all that. Every other skills, such as social and physical development is still tied to their 'age' and firsthand experience, but they instantly knows how to like. Eat. Read. Talk. Walk — just basic stuff that other still need to learn while they're young; plus added stuff like how they can go to different game and how to use inventory, but the last one is still more codependent on the world they currently in- cuz you can't use some shooter's arsenal the way you use sandbox weapons, just how you can't use rouglike trinkets the same way in simulators

Im making players a magical ageless race. So what? They really are in the eyes of anyone outside of their species i can do whatever i want about it. You can't fucking stop me

#greching origins #shared control au #deltarune #kris deltarune #player #hello :) im back on my bullshit :))))#actually im just cleaning my drafts and whatnot #youd be surprised how much stuffs there.#half of it unfinished........ but thats what im going to fix! soon!!!!#not- not the 'soon' way i promised in what? january?#and then fall silent on that. may gods forgive me #anyway im :))))))

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