According to him, humans were capable of mind control. They could run across sky-scrapers. They were able of gliding through the air. Capable of lifting entire buildings, and a dozen other bluntly peculiar things.
The duo proceeded along the path, finding the trees overgrowing part of it. Stretching out, and entangling with one another. Bearing giant golden flowers, in a sort of arch.
"Can you...lift buildings?" Aliza asked.
"No way." Chara replied. "Can you?"
"No." Aliza replied, scratching the side of her head. "I don't...get it."
"It sounds like they were watching anime or something." Chara commented, adding. "And, as cool as that is. It's not the most realistic." She pondered. "Like, I mean, sometimes. But, y-ya know what I mean right?"
The pair stepped across crinkling leaves that were present on the path. They had left the monster to consider the far plainer reality of things. Avoiding some of their admittedly fantastical abilities, omitted just to prevent some panic from rising up again.
"Yeah." Aliza agreed, before thinking about, and asking something. "You...know you uh...don't...have to like block hits, right?"
Chara shifted some, and said. "Well...yeah, sure, I guess. But, you seemed to be having trouble dodging the hits." She pondered. "Speaking of-" She briefly materialized her spell-list. "while walking around in pain without getting patched up is a very human thing to do..." She motioned down the list to the recent addition. "we shouldn't. I think."
Chara cast |Patchwork| on Aliza.
There was a strange energy that enveloped the orange-eyed girl. Causing her to let out a sound of surprise. Shaking some from the odd tingling sensation, as her being seemed to glitch some, mending.
Aliza blinked, and asked. "Y-you can...heal people?"
"Well I uh...learned it. Ya know, when we were in the ruins." Chara said, electing not to share the how. "After the uh...fight. So, do you...feel any better?"
Aliza rotated her arm some. Checking the spots that had gotten sore from the attack impact. Strangely, none of them hurt anymore. It was a peculiar sensation, but she was glad of it. Though, it left her with many questions, including some she hadn't gotten to ask yet. Or, simply hadn't mustered the ability to.
"How do you...use magic?" Aliza asked.
"Oh, that. So, uhm...it's a soul thing." Chara commented, tapping her chest, while willing the soul to appear. "I dunno how exactly it works, like...all special, smart and sciencey-wise. But uh...it's something I can do...thanks to my soul." She noted. "Sort of like...how yours kept me from...from, well...that."
Aliza recalled, though she didn't full understand it all. She tapped her chest, expecting the soul to materialize. When it didn't, she let out a nervous laugh, looking a little embarrassed.
"R-right...uhm...so, can I...do that?" Aliza asked.
"I don't...think so." Chara admitted. "I think that if you could, something would have appeared by now. But that's fine. You have a really neat power. In my opinion."
"You think so?" Aliza inquired.
"Dude, totally." Chara smiled some. "We'd have all been screwed without you. I...never did say thanks for that, by the way."
Aliza responded. "You don't hafta."
"No, no, like, I should. So..." Chara paused her steps, composed herself, and said. "Thank you, Aliza. For, ya know...just helping. And...for..." She trailed some. "I'm bad at this, sorry."
"You're welcome." Aliza replied, giving a curtsy. "And...thanks. For helping me."
"Pshh, no worries dork." Chara stretched out, and glanced. "Oh, hey, earlier...you asked me a question. I can't quite remember what it was though."
"I was..." Aliza felt hesitant. "Asking about...uhm...your...bat?"
Chara wasn't sure that's what she actually asked about, but was fairly certain that wasn't it. However, if her counterpart wasn't willing to repeat the question, she wouldn't press. Especially as it had slipped her mind, anyways. So, she elected to entertain the thought. At least a bit, as they passed underneath the grand arching trees, shading their walkway.
"You know, you could check it." Chara suggested.
"Check it?" Aliza recalled seeing the command in a fight, but neither of them had actually used it. So she wagered it wasn't very important.
"Okay. So, it's like...something you have to think about." Chara explained. "Manifest the thought in your mind, and lay it at your hand."
To explain this concept, she followed the train of thought, and willed the command to appear. Flowing, shining with a purple glow beneath her hand. The long sleeve of the dark jacket briefly spilling out against it. Forcing her to tug it back, so her hand could be shown making contact with the command. A small shimmering thing of information shining, revealing details about Aliza.
Chara used the command twice more, on the things that Aliza had, to get details on them as well.
|Aliza - ATK 6 - Def 0| |A lost human child| |She wants a friend|
|Weapon| |Sturdy Branch| |A sturdy branch| |0 ATK|
|Outfit| |Patchwork Dress & Jeans| |Purple and Patchwork| |Raises ATK when low HP|
"So, for example." Chara motioned. "Those are your stats, and your things. Given you gave your jacket to me."
The purple eyed girl noticed how high Alizas ATK stat naturally was. Usually a fun indication of how violent a person was. Or could be. It left her with some questions, but she decided not to press it. Aliza looked these details over. Blushing hard when she noticed her personal description. Hoping that the other girl hadn't noticed. She had.
"S-so...I just...uhm." Aliza attempted, but failed. "I...didn't?"
"It's fine. We have time dork. Just, relax and try again." Chara assured, fading her checks.
Ultimately, it would take a number of attempts. A few brief explanations again. And several assurances, and general patience from Chara, before Aliza managed to get her thoughts in order. Taking a deep, calming breath. Banishing those spooky ghosts, that Pablo talked about, which were making her all shaky.
And then, she used her first check, on Chara directly.
|Chara - ATK 10 - Def 9| |A resurrected monarch| |She wants to go home|
Chara noticed the use of the term resurrected, and shifted some. Also noticing how high her stats were, wagering her gear was contributing to that. But, even if it was...was it meant to be so high? Especially without having gained that much LV? She then recalled the description of the bat, and some anxiety flowed back into her.
"Well, I think th-that's uh...a decent learning experience." Chara suggested. "We should, probably-" Aliza had hit the check again. "E-er..."
Aliza had done a check on the jacket, that she'd been wearing. The one she had given to her counterpart, when she was suffering a 'ghost' attack. The one with the fluffy lining. The one she hoped would be an appreciated replacement, for the poncho Chara had to sacrifice as a distraction so they both could escape the ruins.
|Armor| |Dark Jacket| |Faux-Fur lined, and cozy| |5 Def| |Deals extra damage,| |on timed hits.|
"Timed hits?" Aliza asked.
"Oh..." Chara was impressed with how tough the jacket she was wearing was. "Uhm...yeah, so those are when you get the timing just right. Swing them at the right moment, that kind of thing. It's more difficult to dodge, and usually hits harder...guess this...hits even harder." She recalled hitting the Astigmatism, impressed with how durable it was in hindsight.
Aliza, meanwhile, checked her outfit.
|Outfit| | ' Clothes| |Bloodied badly| |May use |ACTIONS| when defending|
The bloodied badly was fairly apt, as far as descriptions went. It was a damp long shirt, that had many bloodstains upon it. Already shifting into a dirty brown sort of color, as a result of oxidation. Notably, the fact it was able to stain at all, indicated that while it was magically enchanted, it wasn't an inherently magical piece of clothing.
"We should...maybe...ya know." Aliza tried to hint that getting Chara non-bloodied clothing might be a good idea.
Chara for her part, agreed. "Yeah...well...fair." She sighed. "Okay, well that's enough of-"
Before she could actually finish her sentence. Aliza had checked the last item. The bat, sticking over her shoulder from its holster slightly.
|Weapon| |X-Bat| |Has an Orange X on it| |4 ATK| |Gains +1 ATK, per enemy killed|
The sight of the final words made Aliza blink in surprise. Before noting the damage it did. One of those she could account for. Being the Non-Human. However, if it had four attack, then, that meant there were 3 that she was unaware of.
Chara had noticed the number as well. Her mind briefly flashing with the four. Temmie, who to her knowledge, hadn't given her a spell or anything as result. And was the first thing she killed, rather...brutally. The second was the Elder Puzzler, her vision feeling funny, as she stared at nothing, and the memory in unison. She got the puzzle cube from him.
The third was the mantis monster, known as 04. Who had given her the Royal Buster spell. And the last, was the Non-Human. Who it seemed had given her Patchwork. The healing spell, which in hindsight, she felt guilty for testing on Aliza. She hadn't meant any harm, but if it had done any...then it would be her fault.
Chara spoke, when Aliza didn't. "Killing should never be the solution." Aliza glanced, breaking from her own thoughts. "But, if you aren't given a choice...it becomes more complicated." She noted. "Just...try to do the right thing, okay?"
Aliza gave a nod. "O-okay." The check fading.
Chara wasn't the best at handling odd situations. Some part of her mind seeking a resolution. Something that wasn't the discomforting quiet she knew was going to develop. So, to pre-empt it, she fell back on an old habit.
"Well...guess we know each other a little better now." Chara laughed nervously. "Me, a little more than you, admittedly." She shrugged. "But hey. I'm an open book. Well, I'm like, a human, so, heh. Not exactly a book, but uh-"
"Two." Aliza replied.
"Huh?" Chara raised a brow.
"W-while uh...I was...with the...that lady." Aliza attempted to clarify. "We...uhm...I...had to...I killed two...people."
The duo met each others eyes. There, wasn't a funny quip, or a failed but attempted one after that. Only a slightly deeper sense of understanding.
Chara stepped over and took Alizas shaking hand. Before giving the other girl a hug. Which was returned in kind. It was an awkward little hug, but it helped them both feel better, if nothing else.
It seemed neither was what one might call a 'Pacifist.' But they weren't 'Genocidal' either. Just conflicted, lost, and doing their best regardless.
Brave ones, foolish ones, walk not on the center. But, they did. Ultimately, unaligned from those black and white moralities. From a future of endless hope, and one drowned out in despair.
And as the hug ended, they continued on without a word.