crystalknuckle

[crystalknuckle]

IT'S BIRTH! 🎉🎉🎉

[crystalknuckle]

"hmm...! maybe not! but i'm glad i was there to help... when..." you needed it.

isabeau regards them carefully, hands retreating from the door to tug at his sleeves. sure, he's the feelings expert, but that doesn't make the hurdles any less daunting. he just, wants to help? that's the sort of person he is. they aren't exempt from that.

...poor kid. bonbon had trouble accepting their support at first, too. ...did... chara go through anything rough lately...? urgh. reign it in, big guy!!

a nod, firm. "no coddling. got it." they're lying. he's been on the receiving end of enough empty smiles to know that. what he doesn't know yet is how to bring it up without pushing another button, so he backs off. instead, he clears his throat and tilts his head toward what he'd brilliantly deduced as 'the ice pack aisle' thanks to the massive (obvious) first aid sign. his lightless earrings clink with the movement.

"ahem! icy you've got it under control, mx. dreemurr!" forced smiles, huh. the optimism in isabeau's is genuine! it just needed a little... boost! yeah. "after you~!"

Chara may not hang out with humans if they can help it, but personalities are the same all across monster and human. They know a gentle lie when they hear one, or a joke at one’s expense to lift people’s spirits, drifting back when noticing the injury of a child too stubborn to admit to the hurt.

(grownups really are the same, everywhere. Chara doesn’t know what to do with that information.)

“I do doubt that we would have crossed paths without the ‘ouchie’, Mister Isabeau.”

The smile pinned on their face is tight, but necessary. It stretches to their cheekbones, carefully placed as if it would stop people from fussing about them.

(it’ll never work. They know that. They refuse to accept it anyway.)

“It is not necessary to coddle me,” they add, voice straining to be gentle. “I can walk just fine. It is my wrist that is injured.”

(Liar.)

[crystalknuckle]

their chuckle tugs his thoughtful frown into a smile-- the best (temporary) distress relief there is. laughter's good! great, even! just the icebreaker they needed.

"i'll put it on your tab, then! zero-percent interest 'cuz Small brain can't handle Big math like that." whoops, so much for dialing back on the dumb front! he even adds a 'bonk' to his falsely empty skull. old, preferential habits die hard!

...aaanyways, he's done enough first-response training to recognize a limp when he sees one. while conscious not to put it on blast, he will lag a step behind them, liiike... an isafety net (man, he's on fire today!), in case they stumble!

"would've been nicer without the ouchies, chara, but likewise!" his sentiment punctuated by the pharmacy's cheery door chime, "speaking of, how about you take a breather while i grab the goods? leave the grunt work to your new pal isa!"

When he reaches for them, they flinch instinctively — as if afraid of being hit — but he stops himself. Chara's eyes squeeze tightly, for a moment, but when they remain untouched, they finally wrench their eyes open.

how uncool.

His ice pun does manage to get a little bit of a chuckle out of them — it reminds them of their mother. Of Sans.

of home.

“I will keep that in mind to reassure people in the future. Thank you.”

(They wish Frisk was here. Frisk would be able to handle this. Frisk was better at making friends, at being a good person—)

Take a breath, Chara.

“… I suppose you will continue to insist.” Chara manages to push themself up into a standing position, wrist still pressed against their chest. “Very well. But please allow me to pay you back at the nearest opportunity.”

…

… their ankle is starting to hurt, too.

“… my name is Chara Dreemurr. It is nice to meet you.”

[crystalknuckle]

thanks for a 5/10 9/10 pun.....? 'daffodil-emma' (heh! what.).....? oh!

OH....!!! THEY GOT HIS VALENTINE! AND HE'S THEIRS! HIM!

"!!! SIF THINKS I'M PUN-TASTIC!!!!!"

[crystalknuckle]

*ROMANCE HEADCANONS

NAME: isabeau last-name-pending-until-artbook-release

NICKNAME: isa, za, the defender, the fighter (he doesn't know about that last one tho lol)

ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: no labels in vaugarde, but would id as pan

PREFERRED PET NAMES: never been called any / had the chance to use any! he'd really, really like them, though... might even kick his feet a lil'. who knows...

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: crushing. BADLY.

FAVORITE CANON/FANDOM SHIP: whaaat i've never shipped anything in my life lol (i trip and fall to the ground. dozens of isa/frins spill from my pockets).

OPINION ON TRUE LOVE: yeas... good. he's its strongest warrior, even. he doesn't think it has to be limited to a single person, and any kind of love (romantic, platonic, whatever) can develop to be real and true!

OPINION ON LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT: surprise! the avid romance reader doesn't actually subscribe to the myth! is it epic in fiction? absolutely!! hits him in the feels every time!! but it doesn't make a whole lot of sense irl.

HOW ‘ROMANTIC’ ARE THEY?: less of a surprise! the avid romance reader would be sooo unbearable in a relationship. there's so much love in his heart and, being the big, boisterous man he is, he will be cringe once he's comfy enough to let himself go wild with the grand gestures. he's already cringe enough without them.

IDEAL PHYSICAL TRAITS: small and cute but in the way a very sharp cooking knife with flowers and little hearts is small and cute.

IDEAL PERSONALITY TRAITS: cool... mysterious... funny... kind... honest... can scare him a lil', as a treat 😳...

UNATTRACTIVE PHYSICAL TRAITS: no dealbreakers he can think of.

UNATTRACTIVE PERSONALITY TRAITS: just be a decent person?? a low bar, but he's not on the dating scene so he doesn't think about it much.

IDEAL DATE: a cop-out, but genuinely anything that'll make his partner happy. as long as they're together, he'd do anything to make it perfect and tailor-made for them! he's not picky, anyway.

DO THEY HAVE A TYPE?: rogues. who said that

AVERAGE RELATIONSHIP LENGTH: do the ones he dreamt up count? no? then, uh. zero. "zero what?" zero.

PREFERRED NON-SEXUAL INTIMACY: HUGS. HE LOVES HUGGING SOOOO MUCH UGH. he's also just super affectionate outside of romance, so he'll catch whatever level of intimacy his partner's throwing tbh.

COMMITMENT LEVEL: ride or die

OPINION OF PUBLIC AFFECTION: again, whatever his partner wants! kinda. the thought actually makes his stomach do a bunch of front- and back-flips, but not in a bad way! it's just, a lot!! he's a lot!!! what if his hands get all sweaty and he squeaks or something and-- *explodes* (he's destined to become a PDA menace).

PAST RELATIONSHIPS?: none! but he's had the occasional crush before his current one.

[crystalknuckle]

loopsy's right, it would've been cute (especially if they got sif in on it)...

"HA!! noooo~! no distracting me with puns!" he 'scolds' with a mighty swing across a peep's beak. luckily, they're pretty confident with a weapon, too; even moreso than isabeau! far as his memory serves, there's only one other person he's known to look so... natural wielding daggers (and in similar form; man, they really are close!).

suppose it should be said that loop's fleeting eyes haven't escaped his scrutiny, either. he can feel them sometimes, but as soon as he initiates contact? fwoosh! gone! still, he shouldn't jump to conclusions, even if the suspicions are very much there... not that he's assuming the worst of them or anything--! sigh. maybe the small dose of mortal peril will help break a few boundaries.

...you know who else is small? loop. and you know who isn't? this guy! he has an idea. risky -- silly, perhaps -- but the foundation's sound.

"we could just hit 'em head-on... a tried and true tactic... orrr, we can put our character sheets to work! roleplay a little," he almost goes for a conspiratorial nudge, but the voice in his head called 'common sense' tells him to hold off. "howzabout i toss you? lemme hog their attention while you let loose from behind, all swift and stylish and rogue-like! we'll call it... operation: sugar rush!"

POW! isabeau knocks another rampaging peep out of the park!

"so??" he can't really pound fist-to-palm with a mace in hand, but, oh, does he try, "i can handle constructive criticism! just be gentle, okay?"

one familiar face upon their journey here had been enough. they wouldn't have minded if it ended with them, that indifferent stare the last thing they saw before this whole mess was left behind. curtains drawn shut, their play finally reaching an end. a finale to this bitter sweetness, these unwarranted second chance, these constant reminders -- !

they weren't allowed something so simple. recast into a new performance, instead. one they had difficulty ignoring, no matter how many times they tried. no matter how often they tried not to look ( or walk, in this case ) in his direction.

always by someone's side, isn't he?

' . . . oh, could we have? ' apart from a raised brow, they at least respond to the nickname ( they're not sure how they feel about it ); hand motioning to their attire. time to get their act together. ' now wouldn't that be cute! what a missed opportunity. ' their skin is crawling, their chest hurts. ignore it.

a booming exclamation is sure enough to shake them out of it. for the time being, at least. startled eyes offering a blink as they take in the size of the looming . . . bird? they had been aware of it coming this far, but it really was something of a comical threat.

the little ones no less laughable, truthfully, but a fast approaching threat nonetheless! back to the stage, they know their role.

' it's a bit s'more than i was anticipating, ' there's a tilt in loop's head, directing their eyes away and pretending they can't see that ( unfortunately ) uplifting grin. temporary avoidance, however. the sound of sticky, rapidly approaching fluff all the reminder they needed to brandish a spoiled hook of peppermint.

swing! if a strike isn't answer enough, these little things don't seem keen on giving them time to compose themselves more than they already are.

' as i'll ever be~! ' let's get this over with.

[crystalknuckle]

a moment of comfort

warm-up based off an old doodle adrienne did bc my creativity has wandered off somewhere but I really wanted to draw isa and mira… fwiends… 🥺💕

[crystalknuckle]

twenty-seven... twenty-eight... twenty-WHOA! hell-o, giant one!  

"urgh-- h-hey!" the greeting's closer to a grunt as isabeau props his weights, lips pressing into a deep, contemplative purse once upright, "hmm...! can't say i've seen any. weird. no respect for the 'big' in 'big and buff' around here, i'm telling ya."

though 8ft is an outlier, even with body craft... well, not to worry! he's got an idea!

'one sec!' conveyed with a hop, he scoots two benches together -- a third, sideways, for length -- and presents it with a flourish. his masterpiece: the capital-B Bench.

"tada~! nothing to set the barbell on (womp womp), but i can spot you! no buddy like a workout buddy, i always say." ... "okay, i don't say that. but my offer stands!"

@crystalknuckle

鬼 - Yamato had been to one of these "gyms" during his prior stay in the city. He'd had a friend make then that liked to work out and had shown him around, but in the end he didn't really understand how any of the equipment worked. He was observing a man using the bench press, but he didn't really know what it was.

"Uh... Do you know if they make these things with bigger seats?" Being 8'8", he could still comfortably lean over the man and the weight he was lifting. "Think I'm kind of tall for the one you're using..."

[crystalknuckle]

@sponstar ♥ NEW QUEST: i don't wanna hear a peep

big battle at the castle, eh? easy to ignore if one steers clear, seems like, but it got isabeau thinking: what if someone takes the bait? even a small party won't be safe from getting candied! and neither is he, but he can't sit still when he could be putting his muscles to use-- the desire to help shouldn't come as a shock, anyway.

now, loop tagging along? there's a surprise! he didn't even know they could fight (isabeau's still keeping an eye on them, though; just in case)!

"...so, loop-de-loop?" he tests the nickname's mouthfeel, lilt buoyant to match his gait toward the looming castle, "the fit?? i never asked 'cuz i figured going au natural was a star-person thing, but you should've told me! we could've coordinated!"

weird implications, but who's he to question someone's (lack of) fashion choices? not to mention... uh...!? hold that thought.

"HOLY CRAB THAT'S A BIG CHICKEN!!" the quest's flavor text wasn't kidding! he really is shaking in his boots! it's a short-lived panic, though; adrenaline guiding his mace to his front. "and, not-so-big chickens?? huh. they're kinda cute--"

the flock turns in unison. candy eyes bore pure malice. a standstill, then...! they charge.

"!?!? did i say cute? whoops! i meant terrifying!" yet the grin he tosses over his shoulder is big, brave (a morale boost, he hopes), "which'll make roasting these 'mallows a whole lot easier on the conscience! you ready?"

[crystalknuckle]

lots of soft spots sif's hitting in quick succession here, as the warm and fuzzy defender can surely testify. the fanfare, the flourish, the matching gear and pun...! there's an 'eye candy' line he's dying to set them up for after his laughter subsides, but it seems he'll have to save it for the time being.

"booo, you know praise is what i do best," he sulks in faux excess, kicking the biscuit-crumb dirt. "guess i'll tell you what i think of that dagger later, then...!"

as for when, "i'll fit it in somewhere between the coaster and teacups. that's a promise!" the compliments and attractions were a given, of course. even if the seats do look cramped on some; what if they get thrown into one another, or...!!

or nothing! it's quest time, isabeau. eyes on the prize!

he wags a stern finger, for himself, mostly, "we'll have to earn our tickets to ride, though," (uh huh, as if he won't goof off at the drop of a pointy hat), "and the first one's a gimme! the sculptor mentioned a suspicious swarm of skeletons near the gummy-go-round, which is..." he double-checks the map before shoving it into his peppermint pouch, pointing dead-ahead with vigor and vim, "that-a-way!"

...more like 'wrong-a-way'. if only there was a capable rogue-slash-heart-stealer nearby to guide him in the right direction!~

he's peeking back around to wink cutely. that's your cue, siffarooni.

"Ohh!" You bring your hands together to offer a small flurry of claps at his display. It's kind of funny seeing Isabeau with an actual weapon, given he's usually keen on punching everything. Even so, it kinda suits him!

You, however, stuck with what you know. So now it's your turn to show off, now that you're a formal member of his very real, entirely corporeal team.

"Isa, check this out..." You brandish one of your daggers, twirling it around your finger by its hook before gripping in it your accustomed backhanded fashion. Gah, if only it were a real blade, you could probably make the light glint off of it in a cool way or something to really show off! Oh, but that's not the point...!

"Looks familiar, don't you think? We're already properly coordinated!" You dangle the dagger a bit with a grin before slotting it back on its makeshift holster. "Seems like we were mint to team up." Okay, maybe you should slow your roll a little here...

Despite a part of you wanting to keep your distance, if you're going to do this, you have to do it properly. So you take a few steps closer, peering at the map in his hands.

"Hey, we haven't even started, you're not allowed to compliment me yet." But it is kind of nice to know he has so much faith in you. You're not gonna squander that, are you? Um, you don't want an answer to that. Moving on, moving on... "You're right though," you'll relent that much, but you're not going to claim it all for yourself, "this is kinda old hat for us, huh? But promise we'll get to ride a few rides after." Or during, if you don't lock in too hard, you don't care if you have to bat away a few monsters for it!

[crystalknuckle]

"Mister Isabeau! This is for you," she smiles as she holds out a dark chocolate bar, "Thank you for watching over our kingdom of cats with me."

..........!!!!!

"YOUR MEOWJESTY, you shouldn't have!!" he's cradling the chocolate bar to his chest; his sniffle melodramatic, tears non-existent.

oh, but what's that tucked away in his back pocket? it's a card! and not just any ol' card-- a genu-ine valentine!

"luckily, i came prepared! this is for you, from me and your loyal subjects," (because it's one sentiment he's paw-sitive they'd all agree on)!

[crystalknuckle]

happy balentimes from the isat cast

[crystalknuckle]

YES!!!!!! GOOD ONE!!!

[crystalknuckle]

"SIF!! see for yourself!" isabeau's beaming as he swings his mace over his shoulder, his sugary-sweet smile putting the gumdrop backdrop to shame.

"wait. you wanna go questing? with me?? let me just consult my totally-real, not-fake party." he lifts his hand for a round of pantomimed, whispery banter, then splays his arms wide, "welcome aboard, trap master!"

a title that'll prove useful in the heartbreaker's chosen mission (*dramatic pause*)... Sweet Sculpts Resituated! he would've done something cooler if he'd known he'd run into sif, though; isabeau's unstoppable with him around! feels like it, anyway.

but if he's so eager (over-eager?), they can still make it fun! a scavenger hunt with a side of buttkicking!

"here, i jotted some notes from my chat with the sculptor," he trails in light of sif's twitch, but wills his own lip from following suit as he unfolds his map of scribbles. "i-it's no dragon, i know, but i like doing these more... lowkey side gigs with you? with anyone! but, um, especially you? plus, you're kinda perfect for this sort of thing."

@crystalknuckle.

"Oh, Isa-!" There he is! See, you're still good at finding. Still, it feels kind of funny to have to catch up to him, maybe he's already decided on a quest then? "Got all your gear? Do you need anything else? I've just been messing around, so I've got a few things if you wanna use any of them..." Okay, now your stride matches his at least.

Hopefully the sugary affliction overtaking everything doesn't sour your attempts at nonchalance. Because you are trying! There are many reasons why you'd be stressed despite the fantastical overhaul of everything. But you're only really caught up on one thing now.

"If you're doing a quest, will you let me tag along?" You're not about to let him go it alone, even if all the foes are little more than sweet treats. "Just point me in the direction! I'll lead, no questions asked!" You're still useful...! ...........Right?

"Just like old times, yeah?" You try your hand at a coy smile before you skip a few steps ahead, turning around to do as you said. You can feel the way the corner of your mouth twitches. Hm. A bit too steeped in your anxiety to attempt to make light of things, huh? Nah, you're fine!

[crystalknuckle]

SUGAR QUEST IV.

[ ISABEAU ♥ HEARTBREAKER (WARRIOR) ]

WEAPON: jawbreaker mace ARMOR 'FLAVOR': peppermint bark

CHARACTER SKILLS:

GUSHER BURST: Conjuring all your strength, this buff will fire you up and keep you on your feet; quite literally covering your body in rainbow flames! It’ll make any attack from your weapons stronger, your defense more solid, and your movements quicker. Use it wisely, however; this effect only lasts for 30 seconds before you have to recharge it again!

GREAT LEAPING GUMMY FROGS!: You’ve trained all your life with the candy frogs to jump just like they do– a wise decision on your part! Leap to high places to avoid danger, pick up your party to soar across obstacles, or spring up high behind your enemy to deliver a crushing blow!

CATCH THE GINGERBREAD MAN: When overrun by evil candy enemies, simply present your staff mace and utter the sweetest Valentine you can think of. Even the scariest of monsters won’t be able to hide their bashfulness– it’ll send them running in the opposite direction, with the biggest blush ever on their faces!

SHIELD OF HARD CANDY: In a pinch? Not to worry! This handy spell will summon a shield large enough to cover you and your party! But be careful– there’s always someone determined enough out there to try and crunch right through it!

CHARACTER STATS:

STRENGTH: 8

MAGIC: 2

ENDURANCE: 8

SPEED: 2

[crystalknuckle]

...!! his first instinct is to reach out and comfort. his second instinct is to stop, right above their shoulder, and retract, hand 'casually' brought to his sleeve instead. brave as they are, concern's plain as day in isabeau's down-turned expression. it's just...

it reminds him of sif? the avoidant way his friend's been acting, especially. he'd pushed loop to lash out, too. better avoid a third strike while he's ahead.

"pro tip: that's, uh, not as reassuring as you think it is, but cool! ice to hear it."

he squints over the horizon before they can backpedal, looking for -- bingo! -- an item sho-- er, pharmacy!

"if you can walk it off, how about taking the lead, then, leader? ice pack's on me, being the Responsible Adult With Job Prospects and all." his mouth snaps into an 'o', fingers following in remembrance, "a responsible adult named isabeau, by the way!"

… he’s patronizing them a little.

Come on. Seriously? Big-big kids? Ouchies? That stuff might work on Asriel or Frisk, but Chara isn’t as childish as them. They’re mature. They’re strong.

They try to bend their wrist, and pain shoots through the limb. Chara grits their teeth and shudders, shoulders coming down, pressing the wrist and hand to their chest as they curl up in on themself.

They don’t cry, and to be honest?

they barely make a sound at all.

“… I just need ice. I can walk this off. I had worse injuries that did not require medical attention.”

Come on, Chara, dying was way worse than this. Get it together.

[crystalknuckle]

"ha! yeah!! sure, sure, that's what i mean! crazy stuff!"

what a card! 'the stabbing part is real'! for a scene? as if anyone would do that to their crush. he'll just giddily wait for that incoming 'sike!!!'

aaaany second now.... ..........ah.

"wait, what." he'd stopped mid-fit, blank in the face. "uh...! wow! congrats on the hickeys? and sorry? you got stabbed??" different strokes for different folks! (different stabs for different lads?)!! sounds like the sort of setup mira would be into on paper, at least. "bet you'd dominate in 'two truths and a lie', heh!"

anyhoo, the line about his boyfriend being sweet? that, isabeau can bounce off easily, twinkle mirrored as he takes a big, hearty gulp of their newly-arrived drinks.

"me? i-i dunno?" he reaches up to scratch a darkened cheek, "i want to, s-soonish? but i don't think he's-- HUWAH!! you didn't hear that! what's there to confess to my 100% platonic friend-pal sif!? nothing, that's what! where'd you get that idea?"

would slamming his head into the counter be a dead giveaway? he's considering it.

" Hey---"

Eiden does fall for it at first - while Veoc doesn't, Eiden's spent enough time around people who probably would actually stuff themselves with styrox foam for real. That said while he rises his eyebrows at first he too joins into the laugh at the end. It takes a while before he gets any further on the stabbing part though.

" Very funny", he laughs, slightly sarcastic but about equal parts genuine.

" Oh but the stabbing part is real though. We were supposed to do a scene and... yeah. The things they make me do... At least we got to do some hickeys first---"

A little confusing explanation? Blame it on alcohol. At least it led to a confession though, something good about it...

" I mean, nothing too dramatic but... it was sweet. Very much like the guy himself. "

Smiles sparks on his face that remains as he turns to the other guy, twinkle in his eye.

" And? How's yours going? Plan on trying? "