maskormenace | 1st SAVE

[The feed opens up to the view of a young child, about eight or so years old, standing away at arm's length. The feed is slightly tilted, and there's a frown as the child reaches forward to adjust the position of the camera. When they're satisfied, they lean back to their original position and wave brightly at the camera. Hello everyone!

Frisk isn't sure where exactly this place was, but they do know it's not anywhere close to Mount Ebott or any place familiar. Being dropped into a completely foreign place with strangers isn't new to them though. It's strange seeing so many humans after a long period of having monsters as company, but they're not about to be deterred.

But back to the point. Frisk holds their left palm up and slides their right hand over it, outwards, then points their index fingers up with both hands and touches the hands together and finally points at the camera, making a sweeping motion from right to left. It's nice to meet you all.

They continue with their signing, making the hand movements a little slower than usual for clarity. They're not sure if anyone will understand them, but it's worth a shot.

It's a short statement. I'm new here, let's all be friends! Once they're done, they smile, and then end the video.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Grey does not like using video. There's something about broadcasting his face that makes him very uncomfortable, and since he can't talk anyway, he's never really tried to get over that. In this case, though, he'll make an exception. Mary Watson has been teaching him sign language for a while. He's not very good at it, but he'll try.

He waves at her, and lifts up his hands. ]

Hello. My name is Grey. I'm glad to meet you.

What is your name?

[Oh! It's someone who can use sign language! Frisk's face brightens up with joy and excitement and they sign back rapidly.]

My name is Frisk! I'm so glad to meet people who can understand and sign back!

[They can tell Grey is a little shaky at it, but it's still more than understandable.]

[ He's much slower than she is, and watches her hands intently. He smiles, though, just a little bit. She looks so happy.

He wants to try. ]

I don't know much. I am learning.

Are you lost?

It's okay. I can help you learn!

[They were always willing to teach another how to use sign language.]

No, I'm... [Frisk pauses for a moment as they think how to describe their situation.] Curious? This place is new and big. There are so many people here. I want to get to know everyone! I'm also a little confused by the papers they gave me when I got here. They said I'm a hero, and the papers say I have powers, but I thought humans don't have magic?

[ That's...a lot. Grey doesn't get all of it, and his expression turns a little alarmed in the middle. He picks it back up, though. Certainly in time to realise she's asking about magic. He signs: ]

its very big
dont worry

[ And then he leans close to the camera, and gestures up to his cheek. Words start to appear there - but she's young, and he's not sure if she reads. Either way, he wants to show her. The moving tattoos are his power. ]

can you read ?

[ In case she can't, he makes the words disappear, and replaces them with a small, but very realistic image of a flower. One tattoo melts away and the other replaces it. He wants to show her there's nothing to fear. ]

[Frisk makes a surprised expression, mouth in an o-shape, and then it morphs into wonder and excitement.]

That's so cool!! You can make pictures and words appear on your skin!!!

[And to answer the question he wrote on himself, they nod.]

I can read!

[ She can read. And she likes his power, which will help a great deal. Now, he adjusts the camera so that he can hold up his hands, and let her see his face. Any words that he doesn't know how to sign will appear by tattoo, instead, and thus he will be able to hold a conversation.

This is better. ]

That is my power. I make words, and I make shadows. I don't think they are magic, but they are close. People like us all have powers.

What do you have?

[Frisk turns to shuffle through the folder of papers they were given when they first got here. When they find the relevant paper, they turn back to sign to Grey.]

It says... soul change, healing and... determination. [Well. The determination one was, apparently, just making them more physically sturdy. So it'd been downgraded... Frisk frowned, and concentrated hard on something.

After about a minute, they sigh soundlessly and slump back a little, disappointed.]

[ Grey watches all of this. The only power that really means anything to him is healing. He doesn't know if she's worried or concentrating, so when she seems unhappy, he waves at the camera to call her attention back. ]

What happened?

Did you try to use one?

[ He'd struggled with using his at first, too. ]

[They shake their head, once, to answer Grey's question, then again, to lift the brief bout of gloom that settled on them.]

Not really. One of them was... it did different things. I wanted to see if it really changed.

[The frown on their face was more than enough of an answer to that question.]

[ Grey tilts his head, watching her with warm, curious eyes. She's a strange child, he decides. But then, he's strange too. Maybe he likes strange.

What he does not like is the way she'd seemed so unhappy. He signs again, quickly, backing up any word he doesn't know with his tattoos. ]

What is supposed to be different? Do you want it to change?

[ She looks as though she does, poor girl. ]

[They purse their lips, not wanting to reveal exactly what their former power did. But they couldn't not answer, so after a bit of thinking, they lift their hands up to sign.]

It was a power that let me help all my friends. But now it just makes me stronger.

[Sturdier is the word Frisk means.]

I want my old power back [There's a pause as Sans flashes into Frisk's mind.] ...but maybe it's better this way.

[ Grey always thinks it’s strange to meet someone who had powers before. He never did. He’s no stranger to powers being troublesome, though. ]

Sometimes they change. The porter changes them.

[ He doesn’t know a sign that represents porter. Door is about the closest he can think of, but he writes it on his skin anyway. ]

Why is it better this way? Did it hurt someone?

[Frisk looks down for a brief moment before lifting their head back up and signing.]

It was very powerful. It... did hurt someone. Someone close to me. I don't want to hurt them anymore.

[ Oh.

Grey's eyes flash with concern for her. He wouldn't like that, either. ]

You didn't mean to.

Were they okay?

I don't know. I hope so, but they are so tired.

[Frisk looks back down, dejected. They really didn't mean to cause harm, but they also know it's not solely them that has caused the pain. But still, they contributed, and the guilt was heavy on their shoulders.]

[ It's obvious that she's upset. Reacting to that, a frowning Grey is quick to shake his head. ]

You tried to help.
It's not your fault.

[ But in her place, he knows he would feel the same. Guilt is a hard thing to be rid of. ]

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